Podcasts about Sangam

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 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 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 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 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 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 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!

Title of this lecture (speech): "कबीर है बुद्ध और मीरा का संगम (Kabir is a merging of Buddha and Meera)". Speaker: OSHO—a renowned Indian philosopher, writer, and teacher (Guru) who aimed

In this episode, we listen to words of assurance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 237, penned by Thaayankannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse describes the wealth and prosperity of a Sangam era town. புன் காற் பாதிரி அரி நிறத் திரள் வீநுண் கொடி அதிரலொடு நுணங்கு அறல் வரிப்ப,அரவு எயிற்று அன்ன அரும்பு முதிர் குரவின்தேன் இமிர் நறுஞ் சினைத் தென்றல் போழ,குயில் குரல் கற்ற வேனிலும் துயில் துறந்துஇன்னா கழியும் கங்குல்’ என்று நின்நல் மா மேனி அணி நலம் புலம்ப,இனைதல் ஆன்றிசின் ஆயிழை! கனைதிறல்செந் தீ அணங்கிய செழு நிணக் கொழுங் குறைமென் தினைப் புன்கம் உதிர்த்த மண்டையொடு,இருங் கதிர் அலமரும் கழனிக் கரும்பின்விளை கழை பிழிந்த அம் தீம் சேற்றொடு,பால் பெய் செந்நெற் பாசவல் பகுக்கும்புனல் பொரு புதவின், உறந்தை எய்தினும்,வினை பொருளாகத் தவிரலர் கடை சிவந்துஐய அமர்த்த உண்கண் நின்வை ஏர் வால் எயிறு ஊறிய நீரே. It’s more about the weather and less about the place in this trip to the drylands, 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, ‘Thin-stalked, lined trumpet flowers in bright hues, along with wild jasmine flowers, blooming on tender vines, drop down on the fine sand, drawing floral patterns. The gentle breeze cuts across the bee-buzzing, fragrant branch of the bottle flower tree, with buds akin to a snake's teeth. Such is this time of spring that rings with the sound of cuckoos' voices. At this time, sleepless, my nights fade away with suffering', making your fine, dark skin's exquisite beauty languish, worry not, O maiden wearing well-etched ornaments! Thick and fatty pieces of flesh, roasted in dense red flames, are placed together with tender millet rice in a curving bowl. Then, the juice extracted from the sweet slush of fine sugarcane stalks, which have bloomed in the fertile fields, with tall stalks of paddy, is mixed with milk, and fused with flattened, red rice. These are offered to those who come to Uranthai, where brimming river floods dash against the dam gates. Even if he were to attain this Uranthai, just for the sake of gaining wealth, he shall never give up savouring the nectar that springs up, amidst your sharp and white teeth, O maiden with beautiful, well-set, kohl-streaked eyes, with reddened edges!” Time to inhale the essence of spring and learn more! The confidante starts by repeating the lamenting words of the lady. The lady had been looking at the blooming trumpet and wild jasmine flowers that seem to be decorating the land beneath with floral designs. Then she feels the breeze dashing across a branch of the bottle-flower tree and hears the cuckoo’s call. All natural events for it’s the time of spring, but instead of bringing joy, it leaves me sleepless and brings me great suffering, the lady had said to the confidante. To this, the confidante asks the lady to let go of her angst. Then she launches into a description of a famous town in the Sangam era, known as Uranthai. To talk about its significance, she turns to the food that’s offered in this town, to those who arrive there. It’s a delicious combination of well-cooked, fatty pieces of meat, with millet rice on the savoury side, and to satisfy the sweet tooth, it was a dessert of flattened red rice and milk fused with sugarcane juice. If such food of plenty is to be found then water must be abundant and indeed, the rivers perennially keep dashing against the dam gates, brimming over, the confidante paints a picture. She has mentioned Uranthai only to say to the lady that the man wouldn’t dream of giving up the taste of the nectar that pools amidst the lady’s sharp teeth, in short, a taste of the lady’s kiss, even if he were to attain this prosperous city as his own. Yet again, it’s a message of ‘Not even for that, not even for this, will he forget you’. However, in the expanse of this verse, we received the double bonanza of delighting in the scents and sounds of spring as well as tasting the culinary delights of a town from the pages of the past!

In this episode, we listen to an intricate explanation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 236, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the flourishing paddy stalks of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and refers to a renowned story of loss from those times. மணி மருள் மலர முள்ளி அமன்ற,துணி நீர் இலஞ்சிக் கொண்ட பெரு மீன்அரி நிறக் கொழுங் குறை வௌவினர் மாந்திவெண்ணெல் அரிநர் பெயர்நிலைப் பின்றை,இடை நிலம் நெரிதரு நெடுங் கதிர்ப் பல் சூட்டுப்பனி படு சாய்ப் புறம் பரிப்ப, கழனிக்கருங் கோட்டு மாஅத்து அலங்கு சினைப் புதுப் பூமயங்கு மழைத் துவலையின் தாஅம் ஊரன்காமம் பெருமை அறியேன், நன்றும்உய்ந்தனென் வாழி, தோழி! அல்கல்அணி கிளர் சாந்தின் அம் பட்டு இமைப்ப,கொடுங் குழை மகளிரின் ஒடுங்கிய இருக்கைஅறியாமையின் அழிந்த நெஞ்சின்,‘ஏற்று இயல் எழில் நடைப் பொலிந்த மொய்ம்பின்,தோட்டு இருஞ் சுரியல் மணந்த பித்தை,ஆட்டன் அத்தியைக் காணீரோ?’ எனநாட்டின் நாட்டின், ஊரின் ஊரின்,‘கடல் கொண்டன்று’ என, ‘புனல் ஒளித்தன்று’ என,கலுழ்ந்த கண்ணள், காதலற் கெடுத்தஆதிமந்தி போல,ஏதம் சொல்லி, பேது பெரிது உறலே. In this trip to this tricky domain, we get to see the usual scenes of plenty, as we hear the lady say these words to her confidante, at a time when the lady had permitted the man back to her house, after his time away with courtesans: “Having sapphire-like flowers, the water-thorn flourishes near ponds with crystal clear water. Gathering huge fish from here, harvesters of white paddy cook those striped, fleshy pieces and eat them with relish. Later, they cut tall paddy stalks and heap the stacks so densely that the land in between is invisible to the eyes, hiding the dew-covered low ground beneath in those fields, where the new flowers of a black-trunked mango tree's swaying branch, drop down and scatter, appearing like the rain's drizzle, in the town of the lord! For a while, I did not get to appreciate the greatness of his love. But I had a narrow escape, long may you live, my friend! In the manner of maiden, adorned with curving heavy earrings, those who wear exquisite, radiant sandalwood and gleaming pretty silk, with a subdued, humble stance, he had come in the middle of the night and my heart fell for him, owing to my naivety. And that's why, akin to Aathi Manthi, the one who had lost her beloved, and who went around asking in country upon country, town upon town, ‘Has anyone seen the one, who has a bull's fine gait and radiant shoulders, a fragrant head full of dense, black curls, known by the name ‘Aattan Aththi'?', as she wondered endlessly ‘Has the ocean snatched him?' or ‘Has the river hid him?', I did not have to lament and suffer with great confusion!” Time to sit back and listen to the love quarrels of this domain! The lady starts by describing the man’s land, and to do that, she brings forth the image of lush ponds, surrounded by water-thorn plants with deep blue flowers. From these ponds, harvesters catch hold of fatty fish, cook and relish them, the lady continues, and talks about how energised, those harvesters come over to the fields and do their hard work of cutting the paddy stalks and heaping the stacks. So fertile is this land that you can’t even glimpse a bit of the ground between these stacks, the lady paints, and then mentions how the blooming mango tree, on the side of the fields, showers down its flowers, confusing those around with the sensation of a drizzle. Such is the beauty and fertility of the man’s town, the lady completes. Then she goes on to talk about how one night the man had come to her in a such a humbled, subdued way that he almost appeared to her like a maiden clad in silk and adorned with sandalwood. Seeing his pleading stance, she had accepted him back, the lady says. She concludes by telling her friend that’s how she had a narrow escape from the state of Aathi Manthi, who had roamed high and low, searching for her lost husband, the handsome Aattan Aththi, wondering whether the sea had swallowed him or the river had buried him.  Most probably the confidante has asked a simple question, ‘How come you have accepted the man back?’, to which the lady has rendered this explanation of how her ignorance and compassion let her take the man back, and thus prevented her from going about searching for him, wondering where he was! It could also be a sarcastic take on the man’s meandering ways! While such tussles will come and go in the life of these townsfolk, what’s interesting here is how the story of Aathi Manthi keeps coming back to us, over and over again. She must have made a huge impression on the minds of Sangam poets, if such a person truly lived. In many ways, she seems to be the inspiration for the stellar character of ‘Kannagi’ in the Post-Sangam era epic ‘Silapathikaaram’, standing as the epitome of devotion to one’s partner!

In this episode, we listen to a passionate request put forth, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 234, penned by Peyanaar. The verse is situated amidst the buzzing bees of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and sketches the speed of an envisioned journey. கார் பயம் பொழிந்த நீர் திகழ் காலை,நுண் அயிர் பரந்த தண் அய மருங்கின்,நிரை பறை அன்னத்து அன்ன, விரை பரிப்புல் உளைக் கலிமா மெல்லிதின் கொளீஇய,வள்பு ஒருங்கு அமையப் பற்றி, முள்கியபல் கதிர் ஆழி மெல் வழி அறுப்ப,கால் என மருள, ஏறி, நூல் இயல்கண் நோக்கு ஒழிக்கும் பண் அமை நெடுந் தேர்வல் விரைந்து ஊர்மதி நல் வலம் பெறுந!ததர் தழை முனைஇய தெறி நடை மடப் பிணைஏறு புணர் உவகைய ஊறு இல உகள,அம் சிறை வண்டின் மென் பறைத் தொழுதிமுல்லை நறு மலர்த் தாது நயந்து ஊத,எல்லை போகிய புல்லென் மாலை,புறவு அடைந்திருந்த உறைவு இன் நல் ஊர்,கழி படர் உழந்த பனி வார் உண்கண்நல் நிறம் பரந்த பசலையள்மின் நேர் ஓதிப் பின்னுப் பிணி விடவே. In this trip to the forests, we get a tour of a transport, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer, when he has completed his mission and intends to return home: “At this time, when rains have poured productively and made the land flourish with water, as fine silt spreads around cool lakes, akin to geese that fly in a neat row, wield your speeding horses with sparse manes. Holding on firmly to their reins tied so gently, pressing down the many-spoked wheels, which cut across soft paths, making one confused if it's the wind, climb on to the tall chariot, which is built according to the right rules, and which moves with such speed that it escapes the eyes, hasten and ride on, O victorious charioteer! A naive female deer with a leaping trot, having had its fill of leaves, disliking any more, turns to unite with its mate and frolics without interruption, and a swarm of bees, with exquisite, soft wings, buzz around the fragrant flowers of the wild jasmine, scattering their fine pollen, in this evening hour, when the day has ended. Now, in the delightful village, so pleasant to stay amidst the forests, she would be with suffering soaring in her tear-brimming, kohl-streaked eyes, and her fine form coated with pallor. Ride on, O charioteer, so that the lightning-like tresses of my maiden will be rid of their tangles many!” Let’s fly on and hear the man’s heartbeat amidst the hoof-beat! The man starts by talking about the time of the year, and to portray it, he mentions how the rains have poured and filled the land with much water and fertility. This is a subtle note to say that the rainy season, which is usually the promised season of return, had arrived. Now he compares his horses to geese, most probably the bar-headed geese that fly in a synchronised motion, high up in the skies, and asks his charioteer to hold on to their reins and direct them, as he sits on their well-etched chariot, which the man claims has been made to perfection. The man insists that the way the charioteer rides should confuse people if it’s just a chariot or the wind, so fast and steady must its motion be that it escapes even the eyes. The man’s thoughts then turn to the lady’s fine village in the forest, in the evening hour, when deers would be uniting with joy and bees would be delighting in the wild jasmine blooms. While there’s so much joy and beauty around, the man says the lady will be standing with tears brimming over in her eyes, and her form covered in pallor, pining for him. The man concludes by urging his charioteer to hurry on, so that his beloved’s hair would be rid of all those knots and tangles!  What has the man’s return got to do with the lady’s tresses? To understand its meaning, we have to know of the tradition of Sangam maiden not adorning their tresses, not even combing them, when their man is away! No doubt those thick tresses would end up matted after such a long absence! But the moment the lady learns of the man’s homecoming, she would groom her hair and bloom again like those wild jasmines, the man predicts. Glad the women of now have come a long way from such ancient traditions, and have uncoupled the act of taking care of their appearance and well-being, from the distance to their beloved! 

In this episode, we perceive the promise of a return, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 233, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse mentions an act of ritual offering by a famous Sangam era king. அலமரல் மழைக் கண் மல்கு பனி வார, நின்அலர் முலை நனைய, அழாஅல் தோழி!எரி கவர்பு உண்ட கரி புறப் பெரு நிலம்பீடு கெழு மருங்கின் ஓடு மழை துறந்தென,ஊன் இல் யானை உயங்கும் வேனில்,மறப் படைக் குதிரை, மாறா மைந்தின்,துறக்கம் எய்திய தொய்யா நல் இசைமுதியர்ப் பேணிய உதியஞ் சேரல்பெருஞ் சோறு கொடுத்த ஞான்றை, இரும் பல்கூளிச் சுற்றம் குழீஇ இருந்தாங்கு,குறியவும் நெடியவும் குன்று தலைமணந்தசுரன் இறந்து அகன்றனர்ஆயினும், மிக நனிமடங்கா உள்ளமொடு மதி மயக்குறாஅ,பொருள்வயின் நீடலோஇலர் நின்இருள் ஐங் கூந்தல் இன் துயில் மறந்தே. In this trip to the drylands, we get to see much of this harsh domain, 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: “With your bewildered, rain-like eyes, brimming over with tears, and moistening your blossomed breasts, cry not, my friend! Feasted upon by flames, with a black surface, extends the huge land, which rain clouds have abandoned, scuttling away to other proud and fertile regions. Here, flesh-less elephants rove about in the heat of summer. Such are the drylands. King Uthiyan Cheral, had spread out great offerings of rice, celebrating his ancestors, who had commanded over a courageous army of horses, who had lived with an undying fame and an unswerving strength, and who had attained the heavens. Akin to the forms of many dark demons in a horde, which had assembled at that time, to gorge on those offerings, soar around many short and tall peaks in the drylands.  Though he has parted away thither, with his relentless heart urging him on to seek wealth, and making him confused, he is not someone, who will delay his return, forgetting the sweet sleep he has savoured on your darkness-like, five-part tresses!” Time to brave the heat of this terrain and explore on! The confidante starts by talking about the lady’s state of crying ceaselessly, pining for the man who has left. Then she goes on to describe the place to which the man has left, the land which fire has engulfed, a possible reference to wild-fire breakouts, and charred as a result. She also talks about how the rain clouds have given this land the cold shoulder, preferring to associate with other elite lands of fertility. And on such a scorched and barren land, elephants rove around with sagging skin, bereft of flesh, in the heat of summer, the confidante comments. Then to talk about how this region is surrounded by many tall and short hills, the confidante brings forth a historical reference, describing the time when a Chera King Udhiyan spread out huge offerings of food in honour of his ancestors. This, is a believable fact, for indeed many people here, are known to honour their ancestors with such offerings even to this day. However, the confidante talks about demonic figures that come to feed on these offerings, and it’s those figures she places in parallel to those tall and short hills around the scorching drylands. The confidante concludes by telling the lady though the man, yearning for wealth, nudged by his heart, and much confused, has left to such a place, he is not someone who can possibly stay there, forgetting the peaceful moments of slumber he had experienced on the lady’s tresses. Those tresses again! What is it about a Sangam maiden’s tresses that so many poets keep singing about it over and over again? Something to do with the scent of a woman and its powerful influence on attraction, no doubt! In this version of ‘Worry not, your beauty will bring the man back’, we got to say hello to a bit of fantasy fused as one with history!

