Aganaanooru 82 – Why am I the only one?

In this episode, we delight in musical sounds many, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 82, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated amidst the bee-buzzing cascades of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and reveals the hidden emotions of a lady.

ஆடு அமைக் குயின்ற அவிர் துளை மருங்கின்
கோடை அவ் வளி குழலிசை ஆக,
பாடு இன் அருவிப் பனி நீர் இன் இசை
தோடு அமை முழவின் துதை குரல் ஆக,
கணக் கலை இகுக்கும் கடுங் குரற் தூம்பொடு,
மலைப் பூஞ் சாரல் வண்டு யாழ் ஆக,
இன் பல் இமிழ் இசை கேட்டு, கலி சிறந்து,
மந்தி நல் அவை மருள்வன நோக்க,
கழை வளர் அடுக்கத்து, இயலி ஆடு மயில்
நனவுப் புகு விறலியின் தோன்றும் நாடன்
உருவ வல் விற் பற்றி, அம்பு தெரிந்து,
செருச் செய் யானை செல் நெறி வினாஅய்,
புலர் குரல் ஏனற் புழையுடை ஒரு சிறை,
மலர் தார் மார்பன், நின்றோற் கண்டோர்
பலர்தில், வாழி தோழி! அவருள்,
ஆர் இருட் கங்குல் அணையொடு பொருந்தி,
ஓர் யான் ஆகுவது எவன்கொல்,
நீர் வார் கண்ணொடு, நெகிழ் தோளேனே?

In this picturesque trip to the mountains, we find ourselves in the presence of the lady, sharing these words to her confidante:

“The beautiful summer breeze that flows within the holes of the swaying bamboos turns into the music of flutes; The sweet sounds of the resounding cascades, flowing with cool water, turns into the dense music of a variety of drums; The grunts of male deers turn into the sharp music of the ‘thoombu’ horns; The buzzing of bees, amidst the mountain blooms, turn into the music of lutes; As monkeys sit around together, looking on with bewilderment, hearing the many notes of such a sweet music, filled with ecstasy, peacocks sway and dance, in the bamboo-filled mountain slopes, appearing akin to dancing maiden, who enter an arena of festivities. Such are the scenes in the mountain domain of the lord. He had come here, holding on to his strong and beautiful bow, and a clutch of arrows, inquiring about the path of the elephant, which he had shot at. Just then, near the entrance of the millet field blooming with thick crop clusters, there were many, who stood and looked at this lord, with a wide chest, garlanded by flowers. Long may you live, my friend! Among all those, how come I am the only one, lying in bed, in the dead dark of the night, with eyes, shedding tears and arms, thinning away?!”

Time to relish a treat for the eyes and ears in this hilly domain! The lady starts by describing how various elements of nature turn into instruments of music. First, it’s the breeze flowing through the holes of bamboos, which turns into flutes; Next, the roaring cascades become the drums; The unique grunts of male deers turn into ‘Thoombu’ horns, and as the last aspect, the buzzing of bees become the music of lutes. When there’s so much music resounding, shouldn’t it be honoured with dance? ‘Indeed yes!’, say the peacocks, and spread out their bright plumes, as the monkeys sit around like the audience. The entire scene has a close resemblance to the performance of ‘dancing maiden’ in a town’s festivities, the lady adds, and connects these as events unfolding in the mountain country of the lord. Then she goes on to narrate a particular incident involving this lord, as he had come close to their village one day, holding a bow, and inquiring about the path an elephant he had just shot had taken. At that moment, there were many young maiden, who stood and watch him, standing by the side of the millet fields, the lady details, and ends with a question as to how only she was affected by that sight in a such a way, that every night, as she lay in bed, tears poured from her eyes and her arms thinned away!

This is no mere question but a statement of fact about the lady’s love for her man, which she is subtly revealing to her confidante. This is the first step in a series of revelations, by which the lady’s love moves up the ladder from the confidante to the confidante’s mother, and from her, to the lady’s mother, and finally to the lady’s family, hoping for their acceptance of a permanent union between the man and the lady. Beyond these cultural subtleties, the stunning aspect of this verse is the perfect synchrony of music and nature, doubling the healing capabilities of these two superpowers, and offering a visual and auditory treat, the kind that modern audiences witness, when two talented performers create sparks together on the same screen!