Translations of Bharathy's Prose Writings

[cmlover]

The writing of Bharathy prompted my composing the following kriti

பல்லவி: குண்டு சட்ல குத்ர ஓட்டலு எந்துகு
கோதண்ட ராமா...

அனுபல்லவி: சந்த்ருலு சக்குனி போட்ல சறுக்குனி
சாந்தமு எக்கட சார்வ பௌமா

சரணம்: பந்தரு நிங்களு பாலுடு தெலிஸின
பாடலு எந்தடா பலுகு பலுகு
(மத்யம காலம்)
பண்டு முண்டலு கண்டு கொண்டலு
வண்டு கண்டலு வகையுமுண்டலு

1. The nice thing is that it can be sung in any raga of his choice by a CM musician.
2. Even the Talam can be adjusted to his/her taste.
3. He can split the words any way he wants. Or better he can completely substitute his own
words there.
4. Neraval and swara prastaram can be done at CharaNam first line or even at any line of his/her choice.
Advantages
No body will understand what he/she is singing (especailly in TN). For that matter it can be sung anywhere since CM folks will take it to be in a language from the other part of SI. The performer can preface it by saying that it was a 'rare' kriti by an unknown vaggeyakaraka
If ever they ask for the meaning (CM folks rarely do!}
Meaning
Oh! Kodanada Rama why don't you rush to bless me.
How long do I have to wait to get your grace?
Your name is sweeter than milk and honey and I am satisfied singing it all the time.
The birds and the bees do sing them always but we mortals do not understand their language.


Who knows, if the performers see, this song may become more popular than the 'KolaveRi' song

All in good fun folks. But I do feel that performers should sing mostly songs which can be understood by the audience!
After all music is for the ears and mind too!

[arasi]

Anyhow, guNDu chaTlO gurram OTTamani
----------------------------------------

cheppE mI mATalu-will make an ideal pallavi line (I'm singing it already in AbhOgi)!

Why not?
The genre is nonsensical maNipravALam...
Even wonderful compositions full of meaning get slaughtered at times. Yes, as you say, not many pay attention

To put it in the Readers Digest way, Laughter is the best medicine.

[sridhar_ranga]

CML, )

Here is one more pallavi suggestion - with a request to Arasi to complete the rest: "CML lEka hAsyamu lEdu rasikAsulO rOju"

[arasi]

carnATaka sangtThamuthO, comedy prEminchEvAru kadA?

[cmlover]

"raminchurArevarurA Rasika membaru ninuvinA"
Thyagaraja knew Telugu, Sanskrit, and Tamil but composed in Telugu and Sanskrit only!
Bharathy knew Tamil, Sanskrit and Telugu but composed in Tamil and Sanskrit only!
Our Arasi knows Tamil,Sanskrit and Kannada and composed in all languages.
She is truely impartial ideed!

[arasi]

knows not sanskrit, knows not kannada enough
Call me composer pretender, if you wish

[cmlover]

Extreme humility!
That is one more sterling quality of this Lady!
She also unstintingly lavishes praise on others!
A great giver - but nary a taker!

[kvchellappa]

HARMONIUM

It is my desire that there should be inculcation of good singing among women of Tamizh Nadu. But, harmonium has come as a stumbling block for it. Many vidwAns agree that practicing on this instrument in our land will engender various harms. But no one is trying to arrest it. It is not possible to bring in it the suruLkaL (gamaka?) and vIzhchikaL (cadences?) prevalent in our music. Therefore, the inner nuances of our music become blunted in those who practice much on that instrument. Above all this, the loud noise the instrument makes sounds as a big pain to my ears.

Further, those who are not accustomed to music whatsoever, get a ‘shOk’ (fancy) on seeing this instrument. Handy bellows is fixed at the back to make noise. When you press a key button, pull out the keys in front and move the bellows, noise booms ‘hO’. At once, the layman is immensely pleased. He thinks, “We only created this music, didn’t we?” He taps again on the black and white key buttons. Pleasant tunes! The layman is elated. First day, first time, so much exuberance results from a touch. In three months, one masters sarali, alankAram, piLLayAr gItham, sankarAbharaNa varNAm, ‘Pavanutha’ kIrthanam- all these. In the mind of the layman, a thought ‘I am a vidwAn’ is strongly registered. He starts on elaboration of rAgAs. If harmonium is played in one house, it is audible to fifty houses in the neighbourhod. If an ignoramus wants to propagate his ignorance to two or three streets sitting in his house, there is no better assistance than this instrument for it. If veena is played wrongly, it will be painful only to the people in the house; harmonium inflicts pain for everyone in the street. If we have to damage the ears and impair the music sense of the people of a country, it is enough if we distribute four or five harmoniums in each village.

