Sangam Lit

<div class="wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile"> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p>In this episode, we listen to the heartfelt words of a man in love, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 140, penned by Ammoovanaar. The verse is situated amidst the salt pans of the &#8216;Neythal&#8217; or &#8216;Coastal Landscape&#8217; and reveals fascinating aspects of commerce in the Sangam era.</p> </div> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/140-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-140-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8759 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/140-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-140.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/140-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-140.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/140-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-140.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/140-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-140.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/140-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-140.jpg?resize=500%2C500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/140-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-140.jpg?resize=1140%2C1140&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/140-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-140.jpg?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/140-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-140.jpg?resize=700%2C700&amp;ssl=1 700w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/140-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-140.jpg?resize=480%2C480&amp;ssl=1 480w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/140-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-140.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> </div> <p>பெருங் கடல் வேட்டத்துச் சிறுகுடிப் பரதவர்<br />இருங் கழிச் செறுவின் உழாஅது செய்த<br />வெண் கல் உப்பின் கொள்ளை சாற்றி,<br />என்றூழ் விடர குன்றம் போகும்<br />கதழ் கோல் உமணர் காதல் மடமகள்<br />சில் கோல் எல் வளை தெளிர்ப்ப வீசி,<br />&#8216;நெல்லின் நேரே வெண் கல் உப்பு&#8217; எனச்<br />சேரி விலைமாறு கூறலின், மனைய<br />விளி அறி ஞமலி குரைப்ப, வெரீஇய<br />மதர் கயல் மலைப்பின் அன்ன கண் எமக்கு,<br />இதை முயல் புனவன் புகைநிழல் கடுக்கும்<br />மா மூதள்ளல் அழுந்திய சாகாட்டு<br />எவ்வம் தீர வாங்கும் தந்தை<br />கை பூண் பகட்டின் வருந்தி,<br />வெய்ய உயிர்க்கும் நோய் ஆகின்றே.</p> <p>In this quick trip to the seas, we get to travel with traders, as we listen to the man say these words to his friend, in response to the friend&#8217;s rebuke about the man&#8217;s unbalanced behaviour:</p> <p>&#8220;Fisherfolk of the small hamlet, who hunt in the huge seas, harvest white salt, without ploughing the fields of the dark marshland. Announcing the price of this produce, these salt merchants, wielding a goad to speed, traverse peaks, split apart by the sun’s heat. Their naive and loving daughter, shouts out, ‘White salt for paddy in the same measure’, even as her few, shining bangles tinkle, relaying the exchange price in that village. A dog residing in a home, hearing that strange voice starts barking aloud. Startled, as her beautiful eyes quiver, akin to two fighting fish, they attack me with an affliction, which makes me sigh endlessly, akin to that bullock, held in reins, by her father, as he goads it to pull out the wheel lodged in a ditch, filled with aged, black slush, in the hue of smoke rising, when a mountain farmer slashes and burns to render the land arable!&#8221;</p> <p>Time to travel from the seas to the hills along with a caravan of salt merchants! The man starts by talking about a group of fishermen, who live by the sea, and their ways of not ploughing the land like the farmers in the fields, and yet being able to harvest something valuable, namely salt. Heaping these sacks of salt, they take on the long journey from the seas to hilly regions. The thing I most admire about these salt merchants is that they take their families along and include them in their trade. In this instance, it&#8217;s the salt merchant&#8217;s daughter, who is announcing the exchange rate of salt and paddy in a hamlet. In one of those houses, a dog on the watch out, hears this strange voice and starts barking. The young girl is startled by those furious barks and her eyes tremble with fear. The man recounts all this and concludes by informing his friend, when those eyes of the lady leaped about like fighting fish, it became a source of a painful affliction in him, something which makes the man sigh aloud, much like the bullock, which is goaded to pull out a wheel, stuck in the black mud, akin to the smoke raised by slash-and-burn mountain farmers, by that salt-selling girl&#8217;s father!