Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 13 Jul 2011, 21:41

CML,
Fourty four pages of the book have been translated so far, out of the 152 pages. One third done. Yes, we can find out more things from Dwaraki.
Meanwhile, keep researching and we can make a book out of all that the eager and efficient researchers among us bring to us--sowing the seeds for a revival movement in knowing our beloved kavi AND HIS WORKS! Bharathi was as wrapped up in music as he was in his poetry. Thank goodness, we hear more of Bharathi's songs on stage now. All good signs...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 13 Jul 2011, 21:49

Nick,
VK words it in such a way, no wonder you feel intimidated

You know I'm not as severe as all that!

VK,
Thanks! You did the right thing, though

I'm working on a few more chapters. Then it's grandkids time. After a short break, I'll have another go and finish it, God willing...

smala · Post by **smala** » 13 Jul 2011, 22:03

PBala has deleted all the very interesting useful info!!! from ALL his posts in this thread

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 14 Jul 2011, 08:24

NINE

Enganam SenRirundIr?
(Where have you been?)

As days went by, police vigilance on Bharathi and other svadESis increased. Gradually, money orders and letters stopped coming and the letters they sent from Puduvai got burnt at Vizhuppuram--someone who worked in the post office informed us. During such difficult times, Bharathi wanted to send the first part of PAnjAli Sabadam to the press for a reprint. Copies of the first edition had either been sold or were given away by Bharathi as gifts. He could not locate the manuscript either. He came to our house to ask Aiyya (my father) and Iyer if they had a copy. They did not.

Iyer said, "Bharathi, how could you do this? Why didn't you save a copy for yourself?"

Bharathi: I thought I had one. Never mind. I will rewrite it. It may not turn out to be as good. Still, I can do it.

Aiyya: Let's ask the children. They sometimes save books because they find the cover illustrations attractive.

Bharathi called me and asked if I had a copy.

I said I did but was not sure if I should part with it. I added, "I once gave you Adi Parvam and you lent it to someone and it did'nt come back!"

"I will give you a new copy of Adi Parvam. I will give you a brand new copy of PAnjAli Sabadam too!", he pleaded.

I said I did not want a new one but wanted this one back. Bharathi agreed.

I did not get the book back. On the first page of the book, Bharathi had written: to SowbhAyavathi Yadugiri with affection--Subrahmanya Bharathi.

Bharathi gave me a copy of his books whenever they came out--even the ones he wrote in English. Va ve Su gave me Mangaiyarkkarasi, Chandra gupthan and other books but he did not autograph them.

I did not fully understand it then, but when I look back, I wonder how Bharathi's household could have survived in those hard times.

I asked my father why Bharathi was not writing anything now.

"He has other things on his mind", was his answer. When I at last heard Bharathi's voice in our house, I ran up the stairs like a SAtakA bird to see him. He was happy to see me and asked me to sit next to him. He said, "Look at her! She's more eager today to hear my verses than ever!"

Sri Sri said (Yadugiri refers to her father as Ayya (Dad) too at times--Arasi), "Yadugiri has been asking me why you don't write much poetry these days. I told her you are busy with other things."

Bharathi: Fiddlesticks! Rajaraman (a friend of Bharathi in Puduvai. Editor's note says: look up the opening lines of the poem Guru darSanam in bhArathi aRubaththiARru) asked me to check his father's translation of the Upanishads.That took nearly three months! Well, I've composed a Sarasvathi stOTram today."

He sang to us "enganam SenRirundIr?" in the noNDich chindu mode. Va ve su arrived soon after. Bharathi sang it again for him.

Va ve su: Bharathi! Excellent! You have invested all the inspiration of the past few months in these fine verses!

Sri Sri: bharathi alone has the gift of implying a hundred meanings in a single word!

Bharathi: Let's see. The four of us make it all complete. You say I"m a good poet. I say you are an excellent writer, Iyer is the best translator there is and we know there is no equal to Babu (Arabindo) in translating the vEdAs.

Sri Sri: Bharathi, Good times are around the corner. Let's not get impatient. These are hard times.

Va ve su: When the celestials churned the milky ocean, it was poison that came out of it first. When we walk a new path, there will be obstacles. Our lot is a true example of that. Those who do not fall apart but put their minds to achieving their goal, are bound to attain AmrutA.

Bharathi: We do not get any letters from home. Chellamma wants to go back.

Sri Sri: I can understand her. Oh, you have sung Sarasvathi stOtram today. Just wait till tomorrow! You will get some news from swadESamitran.

The next day, Chellamma came to our house. She was in a happy mood. She said, "Glad news! We got a letter from SvadESamitran asking for another article. We also received all the money which was pending the past three months. Yadugiri, what your Aiyya said yesterday came true!''

I said, "Bharathi says you want to go back home. I was wondering. Are you expecting?"

