Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS | More
In this episode, we perceive how humaneness soars even in the midst of suffering, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 224, penned by Koovan Mainthanaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ and speaks in the voice of the lady to herself, passing on a message to the confidante, listening nearby.
கவலை யாத்த அவல நீள் இடைச்
சென்றோர் கொடுமை எற்றி, துஞ்சா
நோயினும் நோய் ஆகின்றே-கூவற்
குரால் ஆன் படு துயர் இராவில் கண்ட
உயர்திணை ஊமன் போலத்
துயர் பொறுக்கல்லேன் தோழி நோய்க்கே.
‘More torturous than that’ is the core theme of the verse. The opening words ‘கவலை யாத்த அவல நீள் இடை’ meaning ‘the long path in the dry, branching spaces, filled with ‘ya’ trees’ situates the song in the drylands, the region symbolising separation. In the phrase ‘துஞ்சா நோயினும் நோய் ஆகின்றே’ meaning ‘a disease worse than the sleepless disease’ echoes the core thought mentioned. Extending the theme of affliction continues ‘குரால் ஆன் படு துயர்’ meaning ‘the severe suffering of a tawny cow’. There’s a phrase ‘உயர்திணை ஊமன்’ which talks about ‘a mute person’ and what’s curious about this phrase is that there’s the Tamil grammatical marker used to denote ‘beings with five senses’, in other words ‘humans’, given as an adjective to this word. Scholars explain that the word ‘ஊமன்’ also refers to ‘an owl’ and so as to explicitly state that the verse refers to ‘a mute person’ and not the bird, the marker of ‘உயர்திணை’ has been added. Ending with the words ‘துயர் பொறுக்கல்லேன் தோழி நோய்க்கே’ meaning ‘I’m unable to bear the suffering of my friend’s affliction’, the verse welcomes us to listen with empathy.
All about afflictions and angst, this one! The context reveals that the man and lady had been leading a married life, when the man parted away to gather wealth. As days roll by, the lady languishes in his absence and the confidante worries whether the lady has the strength to bear with his parting. One day, when the confidante is in earshot, the lady says, “Amidst the forking spaces filled with ‘ya’ trees, to the long drylands path, he left. More than my sleepless affliction in thinking about his harsh heart, this torments me more. Akin to how a mute person suffers on seeing the plight of a howling tawny-coloured cow that has fallen into a well at night, it is unbearable suffering to see my friend in distress!” With these words, the lady tells the confidante that her friend’s worry is tormenting her, even more than the man’s parting.
Time to delve into the nuances! The lady starts by talking about how the man had parted away to the drylands, filled with ‘ya’ trees, and tells us that thoughts of his hard heart to undertake this journey and leave her torments her so, the consequence of this being the suffering of insomnia. But, even that’s manageable compared to this other thing that’s gnawing at my heart, the lady adds. She goes on to explain what that is by describing a simile, which talks about the inner pain of a mute person when he sees a cow fall into a well at night. He’s unable to cry for help and suffers silently within. That’s exactly how I feel, the lady says, when I see the pain in my friend, and concludes by declaring it’s impossible to bear with that pain!
Multiple layers of what makes us human glows in this verse. First, is the confidante’s worry about the lady’s health in the man’s absence. After all, the confidante could have seen the lady as another person, with her own world of worries. But instead, the confidante sees the lady as one with her and identifies the lady’s pain as her own. In this, empathy smiles at us. Next, is the simile which depicts the innate compassion of a disabled person for the suffering of another life, even though that life is not that of another human. Here’s an instance showing how love breaks boundaries and extends across all life. And finally, in the act of the lady declaring that she feels the pain of her friend acutely, more than even the distress of her beloved’s parting, there’s a hidden sense of gratitude. Instead of feeling entitled to the affection and care of the confidante, the lady recognises and acknowledges the worry in her friend about her own wellbeing. With so many positive threads of emotion, the lady and confidante will surely find a way to rise above the suffering that surrounds them. In that, shines a lesson for all humanity, which says the true path out of suffering can only be laid with compassion towards others!
Share your thoughts...