Kurunthogai 257 – An enemy called love

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வேரும் முதலும் கோடும் ஒராங்குத்
தொடுத்த போலத் தூங்குபு தொடரிக்
கீழ் தாழ்வு அன்ன வீழ் கோட் பலவின்
ஆர்கலி வெற்பன் வருதொறும், வரூஉம்;
அகலினும் அகலாதாகி
இகலும்-தோழி!-நம் காமத்துப் பகையே.

‘It can’t torment me anymore’ is the hidden message in this verse. What could that be? The opening words ‘வேரும் முதலும் கோடும்’ talk about the three different parts of a tree as in ‘roots, trunk and branches’. ‘வீழ் கோட் பலவு’ meaning ‘hanging low jackfruits’ indicates how ripe and rich these huge fruits are, as they hang on the tree. The phrase ‘ஆர்கலி வெற்பன்’ meaning ‘man from the mountains filled with uproarious celebration’ indicates the noisy and exuberant nature of the highlands. In ‘அகலினும் அகலாதாகி இகலும்’ meaning ‘when in parting, it parts not and tortures’ talks about something that stays back to bring suffering. Ending with the words ‘காமத்துப் பகையே’ meaning ‘love, the enemy’, the verse intrigues our curiosity.

Why is love called an enemy here? The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship when the man parted away to gather wealth for their wedding. One day, after a while, the confidante rushes to the lady to inform how the man has returned to the lady’s house and has asked the lady’s hand in marriage. Hearing this news, the lady says, “In the roots, in the trunk and in the branches, as if woven as one, hang a garland of low-lying, about-to-fall jackfruits in the uproarious mountains of the lord. When he comes, it comes; When he parts; it parts not but torments, my friend – that enemy called love!” With these words, the lady expresses in a subtle manner how the feeling of love will not bring pain to her anymore.

What we heard was talk of jackfruits and the pain of love and how do we extract the meaning that the lady intends? To do so, let’s delve into her words. The lady starts by talking about a jackfruit tree, one where all over, be it in its roots, in the trunk or in the branches, jackfruits hang as if they have been stringed together by an expert garland maker. She mentions how these fruits are hanging low and look like they are about to fall, meaning that these are huge and ripe. We understand that she’s talking about the jackfruit tree only to say that these grow in the man’s mountains, filled with prosperity and joyous celebration. After referring to the man, the lady mentions how whenever he happens to visit her and be with her, that thing comes along; However, unlike what you would expect, when the man leaves, that thing does not leave along with him but stays back to torment her. The lady concludes by revealing that this thing she mentions is none other than the enemy called love.

No matter how it attracts one and brings many a joy to the lady, because it also brings suffering in the man’s absence, the lady characterises love as an enemy. An irresistible enemy, more like! But now that the man had sought her hand in marriage, like the jackfruits in his land, which hang not only in the branches, like most other fruits, but everywhere on the tree, from the roots to high above, her love will now become one unbroken chain of joy, the lady implies. 

The highlight of this verse is that image of a jackfruit tree, which seems to have its fruits growing not only in the branches, as in the case of most fruiting trees, but in the trunk and its roots as well. This lead me to investigate what other trees like this could there be. Turns out this is a rare phenomenon indeed and the only other tree I learnt of that grows its fruits on its trunk too is the South American ‘Jabuticaba’ tree also called as the ‘Brazilian grapetree’. Coincidentally, it’s another ‘ja-‘ tree! Jackfruits, I have relished many and someday, hopefully will taste this ‘Jabuticaba’ too. A verse that makes us rejoice in the sweet news the lady has received, by leaving its taste lingering on, in our minds!