Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More
In this episode, we perceive a visually compelling technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 372, penned by Vitrootru Mootheyinanaar. The verse is situated in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
பனைத் தலைக்-கருக்கு உடை நெடு மடல் குருத்தொடு மாய,
கடு வளி தொகுத்த நெடு வெண் குப்பைக்
கணம் கொள் சிமைய அணங்கும் கானல்,
ஆழி தலைவீசிய அயிர்ச் சேற்று அருவிக்
கூழை பெய் எக்கர்க் குழீஇய பதுக்கை
புலர் பதம் கொள்ளா அளவை,
அலர் எழுந்தன்று, இவ் அழுங்கல் ஊரே.
‘How quickly slander spreads’, laments a voice in this verse. The opening words ‘பனைத் தலைக்-கருக்கு உடை நெடு மடல்’ meaning ‘tall fronds with sharp edges on the very top of the palm tree’ brings before our eyes, the quintessential tree of Sangam shores, and so deep is the connection that it’s the state tree of Tamilnadu today. In ‘வெண் குப்பை’ meaning ‘white heaps of sand’, we observe how the contemporary Tamil word for ‘garbage’ – ‘குப்பை’ has been used to refer to something so pristine, the pure sands on an ancient shore. The phrase ‘ஆழி தலைவீசிய அயிர்ச் சேற்று அருவி’ meaning ‘a cascade of black sand, showered by the ocean’ talks about the rich, wet mud on a seashore. Following this, appears ‘கூழை பெய்’ meaning ‘used to apply on hair’ and informs us about the tradition of mud baths in Sangam times. Ending with the words ‘அலர் எழுந்தன்று இவ் அழுங்கல் ஊரே’ meaning ‘rumours rise in this clamorous town’, the verse welcomes us to explore and know more.
All about sands, white and wet, in this one! The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship and the man was trysting with the lady for a long while. One night, when the man arrives for his nightly meet, pretending not to notice him, but making sure he’s in earshot, the confidante says to the lady, “Making tall palm fronds with serrated edges at the top of the tree disappear, fast winds heap white sand dunes, appearing as if these were dense peaks in the anxious seashore groves, wherein black sands are thrown by the oceans, akin to cascades, and these are gathered by maiden to bathe their hair. Before these wet sand mounds even dry up, slander spreads in this uproarious town!”. With these words, the confidante stresses on the need for the man to seek the lady’s hand without further delay.
How does the confidante convey her message with conviction here? Let’s understand by listening to her words carefully. She starts by talking about how strong winds disperse white sands on the shore, heaping them so high so as to bury an entire palm tree, right up to the tall fronds at its head, under the sand, in the worry-filled groves of their shore. Then, from white sands, she moves closer to the sea and talks about the wet sand that’s been thrown by the waves, the kind that young maiden use on their hair. Finally arriving at the crux of the concern, the confidante adds that even before this wet sand dries up, the tongues of the town wag about, spreading slander about the man’s relationship with the lady.
That particular type of wet sand has the tendency to dry very fast and adding to this, as we noticed in the beginning of the verse, strong winds are dancing about too, and will hasten that drying up. But even in that very small interval, people around sniff out the man’s arrival to tryst with the lady and spread rumours, the confidante implies. She also subtly conjures the striking imprints of the man’s arrival, such as his chariot wheel prints, horse tracks and his foot prints and how these seem to shout out his clandestine meeting with the lady from rooftops! So, you got to stop this right away, and alleviate the lady’s torment by marrying her, the confidante persuades the man, without saying so. The nuanced detail we learn from this verse is about how two thousand years ago, Sangam people seem to have understood the benefits of mud masks for their hair, which the modern hair styling industry still employs with fancy labels and price tags. That detail apart, isn’t that an effective way to persuade the man by rendering images of his etched footprints on wet sands and sketching sounds of slander resounding in those strong winds?
Share your thoughts...