It is perhaps fitting for the drama troupe to have this instrument for aligning the pitch for vocal music. If common people use it for pitch, several drawbacks arise. Let us discuss what these drawbacks are, which instruments are suited for our country and what further ways have to be found to straighten the singing of women.

THAMBUR

Leaving aside drama troupe, it is appropriate to keep thambur for pitch alignment for singing in the house of ordinary people or in a bhajan hall. In the backdrop of the loud noise of harmonium, the voice of the singer is not heard prominently. The song is in lower pitch than the sruthi. Only a few with unusual voice of high pitch will be able to sing in a higher sruthi than the harmonium. It is generally not possible. The sruthi should subserve the song. The sruthi that overwhelms the song is useless. It is folly.

VEENA

Women who desire to learn playing an instrument should practice on the veena. In the beginning it is somewhat difficult. In course of time, it will be easy. If one becomes proficient in it, that is the best experience in singing. If women play veena, there will be refinement of taste and beauty in life. It will become clear that there is no hassle in women learning to play veena. Practicing on veena will also entail good thALa knowledge. Veena will sound like human voice. For inba suruLkaL (sweet gamakas?) and pinnalkaL (intricate embellishments?), veena is the best suited. Its sound is all of peace. Saraswathi is carrying veena in her hand. When poet Kalidasa sings on ParAsakthi, he starts, ‘Manikyaveenam uplAlyanthIm (sporting a ruby-veena)’.

FALSE VOICE

Whether man or woman, one should not sing with false voice. There will be comfort only while singing with open throat. By nature, man has a strong voice and woman a thin one. Some women sing with a false voice with a view to making the naturally shrill voice to become shriller. Some others arrive at it out of bashfulness. That too is wrong. There is no cause to feel bashful about singing with open throat clearly.

[cmlover]

It is not possible to bring in it the suruLkaL (gamaka?) and vIzhchikaL (cadences?) prevalent in our music.

It is not possible to bring in it the suruLkaL (subtlities)) and vIzhchikaL (melodic fluctuations) prevalent in our music.

Very nice analysis! True for all times.
Bharathy is a connoiseur of CM !

[arasi]

Thanks, KVC! Another musical musing of BhArathi brought to life in english.

CML,
suruLgaL--possibly gamakams? asaivugaL?

vIzhchi perhaps is brighA? He had a sense of cascading waterfalls in mind when he used the word? vIzhchi also can mean descent. If so, what else can it mean?
Would like to know if Bharathi dAsan uses these expressions anywhere. After all, they must have talked about sangItham quite a bit in their many conversations, both being singers.

[rshankar]

Would like to know if Bharathi dAsan uses these expressions anywhere.

Arasi - looks like bhAratidAsan favored the harp accompanying the voice - afterall, he did ask, 'tunbam nErgaiyil yAzh eDuttu nI yemakkinbam sErka mATTayA, kaNNE! anbilA nenjil tamizhil pADi nI allal nIkka mATTAyA, kaNNE?'

[kvchellappa]

SINGING BY WOMEN

There are common musical forms for both men and women; besides, there are special songs and musical forms for women. Many forms of songs that women of good old days of Tamizh Nadu were singing have gone out of vogue now. But, among the songs sung by devotees with the feeling that jIva is a woman and paramAthma is a man, some are meant for women.

