In this episode, we perceive beauty from the lens of a man in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 152, penned by Paranar. The verse is situated amidst the orchards and peaks of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and presents a glimpse of history through its mention of prominent people and places.

நெஞ்சு நடுங்கு அரும் படர் தீர வந்து,
குன்றுழை நண்ணிய சீறூர் ஆங்கண்
செலீஇய பெயர்வோள் வணர் சுரி ஐம்பால்
நுண் கோல் அகவுநர்ப் புரந்த பேர் இசை,
சினம் கெழு தானை, தித்தன் வெளியன்,
இரங்குநீர்ப் பரப்பின் கானல்அம் பெருந் துறை,
தனம் தரு நன் கலம் சிதையத் தாக்கும்
சிறு வெள் இறவின் குப்பை அன்ன
உறு பகை தரூஉம் மொய்ம் மூசு பிண்டன்
முனை முரண் உடையக் கடந்த வென் வேல்,
இசை நல் ஈகைக் களிறு வீசு வண் மகிழ்,
பாரத்துத் தலைவன், ஆர நன்னன்
ஏழில் நெடு வரைப் பாழிச் சிலம்பில்
களி மயிற் கலாவத்தன்ன தோளே
வல் வில் இளையர் பெருமகன் நள்ளி
சோலை அடுக்கத்துச் சுரும்பு உண விரிந்த
கடவுட் காந்தளுள்ளும், பல உடன்
இறும்பூது கஞலிய ஆய்மலர் நாறி,
வல்லினும், வல்லார்ஆயினும், சென்றோர்க்குச்
சால் அவிழ் நெடுங் குழி நிறைய வீசும்,
மாஅல் யானை ஆஅய் கானத்துத்
தலையாற்று நிலைஇய சேயுயர் பிறங்கல்
வேய் அமைக் கண் இடை புரைஇ,
சேய ஆயினும், நடுங்கு துயர் தருமே.

In this long trip through the mountains, we travel to many different regions in ancient Tamil land, as we listen to these words said by the man, after his tryst with the lady:

“After coming here to end the deep suffering that makes my heart quiver, she parts away to her little hamlet, amidst the hills.

Her thick and curly tresses, worn as a five-part braid, are akin to the feathers of a dancing peacock in the slopes of Paazhi, situated amidst the picturesque mountain ranges, in the domain of Nannan, clad in sandalwood garlands, the leader of ‘Paaram’, renowned for his immense charity of rendering elephants with joy on supplicants, and his victorious spear, which crossed the battlefront and won over Pindan, swarming around him, with a deep enmity, akin to small, white shrimps that attacks, destroying fine ships, bringing great wealth in the huge shores of Kaanaalam, near the roaring expanse of the seas, ruled by ‘Thithan Veliyan’, possessing a huge, furious army, and having the great fame of rendering his patronage to bards holding intricate rods.

As for her arms, they waft with the scent of the divine flame lily, blooming to be fed upon by bees, and the scent of many other beautiful flowers flourishing in the mountain orchards of the great lord Nalli, who wields an army of young men, skilled in archery. Indeed, those arms are akin to the slender and smooth stems between nodes of bamboos, flourishing in the forests amidst the tall mountains of ’Thalaiyaaru’, ruled by Aay, possessing huge elephants, known for his copious rendering of fine cooked rice, making bowls of supplicants, who seek him, brim over, whether they possess great abilities or whether they don’t.

Those tresses and arms of hers, even though they be far, render a quivering suffering in me!”

Time to explore ancient places and rendezvous with rulers to understand the song in the man’s heart! He starts by talking about how the lady had come to allay his yearning to be with her and had now parted away to her village in the hills. He then goes on to talk about the lady’s tresses. To put it in a nutshell, he says these thick and curly locks are very much like the feathers of a peacock in ‘Paazhi’, a mountainous region ruled by ‘Nannan’, with his capital at Paaram. Though that’s the destination, there are many outer roads that lead here. For instance, the man talks about the swarming shrimps surrounding the wealth-laden ships arriving at the harbour of ‘Kaanalam’, ruled by Thithan Veliyan. This mention of swarming shrimps is made to place in parallel the way Nannan surrounded the army of Pindan and scored a resounding victory over him. That’s the road that leads to Nannan’s slopes and the dancing peacocks, summoned in parallel to the lady’s exquisite tresses. 

Next, the man’s mind turns to the lady’s slender arms and these are said to waft with the scent of flame-lilies and other beautiful flowers blooming in the mountain orchards of ‘Nalli’. Not only that, those arms are akin to the smooth spaces between the nodes of bamboos in the hills of ‘Thalaiyaaru’, ruled by ‘Aay’. Thus, five different kings have been called to the court of the man’s mind, to depict the beauty of his beloved. The man mentions the fame of each of these kings, such as Nannan’s generosity of showering elephants, Thithan’s greatness in rendering his patronage to bards, Nalli’s army of men with skilful bows, and Aay’s charity of making the bowls of his supplicants brim over with rice, regardless of their talent. He concludes by saying how those tresses and arms of the lady torment him, even when they have parted away and gone afar! It’s just a man musing on his beloved and feeling the pain of being apart from her, but this poet weaves the beauty of a nameless person with the history of the prominent and renders a crash course on connecting the disparate with creativity!