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In this episode, we relish a striking connection between an element of nature and a jeweller’s object, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 192, penned by Kachipettu Nannaakaiyaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing her inability to bear with the man’s parting.
‘ஈங்கே வருவர், இனையல், அவர்’ என,
அழாஅற்கோ இனியே?- நோய் நொந்து உறைவி!-
மின்னின் தூவி இருங் குயில், பொன்னின்
உரை திகழ் கட்டளை கடுப்ப, மாச் சினை
நறுந் தாது கொழுதும் பொழுதும்,
வறுங் குரற் கூந்தல் தைவருவேனே.
‘How can you expect me to?’ questions a voice in this verse! The opening words ‘ஈங்கே வருவர் இனையல்’ meaning ‘he will come back, worry not’ are kind words of reassurance. And then ‘அழாஅற்கோ இனியே’ meaning ‘how can I not cry now’ puts forth a suffering-filled question. The phrase ‘நோய் நொந்து உறைவி’ meaning ‘an intimate person who partakes in one’s suffering’ is a perfect portrait of the confidante, who seems to live only to make sure the lady’s happy. Life flutters in with ‘இருங் குயில்’ meaning ‘black bird’, possibly a ‘koel’. Next, we glance at an intriguing object in ‘பொன்னின் உரை திகழ் கட்டளை’ meaning ‘gold dust that remains on a touchstone’, and this is a type of stone used to test the quality of gold by the streak it leaves on the stone’s black surface. Ending with the words ‘வறுங் குரற் கூந்தல் தைவருவேனே’ meaning ‘as I press against my dried-up hair clusters’, the verse beckons us to listen closely.
Black shines the koel and the touchstone here! The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a happy, married life when the man parted away to gather wealth. As days passed, the lady languished, and one day, she says to her confidante, “You say, ‘he will return, worry not’, O companion in my suffering! The shining feathers of the black bird, glows akin to a touchstone on which gold dust settles, when the bird pecks at the fragrant pollen on the mango tree branch. In this season, as I caress my dry and tangled hair, how can I not shed tears?” With these words, the lady declares that the confidante’s words of consolation are not helping her and her separation with the man is becoming impossible to bear.
Why aren’t words of consolation, a comfort to any worried heart, helping the lady anymore? Let’s listen to her words to find out. The lady starts by repeating the confidante’s words, who seemed to be reassuring the lady that the man will return and that the lady must not pine away. Then, she asks a pointed question to the confidante asking, how is it even possible not to cry just then? To explain the reason for this question, she talks about a black bird with radiant feathers needling the pollen of a mango tree. To describe how this bird looks just after that dip in the golden pollen, the lady calls a touchstone for reference. Just like how streaks of gold dot the black stone, pollen dust coats the wings of the black bird. After that stunning reference, the lady asks, just now how can she bear with the man’s parting, as she sat there, her hands through her matted hair!
Matted hair? What could be the connection between uncared-for hair and the well-groomed lady? Also, what is it about the ‘now’ that makes it impossible for the lady to bear with the man’s parting? Let’s address both questions. To understand what is different about the ‘now’, we have to zoom on to the moment the black bird is pecking at the fragrant pollen. This is the indicator of time and it happens to be the season of spring, which also was apparently, a difficult time for a separated couple. One question answered! To know why the lady’s hair is a tangled mess, we need to understand that Sangam women avoided attending to their grooming whenever their men were away. Only on the man’s return, would the lady then oil her thick hair and adorn it with flowers many. Now, as she sat there with her hand on her unadorned tresses, as flowers burst all around in the season of spring, the lady found it too much to take.
Another nuanced point can be ascertained by examining the image of golden pollen settling on the black’s bird’s feathers. This is a temporary event. The moment the bird moves its wings, these grains are going to vanish. Likewise, the lady implies the words of consolation rendered by the confidante give her solace only for a little while and then, the pain of parting overwhelms as the lady’s mind peers at the distance between the man and herself. Something we all have experienced. When the core issue is not addressed, the relief of words, however consoling, seems momentary. As in the case of the lady in this verse, who knows that the one solution to her suffering is the return of her man, only when we have the insight to zoom on to the core issue within and locate the true solution, will we find the lasting happiness we are searching for!
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