</p> <p>In essence, the man is telling his friend that his heart too is stuck like that wheel in the mud and indirectly requests his friend to quit scolding him and start helping him, just the way we have seen the lady&#8217;s confidante help the lady many a time. Apart from the relatable bitter-sweet feeling of falling in love that this man so vividly explains with a single scene, elements that excite those who study cultures also abound in this verse. In mentioning not only the salt merchants, their travel for trade, barter specifics, challenges faced but also the mountain farmers and their ancient techniques to tame the land, the verse transports us to the past and acquaints us with the work and life of two different professionals from two varied landscapes in the Sangam era!</p>

<div class="wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile"> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p>In this episode, we observe the anxiety soaring in a lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 139, penned by Idaikkaadanaar. Set in the &#8216;Paalai&#8217; or &#8216;Drylands landscape&#8217;, the verse etches the picturesque changes in the land after the rains.</p> </div> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/139-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-139-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8756 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/139-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-139.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/139-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-139.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/139-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-139.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/139-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-139.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/139-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-139.jpg?resize=500%2C500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/139-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-139.jpg?resize=1140%2C1140&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/139-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-139.jpg?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/139-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-139.jpg?resize=700%2C700&amp;ssl=1 700w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/139-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-139.jpg?resize=480%2C480&amp;ssl=1 480w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/139-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-139.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> </div> <p>துஞ்சுவது போல இருளி, விண் பக<br />இமைப்பது போல மின்னி, உறைக்கொண்டு<br />ஏறுவது போலப் பாடு சிறந்து உரைஇ,<br />நிலம் நெஞ்சு உட்க ஓவாது சிலைத்து ஆங்கு,<br />ஆர் தளி பொழிந்த வார் பெயற் கடை நாள்;<br />ஈன்று நாள் உலந்த வாலா வெண் மழை<br />வான் தோய் உயர் வரை ஆடும் வைகறை,<br />புதல் ஒளி சிறந்த காண்பு இன் காலை,<br />தண் நறும் படுநீர் மாந்தி, பதவு அருந்து<br />வெண் புறக்கு உடைய திரிமருப்பு இரலை;<br />வார் மணல் ஒரு சிறைப் பிடவு அவிழ் கொழு நிழல்,<br />காமர் துணையொடு ஏமுற வதிய;<br />அரக்கு நிற உருவின் ஈயல் மூதாய்<br />பரப்பியவைபோற் பாஅய், பல உடன்<br />நீர் வார் மருங்கின் ஈரணி திகழ;<br />இன்னும் வாரார் ஆயின் நன்னுதல்!<br />யாதுகொல் மற்றுஅவர் நிலையே? காதலர்<br />கருவிக் கார்இடி இரீஇய<br />பருவம் அன்று, அவர், &#8216;வருதும்&#8217; என்றதுவே.</p> <p>Only the heart of this verse is situated in the drylands and the whole tends more in the direction of rainy forest landscapes, in these words said by the lady to the confidante, when the man who went in search of wealth, remains parted away:</p> <p>&#8220;Darkening as if closing the eyes to sleep, flashing and splitting the sky as if blinking open, clouds that climb up with water resound aloud, echoing above, startling the heart of the land beneath, endlessly thundering, and then fall as a heavy downpour in those last days of the rainy season. After giving birth, these dried-up, half-white clouds surround the sky-high, tall mountains at dawn. At this beautiful hour, when light spreads around the bushes of the forest, after drinking the cool and fragrant water, the male deer with twisted antlers and a white underside eats wild grass, and then rests along with its loving mate on one side of the spreading sands, under the thick shade of the blooming wild jasmine tree. Near them, in the hue of lac, red velvet mites crawl around, as if scattered by hand, in hordes, adorning that moist earth with much beauty. Even at this time, he returns not, O maiden with a fine forehead! What could be his state now? Didn’t he promise that he would return before the arrival of that season, when rain clouds would resound with light and thunder!