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In this episode, we perceive intriguing methods of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 299, penned by Vadama Vannakkan Perisathanaar. Set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, passing on a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
உரு கெழு யானை உடை கோடு அன்ன,
ததர் பிணி அவிழ்ந்த தாழை வான் பூ,
தயங்கு இருங் கோடை தாக்கலின், நுண் தாது
வயங்கு இழை மகளிர் வண்டல் தாஅம்
காமர் சிறுகுடி புலம்பினும், அவர்காண்
நாம் இலம் ஆகுதல் அறிதும் மன்னோ-
வில் எறி பஞ்சி போல, மல்கு திரை
வளி பொரு வயங்கு பிசிர் பொங்கும்
நளி கடற் சேர்ப்பனொடு நகாஅ ஊங்கே.
The verse opens with ‘உரு கெழு யானை’ meaning ‘an elephant with a rich hue’ and serves to indicate a strong and sturdy elephant. Here, we have an animal welcoming us and when we look around, the floral partner greets us in ‘தாழை வான் பூ’ referring to the ‘bright flowers of the pandanus tree’. The words ‘இருங் கோடை தாக்கலின்’ meaning ‘the rush of the dense, western winds’ gives a hint about the direction of the wind in this seashore. Are these dry winds from the land or water-bearing ones from the sea? That we can say only if we know whether this shore is on the eastern or western coast. A gut feeling tells me that this is on the eastern coast, much like the city of Chennai, and that these hot winds are blowing from the western lands in the season of summer. The phrase ‘வயங்கு இழை மகளிர் வண்டல்’ talks about ‘sand houses built by bejewelled maidens’ and describes for us, the preoccupation of Sangam girls, who played by the shore, building little houses and decorating them. ‘வயங்கு பிசிர் பொங்கும்’ sprays on the face, ‘abundant droplets from the ocean’, an exquisite memory to anyone who has played amidst the waves. Ending with ‘நகாஅ ஊங்கே’ which means ‘if you don’t laugh and delight with’, the verse beckons us to dive in deeper!
The man and lady had been leading a love relationship and the man had been trysting with the lady. One day, when he comes by to the lady’s house, pretending not to notice him, but making sure he’s listening, the confidante turns to the lady and says, “Akin to the tusk of a radiant, dark elephant, the white flower of the ‘thazhai’ blooms amidst the tightly stitched leaves. Owing to the attack of the strong, west winds, its fine pollen flies and falls on tiny sand houses, built by young girls wearing shining jewels. Such is our desirable village and even if they were to isolate us, he is the one for you! Like cotton carded by a steel bow, fierce winds blow against thick waves and spray water droplets in the land of the lord with vast seas. When you are not delighting in this lord’s company, you cannot feel alive and this, we know too well!” With these words, the confidante is conveying to the man that the lady languishes in pining when he’s away and also, that slander about his relationship with the lady has spread all around town.
Now, for the nuances! As she opens, the confidante brings an elephant into focus. Wait a minute, isn’t this the coastal region and what is an elephant doing here? Turns out the tusk of this elephant with a rich, black skin is a simile for a characteristic element of the shore – the flower of a ‘thazhai’ tree! The confidante then goes on to describe how this flower is assailed by a strong, western wind, owing to which the pollen of the flower breaks free and falls down on the sand houses that young girls have been building by the shore. The little engineers! The confidante narrates this scene only to describe what a beautiful village theirs is and adds that even if they were to isolate the lady, the lady’s future lay in the hands of the man. No doubt the man would be beaming upon hearing this! The confidante continues and brings forth another interesting simile, talking about how cotton is struck with a carder’s bow, a concept we have seen in Natrinai 247 and points to the prevalence of a cotton weaving industry in ancient Tamil land. The confidante mentions this to say how the wind seems to bear down upon the waves and thus, makes a million droplets spray in the air. Again, this description by the confidante serves to define the lord’s domain, wherein vast seas spread all around. She then completes her conversation by saying that something they know too well is that there can be life for the lady without the man!
Although the meaning has become evident, another layer waits to be unraveled – the layer of metaphors! Recollect that description of the lady’s village where young girls have built sand houses. On these, moved by the western wind, pollen from the pandanus flower falls down. This description is to place in parallel how the breeze of the man’s relationship makes the lady pine and fall in his absence and this is perceived by the womenfolk of the village. Will womenfolk stay silent on knowing such a thing? I read that gossip is an essential element in ancient societies and served as the method of regulating conduct in the community. Again, this becomes evident in the description of water spraying from the waves, attacked by the wind, which is a metaphor for how slander is being spread all around town. And, although such undesirable things are happening around the village, there is no future without the man, the confidante concludes. One of the main reasons that a man delays formalising the union is to be convinced about his lady’s love for him and the confidante assures him about that aspect with these lucid words. Understanding that and realising how his actions are causing suffering in the lady, the man would be persuaded to seek the lady’s hand in marriage without any further delay. The rich imagery of these similes and metaphors is the window to life in that ancient land and when doors to the past cannot be easily opened, every tiny glimpse is something to be grateful for!
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