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 தொழுதி
குவை இரும் புன்னைக் குடம்பை சேர,
அசை வண்டு ஆர்க்கும் அல்குறுகாலை,
தாழை தளரத் தூக்கி, மாலை
அழிதக வந்த கொண்டலொடு கழி படர்க்
காமர் நெஞ்சம் கையறுபு இனைய,
துயரம் செய்து நம் அருளார் ஆயினும்
அறாஅலியரோ அவருடைக் கேண்மை!
அளி இன்மையின் அவண் உறை முனைஇ,
வாரற்கதில்ல தோழி! கழனி
வெண்ணெல் அரிநர் பின்றைத் ததும்பும்
தண்ணுமை வெரீஇய தடந் தாள் நாரை
செறி மடை வயிரின் பிளிற்றி, பெண்ணை
அகமடல் சேக்கும் துறைவன்
இன் 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!
