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In this episode, we learn of the day-to-day activities of a girl living by the sea, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 294, penned by Anjil Aanthaiyaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a subtle message to the man, listening nearby.
கடல் உடன் ஆடியும், கானல் அல்கியும்,
தொடலை ஆயமொடு தழூஉஅணி அயர்ந்தும்,
நொதுமலர் போலக் கதுமென வந்து,
முயங்கினன் செலினே, அலர்ந்தன்று மன்னே;
துத்திப் பாந்தள் பைத்து அகல் அல்குல்
திருந்துஇழைத் துயல்வுக் கோட்டு அசைத்த பசுங் குழைத்
தழையினும், உழையின் போகான்;
தான் தந்தனன், யாய் காத்து ஓம்பல்லே
‘Look what he’s left you with’ says a voice to another in this verse! The opening words ‘கடல் உடன் ஆடியும்’ meaning ‘playing with waves’ establishes the setting of the song. In ‘தொடலை ஆயமொடு தழூஉஅணி அயர்ந்தும்’ meaning ‘dancing with playmates, bedecked with garlands’, we learn of a type of dance called as ‘Kuravai’ of young women, interlacing hands and moving around in a circle. The phrase ‘அலர்ந்தன்று’ talks about ‘spreading gossip’. In the words ‘பசுங் குழைத் தழையினும்’ meaning ‘more than the green skirt stitched with leaves’, an element of comparison is brought in. Ending with the words ‘யாய் காத்து ஓம்பல்லே’ meaning ‘mother caring for you with her protection’, the verse welcomes us to know more.
Interesting glimpses of dancing maiden and green skirts! The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship and the man was trysting with the lady for a while. One day, when the man arrives to meet with the lady, pretending not to notice him but making sure he’s in earshot, the confidante says to the lady, “When you were playing in the waves, staying at the groves, and dancing along with garland-wearing playmates, he came like a stranger suddenly, and then, embraced you, before he left. And so, slander has spread. Even more than the green skirt of leaves, embedded with carved jewels, swaying atop the wide loins with pallor spots, akin to a snake’s hood, he is so close and parts not from you; He himself has endowed to you, this state of mother guarding fiercely!” With these words, the confidante conveys to the listening man that the lady is about to be placed under strict guard and the only way to enjoy her company was to seek her hand in marriage.
A case of ‘marry her, marry her’, it sounds like! The confidante starts by listing out the things that the lady used to do, which was to play in the waves, then lie about and relax in the groves nearby, and also to dance along with her playmates wearing fine garlands. What could be the purpose of the confidante’s list? Only to say that, at such times, the man came near the lady suddenly as a stranger, but soon won her heart and united with her. As this was done in the day for all to see, slander about the man’s relationship with the lady had spread. Then she goes on to talk about a green skirt of leaves, stitched with exquisite jewels swaying on the lady’s legs. She compares how close this skirt is to the lady’s skin and says that the man seems even more closer than that and he thinks not of leaving the lady. As a consequence, the lady has received a gift from the man, which was to be placed under guard by the lady’s mother, the confidante concludes!
Sarcasm hides in those words as the confidante relates the man’s gift was none other than curtailing the lady’s freedom. The highlight of this verse is the comparator that the confidante uses. There are so many ways to say how close someone is to another – we’ve heard of ‘eyes and eyelids’ or ‘hands and gloves’. In this Sangam verse, we see a unique one involving a skirt of leaves and the skin. What such comparisons can you think of, in this day and time? One that I offer to kindle your imagination would be ‘as close as a Google search and a product ad’. Enjoy flexing your creative muscles, while making a statement about the world as you see it today, much like this poet of the past!
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