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In this episode, we relish intricate meanings weaved into elements of nature, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 239, penned by Aasiriyar Perunkannanaar. The verse is situated in the hills of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
தொடி நெகிழ்ந்தனவே; தோள் சாயினவே;
விடும் நாண் உண்டோ?-தோழி!-விடர் முகைச்
சிலம்புடன் கமழும் அலங்கு குலைக் காந்தள்
நறுந் தாது ஊதும் குறுஞ் சிறைத் தும்பி
பாம்பு உமிழ் மணியின் தோன்றும்
முந்தூழ் வேலிய மலைகிழவோற்கே.
‘I’m in a state of utter ruin’ says a voice in this verse. The opening words ‘தொடி நெகிழ்ந்தனவே’ meaning ‘the bangles slip away’ bring before us the classic symptom of pining. In the question ‘விடும் நாண் உண்டோ’ meaning ‘is there any shame left to be given up?’, we see the implied meaning that the sense of shame or restraint, prescribed to a Sangam woman has already gone missing. From these abstractions, the verse turns to the reality of the wild in ‘விடர் முகை’ meaning ‘clefts and caves’, ‘அலங்கு குலைக் காந்தள்’ meaning ‘dancing flame-lily clusters’ and ‘குறுஞ் சிறைத் தும்பி’ meaning ‘short-winged bee’. The phrase ‘பாம்பு உமிழ் மணி’ meaning ‘a gem spit out by a snake’ gives indication of mythical beliefs in the ancients about snake-stones. Ending with the words ‘முந்தூழ் வேலிய மலைகிழவோற்கே’ meaning ‘the lord whose mountains are fenced by thorny bamboos’, the verse welcomes us to explore more.
What started as a lament then took off as a nature documentary! The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship and the man was trysting for a long while with the lady. The lady decides it’s time to turn the man’s mind towards marriage. One day, when he arrives to tryst with the lady, pretending not to notice him but making sure he’s in earshot, the lady says to her confidante, “My bangles have loosened; my arms have thinned; Is there any restraint left to let go, O friend? In the clefts and caves, pervading all around the ranges, wafts the fragrance of swaying clusters of the flame-lily. The small-winged bee, which disperses its sweet-smelling pollen, looks like a gem spit out by a snake, in the bamboo-fenced mountains of the lord!” With these words, the lady conveys to the listening man that he must seek her hand in marriage without undue delay.
Time to explore the nuances. The lady starts by mentioning how she’s in a terrible state with bangles slipping away and arms thinning. She adds that her sense of restraint had bid goodbye to her. Then she goes on into a lengthy description of the man’s country, where, in all the nooks and corners of the ranges, the fragrance of the flame-lily spreads. And then, as if pointing to the one who makes this possible, the lady talks about a bee that’s diving into the nectar of the flower and in the process dispersing the pollen all around. She adds that the bee coated with pollen dust looks like a gem spit out by a snake and concludes that such scenes are to be found in the man’s mountain country, surrounded by a bamboo fence.
While the above may look like a mere description of a place, the lady hides the message that slander about their relationship spreads through town and that their relationship was in a precarious situation, wherein it seemed the lady would be confined to the house. How does she manage to say these specific things without saying so? To understand, we have to delve into each layer of the natural scene. The image of the bee nestling on the flame-lily is a metaphor for the man’s relationship with the lady. Consequently, the instance of pollen spreading is a case for slander about their relationship spreading all around town. In the end, it puts their union in danger, which is reflected by how the harmless bee looks ominously like a gem spit out by a snake. The final touch is embedded in the depiction of the man’s mountains being fenced by bamboos, pointing in the direction of the lady’s own impending confinement. And with that, the lady tells pointedly to the man that he better buckle up and get going on seeking her hand in marriage. Fascinating to what convoluted lengths a Sangam lady must go to, to simply ask the man, ‘Will you marry me?’!
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