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

[cmlover]

BhArathy's wrtings and poems were never a success in the market place then or even now!
If he lived in penury that was due mainly to the indifference of the Tamil public. It was only
a few rich Tamil Lovers who sustained him, lucky for us!
Situation unfortunately, has not changed much now either!
It is prophetic saying:
தமிழ் இனி மெல்ல சாகும்...
Even our Forum is proof for that !

[rshankar]

Sridhar - thank you!
Very interesting that the kaNNammA pADal are included in this - in my book, they are classified under parASaktiyai (kuzhandaiyai/kAdaliyAi/etc). Surprising that kARRu veLiyiDai kaNNammA is not in the list of songs.

Of these, I do not think I have heard the kuyil pATTu compositions sung anywhere.

Sri Rajkumar Bharati has sung 'engirundO vandAn, iDai jAdi nAn enrAn' very evocatively...
If tUNDir puzhuvinai pOl and tIrtha karaiyinilE evoke the viraha aspect of SRngAra, I wonder how kanigaL koNDu tarum fits into the overarching rasa of SRngAra

CML - the last time I checked, our forum was not an exclusive tamizh forum - so, it certainly can't be the baraometer of whether or not tamizh as a language will survive.

[cmlover]

Shankar
As you know many of these songs have been rendered in the movies by veterans like DKP/MLV/TMS...
Still there are too many which have not been tuned. Is there any musical rendering of Pancali shabhatam?
You must be aware of Dance dramas...

[rshankar]

Is there any musical rendering of Pancali shabhatam?

Yes - Sri Rajkumar Bharati has rendered it...

[sridhar_ranga]

Sridhar - thank you!
Very interesting that the kaNNammA pADal are included in this - in my book, they are classified under parASaktiyai (kuzhandaiyai/kAdaliyAi/etc). Surprising that kARRu veLiyiDai kaNNammA is not in the list of songs.

Of these, I do not think I have heard the kuyil pATTu compositions sung anywhere.

Ravi, I just picked up the songs/ typed them out based on what Project Madurai has classified under the two collections (Kannan Pattu and Kuyil Pattu) in their e-books. Not sure if this is the definitive list.

We will need expert comments form the likes of Hariki (not a member of our forum but known to a few of our fellow rasikas), Pasupathy sir, et al.

I too found the Kuyil Pattu verses unfamiliar - no one seems to have popularized them in films or on CM platform.

[sridhar_ranga]

Siddhanta Swami Mutt: The famed hermitage and temple in Puduchery, sung by Bharati who used to spend his day-times in its peaceful environs

[sridhar_ranga]

Friendship of Holy Men

“Two miles to the north of Vedapuram is a temple known as ‘siddhaanta swami temple’. Nearby the temple is a mutt. A holy man known as siddhaanta swami used to stay in the mutt many years ago. The temple is built over his samaadhi.

“On Monday the 9th of Chittirai, at about 9 AM, I was sitting in the manDapam in front of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple along with a Brahmin boy by name Naraayanaswamy. We went there because we wanted to spend the day somewhere quiet, away from the town. It was usual for us to go for a bath in the pond (maDu) and spend time chatting in the mango orchards. But after the cyclone of the year NaLa, there was no shade left in the orchards. So we went to the said manDapam”

The above reference to the Siddhanta Swami temple and hermitage is found in an essay entitled “pingaLa varusham” (pingala year), in the book “kadaik kottu” (bunch of stories ).

Bharati has also composed a couple of stand-alone verses on this Siddhanta Swami temple. Here are two stanzas from that:

“Siddhaantac chaami tirukkOil vAsalil
-- deepa oLi uNDAm – peNNE,
muttAnda veedi muzhuvadaiyum kATTiDa
-- mooNDa tiruc chuDarAm – peNNE”

“uLLattazhukkum uDaliR kuRaigaLum
-- OTTa varum SuDarAm - peNNE,
kaLLat tanangaL anaittum veLippaDak
-- kATTa varum SuDarAm - peNNE”

( Lit by lamps, Siddhanta Swami Temple’s portal
Holy flame that shows the path to liberation
Driving away inner filth and bodily deformation
Flame born to expose deceit and chicanery )

Bharati was friends with many mendicants and swamijis around Puduvai. KuLLachAmi (dwarf swami) also known as mAngoTTaicchAmi (mango-stone swami), Govinda Swami, Yaazhpaana (Jaffna) Swami - in each of these itinerant monks Bharati saw some virtue. He has even sung their praise in (the poetry collection) Bharati sixty-six.

Bharati has revealed in a song that Govindaswamy the mendicant caused to appear before him a vision of his deceased father. Kullachami made him realize that one should ‘live like soil, live like a wall’. This swami would claim that he was a washerman by profession, his job was to cleanse the filth of the mind.

Once, seeing kuLLachAmy carry a bundle of dirty rags on his shoulder, Bharati wondered aloud about the crazy act of the Swamiji. A smiling kullachaami replied, “I carry it externally. You carry a lot of muck inside”. The mahaakavi realized something profound from this, and conveyed in one of his poems that “it is futile to die of afflictions, accumulating lies inside oneself. It is necessary to play the tune of freedom in one’s heart”. Bharati had the ability to draw great insights from seemingly banal happenings, easily overlooked and ignored by most people.

In his essay ‘koTTaiyasaami” Bharati writes about a yogi of the same name, played host to by a Zamindar of koTTaiyapuram, a place set in the southern Pandyan country. It is easy to guess that koTTaiyapuram was an oblique reference to Ettiaiyapuram (Bharati’s birthplace). From this it is evident that Bharati had the acquaintance of holy men right from his days in Ettaiyapuram.

Though the friendship with such swamis helped him realize many a vedantic truth, Bharati also picked up a few unsavoury habits from them.

Thanks to the influence of the swamis in Puduvai, he fell into the misfortune of becoming addicted to opium (‘abin’). Though it helped him forget the hardships of poverty and traverse a world of poetic creativity, the habit enfeebled his already emaciated frame, and caused him to pay scant attention to his familial responsibilities.

