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In this episode, we perceive the expression of an unshakeable faith in a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 21, penned by Othalaanthaiyaar. Set in the forest regions of ‘Mullai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, conveying her state of mind about the man’s delayed return.
வண்டு படத் ததைந்த கொடி இணர் இடையிடுபு,
பொன் செய் புனை இழை கட்டிய மகளிர்
கதுப்பின் தோன்றும் புதுப் பூங் கொன்றைக்
கானம், ”கார்” எனக் கூறினும்,
யானோ தேறேன்; அவர் பொய் வழங்கலரே.
A radiant vision of gold glows from this verse! Seeing ‘வண்டு பட’ meaning ‘attracting bees’, we know that flowers are in full bloom. Before we glimpse at those flowers, we see ‘பொன் செய் புனை இழை’ meaning ‘jewels, crafted from gold’, hinting at the opulence of the period. The flower we were wondering about smiles at us from the branches of the ‘கொன்றை’ or ‘golden shower’ tree. Ending with the words ‘அவர் பொய் வழங்கலரே’ meaning ‘he is not one to speak lies’, the verse throbs with the trust in the words of a beloved.
What is the story behind this complete trust? The man and lady had been leading a married life, when the man left the lady to gather wealth. Before he left, he promised the lady that he would be back before the rains. Seeing this, the lady’s confidante starts worrying, wondering how the lady would be able to bear the man’s parting away, now that the rainy season was here. Understanding her friend’s anxiety, the lady says to her, “Making bees buzz around, amidst the branches in dense bunches, akin to well-crafted golden jewels shining on the tresses of women, the ‘kondrai’ tree has burst forth with luxuriant, new flowers, and even if this forest announces, ‘It’s the rainy season’, I won’t accept it as truth, for he lies not!” With these words, the lady convinces her confidante that she has what it takes to bear with the delay in the man’s return.
Time to relish the layers of imagery in this verse! With a description of bees buzzing in a tizzy, the lady points to the thick bunches on a branch and before revealing the flower, she turns to a rich simile, talking about golden jewels that are tied to a women’s tresses. This made me think of the traditional Tamil hair jewel called as ‘Nethi Chutti’, most commonly worn by brides and also, models posing for traditional jewellery! This jewel contains thick strands of gold, hemming the forehead of a lady. While searching for traditional hair jewellery from other parts of India, I also came across the ‘Shinka’ headpiece, an unusual kind of traditional jewellery worn in Gujarat, wherein strands of gold chains are tied to the hair with golden hooks! How and where the traditions of wearing gold on the hair spread, we cannot say, but this verse does hint at how women in the Sangam age were known to tie golden jewels to their hair. Returning to the verse, these gold jewels are placed in parallel to the new flowers that are opening buds on the golden shower tree and in my opinion, no jewel can compare to the beauty of the long clusters of this tree’s yellow flowers!
A sight that evokes joy in us does not seem to evoke the same feeling in the lady! The reason for this is that the blooming of this flower was associated with the arrival of the rainy season in Sangam minds. Although that may be the known fact of their world, the lady declares that she will refuse to accept the proclamation of that forest that the rainy season had arrived and why, she reveals, with the concise words that her man was not one to lie! It’s but a few words and yet, within that, glows like the flowers of the golden shower tree, the extraordinary belief in the beloved. A verse that goes on to show how the total trust in the word of someone can help a person to not be swayed by the changing world around!
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