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In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 118, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and sketches the words rendered to an evening.
வெல் புகழ் மன்னவன், விளங்கிய ஒழுக்கத்தால்
நல் ஆற்றின் உயிர் காத்து, நடுக்கு அற, தான் செய்த
தொல் வினைப் பயன் துய்ப்ப, துறக்கம் வேட்டு எழுந்தாற்போல்
பல் கதிர் ஞாயிறு பகல் ஆற்றி மலை சேர,
ஆனாது கலுழ் கொண்ட உலகத்து, மற்று அவன்
ஏனையான் அளிப்பான் போல், இகல் இருள் மதி சீப்ப,
குடை நிழல் ஆண்டாற்கும் ஆளிய வருவாற்கும்
இடை நின்ற காலம் போல், இறுத்தந்த மருள் மாலை!
மாலை நீ தூ அறத் துறந்தாரை நினைத்தலின், கயம் பூத்த
போது போல் குவிந்த என் எழில் நலம் எள்ளுவாய்;
ஆய் சிறை வண்டு ஆர்ப்ப, சினைப் பூப் போல் தளை விட்ட
காதலர்ப் புணர்ந்தவர் காரிகை கடிகல்லாய்
மாலை நீ தையெனக் கோவலர் தனிக் குழல் இசை கேட்டு
பையென்ற நெஞ்சத்தேம் பக்கம் பாராட்டுவாய்;
செவ்வழி யாழ் நரம்பு அன்ன கிளவியார் பாராட்டும்
பொய் தீர்ந்த புணர்ச்சியுள் புது நலம் கடிகல்லாய்
மாலை நீ தகை மிக்க தாழ் சினைப் பதி சேர்ந்து புள் ஆர்ப்ப,
பகை மிக்க நெஞ்சத்தேம் புன்மை பாராட்டுவாய்;
தகை மிக்க புணர்ச்சியார், தாழ் கொடி நறு முல்லை
முகை முகம் திறந்தன்ன, முறுவலும் கடிகல்லாய்
என ஆங்கு
மாலையும் அலரும் நோனாது, எம்வயின்
நெஞ்சமும் எஞ்சும்மன் தில்ல எஞ்சி,
உள்ளாது அமைந்தோர் உள்ளும்,
உள் இல் உள்ளம், உள்உள் உவந்தே.
The familiar three-step format of Kalithogai greets us in this verse that echoes a lady’s pain. The words can be translated as follows:
“Akin to how a king, renowned for his victory and his protecting of lives, with righteousness and virtue, without any regrets, nudged by the good deeds he has done in his life, rises with intention to the heavens, the many-rayed sun, after fulfilling its duties of the day reaches the mountain. Akin to how another one guides the world that is now deeply distressed by the king’s parting, the spreading darkness is dispersed by the rising moon. Akin to that period of time that stands between the one, who ruled in the shade of his glorious royal umbrella, and the one who follows him, is this confusing hour of evening, which brings much agony!
O evening! You mock at my exquisite beauty that has now vanished, akin to a flower in a pond that has closed its buds, owing to the ceaseless memory of the one, who parted away, ruining me entirely! But you never seem to disturb the beauty of others, akin to a wide-open flower on a leafy branch, around which bees with beautiful wings buzz around, when they are united with their lovers!
O evening! You relish the sorrow that soars in the hearts of those who listen to the resounding music of the solitary flute in the hands of a cowherd! But you never seem to disturb the fresh beauty of maiden with words, akin to the strings of a lute’s ‘chevvazhi’ melody, when they are relishing a faultless, perfect union with their beloved!
O evening! You relish the emptiness that envelopes the hearts of those who are filled with agony, when birds call out aloud, uniting with their pairs on the fine, low hanging branches. But you never seem to disturb the smiles of those, akin to the blooming of wild jasmines on low hanging vines, when they are in a blessed union with those they love!
And so, my heart seems to find its joy by thinking about the one who thinks not about me. Will my thoughtless heart continue to remain so within, bearing the assault of the evening hour and the spreading slander?”
Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s parting from a lady prior to marriage and the lady expresses her emotions at this juncture. The lady begins by talking about a famous and much respected king, who has won many battles and has guarded the people of his land in all the right ways. There will come a moment when his life would end and he would naturally rise to the heavens because of all the good deeds he has done in his life. The lady connects this moment to the sun setting in the mountains after accomplishing all its duties of the day, filling the world with life and energy. An insightful parallel that talks about the importance of the sun to life as we know it!
Returning, next the lady connects the moon, which disperses the soaring darkness a little, to the king who will succeed that famous ruler, and do what he can, to end the tears of the mourning subjects. There is a sliver of time filled with bewilderment between the first ruler and the next, between the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon, and that is the evening hour, the lady connects. She directs her words to this evening hour, and talks about how it seems to mock and ruin her beauty, as she keeps thinking about the man who parted away, which seems to delight in her sorrow that heightens listening to the music of a cowherd’s flute, and also, seems to feel happy about the emptiness in her heart, when she hears birds around uniting merrily with their mates. She compares how the evening seems to have no power whatsoever on those who are happily united with their beloved. The lady concludes by wondering if her heart, which has remained within her, thinking about the man, will continue to remain so, now that the evening hour and the slander in town is attacking her, with such fury!
The verse made me wonder in what way is this connected to the coastal landscape, for we hear not the roar of the oceans or see the gliding fish. On reflection, I understood it’s the theme of ‘lamenting’ that has made this song be categorised as belonging to this domain. Here, we see how an evening hour, a flute’s music, flowers blooming, birds chirping, elements which we consider joyous and serene, brings so much pain to this ancient lady in love, parted from her beloved. This echoes to us the truth of how the world within us can dominate the world outside, projecting inner shades and moods and changing the outer world’s very reality. A nudge to pay attention and to guard that inner world with the care of that righteous king, for everything has its beginning right here!
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