It's the one-year anniversary of Jonathan's hair transplant and he's celebrating in a Juicy Couture velour tracksuit and a bedazzled hat, because why the frick not? In this episode, we're having flashbacks to the great Mario Movie 4DX feud. OOopsie, did not mean to bring that back up... but we buried the hatchet (for now hehe). The we're getting into birding! It's like Pokemon Go irl, who knew? And crows?! Did yall know they can hold a grudge against a specific human for up to 17 years! Sounds like us! Then we go deep on "We Built This City" by Starship, one of the most hated songs in rock history that also hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, which sort of proves its own point. We also have a full Backseat Lovers / Kilby Girl deep dive, and the Everest Fraud Scheme thats actually nuts.This episode was mixed and edited by Kevin Betts.➜ Jonathan's 12 Month Hair Transplant Journey➜ Global Village Coffeehouse Video EssayWant BONUS CONTENT? Join our PATREON!Sponsors:➜ Protect your teeth with Remi at ShopRemi.com/camp and use code CAMP to get 50% off your new night guard!➜ Go to REVOLVE.com/CAMP to shop and use code CAMP for 15% off your entire order! This offer ends April 29, 2025 so don't wait!➜ Go to BollAndBranch.com/camp and use code: CAMP to get up to 15% off, plus free shipping on your first order. Exclusions apply. See site for details.➜ Feel your best self, every day with IM8. Go to IM8health.com/CAMPCOUNSELORS and use code CAMPCOUNSELORS for a Free Welcome Kit, 5 free travel sachets, plus 10% off your order.➜ Join Thrive Market with our link ThriveMarket.com/camp for $20 off your first three orders plus you'll get a FREE $60 gift.Works Cited:➜ Prasain, Sangam. “Inside Nepal's Fake Rescue Racket.” The Kathmandu Post, 27 Mar. 2026.➜ Wethington, Paula. “‘Do You Think I'm Stupid?' Judge Calls Out Woman for Denying She's Driving During Zoom Hearing.” WCVB, 27 Mar. 2026.➜ Khoirotun, R. “Did You Know That Crows Can Hold Grudges for Seventeen Years?” Medium, 14 June 2025.Camp Songs:Spotify Playlist | YouTube Playlist | Sammich's Secret MixtapeSocial Media:Camp Counselors TikTokCamp Counselors InstagramCamp Counselors FacebookCamp Counselors TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we perceive a subtle technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 232, penned by Kodimangalathu Vaathuli Narchenthanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming Kino trees of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and describes a ritual performed in Sangam times. காண் இனி வாழி, தோழி! பானாள்,மழை முழங்கு அரவம் கேட்ட, கழை தின்,மாஅல் யானை புலி செத்து வெரீஇ,இருங் கல் விடரகம் சிலம்பப் பெயரும்பெருங் கல் நாடன் கேண்மை, இனியே,குன்ற வேலிச் சிறுகுடி ஆங்கண்,மன்ற வேங்கை மண நாட் பூத்தமணி ஏர் அரும்பின் பொன் வீ தாஅய்வியல் அறை வரிக்கும் முன்றில், குறவர்மனை முதிர் மகளிரொடு குரவை தூங்கும்ஆர் கலி விழவுக் களம் கடுப்ப, நாளும்,விரவுப் பூம் பலியொடு விரைஇ, அன்னைகடியுடை வியல் நகர்க் காவல் கண்ணி,‘முருகு’ என வேலற் தரூஉம்பருவமாகப் பயந்தன்றால், நமக்கே. In this trip to the mountains, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man, who has arrived for his tryst with the lady, but making sure he’s in earshot: “See this, my friend, may you live long! In the middle of the night, hearing the thunderous roar of the rain cloud, a huge elephant feeding on bamboos, frightened that it's a tiger, runs away trumpeting aloud, making the huge mountain range resound in the man's mountain country. In a small hamlet, fenced by peaks, the Kino tree in the village centre blooms  brightly announcing auspicious days of marriage, and shed golden flowers from sapphire-hued bud stalks, which spread on wide rocky spaces, in the front yard of mountain men, who perform ‘Kuravai' dance with mature maiden, in those spaces of festivity, filled with uproar. Akin to that, every day, spreading flowers and sacrifice, mother wishing for protection of the well-guarded, fine mansion, seeks blessings of ‘Murugu' with rituals of ‘Velan'. Your relationship with the man from the mountain country has bestowed upon us, such a time in our lives!” Time to take a trek amidst the rocky terrain and learn of the challenges in the lady’s life! The confidante starts by beckoning her friend’s attention. Then she goes on to describe the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she brings forth an image of an elephant, startled by the sound of thunder, in the middle of the night, and thinking it’s the roar of the tiger, it scuttles away trumpeting, making the entire mountain range echo in fear. After that description of the man’s mountain country, the confidante goes on to describe how the ‘Vengai’ trees are in full bloom, and they are announcing the season of weddings had arrived. As these golden flowers fell on the rocky spaces in the front yards, mountain men and women perform the ‘Kuravai’ dance with much joy. Appearing akin to that field of festivities, was their own home, the confidante continues, why because mother had decided to curry favour with God ‘Murugu’, using the professional services of ‘Velan’ the priest and seek protection for their house, and to this end, the mother had spread flowers and other sacrificial offerings. Now, the confidante connects these happenings to the lady’s relationship with the man and concludes by wondering at the state they find themselves in now. To unravel the meanings, we have to understand the reason Mother is starting her ‘Murugu’ worship was because she had noticed the changes in her beloved daughter, who is apparently happy when she’s with the man, and whenever he leaves, she falls into despair and mother’s sharp eyes have caught this. Not knowing that the man is the reason for that, she goes about seeking Murugu’s help to alleviate the lady’s symptoms, implies the confidante. This is also reflected in the scene of the elephant, mistaking thunder for a tiger,  and echoes how the lady’s family has mistaken the consequence of the man’s relationship in the lady as ‘Murugu’s ire’. All this is to nudge the man to give up his temporary trysting, take steps to reinstate the lady’s honour and seek her hand in marriage. Yet again, the confidante choreographs that seamless ‘Kuravai’ dance between nature and culture to bring about permanent joy in the lady’s life!

In this episode, we listen to words of assurance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 231, penned by Madurai Eezhathu Boothan Thevanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the fame of a Pandya King and his city. ‘செறுவோர் செம்மல் வாட்டலும், சேர்ந்தோர்க்குஉறும் இடத்து உவக்கும் உதவி ஆண்மையும்,இல் இருந்து அமைவோர்க்கு இல், என்று எண்ணி,நல் இசை வலித்த நாணுடை மனத்தர்கொடு விற் கானவர் கணை இடத் தொலைந்தோர்,படு களத்து உயர்த்த மயிர்த் தலைப் பதுக்கைக்கள்ளி அம் பறந்தலைக் களர்தொறும் குழீஇ,உள்ளுநர்ப் பனிக்கும் ஊக்கு அருங் கடத்திடைவெஞ் சுரம் இறந்தனர்ஆயினும், நெஞ்சு உருகவருவர் வாழி, தோழி! பொருவர்செல் சமம் கடந்த செல்லா நல் இசை,விசும்பு இவர் வெண் குடை, பசும் பூட் பாண்டியன்பாடு பெறு சிறப்பின் கூடல் அன்ன நின்ஆடு வண்டு அரற்றும் முச்சித்தோடு ஆர் கூந்தல் மரீஇயோரே. In this trip to the drylands, we encounter some frightening images and also take a detour to a famous Sangam era city, 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: “Thinking, ‘The ability, to destroy hubris of foes, and to render aid when friends come seeking in need, does not come to those who stay at home content, nudged by his mind, filled with shame, and yearning to attain good fame, he has left to the scorching drylands, where those who have perished to arrows of men of the jungle, wielding curving bows, in battlefields, are buried with their hairy heads lifted above the ground and covered with shallow stone graves, in those vast saline spaces, where cactus spreads densely. Even though he treads upon such an inaccessible path that makes those who think about it tremble, he shall return with his heart melting, my dear friend, may you live long! Having the undying great fame of routing the attack of his enemies, and a white royal umbrella akin to the sky, rules ‘Pasumpoon Pandiyan', in his capital of ‘Koodal', having the fame of being sung about by bards many. Akin to this city, is your bee-buzzing head of tresses, adorned with flowers. He who has found sweet sleep on these tresses of yours will return indeed, without fail!” Let’s walk on those barren spaces and learn more! The confidante starts by outlining the reasons the man left in search of wealth and these are noble in nature, for he had come to the conclusion that if he wanted to slay the arrogance of his enemies and render without reservation to his friends, he cannot remain at home and do nothing, but must leave in search of wealth. So, propelled by his sense of shame, he had left to the drylands, the confidante says, and goes on to talk about the harsh nature of this domain by painting an image of the men, who had fallen to the arrows of the drylands’ robbers, buried with their hairy heads covered in stones, and mentions how such paths are frightening to even think about. Hardly words of reassurance to the anxious lady! While that may be so, the confidante continues, the man is sure to return with his heart, beating so tenderly for the lady, because he was one, who had relished sweet sleep on those tresses of the lady, which the confidante concludes by placing in parallel to the celebrated city of ‘Koodal’, ruled by a renowned king of Sangam times known by the name of ‘Pasumpoon Pandiyan’.  High praise for this city, for to be placed in parallel with a lady’s beauty, was considered the highest honour that can be endowed on a place! This city of ‘Koodal’ is none other than the city of ‘Madurai’, celebrated even in contemporary times, for being the place that reared and protected the language of Tamil over the ages. On a tangent, a question arose in my head as to why all these men in search of wealth had to go through the drylands. Why can’t they sail by the coast or trek through the mountains? When reflecting, the thought that struck me was such a barren and desolate region could be an imaginative metaphor to contrast the comfort and safety a person leaves behind, when they venture into a new place! Perhaps, it’s a subtle whisper from the past that the drylands of doubt and despair must be crossed before we can step on to the lush fields of fertility that awaits us in the future! 

In this episode, we listen to words of hidden persuasion, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 228, penned by Andar Magan Kuravazhuthiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming blue lilies of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and presents scenes from nature having a cultural significance. பிரசப் பல் கிளை ஆர்ப்ப, கல்லெனவரை இழி அருவி ஆரம் தீண்டித்தண் என நனைக்கும் நளிர் மலைச் சிலம்பில்,கண் என மலர்ந்த மா இதழ்க் குவளைக்கல் முகை நெடுஞ் சுனை நம்மொடு ஆடி,பகலே இனிது உடன் கழிப்பி, இரவேசெல்வர்ஆயினும், நன்றுமன் தில்லவான்கண் விரிந்த பகல் மருள் நிலவின்சூரல் மிளைஇய சாரல் ஆர் ஆற்று,ஓங்கல் மிசைய வேங்கை ஒள் வீப்புலிப் பொறி கடுப்பத் தோன்றலின், கய வாய்இரும் பிடி இரியும் சோலைப்பெருங் கல் யாணர்த் தம் சிறுகுடியானே. In this short little trip to the mountains, we gaze at picturesque sights, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when they are waiting for the man to arrive for his nightly tryst with the lady, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot: “Making swarms of bees resound, with an uproar, the cascade descends down the mountains, caressing the sandalwood tree in its path, and soaking it with moisture, in the fertile mountain slopes, where akin to eyes, bloom the huge-petaled blue lilies. In the wide spring amidst the rocky clefts herein, if he can play with you, pass the day together with much joy, and then leave by night, when the moon spreads on the sky, brightening it like the day, walking on those paths through the slopes, filled with jujube brushes, to his prosperous little hamlet, amidst the tall hills, where a dark female elephant with a huge mouth, mistakes the bright flowers of the Kino tree soaring amidst the boulders, for the stripes of a tiger and scuttles away in fear, that would a good thing!” Let’s soak in the gushing waterfall and learn more! The confidante starts by talking about how the cascade comes pouncing down the mountain, scattering swarms of bees, and soaking a sandalwood tree standing in its path. A moment to imagine the scent of the waters gushing in this manner! Then, the confidante continues portraying how the cascade falls down and pools into a spring, where blue-lilies are blooming in abundance. It’s this spot that’s perfect for the man to meet the lady by day, relish her sweet company, and then leave to his town by night, says the confidante. She concludes by characterising the man’s mountain village as a place, where a female elephant looks at the golden flowers of the Kino tree, mistakes it for a tiger, and runs away scared.  Looking at the words of the verse, it seems like a harmless request to change the tryst from night to day. However, by placing the image of the brightly blooming Kino flowers, the confidante subtly hints that it’s the season of weddings, and instead of choosing the temporary path of trysting, the man must take steps to claim the lady’s hand in marriage. Hope the ‘decrypter’ is functioning right in the man’s head to decipher this cryptic message, seeking a change in action. A moment to appreciate the significance a simple flower’s blooming has in the life of a Sangam maiden, talking about a time when nature and culture were fused as one!

In this episode, we perceive a wish for the welfare of another, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 227, penned by Nakirar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches scenes from nature and history. ‘நுதல் பசந்தன்றே; தோள் சாயினவே;திதலை அல்குல் வரியும் வாடின;என் ஆகுவள்கொல் இவள்?’ என, பல் மாண்நீர் மலி கண்ணொடு நெடிது நினைந்து ஒற்றி,இனையல் வாழி, தோழி! நனை கவுள்காய் சினம் சிறந்த வாய் புகு கடாத்தொடுமுன் நிலை பொறாஅது முரணி, பொன் இணர்ப்புலிக் கேழ் வேங்கைப் பூஞ் சினை புலம்ப,முதல் பாய்ந்திட்ட முழு வலி ஒருத்தல்செந் நிலப் படு நீறு ஆடி, செரு மலைந்து,களம் கொள் மள்ளரின் முழங்கும் அத்தம்பல இறந்து அகன்றனர் ஆயினும், நிலைஇ,நோய் இலராக, நம் காதலர்! வாய் வாள்,தமிழ் அகப்படுத்த இமிழ் இசை முரசின்,வருநர் வரையாப் பெரு நாள் இருக்கை,தூங்கல் பாடிய ஓங்கு பெரு நல் இசைப்பிடி மிதி வழுதுணைப் பெரும் பெயர்த் தழும்பன்கடி மதில் வரைப்பின் ஊணூர் உம்பர்,விழு நிதி துஞ்சும் வீறு பெறு திரு நகர்,இருங் கழிப் படப்பை மருங்கூர்ப் பட்டினத்து,எல் உமிழ் ஆவணத்து அன்ன,கல்லென் கம்பலை செய்து அகன்றோரே! In this trip to the drylands, we journey on to some prosperous towns as well, as we get to hear the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain away, having parted in search of wealth.  “Saying, ‘Her forehead is coated with pallor; Her arms are thinning away; The fine lines on her loins, covered in beauty spots, have faded; What will become of her?', with your eyes brimming over with tears, do not think a lot and worry on my behalf. May you live long, my friend! Having moist cheeks, and raging fury, with musth fluid entering its mouth, unable to bear the sight in front, with enmity, a strong male elephant pounces on the trunk of the Kino tree, with golden flowers, in the hue of a tiger. Depriving the tree of its flowers and leaving it desolate, the elephant then rolls in the mud of the red earth beneath and quenches its rage. Rising from there, akin to the shout of warriors, when they claim victory on a battlefield, the elephant roars in the drylands. Though that lover of mine has parted away, crossing many such drylands’ paths, may he remain well and without affliction! Wielding an honest sword, and having a roaring drum that has subdued all of Tamil land, showering limitlessly on supplicants in his great court, lives the famous king, having the celebrated name of ‘Thazhumban', sung about by Poet Thoongal, having a scar in the shape of an eggplant, since he was stamped by a female elephant. He rules over the prosperous town of ‘Oonoor', protected by soaring fort walls. Beyond his town, in Marungoor, filled with great, unshakeable wealth, adorned with proud and affluent mansions, and having huge backwaters and orchards, the marketplaces shine with radiant light and resound with noise. Akin to that uproar, he has caused slander to soar in town and parted away! Even so, may he journey on without any distress!” Time to brave the dangerous paths of this domain! The lady starts by acknowledging the worry in her confidante, about her lustreless forehead, thinning arms and fading beauty. She asks the confidante not to worry so much, with tear filled eyes, about her own state. Then she goes on to describe the drylands, where the man treads now, zooming on to a raging male elephant in musth, and the way it’s taking out its anger, not on a real enemy, like a tiger, but on a Kino tree, just because it has flowers in the hue of its arch rival! After dashing against the poor tree, and making its flowers shed, the elephant then rolls in glee in the red earth and roars aloud, sounding like those blood-splattered warriors, when they claim victory in the battlefront. From here, the lady takes us to the town of Oonoor, surrounded by soaring fort walls and ruled by a renowned king, ‘Thazhumban’, with many laurels to his name. To list a few, apparently his drum had subdued the whole of Tamil land. It was interesting to catch that rare glimpse the word ‘Thamizh’ in the verse. To continue on the king’s laurels, he was said to be celebrated by an ancient Tamil poet named ‘Thoongal Vaariyaar’, and lastly, he had received his name which means ‘The One with a Scar’, because he happened to be stamped upon by an elephant, and here’s my favourite part, owing to that he has a scar in the shape of an eggplant. ‘Vazhuthunai’ is the exact word used in this verse for the eggplant! I had somehow always associated eggplants with Persian and Greek cuisine. It was only today I learnt that the eggplant is native to India and has even been found in the archaeological remains of the Indus Valley Civilisation. So, I’m naturally thrilled to find this eggplant reference in Sangam literature, though the Tamils have lost the use of this particular word, and call it ‘Kathirikai’ in contemporary times. Returning from our culinary meanderings, we learn this king Thazhumban and his town of Oonor have been summoned in this verse, only to take us further afar, to the markets of the affluent town of Marungoor, said to have backwaters and long-standing wealth, as reflected from its mansions. The lady connects the loud noise in the markets of Marungoor to the slander that has risen in town, owing to the man’s relationship with the lady. This tells us that the lady’s parting with the man is happening, before her marriage to the man. The lady concludes by saying even though the man has caused that uproar and left, after swearing that he would never part away from the lady, no harm should befall him in his journey! An inspiring expression of love that overlooks the hurt caused and wishes well for the beloved!

