An interesting couple from Thirumalai

Place : Thirumalai (aka Thiruvenkatam)

Time: A spring evening in the distant past

 

A female elephant is standing near a clearing. She has some foliage in her trunk, but doesn’t seem to be too interested in feeding. She has been waiting for someone for quite a while.

About five more minutes pass.

She is about to get back to the herd when she hears frantic footsteps behind her. She turns around to find the one who she has been waiting for – a five ton tusker running in as fast an elephant can. Now let’s hear their conversation.

Female: You said you would be here half an hour ago.

Male: Sorry! I ran into one of my old foes. Had to wrestle him away.

Female: Do you guys do anything else except fighting ?

Male: We can’t help it. We have been doing that since 5 or 6.

Female: Sighs.. (Pointing at his trunk )Why are you carrying those bamboo shoots ?

Male: Oh! Since this is our first meeting, I brought these for you to eat.

Female: Seriously ? Is that all you could find on this entire hill ? I do not like bamboo.

Male: But these are quite tender. Try them first.

Female: Bamboos are quite bland. Sugarcane would have been nicer.

Male: You have been spending too much time near human settlements. No sugarcane grows on these hills. But since you asked for something sweet, give me a couple of minutes.

(Turns around and starts running towards a thick growth of trees).

Female: Where are you going ?

Male: Wait, will be back.

(comes back in five minutes)

Male: Here you go. ( Extends his trunk with bamboo shoots towards her and drops them, this time honey dripping all over them).

The female breaks a shoot and puts it in her mouth. She likes it .

Female: Mmmm…. This is very good. Where did you find this honey ?

Male: There is a cave nearby with a beehive inside. The bees tried to sting, but too difficult to get through my skin. Just had to be careful about my eyes though.

Female: You eat some as well.

Male: Sure. (Takes a couple of shoots in his trunk ). There is a pond a little away from here. Quite a nice place. Would you like to come there ?

Female: OK. Let’s go.

(And they walk slowly away).

 

This is my visualisation of a beautiful verse written by Boothatthazhvaar (பூதத்தாழ்வார்) in Second Thiruvandathi.

பெருகு மதவேழம் மாப்பிடிக்கு முன்னின்று
இருகண் இளமூங்கில் வாங்கி – அருகிருந்த
தேன்கலந்து நீட்டும் திருவேங்கடம் கண்டீர்
வான்கலந்த வண்ணன் வரை.

 

peruku mathavEzham maapidikku munninru
irukaN iLamoongil vaangi – arukirundha
thEnkalandhu neettum thiruvEnkatam kandeer
vaankalandha vannan varai.

 

Meanings of certain words:

peruku matham – oozing masth

vEzham – Male elephant

pidi – female elephant

kaN – segment

varai – hill