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In this episode, we hear words of advice rendered, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 133, penned by Nallanthuvanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and lists the meaning of virtuous qualities.
மா மலர் முண்டகம் தில்லையோடு ஒருங்கு உடன்
கானல் அணிந்த உயர் மணல் எக்கர்மேல்,
சீர் மிகு சிறப்பினோன் மரமுதல் கை சேர்த்த
நீர் மலி கரகம் போல் பழம் தூங்கு முடத் தாழைப்
பூ மலர்ந்தவை போல, புள் அல்கும் துறைவ! கேள்:
‘ஆற்றுதல்’ என்பது ஒன்று அலந்தவர்க்கு உதவுதல்;
‘போற்றுதல்’ என்பது புணர்ந்தாரைப் பிரியாமை;
‘பண்பு’ எனப்படுவது பாடு அறிந்து ஒழுகுதல்;
‘அன்பு’ எனப்படுவது தன் கிளை செறாஅமை;
‘அறிவு’ எனப்படுவது பேதையார் சொல் நோன்றல்;
‘செறிவு’ எனப்படுவது கூறியது மறாஅமை;
‘நிறை’ எனப்படுவது மறை பிறர் அறியாமை;
‘முறை’ எனப்படுவது கண்ணோடாது உயிர் வௌவல்;
‘பொறை’ எனப்படுவது போற்றாரைப் பொறுத்தல்;
ஆங்கு அதை அறிந்தனிர் ஆயின், என் தோழி
நல் நுதல் நலன் உண்டு துறத்தல், கொண்க!
தீம் பால் உண்பவர் கொள் கலம் வரைதல்
நின்தலை வருந்தியாள் துயரம்
சென்றனை களைமோ; பூண்க, நின் தேரே!
A crisp verse containing a plea from the confidante! The words can be translated as follows:
“The water-thorn with dark-hued flowers and the milky mangrove join hands to adorn the tall sand dunes of the seashore grove. Here, akin to the water-brimming pots tied by hand to trees by the Famous One, hang the fruits of the pandanus, and upon these, akin to flowers blooming, birds perch in your domain, O lord. Listen:
‘Generosity’ is helping one who is suffering;
‘Integrity’ is not forsaking the one who was embraced;
‘Dignity’ is understanding what’s right and acting in accordance;
‘Affinity’ is not disliking one’s kin;
‘Perception’ is bearing with the words of the ignorant;
‘Perfection’ is not forgetting what one promised;
‘Confidentiality’ is hiding what others shouldn’t know;
‘Impartiality’ is not hesitating to seize the life of the known wrong-doer;
‘Tranquility’ is bearing with those who show no care or respect;
And so, if you understand all these, O lord, you should know that after savouring the beauty of my friend’s fine forehead, forsaking her, is akin to the act of the person, who after drinking up sweet milk casts away the vessel it came in. To destroy the despair of the she who is depressed about your actions, ready your chariot now!”
Time to delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s parting from the lady before marriage, and here, the confidante says these words to the man, on the lady’s behalf. The confidante starts by describing the man’s land, and to do that, she talks about how the flowers of the water-thorn and milky mangrove adorn the seashore sands, and in this spread, stands a pandanus tree, whose fruits she connects to the mythical reference of water pots being brought by a celebrated god and tied to the trees. Then, she talks about how, as if flowers have bloomed, birds have come to rest upon these fruits.
Concluding this narration about the land, the confidante goes on to list the meaning of being generous, true, virtuous, caring, intelligent, careful, just and patient, in crisp one-liners. Then, she turns to the man and says he is sure to know all this, and likewise, he should one that after being with the lady, leaving her is like the careless, thoughtless act of a person, who gulps down sweet milk and throws away the vessel it came in with disdain. The confidante concludes by urging the man to rush to the lady in his chariot and end the worry of that maiden! Yet again, the confidante seeks the man’s return to the lady and his seeking of her hand. At the same time, she leaves us with a clear picture of abstract values upheld in Sangam times, which ring with relevance even today.
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