For example, in ThiruvAchakam, the following types can be seen:
(1) EmpAvai (women going to bathe)
(2) AmmAnai pAttu
(3) Songs with thumbi (bumble bee), kuil (cuckoo), kiLi (parrot), etc. being sent as emissaries
(4) TheLLeNam (In the midst, there will be a big drum; the women will stand around it and hold two sticks in their hands and strike them to the rhythm of the drum).
(5) SuNNam iditthal (suNNam is gandha podi, limestone?)
(6) chAzhal
(7) Undi
(These two are known to be women games, but details are not known)
(8) PUvalli (sung when women pluck flowers)
(9) ThONOkkam (women locking shoulders, singing and dancing)
(10) Oosal (modern day swing song- Oonjal pAttu)
(11) Morning song for waking up

There were likewise other types like thAlAttu, ambuli, sengIrai, sappani, etc. also. Please see the class of books called ‘PiLLai Tamizh’. Of these, we see that four types viz. thAlAttu, oonjal, ammAnai and paLLiyezhuchi are in vogue among women in different musical forms. There are no sources to go deep into the old types. That is why we have just listed them.

Among family women, those that learn music systematically are small in number. Only urbanized and well-to-do families engage a teacher and train the girls in music. Nevertheless, there are many who have got flair of the systematic music even without a teacher.

Leaving aside the above, looking at it generally, the genre of women’s songs is as follows:
(1) marriage songs, nalangu, padyam, oonjal, Odam, etc.
(2) Gummi song, songs for jumping and singing. This class will include kiLi pAttu, palli pAttu, etc.
(3) Long ballads, like ammAnai, thUthu (sending an emissary), mAlai, sobhanam, etc.
(4) General thAlAttu, songs for play, jAvaLis, kIrthanai, etc.

Also, women working in farms, those who pound paddy, those who break limestone, (kuRikAri) the fortune-tellers, thombachi, etc. have their own musical forms. Among the songs mentioned above, there are songs with sweet tunes. Before they become extinct, music vidwAns should pick them up, make out their notation and add them in the training schedule.

If women get education, they will forget songs in slang, with defects and of poor taste. Of course, we have to ensure that the rigour of traditional music is not forgotten. If our women forget the traditional music and start singing in drama tunes only, the aesthetics of music may go to dogs in Tamizh Nadu.

We mentioned about songs in slang and poor taste. In a bushel of chaff, a small measure of rice will be found. We should not lose it. If those in music quest search in our women’s songs, good poetry may be found in some quarters. In Ramayana, grandma will narrate the story of Lava Kusa as a long poem. The children will cry shedding tears. When the stage is reached where Lava Kusa defeat Rama, anger will surge in the mind. We will feel, ‘Rama deserves this and deserves it well.’ Even in nalangu pAttu and gummi, in some places words like pearls will be found. The songs of labourer women are very sweet. The metre is sweet and half of it is good poetry.

I have already pointed out the refinements required in women’s singing. I wish to add a few more words on it. While singing before relatives and at the time of marriage, the song should not peter out because of shyness. There is no justification to feel shy in the matter of knowledge. One should irrigate water of freedom to the crop of knowledge. Moreover, we should develop general education in women nourishing it with care day by day . One remaining foolish without education will not discharge any work properly. Also, one should not assist ugliness through adulteration such as doing aarathi in Parsi metre and English nalangu. It is as well that our women do not turn to drama songs until education, custom of systematic learning and refinement permeate the arena of our drama. It will be a great help if the tyranny of Vedanta also is mitigated.

[smala]

CML - please make this thread a sticky like the others on Bharathi!

[arasi]

I agree. Thanks Smala.

[cmlover]

Done..

[cmlover]

Amazing list of "nATTu pADalkaL", most of which are getting lost and getting replaced by Gaana and DappAnkutthu

Also, one should not assist ugliness through adulteration such as doing aarathi in Parsi metre and English nalangu

Shows that the decline started even during Bharathy's times, long before the arrival of ARR and Mani Rathnam

[kvchellappa]

ABHINAYAM

In Koothu only Abhinayam is main

The body of koothu is manifestation of the details of thALa in the body. Abhinayam is its life. Playing just without slipping in thALa is not koothu.

In recent times, a few bhAgavathars exhibit koothu somewhat during the discourse. Some call it ‘PattaNam Krishna BhAgavathar’s style’. Those bhAgavathars do so with the intent ‘others should take their koothu as virtual dance’.

