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In this episode, we perceive an intricate method of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 296, penned by Perumpaakkanaar. Set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
அம்ம வாழி-தோழி!-புன்னை
அலங்குசினை இருந்த அம் சிறை நாரை
உறுகழிச் சிறு மீன் முனையின், செறுவில்
கள் நாறு நெய்தல் கதிரொடு நயக்கும்
தண்ணம் துறைவற் காணின், முன் நின்று,
கடிய கழறல் ஓம்புமதி-”தொடியோள்
இன்னள் ஆகத் துறத்தல்
நும்மின் தகுமோ?” என்றனை துணிந்தே.
‘Don’t you say harsh words to him’ seems to be the one-line thought of this verse. The opening words ‘அம்ம வாழி தோழி’ meaning ‘listen, my friend, may you live long’ yet again highlights that laudable quality of seeking someone’s attention with a blessing. Next, we meet with the distinctive flora and fauna of the seashore in ‘புன்னை’ referring to ‘a laurel wood tree’ and ‘அம் சிறை நாரை’ referring to ‘a seabird with handsome wings’. ‘உறுகழிச் சிறு மீன்’ meaning ‘the small fish in the brackish back waters’ points to the type of fish found in abundance in this geographical feature. While the sharks and whales belong to the deep seas, closer to land, the fish seem to find strength in diminishing their size. The phrase ‘கள் நாறு நெய்தல்’ meaning ‘honey-fragrant blue lotus’ indicates how the word ‘கள்’ generally used to refer to ‘palm toddy’ is also employed in the meaning of ‘sweet nectar’. The core theme mentioned is echoed by the words ‘கடிய கழறல் ஓம்புமதி’ meaning ‘guard yourself from speaking harsh words’. Ending with the words ‘நும்மின் தகுமோ என்றனை துணிந்தே’ meaning ‘how can you do this, ask with courage’, the verse intrigues our curiosity.
Punnai trees and neythal flowers seem to say more than what we can see! 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 came to meet with the lady, pretending not to see him, but making sure he’s in earshot, the lady says to the confidante, “Listen, my friend, may you live long; The seabird with beautiful wings that sits on the swaying branches of the ‘punnai’ tree, disliking the small fish in the backwaters, desires the honey-fragrant blue lotus that blooms with the paddy stalks in the fields. Such is the moisture-filled shores of the lord. If you see him, standing before him, avoid saying these harsh words daringly, ‘Is it right on your part to part away, thus reducing the lady, who wears bangles, to such a state?’”. With these words, the lady conveys to the listening man that he should give up the temporary pleasures of trysting and seek the permanent joy of marrying her.
What we hear is the lady requesting the confidante not to scold the man and how does the lady conceal her message within? To understand, let’s delve into her words closely. The lady starts by seeking her friend’s attention and then goes on to describe the man’s land. In his shores, the lady points to a seabird resting on a ‘punnai’ tree’s dancing branch and as if she has read the bird’s mind, the lady says that the bird has decided those tiny fish in the backwaters satisfy it no more and that now it’s the honey-fragrant blue lotus blooming in the fields along with the crops that’s calling out to the bird. Then, after bringing the man’s land and the man before the confidante’s mind’s eye, the lady says that the confidante must avoid saying certain harsh words to the man and when we ask her what those words could be, the lady says those are the ones questioning him if he’s being just when he parts away reducing the lady to a state of pining.
The image of the seabird on the ‘punnai’ tree turns out to be a metaphor for the lady’s wish. Akin to the bird’s dislike of the small fish, the lady too is disgruntled by the tiny moments of togetherness that she has with the man, indicating that the time they don’t see each other is much greater than when they do. That reference to the same seabird instead seeking the blooming blue lotus, is to say the lady instead desires the fragrance of a happy married life with the man. Note how the lady asks the confidante not to say those words to the man and says it herself when he’s listening. That way, the message is conveyed effectively and her consideration for the man is also established. What is your thought on such indirect methods of persuading someone? Was it right only for that time and period when a woman couldn’t express herself freely to a man? Or could there be applications for such subtle methods even in today’s world? Let’s let art flow through us and raise these questions that we never to pause to ask!
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