Sangam Lit

In this episode, we listen to a maiden’s oath, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 76, penned by Paranar. Set amidst the resounding drums of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’, the verse brings out the rivalry between women in the rich domain of ancient towns. மண் கனை முழவொடு மகிழ் மிகத் தூங்க,தண் துறை ஊரன் எம் சேரி வந்தெனஇன் கடுங் கள்ளின் அஃதை களிற்றொடுநன் கலன் ஈயும் நாள் மகிழ் இருக்கைஅவை புகு பொருநர் பறையின், ஆனாது,கழறுப என்ப, அவன் பெண்டிர்; ”அந்தில்,கச்சினன், கழலினன், தேம் தார் மார்பினன்,வகை அமைப் பொலிந்த, வனப்பு அமை தெரியல்,சுரியல் அம் பொருநனைக் காண்டிரோ? என,ஆதிமந்தி பேதுற்று இனைய,சிறை பறைந்து உரைஇச் செங்குணக்கு ஒழுகும்அம் தண் காவிரி போல,கொண்டு கை வலித்தல் சூழ்ந்திசின், யானே. A trip to the farmlands takes us bang in the middle of a fight between a courtesan and a lady, over the lady’s husband, and these are the words said by the courtesan, in the earshot of the lady’s friends: “In rhythm with the mud-smeared drums, spreading joy, we danced. Seeing this, the lord of the cool river shores came to our colony. Hearing this, akin to the ceaseless sounds of drums, belonging to those entering the happy atmosphere, in the court of King Akuthai, known for his sharp and sweet toddy, and his rendering of elephants and fine vessels many, she has been scolding me without a pause, they say, about the lord’s woman; Akin to the beautiful and cool Kaveri that floods over banks and rushes steadily to the east, which made Aathi Manthi roam with much bewilderment, asking around, ‘The one wearing a cloth around him, the one adorned with anklets, the one, who has a honey-fragrant chest, ornamented with neatly arranged, radiant and exquisite garlands, the one with curly hair – That handsome lord of mine, have anyone of you seen him?’, I swear I shall pull him by his hands and envelope him all around.” Amidst the pomp and festivities of a town, let’s catch some sparks flying. The courtesan reflects on how along with other colleagues, she had been simply been doing her job of spreading joy, by dancing to the beat of the drums in the town. The courtesan continues by saying, because he was so impressed by this performance, the lord of the town, the lady’s husband, seemed to have paid a visit to this courtesan’s house. For this ordinary event, the lady seemed to have said many harsh words about her, the courtesan relates, connecting to how endlessly the lady has been berating her to the ceaseless drums that keep roaring in the court of King Akuthai, who keeps those who come seeking to him in high spirits, with his offering of toddy and elephants as well. The connection between the two is that both seem to be going on without a pause, the courtesan implies. Then, she talks about an event that was probably common knowledge then, about how a lady named ‘Aathi Manthi’ went about in search of her husband, describing what he was wearing and how he was looking, asking everyone if they had seen him. The courtesan explains this was because the cool and gushing River Kaveri, which has a steady path to the eastern sea, had breached its banks and seized Aathi Manthi’s husband. The courtesan connects this historical event with her own situation, and concludes by saying, that like the Kaveri River, she too would seize the lady’s husband and make him her own! Here’s a clear cut case of two women fighting over a man, as we have frequently seen in the rich expanses of the farmland towns. Sad indeed the state, wherein wealth accumulates, in the hands of a few, a few men at that, leading to this state of affairs, where the women seem to be defined by the affection of the man towards them. A moment of gratitude for our own time and space, where women can pursue their own paths to self-fulfilment and joy, regardless of the men in their life, and a wish for women world over to experience this very emotion of self-assurance!

In this episode, we perceive the resolution of a person’s anxiety, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 75, penned by Madurai Poththanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and argues against parting away in the pursuit of wealth. “அருள் அன்று ஆக, ஆள்வினை, ஆடவர்பொருள்” என வலித்த பொருள் அல் காட்சியின்மைந்து மலி உள்ளமொடு துஞ்சல் செல்லாது,எரி சினம் தவழ்ந்த இருங் கடற்று அடைமுதல்கரி குதிர் மரத்த கான வாழ்க்கை,அடு புலி முன்பின், தொடு கழல் மறவர்தொன்று இயல் சிறுகுடி மன்று நிழற் படுக்கும்அண்ணல் நெடு வரை, ஆம் அறப் புலர்ந்தகல் நெறிப் படர்குவர்ஆயின் நல் நுதல்,செயிர் தீர் கொள்கை, சில் மொழி, துவர் வாய்,அவிர் தொடி முன்கை, ஆய்இழை, மகளிர்ஆரம் தாங்கிய அலர் முலை ஆகத்து,ஆராக் காதலொடு தாரிடைக் குழையாதுசென்று படு விறற் கவின் உள்ளி, என்றும்இரங்குநர் அல்லது, பெயர்தந்து, யாவரும்தருநரும் உளரோ, இவ் உலகத்தான்?” என-மாரி ஈங்கை மாத் தளிர் அன்னஅம் மா மேனி, ஐது அமை நுசுப்பின்,பல் காசு நிரைத்த, கோடு ஏந்து அல்குல்;மெல் இயல் குறுமகள்! புலந்து பல கூறிஆனா நோயை ஆக, யானேபிரியச் சூழ்தலும் உண்டோ,அரிது பெறு சிறப்பின் நின்வயினானே?” In this trip to the drylands, it’s all in the mind and here we hear the man saying these words to the lady, when she has been worrying about the man leaving her to go in search of wealth: “Thinking, ’Setting aside all grace, earning wealth is the foremost duty of men’, pressed by a situation lacking substance, with a determined and strong heart, without any slackening, if men were to leave to those pebble-filled paths in the drylands, where a blazing fire spreads through the huge jungle, where the scorching heat has rendered trees leafless, where leading a wild life, with the strength of killer tigers, anklet-clad warriors sleep in the shade of the town centre of their ancient small hamlet, amidst those esteemed high mountains, utterly bereft of moisture, those men can only feel sorrowful about the lost great beauty of their women, having fine foreheads, flawless principles, few words, red mouth, forearms with bangles slipping away, fine jewels, radiant necklaces on the spreading bosom, filled with their ceaseless love, wallowing because of their uncrushed garlands. But is there anyone among them, who could return that lost beauty back to them? And so, my gentle-natured, young maiden, with a beautiful, black skin, akin to the dark leaves of the touch-me-not bush in the rainy season, with a slender waist, hip adorned with gold-coined ornaments, and upraised loins, making you say many sulking words, filling you with a ceaseless disease, will I choose to part away from your precious, hard-to-attain splendour?” Let’s take a walk through those moisture-less drylands! The man starts by talking about the philosophy of men, who go in search of wealth. They think it’s their first and foremost duty and that there can be no room for grace or kindness to those at home. Consider that these men decide to set out on their missions to the drylands, with such a firm resolution, the man continues. They will find themselves in the midst of a blazing jungle, filled with forest fires, where men lead a wild life, sleeping where they can, where trees are utterly leafless and there’s not a drop to drink. While they are here, their beloved would have their arms thinning and bangles slipping away, and they would be filled with so much love, but their men would be far away and unable to come to their aide. And so, all their beauty would be lost. When those men who went in search of wealth return, all they can do is shed tears for the lost beauty of their women, but can they bring it back, the man reflects. Because of these deep reflections, the man decides not to leave his beloved maiden with much beauty, whose black skin is described to be in the shade of dark green leaves, an indicator that this culture does not differentiate between the hues of green, blue and black. The man concludes by asking the lady how he would have the heart to part away from her rare and splendid goodness! The essence of this verse is the man telling the lady, ‘There’s nothing to worry, dear. I’m not parting away.’ The clear arguments with which the heart’s subtle fears are banished away speaks about the ingrained logic of these ancients!

In this episode, we perceive the inability to accept assurance from another, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 74, penned by Madurai Kavuniyan Boothathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the fragrant flowers of ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and illustrates an overpowering element in the life of the lady, one evening. வினை வலம்படுத்த வென்றியொடு மகிழ் சிறந்து,போர் வல் இளையர் தாள் வலம் வாழ்த்த,தண் பெயல் பொழிந்த பைதுறு காலை,குருதி உருவின் ஒண் செம் மூதாய்பெரு வழி மருங்கில் சிறு பல வரிப்ப,பைங் கொடி முல்லை மென் பதப் புது வீவெண் களர் அரிமணல் நன் பல தாஅய்,வண்டு போது அவிழ்க்கும் தண் கமழ் புறவில்,கருங் கோட்டு இரலைக் காமர் மடப் பிணை“திண் தேர் வலவ! கடவு” எனக் கடைஇ,இன்றே வருவர்; ஆன்றிகம் பனி” என,வன்புறை இன் சொல் நன் பல பயிற்றும்நின் வலித்து அமைகுவென்மன்னோ அல்கல்புன்கண் மாலையொடு பொருந்தி, கொடுங் கோற்கல்லாக் கோவலர் ஊதும்வல் வாய்ச் சிறு குழல் வருத்தாக்காலே! In this trip to the forests, we take in familiar elements of nature and hear these words, said by the lady to her confidante, when the man remains parted away from her: “‘Having completed his mission successfully, with much joy brimming over, as his battle worthy aides praise his strength and effort, on this lush green morning, when cool showers have poured, as shining red velvet mites in the hue of blood tread in many small rows on the side of the great roadways, as new, soft-textured flowers of the wild jasmine from green vines lie scattered about, on the white, saline, silt-filled sand, in that cool and fragrant forest, where bees make buds bloom, glancing at the loveable, naive mate of the black-antlered male deer, commanding ‘O charioteer, speed on this sturdy chariot!’, he would return this very day. So let’s give up our angst’, you say, rendering sweet and comforting words many to me. Indeed, hearing your assurance, I would have remained at peace, if only on this suffering-filled evening, the little flute with a firm end, played on by those illiterate cattle herds with curving rods, did not torment me so!” Time to race behind red velvet mites in the lush green forest! The lady starts on a positive note remarking about the man successfully finishing his task, returning with much glory, riding through the forest roads, wafting with the fragrance of fresh rains and the sight of red velvet mites out and about, wild jasmines blooming and scattering. She specifically focuses on the man’s vision falling on a female deer standing there, looking wide-eyed, and at that moment, she hears the man command his charioteer to speed up. This is a subtle reference to how that deer would remind the man of his beloved, waiting for him back home, with those innocent doe-eyes, urging him to rush back. Now, we learn that these are the words the confidante has been saying thus far to the lady, asking her to worry not, and assuring that the man would return the very day. The lady concludes by declaring that such comforting words would surely have given her peace, if only the strains of the cattle herds’ flutes did not pain her so much on that evening! The lady brings to fore how the mind has a way of latching on to some sorrowful element at times, refusing to heed the comfort of those around. Knowing what brings sorrow is half the battle won, and hopefully, expressing the same to those kind ears will sustain the lady, until her man arrives at her side!

In this episode, we perceive the portrayal of shared pain, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 73, penned by Erumai Veliyanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and renders a message of hope to the lady. பின்னொடு முடித்த மண்ணா முச்சிநெய் கனி வீழ் குழல் அகப்படத் தைஇ;வெருகு இருள் நோக்கியன்ன கதிர் விடுபுஒரு காழ் முத்தம் இடைமுலை விளங்க,வணங்குறு கற்பொடு மடம் கொளச் சாஅய்,நின் நோய்த் தலையையும் அல்லை; தெறுவர‘என் ஆகுவள்கொல், அளியள்தான்?’ என,என் அழிபு இரங்கும் நின்னொடு யானும்ஆறு அன்று என்னா வேறு அல் காட்சிஇருவேம் நம் படர் தீர வருவதுகாணிய வம்மோ காதல்அம் தோழி!கொடி பிணங்கு அரில இருள் கொள் நாகம்மடி பதம் பார்க்கும், வயமான் துப்பின்,ஏனல் அம் சிறுதினைச் சேணோன் கையதைப்பிடிக் கை அமைந்த கனல் வாய்க் கொள்ளிவிடு பொறிச் சுடரின் மின்னி, அவர்சென்ற தேஎத்து நின்றதால், மழையே. We are back in the drylands but there’s no sign of this barren region, for the action is focussed on the lady and the confidante back home, and we hear the confidante saying these words to the lady: “O maiden, with an undecorated hair knot behind, bundling together your oiled, falling tresses carelessly; wearing a pearl necklace, which emits a glow, akin to a wild cat staring in the dark, shining between your bosoms; having a goddess-like, fierce chastity, and a naive nature, you have lost your health; Your worry is not only on your account; But you are confused greatly thinking, ‘What will happen to her? Isn’t she pitiable indeed?’ and feel sorrowful for my pain. What we both are feeling isn’t any different! However that’s not the way to be! Let’s now go and see how both our suffering is about to end, my loveable friend! With the alertness of a tiger that bides its time for the moment when a dark and huge elephant, striding amidst the twining vines and bushes, feels fatigue, a guard protecting the little millets from a loft in the field, would shake the burning firebrand, held in his hand, with a handle. Akin to the sparks of this firebrand, flashing with lightning, rain clouds have gathered together in that faraway country he is in!” As a surprise, this verse takes us into the desolate drylands in the hearts of those separated and not the physical space. The confidante starts by penning a portrait of the lady and first she calls attention to the her long hair that has been tied in a knot behind without much thought or care. This is to highlight the fact that Sangam women cared not about their appearance when their men were separated from them. To recollect, we have seen instances wherein the lady wouldn’t even wash her hair when her beloved was away, possibly making a statement that her beauty existed solely for the man to savour. However, the lady seems to be wearing a pearl necklace and the confidante equates the glow of the pearls on the lady’s black skin to the eyes of a wild cat, glimmering in the dark. From outer appearances, the confidante moves on to the lady’s personality and glorifies her chastity and naivety, saying that has however led to the lady losing her health, owing to the man’s absence. The confidante declares that it’s not only about her own state the lady is worried about, but about the sorrow of the confidante, who is anxious about the lady. It’s a vicious cycle of worrying about the other, worrying about the other! They both are the same, the confidante declares, and says this is not the path they should take but instead focus on how their great sorrow is about to end. Rather cryptically, the confidante talks about the way a tiger would wait for the time an elephant tires out and loses its guard amidst the bushes, and equates that to the alertness of a forester, watching guard over a field of little millets, and then zooms on to the firebrand in the guard’s hands, and the sparks that fly out as he shakes the same at some meandering animal. She concludes by equating those sparks to the flashes of lightning in the sky, announcing the arrival of the rains in the land the man is traversing. In essence, the confidante is saying the man is going to perceive the rainclouds and recollect his promise to the lady to be back at this time. When he does that, he will rush back to you, ending your sorrow, and with that, mine too, the confidante implies. The beauty of this verse is the portrait of pain shared between these two epitomes of friendship, demonstrating empathy and its therapy!

