Aganaanooru 323 – Step out and See

In this episode, we listen to words of consolation, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 323, penned by Puranaattu Perunkotranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse renders hope to an anxious heart!

இம்மென் பேர் அலர், இவ் ஊர் நம்வயின்
செய்வோர் ஏச் சொல் வாட, காதலர்
வருவர் என்பது வாய்வதாக,
ஐய செய்ய மதன் இல சிறிய நின்
அடி நிலன் உறுதல் அஞ்சி, பையத்
தடவரல் ஒதுக்கம் தகைகொள இயலி,
காணிய வம்மோ? கற்பு மேம்படுவி!
பலவுப் பல தடைஇய வேய் பயில் அடுக்கத்து,
யானைச் செல் இனம் கடுப்ப, வானத்து
வயங்கு கதிர் மழுங்கப் பாஅய், பாம்பின்
பை பட இடிக்கும் கடுங் குரல் ஏற்றொடு
ஆலி அழி துளி தலைஇக்
கால் வீழ்த்தன்று, நின் கதுப்பு உறழ் புயலே!

In this trip to the familiar domain, we hardly see that space, and instead take in the weather changes, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:

“Withering away words of those in this town, who speak, spreading resounding echoes of slander against you, your lover shall return! To see this come true, go on and press down upon those beautiful, etched, delicate, little feet of yours, which fear the ground, and gently bending your form, walk on with beauty, O maiden with brimming chastity! Akin to herds of elephants that live in bamboo-filled mountain ranges, packed with plenty of jackfruit trees, dimming the radiant orb in the sky, striking down on hoods of snakes, roaring with a thundering voice, shedding drops filled with hail, pouring a huge downpour, spread storm clouds, akin to your tresses!”

Let’s listen to this loving conversation between friends and learn more! The confidante starts by acknowledging how slander is spreading in town owing to the gossiping mouths of the townsfolk. This indicates that the separation between the man and the lady has happened before their marriage. The confidante continues by saying that the man would soon be back, putting an end to all the talk of the townsfolk. Then, she points to how the thundering rain clouds are looming in the skies, and compares them to both herds of elephants in lush mountain ranges, as well as the lady’s tresses, in a double-edged simile. The confidante concludes by asking the lady to put those beautiful feet of hers to use and walk on outside to see this come true!

To understand these words, we have to know about the man’s promise to return when the rains arrive. The confidante is pointing to the skies and saying to her friend, ‘The rains are approaching and so will he!’. The aspect of this verse I most related to was in how the confidante tells the lady to make those feet of hers touch the ground, and keep walking to see her joy approaching her. I imagine that the lady was languishing, refusing to even get up from her bed, and this is the confidante’s way of making the lady take a walk and take in the world outside. A subtle whisper of that timeless wisdom that there’s nothing like a walk to soothe a mind in the middle of whatever crisis it may find itself in!