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In this episode, we observe the discovery of solace in the midst of discomfort, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 377, penned by Mosi Kotranaar. Set in the mountains of ‘Kurinji’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante’s worry that the lady is not bearing well with the man’s parting.
மலர் ஏர் உண்கண் மாண் நலம் தொலைய,
வளை ஏர் மென் தோள் ஞெகிழ்ந்ததன் தலையும்,
மாற்று ஆகின்றே-தோழி!-ஆற்றலையே-
அறிதற்கு அமையா நாடனொடு
செய்து கொண்டது ஓர் சிறு நல் நட்பே.
‘That is the cause and cure of this affliction’ states a voice in this verse! The opening words ‘மலர் ஏர் உண்கண்’ meaning ‘kohl-adorned eyes that are like flowers’ talk about the favourite simile employed by Sangam poets connecting a woman’s appearance to blooming flowers. When we see the phrase ‘வளை ஏர் மென் தோள் ஞெகிழ்ந்ததன்’ meaning ‘as soft arms, adorned with bangles, thin down’, we understand that pining is afoot. The phrase ‘அறிதற்கு அமையா நாடன்’ meaning ‘the man from the mountains, whose nature cannot be understood’ makes us wonder if it is said in a positive connotation or negative one. Ending with the words ‘ஓர் சிறு நல் நட்பே’ meaning ‘a little, fine relationship’, the verse intrigues our curiosity.
What does the adjective ‘little’ have to do with a relationship? 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, missing the man. Observing these changes in the lady, the confidante worries that the lady will not bear with the man’s parting until he returns. To the confidante, the lady says, “Even though it made my flower-like, kohl-streaked eyes lose their fine beauty, and caused my bangle-clad, beautiful, soft arms to waste away, that is the only remedy, my friend! It’s you who is unable to bear this. Remember that, with the man from the mountains, whose nature is immeasurable, I have made a short but strong relationship!” With these words, the lady expresses how she has found the way to bear with the man’s parting and allays her friend’s worry.
Time to delve into the nuances. The lady starts by talking about her own, flower-like eyes, neatly adorned with kohl marks. Apparently, it’s not boasting in Sangam poetic tradition if you follow such words with the suffering they face! In that spirit, the lady says these eyes have lost their erstwhile beauty. Continuing in the same vein, she mentions how her beautiful, fleshy arms, bedecked with bangles, have become thin, leading to the slipping away of bangles – that predominant symptom of pining in Sangam women. After mentioning these two conditions, the lady says even though the cause for all this is her relationship with the man, that is the only antidote for this condition too, and concludes by telling her confidante that it was the friend, who did not understand this core truth, and that’s the reason for her worried questions to the lady!
A subtle element here is how the lady calls the man, as one who cannot be understood. This is to glorify him as one whose good nature is beyond measure. The question we had about what she meant by the ‘little’ relationship, is answered when we perceive how although she has known the man but for a short time, that has firmly bound her to him. These are confident words from the mind of one, who is obviously suffering on the outside. And thus, even if the body seems to forsake us at moments, we can look to the mind to rescue us and put us on firm ground, says this lady from the past!
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