Kurunthokai

     In William Dalrymple's "Nine Lives" (if you haven't read the book yet, please do so NOW!), I came across a Tamil poem translated by A.K. Ramanujan (The Interior Landscape: Love Poems from a Classical Tamil Anthology, Ontario, 1975). Here it is:

Her arms have the beauty
Of a gently moving bamboo.
Her eyes are full of peace.
She is faraway,
Her place not easy to reach.
My heart is frantic
With haste.
A ploughman with a single ox
On land all wet
And ready for seed.


     After a little online trawling, this is what I found...

     Ettuthokai (Eight Anthologies) dated anywhere between 600 AD to 1200 AD are a collection of poems dealing with both Akam (Private life) and Puram (Public life). The poems were composed by many poets and annotated into anthologies. Kurunthokai is the second book of the anthology and deals with Akam. It consists of 401 poems loosely woven together to form a story of love, separation and longing.

     By the way, the "Interior Landscape" is not what you would think :-). In Classical Tamil poetry (especially in those dealing with love), description of the landscape was woven into poems to convey the many moods of the lovers. For example, mountains, water falls, winter months (the only pleasant season in Tamil Nadu even 2000 years back, I guess) and kurinji flowers form the backdrop for a lover's union. Forests, rivers, late summers and jasmine form the backdrop for the heroine patiently waiting for her lover to return from battle. When the lovers are separated and there is no hope of union, the landscape is seashore, salt water and water lily. When the hero goes on a dangerous mission from which he may never return, the background is parched desert, cactus and the dry summer season. Arguments between couples are depicted along with ponds (maybe because the water is stagnant), plains and valleys and (for some strange reason) mangoes and water buffaloes. Maybe the other party in the argument begins to look like a clumsy buffalo. And another interesting point, no season is assigned for arguments between couples. The poets must have noted that they happen irrespective of the time of the year. :-)


Here are a few of the other Kurunthokai poems I liked...

Poem# 132

She is always eager to embrace,
Her softly blossoming breasts and long tresses
kindle my desire.

How could I bring myself
to forget her?
The dusky maiden looks at me with shy longing. 
Like a new born calf raising his trembling head
to search for his mother whose milk he seeks.




Poem# 101

The weight of this entire earth filled with great oceans and rolling waves
And the next world which few could hope to reach, put together,
Cannot compare with the delight I feel 
When I lay in the arms of my girl with golden skin,
kohl-lined eyes like lotus blossoms
And slender thighs freckled with beauty spots.




Poem# 119

Just as the young offspring
of the small white snake
with its pretty stripes
can wound a wild elephant,
this petite girl
with bright milky teeth
and arms laden with bangles
has wounded me.




Poem# 54

He has gone - and I am alone -
my Lord of the hill country
where a wild elephant,
startled by the whistling of stones
from the slings of watchmen
in the millet fields,
releases a green bamboo stem
so that it springs back
like a fisherman's rod landing a catch.
And with him has gone
all that I am worth as a woman.




Poem# 62

Like an exquisite, skilfully wrought garland
of white kantal flowers
and bright green buds of jasmine, yet to unfold,
interspersed with fragrant petals of blue water lilies
is my sweet one's fragrant body,
more delicate than a mango tree's tender shoots
and more delightful yet to embrace.




Poem# 116

My love has made for her
a dwelling-place in my heart.
Her tresses, besieged by honey-bees,
are like long ripples
in the fine dark sand
on the broad shores of Urantai
where the rich Chola Kings
make their dwelling place,
so sleek, fresh and so fragrant.




Poem# 168

Her dusky body
is fresh and fragrant,
like a green basket –
woven from the tender young leaves
and filled with the plump rain-drenched buds,
which, in the early morning,
burst open and scatter
under the monsoon's heavy downpour.
Her shoulders, slender as bamboo,
glide like a boat on the water.
I can neither embrace them
nor be separated from them.
And were I to depart from here,
to live at all
would be equally impossible.




And the most famous Sembula Peyaneer (Red Earth and Rain):


Poem# 40

What could my mother be
to yours? What kin is my father
to yours anyway? And how
did you and I meet ever?
But in love our hearts are as red
earth and pouring rain:
mingled
beyond parting.

Who wrote Thirukkural?

Thirukkural, a classic of tamil literature. is a collection of couplets. 1330 of them, in fact. "Kural" means a short verse and "Thiru" is a prefix used to denote respect. The text is divided into three chapters, The first deals with individual character, the second deals with character becoming of a person in public life and the third deals with private life within the family.

We know very little about the exact date when the text was composed. Historians believe the text to have been written anytime between the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD, more commonly referred to as the "Sangam" period (the Golden Age of Tamil literature). We know even less about the authorship of the text. We do not know who wrote it or even if it was composed by just one individual.

In present day Tamil Nadu, if you stop anyone walking down the street and ask who wrote Thirukkural, the reply will be "Thiruvalluvar". This is the general belief and this notion is propogated through the education system. Many legends have sprung around this belief, encouraged by the Dravidian movement in the 20th century. However, there is no evidence to suggest someone called Thiruvalluvar existed or that he wrote the text. The image of Thiruvalluvar as a venerable bearded old man sitting cross legged with palm leaf manuscripts in his hand is an artist's imagination created during the latter half of the 20th century.