Chellamma said, "No, I'm not. God doesn't test us to the extreme. Yadugiri, these two girls are more than enough. I don't need another child to add to the troubles."

"Don't you want a son?"

"What's a son going to do for me which the daughters won't? Look at him! He wears no pUNUl (holy thread), does not perform tharppaNam (rites for the departed parents) and with all this, I have the need for a son to do my last rites?"

"Why doesn't BharathiyAr wear a pUNUl?"

"He removed it after Thangamma was born. He contended that only those who do yAgams and yagnyams deserve to wear them! When the priest brought a new one, he gave it back to him!"

By then, BharathiyAr arrived. We walked together. Chellamma told him of the questions I had asked.

"A boy? It's said: puthrAt Sata guNam puthri. In English they say, a son is a son until he takes a wife but a daughter is a daughter for life. What have I done at all for my father? As if I need a son!"

Around eight, we returned home after talking about many things. There was a tinge of bitterness and indifference in all that Bharathi said that day.

* * * * *

Note: There are two words in the translation which I want to bring to your attention: 1. Song (and sing, too) which in Tamizh is pATTu (pADudal). We use the word both for a poem (and the recitation of one) and for a song (and for singing it). In Bharathi's case, he does both!

2. avar, ivar: a wife refers to her husband as avar and ivar, since women did not call their husbands or refer tothem by their names.

maduraimini · Post by **maduraimini** » 14 Jul 2011, 08:32

Arasi,
Please don't stop your translation. We are all eagerly waiting to read the next chapter ( like waiting for Ananda Vikatan or Kalki Thodar kathai)! When you started this topic, you said you were just translating the book written by Yadugiri- her memories. And whatever Yadugiri wrote in Tamil, you are just translating into English for all of us to read. You are doing a wonderful job- please continue. So many people have written about the poet- but each person has his or her own idea of a person. This is what and how Yadugiri remembers Bharathi, her friend and mentor.

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 14 Jul 2011, 09:08

smala:
Just to help focus on the translation in this thread, I have removed the clutter. After the translation is complete, a new thread can be opened to discuss the details.

arasi:
Please continue your wonderful translation!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 14 Jul 2011, 20:07

Thanks PB
Do post all info collectively later...
Thanks Arasi
No more questions or digressions from me - I am all ears.
You keep going at your pace and we can start discussing issues (quite a few) later...

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 14 Jul 2011, 21:33

Arasi - I know there is to be no interruption, but I think the saying (in English) that the mahAkavi refered to is: 'A son is a son until he takes a wife, but a daughter is a daughter for life!'
On another note, it is interesting that Chellamma thinks that the only 'service' from a son would be to perform (the) last rites!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 14 Jul 2011, 21:52

Ravi,
Thanks! I'm in another world (of translating everything as if the original is in tamizh!) I couldn't remember the quote exactly, on top of it!
These are not interruptions. It's better to correct the text as we go along.
As Bala suggested, that discussions thread can be started even as I am posting. I have no problem with that.

CML,
Start one if you wish. You can take up a chapter at a time. Just a suggestion...

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 14 Jul 2011, 22:39

No arasi!
I want your full attention on translations. Dicussions elsewhere will take your mind off!
Corrections are of course welcome...

smala · Post by **smala** » 14 Jul 2011, 22:48

Good to see the translations back, Arasi. Waiting for the next installment.

sureshrtuticorin · Post by **sureshrtuticorin** » 15 Jul 2011, 09:41

Ra. ki. Rangarajan has translated many English novels into Tamil, some of which were serialised in Kumudam. On reading them, I would be tempted to read the origina.Your translation is so excellent I don't want the original. I look forward to the next episode(Sunday to Saturday). Good work.
Thank you

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 15 Jul 2011, 12:47

Now I understand how people become addicted to serials.

Unfortunately, the book is finite, so Arasi's translation cannot run forever*.

Also looking forward to next episode...

I hope a few posts of appreciation between episodes is acceptable. I'm sure it is: most artists appreciate encouragement

*And, fortunately, Arasi's translation is not marred by dreadful bursts of bad music at every moment which is even vaguely dramatic

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 15 Jul 2011, 19:02

Thanks, smala, sureshrtutucorin and Nick for the encouragement!

Nick,
My namesake serial on the small screen may still be around with bursts of music, in reruns, I'm sure

And to think that Charles Dickens brought all this to the magazine culture! Known for its richness in centuries of literature, tamizh language found the novel to be truly novel, and in the 20th century, it kept us waiting eagerly for the weeklies to arrive so that we could read the novels in episodes!The trend still continues, I think.
It's a good thing--because had I posted the bulk of the book on Rasikas, it would have been too much too read and you for one would not have gone near it! I'm happy you are getting a glimpse into this poet of poets. Now, when you hear songs of his, you can get a taste of his poetry in a more focused way.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 15 Jul 2011, 19:09

Let me remind that arasi in addition to being a vaggeyakara is a journalistic reporter. Her translations are unvarnished with just enough editorial comments (for the benefit of those without a background). Her english is just impeccable!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 15 Jul 2011, 19:35

Thanks CML, but you overstate! I have nibbled at different genres in writing (nunip pul mEidal) but haven't made a career out of any. I know only too well that my English is not impeccable!

