Aganaanooru 196 – On pleasure and duty

In this episode, we perceive a woman’s anger, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 196, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the uproarious streets of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and contrasts the nature of men and women. நெடுங் கொடி நுடங்கும் நறவு மலி பாக்கத்து,நாள் துறைப்பட்ட மோட்டு இரு வராஅல்துடிக்கண் கொழுங் குறை நொடுத்து, உண்டு ஆடி,வேட்டம் மறந்து, துஞ்சும் கொழுநர்க்குப் பாட்டிஆம்பல் அகல் இலை, அமலை வெஞ் சோறுதீம் புளிப் பிரம்பின் திரள்கனி பெய்து,விடியல் வைகறை இடூஉம் ஊர!தொடுகலம் குறுக வாரல் தந்தைகண் கவின் அழித்ததன் தப்பல், தெறுவர,ஒன்றுமொழிக் கோசர்க் கொன்று, முரண் போகிய,கடுந் தேர்த் திதியன் அழுந்தை கொடுங் குழைஅன்னிமிஞிலியின் இயலும்நின் நலத் தகுவியை முயங்கிய மார்பே. In this quick, little trip to this domain, we see interesting sights and get to hear the lady say these words to the man, when he returns home after being with the courtesan: “In those streets, fluttering with tall flags and brimming with fragrant toddy, after selling the drum-eye-like, fatty pieces of the murrel fish ,with huge bellies, caught during the day at the shore, they drink and dance, and then forgetting the next day’s hunt, the men sleep on. For these husbands of theirs, daughters of bards, spread hot, cooked rice on wide leaves of the water lily, and pour sweet-sour curry of the thick tamarind fruit, and serve them in the early hours of the morning in your town, O lord! For the mistake of ruining the health of her father’s eyes, with fury, she killed the Kosars, who are men of their word, with the aid of ’Thithiyan’, who wields speeding chariots, in the town of Azhunthai, and quenched her enmity. Like this Anni Mignili, who wears curving heavy earrings, that woman, you deem so fitting for you, walks around with pride. I shall not touch the chest of yours that she has embraced! Come not near me!” Time to see the exuberant and emotional sights of the farmlands! The lady starts by describing the man’s town, and to do that, she zooms on to the men of the town, who catch murrel fish in the river shores, sell these in the evening markets, where flags flutter with flourish. Then, they procure the abundant toddy, eat, drink and make merry, and retire to their homes. So tired out by these exertions they are, that they sleep on, forgetting the next day’s work. Waking them up, their loving wives serve them a tasty meal of cooked rice and sweet-sour curry of tamarind, the lady details. Could this be hangover medicine?  Returning, after describing the man’s town, we find the lady switching gears and talking about a historic event, wherein a lady named Anni Mignili was furious because the tribe of Kosars had hurt her father, and to take revenge, she seeks the aid of a king called ‘Thithiyan’ and in the town of ‘Azhunthai’, kills the Kosars. Just the way that lady walked about, content and proud, at the successful fulfilment of her wish, the man’s courtesan moves around, the lady connects, and concludes by telling him that she has no wish of touching the man’s chest, which had been embraced by the said courtesan and asks him to move away from her.  As we can clearly see, the lady’s ire is on fire! She’s angered about how the courtesan has won over her husband, as projected by the simile of Anni Mignili’s vengeful victory. In the description of the men and the women of the man’s town, the lady intends to place a metaphor for how the men seemed to forget their duty in their pleasure-intent revels, whereas their wives were the epitome of chastity, who fulfilled their duties without fail, and connects to the contrast of her man’s pleasure-seeking and her own duty-mindedness. Interesting how society and history lend their hands to sculpt the scene of this intimate tussle at home!