Épisodes

  • Aganaanooru 145 – Regret from the heart

    Aganaanooru 145 – Regret from the heart
    Dec 12 2025
    In this episode, we perceive the remorse of a mother, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 145, penned by Kayamanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents a contrast of the dreariness of this domain and the prosperity of the lady’s home. வேர் முழுது உலறி நின்ற புழற்கால்,தேர் மணி இசையின் சிள்வீடு ஆர்க்கும்,வற்றல் மரத்த பொற் தலை ஓதிவெயிற் கவின் இழந்த வைப்பின் பையுள் கொள,நுண்ணிதின் நிவக்கும் வெண் ஞெமை வியன் காட்டுஆள் இல் அத்தத்து, அளியள் அவனொடுவாள்வரி பொருத புண் கூர் யானைபுகர் சிதை முகத்த குருதி வார,உயர் சிமை நெடுங் கோட்டு உரும் என முழங்கும்”அருஞ் சுரம் இறந்தனள்” என்ப பெருஞ் சீர்அன்னி குறுக்கைப் பறந்தலை, திதியன்தொல் நிலை முழு முதல் துமியப் பண்ணியநன்னர் மெல் இணர்ப் புன்னை போல,கடு நவைப் படீஇயர்மாதோ களி மயில்குஞ்சரக் குரல குருகோடு ஆலும்,துஞ்சா முழவின், துய்த்து இயல் வாழ்க்கை,கூழுடைத் தந்தை இடனுடை வரைப்பின்,ஊழ் அடி ஒதுங்கினும் உயங்கும் ஐம் பாற்சிறு பல் கூந்தற் போது பிடித்து அருளாது,எறி கோல் சிதைய நூறவும் சிறுபுறம்,”எனக்கு உரித்து” என்னாள், நின்ற என்அமர்க் கண் அஞ்ஞையை அலைத்த கையே! A deep dive into this domain, as we listen to the lady’s mother say these words, at the juncture she learns of her daughter’s elopement with her man: “In the hollow trunk of a tree that has dried up from root to tip, crickets resound with the sound of chariot bells. Upon this parched tree, standing amidst a place that has lost its beauty owing to the scorching heat, a golden-headed lizard, crawls up with much suffering, in those wide spaces of the uninhabited drylands, filled with axle-wood trees. After fighting with the tiger, having sword-like stripes, the wounded elephant, with blood dripping from its crushed, spotted face, trumpets akin to thunder that resounds in the soaring peaks of tall hills. To such a formidable drylands, my poor girl has left with him, they say! In the spacious mansion of her prosperous father, where ecstatic peacocks and birds with elephantine voices, call aloud, and drums roar ceaselessly, living a life of plenty and comfort, she would feel sorrowful even if she were to miss a step and stumble. Catching hold of the garland tied tightly to her thick tresses with five-part braids, without any grace, shattering the stick, when I struck again and again, acting as if her little back was not even hers, she stood still, that daughter of mine with exquisite eyes. May these hands that made her suffer so, become utterly ruined like the ‘Laurelwood tree’ with fine and soft flower clusters, belonging to Thithiyan, when it was chopped at its trunk of many years, by the famous ‘Anni’ at the ‘Kurukkai’ battlefield!” Let’s brave the parched air of the drylands and walk on! Mother starts by describing this domain, and to do that, she brings before us, a seared tree, which seems not to have a drop of water right from its root to the tip of its topmost branch. From inside the hollows of this tree, crickets resound and a reptile, possibly the Indian golden gecko, treads upon it, with much languish. There’s sweltering heat everywhere, and not a sign of any human around. Here, after a clash with a tiger, a bleeding elephant walks about, roaring like the thunder in the mountains, mother continues. She then connects this place to her situation saying this is where her daughter had left to, with her beloved. Then, from these impossible places, she turns to describe the lady’s home, talking about her rich father, the wide mansion, where peacocks and birds, which trumpet like elephants, are to be found. A moment to ponder on what bird this might be! On searching, I learnt that it could be the Great Hornbill that has a unique, loud voice, somewhat close to an elephant’s trumpet. Possibly, the ...
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    7 min
  • Aganaanooru 144 – Delight despite Distress

