Translations of Bharathy's Prose Writings

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 22 Sep 2012, 17:46

It will be appropriate if it is added to the title "from http://bhaarathi.blogspot.in/ "

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 22 Sep 2012, 19:50

No! That makes it too long to accommodate..

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 22 Sep 2012, 21:37

OK. Shall I include it in my posts in the beginning?

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 22 Sep 2012, 23:28

By all means!

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 23 Sep 2012, 07:56

FESTIVAL OF MADANAN (GNANARATHAM)
(from http://bhaarathi.blogspot.in/)

A little later, Chitharanjan took leave of us and was gone. We continued our flight. Right through the way, wonderful was the soft music made by the moonbeam and the sight of thousands of ways of entertainment of the gandharva damsels, lads, children and elders in their houses. I did not even imagine on earth that there was such variety in entertainment. After covering some distance, Parvatha Kumari drew my attention, “Look there.”
“Ahaha, what is special there?” I asked.

There was a large multi-storeyed house. There could have been fifty thousand people in it; it was a big crowd. But unlike the crowds on earth, they had not jostled against and pushed each other, they did not nudge with hands, stamp with feet, grimace and swelter and sweat all over. Even though the gandharva crowd was moving about at random hither and thither, they did so with pleasant faces without disturbing each other and leaving wide clearance. If ladies came form the opposite side and there was no room to make way, they would spread their wings and fly up and come down after the ladies had passed. My surprise was not small on seeing that large a crowd being so charming. When they hug and kiss each other, or at times pass with a reverent salutation, what affection! what civility! It is not in my power to describe it.

“Parvatha Kumari, what is special there?” I asked.
“Look, there is a hall in the site where the house is located.”
“Yes.”
“What is kept on the parrot vAhanam (vehicle)?”
“Idol of Manmatha.”
“It is a festival in his honour,” said she.
I was stunned as soon as I saw that idol of Manmatha.
“Kumari, by whom was this idol made?”
“By the sculptors of our land,” she replied. Suddenly I remembered that the art of sculpture was decayed and in ruins in our country.
“Alas, even after coming to gandharva land, I could not forget that distressed country,” I thought aloud.
“Though your form for a while is turned into that of a gandharva, remember that your nature has not changed,” remarked Kumari.
“Be that as it may, are there many such idols in your country?” I asked.
“I will take you tomorrow to the art gallery near the Amrutha Aruvi (spring of nectar). You can see everything then,” she said.

All the while when I was thus conversing with Kumari, my eyes did not move away from the idol of Manmatha that was visible below.

“Though the sculptors of your country are so talented, they do not realise that they should not give a form to Ananga (Manmatha). That is odd,” I said.
“Sabash, coming from the world of human beings, you have started to find fault in the work of gandharvas. In our country, there isn’t another idol comparable to this famous idol. Look carefully. However intently you may look at it, you will not get the truth about it unless explained.
That idol was not made of clay or marble. It was made of subtle ether that is of the nature of mind. That is the real form of KAmadEva (Manmatha) born of mind. We call its maker, Maya, DvithIya Brahma (second Brahma). KAmadEva made by Brahma is endowed with life. Even though this idol lacks real life, it is bestowed with artistic life (chaittrika jIvan),” said she.

I am weary of repeatedly writing ‘I am wonder-struck’ monotonously about every scene I describe. Gandharva land is on the whole a wonderland.

“The idol of Rathi is not seen near the idol of Manmatha, is it?,” I enquired.
“That is the secret of gandharvaloka. It is not to be divulged to you,” she said.
“You forget that for now I am also a gandharva.”
“In that case, it will become clear to you on contemplation. Let it go. Let us get down and see everything well. Come. Instead of talking here, it is better to see it there,” she said.

We descended and saw the novelties of that festival. On one side, pooja of Manmatha idol was going on; on the other side, the story of burning of Manmatha. It was well illustrated through idols and drawings until the time he was resurrected.

I saw spring having been drawn. In actuality, it was spring then in gandharva land. That is why they observed the festival of KAman. Naturally, the goddess of prakrithi (nature) aided the wonderful work of the gandharva sculptors.

Singing cuckoos, trees decked in flowers, lake, deer playing together, bees, etc. down to the tiny pollen brought aloft in the southerly breeze, all vernal scenes appeared truer than the true.

There was installed on a platform made of SuryakAntha stones
in a big hall enclosed by deodar trees, the statue of Siva, motionless like a sea at rest with the waves having subsided - with mind in a controlled state and the three eyes focused on the nose.

In front, Parvathi attired as for penance was standing and doing archana, like the goddess of beauty, slimmed by austerities, appearing in front of us. Behind her, a figure like Madanan stood, with his sugarcane-bow stretched and ready with a flower-arrow.

On another side was a drawing depicting the burning of Madanan. My mind was trembling, seeing the drawing in which Paramasivan was standing with his face brimming over with the fire of anger like the Sathya DEvathai in relentless anger, and the fire from his eye of wisdom flowing like a spate and Manmatha’s figure catching fire. I snatched away my hand which was holding that of Parvatha Kumari.

Parvatha Kumari laughed aloud and said, “You are scared just at the picture.”
I was not able to firm up my mind that it was only a picture. Though the picture of Rathi was not near the idol of Madanan in the temple, here it was drawn as crying aloud near his burning body. I can’t describe the grief and pity that was writ on her face, nay, entire body. Where is the finesse of the gandharva sculptor? Where is my poor pen? Where is the comparison?

In another picture, Siva is portrayed as married, with Parvathi as his part,. Rathi DEvi stands in obeisance. Siva smiles and graces her, and Madanan rises alive from the ashes, bows in salutation to Siva and Parvathi and aims arrows by his hand at both of them. Parvathi embraces Siva.

The gandharvas had gathered before the various pictures and were offering worship in different ways.

Some women sang with yAzh in hand. On one side, the damsels and lads danced in pairs and were circumambulating.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 23 Sep 2012, 08:05

Bharathi’s prose has poetic niceties and imagery. His choice of words is ever so apt, e.g. ‘Ananga’ for Manmatha when it is suggested that he should not have been shown having a form. The art gallery being next to Amritha Aruvi, suggests the immortality of the pieces in the gallery. His insight to our metaphysics is so palpable, the way he describes Manmatha;s and Siva’s forms. The nayam in the prose is an ocean from which the imaginative readers can churn out several gems.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 23 Sep 2012, 20:08

Unquestionably! There is more to Bharathy's writings than what appears on the surface. It has to be relished bit by bit like a nice feast - பஞ்ச பட்ச பரமான்னம்!
You are doing an excellent job capturing the spirit!

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 24 Sep 2012, 14:48

Thanks.
I came across this sentence of Bharathi:
இத்தன்மை கொண்ட மேலோர் நாம் நல்ல தொழிலாளிகளென்பது மட்டுமேயன்றி வரபு மான்களென்றும், அருட்காட்சி பெற்றோரென்றும் சொல்லுகிறோம்.
The word வரபு மான்களென்றும் foxed me. I was trying to understand it as some deer, which did not gel. It should be
வர புமான்களென்றும் ie blessed men. Can anyone help me, please?

venkatakailasam · Post by **venkatakailasam** » 24 Sep 2012, 18:26

வரபு மான்கள்......people having limitations.... வரபு மான்கள் has to be a single word.. வரபுமான்கள்..

has nothing to do with deers..

I hope I am correct..

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 24 Sep 2012, 18:50

'People having limitations' is not apt in the context, I am afraid, though varabu can be a form of varambu, which is limit. But maankal may not mean men. 'vara' means choice or best, and pumankal can mean men. Bharathi uses Samskritham words liberally in prose. A friend remarked that his prose is as difficult as his poetry is simple.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 24 Sep 2012, 20:51

vara (gifted, blessed) pumAngaL (personages), I think.

Let alone the sanskritized words, typos in every edition which has come out of his works daunt us!

As for the sanskritized prose:
I feel that with the all tamizh writing mostly being didactic in his days, all the heavily sanskritized tamizh prose being somewhat rigid, Bharathi brought life to both: by freeing tamizh from its strictures adding lyrical beauty to it, and also making the sanskritized tamizh flow, like never before.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 24 Sep 2012, 21:23

Thanks.
I enjoy the learned comments.
There is so much spirit of poetry in his writings even in prose.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 24 Sep 2012, 22:07

The word வரபுமான் is Tamil-sanskrit derivation.
In sanskrit there is a taddhita pratyaya called mat (matup) which when added to a noun means one who has or possesses that thing or property. This addition when declined grammatically in masculin becomes 'maan' and in feminine 'matI'.
Eg., shakti + mat =>shaktimat => shaktimaan (masc)/shaktimatI (fem) (one with strength)
bhAgyam +mat =>bhAgyavat=>bhAgyavaan (masc)/bhAgyavatI 9fem) (one who is lucky)
(the 'ma' becomes 'va' when affixed to words ending in 'm' by Paninian rule)

Many such words are used as such in Tamil
e.g., புமான், பூமான், கோமான், யஜமான் etc...
And by analogy they formed words like வரபுமான் (one who obeys orders)
Here வரபு is a pure tamil word and 'maan' is the sanskrit affix.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 24 Sep 2012, 22:16

Thanks for an illuminating account, but in the context quoted, the meaning suggested by Smt. Arasi fits in snugly rather than 'one who obeys orders'.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 24 Sep 2012, 22:25

Certainly..
வர + புமான் is abetter split!

Govindaswamy · Post by **Govindaswamy** » 25 Sep 2012, 20:06

I have corrected the following which I think are mistakes in transliteration.

ModiyandenRaruL- ModiyadenRaruL
vev vizhiyERi- I think that is should be vev vizhiyeri. வெவ்விழியெரி- This will mean the fire from cruel eye.
I have given a transliteration using Google Transliteration.

