In this episode, we perceive the consequences of impending events, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 98, penned by Veri Paadiya Kaamakkanniyaar. Set in the domain of the spirits, the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’, the verse portrays a subtle but striking technique of persuasion.

பனி வரை நிவந்த பயம் கெழு கவாஅன்,
துனி இல் கொள்கையொடு அவர் நமக்கு உவந்த
இனிய உள்ளம் இன்னாஆக,
முனிதக நிறுத்த நல்கல் எவ்வம்
சூர் உறை வெற்பன் மார்பு உறத் தணிதல்
அறிந்தனள் அல்லள், அன்னை; வார்கோல்
செறிந்து இலங்கு எல் வளை நெகிழ்ந்தமை நோக்கி,
கையறு நெஞ்சினள் வினவலின், முதுவாய்ப்
பொய் வல் பெண்டிர் பிரப்பு உளர்பு இரீஇ,
”முருகன் ஆர் அணங்கு” என்றலின், அது செத்து,
“ஓவத்தன்ன வினை புனை நல் இல்,
பாவை அன்ன பலர் ஆய் மாண் கவின்
பண்டையின் சிறக்க, என் மகட்கு” எனப் பரைஇ

கூடு கொள் இன் இயம் கறங்க, களன் இழைத்து,
ஆடு அணி அயர்ந்த அகன் பெரும் பந்தர்,
வெண் போழ் கடம்பொடு சூடி, இன் சீர்
ஐது அமை பாணி இரீஇ, கைபெயரா,
செல்வன் பெரும் பெயர் ஏத்தி, வேலன்
வெறி அயர் வியன் களம் பொற்ப, வல்லோன்
பொறி அமை பாவையின் தூங்கல் வேண்டின்,
என் ஆம்கொல்லோ? தோழி! மயங்கிய
மையற் பெண்டிர்க்கு நொவ்வல் ஆக
ஆடிய பின்னும், வாடிய மேனி
பண்டையின் சிறவாதுஆயின், இம் மறை
அலர் ஆகாமையோ அரிதே, அஃதான்று,
அறிவர் உறுவிய அல்லல் கண்டருளி,
வெறி கமழ் நெடு வேள் நல்குவனெனினே,
”செறிதொடி உற்ற செல்லலும் பிறிது” எனக்
கான் கெழு நாடன் கேட்பின்,
யான் உயிர்வாழ்தல் அதனினும் அரிதே.

Our trip to the mountains takes us on a spiritual tour, and here, we see the lady expressing these words to the confidante, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:

“In the cool and fertile hill spaces, with an irreproachable principle, he had rendered his heart sweetly to me. When his graces were absent for a while, hateful suffering takes form in me. This shall recede only when I embrace the chest of the lord of the mountains, where divine spirits reside. Knowing not this truth, mother looks at the neat rows of radiant bangles, slipping away from my arms, and with helplessness, asks around for advice. In response, those old women, skilled at lying, spread various kinds of rice, and divine saying, ‘It’s the handiwork of Murugan and he has taken possession of her’. Believing that as the truth, mother prays that, ‘In this well-decorated, fine mansion, akin to a painting, my daughter, who is akin to a doll, whose beauty has been analysed and praised by many, should regain her old, thriving state!’

As various musical instruments resound in synchrony, setting up a stage, under a wide tent, decorated for a dance, wearing white palm flowers along with burflowers, singing in a melodious, rhythmic tune, raising his hands, praising the lord’s name greatly, beautifying the arena, per mother’s request, if Velan were to sway and dance, akin to a doll in the hands of an expert puppeteer, and perform the ‘Veri’ ritual, what is to become of me, my friend?

Causing anguish to those confused women, even after the dance, if my faded form does not regain its old splendour, it’s unlikely that my secret relationship won’t turn into an object of slander. On the other hand, if the great one with a tall spear, God Murugan, wafting with the fragrance of ‘Veri’ rituals, were to be moved, seeing the suffering induced by my wise man, and were to render my old beauty with grace, my lord of the forest-filled mountains would say, ‘The reason for the pain in the lady wearing neat rows of bangles seems to be something else, not me’. Hearing such words, it’s even more unlikely for me to go on living!”

Let’s take in the rituals of these mountain folk and try to read the lady’s heart! She starts by talking about how the man has been trysting with her and rendering his graces. At times, when he is unable to come to her as planned, a deep suffering spreads in her, the lady explains. She adds that the only way that suffering can vanish was if she embraced her man’s chest. Without knowing this side of the story, the lady’s mother becomes worried, as she glances at her girl’s thinning arms, from which bangles are dropping down. Like most mothers, she asks around for advice, and the wise old fortune-tellers in her village spread rice and do their divining. At the end of their process, they conclude that God Murugan has taken possession of the girl and that he must be appeased. Now, mother thinks somehow she has to help her daughter regain her excellent beauty. 

After stating the scenario as it is, the lady launches into the hypothetical next steps, which would be the performance of the Veri ritual by the Priest Velan, who would wear palm sprouts and burflowers and dance away on a stage spread with sand, under a tent, singing loudly the praises of God Murugan, accompanied by musical instruments. The lady wonders what would be her fate if this were to happen? Why should she worry?, we may ask. She explains by stating two possible outcomes for such an event. One, even after the Veri dance ritual, the lady’s beauty does not return, much to the distress of those divining women. In that case, the lady’s relationship with the man would come out in the open and slander would spread like wildfire across the village. In Outcome Two, maybe the great God Murugan would take pity on the lady’s suffering and indeed give back her beauty. Now, if that were to happen, the lord who loves the lady would say, ‘Here I was thinking her pain and anguish was on account of being apart from me. But looks like someone else is the cause!’ The lady concludes that if at all she were to hear such a word from her man, she can no longer continue to live! 

In a nutshell, it’s a double bind! One outcome would cause slander to spread and the in the worse alternative, the lady’s chastity and devotion to her man would be in doubt. The lady implies to the listening man that the only way to unravel this knot was not to keep trysting but give that up and take steps towards a permanent union. Indeed, it’s a simple ‘Marry me, marry me’ theme but the highlight is the way logic and rationality is seamlessly woven into these lines of musical verse!