    Aganaanooru 144 – Delight despite Distress
    Dec 11 2025
    In this episode, we perceive the hope in a man’s heart, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 144, penned by Madurai Alakkar Gnaazhalaar Makanaar Mallanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming wild jasmines of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and presents dual perspectives from the home front and the battlefront. ‘’’வருதும்’ என்ற நாளும் பொய்த்தன;அரி ஏர் உண்கண் நீரும் நில்லா;தண் கார்க்கு ஈன்ற பைங் கொடி முல்லைவை வாய் வால் முகை அவிழ்ந்த கோதைபெய் வனப்பு இழந்த கதுப்பும் உள்ளார்,அருள் கண்மாறலோ மாறுக அந்தில்அறன் அஞ்சலரே! ஆயிழை! நமர்” எனச்சிறிய சொல்லிப் பெரிய புலப்பினும்,பனி படு நறுந் தார் குழைய, நம்மொடு,துனி தீர் முயக்கம் பெற்றோள் போலஉவக்குநள் வாழிய, நெஞ்சே! விசும்பின்ஏறு எழுந்து முழங்கினும் மாறு எழுந்து சிலைக்கும்கடாஅ யானை கொட்கும் பாசறை,போர் வேட்டு எழுந்த மள்ளர் கையதைகூர் வாட் குவிமுகம் சிதைய நூறி,மான் அடி மருங்கில் பெயர்த்த குருதிவான மீனின் வயின் வயின் இமைப்ப,அமர் ஓர்த்து, அட்ட செல்வம்தமர் விரைந்து உரைப்பக் கேட்கும் ஞான்றே. A little of the forest and more of the fierce battlefield in this trip, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, as his charioteer listens, at the moment the man’s returning home after his mission: “Saying, ‘The day he had marked for his return has turned out false; Tears stop not from these beautiful, kohl-streaked eyes with red lines; The pointed, white buds of green-vined wild jasmines have burst into bloom because of the cool rains; He thinks not of how my tresses that used to be clad in garlands, have lost their lustre; If he, who does not fear righteousness, no longer wants to render his grace to me, so be it, O maiden clad in well-etched ornaments!’, she would be expressing a little and lamenting a lot. As thunder soars in the skies and resounds aloud, standing opposite, wild battle elephants reflect that sound in equal measure in the battlefield. Here, desiring war, soldiers rise with sharp swords in hand. Blunting these sharp edges, they have scattered much blood, which gather in the pits made by hooves of horses, and twinkle hither and thither, akin to stars in the sky. O heart, may you live long! When our kin rush to her and tell her about how I quelled enemies in this battlefield and heaped wealth, she shall delight, as if crushing her dew-covered, fragrant garland, she has attained a flawless union with me!” Let’s trot along with the man on his way home through the jasmine-clad forest and listen in! The man starts by expressing the thoughts that would be passing through the head of his lady just then, about how the man was not back when he promised he would be, about the way her eyes were overflowing with tears, and how the wild jasmines have bloomed in the rains and yet her tresses cannot be adorned with garlands, owing to his absence. She may even wonder if the man’s love for her has changed and call him an unjust person, the man says aloud. He tells his heart that for sure the lady would be worrying a lot in this manner. While that may be so, the minute she hears their relatives talk about how the man vanquished enemies in that fierce battlefield, and brought back great wealth, the lady would forget all her laments and would feel the same delight she does when she attains a sweet sleep in his embrace, the man concludes. The man’s subtle way of pressing his charioteer to speed the horses and hasten home! In the thought that his actions would bring happiness to the lady in spite of the pain he has inflicted by his parting, the man echoes the same hope each of us carry, when we give up pleasures in the short run and yearn for greater things. Just like this ancient ancestor of ours, all we can do is hope, wishing that no matter how they seem now, things will turn out well in the end!
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    5 min
  • Aganaanooru 143 – The very thought of parting

