Aganaanooru 70 – Slander and Silence

In this episode, we hear the confidante’s jubilant voice, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 70, penned by Madurai Tamil Koothanaar Kaduvan Mallanaar. Set amidst the flower orchards and fish markets of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’, the verse features a joyous news and its consequences. கொடுந் திமிற் பரதவர் வேட்டம் வாய்த்தென,இரும் புலாக் கமழும் சிறுகுடிப் பாக்கத்துக்குறுங் கண் அவ் வலைப் பயம் பாராட்டி,கொழுங் கண் அயிலை பகுக்கும் துறைவன்நம்மொடு புணர்ந்த கேண்மை முன்னேஅலர் வாய்ப் பெண்டிர் அம்பல் தூற்ற,பலரும் ஆங்கு அறிந்தனர்மன்னே; இனியேவதுவை கூடிய பின்றை, புதுவதுபொன் வீ ஞாழலொடு புன்னை வரிக்கும்கானல் அம் பெருந் துறைக் கழனி மா நீர்ப்பாசடைக் கலித்த கணைக்கால் நெய்தல்விழவு அணி மகளிர் தழை அணிக் கூட்டும்வென் வேற் கவுரியர் தொல் முது கோடிமுழங்கு இரும் பௌவம் இரங்கும் முன் துறை,வெல்போர் இராமன் அரு மறைக்கு அவித்தபல் வீழ் ஆலம் போல,ஒலி அவிந்தன்று, இவ் அழுங்கல் ஊரே. There’s a lot of buzz in this trip to the shores, and we find ourselves listening to these words of the confidante to the lady: “After a successful spell of fishing, fishermen with curved boats, arrive at their flesh-reeking, small hamlets by the sea, praising the capabilities of their small-eyed, beautiful nets, and share fleshy pieces of mackerel with the village folk, in the shores of the lord. As the gossiping townsfolk spread rumours about your relationship with him, everyone came to know of it! Along with the new golden flowers of the tiger claw tree, white flowers of the laurel wood too spread open their petals, in the beautiful orchards of the great shores, and from the water-filled fields nearby, luxuriant-leafed, thick-stemmed blue lotuses are gathered by maiden to adorn their leaf garments during the festivities in the ancient seaport of Kodi, ruled by the Kauriyars, in whose shore, the ocean roars like a resounding drum. Here, when the victorious Lord Raman wanted to reflect on intricate strategies, he silenced the birds in the banyan with many aerial roots. Akin to that, now that your man has claimed your hand and the wedding is all set to happen, the slanderous noises in this uproarious town have been silenced.” Let’s take in the twin scents of fresh flowers and fleshy fish and know more! The confidante starts by describing the man’s domain, and to do that, she brings forth fishermen out at sea, gathering a huge amount of fish, returning with satisfaction, praising their sturdy nets and finally sharing their catch with all in town. Then, from the man’s domain, the confidante moves on to the man’s relationship with the lady and how that has invited much chatter in town. This got more and more people to know about the lady’s relationship with the man, the confidante recollects. Then, leaving this spot, she goes to the ancient sea port of Kodi, possibly referring to ‘Kodikkarai’ or ‘Dhanushkodi’ in Ramanathapuram district today, and talks about how flowering trees like the ‘Nyazhal’ and ‘Punnai’ abound there, and also about how women gather blue-lotuses from fields for their festival adornments. A further fact about this region the confidante adds saying, this was ruled by the Kauriyars, another name for the Pandya Kings of yore. After these relatable descriptions about an ancient town, the confidante delves into a mythical story of how Lord Rama had come to Kodi and when he was reflecting on strategies, possibly to recover his wife Sita, birds were loudly chirping in the banyan, under which he was resting, and apparently, with a look of his eye, he silenced the birds. Just in that manner, the gossipmongers of their town too were silenced by the man’s action of claiming the lady’s hand and paving the way for the resounding sound of wedding bells, the confidante concludes.  Although the mythical reference of superhuman powers seem out of place in the realistic narratives of Sangam era that we have most frequently seen and no conclusions can be drawn out of the same, what we can do is turn our attention to the way the verse etches the exquisite natural beauty of this ancient place by detailing the fragrant flowers blooming here, and also, the way it carves the cultural history through a depiction of the women’s fashion statement in wearing blue lotuses with their leaf attires, during the festivities of the Pandya reign. No matter our beliefs, we can always find delight in the embrace of nature and culture, irrespective of its space or time, in our brief walk on this third rock we call home!