இடியேறு சார்பிலுற உடல் வெந்தோன் ஒனறுரையாதிருப்ப ஆலி
முடியேறி மோதியதென்றருள் முகிலைக் கடுஞ்சொற்கள் மொழிவான் போலக்
கடியேறு மலர்ப் பந்து மோதியதென்றினியாளைக் காய்கின்றானால்
வடியேறு வேலென வெவ் விழியெரி யென்னாவி வருத்தல் காணான்

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 25 Sep 2012, 20:24

Many thanks.
I was struggling to make sense of the poem. Now it looks nice.
This is one of the reasons I dislike Roman transliterations without the Tamil script which in addition to the rigamarole destroys even the meanings
eg., விழியெரி vs விழியேறி
where the நயம் is totally lost!

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 26 Sep 2012, 09:23

WATERFALL (GNANARATHAM)
(from http://bhaarathi.blogspot.in/)

“Let us go to the waterfall to bathe, get up,” said the young damsel who had come as the rower of the boat of my life.

We reached the base of the waterfall. The water falls down from the peak of the high hill into a pond in the middle in two stages and from there on to the ground. Many poets have cited garland etc. as similes for the waterfall. That does not appeal to me. As the elders have held sky, ocean and Ramayana to be incomparable, so too should we consider waterfall.

Before we arrived there, many had reached the place and were bathing. It was wonderful to see the ways they bathed. When I recall it on earth for writing, I feel inhibited a bit. On earth, some are very pure in writing and speech, but in thought and action?

The waterfall that has fallen down runs as a rivulet. In it are small rocks all the way. On every rock, there is a pair. They will fly in a jiffy from the rock, go round the waterfall, stand in the middle and again get back to their rock. To the pure in heart, all things appear as pure. In the gandharva land, no one has a dirty mind. So, they do not attach value in matters like dress. Ah, what beauty!

After taking bath in the waterfall, several of them went to a nearby temple and offered worship to the deities of their choice in various ways. The people of gandharva land, who distinguish as nonpareil in art, have among temples some without any idols. Atop those temples, ‘Om’ was written in letters of light. They had installed idols only in temples where festive celebrations and fun were dominant. Idols would not be kept in temples where the quest is for whole-hearted self-purification. They worship the deity of individual choice through meditation.

The import of Kumari’s utterance dawned on me by and by: “There is inter-connection between bhOga (enjoyment) and yOga (mediation). UpasAnthilOkam is very close to gandharvalOkam.” To those who seek beauty with fervour, truth also will manifest. A gnAni (man of wisdom) has said, ‘Truth is beauty, beauty is truth.’

Both of us, Kumari and me, entered the temple.
“Kumari, you say that this temple is meant for worshipping deity of one’s choice. What is the deity of your choice? Which deity are you going to worship?” I enquired.
She replied, “The deity of my choice is Madanan. I will meditate on him. You may choose a deity close to your heart.”
“Deity of my choice is you. I will meditate on you only,” I said.
“Well, well,” she said and laughed. She continued, “Friend, God is what mind assumes. God appears and graces you in the form that you worship as. What is God? God is Adarsam (mirror); God is chittha lakshyam (the focus of thoughts); God is truth; God is beauty.”

Yes. To one who says, ‘If one is born as a human being, one should conduct oneself as Rama. There is nothing superior to that,’ Rama is God. If I forget myself and without interest in my pleasure, I lose my life in the flood of beauty and adopt Parvatha Kumari as my God, that itself is the means to my salvation. Even in the story of fiction that our people narrate about Kalidasa’s worship in the house of a harlot, there is truth.

Parvatha Kumari chose a secluded place in the temple, sat eastward in padmAsana and with extreme excitement enveloping the eyes, meditated chanting, ‘Om namO brahmanE.’ I also, not in jest, but in earnest, sat in front of her in padmAsana, directed trikaranAs (thought, word and action) on her and stayed in meditation chanting, ‘Om namah KumAryai.’

We stood up coming out of meditation. Parvatha Kumari gestured, ‘start’. We flew imbibing the youthful rays of the morning sun, enough to quench our thirst. We reached the art gallery by flight.

My God, what a great task I have taken on my head! Ordinarily, even to describe the museum of Kolkata, a separate book has to be written. How am I to picturise in writing the exhibits in the art gallery of gandharvalOka?

“Let us visit the art gallery, come along. We had witnessed throughout yesterday the bounty of nature. Today we saw the waterfall. I am now seized of the desire to see the beauty of creations of your land. This sky is vast and extremely beautiful. Look how beautiful it is, the meeting point of the sky and the top of the hill far off there. Oho, if we linger here viewing all this, time will fly just like that. Let us go to the art gallery,” I said.

Parvatha Kumari roared into laughter. There was mischief in the corner of her eyes.

“If you keep laughing like this, you are not my favourite deity. I will kiss you, mind you,” I said.
Parvatha Kumari laughed again twice louder than before. I, in turn, punished her as threatened. She looked at me with eyes displaying anger.
“I warned you, didn’t I? Why did you laugh a second time?” I said with humility.
“I am not angry for that. When devotees punish the gandharva damsels like this, they do not touch the cheeks. You, …,” she went into a babble.
I carried out the punishment on the lips of the wonderful offender as per the gandharva rules.

Laughing uproariously, “Foolish friend, this is art gallery,” she said.
“Yes. This is forest scenery created by RamAnAtha in the beginning in the art gallery. It is no big deal that you mistook it for a forest. My compatriots themselves are often deluded unable to decipher whether it is a real forest or an artificial one,” she added.

Then, we moved to the hall where idols were kept. On one side, idols of living beings were kept. I saw the idols of almost all living beings there, save those of small creatures that can be seen not with the eyes, but with only a lens. I could not appreciate adequately the nuances of those displays since I have neither grounding in, nor flair for, zoology.

On another side, gandharva idols were kept in a separate section. I went there enthusiastically. There cannot be many sights in the world so sweet as when beauty is encountered in a man or a woman. Even in inanimate things, when beauty is manifest, it is worthy of veneration with folded hands. When it is so, need it be expressly stated that when beauty is seen with a lively glow in the face of a man or a woman, it is very captivating? I have ever limitless thirst in watching a human figure being lovely.

But on earth, there aren’t men or women who are perfectly beautiful. As mind is devoid of purity and peace, human beings on earth are generally ugly since the state of mind is reflected in the body. Moreover, in the land where I was born, men and women are so ugly as to make the eyes shrink back, because of famine and disease, and their root viz. slavery. That is the rule in the land of Bharath now. That it has exceptions goes without saying. The pictures drawn by the adept and the sculpture carved by the adept help protect against the loss of things of beauty by the inhabitants of Bharath. Also, our ancient poets et al help us in this regard. If at this juncture we do not patronise our nation’s art, two or three generations hence, all in the land of Bharath will lose eyesight.

Let it go. When I looked at the gandharva images in the gallery, I did not get as excited as when I saw the Madana idol earlier. For, the idols in the land of gandharvas, except the idols of gods, show the workmanship of the sculptors there, but are not in the nature of delineating their inner quest. To explain, on earth, the Greek idols are famous. Though the sculptors who made these idols had seen only less than perfect human figures, they had discovered comprehensive beauty by intuition and carved it in stones. We regard such great ones not simply as good artists, but as blessed personages with the gift of divine grace. As everyone in gandharvalOka has complete beauty in some respect, the sculptors have no scope to use imagination. It is quite true that the idols I saw there shone with boundless beauty. The men and women too there were handsome like the idols. I searched repeatedly whether any idol would be available as beautiful as the live idol by my side viz. Parvatha Kumari. None was found.

We left for refreshment. As it is a world which gives inexhaustible pleasure to all the five senses, I went there happy in the belief that a sumptuous feast would be available for the sense of taste. We reached a garden of flowers. Being in a cool ‘lathA mandapam’ (hall of creepers) there, Kumari called out, ‘Ranjana, Ranjana.’
Chittharanjan, brother of Kumari, came from a little distance. “Fetch a little food for me and for him, our guest,” she said. The lad left smiling in a peculiar way.

In a few minutes, he came with a friend of his; both were carrying golden plates which they placed on the marble table that was in front of our seats. I looked eagerly what the food comprised. Fruits, fruits and fruits, nothing but fruits were there. Kumari, who was uncanny in reading my mind, said as follows:
“Friend, unlike men of your world, we do not have a strong desire for food and do not go after food of a variety of taste. Of the five senses, tongue is an enemy of the other four. Epicures will lose the potency of choosing well and enjoying the supreme pleasures of the divine senses of ear and eye. Other than just eating for keeping alive, we do not seek pleasure in eating. All the same, the taste of these fruits is by no means ordinary. Eat it and you will know.”
I ate those fruits which excelled both in taste and effect and satiated the hunger.
After that Chittharanjan placed before us glasses of alcohol. I did not touch the glasses brought by him. Parvatha Kumari turned and saw.

“I am not used to it,” I said.
“This is not earth,” she said.
“Is this variety not enough: the breeze, light, coolness and the sights of your land, and you as companion? Should one get intoxicated by drinking alcohol also?”
I argued in various ways, but on the insistence of Kumari, I emptied one of the glasses of alcohol. An ecstatic state developed.

Pleasure is a fever. Just as in fever, when the temperature crosses a limit, chillness develops leading to delirium, on top of pleasure there is pain. I experienced the pleasures of the kind described above and others. Many days went by. When I reminisce now those days, all the days appear to have been a second in a way, and in another way, each second of those days appears to have been a pleasurable yuga (eon).

Many days passed. Kumari had become my bosom friend. I had a mental excitement which I never experienced even in dream, and a total oblivion of tiredness, disease, sagging of mind and distress of mind. Still, the mind was not satisfied. I felt like something was missing. In course of time, the pleasures of gandharvalOka too did not sour, but had become commonplace. There was no place for excitement from the beginning. Even though whenever indulging in beauty of nature like moon, sea, etc., excitement will arise, the fickle mind does not have the strength to be fixed on them. Alas, even in Kumari, the attachment the mind had in the beginning began to slip by.

One morning, sitting alone I thought on these lines: “Aha, even after coming to this land which is a treasure-house of enjoyment, mind is not contented. The inhabitants of this gandharvalOka repeat every day what they have done on day one, but live happily with cheerful faces. They do not appear to have grown weary of it. A mental disease incurable by any medicine has come about for us only. How strange!”

