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In this episode, we perceive a thoughtful farewell message, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 397, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, as he prepares to part away in search of wealth.
நனை முதிர் ஞாழற் சினை மருள் திரள் வீ
நெய்தல் மா மலர்ப் பெய்த போல
ஊதை தூற்றும் உரவு நீர்ச் சேர்ப்ப!
தாய் உடன்று அலைக்கும் காலையும், வாய்விட்டு,
”அன்னாய்!” என்னும் குழவி போல,
இன்னா செயினும் இனிது தலையளிப்பினும்,
நின் வரைப்பினள் என் தோழி;
தன் உறு விழுமம் களைஞரோ இலளே.
‘She has no one but you’ is the central thought here. The opening words ‘நனை முதிர் ஞாழல்’ meaning ‘senna sophera with blooming buds’ bring to fore, a prominent tree of the coastal regions. Next, it’s the turn of a captivating flower to appear in ‘நெய்தல் மா மலர்’ meaning ‘dark-hued flower of the blue lotus’. The cry of a child is captured in the phrase ‘அன்னாய் என்னும் குழவி’ meaning ‘a child that exclaims, ‘ma”. ‘நின் வரைப்பினள் என் தோழி’ meaning ‘my friend resides within the bounds of your protection’ presents the importance of the listener in another’s life. Ending with the words ‘தன் உறு விழுமம் களைஞரோ இலளே’ meaning ‘she has no other slayer of suffering’, the verse welcomes us to listen with empathy.
‘Oh! You are so, so important to her’ seems to cry out this verse. The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship when the man decides it’s time to part away so as to seek wealth for their wedding. He informs the lady’s confidante of his intention to leave in search of wealth. As he sets out on his mission, the confidante says to him, “Making the fully bloomed ‘gnazhal’ tree with dense flowers, akin to fish eggs, shower down its blossoms on the dark blue lotus beneath, cold winds blow near the strong seas in your domain, O lord! Even when it’s the mother who hurts it, a child opens its mouth to cry out, ‘Ma’. Akin to that, whether your actions are undesirable or whether these are desirable as in when you shower your sweet graces on her, my friend sees you as her refuge. She has no one else to slay the suffering that comes her way!” With these words, the confidante points out in a persuasive manner, how crucial it is, for the man to return soon to claim the lady’s hand in marriage.
A poet known for bringing the coasts of the past so vividly before our eyes. Let’s delve into his descriptions through the confidante’s words. She starts by talking about a ‘senna sophera’ tree, all its buds opening up or getting ready to open up. Comparing these flowers to fish eggs, the confidante shows us how these round flowers are showering on a blue lotus blooming at the tree’s feet. There’s a reason why this happens, the confidante says, and talks about the invisible currents of cold winds blowing in the shores of the lord. After wrapping up the description of the man’s land with that picturesque scene, the confidante moves on to a situation involving generic people. Say there’s a mother who has hurt or hit her child in anger, for some reason, even at that moment, that child when crying in pain would still call out ‘ma’ instinctively. And likewise, whether the man did good or bad by the lady, he is the lady’s only protector, the confidante says, and concludes with the words that there was no one else to end the sorrow of the lady other than the man.
What a lot of trust in a person! When the man prepares to leave, the confidante doesn’t command the man to return as soon as possible. Instead, she shows the man how crucial it is that he does those very things. ‘She has no one but you’ is all she says and that’s a stronger command than all the forceful words she could have used on the man. The simile about a child crying ‘ma’ even when hurt by the same mother is something that can be understood by everyone everywhere. In the description of senna sophera seeds falling on the blue lotus beneath, we can infer a metaphor for a request, seeking the man’s grace to be showered on the blue lotus-like lady, who waits for him. Those winds that make this happen could be seen as these words of the confidante that will stay with the man, no matter how far or how long he goes in his search of his future with the lady. An exquisite example of employing trust to persuade a person in the right path!
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