There are many versions as to who could be the author. Some suggest that such an exhaustive work consisting of 1330 perfectly worded couplets about subjects ranging from ruling a kingdom, giving alms, spying, agriculture, education and making love could not have been composed by one individual. While the first two chapters could be written by either a man or a woman, some couplets in the third chapter, dealing with intimate relationships are written from a woman's perspective. Example:

Kural 1186:
விளக்கற்றம் பார்க்கும் இருளேபோல் கொண்கன்
முயக்கற்றம் பார்க்கும் பசப்பு.

Explanation:

(A woman in love laments)

As darkness waits for the lamp to be extinguished,
Weakness threatens to engulf me as soon as I am out of his embrace.


In Indian poetry, it is not unusual for men to write from a woman's prespective. This is quite prevalent in religious poetry where the male poet imagines himself to a woman in love with the male deity (notably Shiva or Krishna, the former known for his sexual prowess culminating in millennia long love making with his wife Parvati and the latter being a charming ladies man.)

Anyway, getting back to the topic :), in Thirukkural, the love and longing is not directed towards any deity. It is for, by all accounts, a normal man to whom the lady has lost her heart. So were some couplets composed by women poets?

As we know, during the Sangam period, women poets contributed to Tamil literature and poetry. Most notably, Avvaiyar. "Sangam" means "confluence" or "assembly". The Tamil Sangams were, quite literally, assemblies were poets gathered. And some of them were definitely bound to be women. Is it possible that, given that the Thirukkural covers almost every aspect of private, social and public life, many poets (both men and women) contributed? And the best verses were chosen and compiled into what is today known as Thirukkural?

Assuming various men & women contributed to making Thirukkural what it is, why is that such an intriguing thought? Because, in that case, the credit for composing such a timeless classic does not rest with one venerated individual (with magical powers, if some legends are to be believed) but with an entire society consisting of ordinary men and women who could create verses that are as true today as they were a thousand years ago.

And for what makes Thirukkural so special (beyond what was taught to us at school, of course)...my next post....

What is anichcham?

          Anichcham is a mythological flower mentioned in ancient Tamil literature. It is supposed to be so delicate that it withers even when smelled. I came across it in Thirukkural.
          I shall explain more about Thirukkural in my next post... This post is for all of you who learnt Thirukkural in school and didn't follow up on what was NOT taught. :)
          Here is a selection of my favourite kurals about love & longing. Thirukkural has an entire section titled "Kamathupaal" - quite literally the book of desire. Classical Tamil poetry, like its temple sculptures, is subtly sensuous. Very rarely is it in-your-face erotic. Here are a few of my favourites, they range from tender to passionate, mischievous to heart-broken. Straightforward literal translations simply do not convey the beauty of the kurals, so I'm just providing an explanation in English for each kural. 

Kural 1091:
இருநோக்கு இவளுண்கண் உள்ளது ஒருநோக்கு
நோய்நோக்கொன் றந்நோய் மருந்து.

Her two liquid eyes affect me in two very different ways.

The glance of one eye afflicts me with pain,
While the glance of the other eye provides the cure. 

Kural 1094:

யான்நோக்கும் காலை நிலன்நோக்கும் நோக்காக்கால்
தான்நோக்கி மெல்ல நகும்.

When I look at her, she timidly bends her head and looks at the ground,

But when she thinks I am not looking at her, she steals a glance at me and smiles softly to herself.

Kural 1104:

நீங்கின் தெறூஉம் குறுகுங்கால் தண்ணென்னும்
தீயாண்டுப் பெற்றாள் இவள்.

How is she able to contain this wondrous fire within herself?

It burns me when I withdraw from her,

But soothes me when I embrace her.

Kural 1110:

அறிதோறு அறியாமை கண்டற்றால் காமம்
செறிதோறும் சேயிழை மாட்டு.

The more one learns, the more one realizes the gaps in his knowledge.

The more I get to know her, the more I thirst to understand the depths of her secret soul.

Kural 1113:

முறிமேனி முத்தம் முறுவல் வெறிநாற்றம்
வேலுண்கண் வேய்த்தோ ளவட்கு.

Her shoulders are as delicate as a bamboo shoot

Her body is just ripe and her complexion, pure

Her fragrance is intoxicating and her teeth look like pearls.

Her sharp eyes, however, cut through me like a lance!

Kural 1121:

பாலொடு தேன்கலந் தற்றே பணிமொழி
வாலெயிறு ஊறிய நீர்.

While her voice is soft and musical,

Her wet mouth tastes sweeter than a mixture of milk and honey!

Kural 1134:

காமக் கடும்புனல் உய்க்கும் நாணொடு
நல்லாண்மை என்னும் புணை.

A man's self-control and a woman's modesty are but flimsy rafts in the sea of love. They do not stand a chance when the storm of desire approaches.

Kural 1171:

கண்தாம் கலுழ்வ தெவன்கொலோ தண்டாநோய்
தாம்காட்ட யாம்கண் டது.