When I was reflecting thus, Kumari arrived from somewhere by flight and sat near hugging me. Then, having read my mind easily as usual, she related a few precious truths:
“Friend, you are surprised that there is no novelty in the deeds of people of our world. Have you forgotten the life of those on earth? Is there anything new in it? Of the animals of human species, some die young. Some live up to eighty or ninety. He (human being) does not consider it ordinary to eat at eighty years of age the same food which he started to consume while eight months old. Man, people living in your world talk lies for food and clothing; are cunning; act; cheat; steal; indulge in violence; commit murder; sell their bodies; sell their intellect; sell their souls being under bondage.
Man, the poor in your world are mostly shameless slaves. They will do anything for mean pleasure. Many among the rich are thieves. Those who are meek in your world are of a loathsome base nature. Those who are strong are of evil nature, to be kicked and trampled over. What do all these people do except repeating the same thing? They die eating, sleeping and acting.
In our world there is no death, no falsehood. Further, there are no cardinal sins of malicious acting, mean hypocrisy, pretense, talking cunningly. There is no pain at all arising from these. Still, it is not wrong on your part that you are not satisfied in our way of life. For, however low human life may be, it is better than ours in one important respect. Human life is so formed as to facilitate self-enquiry. The nature of discontentment in anything stands out as protection and great distinction of human birth. Man finds impermanence and consequent dissatisfaction in anything associated with mAyA. While it is true that the majority among you muddy your intellect and die like worms without the consciousness of reality, a few do attain to the supreme state. You might have heard that even dEvAs have, of course, to be born as human beings if they desire emancipation; that is true. It is not possible for prodigiously great persons like Sankara, Suka, Janaka, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, etc. to be born in our land. MAyA is fetters; as we are tied to golden fetters, it is not easy for disenchantment to arise. Since your fetters are gruesome, great people get easily disgusted with it.”

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 01 Oct 2012, 18:43

(from http://bhaarathi.blogspot.in/)
For Gandhi Jayanthi falling on 2nd Oct.

மகாத்மா காந்தி பஞ்சகம்

வாழ்க நீ! எம்மான்,இந்த வையத்து நாட்டி லெல்லாம்
தாழ்வுற்று வறுமை மிஞ்சி விடுதலை தவறிக் கெட்டுப்
பாழ்பட்டு நின்ற தாமோர் பாரத தேசந் தன்னை
வாழ்விக்க வந்த காந்தி மஹாத்மா!நீ வாழ்க!வாழ்க!

அடிமைவாழ் வகன்றிந் நாட்டார் விடுதலை யார்ந்து,செல்வம்,
குடிமையி னுயர்வு,கல்வி,ஞானமும் கூடி யோங்கிப்
படிமிசைத் தலைமை யெய்தும் படிக்கொரு சூழ்ச்சி செய்தாய்!
முடிவிலாக் கீர்த்தி பெற்றாய்! புவிக்குளே முதன்மை யுற்றாய்!

வேறு

கொடியவெந் நாக பாசத்தை மாற்ற
மூலிகை கொணர்ந்தவன் என்கோ?
டிமின்னல் தாங்கும் கடைசெய்தான் என்கோ?
என்சொலிப் புகழ்வதிங் குனையே?
விடிவிலாத் துன்பஞ் செயும் பராதீன
வெம்பிணி யகற் றிடும் வண்ணம்
படிமிசைப் புதைதாச் சாலவும் எளிதாம்
படிக்கொரு சூழ்ச்சிநீ படைத்தாய்!

தன்னுயிர் போலே தனக்கழி வெண்ணும்
பிறனுயிர் தன்னையும் கணித்தல்;
மன்னுயி ரெல்லாம் கடவுளின் வடிவம்
கடவுளின் மக்களென் றுணர்தல்;
இன்னமெய்ஞ் ஞானத் துணிவினை மற்றாங்கு
இழிபடு போர், கொலை,தண்டம்
பின்னியே கிடக்கும் அரசிய லதனில்
பிணைத்திடத் துணிந்தனை,பெருமான்!

பெருங்கொலை வழியாம் போர்வழி இகழ்ந்தாய்;
அதனிலுந் திறன்பெரி துடைத்தாம்
அருங்கலை வாணர் மெய்த்தொண்டர் தங்கள்
அறவிழி யென் றுநீ அறிந்தாய்;
நெருங்கிய பயன்சேர்-‘ஒத்துழை யாமை’
நெறியினால் இந்தியா விற்கு
வருங்கதி கண்டு பகைத்தொழில் மறந்து
வையகம் வாழ்கநல் லறத்தே!

THARASU (WEIGHING SCALE) AND GANDHI ADIGAL

The scale said, “SrImAn Gandhi is a good person.
The virtues he advocates viz. vow of truth, non-violence, giving up possessions and fearlessness, all the four are excellent; everyone should practice it as far as possible. But, it is wrong to preach that we should not strike back when someone strikes us.
We should practise now itself and master independence, equality of castes, knowledge of national language and devotion to God. Otherwise, our country will be ruined.
If the rich practise among themselves control of the taste buds and celibacy, it will be good for them. This advice is unnecessary for the poor. Their taste buds are already kept in check. Gandhi has not advocated celibacy for all. If it is followed, the country will soon have no human beings.
Gandhi spoke of eleven vows. I will add a twelfth one. That is: ‘Seek wealth at any cost. Attain the highest status on earth.’
This twelfth vow should be observed throughout the country."

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 01 Oct 2012, 20:24

It is not possible for prodigiously great persons like Sankara, Suka, Janaka, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, etc. to be born in our land. MAyA is fetters; as we are tied to golden fetters, it is not easy for disenchantment to arise. Since your fetters are gruesome, great people get easily disgusted with it.

A very powerful thought!
Bharathy did not include Gandhiji in that list since Babuji's greatness was not manifest yet!

KVC
You are doing a mammoth task magnificently.
We are very grateful to you!

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 01 Oct 2012, 21:12

Thanks. I cannot match the powerful flow and grandeur of Bharathi's prose, but it is a great experience chewing his thoughts; translation gives that experience. I am indeed lucky to have this forum for the purpose.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 01 Oct 2012, 21:42

When Bharathy visits the Gandharva lokam we also ride with him. His experience is our experience too! But his 'vedanta" is a lesson for us!
Once we realize that in spite of all limitations in the Bhuloka we have the opportunity of "liberation", merging with the divine, we feel "How lucky we are" !
Some descriptive lines remind me of HG Wells's Time Machine...
Your translations is excellent and you have captured the spirit of Bharathy's thoughts!

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 02 Oct 2012, 02:53

What is amazing to me is that after all his descriptions of gandharva lOkam, he came right back to earth and composed bhUlOka kumAri, hE amRtanArI
I am constantly wonderstruck at his output, and the sheer numbers of parallel streams of consciousness he maintained, and sustained, becuase it looks like at any given time he was busy with patriotic writings, philosophical outpourings, amazing poetry, even while indulging in flights of fancy into the world of gandharvas. It is truly unfortunate that the Nobel Prize was not honored by being conferring on him.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 02 Oct 2012, 04:20

The 'Noble' prize is forever his--in insight, thought and imagination. And for living grandly, against all odds

Govindaswamy · Post by **Govindaswamy** » 03 Oct 2012, 05:16

அருங்கலை வாணர் மெய்த்தொண்டர் தங்கள்
அறவிழி யென் றுநீ அறிந்தாய்;

அறவழி யென்று நீ அறிந்தாய் என்பது தான் சரி.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 03 Oct 2012, 08:23

Thanks for correcting.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 03 Oct 2012, 20:55

MANNULAKAM (Earth) (GnAnaratham)
(From http://bhaarathi.blogspot.in/)

I had a severe headache. I got down from bed and reached the house, where I lived on rent, in an obscure street past two or three lanes. May I describe that house? You were so far listening about gandharvalOkam. Hear about the comforts that we have on earth.

The house where I lived previously had, in front, a hall and two or three rooms around. It was facing the West. There was a quadrangle south of the hall. This was the front portion. In the back portion, there were a few rooms and a quadrangle. There was a first floor with two rooms. Common to the two portions, there was a well and a tap in the south side. In the back portion six of us used to live – my step-mother, wife, sister-in-law’s daughter, brother, child and I. In the front portion, one RAyar lived with family. He had a job that kept him busy all day long in the post office or somewhere. He had as many children as there were sandal paste marks on his body. His wife was pregnant again. There was a cow right in the quadrangle. In addition, some of his relatives were his co-tenants.

In the portion where I lived, since there was a first floor above, some breeze used to blow. It was not there for the RAyar and company. The mosquito menace was insufferable at night. I used to miss sleep. As RAyar had bronchitis, his coughing sound would be heard non-stop. His children would be crying one after another. His pregnant wife would wake up now and then, scold the children, God, RAyar himself perhaps or somebody, in Kannada and then resume her sleep.

RAyar’s family affairs being as described above, the special features of my family were one up on that.

I have interrupted the story half-way, haven’t I? I reached home from Veera RAghava mudali Street. After crossing en route jutkas, coaches of durais, dust, noise and stench, and after surviving the perils of the front portion in the form of cows, RAyar’s wife and children, I reached the first floor. I called my wife, sitting outside my room, which was used for my bed, study, writing, conversing with friends when they visit and thousand other such things. My wife came and asked why I called her. I said, “Headache is unbearable. Grind some pepper and bring.”
“Yes. Once in a couple of days, this mock headache will come, just to order me about. That is alright; the milk maid came in the afternoon and asked for money. RAyar’s wife called at and reminded about rent. It seems RAyar told her yesterday itself. You promised to give me money to buy bracelet for the child this month. You are used to take me for a ride.” She continued to list out a thousand other dues. I realized that to settle all the accounts that she enumerated, a sum of rupees three lakhs would be needed. She concluded her speech finally with, “Throwing away the money on all street dogs; frowning if asked about household expenses; if it goes on like this, what will we get? Only mud.”
“My headache is gone. You may please go down,” I told her politely.
“Yes. You can parch your throat talking tirelessly with all outsiders. You will get angry if I talk one word,” she said.
She thought in her mind that she was assuaging me. Many days after that only, I decided to visit DharmalOkam.

