Kalithogai 97 – On parading an elephant

Sangam Lit

In this episode, we perceive a scoffing retort, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 97, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and connects the characteristics of a woman and an elephant.

தலைவி
அன்னை கடுஞ் சொல் அறியாதாய் போல, நீ
என்னைப் புலப்பது ஒறுக்குவென்மன் யான்
சிறுகாலை இற் கடை வந்து, ‘குறி செய்த
அவ் வழி என்றும் யான் காணேன் திரிதர,
எவ் வழிப் பட்டாய்?’ சமனாக இவ் எள்ளல்

தலைவன்
முத்து ஏர் முறுவலாய்! நம் வலைப் பட்டது ஓர்
புத்தியானை வந்தது; காண்பான் யான் தங்கினேன்

தலைவி
ஒக்கும்
அவ் யானை வனப்பு உடைத்தாகலும் கேட்டேன்:
அவ் யானை தான் சுண்ண நீறு ஆடி, நறு நறா நீர் உண்டு
ஒள் நுதல் யாத்த திலக அவிர் ஓடை,
தொய்யில் பொறித்த வன முலை வான் கோட்டு,
தொய்யகத் தோட்டி, குழை தாழ் வடி மணி,
உத்தி பொறித்த புனை பூண் பருமத்து
முத்து ஏய்க்கும் வெண் பல் நகை திறந்து,
நல் நகர் வாயில் கதவ வெளில் சார்ந்து,
தன் நலம் காட்டி, தகையினால், கால் தட்டி வீழ்க்கும்,
தொடர் தொடராக வலந்து; படர் செய்யும்
மென் தோள் தடக் கையின் வாங்கி, தற் கண்டார்
நலம் கவளம் கொள்ளும்; நகை முக வேழத்தை
இன்று கண்டாய் போல் எவன் எம்மைப் பொய்ப்பது, நீ?

எல்லா! கெழீஇ, தொடி செறித்த தோள் இணை, தத்தித்
தழீஇக் கொண்டு, ஊர்ந்தாயும் நீ

குழீஇ அவாவினால், தேம்புவார் இற் கடை ஆறா,
உவா அணி ஊர்ந்தாயும் நீ

மிகாஅது சீர்ப்பட உண்ட சிறு களி ஏர் உண்கண்
நீர்க்கு விட்டு, ஊர்ந்தாயும் நீ

சார்ச்சார் நெறி தாழ் இருங் கூந்தல் நின் பெண்டிர் எல்லாம்
சிறு பாகராகச் சிரற்றாது, மெல்ல,
விடாஅது நீ எம் இல் வந்தாய்; அவ் யானை
கடாஅம் படும்; இடத்து ஓம்பு.

The comparison series continues! The words can be translated as follows:

“Lady:
In the early hours of dawn, she came here and said, ‘I did not see him anywhere near the trysting spot. I have roamed everywhere, where is he?’. Acting as if you know not these harsh words spoken to me, you mock and disrespect me. I lament this state!

Man:
O maiden with a pearl-like smile! Hearing that a new elephant has been caught in our net, to see that, I stayed back!

Lady:
That sounds about right! I too heard that it was an elephant brimming with beauty. That elephant was playing in the heap of aromatic powder, drinking fragrant toddy, wearing a radiant ornament that adorned its shining forehead, having the beautiful tusks of ‘thoyyil’ painted bosoms, and on it, was the ‘thoyakkam’ ornament as its goad, bells hanging low as its ears, and a well-carved golden ornament with a imprinted pendant. That elephant supposedly opened its white teeth, akin to pearls, and leaning on the doors of its fine mansion, displaying its fine beauty, with its esteemed quality, had the ability of making others stumble before it. Continuously swirling around, spreading suffering, bending its trunk of soft arms, it feeds on the ‘rice ball’ beauty of those who behold it. So, why do you lie to me saying you saw that bright-faced elephant just today?

My dear! Holding on to her bangle-clad arms and embracing her, didn’t you ride her aplenty?

Spreading ceaseless distress in those who are filled with love for you, in front of their doors, didn’t you parade her aplenty?

Making the kohl-streaked eyes of maiden, who have drunk just a little toddy within limits, cry a little, didn’t you ride her aplenty?

Without enraging the maiden with low-hanging, dark tresses in many, many abodes, for whom you are the little mahout, you have come silently to my home. That elephant of yours may start rutting in rage. So, go on and appease it!”

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. Here, the man and lady converse with each other, with the lady’s emotions taking the forefront. The lady talks about how a courtesan had visited the lady’s home and declared that the man had not appeared at the marked trysting spot and had asked the lady where he was, speaking harsh words. The lady accuses the man of not caring about the distressing situation the lady was in. To these angry words, the man says that he had been away, tending to a new elephant that had been caught. Hearing this, the lady launches into a tirade, mentioning how she knows all about that beautiful elephant, and goes on to place in parallel, the features of an elephant and the adornments of a courtesan. An excellent exercise in imagination where the lady rethinks the ears of the elephant as the hanging earrings on the courtesan, tusk as the bosom, trunk as the arms and so on. She extends the metaphor saying the elephant had the prowess to make people stumble before it, and equates the ‘rice ball’ food of the elephant to the beauty and joy of those who behold its beauty. She asks the man not to fool her saying he had just met with the elephant, for she knows that the man had been with her for a while, and that he has caused pain in others by parading her, made the eyes of others who cry, not because of their excess toddy, but because of the pain the man inflicted by his courting with this courtesan. The lady concludes by saying how he has sneaked off to the lady’s home silently, and that elephant might learn of his act and become furious, and so, the man must leave her and go calm his darling elephant!

Yet again, we perceive the sarcasm in the lady’s reply. A verse which made me muse on how the proverbial ‘elephant in the room’ ever present in the life of a Sangam man from the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ is always the other woman, a courtesan vying for the man’s attention, of whom the man doesn’t want to talk about and the lady can’t stop talking about!