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In this episode, we relish the sacrifice of the pursuit of wealth for a noble reason, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 256, penned by an anonymous poet. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the man, expressing why he was unable to proceed on his mission to gather wealth.
”மணி வார்ந்தன்ன மாக் கொடி அறுகைப்
பிணங்கு அரில் மென் கொம்பு பிணையொடு மாந்தி,
மான் ஏறு உகளும் கானம் பிற்பட,
வினை நலம் படீஇ, வருதும்; அவ் வரைத்
தாங்கல் ஒல்லுமோ, பூங்குழையோய்?” எனச்
சொல்லாமுன்னர், நில்லா ஆகி,
நீர் விலங்கு அழுதல் ஆனா,
தேர் விலங்கினவால், தெரிவை கண்ணே.
The core of this verse shines as ‘eyes that arrest a chariot’. In the opening words ‘மணி வார்ந்தன்ன மாக் கொடி அறுகை’ meaning ‘as if sapphires are poured stands the dark creepers of the arugampul grass’, we see mention of the ubiquitous grass found in all parts of the world. ‘மென் கொம்பு பிணையொடு மாந்தி’ meaning ‘eating along with its soft-horned mate’ hints at a deer couple. The phrase ‘வினை நலம் படீஇ’ meaning ‘with the good intention of earning wealth’ clarifies the predominant pursuit of young Sangam men. In ‘தாங்கல் ஒல்லுமோ’ meaning ‘can you bear it’, lies a concerned question. ‘நீர் விலங்கு அழுதல்’ meaning ‘copious tears’ symbolise the outpouring grief. Ending with the words ‘தெரிவை கண்ணே’ meaning ‘the eyes of the young lady’, the verse welcomes us to look deeper.
Grass eating deer and tears shedding dear seem to be the twin elements of this verse. The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a happy, married life when the man decided to part away to gather wealth. One day, the man says, “‘As if sapphires are poured appear dark creepers of the ‘arugai’ grass. Eating these strands, along with its gentle-horned mate, the male deer with twisted antlers leaps about in the forest. With the intention of gathering wealth, I wish to travel thither. Can you bear it till I return, my lady bedecked with flower-like gold earrings?’. Even before I could ask her this, breaking all bounds, tears poured from her eyes. And, those eyes of my young maiden extended as chains, preventing my chariot from parting away.” With these words, the man explains how no matter his determination, he is unable to take a step away from the lady.
Time to explore the nuances. The man starts by talking about dense clusters of arugampul creepers, which look as if dark gems have been poured into each strand. He then talks about how this grass is being savoured by a deer with long and twisted antlers along with its female with a soft head. After eating to its full, the deer leaps about around its mate in the forest, to which he intends to travel, the man relates. Just as he was about to say these words and enquire if the lady would be able to manage his absence, when even before he said anything, seeing his stance, the lady started shedding tears. The man concludes saying that those eyes of hers extended as chains that totally stopped the flow of his chariot.
What immense power in the eyes of a helpless, crying maiden that it could arrest the motion of a huge chariot! Don’t they call love a chain that binds and in here, the man sees it as if it were a real thing that prevents him from going towards his mission. That he cannot bear to part with indifference when his beloved aches speaks of the immense love and concern in his heart. To me, the beautiful thread of this poem is in how it starts with the life-giving chain of grass creepers that delight the male deer and its mate and ends with the love-filled chain that extends between the lady’s eyes and the man’s heart!
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