Herein will be written a few incidents and description of the occurrences, which happened meantime. This world is so vast and if I have to write all my experiences, it will become a tome eighteen times bigger than Mahabharatham. Only a few typical events will be touched upon.

20th: Child had fever, wife had earache and I had bilious giddiness.

21st: Last day for paying fees for my brother. I had forgotten to bring money from the office. He stopped going to school because of that. He had a conversation with the spies who are on surveillance on me even now, in view of my active association with the independence movement; they told him this auspicious news, ’The government is out to nab so-and-so, a friend of your brother.’ He conveyed it to me.

22nd: Misunderstanding has cropped up between my wife and step-mother. They started to air their grievances to me alternately. My mother gave me righteous advice that working for independence was a wrong exertion and wasteful, and that manifold troubles would befall the family because of my involvement in it.
I felt like I had a sort of itch on my nose. I had a superstitious doubt whether it would be a harmful disease. Though I tried to pull my mind away from it again and again, the mind kept falling there repeatedly.

23rd: The mouth was ulcerated because of too much of lime in betel leaf. Even water could not be sipped by mouth. I was already overworked and added to it I could not swallow the food, because of which I became too tired and irritable.
I organized along with a few Iyengars, some activities (no activity took place!) That we are not patriots will be clear from the absence of that flair.

I am a servant of the idle. My friends were subservient to puliyanchOru (tamarind bath). Some though were slaves to money; were servants of servants of even quarter of an anna.

But if one listens to what each one of us talked, it will send shivers down one’s body. PaNa thondaradi podi Aazhvaar was brave just in words.
One will claim that he can make a bow out of the sky and another that he can draw coir out of sand. One will say, “If we keep working on this road in this manner, the pride of trade of the English will evaporate in the air in six months.” Another will say, “Shyamji Krishna Varma has calculated that it will take ten years for us to get independence. I think we will get it in six years.” Another frog-like person will correct him, “Say six months.”

PaNa thondaradi podi Aazhvaar was a bigwig among us. He would listen to all this and go into rapture. But, if a goddess appeared before him and said, “I will get you independence by sunrise tomorrow. Please bring a sovereign for that from home,” he would reply, “Goddess, I salute you. Om sakthyai namah, Om parAyai namah, etc. Ambike, how will we requite this help of yours? Our body, wealth and soul, all three are yours only. But, regarding your demand of one sovereign, I wish to speak a word with due respect. Please listen. What you are suggesting is common good. It will be proper if the public contribute for it. It is not proper to spend my money on it. We will discuss this issue in the meeting scheduled next week and take a decision. You must kindly manifest again after that. Bye for now. VandE MAtharam.”

Alas, what world is this maNNulakam? Unending cheating, unending cunning, unending sorrow, there is no substance or good; a life made hollow by constant corroding by insects inside. Each person is blaming the other. Each individual is hopeful that if everyone is left to himself, everything will be all right, but thinks, “Is it enough if I act rightly? Others are not trustworthy.” He deceives thinking that others are not trustworthy. Fool, do you think that by your act of deceit, mutual trust will grow more than before? An incurable disease has afflicted humanity; an inalterable curse; a poison without antidote; its name is money. What impels him to submit to this ghost is desire; i.e. desire devoid of taste; desire without wisdom; those with tasteful desire are gandharvAs; instrument of sathyalOka.

I had a wish to illustrate many more incidents from maNNulakam. But I stop here since it will serve no purpose to dwell on affairs of this world that lack purpose.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 03 Oct 2012, 22:18

Are we still in TN or at Puduvai?

sridhar_ranga · Post by **sridhar_ranga** » 04 Oct 2012, 00:14

CML, going by the number of Iyengars and the occasional rAyars in the story, the setting is unquestionably Triplicane.

I remember still the original lines 'nAn sOmbarkkut toNDan. en naNbargaL (the iyengars) puLiyanj chOTRukkut toNDargaL, ..., kAlanAvin aDiyArkkum aDiyAr'. It is easy to guess that puLiyOdarai prasaadam must have been available aplenty in paarthasarathy temple than at ISwaran dharmaraajaa kOil

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 04 Oct 2012, 05:21

... I reached home from Veera RAghava mudali Street...

This clearly indicates the Triplicane area of Madras. This street is now called Big Street.

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 04 Oct 2012, 08:19

New book featuring Bharati's poems translated into English to be released;
http://www.thehindu.com/arts/books/thou ... epage=true

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 04 Oct 2012, 17:56

Thanks, Mohan.
A mighty task, indeed!
To bring Bharathi's layers of thoughts and immeasurable imagination to another language is no mean task.
Kudos to Usha Rajagopalan!

Bharathi's vision and the way he celebrated womanhood will forever inspire women. What better than to translate his poems into a language which many read and understand!
Brave of her to take up this immensely difficult task. Eagerly waiting to read the book...

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 04 Oct 2012, 20:10

Thx for dispelling my confusion.
I thought Gnanaratham was written while at Puduvai...

arasi
Do you know this Usha Rajagopalan ?
I wonder what songs she has selected for translation...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 04 Oct 2012, 22:14

CML,
I don't know her. However, the name is familiar. Perhaps from one of the newspapers where I might have read a column of hers. I'm not sure.

venkatakailasam · Post by **venkatakailasam** » 10 Oct 2012, 17:44

Shri..KvC

There is a good article by Barathi on ' ஸங்கீத விஷயம்" ..

I am rather astonished by his knowledge on all matters relating to Carnatic music after going through this...not once..but many times..

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 16 Oct 2012, 21:07

True. I will post the original and my translation.
(From http://bhaarathi.blogspot.in/)
ஸங்கீத விஷயம்
இங்குள்ள ஜந்துக்களிலே மனிதருக்கும் பறவைகளுக்குந்தான் பாடத் தெரியும். மற்ற மிருகங்களுக்குப் பாட்டு வராது. பறவைகள் வானத்திலே பறக்கும் வழக்கமிருப்பதால், அவற்றின் மன நிலை ஸங்கீதத்திற்கு இசைகின்றது போலும்! மனிதன் உடம்பினாலே பறக்காவிட்டாலும், உள்ளத்தைத் திசை வெளியிலேபறக்கும்படி செய்கிறான். அப்போது, இயற்கையிலேயே பாட்டுத் தோன்றுகிறது.

ரஸங்கள் ஒன்பது:

(1) வீரம்,(2) ரௌத்திரம் (கோபம்),(3) அத்புதம் (வியப்பு),(4) சாந்தம் (நடுவுநிலை),(5) பயாநகம் (அச்சம்),(6) பீபத்ஸம் (வெறுப்பு),(7) ஹாஸ்யம் (நகை),(8) கருணை, சோகம் (துயரம்): இதை 'அவலம்' என்பது பழைய தமிழ் வழக்கு.(9) சிருங்காரம் (காமம்).

வெளிப்பொருள்களைக் காணும்போது அல்லது நினைக்கும் போது மனிதனுடைய உள்ளத்திலே இந்த ஒன்பது சுவைகளில் ஏதேனும் ஒன்று தோன்றும். இரண்டு மூன்று கலந்தும் தோன்றக்கூடும். ரஸ உணர்ச்சியிலே உள்ளத்தை முழுதும் ஈடுபடுத்தக்கூடிய சிலர் கவிதை, பாட்டு. சித்திரம் முதலிய தெய்வக் கலைகளிலே சிறப்படைகிறார்கள். ரஸ உணர்ச்சி இல்லாவிடின், இக்கலைகள் நசித்துப் போகும்.

பிறர் துன்பத்தைக் காணும்போது தனது துன்பம் போல் எண்ணி வருந்தும் இயல்புடைய ஒருவனும் பிறர் துன்பத்தைக் கருதாத ஒருவனும் யாப்பிலக்கணம் படித்துக் கவிதை செய்யப் பழகுவாராயின், முந்தியவன் உண்மையான கவிதை எழுதுவான்; பிந்தியவன் பதங்களைப் பின்னுவான்; இவனுடைய தொழிலிலே கவிதை இராது. இப்படியேதான ஒவ்வொன்றிலும்.

ரஸ ஞான மில்லாதபடி பல்லவிகளும் கீர்த்தனங்களும் பாடுவோர் ஸங்கீதத்தின் உயிரை நீக்கிவிட்டு வெற்றுடலை அதாவது பிணத்தைக் காட்டுகிறார்கள். இக்காலத்து ஸங்கீத வித்வான்களிலே பலர் 'ஸங்கீதத்திற்கு நவரசங்களே உயிர்' என்பதை அறியாதவர்.

முத்துவாமி தீக்ஷிதர், தியாகையர், பட்டணம் சுப்பிரமணிய அய்யர் முதலியவர்களின் கீர்த்தனங்களிலே சிலவற்றை அதிக ஸங்கதிகளுடன் பாடுவோரே 'முதல்தர வித்துவான்.' இந்தக் கீர்த்தனங்களெல்லாம் ஸம்ஸ்கிருதம் அல்லது தெலுங்கு பாஷையில் இருக்கின்றன. ஆகவே, முக்காலே மும்மாகாணி 'வித்வான்'களுக்கு இந்தக் கீர்த்தனங்களின் அர்த்தம் தெரியாது. எழுத்துக்களையும் பதங்களையும் கொலை செய்தும், விழுங்கியும் பாடுகிறார்கள்.அர்த்தமே தெரியாதவனுக்கு 'ரஸம்' தெரிய நியாயம் இல்லை.

நானும் பிறந்தது முதல் இன்றுவரை பார்த்துக் கொண்டே வருகிறேன். பாட்டுக் கச்சேரி தொடங்குகிறது. வித்வான் 'வாதாபி கணபதிம்' என்று ஆரம்பஞ் செய்கிறார். 'ராமநீ ஸமான மெவரு' "'மரியாத காதுரா' 'வரமு லொஸகி'...........ஐயையோ, ஐயையோ, ஒரே கதை.

