Aganaanooru 75 – Heart not to part

Sangam Lit

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7d ago 5:33

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In this episode, we perceive the resolution of a person’s anxiety, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 75, penned by Madurai Poththanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and argues against parting away in the pursuit of wealth.

“அருள் அன்று ஆக, ஆள்வினை, ஆடவர்
பொருள்” என வலித்த பொருள் அல் காட்சியின்
மைந்து மலி உள்ளமொடு துஞ்சல் செல்லாது,
எரி சினம் தவழ்ந்த இருங் கடற்று அடைமுதல்
கரி குதிர் மரத்த கான வாழ்க்கை,
அடு புலி முன்பின், தொடு கழல் மறவர்
தொன்று இயல் சிறுகுடி மன்று நிழற் படுக்கும்
அண்ணல் நெடு வரை, ஆம் அறப் புலர்ந்த
கல் நெறிப் படர்குவர்ஆயின் நல் நுதல்,
செயிர் தீர் கொள்கை, சில் மொழி, துவர் வாய்,
அவிர் தொடி முன்கை, ஆய்இழை, மகளிர்
ஆரம் தாங்கிய அலர் முலை ஆகத்து,
ஆராக் காதலொடு தாரிடைக் குழையாது
சென்று படு விறற் கவின் உள்ளி, என்றும்
இரங்குநர் அல்லது, பெயர்தந்து, யாவரும்
தருநரும் உளரோ, இவ் உலகத்தான்?” என-
மாரி ஈங்கை மாத் தளிர் அன்ன
அம் மா மேனி, ஐது அமை நுசுப்பின்,
பல் காசு நிரைத்த, கோடு ஏந்து அல்குல்;
மெல் இயல் குறுமகள்! புலந்து பல கூறி
ஆனா நோயை ஆக, யானே
பிரியச் சூழ்தலும் உண்டோ,
அரிது பெறு சிறப்பின் நின்வயினானே?”

In this trip to the drylands, it’s all in the mind and here we hear the man saying these words to the lady, when she has been worrying about the man leaving her to go in search of wealth:

“Thinking, ’Setting aside all grace, earning wealth is the foremost duty of men’, pressed by a situation lacking substance, with a determined and strong heart, without any slackening, if men were to leave to those pebble-filled paths in the drylands, where a blazing fire spreads through the huge jungle, where the scorching heat has rendered trees leafless, where leading a wild life, with the strength of killer tigers, anklet-clad warriors sleep in the shade of the town centre of their ancient small hamlet, amidst those esteemed high mountains, utterly bereft of moisture, those men can only feel sorrowful about the lost great beauty of their women, having fine foreheads, flawless principles, few words, red mouth, forearms with bangles slipping away, fine jewels, radiant necklaces on the spreading bosom, filled with their ceaseless love, wallowing because of their uncrushed garlands. But is there anyone among them, who could return that lost beauty back to them? And so, my gentle-natured, young maiden, with a beautiful, black skin, akin to the dark leaves of the touch-me-not bush in the rainy season, with a slender waist, hip adorned with gold-coined ornaments, and upraised loins, making you say many sulking words, filling you with a ceaseless disease, will I choose to part away from your precious, hard-to-attain splendour?”

Let’s take a walk through those moisture-less drylands! The man starts by talking about the philosophy of men, who go in search of wealth. They think it’s their first and foremost duty and that there can be no room for grace or kindness to those at home. Consider that these men decide to set out on their missions to the drylands, with such a firm resolution, the man continues. They will find themselves in the midst of a blazing jungle, filled with forest fires, where men lead a wild life, sleeping where they can, where trees are utterly leafless and there’s not a drop to drink. While they are here, their beloved would have their arms thinning and bangles slipping away, and they would be filled with so much love, but their men would be far away and unable to come to their aide. And so, all their beauty would be lost. When those men who went in search of wealth return, all they can do is shed tears for the lost beauty of their women, but can they bring it back, the man reflects. Because of these deep reflections, the man decides not to leave his beloved maiden with much beauty, whose black skin is described to be in the shade of dark green leaves, an indicator that this culture does not differentiate between the hues of green, blue and black. The man concludes by asking the lady how he would have the heart to part away from her rare and splendid goodness!

The essence of this verse is the man telling the lady, ‘There’s nothing to worry, dear. I’m not parting away.’ The clear arguments with which the heart’s subtle fears are banished away speaks about the ingrained logic of these ancients!

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