In this episode, we listen to the ecstatic voice of a lady in love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 352, penned by Anjiyaththai Magal Naakaiyaar. The verse is situated amidst the singing cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and sketches the process of penning a king’s praise.

”முடவு முதிர் பலவின் குடம் மருள் பெரும் பழம்
பல் கிளைத் தலைவன் கல்லாக் கடுவன்,
பாடு இமிழ் அருவிப் பாறை மருங்கின்,
ஆடு மயில் முன்னது ஆக, கோடியர்
விழவு கொள் மூதூர் விறலி பின்றை
முழவன் போல அகப்படத் தழீஇ,
இன் துணைப் பயிரும் குன்ற நாடன்
குடி நன்கு உடையன்; கூடுநர்ப் பிரியலன்;
கெடு நா மொழியலன்; அன்பினன்” என, நீ
வல்ல கூறி, வாய்வதின் புணர்த்தோய்;
நல்லை; காண், இனி காதல் அம் தோழீஇ!
கடும் பரிப் புரவி நெடுந் தேர் அஞ்சி,
நல் இசை நிறுத்த நயம் வரு பனுவல்,
தொல் இசை நிறீஇய உரை சால் பாண்மகன்
எண்ணு முறை நிறுத்த பண்ணினுள்ளும்,
புதுவது புனைந்த திறத்தினும்,
வதுவை நாளினும் இனியனால் எமக்கே.

In this trip to the highlands, we encounter festive scenes, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man had claimed her hand and the lady’s marriage with him was imminent:

“Bearing a huge fruit, plucked from the mature, curving jackfruit tree, akin to a pot, the unskilled male monkey, the head of a huge clan, sits atop a boulder near the musically resounding cascade, with a dancing peacock in front, appearing akin to a drummer, who stands behind a female dancer in the festivities, filled with musicians, unfolding in an ancient town. Hugging that jackfruit, the male monkey calls out to its sweet mate in the peaks of the lord.

Saying, ‘The lord is from a noble clan; He is someone who will never desert those he loves; He never speaks harsh words; He is someone full of love’, you had praised him much and brought us both together. You are such a good soul, my loveable friend!

More than the song, penned with perfect precision, about the ancient fame of Anji, who wields speeding horses and tall chariots, by an expert bard, and set to fine music, according to the age-old rules in books, more than the talent that makes one create anew, more than the day of our wedding, he is sweeter to me indeed!”

Let’s leap along with that mountain monkey and learn what’s in the lady’s mind! The lady starts with a description of the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she focuses on a male monkey holding on to a huge jackfruit, perched on a boulder, upon which stands a peacock. This image looks like how a male drummer would stand behind a female dancer in the festivities of an ancient town, the lady connects. Then she completes the picture of the lord’s land with the male monkey calling its mate to share its sweet meal. Then the lady talks about the confidante and how she had helped the lady accept the man’s proposal by singing his praises, calling him one of noble birth, a kind person who never spoke harsh words and someone full of love. The lady calls the confidante a good person for her past actions and concludes by declaring that the man was sweeter to her, more than the perfect verse penned by an expert bard about the fame of King Anji, and set to the right music according to the rulebook, and not stopping with that comparison, the lady calls the man sweeter than the creativity which makes the poets pen new things, and sweeter than even that most expected day in a Sangam lady’s life – The day of her wedding! 

In essence, this is a verse of gratitude rendered unto the confidante, and also a celebration of the love, felt in the heart for the lady for the man. Highlights of this verse are the aspects that are compared with the lady’s feelings for the man, such as the way a verse of praise is etched with care, and the talent of bards, talking about how these aspects were held high in the esteem of people then, and this makes us infer how celebrated art was in their lives!

In this episode, we perceive the tug between hearts that are apart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 351, penned by Porunthil Ilankeeranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse highlights the beliefs of the ancients in omens about another’s homecoming.

வேற்று நாட்டு உறையுள் விருப்புறப் பேணி,
பெறல் அருங் கேளிர் பின் வந்து விடுப்ப,
பொருள் அகப்படுத்த புகல் மலி நெஞ்சமொடு
குறை வினை முடித்த நிறைவு இன் இயக்கம்
அறிவுறூஉம்கொல்லோ தானே கதிர் தெற,
கழல் இலை உகுத்த கால் பொரு தாழ் சினை,
அழல் அகைந்தன்ன அம் குழைப் பொதும்பில்,
புழல் வீ இருப்பைப் புன் காட்டு அத்தம்,
மறுதரல் உள்ளமொடு குறுக, தோற்றிய
செய் குறி ஆழி வைகல்தோறு எண்ணி,
எழுது சுவர் நனைந்த அழுது வார் மழைக் கண்
விலங்கு வீழ் அரிப் பனி பொலங் குழைத் தெறிப்ப,
திருந்துஇழை முன்கை அணல் அசைத்து ஊன்றி,
இருந்து அணை மீது, பொருந்துழிக் கிடக்கை,
வருந்து தோள் பூசல் களையும் மருந்து என
உள்ளுதொறு படூஉம் பல்லி,
புள்ளுத் தொழுது உறைவி செவிமுதலானே?

