In this episode, we get to know some historical characters, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 15, penned by Maamoolanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’ and portrays a mother’s wish for her daughter’s well-being.

எம் வெங் காமம் இயைவது ஆயின்,
மெய்ம் மலி பெரும் பூண், செம்மற் கோசர்
கொம்மைஅம் பசுங் காய்க் குடுமி விளைந்த
பாகல் ஆர்கைப் பறைக் கட் பீலித்
தோகைக் காவின் துளுநாட்டு அன்ன,
வறுங் கை வம்பலர்த் தாங்கும் பண்பின்
செறிந்த சேரிச் செம்மல் மூதூர்,
அறிந்த மாக்கட்டு ஆகுகதில்ல

தோழிமாரும் யானும் புலம்ப,
சூழி யானைச் சுடர்ப் பூண் நன்னன்
பாழி அன்ன கடியுடை வியல் நகர்ச்
செறிந்த காப்பு இகந்து, அவனொடு போகி,
அத்த இருப்பை ஆர் கழல் புதுப் பூத்
துய்த்த வாய, துகள் நிலம் பரக்க,
கொன்றை அம் சினைக் குழற்பழம் கொழுதி,
வன் கை எண்கின் வய நிரை பரக்கும்
இன் துணைப் படர்ந்த கொள்கையொடு ஒராங்கு
குன்ற வேயின் திரண்ட என்
மென் தோள் அஞ்ஞை சென்ற ஆறே!

Back to the drylands and here, we have a mother expressing her thoughts at the juncture of her daughter’s elopement:

“If my deep desires were to come true, I would ask of only one thing: Akin to the Tulu country, ruled by the Kosars, renowned for their truthful words and rich jewels, having groves, where bunches of rounded bitter-gourd fruits, with little tufts at the ends, are eaten by feathered peacocks with drum-like eyes, let the towns she traverses be respected, ancient places with flourishing communities, comprising of people, who have the noble quality of providing for empty-handed travellers.

Leaving me and her friends to lament, crossing the stern protection of this well-guarded mansion, akin to the town of Pazhi, ruled by King Nannan, renowned for his radiant jewels and adorned elephants, she has left with him to the drylands, where a sleuth of strong-armed bears, after feeding on the beautiful, new flowers of the ‘Mahua’ tree, scatter the dust on the land beneath, and rush to tear tubular fruits upon the beautiful branches of the golden shower tree, running about all around. Such is the path, where my ignorant daughter, with soft arms, akin to clustered mountain bamboos, has left away on, with the principle of following and being together with her sweet companion!”

Time to explore the details in this drylands verse! The mother starts by saying if at all a mother’s wish could come true, all she wished for was one thing, and that was her daughter, should find people who have the noble quality of taking care of wayfarers, who come to their towns with nothing in their hands. She says that such a quality is found in the towns, ruled by the great Kosars, known for their truthfulness and great wealth, and also, describes their Tulu country as a place, where rounded bitter-gourds with little tufts grow. Knowing our regular supermarket bitter gourds to be long and lean, I did a search and found that indeed the wild variety of bitter gourds were exactly as pictured in the lines of this verse! Returning, mother has described the bitter gourds to talk about how peacocks in the Tulu country feed on the same- Just fine details about the land and people, which seems to have gained a noble reputation of charity and compassion in Sangam times!

Why is the mother wishing her daughter so? Is the daughter travelling solo on account of her job? Well, being the Sangam era, such a wish comes from the mother only at the unfortunate event of an elopement by the lady with her man. Mother talks about how her daughter has left her friends and herself to lament, without the lady’s company, and crossed the stern guard of their home. Again, to describe the protection in their mansion, mother refers to the fortified walls of the Paazhi town, ruled by King Nannan. For the final segment, mother takes us to the drylands path, where we see bears feeding on Mahua flowers and tearing apart ‘Kondrai’ fruits, in a metaphor for how the lady has fed on the sweet relationship with the man and has brought distress to mother and her friends. Even so, mother concludes by recognising that her daughter left because she believed in being together with her beloved, fearing her parents would deny her that happiness.

In essence, here’s a hurt mother, who is distressed by the actions of her daughter. Yet all that heart can think of, is that her daughter should find good people in her path! How is it easy for this mother, to wish well for another, when hurt by them? Something to ponder on and aspire for!