[cmlover]

That is the tragic side of his life!
But then some of his exquisite creations may owe to his addictions just as we know some of
Our famous CM exponents were too!

[sridhar_ranga]

Beat the drum of victory (‘Jaya bErigai koTTaDA’)

“We saw the spectre of fire amidst smoke” sang the poet, who must have experienced it in his daily life too. He managed to see and extol the golden form of Parasakti amidst all the smoke arising from his many troubles including huge debt, diseases, family problems and the pain of creativity.

The short poem ‘jaya bErigai koTTaDa’ (beat the kettle-drum of victory) is a fine example of the fount of his never ending hope.
The first stanza of this song proclaims “we will strike the ghosts of fear”. Bharati has reiterated at many places and on multiple occasions that fear is the foremost enemy of man.

He once sang, “accham illai, accham illai, accham enbadillaiyE! Ucchi meedu vaan iDindu veezhuginRa pOdilum accham illai, accham illai, accham enbadillaiyE” (Foresake Fear – or literally. ‘there is no fear’ – foresake fear, there is nothing called fear. Were the skies to come crashing down on our heads, there still is no fear!). In his song ‘The way to overcome death’ under the collection Bharati Sixty Six, Bharati declares: If you destroy fear and wants, even death will vanish!

The line ‘kAkkai kuruvi engaL jAdi’ (crows and sparrows are but our own clan), which occurs in the third stanza of the above song, is a good example of his broad perspective. It may be easy to show broad mindedness in the poem one writes; how difficult it must be to demonstrate it in one’s own life, through one’s own actions! Bharati had the conviction to do so.

Yadugiri Ammal the daughter of Mandayam Srinivasachariyar has described many events from Bharati’s life in Puduchery in her book “Bharati - Sila Ninaivugal” (Bharati - A Few Memories).

One day, a young Yadugiri went to Bharati’s home. There was no one present other than the poet’s wife Chellammal. Even she was not her usual cheerful self. On probing a little, Yadugiri came to know the reason: it was the usual matter of ‘(shortage of) material’ and a specific act of ‘charity’ indulged in by Bharati.

It seems Bharati hadn’t yet sent his daily article to Swadesamitran on that day. After his morning bath, he had duly had his coffee and betel leaves; shortly Chellammal placed paper, pen and a bottle of ink on the table. It was a cue for Bharati to sit down and write his article for Swadesamitran.

As Bharati was seated on the table, Chellammal took out some rice for cooking, spreading it on a winnow; she cleaned it by picking the small stones and put down the winnow before going to the kitchen for some work. When she returned, a quarter portion of the rice grains were scattered on the floor of the courtyard. A few sparrows were picking on the grains, to the great delight of Bharati who kept watching the birds. He had thrown the rice down to feed the birds.

Chellammal broke down on seeing this. Bharati told her, “come here, Chellamma. Look at these sparrows. See how happy they are. Why can’t we be like them?!”

This was not a one-off incident. Later, when they left Puduchery to live in Chennai’s Triplicane, Bharati would similarly share the rice meant for the day’s cooking with sparrows, crows and squirrels.

* * *

The copy of this song is also proof of Bharati’s beautiful hand writing. We learn many things about his personality by observing his hand writing: the neat, “pearl-like” letters, beautifully uniform spacing between the words, and the clear flow of his thoughts taking physical shape as evidenced by the absence of any striking over or corrections on the paper!

Often times Bharati could not even find a good piece of paper to write on, or a good quality pen or ink. Even then, his writing looked so beautiful and shapely, increasing the overall appeal of his writing.

The children of Tamil Nadu should practice their hand-writing taking Bharati’s pearly-neat manuscripts as a model. If they practice writing beautifully, it will surely help them execute any task neatly.

[sridhar_ranga]

Jaya Berigai Kottada - poem (with a one line pallavi and three charanams) in Bharati's 'pearl-like' neat handwriting

[arasi]

Sridhar,
Thanks for continuing your good work! I'm grateful.

I came across a satire of Bharathi in an anthology, and the irony in the story really had an effect on me (as it would have on Pudumaipithan and others, I'm sure) and though I do not have the ideal quiet hours I used to have to do some writing, I had to share it with you folks and willed myself to translate it then and there. Have a peek at the Prose Writings of Bharathi thread

[Pasupathy]

[quote="sridhar_ranga"][quote="rshankar"]Sridhar - thank you!
Very interesting that the kaNNammA pADal are included in this - in my book, they are classified under parASaktiyai (kuzhandaiyai/kAdaliyAi/etc). Surprising that kARRu veLiyiDai kaNNammA is not in the list of songs.




"kARRu veLiyidaik kaNNammA is part of 'Bakthi songs' or 'dheiyap pAdalgaL' . Not part of "kaNNan songs".
See
http://tinyurl.com/cca6x5e

[rshankar]

Very interesting that the mahAkavi uses ஜய, and not சய, which is the spelling that I have seen used for 'jaya' - is that usual??

[arunk]

I would think it is a personal preference (now, and even then?). Per that, it is as common to include those few glyphs not part of original alphabet (depending on your background), as it is to omit them due to that reason (and some would even extend to the phonetic sound behind them).

[sridhar_ranga]

Left: The Fox With the Golden Tail (Pon Vaal Nari) - An English Satire by Bharati written in 1914 based on a few happenings in Chennai. This copy was a gift from Prof. N. Subramania Aiyar ('Brahmaraaya Iyer') to this author (Raa. A. Padmanabhan)

Right: Arya, an English monthly brought out from Puduchery by Aurobindo Ghose in 1914. Bharati has contributed articles to this magazine.

[sridhar_ranga]

Bharati, English Writer


Bharati continued to visit Babu Aurobindo Ghosh even after the latter moved to his own Ashram. During one such visit, Bharati was reading something to Aurobindo. Aurobindo could not contain his laughter as he kept listening. He called in the young scholars in the Ashram and told them. “Look, what a fine story of fiction Bharati has written in English! He himself is reading it for us, but you are talking among yourselves, not listening to him or paying attention!”