In this episode, we listen to words of assurance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 223, penned by Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse illustrates both the fierce nature of this domain and the gentle beauty of the lady. ‘பிரிதல் வல்லியர், இது, நத் துறந்தோர்மறந்தும் அமைகுவர்கொல்?’ என்று எண்ணி,ஆழல் வாழி, தோழி! கேழல்வளை மருப்பு உறழும் முளை நெடும் பெருங் காய்நனை முதிர் முருக்கின் சினை சேர் பெருங்கல்,காய் சினக் கடு வளி எடுத்தலின், வெங் காட்டுஅழல் பொழி யானையின் ஐயெனத் தோன்றும்நிழல் இல் ஓமை நீர் இல் நீள் இடை,இறந்தனர்ஆயினும், காதலர் நம்வயின்மறந்து கண்படுதல் யாவது புறம் தாழ்அம் பணை நெடுந் தோள் தங்கி, தும்பிஅரியினம் கடுக்கும் சுரி வணர் ஐம்பால்நுண் கேழ் அடங்க வாரி, பையுள் கெட,நன் முகை அதிரல் போதொடு, குவளைத்தண் நறுங் கமழ் தொடை வேய்ந்த, நின்மண் ஆர் கூந்தல் மரீஇய துயிலே? In this trip to the drylands, we get to see some striking images, 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: “Thinking ‘He seems to be capable of parting away from me; Would the one, who has forsaken me so, also be capable of remaining there, forgetting me?', cry not, my friend! May you live long! As the coral tree, having long and huge petals, akin to the curved horns of a male boar, extends its branch upon a huge boulder nearby, in the midst of hot winds that blow fast, it appears strikingly as if an elephant is surrounded by flames in a dry scrub jungle, in those waterless long paths, filled with shadeless toothbrush trees. Even though that lover of yours has left to such a place, how will his eyes close? Your tresses hang low on your back, having curly, five-part braids that appear akin to a swarm of bees, in a fine, rich hue, neatly oiled and combed, and ending all sorrow, tied with fine buds of wild jasmine with pollen, along with cool and fragrant flowers of blue-lily woven together, and are adorned with fragrant pastes! Indeed, how can he forget that sleep he relished on your beautiful, bamboo-like arms, resting on these tresses of yours?” Time to brave the hot winds of the drylands and explore on! The confidante starts by repeating what’s going on in the lady’s mind, talking about how she’s thinking, ‘It was unthinkable earlier that he would leave me and part away, but he seems to have done that easily. In the same way, would he also forget about me and remain there?’. Logical question, of course! But the confidante answers this question in a different way. First she acknowledges the reality that the man has indeed left to the drylands, and she sketches this place vividly, pointing to how a coral tree branch with its red, claw-like petals, which resemble a boar’s curving horns, extending upon a rock, and shaking in the hot wind, appears as if an elephant is on fire in the searing, dry atmosphere of the place. With that image and describing the drylands as shadeless and waterless, having only toothbrush trees, the confidante paints a dreary image of where the man is at. From there, she zooms on to the beauty of the lady’s tresses, highlighting how it’s long, black, thick and curly, like a swarm of bees. This simile and description brings to mind the unique hair texture of many modern Africans. Could this line possibly point to genetic similarities between people of the Sangam era with prehistoric migrant populations from Africa? Science will validate in the future, no doubt!  Returning, the confidante has been going on about the lady’s five-part braids and tresses coated with many fragrant pastes only to conclude by saying, ‘How is it humanly possibly for the man to forget the sleep he enjoyed on your arms, caressing your tresses, and remain in that forsaken place faraway?’. An effective technique of contrasting the dreariness of the drylands and the heavenliness of the lady’s beauty, to assure the lady that the man will indeed return to her. What a boost to the sinking morale of the lady to be reminded of her power to pull back the man, no matter how far he has gone! 

In this episode, we perceive a subtle technique of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 222, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the soaring peaks of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and narrates a much talked about story from the Sangam times. வான் உற நிவந்த நீல் நிறப் பெரு மலைக்கான நாடன் உறீஇய நோய்க்கு, உன்மேனி ஆய் நலம் தொலைதலின், மொழிவென்;முழவு முகம் புலராக் கலி கொள் ஆங்கண்,கழாஅர்ப் பெருந் துறை விழவின் ஆடும்,ஈட்டு எழில் பொலிந்த ஏந்து குவவு மொய்ம்பின்,ஆட்டன் அத்தி நலன் நயந்து உரைஇ,தாழ் இருங் கதுப்பின் காவிரி வவ்வலின்,மாதிரம் துழைஇ, மதி மருண்டு அலந்தஆதிமந்தி காதலற் காட்டி,படு கடல் புக்க பாடல்சால் சிறப்பின்மருதி அன்ன மாண் புகழ் பெறீஇயர்,சென்மோ வாழி, தோழி! பல் நாள்,உரவு உரும் ஏறொடு மயங்கி,இரவுப் பெயல் பொழிந்த ஈர்ந் தண் ஆறே. In this mountain trek, we take a long detour to the shores of another riverine town, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, noticing the man listening nearby, pretending not to see him, but making sure he’s in earshot: “The lord of the huge mountains, in blue hue, soaring to the skies, and brimming with forests, has rendered unto you, this affliction, which has made the fine beauty of your form fade away. That's why I'm saying this! In that place filled with much joy, where the skin of the drums dry not, in the huge shore of Kazhaar, when dancing in the festivities, seeing the beauty of Aattan Aththi, whose upright shoulders shone with much splendour,  desiring him, River Kaveri with her low-hanging tresses, took him away. Searching for him in all the directions, much confused, roved Aathi Manthi. Showing to her, where her lover was, Maruthi then stepped into the roaring ocean herself and gained the fame of being sung about. Akin to this Maruthi, let me attain great fame! Come let's go, my friend, may you live long, and search, treading upon this cool and moist path, where the night rains have poured, fused together with roaring thunder, for many days now!” Let’s scale this hill and learn more! The confidante describes the man’s domain as the blue mountains, with high peaks and dense forests. That’s all the good the confidante has to say about the man and turns to focus on how he has left the lady in a love affliction of pining for him and losing her health. Then, the confidante narrates a story about a handsome male dancer named ‘Aattan Aththi’ and how enamoured by his handsome shoulders, the River Kaveri had snatched him, when he was dancing on the shores of Kazhaar. His wife, ‘Aathi Manthi’, went around searching for her lover in all the directions, asking everyone, in a much confused state. At that time, a lady named Maruthi showed Aathi Manthi, where her husband was, and for some reason, she jumped into the ocean and gave up her life. Can’t imagine why she should do that? Did she die in some sort of rescue mission? Anyway, whatever the context, this supposedly endowed great fame on this Maruthi, describes the confidante, and connects saying that she too must attain that kind of fame and she concludes by beckoning her friend to join her in the search for the man, treading those slippery mountain paths, upon which the rains have fallen for many a day!  All this drama is for the benefit of the listening man! To tell him, ‘See how much pain you inflict on the lady with your absence. See what desperate measures we are pushed into, just to find you’ and thereby point out that the man must give up his temporary trysting and seek the lady’s hand in marriage. Hope the man gets the message and relieves the lady’s angst! Yet again I’m amazed by what measures this confidante takes to ensure the well-being of the lady! Don’t you think we should grant the confidante the fame she seeks in this verse, and endow her the title of ‘Epitome of Friendship!’?

In this episode, we listen to a description of the only available course of action, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 221, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse reveals the situation which necessitates elopement in a lady’s life. நனை விளை நறவின் தேறல் மாந்தி,புனை வினை நல் இல் தரு மணல் குவைஇ,‘பொம்மல் ஓதி எம் மகள் மணன்’ என,வதுவை அயர்ந்தனர் நமரே; அதனால்,புதுவது புனைந்த சேயிலை வெள் வேல்,மதி உடம்பட்ட மை அணற் காளைவாங்கு சினை மலிந்த திரள் அரை மராஅத்து,தேம் பாய் மெல் இணர் தளிரொடு கொண்டு, நின்தண் நறு முச்சி புனைய, அவனொடுகழை கவின் போகிய மழை உயர் நனந்தலை,களிற்று இரை பிழைத்தலின், கய வாய் வேங்கைகாய் சினம் சிறந்து, குழுமலின் வெரீஇ,இரும் பிடி இரியும் சோலைஅருஞ் சுரம் சேறல் அயர்ந்தனென், யானே. In this trip to the drylands, we hear the confidante say these words to the lady, urging her to choose the path of elopement: “Relishing well-filtered toddy that blooms from buds, heaping sand brought from elsewhere, in front of the fine and well-etched mansion, declaring, ‘Our daughter, the girl with exquisite tresses, is about to be married', our kin are making preparations for your wedding; And so, the bull-like, bearded young man, holding a newly sculpted leaf-edged white spear, sees eye to eye with me on this. He shall pluck soft, honey-soaked flower clusters, along with tender sprouts, from the burflower tree, with a thick trunk, brimming with curving branches, and adorn your cool and fragrant head. Along with him, you should traverse the highland spaces, without rain, where bamboos have lost their beauty, and where a tiger, with a fierce mouth, maddened by the loss of its prey of a male elephant, filled with fury, lashes out with a loud shout, and frightens the elephant's dark mate in the drylands scrub jungle. This is what I wish for you now!” Time to walk along with this couple through that harsh domain! The confidante starts with an account of what’s happening at home right then and she zooms on to the actions of the lady’s relatives, who are getting into the festive mood by drinking toddy that’s mentioned as blooming from buds. Now, blooming from buds implies that this is honey. Are they fermenting honey into alcohol? Researching on this, I learnt the term for this alcoholic beverage, made from honey, is ‘mead’, and it’s considered to be the ‘great, great, great grand-mother’ of all liquor, and revered in many ancient cultures, be it in China, Greece, Rome or even Scandinavia! Perhaps the ‘theral’ we keep reading about in Sangam literature, is the Tamil equivalent of this ‘mead’! Returning from our revels in toddy, we find the confidante continuing what those relatives of the lady are up to, talking about how they have brought heaps of sand and spread it in front of the mansion and they are going around telling everyone that the their daughter is about to be married. A wedding is a happy occasion, is it not? But not so, for the lady, who loves another, and here, the parents are arranging a wedding with a stranger. So, the confidante had taken things into her hands and has told the man the only way forward was to elope with the lady, and he too had wholeheartedly agreed to the plan. All this, the confidante conveys to the lady and sketches an image of the drylands, which is harsh indeed, where the sounds of a tiger, which has lost its prey of a male elephant makes it bellow aloud in fury, and this startles the female elephant there. The confidante concludes by telling the lady that even so, all she wished for the lady was to leave there, along with the man, whom the confidante promises will adorn the lady’s tresses with the clusters of bur-flowers growing in that very space! And so, the confidante seems to be telling the lady, ‘Even though there’s danger in the drylands, you are in safe hands, and those will shower love and care upon you!’ By presenting both the harsh reality of the situation and positive visualisation of the future, the confidante shows the way to nudge someone in the right direction!

In this episode, we perceive pointed questions put forth, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 220, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated amidst the fertile seas of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and builds a stack of similes to present a pertinent point. ஊரும் சேரியும் உடன் இயைந்து அலர் எழ,தேரொடு மறுகியும், பணி மொழி பயிற்றியும்,கெடாஅத் தீயின் உரு கெழு செல்லூர்,கடாஅ யானைக் குழூஉச் சமம் ததைய,மன் மருங்கு அறுத்த மழு வாள் நெடியோன்முன் முயன்று அரிதினின் முடித்த வேள்வி,கயிறு அரை யாத்த காண் தகு வனப்பின்,அருங் கடி நெடுந் தூண் போல, யாவரும்காணலாகா மாண் எழில் ஆகம்உள்ளுதொறும் பனிக்கும் நெஞ்சினை, நீயேநெடும் புற நிலையினை, வருந்தினைஆயின்,முழங்கு கடல் ஓதம் காலைக் கொட்கும்,பழம் பல் நெல்லின் ஊணூர் ஆங்கண்,நோலா இரும் புள் போல, நெஞ்சு அமர்ந்து,காதல் மாறாக் காமர் புணர்ச்சியின்,இருங் கழி முகந்த செங் கோல் அவ் வலைமுடங்கு புற இறவொடு இன மீன் செறிக்கும்நெடுங் கதிர்க் கழனித் தண் சாய்க்கானத்து,யாணர்த் தண் பணை உறும் என, கானல்ஆயம் ஆய்ந்த சாய் இறைப் பணைத் தோள்நல் எழில் சிதையா ஏமம்சொல் இனித் தெய்ய, யாம் தெளியுமாறே. On our way to the coast, we take detours to perceive significant events and observe bird life, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he is about to part away after his nightly tryst with the lady: “Making the town and neighbourhood rise together in slander, you rove around in your chariot and speak humble words. In picturesque ‘Selloor', known for its ceaseless ritual fire, vowing to end the rule of kings, who battle in wars with their elephants in musth, the tall one with a sharp sword performed a ritual, and akin to the protected tall pillar therein, tied with a rope and having exquisite beauty, is her bosom of immense beauty, which is rare and precious. You have a heart that melts every time you think of it, and you are filled with worry, as you stand afar. The roaring waves of the sea surround the town of ‘Oonoor' known for its produce of paddy from ancient times, and akin to the dark bird there that does not know what it means to be apart from its mate, you have to place each other in your hearts and having a profound union of ceaseless love. A beautiful net with a red rod dips in the dark backwaters and gathers curved back shrimp, and schools of fish, in the cool town of ‘Saykaanam', filled with fields of tall grain stalks. Akin to the prosperous, cool bamboo that grows here, are her thick arms with curving wrists that her playmates celebrate. So tell me the right word to make me understand how you plan to act in such a way that the fine beauty of these arms of hers, are protected, without any sign of ruin!” Let’s fish the Sangam seas and learn more! The confidante starts by mentioning how the man seems to be come often to their place and causes slander to spread about his relationship with the lady. Then, she goes on to describe a place called ‘Selloor’ and mentions how this was the venue of a ritual conducted by someone referred to as the ‘Tall one with a sword’, which other interpreters have connected to the character of Parasuraman from Hindu mythology. Apparently, this ‘tall one with a sword’ conducted a fire ritual ceremony, vowing to end the line of kings in this town and the confidante has mentioned this only to say how just like the decorated tall pillar there, the lady’s bosom was exquisite and precious. Once again, the confidante reverts to the man and notices how he yearns to embrace the lady, understanding how he is filled with angst when far. Next, she talks about another seaside town of ‘Oonoor’ and how there lives a bird here, which cannot think of a life away from its mate. From other poems from this era, we can infer the confidante is talking about the ‘Andril’ bird, most probably referring to the ‘red-naped ibis’. Now, the confidante turns to the man and says that’s how he must be with the lady. After that, the confidante ventures into the last town, a coastal town called ‘Saaykaanam’, whose seas yield shrimp and fish in abundance, and also, where fields of grains sway in the wind. Here, there are also lush bamboos, and the confidante has summoned this place to connect the bamboos here to the lady’s arms. She ends by asking the man what steps he was going to take to ensure those arms of the lady never fall into any ruin! In a nutshell, the confidante is telling the man, ‘All this coming and going along with your humble, sweet words is fine. But what are you going to do to bring lasting joy to the lady?’ Another ‘Marry her, marry her’ rendition, in which we get to tour the towns of the Sangam era!

In this episode, we perceive an effective technique of changing a person’s course of action, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 218, penned by Kabilar. Set amidst the pouring rain of the midnight hour in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, the verse etches the dangers in traversing this domain by night. ‘கிளை பாராட்டும் கடு நடை வயக் களிறுமுளை தருபு ஊட்டி, வேண்டு குளகு அருத்த,வாள் நிற உருவின் ஒளிறுபு மின்னி,பரூஉ உறைப் பல் துளி சிதறி, வான் நவின்று,பெரு வரை நளிர் சிமை அதிர வட்டித்து,புயல் ஏறு உரைஇய வியல் இருள் நடு நாள்,விறல் இழைப் பொலிந்த காண்பு இன் சாயல்,தடைஇத் திரண்ட நின் தோள் சேர்பு அல்லதை,படாஅவாகும், எம் கண்’ என, நீயும்,‘இருள் மயங்கு யாமத்து இயவுக் கெட விலங்கி,வரி வயங்கு இரும் புலி வழங்குநர்ப் பார்க்கும்பெரு மலை விடரகம் வர அரிது’ என்னாய்,வர எளிதாக எண்ணுதி; அதனால்,நுண்ணிதின் கூட்டிய படு மாண் ஆரம்தண்ணிது கமழும் நின் மார்பு, ஒரு நாள்அடைய முயங்கேம்ஆயின், யாமும்விறல் இழை நெகிழச் சாஅய்தும்; அதுவேஅன்னை அறியினும் அறிக! அலர் வாய்அம்பல் மூதூர் கேட்பினும் கேட்க!வண்டு இறை கொண்ட எரி மருள் தோன்றியொடு,ஒண் பூ வேங்கை கமழும்தண் பெருஞ் சாரல் பகல் வந்தீமே! In this adventurous trip to the mountains, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the man, when she brings the lady over for a nightly tryst: “A strong male elephant with a steady gait, one which is celebrated by its kith and kin, brings bamboo shoots for the whole herd and lets them feed contentedly, at a time when the skies flash their lightning in the hue of swords, scatter many thick drops of rain, which leap from the skies, and pour down, surrounding cool mountain peaks, as clouds resound aloud with thunder, during the darkness-drenched midnight hour. Saying, ‘Her eyes will not find any sleep unless she unities with my thick and curving arms, pleasing to the eyes, and adorned with strong ornaments', and without thinking, ‘The paths through the huge mountain ranges, where in this hour of confusing darkness, a huge tiger with swaying stripes stands in wait for wayfarers, is dangerous', you think it's easy to come here. It's also true that if even for one day, she does not get to embrace your cool and fragrant chest, adorned with a fine and intricately etched necklace, her exquisite ornaments would slip away; So, if mother would come to know of this, so be it! If the gossiping women of this uproarious town were to hear of this, so be it! Come by day, to this cool mountain slope, which wafts with the together fragrance of the fire-like flame-lilies, swarming with bees, and the radiant flowers of the Kino tree!” Time to brave the rain and leave on a midnight trek. The confidante starts by sketching an image of a male elephant, which is thoughtful and considerate to its herd and brings shoots and leaves for them to feed on and is much celebrated by the herd. After a record of that estimable being, the confidante turns her attention to the weather, which is quite stormy, bringing down heavy rain on the peaks. She says all this is happening at midnight. At this time, the man thinks about how his beloved would not find any sleep, if she did not unite with him and without caring about the danger in that mountain path, where a tiger waits to pounce on some innocent wayfarer, the man comes walking to tryst with the lady, in the confusing hour of darkness, the confidante explains. She also concedes that indeed the lady would lose her health and her jewels would slip away from her arms if at all the man did not come to meet her. After mentioning all this, as if she has come to a conclusion, she tells the man, ‘Never mind if mother comes to know of your relationship, never mind if the slanderous womenfolk in town get to know about it, but you must come to our mountain slope, wafting with the scent of both the flame-lily and the Kino flowers, only by day.’ While it may sound like a harmless request to change the time of the rendezvous, it’s a neatly-worded statement to make the man change his attitude of temporary trysting and make him seek the lady’s hand in marriage. The confidante does this in a gradual and logical manner, first appealing to the man’s sense of honour by talking about that esteemed elephant, which keeps the entire herd in mind, then she goes on to appreciate the man’s love for the lady, and his fearlessness in fulfilling his duty by her. At this point, she talks about how the lady too is worthy of his love and truly reciprocates his feelings. After all these statements, she presents it to the man as if the only logical solution is to meet by day, so as to not fear for the man’s safety. Even there, she brings in the other danger of mother knowing and the women gossiping, and through his, without telling the man, she tells him, the only way forward is to marry the lady, in front of the whole village, and be honoured like the elephant we just met. Holding the other to a high standard, acknowledging the positives, establishing the worthiness of the recipient, and nudging the concerned person to come up with the idea on their own are the nuanced steps that this master negotiator of the Sangam era takes, to bring lasting joy in her friend’s life!