One bhAgavathar conducted a discourse on NandanAr story in Vedapuram. Nandan is a slave and Iyer is master. Nandan stands before Iyer. His appearance brought out the quality of being a slave (Naichyam). Naichyam is an attribute derived from the root ‘nIcha’ (slave) and ‘naichya bhAvam’ denotes the appearance of a slave. The bhAgavathar brought this out by many abhinayAs. He did a neat job. His abhinayAs, the way he moved his eyebrows, looked out of the corner of the eye and jerked his shoulders and belly, slowly reached the overtones of sringAra rasa from bhakthi rasa. There was no flaw in the sringAra abhinayAs of the bhAgavathar. He gestures his eyebrows and eyes skillfully. The texts say that for sringAra rasa, ‘bhAva is rathi; stimuli are moon, sandal, etc.’ The bhAgavathar represents moon etc. with his eyes.
But, it was noteworthy that though a man, the abhinayAs he had learnt were less of a man’s and more of a woman’s.
In the ‘naichya bhAva’ mentioned above, that is, in showing the appearance of a slave too, there is mix-up because of his mixing femininity. He depicts Nandan standing before the master as half a slave and half a ‘dAsi’.

Nevertheless, it is our duty to praise the abhinayaAs that the bhAgavathar brings out on his face. He displays oodal (tiff) alone in ninety-nine abhinayams. If we add all other such classes, how many it will be! It will be manifold, will it not be? The bhAva of karuna (sympathy) is called pathos (sOkam). For showing this, the bhAgavathar talked of above deserves a thOdA (bracelet).

Another one, the bhAgavathar does top notch job in that only. That is, he shows bhayAnaka rasa (taste of terror) in ten thousand abhinayams. The bhAva for this rasa is fear. He brings out the fear that is inborn to deer, hare and a few human beings, through a magnifying lens as it were.

This bhAgavathar visited me a few days back. I asked him, “You have not touched the five rasas of humour, anger, valour, wonder and tranquility. What is the reason for it?”
The bhAgavathar says, “What will I do? I have not studied the subject of dance. I act the abhinayams that I have come across in the town. The bhAva of servility is predominant among Hindus. Therefore, showing the bhAva of slavery (naichyabhAvam) comes easily to me. If I am bid to show the bhAva of valour, how can I? I have not seen a single brave person in the seven or eight districts where I have lived since birth till date. Where will I get the bhAva of valour from?”

Thereupon, I read out a few stanzas from the Samskrtham text called ‘rasa bhandAram’ having the following meaning. That book says:

“A branch of knowledge evolves from usage of the world. The learners expand the knowledge through practice. Nature is the source for birth of sense of rasa. One can visualise the sight of rasa through the custom of those who have a flair for rasa and by following the methods of bhakthi.
By overcoming attachment and hatred, one attains poise of mind (chittha samAdhi). Then he gets vision of gnAna. Those who have attained it, distinguish as mirrors to knowledge without outward preparation.
When an actor (koothan) shows abhinayam of srngAra rasa (emotion of love), he should not mix up the abhinayams of a woman. If a man assumes the role of a woman and performs, it will then be apt to show the abhinayams of a woman. When he performs without assuming a woman’s role, femininity should not manifest.
If a person desires to graduate in the taste of valour, he ought to meditate on incarnations of great personages such as Rama. Meditation on Narayana will give the actor mastery in the taste of valour.
The actor should not elaborate on bhayAnaka rasa (terror) excessively. In the country where the actors show bhayAnaka and pathos too much, fear and sorrow will predominate.
By the koothu replete with naichya bhAva (servility), we can infer that the people of that country have much slavish nature. Therefore, the people of the country should ensure that the actors do not show slavish appearance in their performance excessively.
If the discipline of dance is learnt and practiced truly, from it manliness will arise in men and womanhood in women. If it is practiced wrongly, from it femininity will appear in men and masculinity in women in an ugly way.
Paramasiva taught Nandi the branch of dance in the beginning. Then BhagawAn addresses Nandi, ‘Listen, Nandi! People go to hell by slipping on abhinayam. A virtuous actor should learn from a teacher with discipline the facts of abhinayam. If slaves practise abhinayam, they will ever be dancing only a slave dance without imbibing the rules of abhinayam. Those who watch the koothu performed by slaves showing only naichyam in deviation from the text, will reach hell.’ He continued, ‘To those who see a balanced presentation of the nine tastes in the dance of a virtuous disciple, learnt from the teacher systematically, it will confer happiness and the grace of Lakshmi. One who practises the dance without a competent teacher, must be truly pious. All arts can be mastered by devotion to God.’ “

Thus, I read and explained to him several stanzas from the book ‘Rasa BhandAram’.

