Sangam Lit

In this episode, we perceive the sorrowful situation of a person parted from his beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 291, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the challenging spaces of this domain in vivid detail. வானம் பெயல் வளம் கரப்ப, கானம்உலறி இலை இலவாக, பல உடன்ஏறுடை ஆயத்து இனம் பசி தெறுப்ப,கயன் அற வறந்த கோடையொடு நயன் அறப்பெரு வரை நிவந்த மருங்கில், கொடு வரிப்புலியொடு பொருது சினம் சிறந்து, வலியோடுஉரவுக் களிறு ஒதுங்கிய மருங்கில், பரூஉப் பரல்,சிறு பல் மின்மினி கடுப்ப, எவ்வாயும்நிறைவன இமைக்கும் நிரம்பா நீள் இடைஎருவை இருஞ் சிறை இரீஇய, விரி இணர்த்தாது உண் தும்பி முரல் இசை கடுப்ப,பரியினது உயிர்க்கும் அம்பினர், வெருவரஉவலை சூடிய தலையர், கவலைஆர்த்து, உடன் அரும் பொருள் வவ்வலின், யாவதும்சாத்து இடை வழங்காச் சேண் சிமை அதரசிறியிலை நெல்லித் தீம் சுவைத் திரள் காய்உதிர்வன தாஅம் அத்தம் தவிர்வு இன்று,புள்ளி அம் பிணை உணீஇய உள்ளி,அறு மருப்பு ஒழித்த தலைய, தோல் பொதி,மறு மருப்பு இளங் கோடு அதிரக் கூஉம்சுடர் தெற வருந்திய அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்து, ஆங்குஉள்ளினை வாழிய, நெஞ்சே! போது எனப்புலம் கமழ் நாற்றத்து இரும் பல் கூந்தல்,நல் எழில் மழைக் கண், நம் காதலிமெல் இறைப் பணைத்தோள் விளங்கும் மாண் கவினே. In this trip to the drylands, we get scene after scene of images, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey, after having parted from the lady, so as to earn wealth: “As the skies have refrained from rendering the prosperity of rain showers, the forest has dried up and appears bereft of leaves. Herds of cattle with bulls many are tormented by deep hunger, as the harsh summer winds blow, drying up ponds in those wide spaces near the tall ranges. Here, after forcefully attacking a tiger with curving stripes furiously, the strong male elephant treads along, and in its footprints, thick pebbles shine, akin to many little fireflies, glittering and scattering their light in all directions. In those deserted long paths, frightening a huge-winged vulture, with the music of bees that buzz around when feeding on the pollen of blossoming flowers, arrows streak past with much speed, from bows of those men wearing frightening head garlands. As they rove those paths and steal away precious belongings, merchants avoid those spaces. In those paths near the peaks, the small-leaved gooseberry's thick clusters of sweet fruits drop and scatter. Wishing for their spotted, beautiful mates to feed on these fruits, with heads bereft of old antlers, quaking the new antlers bumping up from behind the skin, the male deers call out, in those formidable spaces, scorched by the sun. Even after coming here, you are thinking about the radiant beauty of our beloved, who has thick, dark tresses that waft with the fragrance of flowers across the land, exquisite, rain-like eyes and bamboo-like arms with soft wrists! Long may you live, O heart!” Time to take a trek through that arid scrub jungle and listen to the man’s heartbeat! He starts with a lengthy description of this space, where we see that there’s no rain, no leaves, cattle suffering with hunger, hot winds tormenting the land and so on. From the land, the man shifts the lens to focus on fighting animals, an elephant and a tiger in specific, and the former giant seems to emerge victorious and as it walks away with a sense of accomplishment, in those spots where it presses down on its pillar-like legs, pebbles seem to glitter like fireflies in the harsh light of the sweltering sun, the man sketches. Then, he zooms on the humans in this space, and to do that, he focuses on the arrows flying from the hands of highway robbers and the way they frighten vultures, with a sound of bees buzzing that too. The man talks about how these robbers are so scary and steal away precious belongings that merchants avoid those paths at all costs. He then zooms on to a gooseberry tree and the way it drops its sweet fruits, the only source of succour in those arid spaces. Upon seeing the same, male deers want their mates to feed on the same and call out with much love, making their newly sprouting antlers to tremble in the effort, the man sketches with precision. He has given this description only to say that he has seen those sights, crossed all those scenes, and arrived there, and even after coming that far, all his heart seemed to do was to think about his beautiful, beloved maiden with flower-like tresses, rain-like eyes and bamboo-like arms! A note of disbelief rings aloud in the voice of the man as he separates himself from his heart and sees how he’s unable to take the lady off his mind, even though he’s firmly set on the path of seeking wealth! A precise portrait of the timeless war between the heart and the mind, between being in the comfort of love and leaving for the sake of ambition!

In this episode, we listen to a narrative about a person’s state, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 290, penned by Nakeerar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming lotuses of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and portrays the beauty of an ancient Sangam seaside town. குடுமிக் கொக்கின் பைங் காற் பேடை,இருஞ் சேற்று அள்ளல் நாட் புலம் போகியகொழு மீன் வல்சிப் புன் தலைச் சிறாஅர்,நுண் ஞாண் அவ் வலைச் சேவல் பட்டென,அல்குறு பொழுதின் மெல்கு இரை மிசையாது,பைதல் பிள்ளை தழீஇ, ஒய்யென,அம் கண் பெண்ணை அன்புற நரலும்சிறு பல் தொல் குடிப் பெரு நீர்ச் சேர்ப்பன்,கழி சேர் புன்னை அழி பூங் கானல்,தணவா நெஞ்சமொடு தமியன் வந்து, நம்மணவா முன்னும் எவனோ தோழி!வெண் கோட்டு யானை விறற் போர்க் குட்டுவன்தெண் திரைப் பரப்பின் தொண்டி முன்துறை,சுரும்பு உண மலர்ந்த பெருந் தண் நெய்தல்மணி ஏர் மாண் நலம் ஒரீஇ,பொன் நேர் வண்ணம் கொண்ட என் கண்ணே? Plenty of picturesque images in this trip to the seashore, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, pretending not to notice the man, who had arrived for his nightly tryst with the lady, as he listens nearby: “As the male tufted grey heron, which had stepped into the black mud, hunting for its day prey, had been caught in the fine threads of the net laid by coarse-haired, young boys, its green-legged female, without chewing on its soft prey, in that suffering-filled, evening hour, hugging its sorrowful child, calls out with love, perched on the beautiful palmyra tree in the little, ancient hamlet with many clans, in the shores of the lord, bound by the huge ocean. Having a heart filled with ceaseless love, he would come alone to the flower-filled orchard, filled with laurel wood trees, near the backwaters. Before he arrives and embraces me, why is it that my eyes, which have the sapphire-like, fine beauty of huge, cool blue lotuses, swarming with bees, blooming in the shore of Thondi, surrounded by clear waves, ruled by the battle-worthy Kuttuvan, who wields white-tusked elephants, have let go of their beauty and have now taken on a gold-like hue, my friend?” Let’s sail along that ancient shore and learn more! The lady starts by zooming onto a male tufted bird, which had gone hunting in the black slush, looking for its food of the day. Next, she shows us how this bird falls a prey to the net cast by young boys, who live in that place. From the male’s sad situation, the lady turns the lens to focus on its female, a green-legged one, which seems to be refusing to eat its food and can be seen crying with sorrow, embracing its chicks, from atop a palmyra tree. It’s a case of heavy personification indeed. But the clues about the tuft of the bird and its green legs helps us tangibly locate the bird as the ‘Grey Heron’. Moving on, the lady has presented this romantic wildlife documentary only to say that’s the seashore town of the lord, said to be an ancient one, having many different communities living together. The man’s land now takes a backseat and the man himself comes forward in the lady’s narrative as she talks about how he would come to visit her, brimming over with love, and tryst in the ‘punnai’ orchards near the backwaters. Then, the lady goes on to humbly compare her eyes to the blue lotuses, blooming in the lush seaside town of ‘Thondi’, ruled by the great Kuttuvan, and concludes by asking what could be the reason for those eyes of hers to lose their beauty and become coated in the rich golden colour of pallor.  Of course, the lady knows the reason but instead of stating it out aloud and blaming the man, she makes him come up with the answer himself. She wishes for him to understand how she pines for him in his absence. This is to nudge the man to give up temporary trysting and seek her hand in marriage. I made a curious connection to the dating scenario in the modern world and how in many instances, it’s always the man who is expected to propose, as the woman waits for that day. Of course I’m saying this after seeing many movies in which the man gets down on a bent knee with a ring and the woman is surprised or acts surprised. This tells me the authority in this important decision in life seems to depend on the male, at least at first, not unlike this ancient couple, two thousand years ago. Different cultures, different times, yet amazing how the style of execution seems the same!

In this episode, we perceive a person’s worry about another, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 289, penned by Eyinanthai Magan Ilankeeranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse renders intricate aspects about the cultural beliefs and practices of the ancients. சிலை ஏறட்ட கணை வீழ் வம்பலர்உயர் பதுக்கு இவர்ந்த ததர் கொடி அதிரல்நெடு நிலை நடுகல் நாட் பலிக் கூட்டும்சுரனிடை விலங்கிய மரன் ஓங்கு இயவின்,வந்து, வினை வலித்த நம்வயின், என்றும்,தெருமரல் உள்ளமொடு வருந்தல் ஆனாது,நெகிழா மென் பிணி வீங்கிய கை சிறிதுஅவிழினும், உயவும் ஆய் மடத் தகுவிசேண் உறை புலம்பின் நாள் முறை இழைத்ததிண் சுவர் நோக்கி, நினைந்து, கண் பனி,நெகிழ் நூல் முத்தின், முகிழ் முலைத் தெறிப்ப,மை அற விரிந்த படை அமை சேக்கைஐ மென் தூவி அணை சேர்பு அசைஇ,மையல் கொண்ட மதன் அழி இருக்கையள்பகுவாய்ப் பல்லி படுதொறும் பரவி,‘நல்ல கூறு’ என நடுங்கி,புல்லென் மாலையொடு பொரும்கொல் தானே? In this trip to this difficult domain, though we do encounter scenes from the land, it’s more of a journey inside the mind, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, as he parts from his lady and ventures on a mission to seek wealth: “Wayfarers, who have fallen to arrows that were aimed from bows, are covered with raised stone graves, and upon this, spreads closely intertwined vines of the wild jasmine. Flowers of these spreading vines are gathered for daily offerings rendered to tall hero stones in that drylands domain, along paths bereft of trees, where I have arrived, with the intention of earning wealth. Thinking about me always, with a confused heart, she would be wallowing in endless worry. That naive maiden, who would become anxious even if my hands that had been holding her gently loosen a little, would now be gazing at the sturdy wall, upon which the days I have spent apart from her would be marked. Then filled with sorrow, the dew of her eyes would scatter on her blooming bosoms, akin to pearls that break away from a string. Lying on that flawless, wide bed, upon a mattress filled with beautiful, soft feathers, with confusion brimming over, she would be losing her strength. Every time a split-mouthed lizard made a sound, she would tremble saying, ‘Speak of good things!' and keep fighting with that listless evening hour, won't she?” Time to take in the scenes of desolation in the drylands! The man starts by describing the place he’s at, and to do that, he talks about the death of innocent wayfarers, who have fallen to the arrows of highway robbers. Though they kill, these robbers have the custom of burying those dead under make-shift stone graves, and upon these stone graves, wild jasmine vines spread, the man adds. He then mentions how those who are coming to worship hero stones also installed in such places, would collect these wild jasmine flowers to bring them as offerings for their ancestor worship. All these facets have been recorded to say that the man has arrived to such a place, dry and parched, without the shade of trees, nudged by his heart to go seeking wealth. From his position, the man’s mind flies to the abode of his beloved, where he sees her wallowing in misery, missing him. The man recollects how this was a person who would suffer so much if the man so much as loosened the hold of her hand even a little. Now that he is so far away, the lady would be looking at a wall, marked with lines, signifying the days since the man had parted, the man visualises. At that moment, he sees the tears in her eyes dropping down and scattering like pearls from a string. He pictures her lying on their well-etched bed, upon a mattress made of soft feathers, and yet without any sleep or rest, suffering ceaselessly. The man concludes with the final portrait of how the lady would be pleading to the house lizard to render good omens about the man’s arrival, every time it opens its mouth and makes a click sound, as the lady would be fighting against the attack of the evening hour. Here, the prevalence of hero stone worship with offerings, drawing lines on a wall to mark a person’s absence and seeking the comfort of lizard omens are etched to talk about how people responded to death and parting in those times. The verse tells how sometimes we can see the plight of another in such a vivid manner even when we can’t see our own state, right before us! The eyes of love see far indeed!

In this episode, we listen to strong words of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 288, penned by Vitrootru Mootheyinanaar. The verse is situated amidst the flowing cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and sketches how a person has a wrong notion about something significant. சென்மதி; சிறக்க, நின் உள்ளம்! நின் மலைஆரம் நீவிய அம் பகட்டு மார்பினை,சாரல் வேங்கைப் படு சினைப் புதுப் பூமுருகு முரண் கொள்ளும் உருவக் கண்ணியை,எரி தின் கொல்லை இறைஞ்சிய ஏனல்,எவ்வம் கூரிய, வைகலும் வருவோய்!கனி முதிர் அடுக்கத்து எம் தனிமை காண்டலின்,எண்மை செய்தனை ஆகுவை நண்ணிக்கொடியோர் குறுகும் நெடி இருங் குன்றத்து,இட்டு ஆறு இரங்கும் விட்டு ஒளிர் அருவிஅரு வரை இழிதரும் வெரு வரு படாஅர்க்கயந் தலை மந்தி உயங்கு பசி களைஇயர்,பார்ப்பின் தந்தை பழச் சுளை தொடினும்,நனி நோய் ஏய்க்கும் பனி கூர் அடுக்கத்துமகளிர் மாங்காட்டு அற்றே துகள் அறக்கொந்தொடு உதிர்த்த கதுப்பின்,அம் தீம் கிளவித் தந்தை காப்பே. In this trip to the highlands, we observe vivid scenes, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he arrives for a tryst with the lady: “Please leave! May your intentions triumph! With a radiant chest, streaked with the sandalwood from your mountains, wearing a dazzling garland that would make God Murugu envious, woven with new flowers, blooming on the branch of a Kino tree in the slopes, you come day after day to the millet field that arose in the fire of the forest, speaking of your sorrow! As you are able to meet her alone in the flower-filled mountain ranges, you seem not to understand her preciousness and think she is easy to attain.  In those narrow paths, where cruel men frequent, amidst the dark ranges, roaring, descends shining cascades, and falls down at that formidable spot, where to end the hunger of its soft-haired female monkey, the father of the monkey infants, digs up sweet slices of the jackfruit. In those fear-evoking, cold mountain ranges, guarded by divine spirits, is the town of ‘Maangaadu'. Akin to that town, is the well-protected mansion, belonging to the father of your lady, who speaks with beautiful, sweet words and has flowing tresses, adorned with flawless flowers!” Time for a trek on the mountain of emotions! The confidante starts by bidding farewell to the man with a blessing. She describes his journey day after day, when he arrives, sandalwood streaked on his chest, and a dangling, dazzling Kino flower garland on him, to speak of his suffering and seek the lady’s company. Adding that just because it’s been so easy to meet with the lady, the man seems to not realise what a rare and precious occurrence that is. Then the confidante goes on to describe a town called Maangaadu, which is apparently in some dense mountain ranges, with leaping monkeys in search of jackfruits, one that is under the protection of divine spirits. Then she concludes by equating the lady’s father’s mansion to this town, explaining that’s how well-guarded the lady’s home is! Words to tell the man that the lady, whose company he had been relishing with ease, was now placed under guard and the only way to be back with her was to seek the lady’s hand in marriage. A long and intricate description of that mountain town to equate it to a person’s house talks about the creative similes that these Sangam poets seem to conjure seamlessly! 

In this episode, we listen to the lament of a lonely heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 287, penned by Kudavayil Keerathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents a vivid portrait of the pain in parting. தொடி அணி முன்கைத் தொகு விரல் குவைஇ,படிவ நெஞ்சமொடு பகல் துணை ஆக,நோம்கொல்? அளியள் தானே! தூங்கு நிலை,மரை ஏறு சொறிந்த, மாத் தாட் கந்தின்சுரை இவர் பொதியில் அம் குடிச் சீறூர்நாட் பலி மறந்த நரைக் கண் இட்டிகை,புரிசை மூழ்கிய பொரி அரை ஆலத்துஒரு தனி நெடு வீழ் உதைத்த கோடைதுணைப் புறா இரிக்கும் தூய் மழை நனந்தலை,கணைக் கால் அம் பிணை ஏறு புறம் நக்க,ஒல்கு நிலை யாஅத்து ஓங்கு சினை பயந்தஅல்குறு வரி நிழல் அசையினம் நோக்க,அரம்பு வந்து அலைக்கும் மாலை,நிரம்பா நீள் இடை வருந்துதும் யாமே. In this trip to this familiar domain, we perceive scenes of emptiness, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey through the drylands, in search of wealth: “Bringing together the fingers of her bangle-clad arms, with fasting rituals on her mind, and only the day as her company, won't she be languishing? She is to be pitied indeed! There stands a dark, thick post, where a swaying male black buck has rubbed its back, amidst the blooming bottle gourd vines, in that beautiful hamlet, where a sacrificial offering was forgotten, and empty, stands the altar. A rough-trunked banyan has buried the walls and the hot northern winds kick a lone, long aerial root, which shoos away a mating pigeon couple beneath, in those rainless, wide spaces. A male deer licks the back of its beautiful, thick-legged mate, in the shade of the soaring branches of the Yaa tree, and as I stay in this suffering-filled, spotted shade and look on, misery arrives to torment in this evening hour and makes me lament in this endless, long drylands path!” Let’s walk along with the man and listen to his song of melancholy! The man starts by thinking about what his beloved would be doing right then, and the image of her praying and fasting, worrying about him, comes to his mind and he feels much pity for her. Then, he looks at the world around him. He sees a broken column, where a black buck has rubbed on; a forgotten, empty altar; a banyan burying the once-sturdy walls, and a gush of northern winds, shaking the banyan’s aerial root and making the cooing pigeons beneath to flutter away. His eyes finally rest on the way a male deer is licking the back of its female to cool it down, in the spotted, not-enough shade of a ‘Yaa tree’. Amidst all this desolation, this scene of tenderness makes the man break down and cry about his lonely state to his heart.  The montage of images tells us this is a ruined town, once prosperous and bustling, but now abandoned, perhaps due to some war or famine. As he finds this empty, forsaken space around him reflect his own state of mind, the man gives expression to the sorrow within. The aspect to be celebrated about Sangam Literature is the equality it endows on both men and women when it comes to expressing their emotions. The man feels no qualms in talking about his pain and missing his beloved, in songs many, many, and this echoes in the culture of Tamils even today, where unlike a common notion in many other cultures, which say, ‘Boys shouldn’t cry’, here we can find grown men giving way to their emotions and breaking down in sorrow. An instance of the memory of culture extending beyond the centuries!

In this episode, we perceive an insightful refusal to a request, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 286, penned by Orambokiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the sounds of pounding in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and delves into abstractions about the actions of the noble. வெள்ளி விழுத் தொடி மென் கருப்பு உலக்கை,வள்ளி நுண் இடை வயின் வயின் நுடங்க;மீன் சினை அன்ன வெண் மணல் குவைஇ,காஞ்சி நீழல், தமர் வளம் பாடி,ஊர்க் குறுமகளிர் குறுவழி, விறந்தவராஅல் அருந்திய சிறு சிரல் மருதின்தாழ் சினை உறங்கும் தண் துறை ஊர! விழையா உள்ளம் விழையும் ஆயினும்,என்றும், கேட்டவை தோட்டி ஆக மீட்டு, ஆங்கு,அறனும் பொருளும் வழாமை நாடி,தற் தகவு உடைமை நோக்கி, மற்று அதன்பின் ஆகும்மே, முன்னியது முடித்தல்;அனைய, பெரியோர் ஒழுக்கம்; அதனால்,அரிய பெரியோர்த் தெரியுங்காலை,நும்மோர் அன்னோர் மாட்டும், இன்னபொய்யொடு மிடைந்தவை தோன்றின்,மெய் யாண்டு உளதோ, இவ் உலகத்தானே? In this trip to the farmlands, rather than the usual love-quarrels, we get to see a different dimension, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he informs her about his wish to part away from the lady, earn wealth, and then return to marry her: “With the soft, black sugarcane stems as the silver-capped pestles, swaying their dainty waists to and fro, akin to ‘valli' vines, heaping white sand, akin to fish eggs, in the shade of the portia tree, as the young maiden of the town sing the praises of their kin, in tune with their pounding, a small kingfisher that has feasted on murrel fish sleeps on the low-hanging branch of the Arjuna tree in your cool river shores, O lord! Even if a heart, which tends not to desire unjust things, happens to desire some such thing, with sharp questions as the goad, they would rein it in. Only after delving on questions of justice and fairness, and establishing that one is worthy of something, do they work towards accomplishing that; This is the discipline of those who are noble. When we ponder on the actions of such noble people, if someone like you, who is considered as one such, shows falsehoods in your actions, then where is truth to be found in this world?” Time to take a walk through this town of complexity! The confidante starts by describing the town of the man, and to do that, she paints a picture of young girls, using a sugarcane as a pestle, and the river sand, which appears like fish eggs, as the grains, imitating the actions of their elders, they pound and play, in the shade of a portia tree, even as they sing the praises of their townsfolk. As they sing and pound, a kingfisher, with its tummy full of murrel fish, sleeps on a branch of a ‘Marutham’ tree nearby, in the lord’s lush river shores, the confidante adds. After that tangible depiction of the world around, the confidante jumps into abstractions, talking about how the nature of the noble was to seek only what they think is just and fair and even if their minds sometimes pull them in the other direction, they tame those wild elephants with the goad of their intellect. She also mentions how they would weigh their worth before wanting something and only when they find themselves worthy, they would work towards attaining that. The confidante thus presents a portrait of the noble and concludes by saying to the man, ‘You are considered to be one such noble person. But if your actions show falsifications of these laws, then where only can we find truth in this world?’ To understand these abstractions, we have to travel back to the time when the man took an oath to never part from the lady, which gave confidence to the confidante and the lady, about his sincerity. So, now when the man says he wants to leave, the confidante is talking about how he’s going back on his words and it appears as if he said all that only to win the lady, by any means possible. She tries to appeal to his better nature by asking him that seemingly cynical question about the fate of truth in this world. Perhaps, hearing this, the man would realise the mistake in his ways and try to seek the lady’s hand, instead of parting away. In the scene of the kingfisher that sleeps on, not minding the pounding of young maiden, the confidante places a metaphor for how the man had been intent only on his pleasures of trysting with the lady, unmindful of the slander that he has caused around town. Leaving aside all this heaviness, the aspect that lingers on pleasantly is the memory of those songs of praise, reverberating with the rhythm of the pounding in the river shores of that rich town!