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 15 Jul 2011, 22:39

You only misused one word, so far, by count. That's pretty close to impeccable

(Oh... the word was "fret")

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Jul 2011, 00:13

So long as the native speaker did not get 'annoy'ed over it!

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 16 Jul 2011, 00:34

Sorry, the word was "fretted". I think. I'll check it out and let you know.

Enough of this banter... get on with your translation!

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 16 Jul 2011, 00:52

arasi wrote:I know only too well that my English is not impeccable!

It's not peccable.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Jul 2011, 01:36

I thought it had a peck of mistakes (no editors as in a publishing house to go through what I type before publishing it).

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 16 Jul 2011, 03:09

tut tut, arasi, leave Peter Piper to worry about the pecks, and give us the next instalment, lest we heap pickled peppers upon you!

(methinks you are taking a necessary break to tune up the brain with trivia...)

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Jul 2011, 04:21

TEN

PArukkuLLE Nalla NADu
(Ours, A Great Land in the World!)

A friend called Balu came home and told us that Chellamma was upset and was crying all the time. "She did not eat all day yesterday," he added.
Bharathi was nowhere to be seen.
My father took me to see Chellamma. Bharathi got fed up with Puduvai. Wanderlust had grabbed him. Chellamma did not know. My father might have.
Bharathi got clean-shaven, and in disguise, had left home. Chellamma waited all day for him. Balu happened to go to their house the next day and he came to tell us.
I asked Chellamma to come and stay with us.

"I'm not afraid of staying alone at home but I'm worried sick about him, Yadugiri! You know how bold he is! What if the police catch him? Doesn't he know I'm dependent on him? Shouldn't he let me know before he goes away?"

My father was very shy to speak to women. "Yadugiri, ask her not to be afraid. Bharathi is very smart. He won't get caught easily. Tell her she needn't stay here alone. She can come and stay with us. We have plenty of room."

"Oh no! It's no trouble at all, our being here. The neighbors are all very kind. It's just that I'm worried about him. I will write to my father and brother. I can at least go home. Without him, what's the point of my being here?"

My father told me to stay with her. He gave me ten rupees and asked me to give it to Chellamma who had started cooking for me. Shakunthala ate at ANNiamma's house.Thangammal at that time was in kASi with her aunt.I ended up spending the whole day with Chellamma.
I again asked her go with me to our house.

Chellamma said, "No, Yadugiri. There is plenty to be done at home. This isn't something new. My family has been pleading with him not to get active in the svadESi movement. He was adamant.That's how we ended up here, leaving our home and family. When the spies are giving us enough trouble, is there any sense in placing himself in danger like this? What if they send him to Andaman Islands? If they do, how can he ever return? Who will help us?"

I said, "Chellamma, don't fear. Bharathi will come back soon!"

"You know he can't keep a low profile. As my father says, Kumarak kaDavuL (Murugan) will dispel mountains of troubles and make them disappear like dew in the morning sun (malai pOl varum kaSHTangaLaip pani pOl nIkkuvAr). He alone can help us!"

When I said I was going home, she asked me to stay on. "I will come with you in the evening. Until then, it'll be nice to have you around."

After lunch, Bhagyalakshmi Ammal (Va Ve Su's wife) came.

Bhagyalakshmi: Chellamma, You don't have to be alone. Come to our house. It will be a pleasant diversion for me to have your company.

Chellamma: I'm not worried about myself. ANNiammal is right next door. Her children are here around me most of the time. Shakunthala virtually lives in their house like another child of theirs. My thoughts are all with him. He's much too reckless, that's what I'd say.

Bhagyalakshmi: You can imagine how I felt when mine (Iyer) was abroad, so far away!

Chellamma: If Bharathi were as calm and collected as Iyer, I wouldn't worry. What if he starts singing in spite of himself?

Bhagylakshmi: What you say is true. Iyer would just quietly see the sights wherever he went, and that was all.

Chellamma: What's the use in my worrying at this point? Dr. Nanjunda Rao in Chennai is his close friend. When it came to matters of SvadESi, Bharathi ignored his dear friend's pleas. I don't know how much more misery is in store for me!"

Yadugiri: Let's only talk about positive things. God will not let us down. If we do good deeds, the results will not turn out be otherwise.

When we were at home that evening, Chellamma spent her time talking to my mother.

