Sangam Lit

In this episode, we perceive a friend’s concerned thoughts, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 50, penned by Karuvoor Poothanchaathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the leaping waves of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and describes the lady’s state of lament. கடல்பாடு அவிந்து, தோணி நீங்கி,நெடு நீர் இருங் கழிக் கடுமீன் கலிப்பினும்;வெவ் வாய்ப் பெண்டிர் கௌவை தூற்றினும்;மாண் இழை நெடுந் தேர் பாணி நிற்ப,பகலும் நம்வயின் அகலானாகிப்பயின்றுவரும் மன்னே, பனி நீர்ச் சேர்ப்பன்,இனியே, மணப்பருங் காமம் தணப்ப நீந்தி,”வாராதோர் நமக்கு யாஅர்?” என்னாது,மல்லல் மூதூர் மறையினை சென்று,சொல்லின் எவனோ பாண! ”எல்லிமனை சேர் பெண்ணை மடி வாய் அன்றில்துணை ஒன்று பிரியினும் துஞ்சாகாண்” என,கண் நிறை நீர் கொடு கரக்கும்,ஒண் நுதல் அரிவை, ”யான் என்செய்கோ?” எனவே. Another little trip to the seas, and here, we hear about the lady’s yearning in the voice of the confidante, as she renders these words to the bard, the man’s companion: “Shirking the task of going to the seas, being apart from the boat, even if the fish in the dark marshes, filled with copious waters, grows in abundance; Even if harsh-mouthed women spread slander, he would mind that not! Making his tall chariot, adorned with fine ornaments, wait for a long time, even if it was day, he would not part away from her. That was the custom of the lord of the cool shores then. But now, perhaps since his desire to embrace her has ebbed away, he does not come here, and doesn’t think what she means to him. That young maiden, with a shining forehead, turns to me and says, ‘The red-naped ibis, with a curved mouth, resting on the tall palmyra tree by our home, sleeps not at night, even if its mate stands a little apart from it. What am I to do? ’, as she tries to hide her tear-filled eyes from me. Why don’t you go to that ancient town, filled with abundance, and tell him about this secretly, O bard?” Time to take a dive into the seas and swim with the plentiful fish to learn what’s in the lady’s heart! The confidante starts by talking about the past, when the man would be with the lady, day in and day out, forgetting his task of fishing in the seas, forsaking his boat, and not even caring about the slander of the women in the lady’s town. Such was his craze to be with the lady then, she says. Contrasting that to his long absence now, the confidante wonders if his affection has ended and is that why he doesn’t come to visit the lady, forgetting all that the lady meant to him. Turning from the man to talk about the lady, the confidante says the lady would turn to her at night and point to the call of the red-naped ibis and tell her that those birds had such a deep bond that one would not sleep if the other stood even a little distance apart. What can she, who has been forsaken by the man, do, the lady would query to her friend, even as she tried hard to hide the tears brimming over in her eyes. Seeing her pitiable state, the confidante decides to take things in her own hands and she goes to the bard, the man’s companion, and tells him that he must go to the town, where the man lives, and share the plight of his lady discreetly. Some interpreters have seen this as a case of the man being with courtesans that usually occurs in the farmlands landscape. However, owing to the absence of any direct mention, I choose to interpret this as a time, when the man had parted away from the lady before marriage, owing to some mission or to gather wealth, and the lady wallows in this state, unable to accept his parting. At this time, the confidante chooses to intervene and convey the lady’s state to the man through the bard, so that the man would hurry up and return from his mission, and bring joy back to his beloved. The highlight of this verse is the care and concern shown by the confidante, whom I consider the epitome of a selfless friend, one who is completely present, listens to words said and unsaid, and works tirelessly to bring joy in the life of her friend. This is a character, who inspires me to think, ‘I should be that kind of friend to someone!’.

In this episode, we listen to a mother’s lament, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 49, penned by Vannappura Kantharathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse depicts an act of elopement from the mother’s perspective. ‘கிளியும், பந்தும், கழங்கும், வெய்யோள்அளியும், அன்பும், சாயலும், இயல்பும்,முன்நாள் போலாள்; இறீஇயர், என் உயிர்” என,கொடுந் தொடைக் குழவியொடு வயின்மரத்து யாத்தகடுங் கட் கறவையின் சிறுபுறம் நோக்கி,குறுக வந்து, குவவுநுதல் நீவி,மெல்லெனத் தழீஇயினேனாக, என் மகள்நன்னர் ஆகத்து இடைமுலை வியர்ப்ப,பல் கால் முயங்கினள்மன்னே! அன்னோ!விறல் மிகு நெடுந்தகை பல பாராட்டி,வறன் நிழல் அசைஇ, வான் புலந்து வருந்தியமட மான் அசா இனம் திரங்கு மரல் சுவைக்கும்காடு உடன்கழிதல் அறியின் தந்தைஅல்குபதம் மிகுத்த கடிஉடை வியல் நகர்,செல்வுழிச் செல்வுழி மெய்ந்நிழல் போல,கோதை ஆயமொடு ஓரை தழீஇ,தோடு அமை அரிச் சிலம்பு ஒலிப்ப, அவள்ஆடுவழி ஆடுவழி, அகலேன்மன்னே! In this visit to the drylands, mother takes the spotlight and shares these words at the juncture, when her daughter, the lady, had eloped away with the man: “She, who used to love her parrot, ball and playing beans; She, who has a nature of grace, love, kindness and all other good qualities, did not appear her usual self. Wondering, ‘What’s this? Such ruin has fallen upon my life’, akin to how a harsh-eyed cow tied to a tree, would look at its young calf, with curving thighs, I looked at the small of her back, came near her, stroked her rounded forehead, and embraced her gently, and my daughter, with beads of sweat appearing in between her beautiful bosoms, hugged me again and again, then! She walks with that strong man, as he praises her greatly, and makes her rest in the rare shade of that land, which the sky seemed to have quarrelled with, and where herds of naive deer had nothing to taste but dried-up clusters of hemp. Alas! If only I had known that she would elope away with him, then when she was here in her father’s wide mansion, filled with plenty, wherever, wherever she went, be it playing ‘orai’ games with her garlanded playmates, or running about with her neatly-set, pebble-filled anklets resounding, akin to a shadow, however, however she played, I wouldn’t have parted from thither!” Time to see the past and present of this precious daughter! Mother starts by talking about how her daughter was a young girl, who adored talking to her parrot, and playing with her ball and scattering beans as pawns in a game. Not just that, she sketches the lady as a person with all good qualities, such as kindness, compassion and affection. One day, noticing that the lady was not her usual self, mother starts worrying. To describe how she was looking at her daughter, she brings in the apt simile of a tied-up cow staring yearningly at its calf. Mother continues by saying how without saying anything, she went near her girl, stroked her forehead and hugged her. What love and care from this ancient mother! The lady too turned and hugged her with much affection, mother recollects. From that sweet memory of affection shared, mother turns to talk about how all that’s no more for the lady has eloped away with the man, who now takes her through the harsh drylands, where even deer have nothing to eat but dried-up hemp. Mother reflects on how the man must be taking her daughter with much care, helping her to rest wherever they can. In thinking well of the man, mother hides the hope that her daughter has chosen the right mate in life. Returning, we find mother saying if only she had known this would happen, she would have gone wherever the lady went, just like a faithful shadow, and whether she was playing games with her friends or running about with her anklets tinkling, there, everywhere, mother too would have followed her and not taken her eyes off her. The verse exquisitely captures the regret we feel at the loss of someone precious, which makes us think about all the things we wish we had done with them when they were around. Reading this verse, reminded me of the poem ‘When Great Trees Fall’ by Maya Angelou, about the loss of great personalities in our lives, and these lines specifically, “Our memory, suddenly sharpened,examines,gnaws on kind wordsunsaid,promised walksnever taken.” A timeless emotion echoing in different languages from different cultures, reiterating the powerful truth about the oneness of humanity at the core!

In this episode, we listen to how an intricate message is conveyed, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 48, penned by Thankaal Mudakotranaar. The verse is situated amidst the soaring peaks of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and sketches the first interaction between the man and the lady. ”அன்னாய்! வாழி! வேண்டு, அன்னை! நின் மகள்,”பாலும் உண்ணாள், பழங்கண் கொண்டு,நனி பசந்தனள்” என வினவுதி. அதன் திறம்யானும் தெற்றென உணரேன். மேல் நாள்,மலி பூஞ் சாரல், என் தோழிமாரோடுஒலி சினை வேங்கை கொய்குவம் சென்றுழி,”புலி புலி!” என்னும் பூசல் தோன்றஒண் செங்கழுநீர்க் கண் போல் ஆய் இதழ்ஊசி போகிய சூழ் செய் மாலையன்,பக்கம் சேர்த்திய செச்சைக் கண்ணியன்,குயம் மண்டு ஆகம் செஞ் சாந்து நீவி,வரிபுனை வில்லன், ஒருகணை தெரிந்துகொண்டு,”யாதோ, மற்று அம் மா திறம் படர்?” எனவினவி நிற்றந்தோனே. அவற் கண்டு,எம்முள் எம்முள் மெய்ம் மறைபு ஒடுங்கி,நாணி நின்றனெமாக, பேணி,”ஐவகை வகுத்த கூந்தல் ஆய் நுதல்மை ஈர் ஓதி மடவீர்! நும் வாய்ப்பொய்யும் உளவோ?” என்றனன். பையெனப்பரி முடுகு தவிர்த்த தேரன், எதிர்மறுத்து,நின் மகள் உண்கண் பல் மாண் நோக்கிச்சென்றோன்மன்ற, அக் குன்று கிழவோனே.பகல் மாய் அந்திப் படுசுடர் அமையத்து,அவன் மறை தேஎம் நோக்கி, ”மற்று இவன்மகனே தோழி!” என்றனள்.அதன் அளவு உண்டு கோள், மதிவல்லோர்க்கே. In this trip to the mountains, we listen to an interesting tale. Here, the lady’s confidante says these words to the lady’s foster mother, who is also her own mother, marking a turning point in the lady’s love relationship with the man: “‘O mother! may you live long! Listen to what I have to say, mother! You worry about how your girl doesn’t drink her milk, and also, how, with much suffering, pallor seems to be spreading on her. So, you are asking me about that. I too do not know the reason clearly. But let me tell you this: One day, when along with our playmates, we were walking on the flower-filled slopes, wanting to pluck flowers from the luxuriant branches of the Kino tree, hearing the shouts of ‘Tiger, Tiger’, a man, wearing a needle-threaded, fine garland of radiant red waterlilies, with beautiful petals, akin to eyes, and a head garland, with strands of jungle flame flowers hanging on one side, streaking red sandalwood paste on his wide and handsome chest, holding a decorated bow and an arrow in his hands, appeared there. Seeing us, he stood there inquiring, ‘Tell me which way did that beast go?’. Hearing this, with our modesty restraining us, we tried to hide behind each other. With gentleness, he remarked, ‘O maiden with dark and moist tresses, woven into five-part braids, and a beautiful forehead, do you know how to speak lies too?’. Gently stopping his horses from speeding up, as he sat on his chariot, he sought out the kohl-streaked eyes of your daughter again and again, and then only did he leave, that lord of the mountains! Later, at the end of the day, when the flame above bid adieu, looking in the direction he had left, she said to me, ‘He is a fine man’. Those who are sharp in the mind can ascertain the true meaning of that!” Let’s walk along with these mountain maiden, who are on a mission to pluck beautiful flowers, and listen to this tale of love. The confidante starts by remarking how the lady’s foster mother has been enquiring about the change in behaviour in the lady, in her refusing food, and in the way, she seemed to be filled with unease as evident from the pallor spreading on her form. The confidante responds saying that she does not know the exact reason for all this, however there was something that she needed to share with mother. She then goes on to talk about a day, when she, the lady and other playmates had decided to go pluck ‘Vengai’ flowers. Remember how in many verses, we have seen how these very flowers are mistaken for a tiger, given their bright yellow hue. Apparently, there seems to have been a tradition of shouting ‘Tiger, Tiger’ when plucking these flowers, in a belief that the tree would bend and shower its flowers. Most probably these young ladies were screaming these words, echoing their belief. Suddenly, hearing these shouts, thinking they were in trouble, a man wearing a red waterlily garland around his sandalwood-streaked chest and a head garland of jungle flame flowers, appeared there, bow and arrow in hand, and asked them which way the tiger had gone. Unable to answer him because of their shyness, the girls seemed to have hid behind one another. Realising that he had been fooled by their shouts, the man seems to have wondered out aloud whether these pretty maiden knew how to speak such lies. As he prepared to leave, his eyes fell on the lady’s kohl-streaked eyes, and he kept looking at her, again and again, before trotting off on his chariot, the confidante narrates. And as the final scene in her piece, she talks about how when dusk arrived, the lady looked in the direction the man had left and remarked on what a fine man he was. The confidante conclud

In this episode, we listen to words of encouragement, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 47, penned by Aalamberi Saaththanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘drylands landscape’, the verse presents a glimpse of the beauty of an ancient hill town. அழிவு இல் உள்ளம் வழிவழிச் சிறப்பவினை இவண் முடித்தனம்ஆயின், வல் விரைந்துஎழு இனி வாழிய நெஞ்சே! ஒலி தலைஅலங்கு கழை நரலத் தாக்கி, விலங்கு எழுந்து,கடு வளி உருத்திய கொடி விடு கூர் எரிவிடர் முகை அடுக்கம் பாய்தலின், உடன் இயைந்து,அமைக் கண் விடு நொடி கணக் கலை அகற்றும்வெம் முனை அருஞ் சுரம் நீந்தி, கைம்மிக்கு,அகன் சுடர் கல் சேர்பு மறைய, மனைவயின்ஒண் தொடி மகளிர் வெண் திரிக் கொளாஅலின்,குறு நடைப் புறவின் செங் காற் சேவல்நெடு நிலை வியல் நகர் வீழ்துணைப் பயிரும்புலம்பொடு வந்த புன்கண் மாலை,”யாண்டு உளர்கொல்?” எனக் கலிழ்வோள் எய்தி,இழை அணி நெடுந் தேர்க் கை வண் செழியன்மழை விளையாடும் வளம் கெழு சிறுமலைச்சிலம்பின் கூதளங் கமழும் வெற்பின்வேய் புரை பணைத் தோள், பாயும்நோய் அசா வீட, முயங்குகம் பலவே. Back to the drylands and we catch the man in the middle of his mission. At a moment, when he’s downcast, he turns and says these words to his heart: “Without losing faith, with more and more enthusiasm, we should finish our mission here, O heart! Rise up with much haste now, may you live long! As luxuriant-leafed, swaying bamboos brush against each other resoundingly, rising on all sides, fuelled by the fierce wind, soaring flames spread all across the clefts of the mountain range and make nodes of bamboos burst aloud. Hearing those fearsome sounds, huge herds of deer scuttle away together in these scorching spaces of the formidable drylands, which we have traversed with much hardship. As the sky’s wide flame vanishes behind the mountains, maiden wearing shining bangles light up white wicks at home, and just then, the short-gaited, red-legged male pigeon, residing in the tall and vast mansion, coos out to its loving mate in that evening time, which arrives in the company of loneliness. At this time, asking, ‘Where might he be?, she would be shedding tears! In that playground of rainclouds, the prosperous hills of ‘Sirumalai’, wafting with the scent of the three-lobed nightshade, ruled by the generous Chezhiyan, the owner of mighty jewel-clad chariots, bloom beautiful bamboos. Akin to those bamboos, are her thick arms, and if we were to finish our mission here with haste, slaying those pouncing waves of affliction, we will to get to embrace them again and again!” Glancing at the furious flames of the scrub forest from the safety of our modern lives, let’s learn more about the man’s thoughts. The man starts by nudging his heart to rise up and get going, without losing its determination. Just then, the man’s heart puts forth a gloomy question, ‘Tell me one reason why I must do that!’. In response, the man launches into a vivid description of the drylands they have walked through, talking about the fiery flames bursting out of bamboos and the scuttling away of frightened deer. He accepts to his heart that they have faced much difficulty in this journey. Then his mind turns homeward, as he is reminded of the yearning that would fill his lady’s heart, in that lonely evening hour, and how when cooing pigeons calling out to their mates, that would add to the lady’s suffering. Remembering how the lady’s arms are so much like the bamboos that grow in a hill town, ruled by the Pandya King Chezhiyan, renowned for his generosity, called as ‘Sirumalai’, a place he describes as one, where clouds come to play, and one, which is filled with a fragrance of ‘Koothalam’ flowers, the man concludes with the answer to his heart’s question saying if they finish up their mission with haste, then they would get to joyfully embrace those bamboo-like arms of the lady over and over again. A moment to note that even today a scenic hill town, close to Madurai, very much in the ancient Pandya country, is called by the name of ‘Sirumalai’, still fragrant with the scent of wild flowers and famous for its tasty hill bananas! Returning to the core of the verse, we find that this is a classic case of motivation in moments of dejection. Instead of falling apart at the challenges all around and the pain that grows with every passing moment, the man chooses to visualise the delightful future that awaits him. He knows fully well that abandoning his task midway is not going to make him happy to be with his beloved when he returns and so he declares clearly to his heart, ‘If you want that, then you must do this right now!’. A verse which reminds us that we have within, that effective fuel of visualisation, to keep us going when the going gets tough!

In this episode, we listen to words of fury, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 46, penned by Alloor Nanmullaiyaar. Set amidst the lotus-blooming fields of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’, the verse echoes a refusal to the man’s attempt at appeasement. சேற்று நிலை முனைஇய செங் கட் காரான்ஊர் மடி கங்குலில், நோன் தளை பரிந்து,கூர் முள் வேலி கோட்டின் நீக்கி,நீர் முதிர் பழனத்து மீன் உடன் இரியஅம் தூம்பு வள்ளை மயக்கி, தாமரைவண்டு ஊது பனி மலர் ஆரும் ஊர!யாரையோ? நிற் புலக்கேம். வாருற்று,உறை இறந்து, ஒளிரும் தாழ் இருங் கூந்தல்,பிறரும், ஒருத்தியை நம் மனைத் தந்து,வதுவை அயர்ந்தனை என்ப. அஃது யாம்கூறேம். வாழியர், எந்தை! செறுநர்களிறுடை அருஞ் சமம் ததைய நூறும்ஒளிறு வாட் தானைக் கொற்றச் செழியன்பிண்ட நெல்லின் அள்ளூர் அன்ன என்ஒண் தொடி நெகிழினும் நெகிழ்க;சென்றி, பெரும! நிற் தகைக்குநர் யாரோ? The quarrels of the farmlands fall on our ears again, and here, when the man returns home, after being with a courtesan, the lady’s confidante refuses entry to the lady’s home, with these words: “Disliking its state of dwelling in the mud, the red-eyed buffalo, in the dark of the night, when the town slept, severing its tight rope, breaking open the fence, made of sharp thorns, with its horns, enters a field filled with water, scares away the fish, tousles the beautiful, hollow-tubed ‘Vallai’ vines and feeds on the cool flowers of the bee-buzzing lotus in your town, O lord! Who are you to us? We shan’t quarrel with you! Akin to the long strands of rain in a downpour, shines the low-hanging, dark tresses of that maiden. Others say that you have brought this maiden home and united with her. That’s not what we want to say to you! May you live long, O lord! Even when enemies attack with their elephants in the fearsome battlefields, the great and famous Chezhiyan destroys all of them with his army, wielding shining swords. Akin to his town of Alloor, filled to the brim with heaped paddy, are her radiant bangles. Even if these are to slip away, let them. Be gone, O lord! Who is there to stop you?” Time to trace the footsteps of a buffalo in the farmlands! The confidante starts by describing the man’s town and do that she brings before our eyes, a buffalo standing in the thick mud. After a while, deciding it has had enough of being there, the buffalo breaks its rope and its fence of thorns, and makes its way to the well-watered fields, and here, it scares away the fish, entangles the vines, and then happily munches on the lotuses blooming there, the confidante elaborates. After this description, the confidante declares to the man that he is no one to them and so they have no right to sulk with him. It’s an angry statement echoing that the man’s actions of abandoning the lady for a courtesan has estranged him to them. She talks about how there’s much slander in town about the man’s involvement with a courtesan but she doesn’t want to talk about it at all. Launching into a description of King Chezhiyan, victorious in battle, and his town of Alloor, where mounds of paddy welcome every one, the confidante connects it to the lady’s bangles, and says even if those were to slip away, it does not matter, and the man can do as he pleases. The confidante concludes by asking the man to go where he wants for there was no one to stop him. In the description of the man’s town and the buffalo leaving its dwelling to go feed on the lotuses in the fields, that’s a metaphor for the man’s actions of disliking his state of being in his home, and shattering his sense of shame and modesty, and seeking the forbidden joy of being with courtesans. To me, the subtle but striking thread in this oft-repeated theme of a love quarrel is how when we want to rightfully ask someone why they did something, we need to have a connection to them, meaning they have to be somebody in our life. And here, the confidante is attacking that feeling of belonging in the man by declaring he’s no one to them and there’s no need for them to quarrel or demand things of him. This thought reiterates the profound truth that the polar opposite of love is not hate, but in reality, it’s apathy!

In this episode, we perceive the angst of a lady, parted from her beloved, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 45, penned by Velliveethiyaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents a variety of similes from nature and history. வாடல் உழுஞ்சில் விளை நெற்று அம் துணர்ஆடுகளப் பறையின், அரிப்பன ஒலிப்ப,கோடை நீடிய அகன் பெருங் குன்றத்து,நீர் இல் ஆர் ஆற்று நிவப்பன களிறு அட்டு,ஆள் இல் அத்தத்து உழுவை உகளும்காடு இறந்தனரே, காதலர். மாமை,அரி நுண் பசலை பாஅய், பீரத்துஎழில் மலர் புரைதல்வேண்டும். அலரே,அன்னி குறுக்கைப் பறந்தலை, திதியன்தொல் நிலை முழுமுதல் துமியப் பண்ணி,புன்னை குறைத்த ஞான்றை, வயிரியர்இன் இசை ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிதே. யானே,காதலற் கெடுத்த சிறுமையொடு, நோய் கூர்ந்து,ஆதிமந்தி போல, பேதுற்றுஅலந்தனென் உழல்வென்கொல்லோ பொலந்தார்,கடல் கால் கிளர்ந்த வென்றி நல் வேல்,வானவரம்பன் அடல் முனைக் கலங்கியஉடை மதில் ஓர் அரண் போல,அஞ்சுவரு நோயொடு, துஞ்சாதேனே! In this trip to the drylands, we see the lady take the spotlight, as she utters these words to her confidante, when the confidante requests the lady to bear the man’s separation with grace: “As dried-up seed pods, blooming from beautiful flower clusters of the lebbeck tree, resound akin to the drums in the dance arena, in that huge and wide hill, where summer has extended for long, on the waterless, harsh and barren spaces, after felling a tall elephant, a male tiger roams around, in those paths, bereft of people any. To such a scrub jungle, that lover of mine parted away. The fine mark of pallor spreads on my dark skin and appears akin to the beautiful flowers of the ridge gourd. As for the slander that spreads, it’s louder than the sweet music of those playing on the horns, which resound in the battlefield of ‘Kurukkai’, when ‘Anni’ severed the thick trunk of the ancient laurel wood tree, worshipped by Thithiyan, and brought it down. As for me, with the suffering caused by the parting away of my beloved, as my affliction soars, akin to ‘Aathimanthi’, with utter confusion, I roam in angst. With the affliction of anxiety, akin to those within a fort, guarded by a wall, now shattered to pieces by the conqueror of battles, ‘Vanavaramban’, wearing a golden garland, wielding a fine spear, renowned for winning over foes, who came sailing with the sea winds, I sleep not!” Let’s listen to the rattling sounds of the drylands and learn more! The lady starts by describing the drylands, and to do that, she brings in the sounds of the dried-up seed pods of the ‘uzhingil’ tree, which are placed in parallel to the drums in a festival arena. From sounds, the lady turns to the sight of a dangerous, wild tiger, roaming on those barren paths, after bringing down a huge elephant. So dangerous and disturbing are the drylands, the lady implies, connecting that this is the very place the man has left to. And because of the man’s action, pallor was spreading on the lady’s skin, much like the blooming of yellow flowers on the ridge gourd plant. Then, the lady talks about the slander that’s spreading because of the man’s absence, and describes it as louder than the horns blown in the battlefield, at the moment a king named Anni, cut down the sacred tree, an ancient deity of another king named Thithiyan. We have seen the reference to the act of King Anni cutting down the ‘Punnai’ tree of Thithiyan in Natrinai 180, an event that led to many striking historic consequences, according to Sangam poets. While this sounds like a cruel act of taking out one’s enmity on a life-giving tree, from another perspective, it shows the importance accorded to these ancient, sacred trees, and how cutting down the same seemed to change the course of history then. Returning, we find the lady now equating her confused suffering to that of the character ‘Aathimanthi’, who roved far and wide, searching for her lost love. The lady concludes by talking about a fort wall, breached by the Chera King Vanavaramban, whose claim to glory is that he defeated those foreign foes who came by sea, sailing with the ocean currents, talking about how those inside the fort would be ridden with anxiety, and would not get a moment’s sleep, and such was her state too! In essence, the lady is telling her confidante, ‘It’s easy for you to ask me to chin up and brave the parting, but can’t you see how hard it’s for me to bear this separation!’. Amidst all the interesting historic references, the verse throws light on the importance of being present with one’s pain.