In this episode, we perceive a subtle technique of persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 72, penned by Erumai Veliyanaar Makanaar Kadalanaar. Set amidst the resounding hills of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, the verse sketches the life in this land on one rainy night. இருள் கிழிப்பது போல் மின்னி, வானம்துளி தலைக்கொண்ட நளி பெயல் நடுநாள்,மின்மினி மொய்த்த முரவு வாய்ப் புற்றம்பொன் எறி பிதிரின் சுடர வாங்கி,குரும்பி கெண்டும் பெருங்கை ஏற்றைஇரும்பு செய் கொல் எனத் தோன்றும் ஆங்கண்,ஆறே அரு மரபினவே; யாறேசுட்டுநர்ப் பனிக்கும் சூருடை முதலைய;கழை மாய் நீத்தம் கல் பொருது இரங்க,”அஞ்சுவம் தமியம்” என்னாது, மஞ்சு சுமந்து,ஆடுகழை நரலும் அணங்குடைக் கவாஅன்,ஈர் உயிர்ப் பிணவின் வயவுப் பசி களைஇய,இருங் களிறு அட்ட பெருஞ் சின உழுவைநாம நல்லராக் கதிர்பட உமிழ்ந்தமேய் மணி விளக்கின் புலர ஈர்க்கும்வாள் நடந்தன்ன வழக்கு அருங் கவலை,உள்ளுநர் உட்கும் கல் அடர்ச் சிறு நெறி,அருள் புரி நெஞ்சமொடு எஃகு துணையாகவந்தோன் கொடியனும் அல்லன்; தந்தநீ தவறு உடையையும் அல்லை; நின்வயின்ஆனா அரும் படர் செய்தயானே, தோழி! தவறு உடையேனே. It’s a thrilling ride through the hills this time, and we hear these words said by the lady to her confidante, pretending not to see the man, as he listens nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot: “As if tearing the darkness, the sky flashes and brings down a heavy downpour during the midnight hour. Fireflies swarm around a termite mound with a broken mouth, akin to sparks scattering about, when hot iron is welded. As a male bear with huge hands, hunts for the ants’ comb within, it appears akin to an ironsmith, working on his wares. In such a place, the path is hard to traverse; As for the river, it is filled with fearsome crocodiles that make those who even ponder about them quiver in fear; Floods gush on, submerging bamboo oars and dash against rocks and roar; Enveloped by clouds, swaying bamboos resound in those fear-evoking mountain slopes, where, to end the hunger of its mate that has just given birth, a huge and furious male tiger, having felled a huge boar, drags the blood-covered corpse, in the light of a sparkling sapphire, spit out by a cobra, in that formidable path. This small mountain path, rendering a feeling of walking on swords, is one that makes those who think about it tremble. Without thinking ‘I’m alone and I should be afraid’, with only a spear for company, the one who came walking down such a path to grace me is not the one who is at fault. You, who brought him to this trysting spot, is not to be blamed either; Indeed, it’s me, the one who has given a lot of trouble to you, who’s in the wrong!” Time for a mountain jungle safari and that too amidst a downpour in the dark! The lady starts by giving a vivid account of the path that the man takes to meet with her. First, it’s time for a weather report, and as can be expected in these high places, rains are pelting down and lightning flashes in the midnight sky. Next, from the sky, as we fly to the earth, we land near a termite mound, and around this we see some sparks flying off welded iron, and find out that those are actually fireflies. Extending the iron-smithery simile, the blacksmith is also seen hitting the rods, and on closer inspection, we find it’s an Indian Sloth bear that’s putting its huge hands inside the termite mounds to get its favourite food of ants and termites’ mush! For us, watching from the safe distance of a few thousand years, might be fascinating, but to the one travelling the path, this is something fear-evoking, the lady reminds us. From the bear in the mountain path, we move on to crocodiles in the gushing river, no doubt, full of floods, because of the pouring rain. Any attempt at sailing is routed by the ferocity of the river that buries bamboo poles and roars as it dashes against rocks many. Adding to the menacing sounds, are the tall bamboos swaying in the gusty winds, enveloped by dense clouds. As if the weather was not trouble enough, here a tiger, determined to end the hunger of its mate, which has just given birth to its cub, drags a wild boar that it has killed. This happens in the light of a sapphire, spit out by a cobra, the lady says, echoing the Sangam belief that snakes spit out gems. In short, this is a terrifying place to be walking about, one which feels as if walking on swords, and the mere thought of which sends tremors in the mind, the lady explains. Here, without any fear, the man comes walking with just a spear, because he wants to render his grace to the lady. She says he cannot be the one who can be called cruel or made to feel he’s at fault. Neither is the confidante, who coordinated the trysting between the man, and but it’s she herself to be blamed for all the trouble she has given her friend, the lady concludes. By removing the blame from the man’s side and assuming all responsibility, the lady gently makes the man understand her deep angst, fearing for his safety, and nudges him to give up

In this episode, we listen to an outpouring of suffering, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 71, penned by Anthi Ilankeeranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents nuanced similes to etch the sorrow in a heart. நிறைந்தோர்த் தேரும் நெஞ்சமொடு, குறைந்தோர்பயன் இன்மையின் பற்று விட்டு, ஒரூஉம்நயன் இல் மாக்கள் போல, வண்டினம்சுனைப் பூ நீத்து, சினைப் பூப் படர,மை இல் மான் இனம் மருள, பையெனவெந்து ஆறு பொன்னின் அந்தி பூப்ப,ஐயறிவு அகற்றும் கையறு படரோடுஅகல் இரு வானம் அம் மஞ்சு ஈன,பகல் ஆற்றுப்படுத்த பழங்கண் மாலை,காதலர்ப் பிரிந்த புலம்பின் நோதக,ஆர் அஞர் உறுநர் அரு நிறம் சுட்டிக்கூர் எஃகு எறிஞரின் அலைத்தல் ஆனாது,எள் அற இயற்றிய நிழல் காண் மண்டிலத்துஉள் ஊது ஆவியின் பைப்பய நுணுகி,மதுகை மாய்தல் வேண்டும் பெரிது அழிந்து,இது கொல் வாழி, தோழி! என் உயிர்விலங்கு வெங் கடு வளி எடுப்பத்துளங்கு மரப் புள்ளின் துறக்கும் பொழுதே? In this trip to the drylands, it’s a conversation between two friends, and there are different views as to whether the speaker is the lady or the confidante. Considering the content, I’m choosing to see these lines as words said by the lady to her confidante: “Akin to those people without goodness, who have a heart that seeks out only those who have plenty and forsakes those who are less affluent, thinking they are of no use, bees have abandoned flowers in the spring pools and flown towards flowers on the branches; Making herds of flawless deer baffled, slowly the dusk blooms in the hue of hot, molten gold, cooling down; Accompanied by a helpless pain that destroys intelligence, yielding to the beautiful clouds in the wide, dark sky, the day gives way to the suffering-filled evening, which arrives akin to one, who throws a sharp iron spear, pointing to the precious heart of the person, already in a deep angst, lamenting about the parting away of their beloved. Akin to how breath, blown out on a perfectly etched round mirror, diminishes little by little, my strength breaks down, suffering greatly. My friend, may you live long, it appears as if my life shall desert me, akin to how birds flutter away from a swaying tree, assailed by a swirling gale!” Let’s bask in the time of dusk and listen to this tale! The lady starts with a unique simile about certain lowly people, who prefer the company of those who are rich and abandon the friendship of those who have less. She places the actions of such people in parallel to those of bees, which have given up the flowers in the spring pools and are rushing towards the flower-clad branches of trees around. Could this be a metaphor for the man leaving the lady behind and seeking wealth? While that we cannot be sure about, perhaps this scene of bee migration is to indicate the season of spring, when flowers bloom aplenty on trees, to bring to fore, this was the man’s promised season of return. However, there was no sign of him yet! The lady continues by adding as if the arrival of spring wasn’t enough, the sky was turning into the hue of hot gold, cooling down, sending out waves of confusion among grazing deer, heralding the arrival of evening. This evening is one, which causes so much blinding pain that dulls the mind, the lady says, and describes the act of the evening arriving when the man is away, as the act of a person, who aims a spear at a lamenting heart. Then, she talks about a relatable simile of blowing breath on a reflective surface and how it would diminish with time, and connects it with her own strength, slowly shattering down. As the final thought, the lady confides to her confidante that owing to this angst-ridden situation, she feels her life may part away from her, akin to how birds flutter away, when a storm attacks the tree they were resting on. From the flight of those bees to these birds, the lady draws a perfect trajectory of her pain. The highlight of this verse is the thoughtful stacking up of similes to build the perfect image of the lady’s heart. Perhaps this crystal clear expression of emotions will help the lady in handling the swirling storm of separation!

In this episode, we hear the confidante’s jubilant voice, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 70, penned by Madurai Tamil Koothanaar Kaduvan Mallanaar. Set amidst the flower orchards and fish markets of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’, the verse features a joyous news and its consequences. கொடுந் திமிற் பரதவர் வேட்டம் வாய்த்தென,இரும் புலாக் கமழும் சிறுகுடிப் பாக்கத்துக்குறுங் கண் அவ் வலைப் பயம் பாராட்டி,கொழுங் கண் அயிலை பகுக்கும் துறைவன்நம்மொடு புணர்ந்த கேண்மை முன்னேஅலர் வாய்ப் பெண்டிர் அம்பல் தூற்ற,பலரும் ஆங்கு அறிந்தனர்மன்னே; இனியேவதுவை கூடிய பின்றை, புதுவதுபொன் வீ ஞாழலொடு புன்னை வரிக்கும்கானல் அம் பெருந் துறைக் கழனி மா நீர்ப்பாசடைக் கலித்த கணைக்கால் நெய்தல்விழவு அணி மகளிர் தழை அணிக் கூட்டும்வென் வேற் கவுரியர் தொல் முது கோடிமுழங்கு இரும் பௌவம் இரங்கும் முன் துறை,வெல்போர் இராமன் அரு மறைக்கு அவித்தபல் வீழ் ஆலம் போல,ஒலி அவிந்தன்று, இவ் அழுங்கல் ஊரே. There’s a lot of buzz in this trip to the shores, and we find ourselves listening to these words of the confidante to the lady: “After a successful spell of fishing, fishermen with curved boats, arrive at their flesh-reeking, small hamlets by the sea, praising the capabilities of their small-eyed, beautiful nets, and share fleshy pieces of mackerel with the village folk, in the shores of the lord. As the gossiping townsfolk spread rumours about your relationship with him, everyone came to know of it! Along with the new golden flowers of the tiger claw tree, white flowers of the laurel wood too spread open their petals, in the beautiful orchards of the great shores, and from the water-filled fields nearby, luxuriant-leafed, thick-stemmed blue lotuses are gathered by maiden to adorn their leaf garments during the festivities in the ancient seaport of Kodi, ruled by the Kauriyars, in whose shore, the ocean roars like a resounding drum. Here, when the victorious Lord Raman wanted to reflect on intricate strategies, he silenced the birds in the banyan with many aerial roots. Akin to that, now that your man has claimed your hand and the wedding is all set to happen, the slanderous noises in this uproarious town have been silenced.” Let’s take in the twin scents of fresh flowers and fleshy fish and know more! The confidante starts by describing the man’s domain, and to do that, she brings forth fishermen out at sea, gathering a huge amount of fish, returning with satisfaction, praising their sturdy nets and finally sharing their catch with all in town. Then, from the man’s domain, the confidante moves on to the man’s relationship with the lady and how that has invited much chatter in town. This got more and more people to know about the lady’s relationship with the man, the confidante recollects. Then, leaving this spot, she goes to the ancient sea port of Kodi, possibly referring to ‘Kodikkarai’ or ‘Dhanushkodi’ in Ramanathapuram district today, and talks about how flowering trees like the ‘Nyazhal’ and ‘Punnai’ abound there, and also about how women gather blue-lotuses from fields for their festival adornments. A further fact about this region the confidante adds saying, this was ruled by the Kauriyars, another name for the Pandya Kings of yore. After these relatable descriptions about an ancient town, the confidante delves into a mythical story of how Lord Rama had come to Kodi and when he was reflecting on strategies, possibly to recover his wife Sita, birds were loudly chirping in the banyan, under which he was resting, and apparently, with a look of his eye, he silenced the birds. Just in that manner, the gossipmongers of their town too were silenced by the man’s action of claiming the lady’s hand and paving the way for the resounding sound of wedding bells, the confidante concludes. Although the mythical reference of superhuman powers seem out of place in the realistic narratives of Sangam era that we have most frequently seen and no conclusions can be drawn out of the same, what we can do is turn our attention to the way the verse etches the exquisite natural beauty of this ancient place by detailing the fragrant flowers blooming here, and also, the way it carves the cultural history through a depiction of the women’s fashion statement in wearing blue lotuses with their leaf attires, during the festivities of the Pandya reign. No matter our beliefs, we can always find delight in the embrace of nature and culture, irrespective of its space or time, in our brief walk on this third rock we call home!