எந்த ஜில்லாவுக்குப் போ, எந்த கிராமத்திற்குப் போ. எந்த 'வித்வான்' வந்தாலும், இதே கதைதான் தமிழ் நாட்டு ஜனங்களுக்கு இரும்புக் காதாக இருப்பதால், திரும்பத் திரும்பத் திரும்பத் திரும்ப ஏழெட்டுப் பாட்டுக்களை வருஷக் கணக்காகக் கேட்டுக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள். தோற் காது உள்ள தேசங்களிலே இந்தத் துன்பத்தைப் பொறுத்துக் கொண்டிருக்க மாட்டார்கள்.

'பூர்வீக மஹான்களுடைய பாட்டுக்களை மறந்து போய்விட வேண்டும்' என்பது என்னுடைய கக்ஷியன்று. அவற்றை அர்த்தத்துடன் பாட வேண்டும். பதங்களைப் பிழையாக உச்சரிக்கக் கூடாது. பதங்களை வாய்விட்டுத் தெளிவாகச் சொல்லவேண்டும். விழுங்கி விடக்கூடாது. பத்து முப்பது கீர்த்தனங்களையேஓயாமற் பாடி ஸங்கீதத்தை ஒரு தொல்லையாகச் செய்து விடக்கூடாது.

புதிய புதிய கீர்த்தனங்களை வெளியே கொண்டுவர வேண்டும். இப்போது ஸங்கீத வித்வான்களிலே தலைமைப்பட்டிருப்போர் தமிழிலே புதிய மெட்டுக்களில்கீர்த்தனங்கள் செய்ய முயலவேண்டும். நவரஸங்களின் தன்மைகளையும், இன்னின்ன ரஸங்கள் உண்டாகும் என்பதையும் கற்றுத் தெரிந்து கொள்ளுதல் அவசியம்.

'பூர்வ காலத்து மஹான்களுக்குத் தெய்வப் பிரஸாதமிருந்தது. எங்களுக்கில்லையே. என்ன செய்வோம்?' என்று புதிய வித்வான்கள் புதிய கீர்த்தனங்கள் அமைப்பதிலே பின் வாங்கக்கூடாது. தெய்வங்கள் இறந்து போகவில்லை. இப்போதும் அவற்றை உபாஸனை செய்து அவற்றின் அருள் பெறலாம். தெய்வப் பிரஸாதத்தை ஒருவன் பக்தியாலும், ஜீவதயையாலும், நேர்மையாலும், உண்மையாலும், இடைவிடாத உழைப்பினாலும் ஸம்பாதிக்க முடியும்.

"நாட்டிலே ஸங்கீதத்திற்குச் சரியான போஷணை செய்யும் ராஜாக்களும் பிரபுக்களும் இல்லை. எங்களுக்கு ஜீவனமோ கஷ்டமாயிருக்கிறது. மனக்கஷ்டம் இல்லாமல் இருந்தாலன்றோ ரஸஞானத்தை வளர்த்துக் கொண்டு போகலாம். சில வருஷங்களுக்குள்ளே சில கீர்த்தனங்களை வரப்படுத்திக்கொண்டு ஜீவனத்திற்கு வழிதேடவேண்டிய ஸ்திதி ஏற்பட்டிருக்கிறது. என்ன செய்யலாம்?" என்று நினைத்து மனமுடைந்து போகவேண்டாம்.

இப்போது உலக முழுவதிலுமே ராஜாக்களையும் பிரபுக்களையும் நம்பி வித்தை பழகும் காலம் போய்விட்டது. பொது ஜனங்களை நம்ப வேண்டும். இனிமேல் கலைகளுக்கெல்லாம் போஷணையும் ஆதரவும் பொது ஜனங்களிடமிருந்து கிடைக்கும். அவர்களுக்கு உண்மையான அபிருசி உண்டாக்கிக் கொடுப்பது வித்வான்களுடையகடமை. பிறகு, நல்ல போஷணை கிடைக்கும். ஒரு பிரபு மாதம் ரூபாய் 100 கொடுப்பான். ஊர் சேர்ந்தால் தலைக்குக் கால் ரூபாயாக வசூல் பண்ணி மாதம் 1000 ரூபாய் கொடுக்கும்.ஊரையே யஜமானாகக் கொள்ள வேண்டும்.

ஊர்தான் ராஜா. இந்த ராஜாவுக்கு ஆரம்பத்திலே கொஞ்சம் ஞானம் அளித்துப் பழக்கங்கொடுத்தால், வித்தைகளுக்கு எவ்விதமான குறைவும் ஏற்படாது. நவரஸங்களும் சேரவேண்டும். கருணா ரஸமும் (அதாவது சோகரஸமும்) சிருங்கார ரஸமுந்தான் நமது தேசத்தில் நடைபெறுகின்றன. மற்ற வீரம், கோபம் (ரௌத்ரம்) வியப்பு, வெறுப்பு, அச்சம், நகைப்பு, சாந்தம் என்ற ரஸங்களின் விலாஸம் பாட்டிலே காணப்படவில்லை. நல்ல பாட்டுப் பாடினால்நல்ல மதிப்புத் தானாகவே வரும். அதிலிருந்து நல்ல வரும்படி ஏற்படும்.

திருஷ்டாந்தமாக: ஹாஸ்ய ரஸம் தோன்றும்படி ஒரு ராகத்தை விஸ்தரிக்கும்போது, அதிலே அர்த்தச் சேர்க்கையில்லா விடத்தும் ஜனங்கள் கடகடவென்று சிரிக்க வேண்டும்.

ரௌத்ர ரஸம் தோன்றும்படி பாடினால், அதைக் கேட்கும்போது, ஜனங்களுக்கு மீசை துடிக்கவேண்டும்; கண்கள் சிவக்கவேண்டும்.

வீர ரஸமுள்ள பாட்டை ஒரு வித்வான் பாடும்போது, ஜனங்களெல்லாம் தம்மை யறியாமல் முதுகு நிமிர்ந்து தலைதூக்கி உட்காரவேண்டும். அவர்கள் விழியிலே வீரப் பார்வை உண்டாகவேண்டும். அப்போதுதான் பாட்டு ஸபலமாகும்.

பொருளிலும், ஓசையிலும் 'ரஸம்' கலக்காத பாட்டு இனிமேல் தமிழ்நாட்டிலேயே வழங்கலாகாது.

முத்துசாமி தீக்ஷிதர், தியாகையர், பட்டணம் சுப்பிரமணிய அய்யர்-இந்த மூன்று பெயருடைய கீர்த்தனைகளைத் தான் வழக்கத்தில் அதிகமாய்ப் பாடுகிறார்கள். இவற்றுள்ளே, தீக்ஷிதரின் கீர்த்தனைகள் பச்சை ஸமஸ்கிருத பாஷையிலே எழுதப்பட்டவை. இவை கங்கா நதியைப்போலே கம்பீர நடையும் பெருந்தன்மையும் உடையன. வேறு பல நல்ல லக்ஷணங்களும் இருந்தபோதிலும்,ஸம்ஸ்கிருத பாஷையில் எழுதப்பட்டிருப்பதால் இவை நமது நாட்டுப் பொது ஜனங்கள் ரஸானுபவத்துடன் பாடுவதற்குப் பயன்படமாட்டா.

தியாகையர் தெய்வ வரம் பெற்றவர். தியாகையர் ரஸக்கடல். கர்நாடக ஸங்கீதம் இப்போது உயிர் தரித்திருப்பதற்கு அவரே காரணம். பூர்வகாலத்து ஞானிகளைப் போலே, இவர் இஷ்ட தேவதைக்கு ஆத்ம யக்ஞம் செய்து, தான் அற்றுவித்தை வடிவாகி விளங்கினர். இவருடைய பாட்டுக்களை இக்காலத்துப் பாடகர் அதிக 'ஸங்கதி'களாலும் ரஸநாசத்தாலும், சொற்களைத் திரித்தல், விழுங்குதல் முதலிய செய்கைகளாலும் இயன்றவரை ஆபாஸமாக்கிவிட்டபோதிலும், இன்னும் அவற்றிலே பழைய ஒளி நிற்கத்தான் செய்கிறது. குப்பையிலே கிடந்து மாசேறிஒளி மங்கிப் போயிருந்தபோதிலும், மாணிக்கத்தின் குணம் ரத்னப்பரீக்ஷைக்காரனுக்குத் தெரியாதா? அதுபோலவே, ரஸ உண்மை தெரிந்தோர் இத்தனை குழப்பத்துக்கிடையே தியாகையருடைய "தொழிலின் ஸ்வரூபத்தை நன்கு கண்டு பிடித்துக்கொள்ள முடியும். கீர்த்தனத்தில் ராக தாளங்களை இசைத்திருக்கிற மாதிரியிலேயே அர்த்தம் தொனிக்க வேண்டும். அதைத்தான் ரஸச்சேர்க்கை என்றுசொல்லுகிறோம். இதிலே தியாகையர் மிகவும் சிறப்புக் கொண்டவர்.

திருஷ்டாந்தமாக, 'சக்கனி ராஜமார்க்கமு' என்ற கீர்த்தனத்தை எடுத்துக் கொள்வோம். அதிக ஸங்கதிகளும், பின்னல்களும் இல்லாமல் இதன் பல்லவியை சுத்தமாகப் பாடிப் பாருங்கள். "நல்ல ராஜமார்க்கம் இருக்கும் போது சந்துகளில் ஏன் சுற்றுகிறாய், மனதே?" என்று அர்த்தம் இந்த இசையிலே அகப்படும்.

'மாருபல்க குன்னாவேமி' (ஏன் மறுமொழி சொல்லாமல் இருக்கிறாய்?) என்ற கீர்த்தனத்தின் பல்லவியைப் பாடிப் பாருங்கள், அந்த அர்த்தம் இசையிலே தொனிக்கும்.

'நன்னு ப்ரோவ நீகிந்த தாமஸமா' (என்னைக் காக்க உனக்கு இத்தனை தாமஸமா?) என்ற பல்லவி எடுத்த வுடனேயே அர்த்தம் பளீரென்று வீசும்.

