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In this episode, we perceive a deep truth about realisations, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 318, penned by Ammoovanaar. 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.
எறி சுறாக் கலித்த இலங்கு நீர்ப் பரப்பின்,
நறு வீ ஞாழலொடு புன்னை தாஅய்,
வெறி அயர் களத்தினின் தோன்றும் துறைவன்
குறியான் ஆயினும், குறிப்பினும், பிறிது ஒன்று
அறியாற்கு உரைப்பலோ, யானே? எய்த்த இப்
பணை எழில் மென் தோள் அணைஇய அந் நாள்
பிழையா வஞ்சினம் செய்த
கள்வனும், கடவனும், புணைவனும், தானே.
‘He is the only cause and cure for this situation’ is the strong declaration here. The opening words ‘எறி சுறாக் கலித்த’ meaning ‘where pouncing sharks thrive’ situates the song firmly in the coasts of the past. From fauna, we move to flora in ‘நறு வீ ஞாழலொடு புன்னை’ meaning ‘the fragrant flowers of the senna sophera and laurelwood trees’. The phrase ‘அறியாற்கு உரைப்பலோ’ meaning ‘how to say to those who understand not?’ stresses the inherent frustration. A ‘determined pledge’ is rendered in ‘பிழையா வஞ்சினம்’, making us wonder what that could be. Ending with the words ‘கள்வனும், கடவனும், புணைவனும், தானே’ meaning ‘the thief, the obliged, and the raft, is he’, the verse intrigues our curiosity.
Who and why is this person all these things to the lady? The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship and the man was trysting with the lady for a while. Realising that the man was not taking steps towards a permanent union, one day, the lady decides to express her views in a hidden manner. To this end, she observes the man arriving to meet with her and pretending not to notice him, but making sure he is in earshot, the lady says to her confidante, “Near the luminous, vast waters, where killer sharks abound, the fragrant fallen flowers of the ‘njazhal’ and ‘punnai’ spread together, making the shores of the lord appear akin to a field, where ‘veri’ rituals are performed. Whether he thinks not of it, or whether he thinks of it, to someone, who does not know that others are seeking, how can I say it myself? On that day, when he embraced these pining arms, which were beautiful and bamboo-like then, the thief, who took an unfaltering vow, is he; the one, who is under obligation, is he; And the one, who is my refuge, is he!” With these words, the lady conveys to the listening man that it’s his moral duty to seek her hand in marriage without any further delay.
Time to explore the nuances. The lady starts by talking about killer sharks in the seas and then moves inland to the sandy beach, where the flowers of both the ‘njazhal’ and ‘punnai’ trees are spread out. To the lady’s eyes, this spread appears like the ground, where ‘Veri’ rituals, during which God Murugan is called upon to answer for the affliction in a young maiden, happens. It was considered a blot on the lady’s honour to have the ‘Veri’ ritual performed when the man was the reason for her ruined health. Returning, the lady mentions these details only to describe the man’s shores and then goes on to put forth a rhetorical question about him. The lady asks her friend, saying whether he has the determination to marry or or not, how could she herself go tell him that others are seeking her hand in marriage, while she was in a relationship with him. With that, we understand that the lady expects the man to know what to do himself and that these words should not come from her.
Then, the lady notices her thinned arms, which have now lost their health in all this worry, and looks back to a time when these were beautiful, the time when the man embraced her and made a promise that he is hers forever and that he would claim her hand without fail. Curiously, the lady ends by calling the man a thief, the obliged, and a raft, as well. Let’s explore why she uses each of these terms. A thief because he made the promise and stole her beauty with no one as witness. He was all alone when he gave the lady his word. Next, he is under obligation to fulfil that vow. But beyond that, the lady ends by saying she has no one but the man, her only refuge and raft amidst the assailing waves around! Notice how the lady appeals to the man’s humanity at various levels. At the basic level, she is pointing fingers and saying you promised, didn’t you? Then, taking it a notch up, she says as a man of decency, you should fulfil your word. But the ultimate address, which would turn the scales in her favour is elevating the man to being her saviour. It’s not for the mere sake of fulfilling a word but for saving my very life, the lady implies. Any worthy Sangam man would, no doubt, be moved by these words to calm the lady’s anxious heart and do her bidding! To me, the striking thought expressed here is that if someone doesn’t realise something from within, there can’t be much use in spelling it out directly. Perhaps, a subtle nudge like the lady’s words could help. But for change to be lasting and meaningful, the push, for sure, has to come from within!
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