That humour-laced story appeared in 1914 with the title ‘pon vaal nari’ in Tamil and ‘The Fox With the Golden Tail’ in English. It was a satire on Annie Besant’s politics and how she was bringing up J. Krishnamurthy and his brother, and created much sensation in Madras. The famous Mylapore Physician and patriot Nanjunda Rao heard about this novel and sent an order for 500 copies through V.P.P.

Many graduates holding B.A. and M.A. degrees wrote congratulatory letters to Bharati, celebrating this book. Bharati was going through one such letter when Kuvalai Kannan wanted to know what he was reading.

Said Bharati, “I wish these widowers got lost. I wrote ‘Panchali Sapatam’ in my mother tongue, after racking all my brains, but none of these worthies wrote me a single letter appreciating it. You are the lone person who reads it. But they want 500 copies of this ‘pon vaal nari’ which is in English!”

The reply reflects Bharati’s deep sense of anguish at the slave mentality of the Tamils and their infatuation with English.

In his Ettayapuram days, Bharati had enjoyed reading the English poems of Keats and Shelley and even formed an association called the “Shelley Guild”. He even had ‘Shelley Dasan’ as his nom-de-plume. He had employed English poetic forms such as the Sonnet in Tamil. He has even composed his own poems in English. Not only that, he even translated into English some of his own poems, as well as those of Nammazhwar and Andal. These were published in the ‘Arya’ magazine of Aurobindo and in ‘New India’ and ‘Common Wheel’ journals run by Besant. (In 1937, Bharati Pracuraalayam published these under the collection ‘Agni and Other Poems’).

Bharati’s own translations of seven of his songs are found in this book: ‘Engal Velvi Kooda Meedil’, ‘Payum Oli Nee Enakuu’, ‘Unna Unna Thevittadhe’, ‘Madhavan Sakthiyinai’, ‘Pagaivanukkarulvai’, ‘Kummiyadi Thamizh Nadu Muzhudhum’, and ‘Iyarkai Endru Unnai Pugazhvaar’.

Bharati has also rendered in English songs held sacred by the Vaishnavites such as ‘Vaaranam Ayiram’ from the (Naalayira Divya) Prabandham.

There used to be a Chennai based daily by name ‘Madras Standard’. The debate on Bhagawad Gita on its pages between Bharati and Prof. K. Sundara Raman (Father of K.S. Ramaswamy Sastri) reflect the highest standards of journalistic discourse. While Sundara Raman based his argument on Sastras and Vedic philosophy, Bharati used his sheer brilliance to put forward many novel ideas. This debate by Bharati is yet to be published as a book.

Another English write-up by Bharati that has not seen the light of day is ‘Political Evolution in the Madras Presidency’. In that, Bharati has clearly stated that he was not in favour of violence (to attain political goals).

A few of Bharati’s essays in English were published in 1937 under the title ‘Essays and other Prose Fragments’. In his 1918 essay ‘Coming Age’, a far-sighted Bharati had envisioned thoughts echoing the Bhudaan movement.

[cmlover]

Are the english writings of Bharathy on the internet or available as books to buy?
Pasupathy/PB
can you pl find out?

[rshankar]

I second CML's request..the mahAkavi's translations of his own works and those of ANDAL's should be in the 'must-read' category....
Now, after satirizing Annie Beasant, wasn't the mahAkavi influenced by her later in his life to take up women's issues (mAndar tammai izhivu seyyum maDamai koLuttuvOm....)?

[Pasupathy]

There used to be book called " Bharathi in English" .
http://books.google.ca/books/about/Bhar ... edir_esc=y
Don't know if it is still in print.

Another recent book is Bharathi's letters to the Hindu. "Bharathi karuvoolam"

http://www.mids.ac.in/b1.pdf

[cmlover]

Thx
But how to get them?

[kvchellappa]

Some are available piecemeal in bharathi blog
http://bhaarathi.blogspot.in/

[sridhar_ranga]

Thanks for that pointer KVC.

I found this site which has a few English articles by Bharati: http://www.mahakavibharathiyar.info/articles.htm

You can find 'The Fox With the Golden Tail' here

Here is his translation of ANDAL- a few verses from Nachiyar Thirumozhi, including 3 stanzas of vaaranam aayiram.

[Pasupathy]

Thx
But how to get them?

I am told by a Bharathi scholar that all of Bharathi's English writings have also been integrated into the Series of Books published by
Cheeni.Viswanathan ( Bharathi's creations according to chronological order.)

[cmlover]

Thanks Sridhar.
Interesting story. I am at a loss to figure out what the satire is about.
Can somebody help?

[rshankar]

Here is his translation of ANDAL- a few verses from Nachiyar Thirumozhi, including 3 stanzas of vaaranam aayiram.

Sridhar, thank you so much. Can you post the corresponding tamizh verses? I got the ones from vAraNam Ayiram - and it's interesting - I recently had an opportunity to provide a padArtha for vAraNam Ayiram for a bharatanATyam dancer - and my interprettation (in prose) is not that different from the mahAkavi's...

[sridhar_ranga]

Thanks Sridhar.
Interesting story. I am at a loss to figure out what the satire is about.
Can somebody help?

Just my wild guess CML: the she-fox with the golden tail is Annie Besant....the two asinine colts she adopts are Jiddu Krisnamurti and his brother....the asses stand forIndians or probably Hindus. The 'Assiatic Soceity' (I loved this name ) is probably the Theosophical soceity (or Asiatic soceity? My history knowledge is a bit fuzzy here). The apes? I am not sure who they are....probably Sri Lankans / Buddhists since Mme Besant was close to them as well?

So the cunning old she-fox who her own clan does not care about can become the queen of the asinine kingdom, aftter mouthing a few platitudes about the great culture etc. of the asses, and the asses' acceptance of the fox as their queen/ guide, is probably Bharathy's way of castigating the Indian soceity back then?