In this trip to the drylands, it’s less of the land and more of the mind, as we listen to the man say these words, at a time when he’s parted from the lady, having left in search of wealth:

“Wishing fervently to travel to and stay in other countries, when I left, my precious kith and kin came behind with affection and bid farewell. The heart that left so, with much determination to obtain wealth, has now the satisfaction of finishing the task it set out to do, and returns contentedly.

As the sun’s rays scorch on, loosened leaves are scattered by the wind from low-hanging branches, in the grove with tender sprouts, akin to glowing flames, blooming on the Mahua tree, with hollow-tubed flowers, in this dull scrub jungle in the drylands, through which I traverse on, with the intent of returning home.

At this time, as she keeps counting the marked circles made day after day on the wall, her moistened, rain-like eyes, would fill with tears, and the shining drops that fall down would splash on her golden earrings. As she sits there, resting her chin on her forearms, with well-etched ornaments, leaning on the pillow upon the bed, will that lizard that keeps clicking proclaim in the ears of that maiden at home, who prays for bird omens, that the cure to remove the affliction of pining from her worrying arms, was on the way?”

Let’s listen to the intentions and hopes of these parted lovers! The man starts by recollecting how he had left with much determination to seek wealth and the way his relatives had bid him luck. That goal had been achieved and he’s now returning home, with much satisfaction, the man mentions, and talks about how he’s walking through the harsh drylands, where dry leaves are being pulled and thrown by the hot winds, and where sprouts on the Mahua tree appear like flames. From his own state, the man then accesses the state of his beloved with his mind’s eye and he sees her sitting, looking at the wall on which markings have been made day after day ever since the day he left. The lady’s eyes start brimming over with tears and these tears fall down and scatter upon her huge earrings, the man visualises. Then he wonders if the lizard on the wall would tell the lady, fervently hoping for some good omen, the delightful news that the cure for her disease was coming towards her with much speed! 

At a time when our phones keep chirping incessantly like that lizard on the wall, and we can dash off a message, talk to or even see someone on a screen, no matter how far apart they are, it’s hard to relate to this feeling of missing another, having no way to reach them. We can see how that sense of being apart and yearning to be back was so much stronger and deeper in those times without all the technology of today. It’s true that parting these days do not have the pain and pining the people from the Sangam era experienced, but at the same time, we have to acknowledge that the reunions in that past would have been much sweeter and deeper. If only humans can somehow learn the art of keeping their emotions and values intact, no matter the technology that overpowers, then there will be redemption!

In this episode, we perceive words of welcome, infused with a hidden message, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 350, penned by Chenthan Kannanaar. The verse is situated amidst the crashing waves of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and etches a scene depicting an ancient occupation in the seas.

கழியே, சிறு குரல் நெய்தலொடு காவி கூம்ப,
எறி திரை ஓதம் தரல் ஆனாதே
துறையே, மருங்கின் போகிய மாக் கவை மருப்பின்
இருஞ் சேற்று ஈர் அளை அலவன் நீப்ப,
வழங்குநர் இன்மையின் பாடு ஆன்றன்றே;
கொடு நுகம் நுழைந்த கணைக் கால் அத்திரி
வடி மணி நெடுந் தேர் பூண ஏவாது,
ஏந்து எழில் மழைக் கண் இவள் குறையாகச்
சேந்தனை சென்மோ பெரு நீர்ச் சேர்ப்ப!
இலங்கு இரும் பரப்பின் எறி சுறா நீக்கி,
வலம்புரி மூழ்கிய வான் திமிற் பரதவர்
ஒலி தலைப் பணிலம் ஆர்ப்ப, கல்லென,
கலி கெழு கொற்கை எதிர்கொள, இழிதரும்
குவவு மணல் நெடுங் கோட்டு ஆங்கண்,
உவக்காண் தோன்றும் எம் சிறு நல் ஊரே!

In this trip to the shore, we get to see both the peaceful as well as festive sides of this domain, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he prepares to leave to his home, after a tryst by day with the lady:

“In the backwaters, the short-stalked blue lotus and the red lotus have closed their buds; The crashing waves of the sea that flood the shore cease not; In spaces nearby, a crab with a long, branching antenna, peeps out of its moist hole in the dark mud, and as no one passes by, silence fills the air. At this time, without bidding that the thick-legged mule, be tied to the curving yoke of your tall chariot, decorated with well-etched bells, for the sake of this maiden, having uplifted, beautiful, rain-like eyes, why don’t you stay back and then leave, O lord of the great seas? In the vast spread of the ocean, avoiding the attack of sharks, fishermen with wide boats, dive deep in search of right-whorled conch shells, and as they step out onto the heaped sands of the long shore, they are welcomed with the blow of conches echoing loud and clear, with much uproar, by the boisterous people from Korkai. Look well, right there, is our fine, little hamlet!”