&#8221;</p> <p>Time to glimpse the sights on a rainy morning! The lady starts by talking about the world outside, bringing in relatable similes to talk about the rains. The darkening of clouds becomes the closing of eyes to sleep and the flashing of lightning is the blinking of eyes, over and over again. Then, in a striking imagery, which brought a smile, the lady talks about how the heart of land beneath trembles at the repeated sound of the resounding thunder. I imagined the land beneath as a person clutching their heart, every time thunder roared aloud! Returning, the lady says all that&#8217;s done, the clouds have poured and retired, their job of giving birth to the rains complete, and they have taken to swirling lethargically around those lofty peaks. As dawn spreads the next day, and the gentle light brightens the bushes, a male deer contently feeds on cool and plentiful water, and munches on wild grass, and takes to resting with its lovely mate in the shade of the blooming jasmine trees, even as red velvet mites run around and have the time of their life on those moist expanses. </p> <p>The lady has recounted this beautiful scene not as an expression of pleasure, but in contrast to talk about how the man had promised he would be back before this rainy season and yet he hadn&#8217;t returned. She concludes by expressing her worry to her friend about his state just then! The lady is just following all the advice a modern psychologist would give a person handling something outside their control &#8211; Being acutely mindful of the world outside, being present with the pain inside and expressing all this to a trusted person! Just like how this would help many of us in our own modern troubles, hope the lady too found respite and regained the strength to trust and wait with the patience that the land does, as it waits for the rains after a long summer!</p>

<div class="wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile"> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p>In this episode, we perceive the angst of a lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 138, penned by Ezhuvoo Pandri Naakan Kumaranaar. The verse is situated amidst the dark paths of the &#8216;Kurinji&#8217; or &#8216;Mountain Landscape&#8217; and etches a scene from a ritual of worship.</p> </div> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/138-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-138-2-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8753 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/138-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-138-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/138-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-138-2.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/138-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-138-2.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/138-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-138-2.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/138-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-138-2.jpg?resize=500%2C500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/138-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-138-2.jpg?resize=1140%2C1140&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/138-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-138-2.jpg?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/138-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-138-2.jpg?resize=700%2C700&amp;ssl=1 700w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/138-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-138-2.jpg?resize=480%2C480&amp;ssl=1 480w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/138-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-138-2.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> </div> <p>இகுளை! கேட்டிசின், காதல் அம் தோழி!<br />குவளை உண்கண் தெண் பனி மல்க,<br />வறிது யான் வருந்திய செல்லற்கு அன்னை<br />பிறிது ஒன்று கடுத்தனள்ஆகி வேம்பின்<br />வெறி கொள் பாசிலை நீலமொடு சூடி,<br />உடலுநர்க் கடந்த கடல் அம் தானை,<br />திருந்துஇலை நெடு வேற் தென்னவன் பொதியில்,<br />அருஞ் சிமை இழிதரும் ஆர்த்து வரல் அருவியின்<br />ததும்பு சீர் இன் இயம் கறங்க, கைதொழுது,<br />உரு கெழு சிறப்பின் முருகு மனைத் தரீஇ,<br />கடம்பும் களிறும் பாடி, நுடங்குபு<br />தோடும் தொடலையும் கைக்கொண்டு, அல்கலும்<br />ஆடினர் ஆதல் நன்றோ? நீடு<br />நின்னொடு தெளித்த நல் மலை நாடன்<br />குறி வரல் அரைநாட் குன்றத்து உச்சி,<br />நெறி கெட வீழ்ந்த துன் அருங் கூர் இருள்,<br />திரு மணி உமிழ்ந்த நாகம் காந்தட்<br />கொழு மடற் புதுப் பூ ஊதும் தும்பி<br />நல் நிறம் மருளும் அரு விடர்<br />இன்னா நீள் இடை நினையும், என் நெஞ்சே.