In this episode, we listen to words of encouragement, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 69, penned by Umattoor Kizhaar Makanaar Parankotranaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and renders hope to a despairing heart. ஆய்நலம் தொலைந்த மேனியும், மா மலர்த்தகை வனப்பு இழந்த கண்ணும், வகை இலவண்ணம் வாடிய வரியும், நோக்கி,ஆழல் ஆன்றிசின் நீயே. உரிதினின்ஈதல் இன்பம் வெஃகி, மேவரச்செய் பொருள் திறவர் ஆகி, புல் இலைப்பராரை நெல்லி அம் புளித் திரள் காய்கான மட மரைக் கணநிரை கவரும்வேனில் அத்தம் என்னாது, ஏமுற்று,விண் பொரு நெடுங் குடை இயல் தேர் மோரியர்பொன் புனை திகிரி திரிதரக் குறைத்தஅறை இறந்து அகன்றனர்ஆயினும், எனையதூஉம்நீடலர் வாழி, தோழி! ஆடு இயல்மட மயில் ஒழித்த பீலி வார்ந்து, தம்சிலை மாண் வல் வில் சுற்றி, பல மாண்அம்புடைக் கையர் அரண் பல நூறி,நன்கலம் தரூஉம் வயவர் பெருமகன்சுடர் மணிப் பெரும் பூண் ஆஅய் கானத்துத்தலை நாள் அலரின் நாறும் நின்அலர் முலை ஆகத்து இன் துயில் மறந்தே. Back in the drylands and we catch the confidante speaking these thoughtful words to the lady: “Perceiving your form that has lost its old beauty, your eyes that have shed their flower-like, admirable allure, your lines that are now shorn of their bright hues, don’t you cry and lose yourself in worry. Desiring to attain the rightful joy that arises from giving unto others, he has gone in search of wealth, with that confused heart of his, not minding the scorching heat of the drylands, where sour clusters of fruit from the small-leaved, thick-trunked gooseberry tree are seized by huge herds of forest deer. The Moriyars, with swaying chariots, decked with tall royal umbrellas, soaring to the skies, so as to ensure their gold-etched strong wheels journey on without obstacles any, have made paths by reducing and shaping boulders on the way. Even if he has gone to that faraway place, he will not delay his journey, my friend, may you live long! Gathering feathers, shed by naive, dancing peacocks, they decorate around their resounding, sturdy bows, and holding intricate arrows in their hands, they shatter forts many and gather fine ornaments as tributes. Such is the nature of soldiers in the army of the great and famous King Aay, who wears huge ornaments with radiant sapphires. Akin to the fragrance of a flower on the first day of bloom in Aay’s forest, are your wide bosoms. How can he stay away, forgetting his sweet sleep on those bosoms of yours?” Time for a gooseberry treat in the drylands! The confidante starts by asking the lady not to lament over the lady’s diminished beauty, as reflected in her skin and eyes, owing to the man’s parting away. She talks about how he has left in search of wealth only because he has the noble aim of rendering to those, who come seeking to him, reiterating the Sangam belief that people went in search for wealth, not for their personal gain, but for the purpose of compassion and charity. Describing how the man can now be found in the hot drylands, she mentions that the only available food there are sour gooseberries and even those are snatched away by hordes of deer. Then, changing track she goes on to talk about the ‘Moriyars’, most probably referring to the ‘Mauryas’, who ruled North India between the 4th and the 2nd century BCE. After mentioning their striking chariots with huge royal umbrellas, the confidante remarks on how the Mauryas used to shatter and reduce mountain boulders in their path, so as to keep moving on their wheels. Let’s return to this detail in a short while. The confidante has referred to these kings only to say that even if the man had gone to those faraway places, where the Mauryas are known to have paved paths, the man shall not delay his return. As an argument for her statement, the confidante goes on to talk about another king, Aay, detailing on the valour of his soldiers, and their skill in archery and extracting tributes from foes, turning specifically to the forests in this king’s domain. Here, she zooms on to the fragrance of a flower that has just bloomed in this celebrated forest, and equates it to the fragrance of the lady’s bosom, and concludes by saying the man could not possibly stay away for long, forsaking his sleep on the lady’s bosom. With glowing praise and a warm understanding, the confidante hopes to allay the lady’s anxiety. Returning to that historic reference of the Mauryas, which have already seen in Puranaanooru 175, this line offers a hint of the road-building capabilities of this clan of kings, by talking about how they wouldn’t let even mountains stop them in their conquest of other regions, shattering rocks and paving roads. Other historians such as the Greek Megasthenes concur with this statement in his description of the roads built by the Maurya kings in his ancient text ‘Indika’. It is said that these kings came as far south as Northern Karnataka, but never conquered the ancient Tamil regions ruled by the Chera, Chozha and

In this episode, we listen to a friend’s encouraging words, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 68, penned by Oottiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the flowing cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and portrays a daring aspect of the man’s personality. ”அன்னாய்! வாழி, வேண்டு அன்னை! நம் படப்பைத்தண் அயத்து அமன்ற கூதளம் குழைய,இன் இசை அருவிப் பாடும் என்னதூஉம்கேட்டியோ! வாழி, வேண்டு அன்னை! நம் படப்பைஊட்டியன்ன ஒண் தளிர்ச் செயலைஓங்கு சினைத் தொடுத்த ஊசல், பாம்பு என,முழு முதல் துமிய உரும் எறிந்தன்றே;பின்னும் கேட்டியோ?” எனவும் அஃது அறியாள்,அன்னையும் கனை துயில் மடிந்தனள். அதன்தலைமன் உயிர் மடிந்தன்றால் பொழுதே காதலர்வருவர்ஆயின், ”பருவம் இது” எனச்சுடர்ந்து இலங்கு எல் வளை நெகிழ்ந்த நம்வயின்படர்ந்த உள்ளம் பழுது அன்றாக,வந்தனர் வாழி, தோழி! அந்தரத்துஇமிழ் பெயல் தலைஇய இனப் பல கொண்மூத்தவிர்வு இல் வெள்ளம் தலைத்தலை சிறப்ப,கன்று கால் ஒய்யும் கடுஞ் சுழி நீத்தம்புன் தலை மடப் பிடிப் பூசல் பல உடன்வெண் கோட்டு யானை விளி படத் துழவும்அகல் வாய்ப் பாந்தட் படாஅர்ப்பகலும் அஞ்சும் பனிக் கடுஞ் சுரனே. In this tour of the hills, we get to meet the lovers intending to tryst, and hear these words of the confidante to the lady: “When I said, ‘Mother, may you live long. Listen! Crushing the nightshade flowers blooming in the cool pits in our village, the sweet-sounding cascades flow down and resound. Do you hear that even a little? May you live long, mother! Listen! Thinking the swing, which has been tied to the soaring branches of the ‘Seyalai’ tree with shining leaves having the appearance of being painted with red lac, is a snake, thunder descends and severs the huge trunk. Do you hear that at least?’, mother did not even heed my words and was in a deep sleep. Not only that, it’s a time when all beings resort to rest. As the glowing, radiant bangles slipping away from your hand declares this is the ‘perfect time’ for your beloved to come, without falsifying it, with a heart that seeks you, he has come, my friend, may you live long! From the skies, thick clouds resounding with thunder, pour down heavy rain, and without obstacles any, floods swell and pull an elephant calf by its legs into a swirling whirlpool, making the soft-haired, naive female elephants roar out aloud together, and the white-tusked male elephants call aloud and search around, in this cold and harsh jungle with thick bushes, teeming with wide-mouthed snakes. Traversing such a place, which people fear to cross even in the middle of the day, he has come here, my friend!” Let’s sharpen our hearing amidst the striking sounds of the mountains and perceive the story here! The confidante starts by telling to the lady how she asked mother, whether mother had heard the sounds of the cascades pouring down in their backyard, making a mush of the wild jasmines blooming beneath. Not stopping with that one question, the confidante continues by asking mother, if mother had heard thunder, as it fell down and struck an ‘Ashoka tree’, chopping its trunk, all because the thunder thought the swing tied to the branches of the tree was a snake. A moment to pause and recollect that the Sangam folks held a belief that thunder had something against the snakes and it was the life ambition of thunder to destroy every serpent in sight and that’s why the confidante attributes so much thought on the part of the thunder in its natural act of roaring amidst a lightning shower. Returning, rather comically, not only did mother not hear the cascade or the thunder, she did not even hear the confidante’s question, for she was sound asleep. Now we know that our good friend was not merely testing mother’s hearing capabilities like some ear doctor, but was simply seeing if mother was awake or asleep. Having got a positive confirmation that mother was conked out, the confidante heads to her friend and conveys the news, adding that not only mother, all living beings seemed to be at rest.  The confidante then highlights how the lady’s bangles were on the verge of slipping away, pining for the man’s presence, and seemed to be shouting out, ‘This is the time for him to come’. As if hearing this wish, the man had indeed come there, the confidante says. She then goes on to sketch the conditions of their surroundings just then, talking about the pouring rains and the swelling floods, which had pulled an elephant calf into the whirlpool, making the female elephants to cry aloud and the male elephants to search around. As if the sounds were not scary enough, there was the rusting of huge-mouthed snakes in the forest bushes as well, the confidante says, and concludes by declaring that such was the fear-evoking place, which a person would fear to cross even in broad daylight, that the man had crossed and come to grace the lady with his love. In a nutshell, it’s the confidante giving her dear friend the much-awaited news, ‘All clear and he’s here!’

In this episode, we listen to a frustrated response, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 67, penned by Noy Paadiyaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse depicts the dreary state of the place the man traverses. யான் எவன் செய்கோ? தோழி! பொறி வரிவானம் வாழ்த்தி பாடவும், அருளாதுஉறை துறந்து எழிலி நீங்கலின், பறைபு உடன்,மரம் புல்லென்ற முரம்பு உயர் நனந்தலை,அரம் போழ் நுதிய வாளி அம்பின்,நிரம்பா நோக்கின், நிரயம் கொண்மார்,நெல்லி நீளிடை எல்லி மண்டி,நல் அமர்க் கடந்த நாணுடை மறவர்பெயரும் பீடும் எழுதி, அதர்தொறும்பீலி சூட்டிய பிறங்கு நிலை நடுகல்வேல் ஊன்று பலகை வேற்று முனை கடுக்கும்மொழி பெயர் தேஎம் தருமார், மன்னர்கழிப் பிணிக் கறைத்தோல் நிரை கண்டன்னஉவல் இடு பதுக்கை ஆள் உகு பறந்தலை,”உரு இல் பேஎய் ஊராத் தேரொடுநிலம் படு மின்மினி போல, பல உடன்இலங்கு பரல் இமைக்கும்” என்ப நம்நலம் துறந்து உறைநர் சென்ற ஆறே! A trip to the drylands and here it’s all about the place! The lady says these words in response to the confidante, who asks her to bear with grace, the man’s parting from the lady, in pursuit of wealth. “What can I do, my friend? Though the spotted, striped skylark sings praising the skies, without rendering its graces of showering down raindrops, the clouds part away heartlessly. Losing their leaves, trees appear listless in those pebble-filled high and wide spaces. In the dark of the night, wielding arrows with split edges, shaped by saws, with eyes focused on their targets, many left to recover their cattle, and won those battles but perished in the fight. Amidst those paths, filled with gooseberry trees, appearing akin to a battlefield, inscribed with the name and fame of those honourable warriors, hero stones abound between the bushes, adorned radiantly with peacock feathers. Akin to heaps of blackened shields tied with ropes, belonging to the armies of kings, who wish to conquer other lands, where different languages are spoken, appear stone graves in the vast spaces, without people any. Many say, ‘Akin to fireflies flitting on land, twinkle those shining pebbles, amidst the formless, deceiving mirages’ about the path that the one, who abandoned my beauty, traverses now!” Let’s get walking through the scorching drylands with the man! The lady starts by responding to her confidante that she is unable to help her response of despair and anxiety. Then she goes on to say why describing in detail, the rain-less, leaf-less, shade-less spaces, where the man treads. She also mentions about hero stones being put up in these places for warriors, who perished in their battles to recover their cattle, and how these are adorned with peacock feathers. Then, she talks about shallow stone graves of wayfarers buried there, appearing like blackened shields of conquering kings. As the final image, she mentions how those dry, blistering places are filled with mirages, and shining pebbles that spread everywhere seem like fireflies, flitting about on the land. ‘So dreadful is the place my beloved walks and how do you expect me to be calm and composed?’, the lady concludes to her confidante. A simple verse that talks about the pain one feels on behalf of another. The lady no doubt is in the comfort of her wealthy home, but still she feels the distress and despair of her man so faraway. That empathy is perhaps the guiding beacon for those in love!