இப்படியே எல்லாக் கீர்த்தனங்களும் ஏற்பட்டிருக்கின்றன. இந்த மாதிரி ஏற்படுத்தவேண்டும் என்று தியாகையர் சிரமப்பட்டு வேலை செய்யவில்லை. நெஞ்சிலே உண்மையிருந்ததால் ஸங்கீதம் இயற்கையிலே இவ்விதமாகப் பிறக்கும்.

பிற்காலத்தில், பட்டணம் சுப்பிரமணிய அய்யர் முதலானவர்களின் பாட்டிலே இந்த லக்ஷணம் இல்லை. 'வரமுலொஸகி' என்ற பாட்டை எடுத்தீர்களானால்,இசைக்கும் பொருளுக்கும் சம்பந்தமே இல்லை என்பது விளங்கும். சொற்கள், 'வரங்கொடுத்துக்காப்பது உனக்கு அரிதா?' என்று கேட்கின்றன. இசை சண்டைததாளம் போடுகிறது. இது நிற்க.

வித்வான்கள் பழைய கீர்த்தனங்களைப் பாடம் பண்ணி புராதன வழிகளைத் தெரிந்துகொள்ளுதல் அவசியம். ஆனால் தமிழ்ச் சபைகளிலே எப்போதும் அர்த்தம் தெரியாத பிற பாஷைகளில் பழம் பாட்டுகளை மீட்டும் மீட்டும் சொல்லுதல் நியாயமில்லை. அதனால் நமது ஜாதி ஸங்கீத ஞானத்தை இழந்துபோகும்படி நேரிடும். மேலும், 'பாட்டுக்குத் தாளமே யொழிய தாளத்திற்குப் பாட்டில்லை' என்ற விஷயத்தைப் பாடுவோர் நன்கு தெரிந்துகொள்ள வேண்டும். சிலவிதக் கூத்துக்களிலே,தாளத்திற்குப் பாட்டுப் பாடுதல் பொருத்தம். அங்கேகூட, முழுதும் தாள நயத்தையே கருதி இசை நயத்தை நாசம் செய்துவிடக்கூடாது. அப்படியிருக்க, 'பாட்டுக் கச்சேரி' என்று பெயர் வைத்துக்கொண்டு அங்கே இசையின்பங்களைக் கொன்று தாள முழக்கத்தைப் பிரதானமாக்குதல் தகாது. அதிலும் கீர்த்தனங்களைப் பாடும்போது இசையின்பங்களைக் காட்டுதல் முதல் காரியமாகவும், தாளத்தை உபகரணமாகவும் கொள்ளவேண்டும்.

சுமார் 12 வருஷங்களுக்கு முன்பு நான் இரண்டு மூன்று வருஷம் ஸ்ரீ காசியில் வாஸஞ் செய்தேன். அங்கே, பாட்டுக் கச்சேரி செய்ய வரும் ஆண்களுக்கெல்லாம்நேர்த்தியான வெண்கலக் குரல் இருந்தது. பெண்களுக்கெல்லாம் தங்கக் குரல். அங்கிருந்து தென்னாட்டிற்கு வந்தேன். இங்கே ஓரிரண்டு பேரைத் தவிரமற்றப்படி பொதுவாக வித்வான்களுக்கெல்லாம் தொண்டை சீர்கெட்டிருப்பதைப் பார்க்கும்போது, எனக்கு மிகவும் வியப்புண்டாயிற்று. ஒன்று போல எல்லோருக்கும்இப்படித் தொண்டை வலிமை குறைந்தும் நயங் குறைந்தும்இருப்பதன் காரணமென்ன? இதைப்பற்றிச் சில வித்வான்களிடம் கேட்டேன். "வட நாட்டில் சர்க்கரை, பால், ரொட்டி, நெய் சாப்பிடுகிறார்கள்: புளியும் மிளகாயும் சேர்ப்பதில்லை; இங்கே புளி, மிளகாய் வைத்துத் தீட்டுகிறோம். அதனாலே தான் தொண்டை கேட்டுப் போகிறது" என்றனர். பின்னிட்டு, நான் யோசனை செய்து பார்த்ததில், 'மேற்படி காரணம் ஒரு சிறிது வாஸ்தவம் தான்' என்று தெரிந்து கொண்டேன். ஆனால் அதுவே முழுக்காரணம் அன்று. நம்மவர் தொண்டையை நேரே பழக்குவதில்லை. காட்டு வெளிகளிலே போய், கர்ஜனை செய்யவேண்டும். நதி தீரங்கள், ஏரிக்கரை, கடற்கரைகளிலே போய்த் தொண்டையைப் பழக்க வேண்டும்.சாஸ்திரப்படி ஆஹார ஸாதனம் செய்யும் வழக்கம் தென்னாட்டிலே குறைவுபட்டிருக்கிறது.

தவிரவும், உள்ளத்திலே வீரம் இருக்கவேண்டும். உள்ளத்திலே ஸத்து இல்லாதவர்களுக்கு ஒரு தொழிலும் நேரே வராது. கலைகள் நேர்ப்படுவதைப் பற்றிப் பேச வேண்டியதில்லை. உள்ளத்திலே தைர்யம், ஸந்தோஷம், வலிமை முதலிய சுப லக்ஷணங்கள் தமிழரைக் காட்டிலும் வடநாட்டு ஜனங்களிடம் சிறிது அதிகமாகத் தோன்றுகின்றன. முன்னெல்லாம் தமிழ் நாட்டிலேதான் இந்த குணங்கள் மிகவும் விசேஷமாக விளங்கின. இப்போது சில வருஷங்களாகக் குறைவு பட்டிருக்கின்றன. இந்த குணங்களை நமது ஜனங்களெல்லோருமே பயிற்சி செய்து கொள்ள வேண்டும். ஸங்கீத வித்வான்கள் இவற்றைப் பழக்கப் படுத்தினால் தான், அவர்கள் கண்டத்தில் உவகையும் வீரமும் பிறக்கும்; பாட்டிலே களையுண்டாகும்.

தமிழ்நாட்டு வித்வான்களுடைய ஸங்கீதத்தைப் பற்றி மேலே எழுதினேன். மற்ற சாதாரண ஜனங்கள் பாடும் பாட்டைப்பற்றிக் கொஞ்சம் ஆராய்ச்சி செய்ய விரும்புகிறேன். இந்தப் புதிய பகுதி தொடங்கு முன் மேற்படி சங்கீதவித்வான்களிடம் உள்ள நன்மையையும் சொல்ல வேண்டாமா?பெயர்கள் குறிப்பிடாதது பற்றி மன்னிப்பு வேண்டுகிறேன். கன்னியாகுமரி முதல் சென்னை வரை தமிழ்நாட்டில் உள்ள ஜில்லாக்களிலே ஒவ்வொன்றிலும் இக்காலத்தில் கருவிகளிலும்வாய்ப்பாட்டிலும் புகழ்பெற்ற வித்வான்கள் பலர் இருக்கின்றனர்.

காலத்தின் சீர்க் கேட்டாலும், ஸம்ப்ரதாய பழக்கத்தினாலும் நவரஸங்களுக்கும், பாட்டுக்கும் உள்ள " தொடர்பை மறந்து விட்ட போதிலும், இவர்களிலே சிலர் (ஆணும் பெண்ணும்) ஸரஸ்வதி கடாக்ஷத்தினால் தம்மை அறியாமலே அற்புதமான வேலை செய்கிறார்கள். சிலர் சமயங்களில் ஓரிரண்டு ரஸங்களைத் தெரிந்தே பாட்டில்இசைக்கிறார்கள். அப்போது இவர்களுடைய பாட்டு அல்லது வாத்தியம் மிகவும் உயர்ந்த நிலையடைகிறது. ஸமீப காலத்தில் இறந்துபோன மஹா வைத்யனாதய்யர், புல்லாங்குழல் சரப சாஸ்திரி முதலிய மஹான்களுக்குஇப்போது தக்க பின்காப்பாளர் இல்லாமற் போகவில்லை.

ஆனால், இவர்கள் நான் முன்னிரண்டு பகுதிகளில் குறிப்பிட்ட செய்திகளையும் தயவுசெய்து கவனிக்கும் பக்ஷத்தில் தமிழ்நாட்டுக்கு இவர்கள் செய்துவரும் உபகாரம் பலமடங்கு அதிகப்படுமென்பதும் அப்படி அதிகப்பட வேண்டுமென்பதும் என்னுடைய கருத்து; அதைத் தெரிவித்துக் கொண்டேன்.

இனி சாஸ்திரோக்தமாகப் பாடும் வித்வான்கள் அல்லாமல், ஸாமான்யமாகப் பாடும் பொது ஜனங்களுடைய செய்தியைப் பார்ப்போம்.

முதலாவது, நமது குடும்ப ஸ்திரீகளின் பாட்டையெடுத்துக் கொள்வோம். கல்யாணப் பாட்டுக்கள், கும்மிப் பாட்டுகள் முதலியவற்றுடன் நமது பெண்கள் "கீர்த்தனை" வகைகளும் கொஞ்சம் பாடுகிறார்கள். இதில், ஒரு சில பெண்கள் நல்ல லக்ஷணத்துடன் பாடுகிறார்கள் என்பதில் ஆக்ஷேபமில்லை. ஆனால், பெரும்பான்மையோர் ஸங்கீத லக்ஷணமே தெரியாமல் தவறாகப் பாடுகிறார்கள். பெரும்பான்மையோருக்குத் தொண்டை நன்றாகப் பழகவில்லை. பெரும்பான்மையோருக்குப் படிப்பு மிகவும் "குறைவாகவும் சூனியமாகவும் இருப்பதால் இவர்கள் பாடும் பாட்டுக்களிலே சொற்பிழையும் பொருட்பிழையும் மொய்த்துக் கிடக்கின்றன. அதிலும், இவர்கள் திக்ஷிதர், தியாகையர் முதலியவர்களின் கீர்த்தனங்கள் பாடும்போது, தாளம், சுருதிஒன்றையும் கவனிக்காமல் பதங்களைச் சூறையாடி மிகவும் விகாரப்படுத்தி விடுகிறார்கள். ஆனாலும், ஆனாலும், ஆனாலும் தமிழ் நாட்டு ஸ்திரீகளின் ஸங்கீதத்தை நாம் புகழா திருக்கலாகாது. இவர்கள் பாடும் பாட்டிலே பெரும்பான்மைக் கீர்த்தனங்களும், பத்யங்களும் தெலுங்கில் இருந்த போதிலும், தமிழ்ப் பாட்டுத்தான்அதிகமாகப் பாடுகிறார்கள். இந்தத் தமிழ்ப் பாட்டிலே பலபிழைகள் மலிந்து கிடந்தாலும், ஒரு சில பாட்டுக்கள் மிகவும் நன்றாக அமைந்திருக்கின்றன. 'ஓடம்' முதலியவற்றில் அதிஸமீப காலத்துப் பாட்டுக்கள் மிகவும் விகாரமாயிருந்தாலும், பழைய காலத்துப் பாட்டுக்களிலேயே "சொல் நயம் அதிகம் இருக்கிறது. பின்னிட்டு "ரயில் வண்டி ஓடம்" முதலிய அசுத்தங்கள் அதிகமாகச் சேர்ந்து விட்டன. இங்கிலீஷ் படித்த புருஷர்கள் கேட்டு மடத்தனமாகச் சந்தோஷப்பட்டதிலிருந்து பெண்களுக்கு இந்த மாதிரி விரஸங்களிலே பற்றுதல் உண்டாயிற்று.