In this episode, we listen to the sharing of a happy news, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 285, penned by Kaaviripoompattinathu Karikannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the dynamic scenes in this domain. ”ஒழியச் சென்மார், செல்ப” என்று, நாம்அழி படர் உழக்கும் அவல நெஞ்சத்துஎவ்வம் இகந்து சேண் அகல, வை எயிற்றுஊன் நசைப் பிணவின் உறு பசி களைஇயர்,காடு தேர் மடப் பிணை அலற, கலையின்ஓடு குறங்கு அறுத்த செந்நாய் ஏற்றைவெயில் புலந்து இளைக்கும் வெம்மைய, பயில் வரிஇரும் புலி வேங்கைக் கருந் தோல் அன்னகல் எடுத்து எறிந்த பல் கிழி உடுக்கைஉலறு குடை வம்பலர் உயர் மரம் ஏறி,ஏறு வேட்டு எழுந்த இனம் தீர் எருவைஆடு செவி நோக்கும் அத்தம், பணைத் தோள்குவளை உண்கண் இவளும் நம்மொடுவரூஉம் என்றனரே, காதலர்;வாராய் தோழி! முயங்குகம் பலவே. In this trip to the drylands, we take in scenes of vivid action, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady: “Thinking, ‘Leaving you to lament here, he will part away', we were with angst-ridden hearts, languishing in suffering. Making that anxiety to part away afar, that lover of yours, who had been intending to leave to the drylands, where, wanting to allay the deep desire for flesh, in its sharp-toothed mate, a male red dog bites on the very thigh that the male deer uses to flee, leaving its naive female to search and scream in the jungle, and then suffers in the sweltering heat in this place, where having clothes tattered in many places, akin to the many-striped, radiant skin of the huge tiger, owing to the attack of highway robbers, wayfarers with dry umbrellas, climb on a high tree, and look up at the scene of a roving, lone vulture that has parted away from its flock, and rises high in search of a prey, has told me, ‘Let that maiden with bamboo-like arms and kohl-streaked, blue-lily-like eyes, come along with me!' Come on, my friend! Let's embrace over and over!” Time to tune in to the chat between these besties! The confidante starts by narrating the worry that had been plaguing them about the man’s imminent parting away from the lady. Then the confidante tells her friend that the man’s words had chased that worry far, far away. She then goes on to describe the drylands, and to do that, she sketches a montage of scenes. First, we see a female red dog languishing in hunger, and seeing the suffering of its mate, the male goes on a hunt, and it finds a huge male deer, and just as the deer is about to run away, the red dog delivers a fatal bite on the thigh of this deer, and brings it down. Next, the scene changes to echo the plight of the female deer, crying out for its mate in the forest. From these wild beings, the confidante turns to sketch the wild nature of robbers, who attack wayfarers and make their clothes torn and appear like the striped skin of the tiger. The confidante continues talking about how these wayfarers can be seen climbing on a tree, intending on saving themselves, and completes this portrait of the drylands, with the eyes of these wayfarers zooming in on a red-headed vulture, soaring in the skies above, in search of a prey. The confidante connects all this by saying this is where the man had intended to leave, and he had told the confidante that he plans to take the lady along. The confidante concludes by jumping in joy as she conveys this news and calls her dear friend so that they could hug and bid farewell to each other. Those vivid images of the conflict between the red dog and the deer in the drylands talk about the tug of war between being with love and leaving for wealth in a subtle manner. The highlight in this verse though is the closing image of the lady and the confidante hugging each other with tears, and preparing to part from each other. A tender bitter-sweet moment between friends!

In this episode, we perceive the eagerness to be back with a beloved, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 284, penned by Idaikaadanaar. The verse is situated amidst the leaping hares of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and paints a portrait of this domain and its denizens. சிறியிலை நெல்லிக் காய் கண்டன்னகுறு விழிக் கண்ண கூரல் அம் குறு முயல்முடந்தை வரகின் வீங்கு பீள் அருந்துபு,குடந்தை அம் செவிய கோட் பவர் ஒடுங்கி,இன் துயில் எழுந்து, துணையொடு போகி,முன்றில் சிறு நிறை நீர் கண்டு உண்ணும்புன் புலம் தழீஇய பொறைமுதல் சிறு குடி,தினைக் கள் உண்ட தெறி கோல் மறவர்,விசைத்த வில்லர், வேட்டம் போகி,முல்லைப் படப்பைப் புல்வாய் கெண்டும்காமர் புறவினதுவே காமம்நம்மினும் தான் தலைமயங்கியஅம் மா அரிவை உறைவு இன் ஊரே. In this trip to these pleasing lands, we observe spirited beings in action, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer, at a time when he is returning after completing his mission: “Having small eyes, akin to fruits of the small-leaved gooseberry, are those beautiful little hares with sharp fur. After munching on thick clusters of curved millet crops, these creatures with prominent ears, leap inside the vines. Then, rising from their sweet sleep, along with their mates, they drink up water, placed in brimming vessels, in the front yard of homes in hamlets, surrounding these forest lands near the hills. Here, after drinking up millet toddy, brave men with sharp arrows and tautly tied bows, leave on a hunt, and bringing back deer, they feed on it, in the jasmine-covered forest lands. Near this picturesque forest, is the village, where that beautiful, dark-skinned maiden, throbbing with even more passion than me, lives!” Let’s hop along with those hares and learn more! The man starts by focusing on this very creature and he associates the hare’s eyes with gooseberry fruits. After that picture-perfect plant-animal simile, he talks about how these hares feed on millet crops, rest under bushes, and then rising from sleep, go on to drink the water placed in pots, in front of homes in those little hamlets. Then he talks about the people living there, the hunters who bring back their catch of deer, and about how, spreading on those red lands, they cut and feast on their game. The man concludes by saying his beloved lives in a village near this beautiful forest, talking about how she would be brimming over with more yearning and love, than even him.  In these words, we can infer the subtle notes of the man’s eagerness to see the lady’s lovely town and be back in her company again. Like the happy hare, the man too intends to rest and rejoice with his beloved and drink from their together cup of joy!

In this episode, we listen to a loving wish, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 283, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse describes the transformation of a dreary place into a delightful one. நல் நெடுங் கதுப்பொடு பெருந் தோள் நீவி,நின் இவண் ஒழிதல் அஞ்சிய என்னினும்,செலவு தலைக்கொண்ட பெரு விதுப்பு உறுவிபல் கவர் மருப்பின் முது மான் போக்கி,சில் உணாத் தந்த சீறூர்ப் பெண்டிர்திரிவயின் தெவுட்டும் சேண் புலக் குடிஞைப்பைதல் மென் குரல் ஐது வந்து இசைத்தொறும்,போகுநர் புலம்பும் ஆறே ஏகுதற்குஅரிய ஆகும் என்னாமை, கரி மரம்கண் அகை இளங் குழை கால்முதல் கவினி,விசும்புடன் இருண்டு, வெம்மை நீங்க,பசுங் கண் வானம் பாய் தளி பொழிந்தென,புல் நுகும்பு எடுத்த நல் நெடுங் கானத்து,ஊட்டுறு பஞ்சிப் பிசிர் பரந்தன்னவண்ண மூதாய் தண் நிலம் வரிப்ப,இனிய ஆகுக தணிந்தேஇன்னா நீப்பின் நின்னொடு செலற்கே. In this trip to the drylands, we observe how this formidable land changes colours, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, conveying the lady’s acceptance to elope away with him: “I was fearing about how she would remain here, without you, the one, who caresses her fine, long tresses, and thick arms. But she's gone a step ahead and is anxious to leave on a journey with you, to paths, where chasing old deer with branching antlers, womenfolk from small hamlets gather meagre grains, and as they rove around, an owl's sorrow-filled, soft voice arrives to torment tenderly, making wayfarers to lament as they walk on. So that these paths are not difficult for her to traverse, let those scorched trees bloom with tender sprouts on the many nodes of their trunks, with much beauty. For the heat to recede, may the skies darken, and may those guardians of fertility shower drops beneath, making blades of grass raise their heads in the fine, vast jungle, and akin to dyed cotton specks that spread around, let the bright-hued, red velvet mites decorate the moist lands. Let it all become cool and pleasant during this sorrow-endowing journey of hers, with you!” Time to walk on through the angst-ridden domain! The confidante starts by revealing her worry about the lady remaining there, if her loving man were to leave. But, her friend had decided something else and was intent on eloping with the man, she says, and then goes on to describe those places, where womenfolk on the lookout for anything to bring for their families, chase away grazing deer, and collect whatever little grains they can find in the scrub jungle. At this time, an owl hooting in soft voice would fall on their ears and would fill all wayfarers with much sorrow, the confidante details. Then, she makes a heartfelt wish so that the path the gentle lady was planning to traverse was not so impossible for her, seeking that the scorched trees should start blooming, the skies should start raining, blades of grass should start sprouting, and the entire spread of the land should be covered in red velvet mites, which come to the surface, only to greet the rains. The confidante concludes by saying indeed the lady’s parting away was going to bring much sadness to her and the lady’s family, but even so, she wishes the lady must have a pleasant time on her journey with the man. What a wonderful creature is this confidante, who only wishes well for her beloved friend! If there was ever a soul, who only lives for the welfare of another, I’m sure it’s this character etched in verse after verse in Sangam Literature. An eternal epitome of friendship, whose personality we can try to emulate in our own relationships with others, for a better and more positive world! 

In this episode, we listen to a unique attempt at persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 282, penned by Thol Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the soaring Kino and Jackfruit trees of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and paints the prosperity of this domain. பெரு மலைச் சிலம்பின் வேட்டம் போகிய,செறி மடை அம்பின், வல் வில் கானவன்பொருது தொலை யானை வெண் கோடு கொண்டு,நீர் திகழ் சிலம்பின் நன் பொன் அகழ்வோன்,கண் பொருது இமைக்கும் திண் மணி கிளர்ப்ப,வைந் நுதி வால் மருப்பு ஒடிய உக்கதெண் நீர் ஆலி கடுக்கும் முத்தமொடு,மூவேறு தாரமும் ஒருங்குடன் கொண்டு,சாந்தம் பொறைமரம் ஆக, நறை நார்வேங்கைக் கண்ணியன் இழிதரும் நாடற்குஇன் தீம் பலவின் ஏர் கெழு செல்வத்துஎந்தையும் எதிர்ந்தனன், கொடையே; அலர் வாய்அம்பல் ஊரும் அவனொடு மொழியும்;சாய் இறைத் திரண்ட தோள் பாராட்டி,யாயும், ‘அவனே’ என்னும்; யாமும்,‘வல்லே வருக, வரைந்த நாள்!’ என,நல் இறை மெல் விரல் கூப்பி,இல் உறை கடவுட்கு ஆக்குதும் பலியே! In this trip to the highlands, we get to witness fascinating scenes, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby but making sure he’s in earshot: “Going for a hunt in the slopes of the huge mountains, a hunter carrying well-fitted arrows and a sturdy bow, pulls out the white tusk of an elephant that he battled with and killed. He then uses that tusk to dig out fine gold in those water-filled slopes. As he does that, hitting upon dense gems that twinkle and dazzle one's eyes, the sharp tip of the tusk breaks apart, and the pearls in the tusk drop out, appearing akin to hailstones, made of clear water. Bundling these three different goods together on a bed of sandalwood sticks, he ties them with strong twines, and wearing Kino flower head garlands, that hunter descends down in the mountain country of the lord. Our father, who too has the great wealth and prosperity of soaring, sweet jackfruit trees, has decided to offer your hand to him; As for the gossiping mouths of this slanderous town, they link him with you. Hearing all this, appreciating your thick arms with beautiful wrists, mother too has decided that ‘He's the one'. As for us, wishing ‘Oh! Let the day of wedding arrive with much speed', bringing our soft fingers with lovely knuckles together, let's offer a sacrifice to the god, who resides in our home!” Time to venture out on a mountain hunt! The confidante starts by zooming on to a hunter in the man’s domain, and following him step by step. First, we see this worthy denizen carrying strong bows and arrows. Then, he fells an elephant and pulls out its tusk. But his trip does not end there! He then goes on a solo mission to excavate some gold in those water-flowing slopes. He sure does find that, but in addition, he hits upon some precious blue stones, which happens to break the tip of the tusk. Nothing to worry about, for pearls rain down from that tusk. Now, the hunter picks the gold, the gems and the pearls, bundles them on a sandalwood bed, and comes happily walking down, with the scent of his Kino flower garlands wafting in the mountain breeze.  After that picture-perfect description of the man’s land, the confidante talks about how the lady’s father, a wealthy man himself, with jackfruit orchards many, had decided to give his girl in marriage to the man. While the town continued gossiping, the lady’s mother had accepted her daughter’s choice in a partner, the confidante adds. She concludes by declaring all that remains was for them to pray to the god at home, and offer a sacrifice with folded hands so that the day of wedding arrives promptly. If we think about it, the confidante is not praying to the god at home but the one listening nearby, who has the real power to make things happen. The scene of the hunter returning with unexpected treasures is a metaphor for how a future of permanent happiness with the lady awaits the man, with the blessing of her family and the townsfolk. By presenting the positive views of the lady’s relatives, the confidante seems to be putting that pertinent question to the listening man, ‘What are you waiting for?’!

In this episode, we listen to the lady’s angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 281, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse mentions historical facts to etch this story of separation. செய்வது தெரிந்திசின் தோழி! அல்கலும்,அகலுள் ஆண்மை அச்சு அறக் கூறியசொல் பழுது ஆகும் என்றும் அஞ்சாது,ஒல்கு இயல் மட மயில் ஒழித்த பீலி,வான் போழ் வல் வில் சுற்றி, நோன் சிலைஅவ் வார் விளிம்பிற்கு அமைந்த நொவ்வு இயல்கனை குரல் இசைக்கும் விரை செலல் கடுங் கணைமுரண் மிகு வடுகர் முன்னுற, மோரியர்தென் திசை மாதிரம் முன்னிய வரவிற்குவிண்ணுற ஓங்கிய பனி இருங் குன்றத்து,ஒண் கதிர்த் திகிரி உருளிய குறைத்தஅறை இறந்து, அவரோ சென்றனர்பறை அறைந்தன்ன அலர் நமக்கு ஒழித்தே. In this trip to the drylands, we go a history detour, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Analyse and tell me what I should do, my friend! Day after day, staying right here, he spoke words many to remove my fears utterly. Not worrying that those words would become false now, he has left beyond those boulders, broken apart by the Mauryas, wanting to seize the lands to the south, when they marched on and tunnelled through the sky-soaring, dark, dew-covered peaks, so as to make their white-rayed wheels roll on, led by the belligerent Vadugars, who, picking up the feathers dropped by a naive peacock, with a swaying gait, tied those long stems around the sturdy bows, fitted with taut straps, from which with a deep sound, speeding arrows rush ahead. He has left beyond those boulders, leaving us to shoulder all alone, this slander, that resounds akin to the roar of drums!” Time to tread upon those stony surfaces and explore on! The lady starts by asking her confidante what she should do, now that the man had falsified his promises of never parting from her and had left to the drylands. She describes the place where the man’s at by mentioning the rocks that were cut across to make way for the chariots of the northern Mauryas, when they came south, intending to conquer these lands, in the company of the Vadugars, who wield sturdy bows and speedy arrows. The lady concludes by lamenting how the man had left to this place, leaving her all alone to face the slander in town, which seems to echo aloud like a thundering drum. That slander is on the rise is indication that the separation has happened before marriage between the man and the lady. The verse renders a history lesson about the incursion of northern rulers into the southern region of India, two thousand years ago. At the core is a heart, disappointed by broken promises. Hope it heals with the return of the man, speeding back to the lady, like the arrows of those Vadugars!

In this episode, we listen to the plea in a man’s heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 280, penned by Ammoovanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming flowers and scuttling crabs of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and echoes the yearning to attain a beloved. பொன் அடர்ந்தன்ன ஒள் இணர்ச் செருந்திப்பல் மலர் வேய்ந்த நலம் பெறு கோதையள்,திணி மணல் அடை கரை அலவன் ஆட்டிஅசையினள் இருந்த ஆய் தொடிக் குறுமகள்,நலம்சால் விழுப் பொருள் கலம் நிறை கொடுப்பினும்,பெறல் அருங்குரையள்ஆயின், அறம் தெரிந்து,நாம் உறை தேஎம் மரூஉப் பெயர்ந்து, அவனொடுஇரு நீர்ச் சேர்ப்பின் உப்புடன் உழுதும்,பெரு நீர்க் குட்டம் புணையொடு புக்கும்,படுத்தனம், பணிந்தனம், அடுத்தனம், இருப்பின்,தருகுவன்கொல்லோ தானே விரி திரைக்கண் திரள் முத்தம் கொண்டு, ஞாங்கர்த்தேன் இமிர் அகன் கரைப் பகுக்கும்கானல் அம் பெருந் துறைப் பரதவன் எமக்கே? In this trip to the shore, we perceive scenes of play, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, when he’s returning home, after a tryst with the lady: “Wearing many woven, radiant flowers of the champak, appearing akin to thick clusters of gold, on her exquisite tresses, chasing crabs on the heaped sands of the seashore, that young maiden wearing beautiful bangles, tires out and rests there. Even if the best of earned wealth, filled to the brim of a vessel, is rendered, it would be hard to attain her. If I were to migrate from the country I live in, and along with him, if I toil on the salt fields of this huge and vast shore, and sail along in his boat into the huge seas, and if I submit, surrender and stoop in humility before him, would that lord of the huge shores, filled with groves, the one who gathers picturesque pearls from the deep seas himself and renders unto others in those bee-swarming wide shores, realise it's the just thing to do and offer his beautiful daughter to me?” Let’s follow along on the shore and listen to the man pour his heart out! The man starts by describing the lingering beauty of the lady he had just met and left, and to do that, he mentions the yellow flowers of the champak tree that adorns his beloved’s head like thick golden ornaments. He talks about how she used to run about chasing crabs on the seashore. Then, with a sigh, remarks that even if he were to heap gold sky high, it would not suffice as ‘bride price’ for that maiden, and that it would be impossible to attain her. Thinking in another direction, the man concludes by wondering if he decides to leave his land, come live here and toil in the salt pans and fish in the great seas along with the lady’s father, and utterly bow low before him, then would that lord of the seas, who seems to gather pearls and distribute to his kith and kin on the flower-filled shores, decide the right thing to do would be to offer his daughter’s hand to this wonderful man? For the man, who is a lord of some land himself to decide to bow low before another man, is the surest indicator of the extent he is willing to go to become united with the one he loves. It proclaims aloud how deeply he feels love in his heart for the lady and his determination to leave no stone unturned in making her his own. A verse that made me smile thinking about the man’s attempts to charm his future father-in-law!

In this episode, we perceive a heart that beats for another, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 279, penned by Irunkon Ollaiyaayan Chenkannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands Landscape’, the verse presents the core reasons for venturing out in search of wealth. ‘நட்டோர் இன்மையும், கேளிர் துன்பமும்,ஒட்டாது உறையுநர் பெருக்கமும் காணூஉ,ஒரு பதி வாழ்தல் ஆற்றுபதில்லபொன் அவிர் சுணங்கொடு செறிய வீங்கியமென் முலை முற்றம் கடவாதோர்’ என,நள்ளென் கங்குலும் பகலும், இயைந்து இயைந்துஉள்ளம் பொத்திய உரம் சுடு கூர் எரிஆள்வினை மாரியின் அவியா நாளும்கடறு உழந்து இவணம் ஆக, படர் உழந்துயாங்கு ஆகுவள்கொல் தானே தீம் தொடைவிளரி நரம்பின் நயவரு சீறியாழ்மலி பூம் பொங்கர் மகிழ் குரற் குயிலொடுபுணர் துயில் எடுப்பும் புனல் தெளி காலையும்நம்முடை மதுகையள் ஆகி, அணி நடைஅன்ன மாண் பெடையின் மென்மெல இயலி,கையறு நெஞ்சினள், அடைதரும்மை ஈர் ஓதி மாஅயோளே? In this trip to the drylands, we experience more of an abstract journey, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his travels to earn wealth: “Thinking, ‘Those who cannot venture beyond the borders of the soft and dense bosoms with gold-like pallor spots have to live and accept the state of lack in friends, sorrow in relatives and prosperity in foes', as the sharp and fierce flames blazed bright in my heart, be it in the middle of the night or the day, pouring my effort as the rain shower, day after day, I suffer here, apart from her. As for her, who is languishing with a deep sorrow, what will become of her now? Back then, when sweet sounds of the ‘vilari' tune resounds from the strings of a small lute, along with the ecstatic voices of a cuckoo in the flower-filled groves, and wakes her up from a deep sleep in that morning hour, as water is sprinkled to cleanse the ground, seeking me as her only pillar of strength, with a gentle gait akin to a picturesque swan, she would walk slowly with a helpless heart and come embrace me!” Time to walk on through that familiar space and learn more! The man starts by talking about what pushed him to tread these spaces, and mentions how a spark of thought appeared in his mind about how those who did not want to move away from the pleasure of being with their beloved would have to live with their friends’ poverty, their kin’s sorrow and their enemies’ rise to prosperity. This spark of thought burst into wild flames in his heart and he decided to quench that with the rain of his hard work and so he left the lady and was suffering there in the drylands. After narrating his state, the man’s mind shifts to that of his beloved, whom he had left behind and reminisces about one morning he had spent in her company. Even when she was right next to him, in the early hours of the morning, when she would wake up hearing the sweet notes of the small lute and the voice of the cuckoo in the grove, as water was being sprinkled on the courtyard, she would immediately miss the man, seek him out with her slow, swan-like walk and embrace him tight, the man recollects, and he concludes by wondering how she would be able to bear with a separation now. Here’s an exquisite moment when a person, who is in deep suffering themselves, thinks beyond them about the state of the one they love. A highlight here is the imagery of the rain of hard work quenching the flames of angst in a heart. Yet another nuance to be relished is what used to wake a person in the early morning hours, in the place of our modern screeching alarm clocks. To wake up to the strings of a lute and the songs of a cuckoo sounds like heaven indeed. A verse which goes on to show how music and nature was an inseparable part of the lives of these ancients!

In this episode, we perceive the subtle art of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 278, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the gushing cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and sketches the journey of water and its significance in the lady’s life. குண கடல் முகந்த கொள்ளை வானம்பணை கெழு வேந்தர் பல் படைத் தானைத்தோல் நிரைத்தனைய ஆகி, வலன் ஏர்பு,கோல் நிமிர் கொடியின் வசி பட மின்னி,உரும் உரறு அதிர் குரல் தலைஇ, பானாள்,பெரு மலை மீமிசை முற்றினஆயின்,வாள் இலங்கு அருவி தாஅய், நாளை,இரு வெதிர் அம் கழை ஒசியத் தீண்டிவருவதுமாதோ, வண் பரி உந்தி,நனி பெரும் பரப்பின் நம் ஊர் முன்துறை;பனி பொரு மழைக் கண் சிவப்ப, பானாள்முனி படர் அகல மூழ்குவம்கொல்லோமணி மருள் மேனி ஆய்நலம் தொலைய,தணிவு அருந் துயரம் செய்தோன்அணி கிளர் நெடு வரை ஆடிய நீரே? In this trip to the highlands, we witness the dynamic actions of the elements of land, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man, listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot: “Clouds brimming over, after dipping into the eastern seas, looking like rows of shields around many different armies, lead by a king with ‘panai' drums, rises to the right, and akin to a flag that flutters on top of a pole, flashes, splitting the skies, and with an uproarious voice that thunders on, it pours down in the middle of the night, laying siege atop huge hills, and comes down as cascades, shining like swords. Tomorrow, those cascades will come pouncing, breaking tall and beautiful bamboos, in the manner of a speeding horse, and will arrive at the vastly spreading spaces of our town's river shore. Making those dew-covered, rain-like eyes to redden, in the dark of the night, to be rid of this hateful suffering, shall we take a dip in those waters that have arrived here, after playing on the picturesque mountains of the one, who has rendered a ceaseless sorrow, making the old beauty of your sapphire-hued skin to fade?” Let’s listen to the music of this mountain song! The confidante starts by talking about how the clouds have taken a dip in the eastern seas and were travelling west. To sketch their appearance, she brings in parallel, the marching armies of a king, covered in shields, and talks about how these rise to the right, and then roar with a thunderous voice. The companion, lightning, is compared to a fluttering flag on high by the confidante. Now, this army of clouds lay siege to a mountain, and then pour down with gusto, in the middle of the night, says the confidante. Next, she sketches the transformation of that downpour into a cascade, that seems to speed on like a king’s horse, and chop away bamboos standing in the way. In this manner, those gushing waters arrive at their door-step, the river shore of their town, the confidante connects. She concludes by beckoning the lady to go take a dip in those waters which comes from the mountains of the lord, who has brought a great sorrow to the lady and made her beauty wither away! The nuance here is the hidden statement in the words of the confidante to the lady, ‘You seem to suffer without embracing the chest of the man. Perhaps you will find some relief in dipping in the waters that gush from his mountains!’. The listening man would understand the yearning in the lady’s heart to be with him and the angst she suffers when he is not able to tryst with her. Through this, the good friend hopes to nudge the man to give up his sporadic trysting and seek the permanent path of happiness by marrying the lady. Leaving aside this repeated theme, isn’t that picture-perfect parallel depiction of flowing water and a king at war? The army of clouds, rising from the sea, the siege of the mountains, roar of thunder, the flag of lightning fluttering in the sky, leaping horses of cascades and the journey’s end at the river shore of the lady’s town, presents a graphic geography lesson on ‘Orographic rainfall’, with the perfect fusion of poetic elements!

