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In this episode, we learn about a specific danger in travelling at night, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 390, penned by Uraiyoor Mudhukottranaar. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’, the verse speaks in the voice of a wayfarer to the man, offering words of timely advice.
எல்லும் எல்லின்று; பாடும் கேளாய்-
செல்லாதீமோ, சிறுபிடி துணையே!-
வேற்று முனை வெம்மையின், சாத்து வந்து இறுத்தென,
வளை அணி நெடு வேல் ஏந்தி,
மிளை வந்து பெயரும் தண்ணுமைக் குரலே.
‘Don’t go now’ is the strong message at the heart of this verse. In the opening words ‘எல்லும் எல்லின்று’ meaning ‘the day has ceased to be a day’, we understand that darkness fills the land as night enters the horizon. The phrase ‘செல்லாதீமோ’ meaning ‘please don’t go’ echoes the core theme. ‘சிறுபிடி துணையே’ meaning ‘companion of a small female elephant’ makes us wonder if the words are being said to a mahout. More on that shortly! A group of travellers in search of a sleeping spot make their presence felt in ‘சாத்து வந்து இறுத்தென’ meaning ‘as merchants come and rest’. Dangerous weapons raise their heads in ‘நெடு வேல் ஏந்தி’ meaning ‘bearing tall spears’. Ending with the words ‘தண்ணுமைக் குரலே’ meaning ‘the voices of drums’, the verse resounds ominously and bids us to tread with caution.
Drumbeats seem to shout out the danger that awaits! The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship when the man decided that the only way to guard their relationship was to elope away with the lady. He convinces the lady and they start their journey to the man’s home through the drylands. A traveller they meet on the way, turns to the man, and says, “The day is day no more; Hear that sound there; Don’t go, O companion of the maiden, akin to a young female elephant! With the fierceness of a fighter in an enemy battlefield, seeing resting merchants, holding tall spears with rings around, they sound out their drums from beyond those protected woods!” With these words, the wayfarer advises the man to avoid travelling just then, so as to avoid the attack of a group of feared members of the drylands!
Who could these terrorising spear-bearers be? Let’s listen closely to the wayfarer’s words and find out. This person talks about the approach of the dark night and then bids the man to listen to a sound from afar. An interesting aspect here is how the wayfarer addresses the man as the companion of a small female elephant. The wayfarer is not speaking to an elephant trainer but the man, for the term ‘small female elephant’ is a way of referring to the lady, who is eloping away with the man. This reminds me of an incident back in college when I was in a phase of classifying people based on the animal characteristics I saw in them. So, there was this very knowledgeable, calm and sensible friend of mine and I felt that an elephant suited her personality the best. When I went and innocently told her this, to my surprise, she became quite offended! Our impressions of animals and what they mean has changed so much but in the ancient past, all animals seem to have been considered equal for the protagonists have been called a deer, an elephant or a boar with the same degree of comfort, and causing absolutely no affront!
Returning to the verse, we see how the wayfarer then talks about the nature of someone. He says they have the anger of a soldier fighting with an enemy in a battle. After that quick snapshot of a personality, the wayfarer turns to mention how a group of merchants are resting at a particular spot far away. Since night is approaching, they have decided to take rest there. What’s so shocking about that, one may ask! To answer that, the wayfarer paints an image of sharp spears striding across and the sound of drums resounding from the edge of the forest. Note how the wayfarer does not mention by name who he means by these descriptions but it’s clear to the listener that he’s talking about the drylands robbers, who are out to steal from those resting merchants, and the sound of drums is nothing but their call to their mates so that they can group together and attack those victims by night. Whenever we have come across verses where the lady worries about the man travelling in the drylands, we have wondered what could be the reason for her alarming levels of anxiety. Here, the verse makes us understand why, by graphically presenting the dangers of travelling in the dead of the night, showing how a naive traveller could be dead by daybreak at the hands of those fierce denizens of the drylands!
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