    Aganaanooru 143 – The very thought of parting
    Dec 10 2025
    In this episode, we observe an attempt to change a person’s course of action, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 143, penned by Alamperi Saathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse transports us to the domain of a king’s commander. செய்வினைப் பிரிதல் எண்ணி, கைம்மிகக்காடு கவின் ஒழியக் கடுங் கதிர் தெறுதலின்,நீடு சினை வறிய ஆக, ஒல்லெனவாடு பல் அகல்இலை கோடைக்கு ஒய்யும்தேக்கு அமல் அடுக்கத்து ஆங்கண் மேக்கு எழுபு,முளி அரிற் பிறந்த வளி வளர் கூர் எரிச்சுடர் நிமிர் நெடுங் கொடி விடர் முகை முழங்கும்வெம் மலை அருஞ் சுரம் நீந்தி ஐயசேறும் என்ற சிறு சொற்கு இவட்கே,வசை இல் வெம் போர் வானவன் மறவன்நசையின் வாழ்நர்க்கு நன் கலம் சுரக்கும்,பொய்யா வாய்வாள், புனைகழல் பிட்டன்மை தவழ் உயர் சிமைக் குதிரைக் கவாஅன்அகல் அறை நெடுஞ் சுனை துவலையின் மலர்ந்ததண் கமழ் நீலம் போல,கண் பனி கலுழ்ந்தன; நோகோ யானே. This trip offers a study in contrast when it comes to the features of the domain, as we listen to these words the confidante says to the man, at a time when he’s planning to part away from the lady, to gather wealth: “When I said to her, ‘Intending to part away on a mission to gather wealth, the lord plans to go to those formidable drylands near the sweltering mountains, where immensely ruining the beauty of the forests, the harsh sun scorches, and dries up long branches, and the hot summer winds wither many leaves and take them away, with a rustling sound, in those ranges, filled with teak trees, and here, soaring above, a fierce flame, birthed in the dried-up bushes and reared by the wind, rises tall and resounds aloud in the clefts and caves’, just hearing these few words, akin to the cool and fragrant blue lotus, which has bloomed in the spray of the wide and deep spring in the tall peak of the ‘Kuthirai’ mountains, enveloped by clouds, ruled by the army commander of the impeccable, battle-worthy King Vanavan, Pittan, who wears well-etched anklets, wields a victorious sword, and one, who renders fine vessels to those who come seeking with desire to him, her eyes filled with tears! I suffer so!” Let’s take a walk through those searing spaces and learn more! The confidante tells the man that she happened to go to the lady and tell her that he was planning to leave to the drylands. In her usual style, she presents a vivid view of the drylands, painting the drying branches, withering leaves and soaring wildfire. It was interesting to note the words used to describe this wildfire, by mentioning how it was born in the dried-up bushes but fostered and reared into a force of nature by the winds. The hidden metaphor of a child, born in a family, and raised by the world entire, to become who they become, was intriguing to note. Returning, we find the confidante continuing her narrative, telling the man that the moment she said these words, the lady’s eyes started shedding tears. To etch this image, she summons blue-lotuses, which have apparently bloomed because of the spraying water droplets from a spring nearby, and she locates this place as the domain called ‘Kuthirai mountains’, belonging to a brave commander of King Vannan, a a person named Pittan, renowned for his generosity. The confidante concludes by saying seeing those tear-filled eyes of the lady made her suffer much agony. In essence, the confidante means to tell the man that the mere thought of him leaving had reduced the lady to such a state, projecting the implied question, ‘What would befall her, if the man were to actually leave?’. The confidante has intervened on behalf of the lady and hopes to prevent the man from proceeding with his plan of parting with the lady. The lady encapsulates a deeply human sentiment of worrying about something, even before it happens – the downside of our unique powers of imagination. Curious isn’t it that it’s this same human imagination, which has made these poets perceive a child in a wildfire and connect a water-soaked flower to a tear-filled eye!
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    6 min
  • Aganaanooru 142 – Brimming with joy