In this episode, we perceive the angst-ridden words of a maiden, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 277, penned by Karuvoor Nanmarban. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands Landscape’, the verse sketches dynamic similes involving birds and animals to etch the situation at hand. தண் கதிர் மண்டிலம் அவிர் அறச் சாஅய்ப்பகல் அழி தோற்றம் போல, பையெனநுதல் ஒளி கரப்பவும், ஆள்வினை தருமார்,தவல் இல் உள்ளமொடு எஃகு துணை ஆக,கடையல்அம் குரல வாள் வரி உழுவைபேழ் வாய்ப் பிணவின் விழுப் பசி நோனாது,இரும் பனஞ் செறும்பின் அன்ன பரூஉ மயிர்,சிறு கண் பன்றி வரு திறம் பார்க்கும்அத்தம் ஆர் அழுவத்து ஆங்கண் நனந்தலை,பொத்துடை மரத்த புகர் படு நீழல்,ஆறு செல் வம்பலர் அசையுநர் இருக்கும்,ஈரம் இல் வெஞ் சுரம் இறந்தோர் நம்வயின்வாரா அளவை ஆயிழை! கூர் வாய்அழல் அகைந்தன்ன காமர் துதை மயிர்மனை உறை கோழி மறனுடைச் சேவல்போர் புரி எருத்தம் போலக் கஞலியபொங்கு அழல் முருக்கின் ஒண் குரல் மாந்தி,சிதர் சிதர்ந்து உகுத்த செவ்வி வேனில்வந்தன்று அம்ம, தானேவாரார் தோழி! நம் காதலோரே. In this trip to the familiar landscape, we get to see striking sights, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away: “Akin to how the moon with cool rays, appears during the day, with its glow ruined, making the light of my forehead wane slowly day by day, so as to gain wealth, with a relentless heart, and a spear for company, he has parted away to the drylands, where a tiger with sword-like stripes and having a voice akin to the churning of curd, unable to bear the deep hunger of its huge-mouthed mate, lies in wait for a small-eyed boar, with hair on its neck like the splinters on a palm tree, in those arid and wide open scrub jungles, where in the spotted shade of trees with hollows, wayfarers treading those paths, find a spot to rest. He, who has left to such a scorching drylands, bereft of moisture, still does not return to me, O maiden wearing well-etched jewels! Having feathers, akin to a swaying, sharp-tipped flame, is the hen that lives in a home. Akin to the bristling hair on the cape of its mate, a courageous rooster, in the middle of a fight, blooms the radiant, fire-like coral tree's flowers, upon whose bright buds, bees swarm around and scatter nectar, announcing the arrival of this season of spring, and still that lover of mine returns not, my dear friend!” Let’s brave the sweltering heat and walk on through this domain! The lady observes how the shine of her forehead is fading just like how the moon loses its glow during the day. The reason for that is the absence of her beloved, who has left in search of wealth with much determination in his heart and a spear in his hand, she says, and goes on to describe where he’s at. To do that, she paints an image of a roving tiger, which wanting to end the hunger of its mate, roams the paths, waiting to snatch a boar, whose rough hair is likened to the splinters of a palmyra tree. The lady further describes how these spaces have hardly any trees, and people walking those paths sit down with relief even in the broken shade of small tree. She goes on to then talk about how the season of spring had arrived at their doorstep, knocking with the sight of bees buzzing around coral tree flowers, whose shape is so exquisitely placed in parallel to the bristling fur around the neck of a rooster in the middle of a fight. The lady concludes by crying that though this beautiful season, meant for togetherness had arrived, her man hadn’t!  A case of lamenting for the man, who’s missing even after the promised season of return. In the reference to the male tiger wanting to appease the hunger of its mate, and the bees swarming around the coral-tree flowers with much passion and desire, the lady seems to say, ‘The whole world around is buzzing with expressions of love, whereas my man shows not this to me!’. This curiously reminded me of the concept of ‘social media envy’ and how seeing the idealised posts and reels of others can point to the lack in one’s own life. Two thousand years ago, the natural world was the place of action wheres now the scene has shifted to the world of 1s and 0s. What remains the same is the human nature of comparison of one’s own state to the world around, and perhaps the cure for this timeless crisis is to just feel gratitude for the things that we do have, regardless of what we don’t and what others may have! 

In this episode, we perceive the ire of a woman, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 276, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the fish-filled ponds of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and relays scenes of rivalry in a rich town. நீள் இரும் பொய்கை இரை வேட்டு எழுந்தவாளை வெண் போத்து உணீஇய, நாரை தன்அடி அறிவுறுதல் அஞ்சி, பைபயக்கடி இலம் புகூஉம் கள்வன் போல,சாஅய் ஒதுங்கும் துறை கேழ் ஊரனொடுஆவது ஆக! இனி நாண் உண்டோ?வருகதில் அம்ம, எம் சேரி சேர!அரி வேய் உண்கண் அவன் பெண்டிர் காண,தாரும் தானையும் பற்றி, ஆரியர்பிடி பயின்று தரூஉம் பெருங் களிறு போல,தோள் கந்தாகக் கூந்தலின் பிணித்து, அவன்மார்பு கடி கொள்ளேன்ஆயின், ஆர்வுற்றுஇரந்தோர்க்கு ஈயாது ஈட்டியோன் பொருள்போல்,பரந்து வெளிப்படாது ஆகி,வருந்துகதில்ல, யாய் ஓம்பிய நலனே! Sparks fly in this trip to the farmlands, as we hear a courtesan say these words to her friends, conveying a pointed message to the lady’s friends, listening near by: “Searching for prey in the long and vast pond, a stork, wishing to feed on the white male of the scabbard fish, fearing its footsteps would be heard, walks slowly, akin to a thief entering a well-guarded house, and takes soft steps in the shore-filled town of the lord! Why should I hold back out of modesty anymore? When he comes by to our neighbourhood, making sure his women with kohl-streaked eyes with red lines, see, clutching on to his garlands and garments, akin to a female elephant, trained by the Aryars, to seize a huge male elephant, with my arms as the post, I will bind him with my tresses and hold on tightly to his chest. If I don't do this, akin to wealth earned, which is not given away to those who plead in need, without being known and cherished with fame, let that beauty of mine, reared by my mother, languish and turn to ruin!” Let’s watch this familiar tussle in the land of plenty! The courtesan starts by describing the man’s town and to do that, she sketches the scene of a stork walking like a thief entering a guarded mansion, so as to prey upon the scabbard fish, swimming blissfully in a pond. After that scene of stealth, she goes on to say that there’s no use suffering with a sense of shame anymore. Declaring that the next time the man came to their neighbourhood, the courtesan, in the manner of a female elephant, trained by the Aryans to tempt and capture huge wild, male elephants, would clutch on to the man’s clothes and garlands and hold tightly, with her tresses as the rope and her arms as the post. The courtesan concludes with a vow that if she does not do such a thing then let the beauty that her mother reared in her, become ruined without any fame like the wealth of a person, who hoards and gives not, to those who come seeking in need.  The core of this tale is that the courtesan is angered by the disparaging words of the lady that has reached her ears and she intends to send back a sharp message to the lady challenging that her husband was about to be stolen away like an elephant in the wild. The opening image of the stork stealing in softly to make its kill is a metaphor for how the courtesan would snag the man with her stealth and strategy. In a verse full of emotions that have not aged very well, there’s one line that shines and that’s about the purpose of wealth, which according to these ancients was meant to serve the needy. If this future descendant could talk to those women of the past, I would say, ‘Dear ladies, quit the fighting over that silly man and realise the power and beauty of being the best you can be!’

In this episode, we listen to words of lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 275, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the emotions of a Sangam mother at the juncture of her daughter’s elopement. ஓங்கு நிலைத் தாழி மல்கச் சார்த்தி,குடை அடை நீரின் மடையினள் எடுத்தபந்தர் வயலை, பந்து எறிந்து ஆடி,‘இளமைத் தகைமையை வள மனைக் கிழத்தி!பிதிர்வை நீரை வெண் நீறு ஆக’ என,யாம் தற் கழறுங் காலை, தான் தன்மழலை இன் சொல், கழறல் இன்றி,இன் உயிர் கலப்பக் கூறி, நன்னுதல்பெருஞ் சோற்று இல்லத்து ஒருங்கு இவண் இராஅள்,ஏதிலாளன் காதல் நம்பி,திரள் அரை இருப்பைத் தொள்ளை வான் பூக்குருளை எண்கின் இருங் கிளை கவரும்வெம் மலை அருஞ் சுரம், நம் இவண் ஒழிய,இரு நிலன் உயிர்க்கும் இன்னாக் கானம்,நெருநைப் போகிய பெரு மடத் தகுவிஐது அகல் அல்குல் தழை அணிக் கூட்டும்கூழை நொச்சிக் கீழது, என் மகள்செம் புடைச் சிறு விரல் வரித்தவண்டலும் காண்டிரோ, கண் உடையீரே? In this trip to the drylands, we take in a few familiar sights and listen to the outpouring of sorrow from the mother, at a time when her daughter had eloped away with the man: “Amidst the bushes of vayalai vines that she had reared by pouring water, collected with a tightly woven palmyra bowl from a tall and brimming urn, seeing her playing with a ball, I had scolded her saying, ‘O young and naive maiden of this prosperous mansion! You seem to be roaming around without a care. You are sure to be doomed!'. At this time, without any anger, she rendered her child-like, sweet words that made my sweet life melt away with joy. But that maiden with a fine forehead, without choosing to remain in this mansion, with copious food to share, has trusted in the love of a stranger, and leaving me to languish here, has left to a formidable drylands in the scorching mountains, where clusters of white flowers from the thick-trunked Mahua tree are stolen by huge sleuths of bear cubs. That maiden with great naivety, who has left yesterday to the terrible scrub jungle around which the huge land sighs in suffering, using her reddened little fingers, had built a sand house under the chaste tree, which used to render fine leaves to adorn her wide and uplifted loins. Those who have eyes, won't you see this work of art left behind by that daughter of mine!” Time to listen to this expression of grief! Mother starts like mothers often do, recollecting a past moment with their beloved offspring. She remembers how one day the lady had been playing near the vayalai bushes that the lady herself had reared with much love, pouring water for it every day using a palmyra bowl. A moment to note the use of biodegradable material of palm leaves to stitch baskets with such skill that they seem to even hold water! Something we should perhaps learn from the descendants of these basket weavers in the remote villages of Tamil Nadu. Returning, Mother talks about how her girl had been playing with a ball amidst these bushes and this seems to have angered Mother, who had admonished her for roaming around without a care. There seems to be a hidden implication in mother’s tone that the girl had matured and she had no business to be playing around in this manner. In any case, mother remembers how her daughter showed no anger for that scolding and spoke so sweetly in a child-like tone, which made mother’s heart melt away. But that same girl, believing in some stranger’s promise of love, had left to the drylands, where bear cubs roam about gathering white Mahua flowers, Mother says. She concludes by asking all around her to take a look at the sand house her daughter had made under the chaste tree, near the house, and perceive the pain that throbs in her heart! A verse that talks about the poignant feelings, which arise when one glimpses at the places and things, resounding with memories of a parted one. A desk, a pair of spectacles, a ‘Bullet’ motorbike, a letter that arrives late… The objects may change in different spaces and different times, but they all proclaim the indelible presence of a person, even in that moment of their absence! 

In this episode, we perceive the anticipation of returning to a beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 274, penned by Idaikaadanaar. The verse is situated in the midst of the falling rain in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’, and sketches a scene from this domain in the dark hour of midnight. இரு விசும்பு அதிர முழங்கி, அர நலிந்து,இகு பெயல் அழி துளி தலைஇ, வானம்பருவம் செய்த பானாட் கங்குல்,ஆடு தலைத் துருவின் தோடு ஏமார்ப்ப,கடை கோல் சிறு தீ அடைய மாட்டி,திண் கால் உறியன், பானையன், அதளன்,நுண் பல் துவலை ஒரு திறம் நனைப்ப,தண்டு கால் ஊன்றிய தனி நிலை இடையன்,மடி விடு வீளை கடிது சென்று இசைப்ப,தெறி மறி பார்க்கும் குறு நரி வெரீஇ,முள்ளுடைக் குறுந் தூறு இரியப் போகும்தண் நறு புறவினதுவே நறு மலர்முல்லை சான்ற கற்பின்மெல் இயற் குறுமகள் உறைவு இன் ஊரே. In this trip to the forest, we get to see a denizen of the domain at work, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer: “Quaking the vast skies, the sky roars, ruins snakes and falls as huge drops of the downpour. In the midnight hour of this season, to protect his herd of sheep with swaying heads, lighting up a small flame on a fire-stick, as many, little drops of rain soak him on one side, the man who has a sturdy pot hanger, pots and a bed of leather, leans on a firmly planted stick, and standing all alone, bends his tongue and lets out a sharp whistle, which makes a little fox, which had been lying in wait to snatch a leaping sheep kid, scuttle away into the thorny bushes, in the cool and fragrant forest. Herein lies the delightful town of my chaste, gentle-natured maiden, adorned with fragrant wild jasmine flowers.” Time to hear the man’s passionate plea! He starts by revealing the season of rains, which thunders in the sky, rains down and according to their belief, kills snakes. Then he talks about a sheep herder, who is etched as having cords around him to hold pots and the way he carries a layer of leather to serve as his bed. The man tells us it’s the middle of the night and so as to keep the flock safe, the herder lights up a flame and lets out a sharp whistle. Hearing the sound of this whistle, a fox which had been biding its time to seize a sheep kid, runs away in fear, into the bushes. The man then connects and concludes by saying such is the forest, where the hamlet of his beloved, jasmine-clad maiden is to be found. Through that scene of the shepherd’s whistle and the scuttling fox, the man places a metaphor for how the sound of his chariot’s arrival would make the fox of pining, which had been preying on his beloved and waiting to finish her, to rush away in fear. In essence, the man is dropping the location of his loved one to his charioteer, and impressing on the need for speed! 

In this episode, we listen to words of angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 273, penned by Avvaiyaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse employs an exquisite metaphor to etch a person’s state. விசும்பு விசைத்து எழுந்த கூதளங் கோதையின்,பசுங் கால் வெண் குருகு வாப் பறை வளைஇ,ஆர்கலி வளவயின் போதொடு பரப்ப,புலம் புனிறு தீர்ந்த புது வரல் அற்சிரம்,நலம் கவர் பசலை நலியவும், நம் துயர்அறியார்கொல்லோ, தாமே? அறியினும்,நம் மனத்து அன்ன மென்மை இன்மையின்,நம்முடை உலகம் உள்ளார்கொல்லோ?யாங்கு என உணர்கோ யானே? வீங்குபுதலை வரம்பு அறியாத் தகை வரல் வாடையொடுமுலையிடைத் தோன்றிய நோய் வளர் இள முளைஅசைவுடை நெஞ்சத்து உயவுத் திரள் நீடி,ஊரோர் எடுத்த அம்பல் அம் சினை,ஆராக் காதல் அவிர் தளிர் பரப்பி,புலவர் புகழ்ந்த நாண் இல் பெரு மரம்நில வரை எல்லாம் நிழற்றி,அலர் அரும்பு ஊழ்ப்பவும் வாராதோரே. In this trip to the drylands, we don’t get to see any of the familiar sights, and instead, take a detour to the realm of the inner landscape, as we listen to the lady say these words to the confidante, at a time when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Akin to a garland of nightshade flowers thrown at the sky, green-legged white birds bend their spreading wings to soar above the uproarious seas, and then settle down among the blooming flowers, in this season of early dew, when the land is done with the task of birthing new crops. At this time, as I waste away, owing to the affliction of pining that steals away health and beauty, does he not know about my sorrow? Even if he knows, not having the gentleness in my heart, perhaps he does not give a thought about my world! What should I think about all this? As this esteemed cold northern wind swells, not understanding its limits, this disease that has bloomed in my bosom sprouts up as a young shoot, and as the sorrow of my heart continues on, thickens its stem, spreads as a beautiful branch, owing to the gossip of the townsfolk, blooms as the tender leaves of unfulfilled love, soars as a shameless huge tree, celebrated by poets, spreading its shade all across the land. Even as the buds of slander upon this tree of suffering bloom, spreading their petals open, he still returns not!” Let’s listen to this lady’s lament and learn more! She starts by describing the seasonal changes around her. She first calls our attention to the white birds flying high and paints them as garlands thrown against the sky. Anyone who has watched the ‘V formation’ of birds in the sky would agree what an apt simile this is! Next, she talks about how the land is all done with birthing of the winter crops, relaying how it was now the early dew season. The lady talks about how the promised season is gone and she suffers endlessly and wonders if the man does not realise this, and even if he does, maybe he does not have her gentle heart to do something about it. She laments asking how is it possible to bear this lack of response from the man. Then reverting back to the season, the lady says, one visitor is sure to arrive without fail at this time, and that’s the cold, northern winds, and talks about how this makes the seed of pining in her heart, shoot up as a tender sprout. Then, as the water of sorrow keeps coursing through her, the stems of this sprout thicken into a trunk. To help it further, winds of gossip swirl around town and make the trunk spread into a branch, and here unfulfilled love sprouts out as the lush green leaves and what was a little shoot, now stands like a shameless tree of suffering, for all to see, spreading its shade far and wide, the lady sketches, and concludes by saying even when the flowers of slander bloom bright on this tree, the man was nowhere to be seen! The prowess of this prolific poet in converting the abstract emotions of the mind into tangible elements of the world can be sensed in that flowing imagery of a seed and sprout turning into that tree of suffering. Perhaps all these songs on separation exist only to teach the world the art of healing by expressing what’s within! 

In this episode, we perceive a dramatic attempt at persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 272, penned by Madurai Aruvai Vaanikan Ilavettanaar. The verse is situated amidst the flowing cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and presents a hypothetical situation and its impactful consequences. இரும் புலி தொலைத்த பெருங் கை வேழத்துப்புலவு நாறு புகர் நுதல் கழுவ, கங்குல்அருவி தந்த அணங்குடை நெடுங் கோட்டுஅஞ்சு வரு விடர் முகை ஆர் இருள் அகற்றி,மின் ஒளிர் எஃகம் செல் நெறி விளக்க,தனியன் வந்து, பனி அலை முனியான்,நீர் இழி மருங்கின் ஆர் இடத்து அமன்றகுளவியொடு மிடைந்த கூதளங் கண்ணிஅசையா நாற்றம் அசை வளி பகர,துறு கல் நண்ணிய கறி இவர் படப்பைக்குறி இறைக் குரம்பை நம் மனைவயின் புகுதரும்,மெய்ம் மலி உவகையன்; அந் நிலை கண்டு,”முருகு” என உணர்ந்து, முகமன் கூறி,உருவச் செந் தினை நீரொடு தூஉய்,நெடு வேள் பரவும், அன்னை; அன்னோ!என் ஆவது கொல்தானே பொன் எனமலர்ந்த வேங்கை அலங்கு சினை பொலியமணி நிற மஞ்ஞை அகவும்அணி மலை நாடனொடு அமைந்த நம் தொடர்பே? In this trip to the highlands, it’s scenes in the night that greets us, as we listen to these words said by the confidante to the lady, pretending not to see the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot: “To wash away its flesh-reeking, spotted face after killing a huge tiger, the long-trunked elephant arrives at night to the cascade in the mountains. Casting away the deep darkness of the clefts and caves in those formidable, fear-evoking spaces, as an iron spear, which flashes like lightning, shows the way, he comes alone, without minding the cold dew descending down. Wearing a garland of nightshade flowers woven together with wild jasmines that had been blooming in those picturesque places near flowing waters, as the moving winds scatter its stationary fragrance, he would enter our hut with hanging eaves, adjacent to a field of pepper vines around a short boulder, with his body brimming over with joy. If Mother were to see that state of his, thinking it's ‘God Murugu', she would raise her hands in prayer, would sprinkle moistened bright red millets, and worship the Tall Speared One! Alas! If that happens, what is to become of your relationship with the lord of the handsome mountain country, where the sapphire-hued peacock calls out aloud and the fully-bloomed Kino flowers glow upon the swaying branches?” Let’s walk along with the man and investigate what’s in the hearts of these mountain maiden! The confidante starts by talking about how fearsome the mountain paths are at night, mentioning how an elephant which has just killed a tiger would come to the cascades to wash its trunk. Unmindful of all this danger to his safety and not caring for the cold dew pouring down to the detriment of his health, with his spear lighting the way, the man would come walking on this very path, the confidante connects. Then she mentions the garlands of nightshades and jasmines he would be wearing and the way the wind would be spreading that scent all around the place. Walking in this manner, the man would reach the destination, which is the lady’s hut in the mountain hamlet, near a field of pepper vines, the confidante continues. Let’s make a note of this specific field and explore it in a moment. Returning, the confidante asks the lady to imagine the moment he would step inside their house. What if Mother happened to catch a glimpse of him? She predicts that Mother would think the man was the ‘Tall-speared God Murugu’ and would start worshipping him with a scattering of red millets. After saying these words, the confidante wonders what would happen to the lady’s relationship with the man if a such a thing were to happen, and concludes by describing the man’s country as a place, filled with singing peacocks and blooming Kino flowers.  An intricate attempt using the powers of visualisation to get the listening man to realise that he needs to change his dark and dangerous path of temporary trysting and take the road to the permanent joy of seeking the lady’s hand. The subtle elements here is the mention of the blooming Kino flowers, indicating it’s the auspicious season of marriage, and that scene of mother mistaking the man for Murugu is to tell the man the lady is in danger of being placed under guard, which would sound the death knell to his secret relationship with her. In short, ‘Marry her, marry her’ with a movie style delivery! Let’s revert and focus on that phrase about a field of pepper vines. This tells us the preciousness of these naturally growing spices was realised by this mention that it was intentionally cultivated in a mountain field. A matter-fact line which actually implies that these pepper corns were much sought after in faraway shores such as Greece and Rome and that those abroad were waiting to shower gold in exchange of these little black beauties! 