In this episode, we listen to the narration of a unique intervention, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 66, penned by Selloor Kosikan Kannanaar. Set amidst the wealthy streets of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’, the verse celebrates the presence of a child at a home. ”இம்மை உலகத்து இசையொடும் விளங்கி,மறுமை உலகமும் மறு இன்று எய்துப,செறுநரும் விழையும் செயிர் தீர் காட்சிச்சிறுவர்ப் பயந்த செம்மலோர்” எனப்பல்லோர் கூறிய பழமொழி எல்லாம்வாயே ஆகுதல் வாய்த்தனம் தோழி!நிரை தார் மார்பன் நெருநல் ஒருத்தியொடுவதுவை அயர்தல் வேண்டி, புதுவதின்இயன்ற அணியன், இத் தெரு இறப்போன்மாண் தொழில் மா மணி கறங்க, கடை கழிந்து,காண்டல் விருப்பொடு தளர்பு தளர்பு ஓடும்பூங் கண் புதல்வனை நோக்கி, ”நெடுந் தேர்தாங்குமதி, வலவ!” என்று இழிந்தனன். தாங்காது,மணி புரை செவ் வாய் மார்பகம் சிவணப்புல்லி, ”பெரும! செல் இனி, அகத்து” எனக்கொடுப்போற்கு ஒல்லான் கலுழ்தலின், ”தடுத்தமாநிதிக் கிழவனும் போன்ம்” என, மகனொடுதானே புகுதந்தோனே; யான் அதுபடுத்தனென் ஆகுதல் நாணி, இடித்து, ”இவற்கலக்கினன் போலும், இக் கொடியோன்” எனச் சென்றுஅலைக்கும் கோலொடு குறுக, தலைக்கொண்டுஇமிழ் கண் முழவின் இன் சீர் அவர் மனைப்பயிர்வன போல வந்து இசைப்பவும், தவிரான்,கழங்கு ஆடு ஆயத்து அன்று நம் அருளியபழங் கன்ணோட்டமும் நலிய,அழுங்கினன்அல்லனோ, அயர்ந்த தன் மணனே. It’s the farmlands and though the theme dwells around the conflict between the man and the lady owing to relations with courtesans, here we hear the lady recollect a recent incident to her confidante, and remark on its inferences about the man’s gracious behaviour: “Many have quoted the proverbial statement, ‘Those great people, who have borne children, having a blemish-less appearance relished even by enemies, will surely live with fame in this life, and attain the next life without any trouble’. I realised how true these words are, my friend! Yesterday, the lord, adorned with many garlands on his chest, desiring a union with another woman, wore a new and shining attire, and prepared to leave our street. As the finely etched bells of his horse resounded and he crossed the gate, with a wish of seeing his father, with toddling steps, my flower-eyed son rushed towards him. Seeing him, the man said, ‘Stop the chariot, O charioteer’ and got down. Without pausing, he lifted his son, and pressing the child’s red mouth, akin to coral, on his chest, he held him close, and said to the child, ‘My noble lord! Go inside the home now’. The child, refusing to heed this request, started crying. And so, the great lord with much wealth, stopped by his son, entered our home, carrying him. Thinking the blame for the child’s action would fall on me, with shame, I scolded the child, ‘This little terror has muddled the lord’s plans’ and went near him with a rod. The lord embraced his son and pulled him away. Just then, even though sweet sounds of the resounding drum, inviting him to their home, fell on his ears, the lord avoided going thither, and with the same old thoughtful eyes with which he graced me, when playing with ‘Kazhangu beans’ with my friends back then, he gave up the thought of parting away for his desired union!” Time to tackle the love troubles in this rich region! The lady starts by quoting a proverb from those times which talks about how those people who have adorable children are sure to live gloriously in this life, and not only that, the next eternal life is guaranteed for them, as well. Saying she had thought it to be a mere old saying but recently realised that it was perfectly true. Then the lady goes on to describe how on a previous day, the man had wanted to leave for his rendezvous with a courtesan, and had stepped out of his home, adorned with garlands and new accessories. As he was leaving out of the gate, with the bells on his horse tinkling, the man’s young son, playing on the street, had come running to see his dear daddy. Spotting the child, the man asked his charioteer to hold on and he got down. He lifted the child and held the toddler close to his chest. Then remembering his appointment, the man turned to the boy and said, ‘Why don’t you go inside the home now?’ As all children do, the boy refused and started crying. So, the man stepped inside his home. Observing all this, the lady thought she was going to be blamed for the boy’s actions and came there scolding the child, and brandishing a rod. The man seemed to have pulled away the child from her reach and hugged him. The lady concludes by saying that even though the drums roared from the house of the courtesan, inviting him there, the man did not heed that, and with the same love and care in his eyes he had had, when he first looked at the lady, as she was playing with her mates back in the day, he gave up his prior plans of uniting with the courtesan, and remained at home with her and her son. Thus, with his tiny fingers and little arms, the innocent child seems to have done the magic trick of binding his strong and powerful father t

In this episode, we hear news of a much-awaited decision, as depicted in Sangam Literary work Aganaanooru 65, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set amidst the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the change in a person’s mind and its joyous consequences. உன்னம் கொள்கையொடு உளம் கரந்து உறையும்அன்னை சொல்லும் உய்கம்; என்னதூஉம்ஈரம் சேரா இயல்பின் பொய்ம்மொழிச்சேரிஅம் பெண்டிர் கௌவையும் ஒழிகம்;நாடு கண் அகற்றிய உதியஞ்சேரற்பாடிச் சென்ற பரிசிலர் போலஉவ இனி வாழி, தோழி! அவரே,பொம்மல் ஓதி! நம்மொடு ஒராங்குச்செலவு அயர்ந்தனரால் இன்றே மலைதொறும்மால் கழை பிசைந்த கால் வாய் கூர் எரி,மீன் கொள் பரதவர் கொடுந் திமில் நளி சுடர்வான் தோய் புணரிமிசைக் கண்டாங்கு,மேவரத் தோன்றும் யாஅ உயர் நனந்தலைஉயவல் யானை வெரிநுச் சென்றன்னகல் ஊர்பு இழிதரும் புல் சாய் சிறு நெறி,காடு மீக்கூறும் கோடு ஏந்து ஒருத்தல்ஆறு கடிகொள்ளும் அருஞ் சுரம்; ‘பணைத் தோள்,நாறு ஐங் கூந்தல், கொம்மை வரி முலை,நிரை இதழ் உண்கண், மகளிர்க்குஅரியவால்’ என அழுங்கிய செலவே! This time, the theme dwells on a future travel to the drylands, and here, we hear the confidante excitedly sharing some news to the lady: “May you escape from the words of mother, who knowing well what’s in your heart, keeps it within her mind and says something else; May you be rid of the slander spread by women in our village, full of lies, lacking even a bit of compassion; May you live long with much happiness, like the supplicants, who sing praises of King Udhiyan Cheral, the one who widened the limits of his domain! All through the hills, as bamboos brush against each other, fuelled by the wind, sharp flames that soar, shine like bright lamps, atop curving boats of fishermen, sailing amidst the sky-soaring waves. Walking up and down those dull and small paths, amidst those rocky and hilly spaces, filled with barren Yaa trees, feels like walking on the back of a famished elephant. Such is the formidable drylands jungle, where huge and terrifying, tusked male elephants stand in guard along the many paths. He had previously said that such a place would be impossible to traverse for maiden with bamboo-like arms, fragrant and beautiful tresses, upraised and lined bosoms, thick-petalled and kohl-streaked eyes. But today, he has seen eye to eye with us, and has decided that you should go along with him, O maiden with thick tresses!” Time to imagine an imminent walk through the barren paths! The confidante starts by jubilantly declaring to the lady that her friend was soon going to escape mother’s seemingly innocent but pointed words, for she knew the lady’s situation but refused to reveal what was in her mind. Next prediction was about how the lady will be rid of the dreadful rumours spread by the gossiping village women, who had no kindness in their hearts, and as the third and final forecast, the confidante declares that the lady is going to live happily forever, like those who sing praises of the great Chera King Udhiyan, known for the empire he expanded. After sharing all these fortune cookies, the confidante goes on to describe the formidable drylands, where the winds fan the fire of dry bamboos in friction, and these fiery flames are placed in parallel with objects of another landscape- the lamps on the boats of fishermen. Then the confidante talks about hilly, rocky paths, filled with dry Yaa trees, and how walking on these paths would be like walking on the back of an elephant that has not had food for long. Such scenes of despair and danger fill these drylands and that’s why the man had been saying, there was no way the lady with her delicate qualities was going to be able to traverse it, the confidante explains. She notes with elation that somehow the man had seen sense and changed his mind, now deciding to take the lady and elope away with her the very day. In essence, it’s the confidante telling the lady, the situation is dire here, the man has agreed to our request that you should elope with him, and so get ready and go on. The thing that interests me the most is what made the man change his mind. It’s not like the lady developed those abilities overnight. Perhaps he has seen that the risk of taking the lady through the drylands is worth facing rather than the danger of leaving her amidst slander and suffering. It is indeed such moments of lucid decision making, which spurs us to action, that ends up defining the course of our lives, many a time!

In this episode, we perceive a man’s fervent wish, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 64, penned by Aarkkaadu Kizhaar Makanaar Vellai Kannathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the moist red lands of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and sketches the yearning to return home after a mission. களையும் இடனால் பாக! உளை அணிஉலகு கடப்பன்ன புள் இயற் கலி மாவகை அமை வனப்பின் வள்பு நீ தெரிய,தளவுப் பிணி அவிழ்ந்த தண் பதப் பெரு வழி,ஐது இலங்கு அகல் இலை நெய் கனி நோன் காழ்வெள் வேல் இளையர் வீங்கு பரி முடுக,செலவு நாம் அயர்ந்தனம்ஆயின், பெயலகடு நீர் வரித்த செந் நிலமருங்கின்,விடு நெறி ஈர் மணல், வாரணம் சிதர,பாம்பு உறை புற்றத்து ஈர்ம் புறம் குத்தி,மண்ணுடைக் கோட்ட அண்ணல் ஏஎறுஉடன் நிலை வேட்கையின் மட நாகு தழீஇ,ஊர்வயின் பெயரும் பொழுதில், சேர்பு உடன்,கன்று பயிர் குரல, மன்று நிறை புகுதரும்ஆ பூண் தெண் மணி ஐது இயம்பு இன் இசைபுலம்பு கொள் மாலை கேட்டொறும்கலங்கினள் உறைவோள் கையறு நிலையே. The fragrant forests reveal the passion in the man’s heart as he renders these words to his charioteer, when returning home after completing his mission: “It’s time to slay it, O charioteer! Wield those exquisite reins that you know so well, tied around the neck of the proud horse, with a swaying mane, which moves, akin to a bird that traverses the world entire. On the huge road, filled with moisture, where wild jasmines have burst in bloom, and where young aides, holding victorious spears, with beautiful, radiant, wide leaf edges, and well-oiled, smooth and sturdy stems, walk on, hasten the horses so that we overtake them! We should put our mind to our speedy return. On the red land paved with lines, owing to the heavy downpour on the side of the chariot’s path, birds peck around on the wet mud. Dashing against the side of termite mounds, where snakes reside, the esteemed bull becomes covered in mud, and wanting to be together with its mate forever, it embraces the naive young cow in the village. When returning thither from their grazing, the cattle, call out together to their calves, and rush to the village centre, with the sound of their clear bells, rising in a sweet music in that loneliness-filled evening. Whenever she hears this, she would lament and suffer. And so, we should hasten and end this state of helplessness of the one, who tearfully resides back home!” Let’s listen to this song set in rhythm to the tinkling of cow bells. The man starts by saying to the charioteer it was time to change something. Without saying what it is, he goes on to describe the horse running ahead, with its dancing mane, and he compares the movement of this animal to a bird that crosses the world. A moment to pause and reflect on this mention of migration in birds, which traverse thousands of kilometres, and in fact, journey from pole to pole, region to region, as documented by modern science. That a poet from two thousand years ago makes this observation, from one corner of the earth, without knowing so much about other parts of the world, is something deeply perceptive, and goes on to show the scientific thinking of these ancients. Returning, the man tells his charioteer to wield the reins firmly and ride with speed, so that they overtake the young aides on foot, carrying spears. He describes the red soil of the forest, and how lines seem to be carved on it by the pouring rains, and here, forest fowl are seen pecking around, and bulls are coated with red mud, as they dash against termite mounds, where snakes lie sleeping. As a projection of the man’s mind, these bulls are seen embracing their mates in the village. And when evening falls, huge herds of cattle return after their grazing, crying out for their calves, with their bells tinkling, and this is the music that would fall on the lady’s ears and fill her with a deep melancholy, says the man. He concludes by telling his charioteer that they must rush home and slay this state of suffering of his beloved. The verse once again echoes the timeless theme of that burning urgency to be back in the company of love when the work that tore apart the lovers is done with! Take away the speeding chariot and the still forest, and if you place a sailor, a pilot, an astronaut in the scene, you can hear the same heartbeat of this Sangam man in each one of them at the end of their voyage!

