In this episode, we perceive the prosperity of a mountain country, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 41, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and reveals the power of words in changing a heart.

வள்ளைப் பாட்டுப் பாட, தலைவியைத் தோழி அழைத்தல்
பாடுகம், வா வாழி, தோழி! வயக் களிற்றுக்
கோடு உலக்கையாக, நல் சேம்பின் இலை சுளகா,
ஆடு கழை நெல்லை அறை உரலுள் பெய்து, இருவாம்
பாடுகம், வா வாழி தோழி! நல் தோழி! பாடுற்று
இடி உமிழ்பு இரங்கிய விரவு பெயல் நடு நாள்,
கொடி விடுபு இருளிய மின்னுச் செய் விளக்கத்து,
பிடியொடு மேயும் புன்செய் யானை
அடி ஒதுங்கு இயக்கம் கேட்ட கானவன்
நெடு வரை ஆசினிப் பணவை ஏறி,
கடு விசைக் கவணையில் கல் கை விடுதலின்,
இறு வரை வேங்கை ஒள் வீ சிதறி,
ஆசினி மென் பழம் அளிந்தவை உதிரா,
தேன் செய் இறாஅல் துளைபடப் போகி,
நறு வடி மாவின் பைந் துணர் உழக்கி,
குலையுடை வாழைக் கொழு மடல் கிழியா,
பலவின் பழத்துள் தங்கும் மலை கெழு வெற்பனைப்
பாடுகம், வா வாழி, தோழி! நல் தோழி! பாடுற்று

தலைவி
இலங்கும் அருவித்து; இலங்கும் அருவித்தே;
வானின் இலங்கும் அருவித்தே தான் உற்ற
சூள் பேணான் பொய்த்தான் மலை

தோழி
பொய்த்தற்கு உரியனோ? பொய்த்தற்கு உரியனோ?
‘அஞ்சல் ஓம்பு’ என்றாரைப் பொய்த்தற்கு உரியனோ?
குன்று அகல் நல் நாடன் வாய்மையில் பொய் தோன்றின்,
திங்களுள் தீத் தோன்றியற்று

தலைவி
இள மழை ஆடும்; இள மழை ஆடும்;
இள மழை வைகலும் ஆடும் என் முன்கை
வளை நெகிழ வாராதோன் குன்று

தோழி
வாராது அமைவானோ? வாராது அமைவானோ?
வாராது அமைகுவான் அல்லன் மலைநாடன்
ஈரத்துள் இன்னவை தோன்றின், நிழற் கயத்து
நீருள் குவளை வெந்தற்று

தலைவி
மணி போலத் தோன்றும்; மணி போலத் தோன்றும்;
மண்ணா மணி போலத் தோன்றும் என் மேனியைத்
துன்னான் துறந்தான் மலை

தோழி
துறக்குவன் அல்லன்; துறக்குவன் அல்லன்;
தொடர் வரை வெற்பன் துறக்குவன் அல்லன்
தொடர்புள் இனையவை தோன்றின், விசும்பில்
சுடருள் இருள் தோன்றியற்று

தந்தை வரைவு உடம்பட்டமையைத் தலைவிக்குத் தோழி அறிவித்தல்
என ஆங்கு
நன்று ஆகின்றால் தோழி! நம் வள்ளையுள்
ஒன்றி நாம் பாட, மறை நின்று கேட்டு அருளி,
மென் தோட் கிழவனும் வந்தனன்; நுந்தையும்
மன்றல் வேங்கைக் கீழ் இருந்து,
மணம் நயந்தனன், அம் மலைகிழவோற்கே!

Yet another song, in the format of a musical exchange between the lady and the confidante. The words can be translated as follows:

“Confidante’s request to the lady:
Let’s sing, come, my friend, may you live long! Using the tusk of a strong male elephant as the pestle, and the leaf of the fine taro as our winnow, as we pour the swaying bamboo rice into the mortar and pound, let us both sing together, come, my friend, may you live long! My good friend! When the skies shed lightning and thunder, and showered rain at midnight, in the light of the vine-like lightning streaks, an elephant grazing along with its mate, arrived at the farm fields. Hearing their footsteps pause, a mountain guard, climbing upon the loft placed atop a breadfruit tree, launched a stone from his powerful catapult. That stone scattered the radiant flowers of the ‘Kino tree’ rising atop a rock in the mountain cleft, knocked down ripe and soft breadfruits, pierced through a honeycomb, rattled the fresh green leaves of the fragrant mango, tore the fleshy leaves of plantain with fruit clusters, and then came to rest within a hanging jackfruit in the mountain-filled land of the lord. Let’s sing about him, come, my friend, may you live long! Sing, my good friend!

