region. Similarly if separation of lovers and their sufferings had to be described, the poet would choose a desert landscape as the background of his description of the human emotions of sorrow and sadness at the parting of lovers. If he had to write of an emotion of painful recollection and anxiety felt by a woman whose lover has gone on a far-away journey, he would choose the pasture lands and the evening sun, and the birds repairing to their nests, and the herds to their folds, as Nature's sympathetic scenes to form the background of his reflections on human emotions related to the phase of love attributed conventionally to the pasture lands. Attempts have been made to justify the choice of a particular region as corresponding to a particular aspect of the emotional life of people. One might find a certain correspondence or harmony between the sadness of scenes attending the sunset and the sadness within the hearts of separated lovers. One might find a certain correspondence between the sufferings of lovers and the bleakness of the desert. It is, however, not very easy to justify the choice of all the regions and seasons and their correspondence to the themes of love with which they are related. What seems remarkable is that geographical and physiographical conditions should have been so clearly classified and prescribed for the writing of poetry concerning human behaviour. Because a detailed study of landscape was enjoined on the poet, the descriptions of Nature and the true-to-life accuracy of simile are very noticeable. The hardness of the stems of trees, the heaviness to the touch of lotus leaves, the colours and shapes of fruits and flowers are dealt with in a very naturalistic mood, so much so that one is reminded of Greek severity or the still-life paintings of Rembrandt and Dürer.

To give but one example, there is the flower gloriosa superba which is frequently mentioned as blossoming on hills or pasture lands after rain. It is a most colourful flower, and is known in Malay as bunga bendera selangor and in Chinese as fo shou. These flowers most often are compared to two hands of a maiden joined in prayer. Sometimes they are spoken of as the lights which Nature sets up at sunset, or as the broken pieces of spiralled bangles. Its leaves which seem to grow at awkward angles are like the irregular walk of a drunkard.

In worship there was unlimited use of flowers and symbolism drawn from trees. Each god, and even each temple, had its sacred tree. Red flowers were used for the worship of Murukan, and white flowers for the worship of śiva, and Tirumaal himself is of the colour of the cloud, and of the dark blue sea. The jasmine is spoken of as the symbol of chastity and marital fidelity.