In this episode, we observe the eagerness of a man to return home, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 44, penned by Kudavayil Keeraththanaar. The verse is situated amidst the speeding roads of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and offers an account of people and places involved in an ancient battle. வந்து வினை முடித்தனன் வேந்தனும்; பகைவரும்தம் திறை கொடுத்துத் தமர் ஆயினரே;முரண் செறிந்திருந்த தானை இரண்டும்ஒன்று என அறைந்தன பணையே; நின் தேர்முன் இயங்கு ஊர்தி பின்னிலை ஈயாது,ஊர்க, பாக! ஒரு வினை, கழியநன்னன், ஏற்றை, நறும் பூண் அத்தி,துன் அருங் கடுந் திறற் கங்கன், கட்டி,பொன் அணி வல்வில் புன்றுறை, என்று ஆங்குஅன்று அவர் குழீஇய அளப்பு அருங் கட்டூர்,பருந்து படப் பண்ணி, பழையன் பட்டென,கண்டது நோனானாகி, திண் தேர்க்கணையன் அகப்பட, கழுமலம் தந்தபிணைஅல்அம் கண்ணிப் பெரும் பூட் சென்னிஅழும்பில் அன்ன அறாஅ யாணர்,பழம் பல் நெல்லின் பல் குடிப் பரவை,பொங்கடி படிகயம் மண்டிய பசு மிளை,தண் குடவாயில் அன்னோள்பண்புடை ஆகத்து இன் துயில் பெறவே! It’s a trip to the verdant forests but the action is elsewhere for the most part! Here, the man is saying these words to his charioteer, when returning home, after completing the task he set out to do: “The king has completed his mission; The foes have paid their tributes and have become kin to him; The drums have proclaimed that the two armies that had been in conflict with each other have now become one; Now that our work is done, wield your chariot that moves ahead speedily so that it doesn’t have to yield and lag behind any other, O charioteer! When Nannan, Ettrai, Aththi, wearing fragrant garlands, Kangan, renowned for his strength, whom enemies fear to near, Katti, and Pundrurai, skilful in archery, clad in gold, came together as one then in that boundless battlefield, making vultures soar, Pazhaiyan fought so bravely against them and perished. Unable to bear this loss, capturing Kanaiyan, renowned for his sturdy chariots, the great Chenni, clad in huge ornaments and well-woven garlands, seized the battle at Kazhumalam. Having unceasing prosperity, akin to his town of Alumpil, and also, ancient paddy growing fields, settlements of different groups of people, ponds, where elephants can dip and play, and lush green forests, is the cool town of Kudavaiyil. Ride your chariots with speed, so that I can attain sweet sleep on the chest of that virtuous maiden, akin to the town of Kudavayil!” Let’s race along with this speeding chariot and capture the essence of emotion here! The man opens by talking about how the work he came to do for his king is now over, now that the enemies have all surrendered and agreed to pay the right tributes to the king, so that they all fall under his protection. A moment to reflect on the usage of the word ‘Thamar’ meaning ‘Relatives’ to talk about how these very people, who were once enemies of the king, were now like his own people. In the usage of this word, I can perceive the subtle hint of a profound truth that even those, who are at war with us, deep within, are our own kith and kin! If the world can see this truth and embrace it, even before the first shot is fired, won’t the curse of war end? Returning back to that ancient highway, we hear the man telling his charioteer now that the drums have declared that the warring armies stand as a unified whole, he wishes for his charioteer to ride home fast, not letting any other vehicle pass them by. And to explain the why, he launches on a lengthy story of a conflict between a Chera King and a Chozha King. Many chieftains such as Nannan, Ettrai, Aththi, Kangan, Katti and Pundrurai came to the aid of the Chera King, but the brave army general of the Chozha King, Pazhaiyan fought so bravely against them, but perished in that battle. Seeing his prized general fall, maddened with fury, the Chozha King Chenni captured the Chera army general Kanaiyan and decisively won the battle at Kazhumalam, a place in the Chera domain! The man has given this historic account to etch the praise of Chenni and refer to the Chozha king’s capital town of Alumpil, whose prosperity is then linked to another town called Kudavaiyil. About Kudavaiyil, we learn that it’s a town, where agriculture has been ongoing for a long time, it’s an ancient paddy-growing hub, and that people of many different communities had come together and settled in harmony. What an egalitarian metropolis, it sounds like! Not only that, Kudavayil had ponds so huge that elephants frolic and play in them, the man adds, saying such is this town. He concludes by connecting the beauty of this town to that of his beloved and instructs his charioteer to make the chariot fly so that he can find the sweetest of sleep on his good lady’s bosom soon. At the core it’s a man’s message to his driver to speed up and beat the traffic, but within, we find so many fascinating aspects, such as the who’s who and where’s where of ancient history, and at the top of the

In this episode, we perceive a clear decision in a man’s mind, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 43, penned by Madurai Aasiriyaar Nallanthuvanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the intensity of the rainy season. கடல் முகந்து கொண்ட கமஞ் சூல் மா மழைசுடர் நிமிர் மின்னொடு வலன் ஏர்பு, இரங்கி,என்றூழ் உழந்த புன் தலை மடப் பிடிகை மாய் நீத்தம் களிற்றொடு படீஇய,நிலனும் விசும்பும் நீர் இயைந்து ஒன்றி,குறுநீர்க் கன்னல் எண்ணுநர் அல்லதுகதிர் மருங்கு அறியாது, அஞ்சுவரப் பாஅய்,தளி மயங்கின்றே தண் குரல் எழிலி; யாமேகொய் அகை முல்லை காலொடு மயங்கி,மை இருங் கானம் நாறும் நறு நுதல்,பல் இருங் கூந்தல், மெல் இயல் மடந்தைநல் எழில் ஆகம் சேர்ந்தனம்; என்றும்அளியரோ அளியர்தாமே அளி இன்றுஏதில் பொருட்பிணிப் போகி, தம்இன் துணைப் பிரியும் மடமையோரே! We are yet again in the drylands but the usual barren landscape is no more! At a moment, when the man’s heart nudges him to leave in search of wealth, the man says these words to his heart: “The pregnant, dark rain clouds, bearing what was gathered from the oceans, along with the luminous, flashing lightning, soars with strength and then melts down, pouring on the soft-headed, naive female elephant, which had been languishing in the scorching heat, burying the elephant’s raised trunk with its downpour, even as the female plays together with the male elephant in the mud. The pouring rain links the land and sky as one. Other than those, who could calculate time using their small vessels of water, all others grew frightened, not knowing the position of the sun. Such was the force of grace rendered by the cool-voiced clouds! At such a time, as plucked jasmine petals fuse with the breeze, the dark forest wafts with a rich fragrance. Such is the scent of the forehead and thick, dark tresses of my naive maiden, with a gentle gait. As for me, I have attained her fine and beauteous bosom. Surely, deeply, deeply to be pitied are those, who attain no such grace, and at the behest of a strange affliction of seeking wealth, have the foolishness to part away from their sweet companion!” Let’s relish another rain shower, in a continuity from the previous verse! The man starts by talking about how the rain clouds, which have completed their task of gathering from the oceans, are now appearing fully pregnant and ready to go into labour anytime. As expected, these clouds rise above and along with the flash of lighting, pour down! The man turns the spotlight on the recipient of this rain shower, namely a female elephant that was languishing in the harsh summer, now dancing in the rain, raising its trunk, and delighting along with its mate. Leaving these two to rejoice, the man describes how the way the rain pours as a ceaseless, endless stream makes the sky and earth to appear as if they are fitted together. So dense is the rain that other than those ancient timekeepers, who used a water clock, no one could tell where the sun was. A moment to pause and reflect on this reference to a water-clock, which is described as a vessel containing a small amount of water, and this line is evidence that ancient water-clocks were prevalent in the Tamil regions of the Sangam era too, as has been documented in ancient Greek and Persian cultures. Returning from our meanderings in time, we find the man talking about how in this rainy season, wild jasmines fuse with the breeze and make the entire forest fragrant, and that’s exactly the scent of his beloved’s forehead and tresses, he connects. He delights in the fact that he is now united with her and concludes, by remarking that those who give up the joy of being with their companions and instead foolishly leave to seek wealth are to be much, much pitied! And so, we find the man refusing to heed to his heart nudging him to leave his love and turn towards duty. He does this by pointing out the arrival of the rains and declaring that this is a season to be one with one’s beloved. The image of the elephants playing in the rain is a metaphoric parallel to the joy of togetherness the man feels with the lady. Yet again, elements of weather, science of timekeeping, and emotions of tenderness, all infuse these words with that rich fragrance of a forest in a rain!

In this episode, we experience a downpour of joy, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 42, penned by Kabilar. Set in the rain-soaked ranges of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’, the verse talks about the transformative effect of an event. மலி பெயல் கலித்த மாரிப் பித்திகத்துக்கொயல் அரு நிலைஇய பெயல் ஏர் மண முகைச்செவ் வெரிந் உறழும் கொழுங் கடை மழைக் கண்,தளிர் ஏர் மேனி, மாஅயோயே!நாடு வறம் கூர, நாஞ்சில் துஞ்ச,கோடை நீடிய பைது அறு காலை,குன்று கண்டன்ன கோட்ட, யாவையும்சென்று சேக்கல்லாப் புள்ள, உள் இல்என்றூழ் வியன்குளம் நிறைய வீசி,பெரும் பெயல் பொழிந்த ஏம வைகறை,பல்லோர் உவந்த உவகை எல்லாம்என்னுள் பெய்தந்தற்றே சேண் இடைஓங்கித் தோன்றும் உயர் வரைவான் தோய் வெற்பன் வந்தமாறே. In this little trip to the hills, we listen to these ecstatic words said by the confidante to the lady, when the man had returned, after a long hiatus, and given a specific information to pass on to the lady: “Akin to the beautiful and fragrant bud of the wild jasmine flowers, which bloom in the heavy downpour of the rainy season, so abundant that they remain hard to be plucked entirely, are your red-lined, thick-edged, rain-like, moist eyes! You art so, with a complexion, akin to a fresh sprout, O dark-skinned maiden! Imagine a harsh time, when a country turns barren with drought, and ploughs turn to sleep, when summer extends long and slow. At such a time, when the wide ponds, with shores, akin to peaks, which have been abandoned by birds, having nothing within, spreading only scorching heat, are suddenly filled by the pouring down of heavy rains, on a blessed morning hour, think of the joy that so many would experience upon seeing this. I felt as if all this joy had poured within me, when the lord of the sky-soaring peaks, far away, appearing tall with ranges many, came here, just then!” Let’s lose the umbrellas and prepare to be soaked in a mountain rain! The confidante starts by comparing the red-streaked, beautiful eyes of the lady to the ‘Pithigam’, a type of wild jasmine bud that bursts open in the rainy season. She details that these flowers are so abundant that no matter how much one tries, it’s hard to pluck them all and thus endow a sweet fragrance all around. Such beauty is placed in parallel with the lady, who also is said to have skin, like a fresh green sprout! After these descriptions of the lady’s beauty, the confidante turns to a hypothetical situation, but one experienced in other regions quite often. She talks about a harsh summer, when the land has become dry and parched, where the ploughs are sleeping, as if asking ‘What’s the point?’. In such a time, there would be nothing but empty mud beds, in what was once lush ponds, given the cold shoulder by the birds too. Just then, what if the rains decided to descend down and fill these ponds to the brim, asks the confidante, what do you think all the people there would feel! That’s exactly what she felt when the man came and gave her the news that he would claim the lady’s hand soon, the confidante concludes. The joy of people in a rainless land at the sight of a downpour is placed in parallel with the emotion experienced within. The beauty of this simile is that this is something that can be related to, even today. It’s a timeless emotion, especially in the minds of people, who live in desert-like conditions, for some part of the year, waiting for the relief of the rains. Fascinating also how the poet has weaved in the theme of rain throughout the verse, be it in the flowers, the lady’s eyes and in the emotions, and has thus, soaked us in the shower of harmony and beauty!

In this episode, we perceive worry about another’s pain, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 41, penned by Kundriyanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse illustrates the sights and sounds of a season. வைகு புலர் விடியல் மை புலம் பரப்ப,கரு நனை அவிழ்ந்த ஊழுறு முருக்கின்எரி மருள் பூஞ் சினை இனச் சிதர் ஆர்ப்ப,நெடு நெல் அடைச்சிய கழனி ஏர் புகுத்து,குடுமிக் கட்டிய படப்பையொடு மிளிர,அரிகால் போழ்ந்த தெரி பகட்டு உழவர்ஓதைத் தெள் விளி புலம்தொறும் பரப்ப,கோழிணர் எதிரிய மரத்த, கவினி,காடு அணி கொண்ட காண்தகு பொழுதில்,நாம் பிரி புலம்பின் நலம் செலச் சாஅய்,நம் பிரிபு அறியா நலனொடு சிறந்தநல் தோள் நெகிழ, வருந்தினள்கொல்லோமென் சிறை வண்டின் தண் கமழ் பூந் துணர்தாது இன் துவலை தளிர் வார்ந்தன்னஅம் கலுழ் மாமை கிளைஇய,நுண் பல் தித்தி, மாஅயோளே? In this little trip to the drylands, instead of barren landscapes, we perceive contrasting scenes of sprouting life. Here, the man says these words, in the middle of his journey, as he remains parted away from his beloved: “The dawn, which makes the dark night bloom, spreads its light upon the pitch-black lands; As dark buds of the Coral tree loosen their petals and appear, akin to fire, upon the flowery branches, swarms of bees buzz around; In the fields, where tall and lush paddy crops have been harvested and tied into tight bundles, as farmers enter with their ploughs and split stubbles with their strong bulls, their clear and loud calls spread all across the land; In this pleasant time, when the entire forest is adorned with the beauty of trees, blooming with thick clusters of flowers, lamenting over my parting away, losing her health, making her fine arms, which were once filled with beauty, not knowing what it was to separate from me, now thin away, won’t she, that dark-skinned maiden, with many, tiny pallor spots, spreading on her beautiful black skin, akin to how cool and fragrant pollen from flower clusters, scattered by soft-winged bees, spreads like drops of sweet honey upon sprouting leaves, be filled with sorrow?” Time to bask in the blooming joy of spring! The man starts by talking about the time of the day, the early hours of the morning, when the sun is chasing away the darkness from the lands. From this small interval of time, he moves on to depict a bigger interval of time, namely the season, and to do that, he talks about how the flowers upon the coral tree are blooming like fire, and bees, entranced, are buzzing around them. Louder than these bees are the calls of farmers, directing their strong bulls in the harvested, stubble-filled paddy fields, the man details. Explaining that this is that beautiful season of spring, in which the forest seems to be decorated with the blooms of trees many, the man turns his attention to his beloved, and thinks about how she would be feeling lonely without him, how her arms would have thinned because of this separation. He concludes thinking that his beloved maiden, who has tiny pallor spots on her dark skin, akin to fine pollen on green leaves, would be very much worried, since he had not been able to make it back to her, in this beautiful season he promised to return. A verse which etches the tenderness in the hearts of these Sangam men, who reflect on the love of their beloved, even as they are held back by the chains of work!

In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 40, penned by Kundriyanaar. Set amidst the roaring waves of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’, the verse depicts the deep yearning in the lady to be with her beloved. கானல், மாலைக் கழிப் பூக் கூம்ப,நீல் நிறப் பெருங் கடல் பாடு எழுந்து ஒலிப்ப,மீன் ஆர் குருகின் மென் பறைத் தொழுதிகுவை இரும் புன்னைக் குடம்பை சேர,அசை வண்டு ஆர்க்கும் அல்குறுகாலை,தாழை தளரத் தூக்கி, மாலைஅழிதக வந்த கொண்டலொடு கழி படர்க்காமர் நெஞ்சம் கையறுபு இனைய,துயரம் செய்து நம் அருளார் ஆயினும்அறாஅலியரோ அவருடைக் கேண்மை!அளி இன்மையின் அவண் உறை முனைஇ,வாரற்கதில்ல தோழி! கழனிவெண்ணெல் அரிநர் பின்றைத் ததும்பும்தண்ணுமை வெரீஇய தடந் தாள் நாரைசெறி மடை வயிரின் பிளிற்றி, பெண்ணைஅகமடல் சேக்கும் துறைவன்இன் துயில் மார்பில் சென்ற என் நெஞ்சே! A visit to the coast presents to us a theme usually found in the drylands, one of parting and pining. In this instance, the lady says these words to her confidante, when the man has left her to go in search of wealth: “Backwater flowers in the seashore grove close their buds; The blue-hued great ocean roars with its resounding waves; After feeding on schools of fish, flocks of soft-winged seabirds retire to their nests in the huge, spreading laurel wood trees; Swaying bees buzz aloud; Such is the suffering filled time of evening;  At this time, bending the Pandanus trees, as easterly winds blow, causing endless pain, even if he has caused much sorrow, by leaving this loving heart in helplessness and not rendering his graces, may his relationship with me never cease! As those, who wish to harvest white rice in the fields, make loud noises with their ‘thannumai’ drums, startled, storks with curving legs, cry out aloud with the sound of the tightly tied ‘vayir’ instrument, and then fly away to the wide-leafed Palmyra trees in the lord’s shore! My friend, that heart of mine went to find sweet sleep on his chest. All I wish is that when my heart finds him not rendering his graces, it shouldn’t give up being there and return here!” Hearing the musical bird sounds and lifting our heads to the soaring seashore trees, let’s walk on and learn more! The lady starts with a description of the painful time of evening, when flowers along the shore are closing their buds, the ocean is resounding with its huge waves, and seabirds, after a sumptuous meal of fish, are retiring to their nests in the characteristic ‘Punnai’ trees. Why should the lady call these pleasant scenes as painful? She replies to us saying that’s because at such a time, when easterly winds had decided to aggravate her angst, the man had left her in helplessness and parted away far. Even though he’s left her in such a state, the lady wishes that no harm should come to their loving relationship. Then she describes the man’s seashore town as a place, where harvesters come beat the thannumai drum before carrying on their work, and startled, screeching like the ‘vayir’ instrument, storks take to the skies and find a palmyra tree to brood. This everyday scene is a metaphor for how the lady’s heart has left its resting spot, startled by the man’s parting away, and had flown away to where he was. The lady concludes with the wish that even if the man does not render his graces, her heart that had left, wanting to find sweet sleep on his chest, must not abandon hope and return to her! And so, here we find the blooming of good thoughts even as the darkness of loneliness closes around the lady. There’s wishing well for the future that their relationship should live long. There’s also a wish for the present in seeking persistence even if there seems to be no results in the outer world. With all this positivity, hopefully the lady would find the strength to bear the parting. Another interesting but rather subtle element in this verse is the act of beating the ‘Thannummai’ drums by farmers before harvesting. Herein, lies an act of compassion by the harvesters to chase away any animals and birds that may be residing amidst the paddy crops, so that they do not fall prey to the harvesters’ axes. Though startling to the bird, that sound made is for its own good! And likewise in life, we may be startled out of our comfort zones by certain events but it’s time’s way of nudging us to be where we ought to be!

In this episode, we hear heartfelt words of appeasement, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 39, penned by Madurai Chenkannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse paints the inner and outer world at a particular space and time in exquisite detail. ‘ஒழித்தது பழித்த நெஞ்சமொடு வழிப் படர்ந்து,உள்ளியும் அறிதிரோ, எம்?’ என, யாழ நின்முள் எயிற்றுத் துவர் வாய் முறுவல் அழுங்க,நோய் முந்துறுத்து நொதுமல் மொழியல்; நின்ஆய் நலம் மறப்பெனோ மற்றே? சேண் இகந்துஒலி கழை பிசைந்த ஞெலி சொரி ஒண் பொறிபடு ஞெமல் புதையப் பொத்தி, நெடு நிலைமுளி புல் மீமிசை வளி சுழற்றுறாஅக்காடு கவர் பெருந் தீ ஓடுவயின் ஓடலின்,அதர் கெடுத்து அலறிய சாத்தொடு ஒராங்குமதர் புலி வெரீஇய மையல் வேழத்துஇனம் தலை மயங்கிய நனந் தலைப் பெருங் காட்டு,ஞான்று தோன்று அவிர் சுடர் மான்றால் பட்டென,கள் படர் ஓதி! நிற் படர்ந்து உள்ளி,அருஞ் செலவு ஆற்றா ஆர் இடை, ஞெரேரெனப்பரந்து படு பாயல் நவ்வி பட்டென,இலங்கு வளை செறியா இகுத்த நோக்கமொடு,நிலம் கிளை நினைவினை நின்ற நிற் கண்டு,‘இன்னகை’! இனையம் ஆகவும், எம்வயின்ஊடல் யாங்கு வந்தன்று?’ என, யாழ நின்கோடு ஏந்து புருவமொடு குவவு நுதல் நீவி,நறுங் கதுப்பு உளரிய நன்னர் அமையத்து,வறுங் கை காட்டிய வாய் அல் கனவின்ஏற்று ஏக்கற்ற உலமரல்போற்றாய்ஆகலின், புலத்தியால், எம்மே! Back to the drylands, and here, the man’s back from his travels. However, his lady seems to be angry with him for parting away for so long. At this time, the man says these words to the lady: “Asking me, “Along with that heart of yours, which had cast aspersions on your avoiding travel, when you traversed those paths, did you even think once about me?”, you stand there burying your smile within your sharp teeth and red mouth. Do not speak such untrue words that cause much suffering! How can I ever forget your celebrated beauty? In those faraway spaces, as thick bamboos brushed against each other, sparks of fire scattered and fell on withered leaves, burying them in the brightness of the burning flames, and the swirling wind then spread that fire on wild grass growing thither. Seeing such a fire that seemed to have the power to swallow the forest entire, running helter-skelter, and instead of pursuing their travels, merchants many stood there, screaming in alarm, akin to how, fearing a mad tiger, a herd of elephants would move about in much confusion, in the wide spaces of that huge scrublands jungle. In such a place, when the flaming sun, shining bright, high upon the sky, had descended and faded away, O maiden with bee-swarming, fragrant tresses, when I was thinking of you, in that harsh and inaccessible drylands path, akin to a swiftly leaping and prancing doe, with your shining bangles and shy looks, you suddenly stood there, tracing circles with your toes on the ground, and I said, ‘My dearest woman with the sweetest smile, when this is my nature, how can you be angry with me so?’, caressing your uplifted eyebrows and your rounded forehead, and stroking your fragrant tresses. At that beautiful moment, I suddenly glimpsed at my empty hands and realised that this was no truth, but merely a dream, and felt a deep yearning and suffering. Without understanding all this, here you are, sulking with me!” Let’s take in the heat and fire of the scorching drylands, and at the same time, perceive the moisture in the man’s heart! The man starts by remarking how the lady is angry with him because he parted away, against the wise counsel of elders to never leave a woman in suffering, because his heart had unceasingly nudged him to leave. She seems to have asked him if even for a single moment the man had thought of her! The man seems hurt by such a question and asks her how it was even possible for him to forget her! He then goes on to talk about the drylands, and to depict the danger in this space, he brings before the lady’s eyes, the sight of bamboos brushing against each other, and causing sparks to fly and fall on the dry leaves, and then fuelled by the hot winds, spread on the wild grass, as well. The fire that was spreading seemed as if it was about to devour the forest entire, and seeing all this, the wayfarers, most of them merchants, ran madly and then grouped together in a safe spot, giving up all thought of traversing further, the man details. He places in parallel these frightened wayfarers to a herd of elephants that run around, fearing a mad and ferocious tiger, and then find safety in numbers by huddling together. After describing the nature of the place he was travelling, the man goes on to talk about how when the sun had set, and he had been thinking about the lady, suddenly she herself appeared there, looking like a female deer. He seemed to have pulled her close to him, caressed her eyebrows and forehead and stroked her hair and asked the question, ‘When I love you so much, how can you be sulking with me?’. Just then, the lady vanished and the man realised this was but a dream, and he felt such pain in his heart. Sketching this moment, the man ends wit

In this episode, we listen to how a hidden message is subtly conveyed, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 38, penned by Vadama Vannakkan Peri Saathanaar. Set in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’, the verse paints picturesque images to etch the past and present. விரி இணர் வேங்கை வண்டு படு கண்ணியன்,தெரி இதழ்க் குவளைத் தேம் பாய் தாரன்,அம் சிலை இடவது ஆக, வெஞ் செலல்கணை வலம் தெரிந்து, துணை படர்ந்து உள்ளி,வருதல் வாய்வது, வான் தோய் வெற்பன்.வந்தனன் ஆயின், அம் தளிர்ச் செயலைத்தாழ்வு இல் ஓங்கு சினைத் தொடுத்த வீழ் கயிற்றுஊசல் மாறிய மருங்கும், பாய்பு உடன்ஆடாமையின் கலுழ்பு இல தேறி,நீடு இதழ் தலைஇய கவின் பெறு நீலம்கண் என மலர்ந்த சுனையும், வண் பறைமடக் கிளி எடுத்தல்செல்லாத் தடக் குரல்குலவுப் பொறை இறுத்த கோல் தலை இருவிகொய்து ஒழி புனமும், நோக்கி; நெடிது நினைந்து;பைதலன் பெயரலன்கொல்லோ? ஐ தேய்கு‘அய வெள் அருவி சூடிய உயர் வரைக்கூஉம் கணஃது எம் ஊர்’ எனஆங்கு அதை அறிவுறல் மறந்திசின், யானே. The mighty mountains beckon us with their lush green stories of romance. Here, the confidante says these words to the lady, while passing on a pointed message to the man, listening nearby: “Wearing a head garland of Kino flowers, swarming with bees, and a chest garland of honey-dripping, wide-petaled blue waterlilies, carrying an exquisite bow on his left and well-chosen speeding arrows, thinking about his mate, the lord of the sky-high mountains will surely come here. When he does, he will see the swing, tied with a rope on the unbending, tall branch of the luxuriant ‘Seyalai’ tree, standing still, unused; the spring, where beautiful, long-petaled blue lotuses have bloomed like eyes, appearing unshaken, since we have not dived and played in it; the millet field, with the once-thick crop ears that bent the stalks with their weight, too heavy to be carried by those naive parrots with wide wings, completely harvested, appearing barren, with just tiny stubbles; Seeing all this, he will think for long and then part away with suffering, won’t he? Let my beauty be ruined! For Alas! I forgot to remind him then and there that, ‘Atop the tall mountain clad with a picturesque, white cascade, within calling distance, is our village!’” Time to take in the flower-filled mountain springs and understand more! The confidante starts by presenting an image of the man, wearing garlands of Kino flowers on his head and a garland of blue lilies on his chest, and carrying a bow and strong arrows too. This lord of the mountains is sure to come to the mountain spaces, thinking of his love, she says, and adds that when he does so, he’s in for quite a disappointment. The familiar places, where he had trysted with his beloved, would appear different now, for instance, the swing tied to the tall Ashoka tree, the one he used to push the lady on, would be absolutely still, with no one to adorn it; Likewise, the springs, wherein he once dived and played with the lady, will now be crystal clear, without any ripples, for the lady had not been there for long; And finally, the millet fields would have only stubble for those heavy crop ears would all be harvested, the confidante elaborates. Going from one spot to another, the man’s heart is going to get heavier and heavier and he’s going to leave with dejection, she predicts. Finally, the confidante concludes with a curse upon herself for the reason she forgot to tell the man where their town was, just on that tall mountain with a white cascade, within calling distance. In essence, the confidante means to tell the listening man that the harvest was done and the lady could no longer tryst with him in all those familiar spaces. From one angle, this can be seen as an invitation to the man for a tryst by night with the lady or it could be the confidante’s way of nudging the man to turn in the direction of a permanent union with the lady. Beyond the usual chants of ‘Marry her, Marry her’, what shines in this verse, is the way the abstract quality of absence is sketched so tangibly in the appearance of places! A feeling that endures across space and time in the parting away of someone we love, and its echo on the outer world, once shared with them!

