Aganaanooru 292 – The trail of a mountain missile

In this episode, we perceive a hidden attempt at persuading a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 292, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the hanging honeycombs of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and sketches the dynamic flow of a speeding stone from a catapult.

கூறாய், செய்வது தோழி! வேறு உணர்ந்து,
அன்னையும் பொருள் உகுத்து அலமரும்; மென் முறிச்
சிறு குளகு அருந்து, தாய் முலை பெறாஅ,
மறி கொலைப் படுத்தல் வேண்டி, வெறி புரி
ஏதில் வேலன் கோதை துயல்வரத்
தூங்கும்ஆயின், அதூஉம் நாணுவல்;
இலங்கு வளை நெகிழ்ந்த செல்லல் புலம் படர்ந்து,
இரவின் மேயல் மரூஉம் யானைக்
கால் வல் இயக்கம் ஒற்றி, நடு நாள்,
வரையிடைக் கழுதின் வன் கைக் கானவன்
கடு விசைக் கவணின் எறிந்த சிறு கல்
உடு உறு கணையின் போகி, சாரல்
வேங்கை விரி இணர் சிதறி, தேன் சிதையூஉ,
பலவின் பழத்துள் தங்கும்
மலை கெழு நாடன் மணவாக்காலே!

In this little trip to the mountains, we get to see fast paced action, as we listen to the lady say these words to the confidante, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:

“Tell me what I should do, my friend! Thinking it’s something else, Mother showers money wastefully and acts in a confused manner; As for that strange Velan, wishing to kill and sacrifice a goat kid, which feeds on soft leaves of small bushes and gets not to suckle its mother’s udders, performs the ‘Veri’ ritual and dances with his garlands swaying. For that, I’m ashamed!

Moving to other lands, intending to graze at night, comes the elephant. Listening to the sound of its footsteps, in the middle of the night, a strong-armed mountain guard waiting upon a loft, aims a small stone from his swift-launching catapult. Speeding like a feathered arrow, that stone scatters blooming flower clusters of the Kino tree, tears apart a honeycomb, and then rests within a fruit of the jackfruit tree, in the mountains of the lord. Tell me what I should do if he, who made my shining bangles slip away, does not marry me!”

Let’s listen to the conversation of these mountain maiden and learn more! The lady starts with a helpless question to her friend, asking what she should do. Then she goes on to relay her troubles about Mother mistaking her symptoms for something else and thinking it’s the ire of God Murugu, throwing about her money to allay the god’s anger with Veri rituals performed by the priest Velan. The lady declares to her friend that all this makes her much ashamed, especially to see a young goat kid, which doesn’t even get to suckle at the udders of its mother, being sacrificed for her sake! Then, she goes on to describe the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she turns her camera on a guard sitting on tall loft in the middle of the night and thinking he’s heard an elephant which arrives to raid the fields, he launches a stone from his catapult and this stone rushes like an arrow, scattering kino flowers, shattering honey combs, and finally resting within a jackfruit. The lady concludes by asking her friend what would become of her, if the man of this mountain does not marry her!

In the scene of the mountain guard’s missile shedding flowers, tearing honeycombs and piercing the heart of a jackfruit, instead of nabbing the elephant it was intended for, the lady places a metaphor for how the slander that spreads in town has made the beauty of the lady wither, torn her togetherness with the man, and is resting in the heart of her mother, making her do these strange things. The lady presents her situation in a succinct manner to the man and impresses on the need for him to give up his temporary trysting and come seek her hand without any further delay. ‘Marry me, marry me’ yet again, but quite an intriguing experience to travel on that speeding stone to its sweet destination!