In this episode, we listen to words of disappointment, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 212, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the rugged paths of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and portrays the courage and strength of a historic personality. தா இல் நல் பொன் தைஇய பாவைவிண் தவழ் இள வெயிற் கொண்டு நின்றன்ன,மிகு கவின் எய்திய, தொகுகுரல் ஐம்பால்,கிளைஅரில் நாணற் கிழங்கு மணற்கு ஈன்றமுளை ஓரன்ன முள் எயிற்றுத் துவர் வாய்,நயவன் தைவரும் செவ்வழி நல் யாழ்இசை ஓர்த்தன்ன இன் தீம் கிளவி,அணங்கு சால் அரிவையை நசைஇ, பெருங் களிற்றுஇனம் படி நீரின் கலங்கிய பொழுதில்,பெறல் அருங் குரையள் என்னாய், வைகலும்,இன்னா அருஞ் சுரம் நீந்தி, நீயேஎன்னை இன்னற் படுத்தனை; மின்னு வசிபுஉரவுக் கார் கடுப்ப மறலி மைந்துற்று,விரவு மொழிக் கட்டூர் வேண்டுவழிக் கொளீஇ,படை நிலா இலங்கும் கடல் மருள் தானைமட்டு அவிழ் தெரியல் மறப் போர்க் குட்டுவன்பொரு முரண் பெறாஅது விலங்கு சினம் சிறந்து,செருச் செய் முன்பொடு முந்நீர் முற்றி,ஓங்குதிரைப் பௌவம் நீங்க ஓட்டியநீர் மாண் எஃகம் நிறத்துச் சென்று அழுந்தக்கூர் மதன் அழியரோ நெஞ்சே! ஆனாதுஎளியள் அல்லோட் கருதி,விளியா எவ்வம் தலைத் தந்தோயே. It’s more of a history lesson in this trip to the highlands, as we hear the man say these words to his heart, at a time when he has been unable to tryst with the lady, despite repeated attempts: “Appearing akin to a statue made of tender, fine gold, and adorned with the rays of the young sun, crawling in the sky with much beauty; having luxuriant, five-part braided tresses; sharp teeth, akin to white sprouts that shoot out from the twining ‘kans grass' tubers, spreading in the ground; a red mouth; and speaking sweet and pleasant words, akin to the music of a fine ‘Chevvali' lute, played by an expert musician, is that goddess-like maiden. Desiring her, you have made me confused, akin to water, muddled by a herd of huge elephants stepping in. Without thinking that she would be hard to attain, day after day, you make me walk harsh and formidable paths and subject me to great distress. Rising high with immense strength, akin to lightning that flashes amidst rainclouds; establishing battle camps with soldiers, who speak a great variety of languages; wielding a navy that shines like the moon amidst the seas, the battle-worthy Kuttuvan, adorned with garlands brimming over with nectar, finding no worthy army to match him, with his fury soaring, crosses the great oceans with the resolve to battle, and seems to subdue the great ocean with roaring waves. May his esteemed spear pierce through you and destroy your strength, O heart! Because ceaselessly thinking about that maiden, who is not easily attainable, you have rendered unto me, an endless suffering!” The man starts by vividly describing the beauty of his beloved, mentioning how she was like a golden statue, exuding the rays of the twilight sun, how she had thick tresses, sharp teeth, red mouth and how the words that came from that mouth were much like the music of a lute played by a musician. After this, the man turns to his heart and says how it has confused him because without thinking that the lady was impossible to attain, it kept nudging him to seek her, making him walk on dangerous paths. Then, he goes on to talk about a Chera King named ‘Kuttuvan’ and how this king rose furiously like lightning in the sky and waged war against enemies beyond the seas, with an army of people who speak different languages, and it appeared as if he was subduing the roaring sea itself. This cryptic statement actually points to the routing of pirates by this Chera King and securing the seas for the trade of the ancient Tamils. After that nugget about the king, the man turns to his heart and concludes by saying, because it has been badgering him so, his heart deserved to be pierced with the spear of that great King Kuttuvan!  Curious how the man is talking as if his heart was another person, and as if piercing it will do nothing to him! Perhaps he could imply the pain he feels at not meeting his beloved was so sharp that no spear could match its power. Yet again, a unique Sangam depiction of separating the heart from oneself to experience the depth of the emotion!

In this episode, we perceive a message of reassurance, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 211, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches a curious act of war. கேளாய், எல்ல! தோழி! வாலியசுதை விரிந்தன்ன பல் பூ மராஅம்பறை கண்டன்ன பா அடி நோன் தாள்திண் நிலை மருப்பின் வயக் களிறு உரிஞுதொறும்,தண் மழை ஆலியின் தாஅய், உழவர்வெண்ணெல் வித்தின் அறைமிசை உணங்கும்பனி படு சோலை வேங்கடத்து உம்பர்,மொழி பெயர் தேஎத்தர் ஆயினும், நல்குவர்குழியிடைக் கொண்ட கன்றுடைப் பெரு நிரைபிடி படு பூசலின் எய்தாது ஒழிய,கடுஞ் சின வேந்தன் ஏவலின் எய்தி,நெடுஞ் சேண் நாட்டில் தலைத்தார்ப் பட்டகல்லா எழினி பல் எறிந்து அழுத்தியவன்கண் கதவின் வெண்மணி வாயில்,மத்தி நாட்டிய கல் கெழு பனித் துறை,நீர் ஒலித்தன்ன பேஎர்அலர் நமக்கு ஒழிய, அழப் பிரிந்தோரே. In this trip to the drylands, the detour takes us to faraway shores, as we hear the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Won't you listen to this, my dearest friend? Akin to the spread of lime paste, the many-flowered burflower tree, with a wide trunk, akin to a drum,  sheds its blooms, akin to a cool rain of hailstones, when a strong and huge male elephant, with sturdy tusks, rubs against it. These flowers scatter akin to grains of white paddy spread on a rock to dry, in the cloud-covered orchards of the Venkatam Hills. The man has traversed beyond these hills, to a country, where an unknown language is spoken.  Hearing the uproar of the herd of female elephants with their calves, caught in a pit, naive Ezhini left without capturing them, and so, the king got furious and ordered Maththi to enforce his order. Maththi left to the faraway country and captured Ezhini with his army. Maththi then pulled out the teeth of this Ezhini and pressed it upon the sturdy fort door at ‘Venmani Vayil'. Akin to the roaring waves of boulder-filled cool shores nearby, slander has soared in town. He who had left us in tears, leaving the burden of slander, though far away, will indeed return and grace you soon!” Time to brave the harsh domain once again! The confidante starts by requesting her friend to listen to her. Then with a stack of similes, she depicts how the burflower tree’s flowers fall like hailstones and scatter like drying white paddy grain, when elephants rub against its drum-like trunk. She has mentioned this scene as a description of Venkatam Hills up north, which the man is currently traversing and going to a land, where an unknown language is spoken. Then, leaving the man there, the confidante starts narrating a historic incident in which apparently, a lord named Ezhini refused to capture female elephants and their calves, trapped in a pit, against the orders of a superior king. Perhaps, he was a kind-hearted soul! But as leaders with too much power are bound to do, that superior king lost his cool and asked another of his lords, Maththi to go teach this Ezhini a lesson, which the said lord did successfully. But the curious thing this Maththi seems to have done is to pull out the teeth of this Ezhini and impress it on the doors of the fort at a place called ‘Venmani Vayil’. Sounds bizarre yes, but we have already encountered one such instance, some time back in our Sangam exploration, in Natrinai 18, to be exact, wherein a King named Poraiyan does the exact same tooth-pulling to his enemy named ‘Moovan’ and imprints the said teeth on the fort doors at Thondi! Seems to have been one of those acts of war and proclaiming one’s power! Returning to this verse, we find that long reference has been made by the confidante to say that the shores near that ‘Venmani Vayil’ was filled with the roar of the oceans, and just like that, slander was soaring through their town, because the man had left the lady and gone. This tells us this separation between the man and the lady has happened before the lady’s marriage with the man. However, the confidante concludes by telling the lady that the man will indeed return soon, far though he may be! Speaking of far, the Venkatam Hills mentioned seems to have been a favourite haunt of these men, who were in search of wealth. Yet again, like a recent verse we saw, it’s the trope of ‘slander spreads’ but ‘he shall be back soon’. Indeed, nothing works to allay sorrow like the comforting words of a friend!

In this episode, we listen to words of assurance, as rendered in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 209, penned by Kallaadanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse narrates events from history to etch the lady’s situation. ”தோளும் தொல் கவின் தொலைந்தன; நாளும்அன்னையும் அருந் துயர் உற்றனள்; அலரே,பொன் அணி நெடுந் தேர்த் தென்னர் கோமான்,எழு உறழ் திணி தோள் இயல் தேர்ச் செழியன்,நேரா எழுவர் அடிப்படக் கடந்தஆலங்கானத்து ஆர்ப்பினும் பெரிது” என,ஆழல் வாழி, தோழி! அவரே,மாஅல் யானை மறப் போர்ப் புல்லிகாம்புடை நெடு வரை வேங்கடத்து உம்பர்அறை இறந்து அகன்றனர் ஆயினும், நிறை இறந்துஉள்ளார்ஆதலோ அரிதே செவ் வேல்முள்ளூர் மன்னன் கழல்தொடிக் காரிசெல்லா நல் இசை நிறுத்த வல் வில்ஓரிக் கொன்று சேரலர்க்கு ஈத்தசெவ் வேர்ப் பலவின் பயம் கெழு கொல்லி,நிலை பெறு கடவுள் ஆக்கிய,பலர் புகழ் பாவை அன்ன நின் நலனே. Once again, it’s a parade of kings in this trip to the drylands, 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, ‘My arms have lost their old beauty; Day after day, mother too feels a deep sorrow; As for slander, it's greater than the uproar that arose at the battlefield of Aalangkaanam, in which the Southern King Cheziyan, who wields tall, swaying, golden chariots, and has strong arms, akin to a fort door's crossbar, routed his enemies seven!', do not cry my friend, may you live long! Even though, he has parted away far beyond the tall ranges of Venkatam Hills, covered with bamboos, ruled by the battle-worthy Pulli, who wields huge elephants, it would impossible for him to remain, without thinking about that beauty of yours, which is akin to the statue of that ancient goddess, celebrated by many in the prosperous Kolli hills, filled with red-rooted, rich jackfruits, the land which the king of Mullor, Kaari, who wields red spears and wears warrior anklets, killed Ori, known for his sturdy bows and celebrated for his unceasing fame, and rendered unto the Chera King!” Time to tread along in the drylands and learn more! The confidante starts by repeating the lady’s words, who seems to have been complaining that since the man left, her beauty was shot. Likewise, mother seems to be suffering greatly, she adds. This tells us that this event of separation between the man and the lady has happened before the lady’s marriage with the man. The lady goes on to add that slander too was spreading in town, and to describe its nature, she brings forth the famous battle of Thalaiyaalangkaanam, where the Pandya King Neduchezhiyan defeated not one, not two, but seven great kings in one go, and the lady says, ‘Louder than the victory shouts that arose in this battlefield are the rumours that were abuzz in town!’. After repeating these words from the lady, the confidante gently asks her friend to not cry, and then she talks about how now, the man is in a faraway country, beyond Venkatam hills, ruled by Pulli, famous for his elephants. The confidante concludes by saying, while that may be so, the man has no way of forgetting the lady’s beauty, which she compares to the the goddess statue in Kolli hills, celebrated by all, and then narrates how this land was ruled by Ori, but then came the Mullor king Kaari, who defeated Ori, and gave away the lush region of Kolli Hills to a Chera King!  The base elements are ‘slander is spreading’, ‘the man is far away’ and ‘your beauty will make him return’. But upon this foundation, multiple layers of historic characters and events soar, to inform and educate the world about the events of those times, no doubt. A verse which kindles my imagination once again, wondering about the beauty of that statue at Kolli Hills. In verse after verse, we’ve heard it compared to the exquisite beauty of the lady. If only we could glance at it! Here’s wishing some archaeological excavation someday unearths this statue, so highly regarded in the Sangam world! 

In this episode, we perceive the ecstasy of a man in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 208, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the flower-filled spaces of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and relays historical references many. யாம இரவின் நெடுங் கடை நின்று,தேம் முதிர் சிமையக் குன்றம் பாடும்நுண் கோல் அகவுநர் வேண்டின், வெண் கோட்டுஅண்ணல் யானை ஈயும் வண் மகிழ்வெளியன் வேண்மான் ஆஅய் எயினன்,அளி இயல் வாழ்க்கைப் பாழிப் பறந்தலை,இழை அணி யானை இயல் தேர் மிஞிலியொடுநண்பகல் உற்ற செருவில் புண் கூர்ந்து,ஒள் வாள் மயங்கு அமர் வீழ்ந்தென, ‘புள் ஒருங்குஅம் கண் விசும்பின் விளங்கு ஞாயிற்றுஒண் கதிர் தெறாமை, சிறகரின் கோலி,நிழல் செய்து உழறல் காணேன், யான்’ எனப்படுகளம் காண்டல்செல்லான், சினம் சிறந்து,உரு வினை நன்னன், அருளான், கரப்ப,பெரு விதுப்புற்ற பல் வேள் மகளிர்குரூஉப் பூம் பைந் தார் அருக்கிய பூசல்,வசை விடக் கடக்கும் வயங்கு பெருந் தானைஅகுதை கிளைதந்தாங்கு, மிகு பெயல்உப்புச் சிறை நில்லா வெள்ளம் போல,நாணு வரை நில்லாக் காமம் நண்ணி,நல்கினள், வாழியர், வந்தே ஓரிபல் பழப் பலவின் பயம் கெழு கொல்லிக்கார் மலர் கடுப்ப நாறும்,ஏர் நுண், ஓதி மாஅயோளே! In this trip to this domain, we hardly get to see the mountains, for we are busy visiting a battlefield, as we listen to these words said by the man, when the lady had met him and just parted away: “For standing at his tall gates in the middle of the night and singing about his honey-soaked mountain peaks, Veliyan Veynmaan AaAy Eyinan would render esteemed, white-tusked elephants with joyous generosity to those singers, who hold fine divining rods, if they sought that from him. Such was the life of grace that this lord lead. In the Pazhi battlefield, where radiant swords clashed, when confronting Mignili, who owns ornamented elephants and adorned chariots, filled with wounds, Eyinan fell in the middle of the day. Just then, birds joining together, wishing to prevent the rays of the sun, scorching above in the sky, from touching this king's fallen form, spread their wings to form a canopy and render shade unto him. Saying, ‘I shall not go and see this sight', filled with fury, the battle-worthy Nannan refused to go to the battlefield and pay his respects. Since without any grace, he avoided coming there, the many women of the Velir clan, filled with immense anguish, tore at their fresh new flower garlands and created an uproar. At that time, Akuthai, with his mighty army, capable of winning over enmity, came there and ended their sorrow. Akin to that, in the manner of a huge flood, caused by a heavy downpour that breaks a bank of salt and gushes over, breaking the bounds of her modesty, which was restraining her, she had come here and rendered her grace unto me. May she live long, that dark-skinned maiden, having delicate, exquisite tresses that waft with the scent of flowers in the rain that bloom in the fertile Kolli hills, adorned with many jackfruit trees, ruled by King Ori!” True to his title of historian poet, Paranar stitches a series of significant events from the Sangam era. The man starts by talking about the nature of a Velir chieftain called Eyinan, describing how he would render elephants to bards, who sang about his peaks. Epitome of generosity indeed. Next, he takes us to another incident in this chief’s life, to the Paazhi battlefield, where Eyinan is waging war against a King named Mignili. Unfortunately, Eyinan is covered in wounds and falls dead on that battlefield. Now a curious thing happens! It appears as if this chief was not only kind to those bards but also to birds! For when he falls dead in the middle of the day, as the sun scorches above, the birds wishing to protect his form from the harsh rays join together and spread their wings, forming a canopy high above. What a moving sight! A testimony to the man’s greatness, no doubt! Anyone would celebrate this, however there was a Velir King named Nannan, who refused to come to the battlefield, possibly, out of envy, and see this rare sight and honour his clansman. Heartbroken because of this attitude of one of their own, the women of the clan beat their chests, tore their garlands and cried out in pain. At that moment, another clansman Akuthai rose to their aid and ended their sorrow, the man describes. Like how Akuthai ended the misery of those anguished Velir women, the lady, who has tresses as fragrant as the flowers in another king Ori’s domain of Kolli hills, had come to the man, breaking the bounds of her modesty, like how a flood would shatter and overcome a wall of salt, and she had ended the anguish of yearning with her grace, the man connects and concludes. At the core, it’s just a man in the throes of young love, exulting in the knowledge that his love was reciprocated. How seamlessly the verse stitches together this subtle, intimate moment and an uproarious, historic event, and weaves a tapestry, rich in both inner and outer life! 