In this episode, we perceive an impactful attempt at changing a person’s course of action, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 271, penned by Kaaviripoompattinathu Chenkannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse mentions intriguing aspects about the flora and fauna in this domain. பொறி வரிப் புறவின் செங் காற் சேவல்சிறு புன் பெடையொடு சேண் புலம் போகி,அரி மணல் இயவில் பரல் தேர்ந்து உண்டு,வரி மரல் வாடிய வான் நீங்கு நனந்தலைக்குறும்பொறை மருங்கின் கோட் சுரம் நீந்தி,நெடுஞ் சேண் வந்த நீர் நசை வம்பலர்செல் உயிர் நிறுத்த சுவைக் காய் நெல்லிப்பல் காய் அம் சினை அகவும் அத்தம்சென்று, நீர் அவணிர் ஆகி, நின்று தருநிலை அரும் பொருட் பிணி நினைந்தனிர்எனினே,வல்வதாக, நும் செய் வினை! இவட்கே,களி மலி கள்ளின் நல் தேர் அவியன்ஆடு இயல் இள மழை சூடித் தோன்றும்பழம் தூங்கு விடரகத்து எழுந்த காம்பின்கண் இடை புரையும் நெடு மென் பணைத் தோள்,திருந்து கோல் ஆய் தொடி ஞெகிழின்,மருந்தும் உண்டோ, பிரிந்து உறை நாட்டே? In yet another trip to this searing region, we get to see dynamic scenes, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he proposes a plan to leave in search of wealth, wishing to prepare the lady for his parting: “The red-legged male of the pigeon with specks and lines, along with its gentle little mate flies afar, and after landing on the spreading rough, river sand, chooses pebbles and eats them. Then, it sings, sitting atop the beautiful branch of a gooseberry tree, bearing many fruits, which have the power of bringing back the parting life of those wayfarers, who arrive with a searing thirst, from a faraway country, traversing vast spaces in the formidable drylands, by the side of small hills, bereft of clouds, where even the lined hemp withers. If you intend to leave to this place, pushed by that ever-changing affliction of seeking wealth, may those efforts of yours bear fruit! As for her, her soft arms are akin to the tall bamboos, with flawless nodes, that shoot up in the mountain ranges, filled with hanging fruits, around which young rain clouds dance around in the joyous town of ‘Kallil', ruled by Aviyan, who wields chariots many! So, tell me, in that land that you intend to part away to, could there be any cure to remedy the slipping away of well-etched, fine bangles from those arms of hers?” Let’s tread on those scorching spaces and learn more! The confidante starts by sketching the drylands region, and to do that, she seeks the help of a pigeon couple. First, she talks about the red-legged male pigeon and then its delicate, little mate. Note the use of the word ‘Siru’ meaning ‘small’ to describe the female pigeon. When I checked whether this was factual or the Sangam poets’ way of projecting human notions on the birds, turns out indeed the females are smaller than the males, though they may have more body mass. What a nuance captured! Returning, the confidante tells us that these two birds take off and fly for quite distance and then they land on a place with coarse, dried-up river sand. Now she mentions something that made me ask, “Really? No way. There must be some mistake!” The thing the confidante says about these pigeons is that they can be seen eating pebbles from that river sand. Now you know why I was so surprised. I was telling myself that the interpreters had got this wrong and the word ‘Paral’ should mean something else. Like some grain or some seed! Then, when I went and asked the seemingly ridiculous question, ‘Do pigeons eat pebbles?’, the internet blew my mind saying, ‘Indeed, it does!’ Apparently, pigeons do not have teeth but they need to digest the grains and seeds they eat. So, to this end, they gobble those pebbles and these stones in their stomach acts like a grinder and extracts the nutrients from their diet. The marvels of nature indeed! At the same time, I think we should also celebrate the Sangam poets for their powers of observation to note this intricate behaviour of these birds and the creativity to blend it in a song on relationships! Moving on from our pigeon tales, now the confidante tells us that the pigeons, after swallowing those pebbles, fly to the branch of a gooseberry tree and sing their songs perched there. Then turning her attention from the birds to the fruits hanging in this tree, the confidante details how these fruits have the power of bringing back the lives of those who are dying of thirst in that harsh drylands region, where even the sturdiest of plants, the hemp takes to withering away in the sweltering sun. Once again, these verses glorify the gooseberry as an elixir of life! Then, the confidante connects by telling the man if he intends to leave to such a place in search of wealth, may his endeavour succeed. And then she goes on to compares the arms of the lady to the bamboos growing in a mountain town called ‘Kallil’ ruled by Aviyan, and concludes by asking the man if he knew some medicine that could cure the slipping away of fine bangles from the lady’s arms!  With these words, the confidante intends to tell the man that the lady would lose her health and beauty in his absence and ask him to give up his idea of parting from the lady. While it’s the same ‘Don’t go, she’ll pine!’ at the core, those fascinating facts about pigeons eating pebbles and gooseberries bringing back dying lives presents to us the medicine of awe about our natural world, something that can revive and rejuvenate us, as we traverse the drylands of our day-to-day life!

In this episode, we perceive a passionate attempt at persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 270, penned by Saakalaasanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming blue lilies of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and etches the scenes of loneliness and lament in this domain. இருங் கழி மலர்ந்த வள் இதழ் நீலம்,புலாஅல் மறுகின் சிறுகுடிப் பாக்கத்துஇன மீன் வேட்டுவர், ஞாழலொடு மிலையும்மெல் அம் புலம்ப! நெகிழ்ந்தன, தோளே;சேயிறாத் துழந்த நுரை பிதிர்ப் படு திரைபராஅரைப் புன்னை வாங்கு சினைத் தோயும்கானல்அம் பெருந் துறை நோக்கி, இவளே,கொய் சுவற் புரவிக் கை வண் கோமான்நல் தேர்க் குட்டுவன் கழுமலத்து அன்ன,அம் மா மேனி தொல் நலம் தொலைய,துஞ்சாக் கண்ணள் அலமரும்; நீயே,கடவுள் மரத்த முள் மிடை குடம்பைச்சேவலொடு புணராச் சிறு கரும் பேடைஇன்னாது உயங்கும் கங்குலும்,நும் ஊர் உள்ளுவை; நோகோ, யானே. In this trip to the shore, we get to see familiar sights and also take a short detour to a historic town, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he arrives to tryst with the lady, by day: “Those who live in the flesh-reeking streets of the seaside hamlet, those hunters of shoals of fish, adorn themselves with thick-petaled blue lotus flowers, blooming in the vast backwaters, along with the tigerclaw flowers, in your gentle shores, O lord! Her arms have thinned away! Resounding waves filled with spraying foam, muddled by red shrimps, splash against the curving branch of the broad-trunked, laurelwood tree in the orchard-filled huge shore. As she keeps looking in the direction of that shore, the old beauty of her exquisite, dark complexion, akin to the town of ‘Kazhumalam', ruled by Kuttuvan, who wields fine chariots, a leader renowned for his generosity, having horses with swaying manes, becomes utterly ruined, and she suffers with sleepless eyes. Upon that tree, on which god resides, perched on a nest made of thorns, a small black female bird, unable to unite with its mate, laments ceaselessly in this dark midnight hour. Even at such a time, you are thinking of leaving to your town. Oh! I'm filled with anguish!” Time to take a dip in those ancient waves! The confidante starts with a description of the man’s shore, talking about how people who live in flesh-reeking streets wear the fragrant flowers of the blue lotus and the tigerclaw on their heads. Then, from the man’s place, she moves on to talk about the lady’s thinning arms, and compares the lady’s beauty to the town of ‘Kazhumalam’, ruled by the famous Chera King Kuttuvan, in the Sangam trademark style of equating beauty with a town. The confidante has mentioned that great beauty only to say it’s now becoming ruined every time the lady keeps looking in the direction of the orchard, where the waves dash against the low-hanging branch of a laurelwood tree, perhaps the spot of the lady’s tryst with the man. The confidante talks about how the lady’s eyes turn sleepless owing to all this. She mentions how without understanding all this, the man was talking about leaving to his town at night, a time when a lonely red-naped ibis would call to its mate ceaselessly and torment the lady further. The confidante concludes by declaring that she knows not what to do! The truth is the confidante knows perfectly well what is to be done and that’s for the man to give up his temporary trysting and seek the lady’s hand. This is her subtle way of portraying the lady’s precarious situation, while highlighting the lady’s love for the man. Hearing this, no doubt the man would change his ways and do the right thing. A verse which makes me want to ask, ‘Is the confidante just a companion, or a caretaker, mentor and lawyer all rolled into one?’. Lucky is the lady, to have such a friend!

In this episode, we listen to the rendition of a much-awaited news, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 269, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents intricate details about the custom of installing hero stones. தொடி தோள் இவர்க! எவ்வமும் தீர்க!நெறி இருங் கதுப்பின் கோதையும் புனைக!ஏறுடை இன நிரை பெயர, பெயராது,செறி சுரை வெள் வேல் மழவர்த் தாங்கியதறுகணாளர் நல் இசை நிறுமார்,பிடி மடிந்தன்ன குறும்பொறை மருங்கின்,நட்ட போலும் நடாஅ நெடுங் கல்அகல் இடம் குயின்ற பல் பெயர் மண்ணி,நறு விரை மஞ்சள் ஈர்ம் புறம் பொலியஅம்பு கொண்டு அறுத்த ஆர் நார் உரிவையின்செம் பூங் கரந்தை புனைந்த கண்ணிவரி வண்டு ஆர்ப்பச் சூட்டி, கழற் கால்இளையர் பதிப் பெயரும் அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்தோர்,தைஇ நின்ற தண் பெயல் கடை நாள்,பொலங்காசு நிரைத்த கோடு ஏந்து அல்குல்நலம் கேழ் மாக் குரல் குழையொடு துயல்வர,பாடு ஊர்பு எழுதரும் பகு வாய் மண்டிலத்துவயிர் இடைப்பட்ட தெள் விளி இயம்ப,வண்டற் பாவை உண்துறைத் தரீஇ,திரு நுதல் மகளிர் குரவை அயரும்பெரு நீர்க் கானல் தழீஇய இருக்கை,வாணன் சிறுகுடி, வணங்கு கதிர் நெல்லின்யாணர்த் தண் பணைப் போது வாய் அவிழ்ந்தஒண் செங் கழுநீர் அன்ன, நின்கண் பனி துடைமார் வந்தனர், விரைந்தே. In this trip to the drylands, we get to see intriguing sights and take a detour to a historic site, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, at a time, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Let the bangles ascend on your arms! Let the suffering cease! Let flower garlands adorn your wavy, dark tresses! After rescuing herds of cattle comprising of prize bulls, without retreating, those fearless men stood and fought against the cattle stealers, who bear thick and curving white spears. To reinstate the good fame of these warriors, near small hills, which appear akin to a seated female elephant, their young helpers wearing resounding anklets, carve on tall and natural stones, which appear as if planted there, inscribing the many names of those fearless fighters in the wide spaces, streaking fragrant paste of turmeric upon the radiant, moist stone surfaces, and adorning them with peeled bark of trees cut by arrows and garlands of woven red globe thistle flowers. Only then do they leave from those formidable drylands, where the man has left to, now. In the month of ‘Thai' when the last cool showers cease, wearing coins of gold around their uplifted waists, along with swaying, many-hued flowers and dark clusters of leaves, as clear notes of music that arises from the huge open mouth of the ‘vayir' horn instrument spreads all around the land, carving dolls of mud on the shore, maiden with fine foreheads perform the ‘Kuravai' dance in those well-watered orchards of the prosperous town of ‘Sirukudi', ruled by Vaanan. Here, amidst the curving crops of paddy blooming in the fertile fields, blooms a shining red lotus that has opened its petals. Akin to this red lotus, are your eyes, and to wipe away the tears dropping down from them, he has come, with much haste!” Let’s walk along with the wandering man through the drylands and explore on! The confidante starts with a jubilant shout, saying the lady’s bangles will not slip away anymore, and her dark days were at an end and that it was time to adorn those tresses with exquisite flowers. Then without saying why, she goes on to talk about the place where the man has left to, and to do that first she brings forth the setting of a cattle theft, and then zooms on to those warriors, who valiantly rode behind and defeated those cattle stealers and recovered the cattle. Though they won in that conflict, they were killed and in honour of their memory, their helpers would choose the perfect stones, which may seem like someone installed them there, but were actually natural, and would carve the names of those warriors, streak turmeric paste, adorn with globe thistle flowers and then only leave that place. The confidante has been describing all this to say the man had left the lady to go to such a drylands region. Then, she goes into another lengthy description of a town called ‘Sirukudi’, ruled by Vaanan, where maiden would come together and carve mud dolls in the month of ‘Thai’, which corresponds to mid-January, a time when the rains are said to cease, and those women would perform the ‘Kuravai’ dance as part of the festivities. Why has the confidante mentioned all this? Only to take us to the lush paddy fields in this prosperous town and point to a red lotus blooming there. She then compares the lady’s eyes to that particular flower and concludes by saying the man was coming there with much speed, to wipe away the dew from the lady’s lotus-like eyes!  To put it in a nutshell, the confidante’s message is ‘The man is on the way home and all your pain is about to be gone’! Wrapping this gift to the lady with those scenes of hero stone worship and celebrations in Sirukudi, the confidante also offers us the gift of travelling to a long-gone time, meeting the people who lived then and witnessing their ways of life!

In this episode, we listen to a subtle attempt at persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 268, penned by Vadama Vannakkan Peri Saathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the fragrant flowers of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and presents a portrait of the delicate state of affairs. அறியாய் வாழி, தோழி! பொறி வரிப்பூ நுதல் யானையொடு புலி பொரக் குழைந்தகுருதிச் செங் களம் புலவு அற, வேங்கைஉரு கெழு நாற்றம் குளவியொடு விலங்கும்மா மலை நாடனொடு மறு இன்று ஆகியகாமம் கலந்த காதல் உண்டுஎனின்,நன்றுமன்; அது நீ நாடாய், கூறுதி;நாணும் நட்பும் இல்லோர்த் தேரின்,யான் அலது இல்லை இவ் உலகத்தானேஇன் உயிர் அன்ன நின்னொடும் சூழாது,முளை அணி மூங்கிலின் கிளையொடு பொலிந்தபெரும் பெயர் எந்தை அருங் கடி நீவி,செய்து பின் இரங்கா வினையொடுமெய் அல் பெரும் பழி எய்தினென் யானே! In this trip to the hills, there’s more of abstract feelings, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, in an attempt to further the man’s relationship with the lady: “You should ponder on what I say, my friend, may you live long! As a tiger attacked an elephant, having a flower-like head, filled with lines and spots, the blood that spilled paints the mushy field red. To wipe away the stench of that flesh, the fragrance of the formidable Kino flowers, along with wild jasmines, wafts in the huge mountains of the lord. If there is a faultless love, fused with passion for him, that would be good. But if you don't seek that, pray tell me. If one were to search for the person who doesn't have any shame or the virtue of friendship, there can be no better candidate than me, in this world. Without consulting with you, who is akin to my own sweet life, and also not caring about the strict guard of our famous father, who dwells with kith and kin, abundant like the sprouts of a bamboo, I have done something which I do not regret, and I seem to have attained an unjustified blame for that!” Let’s understand the nuances here! The confidante starts with a request to her friend to reflect on what she was about to say. Then she describes the man’s mountain country as a place where the fragrance of the Kino and wild jasmine flowers removes the stench of the blood that has spilled in the attack of a tiger and elephant and mushed up the red earth beneath. Then she asks her friend if the lady feels a deep love for the man. And when the confidante sees no response from the lady, the confidante declares that she must be the only person on earth not having any sense of shame or the true feeling of friendship. She concludes by explaining that she has done a deed, without checking with the lady and not minding the strict guard of the lady’s father, but one for which she feels no regret and one she doesn’t mind the blame endowed on her without cause. To understand this complicated expression, we have to reflect on certain cultural practices. Apparently, in this era, it was the custom of the man to seek out the lady’s confidante to further his relationship with the lady, by means of arranging trysts. Some sense of modesty perhaps prevented him from approaching the lady directly. So, the confidante, understanding the lady’s interest in the man, is presenting the man’s case before the lady. She then tries to convince the lady by pretending to take responsibility for all the blame and censure in her delicate situation. In the scene of the mountain flowers removing the stench of flesh, the confidante places a metaphor for the man’s future action of marrying the lady and wiping away the slander of their secret love relationship. A verse that illustrates the influence a friend can exert in one’s life, something that is true not just two thousand years ago, in this particular culture, but even today, and mostly everywhere! 

In this episode, we perceive an expression of angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 267, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse describes the scenes in the sweltering drylands with a stack of similes. நெஞ்சு நெகிழ்தகுந கூறி, அன்பு கலந்து,அறாஅ வஞ்சினம் செய்தோர், வினை புரிந்து,திறம் வேறு ஆகல் எற்று?’ என்று ஒற்றி,இனைதல் ஆன்றிசின், நீயே; சினை பாய்ந்து,உதிர்த்த கோடை, உட்கு வரு கடத்திடை,வெருக்கு அடி அன்ன குவி முகிழ் இருப்பை,மருப்புக் கடைந்தன்ன, கொள்ளை வான் பூமயிர்க் கால் எண்கின் ஈர் இனம் கவர,மை பட்டன்ன மா முக முசுவினம்பைது அறு நெடுங் கழை பாய்தலின், ஒய்யெனவெதிர் படு வெண்ணெல் வெவ் அறைத் தாஅய்,உகிர் நெரி ஓசையின் பொங்குவன பொரியும்ஓங்கல் வெற்பின் சுரம் பல இறந்தோர்தாம் பழி உடையர்அல்லர்; நாளும்நயந்தோர்ப் பிணித்தல் தேற்றா, வயங்கு வினைவாள் ஏர் எல் வளை நெகிழ்த்த,தோளே தோழி! தவறு உடையவ்வே! We get to see plenty of flora and fauna in this trip to the drylands, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, at a time when the man continues to remain parted away from her, having left in search of wealth: “Saying, ‘How come the one who said the right words to make the heart melt, filled with love, and took an oath to never part away, has now turned a different person and left in search of wealth?', do not analyse and suffer ceaselessly, my friend! Upon those fear-evoking paths, pouncing on the branches, hot summer winds shed clusters of Mahua flowers, which appear akin to the paws of a wild cat, in a bright white hue, akin to powdered tusks, and these are eaten by a sleuth of furry-legged sloth bears. Since monkeys with dark faces as if painted with kohl, leap about, from tall bamboos, bereft of green, suddenly bamboo seeds drop down and spread on the hot rocks beneath, and with the noise of snapping nails, these seeds pop and fry in those highland drylands, through which the man traverses. He is not the one to be blamed; Those arms of mine, which day after day, without knowing how to bind the one it loves, lets the well-etched, sword-cut, shining bangles slip away, is the one at fault, my friend!” Time to take a hot walk on those arid paths! The lady starts by requesting her confidante not to look at her state and worry endlessly, thinking about all the promises the man made when courting the lady and how he has changed now on account of seeking wealth. Then she describes the drylands path where the man walks and to do that, she brings before our eyes, fallen Mahua flowers, nudged from the branches by the hand of the summer winds, comparing the shape of these flowers to the paws of a wild cat and their hue to powdered ivory. Then she points out how furry-legged bears feed on these flowers that have fallen down. Next, she turns her attention to drying bamboos and points out to a leaping monkey, whose face seems to be blackened with kohl, possibly a langur, and in its brisk motion, the bamboo seeds scatter and fall on the rocks below, and the moment they do, they pop and fry, so hot the weather is, the lady connects. Instant bamboo pop-corn, seems like! It’s such a path that the man walks, the lady describes. She concludes by asking her friend not to blame the man for her state, saying the real culprit is her arms which seem not to know how to bind the man to her and all they can do is to let those exquisite bangles slip away, losing their health!  Can we see this as a subtle way of taking responsibility for one’s state? Ultimately, there’s no use blaming another for how we feel, no matter how justified it may seem. Seeing this timeless truth, whether the lady rises above her pain and faces the future with confidence or not, we surely can, in the various sweltering paths of our lives!

In this episode, we listen to a pointed expression of discontent, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 266, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst gushing new streams of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and relays a jilted woman’s feelings. “கோடுற நிவந்த நீடு இரும் பரப்பின்அந்திப் பராஅய புதுப் புனல், நெருநை,மைந்து மலி களிற்றின் தலைப் புணை தழீஇ,நரந்தம் நாறும் குவை இருங் கூந்தல்இளந் துணை மகளிரொடு ஈர் அணிக் கலைஇ,நீர் பெயர்ந்து ஆடிய ஏந்து எழில் மழைக் கண்நோக்குதொறும் நோக்குதொறும் தவிர்விலையாகி,காமம் கைம்மிகச் சிறத்தலின், நாண் இழந்து,ஆடினை என்ப மகிழ்ந! அதுவேயாழ் இசை மறுகின் நீடூர் கிழவோன்வாய் வாள் எவ்வி ஏவல் மேவார்நெடு மிடல் சாய்த்த பசும் பூண் பொருந்தலர்அரிமணவாயில் உறத்தூர் ஆங்கண்,கள்ளுடைப் பெருஞ் சோற்று எல் இமிழ் அன்ன,கவ்வை ஆகின்றால் பெரிதே; இனி அஃதுஅவலம் அன்றுமன், எமக்கே; அயலகழனி உழவர் கலி சிறந்து எடுத்தகறங்கு இசை வெரீஇப் பறந்த தோகைஅணங்குடை வரைப்பகம் பொலிய வந்து இறுக்கும்திரு மணி விளக்கின் அலைவாய்ச்செரு மிகு சேஎயொடு உற்ற சூளே!” In this colourful trip to the farmlands, as usual, we see sparks fly between a couple, as we listen to the lady say these words to the man, when he returns home, after being in the company of courtesans: “Leaping high up to the banks, amidst the dark and vast spread of those exquisite gushing new floods, akin to a strong and skilful male elephant, holding on to the head of the raft, yesterday, along with those young companions of yours, having thick clusters of tresses, wafting with the scent of bitter orange, adorning yourself with a wet attire and accessories, you played on and on, in those waters, and every time you looked at those exquisite, rain-like eyes of theirs, roving around, with desire brimming over, and passion exceeding its bounds, losing your sense of shame, you frolicked, they say, O lord of the town!  The slander that arose because of this has become louder than the uproar at the festivities in the town of ‘Arimanavayil Urathoor', when copious toddy and ceaseless food were offered in the middle of the day, at a time when the lord of the ancient town, where the music of the lute spreads in the streets, Evvi, who wields an honest sword, ruined and routed the power of those clad in golden ornaments, those who had refused to accept his command! But even the uproar of that slander is not something that brings distress to me. Fearing the resounding beats made by farmers in the field nearby, a peacock, fluttering its wings, takes off to those fear-evoking mountain ranges, and lands in a place called ‘Alaivaai', lit by exquisite lamps, the abode of the battle-worthy Dark-skinned One. It's the memory of the oath that you had taken before this God, which happens to brings that sense of suffering in me!” Let’s listen in to this quarrel and learn more! The lady starts by coming straight to the point and talking about how the news of the man’s activities the previous day had reached her ears already. Apparently, the man had adorned himself with ancient wet-wear and jumped into the gushing new river streams along with maiden he desired, and was romping around, without any sense of shame. The lady goes on to talk about how the uproar of slander in town owing to his activities was louder than the festivities at a place, filled with toddy and much food, called ‘Arimanavayil Urathoor’, after Lord Evvi quelled those wealthy others, who refused to heed to his command. That’s a pretty common comment, made in these situations but the lady follows that up by saying to the man, ‘Even that uproar is not causing me any concern. The only thing that worries me is when I remember the oath you took in front of God Murugan, at ‘Alaivaai’, frequented by peacocks that have arrived thither, after being frightened by the drums of farmers’. What this implies is that during the time of their courtship, the man had taken an oath of being true and loyal to the lady in front of God Murugan, which is now washed away in the flood of that river he played in. The lady means to say to the man, ‘All this slander is nothing but I fear some harm may befall you for you did not keep the promise you made in front of God’. Through that reference of the peacock flying away to God’s mountain, after being frightened by the farmer’s drums, the lady places a metaphor for how the man has come to their home, only because he feared the slander that arose in town and not any true feeling of love within. This will hopefully make the man reflect on his past promises, present aberrations and change his future path. Through multiple modes, the lady expresses her dissatisfaction with the man’s behaviour and illustrates an instance of effective communication in interpersonal conflict!