கும்மிப்பாட்டு, பல்லிப்பாட்டு, கிளிப்பாட்டு, நலங்குப் பாட்டு, பள்ளியறைப்பாட்டு, அம்மானைப் பாட்டு, தாலாட்டுப் பாட்டு முதலிய பெண்களுடைய பாட்டெல்லாம் மிகவும் இன்பமான வர்ணமெட்டு. தமிழர்களின் தாய், அக்காள், தங்கை, காதலி முதலிய இவர்கள் பாடும் பாட்டு மறக்கக்கூடிய இன்பமா? ஞாபகம் இல்லையா?

தமிழ்ப் பெண்களின் பாட்டைக் கையெடுத்து வணங்குகிறோம். ஆனால் அதில் ஏற்படுத்த வேண்டிய சீர்திருத்தங்கள் பல இருக்கின்றன.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 16 Oct 2012, 21:24

SANGEETHA VISHAYAM

Of all creatures, only human beings and birds can sing. Other animals can’t. Since birds are accustomed to fly in the sky, their mindset is attuned to music perhaps. Even though man does not physically fly, he steers the mind to fly out. Then, the song sprouts naturally.

There are nine forms of taste:
(1) Valour (2) Anger (3) Wonder (4) Tranquillity (5) Fear (6) Disgust
(7) Humour (8) Pathos (9) Eroticism

While viewing or thinking of objects outside, one of these nine tastes will strike a man’s mind. Two or three tastes may arise together. A few, who can focus their whole heart in such emotional experience, distinguish themselves in divine arts like poetry, lyrics, drawing, etc. In the absence of feeling of such tastes, these arts will die.

When someone who empathises with others’ sufferings and another who does not, both learn prosody and compose songs, the former will write true poetry; the latter will just weave words. There will be no poetry in his writing. And so on regarding other tastes.

Those who sing pallavis and keerthanAs without sense of taste sap the life of music and display only the bare body i.e. the corpse. Many among the present day musicians are unaware that the nine tastes are the life of music.

The first rate musician is one who sings a few of the compositions of Muthuswami DIkshithar, Thyagayyar and PatNam Subrahmanya Iyer with numerous sangathis. These compositions are either in Samskrtham or Telugu. Therefore, these half-baked (mukkAlE mummAKani) vidwAns do not know the meaning of these compositions. They sing distorting or skipping the letters and words. There is no chance for one who does not know the meaning to appreciate the taste.

I for one am observing since birth till date: The concert commences; the vidwAn starts ‘VAthApi Ganapathim..’ ‘Rama NI samAnamevaru’, ‘MariyAda kAdurA’, ‘Varamulosaki’.. My God, the same story.!

Go to any district, any village, let any vidwan take the stage, the same story. Since the people of Tamizh Nadu have ears of iron, they keep listening to the same seven or eight songs times out of number. In countries where there are ears of flesh, they would not stand this torture.

It is not my case that we should forget the compositions of the original great ones. They should be sung with understanding of meaning. The words should not be mispronounced. The words should be vocalized clearly. They should not be devoured. By singing just thirty odd kIrthanAs tirelessly, music should not be made a nuisance.

New and newer kIrthanAs should be brought out. Those in the vanguard of musicians today should attempt to compose kIrthanAs in Tamizh in new metres. It is necessary to learn and appreciate the nuances of nine tastes and what tastes will emerge.

The new vidwAns should not take back seat thinking, ‘There was divine grace for the great ones of earlier times, but we lack it. What can we do?’ Gods are not dead. Even now one can worship them and get their blessings. One can get God’s blessings by prayer, compassion to living beings, honesty, truthfulness and tireless work.

One need not feel dejected thinking, ‘There are no kings or affluent people in the country patronizing music in a proper way. We find it hard to get livelihood. We can enhance knowledge of tastes only if we are without mental strife, isn’t it? We are reduced to the state of mastering some kIrthanAs in a few years and seeking livelihood. What can be done?’

The time is past now the world over of depending on kings and affluent people for practicing art. We should rely on the public. Henceforth, patronage and encouragement of arts will come from the public. It is the duty of vidwAns to instill true taste in them. Patronage will ensue. An affluent man will give rupees thousand. If the public pool in, they will contribute quarter of an anna each and give rupees thousand. We should consider the public as masters.

The public is the king. If we impart knowledge and practice in the beginning to this king, there will not be any dearth for arts. The nine tastes should commingle. Only pathos and eroticism prevail in our country. There is no trace of the other tastes viz. valour, disgust, fear, humour and tranquility in the songs. If a good rendition is given, accolade will automatically come. From that will follow good income.

For instance, when a rAgA is elaborated in a manner as to bring out the taste of humour, the audience should be in stitches even in phrases where humour is not associated with meaning.

While one sings bringing out the taste of anger, on hearing it the moustaches of the listeners should twitch and their eyes should redden.

When a vidwAn renders a song with taste of valour, the public should sit with back straightened and head erect involuntarily. There should be the flash of valour in their sight. Then only the song will be effective.

Songs that are not blended with taste in meaning and sound should not be in vogue in Tamizh Nadu hereafter.

They sing mostly the kirthanAs of the three composers, Muthuswamy DIkshithar, Thyagayyar and PatNam Subrahmanya Iyer. Of these, the compositions of Muthuswamy DIkshithar are written in pure Samskrtham. They have grandeur and magnanimity like the Ganga. Though they have various other embellishments also, since they are in Samskrtham, they will not be of avail for appreciation of taste by public.

Thyagayyar was divinely endowed. He was a sea of aesthetic qualities. He is the cause for the survival of Carnatic Music today. Like seers of yore, he propitiated the deity of his choice soulfully and stood out like a personification of music. Though the musicians of the day have vulgarized his songs by excessive sangathis, destruction of taste, distortion and swallowing of words, etc. to the extent possible, still they retain the original gloss. Will not the assayer of jewels know the quality of ruby even if it has lied in dust pit, accumulated dirt and lost its shine? Likewise, connoisseurs will be able to spot the true form of Thyagayyar’s composition even amidst the aforesaid disarray.

The way rAgA and ThAlA are set to a kIrthanA should echo its meaning. That is what we call blending of taste. Thyagayyar is noted for it.

Let us take for example the kIrthanA ‘Chakkani rAja mArgamu’. Try singing its pallavi purely without many sangathis and complications. The meaning ‘Oh mind, when a good royal route is available, why do you stray into lanes?’ will be discernible in the music.

Try singing the pallavi of the kIrthanA ‘mArupalga kunnAvEmi (Why are you not replying)’; the meaning will be heard in the tune.

As soon as you sing the pallavi ‘nannu brOva nIkinda thAmasamA – why so much delay in protecting me’, the meaning will flow strikingly.

All the kIrthanAs are set like that. Thyagayyar did not labour with the intent to create like that. If there is truth in the heart, music will issue naturally in that manner.

In later years, this quality is not there in the songs of PatNam Subrahmanya Iyer and others. If you take the song ‘varamulosaki’, it will be clear that there is no connection between the song and the music. The words convey, ‘Is it difficult for you to grant the boon and protect me?’, but the music strikes a discordant note. Let it be.

It is necessary for the vidwAns to practise the old kIrthanAs and learn the traditional ways. But there is no justification for reciting again and again the songs in other languages whose meaning is not understood. Because of that, our race may have to lose the musical knowledge. Further, the singers should appreciate well that thAlA has to serve the rAgA, not the other way about. In some kootthus (village drama) it will be apt to sing for the thAlA. Even there, we should not mar the beauty of music by focusing on the beauty of rhythm completely. That being so, it is not proper to destroy the sweetness of music and give prominence to flourish of rhythm in what is called a musical concert. Moreover, while singing kIrthanAs, the principal occupation must be to bring out the sweetness of music and thAlA must be an instrument for it.

About twelve years ago, I lived for about two to three years in Kasi. All males giving concerts there had excellent voice. The females had golden voice. I came to the south from there. I was surprised to see that generally the voice of many vidwans was spoiled, except one or two. What is the cause for deterioration in the strength and quality of voice of one and all? I raised the question with a few vidwAns. They said, “In the north, they eat sugar, milk roti and ghee. They don’t take tamarind and chilly. Here, we hog tamarind and chilly. That is why the voice is spoiled.” When I reflected on it later, I realized that it was somewhat true. But it is not the whole cause. Our people do not practice the voice properly. They should go into the open and roar. They should practice the voice on river banks, lake shores and beaches. There is a decline of the practice of diet as laid down in scriptures.

Besides, there should be courage at heart. Those with no mettle in mind can master no work, leave alone mastering arts. The qualities of courage, cheerfulness and strength in mind appear in greater measure in the people of the north than in those of the south. Previously, these qualities used to be a speciality of Tamizh Nadu. For some years now, they are seen less. All our people should cultivate these qualities. Only if the musicians practice these, enthusiasm and courage will arise in their heart and their music will become graceful.

