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In this episode, we relish a relatable experience in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 306, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her heart, expressing the state of confusion she finds herself in.
‘மெல்லிய, இனிய, மேவரு தகுந,
இவை மொழியாம்” எனச் சொல்லினும், அவை நீ,
மறத்தியோ வாழி-என் நெஞ்சே!-பல உடன்
காமர் மாஅத்துத் தாது அமர் பூவின்
வண்டு வீழ்பு அயரும் கானல்-
தண் கடல் சேர்ப்பனைக் கண்ட பின்னே?
‘Why don’t you heed my advice?’ is the sharp question here! The opening words ‘மெல்லிய இனிய மேவரு தகுந’ meaning ‘gentle, pleasing and appealing’ talk about the desirable qualities of some entity. We understand that this entity refers to words when we see ‘இவை மொழியாம்’ meaning ‘do not utter these’. In ‘மறத்தியோ’ meaning ‘did you forget’, there’s the echo of the core theme. From abstractions, we move to a real image in ‘மாஅத்துத் தாது அமர் பூவின் வண்டு வீழ்பு அயரும்’ meaning ‘the bees fall and drink from the pollen-brimming flowers of the mango tree’. Ending with the words ‘தண் கடல் சேர்ப்பனைக் கண்ட பின்னே’ meaning ‘after seeing the lord of the cool seas’, the verse welcomes us to know more.
Why were those words of advice forgotten? The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship and the man was trysting with the lady for a long while. The situation grew challenging at the lady’s home and one day, the lady says to her heart, “I said, ‘Do not speak such soft, sweet and satisfying words’. Did you forget that? May you live long, my heart! Many bees together dive with desire into the mango tree’s pollen-filled flowers and drink nectar in the groves near the cool seas of the lord’s domain. Did you forget that after you saw him?”. With these words, the lady is wondering at that curious state wherein her heart does not seem to heed her words the moment it sees the man!
Time to explore the nuances in this tiny verse. The lady makes it clear what strong advice she’s sharing to her heart. This happens to be that she should not speak any sweet, loving and pleasing words to the man when he comes to meet her. Why this resolution? Simply because at least then the man would realise the danger in the lady’s situation and strive to seek a permanent union instead of thoughtlessly indulging in temporary trysting. Solid advice to make the man wonder and change his ways! While that may be so, what happens in reality is that the heart seems to forget these words the moment it sees the man from the cool shores, on whose groves bees swarm around the pollen-filled flowers of the mango tree!
In the image of bees being hypnotised by the mango flowers in the man’s land, the lady places a metaphor for how her own heart is mesmerised by the man’s presence and forgets prior words of advice and renders sweet words to him. In these few words, hides an intricate feeling sensed by most people, who have been in love. At moments, we may be filled with anger for some simple thing towards our beloved but when we see them, all the harsh words we meant to say would just melt away. That’s the strength of love, which sometimes turns out to be a weakness, because we forget to express our concerns in the rosy glow of the beloved’s presence. Verses like this highlight the tussle between the mind and the heart and tell us it’s natural to feel such conflicting impulses and all we need to do is to accept, whoever we are, just then!
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