</p> <p>It&#8217;s a walk at night through this landscape as we hear the lady say these words to her confidante, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby but making sure he&#8217;s in earshot:</p> <p>&#8220;O companion! Listen to me, my loveable friend! As my blue-lily-like, kohl-streaked eyes filled with clear tears, perceiving my sadness, mother decided that it was because of a different reason. Becoming worried, she arranged for a worship of ‘Murugu’, known for his glorious form, inviting the god home, with folded hands, singing about his burflower trees and elephants, holding a fluttering garland of palm fronds in hand, and dancing, with the accompaniment of musical instruments, brimming over with fine notes, akin to the sound of cascades that resounds and descends from the formidable peaks of the Pothiyil mountains, ruled by the Southern King, the one who wields a tall spear and commands a sea-like army that triumphs over enemies. If this worship goes on all day, is this right? The lord of the fine mountains, who has spoken for long and clarified the future to you, comes for trysts in the middle of the night, descending from the mountain’s peak, in a sharp and thick darkness that makes one lose the path, and herein a serpent, which has spit a fine jewel, looks at the bee buzzing around the new flower of the thick-petaled flame lily and mistakes its rich shine for its stone in those deadly clefts. When I think about his dangerous walk through those long paths, my heart trembles!&#8221;</p> <p>Let&#8217;s walk on through the mountain paths, skirting over serpents and noting the glow of the buzzing bees! The lady starts by beckoning the attention of her friend and recounts how when mother saw her tear-filled eyes, she decided that was because they had invited the ire of &#8216;God Murugu&#8217; in some way and so to appease him, she arranges for the &#8216;Veri&#8217; ritual. In this ritual, there&#8217;s worship with folded hands, singing about the elements that signify this God, such as his burflower tree and the elephants of his domain, and then there&#8217;s dancing to the tune of resounding musical instruments, and to etch this sound, the roaring cascades in the mountains of the victorious, battle-worthy Pandya King is called in parallel. After describing the Veri ritual, the lady asks the confidante if this goes on all day and night, is this right?&nbsp;</p> <p>Why the lady asks this question is because she&#8217;s absolutely clear her sorrow is not because of this God, but only because she worries about the man, walking in the darkness of midnight, when he comes to tryst with her every night, fearing he may lose his path, in those mountain clefts, where serpents which have spit their gems, come searching for it and mistake the buzzing bees for their sapphires! A moment to note the Sangam belief that snakes spit gems and then moved about in the light of the same! In this scene of the snake mistaking the bees for its gems, lies a metaphor for mother mistaking the lady&#8217;s anxiety about the man as God&#8217;s ire. These words are especially for the benefit of the listening man, who had clarified to the confidante that he would wed the lady soon. This is to make him realise that the situation he&#8217;s subjecting the lady to, is unbecoming of his promise, thereby nudging him to hasten the steps to seek the lady&#8217;s hand in marriage. My wonder is why don&#8217;t these people talk directly? Why doesn&#8217;t the daughter tell her mother what she&#8217;s feeling and why she&#8217;s feeling so? Why doesn&#8217;t the lady tell the man what she wishes for him to do? Perhaps that would have suited a peaceful life but not a piece of poetry that lives on to educate us about the past! As long as we are not penning poetry, don&#8217;t you think being direct is better for our complicated lives of today?</p>