In this episode, we perceive a disgruntled comparison, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 265, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse introduces an intriguing historic detail. புகையின் பொங்கி, வியல் விசும்பு உகந்து,பனி ஊர் அழற் கொடி கடுப்பத் தோன்றும்இமயச் செவ் வரை மானும்கொல்லோ?பல் புகழ் நிறைந்த வெல் போர் நந்தர்சீர் மிகு பாடலிக் குழீஇ, கங்கைநீர்முதல் கரந்த நிதியம்கொல்லோ?எவன்கொல்? வாழி, தோழி! வயங்கு ஒளிநிழற்பால் அறலின் நெறித்த கூந்தல்,குழற் குரல் பாவை இரங்க, நத்துறந்து,ஒண் தொடி நெகிழச் சாஅய், செல்லலொடுகண் பனி கலுழ்ந்து யாம் ஒழிய, பொறை அடைந்து,இன் சிலை எழில் ஏறு கெண்டி, புரையநிணம் பொதி விழுத் தடி நெருப்பின் வைத்து எடுத்து,அணங்கு அரு மரபின் பேஎய் போலவிளர் ஊன் தின்ற வேட்கை நீங்க,துகள் அற விளைந்த தோப்பி பருகி,குலாஅ வல் வில் கொடு நோக்கு ஆடவர்புலாஅல் கையர், பூசா வாயர்,ஒராஅ உருள் துடி குடுமிக் குராலொடுமராஅஞ் சீறூர் மருங்கில் தூங்கும்செந் நுதல் யானை வேங்கடம் தழீஇ,வெம் முனை அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்தோர்நம்மினும் வலிதாத் தூக்கிய பொருளே! In this trip to the drylands, we receive some vivid word portraits, as we listen to the lady say these words to the confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Brimming over like smoke, soaring in the wide sky, flowing with snow, akin to a burst of flame, appears the crimson Himalayan mountains. Would it be equal to that? Or, take the riches that the battle-worthy Nandars, having much fame, had gathered in the renowned city of Patali and then drowned in the waters of the Ganges, lost in time. Would it be equal to that? May you live long, my friend! Forsaking me, the one having wavy tresses, akin to fine slit in the shade, a voice like the flute, the one akin to a doll, he has parted away, letting my shining bangles slip away, making my eyes shed tears, filled with much sorrow, to the mountains in the scorching, formidable drylands, where after killing a fine, sturdy bull, roasting its fatty, fleshy meat in the fire, akin to demons from a fear-evoking tradition, they eat the dry meat and to quench the thirst that arises, those men with curving, sturdy bows and harsh eyes, drink crystal clear, well-aged rice liquor named ‘Thoppi'. Then, with meat-covered hands, and unclean mouths, to the tune of a tufted eagle-owl's ceaseless hooting, in the streets of the hamlet with burflower trees, they sway around and dance, close to the hills of Venkatam, where elephants with red foreheads, are to be found! What is the true worth of that wealth he seeks in these spaces, with more intent, upheld higher than me, pray tell?” Let’s brave the scary drylands and learn more! The lady starts by describing the Himalayas with a stack of similes, such as smoke and flames, and presents its soaring personality, and she asks if the wealth the man seeks is greater than these mountain ranges? From the physical wealth of a natural feature, the lady turns to man-made wealth of a certain clan of kings named ‘Nandas’, who are said to have ruled over a city named ‘Pataliputra’. Apparently, they then sank this accumulated wealth in the waters of the Ganges and it was lost for all time. Wonder what made those Nandas destroy their hard-earned wealth? In any case, the lady asks whether the wealth the man seeks is greater than this wealth of the famous Nandas.  Then, she talks of herself, calling her a doll, having a voice like that of a flute, tresses akin to the river silt in the shade. Modest lady, indeed! She turns to describe how the man has left her, ruining her health and beauty, making her filled with sorrow and suffering. And where has he left? Predictably, to the drylands, the lady adds and to sketch this space, she paints an image of highway robbers with harsh eyes and bent bows, feeding on the roasted flesh of a bull they killed, drinking rice liquor known as ‘Thoppi’, and then, without even washing their hands or mouth, dancing to the hoots of a tufted Rock Eagle-owl, in a drylands hamlet, filled with burflower trees, close to the Venkatam hills in the north. The lady concludes by pondering on the great worth of that wealth that the man has forsaken her for! In essence, the lady talks about how she cannot understand the man’s quest for wealth instead of relishing the joy of togetherness with her. A striking instance of how priorities seem to clash between the genders even two thousand years ago! 

In this episode, we perceive the angst of a lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 264, penned by Umbarkkaattu Ilankannanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming white flowers of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and sketches the suffering in being apart from a beloved. மழை இல் வானம் மீன் அணிந்தன்ன,குழை அமல் முசுண்டை வாலிய மலர,வரி வெண் கோடல் வாங்கு குலை வான் பூப்பெரிய சூடிய கவர் கோல் கோவலர்,எல்லுப் பெயல் உழந்த பல் ஆன் நிரையொடு,நீர் திகழ் கண்ணியர், ஊர்வயின் பெயர்தர,நனி சேண்பட்ட மாரி தளி சிறந்து,ஏர்தரு கடு நீர் தெருவுதொறு ஒழுக,பேர் இசை முழக்கமொடு சிறந்து நனி மயங்கி,கூதிர் நின்றன்றால், பொழுதே! காதலர்நம் நிலை அறியார் ஆயினும், தம் நிலைஅறிந்தனர்கொல்லோ தாமே ஓங்கு நடைக்காய் சின யானை கங்குல் சூழ,அஞ்சுவர இறுத்த தானைவெஞ் சின வேந்தன் பாசறையோரே? In this trip to the forest, we encounter a rainy and cold climate, as we listen to the lady say these words to the confidante, in response to the confidante’s request to the lady to bear with the man’s parting: “Akin to stars that fill a cloud-less sky, thick-leaved, white flowers of the midnapore creeper have blossomed. Wearing huge, bent flower clusters of the striped, white glory lilies, cowherds with forked sticks, along with their herd of many cows that had suffered in the day's rain, with water dripping from their garlands, move towards the town. Rain clouds that have traversed a great distance pour down their shower, and so, exquisite floods of gushing water flows through the streets. With a huge, musical roar, a little confused, the day appears in this time of the cold season. At this time, if my lover does not understand my state, at least does he understand his own, as he resides there, in the battle camp of the furious king, surrounded by raging elephants and a fear-evoking army in the middle of the night?” Time to soak in the rain of melancholy! The lady starts with a striking comparison between the midnapore flowers and the stars on a crystal-clear sky, bereft of clouds. You need to look at a picture of these flowers to relish the aptness of this simile. Returning, the lady points to the denizens of this space, cowherds who can be seen wearing white glory lilies on their heads, and wielding sturdy rods, so as to direct their huge herd of cattle back home, after a day of grazing in the rain. Far away, the rains are pouring with relish and the streets are overflowing with water, as the skies beat their drums, and in short, it’s the cold season, which arrives after the rainy season, the promised season of return, the lady details. She turns her attention to the man, who is presently at the battle-camp of the king, intent on war, surrounded by soldiers and elephants in the midnight hour, and concludes by wondering whether the man, who does not seem to care for her state, would at least care about his own! The lady possibly means to ask if the man is aware of the consequences of her suffering and even losing her life in this long separation. Yet again, we perceive a simple time in life, when parting seems to be the greatest challenge in a relationship! In a way, sad to see this portrayal of a woman having nothing to do but to be focused on where her man was and what he is doing. Glad the modern times have endowed more agency for women to make something of their lives, no matter where their partners may be! 

In this episode, we listen to words of angst, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 263, penned by Karuvoor Kannampaalanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse reveals a mother’s emotion in the midst of discomforting news. தயங்கு திரைப் பெருங் கடல், உலகு தொழத் தோன்றி,வயங்கு கதிர் விரிந்த, உரு கெழு மண்டிலம்கயம் கண் வறப்பப் பாஅய், நல் நிலம்பயம் கெடத் திருகிய பைது அறு காலை,வேறு பல் கவலைய வெருவரு வியன் காட்டு,ஆறு செல் வம்பலர் வரு திறம் காண்மார்,வில் வல் ஆடவர் மேல் ஆள் ஒற்றி,நீடு நிலை யாஅத்துக் கோடு கொள் அருஞ் சுரம்கொண்டனன் கழிந்த வன்கண் காளைக்கு,அவள் துணிவு அறிந்தனென்ஆயின், அன்னோ!ஒளிறு வேல் கோதை ஓம்பிக் காக்கும்வஞ்சி அன்ன என் வள நகர் விளங்க,இனிதினின் புணர்க்குவென் மன்னோ துனி இன்றுதிரு நுதல் பொலிந்த என் பேதைவரு முலை முற்றத்து ஏமுறு துயிலே! We tread through this terrain, seeing familiar sights, as we listen to the mother say these words when she hears of her daughter’s elopement with the man: “Rising in the swaying waves of the huge ocean, as the world entire worships, spreading its radiant rays, the glowing orb then pounces on the fine land, dries up the ponds and routs the land's prosperity, in this suffering-filled time of summer. At this time, in the formidable, wide jungle, filled with many forked paths, so as to spot the arriving wayfarers, men with strong and sturdy bows, hide above in the branches of the towering Yaa trees in the drylands. Alas! If only I had known she would dare to part away with that harsh-eyed, bull-like man, I would have let them become united happily in my prosperous mansion, which is akin to Vanji, guarded by shining-speared Kothai, so that without any pain, he could attain sweet sleep on the blossoming bosoms of my naive girl, with a fine forehead” Time to brave the scorching sun and tread on this domain! Mother starts by talking about the sun, the way it rises from the ocean such that all the land worships it. Let’s pause for a moment and let this comment sink in. It’s a well-known fact that many ancient cultures worshipped the sun, first and foremost. For instance, take the Egyptians and the Incans. Both built temples and structures many to this celestial entity! Here we find an intuitive understanding of this truth in ancient Tamil culture. They may not have met the Egyptians, they surely did not meet the Incans, but still the sun is an entity the world will revere across the ages and spaces is a fact sensed here.  Moving on, Mother has mentioned the sun only to talk about how it scorches during the peak of summer just then and dries up all the ponds and the fertile fields. At this time, in the drylands, those highway robbers would lie in wait to pounce on innocent wayfarers, hiding in tall Yaa trees, she describes, and connects that’s where the lady has now left with the man. Then she concludes by lamenting if only she had understood the extent of the lady’s love for the man and her daring to leave with him to the drylands, she would have saved them all the trouble and would have married them, right there in her prosperous mansion, which she compares to the city of Vanji, guarded by Kothai, and says she would have let the man enjoy sweet sleep on her lady’s bosom! It seems to be a case of ‘If only’! I wonder why the confidante and the lady did not read mother’s emotions right and rushed into the elopement plan. However, it’s true we can never say how people will react until they actually do! Perhaps, understanding this change of heart, the man and lady will return home to the mother’s care, as we saw just a few verses ago. While that may be, this is indeed a well-etched expression of regret!

In this episode, we perceive the ecstasy of a person in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 262, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the splashing cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and presents a historic incident in vivid detail. முதை படு பசுங் காட்டு அரில் பவர் மயக்கி,பகடு பல பூண்ட உழவுறு செஞ் செய்,இடு முறை நிரம்பி, ஆகு வினைக் கலித்து,பாசிலை அமன்ற பயறு ஆ புக்கென,வாய் மொழித் தந்தையைக் கண் களைந்து, அருளாது,ஊர் முது கோசர் நவைத்த சிறுமையின்,கலத்தும் உண்ணாள், வாலிதும் உடாஅள்,சினத்தின் கொண்ட படிவம் மாறாள்,மறம் கெழு தானைக் கொற்றக் குறும்பியன்,செரு இயல் நல் மான் திதியற்கு உரைத்து, அவர்இன் உயிர் செகுப்பக் கண்டு சினம் மாறியஅன்னிமிஞிலி போல, மெய்ம் மலிந்து,ஆனா உவகையேம் ஆயினெம் பூ மலிந்துஅருவி ஆர்க்கும் அயம் திகழ் சிலம்பின்நுண் பல துவலை புதல்மிசை நனைக்கும்வண்டு படு நறவின் வண் மகிழ்ப் பேகன்கொண்டல் மா மலை நாறி,அம் தீம் கிளவி வந்தமாறே. In this trip to the hills, we get to see plenty of dynamic sights and also take a historic detour, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, after his successful tryst with the lady: “From the deep and dense jungle, chopping away the intertwined vines, with many yoked bulls, they turned it into cultivable land, scattering the right amount of manure and made it bloom because of their efforts. Into this field, where crops had sprouted with fresh green leaves, a cow had entered and grazed. As a punishment, the owner of that cow, her truthful father was blinded without grace by those ancient leaders known as ‘Kosars'. Distraught seeing their pettiness, without eating any food, and not adorning herself with clean, white clothes, with rage, she took on a vow and did ceaseless penance. News of her state reached the victorious chief of the hill hamlets, the battle-worthy Thithiyan, who wields fine horses. Only when this chief ended the lives of those Kosars, her fury abated. Akin to that proud daughter Anni Mignili,  I too, felt my body brim over with unceasing joy, at that moment when my maiden with sweet words, fragrant akin to the cloud-covered dark hills, brimming over with flowers, resounding with cascades, whose many fine sprinkling droplets moisten bushes all around, a land ruled by the generous Bekan, renowned for his bee-buzzing toddy, came near me!” Let’s tread on those rugged paths and learn more! The man starts by describing the agricultural process of taming a jungle undergrowth and making it a cultivable land, employing oxen, manure and all the hard work it entails. He says this is due to the effort of some leaders from an ancient clan, the Kosars. Now, the Kosars seemed to have had a strong sense of possession over those fields, the man continues, for one day, just because a cow entered those fields with lush green leaves and grazed on it, these Kosars went and punished the owner, by blinding his eyes. Another verse, Aganaanooru 256, where we recently learnt about this ancient punishment of blinding using slaked lime comes to mind. Returning, the man turns to talk about what happened to the daughter of this man, who was punished for letting his cows loose. That maiden seems to be become enraged at the pettiness of the Kosars’ sense of justice and she gave up eating and wearing proper clothes and took on a frenzied penance. Hearing of her plight, a chieftain of the hills by the name of Thithiyan seems to have waged war against the Kosars and killed them. When she learned of it, that girl, Anni Mignili started shivering with emotion, and felt ecstatic joy, the man describes. Note that feeling, that exact feeling, the man says, and concludes by saying that’s what he felt when his beloved lady, who had the fragrance of the generous patron Bekan’s picturesque cloud-covered hills, came to him! In essence, we are hearing the words of a man in love, reliving the joy of meeting his beloved and seeing his love reciprocated! One is a woman, who is fulfilled by revenge, and the other is a man, who is fulfilled by love. The highlight is in how this ancient poet find the threads that link such different individuals, beyond age, gender, situation and time, united just by an expression of emotion at a particular moment!

In this episode, we listen to a narration of events that unfolded, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 261, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse subtly sketches a moment of love. கானப் பாதிரிக் கருந் தகட்டு ஒள் வீவேனில் அதிரலொடு விரைஇ, காண்வர,சில் ஐங் கூந்தல் அழுத்தி, மெல் இணர்த்தேம் பாய் மராஅம் அடைச்சி, வான் கோல்இலங்கு வளை தெளிர்ப்ப வீசி, சிலம்பு நகச்சில் மெல் ஒதுக்கமொடு மென்மெல இயலி, ‘நின்அணி மாண் சிறுபுறம் காண்கம்; சிறு நனிஏகு’ என, ஏகல் நாணி, ஒய்யெனமா கொள் நோக்கமொடு மடம் கொளச் சாஅய்,நின்று தலை இறைஞ்சியோளே; அது கண்டு,யாம் முந்துறுதல் செல்லேம், ஆயிடைஅருஞ் சுரத்து அல்கியேமே இரும் புலிகளிறு அட்டுக் குழுமும் ஓசையும், களி பட்டுவில்லோர் குறும்பில் ததும்பும்,வல் வாய்க் கடுந் துடிப் பாணியும் கேட்டே. In this familiar walk through the drylands, we encounter an interesting scene, as we listen to the man say these words to the confidante, about his travels with the lady through the drylands, on returning to the lady’s village, after their marriage: “When I heard the roar of the huge tiger, after it attacked a male elephant and killed it, and the sharp beats of the strong-mouthed drums resounding from the hill hamlets, echoing the revelries of the bowmen, I said to her, ‘Tying together the shining trumpet flowers with dark petals, blooming in the scrub jungle, along with summer wild jasmines, in a picturesque manner, wear on your exquisite tresses, and adding on the gentle clusters of the bee-buzzing burflowers, swaying your hands and making those white, rounded, shining bangles to tinkle, and with those anklets resounding, taking small, soft steps, gently walk so that I can get to see the small of your back, so pleasing to my eyes. Please do walk on, a little ahead'. Feeling shy to walk ahead, quickly, with a look of a delicate deer, filled with naivety, she bent her head down. Seeing that, without proceeding further, right there, in that drylands, we stayed back then!” Time to sneak in closer to hear those romantic words! The context is as sweet as the content in this one. A while ago, the lady and the man had eloped away, owing to the lady’s kith and kin refusing to accept their relationship. After traversing the harsh drylands, the man and lady had married in the man’s village. Later, the lady’s parents were appeased and invited the couple back home. At this time, the confidante, who had been of great help for the man’s relationship with the lady, in the style of a modern friend, must have asked the man, ‘Begin from the beginning and tell me everything, leaving nothing at all’! The man obliged her with these words, and started sharing about a moment, when he was in the middle of the drylands with the lady, when he heard two sharp sounds – One, of a tiger’s proud roar after killing an elephant, and the other, the sharp drum beats of mountain folk, who were at their evening revelries, drinking and dancing. He suddenly realises that the lady walking slowly behind would feel startled if she caught those sounds, and so he asks her to adorn her hair with trumpet flowers, wild jasmines and burflowers and step ahead, swaying her hands, tinkling her bangles and anklets, so that he could admire her beautiful back. Hearing this, the maiden was overcome with shyness, and she stopped there, looking like a deer, bending her head and standing, not knowing what to do. The man concludes by telling the confidante that was the end of their travel that day and they had to stop right there, and rest in the middle of the drylands.  I can hear the peals of laughter that would have risen from the confidante, as the man narrated this story. Curiously, these words of the man from this ancient piece of Tamil literature, asking the lady to step ahead so that he could admire her, reminded me of a scene in the English novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’, and the words of that famous fictional character, Lord Darcy, who says to Caroline Bingley, when she asks him to join Elizabeth Bennet and herself, who were walking ahead: “Either you are in each other’s confidence and have secret affairs to discuss, or you are conscious that your figures appear to be at the greatest advantage by walking. If the first, I should get in your way. If the second, I can admire you, much better from here”. Absolutely different cultures, different characters but the same thread of human experience! Beyond these amusing words of admiration about a lady’s walk, at the core of this verse is the man’s sense of the world around, his attention to the lady’s anxiety, and his quick thinking to distract her with compliments, echoing aloud the thoughtfulness and kindness in his personality, the right ingredients for a long-lasting, loving relationship! 

In this episode, we listen to a troubled conversation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 260, penned by Mosi Karaiyanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming backwaters of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and paints a vivid portrait of a shore at sunset. மண்டிலம் மழுக, மலை நிறம் கிளர,வண்டினம் மலர் பாய்ந்து ஊத, மீமிசைக்கண்டற் கானல் குருகினம் ஒலிப்ப,திரை பாடு அவிய, திமில் தொழில் மறப்ப,கரை ஆடு அலவன் அளைவயின் செறிய,செக்கர் தோன்ற, துணை புணர் அன்றில்எக்கர்ப் பெண்ணை அக மடல் சேர,கழி மலர் கமழ் முகம் கரப்ப, பொழில் மனைப்புன்னை நறு வீ பொன் நிறம் கொளாஅ,எல்லை பைப்பயக் கழிப்பி, எல் உற,யாங்கு ஆகுவல்கொல் தானே? நீங்காது,முது மரத்து உறையும் முரவு வாய் முது புள்கதுமெனக் குழறும், கழுது வழங்கு அரை நாள்,நெஞ்சு நெகிழ் பருவரல் செய்தஅன்பிலாளன் அறிவு நயந்தேனே. It’s a scenic trip to the seas, as we listen to the words of the confidante followed by the response of the lady, as the man listens nearby, at a time when the lady had been waiting for long for the man to arrive for their nightly tryst: “‘The sun's radiance reduces and the mountains get lit by the hues of dusk; Bees pounce on flowers, buzzing around; Atop the Pandanus trees in the backwaters, birds call out aloud; The roar of the waves diminishes and boats lie about, forgetting their work; Crabs playing on the shore rush to rest in their burrows; As dusky skies loom ahead, the red-naped ibis, wishing to mate, flies atop to the tall branches of the palm tree on the sands; Flowers blooming in the backwaters close their buds; The fragrant flowers of the laurelwood blooming in the decorated mansion, take on a golden hue, and the day gently recedes, little by little, ushering in the night. At this time what will become of her?’ ‘Unceasingly, as the old bird with a wide open mouth, residing in the ancient tree, cries out, in an alarming tone, as ghosts roam about in this midnight hour, I seem to only desire the presence of that loveless one, who has inflicted this heartrending affliction on me!'” Let’s take a stroll on the shore and tune in to the voices of these girls amidst the roar of the waves! This is an unusual verse in the Aganaanooru series for apparently it’s the only one in which both the confidante and the lady speak, for it’s usually said only in the voice of one or the other. Such a conversational style we have seen previously only in the Kalithogai verses. Time to move on from style to content! The confidante starts by describing all the changes in the world around them, bringing to fore, the setting sun, radiant mountains in the west, buzzing bees, cawing birds, roaring waves, and boats, resting without a thought about work. The favourite bird of the shore, the red-naped ibis, makes its appearance atop palm trees, with a desire to unite with its mate; Then, flowers closing their buds, and laurel wood trees dropping golden pollen are all sketched, illustrating how the day is fading away and the night is stepping in. After this long description leading to the night’s arrival, the confidante wonders what will happen to the lady. Why is the confidante worried? The answer lies in the lady’s answer to her, talking about how a bird with a split open mouth, sitting on ancient tree, post probably an owl, hoots aloud and how ghosts roam about. In this distressing, dark hour, all she yearns for is the arrival of the one, lacking love for her, the one who has won over her heart, the lady concludes. In essence, it’s a bit of theatrics by the confidante and the lady to impress upon the man that these meetings and partings are taking a toll on the lady’s heart and to nudge him in the right path of seeking the lady’s hand! While the core is an oft-repeated theme, the twilight song does delight by splashing its hues and painting a picturesque portrait on our hearts!

In this episode, we listen to words of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 259, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse reveals the role of a confidante in directing the love life of the lady. வேலும் விளங்கின; இளையரும் இயன்றனர்;தாரும் தையின; தழையும் தொடுத்தன;நிலம் நீர் அற்ற வெம்மை நீங்கப்பெயல் நீர் தலைஇ, உலவை இலை நீத்துக்குறு முறி ஈன்றன, மரனே; நறு மலர்வேய்ந்தன போலத் தோன்றி, பல உடன்தேம் படப் பொதுளின பொழிலே; கானமும்,நனி நன்று ஆகிய பனி நீங்கு வழி நாள்,பால் எனப் பரத்தரும் நிலவின் மாலைப்போது வந்தன்று, தூதே; நீயும்கலங்கா மனத்தை ஆகி, என் சொல்நயந்தனை கொண்மோ நெஞ்சு அமர் தகுவி!தெற்றி உலறினும், வயலை வாடினும்,நொச்சி மென் சினை வணர் குரல் சாயினும்,நின்னினும் மடவள் நனி நின் நயந்தஅன்னை அல்லல் தாங்கி, நின் ஐயர்புலி மருள் செம்மல் நோக்கி,வலியாய் இன்னும்; தோய்கம், நின் முலையே! In this trip to the drylands, it’s all about the changes around, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, at a time when the lady is confined to the house and prevented from trysting with the man: “Spears are glowing; Helpers are making preparations to part; Garlands are being tied; Leaf adornments are being stringed; For the land to be rid of its arid heat, bereft of water, rains have poured down, and shedding the dried-up leaves, trees have yielded tender sprouts; Many fragrant flowers have appeared, akin to decorations, brimming over with honey in the groves; The forest has turned exquisite as cold days have receded. In this evening hour, when the moon spreads on the sky like milk, came a message; Letting go of your confusions, you must heed my words with love, O maiden who resides in my heart! Even if the flower bushes on the raised front yard withers, even if the vayalai vines dry up, even if the bent sprouts on the gentle branches of the chaste tree fade, the one who is even more innocent than you, your mother will bear with that sorrow. As for your brothers with their tiger-like proud stance, they will handle it all. So, find the courage and leave. Let me embrace your bosom before you part!” Let’s listen to these passionate words from a friend! The confidante starts by talking about how the man is making preparations to leave, with spears shining, workers buzzing about, tying garlands and other leaf adornments. Is this going to be a song about the man’s parting away? Let’s find out! The confidante then mentions about how the harshness of summer was routed by the rains, and then tender sprouts and fragrant flowers have bloomed. Then came the cold season and that too parted away. She goes on to mention about how a messenger had come in the evening hour, and she bids her friend to not reel in confusion but listen and do as she says. Then she offers strength to the lady asking her not to worry about her innocent mother, for mother will somehow bear with the loss, even if the shrubs and vines on the front yard becomes parched with the lady’s parting. The confidante also promises that the lady’s brothers would manage the loss for they are known to have a proud stance. She concludes by asking her friend to embolden herself and leave with the man, after embracing her one last time! As we can clearly see this is a song on elopement, with the man realising that his love relationship with the lady cannot go on, owing to the hostility of the lady’s kin, and the realisation that the only path forward was eloping with the lady. To this end, he approaches the confidante and the good friend agrees to his plan and persuades the lady to take the next bold step in her life. A verse that seems to echo the timeless truth that the words of a friend have great power in changing a person’s life!