In this episode, we perceive the distress in the lady’s heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 37, penned by Vitrootru Mootheyinanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents a unique portrait of the season of spring. மறந்து, அவண் அமையார் ஆயினும், கறங்கு இசைக்கங்குல் ஓதைக் கலி மகிழ் உழவர்பொங்கழி முகந்த தா இல் நுண் துகள்,மங்குல் வானின், மாதிரம் மறைப்ப,வைகு புலர் விடியல் வை பெயர்த்து ஆட்டி,தொழிற் செருக்கு அனந்தர் வீட, எழில் தகைவளியொடு சினைஇய வண் தளிர் மாஅத்துக்கிளி போல் காய கிளைத் துணர் வடித்து,புளிப்பதன் அமைத்த புதுக் குட மலிர் நிறைவெயில் வெரிந் நிறுத்த பயில் இதழ்ப் பசுங் குடை,கயம் மண்டு பகட்டின் பருகி, காண் வர,கொள்ளொடு பயறு பால் விரைஇ, வெள்ளிக்கோல் வரைந்தன்ன வால் அவிழ் மிதவைவாங்கு கை தடுத்த பின்றை, ஓங்கியபருதிஅம் குப்பை சுற்றி, பகல் செல,மருதமர நிழல், எருதொடு வதியும்காமர் வேனில்மன் இதுமாண் நலம் நுகரும் துணை உடையோர்க்கே! Another trip to the drylands, and in contrast to the barren landscape, here we find images depicting a scene of plenty. These are the words spoken by the lady to her confidante, when the man, who had left in search of wealth, remains parted away from her: “This is the season when the resounding music of joyous farmers calling out at dawn spreads all around; At this time, when the dawn ends the darkness of the night, these farmers separate stacks of hay and prepare to sift the unrefined paddy. The flawless, fine dust that arises then soars above like black clouds and hides all the directions in the sky; To surmount the tiredness caused by all this hard work, they pluck huge clusters of unripe mangoes, in the hue of parrots, swaying atop branches to the tune of a beautiful breeze. Chopping the unripe mangoes, they add to the fermenting, new pots, which brim over with the sour drink within. Dipping into these pots, showing their backs to the sun, using bowls made of fresh-petalled palm fronds, akin to bulls that drink water in a pond, they savour the drink to their delight. Then mixing the right amount of horse gram and milk together, they add the mixture to cooked white rice, appearing akin to silver wires, and eat it until their curving hand stops them from having more. Then, under the shade of the ‘Marutham’ trees, where paddy is heaped up, as the day journeys on, they rest with their bulls. Such is this beautiful season of spring, and even though he isn’t going to forget me and remain there forever, this is a desirable season only to those, who have companions to savour their fine beauty, right next to them!” Let’s take a refreshing break in the middle of the sweltering drylands and learn what’s in the lady’s heart! The lady starts not by describing the elements of this landscape as is frequently done, but instead focuses on the changes in her own surroundings. She describes how the lovely season of spring has arrived by narrating the activities of farmers, who can be heard waking up at dawn, and calling out the community to start their work, and even at that early hour, they can be seen doing tasks like separating bundles of hay and sifting the paddy by thrashing. The result of the latter activity is that the fine dust rises up like black clouds, and seemingly covers the sky, the lady says. So much hard work, so early in the day – That’s the life of farmers everywhere! But they do have their ways of finding relaxation, the lady explains, informing us of the details of how they prepare a drink, and then a food item. First, let’s focus on the drink, which is something made from an unripe mango, still in the colour of a parrot, happily swaying on a branch in the gentle spring breeze, perhaps thinking, ‘my time is not come yet!’. However, the farmers have other plans for they pluck clusters of these unripe mangoes and make a sour drink out of them in huge pots. Sounds familiar, right? This ancient recipe matches exactly with a drink called as ‘Aam Panna’ in Hindi, a beverage, popular in the Northern and Western parts of India, which is nothing but Green mango juice, known for its excellent health benefits, top among the benefits being, bringing coolness to the body in the heat of summer! Here’s an ancient bridge linking the North and South of this country, reminding us of the oneness of all of us! Returning, these farmers now bend their backs and drink up the cooling, health juice from the huge pots, using a vessel made of palm fronds, showing their backs to the sun, and this image is placed in parallel to bulls drinking water from a pond. A cool drink has been had and these farmers decide it’s time for some food, and so they take some healthy horse gram, milk and rice, and delight in that food until they can have no more and their hands stop them. Finally, these farmers stay and rest beneath the ‘Marutham’ trees, while letting their bulls graze. The lady ends this elaborate narration by saying such is the season of spring, and ev

In this episode, we listen to the angry words of a wife, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 36, penned by Madurai Nakeerar. Set amidst the fish-filled ponds and blooming trees of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands Landscape’, the verse conveys facets of nature and nuggets of history. பகுவாய் வராஅற் பல் வரி இரும் போத்துக்கொடு வாய் இரும்பின் கோள் இரை துற்றி,ஆம்பல் மெல் அடை கிழிய, குவளைக்கூம்பு விடு பல் மலர் சிதையப் பாய்ந்து, எழுந்து,அரில் படு வள்ளை ஆய் கொடி மயக்கி,தூண்டில் வேட்டுவன் வாங்க வாராது,கயிறு இடு கதச் சேப் போல, மதம் மிக்கு,நாள் கயம் உழக்கும் பூக் கேழ் ஊர! வரு புனல் வையை வார் மணல் அகன் துறை,திரு மருது ஓங்கிய விரி மலர்க் காவில்,நறும் பல் கூந்தற் குறுந் தொடி மடந்தையொடுவதுவை அயர்ந்தனை என்ப. அலரே,கொய் சுவல் புரவிக் கொடித் தேர்ச் செழியன்ஆலங்கானத்து அகன் தலை சிவப்ப,சேரல், செம்பியன், சினம் கெழு திதியன்,போர் வல் யானைப் பொலம் பூண் எழினி,நார் அரி நறவின் எருமையூரன்,தேம் கமழ் அகலத்துப் புலர்ந்த சாந்தின்இருங்கோ வேண்மான், இயல் தேர்ப் பொருநன், என்றுஎழுவர் நல் வலம் அடங்க, ஒரு பகல்முரைசொடு வெண்குடை அகப்படுத்து, உரை செல,கொன்று, களம்வேட்ட ஞான்றை,வென்றி கொள் வீரர் ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிதே! After the fixed interval, we are back to the songs from the fertile farming towns and as can be expected, the situation of love quarrel between the man and his lady is ongoing, because of the man’s relationship with a courtesan. The man returns home, seeking to appease his wife and these are the words the lady says to him: “A huge male striped Varaal fish with a wide open mouth, after eating the bait at the tip of the curving iron hook, tearing the soft leaf of a white waterlily and crushing the many flower buds of the blue waterlily, leaps and soars, tangling the beautiful interlaced ‘vallai’ vines, and then refusing to come along as the fish-hook wielding hunter pulls in, akin to a mad bull that’s being tamed with a rope, full of arrogance, churns the pond, during the morning hour in your town, flourishing with flowers, O lord! On the wide, sand-filled shores of the Vaigai river with unceasing waters, where an esteemed ‘Marutham’ tree soars in a blooming flower orchard, you united in marriage with a maiden wearing small bangles and having fragrant, thick hair, they say. As for the rumours, it seems to be louder than the uproar of the victorious soldiers, in the army of the Pandya King Chezhiyan, riding atop chariots, fluttering with flags, and pulled by horses with trimmed manes, on that day he killed the enemy warriors and claimed victory in the battle at Alangaanam, reddening the wide spaces, and conquering the great strength of the seven, namely the Chera King Cheral, Chozha King Sembiyan, the furious Thithiyan, Ezhini wielding battle-worthy elephants adorned with golden ornaments, the Lord of Erumai Oor, renowned for its distilled fine toddy, the Ruler of Venmaan, Irungo, with a honey-fragrant wide chest streaked with sandalwood, and Porunan with his capable chariots, all in just a single day, as he captured all their war drums and white royal umbrellas, making his fame spread everywhere!” Time to sit by a pond, and watch the antics of this rich male fish! The lady starts with a lengthy description of the man’s town filled with fresh flowers, where in the wee hours of the morning, a fisherman is at his work, loosening his fishing line. At this time, a freshwater murrel fish, attracted by the tasty bait on the fish hook, feeds on it, and then tries to escape, by leaping above the waters, and in the process, tears a white waterlily leaf, crushes the flower buds of the blue waterlily, messes up the ‘vallai’ vines and refuses to be pulled in by the fisherman. To portray the attitude of this fish, the lady brings in the simile of a mad bull that thrashes about, refusing to be tamed. Consequently, the fish ends up muddling the waters of that pond, she says. A lengthy description of a farmland town is bound to have hidden meanings. But we’ll come to that in just a moment! The lady continues by talking about how many people came to her and told her that the man had united together with a young maiden, in the flower orchard, on the shore of the Vaigai River, which is incidentally described as having ceaseless waters, a far cry from the sandy river beds of the said river we see today. After relaying her knowledge of the man’s actions, the lady concludes by talking about how gossip and slander is spreading all around town. To quantify the intensity of these rumours, she says this is louder than the victory shouts of the Pandya King Chezhiyan, when in a single day, at the battle of Alangaanam, he routed the armies of seven kings, namely the Chera and Chozha kings as well as five other Velir Kings such as Thithiyan, Ezhini, Erumai Ooran, Irungo and Porunan, and captured their war drums and royal umbrellas. Now would be a good time to return to the description of the leaping fish in the pond, which is a metaphor for how the bard baited the man, and he fell f

In this episode, we listen to a mother’s fervent prayer, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 35, penned by Kudavayil Keerathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse depicts the life and worship of an ancient tribe, and also, the lament and love of a mother. ஈன்று புறந்தந்த எம்மும் உள்ளாள்,வான் தோய் இஞ்சி நல் நகர் புலம்பதனி மணி இரட்டும் தாளுடைக் கடிகை,நுழை நுதி நெடு வேல், குறும் படை மழவர்முனை ஆத் தந்து, முரம்பின் வீழ்த்தவில் ஏர் வாழ்க்கை விழுத் தொடை மறவர்வல் ஆண் பதுக்கைக் கடவுட் பேண்மார்,நடுகல் பீலி சூட்டி, துடிப்படுத்து,தோப்பிக் கள்ளொடு துரூஉப் பலி கொடுக்கும்போக்கு அருங் கவலைய புலவு நாறு அருஞ் சுரம்துணிந்து, பிறள் ஆயினள்ஆயினும், அணிந்து அணிந்து,ஆர்வ நெஞ்சமொடு ஆய் நலன் அளைஇ, தன்மார்பு துணையாகத் துயிற்றுகதில்லதுஞ்சா முழவின் கோவற் கோமான்நெடுந் தேர்க் காரி கொடுங்கால் முன்துறை,பெண்ணை அம் பேரியாற்று நுண் அறல் கடுக்கும்நெறி இருங் கதுப்பின் என் பேதைக்கு,அறியாத் தேஎத்து ஆற்றிய துணையே! We get to meet with the mother in this trip to the drylands, and here are her words, at the juncture when her daughter has eloped away with the man: “Thinking not of me, who gave birth and raised her, leaving the fine mansion with sky-soaring walls to lament, she has left to the formidable drylands, where small bands of ‘Mazhavars’, bearing tall spears with sharp edges, and firm necks, around which bells ring aloud, after recovering their stolen cattle at the battlefront, build stone memorials for those great and able warriors, known for their lives of ploughing with their bows, the ones, who defeated the enemies and had fallen to their death, see them as their gods and pray for their protection, by adorning their hero stones with peacock feathers, beating drums, offering along with rice wine, a sacrifice of sheep, in those flesh-reeking, deserted paths. To such a place, she has left so daringly, becoming a stranger to us. My naive daughter, who has wavy dark tresses, akin to the fine sands of the great Pennai river, in the shore of the Kodunkaal town, ruled by ‘Kaari’, the one who wields tall chariots, the king of Kovalur, where drums sleep not, was taken away to an unknown land by that companion of hers. Praising her again and again, delighting in her fine beauty, let him always offer his chest, for her to sleep sweetly!” Listening to the prayers of hero stone worshippers, let’s take a walk in the drylands and understand this mother’s heart. Mother starts by lamenting how the lady had no thought about her mother, who had given birth and raised her with much love. She says this because the lady had left their wealthy mansion and parted away to the drylands, in the company of a young man. She then talks about a tribe of people called the ‘Mazhavars’, who are skilled at the battlefield, and are adept at recovering their stolen cattle. In any war, there would be losses, and even these brave soldiers, who fought and defeated the enemy, might succumb in the battle. In memory of those great warriors, the Mazhavars erect hero stones, tie them with peacock feathers, offer rice wine and sacrifice sheep as part of their prayers to these people who lived and defended them. Why has mother seemingly forgotten her girl and started talking about a random tribe? Only to say in those deserted paths, where these Mazhavars offer their prayers and spread the scent of flesh in the air, her daughter now walks with the man. After that description of the drylands, mother mulls over how her own precious daughter had become a stranger to her because of her act of eloping away. Thinking of the beauty of her little girl, mother is reminded of the wavy tresses, which she then places in parallel to the sands on the shore of the ‘Pennai’ river in a town called ‘Kodunkaal’ ruled by the King of Kovalur, ‘Kaari’. Isn’t it interesting how history and geography are presented as a package in that description of the silt-filled sands of a river shore and the king who rules it? Returning, we find mother, after singing praises of her girl’s beauty, now concluding with a sincere wish that the man, who took away her girl, would always be loving to her, keeping her happy by celebrating her, and delighting in her beauty and most of all, offering his chest for her precious girl to attain a comforting sleep, every single day! What should we focus on? Should we speak about a mother’s love that overlooks all hurt experienced and wishes only for the welfare of her child? Should we delight in that comparison of a South Indian woman’s wavy tresses with the sand patterns of the River ‘Pennai’? Or, should we focus on those insightful anthropological details of ancestor worship, a commonality among most ancient cultures, and possibly, the origin of religion itself? Perhaps, we should simply whisper a word of gratitude to these ancient Sangam poets, who have shown us the ocean in their little drops of words!

In this episode, we perceive the yearning in a man to return home speedily, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 34, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the rain-soaked ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’, the verse portrays scenes in the wild and its consequences on a man’s mind. சிறு கரும் பிடவின் வெண் தலைக் குறும் புதல்கண்ணியின் மலரும் தண் நறும் புறவில்,தொடுதோற் கானவன் கவை பொறுத்தன்னஇரு திரி மருப்பின் அண்ணல் இரலைசெறி இலைப் பதவின் செங் கோல் மென் குரல்மறி ஆடு மருங்கின் மடப் பிணை அருத்தி,தெள் அறல் தழீஇய வார் மணல் அடைகரை,மெல்கிடு கவுள துஞ்சு புறம் காக்கும்பெருந்தகைக்கு உடைந்த நெஞ்சம் ஏமுற,செல்க, தேரே நல் வலம் பெறுந! பசை கொல் மெல் விரல், பெருந் தோள் புலைத்திதுறை விட்டன்ன தூ மயிர் எகினம்துணையொடு திளைக்கும் காப்புடை வரைப்பில்,செந் தார்ப் பைங் கிளி முன்கை ஏந்தி,”இன்று வரல் உரைமோ, சென்றிசினோர் திறத்து” என,இல்லவர் அறிதல் அஞ்சி, மெல்லெனமழலை இன் சொல் பயிற்றும்நாணுடை அரிவை மாண் நலம் பெறவே. Here we are, in the cool and fragrant forests, and here, unfolds a tale of a man rushing home after finishing his mission. His words to his charioteer are: “The little white-headed bush, filled with tiny, dark wild jasmine leaves, sprouts like a garland in the cool and fragrant forest. Appearing akin to a forester, who wears leather footwear, and carries a bundle of firewood, atop his head, the esteemed male deer with huge, twisted antlers, helps its naive mate to feed on the thick-leaved bushes with red stems and soft stalks, in the spaces, where young goats play. Then, the male takes the female deer to the river shore, filled with sands, embracing the long banks, and standing, with its cheeks munching on food, and guards its sleeping mate. Seeing this generous nature of the beast, my heart breaks down in tears. So, ride fast, O efficient charioteer! Akin to the foams of white starch, let out in the river by the soft fingers of the washerwoman, with huge arms, are the pristine feathered swans, which delight joyously with their mates in our well-guarded mansion. To a green parrot with a red garland perched on her forearm, fearing that those in the home would hear her words, in a soft tone, with a child’s lisp, she would say, “If you want to say something about the one who parted away, please say that he will return today”. For me to delight in the beauty of this young maiden brimming with modesty, ride fast, O charioteer!” Savouring the fragrance of wild jasmines in bloom, let’s learn more of the man’s heart! The man starts by describing the forest around him. He talks about the wild jasmine bushes that are painting the forest with a rich scent. From these generic descriptions, the man moves to a specific scene, where he sees a male deer with huge antlers, which reminds him of the image of a man of the forest region, carrying a bundle of firewood, atop his head. The man points to how this male deer helps its female to the rich food of the bushes and then takes the mate to the comfortable river shores. Then, as the female sleeps, the male stands there guarding the female with much devotion, the man says. Seeing this scene, the man wants to shower the same love on his lady, waiting for him. He recollects the swans in their household, and connects the white feathers of these birds to the white starch that a washerwoman empties in the river shore. Next, in his mind’s eye, travelling further inside his home, the man finds his lady talking to a pet parrot on her arm, with a child-like lisp, in a soft voice, so that no one around hears, begging for the parrot to say the good word that the man will return that very day. So, to delight this young maiden by fulfilling her heart’s dearest wish, the man bids his able charioteer to hasten the horses! It’s heartwarming to perceive such loving images of the other in the minds of these lovelorn couples from the past! Stunning how those images in nature, with those wild deer, and the actions of those engaged in different work, like that forester collecting twigs or that washerwoman at work in a river shore, are brought with clarity and depth before our eyes, all with a few words! A verse that feels like a satisfying ride on a chariot, taking in the glimpses of the past, and smiling at the timeless love at the core!

In this episode, we listen to thoughtful words spoken to the heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 33, penned by Madurai Alakkar Gnaazhaar Makanaar Mallanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse highlights the conflict between work and love in those times. வினை நன்றாதல் வெறுப்பக் காட்டி,மனை மாண் கற்பின் வாணுதல் ஒழிய,கவை முறி இழந்த செந் நிலை யாஅத்துஒன்று ஓங்கு உயர் சினை இருந்த, வன் பறை,வீளைப் பருந்தின் கோள் வல் சேவல்வளை வாய்ப் பேடை வரு திறம் பயிரும்இளி தேர் தீம் குரல் இசைக்கும் அத்தம்செலவு அருங்குரைய என்னாது, சென்று, அவள்மலர் பாடு ஆன்ற, மை எழில், மழைக் கண்தெளியா நோக்கம் உள்ளினை, உளி வாய்வெம் பரல் அதர குன்று பல நீந்தி,யாமே எமியம் ஆக, நீயேஒழியச் சூழ்ந்தனைஆயின் முனாஅதுவெல் போர் வானவன் கொல்லி மீமிசை,நுணங்கு அமை புரையும் வணங்கு இறைப் பணைத் தோள்,வரி அணி அல்குல், வால் எயிற்றோள்வயின்பிரியாய்ஆயின் நன்றுமன் தில்ல.அன்று நம் அறியாய்ஆயினும், இன்று நம்செய்வினை ஆற்றுற விலங்கின்,எய்துவைஅல்லையோ, பிறர் நகு பொருளே? Back to the drylands and here, we are following the man’s trail in the harsh landscape and listening to these words he speaks to his heart: “Emphasising how important the mission of gathering wealth was, you made me leave behind the maiden, with a shining forehead, the one who adds glory to the home, and brought me here, where upon a sturdy Ya tree, which has lost all its leaves, on a soaring high branch, a strong male killer eagle with powerful wings, cries out calling its mate with a curved beak, making that sweet sound of an ‘Ili’, resound all around the drylands. Without thinking that the journey would be harsh and formidable, you brought me here, and now, thinking of the clear gaze in her flower-like, kohl-streaked, rain-like eyes, you want to part away, leaving me, the one who came traversing across hills many, with hot stones, akin to chisel edges, all alone! Had you not separated from the one having a beautiful lined waist, shining teeth, a curving wrist and arms, akin to the slender bamboos that flourish atop the Kolli hills, ruled by the great king, with unceasing victories in the battlefield, that would have been good. Even if you couldn’t understand what our state would be then, if today you leave the mission unfinished and return, won’t you become an object of everyone’s scorn?” Even as we hear the deep voices of the winged predators in the drylands, let’s turn our attention to the whispers of the heart! The man turns to his heart and recollects how it insisted that he leave on his mission to gather wealth, leaving behind his wife. Now they were in the middle of the drylands, where a male eagle with strong wings sitting atop a leafless Ya tree was calling its mate to come close and that piercing sound was ringing everywhere, sounding like the ‘Ili’ instrument. Then, the man talks about his present and says the heart, after bringing him here, has now started thinking about the lady’s eyes and feels the urge to part away to her. The man chides his heart and says, ‘At least if you had known this earlier, we would not have separated from the lady’, whom he describes as having slender arms akin to the bamboos that grow in the Kolli hills, ruled by a victorious king. The man concludes by asking his heart that now, after bringing him all the way there, if the heart were to abandon the task of gathering wealth halfway and rush back to the lady, won’t it become the laughing stock of everyone! In essence, it’s the man who’s feeling extremely nostalgic and yearns to be back in the embrace of his lady. But to get some perspective, the man separates himself from his heart and addresses these words, thereby finding the inspiration to move forward, while acknowledging the strong force pulling him backwards. Lines that echo aloud the power of inner awareness and self-motivation that can keep us going in the harshest of situations!

In this episode, we perceive a romance brewing, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 32, penned by Nalvelliyaar. Set amidst the millet fields in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, the verse paints a vivid portrait of inner emotions and outer reactions. நெருநல் எல்லை ஏனல் தோன்றி,திரு மணி ஒளிர்வரும் பூணன் வந்து,புரவலன் போலும் தோற்றம் உறழ்கொள,இரவல் மாக்களின் பணிமொழி பயிற்றி,“சிறு தினைப் படு கிளி கடீஇயர், பல் மாண்குளிர் கொள் தட்டை மதன் இல புடையா,சூரரமகளிரின் நின்ற நீ மற்றுயாரையோ? எம் அணங்கியோய்! உண்கு” எனச்சிறுபுறம் கவையினனாக, அதற்கொண்டுஇகு பெயல் மண்ணின் ஞெகிழ்பு, அஞர் உற்ற என்உள் அவன் அறிதல் அஞ்சி, உள் இல்கடிய கூறி, கை பிணி விடாஅ,வெரூஉம் மான் பிணையின் ஒரீஇ, நின்றஎன் உரத் தகைமையின் பெயர்த்து, பிறிது என்வயின்சொல்ல வல்லிற்றும்இலனே; அல்லாந்து,இனம் தீர் களிற்றின் பெயர்ந்தோன் இன்றும்தோலாவாறு இல்லை தோழி! நாம் சென்மோ.சாய் இறைப் பணைத் தோட் கிழமை தனக்கேமாசு இன்றாதலும் அறியான், ஏசற்று,என் குறைப் புறனிலை முயலும்அண்கணாளனை நகுகம், யாமே. We are back amidst the picturesque mountains, and here, we hear the lady narrate an incident to her confidante. Her words are: “Yesterday, a man adorned with wealthy ornaments, radiant with precious gems, appeared amidst the millet fields. In contrast to his appearance, akin to a benefactor, he spoke in the humble words of supplicants, saying, “O maiden, who chases away parrots, which come to steal away little millets, by rattling the ‘kulir’ and ‘thattai’ devices, without much strength, standing there, akin to a mountain spirit, who are you? You have bewitched me! I shall embrace you!”. Saying so, he hugged the small of my back. At that moment, akin to how hard mud softens in a downpour, my heart melted. Fearing that he would come to know of my state within, I spoke harsh words that didn’t come from my heart, and removed the clasp of his hand, and akin to a frightened female deer, stood away. Seeing this strong reaction of mine, he stood there, unable to say words any. Dejected, he soon parted away in the stance of a male elephant, shunned by its herd. He will come here today too, without fail. So, let’s go, my friend, to see how that man, who doesn’t know that my bamboo-like arms with curving wrists belong rightfully to him, as he tries to win my grace with much suffering, standing behind me. Let’s laugh at him resoundingly!” Craning our ears amidst the parrot screeches and rattle sounds, let’s hear the tale of this mountain maiden! The lady starts by describing what happened the previous day at the millet fields, when she was chasing away parrots. Apparently, a man who looked like a wealthy patron came there but he spoke with the humble words of a supplicant, begging from a patron. He seems to have asked who she was, the one who had stolen away his heart like a bewitching goddess, and then tried to hug her, standing behind. At that moment, to describe how she felt, the lady brings in the exquisite simile of dried-up mud becoming soft in the rain, relating to us, what a mushy mess her heart had turned into. Fearing the man would understand what she was feeling inside, the lady seems to have spoken harsh words that she did not mean at all, and removed his hands, then stepped aside, like a frightened female deer. Seeing her reaction, the man’s words dried up and he walked away in dejection, as if he were a male elephant ostracised by its herd! Relating this entire event of the previous day, the lady tells her friend that the man is sure to come and stand behind her, begging with much suffering, not knowing that she belonged to him rightfully. The lady concludes by inviting the friend to come along and laugh at the man, listening to his ignorant pleas! In essence, the lady is expressing to her confidante what she really feels about the man, and this is the first step in seeking the friend’s help in furthering her love relationship with the man. Interesting how the lady feels one thing within, but wants to hide it and says the opposite thing to the man, and consequently, it’s this outer refusal that encourages the young man to persist in his attempts to win the lady. Perhaps, it’s a reflection of an age-old natural technique, employed by the female of the species to test the sincerity of the male’s attentions!