These eyes that caused me to fall in love and experience such pain,

Now why do they weep with longing?

Kural 1218:

துஞ்சுங்கால் தோள்மேலர் ஆகி விழிக்குங்கால்
நெஞ்சத்தர் ஆவர் விரைந்து.

When I am asleep, I dream that he is resting his head on my shoulder,

And when I wake up, he slithers down into my heart.

Kural 1226:

மாலைநோய் செய்தல் மணந்தார் அகலாத
காலை அறிந்த திலேன்.

Now that I have experienced separation from my beloved,

I understand what cruel pangs the twilight hour is capable of afflicting.

Kural 1273:

மணியில் திகழ்தரு நூல்போல் மடந்தை
அணியில் திகழ்வதொன்று உண்டு.

Like the unseen thread holding together a string of pearls,

There is a secret in her beauty that is playing hide-n-seek with me. 

Kural 1280:

பெண்ணினால் பெண்மை உடைத்தென்ப கண்ணினால்
காமநோய் சொல்லி இரவு.

Never is her femininity more pronounced

Than when her eyes are unafraid to show the lust and longing plaguing her. 

Kural 1274:

முகைமொக்குள் உள்ளது நாற்றம்போல் பேதை
நகைமொக்குள் உள்ளதொன் றுண்டு.

Like the fragrance hiding inside a bud yet to blossom,

A secret is hiding within her close-lipped smile

Kural 1290:

கண்ணின் துனித்தே கலங்கினாள் புல்லுதல்
என்னினும் தான்விதுப் புற்று.

Her eyes shone with anger,

But when we made love, her passion exceeded mine.

Kural 1293:

கெட்டார்க்கு நட்டார்இல் என்பதோ நெஞ்சேநீ
பெட்டாங்கு அவர்பின் செலல்.

It is true that the despairing are abandoned by those around them.

Why else would my heart leave me in this pitiable state and follow him?

Sometimes

My mind is fighting a solitary battle

To keep on a leash...
A beast which, like the Devil himself, 
Can take on any form it fancies.

Sometimes a treacherous monkey,

Sometimes a regal lioness,

Sometimes a soaring eagle

Sometimes a pig wallowing in its own mess.

All this and more can my heart be....

But what it refuses to become...
is human again.

To all my friends

You stretch forth your fingers...
To wipe away my tears...
And I flinch from your touch.

I can read the question in your eyes...
"Doesn't she want a helping hand?"
But, the answer, hidden behind a cloud of tears...
is...
On a wound inflamed,
Even the gentlest caress is painful.

Drinking in "Hot Tea across India"

          Caught between managing a circus at work and coming home to an overflowing kitchen sink, reruns of 1990s sitcoms and instant noodles.... the title "Hot Tea across India" felt soothing and exhilarating all at once. The book had been gifting to me earlier in the day by someone who sympathized with my yearning for adventure which cannot quite compete with my inability to get off my fat ass and do something about it... the yearning, that is... not the fat ass. The latter being a family inheritance.

          Those of you who have read "Catcher in the Rye"... remember when Holden says that after reading some books, he just feels like calling up the author and having a chat? Well, that is exactly how I felt about the author of "Hot Tea across India", Rishad Saam Mehta. His down to earth prose and sense of humour make you forget you are reading about the experiences of someone you don't know... in fact, it easy to imagine he is your buddy regaling you with his crazy adventures over a beer. 

         The objective of the book seems to be simple: to narrate the adventures of the author in a straightforward, witty manner. So you will not find words like schadenfreude or strudel... which can cause those brought up on a rich diet of magic realism and literary sauerbraten to balk at the simplicity of the prose. However, that is one of the many charms about this book... it does not take itself too seriously. And a word about the cover design: Charming!

         This book deserves a reader who is willing to hop onto Rishad's Royal Enfield while he takes you zipping across India. Don't expect any continuity between the chapters. The story line, like the narrator's adventures, follows no fixed pattern. Dive headlong into this book and find yourself sharing dinner with a Kashmiri shepherd, having a run-in with the J&K police, buying tea for a penniless sadhu in Rajasthan, scouting for "authentic" dhabas in the Grand Trunk Road, getting fooled by wily wild asses in Kutch or finding out just how seriously they take bandhs in God's Own Country. And you will find the hot cup of tea tagging along with you on the journey... unobtrusive and comforting. The book does not dwell too much on the history of tea, the different varieties available or the geography of the tea growing regions in India. But anyone who has found comfort and warmth in a cup of hot tea on a cold morning far from home can relate to Rishad's fondness for the beverage. In this book, tea is taken for granted, like mom's cooking. And just as coming home is not the same without mom's food... travelling across India is just not the same without the hot, sweet, milky tea energizing you along the way.

         "Hot Tea across India" is a great book for armchair travellers as well as those who need the little nudge to go and find their own adventures. And from personal experience, it could also be a fun, easy to read book to cheer yourself with during a windy Bangalore evening.

          

"Hot Tea across India" - Rishad Saam Mehta

Published by Tranquebar Press

Price:  Rs. 195