<div class="wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile"> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p>In this episode, we perceive the distress of a friend, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 137, penned by Uraiyoor Muthukooththanaar. Set in the &#8216;Paalai&#8217; or &#8216;Drylands landscape&#8217;, the verse pens a portrait of places ruled by two great kings of ancient Tamil land.</p> </div> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/137-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-137-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8743 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/137-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-137.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/137-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-137.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/137-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-137.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/137-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-137.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/137-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-137.jpg?resize=500%2C500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/137-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-137.jpg?resize=1140%2C1140&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/137-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-137.jpg?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/137-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-137.jpg?resize=700%2C700&amp;ssl=1 700w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/137-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-137.jpg?resize=480%2C480&amp;ssl=1 480w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/137-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-137.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> </div> <p>ஆறு செல் வம்பலர் சேறு கிளைத்து உண்ட<br />சிறு பல் கேணிப் பிடி அடி நசைஇ,<br />களிறு தொடூஉக் கடக்கும் கான்யாற்று அத்தம்<br />சென்று சேர்பு ஒல்லார்ஆயினும், நினக்கே<br />வென்று எறி முரசின் விறற் போர்ச் சோழர்<br />இன் கடுங் கள்ளின் உறந்தை ஆங்கண்,<br />வருபுனல் நெரிதரும் இகுகரைப் பேரியாற்று<br />உருவ வெண் மணல் முருகு நாறு தண் பொழிற்<br />பங்குனி முயக்கம் கழிந்த வழிநாள்,<br />வீ இலை அமன்ற மரம் பயில் இறும்பில்<br />தீ இல் அடுப்பின் அரங்கம் போல,<br />பெரும் பாழ்கொண்டன்று, நுதலே; தோளும்,<br />தோளா முத்தின் தெண் கடற் பொருநன்<br />திண் தேர்ச் செழியன் பொருப்பிற் கவாஅன்<br />நல் எழில் நெடு வேய் புரையும்<br />தொல் கவின் தொலைந்தன; நோகோ யானே.</p> <p>It&#8217;s a short walk in this trip to the drylands, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, at a time when the lady suspects the man is going to part away from her in search of wealth:</p> <p>&#8220;Seeing the many small pits, from which newbie wayfarers had dug up the mud to find some drinking water, and mistaking these for its mate’s footprints, with desire, a male elephant touches it and walks on disappointed, in that drylands path, extending like a wild river.  Even though he wants not to go thither, your forehead is greatly ruined, akin to the festival arena, with scattered stoves, having no hint of fire, near the little jungle, filled with trees, densely packed with leaves and flowers, on the day after the ‘pankuni’ festival of togetherness, which takes place on the honey-fragrant, cool orchards, atop white sands, on the banks of that great river, brimming with copious water, in the city of Uranthai, known for its sharp and sweet toddy, ruled by the courageous Chozhas, renowned for their roaring, victorious battle drums. Whereas your arms, which were akin to the tall and exquisite bamboos in the mountains, ruled by the lord of the pearl-filled southern seas, Chezhiyan, renowned for his sturdy chariots, have now lost their old beauty! I suffer so!&#8221;</p> <p>Time to amble along with some elephants in the drylands! The confidante starts by sketching a scene from this harsh domain, pointing out to small, rounded pits, which she explains are tiny wells, dug by wayfarers, who are new to the game, so as to find some water amidst the mud. Why are these wayfarers said to be newcomers? Possibly because they have come unprepared without a supply of drinking water or the knowledge of more dignified ways of finding the same. As a male elephant walks that way and glimpses at these round pits, for a moment, it takes these to be the footprints of its mate, and it comes near and touches the same over and over again, smelling it and then walking away in dejection. Such is the horrid drylands, a place the man doesn&#8217;t even want to leave to, at the moment, the confidante connects. </p> <p>She then turns to the lady and says, &#8216;In spite of that, your forehead has become listless, like an abandoned festival arena, with scattered stoves lying about, without any kindling of fire, the day after the event of Pankuni festival, celebrated with gusto, on the sands of the River Kaveri, in the Chozha capital of Uranthai, known for its sweet toddy. From the lady&#8217;s ruined forehead, the confidante moves on to the lady&#8217;s arms, and compares those to the bamboos in the Pandya King Chezhiyan&#8217;s mountains, celebrating the king as the ruler of the southern seas with an unending supply of pearls, and declaring that those arms had lost their beauty too. The confidante concludes by talking about her own suffering on seeing her friend in such a state!