Lady’s words:
The cascades are flowing! The cascades are flowing! The cascades are flowing, fed by the downpour of the skies. How can this happen in the mountain of the one, who utters lies and stands not by his vow?

Confidante’s response:
Would he lie? Would he lie? Would the one who said ‘Fear not! I shall protect’ lie? If a lie can be found in the truth of the lord, who rules over the mountain-filled, fine country, it’s akin to a fire appearing within the cool moon!

Lady’s words:
Young clouds sway! Young clouds sway! Young clouds sway, day after day! How can this happen in the peak of the one, who makes the bangles on my forearms slip away by staying away?

Confidante’s response:
Would he stay away? Would he stay away? The lord, who rules over the mountains, is not one to stay away from you. If such terrible thoughts were to appear in his kind heart, it’s akin to a blue lotus, blooming in the pond waters, under a thick shade, bursting into flames!

Lady’s words:
Akin to a sapphire, it appears! Akin to a sapphire, it appears! Akin to a flawless sapphire, it appears! How can this be in the mountain of the one, who has forsaken me, for he unites not with me!

Confidante’s response:
Would he forsake you? Would he forsake you? The lord, who reigns over the mountain ranges, is not one to forsake you. If such harsh things were to unfold in your relationship with him, it’s akin to a darkness appearing in the sky’s bright flame!

Confidante’s announcement:
And so, good things have unfolded, my friend! As we sang about all this in our ‘Vallai’ song, he was listening, hidden by the hedge, and deciding to render his grace, the lord with gentle shoulders arrived here; Your father too, presiding under the Kino tree in the front yard, has decided to offer your hand in marriage to the lord of those picturesque mountains!

Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady and specifically in the situation of persuading the man to claim the lady’s hand. Like the previous verse, the confidante and lady exchange thoughts about the man’s nature, ending with the confidante’s conclusion. The confidante starts by requesting the lady to join her in a song together, as they pound bamboo rice in a mortar with an elephant tusk pestle, while winnowing the husk with a taro leaf. As custom, the confidante starts by describing the man’s mountain country, and she does this by sketching the trajectory of a missile from a catapult. To explain clearly, in the mountain fields, one night, as thunder and lightning danced about amidst a downpour, a male elephant and its mate seemed to have decided to feast on the millet crops. Hearing their footsteps cease nearby, a mountain guard sitting atop a loft on top of a breadfruit tree, releases a stone from his catapult. The confidante says this stone first scatters the Kino tree flowers, then makes breadfruits plonk down, then pierces a honeycomb, no doubt making the nectar drop and bees buzz, then shakes up the tender mango leaves, tears apart the plantain leaves and finally comes to rest inside a huge and prickly jackfruit. While the hunter has thankfully not hit what he was aiming at, namely those hungry elephants, however, he has demonstrated the lush spread of the mountains, filled with so many trees and their rich produce. The confidante concludes saying such is the beautiful mountain country of the lord.

Now, the lady has three things to wonder about the man’s country, namely how can the cascades flow, how can the clouds surround and how can the mountains shine so blue! She asks so because the man has not been true to his word, has stayed away, and has forsaken her. In each instance, the confidante negates the lady’s assessment of the man, and says, ‘Never! What you say cannot be true, and it would be like a fire burns inside the moon, a blue lotus in the waters bursting into flames and a darkness appearing in the sun, if what you say is to be considered true’. Such is her confidence in the man and his love for the lady. The confidante now reveals such exchanges between them made the man, who was listening nearby, decide to end the lady’s suffering and fulfil the confidante’s trust. So, he had come to seek the lady’s hand in marriage and the lady’s father too, standing under the auspicious shade of their ‘Kino tree’ had said ‘yes’ to the man’s proposal to marry the lady! Yet again, we see how a combination of doubt and trust brings out the best in another. Most of all, what’s unforgettable in this verse is the dynamic depiction of the catapult’s stone taking us on a tour of the mountain country, revealing the radiant flora and sketching the aura of its plenty!