Kalithogai 11 – In the shade of a beloved

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‘அரிதாய அறன் எய்தி அருளியோர்க்கு அளித்தலும்,
பெரிதாய பகை வென்று பேணாரைத் தெறுதலும்,
புரிவு அமர் காதலின் புணர்ச்சியும் தரும்’ என,
பிரிவு எண்ணிப் பொருள்வயிற் சென்ற நம் காதலர்
வருவர்கொல்; வயங்கிழாஅய்! வலிப்பல், யான்; கேஎள், இனி:

‘அடி தாங்கும் அளவு இன்றி, அழல் அன்ன வெம்மையால்,
கடியவே, கனங் குழாஅய், காடு’ என்றார்; ‘அக் காட்டுள்,
துடி அடிக் கயந்தலை கலக்கிய சின்னீரைப்
பிடி ஊட்டி, பின் உண்ணும், களிறு’ எனவும் உரைத்தனரே

‘இன்பத்தின் இகந்து ஒரீஇ, இலை தீந்த உலவையால்,
துன்புறூஉம் தகையவே காடு’ என்றார்; ‘அக் காட்டுள்,
அன்பு கொள் மடப் பெடை அசைஇய வருத்தத்தை
மென் சிறகரால் ஆற்றும், புறவு’ எனவும் உரைத்தனரே

‘கல் மிசை வேய் வாடக் கனை கதிர் தெறுதலான்,
துன்னரூஉம் தகையவே காடு’ என்றார்; ‘அக் காட்டுள்,
இன் நிழல் இன்மையான் வருந்திய மடப் பிணைக்குத்
தன் நிழலைக் கொடுத்து அளிக்கும், கலை’ எனவும் உரைத்தனரே

என ஆங்கு
இனை நலம் உடைய கானம் சென்றோர்
புனை நலம் வாட்டுநர்அல்லர்; மனைவயின்
பல்லியும் பாங்கு ஒத்து இசைத்தன;
நல் எழில் உண்கணும் ஆடுமால், இடனே.

A verse brimming with expressions of love! The words can be translated as follows:

“‘To attain the rare virtue of giving to those who are gracious; To conquer immense enmity by defeating foes; To obtain a lasting union with true love;’ he explained were the reasons for parting away in search of wealth. He will return soon, O maiden wearing radiant jewels; I say this with conviction; Listen to me now:

He said, ‘Beyond the limits that the feet can bear, the heat scorches with intensity. So harsh is the drylands forest, O lady clad in thick ornaments’. He also said, ‘Within that forest, seeing a little puddle of water, muddled by the tender-headed elephant calf with a drum-like feet, the male elephant first feeds its female and then drinks from it’.

He said, ‘Making one forget all joy, with branches bereft of leaves, with a sorrowful quality is the drylands forest’. He also said, ‘Within that forest, seeing the suffering of its loving, naive female, the male pigeon caresses it with its soft wings’.

He said, ‘Atop the hill, as the sweltering rays wither the bamboos, with a formidable quality is the drylands forest’. He also said, ‘Within that forest, seeing the distress of its naive female, owing to the lack of a sweet shade, the male deer offers its own shade to it, with grace’.

And so, the one who went to the drylands forest with such a kind beauty, would not be one to distress my etched beauty. Listen, the lizard at home seems to call in agreement. My fine and beautiful kohl-streaked left eye twitches too!”

Time to explore the nuances. The verse continues to be situated in the context of a man’s parting from his lady after marriage, with an intent of seeking wealth. In most verses, we have seen thus far, the man was seeking permission to leave. In this one, he has already left, and we hear the lady’s voice render thoughts about his parting to her confidante. The lady begins by indicating the reasons the man offered for this difficult parting between them. He seems to have told her, to have the rare honour of giving unto good people, for ending enmity in one’s life, and finally, even for having a long and happy union with the lady, wealth was crucial. And that’s why he had to take the decision of parting away from her for a while. Logical words, told with kindness, rendering purpose to his journey. Recollecting his words, the lady says that he is going to return to her soon.

To explain why, the lady once again reminisces about the words the man used to describe the place he was travelling to. Indeed, it was so harsh with heat that no feet could bear, it was so sorrowful with its image of branches standing still without leaves, and also, it was so unapproachable because the heat was so intense that even the sturdy bamboos atop the hill were burnt. While he painted such a stark picture of the drylands forest, he also said other things about it. Such as that scene, where there’s a small puddle of muddled water. A male elephant that chances upon it, doesn’t gulp it down in an instant but waits for its female to have its fill and then drinks from it. Another scene where a female pigeon is much distressed by the heat and its male waves its gentle wings as a fan to cool its mate. And finally, in a stunning, unforgettable image, a male deer seeing the suffering of its female in the heat of that harsh drylands without a drop of shade, offers its own shade to lovingly care for its beloved! Painting these scenes that the man spoke about, the lady is convinced that seeing such love in the places he traverses, the man will not have the heart to harm her own health by staying away long. Just the moment she says, she hears the lizard’s sound from her home and her left eye starts twitching as well, all good omens that can only mean the man is about to come home to her!

A verse that overflows with the joy of kindness! In this verse, it’s always the male offering its protection to the female and this is somewhat coded in human behaviour too, with the ‘Ladies and children first’ policy in moments of calamity, and occasionally, chivalry too! However, in these times, moving beyond these gender segregation of roles, what shines through as the core of this verse is the portrait of kindness in the harshest of environments. Even today, be it in war zones around the world and when events of natural disaster strikes, there are always stories of astonishing kindness to be found. In its own way, this ancient verse tells us that no matter the darkness, all it takes is a little spark of kindness to brighten that world with hope!