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In this episode, we perceive a retrospective look at the past in response to a difficult situation in the present, as portrayed by Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 223, penned by Madurai Kadaiyathaar Makanaar Vennaakanaar. Set in the hills of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante’s words that the lady must bear with the man’s parting.
‘பேர் ஊர் கொண்ட ஆர்கலி விழவில்
செல்வாம் செல்வாம்” என்றி; அன்று, இவண்
நல்லோம் நல்ல பலவால் தில்ல;
தழலும் தட்டையும் முறியும் தந்து, ”இவை
ஒத்தன நினக்கு” எனப் பொய்த்தன கூறி,
அன்னை ஓம்பிய ஆய் நலம்
என்னை கொண்டான்; யாம் இன்னமால் இனியே.
‘I am in this state as I listened to your words then’, says a voice here. The opening words ‘பேர் ஊர் கொண்ட ஆர்கலி விழவில்’ meaning ‘in the noisy festival celebrated in the huge town’ makes our ears sense the thunderous atmosphere of an ancient festival. We glimpse objects used in the mountain country in ‘தழலும் தட்டையும் முறியும்’ meaning ‘slingshot, rattle-drum and tender leaves’. The phrase ‘அன்னை ஓம்பிய ஆய் நலம்’ meaning ‘the picturesque health and beauty that mother protected’ talks about the role of a mother in the well-being of her daughter. Ending with the words ‘யாம் இன்னமால் இனியே’ meaning ‘now, I am in this state’, the verse welcomes us to listen with empathy.
An odd mix of festivals, objects and mother’s care in this verse! The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship when the man decided to part away from the lady to gather wealth for their wedding. The lady languishes in his absence and the confidante insists that the lady must hide her feelings and bear until the man returns. To the confidante, the lady says, “You once said to me, ‘Let’s go, let’s go to the uproarious festival in this great town’. That day, there was much that was good here. Giving me a sling, rattle and tender leaves, my lord said, ‘these will bring joy to you’, words that have become false, and he took away my beauty and health that mother nurtured. So, I am in this state now!” With these words, the lady relates how because she once listened to the confidante’s words, she has ended up in this pitiable state now.
Why is the confidante to be blamed for the lady’s state? The lady explains that it’s because long ago in the past, the confidante had persuaded the lady to go along with her to the town festival. Recollecting how her beauty and health were intact then, the lady reminisces how she met with the man in that festival and later, he happened to give her things such as a slingshot, a rattle and tender leaves, and told the lady that those would make her happy. Looking with the eyes of the twenty-first century, what odd things to gift a lady! But, what seems strange now was a sensible gift then. It’s a well-known fact that the primary occupation of mountain maidens was to drive away parrots in the millet fields and that’s why the man is handing over these tools to the lady. Isn’t it common today to gift one’s love with the latest gadgets that technology has to offer? Smartphones and laptops are the most common gifts these days. This bent of mind seems to have been there in the Sangam times too! And as for the tender leaves, perhaps not wanting to appear too practical-minded, the man throws in an aesthetic gift of leaves, the equivalent of buying clothes for the beloved today!
Returning to the verse, the lady stresses on how the words of the man saying those things would bring happiness to her has become untrue. And when we ponder on why, we realise that things that were a source of joy cease to be so in the absence of the beloved. A classic symptom in loss and bereavement! The lady concludes by saying how the man took away her beauty that mother nurtured and that’s why she is so. I find it curious how the lady talks about her beauty as an entity that can be stolen away by another, as if it were an accessory instead of an inseparable part of who you are! Beyond all these facets, what can be sensed here is a pressure on the lady to appear calm and composed on the outside, no matter what she feels within. Perhaps, a moment of gratitude for the strides we have made today, when it comes to being open about feelings within, which is the true path to a sane world!
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