In this episode, we perceive a portrait of disappointment, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 258, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the dark and dangerous paths of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and etches the failure of a mission and its emotional consequences. நன்னன் உதியன் அருங் கடிப் பாழி,தொல் முதிர் வேளிர் ஓம்பினர் வைத்தபொன்னினும் அருமை நன்கு அறிந்தும், அன்னோட்துன்னலம்மாதோ எனினும், அஃது ஒல்லாய்தண் மழை தவழும் தாழ் நீர் நனந்தலைக்கடுங் காற்று எடுக்கும் நெடும் பெருங் குன்றத்துமாய இருள் அளை மாய் கல் போல,மாய்கதில் வாழிய, நெஞ்சே! நாளும்,மெல் இயற் குறுமகள் நல் அகம் நசைஇ,அரவு இரை தேரும் அஞ்சுவரு சிறு நெறி,இரவின் எய்தியும் பெறாஅய் அருள் வரப்புல்லென் கண்ணை புலம்பு கொண்டு, உலகத்துஉள்ளோர்க்கு எல்லாம் பெரு நகையாக,காமம் கைம்மிக உறுதர,ஆனா அரு படர் தலைத்தந்தோயே! In this trip to the mountains, it’s all about midnight travels, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, at a time when he is unable to meet with the lady, during a planned tryst by night: “Knowing fully well that she's harder to attain than the gold, secured by the ancient clan of Velirs, in the well-guarded town of ‘Paazhi', ruled by Nannan Uthiyan, and even when I said it would be impossible to go near her, you heeded not! In those wide spaces filled with descending cascades and enveloped by moist rainclouds, in those tall and huge peaks, where harsh winds blow, in a cave filled with a confusing darkness, akin to a precious stone that is lost, may you be doomed. Long may you live, O heart! Day after day, desiring the fine bossom of the gentle-natured young maiden, you traverse fearsome narrow paths frequented by snakes in search of prey, in the darkness of night, and yet, not attaining her grace, with dull eyes, you are filled with lament. Thus, becoming an object of great ridicule to those in the world, with your passion exceeding bounds, you have brought a ceaseless great suffering upon me!” Let’s explore the nuances in this mountain song! The man starts by declaring how his heart had the knowledge that the lady was extremely hard to attain, harder even than that gold that had given accumulated and protected by an ancient tribe of Velirs, in the town of ‘Paazhi’, now ruled by Nannan Uthiyan. Even though his heart had this knowledge and even though the man had said there’s no way to go near the lady, the heart still refused to accept these words. He talks about how it kept roving in the small paths, where snakes crawl about, in the scary darkness, and yet its valiant efforts were of no avail, because the lady was not to be seen, and as a result, the heart had become an object of scorn and had brought suffering to him, the man says, and concludes with a curse that his heart must get lost like a gem in a dark cave in the tall mountains, even as he wishes it a long life! The last line must have sounded quirky, no doubt, but those are the words of the man as he says ‘May you be ruined’ and ‘Long may you live’! The possible explanation for this is it was Sangam custom to always bless the person being addressed, and this seems to have this amusing consequence in this instance of an expression of anger! The core of this verse is putting a distance between oneself and one’s heart so as to gain perspective, and it vividly sketches a moment when things do not go one’s way, and the reflection of what led one there!

In this episode, we perceive an expression of awe, uttered to a beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 257, penned by Uraiyoor Maruthuvan Thaamotharanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the dangers of traversing this domain. வேனிற் பாதிரிக் கூனி மா மலர்நறை வாய் வாடல் நாறும் நாள், சுரம்,அரி ஆர் சிலம்பின் சீறடி சிவப்ப,எம்மொடு ஓர் ஆறு படீஇயர், யாழ நின்பொம்மல் ஓதி பொதுள வாரி,அரும்பு அற மலர்ந்த ஆய் பூ மராஅத்துச்சுரும்பு சூழ் அலரி தைஇ, வேய்ந்த நின்தேம் பாய் கூந்தல் குறும் பல மொசிக்கும்வண்டு கடிந்து ஓம்பல் தேற்றாய், அணி கொளநுண் கோல் எல் வளை தெளிர்க்கும் முன்கைமெல் இறைப் பணைத் தோள் விளங்க வீசி,வல்லுவைமன்னால் நடையே கள்வர்பகை மிகு கவலைச் செல் நெறி காண்மார்,மிசை மரம் சேர்த்திய கவை முறி யாஅத்து,நார் அரை மருங்கின் நீர் வரப் பொளித்து,களிறு சுவைத்திட்ட கோதுடைத் ததரல்கல்லா உமணர்க்குத் தீ மூட்டு ஆகும்,துன்புறு தகுவன ஆங்கண், புன் கோட்டுஅரில் இவர் புற்றத்து அல்கு இரை நசைஇ,வெள் அரா மிளிர வாங்கும்பிள்ளை எண்கின் மலைவயினானே. In this trip through the much frequented region, we get to see interesting sights, as we listen to the man say these words to the lady, at a time when the lady has eloped away with him, and they are in the middle of the drylands: “Traversing the drylands on a day, when the fragrance of the honey-filled, faded flowers of the summer Trumpet flower tree, with huge, bent blossoms, wafts around, reddening your fine feet, adorned with pebble-filled anklets, you have come with me, to walk on this lonely path, closely combing your radiant tresses, and adorning it with the exquisite flowers of the burflower tree, which stands bereft of buds, having bloomed entirely. At this time, you don't even know how to chase away the many little bees swarming around your honey-fragrant tresses. Our travels take us through this mountain, where to help wayfarers find the right way amidst the many paths filled with the danger of robbers, high on top, twigs are stacked on a ‘Ya' tree, whose thick trunk is torn apart by a male elephant, seeking the moisture within, and the broken barks then serve as firewood for illiterate salt merchants, who pass that way. Such spaces abound with trouble, where seeking the food that is to be found within the mounds amidst bushes with drying branches, young bear cubs dig in, making white snakes within to twist and turn. As you sway your bamboo-like arms with soft wrists, and forearms adorned with tinkling, fine-stemmed, radiant bangles, and walk on, I wonder how you have become capable of doing this daring deed!” Let’s walk along the formidable paths and eavesdrop on this couple’s conversation! The man starts by describing how the lady is walking along with him through the drylands, during the hot summer, when the flowers of the trumpet flower tree have faded and are exuding this old fragrance through the scrub jungle. He describes the lady as wearing burflowers on her tresses and etches her innocence by saying how she seems not even capable of chasing away the bees that are laying siege on her fragrant head. Then he goes on to talk about the mountain, they are traversing, and here, we find an instance of care for strangers. People who have walked that way previously, wanting to guide those who come after, stack twigs on Ya trees, letting the followers know that this is the right path amidst all those fearsome ones, filled with attacking highway robbers. The man then zooms on to one such ‘Ya’ tree and points out how its bark has been torn off by an elephant to taste the moisture inside and how those chewed barks later come to serve as firewood for travelling salt merchants. These salt merchants sure have had no time to sit and read, for the man describes them as ‘uneducated’. Interesting qualifier for these ubiquitous sellers of the Sangam era! Perhaps their learning is through the experiences of their travels rather than knowledge from books.  Returning, after that portrait, the man goes on to visualise how bear cubs are on and about, digging up termite mounds, in search of their favourite food, and in their attempts make the snakes hiding within to roll about hither and thither. After painting what a harsh and dangerous place this is, the man then concludes by looking at his beloved and wondering how she has dared to take this difficult journey along with him.  In my eyes, I see the young maiden struggling to walk, unused to the harshness of her surroundings and this is the man’s way of encouraging her to walk on, by admiring her decision to take this journey. Nothing like a shot of positivity to nudge someone to scale those peaks!

In this episode, we perceive a sharp refusal, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 256, penned by Madurai Tamizh Koothanaar Kaduvan Mallanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming lilies of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’, and depicts an anecdote about an act of justice in those times. பிணங்கு அரில் வள்ளை நீடு இலைப் பொதும்பில்மடி துயில் முனைஇய வள் உகிர் யாமைநொடி விடு கல்லின் போகி, அகன்துறைப்பகுவாய் நிறைய, நுங்கின் கள்ளின்நுகர்வார் அருந்து மகிழ்பு இயங்கு நடையொடுதீம் பெரும் பழனம் உழக்கி, அயலதுஆம்பல் மெல் அடை ஒடுங்கும் ஊர!பொய்யால்; அறிவென், நின் மாயம். அதுவேகையகப்பட்டமை அறியாய்; நெருநைமை எழில் உண்கண் மடந்தையொடு வையைஏர் தரு புதுப் புனல் உரிதினின் நுகர்ந்து,பரத்தை ஆயம் கரப்பவும், ஒல்லாதுகவ்வை ஆகின்றால், பெரிதே; காண்தகத்தொல் புகழ் நிறைந்த பல் பூங் கழனி,கரும்பு அமல் படப்பை, பெரும் பெயர்க் கள்ளூர்,திரு நுதற் குறுமகள் அணி நலம் வவ்வியஅறனிலாளன் ‘அறியேன்’ என்றதிறன் இல் வெஞ் சூள் அறி கரி கடாஅய்,முறி ஆர் பெருங் கிளை செறியப் பற்றி,நீறு தலைப்பெய்த ஞான்றை,வீறு சால் அவையத்து ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிதே. We get to see plenty of picturesque scenes from the farmlands, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, who has returned after courting with a courtesan, seeking entry into the lady’s house: “Disliking its curled-up sleep amidst the long-leaved bushes of the rough and twisted ‘Vallai' vines, a tortoise with sharp nails, crosses pebbles that resound aloud, and reaches the river shore. There, filling its split mouth to the full, by feasting on the drops that spill around those who are relishing the toddy of palm fruit, it proceeds with a swaying gait, muddles the huge and pleasant fields, and takes cover within the soft leaves of white lilies nearby, in your town, O lord! Don't you utter lies! I know well about your tricks! You know not that you have been caught red-handed. Yesterday, along with the maiden having painted, kohl-streaked eyes, you delighted so rightfully in the exquisite, fresh stream of the Vaigai river. Even though the mates of that courtesan tried to hide the incident, relentlessly it has risen as a huge slander; In the town of Kalloor, celebrated for its good name, having ancient, picturesque and famous fields, filled with flowers, and soaring stems of sugarcane, an unjust man, had stolen the decorated beauty of a young maiden, having a fine forehead, and then denied knowing her. After investigating this unfair, harsh pledge with those who knew of their relationship, they tied him to the branches of a huge tree with sprouts, and poured slaked lime upon his head, causing a loud uproar in that esteemed assembly. Louder than that, is the slander you've caused in town, O lord!” Let’s tread in the footsteps of the waddling tortoise and listen to this intriguing tale! The confidante starts by painting a picture of the man’s town, and to do that, she brings a field tortoise into the frame. We catch this little creature, at a moment when it has grown tired of relishing a sweet sleep amidst the bushes of the ‘Vallai’ vines, and then sets out amidst the screeching pebbles, and reaches the shore of the gushing river. No doubt, this shore is a place of revels, where people delight in the toddy of palm fruit, and drops slosh about around them. Our wandering tortoise gulps these drops and with an intoxicated gait of a drunk, heads towards the fields, and seeking out the soft-leaves of a lily, conceals itself there, the confidante sketches. Seems like the confidante is projecting the man’s behaviour on this tortoise in his town!  Then, she comes to the crux of the matter and asks the man not to go on with his lies, and details how his secretive actions of the previous day in the company of the courtesan, playing in the gushing stream of the river, had become common knowledge in town, even though the courtesan’s friends had tried to hush it up. From here, the confidante takes us on a visit to an ancient and famous town by the name of ‘Kalloor’, and here, a huge injustice has been uncovered, that of a man denying knowing a maiden, with whom he had had a secret love relationship. The townsfolk, had investigated the crime and got the reports from those who knew what had happened and pronounced a verdict. That unjust man was to be tied to the branches of a tree, and something called as ‘neeru’ was to be poured on his head. The confidante emphasises on the uproar that this incident caused in that town and equates it to their current situation, saying the slander the man’s actions had aroused was louder than that commotion.  As for us, let’s investigate what this ingredient named as ‘neeru’ could be! Looking at the many meanings, it could first of all, be just water, but I doubt that a water wash is a punishment for anyone other than stubborn toddlers. Next, the word could mean ‘holy ash’. Again, just applying holy ash is not going to make the man repent. And so, the right meaning of the word should be ‘slaked lime’. When I researched about whether there was any recorded mentions of punishments by pouring slaked lime, I learnt that indeed there was, in Ancient Persia, an act that would end up blinding the one who was punished, and is referred by the term ‘Abacination’. Shocking punishment indeed! But goes to show how much importance these ancients endowed on the honour of their women. Quite a shift from that serene scene of the wandering tortoise to the enactment of justice on an erring human!

In this episode, we listen to a unique tale of parting, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 255, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the yearning in a heart, torn apart by the hand of fate. உலகு கிளர்ந்தன்ன உரு கெழு வங்கம்புலவுத் திரைப் பெருங் கடல் நீர் இடைப் போழ,இரவும் எல்லையும் அசைவு இன்று ஆகி,விரை செலல் இயற்கை வங்கூழ் ஆட்ட,கோடு உயர் திணி மணல் அகன் துறை நீகான்மாட ஒள் எரி மருங்கு அறிந்து ஒய்ய,ஆள் வினைப் பிரிந்த காதலர் நாள் பலகழியாமையே, அழி படர் அகல,வருவர்மன்னால் தோழி! தண் பணைப்பொரு புனல் வைப்பின் நம் ஊர் ஆங்கண்,கருவிளை முரணிய தண் புதல் பகன்றைபெரு வளம் மலர அல்லி தீண்டி,பலவுக் காய்ப் புறத்த பசும் பழப் பாகல்கூதள மூதிலைக் கொடி நிரைத் தூங்க,அறன் இன்று அலைக்கும் ஆனா வாடைகடி மனை மாடத்துக் கங்குல் வீச,‘திருந்துஇழை நெகிழ்ந்து பெருங் கவின் சாய,நிரை வளை ஊருந் தோள்’ என,உரையொடு செல்லும் அன்பினர்ப் பெறினே. It’s an oft-repeated trip to the drylands but we perceive nothing familiar in this journey, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, as the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth: “As if the land rises to stand tall, a formidable ship splits the waters of the flesh-reeking huge seas, and be it day or night, finds no rest. As the strong essence of nature nudges it ahead with speed, seeking that wide shore, filled with brimming sands, soaring like a peak, the captain directs the ship knowingly towards the glow of a radiant light on high ground. Upon this ship, the lover parted away on a mission to gain wealth. At this time, in our town with moist fields, watered by flooding streams, caressing the petals of fertile flowers blooming on the blue rattle-pod, amidst the cool and moist bushes, differing in appearance from the blue pea flowers, and shaking the bitter-melon vines, hanging with ripe fruits, appearing akin to a jackfruit, along with the vines of the three-lobed nightshade, having no justice whatsoever, the ceaseless tormenting northern winds then enters our well-guarded mansion in the middle of the night. That lover of mine would return promptly, without wasting too many days, and make this deep suffering end, my friend, if only we were to find a kind person, who would take the message, ‘The well-etched ornaments of your maiden are falling down, as her great beauty fades, and her neat row of bangles are slipping away from her arms'! If only!” Let’s sail along in the sea of separation and learn more! The lady starts by presenting a portrait of a soaring ship, one that’s coasting along the waves of the sea, teeming with life. She then zooms on to the captain of that ship, and the way he’s intently guiding the vessel, nudged by the ever-present winds of nature, to a destination in his mind, a shore filled with sands, soaring high above. The lady talks about how this ship thinks not about taking any rest, be it day or night, and keeps sailing, hoping to catch a glimpse of the light on high, no doubt implying an ancient lighthouse, inviting ships to its harbour. After that vivid account of a ship’s journey, the lady reveals her beloved is on that ship, and he had left in search of wealth.  Leaving the sailing lover on the swaying ship, the lady turns the camera on her surroundings in their fertile farmland town and we catch a glimpse of another unseen essence of nature, the cold, northern winds, entering and touching the core of blue rattle-pod flowers, shaking the vines of bitter melons and nightshades, and finally stepping into the lady’s mansion, in the middle of the night, holding torture tools in its many hands. The lady concludes by declaring her suffering would end and the man would return without much delay if there was some kind person who could take the message to the man that his beloved lady was wasting away, her ornaments falling down, and her bangles slipping away, as she pined for him! Though at the core, it’s the same old theme of wishing for a messenger to convey pain to the faraway beloved, the matchless aspect of this verse is the portrait of a man’s travel by sea to earn wealth. We have seen hundreds of songs on parting, where the man walks on through the dreary drylands, scorching in the sun’s glare, filled with wild animals and inhabited by highway robbers. This is the first and perhaps the only song in Sangam literature that talks about a man’s journey on a ship to gain wealth. This ties so neatly with recent archaeological discoveries about Tamil traders, leaving their imprints in countries, as far away as Egypt. Even though it’s but one, it’s a precious one that portrays the poignant pain of a beloved left at land, yearning for that sailor in the sea! 

In this episode, we listen to the ecstatic words of a person, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 254, penned by Madurai Aruvai Vaanikan Ilavettanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming jasmines of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and sketches the emotions in a homecoming. ‘நரை விராவுற்ற நறு மென் கூந்தற்செம் முது செவிலியர் பல பாராட்ட,பொலன் செய் கிண்கிணி நலம் பெறு சேவடிமணல் மலி முற்றத்து நிலம் வடுக் கொளாஅ,மனை உறை புறவின் செங் காற் சேவல்துணையொடு குறும் பறை பயிற்றி, மேல் செல,விளையாடு ஆயத்து இளையோர்க் காண்தொறும்நம்வயின் நினையும் நல் நுதல் அரிவைபுலம்பொடு வதியும் கலங்கு அஞர் அகல,வேந்து உறு தொழிலொடு வேறு புலத்து அல்கி,வந்து வினை முடித்தனம்ஆயின், நீயும்,பணை நிலை முனைஇய, வினை நவில் புரவிஇழை அணி நெடுந் தேர் ஆழி உறுப்ப,நுண் கொடி மின்னின், பைம் பயிர் துமிய,தளவ முல்லையொடு தலைஇ, தண்ணெனவெறி கமழ் கொண்ட வீ ததை புறவின்நெடி இடை பின் படக் கடவுமதி, என்று யான்சொல்லிய அளவை, நீடாது, வல்லென,தார் மணி மா அறிவுறாஅ,ஊர் நணித் தந்தனை, உவகை யாம் பெறவே! In this trip to the woodlands, we take in familiar scenes that rush past, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer, at a moment when he’s returning home to the lady, after having parted with her to work on a mission: “As many experienced old caretakers, having fragrant, soft tresses, interspersed with greys, pamper, young ones amidst the playmates, wearing golden, tinkling anklets on their beautiful feet, leaving marks on the sand-filled front yard, run around, making the red-legged male pigeon residing at home, and cuddling with its mate, to spread its short wings and flutter away above. Seeing these sights, that young maiden with a fine forehead, would think of me, and be filled with lament. To end her state of suffering, at this time, when my task in this foreign land, taken at the behest of the king, is complete, I asked you to tie the battle-worthy horses, which hate to remain in the stables, to the bejewelled, tall chariot, and rotating its wheels, with the speed of vine-like lightning, chopping shrubs on the path, striding through the fragrant forest, blooming with wild jasmines and pink jasmines, filled with fallen flowers, and leaving that long and winding path behind, and ride on. Even before I finished my words, without waiting, with much speed, making those horses clad in garlands understand, you have brought me so close to the town, making me attain much joy!” Let’s listen to the duet of the man’s heartbeat and the horses’ hoofbeat! The man starts by talking about his lady’s state, and to do that, he paints a picture of many old women, with the stamp of wisdom in the hue of grey on their fragrant tresses, who have the task of taking care of the lady and her playmates. As they pamper, in the front yard, the lady’s many playmates would be running about, making the cuddling pigeons scuttle away, the man imagines. He infers that the lady would be reminded of the man when she sees those pigeons in the air, and as a result, would be filled with much worry. Considering all this, the man wanting to return to her with much speed, now that his mission for the king is all done, had said to his charioteer to rush homeward, with the sturdy horses and decorated chariot, chopping the shrubs on the way, and leaving behind the scene of a forest filled with blooming white and pink jasmines. The man concludes by saying how even before he finished those words, the charioteer understanding his heart and wielding the horses with much skill, had brought the man so close to the lady’s town, and thus made him feel a deep happiness!  In essence, this is appreciation for the work of a subordinate, who has exceeded expectations. A feeling we can relate to, even two thousand years later, when we share a word of praise for a job well done. Indeed, it’s an ecstatic instance, with ripples many, in the life of the giver and the receiver. A verse that seems to nudge us to find ways to express gratitude for the many blessings endowed by the people in our lives!

