Aganaanooru 128 – Watching every step he takes

In this episode, we listen to the beat of an anxious heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 128, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the dark and rugged paths of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and presents thoughtful words to change the course of another. மன்று பாடு அவிந்து மனை மடிந்தன்றே;கொன்றோரன்ன கொடுமையோடு இன்றேயாமம் கொள வரின் கனைஇ காமம்கடலினும் உரைஇ, கரை பொழியும்மே.எவன்கொல் வாழி, தோழி! மயங்கிஇன்னம் ஆகவும், நன்னர் நெஞ்சம்என்னொடும் நின்னொடும் சூழாது, கைம்மிக்கு,இறும்பு பட்டு இருளிய இட்டு அருஞ் சிலம்பில்குறுஞ் சுனைக் குவளை வண்டு படச் சூடி,கான நாடன் வரூஉம், யானைக்கயிற்றுப் புறத்தன்ன, கல்மிசைச் சிறு நெறி,மாரி வானம் தலைஇ நீர் வார்பு,இட்டு அருங் கண்ண படுகுழி இயவின்,இருளிடை மிதிப்புழி நோக்கி, அவர்தளர்அடி தாங்கிய சென்றது, இன்றே? In this trip to the mountains, we get to closely follow someone in the middle of the night, even as we hear the lady say these words to her confidante, as her man listens nearby: “The uproar of the village common spaces has diminished and the houses therein are now at rest; When the midnight hour arrives today with the cruelty of a killer, my passion would swell and spread more than the sea, crossing the bounds of the shore. Why is it, my friend, may you live long, when we are here in this confused state, my good heart, without consulting either with me or you, leaves my control, and flies away to that little forest, covered in darkness, in that inaccessible mountain slope, where wearing the bee-buzzing blue lily, blooming in the little spring, the man of the mountains, filled with jungles, comes walking on that stone-filled, small path, akin to an elephant’s back with a rope’s imprint, where the rainy season’s sky has ended its downpour and parted away, causing the land be filled with pits and holes, and appear formidable to cross across, and that heart of mine now stands looking at how he takes step after step in that dark path, waiting to bear his feet, whenever they happen to stumble?” Ready for the mountain trek at night? Here we go. The lady starts be remarking how their bustling village full of chatter was now in a state of nil volume, and also, the people and houses entire seemed to be fast asleep. She talks about how the midnight hour was fast approaching, predicting that would be the time when her love would surge like the sea and break all bounds. Turning to her friend, as if in wonderment, she talks about how when this is her state, not minding the swirling confusion within, her heart decides to do something on its own accord, without bothering to check either with the lady or the confidante. That something is the way the heart decides to take off and fly to that narrow path in the mountains, where her lover comes walking, wearing a garland of blue-lilies from the little spring. It’s not only dark, but the rainy season having just done its work and parted, the roads are filled with pits many, the lady details. She concludes by remarking how astonishing it is that her heart was there with the man, waiting as he took step after step in the dark, intending to catch him if he were to stumble and fall! The lady’s heart seems not to be bothered about how the lady was suffering with passion and confusion in the man’s absence, and cared only about the welfare of her man, braving the dark and dangerous trek! These words are an attempt to make the man understand the anxiety the lady faces as she waits for him to arrive for their tryst and nudge him into choosing the well-lit, comfortable path of a permanent union with her. Going beyond this transient context, these words do reflect the timeless yearning of a person in love, caring about the welfare of their beloved above all else!