In this episode, we perceive the fearsome nature of the region, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 31, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse offers insights about the extent of the domain, ruled by ancient Tamil kings. நெருப்பு எனச் சிவந்த உருப்பு அவிர் மண்டிலம்புலங்கடை மடங்கத் தெறுதலின், ஞொள்கி,”நிலம் புடைபெயர்வது அன்றுகொல், இன்று?” என,மன் உயிர் மடிந்த மழை மாறு அமையத்து,இலை இல ஓங்கிய நிலை உயர் யாஅத்துமேற் கவட்டு இருந்த பார்ப்பினங்கட்கு,கல்லுடைக் குறும்பின் வயவர் வில் இட,நிண வரிக் குறைந்த நிறத்த அதர்தொறும்,கணவிர மாலை இடூஉக் கழிந்தன்னபுண் உமிழ் குருதி பரிப்பக் கிடந்தோர்கண் உமிழ் கழுகின் கானம் நீந்தி,”சென்றார்” என்பு இலர் தோழி! வென்றியொடுவில் அலைத்து உண்ணும் வல் ஆண் வாழ்க்கைத்தமிழ் கெழு மூவர் காக்கும்மொழி பெயர் தேஎத்த பல் மலை இறந்தே. The drylands and the theme of separation seem to pop up again and again, unfailingly. In this instance, the man has parted away from the lady and the lady loses her health and beauty, pining for him. At this time, the people of the town spread slander seeing the change in her form. In response, the lady turns to her confidante and renders these words: “Reddening akin to fire, as the heat showering sun blazes, scorching the farmland crops, everything diminishes and makes one wonder, ‘Is today the day when the land loses its wealth and changes beyond recognition?’. It’s such a time when lives perish without the nourishing rains. And here, vultures swoop over those paths with diminished hue, coated by the lines of fatty flesh, brought down by the arrows, aimed by the harsh men in that barren hamlet, amidst the rocky terrain. So as to feed their younglings, waiting atop the wide branches of a tall ‘Ya’ tree, bereft of leaves any, these vultures peck away at the eyes of those, who are lying with blood spurting out of their wounds, appearing as if they are adorned with red oleander garlands. Such is that fearsome drylands, my friend, and there’s no one to say, ‘Beyond those many mountains, where people speak unknown languages, which are in the protection of the three great Kings of the Tamil land, who have the mighty tradition of winning over their enemies with their bows, and flourishing with the tributes offered, he went, leaving her behind!’.” Time for a walk in the sweltering drylands! The lady starts by talking about the harshness of the heat in the drylands, with the red sun, showering its anger on the land, killing everything fine and green, making people wonder if it’s the end of the world. Then, she points to how the paths with red soil appear reduced in their colour, because of fat lying strewn about everywhere. And how did this fat come to be? It’s the handiwork of the arrows belonging to the people of that domain, the highway robbers. From the ground, the lady points up to how vultures are swooping around this region and then she describes how these vultures dive in to peck the eyes of those lying wounded, with blood gushing out of their wounds, giving an appearance of wearing a red garland around them, and how those eyes become the food for the vulture chicks, waiting atop the tall, leafless ‘Ya’ trees. How gruesome and scary! Why would anyone want to traverse these lands?, we may ask. Exactly, replies the lady, adding that unlike you, there’s no-one here to question why the man has left to such a place in the drylands, crossing many mountains, where people speak other languages, though these lands come under the domain of the three great kings of the Tamil land, namely the Chozha, Chera and Pandya kings, adding how they subdue their enemies with the prowess of their bows and flourish in the tributes paid by the subjugated. A moment to pause and fully understand this ancient reference to the word ‘தமிழ்’ used here to denote the land ruled by the three kings. In many cultures, we find that the word used by these cultures to describe themselves is different from what the outsiders use. But here, we find that Tamil land has always been ‘Tamil’ by the people and the others uniformly. The other interesting facet is that these Chera, Chozha and Pandya kings seemed to have extended their dominion to regions, where other languages were spoken, marking the extent of the influence in the ancient world. Now returning to the crux of the verse, it’s a lady complaining that no one seems to be talking about the man, who has gone to such a horrible place, filled with dangers, leaving her behind. All they can do is blame her for losing her health and beauty. What an unfair world this is, she seems to be saying! A feeling we can truly understand, when we reflect on moments, where we have seen different standards being extended to men and women, in subtle and great ways, even today, after two thousand years!

In this episode, we relish intriguing similes on ancient professions, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 30, penned by Mudangi Kidantha Neduncheralaathan. The verse is situated amidst the roaring seas of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and relays a hidden rebuke. நெடுங் கயிறு வலந்த குறுங் கண் அவ் வலை,கடல் பாடு அழிய, இன மீன் முகந்து,துணை புணர் உவகையர் பரத மாக்கள்இளையரும் முதியரும் கிளையுடன் துவன்றி,உப்பு ஒய் உமணர் அருந் துறைபோக்கும்ஒழுகை நோன் பகடு ஒப்பக் குழீஇ,அயிர் திணி அடைகரை ஒலிப்ப வாங்கி,பெருங் களம் தொகுத்த உழவர் போல,இரந்தோர் வறுங் கலம் மல்க வீசி,பாடு பல அமைத்து, கொள்ளை சாற்றி,கோடு உயர் திணி மணல் துஞ்சும் துறைவ!பெருமை என்பது கெடுமோ ஒரு நாள்மண்ணா முத்தம் அரும்பிய புன்னைத்தண் நறுங் கானல் வந்து, ”நும்வண்ணம் எவனோ?” என்றனிர் செலினே? After ten songs, it’s time for a trip to the shore, and here, we hear the confidante speaking to the man, when he comes to tryst with the lady after a long gap. The confidante’s words are: “Wielding beautiful, small-eyed nets, tied with long ropes, diminishing the glory of the seas, gathering great schools of fish, with the joy of uniting with partners, those fisherfolk, young and old, along with their kith and kin, assemble together on the silt-filled shores, with much uproar, like the strong bulls of salt merchants, who traverse formidable shores with their study carts. Then, akin to farmers, who shower paddy in huge vessels, they fill the empty vessels of supplicants and make these brim over with their produce. Afterwards, splitting what’s left of their catch into many heaps, they shout out the prices, and finally, end their day sleeping on the peak-like sands of your shore, O lord! Will your great pride be ruined, if you were to come to this cool and fragrant orchard, filled with mastwood trees, and scattered with unrefined pearls, and ask with care, ‘How do you fare?’” Time to listen to the secret message hidden by the shouts of fishermen on the shore! The confidante turns to the man and starts by describing his land. To do that, she brings the people of this land to the fore, the fisherfolk, who have no qualms about taking the bounty of the sea, the rich catch of fish, with their well-woven, beautiful nets. She talks about how they resemble the bulls owned by another group of professionals in that landscape, namely the salt merchants, saying they use these bulls to traverse those tricky shores in their journey. The fisherfolk are sturdy and strong like the bulls as they gather together in that shore, the confidante implies. Then bringing in another group of people, the farmers, she characterises them as people, who would fill the vessels of those, who come seeking to them, with rich paddy. Just that way, these farmers of the sea, the fishermen, first give away what they have caught to those, who come seeking to them with empty vessels. From these mentions, we can infer that giving to the needy was considered as the first and foremost duty of those with any kind of wealth! Returning, we see that once charity is done, these fisherfolk take what’s left and heap the catch in little sections, and sell them, shouting out the prices. After an energetic day such as this, they rest by sleeping on the sandy shores, the confidante says, and ends the description of the man’s land. She then turns to the man and asks him whether he would fall from his great state if he came and enquired after the lady’s health, at their rich shore, filled with ‘punnai trees’ and washed-up pearls. With that pointed question, the confidante scolds the man for his absence and questions how he could be at peace after leaving the lady in such a torment. It’s a hidden message of ‘Marry her, Marry her’ yet again, but those energetic scenes of people doing their work with joy and meaning is something to smile about indeed!

In this episode, we understand perspectives about the pursuit of wealth, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 29, penned by Vellaadiyanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse echoes the emotions of the one who parted away and the one waiting for their return. “தொடங்கு வினை தவிரா, அசைவு இல் நோன் தாள்,கிடந்து உயிர் மறுகுவதுஆயினும், இடம் படின்வீழ் களிறு மிசையாப் புலியினும் சிறந்ததாழ்வு இல் உள்ளம் தலைதலைச் சிறப்ப,செய்வினைக்கு அகன்ற காலை, எஃகு உற்றுஇரு வேறு ஆகிய தெரி தகு வனப்பின்மாவின் நறு வடி போல, காண்தொறும்மேவல் தண்டா மகிழ் நோக்கு உண்கண்நினையாது கழிந்த வைகல், எனையதூஉம்,வாழலென் யான்” எனத் தேற்றி, பல் மாண்தாழக் கூறிய தகைசால் நல் மொழிமறந்தனிர் போறிர் எம்” எனச் சிறந்த நின்எயிறு கெழு துவர் வாய் இன் நகை அழுங்கவினவல் ஆனாப் புனைஇழை! கேள் இனி வெம்மை தண்டா எரி உகு பறந்தலை,கொம்மை வாடிய இயவுள் யானைநீர் மருங்கு அறியாது, தேர் மருங்கு ஓடி,அறு நீர் அம்பியின் நெறிமுதல் உணங்கும்உள்ளுநர்ப் பனிக்கும் ஊக்கு அருங் கடத்திடை,எள்ளல் நோனாப் பொருள் தரல் விருப்பொடுநாணுத் தளை ஆக வைகி, மாண் வினைக்குஉடம்பு ஆண்டு ஒழிந்தமை அல்லதை,மடம் கெழு நெஞ்சம் நின் உழையதுவே! It’s the drylands again but the good news is that the man’s back home. Here, he’s trying to appease the remnants of anxiety in his beloved’s heart, after he has returned to her fold. The man’s words to the lady are: “O maiden wearing well-etched ornaments, burying your sweet smile within your red mouth with shining teeth, you turn to me and ask me, ‘Having an unfaltering determination that never gives up on a task begun, even if it were to languish and lose its life, a tiger doesn’t feed on the elephant, which happened to fall on its left. Stronger than this tiger in resolution, is your unbending heart that parted away to exceedingly excel at its task of gathering wealth. Remember those fine and noble words that you spoke, with esteem and humility, consoling me, saying, ‘Akin to a fragrant green mango cut perfectly into two with an iron knife, with so much beauty, are your joyous, kohl-streaked eyes, which never lets the delight of those who see those eyes diminish. The days I spend thinking not of these eyes, are days in which I live not!’? Did you forget those words of yours when you parted away?’ Listen to me now. In those fiery wide spaces, filled with relentless heat, upon a path that has lost its beauty, walks an elephant, not knowing where to find water, and seeing a mirage, rushes to it, and then falls down with dejection, lying there like a boat stranded in a waterless spot. In such a fearsome path, which makes even those who think about it to tremble in fear, unable to bear the mockery of others, with an intention of bringing back wealth, bound by a sense of shame, to complete that noble task, it was my body that had parted away thither. Don’t you realise that my foolish heart was with you, all this while, right here?” Let’s go on and take a walk across those searing drylands and listen to this story! The man starts by revealing the question the lady had asked him. Without her usual smile, the lady seems to have asked the man whether he forgot certain words he had said to her, when he left on his mission to earn wealth in the drylands. To etch his unwavering decision to go to the drylands, the lady talks about how a tiger, no matter how famished, would never feed on an elephant that fell on its left. This depiction of a choosy tiger would no doubt make us scratch our heads! What it does it matter if the prey falls on the left or right, we may ask! But it’s just one of those quirky beliefs the Sangam people had. How they came to this conclusion would be a highly challenging but fascinating research idea! This also reminds me of a contemporary Tamil proverb involving a tiger, ‘Puli pasithaalum pul unnaathu’, meaning ‘Even if a tiger is hungry, it won’t eat grass’. At least this we can understand considering the wild cat is a pure non-vegetarian- a carnivore! In any case, the core thought here is the firmness of the decision that bends not to anything. So, the lady is talking about how with even more firmness than that tiger, the man went off to the drylands. He was the one, who had earlier told her that any day spent not looking at those split-mango-like eyes of hers was a day in which there was no life in him. Fancy words indeed! Spoken no doubt in the passion of love! Our lady has jotted them well and is now asking the man whether he forgot those words of his. In reply to this pointed question from his beloved, the man responds by first talking about the drylands, and describing it as a place, where there’s nothing but endless heat. Here, you can see elephants searching for water and lying there deceived by mirages, appearing like a mud-stranded boat, he says. After that sketch of that dreary place, the man goes on to list his reasons for leaving in search of wealth, and these include the taunts of others, his se

In this episode, we perceive the communication of a hidden message, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 28, penned by the Pandya King Arivudai Nambi. The verse is situated amidst the millets fields and parrot sounds of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and persuades a person to choose the path of permanent happiness. மெய்யின் தீரா மேவரு காமமொடுஎய்யாய் ஆயினும், உரைப்பல் தோழி!கொய்யா முன்னும், குரல் வார்பு, தினையேஅருவி ஆன்ற பைங் கால் தோறும்இருவி தோன்றின பலவே. நீயே,முருகு முரண்கொள்ளும் தேம் பாய் கண்ணி,பரியல் நாயொடு பல் மலைப் படரும்வேட்டுவற் பெறலொடு அமைந்தனை; யாழ நின்பூக் கெழு தொடலை நுடங்க, எழுந்து எழுந்து,கிள்ளைத் தெள் விளி இடைஇடை பயிற்றி,ஆங்கு ஆங்கு ஒழுகாய்ஆயின், அன்னை,”சிறு கிளி கடிதல் தேற்றாள், இவள்” என,பிறர்த் தந்து நிறுக்குவள்ஆயின்,உறற்கு அரிது ஆகும், அவன் மலர்ந்த மார்பே. A quaint little verse from the mountains, and here, we hear the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man, waiting by the hedge, but making sure he’s in earshot: “Owing to your excessive passion that arises from a ceaseless union, you realise not the consequences, my friend, let me tell you about it! Even before the luxuriant stalks of millets have been harvested, from the green stems flourishing in cascade streams, grains are dropping down and stubbles have started popping up. As for you, all you care about is attaining that hunter, the one, wearing a honey-dripping garland, woven with many contrasting flowers, accompanied by speedy dogs, who walks about on hills many. If you don’t stand up, again and again, and making your flower-filled garland sway, run around, here and there, and send out clear sounds of chasing away parrots, now and then, mother will think, ‘She’s no good at scaring away even those little parrots’ and bring someone else here to do this job. If that happens, impossible indeed it would be for you, to attain his flower-like, wide chest!” Let’s walk through the fields of mountain millets, rustling many a laden stalk, and listen to these women talk! The confidante tells her friend that she’s losing sight of something important, because she’s lost in the pleasures of being with the man. To explain further, she points to how the millet crops are fully mature, and even though the harvesters have not started their work, those grains seemed to be dropping off their spots and stubbles growing up from the mud. Given this situation, if the lady continues to be thinking only about her man, who is described as a hunter, who strolls the hills wearing fragrant garlands, accompanied by speedy dogs, then there’s big trouble waiting for the lady, warns the confidante. The confidante says that if the lady does not walk, hither and thither, making noises as if she’s heartily chasing away the parrots, mother’s going to think this girl can’t do her work right and she’s going to bring someone else to chase away those parrots. The confidante concludes by telling the lady that if she doesn’t do as advised, it’s going to become really hard for her to tryst with the man and embrace his handsome chest. It’s a quirky verse, where the confidante seems to be telling the lady, whether you work or not, you need to create the impression of working! Many a modern worker in the corporate world may identify with this ancient maiden’s statement! Joking apart, we have to understand that the confidante’s message is not for the lady but for the man, listening nearby, telling him, all your trysting is going to end soon, because the harvest is nearing, and the lady will not be found in these millet fields, so he better buck up and seek her hand in marriage. We can see how such a hidden message is effective in moving another to action, for then the idea to act becomes theirs and not because someone demands it of them. A lesson to take away to our situations of negotiation and persuasion today!

In this episode, we listen to an interesting argument for allaying fear, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 27, penned by Madurai Kanakkaayanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse reveals the perceived power of the lady’s beauty. “கொடு வரி இரும் புலி தயங்க, நெடு வரைஆடு கழை இரு வெதிர் கோடைக்கு ஒல்கும்கானம் கடிய என்னார், நாம் அழ,நின்றது இல் பொருட் பிணிச் சென்று இவண் தருமார்,செல்ப” என்ப என்போய்! நல்லமடவைமன்ற நீயே; வடவயின்வேங்கடம் பயந்த வெண் கோட்டு யானை,மறப் போர்ப் பாண்டியர் அறத்தின் காக்கும்கொற்கை அம் பெரும் துறை முத்தின் அன்னநகைப் பொலிந்து இலங்கும் எயிறு கெழு துவர் வாய்தகைப்பத் தங்கலர்ஆயினும், இகப்பயாங்ஙனம் விடுமோ மற்றே தேம் படத்தெள் நீர்க்கு ஏற்ற திரள் காற் குவளைப்பெருந்தகை சிதைத்தும், அமையா, பருந்து பட,வேத்து அமர்க் கடந்த வென்றி நல் வேல்குருதியொடு துயல்வந்தன்ன நின்அரி வேய் உண்கண் அமர்த்த நோக்கே? Yet again, we are in the drylands and the fear of parting gazes at us, with piercing eyes. The lady’s confidante says these words to the lady, at the moment when the lady worries about the man’s imminent parting away to the drylands: “You say to me, ‘Revealing the huge tiger with curving stripes, swaying bamboos in the tall ranges, pushed by the hot summer winds, bend and part in that drylands jungle. Without thinking that this is a dangerous place, leaving me to cry, afflicted by the desire of bringing back wealth, which stays not in one place, he will part away thither, they say’. You are utterly foolish indeed! Receiving as tribute, white-tusked elephants from the lords of Venkatam hills in the north, the battle-worthy Pandya kings, protect with their virtuous rule, the great port of Korkai. Akin to the pearls from this shore, with glowing smiles, shines the teeth in your red mouth. Even if these do not block and make him stay, consider your kohl-streaked eyes, which have put the great beauty, of honey-dripping, thick-stalked, blue lotuses, standing in clear waters, to shame, and not satisfied with that, appear with beautiful red lines, akin to a blood-streaked, fine spear that has won over enemies many, delighting vultures in the battlefield! How will these eyes of yours with a beautiful gaze let him leave?” Let’s skulk along with that hiding tiger and learn more of this tale! The lady’s confidante starts by repeating the words of the lady, who seems to have heard from others that the man is planning to leave on a mission to gather wealth to the drylands jungle. Two side stories here: One, a philosophical observation about wealth is made at this point about how it does not stay in one place, and the other is the description of the drylands jungle, which makes us startled by the sudden appearance of a tiger amidst the bamboos, which are pushed apart by the hot, summer winds. The lady seems to have lamented to her friend saying how the man would be parting away to such a fearsome place, leaving them to cry. After rendering the lady’s words, the confidante gives her response saying that the lady is foolish to think so. The confidante’s logic revolves around the power of the lady’s beauty. She first talks about the lady’s teeth, placed in parallel to the pearls in the port of Korkai, ruled by the just Pandiyaas, respected by the lords of faraway Venkatadam Hills, which people say refer to the contemporary Tirupathi Hills in the state of Andhra Pradesh. She says even if those pearly whites of the lady do not block him from leaving, the lady has one more weapon in her arsenal, and those are her eyes, which put blue-lotuses to shame, and have red lines, akin to the streaks of a winning spear in a battlefield. The confidante concludes by saying that it’s impossible for the man to leave the lady and part away, given the radiance of those eyes! To put it in modern parlance, it’s as if the confidante is telling the lady, ‘No way he’s gonna leave you, you dazzler!’. On a serious note, why is a woman’s beauty held in so much regard in these verses? Granted the notion of beauty is different then and now, for instance, I don’t think red-streaked eyes are considered especially beautiful in our times, the preference being for clear, bright eyes, whereas here, in many verses, the red lines of a lady’s eyes were perceived as something alluring in Sangam times! What could this be telling us about those times? A question for ophthalmologists perhaps! Beyond these curious questions, it’s heartening to note that at the core is that timeless element of a friend’s thoughtful words to comfort an anxious heart!

In this episode, we perceive a moment when the heart wins over the head, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 26, penned by Paandiyan Kaanapereyil Thantha Ukkira Peruvazhuthi. The verse is situated amidst the lush fields of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches the nuanced changes in a woman’s life after childbirth. கூன் முள் முள்ளிக் குவிகுலைக் கழன்ற,மீன் முள் அன்ன, வெண் கால் மா மலர்பொய்தல் மகளிர் விழவு அணிக் கூட்டும்அவ் வயல் நண்ணிய வளம் கேழ் ஊரனைப்புலத்தல் கூடுமோ தோழி! அல்கல்பெருங் கதவு பொருத யானை மருப்பின்இரும்பு செய் தொடியின் ஏர ஆகி,மாக் கண் அடைய மார்பகம் பொருந்திமுயங்கல் விடாஅல் இவை’ என மயங்கி,‘யான் ஓம்’ என்னவும் ஒல்லார், தாம் மற்றுஇவை பாராட்டிய பருவமும் உளவே; இனியேபுதல்வற் தடுத்த பாலொடு தடைஇ,திதலை அணிந்த தேம் கொள் மென் முலைநறுஞ் சாந்து அணிந்த கேழ் கிளர் அகலம்வீங்க முயங்கல் யாம் வேண்டினமே;தீம் பால் படுதல் தாம் அஞ்சினரே; ஆயிடைக்கவவுக் கை நெகிழ்ந்தமை போற்றி, மதவு நடைச்செவிலி கை என் புதல்வனை நோக்கி,‘நல்லோர்க்கு ஒத்தனிர் நீயிர்; இஃதோசெல்வற்கு ஒத்தனம், யாம்’ என, மெல்ல என்மகன்வயின் பெயர்தந்தேனே; அது கண்டு,‘யாமும் காதலம், அவற்கு’ எனச் சாஅய்,சிறு புறம் கவையினனாக, உறு பெயல்தண் துளிக்கு ஏற்ற பல உழு செஞ் செய்மண் போல் நெகிழ்ந்து, அவற் கலுழ்ந்தேநெஞ்சு அறைபோகிய அறிவினேற்கே? An emotionally intricate song from the fighting fields of the farmlands. Here, the context is that the man and lady were in the midst of a love-quarrel situation involving courtesans. The man tries to gain entry to the lady’s house by trying to appease the lady’s confidante. This fine friend, citing the worry caused to the lady, refuses permission. But somehow the man seems to have appeased the lady and entered the house. When the confidante questions the lady about this, these are the lady’s words: “The white-stalked huge flowers, which fall from sharp-edged clusters of the waterthorn plant, with curving thorns, akin to fish bones, are collected by maiden, who play ‘Poythal’ games’, so as to add to the adornments of their festivities in the town of the lord, flourishing with prosperous fields! Do you think it’s possible for me to sulk with him, my friend? Declaring, ‘It’s impossible to let go of embracing these breasts, akin to the dark rings, made of iron, attached to elephant tusks that thrust against fort doors ceaselessly’, he would lie there, and even when I ask him to let go, he wouldn’t. Those were the days he celebrated me so! But now, my sweet and soft breasts, are filled with milk for my son, and dotted with pallor spots. Even if I desire to embrace his wide chest, streaked with sandalwood paste, fearing that sweet milk would splash on him, his strong arms loosened when embracing me. Noticing this, I said looking at my son in the hands of the maid with a gentle gait, ‘You have those beautiful maiden to love. Whereas, I have my son to share my love’. Saying this, I gently moved towards my son. Seeing that, saying, ‘I too love him dearly’, he leaned forward and embraced the small of my back. At that moment, like red earth that has been ploughed many times, when moist drops of the rain fall down, my heart melted and went crying to his side, abandoning me. What can I do when I have such a senseless heart?” Time to take a walk amidst the festivities of a farmland town and hear its heartbeat! The lady starts with a description of the man’s rich town, filled with lush fields, where maiden can be seen collecting white flowers of the water thorn for their festive decorations. She asks a rhetorical question to her friend rendering the statement that it’s impossible to be angry with the man. Then the lady goes on to validate this statement with a few scenes, past and present. In the past, the man was so lost in the beauty of the lady that even when she asked him to let go, he would not stop embracing her fine breasts, which he places in parallel to the dark iron rings on a battle elephant’s tusk. That was then, the lady says, and goes on to sketch the present, when she is a mother, nursing her son. At this time, the man seems to be filled with fear that the milk of the lady’s breasts would splash on his chest and seemed to loosen the embrace. Noticing this micro expression, the lady steps away to her son, declaring that the man seemed to have love only for his courtesans, but never mind, she had her son to love. Hearing this, as if repenting for his action, the man rushed and hugged her from behind, the lady says. At that very moment, her heart forgot everything and just the way red earth that has been ploughed well would melt, it too melted with tears and rushed to embrace the man, leaving her forsaken, the lady describes. She concludes by connecting back saying, ‘What can you expect from me, when I have such a foolish heart?’ A nuanced verse that tastefully brings out the timeless situation involving changes in a woman’s body after childbirth and the changes that occur in her

In this episode, we hear words of consolation rendered to a grieving heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 25, penned by Ollaiyoor Thantha Boothappaandiyan. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse highlights the picturesque changes in the season of spring. நெடுங் கரைக் கான்யாற்றுக் கடும் புனல் சாஅய்,அவிர் அறல் கொண்ட விரவு மணல் அகன் துறைத்தண் கயம் நண்ணிய பொழில்தொறும், காஞ்சிப்பைந் தாது அணிந்த போது மலி எக்கர்,வதுவை நாற்றம் புதுவது கஞல,மா நனை கொழுதிய மணி நிற இருங் குயில்படு நா விளி யானடுநின்று, அல்கலும்உரைப்ப போல, ஊழ் கொள்பு கூவ,இனச் சிதர் உகுத்த இலவத்துஆங்கண்,சினைப் பூங் கோங்கின் நுண் தாது பகர்நர்பவளச் செப்பில் பொன் சொரிந்தன்ன,இகழுநர் இகழா இள நாள் அமையம்செய்தோர் மன்ற குறி” என, நீ நின்பைதல் உண்கண் பனி வார்பு உறைப்ப,வாராமையின் புலந்த நெஞ்சமொடு,நோவல், குறுமகள்! நோயியர், என் உயிர்!” என,மெல்லிய இனிய கூறி, வல்லேவருவர், வாழி தோழி! பொருநர்செல் சமம் கடந்த வில் கெழு தடக் கைப்பொதியிற் செல்வன், பொலந்தேர்த் திதியன்,இன் இசை இயத்தின் கறங்கும்கல்மிசை அருவிய காடு இறந்தோரே. One of those curious drylands verses that shirk the usual depiction of a barren summer, and instead, focus on the blooms of nature in the season of spring. Here, the lady’s confidante renders these words to the lady, as the man continues to be on mission in a faraway land. “As the heavy floods of the forest river by the tall banks recede, upon wide river shores with radiant sand, fused with many kinds of silt, flourish groves, nourished by cool ponds. The fresh pollen of Portia trees, growing in the groves, spreads on the flower-filled river sands, which wafts with the scent of many new marriages. The sapphire-hued dark cuckoo which had been pecking at mango shoots, as if it’s saying something important all day, sings aloud with its quivering beak, in its timeless tradition. As fine pollen of the buttercup flower falls from the branches upon the flowers of the silk-cotton tree, shed by swarms of bees, it appears akin to gold dust in the coral boxes of merchants. This is such a time in the season of spring, when even those, who wish to separate, would not dare to be apart, and this was the time he promised he would be back. Thinking so, with your suffering-filled kohl-streaked eyes, pouring with tears, and a heart lamenting that he’s still not back, worry not! Saying sweet and gentle words, ‘O young maiden, May my life that hurt you be filled with suffering’, he will return very soon, may you live long, my friend! The man who left to those jungles, filled with cascades descending from mountains, roaring like the sweet music of drums, proclaiming the victories of Thithiyan, the one with the golden chariot, the ruler of the Pothiyil mountains, the one renowned for the bow in his strong arms that have quelled enemies in battlefields many, will return indeed!” Let’s explore the connection between blooming flowers and the barren spread of the drylands now! The confidante starts by describing all the changes around them. Floods have receded, and the rich and mixed silt of the streams, are now peppered with the pollen of Portia trees. She talks about how the sands therein waft with the scent of happy unions, saying love’s in the air. She then points to the ceaseless call of a blue-hued cuckoo, and the falling of buttercup pollen on silk cotton flowers, and tastefully placing it in parallel to a merchant’s box made of coral, filled with gold dust. This casual simile reveals not only the perceptive power of these poets but also the trade and wealth of the thriving merchant profession in those times. Returning, we learn that all these changes are because the season of spring had arrived. It was a terrible season to be apart, the confidante acknowledges, and also recollects that the man said he would be back now. After taking the lady’s side of things thus far, the confidante assures the lady that the man would return very soon and speak appeasing words of love to the lady. She concludes with a description of the drylands he went to, where the cascades seem to be pouring down from mountains, resounding exactly like the drums of King Thithian, the ruler of Pothiyil mountains, known for his golden chariots and sturdy bows that has routed enemies many! In essence, it’s a gentle song that thoughtfully acknowledges that the reason for a person’s worry is valid, and then goes on to promise that relief is on its way. By visualising the removal of suffering, the confidante makes the present easier for the lady, and renders us a lesson in the art of consolation!

