Kalithogai 150 – A promise to return

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அயம் திகழ் நறுங் கொன்றை அலங்கல் அம் தெரியலான்
இயங்கு எயில் எயப் பிறந்த எரி போல, எவ்வாயும்,
கனை கதிர் தெறுதலின், கடுத்து எழுந்த காம்புத் தீ
மலை பரந்து தலைக் கொண்டு முழங்கிய முழங்கு அழல்
மயங்கு அதர் மறுகலின், மலை தலைக் கொண்டென,
விசும்பு உற நிவந்து அழலும், விலங்கு அரு, வெஞ் சுரம்

இறந்து தாம் எண்ணிய எய்துதல் வேட்கையால்,
அறம் துறந்து ஆயிழாய்! ஆக்கத்தில் பிரிந்தவர்
பிறங்கு நீர் சடைக் கரந்தான் அணி அன்ன நின் நிறம்
பசந்து, நீ இனையையாய், நீத்தலும் நீப்பவோ?

கரி காய்ந்த கவலைத்தாய், கல் காய்ந்த காட்டகம்,
‘வெரு வந்த ஆறு’ என்னார், விழுப் பொருட்கு அகன்றவர்,
உருவ ஏற்று ஊர்தியான் ஒள் அணி நக்கன்ன, நின்
உரு இழந்து இனையையாய், உள்ளலும் உள்ளுபவோ?

கொதித்து உராய்க் குன்று இவர்ந்து, கொடிக் கொண்ட கோடையால்,
‘ஒதுக்கு அரிய நெறி’ என்னார், ஒண் பொருட்கு அகன்றவர்,
புதுத் திங்கட் கண்ணியான் பொன் பூண் ஞான்று அன்ன, நின்
கதுப்பு உலறும் கவினையாய், காண்டலும் காண்பவோ?

ஆங்கு
அரும் பெறல் ஆதிரையான் அணி பெற மலர்ந்த
பெருந் தண் சண்பகம் போல, ஒருங்கு அவர்
பொய்யார் ஆகுதல் தெளிந்தனம்
மை ஈர் ஓதி மட மொழியோயே!

It’s the confidante’s voice we hear again, but this time, she works her charm on the lady. The words can be translated as follows:

“Akin to the flame that was shot to burn the hanging forts by the One, wearing a beautiful garland, woven with the flowers of the golden shower, blooming near the waters, as the thick rays of the sun tormented all the time, a wild fire shot up with fury in the bamboos, and spread across the mountains. The roaring heat in the bewildering jungle paths, rose from the mountains and soared till the skies, scattering the animals in that harsh and scorching drylands!

Leaving thither with the desire of attaining what he wanted, he seems to have let go of righteousness, O maiden wearing well-etched jewels, so as to go in search of wealth. But would he want to forsake you utterly, making you suffer and causing pallor to spread on your radiant hue, akin to the One, who holds the abundant river in the locks of his hair?

In those burnt and scorched forking paths amidst the dry jungles in the mountain, without considering ‘This is a fearsome path’, he parted away to gain wealth. But would he want to think that you would suffer so much, losing your form, in the glowing complexion of the One, who rides a handsome bull?

To those peaks, where the scorching summer sun has planted its flag, without considering, ‘This is a path to be avoided’, he parted away to earn wealth. But would he want to see the withering of your lush, dark tresses, hanging low, akin to the golden ornaments worn by the One, who wears a head garland of the crescent moon?

And so, akin to how the huge and cool golden champak flowers, which adorn the First One, who rules over the precious Aathirai star, blooms without fail in the right time, he too would never fail in his words. Know this and be at peace, O maiden with thick, moist tresses and naive, sweet words!”

Time to delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s parting from his lady, after marriage, to seek wealth. Here, the confidante comforts her friend, as the lady wallows because of the separation. Curiously, the confidante begins her words not by describing the man’s domain by the sea or even the time of the day, as has been the custom in these past songs, but instead focuses on the place, to which the man has left, which is the drylands. She sketches the scorching heat of this region, where bamboos burst aflame and wild fires spread throughout, dispersing animals and confusing the wayfarers. To etch the heat of this land, the confidante presents the mythological reference of a God, who aims a flaming arrow at the hanging forts of the demons. Looking back to the very first Kalithogai verse, after the God’s praise, Kalithogai 2, we would find the same reference to God Siva, burning the three forts of the demons. 

Returning back to the reality of the drylands, the confidante connects how the man had left to such a place, seemingly without a sense of justice, just following his own ambition, without thinking how fearsome those scorched paths would be, without deciding to avoid those paths where the burning summer sun reigned with terror, all because the man wanted to earn wealth. At the same time, the confidante asks her friend whether the lady thought the man would utterly abandon her, making pallor spread on her form, lose her health and glow and wither her thick tresses. In each of these sentences, the confidante elevates the beauty of the lady by comparing it with references to God Siva, placing in parallel with the lady’s qualities, his radiant hue, his glowing complexion and the golden ornaments that hang low on his chest. Although the God is not named as such, interpreters have identified this God, owing to the references of holding a river in the locks of his hair, riding a bull and wearing a crescent moon on his head. 

After that divine tribute to the beauty of the lady, the confidante now points to the golden champak flowers, referring to how these flowers always bloom without fail. The flowers are once again connected to God Siva, said to bloom, so as to adorn this god, who is also described as On,e ruling over the Orion star. The unfailing flowering of those champak flowers, the confidante connects back to the man’s nature of upholding his promises, and concludes asking her friend, the maiden with beautiful tresses and soft words, to see this truth about her beloved and find peace. 

Although most of the elements of this verse point in the direction of the drylands or ‘Paalai’ region, perhaps because it has the quality of a lady’s lament, this verse has been added to the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’. With this verse, we come to the end of this domain, which seemed to predominantly focus on the pain of a lady separated from her beloved and a few instances of the ‘Madal eruthal’ or ‘Riding a palm horse’ strategy employed by a man to win over his maiden. This is not only the last verse of the ‘Neythal ‘domain but also the last verse of this Kalithogai anthology of poems. Interesting how the stanzas of this verse make a reference to god to talk about the beauty of a woman or the promise of a man. This to me, echoes the profound truth that if we want to see god, we can see it in the best of what makes us, and to do that, all we need are the eyes of love!