Kalithogai 4 – Exuberant Expressions

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வலி முன்பின், வல்லென்ற யாக்கை, புலி நோக்கின்
சுற்றமை வில்லர், சுரி வளர் பித்தையர்,
அற்றம் பார்த்து அல்கும் கடுங்கண் மறவர் தாம்
கொள்ளும் பொருள் இலர்ஆயினும், வம்பலர்
துள்ளுநர்க் காண்மார் தொடர்ந்து, உயிர் வௌவலின்,
புள்ளும் வழங்காப் புலம்பு கொள் ஆர் இடை,
வெள் வேல் வலத்திர் பொருள் தரல் வேட்கையின்,
உள்ளினிர் என்பது அறிந்தனள், என் தோழி

‘காழ் விரி கவை ஆரம் மீ வரும் இள முலை
போழ்து இடைப்படாஅமல் முயங்கியும் அமையார், என்
தாழ் கதுப்பு அணிகுவர், காதலர்; மற்று, அவர்
சூழ்வதை எவன்கொல்? அறியேன்!’ என்னும்

‘முள் உறழ் முளை எயிற்று அமிழ்து ஊறும் தீ நீரைக்
கள்ளினும் மகிழ்செயும் என உரைத்தும் அமையார், என்
ஒள் இழை திருத்துவர், காதலர்; மற்று, அவர்
உள்ளுவது எவன்கொல்? அறியேன்!’ என்னும்

‘நுண் எழில் மாமைச் சுணங்கு அணி ஆகம் தம்
கண்ணொடு தொடுத்தென நோக்கியும் அமையார், என்
ஒள் நுதல் நீவுவர், காதலர்; மற்று, அவர்
எண்ணுவது எவன்கொல்? அறியேன்!’ என்னும்

என ஆங்கு,
‘கழி பெரு நல்கல் ஒன்று உடைத்து’ என, என் தோழி
அழிவொடு கலங்கிய எவ்வத்தள்; ஒரு நாள், நீர்,
பொழுது இடைப்பட நீப்பின், வாழ்வாளோ?
ஒழிக இனி, பெரும! நின் பொருட் பிணிச் செலவே.

Another verse wherein a man is requested to put off his journey. The words can be translated as follows:

“With immense strength, sturdy bodies, eyes of a tiger, tightly-tied bows, curly, thick locks of hair, are those harsh-eyed robbers, who bide their time. Even if the wayfarers possess not the things that they can steal, just to see them suffer, the robbers would give chase and take those lives. And so, not even birds fly near that lonely, long drylands path. But the fact that you, holding a white spear on your right, intend to go thither to gather wealth, has been discovered by my friend!

For she said, ‘Even after he had unceasingly embraced my young breasts, above which a wide necklace studded with gems moves about, he was not satisfied. For he took to adorning my untied tresses, that lover of mine. What could he be thinking? I know not!’

For she said, ‘Even after he had declared that the sweet nectar that springs forth from my thorn-like teeth is something that delights him even more than toddy, he was not satisfied. For he took to correcting the position of my shining jewels, that lover of mine. What could he be thinking? I know not!’

For she said, ‘Even after he had looked at the tiny, beautiful dark-skinned spots upon my beautiful bosom, for a long time, without even moving his gaze, he was not satisfied. For he took to caressing my shining forehead, that lover of mine. What could he be thinking? I know not!’

And so, my friend later concluded that ‘All these exuberant expressions of love must be for a reason’ and was greatly distressed by the sorrow it evoked. Even if you part away for a single day, will she live? Let go, O lord, this journey to gather wealth!”

Time to delve into the details. Yet another verse set in the context of a man’s parting from a lady, after marriage, with the intention of seeking wealth. Here, the confidante speaks these words to the man. She starts by depicting the danger in the drylands path to which the man intends to leave, and to do that, she presents a detailed portrait of the people who dominate this region namely the highway robbers. She etches their outer appearance, talking about their strong bodies, eyes that seem to pierce like a tiger’s, and their thick, curly hair. They can be seen carrying well-tied bows on their body. Next, to give a slice of their inner nature, she talks about how even though the wayfarers these robbers meet may not happen to have anything of value to them, the robbers would still chase them and kill them, just to see the fear of these travellers. This is a rather sadistic depiction of this tribe by the confidante, for we have seen these very people building stone graves for the lives they have taken, in other verses. Could these people have so much evil in them to kill for no reason and yet the good nature to respect the dead? A question to ponder upon. Returning, the confidante continues saying such is the terrible nature of those robbers, that even birds fear to go their way, but the man seems to want to go and cross such a dangerous path with the intention of gathering wealth. She adds that not only that, the lady seems to have discovered this fact, without the man telling her so. 

Then, the confidante goes on to reveal the three different ways in which the lady has arrived at this conclusion. In each, the man performs an action of endearment, such as embracing the lady, relishing the nectar of her mouth, and looking at the lady’s beautiful skin. Even after each of these actions, he seemed not to be content, for he went on to do something more, such as tying the lady’s tresses, adjusting her jewels and caressing her forehead. So she adds one and one together and decides that all his extra attention is because the man intends to part away from her. Even thinking about this possibility has distressed the lady so much, the confidante tells the man, and declares that the lady cannot even bear a single day’s separation from her man, and bids him to give up his journey in search of wealth.

The highlight of this verse is in the subtle expressions of love in a relationship and the hidden meanings that are perceived. Beyond the usual message of ‘Don’t leave the lady’, what’s striking here is the time and attention the couple seem to have given each other. Every movement, every gesture, why even every breath seems to have been noted and this sheds light on the quality of relationships in a more relaxed world!