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In this episode, we understand a man’s perception about a lady he met recently, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 184, penned by Arya Arasan Yaazh Piramathathan, a king said to be from northern India. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, in response to the friend’s words scolding him for his changed behaviour.
அறிகரி பொய்த்தல் ஆன்றோர்க்கு இல்லை;
குறுகல் ஓம்புமின் சிறுகுடிச் செலவே-
இதற்கு இது மாண்டது என்னாது, அதற்பட்டு,
ஆண்டு ஒழிந்தன்றே, மாண் தகை நெஞ்சம்-
மயிற்கண் அன்ன மாண் முடிப் பாவை
நுண் வலைப் பரதவர் மட மகள்
கண் வலைப் படூஉம் கானலானே.
‘Caught in a net’ exclaims this verse! The opening words ‘அறிகரி பொய்த்தல் ஆன்றோர்க்கு இல்லை’ meaning ‘the righteous never lie about what they know as the truth’ starts off on an abstract angle about ethics in communication. In the phrase ‘குறுகல் ஓம்புமின்’ meaning ‘guard yourself by staying away’, there appears a message of warning. The phrase ‘இதற்கு இது மாண்டது’ meaning ‘what is right for what’ makes the verse venture once again into the abstract dimensions of reason and logic. Curiously, the word ‘மாண்’ meaning ‘esteemed’ appears thrice in this verse. First, in the abstract phrase we just saw and then in ‘மாண் தகை நெஞ்சம்’ meaning ‘respect worthy heart’ and ‘மாண் முடிப் பாவை’ meaning ‘a doll-like girl with admirable tresses’. A clue about the seashore setting appears in ‘நுண் வலைப் பரதவர்’ meaning ‘fishermen who weave fine nets’. Ending with the words ‘கண் வலைப் படூஉம் கானலானே’ meaning ‘in the orchard, caught in those net-like eyes’, the verse captures our interest.
Sounds like a clash between love and logic! The context reveals that the man had met the lady recently and had fallen in love with her. As can be expected, he starts behaving curiously in the rush of his feelings. Observing this, his friend chides him for acting in a manner not suitable to who the man was. To this friend, the man says, “The noble never bear false witness to what they know to be true. Protect yourself from going close to that little hamlet! Instead of weighing what’s right for what, trapped, my honourable heart remains there. Akin to the beauty of a peacock feather’s eye is the beauty of her alluring tresses. That girl, akin to a doll, is the innocent daughter of a fisherman, who is a maker of fine nets. And, because it fell into her net-like eyes in the seaside orchard, that heart of mine stays with her, captive!” With these words, the man explains to his friend that it was natural for anyone to be as he was, if they were to meet that charming daughter of a fisherman.
Time to explore the nuances in this verse. The man starts by talking about the nature of the noble, saying if they know something to be true, then they will not go about saying false things about it. After that deep statement, the man moves on to give a warning to those around him, asking them to keep away from the little seaside village. When his friends blink at him, wondering about the reason for his words, the man tells them a tiny story. Here, he talks about his heart, which seemed to totally forget what’s the right thing to do, and has stayed back someplace. When they ask him where? He says there, in that seaside orchard, along with a fisherman’s daughter, who has tresses, as exquisite as a peacock feather’s eye. All this happened because my heart got caught in the net of her eyes, the man concludes!
‘Beware, my friends, you too will be bewitched’ says the man. Young love speaks, what can you say? And for centuries, poets have been penning about the allure of a beloved’s eyes, and in this verse, the man likens it to a net that has managed to catch his heart. Is love just about capturing and being caught? That privilege of giving your heart to another – Isn’t that a hallmark of freedom as well? And thus, even if poems, verses, lyrics and songs have continued to revolve around the same theme of love for millennia together, there seems to be more and more to explore!
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