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In this episode, we relish an apt metaphor for marital bliss, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 332, penned by Madurai Maruthankizhaar Makanaar Ilampothanaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a pointed message to the man, listening nearby.
வந்த வாடைச் சில் பெயற் கடைநாள்,
நோய் நீந்து அரும் படர் தீர நீ நயந்து
கூறின் எவனோ-தோழி!-நாறு உயிர்
மடப் பிடி தழீஇத் தடக் கை யானை
குன்றகச் சிறுகுடி இழிதரும்
மன்றம் நண்ணிய மலைகிழவோற்கே?
‘Why don’t you speak of it?’ is the core question put forth here! In the opening words ‘வந்த வாடைச் சில் பெயற் கடைநாள்’ meaning ‘in the last days of rain with a slight drizzle and cold northern winds’ is an ancient record of the seasonal change towards the end of the Southwest monsoon that brings heavy rainfall to the Western Ghats, the current name for the Sangam ‘Kurinji’ landscape. That someone is in deep angst can be sensed in the phrase ‘நோய் நீந்து அரும் படர்’ meaning ‘the deep suffering due to the love affliction’. ‘கூறின் எவனோ’ meaning ‘what is wrong if you say it?’ echoes the core thought we spoke about. From these abstractions, the verse turns to the real domain with mention of ‘a naive female elephant’ in ‘மடப் பிடி’ and ‘long-trunked male elephant’ in ‘தடக் கை யானை’. Ending with the word ‘மலைகிழவோற்கே’ meaning ‘to the lord of the mountains’, the verse beckons us to listen intently.
Cold winds and cuddling elephants are the striking threads of thought in this verse! The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship and that the man was trysting with the lady for a long while. Deciding it was time to nudge the man in the direction of a permanent union, the confidante waits for the opportunity. One day, seeing the man arriving for his tryst with the lady, pretending not to notice him but making sure he’s in earshot, the confidante says to the lady, “In the last days of scanty rain when the cold northern wind blows, that difficult suffering caused by your affliction brims over in you. To end this, if you say it with loving words, what could be wrong, O friend? The male elephant with a long tusk embraces its innocent female with a fragrant breath and climbs down to the small hill hamlet to visit the village centre in the mountains of the lord. What could be wrong, if you speak of your suffering, to him?” With these words, the confidante conveys the lady’s angst to the listening man and also, subtly persuades him to marry the lady and let their relationship be known to everyone around.
Time to explore the nuances. The confidante starts by talking about the weather in general and in particular, those last days of gentle rain and cold northern winds in that region. She mentions that the lady goes through a lot of suffering during this period. What could be the suffering? It is the pining that seems to affect the lady even if the man parts away but for a day. Mentioning that suffering, the confidante wonders aloud what could be wrong if the lady were to speak of this in kind words? To answer our question ‘to whom’, the confidante relates how a male elephant with a long trunk embraces its female, said to have a fragrant sigh, and then together, they both climb down the hill and visit the centre of a little hill hamlet in the domain of the lord. So, it becomes clear that the confidante wants the lady to speak of her suffering to the man.
And so, without a single word from the lady, the message has already been conveyed to the listening man. At the same time, that subtle request to him, bidding him to seek the lady’s hand is concealed in the metaphor of the male elephant hugging the female and bringing it out in the open to the village centre. The confidante implies that likewise, beyond their secret pleasures of trysting, the man must take steps to seek the lady’s hand and live a life of togetherness for all to see. The highlight of this verse is the strong statement to speak your heart out. There is no point in waiting for someone to understand what you need but to let them know, not as a command, but expressed as loving words, as the confidante layers in her seemingly innocent question to the lady. All you need to do is to ask and ask it right and the world you wish shall be yours, says this voice from the past!
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