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In this episode, we relish a picturesque scene from a mountain country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 264, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the hills of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, assuring her friend that she would bear with the man’s parting.
கலி மழை கெழீஇய கான் யாற்று இகுகரை,
ஒலி நெடும் பீலி துயல்வர இயலி,
ஆடு மயில் அகவும் நாடன் நம்மொடு
நயந்தனன் கொண்ட கேண்மை
பயந்தகாலும், பயப்பு ஒல்லாதே.
‘Pallor cannot touch that’ declares a voice with conviction. The opening words ‘கலி மழை கெழீஇய’ talks about ‘the uproarious sound of rains gushing’ and fills our ears with a loud din. Next, a striking image falls on our eyes in ‘ஒலி நெடும் பீலி துயல்வர’ meaning ‘as thick and dense feathers sway’. Whose feathers exactly is revealed by the words ‘ஆடு மயில் அகவும்’ meaning ‘the dancing peacock calls’. A succint portrait of relationship can be seen in ‘நயந்தனன் கொண்ட கேண்மை’ meaning ‘a bond he made with desire’. Ending with the words ‘பயந்தகாலும் பயப்பு ஒல்லாதே’ meaning ‘even when pallor spreads, pallor will taint it not’, the verse welcomes us to explore more.
Peacocks and pallor seem such an odd combination – one, the epitome of beauty, and the other, the slayer of beauty! The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship when the man parted with the lady to gather wealth for their wedding. After he parts away, the lady languishes missing his presence. Seeing the changes in the lady’s form, the confidante worries that the lady will not be able to bear the separation. To the worried confidante, the lady says, “On the low-lying shore of a wild river gushing with the uproar of rains, moving with its luxuriant feathers swaying, a dancing peacock calls aloud in the land of the lord. Even as pallor spreads, the loving relationship he has with me will know no pallor.” With these words, the lady removes all anxiety in the confidante’s mind and echoes her confidence about strongly bearing with the man’s separation.
Time to delve into the nuances of this tiny verse. The lady presents a single scene to us, relating how this is unfolding on the bank of a wild river that seems to be flowing fast and furious with the uproar of rains that fell on it. On this shore, a peacock seems to be in high spirits, with its alluring feathers in a sway, and crying out aloud. Mentioning this scene as if to describe the man’s land, the lady moves on to talk about her relationship with the man, which the man chose with much love and desire, and concludes with the words that while pallor may coat her skin and dull her beauty, the relationship she has with the man will shine with brightness as always.
In the scene of the peacock’s cry near the wild river, the lady places a metaphor for no matter how pining and pallor thunders around her, akin to the uproarious waves of the river, the love for her man and her belief in their relationship will manage to rise above the din, like the peacock’s call. An exquisite metaphor that shows the strength of the spirit, which soars above temporary discomfort to see the big picture of what something means. Here’s wishing each of us can tune our ears to hear that peacock’s call amidst the din of our rivers of turmoil!
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