Aganaanooru 136 – Recollecting who she was then

In this episode, we perceive a unique technique to appease a person’s ire, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 136, penned by Vitrootru Mootheyinanaar. The verse is situated amidst the decorated mansions and bejewelled denizens of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and etches the events in an ancient wedding ceremony. மைப்பு அறப் புழுக்கின் நெய்க் கனி வெண் சோறுவரையா வண்மையொடு புரையோர்ப் பேணி,புள்ளுப் புணர்ந்து இனிய ஆக, தெள் ஒளிஅம் கண் இரு விசும்பு விளங்க, திங்கட்சகடம் மண்டிய துகள் தீர் கூட்டத்து,கடி நகர் புனைந்து, கடவுட் பேணி,படு மண முழவொடு பரூஉப் பணை இமிழ,வதுவை மண்ணிய மகளிர் விதுப்புற்று,பூக்கணும் இமையார் நோக்குபு மறைய,மென் பூ வாகைப் புன் புறக் கவட்டிலை,பழங் கன்று கறித்த பயம்பு அமல் அறுகைத்தழங்குகுரல் வானின் தலைப்பெயற்கு ஈன்றமண்ணு மணி அன்ன மாஇதழ்ப் பாவைத்தண் நறு முகையொடு வெண் நூல் சூட்டி,தூ உடைப் பொலிந்து மேவரத் துவன்றி,மழை பட்டன்ன மணல் மலி பந்தர்,இழை அணி சிறப்பின் பெயர் வியர்ப்பு ஆற்றி,தமர் நமக்கு ஈத்த தலைநாள் இரவின்,”உவர் நீங்கு கற்பின் எம் உயிர் உடம்படுவி!முருங்காக் கலிங்கம் முழுவதும் வளைஇ,பெரும் புழுக்குற்ற நின் பிறைநுதற் பொறி வியர்உறு வளி ஆற்றச் சிறு வரை திற” எனஆர்வ நெஞ்சமொடு போர்வை வவ்வலின்,உறை கழி வாளின் உருவு பெயர்ந்து இமைப்ப,மறை திறன் அறியாள்ஆகி, ஒய்யெனநாணினள் இறைஞ்சியோளே பேணி,பரூஉப் பகை ஆம்பற் குரூஉத் தொடை நீவி,சுரும்பு இமிர் ஆய்மலர் வேய்ந்தஇரும் பல் கூந்தல் இருள் மறை ஒளித்தே. Though we don’t actually get to travel to the outer spaces of this domain in this verse, we get a sense of the culture here, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, when the lady is in the midst of a fight with him, as she listens nearby: “The cooked white rice, having flawless pieces of meat, brimming with ghee, was rendered with limitless hospitality and guests were welcomed. Sounds of birds uniting echoed sweetly in the air; The beautiful dark sky shined with a clear light, and at this time, the moon and the wheel-shaped star come together in a perfect union; The wedding home was decorated and god’s praises were sung; As the thick and huge ‘panai’ drums resounded, along with ‘muzhavu’ wedding drums, the women who bathed her as part of the wedding ceremony, not blinking their flower-like eyes, quickly vanished; The delicate-bottomed forked leaves of the Lebbeck tree, with soft flowers, and the cool and fragrant buds of the huge-petaled flower, in the hue of well-washed sapphires, blossoming in the sky’s first rains, upon the wild ‘arukai’ grass, spreading in the crevices, and grazed upon by mature calves, are tied together with a white thread, and adorned on her, along with pristine clothes. Then coming together with affection, in that sand-filled pavilion, resounding with the sound of falling rain, wiping away the sweat that runs down, because of heavy jewels worn, her kith and kin rendered her to me. On the night of this first day together, saying to her, “O maiden, who is the form to my life, filled with blemish-less chastity! As you have covered your form entire with a thick attire, feeling rather hot, your crescent-moon-like forehead would be coated in beads of sweat. Letting the flowing breeze to cool it, why not remove it?”, with a desiring heart, I pulled away the cover, and there she was, shining akin to a sword, pulled out from its sheath. Without knowing how to hide herself, she was overcome with shyness and bent her head. Understanding her state, I came to her aid and removed the radiant, thick white-lily garland, which was like a foe to her, just then, spreading her thick and black, bee-buzzing tresses, filled with beautiful flowers, and with that cover of darkness, helped her hide herself!” Let’s participate in this ancient farmlands wedding and learn more! The man simply takes a walk down memory lane, recollecting the day of his wedding with his lady. He remembers the pots of rice and meat, cooked with ghee, and served to guests ceaselessly. He talks about how the sweet sounds of birds uniting resounded in the air. The man then talks about how the moon was supposed to be coming close to and uniting with a star in a wheel-shaped constellation, that day. Interpreters have identified this particular star to be ‘Rohini’, also known as the Aldebaran star, said to be the ‘eye’ of the Taurus constellation, in another astronomical classification. There have been numerous mythological stories about the connection between this star and the moon, and here too, we encounter one such belief in Sangam culture that the coming together of these two celestial bodies was an auspicious moment for a couple to begin their journey together. Returning, the man turns his attention to the wedding decorations in the home, praising god, and the resounding roar of wedding drums many. The lady was given a ceremonial bath from maiden and then she was adorned with flowers of the Arukai grass and leaves of the Vaakai tree, atop glowing clothes. After dressing the bride so, the lady’s kith and kin, wiping away the sweat, owing to wearing heavy ornaments, offered the lady to the man, and formalised their union. From these festivities, the man turns to a personal moment between him and the lady on their first night together, when he observes her covering herself in a thick attire. He seems to have pulled it away, so that the beads of sweat on the lady’s forehead would be dried by the cool breeze. As he pulled the cover apart, the lady appeared like a sword out of sheath, glowing, the man recounts. At that moment, she seemed to have been filled with shyness and without knowing how to cover herself, she had bent her head. The man seems to have come to her aid and removed the clasp of her white-lily garland and turned the darkness of her thick, black tresses as her new attire, he concludes.  We know the man and lady had been fighting. The man had been trying many attempts to appease her but to no avail. He finally chooses the strategy of talking about a happy, delightful moment, in their early years, to take the lady to the past, reminding her of who she had been to the man, and make her forget the present moment of conflict. Though we do not know whether the man’s strategy worked out for him, on our part, we got to go to an ancient Tamil wedding, feast our senses with food and festivity and delight in the many glimpses of plenty and prosperity of this domain!