In this episode, we listen to the distress of a lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 206, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated amidst scenes of wandering buffaloes in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and etches the emotions of a jilted woman. என் எனப்படும்கொல் தோழி! நல் மகிழ்ப்பேடிப் பெண் கொண்டு ஆடுகை கடுப்ப,நகுவரப் பணைத்த திரி மருப்பு எருமைமயிர்க் கவின் கொண்ட மாத் தோல் இரும் புறம்,சிறு தொழில் மகாஅர் ஏறி, சேணோர்க்குத்துறுகல் மந்தியின் தோன்றும் ஊரன்,மாரி ஈங்கை மாத் தளிர் அன்னஅம் மா மேனி, ஆய்இழை மகளிர்ஆரம் தாங்கிய அலர்முலை ஆகத்துஆராக் காதலொடு தார் இடை குழைய,முழவு முகம் புலரா விழவுடை வியல் நகர்,வதுவை மேவலன் ஆகலின், அது புலந்து,அடுபோர் வேளிர் வீரை முன்துறை,நெடு வெள் உப்பின் நிரம்பாக் குப்பை,பெரு பெயற்கு உருகியாஅங்கு,திருந்துஇழை நெகிழ்ந்தன தட மென் தோளே? It’s all about the players in this trip to the farmlands, as we listen to these words said by the lady to a female dancer, who had come as a messenger from the man, seeking entry into the lady’s house, after the man had left seeking the company of courtesans: “Akin to hand gestures of a trans-feminine dancer, shaped with nuance, are the thick, curving horns of a buffalo. Climbing atop the handsome, hair-clad, dark-skinned sides of the beast, young children, always upto many little antics, appear akin to monkeys hopping on a boulder, to those faraway in the town of the lord. As for him, he only seeks to unite with those maiden, who have a beautiful, dark complexion, akin to tender sprouts of a touch-me-not tree, clad in exquisite ornaments. He intends to lie with ceaseless love, amidst the garlands adorning their necklace-clad, blooming bosoms, and remain at their festive mansion with unending drum beats. Hating this, akin to tall mounds of salt in the shores of ‘Veerai', ruled by the battle-worthy Velirs, which melt away in a huge downpour, these well-etched ornaments slip away from my curving, soft arms! How will this state of mine be talked about, my friend?” Let’s take in the lush landscape and learn more! The lady starts by making one of those rare references in Sangam literature regarding transgender persons. Here, she seems to be talking about a trans-feminine person, who performs as a dancer. The way the arms of the said dancer would be muscular but the hand gestures would be graceful, is placed in parallel with the thick but delicately curving horns of a buffalo. The buffalo has been brought into the picture by the lady to present an image of young children, who fear nothing, climbing on to the back of this buffalo, and the way they appear as monkeys jumping on a rock to those standing faraway. She renders this scene as a description of the man’s prosperous town and goes on to talk about the man’s current state of being lost in the company of courtesans, always seeking to remain at their mansions, filled with festivities. Owing to this, her ornaments were slipping away from her arms, just the way tall mounds of salt on the shores of ‘Veerai’ ruled by Velir Kings, would melt away in a heavy unexpected downpour, the lady concludes. A pictorial depiction of the man’s thoughtless actions and its consequences on the lady’s state of mind! 

In this episode, we listen to a dual expression of sadness and hope, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 205, penned by Nakirar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the prosperity of a renowned Sangam-era town. உயிர் கலந்து ஒன்றிய தொன்று படு நட்பின்செயிர் தீர் நெஞ்சமொடு செறிந்தோர் போல,‘தையல்! நின் வயின் பிரியலம் யாம்' எனப்பொய் வல் உள்ளமொடு புரிவு உணக் கூறி,துணிவு இல் கொள்கையர் ஆகி, இனியேநோய் மலி வருத்தமொடு நுதல் பசப்புபூர,நாம் அழ, துறந்தனர் ஆயினும், தாமேவாய்மொழி நிலைஇய சேண் விளங்கு நல் இசைவளம் கெழு கோசர் விளங்கு படை நூறி,நிலம் கொள வெஃகிய பொலம் பூண் கிள்ளி,பூ விரி நெடுங் கழி நாப்பண், பெரும் பெயர்க்காவிரிப் படப்பைப் பட்டினத்தன்னசெழு நகர் நல் விருந்து அயர்மார், ஏமுறவிழு நிதி எளிதினின் எய்துகதில்லமழை கால் அற்சிரத்து மால் இருள் நீங்கி,நீடுஅமை நிவந்த நிழல் படு சிலம்பில்,கடாஅ யானைக் கவுள் மருங்கு உறழஆம் ஊர்பு இழிதரு காமர் சென்னி,புலி உரி வரி அதள் கடுப்ப, கலி சிறந்து,நாட் பூ வேங்கை நறு மலர் உதிர,மேக்கு எழு பெருஞ் சினை ஏறி, கணக் கலைகூப்பிடூஉ உகளும் குன்றகச் சிறு நெறிக்கல் பிறங்கு ஆர் இடை விலங்கியசொல் பெயர் தேஎத்த சுரன் இறந்தோரே. In this trip to the drylands, we get to travel to the lady’s past and also to a Chozha town, 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: “Owing to a bond that extends beyond time and makes our lives fuse with each other, he had become one with me, uniting his flawless heart with mine. Then, having a heart capable of rendering lies to appease me, he had said, ‘O young maiden! I shall never part from you'. Now, losing his resolve, making the pallor of pining spread on my forehead, leaving me to cry, he had parted away! He has traversed narrow mountain paths near slopes, covered in the shade of tall bamboos, and where, akin to the cheek of an elephant in musth, cascades descend down, and akin to the lined stripes of a tiger, with joy, fragrant flowers of the Kino tree drop down, and climbing atop the soaring branches of this tree, a troop of monkeys call aloud, and he has reached the formidable, pebble-filled, difficult paths of the drylands in a land, where an unknown language is spoken! The Chozha King Killi, adorned in golden ornaments, attacked the powerful army of the prosperous Kosars, whose reputation for honesty was renowned far and wide, wishing to seize their land. The Chozhan king rules over the famous ‘Kaveri Pattinam', whose backwaters are covered with flowers, and the land is decked with fertile fields many. Even though my beloved has left me to suffer and parted away, may he attain the wealth he seeks easily, so that he can feast with delight, in our prosperous mansion, akin to Killi's Kaveripoompattinam, at this time when dew descends down like rain, and a confusing darkness spreads!” Let’s explore the difficult paths of this domain once again! The lady starts on a philosophical note about love, talking about how this bond between her and the man did not happen a few weeks or a few months back. She portrays it as a connection existing beyond time, indicating the belief of this era in destiny bringing those in love together. She talks about how they both united as one, and at this time the man had promised her he shall never part from her. However this turned out to be a lie, for the man seems to have lost that determination, and has parted away, leaving her in the midst of tears and pining, the lady details. I want to take a moment to record a nuance in this expression by the lady. Since I’m rendering this in English, I have chosen an individualistic style of expression such as, ‘The man has left ‘me’ to cry, has made ‘my’ forehead be covered in pallor’. However, the words to denote the actual expression of the lady would be, ‘The man has left ‘us’ to cry, has made ‘our’ foreheads to be covered in pallor’, as if including the confidante in her feelings. The difference between the two is in a collective representation of mental states and possessions. Though today, this collective representation of mental states is no more, the way of referring to possessions collectively still goes on. For instance, in Tamil, when talking about one’s own house or town, people reflexively use the pronoun ‘namma’ which means ‘ours’ rather than ‘en’ meaning ‘mine’! A curious cultural phenomenon of the Tamil language and culture that seems to extend beyond the centuries. Returning to the verse, we find the lady talking about where the man has left to, and he has crossed mountainous paths, a region filled with cascades, which are poetically placed in parallel to the fluid pouring down the cheeks of an elephant in musth, and a place, decked in the flowers of a Kino tree, which is placed in parallel to the stripes of a tiger. A group of monkeys are seen leaping and calling aloud from the branches of the said tree. It seems as if we are visiting the ‘Kurinji’ landscape, but this is only the beginning of the man’s journey and he soon reaches the drylands, filled with stony, barren paths that lead to a land, where one doesn’t understand the language being spoken there, the lady describes. This is to say the man has taken a long journey, far away from the comforting sounds of his own language! Then, the lady goes on to talk about King Killi, his intent of waging war against the honest Kosars and seizing their land, and about Killi’s famous town of ‘Kaveripoompattinam’, renowned for its prosperity and natural beauty. Now, the lady places this town in parallel to their wealthy mansion and she concludes by wishing that the man gains the wealth he seeks and returns soon, for now it was the painful season of winter, and the man needs to slay the confusing darkness that spreads around, with his presence! A verse that wraps time as a multi-layered gift, with the past and its promise of never parting, the present and its pain pf pining, and finally the future and the hope of togetherness! 

In this episode, we observe the yearning to be back home, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 204, penned by Madurai Kaamakani Nappaalathanaar. The verse is situated amidst the buzzing bees of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and relays the emotions at the end of a mission. உலகு உடன் நிழற்றிய தொலையா வெண்குடை,கடல் போல் தானை, கலிமா, வழுதிவென்று அமர் உழந்த வியன் பெரும் பாசறைச்சென்று, வினை முடித்தனம்ஆயின், இன்றேகார்ப் பெயற்கு எதிரிய காண்தகு புறவில்,கணம் கொள் வண்டின் அம் சிறைத் தொழுதிமணம் கமழ் முல்லை மாலை ஆர்ப்ப,உதுக்காண் வந்தன்று பொழுதே; வல் விரைந்து,செல்க, பாக! நின் நல் வினை நெடுந் தேர்வெண்ணெல் அரிநர் மடி வாய்த் தண்ணுமைபல் மலர்ப் பொய்கைப் படு புள் ஓப்பும்காய் நெல் படப்பை வாணன் சிறுகுடித்தண்டலை கமழும் கூந்தல்,ஒண் தொடி மடந்தை தோள் இணை பெறவே. In addition to visiting the fragrant forests, we also take a detour to visit a famous Sangam town, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer, after completing his mission of war: “Having a flawless, white royal umbrella that renders shade to the world entire, a sea-like army, and proud horses, the Pandya King has won the war with determined efforts, and we have completed our mission in this wide and expansive battle-camp. Right now, in that picturesque forest, which has been showered by clouds of the rainy season, swarms of beautiful bees buzz around fragrant wild jasmines in the evening hour. Lo behold! That time has come! Hasten, O charioteer, and wield your well-crafted, decorated, tall chariot! Those who harvest paddy beat on the ‘thannumai drums', having a folded leather cover, to chase away birds, heading from many flowered groves, from those fertile fields with ripe paddy grains, in the town of ‘Sirukudi', ruled by ‘Vaanan'. That young maiden with shining bangles, has tresses that waft with the scent of the moist orchards in Vaanan's Sirukudi! Rush on, O charioteer, so that I can embrace her arms soon!” Time to speed along with this traveller through the forests! The man starts by talking about how he had come to serve his king, a scion of the Pandya dynasty, who had extended the shade of his rule to the world entire. An exaggeration, no doubt, but we can read it as ‘world as they knew it’! This King had claimed victory in the battlefield and so the man’s mission was complete. While that was good news, the season of rains, which was his promised season of return, had already arrived and was make the forests smile with wild jasmines, inviting the bees in the evening hour. At this time, the man asks his charioteer to speed on and take him to his lady, whose tresses he places in parallel to the many-flowered, moist orchards in the town of ‘Sirukudi’, ruled by ‘Vaanan’, a place filled with lush paddy fields, where people used beat their drums to chase away birds that came to raid ripe grains. The man concludes by telling his charioteer that he wished for nothing more than embracing his beloved’s arms as soon as possible! In essence, it’s a ‘take me home, right now’ message, celebrating the beauty of the lady and acknowledging the changing seasons. That moment of reunion that a person who had parted away yearns for, that’s something that’s a constant across the ages, and across the miles of this world! These words from the past seem to tell us, ‘No matter how great a mission we have accomplished, nothing can match the joy of being back in the presence of love’!

Latest up from Spoken Label (Poetry / Spoken word Podcast) features the return of our friend, the amazing Aakriti Kuntal.Aakriti Kuntal is a poet, writer and multidisciplinary artist.She spends most of her time writing and reading, seeking refuge in nature. At other times, she explores photography, asemic writing, visual art and short experimental films. Her work has appeared in The Night Heron Barks, Rasputin: A Poetry Thread,IceFloe Press, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, and Poetry at Sangam, among others. She is the author of the chapbook “God, am I your eyelid?” (Sigilist Press, USA) and the full length collection “Night breaks apart, like pomegranate seeds in my palm (The Indian List).Her accolades include the Reuel International Prize (2017); she was shortlisted for the RL Poetry Award (2018) and nominated for Best of the Net.

In this episode, we listen to words of consolation, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 197, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the domain with a heartwarming simile. மா மலர் வண்ணம் இழந்த கண்ணும்,பூ நெகிழ் அணையின் சாஅய தோளும்,நன்னர் மாக்கள் விழைவனர் ஆய்ந்ததொல் நலம் இழந்த துயரமொடு, என்னதூஉம்இனையல் வாழி, தோழி! முனை எழமுன்னுவர் ஓட்டிய முரண் மிகு திருவின்,மறம் மிகு தானை, கண்ணன் எழினிதேம் முது குன்றம் இறந்தனர் ஆயினும்,நீடலர் யாழ, நின் நிரை வளை நெகிழதோள் தாழ்பு இருளிய குவை இருங் கூந்தல்மடவோள் தழீஇய விறலோன் மார்பில்புன் தலைப் புதல்வன் ஊர்பு இழிந்தாங்கு,கடுஞ்சூல் மடப் பிடி தழீஇய வெண் கோட்டுஇனம்சால் வேழம், கன்று ஊர்பு இழிதர,பள்ளி கொள்ளும் பனிச் சுரம் நீந்தி,ஒள் இணர்க் கொன்றை ஓங்கு மலை அத்தம்வினை வலியுறூஉம் நெஞ்சமொடுஇனையர் ஆகி, நப் பிரிந்திசினோரே. In this trip to this domain, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the lady, at a time when the man remains parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Your eyes, akin to dark flowers, have lost their hue; Akin to a pillow that has lost its plumpness, your arms have thinned; The beauty of yours, celebrated by your good friends, have lost the old state! With the sorrow of realising all this, do not suffer ceaselessly, my friend, may you live long!  The one, who parted away, making your neat row of bangles slip away, left to the terrifying drylands, which makes one shiver, where akin to the scene in a home, when upon the chest of a strong man, lying down embracing his naive woman, with darkness-like, thick tresses that fall beneath her arms, his young son, with coarse hair, crawls down, on the body of a male elephant, one of a herd, having white tusks, which had been embracing its naive and fully pregnant mate, its calf would climb up and descend down. Indeed, he has parted away, without any grace, with a heart that was pressing him to go on his mission through the drylands, near the soaring mountains, filled with golden shower trees, having radiant flowers. Always chasing away those who dared to rise in opposition, Kannan Ezhini rises with furious strength, wielding a courageous army. Even though your man has crossed the honey-covered, ancient peaks of his, he shan't delay any longer!” Time to tread the scorching spaces again! The confidante starts by describing how the lady’s eyes, her arms and her beauty had lost their old state. After acknowledging these changes, the confidante asks the lady to not keep worrying so. Then, she describes the drylands path where the man is traversing, and to do that, she zooms on to a scene in a home, where a little boy would be crawling on the chest of his father, as that man lies embracing his wife with long tresses. Then, the confidante connects this scene to that of a male elephant and its pregnant mate and the way, an elephant calf would be playing, climbing on its father’s back and rolling down. Doesn’t seem like a scary place to me! In any case, that’s how the confidante says this place is, and talks about how the man walks through these lands, crossing highlands with golden shower trees, and walking beyond the peaks of a courageous king named ‘Kannan Ezhini’. The confidante ends by saying while all that is true, the man wouldn’t dream of staying there one moment longer than necessary and would be back soon with the lady.  That scene with the bonding elephant family must be the confidante’s way of projecting the image of future happiness the lady is going to experience once the man returns. Utilising the effective techniques of acknowledging the pain of the present, and visualising the pleasure of the future, this expert ‘psychologist’ of Sangam times heals her languishing friend!