Ten or fifteen days went by without Bharathi showing up.
I went upstairs one day and found my father talking to a stranger. I started doing my homework at my desk and the stranger asked me: where's your usual offering (of a little pot of water, betel leaves and areca nut)? I was shocked.

"Yadugiri! Even you could not recognize me!," he said.

Yadygiri: Is it really you, Bharathiyare? Do you know how much agony Chellamma is in? How could you do a thing like that?

Bharathi: What did I do? Even you, who would come running on seeing me, couldn't recognize me. How could those CID fellows spot me!

I gave him water and the betel leaves and then asked him, "Where all did you go? What all did you see?"

"How can I answer you if you ask about it all in one breath? I hear that you consoled Chellamma no end."

"I didn't do anything. I couldn't help much. She wouldn't eat, wouldn't stay with us."

"There was nothing I could have done about it either. I went away knowing that you were all there for her. Supposing I had told her, she would have stopped me."

"Any new songs?", I asked.

"I composed one on the train. I had to restrain myself often from singing it aloud. I will sing it tomorrow. I have a cold and my voice is not good today."

As he promised, Bharathi sang it the next day. It was the patriotic song beginning with the words--pArukkuLLE nalla nADu, engaL bhAratha nADu. He said a beggar woman sang a hindusthAni song and he set the song to that tune.

After Bharathi's agnyAta vAsam (living incognito), Chellamma had lost weight because she was not eating properly. Her father came to Puduvai and took his daughter and Shakunthala away with him saying that Chellamma had anna dvEsham (lack of appetite) and that she would not survive if she stayed on in Puduvai.
Bharathi did not mind. He would eat wherever he was invited.
When Chellamma came back after two months, she said: why should he care? He has all townsmen for his relatives. I came back because I was concerned about him and listen to what he says-- "Chellamma, I like to see you happy. You didn't have to hurry back for my sake!" Now, how do you like that?"

Chellamma had brought Thangamma along with her who was growing up in her aunt's family which was steeped in orthodoxy. Often, there were arguments between her and Bharathi. He would prevail in the end. Thangamma gave in because he was after all her father.

* * * * *

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Jul 2011, 04:27

Nick,
You are partially right--a bit of diversion is good when you are occupied with something, but it was worse--just as I was uploading, there was a spam/virus--or whatever attack and it caused some trouble and a gobble-up of part of my typing

Hope Peter Piper isn't around looking for typos and boo boos!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 16 Jul 2011, 18:26

The raga set for ParukkuLLE by Bharathy was Hindusthani TODi though DKP tuned it in Jonpuri...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Jul 2011, 18:34

CML,
Didn't we sing it in jOnpuri earlier? In any case, let me delete my note in the text.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 16 Jul 2011, 18:58

Arasi - reading your translation has given me an opportunity to understand the forces that shaped the lives of the mahAkavi's family - for instance, his daughter Thangamma must have been torn between the practices of orthodoxy adopted by the rest of her family, and the radical views espoused by her father. Talk about being pulled in different directions! It must have been extremely painful/difficult/confusing for a child - almost as bad as being drawn, I suppose (a la the 'hung, drawn, and quartered' punishment). On the one hand, the orthodoxy from the rest of the family would have her treating her father like God himself, while on the other, every fiber in her being would have found his practices completely at variance with 'most everything orthodoxy preached - and how does a child question 'God' in these circumstances? That his ideas would be the accepted norm (sort of the 'duh' of my teen - meaning there would be no need to question them) nearly a century later was not something that would be at play at the time of their lives.
Thank you for helping us understand yet another layer of this great man's life.
PS: I am now interested in reading her account of life with her father, to see if she has elaborated on this.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Jul 2011, 19:26

Ravi,
I was thinking about it too. Even in later times, when I was growing up, though the differences were not that striking in our family, such differences existed in the extended families. Surely, not as dramatic as in Thangamma's childhood.
There are many other fascinating things to observe here. Chellamma, for instance, is not a dull, subservient housewife. She is her own person and Bharathi's proximity nourishes that individuality in her. She is also torn between her family and Bharathi (her love and fascination for this one-of-a-kind man which were put to test constantly by his wild streak and poverty). Her father was still authority figure for her (the in-law's not being there--that could have intensified the conflict!).
I think Yadugiri looked up to her father and loved him. Bharathi was a sweeping influence in her life, a larger than life character, and like a magician conjured up songs and visions for her. You and I would have felt the same about Bharathi, had we known him as she did! This book is about Bharathi. Her father was a strong man, a support system to her and she took him for granted I suppose, when she was a child. Bharathi was the exotic, dramatic sort while her father was low key.
Yadugiri seems to have been bold as a child, always asked questions and her curiosity had no end. It's not surprising then, that she latched on to him and Iyer, to an extent.

