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In this episode, we perceive the portrayal of love as an affliction, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 371, penned by Uraiyoor Muthukootranaar. Set in the mountains of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, explaining why she is unable to bear with the man’s parting.
கை வளை நெகிழ்தலும் மெய் பசப்பு ஊர்தலும்,
மை படு சிலம்பின் ஐவனம் வித்தி
அருவியின் விளைக்கும் நாடனொடு,
மருவேன்-தோழி-அது காமமோ பெரிதே.
‘Love knows no bounds’ is the core thought in this verse. The opening words ‘கை வளை நெகிழ்தலும்’ meaning ‘causing bangles to slip away’ situate the song in the theme of pining. In the phrase ‘மை படு சிலம்பு’ meaning ‘mountain slopes enveloped by dark clouds’, we see how the contemporary Tamil word ‘மை’ referring to ‘kohl’, which darkens eyelids, is used in a metaphorical way to imply black clouds. ‘ஐவனம்’ talks about the cultivation of ‘mountain rice’ from ancient times. The picturesque constituent of this region appears in ‘அருவியின் விளைக்கும்’ meaning ‘cultivated by cascades’. Ending with the words ‘காமமோ பெரிதே’ meaning ‘love is great’, the verse hints at the core theme and welcomes us to explore more.
Slipping bangles and sprouting crops are the two striking images here. 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 and loses her health. Seeing this, the confidante chides her saying that it’s only for her sake, the man has left and that the lady should bear better with his parting. In response, the lady says, “The slipping away of bangles and spreading of pallor on the skin is not because of the man from the mountains, in whose domain, on hill slopes, surrounded by clouds, mountain rice is sown, and later, grown by cascades therein. But this affliction called love is beyond bounds!” With these words, the lady explains that though she understands the confidante’s concern about her pining, the lady is unable to bring it under her reins.
Time to explore the nuances. The lady starts by talking about her state of pining, mentioning slipping bangles and spreading pallor on her form. Then, she goes on to talk about the man’s land, describing how hill slopes are embraced by clouds and where mountain rice is sown and reared by the lush waterfalls therein. Clarifying that she blames not the man for her state, the lady concludes saying that this was the handiwork of love affliction that seemed to be limitless in its power!
In the image of mountain rice being grown because of the waterfalls, the lady places a metaphor for how the man had sown the seeds of love in her, and had now left to enable the cascade of wealth for their happy married life. From this, we infer positivity towards the man and his motives. While all that is well and good, still I’m unable to bear with the parting, because this love affliction is not something that will listen to me, the lady implies. A statement that we cannot help but agree with, for although in many situations in life, the head may say this is the right way to act, the heart has a way of saying ‘nay’ to that! The lady’s insight about her condition talks about the timeless quality of love’s spontaneous ways, heeding not to the sensible paths paved by logic!
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