Time to dive into the pristine sea of the past! The confidante starts by describing the surroundings at that time of the day, and mentions how both the blue and red lotus have closed their buds, telling us it’s the evening hour. While those flowers may have shut shop, the waves never call it a day and continue to keep crashing on the shore. There’s a quick shot of a crab peeping out of the mud hole. Other than this little denizen, there’s no one about and a thick silence fills the air, the confidante sketches. She turns to the man and tells him pointedly not to ask his helper to tie his mule to the chariot and leave as usual to his town, at that time of the day. Instead of that, she asks the man to stay the night and then leave. Pointing at some distance, she talks about how fishermen in huge boats, take a deep dive, and expertly avoiding the sharks, they collect the right-whorled conches from the seabed. When they emerge with these shells and step out on the sands with their bounty, the waiting people of Korkai render a rousing welcome to them, the confidante sketches. She concludes by saying that very close to that landing spot on the sands was their village and that the man should spend the night there and then leave!

One may think the confidante is extending a sweet welcome to the man, but that’s not all. The confidante knows that it was not custom for the man to stay at the lady’s house, before they are man and wife, and so, she means to nudge the man to give up his temporary trysting and choose the path of permanent happiness.

Let’s focus on that scene of diving in the seas to gather conch shells. Those divers did not stop with collecting conch shells and were renowned to collect such exquisite pearls from this region, and that’s why you have people from Korkai, waiting on the shores to welcome these divers. Whatever those divers brought from the seabed would then be polished and parcelled to destinations, as far as Rome and Greece. In fact, there are many historical accounts that say those pearls from the seas around Korkai was much favoured by Queen Cleopatra. No doubt the effort of those pearl divers translates as gold and silver to the waiting people from the port of Korkai, and that’s why those divers are given that jubilant welcome, mentioned in these lines.

At the same time, the confidante conjures this scene as a metaphor promising the welcome that the man would receive at the lady’s home if he were to seek her hand in marriage. A verse which turns out to be an ode to the art of welcoming, and as the third and final act, it ends up welcoming us, the people of the future, into the lives and homes of those ancients, who have left their footprints on the shore of time!

In this episode, we observe the bewilderment of a person at another’s course of action, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 349, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the victory and generosity of a Sangam-era king.

அரம் போழ் அவ் வளை செறிந்த முன்கை
வரைந்து தாம் பிணித்த தொல் கவின் தொலைய,
எவன் ஆய்ந்தனர்கொல் தோழி! ஞெமன்ன்
தெரி கோல் அன்ன செயிர் தீர் செம் மொழி,
உலைந்த ஒக்கல் பாடுநர் செலினே,
உரன் மலி உள்ளமொடு முனை பாழாக,
அருங் குறும்பு எறிந்த பெருங் கல வெறுக்கை
சூழாது சுரக்கும் நன்னன் நல் நாட்டு,
எழிற் குன்றத்துக் கவாஅன், கேழ் கொள,
திருந்து அரை நிவந்த கருங் கால் வேங்கை
எரி மருள் கவளம் மாந்தி, களிறு தன்
வரி நுதல் வைத்த வலி தேம்பு தடக் கை
கல் ஊர் பாம்பின் தோன்றும்
சொல் பெயர் தேஎத்த சுரன் இறந்தோரே?

In this trip to the drylands, we get to see the usual sights and visit a king’s court, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man had parted away from her and gone in search of wealth:

“Leaving me to lose the old beauty of these forearms, decked with beautiful bangles, cut with a saw, which he had claimed in marriage and held close, what has he found that’s so precious, my friend? Nannan renders flawless, fine words with justness, akin to the mid pointer of a weighing balance, and when seeing singers and their fatigued clan, he would render without any hesitation, great vessels and wealth that he had captured from the formidable forts of his foes, after ruining them in the battlefield with much determination. In Nannan fine country, where soars the Ezhil mountain peak, blooms a bright-hued, dark-stemmed Kino tree, with an etched and soaring trunk. Feeding on its flame-like flowers, a male elephant places its tired, curving trunk on its striped forehead, which appears akin to a snake crawling on a boulder. Why has he gone, crossing many such countries, where languages differ, and parted away to those drylands?”

Time to ponder on the lady’s words! She starts by asking a question to her friend about the man, wondering what is that thing he has found to be so important for him to leave her and make her lose the beauty of those arms the man had linked together in marriage. Then she goes on to talk about King Nannan and his just nature, bringing the pointer of a weighing scale to symbolise his qualities, and mentions how he would render all the wealth he had gained in the battlefields to singers and their clan, without any thought of keeping it for himself. We learn that Nannan has been called to mention his country of Ezhil mountains, and the lady taking us to this land, points to a particular Kino tree growing there, whose flowers a tired elephant preys upon, having nothing to eat, and places its trunk on its head, making it appear like a snake crawling up a hill. After that description, the lady connects saying it’s crossing many such countries, where different languages are spoken, the man has gone to the drylands, leaving her!

In essence, the lady’s wonder is, ‘What is that which he deems so precious than my health and beauty?’. When in courtship, no doubt the man had been pursuing the lady with such devotion, but once he was married, he was off to his new pursuit, and that’s why the comparison is so stark in the lady’s mind. Pondering on a beloved’s choices seem to be a custom, then and now, here and everywhere!

In this episode, we perceive a subtle message of persuasion, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 348, penned by Madurai Ilam Paalaasiriyan Chenthan Koothanaar. The verse is situated amidst the flourishing millet fields of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and details the ingredients and recipe of an ancient fermented beverage.