In this episode, we listen to a mother’s yearning words, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 195, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse reveals the questions that arise in a Sangam mother’s heart at the moment of her daughter’s elopement. ”அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்த என் பெருந் தோட் குறுமகள்திருந்துவேல் விடலையொடு வரும்” என, தாயே,புனை மாண் இஞ்சி பூவல் ஊட்டி,மனை மணல் அடுத்து, மாலை நாற்றி,உவந்து, இனிது அயரும் என்ப; யானும்,மான் பிணை நோக்கின் மட நல்லாளைஈன்ற நட்பிற்கு அருளான் ஆயினும்,இன் நகை முறுவல் ஏழையைப் பல் நாள்,கூந்தல் வாரி, நுசுப்பு இவர்ந்து, ஓம்பியநலம் புனை உதவியும் உடையன்மன்னே;அஃது அறிகிற்பினோ நன்றுமன் தில்ல;அறுவை தோயும் ஒரு பெருங் குடுமி,சிறு பை நாற்றிய பல் தலைக் கொடுங் கோல்,ஆகுவது அறியும் முதுவாய் வேல!கூறுகமாதோ, நின் கழங்கின் திட்பம்;மாறா வருபனி கலுழும் கங்குலில்,ஆனாது துயரும் எம் கண் இனிது படீஇயர்,எம் மனை முந்துறத் தருமோ?தன் மனை உய்க்குமோ? யாது அவன் குறிப்பே? It’s more about the dunes of the mind in this trip to the drylands, as we listen to the lady’s mother say these words, at a time when the lady has left with the man, seeing no other way to sustain her love relationship: “They say that thinking my daughter with beautiful, thick arms, who parted away to the formidable drylands, will come home, with the young man carrying a well-etched spear, his mother, spreads red mud on the well-adorned, outer walls of their house, scatters fresh sands in front of the home, decorates the spaces by hanging garlands, and goes about many such tasks with much joy. Even if he does not honour me for having given birth to that naive, good woman, with the gaze of a female deer, he should know that it was me, who cared for that helpless, young girl, with a fine smile, for many days, by combing her tresses, carrying her on my hips, and rendering all I could to enhance her beauty. If he understands this, it will be good.  O wise Velan, clad in white cloth, having a huge tuft, carrying a many-spoked, curving rod, from which hangs a small bag, you are someone who knows what is about to transpire! Won't you tell me, seeing the spread of your beans, will he render sweet sleep to my eyes, which cease not from crying, filled with suffering, on this dark night, by bringing her first to my home? Or will he take her to his? Pray tell me, what his mind seeks!” Time to pause and listen to another’s angst! Mother starts by talking about another mother, and this happens to be the man’s mother, about whom the lady’s mother had received some news, saying she was getting ready to welcome her son and the lovely maiden he had chosen as his mate. To this end, she was spreading red mud on their walls, scattering fine sand in front of the house, and tying garlands everywhere. In short , it’s going to be one joyous welcome for the couple, who had eloped and are traversing a harsh domain just then. The lady’s mother continues by saying, ‘All that’s well and fine. But that man should consider it was me who had brought his beloved to this world, and even if he doesn’t care about that, he should have some gratitude for all those days I took care of my girl, when she was a helpless little thing, and I made sure she grew up with much health and beauty’. After this declaration of her predominance in the lady’s life, mother turns to Velan, who is performing some divining with his Molucca beans, and concludes, by asking him, whether the man would do the honour of bringing the lady to her house and slay the sleeplessness and suffering of her eyes or will the man take the lady to his own house.  Didn’t the lady just leave her own house because she thought her mother and relatives were against her love relationship with the man? What would make her return? Perhaps it’s a depiction of a state of mind that we all go through, when things have gone too far in the opposite direction, and yet we cling on to the possibility that we can go back to being how we were! Seeing it from another angle, perhaps like the lady’s mother mentions, the man might think of the lady’s parents and all that they have done for the lady and what they must be going through, and might bring back the lady and seek their approval for their marriage. I know, a slim sliver of a possibility, and that’s exactly what mother’s clinging on, dreaming about clasping her precious daughter back in her arms, somehow! A classic case of ‘hope against hope’! 

In this episode, we perceive words of hidden persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 192, penned by Pothumpil Kizhaan Venkannanaar. The verse is situated amidst the lush millet fields of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and presents intriguing images of wild life from this domain. மதி இருப்பன்ன மாசு அறு சுடர் நுதல்பொன் நேர் வண்ணம் கொண்டன்று; அன்னோ!யாங்கு ஆகுவள்கொல் தானே? விசும்பின்எய்யா வரி வில் அன்ன பைந் தார்,செவ் வாய் சிறு கிளி சிதைய வாங்கி,பொறை மெலிந்திட்ட புன் புறப் பெருங் குரல்வளை சிறை வாரணம் கிளையொடு கவர,ஏனலும் இறங்குபொறை உயிர்த்தன; பானாள்நீ வந்து அளிக்குவை எனினே மால் வரைமை படு விடரகம் துழைஇ, ஒய்யெனஅருவி தந்த அரவு உமிழ் திரு மணிபெரு வரைச் சிறுகுடி மறுகு விளக்குறுத்தலின்,இரவும் இழந்தனள்; அளியள் உரவுப் பெயல்உரும் இறை கொண்ட உயர்சிமைப்பெரு மலைநாட! நின் மலர்ந்த மார்பே. In this vibrant trip to the mountains, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the man when he arrives for a tryst with the lady: “Akin to the shining moon, is her flawless, glowing forehead, and now it has taken on a golden hue. Alas! What will become of her? Having a fresh band, akin to the sky's striped bow that launches not arrows, and a red beak, the little parrot plucks from the tall, coarse crop ears, ruining it, and then unable to bear the weight, drops down the seeds, leaving these for the flock of wild hens with curving wings to peck on. The millet fields have now birthed such an yield of crops, bent over by its weight. If we consider that you will come grace in the middle of the night, she has lost the night too, because glowing gems, spit by snakes, which have been brought down by resounding cascades that have stirred within dark caves, before coming down those high mountains, lights up the streets of our little hamlet in the huge ranges. She's to be pitied indeed, O lord of the soaring peaks in the huge mountains, filled with heavy downpours, accompanied by roaring thunder, for she has no way of embracing your wide, blooming chest!” Time to trek on those mountains of yore! The confidante starts with a bang, coming right to the crux of the issue, talking about how normally the lady’s forehead would glow like the moon, without flaws any. However, at the moment it was coated in a golden hue. ‘Having a golden hue is a good thing, isn’t it?’, one might ask with the lens of this fairness-obsessed, modern world. The fact of this particular past is somewhat different and the lady’s dark skin taking on a golden hue implied that the disease of pining had afflicted her and that pallor had covered her head. So, it was by no means, a good news. After lamenting the state the lady is in, the confidante turns to remark about the state of her father’s millet fields. These were brimming with so much yield that a parrot, which is said to have a rainbow-like neck band and red beak, would come and raid those crop ears, and bite a big one. Later, unable to carry that weight, the parrot would drop it down, leaving the scattered millet grains to be feasted upon by clucking wild hens. A moment to relish the imagery of the ‘sky’s bow that never aims arrows’, in other words, a rainbow on a parrot’s neck. Searching I found this could most probably refer to the ‘Indian Ringnecked Parrot’, also called as the ‘Rose-Ringed Parakeet’, one that has a dark blue to pink band around its neck. Moving on, there must be further, hidden significance for this image, which we will see in a moment, but outwardly the confidante says this, only to highlight the crops have grown so much that it’s time for the harvest, and because it’s time for harvest, the lady would no longer visit the fields, an event that had previously been so conducive for her trysts by day with the man. The confidante continues the line of thought by saying to the man, ‘If you are thinking, day tryst is not possible. So, I’ll come by night, then think again’. She explains this is because their streets are lit up by the sparkles of the many gems, spit by snakes, which have brought down by cascades from the dark caves of the mountains. This tells the man that there was a danger of discovery by night too. Here again, the confidante echoes that familiar belief of Sangam folks that snakes had the ability to spit gems. I’m wondering what’s the origin of this bizarre belief? Could it be that those regions were so rich in precious gems, and quite close to the surface too, that these were revealed by the slithering movement of snakes, and somehow people associated the two? Just a theory! But imagine the kind of wealth that was strewn about in that ancient land, if at all this was true!  Returning, we find the confidante clarifying to the man that nightly tryst was thus not possible. She concludes by expressing sorrow that the lady seemed to have no way to embrace the man’s chest, day or night. In that scene of the ring-necked parrot dropping the millet grains and leaving it to be pecked on by wild hens, the confidante implies that the man had been intent only on trysting, and not carrying his relationship with the lady to its end of marriage, and he had left that to become an object of slander among the womenfolk of their town. Through this, the confidante intends to make the man see the error of his ways, learn that the lady had been confined within her house owing to these effects, realise that she was in much suffering and understand that the only way forward was to seek the lady’s hand. All these inner transformations in the man the worthy confidante achieves even as she treats us to the dynamic wild life that teems in these mountains of the past! Like those brimming crop ears, even this song seems to bend with its delightful weight of carrying so much in a few lines and leaves us with the thought, ‘Isn’t it our duty to stay the course and carry on, so as to finish what we have begun?’

On this week's episode of Out and About, Dr. Mae Gilliland of ArtsPartners of Central Illinois talks with Chetna Maini, founder of Spandan School of Kathak, about SANGAM, an evening of Indian classical music and dance happening March 8 at the ICC Performing Arts Center. The program brings together Kathak dance and live Tabla in a three-part presentation that traces the artistic journey from student to master.

In this episode, we perceive the resolution of a dilemma, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 181, penned by Paranar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse links a battlefield and a place of prominence in the ancient world. துன் அருங் கானமும் துணிதல் ஆற்றாய்,பின் நின்று பெயரச் சூழ்ந்தனைஆயின்,என் நிலை உரைமோ நெஞ்சே! ஒன்னார்ஓம்பு அரண் கடந்த வீங்கு பெருந் தானைஅடு போர் மிஞிலி செரு வேல் கடைஇ,முருகு உறழ் முன்பொடு பொருது களம் சிவப்ப,ஆஅய் எயினன் வீழ்ந்தென, ஞாயிற்றுஒண் கதிர் உருப்பம் புதைய ஓராங்குவம்பப் புள்ளின் கம்பலைப் பெருந் தோடுவிசும்பிடை தூர ஆடி, மொசிந்து உடன் பூ விரி அகன் துறைக் கணை விசைக் கடு நீர்க்காவிரிப் பேர் யாற்று அயிர் கொண்டு ஈண்டி,எக்கர் இட்ட குப்பை வெண் மணல்வைப்பின் யாணர் வளம் கெழு வேந்தர்ஞாலம் நாறும் நலம் கெழு நல் இசை,நான் மறை முது நூல் முக்கட் செல்வன்,ஆலமுற்றம் கவின் பெறத் தைஇயபொய்கை சூழ்ந்த பொழில் மனை மகளிர்கைசெய் பாவைத் துறைக்கண் இறுக்கும்மகர நெற்றி வான் தோய் புரிசைச்சிகரம் தோன்றாச் சேண் உயர் நல் இல்புகாஅர் நல் நாட்டதுவே பகாஅர்பண்டம் நாறும் வண்டு அடர் ஐம்பால்,பணைத் தகைத் தடைஇய காண்பு இன் மென் தோள்,அணங்குசால் அரிவை இருந்தமணம் கமழ் மறுகின் மணற் பெருங் குன்றே. In this long trip to the drylands, it’s more of a travel to other spaces, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey through the domain, seeking wealth: “If you don't have the courage to cross this formidable and inaccessible jungle, and instead you wish to stand behind me, looking to leave, then go and tell about my state, O heart! The battle-worthy, victorious Mignili, who has a huge army that has crossed many a soaring enemy fort, crossed spears with Aay Eyinan, who fought with the courage of God Muruku, making the battlefield redden. When Aay fell in battle, preventing the heat of the sun's shining rays from touching him, a huge flock of birds flew in formation together, high up, with a thunderous uproar, hiding the sky entire. Later, these birds flew and rested in the flower-filled shore of the great River Kaveri, which brings along huge quantities of fine silt, turning them into heaps of white sand. Nearby, is a place filled with prosperity and ruled by wealthy kings, and happens to be ‘Aalamuttram', where the Three-Eyed Lord, composed the four ancient scriptures, whose abundant fame spreads around the world. In the picturesque orchards, filled with ponds here, maiden from households craft handmade statues and place on the river shore, where those birds would arrive and rest. This unfolds in the good country of Puhaar, decked with sky-soaring forts, fluttering with fish flags, whose tops cannot even be seen, so tall are the mansions! Here, with five-part, thick, braided, bee-buzzing tresses, wafting with the scent of merchants' products in the streets of Puhaar, with curving delicate arms, pleasing to the eyes, akin to bamboos, like a divine spirit, she waits for me, upon a sand hill, wafting with the scent of the fragrant streets nearby.” Time to catch the conversation between the man and his heart! The man starts with a hidden rebuke to his heart because it wants to leave the man and turn back. He does this by giving it permission to go speak about his state to his beloved. Then, he goes on a tangent, and talks about the battle between Aay Eyinan and Mignili, we have seen in other verses, repeating the victory of Mignili and the defeat of Aay Eyinan, and stressing on how birds flew in formation and prevented the sun’s rays from touching the fallen body of Aay Eyinan, indicating what a lover of birds he had been, in his lifetime. Then apparently, these birds would fly to a particular shore and rest there, which happens to be on the Kaveri river, near a famous place called Aalamuttram, with the religious significance of a God called the ‘Three-Eyed One’, interpreted as God Siva, said to be the very place, where he composed the ancient scriptures. Another marker of this river shore are the hand-made statues carved by married women. Then, the man explains this river shore is in the renowned country of Puhaar, known also as ‘Kaveripoompattinam’ or ‘Poompuhar’. And such is the fragrance of the streets, wafting with the scent of the many products sold by merchants. Not only are the birds from that battlefield resting here, but the man’s beloved, characterised by her abundant tresses , bamboo-like arms, is also waiting right there, on a sand hill, wafting with the scents of the town, yearning for his return, the man concludes.  The technique of separating the heart from oneself to find motivation in times of hardship is illustrated at the core of this verse. This natural method, which we have seen in many verses, is very much in line with modern psychological principles, which advocate a detachment from troubling thoughts and disturbing feelings and seeing them for what they are, to handle them in the right way. Yet again, this is subtle proof that the Sangam folks were masters of the mind!