On hearing all this, the bhAgavathar was very pleased and told me, “Please give me the book. I will copy it down and return it.”
I said, “Do so,” and gave the copy of the book to him.

In that book, it is said emphatically ‘Meditation is the pivotal point for knowledge of taste.’

Thereafter (after lapse of some time), the bhAgavathar said that he was circumambulating the VEdanAyakar temple a few days back where the mendicant known as KuLLachamy intervened and left after teaching him a potent chant ‘Om Sakthi’ and that ever since he had been meditating on ParAsakthi.

I was happy greatly and saw him off in a vehicle. He has still not returned my book.

[arasi]

Our Bharathi was filled with all nava rasAs!
"He has still not returned my book" as a punch line shows his nagaichuvai nayam

[kvchellappa]

SANGEETHA VISHAYAM
19th Dec 1916

(SOURCE: http://bhaarathi.blogspot.in/search)

Music must be taught in schools. This is happening in other civilised countries as a rule. Music is half of life. If no one patronises art, even the musician will give it up. Therefore, I felt happy when I read the letter of SrImAn Srinivasa Iyengar in SwdEsamithran (appendix) to the effect that music should be reformed.

A great poet in English language disparages those without knowledge of music as thieves and as mischievous. Music is good for all. It is my creed that voice is also good for all people. Some think in vain that they do not have a good voice because of shyness and lack of practice.

Those desiring to learn music should get up before sunrise, take bath in cold water and practise sarali varisai etc. without deviating from sruthi and layam as far as possible. Only top octave is always advisable. One should sing having the body erect, keeping the face straight without twisting the face and mouth and with mouth wide open like a lion. If the throat is hoarse, pepper should be eaten. It is not good to have sugar candy.

Srinivasa Iyengar contends that it does not suit his taste when in the middle of a concert, the singer keeps quiet letting the accompanists to play, or sings (vEdikkai pAttu) amusing numbers like themmAngu. I object to it partly. Musical instruments like veena and flute and percussion instruments like drum (maddaLam) afford pleasure on their own without the aid of vocal music.

One should not bother to reach the swara which an instrument cannot play. It will not be possible to render a concert when the throat is hoarse and blocked. One should set about the business only after proper sruthi alignment.

Veena, flute and birds would make (musical) sound without vocal music even in olden days. On the other hand, a cowherd woman would also sing for the tune of Krishna on flute. Our Lord (emperumAn) would play solo too. ThemmAngu and the like have humour as rasa. We should not eschew them altogether. But it is no use playing the same tune tortuously as the hand leads. If the songs are flawed in Tamizh and without essence of meaning, it is not fair to bring them to the concert platform.

But the contention of Srinivasa Iyengar condemning the practice at some places of the singer being subservient to the drummer (maddaLakkAran) in fear is worth accepting. For, the singer should keep the beat for his songs without missing a beat. If the singer has this much knowledge of thALa, it will do. If it is better, it is bonus. Unaware of this, the singer being in awe of the drummer is funny.

Most part of what Srinivasa Iyengar has written about the custom of rendering a rAga, varnams and kIrthanais can be taken as justified prima facie. In the matter of cultivating rendition of kIrthanas, each should follow his intuition. Be that as it may, if any vidwAn whatsoever will pave the way for creating new kIrthanas in Tamizh Nadu, thousands will follow it and attain greatness.

[cmlover]

Is the SrImAn Srinivasa Iyengar the well-known "Poochi"?
I wonder...

Be that as it may, if any vidwAn whatsoever will pave the way for creating new kIrthanas in Tamizh Nadu, thousands will follow it and attain greatness.

Shows Bharathy's concern for Tamil sahityams since only Trinity were only rendered then. OVK was unknown! It took more than two decades after Bharathy's demise for Tamil kritis to be rendered in concerts against heavy resistance. Thanks to P Sivan who is hailed as Tamil Thyagaraja!

[kvchellappa]

ISAI

Evening

“AaNi mukatthai pOla aRivu mutthu mAlaiyinaL”
(one wearing garland of pearls of wisdom resembling pearls of high quality).
The Bengal poet, Sri Ravindranath Tagore, has written in his autobiography his opinions on both European and Indian music. He had lived in England for many years in his young days. He has been a good connoisseur since childhood. His words are valuable.

