Aganaanooru 157 – Like an abandoned statue

In this episode, we perceive a person’s alarm at the prospect of an approaching event, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 157, penned by Vempattroor Kumaranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse portrays the lady’s inability to bear with the man’s parting. அரியற் பெண்டிர் அல்கிற் கொண்டபகுவாய்ப் பாளைக் குவிமுலை சுரந்தஅரி நிறக் கலுழி ஆர மாந்தி,செரு வேட்டு, சிலைக்கும் செங் கண் ஆடவர்,வில் இட வீழ்ந்தோர் பதுக்கை கோங்கின்எல்லி மலர்ந்த பைங் கொடி அதிரல்பெரும் புலர் வைகறை அரும்பொடு வாங்கி,கான யானை கவளம் கொள்ளும்அஞ்சு வரு நெறியிடைத் தமியர் செல்மார்நெஞ்சு உண மொழிபமன்னே தோழி!முனை புலம் பெயர்த்த புல்லென் மன்றத்து,பெயல் உற நெகிழ்ந்து, வெயில் உறச் சாஅய்,வினை அழி பாவையின் உலறி,மனை ஒழிந்திருத்தல் வல்லுவோர்க்கே! In this little trip to the drylands, we hear the lady say these words to her confidante, when the confidante brings news that the man intends to part away to gather wealth: “Relishing the muddy-hued, cloudy filtrate, pouring out of the tapering spouts of the pot, with a curving mouth, held on the hips of a toddy-selling woman, with intoxication and fury, uproarious red-eyed men kill wayfarers with their bows. The stone graves of those killed stand near the buttercup tree. Upon this tree, spreads the vines of the wild jasmine, which had just bloomed the previous night. At the bright and early hour of dawn, pulling the vines of this buttercup and wild jasmine flowers, a forest elephant swallows it as its ball of food in those formidable paths. My friend, you say that he will walk alone in such a path, to satisfy his heart! In the listless town centre, forsaken by people, owing to the outbreak of a battle, shrinking in the rains and fading in the sun, a well-etched female figurine would languish. To accept his parting is only possible for those, who have the ability to be in that state of that statue and remain at home!” Time to traverse the dangerous domain! The lady starts by conjuring the image of a toddy selling woman, who carries a pot on her hips. Procuring the filtrate from this seller, drylands men get sloshed and red-eyed. Full of fury, they attack wayfarers and bury them in stone graves, near the buttercup tree. On this tree, spreads a vine of wild jasmine that blossomed just the previous night. Not caring about the tenderness of these flower buds, a wild elephant pulls these vines and buttercup flowers along with it, to feed on the same in the early hour of dawn. The lady describes how the confidante has informed her that such is the dangerous path that the man will walk soon. When wars break out, people abandon their towns and rush away to a place of safety. At this time, the female figurines worshipped in the town centre would be abandoned and would shrink in the rains and fade in the sun, with no one to care for it. Only those who can be like that lifeless statue can bear with the man’s parting and remain calm at home, the lady concludes, implying she does not know the way to be so! In short, the lady tells the confidante, ‘I’m no statue to accept his parting, without any emotion’, and voices her doubts about being able to bear with what’s about to happen. Perhaps the confidante will relay this information to the man and prevent him from travelling or perhaps she will console the lady saying, ‘Girl, you have it in you. Worry not!. Whatever be the counsel and the course of action, the lady has done the right thing in expressing the anxiety within and that’s half the battle won!