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In this episode, we listen to a heartfelt wish for a messenger, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 98, penned by Kokulamutranaar. Set in the forest regions of ‘Mullai’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, revealing her angst as the man continues to stay away even after the promised season of return.
‘இன்னள் ஆயினள் நன்னுதல்” என்று, அவர்த்
துன்னச் சென்று செப்புநர்ப் பெறினே,
நன்றுமன் வாழி-தோழி!-நம் படப்பை
நீர் வார் பைம் புதற் கலித்த
மாரிப் பீரத்து அலர் சில கொண்டே.
A message to be passed on is pasted at the core of this verse! The opening words ‘இன்னள் ஆயினள் நன்னுதல்’ meaning ‘she has become like this, that lady with a beautiful forehead’ reveals the words of the message to be passed on. In ‘செப்புநர்ப் பெறினே’ meaning ‘if I were to get someone who would say these words’, a wish for someone to convey a message can be sensed. Rain drops and green leaves flash before our eyes in ‘நீர் வார் பைம் புதர்’ meaning ‘moisture-dripping fresh shrubs’. Ending with the words ‘மாரிப் பீரத்து அலர் சில கொண்டே’ meaning ‘taking a few ridge-gourd flowers of the rainy season’, the verse invites us to listen to this tale.
Flowers in hand, what could be the words that the messenger is carrying? The context reveals that the man and lady had been leading a love relationship when the man parted with her to gather wealth towards their wedding. As he leaves, the man promises to return by the rainy season. One day, as she waits, the lady says to her confidante, “If I could find that person who would go near him, taking along a few ‘peeram’ flowers of the rainy season that bloom amidst the moisture-dripping green leaves in our garden, and say, ‘she has become thus, that maiden with a fine forehead’, it would be fortunate, my friend! May you live long!” With these words, the lady conveys her wish for a person who could relay her state to the man.
Time to explore the nuances! The lady’s wish is quite simple. She asks for a person who would go to her garden, where the shrubs are dripping with water and pluck ‘peeram’ flowers. Then, taking these, she wishes for the person to leave to wherever the man is, find him and go near him, and pointing to the ‘peeram’ flowers in hand, tell him, this is exactly how your lady with a fine forehead now is! The thing to note is that the ridge-gourd flowers bloom in the rainy season, which the lady additionally visualises by the dripping drops from the lush leaves on the shrubs, and this is a clear indicator that the man had not returned as he promised!
What could be the harm in looking like flowers? This is a question that no doubt pops in our modern heads. The significance here is that an appearance akin to the hue of ridge-gourd flowers on the skin was a sure-fire sign of pining spreading and wreaking havoc on the lady’s health. The lady hopes that on hearing this, the man would sense her suffering and rush to alleviate her angst. In these times, when we have so many means of communicating, from email, to messages, to social media, this wish for a messenger may seem a little strange. However, it’s also true that in spite of all the avenues of messaging we may have, we often find that we are not able to speak the words we wish to! And in that way, we can identify with the yearning of this lady from the past, wishing for a messenger to take her heart to her beloved!
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