Ravindranath says:

“The Western singer is more distinguished in voice culture than singers of our land. The control of voice that they have is not here. Even when the best of our singers are singing, it is apparent ‘they are at pains’. Our singers have not cultivated their voice so as to sing naturally like a downpour without showing any strain. They try sometimes to reach the swara in the top octave, which is eluding them. In Europe, the voice of one who comes for public singing should be like an instrument played by a maestro, free from any fault, any jarring note, any hoarseness or any flaw. Those who have not cultivated their voice so will not venture to sing in public there.
Our musicians spend about an hour, aligning the thambUr, beating the drum for sruthi, and so on after coming to the music hall. The audience just puts up with this long torture. Not so in Europe. They tune their instruments before coming to the hall and commence the performance on arrival.
Our musicians give prime importance to tune only. They work wonders keeping voice as important.
I have no taste for European music. It is good no doubt. But it is like circus amusement being ordered and entertaining. I went to listen when a great white singer rendered a concert in England. While singing, she started to bring out the sounds made by birds. I could not contain my laughter. It was a travesty. Male singing is not that bad.
Owing to being long accustomed, I do understand the import of European music. But, the method of our music is different and theirs different. That is gross, ours is subtle. That is worldly and ours is transcendental. In that music much human power is there and in ours much divine power shines.”

I have not translated Ravindrar’s words verbatim above. I have given the gist in my words. It is known to all pundits conversant with both systems that Ravindrar’s words ‘our musical discipline is greater than European musical discipline’ are entirely true. But it is as well that vidwans of our country try to attain parity with European musicians in the aspects of voice culture and stage decorum (sabhA nAgarikam). There will be more joy to the public and more money will accrue to the singers.

[cmlover]

Our musicians spend about an hour, aligning the thambUr, beating the drum for sruthi, and so on after coming to the music hall.

Still very true!
Still CM musicians do not pay attention to voice culture!
I wonder why...

[rshankar]

“AaNi mukatthai pOla aRivu mutthu mAlaiyinaL”

That is how the mahAkavi described sarasvati in his navarAtri pADal as 'vANI kalaidevam maNivAkkudaviDuvAL, ANi muttaipOla arivu muttu mAlaiyinAL'

[venkatakailasam]

# 123...

A song not heard before...by me at least..

கொலு பாட்டு …
பாரதியார் எழுதியது
மாதா பராசக்தி வையமெல்லாம் நீ நிறைந்தாய்!
ஆதாரம் உன்னையல்லால் ஆரெமக்குப் பாரினிலே!
ஏதாயினும் வழிநீ சொல்வாய் எமதுயிரே!
வேதாவின் தாயே! மிகப்பணிந்து வாழ்வோமே…


வாணி கலைத் தெய்வம் மணிவாக் குதவிடுவாள்
ஆணிமுத்தைப் போலே அறிவுமுத்து மாலையினாள்
காணுகின்ற காட்சியாய்க் காண்பதெலாங் காட்டுவதாய்
மாணுயர்ந்து நிற்பாள் மலரடியே சூழ்வோமே…


பொன்னரசி நாரணனார் தேவி, புகழரசி
மின்னுநவ ரத்தினம்போல் மேனி யழகுடையாள்
அன்னையவள் வையமெல்லாம் ஆதரிப்பாள், ஸ்ரீதேவி
தன்னிரு பொற்றாளே சரண்புகுந்து வாழ்வோமே…


மலையிலே தான் பிறந்தாள் சங்கரனை மாலையிட்டாள்
உலையிலே யூதி உலகக் கனல் வளர்ப்பாள்
நிலையில் உயர்த்திடுவாள், நேரே அவள் பாதம்
தலையிலே தாங்கித் தரணிமிசை வாழ்வோமே…


source...

http://www.penmai.com/forums/mantras/37 ... 09%3B.html

[venkatakailasam]

A letter written by Barathi in English..