Did you hear from Vidya?

smala · Post by **smala** » 17 Jul 2011, 11:03

..."Chellamma, for instance, is not a dull, subservient housewife. She is her own person and Bharathi's proximity nourishes that individuality in her. She is also torn between her family and Bharathi (her love and fascination for this one-of-a-kind man which were put to test constantly by his wild streak and poverty). Her father was still authority figure for her (the in-law's not being there--that could have intensified the conflict!)..."

I recall reading somewhere that Bharathiyar's father was a strict single parent (Bharathi lost his mother when five) and nurtured expectations from him - finding his daydreaming tendencies a little too much, the father arranged for Bharathi to be married at age sixteen to his cousin, Chellamal, who was 8 at the time! Thereafter, the father died suddenly and Bharathi all on his own, wandered off to Benaras, where he spent some formative years.

Re. Yadugiri :

What comes across in the episodes translated so far, is Yadugiri's unwavering love and idolisation of Bharathi, all that he represented through his ideas and its expression, love of a kind that is hard to describe, a love that reflects Yadugiri's own maturity as a child-woman, a love circumscribed with inclusiveness of Chellamal, her own father, and of course, the man de resistance, Bharathi.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 19 Jul 2011, 02:52

Not to interrupt, I wold like to suggest arasi to post a picture of Yadugiri (maybe from Dwarki) sometime...

smala · Post by **smala** » 19 Jul 2011, 04:19

With the gap we have between instalments, I am on the lookout for info on Yadugiri. So if this post seems to be in the way - maybe CML or P.Bala can start another thread and move this post there for discussions.

1. Not sure if Yadugiri Ammal here is the same one as the grandmother of dancer/actress Vijayantimala.

.....

2. Padma Sampath Kumaran, d-i-l of the famous Yadugiri with the memoirs, bharatnatyam dancer, was married to Sampath Kumaran. See http://www.hindu.com/fr/2007/08/03/stor ... 330300.htm

(edited, per P.Bala's post)

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 19 Jul 2011, 07:07

smala wrote:With the gap we have between instalments, I am on the lookout for info on Yadugiri ...

Check this for Smt. Yadugiri Ammal's PHOTOs and her FAMILY TREE:-
http://www.geni.com/people/Yadugiri-M-G ... 9710011119
.

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 19 Jul 2011, 09:02

And this for the contributions made by Mandayam Srinivasachari & others:
http://www.webspacebuddy.com/mandayam/c ... munity.pdf

Hope this link, and the one given in the previous post, add colours to arasi's wonderful translation.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 19 Jul 2011, 21:08

ELEVEN

UpadESam
(Counsel)

The moon had risen early. We were at the beach as usual. I had made friends with Padmavathi, the daughter of Sankara Chettiar (another wealthy man like Ponnu Murugesam Pillai in Puduvai--Editor's note). The group now consisted of my mother, Chellamma, my sister, Thangamma, Padmavathi, Meena and me. My father had chest pain that day and my mother stayed back. Bharathi and Iyer saw us as they were walking back from Arabindo's house. Iyer did not want to intrude on us but Bharathi came to speak to us. "Do you mind if I join you?", he asked.

Chellamma: All the children here are our children. Padmavathi too.

Bharathi: I don't see Yadugiri much these days. She seems to be absorbed in the girls circle, it seems.

Chellamma: Don't you know? She's getting married in Chitthirai (the month of April). Her parents are very keen. When Yadugiri goes to live with her in-laws, she cannot move with men freely. So, she's learning to be a docile young woman.

Bharathi: Has the date been fixed?

Yadugiri: I don't know, my grandmother is making all the arrangements. Amma says, 'but for Iyer and Bharathi, you shouldn't talk to any other men, now that you're getting married'.

Chellamma: Yadugiri has been brought up like a boy until now. It's going to be difficult for her to get adjusted to life in her new home. This way, she can get used to it, little by little.

Bharathi: Chellamma, she's still so young. Srinivasachari is an old-fashioned man. He wants to perform a doll's wedding of an innocent child!

Chellamma: SAstrAs say that brahmin girls should be married off by the age of nine.We wait longer these days because it's not easy to find the right match.

Bharathi: Chellamma, there is no end to traditions and SastrAs! Why don't you go ahead and arrange a marriage for Thangam--another meaningless doll's wedding?

Chellamma: My sister brought her up. She'll take care of it.

Bharathi: Yadugiri, you're going to find yourself in another world!

Chellamma: Why do you say that? She'll be back here every now and then.

Bharathi: Chellamma, after she gets married, I can't move freely with Yadugiri. I may need her husband's permission!

Chellamma: There's no need to be concerned about it now. She isn't even married!

Bharathi: Yadugiri is our adopted child. Still, If I go to her new home to see her, they might say, 'some vaDaman (Iyer) is here, and why should you talk to him?' Yadugiri, you have just known the one world you were brought up in. You're going to an entirely different one where they follow hundred year-old rules. Here, in our homes, we are free. That was why our families ended up here, leaving behind our home towns. It may take another thirty years before every family lives like ours. Until then, you have to go along with those traditions.

