Aganaanooru 39 – The fire of separation

In this episode, we hear heartfelt words of appeasement, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 39, penned by Madurai Chenkannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse paints the inner and outer world at a particular space and time in exquisite detail. ‘ஒழித்தது பழித்த நெஞ்சமொடு வழிப் படர்ந்து,உள்ளியும் அறிதிரோ, எம்?’ என, யாழ நின்முள் எயிற்றுத் துவர் வாய் முறுவல் அழுங்க,நோய் முந்துறுத்து நொதுமல் மொழியல்; நின்ஆய் நலம் மறப்பெனோ மற்றே? சேண் இகந்துஒலி கழை பிசைந்த ஞெலி சொரி ஒண் பொறிபடு ஞெமல் புதையப் பொத்தி, நெடு நிலைமுளி புல் மீமிசை வளி சுழற்றுறாஅக்காடு கவர் பெருந் தீ ஓடுவயின் ஓடலின்,அதர் கெடுத்து அலறிய சாத்தொடு ஒராங்குமதர் புலி வெரீஇய மையல் வேழத்துஇனம் தலை மயங்கிய நனந் தலைப் பெருங் காட்டு,ஞான்று தோன்று அவிர் சுடர் மான்றால் பட்டென,கள் படர் ஓதி! நிற் படர்ந்து உள்ளி,அருஞ் செலவு ஆற்றா ஆர் இடை, ஞெரேரெனப்பரந்து படு பாயல் நவ்வி பட்டென,இலங்கு வளை செறியா இகுத்த நோக்கமொடு,நிலம் கிளை நினைவினை நின்ற நிற் கண்டு,‘இன்னகை’! இனையம் ஆகவும், எம்வயின்ஊடல் யாங்கு வந்தன்று?’ என, யாழ நின்கோடு ஏந்து புருவமொடு குவவு நுதல் நீவி,நறுங் கதுப்பு உளரிய நன்னர் அமையத்து,வறுங் கை காட்டிய வாய் அல் கனவின்ஏற்று ஏக்கற்ற உலமரல்போற்றாய்ஆகலின், புலத்தியால், எம்மே! Back to the drylands, and here, the man’s back from his travels. However, his lady seems to be angry with him for parting away for so long. At this time, the man says these words to the lady: “Asking me, “Along with that heart of yours, which had cast aspersions on your avoiding travel, when you traversed those paths, did you even think once about me?”, you stand there burying your smile within your sharp teeth and red mouth. Do not speak such untrue words that cause much suffering! How can I ever forget your celebrated beauty? In those faraway spaces, as thick bamboos brushed against each other, sparks of fire scattered and fell on withered leaves, burying them in the brightness of the burning flames, and the swirling wind then spread that fire on wild grass growing thither. Seeing such a fire that seemed to have the power to swallow the forest entire, running helter-skelter, and instead of pursuing their travels, merchants many stood there, screaming in alarm, akin to how, fearing a mad tiger, a herd of elephants would move about in much confusion, in the wide spaces of that huge scrublands jungle. In such a place, when the flaming sun, shining bright, high upon the sky, had descended and faded away, O maiden with bee-swarming, fragrant tresses, when I was thinking of you, in that harsh and inaccessible drylands path, akin to a swiftly leaping and prancing doe, with your shining bangles and shy looks, you suddenly stood there, tracing circles with your toes on the ground, and I said, ‘My dearest woman with the sweetest smile, when this is my nature, how can you be angry with me so?’, caressing your uplifted eyebrows and your rounded forehead, and stroking your fragrant tresses. At that beautiful moment, I suddenly glimpsed at my empty hands and realised that this was no truth, but merely a dream, and felt a deep yearning and suffering. Without understanding all this, here you are, sulking with me!” Let’s take in the heat and fire of the scorching drylands, and at the same time, perceive the moisture in the man’s heart! The man starts by remarking how the lady is angry with him because he parted away, against the wise counsel of elders to never leave a woman in suffering, because his heart had unceasingly nudged him to leave. She seems to have asked him if even for a single moment the man had thought of her! The man seems hurt by such a question and asks her how it was even possible for him to forget her! He then goes on to talk about the drylands, and to depict the danger in this space, he brings before the lady’s eyes, the sight of bamboos brushing against each other, and causing sparks to fly and fall on the dry leaves, and then fuelled by the hot winds, spread on the wild grass, as well. The fire that was spreading seemed as if it was about to devour the forest entire, and seeing all this, the wayfarers, most of them merchants, ran madly and then grouped together in a safe spot, giving up all thought of traversing further, the man details. He places in parallel these frightened wayfarers to a herd of elephants that run around, fearing a mad and ferocious tiger, and then find safety in numbers by huddling together. After describing the nature of the place he was travelling, the man goes on to talk about how when the sun had set, and he had been thinking about the lady, suddenly she herself appeared there, looking like a female deer. He seemed to have pulled her close to him, caressed her eyebrows and forehead and stroked her hair and asked the question, ‘When I love you so much, how can you be sulking with me?’. Just then, the lady vanished and the man realised this was but a dream, and he felt such pain in his heart. Sketching this moment, the man ends with the same thought that without knowing all this, the lady seemed to be needlessly angry with him! The verse highlights how the mind is adept at conjuring something totally contrary to the truth when it is feeling dejected and negative, as in the case of this lady, who seemed to project her feelings of loneliness as the man’s apathy. Inspiring indeed is the man’s crystal clear communication to the lady, explaining where he was, and what he felt for her, no doubt causing smiles and joy to spread on his beloved!