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In this episode, we study the threads of thought connecting wildlife and human life, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 303, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, conveying the delicate situation of the lady, and bidding him, in a hidden manner, to seek the lady’s hand in marriage.
கழி தேர்ந்து அசைஇய கருங் கால் வெண் குருகு
அடைகரைத் தாழைக் குழீஇ, பெருங் கடல்
உடைதிரை ஒலியின் துஞ்சும் துறைவ!
தொல் நிலை நெகிழ்ந்த வளையள், ஈங்குப்
பசந்தனள்மன் என் தோழி-என்னொடும்
இன் இணர்ப் புன்னைஅம் புகர் நிழல்
பொன் வரி அலவன் ஆட்டிய ஞான்றே.
‘Pallor pounces and slander spreads’ declares this verse. The opening words ‘கழி தேர்ந்து அசைஇய கருங் கால் வெண் குருகு’ meaning ‘the white bird with dark legs moves searching in the backwaters’ clicks a bird in motion, as it attempts to fish its prey. After that instance of fauna, flora appears in ‘அடைகரைத் தாழை’ referring to that unique tree of the coastal regions, ‘the pandanus tree’, whose flowers and leaves are renowned for their fragrance. In ‘தொல் நிலை நெகிழ்ந்த வளையள்’ meaning ‘she, with slipping bangles, the one, who has lost her old beauty’, we see the quintessential Sangam symptom for pining. Next, we see a predominant tree of the shores in ‘புன்னைஅம் புகர் நிழல்’ meaning ‘the dotted shade of a laurel wood tree’. Ending with the words ‘பொன் வரி அலவன் ஆட்டிய ஞான்றே’ meaning ‘the time when we played with gold striped crabs’, the verse welcomes us to explore more.
With birds, trees and crabs, the poem seems to be teeming with life! 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 with the intention of meeting with the lady, the confidante says to him, “A black-legged white bird, after searching in the backwaters, rests together with its flock, in the pandanus tree on the banks, and sleeps to the sound of breaking waves of the huge sea in the shores of the lord. My friend, the lady with loosening bangles, the one who has lost her prior beauty, took on the pallor of pining, under the beautiful spotted shade of the ‘punnai’, with alluring blossoms, when along with me, she was playing with gold-striped crabs!” With these words, the confidante informs the man that given the circumstances, the lady will be confined to her house soon and implies that the only way to enjoy her company is to seek a permanent union!
All we heard was talk of fishing birds, flowering trees and frolicking crabs and where could the confidante be hiding her message to the man? Let’s find out by looking into the words closely. The confidante starts her commentary by focusing her lens on a seabird, with white feathers and black feet, splashing in the waters, so as to catch a tasty fish for its meal. Following the actions of this bird, the confidante points out, how after that fishing expedition, the bird retires with its kith and kin to a well-chosen resting spot on a ‘Pandanus tree’ by the shore ,and there, it sleeps listening to the sound of the waves. Mentioning this scene, as if only to describe the land of the man, the confidante then turns her focus to the lady and personifies her with her slipping bangles, an event that occurs whenever the man parts away during their trysting. Then, the confidante mentions a particular moment, when the lady and she were playing by chasing crabs, and then, suddenly, for all to see, the pallor of pining spread over the lady and she was not herself anymore.
What we know about the lady’s situation is that she is now overcome with pining, making her bangles slip away and making pallor spread all over her skin. And, this can mean only one thing, the confidante implies, and that is strict confinement at home by the lady’s family, why because these events will fall in the eyes of others and slander will spread in town. And consequently, you also have only one option before you, the confidante tells the man in a hidden manner. She does this by concealing a metaphor in the image of the fishing bird retiring to the pandanus tree, implying that the man has been trysting with the lady this far, akin to the bird that was exploring the waters, and now, like the bird retiring with its flock to the pandanus tree, the man too must marry the lady and offer her a peaceful life at his home. Incidentally, the pandanus tree has connotations of festivity in Sangam Literature and hence, the choice of that tree to indicate a wedding. Likewise, the shade of the ‘punnai’ tree is referred to remind the man of his moments of trysting with the lady. The verse seems to echo a subtle thought about how temporary pleasures sometimes obscure the big picture, like the man who seems to be focused only on his trysting, and how a gentle nudge is needed to turn one’s attention towards that permanent resting spot of abiding joy!
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