Chellamma: Don't frighten her. You sound as if she's being taken to a prison!

Bharathi: She does not know of the hurdles, stupid traditions and servitude that exist out there. Nowadays, in our caste, young couples may live on their own, it seems. It's not happening in the MaNDayam community.

Chellamma: I'm the only one who has come away from my family--it has been five years now.

Bharathi: It used to be so with us, Chllamma. Not any more! I noticed it in Tirunelveli yesterday. Joint family is not a strictly observed tradition now. Yadugiri, are you happy about this match?

Yadugiri: I don't know. Whatever Aiyya and Amma say. They will make the decision. Even with them, they follow what my grandmother says. What is there for me to say?

Bharathi: Have they found the boy? Have you seen him?

Yadugiri: I haven't seen anyone. We have letters from several families. Amma says one thing, pATTi another about these matches and AiyyA says to them, 'You two come to a decision and then let me know.' That's all I know.

Bharathi: This sounds like our marriage. The new trend is to get married to an educated woman. It appeals to the boys, it seems. Is it happening in your community at all?

Yadugiri: No, they haven't given up their old ways. Women are tutored at home. Just a few officials have started sending their girls to schools.

Bharathi: So, the wedding date is not far off. When the husband is by your side, everything else will fade away. Don't forget this poor father of yours, Yadugiri!

Yadugiri: Is it ever possible for me to forget you! What if you are poor! Your poetry is richer than anything else. Yesterday, Iyer said, 'why can't we call Bharathi kaviarasar (the king of poetry)? Bharathiyare, wealth is easily lost but your poetry will stay forever.

Bharathi: Yadugiri, If I have Sishyais like you, I don't even need to publish my poetry! You know all my songs by heart! Chellamma, on one of the days of Yadugiri's marriage celebrations, I want to sing a concert of patriotic songs. That's going to be our gift to her. When we see better times, we will buy her an unforgettable present!

Chellamma: Your heart is bigger than this ocean! When luck knocks at our door, we can give the best possible gift to Yadugiri!

Yadugiri: What can be a better gift than your singing at my wedding? On top of it, since Aiyya isn't feeling well at all these days, Iyer and you have to lend a hand in organizing the wedding. Hard work, I'm afraid!

Bharathi: You don't have to worry about that. We'd happily help. I know we won't be allowed in the kitchen, though!

Yadugiri: That's my grandmother's job. She likes to feed crowds. She's going to be disappointed if all the invitees don't turn up. Anyway, she's even capable of running a government. That's how good she is!

Bharathi then gave me what sounded like a lecture. He said: Yadugiri, I will give you some counsel (sounds like kaNva maharshi sending SakunthalA away to her husband's house--Arasi).
He said: Fidelity (kaRpu) is the most essential asset for a woman to possess. You should treasure it most. It does not mean that you have to be like a caged bird! But for your husband, all young men are your brothers. So, you don't have to be afraid and you don't need to avoid them.You don't have to be shy. You can talk to them. At first, you will feel shy with your husband but as you get to know him, you don't need to be. All the old rules about achcham, nANam and payirppu (fear, shyness and shunning ) make slaves of women. The women of this country need to be brave in order to give birth to courageous children. Cowardice has ruined India. Over the times, it has become worse.
Be brave in your husband's house! Do not eavesdrop. Don't read other people's letters. It's better to say to the elders how you feel than to bottle it all up. As much as possible, listen to what they say and do all that you can do. If you are not capable of doing what is asked of you, it's better to simply tell them that. You are not a commodity that they have bought in the market. You are there to light up their home and to bring forth a new generation of children. You should feel free in that house, but don't ask questions about money matters. Leave it to the elders.
Don't shun hard work but don't overdo. Whatever you do, do it willingly.
Don't give up your studies. Your parents have taught you important and ever-lasting values. If possible, improve on them. if not, don't forget what you already know.
I won't, like Iyer, teach you renunciation. We have come into this world to enjoy all that is given to us. You should also lead a life of service. You should shine like a lamp in both your families.
All this is not easy at first. But you will learn. Above all, do not agree to slavery. You have your rights, a bright mind and the freedom.
Walk with your head held high. Look around you and savor Nature. Look straight ahead. Your husband is the only one whom you may look at from the corner of your eyes. Other men are fathers, brothers and sons. Look them straight in the eye and speak clearly and with courage. Sit straight. All these show character. Be genuine. You don't need to put on an act.

Bharathi gave me a lot of advise that evening and I considered his words as words from the vEdAs. Whenever I was discouraged in my life, his words gave me strength. As years go by, I feel the need for sharing his words with other women.
Though Bharathi is no more, his message will stay with us.

