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In this episode, we perceive how a king’s actions are placed in parallel with the weather’s changes, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 381, penned by Avvaiyaar, the renowned female poet from the Sangam era. Set in the forest regions of ‘Mullai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, expressing her grief, as the man has not returned from his mission by the promised season.
”அருந் துயர் உழத்தலின் உண்மை சான்ம்” எனப்
பெரும்பிறிது இன்மையின் இலேனும் அல்லேன்;
கரை பொருது இழிதரும் கான் யாற்று இகுகரை
வேர் கிளர் மராஅத்து அம் தளிர் போல,
நடுங்கல் ஆனா நெஞ்சமொடு, இடும்பை
யாங்கனம் தாங்குவென் மற்றே?-ஓங்கு செலல்
கடும் பகட்டு யானை நெடு மான் அஞ்சி,
ஈர நெஞ்சமோடு இசை சேண் விளங்க,
தேர் வீசு இருக்கை போல,
மாரி இரீஇ மான்றன்றால் மழையே.
The verse opens with the words ‘அருந் துயர் உழத்தலின் உண்மை சான்ம்’ meaning ‘death is the result when deep sorrow torments’ conveying the perspective of the ancients about tribulation and life. ‘இழிதரும் கான் யாற்று’ talks about ‘a roaring, wild river that damages its shores’ whereas ‘இகுகரை வேர் கிளர் மராஅம்’ meaning ‘the bur-flower tree that stands on this shore with its roots damaged’ conjures a poignant image of a patient tree standing on the shore of a furious river. The question ‘இடும்பை யாங்கனம் தாங்குவென்’ meaning ‘how will I bear with this misery’ expresses the core theme of this verse. A historical character ‘நெடு மான் அஞ்சி’ makes an appearance in this verse. Ending with ‘மாரி இரீஇ மான்றன்றால் மழையே’, the poem talks about ‘the pouring rains that are the cause of confusion’ and invites us to soak in its meaning!
The man and lady had been leading a happy, married life when the man parts away to gather wealth. As he leaves, he promises to return before the rains arrive. The lady waits patiently for his return. Days pass by and the rainy season seems imminent. The lady starts worrying and losing her health. At this time, her confidante tries to console her saying that the wise say it’s the duty of a lady to bear with this separation. To the confidante, the lady says, “Although the wise say, ’The consequence of the torment of deep suffering is death’, that state has not come to me, and that does not make me a loveless one. Attacking the shores, runs the wild river and on this shore, with its roots hassled, stands the ‘maraam’ tree. Akin to its flowers, with a shivering heart, I stand. ‘Nedumaan Anji’, the possessor of proud, fast and strong war elephants, with a compassionate heart, showers chariots in his court to the needy, making his fame stand for long. Akin to his generosity, pours this confusing rain! At this time, how can I bear with this misery?” With these words, the lady refuses the confidante’s words of consolation and gives word to the suffering in her heart at the man’s delay in returning.
Now, for the nuances! The lady starts her words in response to the confidante by saying another thing that the wise people proclaim, about how they say that death would be the inevitable result of deep suffering. The lady shows the confidante that although this is said to be a well-known truth, here she was, still alive, and she shoots a question to her friend asking, does that mean she has no love for the man. The lady talks about a Kadamba tree standing on the shore of a wild river in spate. Although the roots are bruised in the attack of the river’s furious waves, the flowers still hold on, shivering, on the branches. The lady compares the state of her heart to those shivering flowers.
From the images of the shivering flowers, the lady shifts her focus to the court of ‘Neduman Anji’, a chieftain, who was the ancient ruler of the present-day ‘Dharmapuri’ district in Tamilnadu. Neduman Anji has been celebrated by the poet Avvaiyaar in many Sangam poems, although it’s his first appearance in Natrinai. Returning to the verse, the lady talks about how this ruler owned many fast and strong war elephants and how he was known to donate chariots to his suppliants, thereby making his fame stand for long. At the rate, these kings were donating chariots left and right to suppliants, wouldn’t there have been a traffic jam in those ancient lands? In any case, the lady reverts us to a sombre mood by pointing out how akin to this chief’s generosity, the rains were pouring and confusing her endlessly. At such a time, how can I bear with this pain, as you say, my friend, the lady seems to ask the confidante.
The highlight of this verse is how the lady uses the confidante’s words to defend her state. The confidante has said you must bear with this parting as that’s what the elders say. To this, the lady has replied that indeed, the elders also say that death is the end of suffering but I am not dead, am I? And so also, I find it difficult to bear with this pain within. To me, this ability to question the so-called sayings and truths, as illustrated by this lady, millennia ago, is the need of the hour. To not to be led astray, in these times of information overload and deep fakes, is something that every citizen of the world needs to be vigilant about. Fascinating how the past that has no connection with how things stand now, can educate us about the way to be!
So nice 😍👏