[cmlover]

Very good guess Sridhar.
I would agree with you, but am not sure about JK and his brother. Were they sponsored by
Annie besant? The apes could be the Northies.
The elderly Asss could be Gandhiji?

[cmlover]

You are right.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiddu_Krishnamurti
Powerful satire indeed..

[sridhar_ranga]

Sridhar, thank you so much. Can you post the corresponding tamizh verses? I got the ones from vAraNam Ayiram - and it's interesting - I recently had an opportunity to provide a padArtha for vAraNam Ayiram for a bharatanATyam dancer - and my interprettation (in prose) is not that different from the mahAkavi's...

Ravi, I managed to research the first three verses in Bharati's translation - from the kuyil (cuckoo) songs, for now...will post the rest later:

These Kuyil songs are from the 5th thirumozhi within Nachiyar Thirumozhi:

5.2

வெள்ளை விளிசங்கு இடங்கையில் கொண்ட விமலன் எனக்கு உருக் காட்டான்
உள்ளம் புகுந்து என்னை நைவித்து நாளும் உயிர்ப்பெய்து கூத்தாட்டுக் காணும்
கள் அவிழ் செண்பகப்பூ மலர் கோதிக் களித்து இசை பாடும் குயிலே
மெள்ள இருந்து மிழற்றி மிழற்றாது என் வேங்கடவன் வரக் கூவாய்

veLLai viLIsangu iDankaiyil koNDa vimalan enakku urukkATTAn
uLLAm pugundu ennai naivittu nALum uyirppeidu kUttATTuk kANum
kaL avizh ceNpakappU malar kOdik kaLittu iSai pADum kuyilE
meLLa irundu mizhaRRi mizhaRRAdu en vEnkaTavan varak kUvuvAi

Bharati’s translation (source: the same URL referenced earlier):

To the Cuckoo

O Cuckoo that peckest at the blossomed flower of honey-dripping champaka and inebriate, pipest forth the melodious notes, be seated in thy ease and with thy babblings, which are yet not babbling, call out for the coming of my Lord of the Venkata hill. For He, the pure one, bearing in his left hand the white summoning conch shows me not his form. But He has invaded my heart; and while I pine and sigh for his love, He looks on indifferent as if it were all a play.


5.4
என்பு உருகி இன வேல் நெடுங் கண்கள் இமை பொருந்தா பல நாளும்
துன்பக் கடல் புக்கு வைகுந்தன் என்பது ஓர் தோணி பெறாது உழல்கின்றேன்
அன்பு உடையாரைப் பிரிவு உறு நோயது நீயும் அறிதி குயிலே
பொன் புரை மேனிக் கருளக் கொடி உடைப் புண்ணியனை வரக் கூவாய்

enbu urugi inavEl neDUm kaNgaL imai porundA pala nALum
tunbakkaDal pukku vaikundan enbadu Or tONi peRAdu uzhalkinREn
anbu uDaiyAraip pirivu uRu nOyadu nIyum aRidi kuyilE
pon purai mEnik garuLak koDi uDaip puNNiyanai varak kUvuvAi

Bharati’s translation:

I feel as if my bones had melted away and my long javelin eyes have not closed their lids for these many days. I am tossed on the waves of the sea of pain without finding the boat that is named the Lord of the highest realm. Even thou must know, O Cuckoo, the pain we feel when we are parted from those whom we love. He whose pennon bears the emblem of the golden eagle, call out for his coming, O bird.

5.10
அன்று உலகம் அளந்தானை உகந்து அடிமைக்கண் அவன் வலி செய்ய
தென்றலும் திங்களும் ஊடறுத்து என்னை நலியும் முறைமை அறியேன்
என்றும் இக் காவில் இருந்திருந்து என்னைத் ததைத்தாதே நீயும் குயிலே
இன்று நாராயணனை வரக் கூவாயேல் இங்குத்தை நின்றும் துரப்பன்

anRU ulagam aLandAnai ugandu aDimaikkaN avan vali Seyya
tenRalum tingaLum UDaRuttu ennai naliyum muRaimai aRiyEn
enRum ikkAvil irundirundu ennait tadaittAdE nIyum kuyilE
inRu nArAyaNanai varak kUvAyEl inguttai ninRum turappan


Bharati’s translation:

I am a slave of Him whose stride has measured the worlds. And now because He is harsh to me, how strange that this south-wind and these moonbeams should tear my flesh, enfeebling me. But thou, O cuckoo, that ever divest in this garden of mine, it is not meet that thou shouldst pain me also. Indeed I shall drive thee out if He who reposes on the waters of life come not to me by thy songs today.

[rshankar]

Sridhar - thank you so much!

[sridhar_ranga]

Here are the rest as translated by Bharati, I am leaving out the vaaranam Ayiram stanzas since you have identified them already.

These five verses are from the 12th ten (12aam tirumozhi) under nAchiyAr tirumozhi, which has a total of 143 verses.

மற்று இருந்தீர்கட்கு அறியலாகா மாதவன் என்பது ஓர் அன்புதன்னை
உற்று இருந்தேனுக்கு உரைப்பது எல்லாம் ஊமையரோடு செவிடர் வார்த்தை
பெற்றிருந்தாளை ஒழியவே போய்ப் பேர்த்து ஒரு தாய் இல் வளர்ந்த நம்பி
மற் பொருந்தாமற் களம் அடைந்த மதுரைப் புறத்து என்னை உய்த்திடுமின்.

maRRu irundIrgaTku aRiyalAgA mAdavan enbadu Or anbutannai
uRRu irundEnukku uraippadu ellAm UmaiyarODu SeviDar vArttai
peRRirundALai ozhiyavE poIp pErttu oru tAi il vaLarnda nambi
maR porundAmaR kaLam aDainda maduraip puRattu ennai uyttiDumin

Bharati’s Translation:

Ye others

Ye others cannot conceive of the love that I bear to Krishna. And your warnings to me are vain like the pleadings of the deaf and mute. The boy who left his mother’s home and was reared by a different mother, - Oh. Take me forth to hi city of mathura where He won the field without fighting the battle and leave me there.