</p> <p>The use of place and people similes to underscore the lady&#8217;s state informs us about the cultural events of the Chozha country as well as the natural wealth of the Pandya country. Turning to the crux of the issue, we understand that the man hadn&#8217;t even left, and here was the lady already wallowing about his possible departure! This state of being highlights the emotion of anxiety that many of us would have felt at the prospect of some event in the future. Hope we can learn to hear the timeless whisper from these pages of the past to overcome that fear of the future by living fully and mindfully in the now!</p>

<div class="wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile"> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p>In this episode, we perceive a unique technique to appease a person&#8217;s ire, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 136, penned by Vitrootru Mootheyinanaar. The verse is situated amidst the decorated mansions and bejewelled denizens of the &#8216;Marutham&#8217; or &#8216;Farmlands landscape&#8217; and etches the events in an ancient wedding ceremony.</p> </div> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/136-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-136-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8740 size-full" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/136-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-136.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/136-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-136.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/136-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-136.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/136-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-136.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/136-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-136.jpg?resize=500%2C500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/136-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-136.jpg?resize=1140%2C1140&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/136-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-136.jpg?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/136-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-136.jpg?resize=700%2C700&amp;ssl=1 700w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/136-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-136.jpg?resize=480%2C480&amp;ssl=1 480w, https://i0.wp.com/nandinikarky.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/136-PodCast-Des-Aganaanooru-136.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> </div> <p>மைப்பு அறப் புழுக்கின் நெய்க் கனி வெண் சோறு<br />வரையா வண்மையொடு புரையோர்ப் பேணி,<br />புள்ளுப் புணர்ந்து இனிய ஆக, தெள் ஒளி<br />அம் கண் இரு விசும்பு விளங்க, திங்கட்<br />சகடம் மண்டிய துகள் தீர் கூட்டத்து,<br />கடி நகர் புனைந்து, கடவுட் பேணி,<br />படு மண முழவொடு பரூஉப் பணை இமிழ,<br />வதுவை மண்ணிய மகளிர் விதுப்புற்று,<br />பூக்கணும் இமையார் நோக்குபு மறைய,<br />மென் பூ வாகைப் புன் புறக் கவட்டிலை,<br />பழங் கன்று கறித்த பயம்பு அமல் அறுகைத்<br />தழங்குகுரல் வானின் தலைப்பெயற்கு ஈன்ற<br />மண்ணு மணி அன்ன மாஇதழ்ப் பாவைத்<br />தண் நறு முகையொடு வெண் நூல் சூட்டி,<br />தூ உடைப் பொலிந்து மேவரத் துவன்றி,<br />மழை பட்டன்ன மணல் மலி பந்தர்,<br />இழை அணி சிறப்பின் பெயர் வியர்ப்பு ஆற்றி,<br />தமர் நமக்கு ஈத்த தலைநாள் இரவின்,<br />&#8221;உவர் நீங்கு கற்பின் எம் உயிர் உடம்படுவி!<br />முருங்காக் கலிங்கம் முழுவதும் வளைஇ,<br />பெரும் புழுக்குற்ற நின் பிறைநுதற் பொறி வியர்<br />உறு வளி ஆற்றச் சிறு வரை திற&#8221; என<br />ஆர்வ நெஞ்சமொடு போர்வை வவ்வலின்,<br />உறை கழி வாளின் உருவு பெயர்ந்து இமைப்ப,<br />மறை திறன் அறியாள்ஆகி, ஒய்யென<br />நாணினள் இறைஞ்சியோளே பேணி,<br />பரூஉப் பகை ஆம்பற் குரூஉத் தொடை நீவி,<br />சுரும்பு இமிர் ஆய்மலர் வேய்ந்த<br />இரும் பல் கூந்தல் இருள் மறை ஒளித்தே.