Kalithogai 84 – The one at fault

Sangam Lit

In this episode, we perceive the lady’s ire, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 84, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and sketches the inferences in the lady’s mind about the intentions of courtesans.

தலைவி தோழியை வினாவுதல்
உறு வளி தூக்கும் உயர் சினை மாவின்
நறு வடி ஆர் இற்றவை போல் அழிய,
கரந்து யான் அரக்கவும், கை நில்லா வீங்கிச்
சுரந்த என் மெல் முலைப் பால் பழுதாக நீ
நல் வாயில் போத்தந்த பொழுதினான், ‘எல்லா!
கடவுட் கடி நகர்தோறும் இவனை
வலம் கொளீஇ வா’ என, சென்றாய் விலங்கினை
ஈரம் இலாத இவன் தந்தை பெண்டிருள்
யார் இல் தவிர்ந்தனை? கூறு

தோழி
நீருள் அடை மறை ஆய் இதழ்ப் போதுபோல் கொண்ட
குடைநிழல் தோன்றும் நின் செம்மலைக் காணூஉ,
‘இவன் மன்ற யான் நோவ உள்ளம் கொண்டு, உள்ளா
மகன் அல்லான் பெற்ற மகன்’ என்று அகல்நகர்
வாயில் வரை இறந்து போத்தந்து, தாயர்
தெருவில் தவிர்ப்பத் தவிர்ந்தனன்; மற்று, அவர்
தம்தம் கலங்களுள், ‘கையுறை’ என்று இவற்கு,
ஒத்தவை ஆராய்ந்து, அணிந்தார்…..

தலைவி
…………………………………………. ‘பிறன் பெண்டிர்
ஈத்தவை கொள்வானாம், இஃது ஒத்தன்; சீத்தை,
செறு தக்கான் மன்ற பெரிது’

தலைவி புதல்வனொடு புலந்து உரைத்தல்
சிறு பட்டி; ஏதிலார் கை, எம்மை எள்ளுபு நீ தொட்ட,
மோதிரம் யாவோ? யாம் காண்கு
அவற்றுள் நறா இதழ் கண்டன்ன செவ் விரற்கு ஏற்பச்
சுறா ஏறு எழுதிய மோதிரம் தொட்டாள்
குறி அறிந்தேன்; ‘காமன் கொடி எழுதி, என்றும்
செறியாப் பரத்தை இவன் தந்தை மார்பில்
பொறி ஒற்றிக்கொண்டு ஆள்வல்’ என்பது தன்னை
அறீஇய செய்த வினை

அன்னையோ? இஃது ஒன்று
முந்தைய கண்டும், எழுகல்லாத என் முன்னர்,
வெந்த புண் வேல் எறிந்தற்றா, இஃது ஒன்று
தந்தை இறைத் தொடி மற்று இவன் தன் கைக்கண்
தந்தார் யார், எல்லாஅ! இது?
‘இஃது ஒன்று என் ஒத்துக் காண்க, பிறரும் இவற்கு’ என்னும்
தன் நலம் பாடுவி, தந்தாளா நின்னை,
‘இது தொடுக’ என்றவர் யார்

தலைவி தன் நெஞ்சு அழிந்து கூறுதல்
அஞ்சாதி; நீயும் தவறிலை; நின் கை இது தந்த
பூ எழில் உண்கண் அவளும் தவறிலள்;
வேனிற் புனல் அன்ன நுந்தையை நோவார் யார்?
மேல் நின்றும் எள்ளி, இது இவன் கைத் தந்தாள்
தான் யாரோ? என்று வினவிய நோய்ப்பாலேன்
யானே தவறுடையேன்!

Yet another song in the same scenario of the lady waiting for her son to return home. The words can be translated as follows:

“Lady to her Confidante:
When a strong wind attacks a fragrant tender green mango on a high branch, straining its twig, the fruit’s milk spills over. Akin to that, even when I tried to rub it away and hide it, beyond the control of my hands, my breasts swelled up and the milk flowed down in waste. That’s the state you had left me in. When you parted away from our gates, I told you, ‘Dear! Take him for a round around the temples of gods and be back’. But you failed to do just that! Among the women that his compassionless father courts, whose house did you stay back in, for so long? Please tell me.

Confidante’s Response:
Akin to a pretty flower filled with pollen that is hidden by leaves in the water, under the shade of an umbrella, walked your esteemed son. Seeing him, saying ‘He is the son borne by the thoughtless man, who stole away our hearts and cares not about us anymore’, they came out of the gates of their huge houses. As these mothers stopped him, he was unable to walk away, and they too, selecting the right ornament, made him wear it, saying it was their gift to him!

Lady’s exclamation:
How can he accept the offerings of those other women? What thoughtlessness! He deserves my anger greatly!

Lady’s words to her son:
You little devil! Where is the ring that a stranger’s hand gave, so as to mock me? Show me! Suiting those red fingers, appearing akin to the petals of the lavanga flowers, is this ring in the shape of a shark that she has given you. I understand the message that she has sent through this! She means to say, ’Through this symbol etched on the flag of the God of love, I declare that it’s me who will reside in the heart of the lord and reign there forever’. This is the thought that she wants me to know!

Are you such a person to bring this to me? After seeing this and when I haven’t still recovered, akin to throwing a spear on a sore wound, I see the bangle that usually dangles on father’s wrist, now on his arm. Who gave it, my dear? Saying, ‘Let’s see if the desire the man feels for me, he could ever see in others’, singing the praises of her own beauty, did she give it to you, asking you to take it?

Lady’s lament:
Don’t be scared. You are not at fault! She, with kohl-streaked, flower-like eyes, who gave it in your hands, is not at fault either! As for your father, who is akin to a stream in spring, who can even blame him? The only one at fault, is the one who asked ‘Who is the one who stood above mocking and then gave this in the boy’s hands?’ – That would be me!”

Time to delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a love quarrel between the man and the lady, owing to the man’s seeking of courtesans. These words are a conversation between the lady and confidante, predominantly in the voice of the lady. She starts as in the case of these previous verses talking about how the confidante had delayed returning home, after leaving with the boy for some temple visits around. The lady, being a breastfeeding mother, suffered much, owing to her breasts swelling up and flowing with milk akin to the secretion from a tender mango fruit hanging in a high branch, when a strong wind shakes it. The lady asks the confidante to whose house she had taken her son.

The confidante relates how seeing the boy in the streets, the man’s courtesans had come out of their houses, declaring this is the son of the man who never thought of them. Though angry with the father, they showered gifts many on the boy. Hearing this, the lady gets mad asking how the boy can accept these gifts from those strangers. Looking at a ring in the shape of a shark, she decides the courtesan who gave it to the boy wants to say that she is the one, who rules in the heart of the man forever, because the symbol is the one on the flag of the god of love. Next, she talks about how she’s not even recovered from that attack, when like a spear thrown on a sore wound, she spots a bangle that usually is found on the father’s wrist. This makes her so angry because she infers that the courtesan had sent it through the boy to tell the lady the man thought her so special to give her his own bangle.

After her shouts and laments in this manner, seeing that her son had gotten a little scared, she calms him asking him not to worry, and concludes saying the boy is not at fault. Neither is the courtesan who gave those things to him. Likewise, who can ever stay mad at the boy’s father, she says. So, the only one at fault is her, who asked such question to the boy, the lady concludes. The final statement echoes the helplessness the lady feels in this moment of betrayal. A fine point is that even though those courtesans lament that the man does not think of them, the lady thinks they are so fine and happy. What we can infer is none of the women find any happiness in this farmlands landscape, where the man roves like a bee from one woman to another, living a life of pleasure without consequences!