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In this episode, we listen to words of yearning, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 333, penned by Kallaadanar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays a consolation rendered along with its response.
”யாஅ ஒண் தளிர் அரக்கு விதிர்த்தன்ன நின்
ஆக மேனி அம் பசப்பு ஊர,
அழிவு பெரிது உடையையாகி, அவர்வயின்
பழி தலைத்தருதல் வேண்டுதி; மொழி கொண்டு
தாங்கல் ஒல்லுமோ மற்றே; ஆங்கு நின்
எவ்வம் பெருமை உரைப்பின்; செய் பொருள்
வயங்காதுஆயினும் பயம் கெடத் தூக்கி,
நீடலர் வாழி, தோழி! கோடையில்,
குருத்து இறுபு உக்க வருத்தம் சொலாது,
தூம்புடைத் துய்த் தலை கூம்புபு திரங்கிய,
வேனில், வெளிற்றுப் பனை போலக் கை எடுத்து,
யானைப் பெரு நிரை வானம் பயிரும்
மலை சேண் இகந்தனர்ஆயினும், நிலை பெயர்ந்து,
நாள் இடைப்படாமை வருவர், நமர்” என,
பயம் தரு கொள்கையின் நயம் தலைதிரியா
நின் வாய் இன் மொழி நல் வாயாக
வருவர் ஆயினோ நன்றே; வாராது,
அவணர் காதலர்ஆயினும், இவண் நம்
பசலை மாய்தல் எளிதுமன் தில்ல
சென்ற தேஎத்துச் செய் வினை முற்றி,
மறுதரல் உள்ளத்தர் எனினும்,
குறுகு பெரு நசையொடு தூது வரப்பெறினே.
In this trip to this formidable domain, we catch a glimpse of the punishing heat, as we listen to the lady say these words to the confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“‘Akin to a scattering of lac on the radiant sprouts of an ‘aacha’ tree, upon your form, exquisite pallor has spread. Filled with immense suffering, you wish to heap the blame upon his head. If he were to hear these words, would it be possible for him to bear it? If the depth of your suffering is mentioned to him, even if his mission to earn wealth is incomplete, he would consider your woe as more important, and letting all his efforts be ruined, he shan’t delay even one more moment. Long may you live, my friend!
Assailed by summer winds, losing all its tender fronds, with sorrow not leaving its form, extending its fuzzy-headed, hollow dried-up top, stands a young palmyra tree. Akin to that tree, raising their trunks, a huge herd of elephants, call out to the skies during the sweltering summer. Crossing mountains many with such scenes, though he has gone afar, he will change his mind and return without a delay of too many days!’
So you say unto me, my friend! If these sweet words of yours, spoken on a principle of rendering aid, without causing any harm, come true and he does return, that would be good. But if at all, he does not return, and continues to stay there, there’s one way to easily vanquish this pallor that spreads, and that is to receive in my hands the message he sends with great love, speaking of how he is about finish his mission in the country he left to, and is desirous of returning home soon!”
Let’s brave those arid spaces and learn more! The lady begins by repeating the words the confidante had been speaking to her just then. The good friend had pointed out to the lady how pallor was spreading on her skin in the manner of lac splashed on the dark green leaves of the ‘Yaa’ tree, and had said the lady was intending to blame the man for it and was hoping to send word to him. If that were to happen, the man would abandon his mission halfway and return to the lady, the confidante had been saying. Then the confidante describes the drylands space where the man has left to, and to do that, she talks about a frond-less palm tree, standing only with its hollow trunk extending skyward. Akin to that, elephants raise their trunks to the sky and seemingly call out for the rains to pour and end their searing thirst in summer. The confidante had finished her words to the lady saying that the man though so far, will return soon without delay. Now, the lady takes over and says, if at all the confidante’s sweet words were to come true, well and good. But if not, and the man intends to stay longer, all that he had to do to allay the lady’s suffering was to send one message stating that this mission would be soon complete and that he wished most of all to get back to her, the lady concludes.
In essence, the lady says to the confidante, ‘I can see that you don’t want a messenger to be sent to the man, speaking of my sorrow. At least can’t he send me a messenger saying he would soon be back?’ A sliver of hope from his side is all I ask, the lady seems to say! Fascinating how we take such communication for granted, two thousand years later. If a beloved is travelling afar, today we get to not only receive those messages, but can talk to them and even see them on a screen, no matter how far across the globe they have gone. If we can put ourselves in the place of this Sangam-era maiden, we will know what a life of privilege we lead, just by being alive in the here and now!