In this episode, we listen to a mother’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 63, penned by Karuvoor Kannam Pullanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the journey of a maiden in the mind’s eye of her mother. கேளாய்; வாழியோ! மகளை! நின் தோழி,திரு நகர் வரைப்பகம் புலம்ப, அவனொடுபெரு மலை இறந்தது நோவேன்; நோவல்கடுங்கண் யானை நெடுங் கை சேர்த்தி,முடங்கு தாள் உதைத்த பொலங் கெழு பூழிபெரும் புலர் விடியல் விரிந்து, வெயில் எறிப்ப,கருந் தாள் மிடற்ற செம் பூழ்ச் சேவல்சிறு புன் பெடையொடு குடையும் ஆங்கண்,அஞ்சுவரத் தகுந கானம் நீந்தி,கன்று காணாது, புன் கண்ண, செவி சாய்த்து,மன்று நிறை பைதல் கூர, பல உடன்கறவை தந்த கடுங் கால் மறவர்கல்லென் சீறூர் எல்லியின் அசைஇமுதுவாய்ப் பெண்டின் செது காற் குரம்பைமட மயில் அன்ன என் நடை மெலி பேதைதோள் துணையாகத் துயிற்றத் துஞ்சாள்,”வேட்டக் கள்வர் விசியுறு கடுங் கண்சேக் கோள் அறையும் தண்ணுமைகேட்குநள்கொல்?” எனக் கலுழும் என் நெஞ்சே. Elopement’s in the air in this trip to the drylands and we hear these words of the lady’s mother to the lady’s confidante: “Listen, may you live long, my girl! I worry not that your friend left with him beyond the huge mountains, leaving this wealthy mansion in loneliness. Let me tell you what I worry about. A harsh-eyed elephant, bending its legs, and using its long trunk, kicks up the golden dust. As the great dawn arrives and the sun scorches, the male black-necked red quail, along with its delicate, little mate pecks around, in the fearsome scrub jungle. Traversing such a place, she would come at night to an uproarious hamlet, where robbers have tied stolen cows many, in the town centre, and those herds, bending their ears, with sorrowful eyes, not seeing their calves, would be crying out in suffering. Here, my naive daughter, who has a gentle gait like a peacock, would rest in a wise old woman’s rickety hut. That she would not be able to sleep, even when he offers her his shoulder, because she would be frightened by the hunting robbers’ resounding beats on their ‘thannumai drums’, as they seize cattle, worries this heart of mine, shedding tears!” Time to take a walk amidst the swirling dust of the scorching drylands! Mother starts by clarifying to the lady’s confidante that her pain, sorrow and anxiety was not about the fact that the lady had left them. and gone with the man, beyond the mountains. Mother imagines the place where the girl walks at the moment through the barren, blistering expanses of the scrub forest, where an elephant kicks up dust and quails peck around, looking for some food, some moisture. Mother continues saying crossing such spaces, the lady would come to a little hamlet, which happens to be the abode of robbers, who have just stolen cows, and these cows stand there, sending out sorrowful cries, missing their calves. A subtext for mother’s yearning! Next, mother visualises that her daughter would be resting in an old woman’s hut, and even though her man would offer his strong shoulder, the girl would find no rest, for she would be startled by the beating of the robber’s drums, as a mark of their successful cattle hunt. This is the precise thing that wrings her heart and tears up her eyes, mother concludes. The highlight of this verse is no matter how this woman was hurt by the actions of her daughter, she seems to be more concerned about her child’s welfare. That’s a mother for you, the verse seems to say, with a wise smile!

In this episode, we listen to the angst of unfulfilled expectations, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 62, penned by Paranar. Set amidst the soaring peaks and descending cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’, the verse reiterates the presence of a renowned man-made structure in those times. அயத்து வளர் பைஞ்சாய் முருந்தின் அன்னநகைப் பொலிந்து இலங்கும் எயிறு கெழு துவர் வாய்,ஆகத்து அரும்பிய முலையள், பணைத்தோள்,மாத்தாள் குவளை மலர் பிணைத்தன்னமாஇதழ் மழைக்கண், மாஅயோளொடுபேயும் அறியா மறை அமை புணர்ச்சிபூசல் துடியின் புணர்பு பிரிந்து இசைப்பக்கரந்த கரப்பொடு நாம் செலற்கு அருமையின்,கடும் புனல் மலிந்த காவிரிப் பேரியாற்றுநெடுஞ்சுழி நீத்தம் மண்ணுநள் போல,நடுங்கு அஞர் தீர முயங்கி நெருநல்ஆகம் அடைதந்தோளே, வென்வேல்களிறு கெழு தானைப் பொறையன் கொல்லிஒளிறு நீர் அடுக்கத்து வியல் அகம் பொற்பக்கடவுள் எழுதிய பாவையின்,மடவது மாண்ட மாஅயோளே. Treading through the hills, we listen to the man’s yearning at a time, when his expected tryst with the lady did not come through: “Akin to flower buds of the whitehead spike sedge grass that grows in watery spaces, shines her teeth, adorned with smiles in her red mouth. With budding bosoms, bamboo-like arms, huge-petaled rain-like eyes, akin to two blue lotuses, with black stems, intertwined together, is that dark-skinned maiden. At a time, not known even to ghosts, I united with her in secret. Still they have spread slander about our union, with the uproar of ‘thudi’ drums, by assembling together and going separate ways. So, it has become rare for us to come together! Knowing this, yesterday, as if she was swimming in the long, swirling whirlpools in the huge flood of the River Kaveri, brimming with copious waters, ending the shivering suffering within, she embraced me again and again, and lay on my chest, without moving away. Such were the actions of my dark-skinned maiden, resplendent in her naivety, the one, who looks like the goddess statue, carved to add glory to those wide spaces, with radiant waters flowing down the Kolli hills, by Poraiyan, renowned for his army of elephants and his victorious spears!” It’s all about a lady’s qualities in this one! The man starts by describing his beloved saying she has smiling teeth, akin to particular sedge grass, which I learnt was the ‘whitehead spike sedge’, also called ‘white water sedge’, to indicate the watery spaces it abounds, as illustrated by the first two words of this Tamil verse. Yet again, impressed by the connection between the common modern English name and the ancient Tamil descriptor of this plant! Returning, we find the man next talking about the lady’s red mouth, her blooming bosoms, her arms, akin to bamboo, and those eyes, which are not only rain-like, but are also akin to two huge-petaled blue lotuses threaded together. The man talks about how he and the lady united at a time that even ghosts know not about, implying it could be in dead secret, in the darkest hour, when even the ghosts would want to get some sleep! But even more perceptive than those ghosts, were the slander-spreading folk of their town, who have been sharing gossip about them, and that’s why meeting the lady has become a rare thing, the man explains. He thinks back to how realising this, the lady had embraced him over and over, as if she was dipping in the brimming floods of the River Kaveri, and would not even part away from his chest for a very long time. He sighs thinking about the past, and concludes, by placing the lady’s appearance, in parallel with the statue of a goddess in the Kolli hills, built by King Poraiyan, known to have a victorious army of elephants and soldiers with spears! The repeated reference to this structure in many verses, and that too, in parallel with the beauty of a woman, makes me think this was a much-celebrated work of art in Sangam times. Just like the Mona Lisa, Statue of Liberty, the Pyramids, the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal to us, for whom the world has shrunk, this statue of the Kolli Goddess was to the people of ancient Tamil land. Wonder how such a celebrated structure lost its battle to time! The other interesting aspect that can be unearthed from the actions of the lady with the man the previous day is the timeless fact that when we get a feeling that something is going to become rare, often an urgency to relish it to the full soars within, whenever it becomes available! And likewise, reframing taken-for-granted things in our life as something precious and something which could be lost at any time, is the perfect recipe to rekindle our appreciation for the same!

In this episode, we listen to a friend’s encouraging words, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 61, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape”, the verse highlights some historic personalities and their renowned towns. “நோற்றோர்மன்ற தாமே கூற்றம்கோளுற விளியார், பிறர் கொள விளிந்தோர்” எனத்தாள் வலம்படுப்பச் சேட் புலம் படர்ந்தோர்நாள் இழை நெடுஞ் சுவர் நோக்கி, நோய் உழந்துஆழல் வாழி, தோழி! தாழாது,உரும் எனச் சிலைக்கும் ஊக்கமொடு பைங் கால்வரி மாண் நோன் ஞாண் வன் சிலைக் கொளீஇ,அரு நிறத்து அழுத்திய அம்பினர் பலருடன்அண்ணல் யானை வெண் கோடு கொண்டு,நறவு நொடை நெல்லின் நாள் மகிழ் அயரும்கழல் புனை திருந்துஅடிக் கள்வர் கோமான்மழ புலம் வணக்கிய மா வண் புல்லிவிழவுடை விழுச் சீர் வேங்கடம் பெறினும்,பழகுவர்ஆதலோ அரிதே முனாஅதுமுழவு உறழ் திணி தோள் நெடு வேள் ஆவிபொன்னுடை நெடு நகர்ப் பொதினி அன்ன நின்ஒண் கேழ் வன முலைப் பொலிந்தநுண் பூண் ஆகம் பொருந்துதல் மறந்தே. This trip to the drylands takes us in the presence of a lady, who is parted away from her man, and we get to hear these words of the lady’s confidante to her friend: “Saying, ‘Blessed are those, who do not lose their lives to the God of Death for no reason, but instead to others in battle’, he left to a faraway land to bring home victory, with his determined efforts. Seeing the marks of the days he has been away on the tall wall, do not cry, wallowing in a deep suffering, my friend, may you live long! With unceasing thunderous roars, holding on to the green-edged, striped strong bows with fine threads, having an army of men capable of showering arrows on the chests of foes, possessing white tusks of esteemed elephants, bartering toddy for paddy, the great leader of the robbers, the strong and mighty Pulli, wearing well-etched, perfect warrior anklets, the one, who defeated the clan of Mazhavars, spends happy days many, in the festivities-filled, fertile land of Venkatam. Your bosom, decked with fine jewels many, is akin to the huge, gold-filled town of Pothini, ruled by the famous Neduvel Aavi, who has arms akin to strong drums. Even if your man were to attain all of Pulli’s Venkatam, it would be hard for him to stay away, forgetting your shining bosom!” Let’s walk along with the man through those barren lands and understand his mission! The confidante starts by remembering the words of the man, who seems to think that dying by natural causes was not as noble as dying in the battlefield. With those words, he had left to some faraway land, determined to return with victory. If someone leaves with such words, it may fill them with the fiery confidence needed to face the battle, but what about the one at home? No doubt this makes the lady suffer deeply with anxiety, wondering when the man will return and if he will return. As she sits at home, looking at the wall with the marks of the days he has spent away from her, her confidante does what all good friends do, which is to comfort the other. This blessed soul asks the lady to imagine that the man were to attain a town as prosperous as Venkatam, ruled by the famous leader of the robbers, Pulli, known for his army of men, well-versed in archery, and for his possession of white tusks, barter of toddy for paddy, and one who spends happy days in that fertile town in his domain. The confidante concludes by saying even if such a thing were to happen, it would be impossible for the man to stay away from the lady’s bosoms, which she places in parallel to another gold-rich town of Pothini, ruled by Aavi, who is said to have arms as thick as drums! In essence, the confidante says to the lady that no matter how much wealth the man attains, it would surely not be more precious to him than the lady’s beauty. A verse which reiterates that though wealth and duty were prime concerns, love and beauty were no less important in the minds of these ancient folks, and most of their dilemmas seemed to revolve around the conflict of these two timeless pursuits of humans!

