Kalithogai 75 – The fate to forego anger

Sangam Lit

In this episode, we perceive the reasons for the lady’s restraint, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 75, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and highlights the man’s crafty nature.

நீர் ஆர் செறுவில் நெய்தலொடு நீடிய
நேர் இதழ் ஆம்பல் நிரை இதழ் கொண்மார்
சீர் ஆர் சேயிழை ஒலிப்ப, ஓடும்
ஓரை மகளிர் ஓதை வெரீஇ எழுந்து,
ஆரல் ஆர்கை அம் சிறைத் தொழுதி
உயர்ந்த பொங்கர் உயர் மரம் ஏறி,
அமர்க்கண் மகளிர் அலப்பிய அந்நோய்
தமர்க்கு உரைப்பன போல், பல் குரல் பயிற்றும்
உயர்ந்த போரின் ஒலி நல் ஊரன்
புதுவோர் புணர்தல் வெய்யன் ஆயின்
வதுவை நாளால் வைகலும், அஃது யான்
நோவேன் தோழி! நோவாய் நீ என
என் பார்த்து உறுவோய்! கேள் இனித் தெற்றென!

“எல்லினை வருதி, எவன் குறித்தனை? எனச்
சொல்லாதிருப்பேன் ஆயின், ஒல்லென
விரி உளைக் கலி மான் தேரொடு வந்த
விருந்து எதிர்கோடலின் மறப்பல்” என்றும்

“வாடிய பூவொடு வாரல் எம் மனை!” என
ஊடி இருப்பேன் ஆயின், நீடாது
அச்சு ஆறு ஆக உணரிய வருபவன்
பொய்ச் சூள் அஞ்சிப் புலவேன் ஆகுவல்;

“பகல் ஆண்டு அல்கினை பரத்த!” என்று யான்
இகலியிருப்பேன் ஆயின், தான் தன்
முதல்வன் பெரும் பெயர் முறையுளிப் பெற்ற
புதல்வன் புல்லிப் பொய்த் துயில் துஞ்சும்;

ஆங்க,
விருந்து எதிர்கொள்ளவும் பொய்ச் சூள் அஞ்சவும்,
அரும் பெறல் புதல்வனை முயங்கக் காணவும்
ஆங்கு அவிந்து ஒழியும், என் புலவி தாங்காது,
அவ் அவ் இடத்தான் அவை அவை காணப்
பூங்கண் மகளிர் புனை நலம் சிதைக்கும்
மாய மகிழ்நன் பரத்தைமை
நோவென் தோழி, கடன் நமக்கு எனவே.

It’s the lady speaking yet again! The words can be translated as follows:

“‘To pluck the blue lotus and the long-leaved water-lily with perfect petals in the water-filled fields, maiden run around with their well-etched, exquisite jewels resounding. Startled by the noise made by these maiden playing ‘Orai’ games, a herd of birds with beautiful feathers fly high and climb onto the tall branches of a towering tree, and then relay the affliction, caused by those maiden with pretty eyes, to their kin, with repeated resounding calls, akin to the sounds of a war in the lord’s fine town. The lord is one who wishes to keep the company of different women and keeps uniting with them day after day. This brings great grief to me, O friend. How can you be unaffected by this?’ – So you ask me! Listen to me well:

I want to ask him, ‘You are returning in the morning. Where were you?’ But I don’t do that! Why because I forget that when I see the guests he brings home, with much uproar, on his chariot tied with a speedy horse having a thick mane!

I want to sulk with him saying, ‘Do not come to my home with these faded flowers’. But I don’t do that! Why because I’m filled with fear that he who returns will start to swear false oaths many!

I want to rebuke him saying, ‘All day you were with those other women’. But I don’t do that! Why because he would be pretending to be asleep, hugging his son, who, following the illustrious tradition, has gained the great name of his father!

And so, facing new guests, fearing false oaths, seeing him embrace our precious son, this anger of mine remains not firm and melts away instantly. It seems like it’s my fate to see in all those places, all those things showing how he ruins the etched beauty of maiden with flower-like eyes and yet not express my suffering about the deceptive lord’s seeking of courtesans!”

Time to delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a love-quarrel between the man and the lady, owing the man’s seeking of courtesans. These words are said by the lady to her confidante. As custom, the lady starts with a description of the man’s town, and here, we find maiden running around with their jewels jingling, as they pluck the blue lotuses and lilies, and play ‘orai’ games as well. Startled by all the ruckus created by them, birds fly high to the branches of a tall tree and lament about their atrocity to their kin, with the repeated piercing songs. Sound is the defining element of this description. Then, the lady tells us it’s the confidante who has been saying these words about the man’s town to tell the lady how the confidante was very much affected by the man’s actions and asks the lady how come the lady seemed so calm and without anger any, at the man.

To this, the lady replies how she really wants to chide the man about his staying away at other places and coming home with a tattered garland and faded flowers. But she doesn’t do that because the man either comes home with guests many and owing to her innate hospitality, the lady forgets to be angry with the man, or the man starts swearing false oaths, which the lady fears would lead some catastrophe for their family, or the man would pretend to be fast asleep near their son, the claimant of the illustrious family name, belonging to the man’s father. The lady concludes saying because of these reasons, she is not able to hold fast to her anger, and it seems like she has no other way to express her angst about the man’s seeking courtesans. A rather interesting verse, which provides insight into all the ways the man cunningly finds his way back to the lady’s house, without inviting her ire!