In this episode, we listen to a man’s attempt to convince a maiden, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 59, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and informs us about certain customs of penances undertaken by Sangam women.

தளை நெகிழ் பிணி நிவந்த பாசடைத் தாமரை
முளை நிமிர்ந்தவை போலும் முத்துக் கோல் அவிர் தொடி,
அடுக்கம் நாறும் அலர் காந்தள் நுண் ஏர் தண் ஏர் உருவின்
துடுப்பு எனப் புரையும் நின் திரண்ட நேர் அரி முன்கை,
சுடர் விரி வினை வாய்ந்த தூதையும் பாவையும்
விளையாட, அரி பெய்த அழகு அமை புனை வினை
ஆய் சிலம்பு எழுந்து ஆர்ப்ப, அம் சில இயலும் நின்
பின்னு விட்டு இருளிய ஐம்பால் கண்டு, என் பால
என்னை விட்டு இகத்தர, இறந்தீவாய்! கேள், இனி:

மருளி, யான் மருள் உற, ‘ “இவன் உற்றது எவன்?” என்னும்
அருள் இலை இவட்கு’ என அயலார் நிற் பழிக்குங்கால்,
வை எயிற்றவர் நாப்பண், வகை அணிப் பொலிந்து, நீ
தையில் நீர் ஆடிய தவம் தலைப்படுவாயோ?

உருளிழாய்! ‘ “ஒளி வாட, இவன் உள் நோய் யாது?” என்னும்
அருள் இலை இவட்கு’ என அயலார் நிற் பழிக்குங்கால்,
பொய்தல மகளையாய், பிறர் மனைப் பாடி, நீ
எய்திய பலர்க்கு ஈத்த பயம் பயக்கிற்பதோ?

ஆய்தொடி! ‘ “ஐது உயிர்த்து, இவன் உள் நோய் யாது?” என்னும்
நோய் இலை இவட்கு’ என நொதுமலர் பழிக்குங்கால்,
சிறு முத்தனைப் பேணி, சிறு சோறு மடுத்து, நீ
நறு நுதலவரொடு நக்கது நன்கு இயைவதோ?

என ஆங்கு,
அனையவை உளையவும், யான் நினக்கு உரைத்ததை
இனைய நீ செய்தது உதவாயாயின், சேயிழாய்!
செய்ததன் பயம் பற்று விடாது;
நயம் பற்று விடின் இல்லை நசைஇயோர் திறத்தே.

The man is still crying his heart out! The words can be translated as follows:

“Akin to a lotus bud, rising above its green leaves, relaxing its tight fold and blossoming above, are the pearl-studded, golden bangles on your hands that appear in the delicate form of moist flame-lilies that spread fragrance in the mountains; Akin to oars are your thick, perfect and straight forearms; Upon these arms, you carry bright and wide, well-carved pots and dolls, so as to play with them, and making your exquisite, well-etched anklets resound, you walk gently before me. As I see your dark, five-layered tresses swaying behind when you walk past, my sense and skill slips away from me! Listen to me now:

When strangers shower blame upon you saying, ‘She doesn’t have the grace to enquire with concern about what has happened to that man, who seems bewildered’, would there be any use in the penance you do by bathing in the cool waters in the month of ‘Thai’, in the company of many maiden with beautiful, sharp teeth, glowing with an assortment of jewels?

When strangers shower blame upon you saying, ‘She doesn’t have the grace to enquire about what could be the affliction in this man, which makes his radiance fade’, O maiden wearing a circular head ornament, would there be any benefit in your act of rendering to many others, by playing the role of a woman begging and singing in the mansions of others?

When strangers shower blame upon you saying, ‘She doesn’t have the grace to enquire about what could be the affliction in this man, which makes him sigh with so much distress’, O maiden wearing exquisite bangles, would there be any good that would come in your laughing, playful actions of protecting and caring for a small doll and pretending to feed food to it, along with maiden having fragrant foreheads?

And so, even after I have spoken all these words out of the angst in my heart, you still do not render your grace to me, O maiden wearing well-etched ornaments. Such an act will not be without consequence, for if you are without kindness, such penances of yours will bear no benefit to those whom you love.”

Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of the man’s love relationship with his lady, prior to marriage, and speaks in the voice of the man to the lady. The man starts as usual talking about the lady’s beauty and adornments, remarking on her pearl-studded bangles, her flame-lily-like fingers and her oar-like forearms. A moment to reflect how a man is described in terms of the country he rules over, whereas a woman is described in terms of her beauty. This hints of a patriarchal order in that culture. Returning, the man remarks about certain pots and dolls the lady seems to be carrying, the significance of which, we will see in a short while. He speaks of how his intellect seems to melt away seeing her walk past him, and beckons her to listen to his words.

The man proceeds in the familiar three-step format to remark how the world would blame and caste aspersions on the lady for not being concerned about the man’s confusion, about the affliction in him, which makes him lose his joy and makes him sigh with pain. If they do that, what will be the use of the rituals of penance the lady undertakes in the Tamil month of ‘Thai’, the contemporary period between Jan 15th and Feb 15th, the time when she bathes in the cool river waters along with many other maiden, when she plays the role of a woman singing at the house of others and renders the charity she gained to the needy, and then does rituals with a doll, tending to it and feeding it, along with other maiden.

All these activities remind one of contemporary religious practices followed by certain groups of women in the Tamil month of ‘Margazhi’, which falls between December 15 and Jan 15, when these women sing at temples and offer penances. Though there are differences, the core remains that it’s women undertaking this penance for the welfare of the people they love. This is what the man concludes with saying, if the lady does not heed to him and she continues snub his advances, this would lead to people’s blame and ire, which in turn, would result in those penances she does having no effect on the welfare of those she loves. Yet again, the man says to the lady, ‘You must reciprocate my love’, but in this version we get to learn of certain cultural practices followed by women in the Sangam era for the well-being of their future spouses, a custom that seems to have an echo in other cultural traditions, arising in this region!