</p> <p>Though we don&#8217;t actually get to travel to the outer spaces of this domain in this verse, we get a sense of the culture here, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, when the lady is in the midst of a fight with him, as she listens nearby:</p> <p>&#8220;The cooked white rice, having flawless pieces of meat, brimming with ghee, was rendered with limitless hospitality and guests were welcomed. Sounds of birds uniting echoed sweetly in the air; The beautiful dark sky shined with a clear light, and at this time, the moon and the wheel-shaped star come together in a perfect union; The wedding home was decorated and god’s praises were sung; As the thick and huge ‘panai’ drums resounded, along with ‘muzhavu’ wedding drums, the women who bathed her as part of the wedding ceremony, not blinking their flower-like eyes, quickly vanished; The delicate-bottomed forked leaves of the Lebbeck tree, with soft flowers, and the cool and fragrant buds of the huge-petaled flower, in the hue of well-washed sapphires, blossoming in the sky’s first rains, upon the wild ‘arukai’ grass, spreading in the crevices, and grazed upon by mature calves, are tied together with a white thread, and adorned on her, along with pristine clothes. Then coming together with affection, in that sand-filled pavilion, resounding with the sound of falling rain, wiping away the sweat that runs down, because of heavy jewels worn, her kith and kin rendered her to me.</p> <p>On the night of this first day together, saying to her, “O maiden, who is the form to my life, filled with blemish-less chastity! As you have covered your form entire with a thick attire, feeling rather hot, your crescent-moon-like forehead would be coated in beads of sweat. Letting the flowing breeze to cool it, why not remove it?”, with a desiring heart, I pulled away the cover, and there she was, shining akin to a sword, pulled out from its sheath. Without knowing how to hide herself, she was overcome with shyness and bent her head. Understanding her state, I came to her aid and removed the radiant, thick white-lily garland, which was like a foe to her, just then, spreading her thick and black, bee-buzzing tresses, filled with beautiful flowers, and with that cover of darkness, helped her hide herself!&#8221;</p> <p>Let&#8217;s participate in this ancient farmlands wedding and learn more! The man simply takes a walk down memory lane, recollecting the day of his wedding with his lady. He remembers the pots of rice and meat, cooked with ghee, and served to guests ceaselessly. He talks about how the sweet sounds of birds uniting resounded in the air. The man then talks about how the moon was supposed to be coming close to and uniting with a star in a wheel-shaped constellation, that day. Interpreters have identified this particular star to be &#8216;Rohini&#8217;, also known as the Aldebaran star, said to be the &#8216;eye&#8217; of the Taurus constellation, in another astronomical classification. There have been numerous mythological stories about the connection between this star and the moon, and here too, we encounter one such belief in Sangam culture that the coming together of these two celestial bodies was an auspicious moment for a couple to begin their journey together.</p> <p>Returning, the man turns his attention to the wedding decorations in the home, praising god, and the resounding roar of wedding drums many. The lady was given a ceremonial bath from maiden and then she was adorned with flowers of the Arukai grass and leaves of the Vaakai tree, atop glowing clothes. After dressing the bride so, the lady&#8217;s kith and kin, wiping away the sweat, owing to wearing heavy ornaments, offered the lady to the man, and formalised their union.</p> <p>From these festivities, the man turns to a personal moment between him and the lady on their first night together, when he observes her covering herself in a thick attire. He seems to have pulled it away, so that the beads of sweat on the lady&#8217;s forehead would be dried by the cool breeze. As he pulled the cover apart, the lady appeared like a sword out of sheath, glowing, the man recounts. At that moment, she seemed to have been filled with shyness and without knowing how to cover herself, she had bent her head. The man seems to have come to her aid and removed the clasp of her white-lily garland and turned the darkness of her thick, black tresses as her new attire, he concludes. </p> <p>We know the man and lady had been fighting. The man had been trying many attempts to appease her but to no avail. He finally chooses the strategy of talking about a happy, delightful moment, in their early years, to take the lady to the past, reminding her of who she had been to the man, and make her forget the present moment of conflict. Though we do not know whether the man&#8217;s strategy worked out for him, on our part, we got to go to an ancient Tamil wedding, feast our senses with food and festivity and delight in the many glimpses of plenty and prosperity of this domain! </p>