என் ஆவதுகொல் தானே முன்றில்,
தேன் தேர் சுவைய, திரள் அரை மாஅத்து,
கோடைக்கு ஊழ்த்த, கமழ் நறுந் தீம் கனி,
பயிர்ப்புறப் பலவின் எதிர்ச் சுளை அளைஇ,
இறாலொடு கலந்த, வண்டு மூசு அரியல்
நெடுங் கண் ஆடு அமைப் பழுநி, கடுந் திறல்
பாப்புக் கடுப்பு அன்ன தோப்பி வான் கோட்டுக்
கடவுள் ஓங்கு வரைக்கு ஓக்கி, குறவர்,
முறித் தழை மகளிர் மடுப்ப, மாந்தி,
அடுக்கல் ஏனல் இரும் புனம் மறந்துழி,
‘யானை வவ்வின தினை’ என, நோனாது,
இளையரும் முதியரும் கிளையுடன் குழீஇ,
சிலை ஆய்ந்து திரிதரும் நாடன்
நிலையா நல் மொழி தேறிய நெஞ்சே?

In this short trip to the hills, we get to witness a unique culinary custom, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby but making sure he’s in earshot:

“Taking the fragrant, sweet fruit, which has ripened in summer, with a honey-like taste, growing on the thick-trunked mango tree in their front yard, and mashing it with the sticky slices of the jackfruit, adding some honeycomb, they prepare a bee-buzzing nectar, pour it into the hollowed-out stems of tall and swaying bamboos and store it for long. That well-aged, sharp toddy turns out with a sharpness, akin to the bite of a snake. After offering a portion of that drink to the god, who resides in the soaring, sky-high peaks, mountain maiden, wearing garments of tender sprouts and leaves, offer to their men, who drink it up, and forget all about guarding their millet fields in the mountain ranges. Then, realising that elephants have raided those millets, unable to accept that, the young and old group together, and then, selecting their bows and weapons, set out and rove around in the country of the lord. What will happen now to that heart of mine, which had trusted in his wavering words?”

Time to explore the highs and lows of this terrain! The lady starts by describing the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she first zooms on to a mango fruit in the summer, growing on a tree in the front yard of a home. This mango fruit is said to have the sweetness of honey. We see a hand choosing and plucking this mango fruit. Next, some sticky slices of the jackfruit are taken, and both these fruits are mashed well, with a dash of honeycomb too. Beating this mixture well, next they pour the liquid into the hollowed-out bamboo stems, swaying in the wind. Apparently, they leave this bee-buzzing mixture for a while, and then, when they take out the aged, fermented toddy, it has the sharpness of a snake bite, the lady details. Next she talks about how the womenfolk first offer this well-aged toddy to the god in the mountains and then to their men. Those men happily slurp their fruit wine, and lie there, completely sloshed. Consequently, they forget their task of tending to the millet fields, and as can be expected, elephants come to enjoy their bit of delicacy. Hearing about the raid, the men can tolerate no more, and the young and old prepare to go hunt down the elephant, in the man’s country, the lady connects. She concludes by wondering what is going to happen to her, because she had trusted in the man’s words, which did not seem to stand steady and render permanent happiness! 

While that long description of a toddy preparation and millet fields may seem like a mere description of place, within lies a sharp and biting metaphor for how the man too had become drunk with the pleasures of trysting with the lady, and had forgotten to protect her from the gossiping mouths, spreading slander in town, and causing her health and beauty to fade. When the man hears that, he will understand the angst in the lady’s situation and take steps to claim her hand.

In this usual theme of ‘Marry me, marry me’, I was intrigued to learn about this specific way of preparing what seems like a fermented fruit wine, and when searching about the same, I came across this research abstract published in 2025, named ‘Investigation of wine fermentation from dual mango (Mangifera indica) and jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) mash‘, by a scholar from an University in Vietnam, exploring this very same dual fruit fermentation, mentioned in this Tamil poem from more than two thousand years ago. Made me smile to see how these random connections seem to turn up from nowhere, without any constraints of space and time, echoing again and again the core of our oneness! 

Reference: Nguyen PM. Investigation of wine fermentation from dual mango (Mangifera indica) and jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) mash. Plant Sci. Today [Internet]. 2025 Nov. 21 [cited 2026 Aug. 28];12(4). Available from: https://horizonepublishing.com/journals/index.php/PST/article/view/8751

In this episode, we listen to the angst-ridden words of a maiden, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 347, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse interleaves the victory of a Chera King amidst the melancholy of pining.

தோளும் தொல் கவின் தொலைய, நாளும்
நலம் கவர் பசலை நல்கின்று நலிய,
சால் பெருந் தானைச் சேரலாதன்
மால் கடல் ஓட்டி, கடம்பு அறுத்து இயற்றிய
பண் அமை முரசின் கண் அதிர்ந்தன்ன,
கவ்வை தூற்றும் வெவ் வாய்ச் சேரி
அம்பல் மூதூர் அலர் நமக்கு ஒழிய,
சென்றனர்ஆயினும், செய்வினை அவர்க்கே
வாய்க்கதில் வாழி, தோழி! வாயாது,
மழை கரந்து ஒளித்த கழை திரங்கு அடுக்கத்து,
ஒண் கேழ் வயப் புலி பாய்ந்தென, குவவு அடி
வெண் கோட்டு யானை முழக்கு இசை வெரீஇ,
கன்று ஒழித்து ஓடிய புன் தலை மடப் பிடி
கை தலை வைத்த மையல் விதுப்பொடு,
கெடு மகப் பெண்டிரின் தேரும்
நெடு மர மருங்கின் மலை இறந்தோரே!

