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In this episode, we perceive ancient beliefs about good omens, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 260, penned by Kalladanaar. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, expressing her confidence in the man’s return.
குருகும் இரு விசும்பு இவரும்; புதலும்
வரி வண்டு ஊத வாய் நெகிழ்ந்தனவே;
சுரிவளைப் பொலிந்த தோளும் செற்றும்;
வருவர்கொல் வாழி-தோழி!-பொருவார்
மண் எடுத்து உண்ணும் அண்ணல் யானை
வண் தேர்த் தொண்டையர் வழை அமல் அடுக்கத்து,
கன்று இல் ஓர் ஆ விலங்கிய
புன் தாள் ஓமைய சுரன் இறந்தோரே.
‘Look at the signs around you’ beckons a voice in this verse. The opening words ‘குருகும் இரு விசும்பு இவரும்’ meaning ‘birds fly high in the skies’ mention a sight, which although commonplace, yet somehow manages to be one which uplifts the mind of the perceiver. The phrase ‘சுரிவளைப் பொலிந்த தோளும்’ meaning ‘arms decked with twisted bangles’ conjures before our eyes an item of adornment in ancient times. ‘வருவர்கொல் வாழி-தோழி’ meaning ‘He shall return. May you live long, my friend’ combines a word of consolation with a blessing. A moniker we have encountered previously makes an appearance in ‘அண்ணல் யானை’ meaning ‘the revered elephant’ indicating the respect evoked by the pachyderm. ‘வண் தேர்த் தொண்டையர்’ meaning ‘Thondaiyaars, owners of powerful chariots’ talks about ancient rulers of a region between today’s Pondicherry, extending upto the Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh. A unique portrait can be glimpsed at in the words ‘கன்று இல் ஓர் ஆ’ meaning ‘a single cow without a calf’. Ending with the words ‘சுரன் இறந்தோரே’ meaning ‘the one who left to the drylands’, the verse welcomes us to learn more.
What could be the signs that make the confidante console the lady with conviction? The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a married life when the man parted with the lady to gather wealth. As days pass by and the lady worries about the man’s return, the confidante says to her, “Birds are soaring on the spreading skies; Bushes are opening out their buds as striped bees buzz around them; Bangles adorning those arms tighten; And so, he will return for sure, may you live long, my friend! In the ‘punnai’-filled mountain ranges, belonging to the ‘thondaiyaar’, who wield powerful chariots, esteemed war elephants feed on the food raised on enemy ground. Near these ranges, a solitary cow, which has not a calf, is stopped by an ‘omai’ with a rough trunk, in the drylands, to which the man parted away!” With these words, the confidante slays all anxiety in the lady’s mind and says positive words about the man’s imminent return.
Time to explore the nuances. The confidante starts by saying that birds can be seen up above, and in the bushes around, flowers are opening buds, thanks to the buzzing of bees. From these outward signs, the confidante moves to the lady’s appearance and points out how her twisted bangles seem to tighten around the lady’s arms. And because of these signs visible to her, the confidante assures her friend that the man was on his way back. Then, she renders a description of the place the man left to, and mentions a drylands region near the mountain ranges belonging to the domain of the Thondaiyaars, possessors of sturdy chariots, and whose elephants feast on the produce of their enemy lands, a different way of saying that these rulers were always victorious in their battles. Before she concludes, the confidante leaves us with a striking image of a cow standing in the negligible shade of ‘a tooth brush’ tree, without leaving homeward, and as if explaining why, the good friend tells us that this is a solitary cow without a calf to call its own.
If its young one is waiting at home, won’t the cow rush homeward no matter the circumstances, the confidante intends to ask the lady in a hidden manner and thereby reveals to her, the man knows his lady is waiting for him, and will therefore rush homeward, just as the good signs in the world around are showing them already. A verse that seems to tell us that when there is hope in the heart, even the simplest things in the world can move us into a positive frame of mind, be it the flight of birds or the delight of buds blooming. And here’s the hidden parting thought – never lose sight of that hope!
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