I wrote above about the music of the musicians in the south. I wish to discuss the songs sung by common people a little. Before I open the new topic, should I not mention the good points about the aforesaid musicians? I beg your pardon for not taking out names. There are many vidwAns in each of the districts from Kanyakumari to Chennai in Tamizh Nadu, well-known for vocal as well as instrumental music.

Though owing to adversely changed times and habit of tradition, the link between the nine tastes and songs has been forgotten, some (both male and female) do wonderful work unbeknownst to themselves with the grace of Saraswathi. A few blend knowingly one or two tastes in the songs at times. Then their voice or instrument attains a high standard. The late Mahavaidyanatha Iyer or flautist Sarabha Sastri are not without heirs.

My opinion is that if they pay heed to the messages I have pointed out in the previous two parts, the service they render to Tamizh Nadu will increase manifold, which I wish to happen. I have just conveyed it here.

Now let us look at the state of public who are not classical but ordinary singers.

First, let us take up the singing of housewives. Our ladies sing some kIrthanAs also apart from marriage songs, gummi songs, etc. (gummi is singing and dancing with clapping of hands). No doubt some of them sing grammatically. But, a majority of them sing wrongly without knowing music grammar. For many of them the voice culture is not proper. Since most of them are either deficient or zero in education, their singing abounds in defects in words and meaning. That too, when they sing kIrthanAs of DIkshithar, Thyagaiyer, etc. they do not care for pitch or rhythm and plunder and distort words. Yet, yes, we cannot refrain from praising the music of ladies of Tamizh Nadu. Though many of the kIrthanAs and padyAs they sing are in Telugu, they sing more of Tamizh songs. Though many of these songs contain flaws, a few are well composed. Though the very modern songs in ‘Odam’ etc. are in bad form, there is fineness of diction in olden songs. Later on, flaws like ‘Rayil vandi Odam’ have mixed up. Ladies have got affinity for such vulgarity from the idiotic joy derived by their English-educated husbands.

Gummi song, palli song, kiLi song, nalangu song, paLLiyaRai song, ammAnai song, thAlAttu song, etc., the songs sung by ladies, are all in good metre. Is it possible to forget the joy we get when they sing songs of thAi, akkAL, thangai, kAdali, etc. of thamizhars? Don’t you remember?
(I have not been able to translate this para properly)

We salute with folded hands the singing of Tamizh ladies, but there are many revisions needed in them.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 16 Oct 2012, 21:29

True for all times.
Bharathy is a தீர்க்கதர்சி.
You have done a great job translating the gist...

sridhar_ranga · Post by **sridhar_ranga** » 17 Oct 2012, 01:19

kvchellappa wrote: Gummi song, palli song, kiLi song, nalangu song, paLLiyaRai song, ammAnai song, thAlAttu song, etc., the songs sung by ladies, are all in good metre. Is it possible to forget the joy we get when they sing songs of thAi, akkAL, thangai, kAdali, etc. of thamizhars? Don’t you remember?
(I have not been able to translate this para properly)

kummi (From the Madras University Tamil Lexicon:) dance with clapping of hands to time and singing, especially among girls;
palli pATTu - not sure, but this may be singing that employs sounds like 'pallikoTTutal' - chirping of a lizard
kiLi pATTu - my guess is that in such songs a kiLi (parrot) is addressed as 'kiLiyE'
nalangu pATTu - sung during marriage ceremonies
paLLiyaRai pATTu - Literally, bedroom song - probably songs around the theme of love?
ammAnai pATTu - (from lexicon) song sung when playing a game of balls
tAlATTu - lullaby

I am sure Arasi, CML, PBala, Rshankar, et al may be able to throw more light.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 17 Oct 2012, 03:21

paLLiyaRai pAttu are specially composed on romantic themes specially sung on the occasion of the "First Night" after the couples are in the bed room. Some of these are also played by the NayanakkArar for which they get specially paid...

I miss the meaning of palli pATTu.
Arasi! Can you help?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 17 Oct 2012, 03:40

SubbuDu and today's critics take a back seat!

Bharathi the visionary, bhArathi the poet, and Bharathi the rasikA speaks his mind here. Those of us who have read Yadugiri's memoir and others who have read the translation may recall how Bharathi loved the fishermen's song in the very first chapter. He loved folk songs of the rice pounding women and of workers in the field. He so looked forward to listening to women and children singing at home on fridays, festive days and at weddings. He himself has sung at weddings (his admirer Bharathidasan did too).

KVChellappa,
Thank you so much for your translation.

Sreedhar,

kiLip pATTu is kiLikkaNNi, I think. He set a few of his verses to that meTTu.
ammAnai I thought was kal ATTam? Others may know.

We all like reviews. Some of the reviewers on Rasikas are super. I hope many rasikas get to read this thread.

Reading this, those of us who love Kalki's reviews know where he got his inspiration from!

In any given age, Bharathi IS a modernist

venkatakailasam · Post by **venkatakailasam** » 17 Oct 2012, 05:57

When I first read this article by Shri Natarajan Venkatasubramaniam ( incidentally..which is my father's name also) in his blog, around a month back... I was astonished by this essay of Barathiar who was leading a boisterous

life....all along....could have learned so much about music..see the difference he brought out between the compositions of Thygaraja and Pattnam subramania Iyer

and also what is lacking in the latter's compositions ..His advice to render Tamil compositions in concerts!

The second one is Shri NV.... is a treasure trove...from where he get so much of Barathi's writings...

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 17 Oct 2012, 08:39

The comment 'In any age Bharathi is a modernist' is pithy and pregnant like kuraL or mahAvAkyAs of upanishads.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 17 Oct 2012, 12:17

I would be grateful for help in getting English equivalents of the following words used by Bharathiyar:

சுருள் (gamaka?)
வீழ்ச்சி (cadence?)
பின்னல் (intricate swaraprasthara?)

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 17 Oct 2012, 20:15

Thx PB for the interesting reference.
Your first link opens a blank...
Amazed at the richness of te nATTup pADal in Tamil!
Bharathy apparently was quite familiar with them!

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 17 Oct 2012, 20:33

.
There is write-up on poet 'tattuvarAyar' in this site: http://www.tamilvu.org/slet/l3B00/l3B00 ... bookid=217
In the next page (#217) there is a mention of the 'pallippATTu' written by him.

A list of the various types of Tamil songs is given in http://www.tamilvu.org/slet/lB100/lB100 ... 234&pno=15 :--
அக்கைச்சி, அச்சோ, அப்பூச்சி, அம்மானை, ஆற்றுவரி, இம்பில், உந்தியார், ஊசல், எம்பாவை, கப்பற் பாட்டு, கழல், கந்துகவரி, காக்கை, காளம், கானல்வரி, கிளிப்பாட்டு, குணலை, குதம்பை, குயில், குரவை, குறத்தி, கூடல், கொச்சகச் சார்த்து, கோத்தும்பி, கோழிப் பாட்டு, சங்கு, சாயல் வரி, சார்த்து வரி, சாழல், செம்போத்து, தச்சராண்டு, தச்சாண்டி, தாலாட்டு, திணைநிலைவரி, திருவங்கமாலை, திருவந்திக் காப்பு, தெள்ளேணம், தோணோக்கம், நிலைவரி, நையாண்டி, பகவதி, படைப்பு வரி, பந்து, பல்லாண்டு, பல்லி, பள்ளியெழுச்சி, பாம்பாட்டி, பிடாரன், பொற்சுண்ணம், மயங்குதிணை நிலைவரி, முகச்சார்த்து, முகமில் வரி, முகவரி, மூரிச் சார்த்து, வள்ளைப்பாட்டு முதலியன ..!!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 17 Oct 2012, 20:40

Thx Got it!
Now one can compose a song addressing any object!
Arasi! Get going

sridhar_ranga · Post by **sridhar_ranga** » 18 Oct 2012, 00:38

From Tamil Wikipedia: http://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%AA% ... E%E0%AF%8D

கொட்டாய் பல்லிக்குட்டி
குடமாடிஉலகளந்த
மட்டார் பூங்குழல் மாதவ னைவரக்
கொட்டாய் பல்லிக்குட்டி.
(நாலாயிர.1945) இது பல்லிப் பாடல்களில் ஒன்று. இவை வெண்டுறை எனும் யாப்பில் அமைந்தவை.

So a palli (gecko) is addressed in palli paaTTU!!!

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 18 Oct 2012, 04:43

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பல்லிப்பாட்டு

ஓடும்மனம் நம்மினுடன் உறவுசெயுமாகில்
உள்ளநிலை மெல்ல உணர்வு ஆகிவரு மாகில்
நாடும்இடம் எங்கும்அறிவு ஆகிவிடு மாகில்
நல்லகுரல் நல்லதிசை சொல்லுசிறு பல்லி.

-- தத்துவராயர்
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kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 18 Oct 2012, 16:57

THALA GNANAM (Knowledge of Rhythm)

The important shortcoming in the singing of our housewives is that most of them have no knowledge of thALa.

Some think erroneously that it is difficult to impart knowledge of thALA to women and that they naturally lack sense of laya. When they jump and dance, if you watch, how the thALA resonates! The reason why they sing kIrthanAs without thALA is lack of practice and not anything else. We do not teach them music properly.

Some say, ‘DAsis? Are they going to give a concert? What is to be achieved by their dancing without slipping on thALa?’ If a song is not rendered in alignment with thALa, it will be harsh on the ears. The public will not like it. The same applies at home also. If my daughter sings wrongly, listening to it in close quarters, I will have no comfort for the ears. She will not develop good taste in singing.

There will be no trouble if you embargo their singing altogether. Then there will be no worldly life. If marriage songs, thAlAttu songs and love songs cease, only grave will remain. No one will desire to stop it. Women will always sing like men do. There is greater affinity for women to music than for men. ‘Do well whatever you do.’ Those keen to sing should practice good singing. They should seek ways to listen to singing. Happiness comes from singing. You get the grace of Lakshmi. You get inner peace.