Kurunthogai 300 – On the shore of your heart

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குவளை நாறும் குவை இருங் கூந்தல்,
ஆம்பல் நாறும் தேம் பொதி துவர் வாய்,
குண்டு நீர்த் தாமரைக் கொங்கின் அன்ன
நுண் பல் தித்தி, மாஅயோயே!
‘நீயே, அஞ்சல்’ என்ற என் சொல் அஞ்சலையே;
யானே, குறுங் கால் அன்னம் குவவு மணற் சேக்கும்
கடல் சூழ் மண்டிலம் பெறினும்,
விடல் சூழலன் யான், நின்னுடை நட்பே.

‘Never will I forsake thee’ is the central theme of this verse. The opening words ‘குவளை நாறும்’ meaning ‘with the fragrance of a blue waterlily’ makes us breathe in the scent of that delicious flower, whose scientific name ‘odorata’ meaning ‘fragrant’ echoes the appeal of its scent. Speaking of scents, we also see ‘ஆம்பல் நாறும்’ meaning ‘with the fragrance of a white waterlily’, another flower, which is a treat to the senses. I’m not done with the flowers yet, says the verse in ‘குண்டு நீர்த் தாமரை’ meaning ‘the lotus in the deep waters’. Turning from these gifts of nature, the spotlight falls on ‘மாஅயோயே’ meaning ‘lady with dark skin’, an attribute of beauty in Sangam times. In ‘குறுங் கால் அன்னம் குவவு மணற் சேக்கும்’ meaning ‘the short-legged seabird that lives on the sand dunes’, we get to meet a bird that nests on the shores. More on that soon! The phrase ‘கடல் சூழ் மண்டிலம்’ meaning ‘this land surrounded by oceans’ is significant for the gaze seems to turn outward and take in the world one lives. Ending with the words ‘நின்னுடை நட்பே’ meaning ‘your relationship’, the verse welcomes us to learn more.

Mentioning a hypnotising bouquet of flowers and the world entire, the song seems to swell in a gentle yet all-encompassing tone! The context reveals that the man had met the lady and fallen in love with her and the lady too, reciprocated his feelings. After a joyous union, the man turns to the lady and says, “Thick, black tresses, wafting with the scent of the blue waterlily, a honey-flowing red mouth, wafting with the scent of the white waterlily, and many minute pallor spots, akin to fine pollen on the lotus flower, blooming in deep waters, you have, O dark-skinned maiden! Hearing my words ‘fear not’, do not be frightened. As for me, even if I get all the land, surrounded by seas, near which short-legged seabirds stay on sand mounds, I shall never think of letting go of my bond with you!”. With these words, the man assures the lady that no matter what, his love for her is everlasting. 

Sounds like a promise from the heart! Let’s delve into the nuances of the man’s words. He starts by talking about the foremost marker of a woman’s beauty in Sangam times, a lady’s long and dark hair. He mentions how this wafts with the scent of a ‘Kuvalai’ flower or blue waterlily, which leads to the million-dollar question in Tamil literature – ‘Does a woman’s tresses inherently smell beautiful or is it only because of the flowers she wears?’ A question that could lead to wars between gods and men apparently! Returning to the verse, we see the man still in the throes of bliss, and now, talking about the lady’s red mouth, which seems to spring forth with honey and he connects to the scent of another flower, an ‘Aambal’ flower or white waterlily. Stopping not with these two blooms, the man does a hat-trick by talking about how the pallor spots on the lady’s skin look just like pollen on a lotus flower growing in the deep ponds. In Sangam literature, we often find mention of these tiny imperfections of the skin, being celebrated as another marker of a woman’s beauty. This seems to be an interesting area of interdisciplinary research in evolution and dermatology. Hope some scientist in the future will help us understand what these oft-mentioned pallor spots looking like lotus pollen on the skin signify!

Reversing to the verse, we see the man has offered this bunch of floral compliments to his dark-skinned lady and adds that she shouldn’t shudder when the man says, ‘fear not’. In that statement, the man is looking ahead to the future when worries about the man’s parting will cross the lady’s mind. He ends with the description of a short-legged bird that lives on the shores and adds that even if he were given all the land around all the seas next to those shores, he would not even think for a single moment about giving up his relationship with the lady. Thus, he tells the lady it’s not a superficial gift of flowers he’s offering her but his very heart at the core, which is hers to keep always. 

In the image of the bird that lives on the shores, the man places a metaphor for how his place is with his lady, akin to that bird which, even though the wide open skies call and trees far away beckon, decides to nest on the sand dunes. Although this seems like a poetic device written only for the enjoyment of literature lovers, there, at its core, hides a fact appealing to anyone interested in birds. The line seems to talk about ‘beach-nesting birds’, such as oyster-catchers, plovers and terns. I read that these birds make what is called as ‘no-fuss’ nests, which are mere scrapes on the sand, where the birds lay their eggs, which are naturally camouflaged by their spotty appearance. However, with human boundaries expanding beyond limits, these beach-nesting birds are threatened all over the world. The short-legged bird that this verse describes could very well be one such beach-nesting bird, the Indian skimmer, once found all over the country but now dwindling and marked as ‘Endangered’. Like the man in this ancient verse, who calls upon these birds to symbolise his home in the lady’s heart, would we too spare a thought to these other beings that share the shores of this planet with us?