In this episode, we hear the praises of the man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 43, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and reveals the effect of singing about the man on the lady.

தோழி வள்ளைப் பாட்டுப் பாடத் தலைவியை அழைத்தல்
வேங்கை தொலைத்த வெறி பொறி வாரணத்து
ஏந்து மருப்பின், இன வண்டு இமிர்பு ஊதும்
சாந்த மரத்தின் இயன்ற உலக்கையால்,
ஐவன வெண் நெல் அறை உரலுள் பெய்து, இருவாம்,
ஐயனை ஏத்துவாம் போல, அணிபெற்ற
மை படு சென்னிப் பய மலை நாடனை,
தையலாய்! பாடுவாம், நாம்

தோழியின் பாடல்
தகையவர் கைச் செறித்த தாள்போல, காந்தள்
முகையின்மேல் தும்பி இருக்கும் பகை எனின்,
கூற்றம் வரினும் தொலையான், தன் நட்டார்க்குத்
தோற்றலை நாணாதோன் குன்று

தலைவியைப் பாடுமாறு தோழி வேண்டுதல்
வெருள்பு உடன் நோக்கி, வியல் அறை யூகம்,
இருள் தூங்கு இறு வரை ஊர்பு இழிபு ஆடும்
வருடைமான் குழவிய வள மலை நாடனைத்
தெருள தெரியிழாய்! நீ ஒன்று பாடித்தை

தலைவி
நுண் பொறி மான் செவி போல, வெதிர் முளைக்
கண் பொதி பாளை கழன்று உகும் பண்பிற்றே
மாறு கொண்டு ஆற்றார்எனினும், பிறர் குற்றம்
கூறுதல் தேற்றாதோன் குன்று

தோழி
புணர் நிலை வளகின் குளகு அமர்ந்து உண்ட
புணர் மருப்பு எழில் கொண்ட வரை புரை செலவின்
வயங்கு எழில் யானைப் பய மலை நாடனை
மணம் நாறு கதுப்பினாய்! மறுத்து ஒன்று பாடித்தை

தலைவி
கடுங் கண் உழுவை அடி போல வாழைக்
கொடுங் காய் குலைதொறூஉம் தூங்கும் இடும்பையால்
இன்மை உரைத்தார்க்கு அது நிறைக்கல் ஆற்றாக்கால்,
தன் மெய் துறப்பான் மலை

தோழி
என ஆங்கு
கூடி அவர் திறம் பாட, என் தோழிக்கு
வாடிய மென் தோளும் வீங்கின
ஆடு அமை வெற்பன் அளித்தக்கால் போன்றே.

Yet another verse featuring these two maiden and their songs. The words can be translated as follows:

“Confidante’s request to the lady:

Taking the tusk of a wild, spotted elephant that has killed a tiger and the wood of the bee-buzzing sandalwood tree as pestles, let’s pour the wild white rice into the bowl of the mortar and pound it, and singing as if we are praising our god, let’s praise the man from the fearsome mountains, whose peaks are surround by beautiful black clouds, O young maiden!

Confidante’s song:

Like the rings on the fingers of esteemed women, upon the buds of flame-lilies, bees lie in wait in the peak of the one, who will never be defeated even if Death attacks as his enemy, but one, who never feels shame for losing out to those he loves.

Confidante’s request asking the lady to sing:

Gazing with startled eyes at the black monkeys on wide boulders, kids of mountain goats leap down into the dark clefts of the mountain ranges in the fertile country of the lord, O maiden, wearing well-etched ornaments! Please sing something to sketch him vividly!

Lady:

Akin to the spotted ears of a deer, are the sheaths that cover the nodes of the bamboo, which shed away in the peak of the one, who never speaks ill even of those, who are his enemies, who cannot withstand his attack!

Confidante:

After feeding upon the leaves of the plum with desire, as if a beautiful hill was marching on with tusks, the handsome elephant roves in the formidable mountains of the lord, O maiden having fragrant tresses! Please sing again about him.

Lady:

Akin to the foot of a harsh-eyed tiger, the curving fruits of the plantain hang in huge clusters in the mountain of the one, who would give up his life, if he is unable to fulfil the needs of those, who express the lack in their lives, owing to suffering.

Confidante’s recollection:

And so, as we sang together of his strengths, the faded soft arms of my friend regained their health, as if the man from the mountain with swaying bamboos, had truly rendered his grace!”

Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady prior to marriage. These words contain exchanges between the lady and the man and concludes as thoughts expressed by the confidante to herself, as the man listens nearby.

The confidante starts as custom describing the pestles they are going to use. She mentions both the tusk of a killer elephant and the wood from a sandalwood tree as the pestle. These could be separate items or a fusion of these two into a single pestle. Next, we see them pouring the wild rice into the mortar so as to start pounding on it. As they do, the confidante says they should sing about the man from the mountain country, hidden in a song about their God, whom interpreters mention as ‘God Muruku’.

The confidante starts by talking about how bees resting on flame lilies seem like rings on the fingers of maiden and also, about a startled tahr, running away in the mountain clefts frightened by the sight of black monkeys on rocks. Then, to describe the qualities of the god and the man, she says the man would never see defeat even if it’s Death confronting him as the enemy while at the same time, the man would never feel shame for owning his defeat to those he loves. Then the confidante invites the lady to sing something, and the lady responds by equating the ears of spotted deer and the sheaths on bamboos that fall away in the man’s country, and to talk about his nature, she details how the man does not know to speak ill of anyone, even if they are his enemies, who are vanquished by him. The confidante then mentions a detail about an elephant walking majestically as if a hill had sprouted tusks and is marching on, in the mountains of the man, and she begs the lady to sing one more thing. The lady accepts her friend’s request and connects the foot of a tiger and the curving fruits of a plantain and etches the generosity of the man, who would want to end his life, if at all he’s unable to fulfil the needs of those who express their poverty to him. And now, the confidante concludes, recollecting this song of theirs, knowing that the man is listening nearby, by declaring how singing about the man’s country and his qualities helped the lady regain her health, as if the man had returned and endowed his graces.

The idea behind the confidante’s words is to tell the man about the lady’s state of worry regarding the delay in her marriage with the man and at the same time, convey the love she has for the man that made her bear through the time of his absence. A subtle takeaway from this verse is the health and happiness that are endowed on one by the mere act of thinking positive thoughts!