In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 364, penned by Madurai Maruthankizhaar Maganaar Perunkannanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming trees of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and sketches the picturesque changes in the season of rains.

மாதிரம் புதையப் பாஅய், கால் வீழ்த்து,
ஏறுடைப் பெரு மழை பொழிந்தென, அவல்தோறு
ஆடு களப் பறையின் வரி நுணல் கறங்க,
ஆய் பொன் அவிர் இழை தூக்கியன்ன
நீடு இணர்க் கொன்றை கவின் பெற காடு உடன்
சுடர் புரை தோன்றிப் புதல் தலைக் கொளாஅ,
முல்லை இல்லமொடு மலர, கல்ல
பகு வாய்ப் பைஞ் சுனை மா உண மலிர,
கார் தொடங்கின்றே காலை; காதலர்
வெஞ் சின வேந்தன் வியன் பெரும் பாசறை,
வென்றி வேட்கையொடு நம்மும் உள்ளார்;
யாது செய்வாம்கொல்? தோழி! நோதகக்
கொலை குறித்தன்ன மாலை
துனைதரு போழ்தின், நீந்தலோ அரிதே!

In this trip to this moist landscape, we get to see pleasant sights, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left her on a mission of war:

“Spreading in a such a way as to bury all sense of direction, descending down, along with thunder, huge rain clouds have poured down. Striped toads in many pits resound akin to drums in a festivity. As if exquisite, radiant ornaments are hung down, the golden shower tree with long clusters makes the forest glow with beauty. Akin to lamps, the flame-lily blooms atop bushes, and along with wild jasmines, the clearing nut tree too blooms. All the wide-mouthed, fresh springs in the mountains fill up for animals to savour. Such is the hour when the rainy season has begun. At this time, that lover of mine, who’s at the wide battle camp of the furious king, with his intention focused on victory, has no thought about me. What should I do, my friend? When the evening hour arrives beside me with much haste, as if intent on murder, it would be impossible to prevail over!”

Let’s soak in the rain of emotion! The lady starts by talking vividly about how the rains have showered, and as a consequence, toads are croaking, akin to festival drums, the golden shower tree is all ablaze, as if adorned with hanging ornaments, flame-lilies seem to light up with lamps, and as if all these splendours were not enough, the wild jasmines and clearing nut tree flowers have bloomed in synchrony. Further, to render relief to all thirsting animals, the watering holes in the mountain paths were brimming over. After stating that everything was blooming in the season of rains, the lady explains that her state was in contrast, for her lover was locked in a king’s battle, and so intent on victory was he that he had no thought about her. She concludes by wondering what she would do, when the murderous evening hour arrived and stood beside her! Reading these lines, it occurred to me how these poets have visualised a woman as a vine that would collapse if not for the sturdy support of her beloved.

Moving beyond the lady’s sorrow which no doubt the man would soon allay, it was a sensory delight to hear the toads croaking, see the dangling golden shower clusters, inhale the fragrance of the wild jasmines, taste the cool mountain springs and sense the magic that the rains seem to cast upon the earth!

In this episode, we listen to words of admonishment, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 365, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents a study in contrast of barrenness and beauty.

அகல் வாய் வானம் மால் இருள் பரப்ப,
பகல் ஆற்றுப்படுத்த பையென் தோற்றமொடு
சினவல் போகிய புன்கண் மாலை,
அத்த நடுகல் ஆள் என உதைத்த
கான யானைக் கதுவாய் வள் உகிர்,
இரும் பனை இதக்கையின், ஒடியும் ஆங்கண்,
கடுங்கண் ஆடவர் ஏ முயல் கிடக்கை,
வருநர் இன்மையின் களையுநர்க் காணா
என்றூழ் வெஞ் சுரம் தந்த நீயே
துயர் செய்து ஆற்றாயாகி, பெயர்பு, ஆங்கு
உள்ளினை வாழிய, நெஞ்சே! வென் வேல்
மா வண் கழுவுள் காமூர் ஆங்கண்,
பூதம் தந்த பொரி அரை வேங்கைத்
தண் கமழ் புது மலர் நாறும்
அம் சில் ஓதி ஆய் மடத் தகையே.

In this trip to this harsh domain, we get to see familiar sights, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey through the drylands:

“As darkness spreads in the wide sky, the day crosses over, and with a listless appearance, filled with fury, the suffering-filled evening arrives. At this time, thinking that a hero stone in the middle of the drylands is a person, a jungle elephant kicks it, causing its huge toe nail to break, appearing akin to a palm fruit’s shell. In such a place, harsh-eyed men, who wait, intent on showering their arrows, find no wayfarers to end their impoverishment. You have brought me to such a barren, scorching space, and not satisfied with the sorrow you’ve rendered thus far in coming here, now you are also thinking about that naive and noble maiden with beautiful tresses, which have the fragrance of the moist, new flowers blooming upon that Kino tree, with a parched trunk, on which resides a spirit, in the town of Kaamoor, ruled by the strong and courageous Kazhuvul, who wields a victorious spear! Long may you live, my heart!”

Time to brave the formidable paths! The man starts by sketching the time of the day and talks about how a dull evening seems to arrive, pushing aside the daylight in the sky, and at this time, not seeing very clearly, an elephant seems to mistake a memorial stone in the middle of the drylands for a person standing there, and gives it a kick, only to find its nail tearing apart in the impact. This is equated aptly to the torn shell of a palm fruit or ice apple, called as ‘nungu’ in contemporary Tamil.

From the time of the day, the man moves on to talk about the place, and he mentions how the prominent denizens of this domain, the highway robbers, seem to lie in wait for wayfarers, but their wait only ends in disappointment for no one dares to come through those scorching spaces. The man turns to his heart and points out how it has brought him to such a place where even those harsh-eyed robbers are to be pitied, and concludes by saying as if the heart had not caused enough trouble, now it was thinking about the lady, the scent of whose tresses is akin to the flowers of a particular Kino tree, favoured by spirits, in the town of Kaamoor, ruled by Kazhuvul. Indeed, it’s the familiar theme of separating one’s heart from oneself and trying to overcome the despair of the situation.

On a tangent, what struck me in this verse is the way this poet remembers a particular Kino tree, in a specific town, and its features. Doesn’t it seem like these poets had a unique bonding with the trees they encountered in their travels, as if they were on first name basis with them? I conclude that it’s only by living such a life, characterised by a deep awareness of all the elements of nature around, that these poets have attained their extraordinary powers of expression!