In this episode, we listen to an account of mother’s nature, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 60, penned by Kudavaayil Keerathanaar. Set amidst the roaring waves of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’, the verse etches a unique instance of persuasive communication. பெருங் கடற் பரப்பில் சேயிறா நடுங்க,கொடுந் தொழில் முகந்த செங் கோல் அவ் வலைநெடுந் திமில் தொழிலொடு வைகிய தந்தைக்கு,உப்பு நொடை நெல்லின் மூரல் வெண் சோறுஅயிலை துழந்த அம் புளிச் சொரிந்து,கொழுமீன் தடியொடு குறுமகள் கொடுக்கும்திண் தேர்ப் பொறையன் தொண்டி அன்ன எம்ஒண் தொடி ஞெமுக்காதீமோ தெய்ய;”ஊதை ஈட்டிய உயர் மணல் அடைகரை,கோதை ஆயமொடு வண்டல் தைஇ,ஓரை ஆடினும் உயங்கும் நின் ஒளி” எனக்கொன்னும் சிவப்போள் காணின், வென் வேற்கொற்றச் சோழர் குடந்தை வைத்தநாடு தரு நிதியினும் செறியஅருங் கடிப் படுக்குவள், அறன் இல் யாயே. In this seaside vacation of ours, we hear the lady’s confidante saying these words to the man, when he comes to the lady’s home to tryst by day: “Making red shrimp in the vast sea quiver by throwing an exquisite net, fitted with red rods, for the severe task of capturing fish, on a tall boat, immersed in his profession, stands father. For him, with the paddy, got in barter for salt, his young daughter cooks and serves hot white rice, along with delicious tamarind curry, made with ‘ayilai’ fish, and also fleshy pieces of fatty fish, in the town of Thondi, ruled by ‘Poraiyan’, renowned for his sturdy chariots. Akin to the beauty of this town is the lady, and pray, do not press her shining bangles with force, and leave imprints. Saying, ‘On the shores, piled with towering heaps of sand, brought by the northerly winds, with your garlanded friends, even if you build sand houses or play ‘orai’ games, your glow might fade’, mother would get angry for no reason. If she were to see these imprints on the lady’s hands, even more than the protection put up in Kudanthai, around the tributes of all those nations, under the rule of royal white umbrella of the Chozhas, she would put up a stern guard around the lady. Such is the nature of this unjust mother!” Time to take in the wafting scent of sour fish curry in the seashore! The confidante starts by describing a girl’s father, intent at his work in the sea, standing on a tall boat. He seems to be making shrimp shiver by throwing his well-stitched net, fitted with red rods. When this father returns home, his young daughter has a tasty meal prepared. Even before this fisherman came home with the catch, the women of the family have bartered their salt for paddy and have prepared a hot meal of cooked white rice. Then, on this white rice, that young girl adds a tamarind curry made of Indian mackerel fish, and also, places fleshy pieces of fish on the side. A moment to pause and relish how this very preparation of fish in tamarind curry and fish fry is a staple in many Tamil homes, even today. Returning, we learn that the confidante has mentioned this meal only to say that this is happening in the prosperous port town of Thondi, ruled by the famous Poraiyan. And as we have seen in many instances, when a prosperous town is mentioned, it would in most cases be, to place it in parallel with the beauty of the lady. Thus, this confidante refers to her friend, and instructs the man to avoid pressing the lady’s bangles and leaving visible imprints. She goes on to say why because the lady’s mother is a person who would get angry for meaningless things and say that the lady shouldn’t even play ‘Orai games’ in the sands with her friends because her beauty may fade. And if at all mother catches a glimpse of these marks, then the lady would be put under a strict guard, stricter than the one around the tributes received from many nations in the Chozha capital of Kudanthai, the confidante concludes. In essence, the confidante is conveying the message of ‘Marry her, marry her’ to the man, to make him let go of the temporary trysting with the lady, by revealing the danger of discovery. The highlights of this verse however, are the description of Thondi’s ceaseless wealth and tasteful food, that subtle point about how the women of the household did some trading on their own by bartering salt to put food on the table, and finally, the huge wealth of the Chozhas in their capital, as illustrated by the heaps of tributes they have received from the nations under their rule, talking about the power and fame of these ancient Tamil kings. Indeed, the confidante has cooked a fine meal with places and people to cure the man of his inaction and energise him to move in the direction of permanent happiness!

In this episode, we listen to a subtle message of consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 59, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse refers to mythological elements to depict aspects of parting. தண் கயத்து அமன்ற வண்டு படு துணை மலர்ப்பெருந் தகை இழந்த கண்ணினை, பெரிதும்வருந்தினை, வாழியர், நீயே! வடாஅதுவண் புனல் தொழுநை வார் மணல் அகன் துறை,அண்டர் மகளிர் தண் தழை உடீஇயர்மரம் செல மிதித்த மாஅல் போல,புன் தலை மடப் பிடி உணீஇயர், அம் குழை,நெடு நிலை யாஅம் ஒற்றி, நனை கவுள்படி ஞிமிறு கடியும் களிறே தோழி!சூர் மருங்கு அறுத்த சுடர் இலை நெடு வேல்,சினம் மிகு முருகன் தண் பரங்குன்றத்து,அந்துவன் பாடிய சந்து கெழு நெடு வரை,இன் தீம் பைஞ் சுனை ஈரணிப் பொலிந்ததண் நறுங் கழுநீர்ச் செண் இயற் சிறுபுறம்தாம் பாராட்டிய காலையும் உள்ளார்வீங்கு இறைப் பணைத் தோள் நெகிழ, சேய் நாட்டுஅருஞ் செயற் பொருட்பிணி முன்னி, நப்பிரிந்து, சேண் உறைநர் சென்ற ஆறே. Our visit to the drylands takes us in the presence of the confidante, who says these words to the lady, when she wallows in separation from the man, who has left in search of wealth: “With your eyes, losing their great beauty, akin to twin flowers forever buzzed around by bees, abounding in cool ponds, you worry a lot, my friend, may you live long! In the North, where the forceful ‘Thozhunai’ gushes, upon the wide shores filled with its sands, to help the daughters of cow herders wear their attires of cool leaves, the Lord Maal bent the tree branch, by stepping on it. Akin to that, to help its naive mate with soft hair feed on the beautiful cluster of leaves, the bull elephant with its cheeks, moist with the flow of musth, swarming with flies, bends the soaring Ya tree. He thinks not of the times when he delighted in the knots of tresses on your back, adorned with the moist and scented blue lilies, from the fresh and fragrant springs, in the cool hills of ‘Parangkundram’, filled with sandalwood trees, which has been sung about by Anthuvan, the resting abode of the furious Lord Murugan, who holds a leaf-edged, tall spear, after he routed the demons. In the traversed path of the one, who parted away and left to a faraway country to gain that hard-to-attain wealth of a distant land, he shall glimpse upon the scene of the male elephant bending the branch for its mate!” It’s all about a pair of pachyderms in this one! The confidante starts by portraying how the glow of the lady’s eyes is lost, because of her worry. And then she turns to talk about the path, where the man walks in a distant land, and here we see a male elephant, deeply distressed by the flow of musth, still taking care of its mate, through its action of bending the branch of Ya tree for its mate to feed on. This caring action is placed in parallel to a mythological tale that happens in the North of India, by the ‘Thozhunai’ river, identified as the contemporary River Yamuna, where Lord Thirumaal bends a branch for the daughters of cow herders to adorn themselves with their leaf garments. Then, the confidante brings in another such reference talking about the hills of Thiruparankundram, the resting abode of Lord Murugan, after his fight with the demons, and specifically about the red waterlilies blooming here, and how these used to adorn the lady’s hair, and how the man used to worship the sight and scent of the same. Now he doesn’t think of all that, but has just gone on this mission to attain wealth in some far-off country, the confidante says, and concludes by connecting that even here, the man will see that caring action of the elephant. Although it appears as if the confidante is taking the lady’s side and regretting that the man has parted away, in that image of the loving male elephant taking care of its mate, the confidante places a hope that the man will be moved by the scene, and will soon, return to the lady’s fold. Even in this conversation between the confidante and the lady, in the way this friend bends the narrative to feed hope to the lady’s heart about the man’s return, we can see the same love and care between those elephants in the drylands!

In this episode, we listen to a lady’s angst-filled voice, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 58, penned by Madurai Panda Vaanikan Ilanthevanaar. The verse is situated in the soaring peaks of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and relays a subtle message seeking to change a person’s heart. இன் இசை உருமொடு கனை துளி தலைஇ,மன் உயிர் மடிந்த பானாட் கங்குல்,காடு தேர் வேட்டத்து விளிவு இடம் பெறாஅது,வரி அதள் படுத்த சேக்கை, தெரி இழைத்தேன் நாறு கதுப்பின் கொடிச்சியர் தந்தை,கூதிர், இல் செறியும் குன்ற நாட! வனைந்து வரல் இள முலை ஞெமுங்க, பல் ஊழ்விளங்கு தொடி முன்கை வளைந்து புறம் சுற்ற,நின் மார்பு அடைதலின் இனிது ஆகின்றேநும் இல் புலம்பின் நும் உள்ளுதொறும் நலியும்தண்வரல் அசைஇய பண்பு இல் வாடைபதம் பெறுகல்லாது இடம் பார்த்து நீடி,மனைமரம் ஒசிய ஒற்றிப்பலர் மடி கங்குல், நெடும் புறநிலையே. In this little trip to the mountains, we hear the lady speaking her heart to the man, when he returns to tryst with her, after a long interval. “With the sweet music of thunder echoing, as the heavy showers pour down, in the middle of the dark night, when all lives on earth seek rest, the fathers of mountain maiden, having honey-fragrant tresses and well-chosen ornaments, wishing to track and hunt in the forest, but finding no place to sleep there, turn to the striped tiger-skin beds in their homes, during this cold season, in your peaks, O lord! Pressing my sketched and etched young bosoms, and twisting my forearms clad in radiant bangles around the back, I have attained your chest now. Sweeter than this is my state of waiting for you, for a long time, when the compassionless, moist northern winds blew, as I lamented about your absence and lost my health every time I thought about you, and not attaining your warmth at the right time, I extended my hand and pulled a branch of the tree at home, making it fall apart, in that night, when many others slept!” Time to get soaked in the rain showers of the mountains! The lady starts by describing the man’s mountain country as one, where thundershowers are pouring down, and a time of the day, when all lives seek rest. At this time, there are some people, the fathers of mountain maiden, who seek to track and hunt animals. Since it’s pouring heavily, they find no place to sleep in the forest, and hence return home to their tiger-skin beds in the land of the lord, the lady describes. Then she goes on to talk about the state of how the man is embracing her bosom by twisting her hands around and pressing his chest, and concludes by saying this is not as sweet as her state during the long time she was waiting for him, anticipating his warmth, in that harsh cold season, when the northern winds tormented her, as she extended her arm to pull and break a branch of the tree at home, even as all those around her slept in peace. The lady impresses on the man in a subtle manner that the pain of parting in his absence was too great to bear. In the scene of the mountain men seeking their homes without finding a place to sleep, the lady places a metaphor for how the man sought her only when he wanted to tryst and was not taking the right steps to seek a permanent union with her. Here’s a unique way of expressing distress in the behaviour of another, without explicitly saying so, and gently nudging the other towards the right path.

In this episode, we listen to the man’s reflection about his beloved, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 57, penned by Nakeerar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse echoes the yearning and suffering in parting. சிறு பைந் தூவிச் செங் காற் பேடைநெடு நீர் வானத்து, வாவுப் பறை நீந்தி,வெயில் அவிர் உருப்பொடு வந்து, கனி பெறாஅது,பெறு நாள் யாணர் உள்ளி, பையாந்து,புகல் ஏக்கற்ற புல்லென் உலவைக்குறுங் கால் இற்றிப் புன் தலை நெடு வீழ்இரும் பிணர்த் துறுகல் தீண்டி, வளி பொர,பெருங் கை யானை நிவப்பின் தூங்கும்குன்ற வைப்பின் என்றூழ் நீள் இடை,யாமே எமியம்ஆக, தாமேபசு நிலா விரிந்த பல் கதிர் மதியின்பெரு நல் ஆய் கவின் ஒரீஇ, சிறு பீர்வீ ஏர் வண்ணம் கொண்டன்றுகொல்லோகொய் சுவற் புரவிக் கொடித் தேர்ச் செழியன்முதுநீர் முன்துறை முசிறி முற்றி,களிறு பட எருக்கிய கல்லென் ஞாட்பின்அரும் புண் உறுநரின் வருந்தினள், பெரிது அழிந்து,பானாட் கங்குலும் பகலும்ஆனாது அழுவோள் ஆய் சிறு நுதலே? In the drylands, we meet the man in the middle of his journey, lamenting to his heart through these words: “The red-legged bat having small, slender wings, leaps and traverses the vast expanse of the sky and descends down, burning in the scorching heat. Without finding fruits any, filled with sorrow, it recollects those days of plenty in the past, and yearns to find them again, as it hangs down the dull and dry short-legged ‘Ittri’ tree. The thick and dark aerial roots of the tree fall on a small boulder and as a hot breeze blows, lifts up and sways, appearing akin to the huge trunk of an elephant, in those heat-filled long paths amidst the hilly spaces. I’m left all alone here! Will her forehead, which has the appearance of being spread with the many rays of the milk moon, shed its beauty, and take up the hue of the ridge gourd’s falling flowers? When the great Chezhiyan, who rides atop chariots, fluttering with flags, pulled by horses with dancing manes, laid siege to the ancient port of Musiri, and waged war, killing elephants many, with an uproarious sound, many of those who were wounded wallowed in suffering. Akin to these wounded, would she be greatly ruined too, and in the middle of the dark night and in the middle of the day, remain crying ceaselessly? What might be the state of her fine, little forehead?” Let’s follow the flight of a bat in the drylands and trace the trajectory of the man’s heart! The man starts by talking about a little female bat flying about in the heat of the drylands and not finding any fruit to savour. He then talks about how the bat dreams of better days, when it had plenty to feed on, as it hangs on a short-trunked ‘Ittri’ tree. I was surprised to learn that the English name of this tree is actually ‘Indian Bat Fig Tree’. Stunned by how a two thousand year old verse connects this tree and this animal, as does its modern name. Incidentally, the tree is called so because it’s the bat that helps in the tree’s propagation by spreading its seeds. The ancients seemed to have made the connection through their powers of observation long before modern science. Returning to the tree, we find the man talking about its aerial roots, hanging low over a boulder and whenever the wind blows, lifts up, making it appear as if an elephant is lying there and lifting its trunk. Imagine the mindful presence that registers such minute elements! From these outer events in the drylands, the man turns to his own lonely state and he thinks about whether the forehead of his beloved would have lost its moon-like glow and take on the hue of ridge-gourd flowers, the prominent Sangam symptom of pining. He then refers to the historic incident when the Pandya King laid siege to the famous port of Musiri, which is referred as ‘ancient’ in those ancient times. Here, when the king felled elephants, the wounded let out uproarious cries, wallowing in deep angst. He wonders if his beloved too would be crying in that manner, and concludes worrying about the fading of her beauty because of his parting away. The verse intricately fuses the man’s nostalgia with the bat’s yearning for the past and the lady’s pining with the wounded soldiers’ pain, offering us a shot with the perfect blend of nature, history and psychology!