    Aganaanooru 142 – Brimming with joy
    Dec 9 2025
    In this episode, we listen to words of delight after an awaited event, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 142, penned by Paranar. Set amidst the golden flowers of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’, the verse depicts the generosity of a king and the courage of a commander in the battlefield. இலமலர் அன்ன அம் செந் நாவின்புலம் மீக்கூறும் புரையோர் ஏத்த,பலர் மேந் தோன்றிய கவி கை வள்ளல்நிறைஅருந் தானை வெல்போர் மாந்தரம்பொறையன் கடுங்கோப் பாடிச் சென்றகுறையோர் கொள்கலம் போல, நன்றும்உவ இனி வாழிய, நெஞ்சே! காதலிமுறையின் வழாஅது ஆற்றிப் பெற்றகறை அடி யானை நன்னன் பாழி,ஊட்டு அரு மரபின் அஞ்சு வரு பேஎய்க்கூட்டு எதிர்கொண்ட வாய் மொழி மிஞிலிபுள்ளிற்கு ஏமம் ஆகிய பெரும் பெயர்வெள்ளத் தானை அதிகற் கொன்று, உவந்துஒள் வாள் அமலை ஆடிய ஞாட்பின்,பலர் அறிவுறுதல் அஞ்சி, பைப்பய,நீர்த் திரள் கடுக்கும் மாசு இல் வெள்ளிச்சூர்ப்புறு கோல் வளை செறித்த முன்கைகுறை அறல் அன்ன இரும் பல் கூந்தல்,இடன் இல் சிறு புறத்து இழையொடு துயல்வர,கடல் மீன் துஞ்சும் நள்ளென் யாமத்து,உருவு கிளர் ஓவினைப் பொலிந்த பாவைஇயல் கற்றன்ன ஒதுக்கினள் வந்து,பெயல் அலைக் கலங்கிய மலைப் பூங் கோதைஇயல் எறி பொன்னின் கொங்கு சோர்பு உறைப்ப,தொடிக்கண் வடுக்கொள முயங்கினள்;வடிப்பு உறு நரம்பின் தீவிய மொழிந்தே. There’s only a dash of this domain in this instance, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, at a moment when he has trysted with his lady, after a long separation: “Celebrated by wise bards, who have skilled red tongues, akin to silk-cotton flowers, is the one with generous hands, exalted above all others, that conquering king with an unstoppable army, known as ‘Mantharam Poraiyan Kadunko’. Akin to the vessels of those impoverished, who return after singing about him, you shall brim over now, my heart! May you live long! Without swerving from his just path, with his talents, the great Nannan won over elephants with huge feet. In his town of ‘Paazhi’, his commander Minili, renowned for his honesty, undertook the task of feeding the insatiable and terrifying spirits of death, and routed the famous Athikan, with a flood-like army, renowned for being a protector of birds. After this, Minili, performed the ecstatic ‘Amalai’ dance, with his shining sword. Akin to the uproar that arose in the battlefield just then, slander would spread in town if they knew of our relationship. Fearing that, walking gently, wearing many neat rows of flawless silver, curving bangles on her forearms, having thick, dark tresses, akin to silt-laden sand, caressed by the river, extending and swaying beyond her slender waist, my lady love came at the dark hour of midnight, when even fish in the seas sleep, moving with a delicate gait, akin to a radiantly painted doll, which was just learning to walk, and making my honey-soaked garland of mountain flowers, tousled by the rains, shed flowers, akin to golden sparks that scatter in a smithy, she embraced me, leaving impressions of her bangles, and uttering sweet words, resounding like the well-played strings of a lute!” Let’s hear the heartbeat of this mountain man! He starts by talking about a great king, Mantharam Poraiyan Kadunko, one who was celebrated by silver-tongued bards, only here, their truthful tongues are placed in parallel to the red flowers of a silk-cotton tree. The man goes on to say how generous this king was known to be, and just like how the bowls of those who had come seeking to him would overflow, the man’s heart too was in the same state of brimming over with joy! Before telling us why, the man talks about the nature of slander that would spread in the lady’s town if her ...
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    6 min
  • Aganaanooru 141 – Waiting with a wish

