Aganaanooru 290 – A sapphire turning gold

In this episode, we listen to a narrative about a person’s state, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 290, penned by Nakeerar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming lotuses of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and portrays the beauty of an ancient Sangam seaside town. குடுமிக் கொக்கின் பைங் காற் பேடை,இருஞ் சேற்று அள்ளல் நாட் புலம் போகியகொழு மீன் வல்சிப் புன் தலைச் சிறாஅர்,நுண் ஞாண் அவ் வலைச் சேவல் பட்டென,அல்குறு பொழுதின் மெல்கு இரை மிசையாது,பைதல் பிள்ளை தழீஇ, ஒய்யென,அம் கண் பெண்ணை அன்புற நரலும்சிறு பல் தொல் குடிப் பெரு நீர்ச் சேர்ப்பன்,கழி சேர் புன்னை அழி பூங் கானல்,தணவா நெஞ்சமொடு தமியன் வந்து, நம்மணவா முன்னும் எவனோ தோழி!வெண் கோட்டு யானை விறற் போர்க் குட்டுவன்தெண் திரைப் பரப்பின் தொண்டி முன்துறை,சுரும்பு உண மலர்ந்த பெருந் தண் நெய்தல்மணி ஏர் மாண் நலம் ஒரீஇ,பொன் நேர் வண்ணம் கொண்ட என் கண்ணே? Plenty of picturesque images in this trip to the seashore, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, pretending not to notice the man, who had arrived for his nightly tryst with the lady, as he listens nearby: “As the male tufted grey heron, which had stepped into the black mud, hunting for its day prey, had been caught in the fine threads of the net laid by coarse-haired, young boys, its green-legged female, without chewing on its soft prey, in that suffering-filled, evening hour, hugging its sorrowful child, calls out with love, perched on the beautiful palmyra tree in the little, ancient hamlet with many clans, in the shores of the lord, bound by the huge ocean. Having a heart filled with ceaseless love, he would come alone to the flower-filled orchard, filled with laurel wood trees, near the backwaters. Before he arrives and embraces me, why is it that my eyes, which have the sapphire-like, fine beauty of huge, cool blue lotuses, swarming with bees, blooming in the shore of Thondi, surrounded by clear waves, ruled by the battle-worthy Kuttuvan, who wields white-tusked elephants, have let go of their beauty and have now taken on a gold-like hue, my friend?” Let’s sail along that ancient shore and learn more! The lady starts by zooming onto a male tufted bird, which had gone hunting in the black slush, looking for its food of the day. Next, she shows us how this bird falls a prey to the net cast by young boys, who live in that place. From the male’s sad situation, the lady turns the lens to focus on its female, a green-legged one, which seems to be refusing to eat its food and can be seen crying with sorrow, embracing its chicks, from atop a palmyra tree. It’s a case of heavy personification indeed. But the clues about the tuft of the bird and its green legs helps us tangibly locate the bird as the ‘Grey Heron’. Moving on, the lady has presented this romantic wildlife documentary only to say that’s the seashore town of the lord, said to be an ancient one, having many different communities living together. The man’s land now takes a backseat and the man himself comes forward in the lady’s narrative as she talks about how he would come to visit her, brimming over with love, and tryst in the ‘punnai’ orchards near the backwaters. Then, the lady goes on to humbly compare her eyes to the blue lotuses, blooming in the lush seaside town of ‘Thondi’, ruled by the great Kuttuvan, and concludes by asking what could be the reason for those eyes of hers to lose their beauty and become coated in the rich golden colour of pallor.  Of course, the lady knows the reason but instead of stating it out aloud and blaming the man, she makes him come up with the answer himself. She wishes for him to understand how she pines for him in his absence. This is to nudge the man to give up temporary trysting and seek her hand in marriage. I made a curious connection to the dating scenario in the modern world and how in many instances, it’s always the man who is expected to propose, as the woman waits for that day. Of course I’m saying this after seeing many movies in which the man gets down on a bent knee with a ring and the woman is surprised or acts surprised. This tells me the authority in this important decision in life seems to depend on the male, at least at first, not unlike this ancient couple, two thousand years ago. Different cultures, different times, yet amazing how the style of execution seems the same!