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In this episode, we perceive the aptness of a simile from nature, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 394, penned by Kuriyiraiyaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, speaking of the man in a disparaging tone, as he remains parted away.
முழந்தாள் இரும் பிடிக் கயந்தலைக் குழவி
நறவு மலி பாக்கத்துக் குறமகள் ஈன்ற
குறி இறைப் புதல்வரொடு மறுவந்து ஓடி,
முன் நாள் இனியது ஆகி, பின் நாள்
அவர் தினைப் புனம் மேய்ந்தாங்கு,
பகை ஆகின்று, அவர் நகை விளையாட்டே.
‘What was a pleasure then, is a pain now’ -This is the core theme here! The opening words ‘முழந்தாள் இரும் பிடி’ meaning ‘a huge female elephant having legs akin to a drum’ hints to us about the shape of drums in ancient times. In ‘கயந்தலைக் குழவி’ meaning ‘a calf with a soft head’, we get a glimpse of an adorable baby elephant. The phrase ‘குறமகள் ஈன்ற குறி இறைப் புதல்வர்’ meaning ‘the children with short forearms, borne by the mountain dwelling woman’ reiterates one of the striking features of young children – those chubby and short arms of theirs! In ‘முன் நாள் இனியது’ meaning ‘the past was pleasant’, we observe the perception of days gone by. Ending with the words ‘அவர் நகை விளையாட்டே’ meaning ‘his laughter-filled times of play’, the verse welcomes us to listen with empathy.
Anytime we see a reference to the past being pleasant, we know there’s a hidden implication that the present is not so. Let’s check this verse to see if this is true. The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship and that the man had parted away to gather wealth for their wedding. In his absence, the lady languishes. One day, the confidante turns to the lady and says, “The tender-headed calf of the huge female elephant with drum-like legs, running round and round, plays with the short-forearmed children of the mountain woman, making those earlier days so pleasant. Later, when it grows up and grazes their millet fields, its actions become hateful. As does those playful times, filled with laughter, spent in his company!” With these words, the confidante seemingly chides the man in front of the lady, hoping to elicit a defensive response from her.
With elephant calves and mountain kids, the song is simply cuteness overload. The confidante starts by talking about a big female elephant and then from the mother, moves on to her calf. Likewise, the confidante mentions a ‘kurava’ mountain woman and her children. Connecting the baby elephant to these mountain kids, the confidante illustrates to us how the elephant calf joyfully plays with these kids, making them laugh in delight. Later, the elephant grows up and so do these children. At this time, the elephant visits the millet fields of mountain farmers, those now grown-up children, and causes damage by grazing on it. Back then, it was a time of innocent joy, and now, the same parties find themselves in conflict and hatred, the confidante mentions, adding that’s exactly how the lady’s happy courtship with the man had now transformed into a time of sorrow when he parted away!
The man has parted only to bring permanent happiness the lady’s way. So, why should the confidante say these words, speaking of the man in that negative tone? The answer is that this is a special tactic of hers, wherein when you speak negatively of one’s beloved, the person in question will rise in their defence. When the lady starts defending the man, she will find the strength to bear with his parting until he returns and this is the precise effect the confidante hopes to achieve. All their relationship manipulations apart, the verse gives us a joyous scene to smile about – That of a baby elephant running, chasing and rolling with little children, their tickled voices with lisp and laughter, resounding across the hills around!
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