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In this episode, we observe an interleaving of history and nature to depict feelings within, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 291, penned by Kabilar. The verse is set in the coastal landscape of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the singer, who has been sent as a messenger by the man.
நீர் பெயர்ந்து மாறிய செறி சேற்று அள்ளல்
நெய்த் தலைக் கொழு மீன் அருந்த, இனக் குருகு
குப்பை வெண் மணல் ஏறி, அரைசர்
ஒண் படைத் தொகுதியின் இலங்கித் தோன்றும்,
தண் பெரும் பௌவ நீர்த் துறைவற்கு, நீயும்,
கண்டாங்கு உரையாய்; கொண்மோ-பாண!-
மா இரு முள்ளூர் மன்னன் மா ஊர்ந்து,
எல்லித் தரீஇய இன நிரைப்
பல் ஆன் கிழவரின் அழிந்த இவள் நலனே?
The verse opens with ‘நீர் பெயர்ந்து மாறிய’ meaning ‘waters have receded’, echoing the moist mood of a coast. ‘நெய்த் தலைக் கொழு மீன்’ describes how ‘fish are filled to the brim with fat’. The phrase on ‘white sands’, ‘குப்பை வெண் மணல்’ would startle a contemporary speaker of Tamil for the word ‘குப்பை’ means ‘garbage’ in current day lingo. However, it is not trash that is being referred to here, but ‘mounds’ of pristine sand that makes you yearn to walk on those ancient shores! The core message of this verse is echoed by ‘கண்டாங்கு உரையாய்’ meaning ‘speak what you see’. There is a reference to ‘முள்ளூர் மன்னன்’ or the ‘King of Mullur’ and is said to mean the famous king ‘Malaiyaman Kaari’, whom we have encountered in other Natrinai poems. Ending with ‘அழிந்த இவள் நலனே’ meaning ‘her health that is ruined’, the poem beckons us to listen closely!
The man and lady had been leading a married life when the man took to keeping the company of courtesans. The lady is angered by this action of the man. Soon, the man yearns to return home to the lady and seeks entry by sending his messengers. To one such messenger, the confidante says, “After the waters have dried up and thick mud is left behind, in order to eat the fat-filled, fleshy fish, a flock of birds climbs on the white sand heaps and stands akin to the king’s radiant army of soldiers. Such is the land of the lord, from the cool, huge ocean shores! You tell him the truth of what you see here, O singer! The great king of ‘Mullur’ rode on his horse and captured the cattle herds of many chieftains, leaving them ruined. Akin to those rich chiefs, who have lost their cattle, the lady has lost her health and beauty! Shouldn’t you be telling the lord this?” With these words, the confidante is conveying to the singer that he should be a better friend to the man and convey the distress the man’s actions have caused in the lady.
Now, let’s explore the nuances! The confidante starts her response by bringing into our view, a spot perhaps near the backwaters, where the water has receded, leaving behind thick mud. Knowing that it’s shallow water, a flock of birds arrive there to feed on the fatty fish that will be found there, without a doubt. The confidante adds that these flock of birds would seem to an observer as if an army of soldiers were standing there! This imagery-filled scene is narrated by the confidante as if only to describe the man’s land. Then, the confidante instructs the singer to relay whatever he sees there accurately and calls his attention to the state of the lady’s health. She then, brings in a scene from history, wherein the king Kaari rode in the dark of the night and captured the cattle of enemy chiefs. She equates the desolation of those chieftains, relieved of their prize possessions, to how the lady now stands, ruined of her excellent beauty and health, by the actions of the man.
When the confidante talks about the scene where waters dry up, she refers to how the many messengers the man has been sending such as the singer, dancer and others to seek entry to the lady’s house, may seem like an army of well-wishers, but that is not true. Why, because they are around the man only to feed off his wealth, as he parts away from the lady, akin to those birds pecking away fatty fish in the receding waters. The confidante condemns these so-called friends of the man, who have let him stray and caused ruin in the lady. A poem which raises relevant questions about the role of friendship in guiding someone on the rightful path!
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