In this trip to this challenging domain, in addition to the usual scenes, we take a short historic detour, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man had parted away from her, intending to seek wealth:

“As my arms lose their old beauty, and day after day, the pallor of pining, intent on stealing away my health, torments me without any grace, leaving me with the shame of slander in this uproarious old town, owing to the gossip of hot mouths in the neighbourhood, resounding akin to the vibrating eyes of the well-crafted drum, made by felling the burflower tree of enemies, who were chased into the huge seas, by that Chera King, the leader of an esteemed, huge army, he has left! Long may he live, my friend! Though he has left me so, may he succeed in that mission he intends to accomplish by leaving away to those mountains, which rain clouds have hid away from, filled with dried-up bamboos, wherein as a radiant-hued, strong tiger pounces on it, the thick-footed, white tusked elephant trumpets aloud, and hearing that, frightened, its soft-headed, naive mate, runs away, forgetting its calf, and then, akin to a woman, who has lost her children, hurrying in a confused panic, with her hands on her head, it searches anxiously in those spaces with soaring trees!”

Let’s explore those barren spaces and search for the moisture within! The lady starts by pointing to her current state of her arms thinning away and pallor attacking her ceaselessly. Then from the physical torture, she moves to the mental domain, and mentions how she’s afflicted by a sense of shame, owing to the slander spreading in their ancient town, thanks to the gossiping mouths of the townsfolk. That slander is spreading so thickly tells us the parting between the man and lady has happened prior to their marriage.

Returning, the lady sketches the manner in which slander is thundering in their town, by placing it in parallel to a resonating, victorious war drum, made from a burflower tree. Apparently, this burflower tree was a protected, sacred tree of a Chera King’s enemies, whom the king drove away, chased them even in the seas and after a fierce battle, felled the said tree and made his victory drum. That historic nugget slipped in talks about the exploits of the Chera King, who was known by the name ‘Imayavaramban Cheralathan’, a southern king, who is said to have planted his flag up north in the Himalayas. 

Back from the history lesson, we find the lady has mentioned those elements of physical and mental angst, only to say that was all because the man had left her and gone to the drylands. She goes on to describe the space as a drying mountain region, which the rain clouds have forsaken, and filled with browning bamboo trees and a place where a female elephant, frightened by the roar of its mate, when attacked by a tiger, had run away, leaving its calf, and then comes back in much panic, searching for the little one, exactly like how, a woman who has lost her child, would run around in panic, hands on her head. The lady concludes by saying even though the man had left her in such a state and gone so far away, she wishes that he succeeds in his endeavours! Yet again, it’s a ‘though he left me in pain, may he attain all he seeks’ message, which is wrapped in the layers of history and nature, standing as picture-perfect parallels for the human condition!

In this episode, we perceive a sharp refusal to a request, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 346, penned by Nakeerar. The verse is situated amidst the fertile fields of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and elaborates on a person’s past activities and the emotions that evokes.

நகை நன்று அம்ம தானே இறை மிசை
மாரிச் சுதையின் ஈர்ம் புறத்து அன்ன
கூரல் கொக்கின் குறும் பறைச் சேவல்,
வெள்ளி வெண் தோடு அன்ன, கயல் குறித்து,
கள் ஆர் உவகைக் கலி மகிழ் உழவர்
காஞ்சி அம் குறுந் தறி குத்தி, தீம் சுவை
மென் கழைக் கரும்பின் நன் பல மிடைந்து,
பெருஞ் செய் நெல்லின் பாசு அவல் பொத்தி,
வருத்திக் கொண்ட வல் வாய்க் கொடுஞ் சிறை
மீது அழி கடு நீர் நோக்கி, பைப்பயப்
பார்வல் இருக்கும் பயம் கேழ் ஊர!

யாம் அது பேணின்றோ இலமே நீ நின்
பண் அமை நல் யாழ்ப் பாணனொடு, விசி பிணி,
மண் ஆர் முழவின் கண் அதிர்ந்து இயம்ப,
மகிழ் துணைச் சுற்றமொடு மட்டு மாந்தி,
எம் மனை வாராயாகி, முன் நாள்,
நும் மனைச் சேர்ந்த ஞான்றை, அம் மனைக்
குறுந் தொடி மடந்தை உவந்தனள் நெடுந் தேர்,
இழை அணி யானைப் பழையன் மாறன்,
மாட மலி மறுகின் கூடல் ஆங்கண்
வெள்ளத் தானையொடு வேறு புலத்து இறுத்த
கிள்ளி வளவன் நல் அமர் சாஅய்,
கடும் பரிப் புரவியொடு களிறு பல வவ்வி,
ஏதில் மன்னர் ஊர் கொள,
கோதை மார்பன் உவகையின் பெரிதே.

