In this episode, we listen to words of resolve, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 149, penned by Erukkaattoor Thaayankannanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse showers the spotlight on prominent Sangam-era cities and the extent of their wealth.

சிறு புன் சிதலை சேண் முயன்று எடுத்த
நெடுஞ் செம் புற்றத்து ஒடுங்கு இரை முனையின்,
புல் அரை இருப்பைத் தொள்ளை வான் பூப்
பெருங் கை எண்கின் இருங் கிளை கவரும்
அத்த நீள் இடைப் போகி, நன்றும்
அரிது செய் விழுப் பொருள் எளிதினின் பெறினும்
வாரேன் வாழி, என் நெஞ்சே! சேரலர்
சுள்ளிஅம் பேரியாற்று வெண் நுரை கலங்க,
யவனர் தந்த வினை மாண் நன் கலம்
பொன்னொடு வந்து கறியொடு பெயரும்
வளம் கெழு முசிறி ஆர்ப்பு எழ வளைஇ,
அருஞ் சமம் கடந்து, படிமம் வவ்விய
நெடு நல் யானை அடுபோர்ச் செழியன்
கொடி நுடங்கு மறுகின் கூடற் குடாஅது,
பல் பொறி மஞ்ஞை வெல் கொடி உயரிய,
ஒடியா விழவின், நெடியோன் குன்றத்து,
வண்டு பட நீடிய குண்டு சுனை நீலத்து
எதிர் மலர்ப் பிணையல் அன்ன இவள்
அரி மதர் மழைக் கண் தெண் பனி கொளவே.

A small foray into the drylands unfolds along with other fascinating voyages, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, at a moment when it’s pressing him to part with the lady and go seek wealth:

“Tiring of the comb mud, within the tall, red mound, raised with much effort by little, dull-hued termites, a bear with huge arms goes in search of the rough-trunked Mahua tree and steals its hollow, white flowers in the drylands. Traversing the winding paths herein, even if I were to attain the hard-to-get, good wealth with ease, I shan’t come with you, my heart! May you live long! 

Muddling the white-foamed, beautiful river called ‘Sulli Periyaaru’ in the domain of the Cheras, fine and well-etched boats of foreigners, arrive with gold and leave with pepper from the prosperous town of Musiri. Surrounding this town, creating a great uproar, waging war, the battle-worthy Chezhiyan, with a tall, fine elephant, captured the golden emblem of the city. His flag flutters high in the streets of his capital Koodal, and to the west of this city, up above, flutters a flag with a victorious mark of a many-specked peacock.  In that peak of the Great One, filled with unceasing festivity, bees buzz around blue lotuses, blooming in the deep and wide springs herein. Akin to a garland woven with two blue lotuses from this place are her exquisite, rain-like eyes and leaving these to brim over with clear tears, I surely shan’t part away with you, O heart!”

Let’s trace the path through this dreary domain, as seen by the man’s vision. He starts by talking about the drylands region, by bringing before our eyes, the familiar sight of a bear digging up termite comb and after having its fill, feeling discontent with it, and then venturing in the direction of the Mahua trees, to feast on its white flowers. The man says even if the wealth, which is sought out by traversing such harsh paths, something so impossible to obtain, were to be easily attainable by him, he has no thought of leaving, as nudged by his heart. Then, suddenly he leaves the drylands and transports us to a brimming river in the domain of the Cheras, to see how the waves are pushed right and left by well-etched ships arriving from foreign nations. The word used to describe these foreigners is ‘Yavanar’ and it could be a reference to the ‘Ionian Greeks’ or it could be a term for all foreign traders, be it from Rome or Egypt! 

Pointing to these ships, the man informs us that these bring great quantities of gold and leave with a barter of what they considered ‘Black Gold’ – Pepper, which grew bountifully in the mountains of this region. Many a historian has remarked how India was the ‘sink of precious metals’ in the ancient era, drawing the wealth from all over the world in exchange for its natural wealth of pepper. The man has mentioned all this not to give us a historic tour but to connect it to the Pandya King Chezhiyan’s siege and conquest of this city. From Musiri on the west coast, we traverse to King Chezhiyan’s capital of Koodal, also known as Madurai. Stopping not even at this wealthy city, the man continues to a hill to the west of this city, a pilgrimage site for a God, identified by his peacock flag. The reference most probably talks about God Murugan and his seat of Thiruparankundram. The reason why the man has brought us here is not to pay our respects at the holy site, but to gaze in awe at the picturesque scene of bees buzzing around blue lotuses in the springs of this hill. Finally, the man connects these blue lotuses to the lady’s eyes and concludes by declaring that it was impossible for him to leave in search of wealth, making those eyes of hers fill with tears. 

To summarise the long tale, the man is simply refusing to follow his heart’s nudge and go in search of wealth, for he doesn’t want to bring any sorrow to his beloved! The subtle element here is in presenting how the bear tires of one food and immediately seeks the next, in the beginning, which could be a hidden implication that wealth-seeking is all about jumping from one thing to the next, never content, with no end to desire! Interesting also to note how the core concept of wealth is approached from many angles, such as the difficult wealth the man must seek, the golden wealth that arrives from foreign shores to Musiri, the natural wealth of pepper growing here, the wealth of Musiri brought to the city of Koodal by the warring King Chezhiyan and the natural wealth of the blue lotuses in the hills of Thiruparunkundram – Something that makes us muse on what wealth could mean to us! Though the man doesn’t want to begin a journey, he has taken us on an insightful one, showing us the splendour of those ancient Sangam places, bustling with trade and worship, etching the renown of this part of the world in that period of time!