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In this episode, we observe an ancient mountain village at a particular time of the day, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 355, penned by Kabilar. Set in the mountains of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, as he arrives at the lady’s house for his nightly tryst.
பெயல் கண் மறைத்தலின், விசும்பு காணலரே;
நீர் பரந்து ஒழுகலின், நிலம் காணலரே;
எல்லை சேறலின், இருள் பெரிது பட்டன்று;
பல்லோர் துஞ்சும் பானாள் கங்குல்
யாங்கு வந்தனையோ?-ஓங்கல் வெற்ப!-
வேங்கை கமழும் எம் சிறுகுடி
யாங்கு அறிந்தனையோ? நோகோ யானே.
‘How did you manage to come here?’ is the central question within! The opening words ‘பெயல் கண் மறைத்தலின், விசும்பு காணலரே’ meaning ‘as the rains hides from the eyes, the sky is missing’ indicates a heavy downpour. Not only is the sky absent from view, so is the land as mentioned in ‘நிலம் காணலரே’ meaning ‘the land is missing’. The phrase ‘பல்லோர் துஞ்சும் பானாள் கங்குல்’ meaning ‘in the dark midnight hour of the night, when most people sleep’, employs the word ‘பல்லோர்’ meaning ‘most’ instead of ‘everyone’, thereby etching the sleeplessness of a few, in a nuanced manner. The core question mentioned earlier appears in ‘யாங்கு வந்தனையோ’ meaning ‘how did you come?’ An element of nature in the mountains appears in ‘வேங்கை கமழும் எம் சிறுகுடி’ meaning ‘our fragrant little hamlet, wafting with the scent of Indian Kino tree flowers’. Ending with the words ‘நோகோ யானே’ meaning ‘I’m dreadfully worried’, the verse welcomes us to listen with empathy.
Here, the sky and earth seemed to have gone amiss and a flood of worry flows too! 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 night, when he arrives to the lady’s house, the confidante turns to him and says, “As the rain hides it from view, the sky is nowhere to be seen; As the floods abound and spread, the land is nowhere to be seen; As the sun has retired, the darkness around is dense; At this midnight hour when many sleep, how did you come, O lord of the soaring mountains? How did you find our little hamlet, fragrant with the scent of ‘vengai’ flowers? I am filled with worry!” With these words, the confidante conveys to the man about the lady’s anxiety over the dangers in his nightly tryst and indirectly, nudges him to seek the lady’s hand.
All that we heard was a weather report and how does the confidante manage to convey this message of marriage? Let’s listen closely and find out. She starts by saying how because dark rain clouds hide it without even a small gap, the sky was not visible just then. Without the sky and the stars in it, to guide, how can anyone have any sense of direction? Next, with such thick rain clouds, that too near the mountains, a downpour is inevitable, and all the wild rivers and cascades gush over, making the land disappear. So, there is no path to be found that would lead someone to a desired destination. If at all this was happening during the day, then with some light, one can find one’s way. Not at all, says the confidante, for this is transpiring in the darkness of midnight, when most seem to sleep, but the lady was still tossing in bed, for sleep seemed to have forsaken her.
Given it’s such a night where there’s no light or path or direction, how did you manage to arrive here, to our hamlet, having the fragrance of ‘vengai’ flowers, the confidante asks the man and concludes saying that worry fills her. Here, she’s speaking in the voice of the lady. With these words, the confidante indicates all the dangers that could afflict the man as he risks life and limb to steal a few hours of togetherness with the lady. Rather than getting drenched in the rain and slush, and drenching the lady in worry and sorrow, wouldn’t it be better if he were to go towards the path of a permanent union with the lady, the confidante asks the man in a hidden manner. Without directly commanding or insisting, by expressing a valid concern for his present behaviour, the confidante persuades him to step on a better path. When we want someone to do something for us, we often make the mistake of thinking only about how it would benefit us. But instead, the more effective way is to focus on what good that requested change could bring to the other, as illustrated by this wise ancestor of ours!
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