Natrinai 321 – Red heart racing home

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செந் நிலப் புறவின் புன் மயிர்ப் புருவை
பாடு இன் தெள் மணித் தோடு தலைப்பெயர,
கான முல்லைக் கய வாய் அலரி
பார்ப்பன மகளிர் சாரற் புறத்து அணிய,
கல் சுடர் சேரும் கதிர் மாய் மாலை,
புல்லென் வறு மனை நோக்கி, மெல்ல
வருந்தும்கொல்லோ, திருந்துஇழை அரிவை?
வல்லைக் கடவுமதி தேரே; சென்றிக,
குருந்து அவிழ் குறும்பொறை பயிற்ற,
பெருங் கலி மூதூர் மரம் தோன்றும்மே.

The verse opens with ‘செந் நிலப் புறவின்’ meaning ‘forests that rise from a red land’ and bring to focus, the characteristic red soil found in Tamilnadu. Let’s discuss this in more detail shortly. Then, we see a reference to ‘புன் மயிர்ப் புருவை’ meaning ‘goats with a soft coat of hair’, bringing memories of the cozy feeling in cuddling a goat. ‘கான முல்லை’ brings to the fore, the flower that gives this land, its name, the ‘wild jasmine’. The time of the day is revealed by ‘கதிர் மாய் மாலை’ meaning ‘the evening hour when the sun’s rays fade’. ‘திருந்துஇழை அரிவை’ talks about ‘a young woman wearing well-crafted jewels’, stressing on the importance of jewellery in Sangam culture. The phrase ‘வல்லைக் கடவுமதி தேரே’ illustrates the core theme of the verse for it means ‘ply the chariot speedily’, which sounds like a command given to a charioteer. We encounter a new tree in ‘குருந்து’ referring to the ‘wild lime tree’, which is favoured for its Ayurvedic benefits and whose fruit is made into hot Indian pickles! Ending with ‘பெருங் கலி மூதூர் மரம் தோன்றும்மே’ meaning ‘the resounding ancient town’s tree will loom ahead’, the verse promises a treat for the eyes and mind!

The man and lady had been leading a happy, married life when the man had to leave the lady on a mission. While his mind is fully focussed when at work, the moment he completes his mission, he recollects the promise he made to the lady to return by the rainy season. The man turns to his charioteer and says, “From the forests that stand on red earth, the herd of soft-haired goats, wearing resounding, clear bells, return from grazing. The wild jasmine’s wide open flowers are worn by ‘Parpana’ girls, who live near the mountain slopes. In that evening hour, when the sun rests in the mountains, hiding its rays, looking at the listless, empty house, won’t my bejewelled lady be in a delicate state of worry? Hasten the chariot and rush by these flower-filled ‘kurunthu’ trees to reach the forest mounds that will reveal the tree in our bustling, ancient town!” With these words, the man expresses his concern for his lady, who would be pining for him and bids his charioteer to race to his home. 

Now, for the nuances! The man starts his words by talking about the red soil forests near his home. Then, he brings to focus, the soft-haired goats, which are returning from their grazing, while sending out echoes from the clear bells around their necks. As this sound spreads all around that luscious land, the scent of wild jasmines fills the air, as those white buds open their mouths wide. The man mentions that these flowers are favoured by the ‘Parpanar’ girls, saying that they who live near the mountain slopes wear these buds on their hair. A moment to meander and reflect on this reference. In Sangam literature, we have seen references to tribes of ‘Kuravars’, ‘Maravars’ and ‘Paradavars’ in the different landscapes. The reference to these groups of people have been broad and simply signify the land and the occupation they perform, and seem to have no connection to groups of people, who identity themselves with these names today. Likewise, the ‘Parpanar’ mentioned here could refer to people, who performed a particular job then and they could have been astrologers, fortune-tellers or something entirely different. The trees and animals are comparatively easier to connect to present day varieties whereas groups of people aren’t, as there has been a constant flux of cultures and social customs in this region over the years. Returning to the verse, those girls are mentioned to say how they adorn their hair with jasmine buds and the lady languishes as she feels bound by propriety not to do the same action. To explain further, as we have seen in other poems, a lady avoided adorning herself when her man had parted away from her!

The goats are returning home, sweet bells tinkling; The sun is sinking in the mountains; It’s that hour that fills the lady with the angst of loneliness as she gazes at her empty house. These sights rise before the man’s eyes and he immediately shoots a command to his charioteer, asking him to hasten their chariot and rush towards that mound, which maybe a landmark for their village. The man calls his village ‘an ancient one’ and ‘one that’s filled with rousing noises’. He finishes saying he can’t wait to glimpse the tree that belongs to this ancient village. Akin to temples, which have a designated holy tree or ‘sthala viruksham’, today, did each village in Sangam times have one such tree? Was that tree ancient and considered symbolic of a village? This man’s yearning to see his village tree does seem to render that special significance to it!

Now, we turn back to the first line of the verse, which talks about the red soil in the forest. This made me do some research about soil types and found that red soil covers 62% of Tamilnadu, and barring the coastal regions and small pockets, this crimson crust spreads all over the Tamil land. The significance of this soil is that these are formed by breaking up of ancient volcanic rocks. In this verse, we see the throbbing emotion in the man, who yearns to be home to bring a smile to his pining beloved. Perhaps, this man from two thousand years ago is rendering an instance of the emotional nature that the Tamils are well known for, even today, splashing the red of their soil and their hearts for eternity!