In this episode, we perceive thoughtful words of consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 253, penned by Nakeerar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse illustrates the fame of a leader in capturing cattle. ”வைகல்தோறும் பசலை பாய, என்மெய்யும் பெரும்பிறிது ஆகின்று, ஒய்யென;அன்னையும் அமரா முகத்தினள்; அலரே,வாடாப் பூவின் கொங்கர் ஓட்டி,நாடு பல தந்த பசும் பூட் பாண்டியன்பொன் மலி நெடு நகர்க் கூடல் ஆடியஇன் இசை ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிதே; ஈங்கு யான்சில நாள் உய்யலென் போன்ம்” எனப் பல நினைந்து,ஆழல் வாழி, தோழி! வடாஅது,ஆர் இருள் நடு நாள் ஏர் ஆ உய்ய,பகை முனை அறுத்துப் பல் இனம் சாஅய்,கணம்சால் கோவலர் நெடு விளிப் பயிர் அறிந்து,இனம் தலைத் தரூஉம் துளங்கு இமில் நல் ஏற்றுத்தழூஉப் பிணர் எருத்தம் தாழப் பூட்டியஅம் தூம்பு அகல் அமைக் கமஞ்செலப் பெய்ததுறு காழ் வல்சியர் தொழு அறை வௌவி,கன்றுடைப் பெரு நிரை மன்று நிறை தரூஉம்நேரா வன் தோள் வடுகர் பெரு மகன்,பேர் இசை எருமை நல் நாட்டு உள்ளதைஅயிரி யாறு இறந்தனர்ஆயினும், மயர் இறந்துஉள்ளுபதில்ல தாமே பணைத் தோள்,குரும்பை மென் முலை, அரும்பிய சுணங்கின்,நுசுப்பு அழித்து ஒலிவரும் தாழ் இருங் கூந்தல்,மாக விசும்பின் திலகமொடு பதித்ததிங்கள் அன்ன நின் திரு முகத்து,ஒண் சூட்டு அவிர் குழை மலைந்த நோக்கே. In this long trip to the drylands, we get to see more of an event rather than the place, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Saying, ‘As pallor spreads day after day, my body seems to be losing its life, little by little; As for mother, she has a troubled look on her face; As for slander, that resounds louder than the sweet-sounding uproar in the streets of ‘Koodal', filled with gold-brimming, tall mansions, when its king Pasumpoon Pandiyan, who had conquered countries many, drove away the Kongars, clad in undying flowers of gold; It appears as if I shan't live for more than a few days!', thinking about too many things, cry not, my friend, may you live long! In the north, capturing cattle in the deep darkness of midnight, ruining battlefronts many and causing groups to decline, the lord of the Vadugars, who has unparalleled, strong shoulders, known by the famous name of ‘Erumai', would drive towards his town centre, sturdy oxen with radiant humps and coarse necks, which knowing the specific loud whistle of their many herders, would round up their herd, and bring them to the barns, built with the beautiful stems of wide bamboos, and filled with copious food, stealing them along with huge herd of cows with calves. In this leader's fine country, flows the ‘Ayiri' river. Even though the man has gone beyond this river, indeed he cannot help but reflect, beyond all his confusion, on your bamboo-like arms, your soft bosoms, akin to palm fruits, dotted with beauty spots, low-hanging, thick, long tresses that make the waist vanish, your exquisite face, akin to the moon, which is a radiant dot on the cloud-filled skies, adorned with shining heavy earrings, and most of all, your attacking eyes!” Time to walk on through the drylands and learn more! The confidante starts by repeating the recent words of the lady, lamenting on her fading beauty, mother’s disturbance, and the slander that’s spreading in town, owing to all this. To describe the slander, a historic incident involving Pasumpoon Pandiyan’s routing of the Kongars and the resulting jubilation that arose in the city of Koodal is brought forth in comparison to the soaring gossip in town. This tells us that the parting between the man and lady had transpired before the man’s wedding to the lady and that’s why the slander has risen, owing to the changes in the young maiden. After repeating the lady’s anxious words, the confidante asks her friend not to cry thinking on these lines. Then the confidante launches into a long description of how a Sangam-era leader of the Vadugars, a chief who goes by the name ‘Erumai’, would capture bulls, cows and calves, stealing them from prosperous barns and bring them to his town centre. The exploits of this chieftain have been outlined to point out a river named ‘Ayiri’ that flows in his domain, and to say the man is presently travelling beyond this river. How does the confidante know of this? Has she put a tracker on the man? Kidding apart, the confidante after presenting the exact location of the man, then tells the lady that it would be impossible for the man to not think of the lady’s many beautiful attributes, and concludes with the confirmation that the man would return soon to the lady’s fold. Another assurance, another consolation, and we journey on, taking in the new sights of kings and captures in that era!

In this episode, we listen to an account of an impossible situation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 252, penned by Nakkannaiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the dark and dangerous ranges of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and etches an exquisite simile to capture an intricate emotion. இடம் படுபு அறியா வலம் படு வேட்டத்துவாள் வரி நடுங்கப் புகல்வந்து, ஆளிஉயர் நுதல் யானைப் புகர் முகத்து ஒற்றி,வெண் கோடு புய்க்கும் தண் கமழ் சோலைப்பெரு வரை அடுக்கத்து ஒரு வேல் ஏந்தி,தனியன் வருதல் அவனும் அஞ்சான்;பனி வார் கண்ணேன் ஆகி, நோய் அட,எமியேன் இருத்தலை யானும் ஆற்றேன்;யாங்குச் செய்வாம்கொல் தோழி! ஈங்கைத்துய் அவிழ் பனி மலர் உதிர வீசித்தொழில் மழை பொழிந்த பானாட் கங்குல்,எறி திரைத் திவலை தூஉம் சிறு கோட்டுப்பெருங் குளம் காவலன் போல,அருங் கடி அன்னையும் துயில் மறந்தனளே? In this little trip to the mountains, we get to meet the wild beasts of the land, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot: “Making a tiger with sword-like stripes, one which knows not to fell its prey on the left and always hunts it down on the right, to quiver, with a desire to kill, a ferocious lion pounces on the spotted face of an elephant with an upraised forehead, and tears apart its white tusks, in the cool and fragrant orchard, amidst the tall mountain ranges. Treading through such a space with a single spear, he comes alone without any fear; With tears pouring down from my eyes, with the affliction of love attacking me, I too cannot bear to be apart from him; What are we to do, my friend? Making the touch-me-not's dew-covered flowers with fuzzy petals to drop down, rain clouds gush and pour in the midnight hour. At this time, when the soaring waves spray and spread their droplets in that huge pond with a weak bank, akin to the one who stands in guard there, mother too has put up a protective watch and has forgotten the meaning of sleep now!” Let’s brave the storm clouds and the roving beasts, and listen to the lady’s heartbeat! The lady starts by introducing a tiger, one which is so flawless in its skill of killing that it never hunts a prey on the left and always finishes it on the right. Apparently, this was a big deal to the ancients, as we have heard this obsession over right-side-killing in more than one song! After presenting a portrait of such a valorous tiger, the lady relates a scene which seems to make even this brave tiger quiver in fear, and that’s the scene of an animal she calls as ‘Aali’ attacking an elephant and tearing out its tusks. This ‘Aali’ is a mythical creature depicted in Hindu temples with the composite parts of many animals. However, in this instance, it’s interpreted as a lion. Though today there are no lions in the state of Tamil Nadu and they are confined to the state of Gujarat, perhaps this was a time when the lions roved freely in the South too.  Returning, the lady has mentioned the attack only to depict the dangerous path the man walks, with only a spear for company, in the dead darkness of the night, without a drop of fear in his heart. As if saying he may not fear for his safety, but she does, the lady talks about how though tears pour down her eyes, she too cannot bear the thought of being apart from him. After relating the state of mind of the man and herself, the lady turns to depict a third person in this scene, and that’s the state of her mother, who keeps a watchful eye on her daughter, much like how a guard would watch an ebbing pond with a thin bank and though it’s the midnight hour, would forget to seek the calming refuge of sleep. The lady concludes by asking her friend what was the man and herself to do in such a difficult situation! In essence, the lady is telling the man that mother was aware that something’s up and so there’s danger of discovery and the only course of action for the man was to seek the lady’s hand in marriage. With that nuanced depiction and comparison with a person who stands guard around a tank with a weak bank on a rainy night, the verse paints the strokes of anxiety and insomnia with expert hands! Timeless emotions have a way of speaking across the ages indeed!

In this episode, we hear words of consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 251, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse relates a significant historic incident involving hostilities between the north and south of ancient India. தூதும் சென்றன; தோளும் செற்றும்;ஓதி ஒண் நுதல் பசலையும் மாயும்;வீங்கு இழை நெகிழச் சாஅய், செல்லலொடுநாம் படர் கூரும் அருந் துயர் கேட்பின்,நந்தன் வெறுக்கை எய்தினும், மற்று அவண்தங்கலர் வாழி, தோழி! வெல் கொடித்துனை கால் அன்ன புனை தேர்க் கோசர்தொல் மூதாலத்து அரும் பணைப் பொதியில்,இன் இசை முரசம் கடிப்பு இகுத்து இரங்க,தெம் முனை சிதைத்த ஞான்றை, மோகூர்பணியாமையின், பகை தலைவந்தமா கெழு தானை வம்ப மோரியர்புனை தேர் நேமி உருளிய குறைத்தஇலங்கு வெள் அருவிய அறை வாய் உம்பர்,மாசு இல் வெண் கோட்டு அண்ணல் யானைவாயுள் தப்பிய, அருங் கேழ் வயப் புலிமா நிலம் நெளியக் குத்தி, புகலொடுகாப்பு இல வைகும் தேக்கு அமல் சோலைநிரம்பா நீள் இடைப் போகி,அரம் போழ் அவ் வளை நிலை நெகிழ்த்தோரே. In this trip to the familiar drylands, we take a detour to observe the path of hostile armies, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Messengers have gone thither; Thinning arms shall recover; Pallor that spreads on the shining forehead, hemmed by tresses, shall disappear; If he hears of the deep sorrow that spreads in you, making you lose your health and causing your thick ornaments to slip away, even if he were to attain the wealth of Nandan, he will not choose to remain there! May you live long, my friend! Wielding wind-like, well-etched chariots, fluttering with victorious flags, the Kosars ruined the battlefields of enemies, as the sweet-sounding drums thundered and roared amidst the common grounds, spreading with the thick branches of the ancient banyan tree. At this time, as Mokoor refused to submit to them, the Mauryas arrived with their huge armies to rout the enmity, and to ensure the wheels of their etched chariots roll on, they carved paths through mountains, flowing with shining, white cascades. Beyond those mountain paths, a strong tiger, with a radiant hue, which had previously escaped the attack of an esteemed elephant with flawless white tusks, is now gored, making the wide land to break apart into pits, and where that elephant, removed from its protective herd, now resides with arrogance, amidst the jungle interspersed with teak trees. Though he has left to these uninhabited long paths, making your beautiful shell bangles, carved by a saw, slip away, he shall stay not there and shall return to you soon!” Time to take a stroll amidst those barren spaces and learn more! The confidante opens the conversation by talking about how their messengers have left to where the man was, and because of that the sad happenings in the lady’s life, such as her thinning arms and spreading pallor, would be reversed. The confidante says this because she’s convinced that once the man hears of the lady’s sorrowful state, even if one were to tempt him with as much wealth as someone then named ‘Nandan’, he would not choose to remain where he was. Then she goes on to describe where the man is at now, and to do that, she talks of how the Mauryas had waged war on the south, and the Kosars had chosen to rise in their support. At this time, the Tamil king of Mokoor refused to accept their subjugation. To quell this dissent, the Mauryas themselves had decided to come south, and to do that, they carved paths through the mountains so that their chariots could roll on unimpeded. Now the confidante connects saying the man walks beyond those carved mountainous paths, and here a tiger is attacked by the sharp tusk of an elephant, which roves alone, without its herd. The confidante concludes with the words that though the man had gone to such far places, making the saw-cut, shell bangles of the lady to slip away, he would not remain there for long, and would be back in the lady’s fold.  The striking thing in this verse is the mention of the conflict between kings in the north and south of India, even in ancient times. Though the details are sketchy and the focus seems to be more on the roads laid by the Mauryas to come south, it does give a hint of the hostilities of the past. Another subtle reference here is to the saw-cut, shell bangles, in a taken for granted away, but this has current-day implications in the excavation of many such bangles from both the Indus Valley sites in Gujarat as well as Sangam era sites such as Vembakottai in Tamil Nadu, revealing the presence of a nuanced industry to produce decorated bangles from conch shells. Yet again, simple words of consolation throw the spotlight on significant events around trade and war in the ancient world!

In this episode, we listen to a pointed question put forth to subtly persuade a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 250, penned by Selloorkizhaar Maganaar Perumboothankotranaar. The verse is situated amidst the swaying seashore trees of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and recollects an incident and presents its consequences. எவன் கொல்? வாழி, தோழி! மயங்கு பிசிர்மல்கு திரை உழந்த ஒல்கு நிலைப் புன்னைவண்டு இமிர் இணர நுண் தாது வரிப்ப,மணம் கமழ் இள மணல் எக்கர்க் காண்வர,கணம் கொள் ஆயமொடு புணர்ந்து விளையாட,கொடுஞ்சி நெடுந் தேர் இளையரொடு நீக்கி,தாரன், கண்ணியன், சேர வந்து, ஒருவன்,வரி மனை புகழ்ந்த கிளவியன், யாவதும்மறு மொழி பெறாஅன் பெயர்ந்தனன்; அதற்கொண்டுஅரும் படர் எவ்வமொடு பெருந் தோள் சாஅய்,அவ் வலைப் பரதவர் கானல் அம் சிறு குடிவெவ் வாய்ப் பெண்டிர் கவ்வையின் கலங்கி,இறை வளை நெகிழ்ந்த நம்மொடுதுறையும் துஞ்சாது, கங்குலானே! In this trip to the shore, we perceive scenes of playful fun and more, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, intending to persuade her to further her relationship with the man: “What could be the reason? Long may you live, my friend! Tormented by the muddled spray of the brimming waves, the swaying Laurelwood tree's bee-buzzing fine pollen scatters down, making the young sand to waft with a fragrance, amidst the picturesque mounds on the shore. Here, when we were playing together with our many mates, asking the helpers on his tall, ornamented chariot to step aside, a man wearing garlands around his neck and head, came close to us, and rendered words praising our lined sand houses. Without receiving words any in response, he parted away from there. From that moment, suffering deeply, which causes thick arms to wane, and troubled by the slander of cruel-mouthed womenfolk in this beautiful, little hamlet of the fisherfolk with exquisite nets, filled with groves by the shore, with bangles slipping away from the forearms, we remain. And so, along with us, the shore too sleeps not, in the middle of the night!” Time to take a walk on that ancient shore and learn more! The confidante starts with a question, pondering on why certain things are happening. Then, she takes us to the seashore and points to how a dancing ‘Punnai tree’, dashed against by the brimming waves, drops its fragrant pollen on the sands, imbuing it with a delicious scent. On such a pretty spread of land, the lady and herself had been playing with many other friends, the confidante recollects. Then she talks about how a man had arrived there, stopped his chariot, asked his helpers to stay a little away, and had come close to them, and praised the sand houses they had been building. Those girls overcome with their sense of shyness, did not reply to him, and he had left quietly, the confidante remembers. Then she talks about how from that moment, there had been significant changes. As we have always seen, the confidante does not separate herself from her friend. So, she says that their arms had been thinning, the womenfolk of the town had been spreading slander, and because of that, their bangles had been slipping away. What the confidante actually means is that these are the changes that are visible in the lady! The confidante concludes by remarking how the shore too does not seem to get a moment of sleep, just like them, even in the dark hour of midnight! That note about the shore sharing the plight of the lady subtly speaks about the sisterhood felt with this element of nature! To us, these words may seem rather cryptic, making us ask, ‘What is the confidante trying to say?’. To understand what she means, we have to know of a protocol that seems to be inherent in these love relationships between the man and the lady. It all starts with the man’s eyes falling on a lady, then he falls in love with her, and wins her affection in return. But the tale does not end there! Apparently, the man has to convince the lady’s confidante about his love for the lady, and if convinced, the confidante will take his message to the lady, and after getting her consent too, will arrange for those trysts, which will deepen the relationship between the man and the lady, and from there, the confidante will go on to nudge the man to marry the lady, as we have seen in songs many. Quite complicated indeed! It makes me smile to think what people in the future will have to say about our so-called ‘simple and seamless’ courting practices of today! Returning to the verse, these words are the confidante’s way of telling the lady, ‘The man seeks your company. I know that you are in love with him too. Shall we take this forward?’. Their innate sense of modesty prevents them from speaking plainly, and that’s the reason for these particular musical words that transport readers across the ages to the past, and spread the delight of the scents and sights of that pristine shore forevermore! 

In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 249, penned by Nakiranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the generosity of a king and the beauty of his domain. அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! பல் நாள்இவ் ஊர் அம்பல் எவனோ? வள் வார்விசி பிணித்து யாத்த அரி கோல் தெண் கிணைஇன் குரல் அகவுநர் இரப்பின், நாடொறும்பொன் கோட்டுச் செறித்து, பொலந்தார் பூட்டி,சாந்தம் புதைத்த ஏந்து துளங்கு எழில் இமில்ஏறு முந்துறுத்து, சால் பதம் குவைஇ,நெடுந் தேர் களிற்றொடு சுரக்கும் கொடும் பூண்பல் வேல் முசுண்டை வேம்பி அன்ன என்நல் எழில் இள நலம் தொலையினும், நல்கார்பல் பூங் கானத்து அல்கு நிழல் அசைஇ,தோகைத் தூவித் தொடைத் தார் மழவர்நாகு ஆ வீழ்த்து, திற்றி தின்றபுலவுக் களம் துழைஇய துகள் வாய்க் கோடைநீள் வரைச் சிலம்பின் இரை வேட்டு எழுந்தவாள் வரி வயப் புலி தீண்டிய விளி செத்து,வேறு வேறு கவலைய ஆறு பரிந்து, அலறி,உழை மான் இன நிரை ஓடும்கழை மாய் பிறங்கல் மலை இறந்தோரே. In this trip to the drylands, we also get to meet a Sangam era king, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the confidante was upset about the lady’s state, at a time when the man continued to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Listen my friend, may you live long! Why has this town been spreading slander for so many days? Carrying ‘Kinai' drums with a clear sound, tied together with a firm leather strap and drumming sticks, when those bards with a sweet voice come seeking, day after day, he would assemble before them, bulls, whose horns are covered in gold dust, and whose sandalwood-streaked, upraised, handsome humps are adorned with golden garlands, and then shower mounds of food. In addition, he would render tall chariots and elephants to those who had come seeking. Such is the nature of the many-speared Musundai, clad in curving ornaments, the ruler of Vembi. Akin to this town of Vembi, was my splendid, young beauty. Even though it's now in ruins, he renders not his grace! Residing in the swaying shade of many-flowered forests, drylands robbers wearing garlands made of peacock feathers, slay a wild cow and feast on it. The open-mouthed summer wind that enters this flesh-reeking arena, then rushes, roaring aloud, making herds of deer scatter upon many different paths, screaming in fear, thinking it's the sound of an attacking strong tiger with radiant stripes that had risen in the tall mountain slopes, seeking a prey. Such are those soaring mountains, shrouded by bamboos, that he has left me and parted away to!” Let’s march on through those scorching spaces and learn more! The lady starts with an exasperated question about why the townsfolk won’t stop spreading slander. Then, she meanders to talk about the generosity of a king named Musundai, who would give bulls, adorned with gold, lots of food, chariots and elephants to sweet-voice bards with resounding ‘Kinai’ drums. She has mentioned this king to turn our attention to the beauty of his capital town of Vembi. The lady now connects her own beauty to that of this town, and says how the man does not seem to have any compassion even when that beauty is turning to ruins. Now, we can understand why the townsfolk are gossiping. It’s an outcome of their observation of the lady’s ruined health in the man’s absence. This is also an indicator that the parting has happened at a time before the man’s marriage with the lady. Returning, the lady then concludes by painting a picture of the place where the man’s at, those wild spaces, where robbers wearing peacock feather garlands eat the meat of a wild cow, and then the summer wind rushes through that space, picking up that reeking smell of flesh, and roars through, which makes deer scatter away thinking it’s a hungry tiger on the prowl. In essence, it’s a complaint by the lady that the man has left her exposed to the harsh eyes of the town and left in search of wealth. At a time when you cannot make a call, send a message, or write a letter to the parted one, it must have been difficult to bear with parting. All that the lovers had then was the thoughts and feelings that arose, across the miles, and it’s this unseen wave of energy that roars like the summer wind, even across the ages from the pages of the past!

In this episode, we listen to the narration of a curious incident involving many layers, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 248, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the bustle of hunting in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and etches a dynamic moment of human-animal interaction. நகை நீ கேளாய் தோழி! அல்கல்வய நாய் எறிந்து, வன் பறழ் தழீஇ,இளையர் எய்துதல் மடக்கி, கிளையொடுநால்முலைப் பிணவல் சொலிய கான் ஒழிந்து,அரும் புழை முடுக்கர் ஆள் குறித்து நின்றதறுகட் பன்றி நோக்கி, கானவன்குறுகினன் தொடுத்த கூர்வாய்ப் பகழிமடை செலல் முன்பின் தன் படை செலச் செல்லாது,‘அரு வழி விலக்கும் எம் பெருவிறல் போன்ம்’ என,எய்யாது பெயரும் குன்ற நாடன்செறி அரில் துடக்கலின், பரீஇப் புரி அவிழ்ந்து,ஏந்து குவவு மொய்ம்பின் பூச் சோர் மாலை,ஏற்று இமிற் கயிற்றின், எழில் வந்து துயல்வர,இல் வந்து நின்றோற் கண்டனள், அன்னை;வல்லே என் முகம் நோக்கி,‘நல்லை மன்!’ என நகூஉப் பெயர்ந்தோளே. Striking scenes await us in this trip to the mountains, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man, who has arrived for his nightly tryst, but making sure he was in earshot: “Listen to this funny thing that happened last night, my friend! Chasing away strong hunting dogs, embracing its piglets, and blocking hunters from nearing, a female boar with four sagging teats then flees into the forest, along with its family. At this time, in the formidable, narrow mountain path, facing the men ahead, a brave male boar stood there. Seeing it, the leader of the hunters came near it, with his sharp-tipped arrow aimed at it. Then saying, ‘It seems to possess a great courage like me, of standing in the path of enemies and blocking them, without running away, even though the army with immense strength has retreated', he left without shooting his arrow in the peaks of our lord of the mountains! Tugged by thick bushes, with knots severed and loosened, upon his upraised, strong shoulders, lay a garland, devoid of flowers, appearing akin to the thick rope around the hump of a bull, swaying with beauty. Seeing him come and stand near our home, mother suddenly turned to look at me, and left from there saying with a sarcastic smile, ‘What a good girl you are!'” Time to start on that hunting expedition in this rugged terrain. The confidante starts by calling her friend’s attention to something that had happened the previous night, something that was tickling her. Without saying what that is, she launches into a description of the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she first presents an image of a female boar protecting its piglets from the advancing hunters and escaping into the forest. Then she turns her attention to the mate, the male boar, which was standing in that mountain path, and with a fierce look, facing the hunters ahead. At this time, the head of the hunters comes close, with an arrow ready to be shot, and says, ‘Here’s a creature that’s just like me, refusing to retreat even when the entire army has’. Then, that hunter seems to have lowered his bow and left without harming the boar. After that intense scene from the man’s mountain country, the confidante talks about the man, and his appearance, as he arrived at their home the previous night. She talks about how his garland was tugged by the bushes in his path, and had lost the flowers, and was rather looking like the rope around a bull’s hump. The confidante concludes by saying that when the man had come in this manner, mother had caught a glimpse of him, and at that moment, she had turned to the confidante and remarked with much sarcasm, ‘Aren’t you an innocent, little girl?’.  An anecdote to tell the listening man that mother had an inkling of the man’s relationship with the lady, and soon, the lady may be placed under guard, and so it was best for him to come seek the lady’s hand in marriage. In that scene of the male boar standing boldly in the path of the menacing hunters, the confidante places a metaphor to show the man that he too must face the lady’s kith and kin with courage and claim the lady’s hand. The thing that moved me the most in this verse was that transformative moment when the hunter sees himself in the boar, telling us that there can be no better mirror to our lives than nature! 

