Kalithogai 90 – Truly seen or dream scene

Sangam Lit

In this episode, we observe the trajectory of a conflict, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 90, penned by Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. The verse is situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and etches a tale of denial and acceptance.

தலைவி
கண்டேன், நின் மாயம் களவு ஆதல்; பொய்ந் நகா,
மண்டாத சொல்லித் தொடாஅல்; தொடீஇய நின்
பெண்டிர் உளர்மன்னோ ஈங்கு?

தலைவன்
ஒண்தொடி! நீ கண்டது எவனோ தவறு?

தலைவி
கண்டது நோயும் வடுவும் கரந்து, மகிழ் செருக்கி,
பாடு பெயல் நின்ற பானாள் இரவில்
தொடி பொலி தோளும், முலையும், கதுப்பும்,
வடிவு ஆர் குழையும், இழையும், பொறையா
ஒடிவது போலும் நுசுப்போடு, அடி தளரா,
ஆராக் கவவின் ஒருத்தி வந்து அல்கல் தன்
சீர் ஆர் ஞெகிழம் சிலம்ப, சிவந்து, நின்
போர் ஆர் கதவம் மிதித்தது அமையுமோ?
ஆயிழை ஆர்க்கும் ஒலி கேளா, அவ் எதிர்
தாழாது எழுந்து நீ சென்றது அமையுமோ?
மாறாள் சினைஇ, அவள் ஆங்கே, நின் மார்பில்
நாறு இணர்ப் பைந் தார் பரிந்தது அமையுமோ?
‘தேறு நீ; தீயேன் அலேன்’ என்று மற்று அவள்
சீறடி தோயா இறுத்தது அமையுமோ?
கூறு இனி; காயேமோ யாம்?

தலைவன்
தேறின், பிறவும் தவறு இலேன் யான்;
அல்கல் கனவுகொல் நீ கண்டது?

தலைவி
‘கனை பெயல் தண் துளி வீசும் பொழுதில் குறி வந்தாள்
கண்ட கனவு’ என, காணாது, மாறு உற்று
பண்டைய அல்ல, நின் பொய்ச் சூள், நினக்கு; எல்லா!
நின்றாய்; நின் புக்கில் பல

தலைவன்
மென் தோளாய்! நல்கு, நின் நல் எழில் உண்கு

தலைவி
ஏடா! குறை உற்று நீ எம் உரையல்! நின் தீமை
பொறை ஆற்றேம் என்றல் பெறுதுமோ, யாழ
நிறை ஆற்றா நெஞ்சு உடையேம்?

Another conversation between the man and the lady with added elements in this one! The words can be translated as follows:

“Lady
I have seen the secret relationship that you have been trying to hide! So, do not speak lies and do not touch me, saying odious words! Don’t you have many other women to embrace?

Man:
O maiden wearing shining bangles! What fault do you see in me?

Lady:
What I saw was this: Hiding the affliction within and the slander that arose, outwardly pretending to be happy, one night, when it was pouring heavily, bangles shining on her hands, as her bosom, tresses, and beautiful heavy earrings and many other jewels weighed her down, and a thin waist that appeared as if might break, with a delicate walk, desiring your endless embraces, a woman came here. With her exquisite anklets resounding and her feet reddening, didn’t she stand there, kicking your sturdy doors? Isn’t that enough? Hearing the sounds made by that maiden wearing well-etched jewels, didn’t you immediately rise and go to her, without any delay? Isn’t that enough? Just then, didn’t that strange woman, with much fury, tear apart the fragrant clusters of the fresh garland on your chest? Isn’t that enough? Didn’t you say to her ‘Don’t be angry. I have done no wrong’, clasping her small feet so tightly? Isn’t that enough? Pray tell whether I should be angry about all this or not!

Man:
If you think well, I have done no wrong. Perhaps, it was a dream that you saw that night!

Lady:
Saying, ‘In that time when there was a heavy down pour as cool drops scattered, the scene of the woman arriving here was a dream you had’, you hide what happened in the past and swear false oaths to me. Do not stand here. There are many houses that you can go to!

Man:
O maiden with soft arms! Please render me your grace for me to relish!

Lady:
Hey! Do not try to beseech me with such a plea! How can I ever remain firmly saying, ‘I cannot accept your wrongdoing’, when my heart refuses to stand strong with me?”

Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of a love quarrel between a man and a lady, owing to the man’s seeking of courtesans. These words depict a conversation between the man and the lady. As what has become custom in these past few verses, the lady opens by asking the man not to touch her, speaking lies for she knows all about his secret relationship. The man questions so innocently asking what fault she found in him. Then the lady goes into a long tale of how one night, during a heavy downpour that too, a courtesan, adorned with many jewels and filled with desire, came to the man’s home and kicked his door, and how the man rushed to her side hearing the noise, and how that woman tore his garland in anger, and then, how the man fell down and hugging her feet, declaring he had done no wrong. Quite a drama, the lady narrates, and she asks the man if she shouldn’t be angry about such a thing. To this, the man replies, ‘You should consider it carefully. Maybe what you think you saw was a dream!’. The lady replies in anger that he was trying to hide the past saying it was a dream and asks him to leave to the houses of those courtesans. Then the man humbles himself so and with much pleading asks the lady to forget all this and render her love. Maybe it’s time for the curtain to fall or maybe the lady realises the futility of the situation that she tells him, ‘Don’t look at me with such sadness and beg to me’ and concludes saying that no matter how much she wants to say no to him and keep away, the cursed heart of hers wouldn’t let her be so! The highlight of this verse is in how the man questions the lady’s reality by saying it could be a dream. And this made me ponder on the wonder of human perception, asking ‘What do we see? How do we see what we see? How do others see what we saw? What is the ultimate truth or does something like that even exist?’