To

The Editor of ‘The Hindu’

Sir,

I appeal to the people of India – in whose name the Government of India is carried on – against the injustice of the said Government in proscribing; my two innocuous Tamil booklets Kanavu (Dream), a poem and Ariloru pangu (one-sixth), a short story – obviously on the presumption that the latter are seditious. I hold that those who have reported to the Government that my booklets contain expressions which may not be permitted by its law are ignorant persons. I ask for a re-examination of the contents of these booklets by competent persons. I have already approached the Government of Madras on this subject both my means of private communication and writings in the Press. But, so far, my efforts have been unavailing. I make this further appeal to the Indian people and demand justice to my booklets at their hands, not in my own interests so much – for these booklets mean almost nothing to me from the points of view of money and fame – as in the interests of what little of freedom of the pen is left to us in British India. If you proscribe love poems and social reform stories on the ground that they issue from the pen of a suspected person, you greatly exceed your limits. I pray that the public, press should take up this question.

8-10-1912 SUBRAMANIA BHARATI


http://bhaarathi.blogspot.in/search/label/the%20hindu

[kvchellappa]

The song is in music circuit, has been sung by Dr. Sowmya, among others.

[kvchellappa]

This one is by Bombay Jayasree:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2mIEibgyb8&noredirect=1

[venkatakailasam]

Thank you Shri kvc...for the links...

[cmlover]

Many thanks folks for the verse and the melodious ragamalika audio!

[arasi]

Chellappa,
Thanks for your work and the music!

[kvchellappa]

Bharathiyar has translated Bhagavd Gita into Tamil and has written an elaborate preface to it. It is available at:

http://www.tamilhindu.com/wp-content/up ... eethai.pdf

I propose to translate and post the preface in this column. Hope it is found readable.
Thanks for the kind words expressed to one and all.

[cmlover]

Thanks for that link. That is not a translation but a discussion paper presenting Bharathy's views. Very interesting.

Do please try translating the preface. You have lots on your hand.
And thank you for your stellar efforts!

[smala]

This one is by Bombay Jayasree:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2mIEibgyb8&noredirect=1

Singer is Sowmya - not B.Jayasree

[smala]

Found this song by accident - seems deep. Would love to know the context and when it was written...

This poem/song - see poster's translation below - is attributed to Bharathy and sung well, even with the modern music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_USR9Qf ... ure=fvwrel

Acham Thavir

Achcham thavir, Naiya pudai
(Rid yourself of fear, Strike hard (the evil/obstacle))

Maanam poatru, Routhiram palagu
(Cherish honour, Learn righteous indignation)

Aanmai thavarael, Kedilum thuninthu nil
(Do not lose your manliness, Stand firm in ruin)

Keduppathu sorvu, Thiyoarku anjeal
(Fatigue spoils, Be not afraid of evil)

Oythal oli, Naer padap paesu
(Do not flag, Talk straight)

Thaalndhu nadavael, Mikaipada solael
(Don't lose your Dignity, Don't over dramatize)

Kaalam aliyeal, Keelorkku anjeal
(Do not waste time, Be not afraid of what is base)

Por tholil palagu, Tholviyil kalangael
(Learn the art of warfare , Do not become upset by defeat)

Pudhiyana virumbu, Veeriyam perukku
(Welcome progress, Increase virility)

Pedhamai Akatru, Unmaikku anjael
(Eradicate ignorance, Don't fear for truth)

Vedipara paesu, Nandru karudhu
(Speak with clear articulation, Always think good)

Vavvudhal neekku, Thavaththinai nirappu nee
(Avoid covetousness, Practise penance daily)

Katradhu olugu, Kaitholil potru
(Practise what you have learned, Cherish manual work)

Saerkay ariyea, Paeigalukku anjeal
(Know whom you associate, Have no fear of ghosts )

Maanam potru, Mandhiram valimai
(Cherish honour , Mantra is potency)

Vallamai pasael, Naal ellam venai sei
(Dont self-praise, Strive all day long)

[cmlover]

That was known as "bharathy aathichUDi"!

[smala]

Here is a moving scene of Bharathi and his daughter who has come of age - we read of this in the translation that Arasi gave us through the eyes of Yadugiri.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyK72DIw ... playnext=1

[kvchellappa]

PREFACE TO BHAGAVAD GITA

1.

‘One who is established in buddhi (intelligence) casts away both good and evil. Therefore strive for yoga, yoga is skill in action.’ (Chapter 2; sloka 50). (English translation is from Dr. S.Radhakrishnan).

