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In this episode, we listen to the consoling words of an empathetic friend, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 387, penned by Pothumpil Kizhaar Makanaar. The verse is situated in the drylands of ‘Paalai’ and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, conveying positivity about the man’s return.
நெறி இருங் கதுப்பும், நீண்ட தோளும்,
அம்ம! நாளும் தொல் நலம் சிதைய,
ஒல்லாச் செந் தொடை ஒரீஇய கண்ணிக்
கல்லா மழவர் வில்லிடை விலங்கிய
துன் அருங் கவலை அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்தோர்
வருவர் வாழி-தோழி!-செரு இறந்து
ஆலங்கானத்து அஞ்சுவர இறுத்த
வேல் கெழு தானைச் செழியன் பாசறை
உறை கழி வாளின் மின்னி, உதுக்காண்,
நெடும் பெருங் குன்றம் முற்றி,
கடும் பெயல் பொழியும், கலி கெழு வானே.
Opening with the words ‘நெறி இருங் கதுப்பும்’ meaning ‘curly, dark hair’, the verse dwells on the frequently mentioned marker of beauty in a Sangam woman. The epithet ‘அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்தோர்’ talks about ‘someone who has parted away to the drylands’, throwing light on the core issue of separation. The simple word ‘வருவர்’ meaning ‘he will return’ evokes a comforting sense of assurance. We also get to meet a historical place called ‘ஆலங்கானம்’ and a historical character ‘செழியன்’ in this verse. A dynamic image of ‘a sword removed from its sheath, shining bright’ greets us in ‘உறை கழி வாளின் மின்னி’. The verse ends with the words ‘கலி கெழு வானே’ meaning ‘the resounding clouds’, sounding much like most of Tamilnadu today, swirling in the waves of cyclone Nivar, and yet inviting us to another place, another time!
The man and lady had been leading a happy, married life when the man had to part away with the lady to gather wealth. He promises to return by the rains and the lady patiently awaits him. As days pass, seeing her friend lose her cheer, the confidante turns to the lady and says, “I see your dark, wavy tresses and your long arms losing their past beauty. Indeed, he has parted away to those hard-to-cross paths in the drylands, inhabited by those fierce, unrefined men with bows, wielding undiscerning arrows and wearing garlands of shunned flowers. But, he will surely return. May you live long, my friend! Behold, akin to a sword that has been shorn of its sheath in the battle-camp of the fear-evoking, spear-wielding army of Chezhian, who had seized victory in ‘Aalangaanam’, and surrounding a tall, huge peak, flashes those rain-bearing, roaring clouds!” With these words, the confidante requests the lady to bear with the pain of the present for good things are coming her way soon.
Time to delve into the details! The confidante starts by talking about the renowned beauty of the lady’s luxuriant tresses and long arms and observes how that seems to be fading. She lets us know the reason for this saying that it’s because the man has parted away to gather wealth through the harsh drylands. To express she understands the worry in the lady’s heart, she talks about the fearsome, war-like people of that land and describes them as lacking in education that tempers the spirit and broadens the mind. She also talks about how they wield bows that send out arrows without a thought and choose to wear flowers that are avoided by others. In short, these are men lacking in the finer attributes of humanity and gentleness. After saying this, the confidante adds with confidence that indeed, the man will return. And to qualify her reply, she points to the skies and there at a little distance, the clouds are swirling around a mountain top and thundering aloud. To explain how the clouds are flashing in the skies, the confidante summons the army of the victorious Pandiya King Nedunchezhiyan, who won over his enemies in the battlefield of ‘Aalangaanam’. Imagine the fearsome soldiers of his army removing their swords out of their sheaths and imagine how these would gleam high above! Just like that, the clouds flash their lightning, the confidante illuminates. Implying that the man is one of his word and when the rain-bearing clouds are here, he cannot be far, the confidante assures the lady.
Intricate is the way the confidante goes about her intention of consoling the lady. First, you have to see someone, not just look at them, to know that something is gnawing at their heart. This, the confidante does and talks about the changes happening in the lady. Without words, one needs to understand the heart of another and why it is laden with worry. Likewise, the reason, the confidante surmises acutely, to be that of the lady missing the man. If the confidante were to immediately launch into the words ‘Don’t worry, everything will be fine’, that would be rather empty and would fail to touch the lady’s heart. So, instead, she talks with empathy and describes in detail the particular pain within the lady. In graphic terms, she brings forth the problem of those highway robbers, who evoke fear in one and all. It’s only finally she turns to the skies and interweaves the symbol of a king’s victory to express her positive words about the man’s return, in a manner that will allay the anxiety in the lady’s heart instantly. With these thoughtful and efficient steps, the confidante is penning for us, a manual on the art of consoling an anxious heart!
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