Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More
In this episode, we listen to arguments against parting away, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 10, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and portrays a place using human qualities.
“வறியவன் இளமை போல் வாடிய சினையவாய்ச்
சிறியவன் செல்வம் போல் சேர்ந்தார்க்கு நிழல் இன்றி
யார் கண்ணும் இகந்து செய்து இசை கெட்டான் இறுதி போல்,
வேரொடு மரம் வெம்ப விரி கதிர் தெறுதலின்,
அலவுற்றுக் குடி கூவ ஆறு இன்றிப் பொருள் வெஃகிக்
கொலை அஞ்சா வினைவரால் கோல் கோடியவன் நிழல்
உலகு போல் உலறிய உயர் மர வெஞ்சுரம்
இடை கொண்டு பொருள் வயின் இறத்தி நீ எனக் கேட்பின்,
உடைபு நெஞ்சு உக ஆங்கே ஒளிஓடற்பாள் மன்னோ,
படை அமை சேக்கையுள் பாயலின் அறியாய் நீ
புடை பெயர்வாய் ஆயினும், புலம்பு கொண்டு இனைபவள்?
முனிவு இன்றி முயல் பொருட்கு இறத்தி நீ எனக் கேட்பின்,
பனிய கண்படல் ஒல்லா படர்கூர்கிற்பாள் மன்னோ,
நனி கொண்ட சாயலாள் நயந்து நீ நகை ஆகத்
துனி செய்து நீடினும், துறப்பு அஞ்சிக் கலுழ்பவள்?
பொருள் நோக்கிப் பிரிந்து நீ போகுதி எனக் கேட்பின்,
மருள் நோக்கம் மடிந்து ஆங்கே மயல்கூர்கிற்பாள் மன்னோ,
இருள் நோக்கம் இடையின்றி ஈரத்தின் இயன்ற நின்
அருள் நோக்கம் அழியினும், அவலம் கொண்டு அழிபவள்?”
என ஆங்கு,
“வினை வெஃகி நீ செலின், விடும் இவள் உயிர்” எனப்
புனை இழாய்! நின் நிலை யான் கூறப், பையென,
நிலவு வேல் நெடுந்தகை நீள் இடைச்
செலவு ஒழிந்தனனால், செறிக நின் வளையே.
The confidante is back doing what she does best! The words can be translated as follows:
“Akin to the youth of an impoverished man, is the faded branch; Akin to the wealth of a miserly man, it offers no shade to those who come seeking; Akin to the final days of one, who has lost his fame doing wrong deeds to everyone, even the roots of the tree are parched in the scorching rays of the sun; Akin to a land in the shade of a cruel king’s sceptre, who has murderous men to do his bidding, greedy for wealth, where’s there no justice and people scream in misery, is the hot drylands with shrivelled, tall trees!
If she hears that you wish to part away thither, breaking your togetherness, with a broken heart, won’t her beauty and glow vanish away? Isn’t she one who worries and laments, even when you move away a little unintentionally, when lying with her on your well-built bed?
If she hears that you wish to part away thither, lacking any regret, with tear-filled eyes, won’t her sleep abandon her? Isn’t she one who fears the separation and tears up, even when to tease that delicate maiden a little, you delay coming to her side?
If she hears that you wish to part away thither, wanting to gather wealth, with utter confusion and won’t her spirit diminish? Isn’t she one who feels ruined, even when your gracious looks to her, bereft of any darkness, full of love, changes for a moment?
And so, as I said, ‘If you leave desiring your mission, it’s her life that will part away’, speaking of your state, O maiden, wearing etched ornaments, slowly, the great lord with a moon-like spear gave up his journey through the long drylands path. So, let them remain firm, those bangles of yours!”
Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from his lady, after marriage. When he expresses his intent of seeking wealth to the confidante, she counsels him against it and then relays the success of her efforts to the lady. The confidante begins by sketching the harshness of the drylands through its representative member, a tree therein. To talk about the faded branch of this tree, she calls in parallel the youth of someone who lacks wealth, implying the ancients thought that this was a period of joy and pleasure, and for that, wealth was essential. Next, to depict the nature of this tree that gives no shade to anyone, no doubt because of its withered leaves, the confidante calls in parallel wealth of a miser, of no use to those who come seeking. Following this, the confidante dives deep and reaches the roots of the said tree, which one would expect to have some moisture, but she says even those roots are parched, like the last days of someone who has done only evil to others. Finally, the entire lifeless drylands is depicted as a land, ruled by a cruel and greedy king, who steals away his people’s wealth, leaving them in agony. And so, the dreariness of this landscape is etched in our minds by these mini-portraits of various human lives.
Then, the confidante employs the customary three-step presentation talking about how the lady would be shattered if she hears that the man wants to part away to seek wealth. To present her case, the confidante reminds the man about how the lady would suffer even if the man moves away a little, without realising, when sleeping together in their bed, about how the lady would tear up when the man, just for joke, delays coming to her side, and about how the lady would feel devastated, when the man’s gracious look to her changes for even a moment. With all these words and the final punch that the lady would die if he left, the confidante succeeds in dissuading the man from taking up his journey, and this, she conveys to the lady, saying that now there was no need for the lady’s bangles to slip away!
What a frail depiction of the lady these ancient poets seem to present! Is that the way the male poets thought of the women then? For it seems rather bizarre to imagine that women of any age should be so utterly and fatally dependent on the men of their lives! And this was indeed an age when some women were penning poetry and advising kings. So, could it be a tradition that dictated these themes to be expressed in verse for some reason of theirs? While there are more questions to ponder, the verse also presents clear insights about how the Sangam people thought a life should be. Through those similes for the drylands, we understand they thought youth should be blessed with wealth, wealth should be shared with all, a person should do good to everyone in their life, and finally, a king should be one, full of kindness for his people, ruling them with a nurturing and protective spirit. What a place is not describes how a person should be, in these unique words!
Share your thoughts...