In this episode, we perceive a man’s angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 126, penned by Nakeerar. The verse is situated amidst the gushing rivers of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and relates a personal situation to a historic event.

நின் வாய் செத்து நீ பல உள்ளி,
பெரும் புன் பைதலை வருந்தல் அன்றியும்,
மலைமிசைத் தொடுத்த மலிந்து செலல் நீத்தம்
தலை நாள் மா மலர் தண் துறைத் தயங்கக்
கடற்கரை மெலிக்கும் காவிரிப் பேரியாற்று
அறல் வார் நெடுங் கயத்து அரு நிலை கலங்க,
மால் இருள் நடுநாட் போகி, தன் ஐயர்
காலைத் தந்த கணைக் கோட்டு வாளைக்கு,
அவ் வாங்கு உந்தி, அம் சொல், பாண்மகள்,
நெடுங் கொடி நுடங்கும் நறவு மலி மறுகில்
பழஞ் செந் நெல்லின் முகவை கொள்ளாள்,
கழங்கு உறழ் முத்தமொடு நன்கலம் பெறூஉம்
பயம் கெழு வைப்பிற் பல் வேல் எவ்வி
நயம் புரி நன் மொழி அடக்கவும் அடங்கான்,
பொன் இணர் நறு மலர்ப் புன்னை வெஃகி,
திதியனொடு பொருத அன்னி போல
விளிகுவைகொல்லோ, நீயே கிளி எனச்
சிறிய மிழற்றும் செவ் வாய், பெரிய
கயல் என அமர்த்த உண்கண், புயல் எனப்
புறம் தாழ்பு இருளிய பிறங்கு குரல் ஐம்பால்,
மின் நேர் மருங்குல் குறுமகள்
பின்னிலை விடாஅ மடம் கெழு நெஞ்சே?

In this trip to the farmlands, we listen to another side of the story in the usual love quarrel between the man and lady involving a courtesan, as we get to hear these words said by the man to his heart, as the confidante listens nearby:

“O heart, thinking that your thoughts are so true, you have attained not only an immense suffering-filled sorrow; The brimming flood that descends down from the mountains sways, with huge, freshly bloomed flowers, in the cool shores, as the River Kaveri’s huge stream flows, shrinking the seashore. Muddying the precious state of the silt-filled river mouth, in the darkness of midnight, her brothers fished and brought back the thick-crested scabbard fish in the morning. Taking this catch, the bard’s daughter with a curving belly and sweet words, goes to the streets, where tall flags flutter and toddy brims over. Instead of just accepting the barter of heaps of old red paddy, she seeks and obtains fine jewels with pearls as big as molucca beans, in the prosperous expanses of the land, ruled by the many speared Evvi. Without heeding his fine and thoughtful words and standing down, desiring the laurel-wood tree with golden clusters of fragrant flowers, Anni waged war against Thithiyan. O naive and ignorant heart of mine, if you insist on bowing and standing behind that maiden, with a red mouth, akin to that of a parrot that babbles but a few words; well-set, kohl-streaked eyes, akin to a pair of fish; five-part thick tresses that descend darkly down her back, akin to a cloud in the storm; a waist, akin to lightning; then like that Anni, you are sure to lose your life too!”

Time to fish in the flooding rivers and visit the rich streets of the farmland towns! The man starts by addressing his heart saying it seemed to be torturing itself with so many thoughts and believing in the truth of it all. He remarks how it seemed to be in a state of much suffering. However that was not the only thing to be worried about, the man hints. Instead of saying what else, the man goes on to talk about the prosperous land of a king named Evvi, mentioning how the River Kaveri brings a flood of freshly bloomed flowers and how fishermen gather bountiful fish from the river mouth, and take their catch home. Apparently, the task of selling this fish fell on the women of the household, and in this case, the fishermen’s sister takes it to the marketplace. There, instead of simply accepting the offered paddy in exchange for the fish, the shrewd businesswoman she is, the girl bargains for fine jewels studded with pearls as big as Molucca beans and gets it too. This is mentioned to remark on the prosperity and plenty of Evvi’s country. The man has mentioned King Evvi only to say that another ruler named Anni failed to heed the words of this good king, and instead, he went charging against a king named Thithiyan, and chopped down Thithiyan’s sacred ‘Punnai’ tree. These historic facts we have already seen in Natrinai 180 and Aganaanooru 45! What happened after this incident is revealed in the next few words of the man, when he turns to his heart and says, ‘Just the way Anni died after this incident in the hands of Thithiyan, you too will die if you continue to keep begging before that young and beautiful maiden’, implying that he was heartbroken at the constant refusal of his lady, to accept him back.

These words are meant to nudge the confidante into obtaining the lady’s forgiveness for the man and her acceptance to take him back into the home. Like a river that starts in the mountains, meanders through the plains and reaches the ocean, the verse too starts with a sharp downward fall of the man’s state of mind, then swirls through the landscape of ancient rivalry between kings, and reaches the destination of bringing about a change in another’s heart. Historic moments and the heart’s beats dance a duet to the rhythm of repentance in this one!