* * * * *

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 19 Jul 2011, 21:19

Arasi - another gem from Yadugiri and you!

Arasi wrote: You are not a commodity that they have bought in the market. You are there to light up their home and to bring forth a new generation of children.

What a lovely way to put it!

Arasi wrote:Don't give up your studies. Your parents have taught you important and ever-lasting values. If possible, improve on them. if not, don't forget what you already know.

Great advice

Arasi wrote:We have come into this world to enjoy all that is given to us. You should also lead a life of service.

Isn't this the definition of a karma yOgi?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 19 Jul 2011, 21:22

Ravi,
Thanks! Yadugiri is the writer

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 19 Jul 2011, 21:36

Yes! This is a gem. His advice is good for all times. The liberationists should take note.
That lays the foundation for an ideal family.
Too bad grandpa and grandma have lost their importance these days

smala · Post by **smala** » 19 Jul 2011, 22:06

I get the feeling cinnan siru kiLiyE was written for Yadugiri... and will be the one he sings for her at the wedding.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 20 Jul 2011, 00:54

I think the mahAkavi's kaNNammA, although ostensibly representative of parASakti, is an amalgamation of Chellamma, Thangam, Sakuntala and Yadugiri, all the Saktis in his life.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 20 Jul 2011, 01:11

Yes Ravi!

kavikkuk kANbadellAm kaDavuLE!
avan paguttaRivu vAdiyAnAlumE...

kuzhandaiyum, kumuRum kaDalum
malaiyum maDuvum,mangaiyar azhagum
madi niRai vAnum, aRivuch cheRivum
iSaivAm iSaiyum, ADalum tEDalum ena--

kavikkukk kANbadellAm kaDavuLE!
avan paguththaRivu vAdiyAnAlumE!

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 20 Jul 2011, 01:16

Very nice, Arasi! Eloquent!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 20 Jul 2011, 01:42

I realize that as with other serialized stories, I'm not posting the segments on any particular day of the week and some among you who are interested in Yadugiri's memoir perhaps find it a bit tiring to look in every now and then to see if I have posted yet another chapter.
To make it easy for all (including me!), here's what's going to happen. I have one more chapter which I will post tonight. After that, I will take a break to spend time with the family. Will come back with the story second week of August, post one or two chapters on a given day and be done with the last chapter by the end of the month, to celebrate Bharathi Day (unlike poor Yadugiri)! I hope to be around then and for some more years--God willing

smala · Post by **smala** » 20 Jul 2011, 02:34

rshankar wrote:I think the mahAkavi's kaNNammA, although ostensibly representative of parASakti, is an amalgamation of Chellamma, Thangam, Sakuntala and Yadugiri, all the Saktis in his life.

Good to see your position has changed somewhat after the discussion we had on Bharathy's kaNNamma elsewhere. While the kaNNamma could be a catch-all and apply to each of the women mentioned above, my gut feel on cinna siru kiLiyE holds.

When we know what Bharathy sang for Yadugiri's wedding - it will confirm or dispel my notion - I also have a feeling Yadugiri gave him a peck on his cheek (kannathil muttamittAl) just before the event, her way of a deep fond adieu.

We'll just have to wait for that chapter on the preparations leading upto the wedding and the event to reveal itself.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 20 Jul 2011, 02:40

Smala - my contention still stands - kaNNammA may have been wrought as an amalgam of all these earthly women, but she (as identified by the mahAkavi himself) was his take on parASakti.
My take is that cinnanciru kiLiyE was not written for Yadugiri - he wanted to sing patriotic songs at her wedding, according to the chapter Arasi just translated...but I am willing to be proved wrong.

smala · Post by **smala** » 20 Jul 2011, 07:13

OK, I missed the concert of patriotic songs bit...so there may be no surprises at the wedding. However, I still do not quite subscribe to the parAsakti view. Can you quote mahAkavi's statement on this?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 20 Jul 2011, 07:52

TWELVE

KaNNan ThiruvaDi
(The Beautiful Feet of KrishnA)