In this episode, we listen to a mirthful tale, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 56, penned by Madurai Aruvai Vaanikan Ilavettanaar. Set amidst the blooming lilies and bubbling ponds of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’, the verse presents a unique technique of refusing a request. நகை ஆகின்றே தோழி! நெருநல்மணி கண்டன்ன துணி கயம் துளங்க,இரும்பு இயன்றன்ன கருங் கோட்டு எருமை,ஆம்பல் மெல் அடை கிழிய, குவளைக்கூம்பு விடு பல் மலர் மாந்தி, கரையகாஞ்சி நுண் தாது ஈர்ம் புறத்து உறைப்ப,மெல்கிடு கவுள அல்குநிலை புகுதரும்தண் துறை ஊரன் திண் தார் அகலம்வதுவை நாள் அணிப் புதுவோர்ப் புணரிய,பரிவொடு வரூஉம் பாணன் தெருவில்புனிற்றாப் பாய்ந்தெனக் கலங்கி, யாழ் இட்டு,எம் மனைப் புகுதந்தோனே. அது கண்டுமெய்ம்மலி உவகை மறையினென் எதிர்சென்று,”இம் மனை அன்று; அஃது உம் மனை” என்றஎன்னும் தன்னும் நோக்கி,மம்மர் நெஞ்சினோன் தொழுது நின்றதுவே. It’s a tour of the farmlands, and as expected, we listen to the ripples of a love quarrel involving a courtesan, through these words of the lady to her confidante: “It makes me laugh so much, my friend! Muddling the crystal clear waters of the pond, appearing akin to sapphire, a black-horned buffalo, whose horns appear as if cast with iron, tearing the delicate leaves of the white waterlily, feeds on the blue waterlily’s blooming buds, and then with its moist back, covered with the fine pollen of the portia tree on the shore, with a masticating lower jaw, enters its shed in the cool shores of the lord. Yesterday, the bard, who always comes with the caring thought of uniting new maiden, clad in ornaments, with the garlanded, wide chest of the lord, startled by the pouncing of a cow, which had just given birth, dropped his lute, and rushed into our house. Seeing that, hiding the mirth that was brimming over within, I stood before him and said, ‘This isn’t the house you seek; There, over there, is your preferred place’. Looking back and forth, with a distressed heart, he stood before me, in a humble stance, with his hands folded!” Time to trail behind that jaunty buffalo and learn more! The lady starts by talking about how one incident made her laugh so much. Instead of telling what it is, the lady launches into a description of the man’s town, where we get to see a black buffalo, whose horns are mentioned to be so solid, looking as if made of iron, and this buffalo, decides it wants to feed on the lilies in the pond, and not caring about tearing the leaves of the white lily, goes for the young buds of the blue waterlily. And when satisfied, the buffalo, with its back covered in the pollen of the portia tree, growing on the shore, walks back, slowly moving its lower jaw, no doubt displaying the digestive process we have learnt about in our biology classes, the one called rumination, wherein bovine animals bring back the cud and chew it over and over again. This buffalo, at the end of its escapade, returns slowly to its shed at home, the lady describes. Then she goes on to talk about how the bard, whom she mentions sarcastically as having the noble aim of uniting the lord with many new women, was walking down their street, and suddenly a cow, which had just given birth, with its motherly instincts on an edge, seemed to have pounced on him. Shocked by the charge, the bard had dropped his lute and rushed into the first house in sight, which happened to be the lady’s home. Seeing this, hiding her laughter, with a serious face, the lady seemed to have gone in front of him and said, ‘You’ve got the wrong address. You must be searching for the courtesan’s house, over there’. Hearing this, ashamed and with a guilty look, the bard took on an apologetic stance, with his hands folded, and this is the incident that made her laugh so much, the lady concludes. Returning to the scene of the buffalo having a jolly feast in the pond, that’s a metaphor for the man’s escapades with the courtesans, and the buffalo’s walk back to the shed, is the man seeking permission to the lady to return home. These words are the lady’s refusal to her confidante to allow the man back home. Though it’s the same old theme of the meandering man, the aspect I would like to focus on here is how even in such a society, where wealth and status resided in the hands of men, who seemed to have done what they pleased, the woman still had the power and strength to refuse the lord of the town, showing she was the queen of her abode!

In this episode, we perceive the intricate emotions of a mother, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 55, penned by Maamoolanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and presents a momentous historic event from the Sangam era. காய்ந்து செலற் கனலி கல் பகத் தெறுதலின்,ஈந்து குருகு உருகும் என்றூழ் நீள் இடை,உளி முக வெம் பரல் அடி வருத்துறாலின்,விளி முறை அறியா வேய் கரி கானம்,வயக் களிற்று அன்ன காளையொடு என் மகள்கழிந்ததற்கு அழிந்தன்றோஇலெனே! ஒழிந்து யாம்ஊது உலைக் குருகின் உள் உயிர்த்து, அசைஇ,வேவது போலும் வெய்ய நெஞ்சமொடுகண்படை பெறேன், கனவ ஒண் படைக்கரிகால் வளவனொடு வெண்ணிப் பறந்தலைப்பொருது புண் நாணிய சேரலாதன்அழி கள மருங்கின் வாள் வடக்கிருந்தென,இன்னா இன் உரை கேட்ட சான்றோர்அரும் பெறல் உலகத்து அவனொடு செலீஇயர்,பெரும்பிறிது ஆகியாங்கு பிரிந்து இவண்காதல் வேண்டி, எற் துறந்துபோதல்செல்லா என் உயிரொடு புலந்தே. This journey to the drylands features a mother’s lament, on learning that her daughter has eloped away with the man: “The scorching sun, traversing the sky, splits even mountains, with its harsh rays, and makes birds flying, melt in sorrow, in those heat-spreading, long paths! In this jungle, ablaze with burning bamboos, where chisel-like, hot pebbles torment the feet, making people know not where they will stumble, with a strong bull of man, akin to a towering elephant, my daughter walks on! I worry not that this happened! Ruined, I sigh, like an ironsmith’s bellows, and when I move, feel like I’m burning up, and as for my despairing heart, it finds no sleep at all. After clashing against Chozha King Karikaalan and his radiant army, in the battlefield of Venni, the Chera King Cheralaathan, felt ashamed about a forceful wound and decided to give up his life, by sitting facing the north, in that ruinous battlefield. Hearing this bitter-sweet news, noble and wise men, left to that hard-to-attain higher world and perished along with him. Akin to that, with my girl, who parted away for the sake of love, leaving me behind, that my life does not part away, is the only thing I lament about!” Let’s brave the heat and tread through the drylands! Mother starts by describing this harsh landscape, where the sun burns, and brings out equal sorrow in the huge mountains and in tiny birds, with its piercing heat. She further talks about the burning bamboos and the pebbles on the ground, which pierce feet with the sharpness of a chisel, making people stumble and fall everywhere. Explaining that she has described this place in all its fearsome detail to say this is where her dear daughter has eloped with her love. A question arises as to why these young lovers are always running through the drylands? Can’t they find green and shaded forests for their escapades? Or does their path seem so in the mind of the lamenting kith and kin? Content with just asking and not wanting the answers, let’s move on and listen to what mother has to say. She continues by declaring the fact her daughter has left is not a thing of worry for her at all, even though she sighs like an ironsmith’s bellows, and cannot find a single moment of sleep. Then she goes on to describe a historic event that we have encountered in Puranaanooru 65 and 66, talking about how a Chera King Cheralaathan gave up his life by fasting unto death, just because the spear of his enemy, the Chozhan Karikaalan, pierced with much force, and came out of his back. Feeling ashamed about the wound on his back, and giving no excuses, he decides to end his life in the battlefield of Venni. Hearing this incident, which is curiously described as both pleasant and unpleasant, no doubt because it talks of a noble virtue and the death of a much loved king at the same time, many other wise men gave their life along with his king, says Mother. Now she connects to this historic incident and declares just like how those wise men gave their life when the Chera king died, she laments that her own life was not leaving her, even when her precious daughter has forsaken her and eloped away! In essence, it’s mother crying out aloud and explaining clearly that her sorrow is so unbearable that she prefers death. Hearing these words, we may feel this is an exaggerated style of talking about one’s sorrow but such declarations should be seen as a nudge to modern societies, to openly and boldly talk about the depth of our feelings, instead of suppressing the same. A verse which echoes the timeless truth that expression of emotion is the path to emerge out of the scorching drylands of suffering!

In this episode, we listen to a man’s fervent plea, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 54, penned by Matroor Kizhaar Makanaar Kotrankotranaar. Set amidst the showers and flowers of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’, the verse etches exquisitely the urge to return home to a loved one. விருந்தின் மன்னர் அருங்கலம் தெறுப்ப,வேந்தனும் வெம்பகை தணிந்தனன். தீம் பெயற்காரும் ஆர்கலி தலையின்று. தேரும்ஓவத்தன்ன கோபச் செந் நிலம்,வள் வாய் ஆழி உள் உறுபு உருள,கடவுக. காண்குவம் பாக! மதவு நடைத்தாம்பு அசை குழவி வீங்குசுரை மடிய,கனைஅல்அம் குரல காற் பரி பயிற்றி,படு மணி மிடற்ற பய நிரை ஆயம்கொடு மடி உடையர் கோற் கைக் கோவலர்கொன்றைஅம் குழலர் பின்றைத் தூங்க,மனைமனைப் படரும் நனை நகு மாலை,தனக்கென வாழாப் பிறர்க்கு உரியாளன்பண்ணன் சிறுகுடிப் படப்பை நுண் இலைப்புன் காழ் நெல்லிப்பைங் காய் தின்றவர்நீர் குடி சுவையின் தீவிய மிழற்றி,”முகிழ் நிலாத் திகழ்தரும் மூவாத் திங்கள்!பொன்னுடைத் தாலி என் மகன் ஒற்றி,வருகுவைஆயின், தருகுவென் பால்” என,விலங்கு அமர்க் கண்ணள் விரல் விளி பயிற்றி,திதலை அல்குல் எம் காதலிபுதல்வற் பொய்க்கும் பூங்கொடி நிலையே. Back in the lush forest amidst the rains, and in this one, we encounter the familiar theme of a man urging his charioteer to rush homeward, with these words: “When those new kings showered their precious tributes, the furious enmity of our king was appeased. The sweet shower of the rainy reason also falls with a loud roar. On this red earth, where velvet bugs, akin to a painting, scurry about, making impressions of the wide wheels, rolling them firmly, ride on, O charioteer! Accompanied by their herders, who hold curved sticks in their hands, and have flutes, made of the golden shower tree’s seed pods, hanging on their backs, so as to feed their calves, which have a delightful gait, now tied with ropes to posts, and let their bulging udders deflate, letting out sweet-sounding grunts, walking with much haste, with their bells resounding loudly, herds of cattle rush home, in the evening hour, when buds bloom. The one who lives not for himself but for the sake of others, is the noble ‘Pannan’, and he rules over the town of ’Sirukudi’. When those who taste this town’s green gooseberry with small seeds, from the thin-leafed tree, and then drink water afterwards, they would feel an exquisite sweetness on their tongues. Speaking with such a sweetness, my lady with radiant, beautiful eyes would say, ‘O budding, young moon, shining so luminously, if you will come close to my son, who wears a golden necklace, I will feed you milk’, gesturing with her fingers, so delicately. Let’s go see this state of my beloved, akin to a flower vine, having a delicate waist, adorned with beauty spots, as she says these tall tales to my son!” Let’s run behind those red velvet bugs that pop up in the rain and learn about the man’s state of mind! The man starts by saying how his mission is complete, now that the king is no longer in a warring mood, as the enemy kings have paid their tributes to his satisfaction. Besides, the rainy season was announcing its arrival with the loud roars and gentle showers. As we have seen in many earlier verses, when the first rains fall, these red velvet bugs scurry about, exploring the world outside, and the man points to how these bugs look like paintings on the red soil, and asks his charioteer to ride firmly, leaving the impressions of wheels, and rush homeward. Then, he goes on to talk about how it’s the evening time, when cows that have gone grazing, with their herdsmen holding sticks and carrying flutes made of hollow seed pods, are in a rush to get back home to feed their calves and release the bulging pressure of their udders. Here, the man places a sweet subtext by projecting his burning urge to be back with his beloved on the emotion of those cows seeking out their calves at the end of the day. The man, then seemingly digresses, and talks about a noble leader by the name of ‘Pannan’, a person who was apparently renowned for his life of serving others, and mentions that the name of this leader’s town is ‘Sirukudi’. Continuing, the man brings before our eyes the moment when a person would eat a gooseberry fruit from this town and then drink water afterwards. As those who have had this experience will know very well, our tasteless water turns so deliciously sweet just then. This is what the man wants to draw as a parallel to his lady’s voice, as she calls out to the moon to come play with her son, and if the moon did, she would feed the moon too, she says, in playful voice, to entertain her son. The man connects back and concludes by saying to his charioteer that he dearly wants to listen to these stories that his wife would be telling his son, asking him to rush on, homeward! Though it’s an emotion we have encountered many a time, it’s interesting how the verse is stitched with the yearning of animals, the fame of historic characters, timeless experiences of relish

