In this episode, we perceive the ancient Tamil custom of taming a bull, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 101, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and conveys the connection of this ancient custom to the lady’s life.

தளி பெறு தண் புலத்துத் தலைப் பெயற்கு அரும்பு ஈன்று,
முளி முதல் பொதுளிய, முட் புறப் பிடவமும்;
களி பட்டான் நிலையே போல் தடவுபு துடுப்பு ஈன்று,
ஞெலிபு உடன் நிரைத்த ஞெகிழ் இதழ்க் கோடலும்;
மணி புரை உருவின காயாவும்; பிறவும்;
அணி கொள மலைந்த கண்ணியர் தொகுபு உடன்,
மாறு எதிர்கொண்ட தம் மைந்துடன் நிறுமார்
சீறு அரு முன்பினோன் கணிச்சி போல் கோடு சீஇ,
ஏறு தொழூஉப் புகுத்தனர், இயைபுடன் ஒருங்கு

அவ் வழி, முழக்கு என, இடி என, முன் சமத்து ஆர்ப்ப
வழக்கு மாறு கொண்டு, வருபு வருபு ஈண்டி
நறையொடு துகள் எழ நல்லவர் அணி நிற்ப,
துறையும் ஆலமும் தொல் வலி மராஅமும்
முறையுளி பராஅய், பாய்ந்தனர், தொழூஉ

மேற் பாட்டு உலண்டின் நிறன் ஒக்கும் புன் குருக் கண்
நோக்கு அஞ்சான் பாய்ந்த பொதுவனைச் சாக் குத்தி,
கோட்டிடைக் கொண்டு, குலைப்பதன் தோற்றம் காண்
அம் சீர் அசைஇயல் கூந்தற் கை நீட்டியான்
நெஞ்சம் பிளந்து இட்டு, நேரார் நடுவண், தன்
வஞ்சினம் வாய்த்தானும் போன்ம்

சுடர் விரிந்தன்ன சுரி நெற்றிக் காரி
விடரி அம் கண்ணிப் பொதுவனைச் சாடி,
குடர் சொரியக் குத்தி, குலைப்பதன் தோற்றம் காண்
படர் அணி அந்தி, பசுங் கட் கடவுள்
இடரிய ஏற்று எருமை நெஞ்சு இடந்து இட்டு,
குடர் கூளிக்கு ஆர்த்துவான் போன்ம்

செவி மறை நேர் மின்னும் நுண் பொறி வெள்ளைக்
கதன் அஞ்சான் பாய்ந்த பொதுவனைச் சாடி,
நுதி நுனைக் கோட்டால் குலைப்பதன் தோற்றம் காண்
ஆர் இருள் என்னான் அருங் கங்குல் வந்து, தன்
தாளின் கடந்து அட்டு, தந்தையைக் கொன்றானைத்
தோளின் திருகுவான் போன்ம்

என ஆங்கு
அணி மாலைக் கேள்வற் தரூஉமார், ஆயர்
மணி மாலை ஊதும் குழல்

(தலைவனிடம்)
கடாஅக் களிற்றினும் கண்ணஞ்சா ஏற்றை
விடாஅது நீ கொள்குவை, ஆயின்; படாஅகை
ஈன்றன, ஆய மகள் தோள்

(தலைவியிடம்)
பகலிடக் கண்ணியன், பைதற் குழலன்,
சுவல்மிசைக் கோல் அசைத்த கையன், அயலது
கொல் ஏறு சாட இருந்தார்க்கு, எம் பல் இருங்
கூந்தல் அணை கொடுப்பேம் யாம்

‘கோளாளர் என் ஒப்பார் இல்’ என நம் ஆனுள்,
தாளாண்மை கூறும் பொதுவன் நமக்கு, ஒரு நாள்,
கேளாளன் ஆகாமை இல்லை; அவற் கண்டு
வேளாண்மை செய்தன கண்

ஆங்கு, ஏறும் வருந்தின; ஆயரும் புண் கூர்ந்தார்;
நாறு இருங் கூந்தற் பொதுமகளிர் எல்லாரும்
முல்லைஅம் தண் பொழில் புக்கார், பொதுவரோடு,
எல்லாம் புணர் குறிக் கொண்டு.

The first step into this new domain of the forest gives us immense insights about the culture there. The words can be translated as follows:

“After the first shower upon the fertile, moist land graced by the rains, new buds burst forth on the previously dried-up stems of the thorny wild jasmine; Akin to the state of a drunken person, sways the oar-like buds, which bloom into wide petals, akin to rows of fire, in the flame-lily; Akin to sapphires, bloom the ironwood flowers; With these blooms and many others, exquisite garlands are woven and worn on the head by men, preparing themselves for the fight to proclaim their strength. Akin to the axe of the Furious First One are the sharps horns on the bulls, let out together in the arena.

Resounding like drums, like thunder, one after the other, accepting the challenge of the competition, young men arrived there. On one side, with fragrant dust on their heads spilling over, stood beautiful maiden. After worshipping the shore, the banyan and the ancient, strong burflower tree, as per tradition, the men leaped into the field.

