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In this episode, we see how a scene of war depicts a situation in love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 328, penned by the historian poet, Paranar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, consoling her in the man’s absence and assuring her that the rumours that spread will act only for the lady’s good.
சிறு வீ ஞாழல் வேர் அளைப் பள்ளி
அலவன் சிறு மனை சிதைய, புணரி
குணில் வாய் முரசின் இரங்கும் துறைவன்
நல்கிய நாள் தவச் சிலவே; அலரே,
வில் கெழு தானை விச்சியர் பெருமகன்
வேந்தரொடு பொருத ஞான்றை, பாணர்
புலி நோக்கு உறழ் நிலை கண்ட
கலி கெழு குறும்பூர் ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிதே.
‘Days of joy few; But rumours many’ is the one-liner of this verse. In the opening words ‘சிறு வீ ஞாழல்’ meaning ‘the small flowers of the senna sophera’, the setting of the song is established for this is a tree that grows near the seas. Another inseparable element of this region can be found in ‘அலவன் சிறு மனை’ meaning ‘the little homes of crabs’. The first loud sound we hear is that of ‘drums being struck with sticks’ in ‘குணில் வாய் முரசு’. A part of the core theme echoes in ‘நல்கிய நாள் தவச் சிலவே’ meaning ‘the days he could render his grace were very few’. Historical elements greet us in ‘விச்சியர் பெருமகன்’ meaning ‘the ruler of Vichiyars’ and ‘வேந்தரொடு பொருத ஞான்றை’ meaning ‘the time of war with enemy kings’. A striking visual imagery can be gleaned in ‘புலி நோக்கு உறழ் நிலை’ meaning ‘the state like that of a tiger glancing both ways’, talking about a tiger before it pounces. Ending with the words ‘குறும்பூர் ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிதே’ meaning ‘louder than the uproar in Kurumboor’, the verse welcomes us to listen intently.
Loud sound after sound seems to dash against our ears in this one. The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship when the man parted away to gather wealth for their wedding. At this time, the lady languishes. To her, the confidante says, “Ruining homes of small crabs in the root clefts of the ‘njazhal’, waves roar with the sound of drums struck with sticks in the shores of the lord. His days of grace are a precious few; When the great king of the vichiyars with a huge army of archers battles with enemy kings, seeing the stance of bards, glancing with a tiger’s gaze, the boisterous town of ‘Kurumboor’ resounds with uproar. The slander that spreads is louder than that uproar!” With these words, the confidante assures the lady that though the situation may not seem to be in her favour, in the end, it will bring good tidings to the lady’s life.
What do kings and their wars have to do with a lady’s love life? To understand, let’s follow the confidante’s words closely. She takes us to a shore, where the ‘njazhal’ trees can be seen standing close to the seas, glowing with their little flowers. Pointing to the roots of the said tree, the confidante shows us how the soaring waves strike against crab homes, seemingly destroying the same. Mentioning this as the shores of the lord, she says the days the lady spent in his company were but a few. From that resounding location, the confidante transports us to a totally different scene. Here, the thundering sounds of war strike against our ears, for the king of Vichiyars is about to battle with his enemies, as his army of archers stand behind him. The poet reveals that there are bards too, in this battlefield, and they seem to be in the stance of a tiger, looking both ways, as if watching intently, ready to pounce. Seeing this ready state of the bards, the town of Kurumbur sets out loud cries in excitement and anticipation. Revealing why she has mentioned this scene, the confidante says that the slander in their town was even louder than the uproar in the town of Kurumbur.
In the image of the waves destroying crab homes, the confidante places a metaphor for how although slander may strike at the lady’s heart, this will bring out the lady’s relationship with the man and take it to the ears of the lady’s kith and kin, who will then understand the situation and receive the man in the right spirit, when he returns from his journey of gathering wealth. So, temporary disturbance, permanent joy, the confidante promises.
A particular image that stands out was that of a bard gazing at the battlefield like a tiger, looking at both sides to see who would emerge victorious! What do these people of verse have to do with the blood and gore of a battlefield, one may wonder. But the kings then seem to think what’s the point of victory if there’s no one to write about it! The bards’ purpose and their stance vividly brought to my mind, today’s sports commentators, in general, and in tennis, specifically. As the match proceeds, they too glance like tigers, left and right, following every ball and every hit, so as to relay to the world in words the scene before them. And so, no matter how different the world has turned out, there seems to be elements that remain relatable beyond the boundaries of space and time.
//the kings then seem to think what’s the point of victory if there’s no one to write about it! // – I am relating this to today’s social media era. What’s the point of doing anything without posting it.