In this episode, we perceive a man’s angst, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 24, penned by Aavoor Moolankizhaar. Set amidst the flowering bushes of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’, the verse sketches the pain in parting with vivid images. வேளாப் பார்ப்பான் வாளரந் துமித்தவளை களைந்து ஒழிந்த கொழுந்தின் அன்ன,தளை பிணி அவிழா, சுரி முகப் பகன்றை,சிதரல் அம் துவலை தூவலின், மலரும்தைஇ நின்ற தண் பெயல் கடைநாள்,வயங்கு கதிர் கரந்த வாடை வைகறை,விசும்பு உரிவதுபோல், வியல் இடத்து ஒழுகி,மங்குல் மா மழை, தென் புலம் படரும்பனி இருங் கங்குலும் தமியள் நீந்தி,தம் ஊரோளே, நன்னுதல்; யாமே,கடி மதில் கதவம் பாய்தலின், தொடி பிளந்து,நுதி முகம் மழுகிய மண்ணை வெண் கோட்டு,சிறு கண் யானை நெடு நா ஒண் மணி,கழிப் பிணிக் கறைத் தோல் பொழி கணை உதைப்பு,தழங்குகுரல் முரசமொடு முழங்கும் யாமத்து,கழித்து உறை செறியா வாளுடை எறுழ்த் தோள்,இரவுத் துயில் மடிந்த தானை,உரவுச் சின வேந்தன் பாசறையேமே. The hues of the forest and the drylands fuse together in this verse, as we hear these words from the man, as he remains away from his beloved: “A member of the priestly tribe, who doesn’t perform fire rituals, cuts bangles with a sword from a conch shell and leaves behind the curving head portion. Akin to these remnants are the tightly wound, coiling buds of the rattlepod, which moistened by the drizzle of the rain shower, blooms in this month of Thai, when the last days of the cool showers are here. This is a time when the early morning’s bright rays are hid by the northern winds. Now, after pouring down on wide spaces, as if the sky has shed its skin, the dark rain clouds, move away in the southern direction. During these dark and cold nights, my maiden with a glowing forehead has been traversing all alone, in her town. As for me, all around I hear sounds many: Sounds of the long-tongued shining bells, worn by small-eyed elephants, which, after pouncing on well guarded fort walls, are left with their adornments broken, and the sharp edges of their white tusks blunted; Sounds of arrows raining down on blood stained shields, and that of roaring drums in this midnight hour. Now, as the soldiers of the army, having unsheathed swords in their strong arms, lose themselves to sleep, in this night spent at the battle encampment of the furious king, I am here, faraway from her!” Time to delve into the nuances of emotions. The man starts by curiously talking about a tribe of priests, who don’t perform ritual sacrifices, as they are expected to, but seem to be engaged in the task of cutting shell bangles from conch shells. He has mentioned this only to throw the spotlight on the remnants of the conch shell after the bangles have been cut. The top portion is placed in parallel to a rattlepod bud, which the man says is ready to bloom, for it’s the month of ‘Thai’, which falls in the contemporary January-February and it’s a time when the morning sun is hidden by mist and fog. A time when the rainclouds, after peeling open the sky and pouring down, were heading south. On such dark and cloud nights, he sees his beloved suffering all alone, and quivers in pain. He also brings before our eyes, where he is, talking about the sound of elephant bells, sound of raining arrows and roaring drums, etching his presence in a battle encampment of their king, and concludes by pointing to the sleeping soldiers with unsheathed swords all around him, highlighting his own sleeplessness and yearning for his beloved, far away. A verse that highlights the simple thought that love and pain are the very same, be it for a man or woman!

In this episode, we relish the beauty of changing seasons, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 23, penned by Orodakathu Kantharathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse echoes the anxiety of a maiden waiting for the return of her beloved. மண்கண் குளிர்ப்ப, வீசித் தண் பெயல்,பாடு உலந்தன்றே, பறைக் குரல் எழிலி;புதல்மிசைத் தளவின் இதல் முட் செந் நனைநெருங்கு குலைப் பிடவமொடு ஒருங்கு பிணி அவிழ,காடே கம்மென்றன்றே; அவல,கோடு உடைந்தன்ன கோடற் பைம் பயிர்,பதவின் பாவை முனைஇ, மதவு நடைஅண்ணல் இரலை அமர் பிணை தழீஇ,தண் அறல் பருகித் தாழ்ந்துபட்டனவே;அனையகொல் வாழி, தோழி! மனையதாழ்வின் நொச்சி, சூழ்வன மலரும்மௌவல் மாச் சினை காட்டி,அவ்அளவு என்றார், ஆண்டுச் செய் பொருளே! In this verse, although the theme is firmly set in the drylands domain signifying parting, the images we get to see are the contrasting elements of showers and flowers. The lady renders these words to her confidante, when the man is away gathering wealth: “Making all earth to cool, pouring down with moist showers, rainclouds, roaring like a drum, have ended the suffering of the land’s barrenness. The pink jasmine buds have spread atop bushes, akin to claws of quails, and along with the thick-clustered wild jasmine, have bloomed together in synchrony, making the forest entire waft with fragrance. After eating the green stalks of white glory lilies, appearing akin to broken conch shells, as well as grazing on wild grass, satiated by fullness, an esteemed male deer with a haughty gait, drinks up the cool waters in the stream, and then embracing its beautiful mate, lies down content. Remember how he said pointing to the low-hanging, dark branches of the chaste tree, and the surrounding vines of wild jasmine, the time it takes to bloom, that’s how long he would take to make the wealth he desired! Hasn’t that time come and gone, my friend? May you live long!” Let’s delight in the surprising rain shower in our walk through the drylands! The lady starts by talking about all the changes in the world around her, pointing how the rains have poured and ended the summer suffering of the land. When the showers are done, can flowers be far behind? We get to see the blooming of pink jasmine buds, an aspect of a plant, which is then connected in Sangam style to an animal part, namely a quail’s claws. Not only are the pink jasmines in bloom but so are the wild jasmines, making that forest entire fill with a delicious smell! Imagine taking a walk in those pristine woods! Returning, we find the lady sketching an image of a male deer that has fed to its full, not only on the stalks of glory lilies but also wild grass, and hunger satiated, it goes for a refreshing drink in the rain-fed, cool streams, and then embracing its mate, lies down and rests. After such scenes that would normally bring joy to a person, the lady reveals how it has only brought worry to her, for it was this time of the year the man said he would return, promising he would be back when the chaste tree and jasmine vines around it bloomed. She concludes wondering why his mission of gathering wealth is still keeping him away in this season of togetherness. Once again, the focus is on the pain of parting in the season of rains. Going beyond the oft-repeated thought, I would like to shift your attention to this beautiful way of keeping time, in the changes of the world outside, the sound of rain drops, the blooming of flower buds, and the mood of wild animals rather than the watches, schedules, to-dos and calendars of today. An era where no doubt the mindfulness of the world around was a medicine in itself!

In this episode, we hear a strong statement defending a person, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 22, penned by Veri Paadiya Kaamakanniyaar. Set amidst the cascades and slopes of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, the verse paints a portrait of the beliefs and rituals of those times. அணங்குடை நெடு வரை உச்சியின் இழிதரும்கணம் கொள் அருவிக் கான் கெழு நாடன்மணம் கமழ் வியல் மார்பு அணங்கிய செல்லல்இது என அறியா மறுவரற் பொழுதில்,”படியோர்த் தேய்த்த பல் புகழ்த் தடக் கைநெடு வேட் பேணத் தணிகுவள் இவள்” என,முது வாய்ப் பெண்டிர் அது வாய் கூற,களம் நன்கு இழைத்து, கண்ணி சூட்டி,வள நகர் சிலம்பப் பாடி, பலி கொடுத்து,உருவச் செந்தினை குருதியொடு தூஉய்,முருகு ஆற்றுப்படுத்த உரு கெழு நடு நாள்,ஆரம் நாற, அரு விடர்த் ததைந்தசாரற் பல் பூ வண்டு படச் சூடி,களிற்று இரை தெரீஇய பார்வல் ஒதுக்கின்ஒளித்து இயங்கும் மரபின் வயப் புலி போல,நல் மனை நெடு நகர்க் காவலர் அறியாமைதன் நசை உள்ளத்து நம் நசை வாய்ப்ப,இன் உயிர் குழைய முயங்குதொறும் மெய்ம் மலிந்து,நக்கனென் அல்லெனோ யானே எய்த்தநோய் தணி காதலர் வர, ஈண்டுஏதில் வேலற்கு உலந்தமை கண்டே? A visit to the mountains lets us overhear this conversation between the lady and her confidante, at a moment when the confidante scolds the man for leaving the lady in worry, and the lady responds with these words, as the man listens nearby: “From the fearsome peaks of mountain ranges, descend wide cascades in the rich, forest-filled mountains of the lord. As days passed without embracing his fragrant, wide chest, not knowing that this was the reason for my suffering at that time, hearing the words of wise old women, who spoke their truth saying, ‘If we pray to the great lord, who wields a tall spear in his famous strong arms that have subdued enemies many, she will be healed’, my kith and kin decided to offer a ritual. Spreading sand on the arena, adorning with garlands, singing aloud in front of the prosperous mansion, offering sacrifices, scattering exquisite red millet fused with blood all around, they sought the blessings of God Murugu. On that very midnight, with his garland spreading fragrance, wearing it densely woven with the many flowers in his mountain slopes, buzzing with bees, in the tradition of a strong male tiger that hides and bides its time on the lookout for its prey of an elephant, without the knowledge of the guards around the fine mansion of our home, to fulfil the desire of my heart, which desired for him, he came, and melting my very life, he embraced me. At that moment, didn’t I laugh out loud with my form entire, quivering, filled with ecstasy, thinking how to end this affliction of mine, it was my lover who had to come, whereas my kith and kin took so much trouble for the pointless ritual of Velan, the priest!” Time to take part in a mountain ritual and understand more! The lady starts by talking about her trysting with the man, who comes from the mountain peaks, filled with roaring cascades. For a few days, this trysting did not happen, and at that time, the lady lost her health and beauty, pining for the man. Now, not knowing the reason behind her affliction, the lady’s family, listening to the words of old women there decided that the only way to heal their daughter was to offer a ritual to appease God Murugu, who is described more in the lines of a king, who wields a spear and subdues his enemies with his strength. Next, the lady details about the events in the ritua,l where they spread out a smooth sand platform, adorn the ritual priest Velan with many garlands, sing and dance in front of their house, while offering sacrifices and spreading out millet grains mixed with blood, all in the hope God Murugu will come down and relieve the suffering of their girl. The lady recollects how that very night, not God Murugu, but her man from the mountains came down, wearing garlands, buzzing with bees, and in the manner of a tiger that hunts for an elephant, carefully hiding, the man too kept out of the sight of the guards around the lady’s home, and managed to sneak in and embrace her. At that moment, all her afflictions melted away, says the lady, and she concludes by talking about how she was filled with laughter, thinking about how the man had to come and relieve her pain, whereas her family thought it was the handiwork of Velan, the priest, and God Murugu! Hearing these words, no doubt the listening man will put all such troubles of the lady away and come seek her hand in marriage. Returning to the essence of this verse, we hear this ancient lady echo loud and clear that it is not the actions of an all-powerful God, but that of a man, her beloved, that could end her sorrow and suffering. Through this, she illuminates the philosophy of ancient Tamils, who seem to have had a clear understanding of cause and consequence. Indeed, a philosophy that has been built on the unshakeable foundation of truth and rationality!

In this episode, we perceive a path to face the fall in motivation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 21, penned by Kaavanmullai Poothanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays an attempt to boost a flagging heart. ‘மனை இள நொச்சி மௌவல் வால் முகைத்துணை நிரைத்தன்ன, மா வீழ், வெண் பல்,அவ் வயிற்று, அகன்ற அல்குல், தைஇத்தாழ் மென் கூந்தல், தட மென் பணைத் தோள்,மடந்தை மாண் நலம் புலம்ப, சேய் நாட்டுச்செல்லல்’ என்று, யான் சொல்லவும், ஒல்லாய்,வினை நயந்து அமைந்தனைஆயின், மனை நகப்பல் வேறு வெறுக்கை தருகம் வல்லே,எழு இனி, வாழி, என் நெஞ்சே! …………………………………………………புரி இணர்மெல் அவிழ் அம் சினை புலம்ப, வல்லோன்கோடு அறை கொம்பின் வீ உகத் தீண்டி,மராஅம் அலைத்த மண வாய்த் தென்றல்,சுரம் செல் மள்ளர் சுரியல் தூற்றும்,என்றூழ் நின்ற புன் தலை வைப்பில்,பருந்து இளைப்படூஉம் பாறு தலை ஓமைஇருங் கல் விடரகத்து, ஈன்று இளைப்பட்ட,மென் புனிற்று அம் பிணவு பசித்தென, பைங் கட்செந்நாய் ஏற்றை கேழல் தாக்க,இரியற் பிணவல் தீண்டலின், பரீஇச்செங் காய் உதிர்ந்த பைங் குலை ஈந்தின்பரல் மண் சுவல முரண் நிலம் உடைத்தவல் வாய்க் கணிச்சி, கூழ் ஆர் கோவலர்ஊறாது இட்ட உவலைக் கூவல்,வெண் கோடு நயந்த அன்பு இல் கானவர்இகழ்ந்து இயங்கு இயவின் அகழ்ந்த குழி செத்து,இருங் களிற்று இன நிரை, தூர்க்கும்பெருங் கல் அத்தம் விலங்கிய காடே. We are again in the drylands and in the company of the man, who’s tussling with his heart, torn between love and duty. The words of the man to his heart in the middle of his journey through the drylands are: “Akin to white, wild jasmine buds, spreading on the young chaste tree at home, perfectly aligned, are her white teeth, which seem to attract bees many; That maiden also has a beautiful midsection, wide waist, well-decorated and low-hanging tresses, soft and delicate bamboo-like arms. Even when I said to you, ‘Let’s not let the fine beauty of that naive maiden to fade and part away to the faraway land’, you heeded me not and desired the task of gathering wealth. Now, let’s make that wife of mine smile by rendering her all kinds of wealth! So rise now, long may you live, O heart of mine! Let’s head there, where leaving beautiful branches, which bloom with delicate clusters of buds, to lament in loneliness, as if a strong man hit with a stick, flowers fall, touched by the fragrant southern breeze that has rustled through burflower trees, and as these flowers fall, they adorn the curls of warriors, who traverse the drylands, in those heat-filled, listless spaces, filled with toothbrush trees, atop which rest eagles. Here, in the nearby dark mountain ranges, perceiving its mate tire out after giving birth and yearn for meat, the male red-eyed red dog attacks a boar. Seeing this, the female boar runs away in fear and dashes against a date palm tree, making the red fruits scatter down from its green clusters, and fall upon the pebble-filled, sandy ground. When trying to break this ground with sharp-mouthed pickaxes, gruel-drinking cattleherds, finding no water sprouting therein, abandon their efforts and leave the pits covered with leaves. Thinking these are traps laid by loveless foresters, who desire their white tusks, upon paths often taken trusting no harm will befall, herds of huge elephants fill those pits with mud and stones, in those boulder-filled paths of the drylands jungle. Let’s go there right now, O heart!” Time to delve into the scenes in this barren landscape! Although it’s a long song, filled with many different frames of action, in essence, the thought conveyed here is about how a man misses his beloved as he’s traversing in the drylands and nudges his heart to keep moving. In the first segment, the man describes the beauty of his lady, talking about the confusion of bees, when seeing her teeth, for they mistake them for white jasmine buds! What a beautiful way of praising the lady’s fragrant mouth! The man goes on to describe the other exquisite attributes of his beloved such as the waist, tresses and arms and reminds his heart how he told it not to nudge him to leave her, but still to no avail, for his heart seems to have done exactly that and brought him here, and now it was languishing. So, he cheers up his heart and says they must make the lady smile by bringing her all kinds of gifts, and to do that, they have to get going through the drylands. Almost like a nature documentary with multiple episodes, the man paints many different images. First, we see flowers, nudged by fragrant southern winds, dropping down in clusters on the heads of warriors walking forth. Next, we take a glance at the oft-mentioned view of eagles resting atop toothbrush trees. Following this, we are taken to the mountains nearby, where a female red dog or dhole has just given birth, and perceiving its mate’s fatigue and hunger, the male ventures out to hunt and attack a male boar. Seeing this fight, the female boar runs in fear and dashes against a palm tree, making those red fruits fall down upon the sandy, pebble-filled path. And here, some cowherds try their lu

In this episode, we perceive a subtle plea for a change in action, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 20, penned by Ulochchanaar. Set amidst the sands and groves of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’, the verse vividly sketches a day in the life of Sangam maiden. பெருநீர் அழுவத்து எந்தை தந்தகொழு மீன் உணங்கல் படுபுள் ஓப்பி,எக்கர்ப் புன்னை இன் நிழல் அசைஇசெக்கர் ஞெண்டின் குண்டு அளை கெண்டி,ஞாழல் ஓங்கு சினைத் தொடுத்த கொடுங்கழித்தாழை வீழ் கயிற்று ஊசல் தூங்கிக்கொண்டல் இடு மணல் குரவை முனையின்வெண்தலைப் புணரி ஆயமொடு ஆடி,மணிப்பூம் பைந்தழை தைஇ, அணித்தகப்பல் பூங்கானல் அல்கினம் வருதல்கவ்வை நல் அணங்கு உற்ற இவ்வூர்கொடிது அறி பெண்டிர் சொல் கொண்டு, அன்னைகடி கொண்டனளே தோழி, பெருந்துறைஎல்லையும் இரவும் என்னாது, கல்லெனவலவன் ஆய்ந்த வண் பரிநிலவு மணல் கொட்கும் ஓர் தேர் உண்டு எனவே. A picturesque song, set to the music of the ocean’s waves, and here, we hear the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man arrives to tryst with the lady by day, pretending not to notice the man, but making sure he’s in earshot. The confidante’s words are: “We spend our time chasing away birds that come to peck at the drying fatty fish, which father brought from the great waters of the ocean; resting in the sweet shade of the laurel wood tree upon the sands; digging up the deep holes of the red crabs; swaying on the swings tied with ropes, made of the marshy pandanus, to the soaring branches of the screw-pine; dancing the ‘Kuravai’ on the sands brought by the eastern winds, and when tiring of that, splashing in the white-headed waves along with our playmates, and adorning ourselves with green-leaved attires, woven with exquisite blooms in the many-flowered orchard. However, possessed by the spirit of slander, the women of this town, who know nothing but evil, spread rumours, and hearing that, mother has mounted the guard for you, my friend, deciding that there is surely a chariot, adorned with speedy horses, groomed well by a charioteer, which swirls around the moon-like sands, with a resounding sound, not minding if it’s day or night in the wide seashore!” Let’s carefully step amidst the drying fish in the shade of fragrant trees and learn more! The confidante, as if talking to the lady, presents a long list of things they normally do. A sort of log for the day’s activities. First, there’s the work they are entrusted with, which is the chasing away of birds and protecting the fresh catch father brought from the seas, which have been laid out to dry! Echoing the timeless attitude of teenagers, these girls, after doing a little of what they perceive as hard work, decide it’s time to relax, and they have plenty of options, such as simply sitting in the shade of the fragrant ‘Punnai’, and then seeking some activity, digging up holes of crabs, as if they were amateur naturalists or troublemakers, depending on the beholder’s eye! After this, they decide let’s get high on the swings, tied to the screw-pine tree, with the sturdy ropes of the pandanus. Once they have had their fill of flying, they get dancing and singing the ‘Kuravai’ on the sands, and when tiring of this activity, they splash about in the waves with the playmates, that one thing the ocean never lets us tire of, be it anywhere, anytime. The confidante concludes this long list of ‘fun and more fun’ with the aspect of fashion and how they spend time, adorning themselves with the choicest of leaves, stitched with beautiful blooms. As if asking what’s there to be suspicious about these activities, the confidante continues describing incredulously how the women of their town, who seem to know nothing other than evil, and possessed by the demon of slander, had gone and said something to mother. The confidante now concludes by describing how mother has taken their words seriously and has mounted a guard around the lady’s home, deciding to catch that chariot that roves ceaselessly on those shores, by day and night, in quest of her girl! Through these words, the confidante means to tell the man that mother knows of his relationship with the lady, and going forward, trysting would be something impossible, and consequently, he should be seeking the permanent joy of a married union. In the end, it’s ‘Marry her, Marry her’ but that movie we saw in the beginning, which we can call, ‘All in a day’s work and play’, featuring the life of those maiden, was a refreshing watch indeed, infusing us with the evergreen emotions of innocent delight!

In this episode, we observe a person’s dilemma at the crossroads, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 19, penned by Porunthil Ilankeeranaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands Landscape’ and relays a conversation between a man and his heart. அன்று அவண் ஒழிந்தன்றும் இலையே; வந்து நனிவருந்தினை வாழி, என் நெஞ்சே! பருந்து இருந்துஉயா விளி பயிற்றும், யா உயர், நனந்தலை,உருள் துடி மகுளியின் பொருள் தெரிந்து இசைக்கும்கடுங் குரற் குடிஞைய நெடும் பெருங் குன்றம்,எம்மொடு இறத்தலும்செல்லாய்; பின் நின்று,ஒழியச் சூழ்ந்தனைஆயின், தவிராது,செல் இனி; சிறக்க, நின் உள்ளம்! வல்லேமறவல் ஓம்புமதி, எம்மே நறவின்சேயிதழ் அனைய ஆகி, குவளைமா இதழ் புரையும் மலிர் கொள் ஈர் இமை,உள்ளகம் கனல உள்ளுதொறு உலறி,பழங்கண் கொண்ட, கலிழ்ந்து வீழ், அவிர் அறல்வெய்ய உகுதர, வெரீஇ, பையென,சில் வளை சொரிந்த மெல் இறை முன்கைபூ வீ கொடியின் புல்லெனப் போகி,அடர்செய் ஆய் அகல் சுடர் துணை ஆக,இயங்காது வதிந்த நம் காதலிஉயங்கு சாய் சிறுபுறம் முயங்கிய பின்னே! Once again, we are in the drylands and we turn from a mother’s words of worry to listen to a man speak to his heart as they traverse the harsh domain in search of wealth. The man’s words to his heart are: “On that day, in that place, you refused to stay back! You came along with me and suffer so much, my heart! May you live long! Atop the tall ‘Ya’ trees, wherein eagles perch and send out ceaseless calls, in those wide spaces, akin to the beats of the rounded ‘thudi’ drum, the harsh-voiced owl hoots too aloud, as if with meaning, and the noise echoes from the tall peaks around. Don’t come along with me anymore! If all you want to do is to stand behind and thinking of going back, then, leave without fail, right way! May you flourish! Just one thing: Those eyes of my love, which were like huge petals of the blue lotus, covered with moist eyelids, have now become filled with the heat of inner angst, and have dried up, becoming reddened like the lavanga flowers, leaving tear drops to pour out with much suffering. Feeling disheartened, gently, as those soft forearms with a few bangles appear dull and listless, akin to a creeper bereft of flowers, she stands still near the lamp she lit, made from a sheet of gold, seeing it as her only companion. When you go near that lover of ours, and embrace the worrying little back of hers, forget me not!” Let’s walk along in the hot paths of the drylands and learn more! The man starts by declaring how his heart did not stay back at home then. It had nudged him to go in search of wealth and had journeyed along to those fearsome spaces, where eagles sit atop rusting ‘Ya trees’ and owls hoot with the sound of ‘thudi’ drums, as if saying something filled with meaning. Is the man hearing his own mind’s voice in those owl’s hoots? Expressing his discontent, the man asks his heart not to come along with him any further, but instead to leave to where the lady is! At this moment, the lady appears in his mind’s eye as standing still near a lamp she has lit at home, with bangles slipping away, akin to a creeper with fallen flowers, her eyes brimming with tears. The man concludes by telling his heart that when it reaches home and embraces this beloved of his, that his heart must not forget the man! In this imaginative dissociation with his own heart, the man expresses his deep yearning to be back in the embrace of his love. The verse thus echoes the fierce conflict in a Sangam man’s mind when it comes to being with a beloved and fulfilling the responsibility of seeking wealth!