நாணி இனி ஓர் கருமம் இல்லை நால்-அயலாரும் அறிந்தொழிந்தார்
பாணியாது என்னை மருந்து செய்து பண்டு பண்டு ஆக்க உறுதிராகில்
மாணி உருவாய் உலகு அளந்த மாயனைக் காணிற் தலைமறியும்
ஆணையால் நீர் என்னைக் காக்க வேண்டில் ஆய்ப்பாடிக்கே என்னை உய்த்திடுமின்.

nANi ini Or karumam illai nAl ayalArum aRindozhindAr
pANiyAdu ennai marundu Seidu paNDu paNDu Akka uRudirAgil
mANi uruvAi ulagu aLanda mAyanaik kANiR talaimaRiyum
ANaiyAl nIr ennaik kAkka vENDil AyppADikkE ennai uyttiDumin

Bharati’s Translation: Of no further avail is modesty. For all the neighbouts have known of this fully. Would ye really heal me of this ailing and restore me to my pristine state? Then know ye this illness will go if I see Him, the maker of illusions, the youthful one who measured the world. Should you really wish to save me, then take me forth to his home in the hamlet of the Cowhereds and leave me there.

தந்தையும் தாயும் உற்றாரும் நிற்கத் தனிவழி போயினாள் என்னும் சொல்லு
வந்த பின்னைப் பழி காப்பு அரிது மாயவன் வந்து உருக் காட்டுகின்றான்
கொந்தளம் ஆக்கிப் பரக்கழித்துக் குறும்பு செய்வான் ஓர் மகனைப் பெற்ற
நந்தகோபாலன் கடைத்தலைக்கே நள்-இருட்கண் என்னை உய்த்திடுமின்

tandaiyum tAyum uRRArum niRkat tanivazhi pOyinAL ennum sollu
vanda pinnaip pazhi kAppu aridu mAyavan vandu uruk kATTuginRAn
kondaLam Akkip parakkazhittuk kuRumbu SeivAn Or maganaip peRRa
nandagOpAlan kaDaittalaikkE naL iruTkaN ennai uyttiDumin

Bharati’s Translation: The rumour is already spread over the land that I fled with Him and went the lonely way leaving all of you behind-my parents, relations and friends. The tongue of scandal ye can hardly silence now. And He the deceiver is haunting me with his forms. Oh, take me forth at midnight to the door of the Cowherd named Bliss who owns this son, the maker of havoc, this mocker, this pitiless player; and leave me there.

ஆர்க்கும் என் நோய் இது அறியலாகாது அம்மனைமீர் துழதிப் படாதே
கார்க்கடல் வண்ணன் என்பான் ஒருவன் கைகண்ட யோகம் தடவத் தீரும்
நீர்க் கரை நின்ற கடம்பை ஏறிக் காளியன் உச்சியில் நட்டம் பாய்ந்து
போர்க்களமாக நிருத்தம் செய்த பொய்கைக் கரைக்கு என்னை உய்த்திடுமின்.

Arkkum en nOi idu aRiyalAgAdu ammanaimIr tuzhadip paDAdE
kArkkaDal vaNNan enbAn oruvan kaikaNDa yOgam taDavat tIrum
nIrkkarai ninRa kaDambai ERik kALiyan ucciyil naTTam pAindu
pOrkkaLamAga niruttam Seida poigaik karaikku ennai uyttiDumin

Bharati’s Translation: Oh grieve not ye, my mother. Others know little of this strange malady of mine. He whose hue is that of the blue sea, a certain youth called Krishna – the gentle caress of his hand can heal me, for his yoga is sure and proved.
On the bank of the waters he ascended the Kadamba tree and he leaped to his dance on the hood of the snake, the dance that killed the snaked. Oh take me forth to the bank of that lake and leave me there.

கூட்டில் இருந்து கிளி எப்போதும் கோவிந்தா கோவிந்தா என்று அழைக்கும்
ஊட்டக் கொடாது செறுப்பனாகில் உலகு-அளந்தான் என்று உயரக் கூவு1ம்
நாட்டில் தலைப்பழி எய்தி உங்கள் நன்மை இழந்து தலையிடாதே
சூட்டு உயர் மாடங்கள் சூழ்ந்துதோன்றும் துவராபதிக்கு என்னை உய்த்திடுமின்.

kUTTil irundu kiLi eppOdum gOvindA govindA enRu azhaikkum
UTTak koDAdu SeRuppanAgil ulagu aLandAn enRu uyarak kUvum
nATTil talaippazhi eydi ungaL nanmai izhandu talaiyiDAdE
cUTTu uyar mADangaL SUzhndu tOnRum tuvarApatikku ennai uyttiDumin

Bharati’s Translation: There is parrot here in this cage of mine that ever calls out his name saying “Govinda, Govinda”. In anger I chide it and refuse to feed it. ‘O Thou’ it then cries in its highest pitch, “O Thou who hast measured the worlds’. I tell you, my people, if ye really would avoid the top of scandal in all this wide country, if still ye would guard, your weal and your good fame, then take me forth to his city of Dwaraka of high mansions and decorated turrets; and leave me there.

[Pasupathy]

Perhaps some Rasikas may not be aware of this book on Bharathi
http://www.tamilheritage.org/old/text/e ... arathi.pdf

[rshankar]

Sridhar, thank you for the painstaking posting!

[sridhar_ranga]

Subramania Siva

Forty years ago, when the flame of patriotism was aglow in Tamil Nadu, there was a triumvirate of ‘Subramaniams’. The three – Subramania Bharati, Va. Ve. Subramania Aiyar and Subramania Sivam – remained thick friends.

