If he could forsake the grace and bounty
That come from being ever together-
If his be wisdom, let the wise be wise,
And let folly be ours (Kur. 48), |
she says in a petulant mood, because her lover has gone in search of either wealth or wisdom. The lady is ever the injured party. The betrothed delays the day of the espousal, keeps not his tryst, or even if he does, has to brave so much danger that she is kept constantly anxious. And so anyone who will give her hope of speedy espousal or speedy return of her beloved is always welcome. To a bard who has announced that her lord has been seen on his homeward journey after a long absence, she says: Did you see him, or heard you those that saw him?
One thing I wish to know.
May wealthy Patali 2 on the Soan where bathe white tusked elephants, be yours, O Bard,
If you but will tell me from whose mouth you heard of my lover's return. (Kur. 75) |
Separation is in fact dreaded by both lovers. But the male has cares about which the female of the species is not concerned. Like the Inca kings, each of whom built his own new palace in which to reside, abandoning the palaces of his predecessors, the Tamil hero has to create wealth of his own so that it might be spent in hospitality and helping the needy. It would not do to spend inherited wealth; there was no credit in giving out even for charity what had been inherited. The credit was to create one's own wealth, and spend in beneficence the wealth which had been created by oneself. The man feels the sorrow of parting, but his parting is with a purpose, and, therefore, it is not half as difficult as for the beloved he leaves behind. This separation is intensely felt when, after the secret meetings at midnight, while the heroine is out with her companions wandering in the countryside or keeping watch over the millet fields, the hero has to return to his own home so that these secret meetings may not be found out. But the hero is ever swearing by the gods that be (Kur. 53) that he will not forsake but will soon marry her, and if he should forsake her, may he be so accursed that mendicants come not his way to receive the wealth he has made: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 Patali, capital of Aśoka, was near modern Patna. |