In this episode, we perceive the dangers in trysting, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 18, penned by Kabilar. Set amidst the wild streams of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’, the verse presents a persuasive plea for a change in action. நீர் நிறம் கரப்ப, ஊழுறுபு உதிர்ந்து,பூமலர் கஞலிய கடு வரற் கான் யாற்று,கராஅம் துஞ்சும் கல் உயர் மறி சுழி,மராஅ யானை மதம் தப ஒற்றி,உராஅ ஈர்க்கும் உட்குவரு நீத்தம்கடுங்கண் பன்றியின் நடுங்காது துணிந்து,நாம அருந் துறைப் பேர்தந்து, யாமத்துஈங்கும் வருபவோ? ஓங்கல் வெற்ப! ஒரு நாள் விழுமம் உறினும், வழி நாள்,வாழ்குவள்அல்லள், என் தோழி; யாவதும்ஊறு இல் வழிகளும் பயில வழங்குநர்நீடு இன்று ஆக இழுக்குவர்; அதனால்,உலமரல் வருத்தம் உறுதும்; எம் படப்பைக்கொடுந் தேன் இழைத்த கோடு உயர் நெடு வரை,பழம் தூங்கு நளிப்பின் காந்தள்அம் பொதும்பில்,பகல் நீ வரினும் புணர்குவை அகல் மலைவாங்கு அமைக் கண் இடை கடுப்ப, யாய்ஓம்பினள் எடுத்த, தட மென் தோளே. Back to the region brimming with the wealth of nature, a delight to traverse, and in this instance, the confidante takes the centerstage and tries to shift the man’s approach to trysting with his lady.Her words are: “Hiding the hue of water, wilted mature flowers fill the rapid, wild forest stream. Swirling against a raised rock upon which a crocodile naps, and capable of dashing against a mad elephant in musth and pulling it within its treacherous whirlpool, the wild river roars and races on. Swimming in such a river, akin to a harsh-eyed boar that knows not fear, with daring, you cross that fear-evoking shore and come here at midnight! Is this right, O lord of the high mountains? If you were to face some deep distress on any one day, the next day, my friend shall live not! Even those who traverse known paths that have no dangers whatsoever, may slip and find themselves in difficulty. And so, it’s sure we would be filled with unbearable sorrow; If you were to come at day to the grove in the tall hills around our village, filled with curving honey combs, hanging fruits and flowering flame-lilies, by day, then you will get to embrace her curving soft arms, akin to smooth bamboo stalks between nodes, flourishing in the wide mountains. Indeed then, those arms that mother has reared with much care, you will embrace!” Time to swim in these mountain streams! The confidante starts by describing a wild river that flows through. This rapid stream is completely covered by fallen flowers along the stream’s path, and it flows with such speed, dashing against rocks that crocodiles sleep on, and with a force that pulls even huge elephants in musth into its swirls. While that is so, the man seems to lack any fear whatsoever, for he comes swimming across this very stream to tryst with the lady at night, the confidante connects. What an exceptional swimmer the man must be to traverse a river that can pull a tusker within! The confidante continues saying that if at all some mishap were to fall the man’s way, the lady had no way of going on and she adds philosophically saying, even people who walk on safe paths that they have taken for a long time may slip and fall sometimes, so you don’t tell us that this is nothing to you! After declaring the risks in the current situation, the confidante seemingly gives an alternative to the man, and concludes by asking him to tryst with the lady by day in their hill groves, filled with honeycombs, fruits and flowers, promising the man that he would get to embrace the lady’s arms, reared with much love by mother. While this seems so thoughtful on the part of our girl, actually she has offered the man an impossible alternative, meaning the fear of discovery, by all those who frequent those groves, to collect honey or pluck fruits or gather flowers, is phenomenally high, and she implies that the only path of progress for the man was to transition from temporary trysting to permanent union with the lady. Through this, the confidante shows her skills in communication by presenting the problem, a seeming alternative and then, letting the person concerned come up with the true solution. A master-class in the art of subtle persuasion!

In this episode, we listen to a mother’s lament, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 17, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse echoes the thoughts of a mother at the juncture of her daughter’s elopement. வளம் கெழு திரு நகர்ப் பந்து சிறிது எறியினும்,இளந் துணை ஆயமொடு கழங்கு உடன் ஆடினும்,”உயங்கின்று, அன்னை! என் மெய்” என்று அசைஇ,மயங்கு வியர் பொறித்த நுதலள், தண்ணென,முயங்கினள் வதியும்மன்னே! இனியே,தொடி மாண் சுற்றமும் எம்மும் உள்ளாள்,நெடு மொழித் தந்தை அருங் கடி நீவி,நொதுமலாளன் நெஞ்சு அறப் பெற்ற என்சிறு முதுக்குறைவி சிலம்பு ஆர் சீறடிவல்லகொல் செல்லத் தாமே கல்லெனஊர் எழுந்தன்ன உரு கெழு செலவின்,நீர் இல் அத்தத்து ஆர் இடை, மடுத்த,கொடுங் கோல் உமணர், பகடு தெழி தெள் விளிநெடும் பெருங் குன்றத்து இமிழ் கொள இயம்பும்,கடுங் கதிர் திருகிய, வேய் பயில், பிறங்கல்,பெருங் களிறு உரிஞ்சிய மண்அரை யாஅத்துஅருஞ் சுரக் கவலைய அதர் படு மருங்கின்,நீள் அரை இலவத்து ஊழ் கழி பல் மலர்,விழவுத் தலைக்கொண்ட பழ விறல் மூதூர்,நெய் உமிழ் சுடரின் கால் பொரச் சில்கி,வைகுறு மீனின் தோன்றும்மை படு மா மலை விலங்கிய சுரனே? The drylands call us back and we get to listen to the point of view of a mother left behind by her daughter, who has found love and has decided to leave her home, to be with her man. The mother’s words are: “In the prosperous mansion filled with every luxury, when she plays with her ball, or when she plays with the ‘Kazhangu’ beans with her young playmates, she would say, “I feel tired, Mother! My body aches”. Exhausted, my young daughter with sweat beads coating her fine forehead, would come give me a cool embrace and lie in my arms! But now, without thinking of her bangle-clad friends or me, crossing the stern guard of her famous father, my young daughter with an ancient wisdom, the one who has won the heart entire of that stranger, has left! She has left there, where with a resounding sound, making a town entire rise up in alarm, taking a journey as a huge group, upon a path in that barren domain, the salt-merchants wielding a curved stick, goad their bullocks with a clear shout that echoes all around in the tall mountain ranges beyond; where the harsh sun scorches bamboos in the hill, making huge elephants turn to peeling the trunks of the mud-smeared ‘Ya’ trees, leaving these vulnerable in those inaccessible drylands path with thorny bushes; where the tall-trunked silk cotton tree’s wilting flowers, appearing before, akin to an ancient town in the midst of festivities, lit up with lamps filled with ghee, but now caught in the hot wind’s gust, appear scanty like the stars at dawn! Are her little anklet-clad feet capable of traversing such a harsh drylands domain, surrounded by cloud-covered, tall mountains?” Let’s delve deeper into this tale! Mother starts her words by recollecting the nature of her little daughter in the past, when even after a little play with her ball or a game of ‘Kazhangu’ with her friends, she would be so exhausted that she would come complaining to her mother and give her a sweaty, cool hug. Through this, mother highlights the delicate nature of her daughter, brought up in much luxury. Then, mother comes to the present and talks about how everything has changed now, because that little gentle girl has decided to take off with a stranger, daring to cross the stern guard of her father’s home. Then, mother launches into a description of the drylands and she brings before our eyes three scenes: One, in which we hear a shout so loud that is enough to make an entire town look up alarm and we learn that the source of this shout is a call to the bullocks by salt merchants, traversing as a huge group across the drylands; Two, where we see an elephant, not having its usual food of bamboos, that being scorched by the sun, feeding on the bark of ‘Ya’ trees; And finally three, where the once-abundant flowers of the silk cotton tree, appearing like the lamps of an ancient town in the midst of festivities, had now wilted and fallen, appearing scanty like the waning stars in the morning hour! All these striking images of the drylands have been given by mother to express her worry and confusion about how the little feet of her delicate daughter would manage to cross such a harsh and formidable path! Well, we have to tell mother that love makes all things possible, and perhaps her young girl has now turned a woman, ready to cross the world with her beloved!

In this episode, we listen to a response to a denial, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 16, penned by Saakalaasanaar. Set amidst the lush lotuses of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’, the verse brings out the relationship dynamics in a household. நாயுடை முது நீர்க் கலித்த தாமரைத்தாதின் அல்லி அவிர் இதழ் புரையும்,மாசு இல் அங்கை, மணி மருள் அவ் வாய்,நாவொடு நவிலா நகைபடு தீம் சொல்,யாவரும் விழையும் பொலந்தொடிப் புதல்வனை,தேர் வழங்கு தெருவில், தமியோற் கண்டே!கூர் எயிற்று அரிவை குறுகினள்; யாவரும்காணுநர் இன்மையின், செத்தனள் பேணி,பொலங்கலம் சுமந்த பூண் தாங்கு இள முலை,”வருகமாள, என் உயிர்!” எனப் பெரிது உவந்து,கொண்டனள் நின்றோட் கண்டு, நிலைச் செல்லேன்,”மாசு இல் குறுமகள்! எவன் பேதுற்றனை?நீயும் தாயை இவற்கு?” என, யான் தற்கரைய, வந்து விரைவனென் கவைஇ களவு உடம்படுநரின் கவிழ்ந்து, நிலம் கிளையா,நாணி நின்றோள் நிலை கண்டு, யானும்பேணினென் அல்லெனோ மகிழ்ந! வானத்துஅணங்கு அருங் கடவுள் அன்னோள் நின்மகன் தாய் ஆதல் புரைவது ஆங்கு எனவே? The land of ‘Marutham’ with its resounding love quarrels invite us within, and in this instance, a lady responds to her man, when he denies visiting a courtesan before coming home. The lady’s words are: “With lips, akin to the inner petals of pollen-filled lotus flowers, flourishing in ancient waters, filled with otters, a flawless little palm, a mouth akin to precious gems, and sweet words that evoke laughter, not falling perfectly from the tongue, is our son, wearing golden anklets, loved by all. Seeing him playing alone in the street where chariots ply, that young maiden with sharp teeth came closer. Ascertaining that there was no one to notice her, she pulled him with love towards her young bosoms, clad with heavy gold ornaments, owing to his resemblance to you, and she said with much emotion, ‘Come to me, my life!’. Seeing her in this state, I did not turn away, but rushed to her and hugged her, saying, ‘O perfect maiden! Why are you confused and anxious? Aren’t you a mother to him as well?’. Just then, akin to how the one caught in an act of theft would stand before the one who caught them, with head bent in shame, she was scratching the ground with her toe. O lord, seeing her so, didn’t I express my care to her, declaring that she, the one akin to the bewitching, glorious goddess in the sky, was like a mother to our son, without any hesitation, right there?” Time to wade deeper in the waters of these lotus ponds! The lady starts by talking about the adorable qualities of their son to the man, mentioning how his lips were so delicate and soft like the inner petals of lotuses that bloom not in any old place but an ancient waterbody, teeming with otters. After that vivid simile, the lady dwells on the boy’s little palms, his beautiful mouth, which talks with a lisp and makes everyone laugh out aloud. Concluding that it’s natural for anyone to love this child of theirs, she moves on to a specific situation, when the boy was playing alone in the street. At this time, a young maiden notices him and comes closer. Then, she calls out to the boy and hugs him close, with endearing words. The lady explains to us that this is because that maiden clearly sees the man’s resemblance in his son. Understanding all these subtle emotions in one glance, our smart lady, without turning away, goes to the maiden and hugs her saying that she too was a mother to the young boy, implying that the lady was aware of the maiden’s relationship with her husband. A moment to reflect on how the Western coinage of the term ‘step-mother’ seems to echo in these lines, depicting a different culture and different language from the ancient past! Returning from our musings, we hear the lady’s words talking how about the young maiden stood there, like a person caught red-handed, head bent and scratching the ground with her toe. Now, the lady turns to the man, and concludes by asking him, ‘When I have gone near her, and declared that she’s like a mother to our son, why do you deny knowing her and visiting her?’ The lady’s fiery statement seems to be, “Enough with your lies! I know things as they stand and I have accepted them even before you said it aloud!”. Beyond all these love troubles and relationship dynamics of these Sangam people from the farmlands, the thing that shines through in this verse, is the depiction of that deep and natural affection people tend to feel for little children, moved by their innocent and imperfect nature that has the effortless power to shower much joy in life!

In this episode, we get to know some historical characters, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 15, penned by Maamoolanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and portrays a mother’s wish for her daughter’s well-being. எம் வெங் காமம் இயைவது ஆயின்,மெய்ம் மலி பெரும் பூண், செம்மற் கோசர்கொம்மைஅம் பசுங் காய்க் குடுமி விளைந்தபாகல் ஆர்கைப் பறைக் கட் பீலித்தோகைக் காவின் துளுநாட்டு அன்ன,வறுங் கை வம்பலர்த் தாங்கும் பண்பின்செறிந்த சேரிச் செம்மல் மூதூர்,அறிந்த மாக்கட்டு ஆகுகதில்ல தோழிமாரும் யானும் புலம்ப,சூழி யானைச் சுடர்ப் பூண் நன்னன்பாழி அன்ன கடியுடை வியல் நகர்ச்செறிந்த காப்பு இகந்து, அவனொடு போகி,அத்த இருப்பை ஆர் கழல் புதுப் பூத்துய்த்த வாய, துகள் நிலம் பரக்க,கொன்றை அம் சினைக் குழற்பழம் கொழுதி,வன் கை எண்கின் வய நிரை பரக்கும்இன் துணைப் படர்ந்த கொள்கையொடு ஒராங்குகுன்ற வேயின் திரண்ட என்மென் தோள் அஞ்ஞை சென்ற ஆறே! Back to the drylands and here, we have a mother expressing her thoughts at the juncture of her daughter’s elopement: “If my deep desires were to come true, I would ask of only one thing: Akin to the Tulu country, ruled by the Kosars, renowned for their truthful words and rich jewels, having groves, where bunches of rounded bitter-gourd fruits, with little tufts at the ends, are eaten by feathered peacocks with drum-like eyes, let the towns she traverses be respected, ancient places with flourishing communities, comprising of people, who have the noble quality of providing for empty-handed travellers. Leaving me and her friends to lament, crossing the stern protection of this well-guarded mansion, akin to the town of Pazhi, ruled by King Nannan, renowned for his radiant jewels and adorned elephants, she has left with him to the drylands, where a sleuth of strong-armed bears, after feeding on the beautiful, new flowers of the ‘Mahua’ tree, scatter the dust on the land beneath, and rush to tear tubular fruits upon the beautiful branches of the golden shower tree, running about all around. Such is the path, where my ignorant daughter, with soft arms, akin to clustered mountain bamboos, has left away on, with the principle of following and being together with her sweet companion!” Time to explore the details in this drylands verse! The mother starts by saying if at all a mother’s wish could come true, all she wished for was one thing, and that was her daughter, should find people who have the noble quality of taking care of wayfarers, who come to their towns with nothing in their hands. She says that such a quality is found in the towns, ruled by the great Kosars, known for their truthfulness and great wealth, and also, describes their Tulu country as a place, where rounded bitter-gourds with little tufts grow. Knowing our regular supermarket bitter gourds to be long and lean, I did a search and found that indeed the wild variety of bitter gourds were exactly as pictured in the lines of this verse! Returning, mother has described the bitter gourds to talk about how peacocks in the Tulu country feed on the same- Just fine details about the land and people, which seems to have gained a noble reputation of charity and compassion in Sangam times! Why is the mother wishing her daughter so? Is the daughter travelling solo on account of her job? Well, being the Sangam era, such a wish comes from the mother only at the unfortunate event of an elopement by the lady with her man. Mother talks about how her daughter has left her friends and herself to lament, without the lady’s company, and crossed the stern guard of their home. Again, to describe the protection in their mansion, mother refers to the fortified walls of the Paazhi town, ruled by King Nannan. For the final segment, mother takes us to the drylands path, where we see bears feeding on Mahua flowers and tearing apart ‘Kondrai’ fruits, in a metaphor for how the lady has fed on the sweet relationship with the man and has brought distress to mother and her friends. Even so, mother concludes by recognising that her daughter left because she believed in being together with her beloved, fearing her parents would deny her that happiness. In essence, here’s a hurt mother, who is distressed by the actions of her daughter. Yet all that heart can think of, is that her daughter should find good people in her path! How is it easy for this mother, to wish well for another, when hurt by them? Something to ponder on and aspire for!

In this episode, we perceive a before-and-after story, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 14, penned by Okkoor Maasaathanaar. Set amidst the moist red earth of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’, the verse portrays an evening hour and a much-awaited arrival. ”அரக்கத்து அன்ன செந்நிலப் பெரு வழி,காயாஞ் செம்மல் தாஅய் பல உடன்ஈயல் மூதாய் வரிப்ப, பவளமொடுமணி மிடைந்தன்ன குன்றம் கவைஇயஅம் காட்டு ஆர் இடை, மடப் பிணை தழீஇ,திரி மருப்பு இரலை புல் அருந்து உகள,முல்லை வியன் புலம் பரப்பி, கோவலர்குறும் பொறை மருங்கின் நறும் பூ அயர,பதவு மேயல் அருந்து மதவு நடை நல் ஆன்வீங்கு மாண் செருத்தல், தீம் பால் பிலிற்ற,கன்று பயிர் குரல, மன்று நிறை புகுதரும்மாலையும் உள்ளார்ஆயின், காலையாங்கு ஆகுவம்கொல்? பாண!” என்றமனையோள் சொல் எதிர் சொல்லல்செல்லேன் செவ்வழி நல் யாழ் இசையினென், பையென,கடவுள் வாழ்த்தி, பையுள் மெய்ந் நிறுத்து,அவர் திறம் செல்வேன் கண்டனென், யானேவிடு விசைக் குதிரை விலங்கு பரி முடுக,கல் பொருது இரங்கும் பல் ஆர் நேமிக்கார் மழை முழக்கு இசை கடுக்கும்,முனை நல் ஊரன், புனை நெடுந் தேரே. In this sensually rich song from the forestlands, a bard narrates to his friends an event he witnessed. His words can be translated as follows: “‘Upon the wide path spreading on red earth, akin to lac, wilting blue flowers of the ironwood trees have fallen, and around these crawl many red velvet bugs in neat rows, appearing as if coral has been fitted together with sapphires, in that jungle path, surrounded by mountains many. Here, after embracing a female deer, a stag with twisted antlers feeds on grass, and leaps about, in the wide-spread forestlands, where cowherds leave their cattle to graze and they delight in adorning themselves with the fragrant flowers in the little mounds around. After feeding well on the wild grass, those cows with a fine, strong gait, appear with their udders swollen, and so as to shower this sweet milk on their calves, bellowing aloud, they rush to the town centre in this evening hour. If he thinks not about this time of the day, what will become of me in the morning, O bard?’. Hearing these words from the lord’s wife, I stood speechless. All I could do was to play the ‘Sevvazhi’ tune on my fine lute gently, singing the praise of god, as suffering filled my form, and I decided to leave to where he was! Just then, I witnessed the sight of horses, hastened with goads, the sound of chariot wheels with spokes many hitting against the pebbles, akin to the roaring music of thunder during a downpour, and I saw the lord of the town, returning from the battlefront, atop his well-etched, tall chariot!” Time to deeply inhale the scent of falling flowers in the forestlands! The bard starts by mentioning the words he happened to hear from the lady of a house. This lady talks about the red earth of the forestlands and equates it to lac, a resin created by an insect on wood. A moment to appreciate how the rich red soil that covers 62% percent of the state of Tamil Nadu is being highlighted in this ancient verse. Returning, the lady points to how the blue flowers of the ironwood tree have fallen down and the way the red velvet mites crawl around these blue flowers makes one think of a jewel, fitted with corals and sapphire. Again, this talks about how jewellery making was second nature to the Sangam Tamils. It seems as if the availability of precious gems was a taken-for-granted thing in those times! Amidst such talk of wealth, let’s not forget the treasures of the natural world we are being gifted with – I’m talking about the ‘Moothaai’ or ‘Red velvet bugs’, referred here, which we have already seen and played with, in Natrinai 362 and Kalithogai 85! Moving on, we see the lady continuing her narration by saying in such a path, deers are frolicking about. At the same time, cows have been brought to graze by the cowherds, who have little to do, as the beings under their watch feed to their hearts’ content and these cowherds turn their attention to fashion, adorning themselves with the flowers they find around. After all that rich food, the udders of cows brim over and wanting to feed their calves, these cows return to the town centre, bellowing aloud. The entire reference has been given by the lady to talk about the evening hour, a time of immense pain for separated lovers, and she turns to the bard and asks him what could she do if the man has no thought of her at such a time and delayed his arrival, conveying her worry of how she was going to survive another morning. The bard is left speechless at these heartrending words and the only solace he could offer to the lady was to play a ‘Sevvazhi’ tune, in prayer to god, on his lute. He resolves to leave to where the man was put up and inform him about the lady’s state. Just then, he sees a vibrant scene before him of horses leaping in the air, wheels hitting against the pebbles and roaring like thunder, and at last, he catches a glimpse of the lord of that town, ret

In this episode, we listen to a thoughtful response, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 13, penned by Perunthalai Saaththanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and paints a portrait of the pain in parting. தன் கடற் பிறந்த முத்தின் ஆரமும்,முனை திறை கொடுக்கும் துப்பின் தன் மலைத்தெறல் அரு மரபின் கடவுட் பேணி,குறவர் தந்த சந்தின் ஆரமும்,இரு பேர் ஆரமும் எழில் பெற அணியும்திரு வீழ் மார்பின் தென்னவன் மறவன் குழியில் கொண்ட மராஅ யானைமொழியின் உணர்த்தும் சிறு வரை அல்லதுவரை நிலை இன்றி இரவலர்க்கு ஈயும்,வள் வாய் அம்பின், கோடைப் பொருநன்பண்ணி தைஇய பயம் கெழு வேள்வியின்,விழுமிது நிகழ்வது ஆயினும் தெற்கு ஏர்பு,கழி மழை பொழிந்த பொழுது கொள் அமையத்து,சாயல் இன் துணை இவட் பிரிந்து உறையின்,நோய் இன்றாக செய்பொருள் வயிற்படமாசு இல் தூ மடி விரிந்த சேக்கை,கவவு இன்புறாமைக் கழிக வள வயல்,அழல் நுதி அன்ன தோகை ஈன்றகழனி நெல் ஈன் கவைமுதல் அலங்கல்நிரம்பு அகன் செறுவில் வரம்பு அணையாத் துயல்வர,புலம்பொடு வந்த பொழுது கொள் வாடை,இலங்கு பூங் கரும்பின் ஏர் கழை இருந்தவெண் குருகு நரல, வீசும்நுண் பல் துவலைய தண் பனி நாளே! The alternating shades of the drylands appear unceasingly, and in this instance, we get to hear these words, which echo what the lady’s confidante has to say, when the man informs her of his intention to part away from the lady in search of wealth: “A necklace made of pearls born from his seas; A necklace made of sandalwood, given to him by mountain dwellers, who worship that god, who never leaves his devotees in distress; the people who live in his mountains, which has the vigour to make enemies bow and pay tributes. Both these worthy necklaces adorn with beauty, the chest of the brave Southern King, favoured with wealth and prosperity. Other than those few moments, when he tames wild elephants, captured in a pit, with his words, all other moments, he spends giving away to supplicants; Such is the nature of the lord of ‘Kodai’ in the Southern King’s domain, known for his sharp-tipped arrows, by the name of ‘Panni’. This lord performs many rituals that rain prosperity on him. Even if you were to attain more wealth than that lord, at this time, when clouds climb from the south and shower copious rains, if you were to part away from your pleasant mate, may the wealth you seek come to you, without any impediment! However, know this that upon a bed, spread with flawless, pure sheet, you will lose the joy of embracing her, as the cold northern winds accompanied by lament and loneliness sway the paddy grains atop stalks with tips, akin to fire, in the fertile fields, which spread far and wide, fenced by embankments, making a white bird, atop the sugarcane stalk with shining white flowers, cry out aloud, as the cold winds scatter many tiny droplets on that moist and cold day!” Let’s delve deeper into this verse! The confidante starts with a lengthy description about a Pandya King, by mentioning how he wears a necklace made of pearls from his seas as well as a necklace of sandalwood brought by ‘Kuravars’ from the mountains in his domain, which make enemies bow down before him. However, this being a collection on inner life, the king is being talked about to refer to a lord in his domain, the ruler of ‘Kodai’. Could this be the contemporary ‘Kodaikanal’ hills that we are talking about here? Returning, we learn how this lord has the strength and talent to tame elephants on the one hand, and on the other, a ceaseless generosity to give to his supplicants. If a person has so much generosity, they must have so much wealth, and the confidante talks about how this lord performs rituals seeking wealth. Apparently, such rituals were considered fruitful then, and the confidante connects this fact to the man saying that she wishes the man gets more wealth than that lord renowned for his wealth and generosity. After what seems like a blessing, the confidante comes to how this separation will affect the lady, as it’s happening in a time when the winds climb from the south and pour with rains, and the cold northern winds bring loneliness upon the land, swaying the paddy stalks and making birds atop sugarcane stalks lament. In such a time, the man will have to miss embracing the lady, the confidante concludes. Is the confidante saying to the man, ‘Please go ahead and earn the wealth you seek!’ or is she saying, ‘Don’t part from the lady at this time in the cold season when it’s impossible to be apart’? We cannot say for sure! However, we can see that she has lucidly presented both sides of the story and has left the man to make up his mind, which is an attribute of the wise, when they attempt to help another to choose the right path!

