Kurunthogai 119 – Tormented by a young snake

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In this episode, we listen to a man echo his inner emotions by narrating a scene in the wild, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 119, penned by Sathinaathanaar. The verse is situated in the mountains of ‘Kurinji’ and speaks in the voice of the man to his friend, expressing the reason for the recent change in his composure.

சிறு வெள் அரவின் அவ் வரிக் குருளை
கான யானை அணங்கியா அங்கு-
இளையள், முளை வாள் எயிற்றள்,
வளையுடைக் கையள்-எம் அணங்கியோளே.

All through, the verse hints of attack and torment from the unexpected! The verse opens with the words ‘சிறு வெள் அரவின் அவ் வரிக் குருளை’ talking about ‘a snake-let that has charming stripes on its skin and is the young one of a small, white snake’. From this tiny creature, the scene changes to showcase a huge one in ‘கான யானை’ meaning ‘wild elephant’. From wild things, the view shifts to the qualities of a woman in ‘இளையள்’ meaning ‘a young girl’, ‘முளை வாள் எயிற்றள்’ which means ‘a lady with glowing teeth like that of bamboo shoots’ and finally, ‘வளையுடைக் கையள்’ meaning ‘a girl wearing bangles on her arms’. Ending with the words ‘எம் அணங்கியோளே’ meaning ‘she, the one who torments me’, the verse invites us to listen closely!

Sounds like the words of a man in intense love! The context reveals that the man had met the lady and fallen in love with her. As thoughts of the lady assail him, the man shows signs of being disturbed. Seeing this, the man’s friend asks him the reason for those disturbances. To his friend, the man says, “Akin to how a beautifully striped young one of a small white snake makes a wild elephant suffer, that young lady, who is the one with shining teeth like bamboo shoots and arms bedecked with bangles, has made me suffer.” With these words, the man makes it clear to his friend that he was experiencing that affliction called love, caused by the sight of that lady in the hills!

Why do snakes and elephants figure in this narration of passion? Let’s listen to the man’s words closely to understand. Unlike most modern tales of romance, the man opens the scene with the image of a young snake with stripes, said to be the child of a small, white snake. Then, he reveals why he has talked about the snake when he says that this little snake dares to go near a huge wild elephant and attack it, making that pachyderm suffer. To conclude, the man describes how the young lady, with beautiful bamboo-like teeth and bangled arms has made him suffer in exactly the same way!

An element of surprise can be extracted in the man’s voice, when he describes how it’s but a young one of a little snake and yet, it has managed to torment that imposing elephant. That same surprise is extended to how he who was roaming free and wild like that elephant, has been stung and subdued by a young girl’s smile! Just as the venom of the little snake spreads in the elephant, the man feels that the lady’s smile has caused the affliction of love to spread through him! Most people reading this in modern times would receive a culture shock to see the man equate his lady love to a snake, and mind you, it’s not said in anger or dejection, as one may expect! The man says it with reverence and one can feel the intensity of his love without a doubt. Although in the West, religious notions has coloured perception of a snake, in many South and Southeast Asian cultures, even now, snakes continue to be worshipped. But, even in worship, one can detect a sliver of fear for the creature, whereas in this Sangam verse, it’s elevating a snake to a whole different level, of being able to see it as a beloved! This to me echoes the unbiased perception of all life in the minds of Sangam people. A refreshing equality that is much needed today to protect the dying wildlife, irrespective of human likes and dislikes!