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In this episode, we perceive a friend’s concern and consolation in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 333, penned by Kallikudi Pootham Pullanaar. Set in the drylands of ‘Paalai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying a reassuring message about the man’s return.
மழை தொழில் உலந்து, மா விசும்பு உகந்தென,
கழை கவின் அழிந்த கல் அதர்ச் சிறு நெறிப்
பரல் அவல் ஊறல் சிறு நீர் மருங்கின்,
பூ நுதல் யானையொடு புலி பொருது உண்ணும்
சுரன் இறந்து, அரிய என்னார், உரன் அழிந்து,
உள் மலி நெஞ்சமொடு வண்மை வேண்டி,
அரும் பொருட்கு அகன்ற காதலர் முயக்கு எதிர்ந்து,
திருந்திழைப் பணைத் தோள் பெறுநர் போலும்;
நீங்குகமாதோ நின் அவலம்-ஓங்குமிசை,
உயர் புகழ் நல் இல் ஒண் சுவர்ப் பொருந்தி
நயவரு குரல பல்லி,
நள்ளென் யாமத்து, உள்ளுதொறும் படுமே.
The verse opens with ‘மழை தொழில் உலந்து’ meaning ‘giving up the work of pouring rain’ and immediately sketches for us, a land, bereft of the coolness of rain. The phrase ‘கழை கவின் அழிந்த’ means ‘bamboos that have lost their beauty’ and immediately brings forth the image of ‘dried-up bamboos’, a common sight during the scorching Indian summers. Shortly thereafter, appears the familiar sight of ‘a tiger fighting it out with a flower-headed elephant’ in ‘பூ நுதல் யானையொடு புலி பொருது’. When we see the words ‘அரும் பொருட்கு அகன்ற காதலர்’, the hero of the story greets us, for this means ‘the lover who parted away to gather wealth’. A powerful wish is seen in ‘நீங்குகமாதோ நின் அவலம்’ meaning ‘let your suffering end’. ‘நயவரு குரல பல்லி’, which means ‘a lizard with an adorable voice’, makes one wonder why the clicks of these reptiles felt so musical to these ancients! Ending with ‘நள்ளென் யாமத்து, உள்ளுதொறும் படுமே’ meaning ‘when you think, in the dark of the midnight, it sounds out’, the verse invites us to listen closely to the story within!
The man and lady had been leading a happy, married life when the man parted away to gather wealth. As the days roll by, the lady languishes in pining in his absence. One day, seeing the dejected face of the lady, the confidante says to her, “Shirking its duty of pouring rain, the clouds have risen high in the huge skies. On the narrow paths of stone scattered wastelands, wherein the bamboos have dried up and lost their beauty, from the tiny springs near gravel stones, spouts scanty water. Near this spot, a tiger battles with a flower-headed elephant and then drinks up that water. Filled with determination, the lord went through such a drylands path, not minding the many difficulties, seeking that hard to obtain wealth. It appears that he will soon return to embrace your bamboo-like shoulders, decked with fine jewels. I say this because in the midnight hour when you think of the lord, high on the luminous walls of this well-known, fine mansion, a lizard with a desirable voice sounds out its call. Your sorrow is sure to cease!” With these words, the confidante reassures the lady that the man will find what he seeks and soon return to the lady’s fold.
Now, for the nuances! The first image the confidante paints for us, is a white cloud high in the sky. She says that this cloud has given up on its duty of pouring rain and has taken to the skies. This highlights the contrasting image of the skies when it rains, making it appear as if the clouds have come down to pour the rain! Returning to the verse, the confidante continues with the consequences of these clouds forgetting to rain down. When there is no rain, among the trees that dotted the land, the first to show its effects is the bamboo. No matter how scorching the sun, most trees in tropical regions retain their green. But, the bamboo with its slender trunks, is not a tree, to be exact. It’s just grass and this does dry up quickly. The confidante talks about the browned bamboo stalks dotting the paths of the drylands, which seems filled with gravel stones. Pointing to the little springs amidst these stones, she highlights the scanty water that spouts out. Note how the rains have failed and there is no other source of fresh water. When a resource is rare, there’s bound to be a struggle for it and as expected, the confidante says a tiger and elephant are warring it out to claim this water. The tiger is seen as the winner in this battle and the confidante concludes it drinks triumphantly from the said spring. This scene is mentioned by the confidante to illustrate the dangerous paths the man is taking in order to earn wealth. The confidante stresses that although such dangers fill his path, the man walks on with grit and spirit!
After sketching the bravery of the man, the confidante turns to the lady and tells that her friend’s sorrows are soon to end, because the man is about to return and embrace the lady’s fine shoulders. As if to relate how she knows for sure, the confidante talks about how in the middle of the night, when the lady’s mind is filled with thoughts of the man, a lizard on the high walls of their mansion, sounds out aloud. What could be the connection between a lizard’s click and the man’s homecoming? To understand the link, we have to know of a belief about omens among these Sangam folks. They held that lizard clicks conveyed messages about imminent good happenings. It’s for this reason, the confidante says the man is sure to return. Also, within that scene of the tiger battling the elephant and savouring the spring water, she places the metaphor of the man slaying the dangers in his path and returning victoriously with the wealth he seeks. With the logical lens of science if you perceive a house lizard’s click, the reasons may be it’s calling out to its mate or defending its territory. But, when we glance with the lens of empathy, we will understand that the confidante is simply looking for a way to console her friend and who are we, to say nay, if they can draw the strength needed to endure, from a mere lizard’s call!
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