In this episode, we listen to a lady’s anguished voice, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 113, penned by Kallaadanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse pens detailed portraits of some historical characters in the Sangam era.

நன்று அல் காலையும் நட்பின் கோடார்,
சென்று வழிப்படூஉம் திரிபு இல் சூழ்ச்சியின்,
புன் தலை மடப் பிடி அகவுநர் பெருமகன்
அமர் வீசு வண் மகிழ் அஃதை போற்றி,
காப்புக் கைந்நிறுத்த பல் வேல் கோசர்
இளங் கள் கமழும் நெய்தல்அம் செறுவின்
வளம் கெழு நல் நாடு அன்ன என் தோள் மணந்து,
அழுங்கல் மூதூர் அலர் எடுத்து அரற்ற,
நல்காது துறந்த காதலர், ”என்றும்
கல் பொரூஉ மெலியாப் பரட்டின் நோன் அடி
அகல்சூல் அம் சுரைப் பெய்த வல்சியர்
இகந்தனர்ஆயினும், இடம் பார்த்துப் பகைவர்
ஓம்பினர் உறையும் கூழ் கெழு குறும்பில்
குவை இமில் விடைய வேற்று ஆ ஒய்யும்
கனை இருஞ் சுருணைக் கனி காழ் நெடு வேல்
விழவு அயர்ந்தன்ன கொழும் பல் திற்றி
எழாஅப் பாணன் நல் நாட்டு உம்பர்,
நெறி செல் வம்பலர்க் கொன்ற தெவ்வர்
எறிபடை கழீஇய சேயரிச் சில் நீர்
அறுதுறை அயிர் மணற் படுகரைப் போகி,
சேயர்” என்றலின், சிறுமை உற்ற என்
கையறு நெஞ்சத்து எவ்வம் நீங்க,
அழாஅம் உறைதலும் உரியம் பராரை
அலங்கல் அம் சினைக் குடம்பை புல்லெனப்
புலம் பெயர் மருங்கில் புள் எழுந்தாங்கு,
மெய் இவண் ஒழியப் போகி, அவர்
செய்வினை மருங்கில் செலீஇயர், என் உயிரே!

A long trip to the drylands, where we are mostly meeting with royal delegates from those times, and we get to hear the lady say these words to her confidante, as the man, who went in search of wealth, remains parted away:

“With an unswerving principle of never swaying from the path of friendship, even when times are not good, the Kosars, with their many speared army, supported and stabilised the rule of the great lord Akthai, who renders naive female elephants, with delicate hair, to those who come seeking to him with much joy, even in the battlefield. Akin to the Kosars’ town of ‘NeythalamCheru’, fragrant with the scent of fresh toddy, in their fine and fertile country, are my arms. After embracing that, making this uproarious, ancient town spread slander, without rendering his graces, my lover has parted away.

Pannan, the one who never retreats from his mission, the one who never tires of treading on pebble-filled paths, and walks on with strong feet, resounding musically, the one who carries abundant food in bamboo bowls and delights in fleshy meat, akin to those served in festivities, wielding his well-oiled iron rod with a heavy, dark ring, would seize humped bulls and other cattle, in well-guarded forts with lots of food, belonging to his enemies, locating the same, even if they are far away.

Beyond the extent of Pannan’s fine country, is a shore, forsaken by people, with fine sand and scanty water, which is reddened, because robbers who killed wayfarers, had washed their weapons there. They say he has travelled far beyond this place. Hearing this, wounded lies my helpless heart. To end its suffering, akin to how leaving its nest upon a beautiful, swaying branch of a rough-trunked tree, a bird soars to migrate afar, leaving my body here, my life should depart to the place, where he is at work! If it does, then I may be able to endure this state without tears!”

Time to walk along in those barren spaces and learn more! The lady starts by talking about a king called Akthai, renowned for his generosity to bards, even in the midst of a battle, and how a clan called ‘Kosars’ protected this king, with an unswerving steadiness. She has mentioned these details only to place her own arms in parallel to the prosperous town of these Kosars, fragrant with the scent of toddy, known by the name of ‘NeythalamCheru’. After this very modest comparison by Sangam standards, the lady goes on to talk about another character called Pannan, about how he never tires from walking on pebble filled paths, how he loves to feast on fatty flesh, and how he always locates the forts of his enemies and manages to capture their cattle. Now, these details are mentioned to say that beyond the country of Pannan, there’s an abandoned river shore with very little water, that too reddened by the robbers washing their weapons, which had done their killing work on wayfarers. People have told her that it’s this dangerous path that the man, who loved embracing those beautiful arms of hers, but deserted her, leaving her a prey for the slanderous town, is now treading, the lady connects. She declares the only way to bear this suffering would be if her life were to leave her body and soar to where the man was, much like a bird leaving its nest, when it is time to migrate elsewhere! The lady concludes by saying that only in that case, she could remain without crying, conveying to us that the whole thought is a reply to the confidante’s words of consolation. 

Here’s an outlet for pain, which should no doubt bring a sense of calm in the lady. The question I have in this verse is about what determines a poet’s choice of a place or a historical character? Say, in this instance, would the poet be singing this verse in the presence of Akuthai or the Kosars or Pannan or none of the above? Was it a way of recording history through the sketch of these ancient personalities? Whatever be the answer, the verse does take us to a different place and time, and introduces us to certain personalities and their traits, telling us what aspects defined a person in that era!