In this trip to this domain of riches, we get to visit prosperous spaces, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he returns after courting a courtesan and seeks entry into the lady’s house:

“Hilarious this is! Listen, akin to wet surfaces, atop plastered roofs, in the rainy season, appears the white feathers of the short-winged male stork. This bird aims at a carp fish, appearing akin to a silvery white bloom, amidst gushing waters that pounce on a strong-mouthed, curving dam, raised with much effort by uproarious farmers, who delight in drinking well-filtered toddy, and plant short stems of the portia tree, tying them firmly with soft stalks of sugarcane having a sweet taste. Then, that stork gently takes step after step, intending to nab the fish, in the fertile spaces of your town, O lord!

You, along with your bard, who wields a fine, well-crafted lute, and other delightful companions drank toddy, as well-tied, mud-streaked drums resounded thunderously. After that, instead of coming to our home, on that day, you went to your house, and at that moment, the maiden living there in that beautiful mansion, clad in short bangles, felt so much joy, much greater than that ‘Kothai Marban’ felt, when much to the terror of enemy kings, wielding many speeding horses and attacking elephants, King Killivalavan, who had been attacking with his flood-like army in another battlefield, arrived at the town of Koodal, with soaring mansions, and defeated its ruler, ‘Pazhaiyan Maaran’, who possesses tall chariots and decorated elephants. We don’t care that you went there. But that makes us laugh aloud now!”

Time to listen to the fiery words in this land of plenty! The confidante starts by saying what’s happening is hilarious. Then she goes on to describe the man’s town, and to do that, she paints a portrait of a stork, whose wet, white wings are called in parallel to the white-washed roofs of a house in the rainy season. We find this stork, stalking a fish, which is swimming about in the gushing waters, which dash against a dam, said to be raised by the determined efforts of farmers, who like their drink and who accomplish the work of watering their abundant paddy fields and raise fences of portia stems and sugarcane stalks. The confidante completes this description saying so fertile is the man’s town! Let’s pause for a moment to note this mention of how dams were built by these ancient farmers, which shows their water management and engineering skills. A recent article I read about the discovery of a Sangam-era dam-like structure, emerging from the Kaveri river basin, in a place called Kollidam, comes to my mind. It’s satisfying to see the interplay of vastly different fields such as engineering, agriculture and archaeology in these few lines.

Returning, the confidante then describes how the man had been having fun at the festivities, drinking toddy, and then, after that, instead of returning home to his lady, decided to go to the courtesan’s house, in the company of his bard and other friends. The interesting way the confidante refers to the place the man went is by calling it ‘your house’ to the man. This is one of those rare occasions when the qualifier ‘your’ is used, for in most of Sangam references, we observe the culture of saying ‘our’ house, even when addressing strangers. This particular reference is supposed to underscore the anger in the situation. The confidante then goes on to talk about how when the man went there, the courtesan seemed to be filled with so much joy, even greater than what the Chera King ‘Kothai Marban’ felt when the Chozha king ‘Killivalavan’ defeated the Pandya King ‘Pazhaiyaan’ and seized his town of ‘Koodal’. The confidante concludes by saying that she and the lady did not care about that, but now that the man was standing there, denying all this, and pleading to get inside the lady’s home, was something laughable.

In essence, the confidante is telling the man, ‘You were out with the courtesan. The lady is still angry, and all you can expect from us is a no’! In this usual drama involving domestic conflict, we have that history lesson, in which the joy of that king at the turn of events can only be interpreted as ‘My enemy’s enemy is my friend’! As can be inferred from these lines, the Sangam poets continue their tradition of bringing alive so much of the past, the emotions, the landscapes and the history, in their imaginative works of art!

In this episode, we listen to wishes rendered for another’s welfare, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 345, penned by Kudavayil Keerathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse describes the exquisite transformations in nature.

”விசும்பு தளி பொழிந்து, வெம்மை நீங்கி,
தண் பதம் படுதல் செல்க!” எனப் பல் மாண்
நாம் செல விழைந்தனமாக, ”ஓங்கு புகழ்க்
கான் அமர் செல்வி அருளலின், வெண் கால்,
பல் படைப் புரவி எய்திய தொல் இசை
நுணங்கு நுண் பனுவற் புலவன் பாடிய
இன மழை தவழும் ஏழில் குன்றத்துக்
கருங் கால் வேங்கைச் செம் பூம் பிணையல்
ஐது ஏந்து அல்குல் யாம் அணிந்து உவக்கும்
சில் நாள் கழிக!” என்று முன் நாள்
நம்மொடு பொய்த்தனர்ஆயினும், தம்மொடு
திருந்து வேல் இளையர் சுரும்பு உண மலைமார்,
மா முறி ஈன்று மரக் கொம்பு அகைப்ப,
உறை கழிந்து உலந்த பின்றை, பொறைய
சிறு வெள் அருவித் துவலையின் மலர்ந்த
கருங் கால் நுணவின் பெருஞ் சினை வான் பூச்
செம் மணற் சிறு நெறி கம்மென வரிப்ப,
காடு கவின் பெறுக தோழி! ஆடு வளிக்கு
ஒல்கு நிலை இற்றி ஒரு தனி நெடு வீழ்
கல் கண் சீக்கும் அத்தம்,
அல்கு வெயில் நீழல் அசைந்தனர் செலவே!