The lives of our family and that of Bharathi's family were interwoven for ten or twelve years. My family was like the strand which binds together flowers and in turn gains their fragrance (pUvODu SErnda nArum maNakkum). When I write about Bharathi, I invariably write about the happenings in my family.
I got married in the Kalavai BungaLA on the twenty seventh of April, 1913.
The night before the celebrations began, my father suffered from severe chest pain. It was an all night vigil for us. In the morning, Bharathi brought Kalavai Sankara Chettiar and a french physician (I can't decipher his name since it's written in tamizh--Arasi). Bharathi went to the pharmacy and fetched the prescribed medicine. My father felt better by the time of the muhUrtham (the hour when he had to give his daughter away).
We were married. All the elders were there. Soon after mAngalya dhAraNam (the tying of the tAli), my husband and I fell at their feet, seeking their blessings--first, it was periya kAraikkAl Swamy, who was the oldest among them, then Bharathiyar and then Iyer. Then the relatives--my uncles and all the rest of the family.
Vara dakshNai (the demand of a dowry) had not reared its ugly head at that time in our community. My husband's family graciously accepted all that my family offered by way of courtesy and gifts. It was a five day wedding and everything went off without a hitch. Bharathi and Chellamma worked hard all along, helping out. On the first day, there was muhUrtham, Unjal (swing ceemony), uruTTANi (nalungu--fun and games time) and the aupAsanam (ritual with the lit fire). On the second day, the precious concert of Bharathi, singing dESIya gItam (patriotic songs). It was like nectar from heaven. On the third day, Sri TiruvengaDattAn sang and it sounded as if he was playing a flute! On the fourth day, my father's sister, the elder in the family and a renowned vocalist, gave a performance. Once again, there was Unjal and uruTTANi--and NAgavalli as the finale on the fifth day.
After my wedding, many happy celebrations followed. In Chennai, my brother got married, then my sister, my cousin and Chellamma's sister Swarnam. Chellamma went home for the wedding, stayed on for two months, bringing Thangam back with her.
Thus, both our families were busy with happy events for a few months.
Then, my grandfather, pATTi and my uncle came with our sister to Puduvai for a stay. My ThAthA was a mahA vidvAn. A smart man who could enthrall his audience with his kathA kAlakshEpams based on some of the great works in vaishNavism. Even children were attracted to his kAlakshEpams.
He and Bharathi had many discussions. My grandfather lauded Bharathi's poetry and his brilliance. ThAthA was a gem merchant too. He knew how to choose blemishless stones. All this fascinated Bharathi.
One day, my grandfather explained the nuances of some of nammAzhvAr's verses. He spoke of the message in them and Bharathi was drawn to them. He loved the rhyme and rhythm of those verses. Among them, nammAzhvAr's ivaiyum avaiyum uvaiyum which conveys so beautifully the all-pervading nature of God (There is a translation of this verse by A. K. Ramanujan, if I'm not mistaken--Arasi).
My grandfather wasn't a great music lover, but listening to Bharathi sing the verses made him exclaim: AzhvAr would have sung them the same way as Bharathi does! In all our years of learning them by rote, we have lost the bhAvA. It's not an easy feat, to sing like Bharathi!
Bharathi would discuss ten verses with my grandfather every day and the next day, he would have tuned them and would sing them to us. I would catch the tune and then slip away. I did not understand or appreciate the philosophical talk which followed.
Iyer, Bharathi, Aiyya and Chinnaiah (uncle Thirumalachari) listened to my grandfather's discourses every single day.

Soon after, my rutu snAnam (holy bath after the first periods) was celebrated. Women in the neighborhood were invited and were given turmeric and betel leaves. They danced the Sobhanam (an auspicious dance) and the kummi. My grandmother said, 'Had your aunt come, she would have sung many songs from the tiruvAimozhi! Do any of you know them?' An old lady did and from the pattAm pattu, she sang 'kaNNan kazhaliNai'. Bharathi was watching all this from upstairs while still in conversation with my grandfather.
When he came the next evening and was singing to my thAthA, I started to go upstairs. My grandmother stopped me. "You cannot mix with men as you used to, now that you've come of age."
Not seeing me upstairs even after he had finished singing two verses, Bharathi came down to call me. I was in the middle part of the house, surrounded by women.

He asked me: Aren't you well, Yadugiri? Why haven't you come to listen to the verses?

I smiled sheepishly and said, "I'm fine."

Bharathi asked again: Don't you want to listen to the songs?

"pATTi does not want me to."

Bharathi asked my grandmother: PATTiamma, am I a stranger in this house? Yadugiri is our child too. Should daughters shy away from their fathers?"
He then gave me a piece of paper. With the heading 'manamE', there was his new song, kaNNan thiruvaDi eNNuga manamE (Meditate upon the beautiful feet of KrishnA)!

* * * * *

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 20 Jul 2011, 07:54

A perfect time to pause--after a row of happy weddings!
A good time to meditate upon the beautiful feet of God...

thanjavooran · Post by **thanjavooran** » 20 Jul 2011, 09:16

Arasi Avl,
Once again Excellent. Let me join with you in the meditation. ' Koottu thavam ' is always good.
Thanjavooran 20 07 2011

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 21 Jul 2011, 18:24

arasi wrote:TWELVE - KaNNan ThiruvaDi - ... ... It was an all night vigil for us. In the morning, Bharathi brought Kalavai Sankara Chettiar and a french physician (I can't decipher his name since it's written in tamizh--Arasi) ... ...

Dr. Ambroise, known as Dr. Ambu.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 21 Jul 2011, 19:34

Thank you, PBala!