In this episode, we perceive a strategy for course correction, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 12, penned by Kabilar. Set amidst the squeaks and squawks of squirrels and parrots in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, the verse attempts to offer a new perspective to a perplexed person. யாயே, கண்ணினும் கடுங் காதலளே;எந்தையும், நிலன் உறப் பொறாஅன்; ”சீறடி சிவப்ப,எவன், இல! குறுமகள்! இயங்குதி?” என்னும்;யாமே, பிரிவு இன்று இயைந்த துவரா நட்பின்,இரு தலைப் புள்ளின் ஓர் உயிரம்மே;ஏனல்அம் காவலர் ஆனாது ஆர்த்தொறும்,கிளி விளி பயிற்றும் வெளில் ஆடு பெருஞ் சினை,விழுக் கோட் பலவின் பழுப் பயம் கொண்மார்,குறவர் ஊன்றிய குரம்பை புதைய,வேங்கை தாஅய தேம் பாய் தோற்றம்புலி செத்து, வெரீஇய புகர்முக வேழம்,மழை படு சிலம்பில் கழைபட, பெயரும்நல் வரை நாட! நீ வரின்,மெல்லியல் ஓரும் தான் வாழலளே. Once again, it’s time to visit the picturesque mountains and in this trip, we observe the confidante saying these words to the man, when he attempts to tryst with the lady: “As for mother, she loves her more dearly than her own eyes; As for father, he can’t even bear her feet to touch the ground, for he asks instantly, ‘Why do you walk about, reddening your feet, my dear little girl?’; As for me, with a sweet friendship that knows not separation, we are like a two-headed bird, with one beating life within; When the guards of millet fields unceasingly chatter, parrots talk back to them from their seats on the huge branch of the jackfruit tree, where squirrels play, decked with fruits many, whose benefit is reaped by a mountain dweller, whose hut is buried by the fallen flowers of the Kino tree. Seeing this honey-dripping sweet image, mistaking it for a tiger, an elephant with a spotted face is startled and runs towards the rain-filled mountain slopes, tearing apart and ruining the bamboos in your mountain ranges, O lord! If you come to tryst, the soft-natured maiden shan’t live anymore!” Time for our trek on these ancient mountain slopes! The confidante starts by talking about how precious the lady is to the lady’s mother, saying she is the apple of the mother’s eyes. If the mother treats her so, the father goes one step beyond and is pained when the girl even puts her feet on ground, asking why she has to go and redden it, walking hither and thither! The confidante then talks about her own relationship with the lady, saying they both are so inseparable that they are said to be a two-headed bird with one beating heart! After that portrait of the lady’s importance in all their lives, the confidante changes track and starts to talk about the man’s land, and to do that she brings forth scenes of young girls, who come to guard millet fields, chattering away loudly and parrots answering back to them, as they sit on the branches of the jackfruit tree, where squirrels play all day. From the branch of the jackfruit tree, the confidante jumps to its fruit, which she says, is relished by the ‘Kuravars’ or ‘Mountain dwellers’. Taking another leap, she moves from the people to their abode, and points to a hut, which sits below an Indian Kino tree, and in course of time, the bright yellow flowers of this tree drop down and cover the hut. What an exquisite sight, right? To us, yes, but not to an elephant, says the confidante, talking about how the animal is frightened by that image, mistaking it for a fierce tiger, and runs wildly into the bamboo forest, ruining the stalks along the way, in the man’s mountain slopes, the confidante connects. The confidante concludes saying if the man were to come to tryst with the lady at night, she’s afraid the lady won’t live anymore! What a strong message! What could be the reason for this? To unravel it, we have to explore the scene of the elephant mistaking the flower-clad hut for a tiger. Here, the confidante has placed a metaphor for how the man does not realise the goodness of the lady’s kin and he is mistakenly frightened by them, just like the elephant is frightened by the sight of those sweet flowers and consequently, destroying the health and beauty of the lady, like how the elephant ruins its good food of bamboo stalks, because of its unnecessary fear! In essence, the confidante is asking the man not to be afraid of the lady’s parents, but instead come seek her hand in marriage, for it has become too difficult for the lady to step out of her home and tryst with the man anymore. In mentioning how she and the lady are like a two-headed bird, the confidante implies they both are of the same mind, and she, in fact, speaks only for the lady’s good! A delightfully sweet verse, filled with the fruit slices of care and concern and the honey drops of a thoughtful communication!

In this episode, we listen to a parted lady’s anguish, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 11, penned by the prolific Sangam poet Avvaiyaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands Landscape’ and expresses the regretful words of a person in the midst of a separation. வானம் ஊர்ந்த வயங்கு ஒளி மண்டிலம்நெருப்பு எனச் சிவந்த உருப்பு அவிர் அம் காட்டு,இலை இல மலர்ந்த முகை இல் இலவம்கலி கொள் ஆயம் மலிபு தொகுபு எடுத்தஅம் சுடர் நெடுங் கொடி பொற்பத் தோன்றி,கயம் துகள் ஆகிய பயம் தபு கானம்எம்மொடு கழிந்தனர்ஆயின், கம்மென,வம்பு விரித்தன்ன பொங்கு மணற் கான் யாற்றுப்படு சினை தாழ்ந்த பயில் இணர் எக்கர்,மெய் புகுவு அன்ன கை கவர் முயக்கம்அவரும் பெறுகுவர்மன்னே, நயவர,நீர் வார் நிகர் மலர் கடுப்ப, ஓ மறந்துஅறு குளம் நிறைக்குந போல, அல்கலும்அழுதல் மேவல ஆகி,பழி தீர் கண்ணும் படுகுவமன்னே! Back to the drylands, to a situation where the man has left the lady at home and parted away on a mission. The background mentioned by many scholars is that this verse unfolds when the lady was distressed by the man’s absence and seeing the lady’s state, her confidante becomes even more distressed. At this time, in order to alleviate the sadness of her friend, the lady apparently says how she will bear with the parting until the man returns. While the speaker and listener sounds right, this supposed situation did not come through from the lines of the verse. To me, it appears as if the lady is explaining to the confidante the reason for her suffering just then. In any case, here are the words the lady says to the confidante: “The radiant orb of light that traverses the sky scorches like fire and reddens that scrub jungle with its heat. Here, the bloomed red buds of the leafless silk cotton tree appear akin to long upraised rows of shining lamps lit by joyous maiden, who celebrate together with much gusto. Ponds were losing the waters within and becoming filled with mud in that forest, bereft of benefits any. If at all he had taken me along thither, upon the sand mounds near the wild river, appearing akin to a cloth spread out, adorned by low-hanging branches, filled with flower bunches, akin to a body fitting tight against an armour, a loving embrace he would have attained from me, much to his desire! As for my eyes, akin to water-dripping, radiant flowers, they wouldn’t have unceasingly shed tears all day, akin to a barren pond being pumped with water, and those flawless eyes of mine would have found some sleep too!” Time to traverse the barren landscape of the drylands and walk further! The lady starts by talking about the burning heat of the sun, which seems to redden the scrub jungle entire, and here, upon a silk cotton tree, which has no leaves, no doubt as a consequence of that harsh summer, red flowers bloom. The sight of these red flowers in that barren landscape is placed in parallel with rows of lights lit by maiden, who come together to celebrate. That vivid simile lights up the whole poem and also throws light on the custom of lighting lamps, which seems to correspond to the festival of ‘Karthikai’ celebrated in Tamil nadu, close to the festival of ‘Deepavalli’, wherein even today, women put up rows of mud lamps in their homes. The English language describes these silk cotton tree flowers as ‘cup-like’ and this ancient Tamil verse sees the same flower as the earthen lamp lit up, telling us that languages echo not only mere words for objects but entire cultures within. Moving on, we find the lady now shifting her focus from such festivity to the barren ponds of the jungle, and she wistfully says that if only the man had taken her along, he would have attain a close embrace from her, upon the sands of the river, appearing like a spread-out cloth. A moment to reflect on the simile used here to describe that embrace! Most of the scholars have interpreted the words ‘மெய் புகுவு’ as two bodies uniting in an intercourse. But to me, this did not seem right when considering the subtle style or spirit of Sangam verses. Exploring further, I came across the word ‘மெய்யுறை’ or ‘armour’ and this made me think that it’s the way a body enters and fits tightly into an armour that is being referred here. This made perfect sense, coming from this female poet Avvaiyaar, who has been the counsellor of kings many in their wars! Returning from that interesting detour, we find the lady continuing saying not only would the man have attained a happy embrace with her but that her eyes would not be filling up like a dried-up pond, pumped with water, and she concludes by declaring that those eyes of hers would have found some sleep at least. And so, we find a lake’s worth of regret pooling in this song on the barren landscape of separation, making us wonder why the men then did not take their women along in their journeys? Wouldn’t it have made their lives so much more lively and joyous?

In this episode, we listen to persuasive words, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 10, penned by Ammoovanaar. Set amidst the waves and sands of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’, the verse transports us to an ancient shore. வான் கடற் பரப்பில் தூவற்கு எதிரிய,மீன் கண்டன்ன மெல் அரும்பு ஊழ்த்த,முடவு முதிர் புன்னைத் தடவு நிலை மாச் சினை,புள் இறைகூரும் மெல்லம் புலம்ப! நெய்தல் உண்கண் பைதல கலுழ,பிரிதல் எண்ணினைஆயின், நன்றும்அரிது உற்றனையால் பெரும! உரிதினின்கொண்டு ஆங்குப் பெயர்தல்வேண்டும் கொண்டலொடுகுரூஉத் திரைப் புணரி உடைதரும் எக்கர்ப்பழந் திமில் கொன்ற புது வலைப் பரதவர்மோட்டு மணல் அடைகரைக் கோட்டுமீன் கெண்டி,மணம் கமழ் பாக்கத்துப் பகுக்கும்வளம் கெழு தொண்டி அன்ன இவள் நலனே. And finally, we get to meet the fifth and final landscape of the coastal regions and the promise is that every multiple of 10 in the series of Aganaanooru poems, all the way to 400, is going to be a beach trip for Sangam travellers! Here, the lady’s confidante speaks her mind to the man, as he prepares to leave after trysting with the lady: “Facing the spray of the wide ocean, stands the ancient curving ‘laurelwood’, with soft buds appearing like the stars, and upon the dark and wide branches, birds rest in your gentle shores, O lord! Leaving her kohl-streaked eyes, akin to blue lotuses, to cry with suffering, if you think of parting away, remember this! About how you attained that rare thing with much good effort! I speak of her fine beauty, akin to the prosperous town of Thondi, wherein pushed by the eastern winds, ocean waves pounce and break sands of the shore, and here, fishermen with ancient boats and new nets, dig up a beached shark in the moist sand dunes, and share it with the people, who live in the fragrant little hamlet of theirs. You must rightfully claim such a beauty and part away with her now!” Time to soak in the salty spray of the ocean! The confidante starts by mentioning how the ‘Punnai’ tree, stands on the shore, so close to the droplets leaping from the waves, and details how the tree has star-like flowers and how birds many find an abode on its branches. This scene is in the domain of the man, the confidante connects. After talking about the man’s place, the confidante details how the man’s thought of parting is going to make the lady’s eyes shed copious tears. Instead of following that track, the man must choose to do something different, she says. Before that, in the unique Sangam style, she starts equating the lady’s beauty to the prosperous town of Thondi. To describe Thondi, the confidante talks about how fishermen with very old boats, find a beached shark and share it with all the people of their hamlet. Though it seems like a mundane scene in the shore, the description holds within a metaphor for how the man seems not to do the difficult task of seeking the lady’s hand, just like these fishermen, who do not take their boats out into the roaring waves of the wide sea and get their catch by fishing there, but rather embrace the easy thing of digging up a beached fish, and likewise, the man too was intent only on the transient pleasures of trysting. This is a hidden message, nudging the man to seek the lady’s hand, and the confidante concludes by connecting that the man must claim the lady’s beauty and part away with her rightfully. Reverting to the simile involving the lady’s beauty and a Sangam town, this comparison never fails to amaze me as I ponder on how picturesque such a town must have been, to be placed in parallel with a Sangam lady’s beauty, something that has always been described in the superlative! This, no doubt is literature’s way of hinting to students of history and archaeology, about the wealth and joy reverberating in those ancient Tamil towns!

In this episode, we perceive an exquisite moment of anticipation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 9, penned by Kallaadanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and depicts the emotions in coming home to a beloved after a long separation. கொல் வினைப் பொலிந்த, கூர்ங் குறும் புழுகின்,வில்லோர் தூணி வீங்கப் பெய்தஅப்பு நுனை ஏய்ப்ப அரும்பிய இருப்பை,செப்பு அடர் அன்ன செங் குழை அகம்தோறு,இழுதின் அன்ன தீம் புழல் துய்வாய்உழுது காண் துளைய ஆகி, ஆர் கழல்பு,ஆலி வானின் காலொடு பாறி,துப்பின் அன்ன செங் கோட்டு இயவின்,நெய்த்தோர் மீமிசை நிணத்தின் பரிக்கும்அத்தம் நண்ணிய அம் குடிச் சீறூர்கொடு நுண் ஓதி மகளிர் ஓக்கியதொடி மாண் உலக்கைத் தூண்டு உரல் பாணி,நெடு மால் வரைய குடிஞையோடு இரட்டும்குன்று பின் ஒழியப் போகி, உரம் துரந்து,ஞாயிறு படினும், ”ஊர் சேய்த்து” எனாது,துனை பரி துரக்கும் துஞ்சாச் செலவின்எம்மினும், விரைந்து வல் எய்தி, பல் மாண்ஓங்கிய நல் இல் ஒரு சிறை நிலைஇ,பாங்கர்ப் பல்லி படுதொறும் பரவி,கன்று புகு மாலை நின்றோள் எய்தி,கை கவியாச் சென்று, கண் புதையாக் குறுகி,பிடிக் கை அன்ன பின்னகம் தீண்டி,தொடிக் கை தைவரத் தோய்ந்தன்றுகொல்லோநாணொடு மிடைந்த கற்பின், வாள் நுதல்,அம் தீம் கிளவிக் குறுமகள்மென் தோள் பெற நசைஇச் சென்ற என் நெஞ்சே? Back to the drylands in this verse, and in this instance, in contrast to the usual mood of sorrow in separation, we experience excitement and joy. Here, are the words rendered by a man, returning home from his mission, in the earshot of his charioteer: “Akin to the sharp and short arrowheads, skilled in their task of killing, standing tall on the edges of arrows, bulging in the quivers of bowmen, buds of the ‘Mahua’ have bloomed. Akin to copper slates, hang the red leaves all around, and within them, extend the flowers’ sweet hollow tubes, akin to butter, and appear with fuzzy holes on the surface. Loosened from their stalks, these fall with the wind, akin to hail from the sky, and land upon the coral-like red mounds of earth, and appear akin to fatty meat atop blood! In a beautiful, little hamlet within such a drylands, the sounds of maiden with fine, curly hair lifting their well-etched pestles and pounding against the mortar resound in rhythm with the hoot of the owl living in the tall mountain nearby. Even when the sun has set, disappearing behind that mountain, losing its strength, without thinking, ‘the town is far away’, we journey on ceaselessly, stopping not our speeding horse. Even faster than us, hastening with strength, that heart of mine reaches my fine home, soaring with many glories, where my lady stands still in one spot, listening intently to the sounds of the lizard, in that evening hour, when calves return home from grazing. Did it go near her with extended hands and close her eyes from behind?Did it caress her long, thick braided hair, akin to a female elephant’s trunk?Did it lose itself in those bangled hands? I wonder what that heart of mine, which desired so much for the soft arms of that young maiden of sweet and beautiful words, with a shining forehead and a flawless chastity fused with modesty, did when it saw her!” Let’s delve deeper into the verse! The man starts with a description of the drylands, and to do that, he talks about the sharp-edged flowers of the Mahua tree, looking like arrowheads, skilled in the art of killing, and the long hollow tubes of the flower, appearing akin to butter, and the way these flower clusters fall on the red earth beneath, looking like fat on blood. In Freudian style, we can infer from these similes: One, the man is returning from some war mission and two, he’s hungry and eager to savour the feast back home. Returning, the man connects how in these drylands the sounds of women pounding on their stones joins in rhythm with the hoots of owls in the nearby mountains. After describing the place, now the man turns to talk about the time of the day and says how even though the sun has bid bye to the land and retired beyond yonder mountains, he stops not his horse but speeds on. However he notes that the curious thing here is that even faster than the man and his chariot, the man’s heart has sped on to his home, and found his wife, who was standing still and listening to the good omens from the clicks of the lizards. The man wonders if his heart went on and hid the eyes of his beloved from behind or whether it caressed her long tresses, akin to an elephant’s trunk, or whether it buried its face in her bangled hands? He ends his words in utter amazement, pondering on what his heart might have done, when it reached the arms of his beloved! In the unique Sangam style, the man separates himself from his heart to express his deep yearning to be with the one he loves. It’s also a hidden nudge to his charioteer to hasten their return home. The verse brought in my mind’s eye the many scenes of reunion I have experienced and witnessed while waiting in airports and train stations. The sparkling eyes, embracing hands and even tears of joy that spill

In this episode, we perceive the dangers in trysting, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 8, penned by Perunkundroor Kizhaar. Set amidst the hills and slopes of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’, the verse presents the challenges in the situation and its resolution in a hidden manner. ஈயல் புற்றத்து ஈர்ம் புறத்து இறுத்தகுரும்பி வல்சிப் பெருங் கை ஏற்றைதூங்கு தோல் துதிய வள் உகிர் கதுவலின்,பாம்பு மதன் அழியும் பானாட் கங்குலும்,அரிய அல்லமன், இகுளை! ”பெரியகேழல் அட்ட பேழ்வாய் ஏற்றைபலா அமல் அடுக்கம் புலாவ ஈர்க்கும்கழை நரல் சிலம்பின்ஆங்கண், வழையொடுவாழை ஓங்கிய தாழ் கண் அசும்பில்,படு கடுங் களிற்றின் வருத்தம் சொலிய,பிடி படி முறுக்கிய பெரு மரப் பூசல்விண் தோய் விடரகத்து இயம்பும் அவர் நாட்டு,எண் அரும் பிறங்கல் மான் அதர் மயங்காது,மின்னு விடச் சிறிய ஒதுங்கி, மென்மெல,துளி தலைத் தலைஇய மணி ஏர் ஐம்பால்சிறுபுறம் புதைய வாரி, குரல் பிழியூஉ,நெறி கெட விலங்கிய, நீயிர், இச் சுரம்,அறிதலும் அறிதிரோ?” என்னுநர்ப் பெறினே. Fulfilling the promise of 2s and 8s, this verse transports us to the mountains of yore! Here, the words are spoken by the lady to her confidante, at a time when the man arrives to tryst with the lady, as the lady pretends not to notice the man, but ensuring he remains in earshot: “Desiring the comb of termites’ nests as its food, the huge-handed male bear puts its hand into those termite mounds, made of moist mud. When it does so, the sharp nail attached to its hanging skin hooks on to a snake hiding within and destroys its strength, in the darkness of the midnight hour. Crossing over at even this deadly hour is not hard for us, my friend. A wide-mouthed male tiger drags a huge male boar, killed by it, in the spaces of those hills abounding with jackfruit trees, with the smell of flesh reeking everywhere in the slopes, resounding with the swaying of bamboos. There, where drylands laurel wood trees soar along with the plantain trees, a strong male elephant slips on the slushy soil and falls into a pit. To resolve its angst, its mate bends a huge tree, and its loud sound resounds all around the ranges with sky-high peaks in the man’s mountain country. Here, without getting confused by the countless paths, where deer tread on, in the glow of the lightning, when we walk slowly, as the drops of rain drench our sapphire-like five-part braids, that has been combed so densely, hiding the small of the back, when we stand there squeezing the water out, crossing over at even that deadly hour of midnight is not hard for us, my friend, if we were to get someone who says these words with concern, “Do you know your way around this thick jungle with confusing paths?’” Time to track the scents of these many mountain beasts! The lady starts by portraying a scene from the woods, where we see a male bear trotting off in search of food and spotting a termite mound, and then, putting its hand with sagging skin to pull out the comb of those ants’ nests. In the process, a snake hiding within gets hurt and finds its strength ruined. All this happens at the midnight hour, the lady says. So, here’s a reference to the time brought out by the action of this bear. Next, she goes on to describe the place, and to do that, she brings before us two different scenes: One, where we see a male tiger dragging its kill of a male boar, making the smell of flesh waft all around the slopes; And in the next scene, wherein we see how a male elephant has slipped on the slush in a place, dense with plantain and laurel wood trees, and fallen into a low pit. It struggles unable to ascend that slippery spot, and to its aid, the elephant’s mate steps up, and tries to bend the branch of a huge tree and the uproarious sound it makes in the process resounds all over the mountains of the man’s domain, the lady connects. So time done, place done, next the lady talks about how the weather is drenching the lady’s five-part thick braids and she finishes by telling her confidante that this time and place, if at all they had someone who would ask with care and concern, whether they knew where they were going in that spot, filled with confusing paths many, then even crossing over to meet the man, at that time and place, wouldn’t be such a difficult thing! In essence, the lady is bringing forth all the dangers around trysting while at the same time, echoing her desire to meet up with the man at all odds. When she talks about the bear and the snake inside the termite mound, she expresses a metaphor for how the man has no intention of hurting her, just like the bear had no intention of attacking the snake, but that was the consequence of its action. Likewise, the lady is hurt by the man’s sporadic trysting, she implies. In the scene where the tiger drags its kill and makes its scent reek all over the mountains, the lady places it as a metaphor for how her relationship with the man is spreading slander all over their village. And in the final scene of the female elephant ben

In this episode, we look into the distraught emotions of a mother, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 7, penned by Kayamanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and vividly portrays a scene of separation and seeking. ‘முலை முகம்செய்தன; முள் எயிறு இலங்கின;தலை முடிசான்ற; தண் தழை உடையை;அலமரல் ஆயமொடு யாங்கணும் படாஅல்;மூப்புடை முது பதி தாக்குஅணங்கு உடைய;காப்பும் பூண்டிசின்; கடையும் போகலை;பேதை அல்லை மேதைஅம் குறுமகள்!பெதும்பைப் பருவத்து ஒதுங்கினை, புறத்து” என,ஒண் சுடர் நல் இல் அருங் கடி நீவி,தன் சிதைவு அறிதல் அஞ்சி இன் சிலைஏறுடை இனத்த, நாறு உயிர் நவ்வி! வலை காண் பிணையின் போகி, ஈங்கு ஓர்தொலைவு இல் வெள் வேல் விடலையொடு, என் மகள்இச் சுரம் படர்தந்தோளே. ஆயிடை,அத்தக் கள்வர் ஆ தொழு அறுத்தென,பிற்படு பூசலின் வழிவழி ஓடி,மெய்த் தலைப்படுதல்செல்லேன்; இத் தலை,நின்னொடு வினவல் கேளாய்! பொன்னொடுபுலிப் பல் கோத்த புலம்பு மணித் தாலி,ஒலிக் குழைச் செயலை உடை மாண் அல்குல்,ஆய் சுளைப் பலவின் மேய் கலை உதிர்த்ததுய்த் தலை வெண் காழ் பெறூஉம்கல் கெழு சிறுகுடிக் கானவன் மகளே. Back to the repeating drylands but this time, it’s not a scene involving the parted man and the pining lady. The focus here is the other theme in this landscape, wherein a lady elopes with her beloved, leaving her family at a loss. Here, the lady’s foster mother, says these words, to a doe in the drylands: “Hearing the words, ‘Your breasts have blossomed; Your sharp teeth have become radiant; Your hair has grown long; You now wear moist-leaved attires; So, do not go wherever you want along with your uproarious playmates, for in this ancient town, there are many spirits that could attack you; Accept the guard around the house and don’t even step into the backyard. You are no longer a naive child but an intelligent maiden, who has come of age, my little daughter!’, fearing that we have learnt of her mistake, her secret relationship, she overcame the strict guard of our fine home with shining lamps, O doe with the fragrant breath, belonging to a herd of sweet-sounding deer! Like a deer that fleets away on seeing a net cast out, my daughter has left to the drylands with a young man wielding a victorious white spear. And here, akin to how cattle owners would chase relentlessly behind drylands robbers, who have stolen their cattle, to battle with them, I run behind her, and yet I see no sign of her. Can I ask you something? Please answer! That maiden, who wears a lone necklace, made of gold and tiger teeth, and luxuriant sedalia tree leaves as the attire around her fine waist, is the daughter of a forest dweller, who lives in a hill, filled with the soft-headed, white seeds of jackfruit clusters, relished and discarded by male monkeys! Have you seen her at all?”. Let’s delve deeper into this tale! The mother starts by reminiscing about the words she spoke to her daughter, asking her not to step out of their house, as she had come of age and was no longer a naive little girl, who could go anywhere and play to her heart’s content. The mother also seems to have spooked the girl talking about spirits and what-not! And so, her girl had gone and done what most teenagers would do, which is the opposite of what’s being asked of them! Remember the mother is speaking to a doe she meets, and she uses a simile the creature would understand, placing in parallel the way a deer would run away, when spotting a net nearby, to how her daughter had escaped from their strict guard and eloped with a young man. Then, the mother comes to her own state and equates it to the relentless pursuit of cattle-owners behind robbers, who have stolen their cattle. But to no avail, she says with a wail to the doe, and ends her words by asking if the doe has seen her girl, who is the daughter of a mountain dweller, whose domain is filled with rocky spaces, where the white seeds of jackfruits, spit out from the mouths of male monkeys, abound! A question arose in my mind about why this particular scene of a male monkey, spitting out seeds after relishing the jackfruit, to describe the mountain country! Could it be a hidden metaphor for the mother’s worry about that’s how her girl would be abandoned by the man she loves? We cannot say for sure, but the verse is nevertheless filled with elements of angst and anxiety that soars in the heart of someone who has lost something precious!