Subramania Sivam (He was also known as Subramania Siva or Siva) was born in the village Batlagundu (vattalakundu) in Madurai in a poor family. Even at a young age, Sivam showed a liking for spiritual inquiry and received deeksha from his maternal uncle, Oda Swami. Due to the pressures of poverty and on his father’s insistence, he took up a minor job in the court. But soon he left the job thanks to his overwhelming nationalist feelings.

Subramania Sivam was an excellent orator. He did not believe in circumlocution or vacillation, be it in speech or action. He believed in forthrightness. He believed in following Tilak’s way of overthrowing evil and protecting the good (‘dushTa nigraha SishTa paripaalanam’ )

He became acquainted with V.O. Chidambaram Pillai through Parali Shanmugam Pillai, brother of Parali Su, Nellaiyappa Pillai. Sivam became a key ally of Pillai in campaigning for the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company and carrying out swadeshi propaganda. Chidambaram and Sivam used to address meetings on a daily basis in and around Tuticorin beach, making Tuticorin the bastion of the nationalist movement in the southern districts. Those were days when a barber who was shaving a lawyer stopped his work midway because the vakil spoke against the Swadeshi movement; that lawyer had to travel all the way to Madurai with police escort to get the remainder of his beard shaved! The Europeans who lived in Tuticorin were scared to spend their nights in the town, preferring instead to spend them aboard ships stationed seven miles offshore.

Seeing the unbounded growth in the popularity of Chidambaram and Sivam, the police slapped a case of (breaking) bail at first, followed by another one of sedition against them. They were both sentenced to six years in prison. Chidambaram had to pull the oil press (yoked in place of an ox). Sivam had to shear wool.

Sivam was released in 1912 and moved to Mylapore in Madras. He started publishing a monthly called ‘jnAna bhAnu’ from April 1913, which came out for three years. He then ran a few more journals including ‘Prapancha Mitran’ and ‘Indiya Desantiri’. He had to undergo prison sentence three more times for his patriotic speeches.

He attempted to build a ‘Bharata Mata Temple’ at many places, where the people of India could worship the mother, regardless of caste or religious differences. He tried to build the temple in Kodambakkam in Chennai, in Amaravati Pudur and in Pasalai, a place near Manamadurai; finally he succeeded in getting Deshbandhu (C.R.) Das to lay the foundation stone for the Sri Bharata Mata temple at Papparapatti in Salem district. But there was no support for the temple beyond that.

Subramania Siva, accompanied by his wife, travelled all over Tamil Nadu on foot singing patriotic songs and delivering moving speeches, jolting the people awake. He had gone to Puduchery on a similar mission once.

Subramania Siva attained samaadhi on the 23rd July 1925 at Bhaaratapuram which he established near Papparapatti. By then his fame and influence had grown much more in the Madras presidency. Thiyagaraja Sivam of Madurai, Chidambara Bharati, Srinivasa Varadan, T. Sadasivam who now manages ‘Kalki’ and Sundaram, the founder of Everest Hotel in Madras were among Siva’s disciples.

Even when ‘jnAna bhAnu’ was started, Bharati was contributing articles to it. In the very second issue, ‘Chinna Sankaran Kadai’ was started as a serial. When ‘jnAna bhAnu’ began its third year , Bharati sent across a poem entitled ‘jnAna bhAnu’. This appeared as a cover feature in the April 1915 issue of the magazine.

[sridhar_ranga]

Clockwise from Right: Subramania Sivam, the popular picture (1922). Disciple Kandasami Pulavar standing next to Siva’s Samadhi in Papparapatti, now in Dharmapuri district. Picture of Subramania Sivam without his beard, taken when he was in prison.
,

[cmlover]

Subramania Siva is well depicted in the movie "KappalOTTiya Thamizhan".
The barber episode (acted by TS Dorairaj) is also depicted there.
The movie shows that Siva developed Leprosy during the imprisonment.
It is news to know that Sadasivam (husband of MS) was a disciple of Siva!
Cienu may have some pictures I hope?

[Rsachi]

Just caught bits of Sahitya Academy documentary (DD Bharati) on Bharati directed by one Saudhamini. The credits mentioned Rajam Krishnan....
Wish I could watch the whole documentary on YT...

[parivadini]

Bharati on music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8A5cqqhsAM

[kvchellappa]

This bears repetition, I thought:


"என் கணவர்” என்ற தலைப்பில் 1951ஆம் ஆண்டு திருச்சி வானொலியில் திருமதி செல்லம்மாள் பாரதி ஆற்றிய உரை.

"என் கணவர்” என்ற தலைப்பில் 1951ஆம் ஆண்டு திருச்சி வானொலியில் திருமதி செல்லம்மாள் பாரதி ஆற்றிய இரண்டாவது உரை.

ஊருக்குப் பெருமை என் வாழ்வு. வையகத்தார் கொண்டாட வாழவேண்டும் என்ற என் கனவு ஓரளவு பலித்தது என்னவோ உண்மைதான். இன்று என் கணவரின் புகழ் விண்முட்டிச் செல்கிறது. இன்று மகாகவியின் மனைவியாகப் போற்றப்படும் நான் அன்று பைத்தியக்காரன் மனைவியென்று பலராலும் ஏசப்பட்டேன்.

விநோதங்கள் என் வாழ்க்கையில் அதிகம். உலகத்தோடு ஒட்டி வாழ வகை அறியாத கணவருடன் அமர வாழ்வு வாழ்ந்தேன் என்றால் உங்களுக்குச் சிரிப்பாகத்தான் இருக்கும். யாருக்கு மனைவியாக வாய்த்தாலும் வாய்க்கலாம். ஆனால் கவிஞன் மனைவியாய் இருப்பது கஷ்டம்.

கவிஞர்கள் போக்கே தனி. உண்பதிலும் உறங்குவதிலும் கூட சாதாரண மனிதரைப் போல் அவர்கள் இருப்பதில்லை. கற்பனைச் சிறகு விரித்துக் கவிதை வானில் வட்டமிடும் ஒரு பறவை, பூலோகத்திலே இருண்ட வீட்டிலே மனைவிக்கும் மற்றவருக்கும் சம்பாத்தியம் செய்துபோட்டு, சாதாரண வாழ்க்கை வாழ முடியுமா?