In this episode, we listen to a lady’s response to her friend’s consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 53, penned by Seethalai Saathanaar. Set amidst the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse offers intricate insights about elements of both nature and culture. அறியாய், வாழி தோழி! இருள் அறவிசும்புடன் விளங்கும் விரை செலல் திகிரிக்கடுங் கதிர் எறித்த விடுவாய் நிறைய,நெடுங் கால் முருங்கை வெண் பூத் தாஅய்,நீர் அற வறந்த நிரம்பா நீள் இடை,வள் எயிற்றுச் செந்நாய் வருந்து பசிப் பிணவொடுகள்ளிஅம் காட்ட கடத்திடை உழிஞ்சில்உளூன் வாடிய சுரிமூக்கு நொள்ளைபொரி அரை புதைத்த புலம்பு கொள் இயவின்,விழுத் தொடை மறவர் வில் இட வீழ்ந்தோர்எழுத்துடை நடுகல் இன் நிழல் வதியும்அருஞ் சுரக் கவலை நீந்தி, என்றும்,”இல்லோர்க்கு இல்” என்று இயைவது கரத்தல்வல்லா நெஞ்சம் வலிப்ப, நம்மினும்பொருளே காதலர் காதல்;”அருளே காதலர்” என்றி, நீயே. In this short trip to the drylands, we get to meet the lady, when the man has parted away, leaving her to lament, and when the confidante tries to console the lady, the lady says these words to her: “You don’t know the truth, my friend, may you live long! The fast-moving, darkness-destroying orb that glows in the sky spreads its harsh rays and leaves the barren land with cracks many. Filling these fissures, the tall-trunked drumstick tree’s white flowers fall and spread all around the waterless, arid paths. Here, a sharp-teethed red dog walks on, along with its mate, filled with the suffering of hunger, passing by the cactus scrub jungle, where snails with curving shells, whose inner flesh is under duress, burrow themselves, upon the lebbeck tree’s spotted trunk in those deserted paths. The red dog and its mate find the only place to rest in the sweet shade of the inscribed hero-stones, built in the memory of those great warriors, who fell to the arrows of foes. On such a formidable drylands path, he walks on, urged by his heart that cannot bear to say no to those who come seeking to him. Beyond me, my lover’s true love is wealth. And here you are, saying that my lover will render his grace to me!” Time to journey along with the man on those dried-up paths with shrivelled trees! The lady starts by making a firm declaration to her confidante that she doesn’t know the real thing, even as she blesses her. You have to admire this Sangam tradition of rendering a blessing to the listener, whenever one opposes their thought or says something against them. Isn’t it an effective technique to appease the negative reaction in them? Returning, we find the lady presenting us with a detailed description of the drylands, where there are the known elements, like the burning sun and barren land, but also new additions to pique our interest. First, she talks about how the white flowers of the drumstick tree wither and cover the cracks in the arid soil, then she moves on to a pair of red dogs or dholes, the Indian wild dogs. Projecting human qualities, the lady mentions how the female dhole is filled with hunger and the male is wandering, worrying about how to provide food and rest for its mate. Next, the lady’s eyes falls on the cactus abounding in that scrub jungle, and also on a ‘Uzhinjil’ or ‘Vaagai’ tree. She zooms on to the spotted, cracked-up trunk of the said tree, and here, she points to snails sticking on the surface, saying their inner flesh is under much stress. When I read this, I said, ‘Wait a minute. Aren’t snails always found in wet places? I personally remember meeting these creatures, teeming after the showers, but not so much in the summers!’ On doing some research, I came across this fascinating detail that much like bears in the cold regions that take up ‘hibernation’ to conserve their heat in winter, these little cousins in the tropical world take up what is known as ‘aestivation’ to conserve their moisture in the dry summers. Apparently, the snails seal their shells with a film, thus protecting the soft flesh within from drying up, and burrow themselves in the mud or on trees. Truly these Sangam poets are the original naturalists! What precise observation in these lines about the behaviour of this little animal, which can be so easily overlooked! Returning, we find the red dogs, walking on, panting, and finally seeing with relief, some hero stones, which the lady says, has been put up for great soldiers, who fought well and fell to the arrows of enemies. Here, the red dog and its mate find their only shade in this dried-up, forsaken place and rest there. The lady says such is the path the man walks now, all because he doesn’t know how to refuse those who come seeking to him, and concludes by declaring the man loves not her, but only wealth, and without realising this, the confidante was going on about how the man will return and shower his grace on the lady. In essence, here we find an instance of the lady refusing the confidante’

In this episode, we perceive how a message is discreetly conveyed, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 52, penned by Nochi Niyamankizhaar. Set amidst the towering boulders and flowering trees of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, the verse talks about the technique of presenting a dilemma to echo the seriousness of a situation. ”வலந்த வள்ளி மரன் ஓங்கு சாரல்,கிளர்ந்த வேங்கைச் சேண் நெடும் பொங்கர்ப்பொன் நேர் புது மலர் வேண்டிய குறமகள்இன்னா இசைய பூசல் பயிற்றலின்,“ஏ கல் அடுக்கத்து இருள் அளைச் சிலம்பின்ஆ கொள் வயப் புலி ஆகும் அஃது” எனத் தம்மலை கெழு சீறூர் புலம்ப, கல்லெனச்சிலையுடை இடத்தர் போதரும் நாடன்நெஞ்சு அமர் வியல் மார்பு உடைத்து என அன்னைக்குஅறிவிப்பேம்கொல்? அறியலெம்கொல்? எனஇருபாற் பட்ட சூழ்ச்சி ஒருபால்சேர்ந்தன்று வாழி, தோழி! யாக்கைஇன் உயிர் கழிவதுஆயினும், நின் மகள்ஆய்மலர் உண்கண் பசலைகாம நோய் எனச் செப்பாதீமே. The mountains beckon, and in this one, we hear the lady say these words to her confidante, pretending not to notice the man, standing nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot: “In the tree-filled mountain slopes, ‘Valli’ creepers twirl around the luxuriant Kino trees. Desiring the new, fresh flowers, akin to gold, on the tall and far branches of the Kino tree, a mountain maiden sends out fear-evoking shouts. Hearing this shout of ’tiger, tiger’, deciding that ‘from this mountain range, decked with huge boulders, and filled with dark caves, a strong tiger has come to steal away our cattle’, the foresters with their bows, leave their little hamlet, surrounded by hills, in loneliness, and shouting loudly, move towards the place, where the shouts arose, in the mountains of our lord! I was in a dilemma wondering if we should tell or not tell mother that the one in my heart is that man with a wide chest. I have come to a conclusion about that, my friend! Even if my sweet life were to part from my body, pray do not tell that the reason for the pallor spreading on the flower-like, kohl-streaked eyes of your daughter is a love affliction!” Let’s take a walk amidst the lush green mountain slopes, decked with wild flowers, and learn more! The lady starts by describing the man’s country as one, densely filled with trees, and where vines twirl around towering Kino trees. A young mountain maiden, living here, wishing to pluck the fresh new flowers, glowing like gold, on a tall branch, sends out the shout of ‘Tiger, Tiger’. A moment to remember that the Sangam maiden had this belief that shouting so, would make the Kino tree bend and shower its flowers in fear! However, the shout has a different kind of effect, for some hunters living in a hamlet nearby think this must be the tiger that has come to snatch their cattle, and they desert their village and run towards the place where the shout came from. Such scenes are to be found in the man’s mountains, the lady connects. Then, she talks about how she has been debating whether or not to tell mother about her love for the man and says she has reached a conclusion. She ends by asking her confidante not to reveal that the reason for the pallor spreading in her eyes was her love affliction with the man, even if her life were to part away. So, we infer that the lady’s words are not about not telling something to mother but about telling something to the man. The listening man is expected to be moved by the loyalty and love of his lady and come seek her hand in marriage, preventing further pain and suffering in his beloved! Are such manipulations right? Was it the reality of those times or are these the imaginative writing by poets done to express different kinds of emotions to their listeners? Leaving behind such unanswered questions, we can focus on the fact that we have received another undoubtably priceless gift of reflecting on the richness of the physical world and the cultural beliefs of those people of the past!

In this episode, we perceive a clear response to a dilemma, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 51, penned by Perunthevanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands Landscape’, the verse portrays the conflict between being with a beloved and parting away to earn wealth. ஆள் வழக்கு அற்ற சுரத்திடைக் கதிர் தெற,நீள் எரி பரந்த நெடுந் தாள் யாத்து,போழ் வளி முழங்கும், புல்லென் உயர்சினை,முடை நசை இருக்கைப் பெடை முகம் நோக்கி,ஊன் பதித்தன்ன வெருவரு செஞ் செவிஎருவைச் சேவல் கரிபு சிறை தீய,வேனில் நீடிய வேய் உயர் நனந்தலை,நீ உழந்து எய்தும் செய்வினைப் பொருட் பிணிபல் இதழ் மழைக் கண் மாஅயோள்வயின்பிரியின் புணர்வதுஆயின் பிரியாது,ஏந்து முலை முற்றம் வீங்க, பல் ஊழ்சேயிழை தெளிர்ப்பக் கவைஇ, நாளும்மனைமுதல் வினையொடும் உவப்ப,நினை மாண் நெஞ்சம்! நீங்குதல் மறந்தே. In this trip to the drylands, it’s all in the mind and the man says these words to his heart which has been pestering him to leave the lady and go in search of wealth: “In those deserted paths of the drylands, where the rays spread the heat, as the splitting hot wind roars, upon the dried-up, tall branch of a scorched, thick-trunked ‘Ya’ tree, sits a female red-headed vulture sitting there, yearning for meat. Looking at the face of its mate, a fearsome, male red-headed vulture, having ear flaps, akin to hanging pieces of flesh, making its black wings burn, roves about, in those wide spaces, filled with bamboos, during that unending summer. O my noble heart, with much hardship and suffering, the task of earning wealth, by parting away from the dark-skinned maiden, with many-petalled, rain-like eyes, may provide you with the wealth you seek. However, you should think of not parting from her, but instead embrace her many times, making her upraised bosom swell and those well-etched ornaments tinkle, and focus on fulfilling the responsibilities in the home with much joy!” Time to take a hot walk amidst the searing drylands! The man starts by imagining what his journey in the drylands will look like, and talks about the desolate paths, where no one treads, where there’s nothing but heat, heat and more heat. Here, a red-headed vulture, strikingly sketched with its red ear flaps, placed in parallel with hanging pieces of meat, takes a look at the face of its female, sitting atop a dried-up ‘Ya’ tree branch, and decides it must go fetch some meat from somewhere, and takes to the skies, making its black wings burn. In such a place, where summer has decided to put up its legs and overstay its welcome, he is expected to traverse, the man says, and connects that has been the wish of his heart. He accepts that such a challenging journey might bring the wealth desired. Taking the alternate track, the man concludes by advising his heart to stop thinking about parting with the lady but instead be in the moment and relish embracing her and delight in the responsibilities at home! We can observe a classic case of decision-making in this verse, where the man visualises both alternatives and decides firmly in favour of one. Reminds me of a ‘Pros’ and ‘Cons’ list many of us may have attempted, when standing at the crossroads of our life!

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!