In this episode, we perceive the ire of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 6, penned by Paranar. Set amidst the lush fields and ponds of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’, the verse portrays a strong reaction to an affront. அரி பெய் சிலம்பின் ஆம்பல் அம் தொடலை,அரம் போழ் அவ் வளைப் பொலிந்த முன்கை,இழை அணி பணைத் தோள் ஐயை தந்தை,மழை வளம் தரூஉம் மா வண் தித்தன்,பிண்ட நெல்லின் உறந்தை ஆங்கண்கழை நிலை பெறாஅக் காவிரி நீத்தம்,குழை மாண் ஒள் இழை நீ வெய்யோளொடு,வேழ வெண் புணை தழீஇ, பூழியர்கயம் நாடு யானையின் முகன் அமர்ந்தாஅங்கு,ஏந்து எழில் ஆகத்துப் பூந் தார் குழைய,நெருநல் ஆடினை, புனலே; இன்று வந்து,”ஆக வன முலை அரும்பிய சுணங்கின்,மாசு இல் கற்பின், புதல்வன் தாய்!” என,மாயப் பொய்ம்மொழி சாயினை பயிற்றி, எம்முதுமை எள்ளல்; அஃது அமைகும் தில்ல!சுடர்ப் பூந் தாமரை நீர் முதிர் பழனத்து,அம் தூம்பு வள்ளை ஆய் கொடி மயக்கி,வாளை மேய்ந்த வள் எயிற்று நீர்நாய்,முள் அரைப் பிரம்பின் மூதரில் செறியும்,பல் வேல் மத்தி, கழாஅர் அன்ன எம்இளமை சென்று தவத் தொல்லஃதே;இனிமை எவன் செய்வது, பொய்ம்மொழி எமக்கே? We get to traverse ‘Marutham’ landscape for the first time in Aganaanooru, and we receive a promise that every song that ends in 6, will feature these farmlands. In this instance, a man has offended a lady by choosing to be with courtesans, and here, the lady renders these words to him, when he returns to her, seeking her grace: “Wearing pebble-filled anklets and a garland of pink water-lilies, having forearms, adorned with conch shell bangles, cut with a saw, and bamboo-like arms, shining with ornaments, lives a maiden named ‘Aiyai’, whose father is the immensely generous ‘Thithan’, who renders wealth unto others, akin to a rain shower, in his town of Uranthai, heaped with mounds of paddy! In this town, where River Kaveri gushes with abundant waters, which never lets even the sturdiest of bamboo oars to stay steady, along with your desired one, wearing heaving earrings and shining ornaments, holding on to a white reed raft, crumpling the flower garland that was adorning your handsome chest, with the joy of elephants that take a dip in the ponds of the Poozhiyars, you played in the river stream yesterday; Today, you come here, and say to me, “You are one with beautiful pallor spots, adorning your handsome breasts; one with flawless chastity; the mother of my son!”. You render these illusory praises as if you are humbled. Don’t you mock at my mature age! I have accepted it for what it is! The beauty of my youth, is akin to the town of Kazhaar, ruled by the many-speared ‘Maththi’, wherein after shaking the beautiful vines of the hollow-tubed ‘Vallai’ creepers, amidst water-filled fields, adorned with flaming lotuses, an otter with sharp teeth, which was preying on scabbard fish, then rests amidst the stalks of the thorny-stemmed cane bushes. I know fully well that this youth of mine has forsaken me long ago! So what good can your falsehood do to me?!” Time to take a longer walk amidst the fertile vistas of ponds and paddy! The lady in this verse begins her statement by curiously talking about another lady, a princess named ‘Aiyai’, describing her ornaments and garlands. But, the focus quickly shifts to this princess’ father, a ruler named ‘Thithan’, and his immense generosity. This, not being ‘Puranaanooru’, this king too is not of much relevance in this verse, for the spotlight moves again to the town of ‘Uranthai’ that this king rules over. Even ‘Uranthai’, with its mounds of paddy, does not retain our attention for long, and instead the River Kaveri that gushes with much force through this town is brought before our eyes. Is it a song about the beauty of this ancient river? I can listen to that all day long! No, says the lady, and points to a pair playing in the waters, one, a handsome man wearing a garland on his chest, and the other, his desired maiden, adorned with beautiful ornaments. This pair apparently is the man and his courtesan, who were having a romp in the wild waters of the Kaveri, and the lady tastefully places in parallel the image of this duo, with a couple of elephants frolicking in the pond of the Poozhiyars, a clan renowned for the wealth of their white goats that we have seen in Natrinai and Kurunthogai! The lady elaborates that the man was in such a joyous state with another woman only yesterday, and today, he has come so humbly praising the lady as one with much beauty, calling her the mother of his son. As if saying ‘Stop right there’, the lady asks the man not to render falsehoods about her beauty and mock at her maturing age. She then goes on to tell him that she has accepted that she has grown old, and her youth which echoed a beauty, akin to the fertile town of ‘Kazhaar’, ruled by Mathi’, had long left her. To talk about this ancient town, she mentions an otter that feeds on scabbard fish in the lush fields by day, and then retires to sleep ami

In this episode, we relish the micro-elements of expressed emotions, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 5, penned by the Chera King Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and etches a striking portrait of an anxious heart. அளி நிலை பொறாஅது அமரிய முகத்தள்,விளி நிலை கொள்ளாள், தமியள், மென்மெல,நலம் மிகு சேவடி நிலம் வடுக் கொளாஅ,குறுக வந்து, தன் கூர் எயிறு தோன்றவறிது அகத்து எழுந்த வாய் அல் முறுவலள்,கண்ணியது உணரா அளவை, ஒண்ணுதல்,வினை தலைப்படுதல் செல்லா நினைவுடன் முளிந்த ஓமை முதையல்அம் காட்டு,பளிங்கத்து அன்ன பல் காய் நெல்லி,மோட்டு இரும் பாறை, ஈட்டு வட்டு ஏய்ப்ப,உதிர்வன படூஉம் கதிர் தெறு கவாஅன்,மாய்த்த போல மழுகு நுனை தோற்றி,பாத்தியன்ன குடுமிக் கூர்ங் கல்,விரல் நுதி சிதைக்கும் நிரை நிலை அதர,பரல் முரம்பு ஆகிய பயம் இல் கானம்இறப்ப எண்ணுதிர் ஆயின் “அறத்தாறுஅன்று” என மொழிந்த தொன்றுபடு கிளவிஅன்ன ஆக” என்னுநள் போல,முன்னம் காட்டி, முகத்தின் உரையா,ஓவச் செய்தியின் ஒன்று நினைந்து ஒற்றி,பாவை மாய்த்த பனிநீர் நோக்கமொடு,ஆகத்து ஒடுக்கிய புதல்வன் புன் தலைத்தூ நீர் பயந்த துணை அமை பிணையல்மோயினள் உயிர்த்த காலை, மா மலர்மணி உரு இழந்த அணி அழி தோற்றம்கண்டே கடிந்தனம், செலவே ஒண்டொடிஉழையம் ஆகவும் இனைவோள்பிழையலள்மாதோ, பிரிதும் நாம் எனினே! Back to the drylands again but we get to witness the echoes of beating heart in this poem, vividly sketched by the profilic poet-king, whose verses we have encountered many a time in the other collections. Here are the words rendered by a man to his heart, at a moment when he must decide whether or not to part away from his wife: “With a distant face that is not receptive to the grace rendered, without heeding my call, feeling isolated, walking so gently so as to leave no imprints of her beautiful feet on the land beneath, coming close by, showing her sharp teeth, she smiled an empty smile, bereft of truthful joy. Even before I realised that I intended to part, the maiden with a shining forehead was already showing how she disagreed with my parting away on a mission. As if saying to me, “If you want to part away to that ancient forest with dried-up toothbrush trees, where marble-like gooseberry fruits lie scattered on wide, hard rocks, as if those are pawns collected for play; If you want to leave to those wide spaces, where the sun’s rays scorch, and where, as if shaped with a blade, segments of sharp-edged stones appear in rows and tear apart toe-ends of travellers, in those pebble-filled, useless scrub jungle, you are just proving that the age-old saying, ‘Parting away is an act of injustice’, is nothing but empty words, she expressed all this on her face, without words any. Constantly thinking about this one thing, she stood like a painting, with brimming tears, hiding her pupils. As she bent to smell the well-woven garland of waterlilies, plucked from the pure waters, adorning the head of her son, whom she held tightly on her bosom, she let out a sad sigh, and in that moment, those huge flowers lost their sapphire-hues. Seeing the ruined form of those flowers, I decided to put away my parting. For if my maiden wearing shining bangles suffers so much when I’m right next to her, how will she survive if I were to truly part away?” Let’s go deeper into this scrub jungle of emotions! Taking a different route, the man in this verse starts by talking not about the drylands, where he’s usually expected to go, but instead on the expressions of his beloved. He talks about how distant she seems, how she is so lost that she doesn’t heed the call of her name, and when she comes close to him, walking so softly without any footprints, as if it would hurt the earth otherwise, she would give him a smile that he knows fully well is not her true, joyous smile. The man understands that all these effects are because the lady already senses that the man intends to leave even before the man himself has had that thought. After this, comes a vivid description of the drylands, and we get to see toothbrush trees again, as well as fallen gooseberries, which seem like small marbles or pawns that little children have collected to play with. The other striking element here are the effect of erosion on the rocky paths, that have turned these into sharp edges, waiting to gore the toes of travellers. The man connects these drylands to the thoughts of the lady, who seem to be saying to him, if you want to go there leaving me, you are not heeding the wise words of the ancients, who said ‘parting from a beloved is an act of injustice’. The man then paints a picture of the lady as one who’s constantly obsessing over the thought that the man would leave, and she stands frozen like a painting, with tears brimming in her eyes. At this time, she bends down to smell the flowers on the head of her son, whom she holds close to her bosom, and as she does so, she lets out a sigh and the sadness of that sigh makes the blue hue of the flowers vanish and wilts them away. Seeing this moment, the man deci

In this episode, we perceive the blooming beauty of a forest in the rains, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 4, penned by Kurungudi Maruthanaar. Set amidst the blooms of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’, the verse conveys a message of hope. முல்லை வைந் நுனை தோன்ற, இல்லமொடுபைங் காற் கொன்றை மென் பிணி அவிழ,இரும்பு திரித்தன்ன மா இரு மருப்பின்,பரல் அவல் அடைய, இரலை தெறிப்ப,மலர்ந்த ஞாலம் புலம்பு புறக்கொடுப்ப,கருவி வானம் கதழ் உறை சிதறி,கார் செய்தன்றே, கவின் பெறு கானம்.குரங்கு உளைப் பொலிந்த கொய்சுவற் புரவி,நரம்பு ஆர்த்தன்ன, வாங்கு வள்பு அரிய,பூத்த பொங்கர்த் துணையொடு வதிந்ததாது உண் பறவை பேதுறல் அஞ்சி,மணி நா ஆர்த்த மாண் வினைத் தேரன்,கறங்கு இசை விழவின் உறந்தைக் குணாது,நெடும் பெருங் குன்றத்து அமன்ற காந்தட்போது அவிழ் அலரின் நாறும்ஆய் தொடி அரிவை! நின் மாண் நலம் படர்ந்தே. And now, we encounter our first song in the ‘Mullai’ landscape and we receive the promise that every verse ending with the number 4, totalling 40, is going to take us on a forest trail. As we have seen in many other collections, this landscape dwells on the theme of patient waiting and in this instance, the confidante can be heard rendering these words to the lady, who is pining away, parted from her beloved: “The wild jasmine blooms with sharp-tipped buds; Along with the clearing nut tree, the green-trunked golden shower opens out its delicate buds; A stag with dark antlers, akin to twisted iron, arrives at the pebble-filled puddles and then leaps about; The blooming land turns its back on its listless loneliness; All because the elements of the sky come together and scatter drops uproariously, and adorn the forests with the exquisite beauty of the rains. As he pulls the harness around his speeding horses with a curving mane to hasten them, thinking that it might disturb the honeybees, resting with their mates in the blooming flower orchards, he silences the tongues of bells in his well-etched chariot! He will, for sure, recollect the esteemed beauty of yours, akin to the fragrance of a flame-lily, opening its buds in the tall and huge hill to the east of Uranthai, a city roaring with the sounds of festivity, O maiden wearing fine ornaments, and come to you!” Time to travel deeper into the woods! The confidante begins by etching the picturesque changes that happen in the forest, such as the blooming of jasmines, blossoming of the golden-shower tree, the leaping about of stags around water-filled puddles, echoing the joy of the earth at having been blessed with the showers of the sky. In short, it’s the onset of the rainy season, which no doubt is also the promised season of the man’s return. After this alluring narration of the seasonal changes in nature, the confidante turns to present a slice of the man’s nature, saying he’s someone who would silence his chariot bells, thinking that it might disturb the bees resting with their mates in the flower orchards. Now the confidante turns the spotlight on the lady’s beauty and to do that, she talks about the fragrance of flame-lilies blooming in a hill to the east of ‘Uranthai’, the renowned capital of the Cholas, which is also decked in the uproarious sounds of festivities, no doubt celebrating the many victories of its rulers. A moment to pause and wonder if the hill being referred here to the east of Uranthai is the region currently known as ‘Malaikottai’ in the Tiruchirapalli district. Granted the vegetation is sparse and there’s no chance of a flame-lily blooming here now, but it’s quite possible two thousand years ago, this hill was covered with thick vegetation! Returning from our meanderings, we understand that the glimpse of this city and the hill to its east has been given, only to connect the lady’s beauty to the blooming flame-lilies there, and the confidante finishes her statement saying that the man will surely remember his lady and hasten his return to her! In this verse, the confidante relays a message of consolation in an intricate way. She talks about the outer changes in the world, a harbinger of how the lady’s world too is going to bloom with the man’s arrival so, and then she talks about the considerate and compassionate nature of the man, who has concern even for the tiny bees, and as if asking how can such a person forget you and your yearning, the confidante consoles the lady with the promise of his return. And yet again, a Sangam verse leaves us in awe when we contemplate the way it employs the understanding of human nature and the power of words to bring hope and positivity to a saddened heart!

In this episode, we perceive the striking shades of inner conflict , as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 3, penned by Eyinanthai Makanaar Ilankeeranaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and sketches a man’s dilemma in his quest for wealth. இருங் கழி முதலை மேஎந்தோல் அன்னகருங் கால் ஓமைக் காண்பு இன் பெருஞ் சினைக்கடியுடை நனந்தலை, ஈன்று இளைப்பட்ட,கொடு வாய்ப் பேடைக்கு அல்குஇரை தரீஇய,மான்று வேட்டு எழுந்த செஞ் செவி எருவைவான் தோய் சிமைய விறல் வரைக் கவாஅன்,துளங்கு நடை மரையா வலம் படத் தொலைச்சி,ஒண் செங் குருதி உவற்றி உண்டு அருந்துபு,புலவுப் புலி துறந்த கலவுக் கழி கடு முடை,கொள்ளை மாந்தரின் ஆனாது கவரும்புல் இலை மராஅத்த அகன் சேண் அத்தம்,கலம் தரல் உள்ளமொடு கழியக் காட்டி,பின் நின்று துரக்கும் நெஞ்சம்! நின் வாய்வாய்போல் பொய்ம்மொழி எவ்வம் என் களைமாகவிர் இதழ் அன்ன காண்பு இன் செவ் வாய்,அம் தீம் கிளவி, ஆய் இழை, மடந்தைகொடுங் குழைக்கு அமர்த்த நோக்கம்நெடுஞ் சேண் ஆர் இடை விலங்கும் ஞான்றே? As promised, every other song, the odd numbered ones, are taking us to the drylands and in this particular song, the descriptions are so vivid, and seem like a nature documentary is playing out on paper. Here are the words spoken by the man to his heart, at the juncture when his heart pushes him to part away so as to seek wealth: “Akin to the scaly skin of a crocodile in the salty backwaters, spreads the huge branch of the alluring, dark-trunked toothbrush tree. Upon this branch in that fearsome, wide space, rests a female bird with a curved beak, exhausted after giving birth. So as to bring good food for this young mother, its mate, the red-headed male vulture, which had been lying down in confusion, stands up and soars towards the sky-high peaks of the mountain ranges. In the slopes, it spots a mountain goat with a swaying gait, which has been attacked and killed by a tiger, which has then drunk up the radiant, red blood of the mountain goat with relish. The male vulture then ceaselessly steals the smelling flesh of this carcass, abandoned by the flesh-reeking tiger, akin to highway robbers, in that wide and faraway drylands, filled with dull-leaved burflower trees! O heart, you stand behind me and nudge me, pointing to those drylands, asking me to travel thither and bring back wealth! How will these truth-like falsehoods from your mouth save me from my suffering, at that moment, when the beautiful eyes, set in perfect proportion to the heavy earrings, belonging to my naive maiden, wearing well-etched ornaments, and having red lips, akin to coral tree petals that render beautiful and sweet words, appear before me and block me in that long and winding, formidable path in the drylands?” Time to delve into the nuances. The man starts with an intricate description of the drylands. First, we get to see the skin of a saltwater crocodile in the backwaters. Wait a minute, isn’t this the drylands? Why are we talking about the backwaters that are out of place here? Only to bring that striking image from another landscape as a parallel to the bark on the branch of a toothbrush tree that stands in these very drylands. A moment to reflect on the crocodiles referred! I learnt that though saltwater crocodiles were present in huge numbers in both Tamilnadu and Kerala. They were hunted to extinction around the 1930s and now all we have are the mugger or marsh freshwater crocodiles in these regions. By comparing the skin of a crocodile and the bark of a toothbrush tree, the Sangam poets bring flora and fauna together, representing the oneness of life. Moving on, the toothbrush tree has been brought to our attention to spotlight a tired mother vulture that has just given birth. Next to it, we see its mate, a male vulture with red ears. It has been lying there, not knowing what to do. It decides it must do something for its mate and so it stands up and soars in search of food. Roving the skies, on the mountain slopes, the keen-eyed vulture spots a mountain goat being felled by a tiger. The tiger then drinks up the blood and leaves the spoils behind, upon which our vulture scavenges and takes back the loot, like the thieving denizens of that drylands, the man describes. The man now turns to his heart and says that it has been pestering him to go to these drylands and beyond to bring back wealth. However, his past experiences make him turn to his heart and ask how can it even help him when the beautiful eyes of his lady appear in the middle of his journey and torment him! Saying so, the man decides not to venture forth, parting with the lady. In the description of the female vulture and its caring mate, the man places a metaphor for his own intention of providing for his lady and bringing back wealth for their happy life. At the same time, he’s conflicted because the pain of parting with her was too much for him to bear on a prior journey and he knows the same will follow him this time too. We have seen countless songs wherein the Sangam woman laments that the man has left

In this episode, we delve into the art of conveying a nuanced message, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 2, penned by Kabilar. Set among the rocks and boulders of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, the verse reveals the sensory delights of this land. கோழிலை வாழைக் கோள் முதிர் பெருங் குலைஊழுறு தீம் கனி, உண்ணுநர்த் தடுத்தசாரற் பலவின் சுளையொடு, ஊழ் படுபாறை நெடுஞ் சுனை, விளைந்த தேறல்அறியாது உண்ட கடுவன் அயலதுகறி வளர் சாந்தம் ஏறல்செல்லாது,நறு வீ அடுக்கத்து மகிழ்ந்து கண்படுக்கும்குறியா இன்பம், எளிதின், நின் மலைப்பல் வேறு விலங்கும் எய்தும் நாட! குறித்த இன்பம் நினக்கு எவன் அரிய?வெறுத்த ஏஎர், வேய் புரை பணைத் தோள்,நிறுப்ப நில்லா நெஞ்சமொடு நின்மாட்டு,இவளும், இனையள்ஆயின், தந்தைஅருங் கடிக் காவலர் சோர் பதன் ஒற்றி,கங்குல் வருதலும் உரியை; பைம் புதல்வேங்கையும் ஒள் இணர் விரிந்தன;நெடு வெண் திங்களும் ஊர்கொண்டன்றே. Now, it’s the turn of the mountains to feature in Aganaanooru and I learnt that we can expect every poem ending in 2 or 8, totalling 80 poems, to transport us to the lush mountains of ancient Tamil land. Evidence of the mathematical rigour in the arrangement of these verses, I spoke about earlier! Here are the words that are rendered by the lady’s confidante to the man, when he comes to tryst with the lady: “Huge fruit clusters in the luxuriant-leaved plantain, which have reached their natural destiny of ripeness, along with slices of jackfruit growing on the slopes, which satiate those who savour them because of their extreme sweetness, fall on age-old rocks and fuse with the wide springs. Such a delicate nectar is relished unknowingly by a male monkey, which then intoxicated, climbs not the sandalwood tree covered in pepper vines nearby, but instead sleeps with content, on the slopes filled with fragrant flowers. Such pleasures unsought for, are available so effortlessly to the many animals in your land, O lord! If that is so, how will a pleasure that you seek be hard to attain for you? She, the one with overflowing beauty and bamboo-like, thick arms, has a heart that refuses to heed any obstacle and rushes to you. Such is her love for you! However, you need to watch out for those moments of fatigue in her father’s stern guards to come meet her at night; For now, amidst the green leaves of the Kino tree, bright flowers have bloomed, and the full, white moon too is out on the prowl!” Let’s delve into the details. The confidante starts by talking about the man’s land, and to do that, she brings before our eyes, the image of the lush fruits, not only from a mountain plantain, but also the slices of a jackfruit that people fear because of their extreme sweetness. Imagine those delectable flavours! The pulp and nectar of both these fruits fall and dash against some rocks that have been standing there for eternity and then find their way to the springs and streams gushing nearby. A male monkey arrives near the stream and drinks up the water unknowingly and becomes so intoxicated by the sweetness that it doesn’t want to climb the sandalwood tree with pepper vines. But instead, it curls up for a good sleep amidst the flowers of the valley. The confidante has brought forth such a delicate narration to simply say such unimagined and unexpected pleasures are so easily to be found by even the animals of the man’s domain. She wonders when this is true, how will the lord of this domain, the man, be thwarted from a pleasure he seeks willingly! As if answering her rhetorical question, the confidante talks about how the lady reciprocates the man’s love steadfastly and that the lady’s heart heeds no one in its journey to be by the man’s side. While all may seem so gung-ho, the confidante introduces a thorn in her narrative, saying while these things seemed to be in the man’s favour, the man will still have to bide his time and wait for that rare moment when the guards that the lady’s father had assembled around their house, felt fatigue. The confidante ends her words by stating how the full moon was out in the blue skies, and the Kino trees were in full bloom, shedding the glow of their bright flowers, as well! Through that finishing note, the confidante stresses how the man will be easily discovered in the light of the full moon, by the watchful guards around the lady’s home, thereby dissuading the man’s hidden hope of trysting by night. In her reference to the blooming Kino flowers, the confidante mentions that it’s the harvest season, and also, the season of marriages in their culture. Further, in that exquisite description of the sleeping monkey, the confidante places a metaphor for how the man seemed only intent on relishing the pleasures with the lady and it was now time to put some effort in climbing the sandalwood tree of a married union. Thus, in exquisite Sangam style, elements of nature are woven together intricately with the dynamics of relationship and responsibility and presented as

I’m delighted to begin our exploration of Aganaanooru, a collection of four hundred verses of poetry, arranged with precision, to echo the inner life of ancient Tamils. In this episode, we perceive the emotions of a lady, parted away from her man, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 1, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands’ landscape, the verse depicts intricate elements of land and love with equal finesse. ”வண்டு படத் ததைந்த கண்ணி, ஒண் கழல்,உருவக் குதிரை மழவர் ஓட்டியமுருகன் நற் போர் நெடு வேள் ஆவி,அறுகோட்டு யானைப் பொதினி ஆங்கண்,சிறு காரோடன் பயினொடு சேர்த்தியகல் போல் பிரியலம்” என்ற சொல்தாம்மறந்தனர்கொல்லோ தோழி! சிறந்தவேய் மருள் பணைத் தோள் நெகிழ, சேய் நாட்டுப்பொலங்கல வெறுக்கை தருமார் நிலம் பக,அழல் போல் வெங்கதிர் பைது அறத் தெறுதலின்,நிழல் தேய்ந்து உலறிய மரத்த; அறை காய்பு,அறுநீர்ப் பைஞ் சுனை ஆம் அறப் புலர்தலின்,உகு நெல் பொரியும் வெம்மைய; யாவரும்வழங்குநர் இன்மையின், வௌவுநர் மடிய,சுரம் புல்லென்ற ஆற்ற; அலங்கு சினைநார் இல் முருங்கை நவிரல் வான் பூச்சூரல்அம் கடு வளி எடுப்ப, ஆருற்று,உடை திரைப் பிதிர்வின் பொங்கி, முன்கடல் போல் தோன்றல காடு இறந்தோரே? At the word go, the thing that struck me about this collection of verses was its perfect organisation. The poems in specific landscapes have been placed in specific positions with mathematic rigour. For instance, the first song we are exploring is a song from the ‘Paalai’ landscape, and I learnt that every odd-numbered song in this collection, totalling 200, is going to be from the same drylands domain. What about the other landscapes? That we’ll explore as we encounter each one! Here’s a translation of the first poem in this long series of drylands songs, wherein a lady speaks her heart to her confidante, saying: “‘Renowned for the head garland, swarming with bees, and radiant anklets, which he wears, and the ‘Mazhavars’, with their handsome horses, whom he routed, is the God-Murugan-like, battle-worthy, tall-speared ‘Aavi’, the ruler of ‘Pothini’, a land known for its battle elephants with neatly shaped tusks. Akin to a whetstone assembled together with a strong glue by a young stone-worker in this land, we shan’t part’, he said! Has he forgotten that, my friend?  Making my fine, thick, bamboo-like arms to wither away, so as to return with an abundance of gold ornaments from a faraway country, he left to that place, where splitting the earth beneath, fire-like hot rays of the sun clear the land of anything green, leaving trees with fading shadows, rocks that scorch, fresh springs with sweet waters to dry up without any respite, and the paddy falling down from the stalks to become fried and turn into puffed rice. Seeing no travellers around, even the waylaying robbers feel deprived in this listless-looking drylands path. From the swaying branches of the fibre-less drumstick tree, the withering, white flowers, severed by the hot and harsh winds, spread around and resound, akin to the spray of the breaking waves in the ocean’s front. Such is the drylands jungle, where he parted away to!” Time to delve deeper into the nuances. The lady segments her words into three different sections. She first brings forth the promise made by the man and rather than simply saying he said that he would never ever part from me, she goes on to talk about a leader named ‘Aavi’ who was the ruler of ‘Pothini’, which some scholars say refer to the contemporary ‘Pazhani Hills’ of Tamil Nadu. This ruler is portrayed as a fine warrior, who has worn over the Mazhavars, owners of sturdy horses. But it’s not the leader the lady wants to focus on and rather turns her attention to the land he rules over, and here too, she zooms on to a particular professional, a stone-worker, and further, on an efficient whetstone that this person assembles using a stone base, a strong glue and possibly a sturdy handle. Why the lady talks about this object of industry is to bring in parallel the inseparability of the glued-together stone and handle to the promise of the man, who said they would be together so, never separating! After rendering the promise made by the man, the lady shifts to talk about the reason why he broke that promise and parted away, and that’s simply because the man wants to return with great wealth from a faraway land, and in this process, he makes the lady’s health fade. After this, the lady comes to the third and final part of her rendition, and brings before our eyes, the place where the man has left to. This is a place where the scorching rays of the sun vanquish anything green, and thereby, make the trees to lose the luxury of their thick shadows. Further, the rocks are burning away, springs are drying away and the paddy that’s falling down instantly becomes puffed rice! This reference reminded me of a video I recently saw, of a woman opening her window and extending a frying pan with a raw egg, and in minutes, that raw egg t