    Aganaanooru 141 – Waiting with a wish
    Dec 8 2025
    In this episode, we perceive the positive attitude of a lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 141, penned by Nakeerar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse presents a dual portrait of an ancient Tamil festival and a Chozha town’s prosperity. அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! கைம்மிகக்கனவும் கங்குல்தோறு இனிய; நனவும்புனை வினை நல் இல் புள்ளும் பாங்கின;நெஞ்சும் நனிபுகன்று உறையும்; எஞ்சாதுஉலகு தொழில் உலந்து, நாஞ்சில் துஞ்சி,மழை கால்நீங்கிய மாக விசும்பில்குறு முயல் மறு நிறம் கிளர, மதி நிறைந்து,அறுமீன் சேரும் அகல் இருள் நடு நாள்;மறுகு விளக்குறுத்து, மாலை தூக்கி,பழ விறல் மூதூர்ப் பலருடன் துவன்றியவிழவு உடன் அயர, வருகதில் அம்ம! துவரப் புலர்ந்து தூ மலர் கஞலி,தகரம் நாறும் தண் நறுங் கதுப்பின்புது மண மகடூஉ அயினிய கடி நகர்ப்பல் கோட்டு அடுப்பில் பால் உலை இரீஇ,கூழைக் கூந்தற் குறுந் தொடி மகளிர்பெருஞ் செய் நெல்லின் வாங்குகதிர் முறித்து,பாசவல் இடிக்கும் இருங் காழ் உலக்கைக்கடிது இடி வெரீஇய கமஞ்சூல் வெண் குருகுதீம் குலை வாழை ஓங்கு மடல் இராது;நெடுங் கால் மாஅத்துக் குறும் பறை பயிற்றும்செல் குடி நிறுத்த பெரும் பெயர்க் கரிகால்வெல் போர்ச் சோழன் இடையாற்று அன்னநல் இசை வெறுக்கை தருமார், பல் பொறிப்புலிக் கேழ் உற்ற பூவிடைப் பெருஞ் சினைநரந்த நறும் பூ நாள் மலர் உதிர,கலை பாய்ந்து உகளும், கல் சேர் வேங்கை,தேம் கமழ் நெடு வரைப் பிறங்கியவேங்கட வைப்பிற் சுரன் இறந்தோரே. In this long trip, we get to traverse not only this harsh domain, but also a prosperous ancient town, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the confidante worries that the lady will not be able to bear with the parting of the man, who has left in search of wealth: “Listen, my friend! May you live long! Every night, the dreams are exceptionally pleasant; In real life too, in the well-etched, fine mansion, bird omens that are heard sound good; As for the heart, it too rests in a state of calm love; At the time when the mighty profession of the world diminishes and ploughs fall asleep, in that season when pouring rainclouds have departed with the wind, and in the sky, the little hare glows in a dark hue, as the full moon reaches its favourite star, in the midnight hour, amidst the expanding darkness, when all the streets are lit up and adorned with high garlands in our fertile and prosperous ancient town, at this time, hope he will return to relish the festivities, celebrated by the gathering of many! Adorning fully blossomed perfect flowers, along with sandalwood paste, on her cool and fragrant tresses, the new bride, boils milk on the many-sided stove in that rich mansion, filled with plentiful food, and then along with maiden, wearing small bangles and having short hair, pounds on paddy grains, harvested from bent stalks in the huge field, to make flattened rice. Hearing the din of this dark-stemmed pestle, startled by the loud and explosive sounds, a pregnant white bird, takes a short flight from the wide branch of a plantain tree, with sweet fruit clusters, to the tall-trunked mango tree, in the town of Idaiyaaru, ruled by the famous Chozha King Karikaalan, who has the ability to restore even a ruined town. Wanting to bring back prestigious wealth, akin to this town, he has left to the drylands, where making fragrant blooms on the huge branches of the tree, with flowers in the hue of the many-striped tiger, namely the Kino tree, soaring near a boulder, a male monkey ...
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    9 min
  • Aganaanooru 140 – Eyes that make him sigh

    Aganaanooru 140 – Eyes that make him sigh
    Dec 5 2025

    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 ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal Landscape’ and reveals fascinating aspects of commerce in the Sangam era.

