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In this episode, we delight in scenes of togetherness in the mountain country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 259, penned by Kotrankotranaar. The verse is set in the mountainous regions of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
யாங்குச் செய்வாம்கொல்-தோழி!-பொன் வீ
வேங்கை ஓங்கிய தேம் கமழ் சாரல்,
பெருங் கல் நாடனொடு இரும் புனத்து அல்கி,
செவ் வாய்ப் பைங் கிளி ஓப்பி, அவ் வாய்ப்
பெரு வரை அடுக்கத்து அருவி ஆடி,
சாரல் ஆரம் வண்டு பட நீவி,
பெரிது அமர்ந்து இயைந்த கேண்மை சிறு நனி
அரிய போலக் காண்பேன்-விரி திரைக்
கடல் பெயர்ந்தனைய ஆகி,
புலர் பதம் கொண்டன ஏனற் குரலே?
Opening with ‘யாங்குச் செய்வாம்கொல்’, the verse starts seemingly on a note of worry and helplessness meaning ‘what can we do?’ Shortly thereafter appears the ‘பொன் வீ வேங்கை’, that celebrated mountain tree, the Indian Kino, with its golden flowers. It’s quite possible that poets chose this tree to leave a subliminal message about the gold they sought from their patrons, as echoed by the hue of the tree’s flowers. Returning, we delight in the ‘sweet fragrance of the mountain slope’ in ‘தேம் கமழ் சாரல்’. Further adding to the delectable scents of the mountain appears the ‘ஆரம்’ meaning ‘sandalwood’. The verse ends with ‘புலர் பதம் கொண்டன ஏனற் குரலே’ meaning ‘the crops in the millet field are ready for harvest’. Taking the cue, let’s dive in to reap the meaning of the song!
The man and lady had been in a love relationship and they both had been trysting together for a while. The confidante decides that the time is ripe to stress on the importance of formalising their union. So, one day, seeing the man arrive, pretending not to notice him, the confidante turns to her friend and says, “What will we do, my friend? In the sweet-scented mountain slopes, where golden-flowered ‘vengai’ trees abound, with the lord of the mountains, you stayed in those vast millet fields, chasing away red-mouthed, green parrots. Together, you played in the waterfalls, flowing from the hill nearby, and then, making bees swarm around, applied mountain sandalwood on your skins. The much desired relationship that bloomed so well between you both looks as if it’s about to shrink and disappear. For, as if the spreading waves of the seas have migrated herein, the millet stalks in this field have attained maturity!” With these words, the confidante subtly hints to the man that the only way he can continue to enjoy the lady’s company is through seeking her hand in marriage.
Time to extract the essence of this verse! The confidante captures the attention of the listening man instantly with the note of concern in the question ‘what are we to do?’ Then, she goes on to elaborate what has been happening this far. She illustrates the setting of this story by mentioning the Kino tree, bursting in full bloom and sending forth the fragrance all around the mountain slope. And there, the confidante recollects how the lady and man have been enjoying each other’s company in the millet fields and regions around. From other poems, we know that the lady in the mountain country used to be entrusted with the task of chasing away parrots that come to steal from the millet fields. The confidante says the man has been helping the lady in this task. It’s not all work in their life for they have enjoyed playing in the waterfalls that flow from the tall hills. In addition, the confidante talks about how they have delighted in smearing sandalwood paste on their skins, making bees swarm around, mistaking them for the tree’s fragrant flowers. Sandalwood paste that doesn’t come in a box, filled with other ingredients to extend its shelf life – Imagine how divine it would be to sense this pure gift of nature on one’s skin! And so, a courtship in those times seems to be a delight for the senses. As such, when couples look back at their initial days, the period seems to one of extraordinary beauty, blurred by their selective vision of the past. But here, the time together seems to be truly one that is the epitome of bliss!
Returning to the poem, the confidante turns from this delicious recollection to a disturbing concern. She says it looks as if the relationship is about to wither and fade away. The reason, she concludes, is that the millet field, now having the appearance of waves in the ocean, is fully grown. Now, why is that a problem to the relationship? This implies the crop is ready for harvest and once that’s done, the lady would be confined to the house and the man would no longer be able to be with her and relish these moments of joy. Also, when the confidante talks about the millet field fully grown, she implies that the love in the heart of the lady is mature too and the man must ensure the harvest of a happy, married life soon. A poem that illustrates how, the confidante, with images of a field ready to be reaped, sows the seeds of intention, in the man’s mind!
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