In this episode, we listen to words of consolation rendered to allay anxiety, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 177, penned by Seyaloor Ilampon Saaththan Kotranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the victory of a king and the beauty of a lady. தொல் நலம் சிதையச் சாஅய், அல்கலும்,“இன்னும் வாரார்; இனி எவன் செய்கு?” எனப்பெரும் புலம்புறுதல் ஓம்புமதி சிறு கண்இரும் பிடித் தடக் கை மான, நெய் அருந்துஒருங்கு பிணித்து இயன்ற நெறி கொள் ஐம்பால்தேம் கமழ் வெறி மலர் பெய்ம்மார், காண்பின்கழை அமல் சிலம்பின் வழை தலை வாடக்கதிர் கதம் கற்ற ஏ கல் நெறியிடை,பைங் கொடிப் பாகற் செங் கனி நசைஇ,கான மஞ்ஞைக் கமஞ்சூல் மாப் பெடைஅயிர் யாற்று அடைகரை வயிரின் நரலும்காடு இறந்து அகன்றோர் நீடினர் ஆயினும்,வல்லே வருவர்போலும் வெண் வேல்இலை நிறம் பெயர ஓச்சி, மாற்றோர்மலை மருள் யானை மண்டுஅமர் ஒழித்தகழற் கால் பண்ணன் காவிரி வடவயின்நிழற் கயம் தழீஇய நெடுங் கால் மாவின்தளிர் ஏர் ஆகம் தகை பெற முகைந்தஅணங்குடை வன முலைத் தாஅய நின்சுணங்கிடை வரித்த தொய்யிலை நினைந்தே. In this trip to the drylands, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth: “Ruining your old beauty, you worry day after day, saying, ‘He still has not returned. How can I bear this?”. Please stop this great lament of yours! He has left to the drylands path, filled with huge stones, sweltering in the heat of the sun's rays, which scorch the tops of laurel wood trees, in those spaces by the mountain slopes, decked with bamboos, pleasing to the eyes, where desiring the red fruit of the bitter gourd, growing on green vines, a huge, pregnant jungle peafowl, cries aloud, akin to the ‘vayir' horn on the banks of the ‘Ayiri' river. Your oil-moistened, well-tied, five-part braid is akin to the curving trunk of a huge female elephant with small eyes. Even though he is delayed, he will return soon to adorn these tresses of yours, with honey-fragrant, colourful flowers. The great Pannan, who wears warrior anklets, is renowned for changing the hue of his leaf-tipped white spear and destroying the enemy's elephants, akin to mountains, in the battlefield. To the north of his domain of the ‘Kaveri' river, there stands a tall-trunked mango tree, rendering its shade to a huge pond. Akin to a tender leaf of this tree, is your tormenting bosom. Dreaming about covering the pallor spots that spread on this beautiful bosom of yours with ‘thoyyil' paintings, he shall return soon indeed!” Let’s brave the heat and walk the drylands path to learn more! The confidante starts by describing the lady’s current state of pining for the man, worrying incessantly about how he has not returned, ruining her health. She asks the lady to give up this worry of hers, and then goes on to describe the hot drylands path, by the mountains, that the man walks, where he can hear the cry of a pregnant peahen, which he describes as sounding like a ‘vayir’ horn on the banks of a river. This is excellent material for makers of ancient musical instruments for though the ‘vayir’ is no more, the world still has peahens and it gives hope to recreate the music of the past. Returning, we find the confidante describing the lady’s thick tresses, which she equates to an elephant’s trunk! Imagine the thickness of that braid, to be characterised as such! Looks like it was a blessed time for women’s hair, without the ubiquitous chemicals and pollutants that destroy the health of many a modern woman’s locks. The confidante has mentioned that the man cannot keep away from the beauty of these tresses and that he would indeed return soon to adorn it with the choicest of fragrant and vibrant flowers. Then, the confidante goes on to talk about how King Pannan quelled his enemy’s elephants in the battlefield, reddening the leaf tip of his spears. She has summoned this king only to say the River Kaveri was part of his domain, and there was a lush mango tree, to the north of this river, by a fertile pond, and she goes on to equate the tender leaf of this particular tree to the beautiful bosom of the lady, which would no doubt torment the man, no matter where he was. With the additional promise that the man would want to return and adorn the pallor spots on the lady’s bosom with thoyyil paintings, the confidante concludes her words to her friend!  In essence, the confidante is saying, ‘How can the man forget your beauty and stay away?’.’Like a force of nature, it will pull him back to your fold’, the friend promises. The reference to a king’s exploits in the battlefield and then the trip to a mango tree in his domain was an unexpected turn of events. Intriguing to reflect on the creativity of Sangam poets, who could connect vastly disparate things like majestic valour in the tangible reality of a battlefield to intimate beauty in the tender abstraction of relationships!

In this episode, we perceive words of consolation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 173, penned by Mulliyoor Pothiyaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse highlights the wealth and glory of a Sangam king’s domain. ‘அறம் தலைப்பிரியாது ஒழுகலும், சிறந்தகேளிர் கேடு பல ஊன்றலும், நாளும்வருந்தா உள்ளமொடு இருந்தோர்க்கு இல்’ எனச்செய்வினை புரிந்த நெஞ்சினர், ‘நறு நுதல்மை ஈர் ஓதி! அரும் படர் உழத்தல்சில் நாள் தாங்கல்வேண்டும்’ என்று, நின்நல் மாண் எல் வளை திருத்தினர்ஆயின்,வருவர் வாழி, தோழி! பல புரிவார் கயிற்று ஒழுகை நோன் சுவற் கொளீஇ,பகடு துறை ஏற்றத்து உமண் விளி வெரீஇ,உழைமான் அம் பிணை இனன் இரிந்து ஓட,காடு கவின் அழிய உரைஇ, கோடைநின்று தின விளிந்த, அம் பணை, நெடு வேய்க்கண் விடத் தெறிக்கும் மண்ணா முத்தம்கழங்கு உறழ் தோன்றல, பழங் குழித் தாஅம்இன் களி நறவின் இயல் தேர் நன்னன்விண் பொரு நெடு வரைக் கவாஅன்பொன் படு மருங்கின் மலை இறந்தோரே. In this trip to the drylands in the mountains, we get to hear the confidante say these words to the lady, at a time when the man continues to remain parted away: “Deciding, ‘Living a life without swerving away from justice and bearing the many burdens of one's honourable kith and kin, are both impossible for those, who stay in comfort with a complacent heart!', the one who wished to part away on the mission of gaining wealth, said, ‘O maiden with a fragrant forehead and thick, moist tresses, you must bear the deep suffering of parting for a few days!', as he caressed your exquisite, shining bangles. Tying sturdy ropes with many thick threads to the necks of their oxen, arrive salt merchants on upraised river shores. Startled by their sharp whistles, herds of male deer along with their exquisite mates scuttle away; Making the jungle lose its beauty, the summer sun scorches. The tall and beautiful bamboos, that have dried up bereft of water, burst at the nodes, and scatter soiled seeds that appear akin to beans, which fall into old pits. The man, who has left to these mountains, which lie near the rich, golden lands in the slopes of sky-soaring peaks, belonging to Nannan, who wields fast chariots and is renowned for the sweetness of his toddy, will return to you soon, my friend, may you live long!” Time to tread those hot sands! The confidante starts by reflecting the man’s words to the lady before he had left on his mission. With much tenderness, he had consoled the lady and explained the reasons he had to undertake the journey, talking about how it was his duty to live a life of justice and to help all their kith and kin in their hour of need, and to do this, he had to leave the comfort of home and go seek wealth. He had requested the lady to bear with this pain for some time and left, the confidante reminds the lady. Then she talks about the place where the man treads now, talking about an arid region, where salt merchants traverse with their oxen, frightening the deer there with their sharp whistles, and where bamboos split open in the heat, scattering their seeds. The confidante concludes by adding that those drylands were in the vicinity of the wealthy domain, filled with gold, ruled by King Nannan, known for his swaying chariots and sweet toddy, and promises the lady that the man would return soon to her.  With those specific words about Nannan’s golden lands, the confidante hints that the man would be blessed with riches in his mission, and the lady’s days of pain were at an end. What a thoughtful friend who highlights the positive qualities of the very person, seemingly the cause of pain! By connecting the goodness of the man in the past, and the promise of his return in the future, this fine friend alleviates the lady’s misery in the present moment. The perfect recipe for reassurance indeed!

In this episode, we listen to a man’s worry about his beloved, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 169, penned by Thondi Aamoor Saathanaar. Set amidst the arid spaces of the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the consequences of parting in a visual manner. மரம் தலை கரிந்து நிலம் பயம் வாட,அலங்குகதிர் வேய்ந்த அழல் திகழ் நனந்தலை,புலி தொலைத்து உண்ட பெருங் களிற்று ஒழி ஊன்கலி கெழு மறவர் காழ்க் கோத்து ஒழிந்ததை,ஞெலி கோற் சிறு தீ மாட்டி, ஒலி திரைக்கடல் விளை அமிழ்தின் கணம் சால் உமணர்சுனை கொள் தீம் நீர்ச் சோற்று உலைக் கூட்டும்சுரம் பல கடந்த நம் வயின் படர்ந்து நனிபசலை பாய்ந்த மேனியள், நெடிது நினைந்து,செல் கதிர் மழுகிய புலம்பு கொள் மாலைமெல் விரல் சேர்த்திய நுதலள், மல்கிக்கயல் உமிழ் நீரின் கண் பனி வார,பெருந் தோள் நெகிழ்ந்த செல்லலொடுவருந்துமால், அளியள், திருந்திழைதானே! A trip to the drylands filled with striking events, where we get to hear the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey to seek wealth: “Scorching treetops and ruining the land's fertility, the hot sun spreads its swaying rays in those wide open spaces, where the carcass of a huge elephant that a tiger has attacked, fed on and abandoned, is carried by uproarious highway robbers on a pole, and what's left over from that, is collected by salt merchants, who travel in hordes, bearing that elixir harvested from the resounding waves of the sea. They light up a small flame with their fire rods and add this meat to the rice cooking in the sweet waters of the spring. As her heart forsakes her and rushes to me, who has crossed many such drylands, with pallor spreading on her form, ceaselessly thinking, pressing her soft fingers on her forehead, with tears spilling over from her eyes, akin to water drops spit out by a fish, her thick arms wasting away, she would be worrying deeply in that evening hour of loneliness, when the sun's rays diminish. That maiden wearing well-etched jewels is to be pitied indeed!” Let’s observe the changing scene in this domain and learn more! The man starts by describing the drylands that he has come across. He first talks about the relentless sun, burning and ruining everything in sight. Then, he points to a single spot and talks about three different events that have occurred right there. First, it’s a fight between a tiger and an elephant. The elephant loses out and is killed by the fierce tiger. After the tiger has had its fill of the beast, it abandons the carcass and walks on. Next, a bunch of highway robbers, who come there, carve out a huge portion of the meat and tying it on a pole, they carry it away. Finally, salt merchants arrive there, and of course, there’s still a lot of meat left, for it’s an elephant we are talking about. They set up camp nearby, start a fire with their fire rods, and then to the rice they are cooking in sweet spring water, they add the meat too. No spring water here, for sure. It must be something they have carried along in their carts. Thus, that huge elephant has now been fed upon by not one, not two, but three different parties in the scene.  After that vivid description, the man turns to reflect on the lady and laments to his heart that she is sure to be worried immensely, wondering about his whereabouts, as pallor spreads on her body and her arms thin away. He paints a portrait of the lady sitting there with her hands holding her feverish forehead and tears spilling out of her eyes like water from the mouth of a fish. The man concludes by echoing how his heart throbs with pity for the lady’s state. In the scene of the elephant carcass that was abandoned by the tiger, being fed on by the highway robbers and salt merchants, the man places a metaphor for how the lady’s beauty abandoned by him is now being feasted upon by pallor and pining. The pain in parting felt in the intimate spaces of the heart is illustrated with the scenes of the wide open spaces in the drylands, highlighting the Sangam poets’ expertise in seamlessly connecting the inner world and the outer!

In this episode, we listen to an intriguing way of communicating an awaited information, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 160, penned by Kumizhi Gnaazhalaar Nappasalaiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the sandy shores of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and conveys the change in the man’s manner and what it means to the lady’s life. ஒடுங்கு ஈர் ஓதி நினக்கும் அற்றோ?நடுங்கின்று, அளித்து, என் நிறை இல் நெஞ்சம்.அடும்பு கொடி சிதைய வாங்கி, கொடுங் கழிக்குப்பை வெண் மணற் பக்கம் சேர்த்தி,நிறைச் சூல் யாமை மறைத்து ஈன்று, புதைத்தகோட்டு வட்டு உருவின் புலவு நாறு முட்டைபார்ப்பு இடன் ஆகும் அளவை, பகுவாய்க்கணவன் ஓம்பும் கானல்அம் சேர்ப்பன்முள் உறின் சிறத்தல் அஞ்சி, மெல்லவாவு உடைமையின் வள்பின் காட்டி,ஏத் தொழில் நவின்ற எழில் நடைப் புரவிசெழு நீர்த் தண் கழி நீந்தலின், ஆழிநுதிமுகம் குறைந்த பொதி முகிழ் நெய்தல்,பாம்பு உயர் தலையின், சாம்புவன நிவப்ப,இர வந்தன்றால் திண் தேர்; கரவாதுஒல்லென ஒலிக்கும் இளையரொடு வல் வாய்அரவச் சீறூர் காண,பகல் வந்தன்றால், பாய்பரி சிறந்தே. This trip to the coast provides a glimpse of the teeming life in this domain and takes us in the presence of the confidante, as she says these words to the lady: “O maiden with well-set, moist tresses, is it the same for you too? My pitiable, unfulfilled heart is shivering! Ruining the beach morning glory vines by pulling it, the pregnant turtle clears the heap of white sand in the backwaters and then hides itself before laying eggs. Then it buries the flesh-reeking eggs in the shape of ivory dice. Its mate with a split open mouth guards with devotion, until these eggs turn into hatchlings, in the orchards by the picturesque seashore in the domain of the lord. Fearing that if thorny goads are used, it would leap, his horse with an elegant gait, which has learnt the art of pouncing like an arrow, is gently directed to slow down, with the hold of the bridle. Since his chariot comes striding through the cool and lush backwaters, the sharp wheels sever the blooming clusters of the blue lotus, making them wilt, and akin to the hoods of snake, these bob up in the waters. The lord's sturdy chariot used to arrive this way in the quiet of the night. But now, without any restraint, with uproarious helpers, letting our small town with strong mouths see, he arrives by day, speeding on his pouncing horses!” Time to take a dip in the cool waves of the shore and know more! The confidante starts by declaring that her heart is shell-shocked and she questions the lady if she feels the same way too. Without explaining a thing, she goes on to describe the man’s domain and to do that, first she brings in a mother turtle in the middle of laying its eggs, amidst the sand beneath the beach morning glory vines, in a well-hidden way. Later, the confidante points to us how these eggs are being guarded by the father turtle, which apparently takes care of these, until they turning into hatchlings. A moment to consider this statement about father turtles guarding eggs. In our current world, there are no instances of paternal involvement, when it comes to protecting turtle eggs. There may be a few species in which the mother offers a little protection, but that too would mostly be in the nesting stage, and after that, the baby turtles would normally have to fend for themselves, with no support from either parent. So, either the Sangam folks are mistaken in their understanding or perhaps there was some unknown species of turtle, which had this characteristic, and one, which has possibly gone extinct now. In any case, at the core, there’s the element of projecting human values on the behaviour of this animal. Returning, we find the confidante turning the spotlight from the man’s domain to the man’s actions. First, she talks about how he used to come so quietly at night, taming the intensity of his horses, and wielding his chariot silently through the waters, severing some blue lotuses in the process. Then, she concludes by contrasting this discreet way of visiting the lady to how he has now come, attracting a lot of attention from their townsfolk with gossiping mouths, led by his boisterous helpers and speeding on his horses, in the bright light of day. Now, we can connect it to the confidante’s statement about her heart stopping at this sight, and understand this is her way of telling the lady, ‘Your man has come to seek your hand. All’s well now’! Even in that scene of the male turtle guarding the eggs, the confidante hides a subtext of how the man has ensured that precious egg of the secret love relationship between him and the lady has turned into the hatching of a happy married life. In essence, the confidante has simply spiced by the story with a little drama in the beginning about her poor heart and ended with the news that’s sure to make the lady’s heart brim over with joy!

In this episode, we listen to words of consolation rendered to allay the anxiety of another, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 159, penned by Aamoor Kavuthaman Saathevanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse echoes the fame and wealth of a Sangam era town. தெண் கழி விளைந்த வெண் கல் உப்பின்கொள்ளை சாற்றிய கொடு நுக ஒழுகைஉரனுடைச் சுவல பகடு பல பரப்பிஉமண் உயிர்த்து இறந்த ஒழிகல் அடுப்பின்,வடி உறு பகழிக் கொடு வில் ஆடவர்அணங்குடை நோன் சிலை வணங்க வாங்கி,பல் ஆன் நெடு நிரை தழீஇ, கல்லெனஅரு முனை அலைத்த பெரும் புகல் வலத்தர்,கனை குரற் கடுந் துடிப் பாணி தூங்கி,உவலைக் கண்ணியர், ஊன் புழுக்கு அயரும்கவலை, ”காதலர் இறந்தனர்” என, நனிஅவலம் கொள்ளல்மா, காதல் அம் தோழி! விசும்பின் நல் ஏறு சிலைக்கும் சேண் சிமைநறும் பூஞ் சாரற் குறும் பொறைக் குணாஅதுவில் கெழு தடக் கை வெல் போர் வானவன்மிஞிறு மூசு கவுள சிறு கண் யானைத்தொடியுடைத் தட மருப்பு ஒடிய நூறி,கொடுமுடி காக்கும் குரூஉகண் நெடு மதில்சேண் விளங்கு சிறப்பின் ஆமூர் எய்தினும்,ஆண்டு அமைந்து உறையுநர்அல்லர், நின்பூண் தாங்கு ஆகம் பொருந்துதல் மறந்தே. A dash of drylands and a pinch of history in this trip, where we get to listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man remains parted away, having left on his mission to seek wealth: “Taking white salt that was harvested from the clear backwaters, salt merchants journey on, shouting out the price and selling their produce. Then untying their bulls with strong napes, from the curved yokes of their carts, they let the beasts loose to graze around, as they take rest and eat around their stone stoves, which they leave behind, when parting away. Men with curving bows, and arrows, which never miss their targets, bend their sturdy bows, which seem to contain spirits within, and seize many herds of cattle, with a resounding uproar, which makes the land quiver, and then those victorious warriors sway to the sharp beats of thick-throated drums, wearing leaf garlands, and relish the meat they cook on those abandoned stone stoves in those formidable drylands paths! Don't fall into a deep suffering, thinking that your lover has parted away to such a place, my loving friend!  Having soaring peaks, where the sky's white steed leaps about, and slopes filled with fragrant flowers, are the hills of ‘Kurumporai'.  To the east of these hills, is the town of Aamoor, filled with dazzling places, guarded by tall forts, under the protection of ‘Kodumudi', who attacked and seized the bangle-clad tusks of the small-eyed elephants, around whose cheeks, bees buzz, owned by the victorious ‘Vanavan', who wields a skilful bow in his strong hands. Even if your man were to attain this renowned town of Aamoor, whose fame spreads far and wide, he is not one remain there satisfied, forgetting the embrace of your jewel-clad bosom!” Time to traverse those well-worn arid paths through the drylands! The confidante starts her words to the pining lady by asking her to focus on an object lying about in the drylands. This object is a stove, made of stone, and it’s one that has been abandoned by salt merchants, who had come that way, after selling their harvest of salt from the backwaters. Arriving at this spot after a long journey, they seem to have decided to give their bulls a break, and take one themselves. After loosening the yokes of the cattle, they had settled down for a meal around their stone stove. Once down, they seem to have left that stove behind and gone their way. Cut and we are back in the same spot, but after some time has elapsed. Now, we find jubilant warriors, who seem to have seized cattle, and are celebrating their victory by dancing to the beats of the drum, and settling down for a meal around that same stone stove, abandoned by those salt merchants. After this vivid description, the confidante reveals that this place is none other than the one which the man traverses now. She looks at her friend and asks the lady to worry not, thinking about the man’s travels thither.  Then leaving the barren drylands behind, the confidante takes the lady to the soaring peaks of Kurumporai, where lightning flashes, and the scent of flowers envelops. From there, they travel east and end up in a town called ‘Aamoor’, which has tall forts and is protected by a lord named ‘Kodumudi’, who has the honour of subduing the great elephants of King Vanavan, a Chera king, and seizing their tusks. The confidante concludes by emphatically telling the lady that even if the man were to attain that celebrated town of Aamoor as his reward, the man was not a person to stay behind, settle down and forget the warm embrace of his beloved! In essence, the confidante wishes to stress upon the lady that the man will never forsake her, no matter what the temptation is, and that he would be back the moment his mission was complete. The highlight of this verse though is the journey of that abandoned stove from the hands of salt sellers to the hands of these cattle warriors. Looking at it from another angle, I see how food is the unifying factor here, between very different groups of people, who seemingly have nothing in common. A reminder that if we look closely enough, we’ll be able to find some streak of commonality with people, no matter how far apart in space or time they are from us!

