Aganaanooru 20 – From Freedom to Confinement

In this episode, we perceive a subtle plea for a change in action, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 20, penned by Ulochchanaar. Set amidst the sands and groves of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’, the verse vividly sketches a day in the life of Sangam maiden. பெருநீர் அழுவத்து எந்தை தந்தகொழு மீன் உணங்கல் படுபுள் ஓப்பி,எக்கர்ப் புன்னை இன் நிழல் அசைஇசெக்கர் ஞெண்டின் குண்டு அளை கெண்டி,ஞாழல் ஓங்கு சினைத் தொடுத்த கொடுங்கழித்தாழை வீழ் கயிற்று ஊசல் தூங்கிக்கொண்டல் இடு மணல் குரவை முனையின்வெண்தலைப் புணரி ஆயமொடு ஆடி,மணிப்பூம் பைந்தழை தைஇ, அணித்தகப்பல் பூங்கானல் அல்கினம் வருதல்கவ்வை நல் அணங்கு உற்ற இவ்வூர்கொடிது அறி பெண்டிர் சொல் கொண்டு, அன்னைகடி கொண்டனளே தோழி, பெருந்துறைஎல்லையும் இரவும் என்னாது, கல்லெனவலவன் ஆய்ந்த வண் பரிநிலவு மணல் கொட்கும் ஓர் தேர் உண்டு எனவே. A picturesque song, set to the music of the ocean’s waves, and here, we hear the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man arrives to tryst with the lady by day, pretending not to notice the man, but making sure he’s in earshot. The confidante’s words are: “We spend our time chasing away birds that come to peck at the drying fatty fish, which father brought from the great waters of the ocean; resting in the sweet shade of the laurel wood tree upon the sands; digging up the deep holes of the red crabs; swaying on the swings tied with ropes, made of the marshy pandanus, to the soaring branches of the screw-pine; dancing the ‘Kuravai’ on the sands brought by the eastern winds, and when tiring of that, splashing in the white-headed waves along with our playmates, and adorning ourselves with green-leaved attires, woven with exquisite blooms in the many-flowered orchard. However, possessed by the spirit of slander, the women of this town, who know nothing but evil, spread rumours, and hearing that, mother has mounted the guard for you, my friend, deciding that there is surely a chariot, adorned with speedy horses, groomed well by a charioteer, which swirls around the moon-like sands, with a resounding sound, not minding if it’s day or night in the wide seashore!” Let’s carefully step amidst the drying fish in the shade of fragrant trees and learn more! The confidante, as if talking to the lady, presents a long list of things they normally do. A sort of log for the day’s activities. First, there’s the work they are entrusted with, which is the chasing away of birds and protecting the fresh catch father brought from the seas, which have been laid out to dry! Echoing the timeless attitude of teenagers, these girls, after doing a little of what they perceive as hard work, decide it’s time to relax, and they have plenty of options, such as simply sitting in the shade of the fragrant ‘Punnai’, and then seeking some activity, digging up holes of crabs, as if they were amateur naturalists or troublemakers, depending on the beholder’s eye! After this, they decide let’s get high on the swings, tied to the screw-pine tree, with the sturdy ropes of the pandanus. Once they have had their fill of flying, they get dancing and singing the ‘Kuravai’ on the sands, and when tiring of this activity, they splash about in the waves with the playmates, that one thing the ocean never lets us tire of, be it anywhere, anytime. The confidante concludes this long list of ‘fun and more fun’ with the aspect of fashion and how they spend time, adorning themselves with the choicest of leaves, stitched with beautiful blooms. As if asking what’s there to be suspicious about these activities, the confidante continues describing incredulously how the women of their town, who seem to know nothing other than evil, and possessed by the demon of slander, had gone and said something to mother. The confidante now concludes by describing how mother has taken their words seriously and has mounted a guard around the lady’s home, deciding to catch that chariot that roves ceaselessly on those shores, by day and night, in quest of her girl! Through these words, the confidante means to tell the man that mother knows of his relationship with the lady, and going forward, trysting would be something impossible, and consequently, he should be seeking the permanent joy of a married union. In the end, it’s ‘Marry her, Marry her’ but that movie we saw in the beginning, which we can call, ‘All in a day’s work and play’, featuring the life of those maiden, was a refreshing watch indeed, infusing us with the evergreen emotions of innocent delight!