In this trip to the drylands, instead of the usual dreary scenes, we are surprised by elements of pleasantness, as we listen to the lady say these words to her friend, at a time when the man had parted away from the lady, so as to seek wealth:

“Even though I tried to go along with him many times saying, “The skies have showered down, the heat has been swept away, and the land has attained a cool quality, so take me along with you!”, he had replied to me, “Owing to the grace of the great goddess of the forest, with a soaring fame, the poet, attained many white-legged horses, fitted with wealthy accessories, for penning intricate verses about the Ezhil mountains, enveloped by rain clouds. Making a garland of red flowers from the black-stemmed Kino tree growing there, let me adorn your beautiful waist, and spend a few more days delighting here’. After saying such lies, he left suddenly without me. So be it, but letting those young helpers of his, carrying well-etched spears, find bee-buzzing garlands, may the branches of the mango tree flourish with tender sprouts. After rain clouds have poured down and parted away, in the spray of the small white mountain cascades, let those white flowers that have bloomed on huge branch of the black-trunked mulberry tree scatter down and draw fragrant patterns on the small path, cutting through the red earth. My friend, may the forest attain all such beauty and delight the journey of my man, who finds shade amidst the scorching heat of the drylands, under a soaring fig tree, which sways its sole, tall aerial root and sweeps the eyes of a boulder nearby!”

Let’s listen to this lady’s bitter-sweet song! The lady starts by recollecting how she had requested the man to take her along in his journey, since the weather was on their side and the rains had poured, and had rendered much coolness to the land. But the man had refused to heed to her request and had instead talked about spending a few days with the lady, adorning her waist with the Kino flowers, from the Ezhil mountains, celebrated by skilled poets, who had the blessing of a forest goddess, whom many interpreters associate with Kottravai, the Goddess of the drylands and one whose blessings were sought on every mission. In essence, the man had said to the lady that he would go later and then after that false promise, took off to the drylands on his own.

Seeing that he had done such a thing, the lady is not furious but instead she decides to bless the trees in the forest so that the man’s helpers may find mango flower garlands, and also, the white mulberry flowers would fall down and paint floral patterns on all the paths her lover treads. The lady concludes saying she wishes only joy for the man, whom she pictures as standing under the shade of a fig tree, amidst the heat of the drylands, as he takes in a sole, hanging aerial root, moved by the winds, wiping the surface of a boulder nearby! 

That image of an aerial root wiping a rock made me see the yearning in the lady’s heart for a hand to wipe away her own tears of pining. Even though so much disappointment and dejection fills her, the lady is able to send out good thoughts the man’s way, telling us in a subtle manner, the only way to fly out out of the pit of sorrow, is to latch on those wings of positivity! 

In this episode, we listen to the eagerness in a man’s voice, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 344, penned by Madurai Alakkar Gnaazhaar Makanaar Mallanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming jasmines of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and presents picturesque scenes in the aftermath of the rains.

வள மழை பொழிந்த வால் நிறக் களரி,
உளர்தரு தண் வளி உறுதொறும், நிலவு எனத்
தொகு முகை விரிந்த முடக் காற் பிடவின்,
வை ஏர் வால் எயிற்று, ஒள் நுதல் மகளிர்
கை மாண் தோணி கடுப்ப, பையென,
மயிலினம் பயிலும் மரம் பயில் கானம்
எல் இடை உறாஅ அளவை, வல்லே,
கழல் ஒலி நாவின் தெண் மணி கறங்க,
நிழல் ஒளிப்பன்ன நிமிர் பரிப் புரவி
வயக்கு உறு கொடிஞ்சி பொலிய, வள்பு ஆய்ந்து,
இயக்குமதி வாழியோ, கையுடை வலவ!
பயப்புறு படர் அட வருந்திய
நயப்பு இன் காதலி நகை முகம் பெறவே!

In this little trip to the patient lands, we get to witness the beauty of nature, as we listen to the man say these words to his charioteer, when he is returning home to the lady, after completing his mission:

“The messengers of fertility have showered upon the white-hued, brackish land and a moist wind roves about everywhere. Here, akin to the rays of the moon, bud clusters of the curved-stem ‘Malabar Jasmines’ have bloomed. Akin to the ‘Thoni’, performed with hand movements by maiden, with sharp and shining white teeth and glowing foreheads, gently flocks of peacocks dance away, in the forest, filled densely with trees. To traverse this jungle, even before the day ends in darkness, making clear bells with tongues, having the sound of anklets, resound, making the chariot’s ‘Kodinji’ glow bright, wielding the straight-gaited horses, in the hue of luxuriant light, with the perfect hold on the reins, hasten and ride on, may you live long, O expert charioteer! Speed on, so that I would get to see the smiling face of my adorable beloved, who would be languishing, owing to the siege of pining!”