வறுமை, கவிஞனின் தனி உடைமை. கவிஞனுக்கு இந்த மண்ணுலகில் இன்பம் அளிப்பது கவிதை; ஆனால் வயிற்றுக்கு உணவு தேடி வாழும் வகையை அவன் மனைவிதான் கண்டுபிடிக்க வேண்டி வருகிறது. காதல் ராணியாக மனைவியைப் போற்றும் கவிஞன் அவளுக்குச் சாதமும் போடவேண்டும் என்ற நினைவே இன்றிக் காலம் கழித்தானேயானால், என்ன செய்ய முடியும்?

கவிஞன் விசித்திரமான தன்மை நிறைந்தவன்; அவனுக்கு எதுவும் பெரிதில்லை. ஆனால் கவலை நிறைந்த வாழ்நாளைக் கழிக்க வேண்டும் என்று எந்தப் பெண்தான் நினைக்க முடியும்? சிறு வயதில் ஆசாபாசங்களும், அபிலாஷைகளும் ஒவ்வொரு பெண்ணின் மனத்திலும் நிறைந்திருப்பது இயற்கைதானே?

சுகமாக வாழ்வதற்கு சொர்க்கலோகம் சென்றால்தான் முடியும் என்ற நிலை கவிஞன் மனைவிக்கு ஏற்பட்டு விடுகிறது. அந்த நாளில் இருந்த சத்திமுத்தப் புலவரின் மனைவியிடமிருந்து இன்று என்வரை சுகவாழ்வு ஒரே விதமாகத்தான் அமைந்திருக்கிறது. ஏகாந்தத்தில் அமர்ந்துவிட்டால் முனிவரும்கூட அவரிடம் பிச்சைதான் வாங்கவேண்டும். ஆனால் மனைத் தலைவியாகிய நான் அவ்வாறு நிஷ்டையிடமிருக்க முடியுமா?

கவிஞர்களில் பலதரப்பட்டவர்கள் இருக்கிறார்கள். கடவுளைப் பக்தி செய்யும் கவிஞன், காவியம் எழுதும் கவிஞன், இவர்களைப் புற உலகத் தொல்லைகள் சூழ இடமில்லை. எனது கணவரோ கற்பனைக் கவியாக மட்டுமல்லாமல், தேசியக் கவியாகவும் விளங்கியவர். அதனால் நான் மிகவும் கஷ்டப்பட்டேன். கவிதை வெள்ளைத்தை அணை போட்டுத் தடுத்தது அடக்கு முறை. குடும்பமே தொல்லைக்குள்ளாகியது. ஆனால் நுங்கும் நுரையுமாகப் பொங்கிவரும் புது வெள்ளம் போல அடக்குமுறையை உடைத்துக்கொணடு பாய்ந்து செல்லும் அவர் கவிதை.

காலையில் எழுந்ததும் கண்விழித்து, மேநிலை மேல், மேலைச்சுடர் வானை நோக்கி வீற்றிருப்பார். ஸ்நானம் ஒவ்வொரு நாள் ஒவ்வொரு விதத்தில் அமையும். சூரிய ஸ்நானம்தான் அவருக்குப் பிடித்தமானது. வெளியிலே நின்று நிமிர்ந்து சூரியனைப் பார்ப்பதுதான் வெய்யற் குளியல். சூரியகிரணம் கண்களிலேயுள்ள மாசுகளை நீக்கும் என்பது அவர் அபிப்பிராயம். காலைக் காப்பி, தோசை பிரதானமாயிருக்க வேண்டும் அவருக்கு. தயிர், நெய், புது ஊறுகாய் இவைகளைத் தோசையின் மேல் பெய்து தின்பார்.

அவருக்குப் பிரியமான பொருளைச் சேகரித்துக் கொடுத்தால், அரவது நண்பர்களான காக்கையும் குருவியும் அதில் முக்கால் பாகத்தைப் புசித்து விடுவார்கள். எதை வேண்டுமானாலும் பொறுக்க முடியும்; ஆனால் கொடுத்த உணவைத் தாம் உண்ணாமல் பறவைகளுக்குப் போட்டுவிட்டு நிற்கும் அவருடைய தார்மிக உணர்ச்சியை மட்டும் என்னால் சகிக்கவே முடிந்ததில்லை. சிஷ்யருக்குக் குறைவு இராது. செய்திகளுக்கும் குறைச்சல் இல்லை. கானாமுதமோ காதின் வழியே புகுந்து உடல் எங்கும் நிறைந்துவிடும். களிப்பை மட்டும் பூரணமாக அனுபவிக்க முடியாமல் உள்ளிருந்து ஒன்று வாட்டும். அதுதான் கவலை!

இச்சகம் பேசி வாழும் உலகத்தில் எப்பொழுதும் மெய்யே பேச வேண்டும் என்பது அவரது கட்டளை. எக்காரணத்தைக் கொண்டும் பொய் பேசக் கூடாது. இது எத்தனை சிரமமான காரியம் என்பது எல்லாருக்கும் தெரிந்த விஷயம்தான்.

புதுவை எனக்குச் சிறைச்சாலை ஆகியது. சிறைச்சாலை என்ன செய்யும்? ஞானிகளை அது ஒன்றும் செய்ய முடியாதுதான். எதையும் ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளும் மனத்திண்மை அவர்களுக்கு உண்டு. ஆனால் என்னைப்போன்ற சாதாரணப் பெண்ணுக்கு, இல்லறத்தை நல்லறமாக்க வேண்டும் என்ற ஒரே விஷயத்தை லட்சியமாகக் கொண்ட ஒருத்திக்குச் சிறைச்சாலை நவநவமான துன்பங்களை அள்ளித்தான் கொடுத்தது.

