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In this episode, we learn of a festival custom in a farming town, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 200, penned by Koodaloor Palkannanaar. Set in the agricultural landscape of ‘Marutham’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the potter, rejecting the request of the singer-messenger to seek entry for the man into the lady’s house.
கண்ணி கட்டிய கதிர அன்ன
ஒண் குரல் நொச்சித் தெரியல் சூடி,
யாறு கிடந்தன்ன அகல் நெடுந் தெருவில்,
”சாறு” என நுவலும் முது வாய்க் குயவ!
ஈதும் ஆங்கண் நுவன்றிசின் மாதோ-
ஆம்பல் அமன்ற தீம் பெரும் பழனத்துப்
பொய்கை ஊர்க்குப் போவோய்ஆகி,
”கை கவர் நரம்பின் பனுவற் பாணன்
செய்த அல்லல் பல்குவ-வை எயிற்று,
ஐது அகல் அல்குல் மகளிர்!-இவன்
பொய் பொதி கொடுஞ் சொல் ஓம்புமின்” எனவே.
The poem opens with the alliteratively exquisite phrase, ‘கண்ணி கட்டிய கதிர அன்ன’ meaning ‘a string of flowers, akin to the sun’s rays’. Further down, we see that the said garland is made of ‘நொச்சி’ or ‘chaste tree’ flowers. The phrase ‘யாறு கிடந்தன்ன அகல் நெடுந் தெருவில்’ meaning ‘the wide streets, akin to a river’ talks a lot about the spacious streets and voluminous rivers in ancient times. Two things that we yearn for, in the cities’ cramped space and rivers’ thinning face of the twenty-first century. Found the word ‘சாறு’, which means ‘juice’ in contemporary Tamil, to refer to a ‘festival’ in this poem. ‘பொய்கை ஊர்’ paints a portrait of a ‘town filled with ponds’. The verse finishes with the word ‘ஓம்புமின்’ meaning ‘protect thyself’! Let’s explore the meaning behind this word of warning.
The man and lady had been leading a happy married life when the man took to visiting courtesans. The lady is angered by the man’s actions. Knowing this, the man tries to appease her and as a first step, sends the singer as a messenger to placate the lady by singing his praises. Seeing the singer-messenger, the confidante decides to rebuff him. So, she turns to the potter, who arrives there, and says, “Wearing radiant strands of ‘gnocchi’ flowers, akin to the rays of the sun, as a tightly woven garland, you walk on the wide and long streets, akin to a river, shouting news of the upcoming festival, O wise potter! Make sure that you add this message I’m about to say too. As you walk by that town filled with ponds and great fields, full of water-lilies, holler the words, ‘The hardships caused by this musician, who wields a sweet lute with his hands, are many indeed. O sharp-teethed young women with soft loins, please protect yourself from his lies-filled, scheming words!’” With these words, on behalf of the lady, the confidante refuses entry to the singer-messenger, thereby sending a message to the man that the lady is still furious with him, and that his efforts to calm the lady need some more work!
So many nuanced details of life then are revealed in this verse! We learn that it’s a potter, who also doubles up as a town-crier in those times. The message from kings and leaders are taken to every doorstep through the lung power of these town-criers. In a time when there was no radio, television or social media, society has relied on the hard work of humans to pass on messages. At this time, I want to attempt a peek at the distant future where even the media we take for granted will not be needed anymore. Perhaps, such messages will be delivered directly at the gates of one’s mind without even touching the route through one’s ears! Returning from our meandering, we gather the appearance of the town-crier and notice the glowing ‘gnochi’ flower garland around his neck. The confidante also calls him ‘a wise one’, which reveals the respect that the townspeople had for these criers. The confidante bids the crier to add her message too, as he goes about the wide streets of the town, shouting news of an upcoming festival. As he spreads joy, the confidante adds that he should also send out a warning about that singer-messenger, asking ladies to beware his lies! The confidante thus mounts a pointed attack on the singer, as she blames him for the man’s straying away from the straight path.
The poem brings out the vivid feeling of walking down a pond-filled hamlet, with wide streets, and listening to the shouts of a town-crier. Even after two thousand years, in some streets in the cities and many streets in the rural areas of modern India, criers come selling their wares. You cannot help but admire the power of their voice that resounds to a huge distance without any external aids. And, there’s something satisfying about lending your voice for a common cause and I too, feel somewhat like this ancient town-crier, relaying these messages from the poetry of the past.
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