Fearing not the piercing eyes of a bull with sharp horns, in the hue of a silk worm, pounced a young man. See the scene of how the bull kills and mutilates him with its horns! It’s akin to how amidst the enemies assembled, the one avenged his mad rage by tearing apart the chest of the other, who had touched the beautiful, swaying tresses of his beloved!

With a mark, akin to a flame spreading its rays, on its forehead, is a black-hued bull. See how it gores the young man wearing a mountain flower garland, and stabs him, ripping out his guts and ruins him entire! It’s akin to how, at the end of time, the God with green eyes, would split the chest of the One, riding the buffalo, and throw out his intestines for the spirits to feast upon!

Fearing not the fury of the white bull with intricate, shining spots behind its ears, pounced a young man. See the scene of how the bull mangles him with the sharp tip of its horn! It’s akin to how not minding the pitch darkness, arriving in the middle of the night, the one who, with his mighty strength, attacked the other, who had killed his father, and twisted the other’s head out of his neck!

Even so, the note of the flute that rings aloud in this sapphire-evening rises as a good omen to render the beloved, adorned with a beautiful garland.

(To the man)
If you can hold on to that bull with fearless eyes, more furious than a rutting elephant, that will yield you the fluttering flag of victory, the arms of the herder’s daughter!

(To the lady)
‘O men with a head garland of morning flowers, men with a sweet flute, men who sway with a rod on the shoulders, we shall marry our girl with thick dark tresses only to the one who tames our killer bull!’ announce our kin!

Saying, ’There is no herder equal to me to tame you’ to our bull, there is your beloved man, who declares his strength. He is sure to become your husband one day, for seeing him, your eyes have spoken their love!

And now, the bulls are tired and the herders are filled with wounds. All the women with fragrant dark tresses have retired to the cool and moist groves, brimming with wild jasmines, along with their herders, paying heed to their signals to come together!”

Let’s explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the context of bull taming in a herders community, who predominate this landscape, and the words are said by the lady’s confidante, both to the man and the lady. The confidante starts with a fragrant discussion of the flowers that bloom in this land, presenting to us the thorny wild jasmine, the fire-like flame lily, and the sapphire-hued ironwood flowers. She connects saying how the herders take these and many other flowers and weave them into a head garland. Apparently, this gentle and aesthetic action is the first step before a fight about to unfold. Who are they fighting? As their opponents, stand bulls with horns said be as sharp as the axe of God Siva, who is referred to here, not with this name, but as the ‘First One’, known for his fury. We witnessed the sensory element of scent with those fragrant flowers. Now, sound is sketched for us, in the tone of drums and thunder and so appear the young men ready to fight with the bulls, says the confidante. Don’t we need a rapt audience for this important fight? Sure enough, young maiden stand on one side, wafting with the fragrance of sandalwood on their heads. The confidante tells us how these young men worship not any Gods, but the elements of land like the river shore and elements of nature like the banyan tree and the burflower tree. My respect for these ancient ancestors soared a little with this note!

Returning, it’s time for some gore and horror, decides the confidante! She goes on to talk about how one ash-hued bull is stabbing a young man, another black bull is pulling out the intestines of another, and how a white bull is mangling up a man with its horns. In graphic detail, the confidante etches the scene and to add to the effect, she connects each of these scenes to mythological events that modern interpreters see it as pointing to the actions of Bhima in the Mahabharata, avenging the insult to his wife Draupadi, the prophecy of how God Siva would kill the God of Death himself at the end of time, and finally, the story of Ashwathama avenging his father’s death. We have no proof whether these references are to these myths or other stories told in the past of these Sangam people. But the core idea is to show how the scenes are filled with terror, with the bulls taking the upper hand.

After relaying so much bad news, the confidante shifts track and declares there’s the sound of the flute that’s heard and that is a good omen for the lady to unite with her beloved. Then, she turns to the man and encourages him to hold on to the bull till the end so that he can win the lady. To the lady, she talks about how the lady’s kin had announced that they would give their daughter only to the man who would tame their bull. She tells the lady that the man is sure to declare to the bull that there’s no one else who can tame it, and will one day, become her man, for today, the lady’s eyes were speaking so much love to him. The confidante concludes by detailing the end of the fight when the bulls are tired and the herders are hurt, and their plan to heal their wounds is to meet up with their beloved maiden in the groves around, and the women, understanding the intent of these men, to tryst are seen moving thither. The lady too is being nudged by the confidante to meet with her beloved in the trysting spot through this final reference!

A verse which etches the scenes of this ancient custom, which the Tamils uphold to this day. Though I have used the term ‘Bull taming’, the actual translation of the Tamil word ‘Eru thazhuval’ means ‘Embracing a bull’. It’s fascinating that those ancient herders said to the young men then, ‘You need to embrace the bull before you can embrace our girl’, in that meaningful metaphor for a marriage, which soars above all its challenges with strength, patience and perseverance!