It’s time again to keep in pace with the hoofbeats of horses! The man starts by celebrating the rains as bringers of prosperity. A subtle expression which tells us how much the rains were welcomed by this culture. The man goes on to talk about how the land had been parched and salty, but now it was drinking up that elixir of life, pouring from the skies, even as it was fanned by moist winds. When the land is happy, it would smile indeed, and this smile splashes on the faces of the ‘Pidavam’ flowers or ‘Malabar Jasmines’, whose flower clusters are akin to the moon’s rays, says the man. Then, he refers to ‘Thoni’ or Tholi’, a particular dance of smiling maiden done using their elegant arms, only to say the peacocks are dancing away in that manner. After describing the forest through which they are passing so, the man requests his charioteer, to go full speed, making the bells resound and the horses streak like light. He concludes by praising the skills of his charioteer and requesting that the charioteer rides so fast that the man would get to catch a glimpse of the lady, who would be suffering in sorrow without him, and see the blooming of her smile when he arrives, before the night clothes her in punishing darkness!

At the core, is a simple ‘Rush me to her’ message. A verse which would make anyone anywhere, who has ever been away from a beloved for long, smile in recognition of that timeless tug on the heart!

In this episode, we perceive the dilemma sensed in the middle of a journey, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 343, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the people and spaces of this domain.

வாங்கு அமை புரையும் வீங்கு இறைப் பணைத் தோள்,
சில் சுணங்கு அணிந்த பல் பூண் மென் முலை,
நல் எழில் ஆகம் புல்லுதல் நயந்து,
மரம் கோள் உமண் மகன் பெயரும் பருதிப்
புன் தலை சிதைத்த வன் தலை நடுகல்
கண்ணி வாடிய மண்ணா மருங்குல்,
கூர் உளி குயின்ற கோடு மாய் எழுத்து, அவ்
ஆறு செல் வம்பலர் வேறு பயம் படுக்கும்
கண் பொரி கவலைய கானத்து ஆங்கண்,
நனந்தலை யாஅத்து அம் தளிர்ப் பெருஞ் சினை,
இல் போல் நீழல் செல் வெயில் ஒழிமார்,
நெடுஞ் செவிக் கழுதைக் குறுங் கால் ஏற்றைப்
புறம் நிறை பண்டத்துப் பொறை அசாஅக் களைந்த
பெயர் படை கொள்ளார்க்கு உயவுத் துணை ஆகி,
உயர்ந்த ஆள்வினை புரிந்தோய்; பெயர்ந்து நின்று
உள்ளினை வாழி, என் நெஞ்சே! கள்ளின்
மகிழின் மகிழ்ந்த அரி மதர் மழைக் கண்,
சில் மொழிப் பொலிந்த துவர் வாய்,
பல் மாண் பேதையின் பிரிந்த நீயே.

In this trip to the drylands, we get to see acts of compassion, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, midway in his journey through the drylands, after having parted from the lady to seek wealth:

“Akin to curving bamboo are her thick arms with wide wrists. Her soft bosoms are decked with many ornaments and streaked with a few pallor spots. Wishing to embrace those beautiful bosoms of hers, you are about to part away, from this scorching, parched path in the middle of the scrub jungle, wherein as the wooden carts of salt merchants roll on, and their wheels chip away and ruin the edges of memorial stones etched on strong rocks, words inscribed by sharp chisels fade away, and render strange meanings to those wayfarers, who traverse by. Here, in the wide spaces, under the Yaa tree, with tender sprouts upon its huge branches, standing in its shade, which appears akin to a home, those traversing shake away the heat of their journey and remove the huge sack filled with items many on the back of their short-legged, long-eared male donkey, and render relief to its fatigue. To those who rest there, you intended for me to become a friendly companion and nudged me towards the noble task of seeking wealth. But now, you are thinking of leaving me behind! Long may you live, my heart! Aren’t you the one who dared to part away from that naive maiden, with many estimable qualities, and having red-streaked, rain-like eyes, akin to the intoxication of toddy, and a red mouth, which speaks but words few!”

Time to brave the arid spaces and listen to the man’s heartbeat! The man starts by talking about how his heart intends to go to his beloved, whose beauty he celebrates, reminiscing about her lovely arms and beautiful bosoms. Then, from his heart’s intentions, the man moves to describe the outer world he finds himself in. He sketches the formidable drylands region, where the hero stones installed with much care are now abandoned and how the rolling wheels of salt merchants’ carts have chipped away the edges, causing the letters to become ruined and thus rendering confusing meanings to wayfarers. Then, from that depressing mention of the loss of respect to memory, the man moves on to talk about how in this space, people tend to rest together under the shade of a Yaa tree, which seems to remind them of home, and here, how they would remove the load weighing down on the backs of the donkeys accompanying them. The man says his heart had decided that the man was going to be a companion for such people and had chased him to seek wealth. The man concludes by pointing out to his heart how it dared to leave the lady back then, and now wants to rush back to her, not letting him finish what he set out to do!

The man is simply verbalising the torment in the heart when there’s a lull in one’s determination and one part wants to go back and the other wants to push forward! Beyond this repeated theme, one thing in this verse that lingers in my mind is the mention of that tree in the middle of scorching drylands becoming a home to those traversing by, and in the shade of this tree, the kind of thoughtful acts those people seem to do to other lives around them. A subtle capture of the noble qualities that a tree possesses and inspires in this parched world!

In this episode, we listen to a man admonishing his heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 342, penned by Madurai Kanakkaayanaar. The verse is situated amidst the rocky clefts of the 'Kurinji' or 'Mountain landscape' and describes the warring nature of the Pandya King.