புதுவையில்தான் புதுமைகள் அதிகம் தோன்றின. புது முயற்சிகள், புதிய நாகரிகம், புதுமைப் பெண் எழுச்சி, புதுக் கவிதை இவை தோன்றின. இத்தனை புதுமைகளும் எழுவதற்கு நான்தான் ஆராய்ச்சிப் பொருளாக அமைந்தேன். பெண்களுக்குச் சம அந்தஸ்து வழங்க வேண்டுமா வேண்டாமா என்று வெகுகாலம் ஆராய்ந்த பின்னரே, பெண் விடுதலை அவசியம் என்ற முடிவு கண்டு, நடைமுறையில் நடத்துவதற்குத் துடிதுடித்தார் என் கணவர். இந்த முடிவை அவர் காண்பதற்குள் நான் பட்ட பாடு சொல்லுந்தரமன்று.

புதுவையில் அரசியலில் கலந்துகொள்ள ஒரு வசதியும் இல்லாதிருந்த போதிலும், தமிழ் இலக்கியத் தொண்டு செய்ததனால் ஒருவாறு மன அமைதி பெற்றிருந்தார். நமது பொக்கிஷங்கள் என்று கருதத் தகும்படியான அவரது கவிதைகள் எல்லாம் அங்குதான் தோன்றின. மனிதரை அமரராக்க வேண்டும் என்று தவித்த என் கணவர், எத்தனை இடையூறுகளும் எதிர்ப்புகளும் ஏற்பட்ட போதிலும், அவற்றையெல்லாம் மோதி மிதித்துவிட்டுத் தம் லட்சியத்தில் முன்னேறும் துணிவு கொண்டு செயலாற்றினார்.

மகாகவி நாட்டிற்காக, அதன் சுதந்திரத்திற்காக வாழ்ந்தார். தமிழ் பண்பாட்டில் சிறந்த அவர் ஈகை, அன்பு, சகிப்புத்தன்மை முதலான பண்புகளைக் கடைப்பிடித்து வாழ்ந்தது ஓர் அதிசயமன்று. தூங்கிக் கிடந்த தமிழரை விழிப்புறுத்தியதும் அதிசயமன்று;

ஆனால் இன்று அவரது பூத உடல் மறைந்த பின்பும் தமிழ் பேசும் ஒவ்வோர் உயிரினிடத்தும் அவர் கலந்து நிற்பதுதான் அதிசயம் என்று எனக்குத் தோன்றுகிறது. "விண்டுரைக்க மாட்டாத விந்தையடா!" என்று அவரது கவிதை மொழியில்தான் இந்த மகிழ்ச்சியைத் தெரிவிக்க வேண்டியிருக்கிறது.

[sridhar_ranga]

rA a padmanabhan, the author of the book "Chittira Bharati" (translated pages of which which we have been sharing in this thread) passed away today. May his soul rest in peace.



News Item in The Hindu:

Bharathi scholar R.A. Padmanabhan passes away

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/t ... epage=true

Journalist and historian R.A. Padmanabhan, who made the single most important contribution to the studies on the great nationalist poet Subramania Bharathiyar, died at Chennai on Monday. He was 96 and is survived by his wife, three sons and three daughters.

Today there are only five photographs of Bharathi available - two of them were discovered by Padmanabhan, who started his career with the Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan at the age of 16. He had also worked for Dinamani Kathir as its Editor. He also worked at The Hindu as well as at the American Centre, Chennai.

Padmanabhan's Chithira Bharathi, a compilation of photographs of Bharathi and his contemporaries is a major work. It was first published in 1957. The second edition came in 1982 and the third edition in 2006. (Kalachuvadu Pathippagam).

[kvchellappa]

May his soul rest in peace.

[arasi]

Sridhar,
And we didn't even know that he was living when we got part of his priceless book translated! I don't know if he was lucid in his last days. Otherwise, a Chennai admirer of his writings among us could have met him! A pity. I did not know that kAlachuvaDu had brought out a newer edition of his book recently! Wonder if it's still available. I'm so out of touch these days

Atleast, BhArathi is bound to welcome him with gusto, and the author now is busy meeting all those whom he wrote about and admired, where he is now...

[sridhar_ranga]

Exactly my sentiments Arasi. We weren't even aware of his being around, till we saw this news.In the recent Chennai Book exhibition, I looked around for the book without success, not knowing that KalachuvaDu has brought out a recent edition.

[kvchellappa]

I informed his son, P Mohan, of the translation when it was going on. I assumed that the members were aware of his being alive. Sorry about not sharing it here.

[Pasupathy]

A tribute to Sri R A Padmanabhan
பாரதி அறிஞர் ரா.அ.பத்மநாபன்
http://s-pasupathy.blogspot.com/2014/01/blog-post.html

[arasi]

Pasupathy,
Thank you for this rare piece. In one sweep it gives us the early days of rA.a.Padmanabhan as a writer, editor--and many of us didn't know all this! Insights into the times too, with the key personalities who shaped the golden years of tamizh journals.

In Chithra Bharathi, there is a picture of him with his children.

Chellappa,
His son Mohan can be seen as a youngster with his father, mother and sister in it. I think we did have it in this thread somewhere. Please bring it back if you can!

[kvchellappa]

I am sorry, I did not succeed in tracing it.

[sridhar_ranga]

Chittira Bharati is back in print. KalachuvaDu pathippagam has brought out the third edition, copies of which are available and given prominence in this year's Chennai Book Fair.

Sri R A Padmanabhan has written his foreword for this edition in 2006 but the print date is Oct 2013! Wonder why it took them so long. The first edition was in 1957 and the second in 1982.

I was happy to pick up a copy. One more book on letters written by Bharatiyar (by R A Padmanabhan) is also available.

[arasi]

Sridhar,
Good news! Hope you are inspired enough to continue your translation. KV Chellappa and I would join hands if you need some rest at any time.

[sridhar_ranga]

I sure hope to Arasi, with God's grace and some inspiration to start again. Time is no longer a constraint, I have plenty to spare!