In this episode, we listen to persuasive words seeking the welfare of a friend, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 150, penned by Kuruvazhuthiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the teeming fish and blooming flowers of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and relays the lady’s state of mind. பின்னுவிட நெறித்த கூந்தலும், பொன்னெனஆகத்து அரும்பிய சுணங்கும், வம்பு விடக்கண் உருத்து எழுதரு முலையும் நோக்கி;‘எல்லினை பெரிது’ எனப் பல் மாண் கூறி,பெருந் தோள் அடைய முயங்கி, நீடு நினைந்து,அருங் கடிப்படுத்தனள் யாயே; கடுஞ் செலல்வாட் சுறா வழங்கும் வளை மேய் பெருந் துறை,கனைத்த நெய்தற் கண் போல் மா மலர்நனைத்த செருந்திப் போது வாய் அவிழ,மாலை மணி இதழ் கூம்ப, காலைக்கள் நாறு காவியொடு தண்ணென மலரும்கழியும், கானலும், காண்தொறும் பல புலந்து;‘வாரார்கொல்?’ எனப் பருவரும்தாரார் மார்ப! நீ தணந்த ஞான்றே! In this little boat trip to this vibrant domain, we hear these words said by the confidante to the man, when he leaves after a tryst by day with the lady: “Glancing at the well-grown, ready-to-be-braided, long and curly tresses, the pallor spots in gold budding on the bosom, and the upraised and well-formed breasts that brim over the bustier cloth, saying ‘You have become radiant like the day', mother rendered many praises and embraced, clasping her fully. Then, mother thought for long, and placed her under a strict guard. Speeding fish with sword-like horns traverse near the huge sea shore, where conches rove about, and here, in the evening, as the blue lotus, with its dark and thick flowers, appearing like eyes, closes its sapphire-like petals, the golden champak, moistened by this blue lotus, opens its pollen-filled buds. Then in the morning, the blue lotus blossoms with coolness, along with the red lotus, which wafts with the fragrance of toddy. Every time, she sees these scenes in the backwaters and groves, she laments a lot and wonders with angst, ‘Won't he come back?'. This is what happens every moment you remain parted away from her, O garland-clad one!” Let’s swim along with the swordfish, and then climbing on to the shore, track the scents of the many blooming flowers! The confidante starts her address to the man by talking about how the lady’s mother had reacted to the changes in the lady’s form. Mother seems to have taken a deep look at the lady’s tresses, long and flowing, pallor spots, glowing in gold, and her blooming bosom, brimming over her cloth band, and praised the lady for her radiant beauty. After this shower of praise, mother seems to have pondered a lot and then placed the lady on a strict watch. After rendering these words, the confidante goes on to talk about the flowers in the evening hour, a time when the blue lotus, not seeing its beloved sun, closes its petals, whereas at the same time, the golden champak opens its pollen-filled buds. Then, the confidante fast forwards to the morning hour, and points to how the same blue lotus blossoms out, in the company of the red lotus, spreading splashes of colour everywhere! The reason the confidante has talked about these flowers is to say that no matter how beautiful the backwaters and groves may appear, every moment the man is not present, the lady laments and yearns for that time when he would return. In essence, to relieve the lady’s worry, the confidante is subtly nudging the man to give up his temporary trysting and asking him to seek a permanent union with the lady! Reading about the opening and closing of these buds, I wanted to know more about the differences in the flowers mentioned. This led me to learn about how, just like in humans, there are ‘morning larks’ and ‘evening owls’, among flowers, there are day bloomers and night bloomers, and each type has its own unique characteristics. Whereas the day bloomers like the blue and red lotus rely on the power of sight, owing to the abundant light, showered by the sun, to attract their pollinators, such as bees, the night bloomers like the golden champak, use the power of scent, to pull in their specific pollinators, such as moths! It’s interesting how this verse connects so very delicately, the opening and closing of flower buds to the lady’s delight when the man is near and her angst when he is away. Another instance of the Sangam poets superior ability of seeing one in the world and the world in one!

In this episode, we listen to words of resolve, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 149, penned by Erukkaattoor Thaayankannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse showers the spotlight on prominent Sangam-era cities and the extent of their wealth. சிறு புன் சிதலை சேண் முயன்று எடுத்தநெடுஞ் செம் புற்றத்து ஒடுங்கு இரை முனையின்,புல் அரை இருப்பைத் தொள்ளை வான் பூப்பெருங் கை எண்கின் இருங் கிளை கவரும்அத்த நீள் இடைப் போகி, நன்றும்அரிது செய் விழுப் பொருள் எளிதினின் பெறினும்வாரேன் வாழி, என் நெஞ்சே! சேரலர்சுள்ளிஅம் பேரியாற்று வெண் நுரை கலங்க,யவனர் தந்த வினை மாண் நன் கலம்பொன்னொடு வந்து கறியொடு பெயரும்வளம் கெழு முசிறி ஆர்ப்பு எழ வளைஇ,அருஞ் சமம் கடந்து, படிமம் வவ்வியநெடு நல் யானை அடுபோர்ச் செழியன்கொடி நுடங்கு மறுகின் கூடற் குடாஅது,பல் பொறி மஞ்ஞை வெல் கொடி உயரிய,ஒடியா விழவின், நெடியோன் குன்றத்து,வண்டு பட நீடிய குண்டு சுனை நீலத்துஎதிர் மலர்ப் பிணையல் அன்ன இவள்அரி மதர் மழைக் கண் தெண் பனி கொளவே. A small foray into the drylands unfolds along with other fascinating voyages, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, at a moment when it’s pressing him to part with the lady and go seek wealth: “Tiring of the comb mud, within the tall, red mound, raised with much effort by little, dull-hued termites, a bear with huge arms goes in search of the rough-trunked Mahua tree and steals its hollow, white flowers in the drylands. Traversing the winding paths herein, even if I were to attain the hard-to-get, good wealth with ease, I shan't come with you, my heart! May you live long!  Muddling the white-foamed, beautiful river called ‘Sulli Periyaaru' in the domain of the Cheras, fine and well-etched boats of foreigners, arrive with gold and leave with pepper from the prosperous town of Musiri. Surrounding this town, creating a great uproar, waging war, the battle-worthy Chezhiyan, with a tall, fine elephant, captured the golden emblem of the city. His flag flutters high in the streets of his capital Koodal, and to the west of this city, up above, flutters a flag with a victorious mark of a many-specked peacock.  In that peak of the Great One, filled with unceasing festivity, bees buzz around blue lotuses, blooming in the deep and wide springs herein. Akin to a garland woven with two blue lotuses from this place are her exquisite, rain-like eyes and leaving these to brim over with clear tears, I surely shan't part away with you, O heart!” Let’s trace the path through this dreary domain, as seen by the man’s vision. He starts by talking about the drylands region, by bringing before our eyes, the familiar sight of a bear digging up termite comb and after having its fill, feeling discontent with it, and then venturing in the direction of the Mahua trees, to feast on its white flowers. The man says even if the wealth, which is sought out by traversing such harsh paths, something so impossible to obtain, were to be easily attainable by him, he has no thought of leaving, as nudged by his heart. Then, suddenly he leaves the drylands and transports us to a brimming river in the domain of the Cheras, to see how the waves are pushed right and left by well-etched ships arriving from foreign nations. The word used to describe these foreigners is ‘Yavanar’ and it could be a reference to the ‘Ionian Greeks’ or it could be a term for all foreign traders, be it from Rome or Egypt!  Pointing to these ships, the man informs us that these bring great quantities of gold and leave with a barter of what they considered ‘Black Gold’ – Pepper, which grew bountifully in the mountains of this region. Many a historian has remarked how India was the ‘sink of precious metals’ in the ancient era, drawing the wealth from all over the world in exchange for its natural wealth of pepper. The man has mentioned all this not to give us a historic tour but to connect it to the Pandya King Chezhiyan’s siege and conquest of this city. From Musiri on the west coast, we traverse to King Chezhiyan’s capital of Koodal, also known as Madurai. Stopping not even at this wealthy city, the man continues to a hill to the west of this city, a pilgrimage site for a God, identified by his peacock flag. The reference most probably talks about God Murugan and his seat of Thiruparankundram. The reason why the man has brought us here is not to pay our respects at the holy site, but to gaze in awe at the picturesque scene of bees buzzing around blue lotuses in the springs of this hill. Finally, the man connects these blue lotuses to the lady’s eyes and concludes by declaring that it was impossible for him to leave in search of wealth, making those eyes of hers fill with tears.  To summarise the long tale, the man is simply refusing to follow his heart’s nudge and go in search of wealth, for he doesn’t want to bring any sorrow to his beloved! The subtle element here is in presenting how the bear tires of one food and immediately seeks the next, in the beginning, which could be a hidden implication that wealth-seeking is all about jumping from one thing to the next, never content, with no end to desire! Interesting also to note how the core concept of wealth is approached from many angles, such as the difficult wealth the man must seek, the golden wealth that arrives from foreign shores to Musiri, the natural wealth of pepper growing here, the wealth of Musiri brought to the city of Koodal by the warring King Chezhiyan and the natural wealth of the blue lotuses in the hills of Thiruparunkundram – Something that makes us muse on what wealth could mean to us! Though the man doesn’t want to begin a journey, he has taken us on an insightful one, showing us the splendour of those ancient Sangam places, bustling with trade and worship, etching the renown of this part of the world in that period of time!

In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 147, penned by Avvaiyaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the aura of danger in this domain. ஓங்குமலைச் சிலம்பில் பிடவுடன் மலர்ந்தவேங்கை வெறித் தழை வேறு வகுத்தன்னஊன் பொதி அவிழாக் கோட்டு உகிர்க் குருளைமூன்று உடன் ஈன்ற முடங்கர் நிழத்த,துறுகல் விடர் அளைப் பிணவுப் பசி கூர்ந்தென,பொறி கிளர் உழுவைப் போழ் வாய் ஏற்றைஅறு கோட்டு உழை மான் ஆண் குரல் ஓர்க்கும்நெறி படு கவலை நிரம்பா நீளிடை,வெள்ளி வீதியைப் போல நன்றும்செலவு அயர்ந்திசினால் யானே; பல புலந்து,உண்ணா உயக்கமொடு உயிர் செலச் சாஅய்,தோளும் தொல் கவின் தொலைய, நாளும்பிரிந்தோர் பெயர்வுக்கு இரங்கி,மருந்து பிறிது இன்மையின், இருந்து வினைஇலனே! We witness a birth in our trip through this domain, as we listen to the lady say these words to the confidante, in response to her friend’s words about the man’s parting away: “In the slopes of the soaring hills, along with wild jasmine, the Kino tree's bright flowers burst into bloom. As if bunches of these fragrant flowers have been grouped separately, three cubs, whose curving claws are still concealed by flesh, have been birthed by the female tiger, which stands languishing, in the shade of a corner, within a cave, amidst the boulders. Perceiving the hunger of this female, its mate with radiant specks and a huge mouth, lies in wait, intently listening to the voice of the male deer, with broken antlers, in those long and winding paths through the drylands. Akin to Velli Veethi, I wish to traverse these paths, lamenting a lot. Filled with the fatigue of starving, thinning away as if my life would leave any moment, losing the old beauty of my arms, suffering day after day because of his parting away, without any other cure, I know not what else to do!” Time to brave it all and tread the drylands path! The lady begins by describing this region, and to do that, she brings before our eyes a female tiger that has given birth to three cubs, and she places in parallel three bunches of the ‘Vengai’ tree’s bright yellow flowers, a connection oft-seen in Sangam literature. A moment to consider the choice of number three for that litter of cubs! My curiosity was piqued and I wanted to know how many cubs a tigress normally gives birth to, at a time. I learnt this figure ranged from 2 to 7, on the extreme, 2 to 4 normally, with 3 being the average number. Without the aid of modern censuses, our Sangam ancestors have zeroed in on this number, just with their observation!  Returning, from the mother and the babies, the lady turns her attention to the father tiger, who understanding its mate’s tiredness and hunger, has gone hunting for a male deer in the mountains. Such are these paths filled with terror, the lady says, and yet, she says she wants to walk on these paths, in search of her beloved, just like the famous Velli Veethiyar, when she lost her husband. The lady concludes by saying as there is no other medicine for her affliction which makes her starve, thin away, and lose her beauty, this was the only thing she could think of doing! Here’s a unique lesson in healing oneself by finding a commonality with another person, who has walked the same stony path!

In this episode, we perceive a pointed refusal to entertain a request, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 146, penned by Uvarkannoor Pullankeeranaar. The verse is situated amidst the ponds and fields of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and paints a portrait of rivalry in a rich town. வலி மிகு முன்பின் அண்ணல் ஏஎறுபனி மலர்ப் பொய்கைப் பகல் செல மறுகி,மடக் கண் எருமை மாண் நாகு தழீஇ,படப்பை நண்ணி பழனத்து அல்கும்கலி மகிழ் ஊரன் ஒலி மணி நெடுந் தேர்,ஒள் இழை மகளிர் சேரி, பல் நாள்இயங்கல் ஆனாதுஆயின்; வயங்கிழையார்கொல் அளியள்தானே எம் போல்மாயப் பரத்தன் வாய்மொழி நம்பி,வளி பொரத் துயல்வரும் தளி பொழி மலரின்கண்பனி ஆகத்து உறைப்ப, கண் பசந்து,ஆயமும் அயலும் மருள,தாய் ஓம்பு ஆய்நலம் வேண்டாதோளே? In this quick little trip to this lush landscape, we get to hear these words said by the lady to the bard, who has come as a messenger from the man, to resolve the lady’s ire over the man’s relationship with courtesans and help him re-enter his home: “The esteemed male buffalo, brimming with strength and sturdiness, wallows all day in the pond with dew-covered flowers, embraces a beautiful young female buffalo with naive eyes, and then approaches the village to stay in a field within the ecstatic town of the lord. As the sound of his tall chariot bells wasn't heard for many days in the neighbourhood of women wearing radiant jewels, like me, believing that the words of that false philanderer was the truth, akin to a rain-soaked flower, swaying in the breeze, with tears moistening her chest, having eyes filled with pallor, worrying her friends and neighbours, she loses that fine beauty, nurtured by her mother. Whoever that maiden, wearing shining ornaments, may be, isn't she to be pitied?” Let’s track that prosperous buffalo and learn more! The lady starts by describing the man’s town and do that, the familiar face of a male buffalo is etched by her. This buffalo, honoured with epithets, such as strong, sturdy and esteemed, is first seen playing about in the pond of flowers, then embracing a young female buffalo, and after all its exertions, heading to the village fields. Such a loaded description must have other meanings, for sure! Before we get to that, let’s turn back to the lady, who continues by saying the man’s chariot had not visited the community of courtesans for quite some time, and because of this, there was a young maiden, shedding tears like a rain-coated flower in a breeze, and then to the worry of all, who were near and dear to her, she seemed to be losing that fine beauty of hers. The lady concludes by saying that the poor girl deserves all their pity! In a nutshell, the answer to the bard’s question as to whether the man can come back to the house is a strict ‘no’. The lady seems to be telling the bard, ‘Go take the man to those courtesans, who are pining for him, thinking his words are so true, like I once did’. In that scene of the buffalo, the lady places an obvious metaphor for how her man seemed to be enjoying his days in the company of courtesans, seeking pleasures, and finally at night, he wants so dutifully return to his post at his home. The lady seems to put her foot down and say, ‘I’m not letting this happen. Let him go fool someone else’. Apart from these regular tussles in this land of plenty, the thing that always amuses me is how these Sangam folks had no qualms seeing their lord and leader as a buffalo!

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