In this episode, we perceive a lady’s anguish, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 247, penned by Madurai Maruthankizhaar Maganaar Perunkannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse relays the dangers of traversing this domain. மண்ணா முத்தம் ஒழுக்கிய வன முலைநல் மாண் ஆகம் புலம்பத் துறந்தோர்அருள் இலர் வாழி, தோழி! பொருள் புரிந்து,இருங் கிளை எண்கின் அழல் வாய் ஏற்றை,கருங் கோட்டு இருப்பை வெண் பூ முனையின்,பெருஞ் செம் புற்றின் இருந் தலை இடக்கும்அரிய கானம் என்னார், பகை படமுனை பாழ்பட்ட ஆங்கண், ஆள் பார்த்துக்கொலை வல் யானை சுரம் கடி கொள்ளும்ஊறு படு கவலைய ஆறு பல நீந்தி,படு முடை நசைஇய பறை நெடுங் கழுத்தின்பாறு கிளை சேக்கும் சேண் சிமைக்கோடு உயர் பிறங்கல் மலை இறந்தோரே. In this trip to the drylands, we take in many sights, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the confidante was upset about the lady’s state, at a time when the man remains parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Making those unwashed pearls drop down on the beautiful bosoms, leaving this fine and noble chest in loneliness, he has parted away. He lacks kindness, my friend! May you live long! In those spaces, a male bear, with a fuming, fire-like mouth, having many kin, after having its fill of the white flowers of the dark-trunked Mahua tree, dislikes any more, and moves to break open the top of a huge termite mound. Not considering that this is a formidable space, which has been ruined in a battle, and where a murderous elephant stands guarding the drylands, looking out for wayfarers, he has crossed these troublesome paths many, where wishing to feed on the reeking flesh, vultures with long necks fly about and return to perch on the branches in the tall peaks of the faraway mountains, and has left thither with a desire for wealth!” Let’s brave the dreariness of this domain and learn more! The lady starts by talking about her tears and she compares these to unwashed pearls. A unique simile indeed! She then talks about how those drops fall down on her bosom and all this is because the man had left her in loneliness and parted away. She declares that the man seems to have no compassion for her. Then she goes on to describe the place he has left to, and brings in the image of a male sloth bear, which after filling its tummy with the white Mahua flowers, did not seem to want anymore of that, and had turned its attention to breaking a termite mound, looking for something else to feed on. Then, she talks about how these spaces are ruined as a result of some battle some time, and it’s wild and isolated, where killer elephants seem to be on the lookout to attack any wandering humans. The final creature the lady zooms on to happens to be a roving vulture with a long neck, characterising it for its desire to feed on flesh. After painting vivid portraits of these rugged beings, the lady concludes by talking about how the man, without worrying that this is such a dangerous place, had left wishing only to embrace wealth!  In the scene of the male bear having had its fill of the Mahua flowers and seeking termite mud, the lady places a metaphor for how the man had feasted on her beauty to his content and now had abandoned her, in his quest of something else. The theme seems to remain the same, ‘He’s gone leaving me in pain’. Wonder if these verses are simply telling us to express our pain to let the rain of calm fall on the dreary drylands of anxiety!

In this episode, we listen to words of refusal, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 246, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the flourishing fields of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and describes a famous battle from this era. பிணர் மோட்டு நந்தின் பேழ் வாய் ஏற்றைகதிர் மூக்கு ஆரல் களவன் ஆக,நெடு நீர்ப் பொய்கைத் துணையொடு புணரும்மலி நீர் அகல் வயல் யாணர் ஊர!போது ஆர் கூந்தல் நீ வெய்யோளொடுதாது ஆர் காஞ்சித் தண் பொழில் அகல் யாறுஆடினை என்ப, நெருநை; அலரேகாய் சின மொய்ம்பின் பெரும் பெயர்க் கரிகால்ஆர்கலி நறவின் வெண்ணிவாயில்,சீர் கெழு மன்னர் மறலிய ஞாட்பின்இமிழ் இசை முரசம் பொரு களத்து ஒழிய,பதினொரு வேளிரொடு வேந்தர் சாய,மொய் வலி அறுத்த ஞான்றை,தொய்யா அழுந்தூர் ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிதே. In this trip to the fields, in addition to taking in sights of the domain, we go on a detour to an ancient battlefield, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he seeks entry into the lady’s house, after having left to be in the company of a courtesan: “The male snail with a split mouth and a coarse-skinned belly, unites with its mate, living in the deep waters of the pond, where the sharp-nosed sand-eel stands as its witness, in the brimming waters of the wide fields in your prosperous town, O lord! They say that yesterday, with the woman you desire, the one having tresses adorned with flowers, you played together in the wide river, by the cool orchards, filled with the pollen of Portia trees. The slander that soars now is louder than the unceasing uproar that arose in Azhunthoor, when King Karikalan of great renown, filled with immense prowess and fury, destroyed the strength of those famous kings – the eleven Velir kings and the other two southern emperors – and made their resounding drums to be lost in the battlefield, when they rose against him with enmity at Venni Vayil, renowned for its festivities and its toddy!” Time to listen to the tale unfolding amidst the plenty! The confidante starts with a description of a male snail uniting with its mate, in the presence of a sand-eel, amidst the overflowing waters of the fields in the lord’s town. Then she reveals how people were talking about the fact that the man had been romping around with a courtesan and playing in the river, by the shade of the Portia trees, the previous day. The confidante concludes by saying that this slander was louder and even more ceaseless than the din that arose in the town of Azhunthoor, when King Karikaalan defeated not one, not two, but eleven Velir Kings and the Chera and Pandya kings as well, when they had risen against him at Venni Vayil. In essence, this is a refusal by the confidante to allow the man to enter the lady’s house, citing his association with a courtesan. A subtle reference to the firm power a Sangam woman seems to have had in such circumstances, of preventing her husband from entering their home, even if he happened to be the wealthy lord of the prosperous town!

In this episode, we perceive a moment of clarity at the end of a dilemma, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 245, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents surprising details about a particular animal in this domain. ‘உயிரினும் சிறந்த ஒண் பொருள் தருமார்நன்று புரி காட்சியர் சென்றனர், அவர்’ எனமனை வலித்து ஒழியும் மதுகையள் ஆதல்நீ நற்கு அறிந்தனைஆயின், நீங்கி,மழை பெயல் மறந்த கழை திரங்கு இயவில்,செல் சாத்து எறியும் பண்பு இல் வாழ்க்கைவல் வில் இளையர் தலைவர், எல் உற,வரி கிளர் பணைத் தோள், வயிறு அணி திதலை,அரியலாட்டியர் அல்கு மனை வரைப்பில்,மகிழ் நொடை பெறாஅராகி, நனை கவுள்கான யானை வெண் கோடு சுட்டி,மன்று ஓடு புதல்வன் புன் தலை நீவும்அரு முனைப் பாக்கத்து அல்கி, வைகுற,நிழல் படக் கவின்ற நீள்அரை இலவத்துஅழல் அகைந்தன்ன அலங்குசினை ஒண் பூக்குழல் இசைத் தும்பி ஆர்க்கும் ஆங்கண்,குறும் பொறை உணங்கும் ததர் வெள் என்புகடுங் கால் ஒட்டகத்து அல்கு பசி தீர்க்கும்கல் நெடுங் கவலைய கானம் நீந்தி,அம் மா அரிவை ஒழிய,சென்மோ நெஞ்சம்! வாரலென் யானே. In this trip to this harsh domain, we get to glimpse at many unique sights, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart: “If you know very well that she has the strength to say, ‘Wishing to bring back that radiant thing, which has more worth than life, having the wisdom to do the right things, he has left', and remain at home, then, parting away, you may go, O heart, to those spaces, which the rains have forsaken and where dried bamboos abound. And here, attacking merchants, who tread these paths, those men with sturdy bows live a life lacking culture. When night falls, their leader reaches the gates of homes, which belong to maiden, with thick bamboo-like arms having radiant lines, and bellies with beauty spots many, who sell filtered toddy. Not finding that drink of ecstasy, he would return home, and pointing to the white tusk, which had come from a wild elephant with moistened cheeks, he would caress the coarse-haired head of his son, playing around the house. In such a wild community, stay the night, and leave by morning, to those places, where upon the swaying branches of the silk-cotton tree, with a thick trunk, one which renders an exquisite shade, radiant flowers bloom, akin to flames fluttering, and bees buzz around like flutes. Nearby upon a short boulder, lies drying white bones, which satisfies the deep hunger of camels with fast legs. Traversing these stony, long paths in the scrub jungle, leaving that beautiful, dark-skinned maiden here, you may go, O heart! I shan't come!” Let’s walk on and explore those barren spaces! The man starts with an ‘if clause’ to his heart. He tells his heart, ‘If you know one thing for sure, you may leave, and that is if you know the lady has the ability to remain at home and understand the logic and importance of the journey to be taken in search of wealth’. Then, he launches into a description of the place where he is asking his heart to leave, and to do that, he focuses on the denizens of the said place. First, we catch a glimpse of merchants walking here and then robbers attacking them. The man decides to zoom on the leader of this rowdy gang and follows him as he walks in the late evening hour, towards the home of toddy sellers, who happen to be women with bamboo-like arms and beautiful bellies. Here’s a subtle indicator that women had a hand in handling trade in those times.  Returning, we learn that all that toddy is sold out and the man returns home, and he points to the white tusk, which he had taken for the barter, which had come from an elephant in musth, and caresses the head of his young son, as a way of inspiring the lad to aim for great things in life, like hunting down an elephant. Leaving aside the animal rights implications, let’s just appreciate this moment of bonding between a robber father and his son. The man had been telling this story only to predict that the heart would end up staying in such a community, and then in the morning, it would leave to a place, where silk-cotton trees were in full bloom, and their flowers would appear like spots of flames atop the branches. When we are delighting, ‘Oh! What a pretty sight!’, the man turns our attention to some white bones lying scattered on nearby rocks. Remember how some merchants got attacked in the beginning of this tale? Perhaps all the scavengers have had their fill and only the drying, white bones of those dead merchants are left. Now the man talks about something fascinating. He says a camel would come that way and feed on those bones to allay its burning hunger. Here lies not one but two things that stunned me no end! My first question was, ‘What is a camel doing in South India?’. Next question, okay maybe there’s some reason that there are camels, but aren’t they herbivores and why is this verse saying they are eating bones? Surely the Sangam folk must have got their animals mixed up! Turns out they have not! Though it’s true that camels are not native to Tamil land, it shows evidence of trade with other regions, and it seems like a sound idea of those merchants to bring this animal with steady legs for their journeys through the drylands. Next, coming to the bones, I learnt that camels do eat bones and assorted other things like leather and skin, whenever their calcium and phosphorus levels dip down. Apparently, it’s a phenomenon called ‘osteophagia’. As it is these animals are wandering about desert landscapes and guess it makes sense that these animals have to make do with what they get and not be strict about their vegan diets!  Back from our consorting with camels, we see that the man has been talking to his heart, asking it to leave to such arid landscapes, leaving the lady, and concluding that he was not planning on accompanying his heart. In essence, a clear decision in favour of staying at home, against the nudge of his heart, which was pushing him to part with the lady. This is yet another case of the man separating his heart from himself! What is the heart if not a part in the man’s mind, which was provoking him to choose a different path? This demarcation of the man and his heart in two thousand year old poem makes me connect the same principle to modern psychological techniques like ‘Internal Family Systems’, which ask the ‘Self’ in the mind to separate from the emotional parts to truly understand what’s going on in the psyche! A valuable lesson in dealing with dilemmas, as sensed intuitively by our ancestors with their deep understanding of the human mind!  

In this episode, we listen to an excited request, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 244, penned by Madurai Mallanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and portrays the pleasantness of the rainy season. ”’பசை படு பச்சை நெய் தோய்த்தன்னசேய் உயர் சினைய மாச் சிறைப் பறவைபகல் உறை முது மரம் புலம்பப் போகி,முகை வாய் திறந்த நகை வாய் முல்லைகடிமகள் கதுப்பின் நாறி, கொடிமிசைவண்டினம் தவிர்க்கும் தண் பதக் காலைவரினும், வாரார்ஆயினும், ஆண்டு அவர்க்குஇனிதுகொல், வாழி தோழி?” என, தன்பல் இதழ் மழைக் கண் நல்லகம் சிவப்ப,அருந் துயர் உடையள் இவள்’ என விரும்பிப்பாணன் வந்தனன், தூதே; நீயும்புல் ஆர் புரவி, வல் விரைந்து, பூட்டி,நெடுந் தேர் ஊர்மதி, வலவ!முடிந்தன்று அம்ம, நாம் முன்னிய வினையே! In this trip to the woodlands, we take in picturesque sights, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer: “A bat, having dark wings, which appear as if dipped in thick, fresh ghee, rises from the topmost branch of an ancient tree, and leaving it in loneliness, flies away, in this moist and cool time, when wild jasmine bushes have opened their buds and appear, akin to smiling teeth, having the fragrance of a new bride, as it prevents buzzing bees atop vines from fluttering away. Saying, ‘At this time, I wonder if he will return or if he won't! Maybe only the yonder place he's at is pleasant to him!', as her many-petalled, rain-like eyes reddened her fine bosoms, she suffers deep sorrow. Thus said the messenger-bard who had come with intent.  So, yoke the fine horses, which are grazing on grass, with much haste, and speed on the tall chariot, O charioteer, for the task we had set out to do is all done!” Time to listen to the twin beats of the hooves and the hearts! The man starts by describing the wings of a bat and mentioning how it appears as if dipped in ghee. When I took a look at an image of the bat’s wings and read about how it’s criss-crossed with many blood vessels, the simile made perfect sense. The said bat leaves its perch on a tall, ancient tree, and flies away, leaving the tree to lament in loneliness, the man says. Then he moves on to the wild jasmines that have bloomed on the bushes and compares it to two different elements, the sight of these white buds to smiling teeth and the scent of the same to the tresses of a new bride. All this he mentions only to say, it’s the cool and moist time of rains. Now he repeats the words of the lady as conveyed to him by a messenger bard. The lady seemed to be wondering whether the man would return or not, and feeling dejected and tearful about the fact that he seemed to prefer the place he’s at to his home. So, nudged by the bard’s message, the man wishes to propel his charioteer into action and concludes by asking the worthy helper to yoke the grazing horses and speed on the chariot homeward, for the work they had come to do, was done. The image of the bat leaving the tree alone is a subtext for the lady’s loneliness in the man’s absence. In these few words, we can observe the signs of the changing season, and catch the pulse of the man as he yearns to be back with his beloved. The thing that struck me in this verse is the reimagining of a bird’s wings and a bush’s blossoms by this Sangam poet, something which speaks to us of their enviable skills of observation and connection!

In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 243, penned by Kodiyoor Kizhaar Maganaar Neythal Thathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the attitude of the northern wind. அவரை ஆய் மலர் உதிர, துவரினவாங்கு துளைத் துகிரின் ஈங்கை பூப்ப,இறங்கு போது அவிழ்ந்த ஈர்ம் புதல் பகன்றைக்கறங்கு நுண் துவலையின் ஊருழை அணிய,பெயல் நீர் புது வரல் தவிர, சினை நேர்புபீள் விரிந்து இறைஞ்சிய பிறங்கு கதிர்க் கழனிநெல் ஒலி பாசவல் துழைஇ, கல்லெனக்கடிது வந்து இறுத்த கண் இல் வாடை!‘நெடிது வந்தனை’ என நில்லாது ஏங்கிப்பல புலந்து உறையும் துணை இல் வாழ்க்கைநம்வலத்து அன்மை கூறி, அவர் நிலைஅறியுநம் ஆயின், நன்றுமன் தில்ல;பனி வார் கண்ணேம் ஆகி, இனி அதுநமக்கே எவ்வம் ஆகின்று;அனைத்தால் தோழி! நம் தொல் வினைப் பயனே! In this trip to the drylands, we get to see more of an aspect of weather rather than the region, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, as the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Exquisite flowers of the bean drop down, coral-like touch-me-not flowers with curving, red holes blossom, and the rattlepod flowers bloom on moist bushes during sun down, in the fine drizzle, and adorn the town entire. At this time when new rains pour no more, branched stalks sprouting out of seeds, now bend and sway in the paddy fields. Entering these fields, with a resounding roar, it then comes and swirls around me, this unseeing northern wind! If at all the northern wind would go to him, learn of his state, and say, ‘You have come afar', and then speak of my state, that of living without my mate, with ceaseless yearning, filled with sorrow and suffering, that would be good. However, as I stand here with tear-filled eyes, all the wind wants to do is bring torment to me! And so it is, my friend, owing to nothing but the fruit of my past deeds!” Let’s follow in the trail of the northern winds in this verse! The lady starts by listing all the flowers that have been blooming, much to the beauty of the town, and she mentions the bean flowers, the red touch-me-not flowers as well as the rattle-pod flowers. She talks about how there’s only a slight drizzle and no heavy rains seem to be pouring, indicating it’s the beginning of the cold season after the rains, a time long after the promised season of return. Then she moves on to characterise the northern winds, as it comes rushing through the paddy fields and envelopes her. She wishes the winds would go to the man, tell him that he has come too far, and talk about how the lady was languishing without his presence. But the northern wind seemed to have no mind to do any such thing and wants only to torture her, the lady says, and concludes by declaring with a helpless sigh that all this must be because she had done something wrong in the past. Herein, lies a subtle reference to the Indian concept of ‘Karma’, of attributing the misfortune of the present to some action in the past. Hope the good the lady has done brings back the man to her soon, so that they both can delight together in the blooming buds and the blowing breeze!

In this episode, we perceive an intention to change another’s course of action, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 242, penned by Peri Saathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming Kino trees of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and reveals the circumstances that necessitate a religious ritual. அரும்பு முதிர் வேங்கை அலங்கல் மென் சினைச்சுரும்பு வாய் திறந்த பொன் புரை நுண் தாதுமணி மருள் கலவத்து உறைப்ப, அணி மிக்குஅவிர் பொறி மஞ்ஞை ஆடும் சோலை,பைந் தாட் செந் தினைக் கொடுங் குரல் வியன் புனம்,செந் தார் கிள்ளை நம்மொடு கடிந்தோன்பண்பு தர வந்தமை அறியாள், ‘நுண் கேழ்முறி புரை எழில் நலத்து என் மகள் துயர் மருங்குஅறிதல் வேண்டும்’ என, பல் பிரப்பு இரீஇ,அறியா வேலற் தரீஇ, அன்னைவெறி அயர் வியன் களம் பொலிய ஏத்தி,மறி உயிர் வழங்கா அளவை, சென்று யாம்,செல வரத் துணிந்த, சேண் விளங்கு, எல் வளைநெகிழ்ந்த முன் கை, நேர் இறைப் பணைத் தோள்,நல் எழில் அழிவின் தொல் கவின் பெறீஇய,முகிழ்த்து வரல் இள முலை மூழ்க, பல் ஊழ்முயங்கல் இயைவதுமன்னோ தோழி!நறை கால்யாத்த நளிர் முகைச் சிலம்பில்பெரு மலை விடரகம் நீடிய சிறியிலைச்சாந்த மென் சினை தீண்டி, மேலதுபிரசம் தூங்கும் சேண் சிமைவரையக வெற்பன் மணந்த மார்பே! Plenty of picturesque sights in this trip to the mountains, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man, listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot: “From the swaying, slender branch of the Kino tree, with blooming buds, opened by the buzzing mouths of bees, fine, golden pollen drops down on the sapphire-hued feathers, and so adorned, with dark spots, dances the peacock in the grove, near the wide fields, where amidst the green-stemmed, thick stalks of the red millet, along with us, he chased away parrots with red necks. Not knowing it's his relationship that has rendered this to you, mother was saying, ‘I have to find the reason for the sorrow that soars in my daughter, who has the exquisite beauty of tender mango sprouts, and a fine complexion'. She plans to spread many different offerings, and summoning clueless Velan, wants to perform the ‘Veri' ritual in the wide area, intending to sacrifice a lamb. Before such things happen, why don't we dare to leave to that faraway place, to attain the exquisite, old beauty of your bamboo-like arms, from which, shining bangles are now slipping away. My friend, this can be done by immersing your budding young bosoms, and embracing over and over again, the fragrant chest of the lord of the mountains, whose faraway peaks brim with nectar, and in whose caves, near the huge mountain slopes, caressing the gentle branch of the small-leaved sandalwood tree nearby, hangs a comb of honey!” Time to start on that mountain trek, savouring the sights and scents of the region! The confidante starts by pointing to a Kino tree, with bright yellow flowers, and specifically to how the golden pollen from the flowers is dropping on the sapphire-like feathers of a peacock, which is dancing with delight, in the grove. Then she moves on to the millet fields near that grove, where the man had come to help the lady chase away parrots, characterised by a red garland, no doubt referring to the Indian ring-neck parakeets. After introducing the stage where the man came into the lady’s life, the confidante turns to talk about the activities of the lady’s mother. This poor woman, did not know the lady’s affliction was because of her relationship with the man, in the sense the lady was in ecstasy, when trysting with the man and was wallowing, when away from him. So, mother wants to find out the reason and her means of doing so was to summon Velan, the priest, who, according the confidante, in the manner of a famous webseries character, ‘knows nothing’! Velan would be summoned to perform the ‘Veri’ ritual by spreading many offerings and seeking God Murugu’s help in solving the lady’s sorrow. The confidante tells the lady before mother gets ahead with the plan and gets to sacrificing a poor lamb, the lady must to do something about those bangles slipping away from her arms. The confidante concludes by advising the lady to take the bold step to go to where the man lives, to his tall mountains, where honey combs brush against sandalwood trees, and embrace him over and over again! The confidante implies that the man was the sole reason for the lady’s state, and through these pointed words, nudges the man to protect the lady’s honour by seeking her hand in marriage. In the scene of the golden pollen dropping down on the blue feathers of the peacock and making it dance with delight, the confidante places a metaphor for how only the constant grace of the man towards the lady would bring lasting joy to her. Amidst scenes of nature and culture, we get to delight with all our senses, the immense and immeasurable beauty of the mountains! 

In this episode, we perceive a lady’s angst, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 241, penned by Kaavanmullai Poothanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches this difficult terrain in much detail. ‘துனி இன்று இயைந்த துவரா நட்பின்இனியர் அம்ம, அவர்’ என முனியாதுநல்குவர் நல்ல கூறினும், அல்கலும்,பிரியாக் காதலொடு உழையர் ஆகியநமர்மன் வாழி, தோழி! உயர்மிசைமூங்கில் இள முளை திரங்க, காம்பின்கழை நரல் வியல் அகம் வெம்ப, மழை மறந்துஅருவி ஆன்ற வெருவரு நனந்தலை,பேஎய் வெண் தேர் பெயல் செத்து ஓடி,தாஅம் பட்ட தனி முதிர் பெருங் கலைபுலம் பெயர்ந்து உறைதல் செல்லாது, அலங்குதலைவிருந்தின் வெங் காட்டு வருந்தி வைகும்அத்த நெல்லித் தீஞ் சுவைத் திரள் காய்வட்டக் கழங்கின் தாஅய், துய்த் தலைச்செம் முக மந்தி ஆடும்நல் மர மருங்கின் மலை இறந்தோரே! In this trip to the drylands, there’s much to be seen, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth: “You say, ‘That lover of yours is a kind person, having not even a dot of dislike and possessing a deep, undying love', and speaking many such good words, you promise that he would render his grace. Yet, the one who used to be together with me, with a love that never wants to part away, is elsewhere, my friend, may you live long! Atop the hills, where tender sprouts of the bamboo shrivel, and those wide spaces, which resound with the swaying of bamboo stalks, swelter. In those barren spaces, which the rains have forgotten and cascades have abandoned, an old, huge stag, with much thirst, rushes towards a mirage, thinking it's the rain flowing, then disappointed, does not leave that place and move elsewhere, but sits there with sorrow in that scorching scrub jungle, where the mirage extends on, and here, taking a thick cluster of seeds from the sweet gooseberry that blooms in the drylands, and treating them like circular beans used as dice, the soft-headed red-faced monkey plays on, amidst the fine trees, which grow on the sides of the highlands, and it is to such a place that he has parted away to!” Let’s visit this challenging landscape and learn more! The lady starts by repeating the confidante’s words. Apparently, the friend had been cheering up the lady talking about the man’s deep love for her. The lady then talks about how the words are so sweet and kind, but she’s unable to accept that, as the man, who has always together with her, was now faraway. She then goes to talk about that place where the man’s at, in graphic detail. She points to the withering bamboo sprouts, the sweltering rocks of this region, and mentions the rains have deserted the place for long, making the land forget the meaning of a cascade. From these elements of land, she turns to the actions of elements of nature, and points to a stag, rushing towards something, only to find it’s nothing but a mirage, and having its thirst unquenched, helpless it sits there, not knowing where to go, and meanwhile, in the hills nearby, monkeys seem to pick seeds of sweet gooseberries, and play with them, as if they were mollucca beans used by humans as dice. The lady concludes by saying that’s how far the man had gone, implying it was impossible for her to accept her confidante’s consoling words about the man. The curious element here is how vividly the lady is able to see the place that she has never been to! This is poetic license, of course, but even there, there’s a grain of truth, echoing the inexplicable connectedness in the shared consciousness of those in love!