    பெருங் கடல் வேட்டத்துச் சிறுகுடிப் பரதவர்
    இருங் கழிச் செறுவின் உழாஅது செய்த
    வெண் கல் உப்பின் கொள்ளை சாற்றி,
    என்றூழ் விடர குன்றம் போகும்
    கதழ் கோல் உமணர் காதல் மடமகள்
    சில் கோல் எல் வளை தெளிர்ப்ப வீசி,
    ‘நெல்லின் நேரே வெண் கல் உப்பு’ எனச்
    சேரி விலைமாறு கூறலின், மனைய
    விளி அறி ஞமலி குரைப்ப, வெரீஇய
    மதர் கயல் மலைப்பின் அன்ன கண் எமக்கு,
    இதை முயல் புனவன் புகைநிழல் கடுக்கும்
    மா மூதள்ளல் அழுந்திய சாகாட்டு
    எவ்வம் தீர வாங்கும் தந்தை
    கை பூண் பகட்டின் வருந்தி,
    வெய்ய உயிர்க்கும் நோய் ஆகின்றே.

    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’s rebuke about the man’s unbalanced behaviour:

    “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!”

    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’s the salt merchant’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’s father!

    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’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!
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    5 min
  • Aganaanooru 139 – Rains are here and he isn’t

    Aganaanooru 139 – Rains are here and he isn’t
    Dec 4 2025
    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 ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the picturesque changes in the land after the rains. துஞ்சுவது போல இருளி, விண் பகஇமைப்பது போல மின்னி, உறைக்கொண்டுஏறுவது போலப் பாடு சிறந்து உரைஇ,நிலம் நெஞ்சு உட்க ஓவாது சிலைத்து ஆங்கு,ஆர் தளி பொழிந்த வார் பெயற் கடை நாள்;ஈன்று நாள் உலந்த வாலா வெண் மழைவான் தோய் உயர் வரை ஆடும் வைகறை,புதல் ஒளி சிறந்த காண்பு இன் காலை,தண் நறும் படுநீர் மாந்தி, பதவு அருந்துவெண் புறக்கு உடைய திரிமருப்பு இரலை;வார் மணல் ஒரு சிறைப் பிடவு அவிழ் கொழு நிழல்,காமர் துணையொடு ஏமுற வதிய;அரக்கு நிற உருவின் ஈயல் மூதாய்பரப்பியவைபோற் பாஅய், பல உடன்நீர் வார் மருங்கின் ஈரணி திகழ;இன்னும் வாரார் ஆயின் நன்னுதல்!யாதுகொல் மற்றுஅவர் நிலையே? காதலர்கருவிக் கார்இடி இரீஇயபருவம் அன்று, அவர், ‘வருதும்’ என்றதுவே. 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: “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!” 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’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. 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’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 – 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 ...
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    6 min
  • Aganaanooru 138 – A case of mistaken conclusions

    Aganaanooru 138 – A case of mistaken conclusions
    Dec 3 2025
    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 ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and etches a scene from a ritual of worship. இகுளை! கேட்டிசின், காதல் அம் தோழி!குவளை உண்கண் தெண் பனி மல்க,வறிது யான் வருந்திய செல்லற்கு அன்னைபிறிது ஒன்று கடுத்தனள்ஆகி வேம்பின்வெறி கொள் பாசிலை நீலமொடு சூடி,உடலுநர்க் கடந்த கடல் அம் தானை,திருந்துஇலை நெடு வேற் தென்னவன் பொதியில்,அருஞ் சிமை இழிதரும் ஆர்த்து வரல் அருவியின்ததும்பு சீர் இன் இயம் கறங்க, கைதொழுது,உரு கெழு சிறப்பின் முருகு மனைத் தரீஇ,கடம்பும் களிறும் பாடி, நுடங்குபுதோடும் தொடலையும் கைக்கொண்டு, அல்கலும்ஆடினர் ஆதல் நன்றோ? நீடுநின்னொடு தெளித்த நல் மலை நாடன்குறி வரல் அரைநாட் குன்றத்து உச்சி,நெறி கெட வீழ்ந்த துன் அருங் கூர் இருள்,திரு மணி உமிழ்ந்த நாகம் காந்தட்கொழு மடற் புதுப் பூ ஊதும் தும்பிநல் நிறம் மருளும் அரு விடர்இன்னா நீள் இடை நினையும், என் நெஞ்சே. It’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’s in earshot: “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!” Let’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 ‘God Murugu’ in some way and so to appease him, she arranges for the ‘Veri’ ritual. In this ritual, there’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’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? Why the lady asks this question is because she’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 ...
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    6 min