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In this episode, we listen to a pointed refusal, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 326, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated in the lush fields of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands Landscape’ and dwells on the appeal of a courtesan.
ஊரல் அவ் வாய் உருத்த தித்தி,
பேர் அமர் மழைக் கண், பெருந் தோள், சிறு நுதல்,
நல்லள் அம்ம குறுமகள் செல்வர்
கடுந் தேர் குழித்த ஞெள்ளல் ஆங்கண்,
நெடுங் கொடி நுடங்கும் அட்டவாயில்,
இருங் கதிர்க் கழனிப் பெருங் கவின் அன்ன
நலம் பாராட்டி, நடை எழில் பொலிந்து,
விழவில் செலீஇயர் வேண்டும் வென் வேல்
இழை அணி யானைச் சோழர் மறவன்
கழை அளந்து அறியாக் காவிரிப் படப்பை,
புனல் மலி புதவின், போஒர் கிழவோன்,
பழையன் ஓக்கிய வேல் போல்,
பிழையல கண், அவள் நோக்கியோர் திறத்தே!
In this trip to the farmlands, it’s all about a maiden, as we hear the confidante say these words to the man, when he returns seeking entry into the lady’s house, after courting a courtesan:
“Having skin spreading with exquisite beauty spots many; huge rain-like eyes; thick arms; small forehead; pretty indeed is that young maiden! Praising her beauty, which is akin to the lush spread of fields, filled with huge, dark stalks, in the flag-fluttering town of Attavayil, where streets are burrowed by the speeding chariots of the wealthy, you should take an elegant walk with her, and join along in the festivities, O lord! Akin to the spear thrown from the hand of the victorious Chozha king, Pazhaiyan, who wields adorned battle elephants, and rules over ‘PoOr’, a town fitted with sluice gates to direct the gushing floods of the River Kaveri, whose depth cannot be fathomed by any bamboo pole, are her eyes, which no one can escape from, the moment she glances at them!”
Time to see the sparks fly in this uproarious domain. The confidante starts by describing, in no doubt a sarcastic tone, the beauty of the courtesan, mentioning her perfect pallor spots, eyes and forehead. She talks about how that courtesan’s beauty is like the lush fields of Attavayil, a town filled with wealth and prosperity, and then she turns to the man and asks him to go and praise the courtesan, and take her along to the festivities in their town. The confidante concludes by saying she says so, because once that courtesan has looked at someone, they cannot escape her eyes, which are exactly like the spears, which a Chozha King, the ruler of the river-gushing PoOr, known by the name of Pazhaiyan, throws at his enemies!
High praise from the confidante about the beauty and attraction of the courtesan, seems like! What the confidante actually means is that once the courtesan has cast a glance at a man, he cannot escape her hold. So there’s no point in forgiving the man and letting him into the lady’s house, for he will bounce back to her in no time, this good friend of the lady implies. A message to the man that he has not been forgiven for his forsaking the lady! Amidst all this drama, there’s a character, which is quietly standing in the background, not speaking a word but one we cannot escape from, much like the courtesan’s eyes and Pazhaiyan’s spears, and that is wealth, clothed in lush fields of paddy, riding chariots of gold and delighting in festivities. Indeed the accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few men, is the root cause of all this strife and trouble in this land of plenty!
