In this episode, we perceive the positive attitude of a lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 141, penned by Nakeerar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents a dual portrait of an ancient Tamil festival and a Chozha town’s prosperity.
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! கைம்மிகக்
கனவும் கங்குல்தோறு இனிய; நனவும்
புனை வினை நல் இல் புள்ளும் பாங்கின;
நெஞ்சும் நனிபுகன்று உறையும்; எஞ்சாது
உலகு தொழில் உலந்து, நாஞ்சில் துஞ்சி,
மழை கால்நீங்கிய மாக விசும்பில்
குறு முயல் மறு நிறம் கிளர, மதி நிறைந்து,
அறுமீன் சேரும் அகல் இருள் நடு நாள்;
மறுகு விளக்குறுத்து, மாலை தூக்கி,
பழ விறல் மூதூர்ப் பலருடன் துவன்றிய
விழவு உடன் அயர, வருகதில் அம்ம!
துவரப் புலர்ந்து தூ மலர் கஞலி,
தகரம் நாறும் தண் நறுங் கதுப்பின்
புது மண மகடூஉ அயினிய கடி நகர்ப்
பல் கோட்டு அடுப்பில் பால் உலை இரீஇ,
கூழைக் கூந்தற் குறுந் தொடி மகளிர்
பெருஞ் செய் நெல்லின் வாங்குகதிர் முறித்து,
பாசவல் இடிக்கும் இருங் காழ் உலக்கைக்
கடிது இடி வெரீஇய கமஞ்சூல் வெண் குருகு
தீம் குலை வாழை ஓங்கு மடல் இராது;
நெடுங் கால் மாஅத்துக் குறும் பறை பயிற்றும்
செல் குடி நிறுத்த பெரும் பெயர்க் கரிகால்
வெல் போர்ச் சோழன் இடையாற்று அன்ன
நல் இசை வெறுக்கை தருமார், பல் பொறிப்
புலிக் கேழ் உற்ற பூவிடைப் பெருஞ் சினை
நரந்த நறும் பூ நாள் மலர் உதிர,
கலை பாய்ந்து உகளும், கல் சேர் வேங்கை,
தேம் கமழ் நெடு வரைப் பிறங்கிய
வேங்கட வைப்பிற் சுரன் இறந்தோரே.
In this long trip, we get to traverse not only this harsh domain, but also a prosperous ancient town, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the confidante worries that the lady will not be able to bear with the parting of the man, who has left in search of wealth:
“Listen, my friend! May you live long! Every night, the dreams are exceptionally pleasant; In real life too, in the well-etched, fine mansion, bird omens that are heard sound good; As for the heart, it too rests in a state of calm love;
At the time when the mighty profession of the world diminishes and ploughs fall asleep, in that season when pouring rainclouds have departed with the wind, and in the sky, the little hare glows in a dark hue, as the full moon reaches its favourite star, in the midnight hour, amidst the expanding darkness, when all the streets are lit up and adorned with high garlands in our fertile and prosperous ancient town, at this time, hope he will return to relish the festivities, celebrated by the gathering of many!
Adorning fully blossomed perfect flowers, along with sandalwood paste, on her cool and fragrant tresses, the new bride, boils milk on the many-sided stove in that rich mansion, filled with plentiful food, and then along with maiden, wearing small bangles and having short hair, pounds on paddy grains, harvested from bent stalks in the huge field, to make flattened rice. Hearing the din of this dark-stemmed pestle, startled by the loud and explosive sounds, a pregnant white bird, takes a short flight from the wide branch of a plantain tree, with sweet fruit clusters, to the tall-trunked mango tree, in the town of Idaiyaaru, ruled by the famous Chozha King Karikaalan, who has the ability to restore even a ruined town. Wanting to bring back prestigious wealth, akin to this town, he has left to the drylands, where making fragrant blooms on the huge branches of the tree, with flowers in the hue of the many-striped tiger, namely the Kino tree, soaring near a boulder, a male monkey leaps and frolics, in the honey-fragrant, tall hills of the Venkata mountain ranges!”
Let’s explore the many roads leading to diverse destinations in this verse! The lady starts by talking about how her dreams are filled with pleasant scenes and even in her waking hours, all she hears are good omens from the birds. Owing to all this, her heart seems to be in a state of calm. What a refreshing change from the usual lamenting lady, who cries and cries about her sleepless eyes, thinning arms and pining heart, whom we have encountered in song after song from this domain.
Next, the lady talks about a time when the work of farming takes a break, a time when the clouds are done pouring, and are on their way out. To etch another element, she talks about this, as the time when the little rabbit glows bright. On reading further, we understand that this little rabbit is the one we see in the moon, and the lady wants to say it’s the time of full moon, and so that rabbit is all the more vivid. It’s also a time, when the moon traverses and meets with a particular star, identified as ‘Karthigai’ or ‘Pleiades star cluster’. At this time, lights are lit up and garlands adorn their streets, the lady details, and she makes a wish that her man returns at least by this time, to partake in these grand festivities, when people gather together. A moment to note how the festival of ‘Karthigai’, celebrated even today in Tamilnadu, by the lighting of lamps, is an ancient custom, originating in the Sangam era.
After this, the lady talks about two aspects in connection with the man. One characterises the wealth he’s searching for, and to do that, the lady brings in the simile of a fertile town of Idaiyaaru, ruled by the famous Chozha King Karikaalan, and when depicting this town, she presents a rather interesting domestic scene, wherein a new bride, who has come to live in the rich mansion of her husband, adorns her hair with flowers and sandalwood paste, and then boils milk in a stove with many divisions, implying that multiple food items can be cooked at the same time, and the house too is sketched as one with an unceasing supply of foods. This bride then joins together with many other maiden and pounds paddy. Hearing the loud and repeated sounds of this pestle, a pregnant white bird is startled and takes off, from a short plantain tree to a tall mango tree, perhaps in an attempt to put some distance between itself and its tormentors. Such is the fertility of this town and my man wants to bring back wealth that’s equal in stature to this town, the lady explains.
The next aspect she dwells on is where the man has gone to, to attain such a wealth and she informs us this is to a drylands in the extent of the Venkata hills, identified as ‘Tirupathi’ in Contemporary Andhra Pradesh, and she describes this place, as one filled with Kino trees, with bright yellow flowers in the hue of tiger stripes, and talks about how a male monkey leaps about, making this tree’s flowers fall. The lady concludes with this image of falling yellow flowers, perhaps as a wish that it should rain gold on the man, in his journey to seek wealth, so that he would return in time for the festival of lights, and she promises to her confidante that she would bear well with the parting until this time! What a patient and thoughtful lady, who understands and perseveres, in spite of her pain of parting! No wonder the lady has pleasant dreams and hears good omens, for it’s only with the brush of hope and positivity, can we change the scene in the canvas of our present!
