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In this episode, we perceive the angst of a parted lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 216, penned by Kachipettu Kanchi Kotranaar. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the friend’s words of concern about the lady’s ability to bear with the man’s parting.
அவரே, கேடு இல் விழுப்பொருள் தருமார், பாசிலை
வாடா வள்ளிஅம் காடு இறந்தோரே;
யானே, தோடு ஆர் எல் வளை ஞெகிழ, நாளும்
பாடு அமை சேக்கையில், படர் கூர்ந்திசினே;
‘அன்னள் அளியள்’ என்னாது, மா மழை
இன்னும் பெய்யும்; முழங்கி
மின்னும்-தோழி!-என் இன் உயிர் குறித்தே
‘Attack by the rain’ is the core theme here. The opening words ‘அவரே கேடு இல் விழுப்பொருள் தருமார்’ meaning ‘He, who wanted to earn endless good wealth’ talks about the intention of the man. Following this, we glimpse at ‘வாடா வள்ளிஅம் காடு’ meaning ‘forest filled with unfading fiveleafyam vines’. Isn’t there a repeated mention of words synonymous with ‘undying’? Could it have any deeper significance? Let’s wait and see. The core symptom of pining makes an appearance in ‘எல் வளை ஞெகிழ’ meaning ‘as radiant bangles slip away’. In ‘மா மழை இன்னும் பெய்யும்’ meaning ‘the dark clouds pour on’, I see an ancient echo of the current weather outside my windows as the Northeast monsoon pounds Chennai, the city I live in. Returning to the past, the verse ends with the words ‘என் இன் உயிர் குறித்தே’ meaning ‘aiming for my sweet life’ and beckons us to listen with empathy.
Pining and raining seem to be the twin torments to the lady. The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a happy, married life when the man parted away to gather wealth. As days rolled on, and the promised season of return neared, the confidante worried that the lady will not be able to bear with the man’s parting any longer. To the worried friend, the lady says, “So as to bring undying good wealth, he traversed to those forests filled with unfading green leaves of the ‘valli’ vine. As for me, with clusters of my shining bangles slipping away, day after day, lying on the well-crafted bed, I wallow in suffering. Without thinking, ‘the girl thither is to be pitied’, dark clouds continue to pour, roaring and flashing, my friend, targeting my sweet life!” With these words, the lady gives word to the anguish in her heart as the man continues to stay away.
Time to explore the nuances. The lady starts by talking about how the man left to bring ‘unending’ wealth by traversing through the forest with ‘unfading’ leaves of the ‘valli’ vine. Then, contrasting with these evergreen elements, the lady indicates how she herself seemed to be wilting away with pining, as can be seen from her slipping bangles, as she lay on her well-made bed, filled with suffering. She continues saying the rain clouds outside seem to think nothing of her pain, as they were happily pouring, accompanied by the light and sound show of thunder and lightning. With that, she says that the only conclusion to make is that the rain was intent on taking her life away.
At the core, this is an expression of what torments a person and that by itself, when said to a comforting listener, will bring relief. Other details we can gather from this verse is that the man had promised to be back before the rains started, a promise he seems unable to fulfil. As I journey back into the poem, the phrase ‘well-crafted bed’ calls my attention. This seems to indicate a life of prosperity and makes me ask, if the man was leading a wealthy life already, why would he leave to earn more wealth? The answer to that seems to come from the lady’s remark about ‘unending wealth’. That expression is meant as an oxymoron, for the very nature of wealth is to diminish and end, the lady implies! Thus, there seems to be a repeated stress on ‘undying’ in the initial lines, which serves to highlight and heighten the evanescent nature of wealth and so also, the lady’s youth and life that seems to be battered by the attack of the rains.
Yet, one cannot help thinking what a life of privilege the ancients must have led if the only worry that the rains brought was that of pining in the memory of someone. In today’s world, heavy rains are accompanied by so many disastrous events like flooding, property and real life loss, that the past seems to be such a safe haven, even though it appears not to this lady, who lived then. Likewise, could the future look back at this moment of time, when the pounding rains outside are wreaking havoc in lives many, and say, indeed you are leading a safe life? To each, their own!
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