This is the substratum of all the teachings of Bhagawan in Gita. Taking refuge in buddhi means keeping knowledge clear, free from any blemish or perversion. It is 'clear buddhi' which is referred to as 'buddhi' above. Keeping knowledge clear in turn would be to straighten knowledge so as to be in its natural form without worrisome thoughts and their root viz. sinful thoughts.

What Jesus Christ said, ‘Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven,’ it is also in the same vein. When it is said, ‘become like children,’, it does not mean, ‘Forget all your worldly experience. Lose all knowledge acquired. Start again to drink mother’s milk like babies and lisp.’ The idea is ‘Keep your heart blemishless and pure like the hearts of children.’

Unless the heart is clear, buddhi will not become clear. Until the heart attains the state of complete purity, even if buddhi becomes clear now and then, it will be befuddled again and again.

If heart becomes pure, clarity will arise in buddhi. Bhagawan says, ‘Stand firm in that clarity of knowledge, Arjuna. Then, whatever you do will be a good deed. Even if you do nothing and follow the mind whererever it leads, even that is good. You can do what you please mindless of the distinction between good deed and bad deed. For, whatever you do will result in good deed. Your buddhi has become clear, has it not? When buddhi has become clear, it is not possible to perpetrate evil. Therefore, you can do what the mind wills, without considering good and bad.’

Now, not deciphering it thus, to consider that God has preached, ‘Give up good and bad, that is, all deeds and keep sleeping,’ will be nothing but foolishness.

The reason is: God himself says in the third chapter, ‘Further, no one can remain without action even for a second. All living beings are involuntarily yoked to action by their naturally born propensities.’

Therefore, man has to perforce engage in action. Even Kumbhakarna could not sleep for ever. Even he would be awake for six months. But, do not engage in action like the people of the world, heart-broken by the pains and losses it entails and agonising endlessly. Bhagawan says, ‘Arjuna, you have right only to action, you have no right whatsoever in fruits.’

God says, therefore, ‘One who does his duty without desire for its fruits is a sanyAsi, a yOgi.’

Do not falter from clarity of knowledge. Keep doing work untiringly. Whatever you do will end in good. Even if you keep quiet, your mind will be doing some good or other to itself. Physical action is not the only action. Even mental exertion is action. Is not meditation action? Is studying not action? Is not contemplation action? The scriptures, poems, plays, laws, Vedas, puranas, stories, epics are all work, are they not? These are all done not just physically, but mentally too, are they not?

Do not let clarity of knowledge be disturbed.

Then do yoga. If you ask why, God says, ‘yoga is skill in action.’
Yoga is making oneself competent for action.
Yoga is ‘samathva’- equality. ‘Samathvam yoga uchyathE.’ That is, while looking at an external object, practice of observing it intently with the mind engrossed in it fully, without any disturbance, ennui or fear in mind.

When you interact with an object, your mind should fully metamorphose into the form of that object. Then you will become a true knower of that object.

God says, ‘Perform action being established in yoga.’
It is possible for a yogi to expand his knowledge like the knowledge of God. For, he is distinctly conversant with the habit of observing intently. Therefore his knowledge attains the divine broadness. There is no limit whatsoever to his knowledge.
Thereby, he sees the omnipresence of God.

[kvchellappa]

2


Bhagavd Gita has been authored only to explain the principles of Vedas.

Purusha SUktham, which is part of Rig Veda, says, ‘all this is God.’ In accord with this idea only, Bhagawan says in Gita also, ‘only he, who sees his self in all things and all things in his self, has true vision.’

You are God. The deeds that you do are God’s deeds. Your being born in bondage is God’s deed. Your entangling yourself in fetters again and again is also God’s deed. Your emancipation is also God’s deed.

If anyone asks, ‘But, why should I try to free myself from fetters? When everything is God’s deed, why should I strive for emancipation?’,we question him, ‘What is emancipation?’

Emancipation is the state of being free from all sorrows, all fears and all worries. If you wish to attain that state, then try for it. If not, be embroiled in sorrows ceaselessly. Who stops you? But, whatever you do, do in the knowledge that it is not your doing, but God’s. The scripture says that it will benefit you. The tenet of Sanathana Dharma is ‘Sarvam Vishnumayam jagath - Everything is a form of God.’ Everything – all appearances, all shapes, all forms, all scenes, all patterns, all conditions, all life, all things, all powers, all incidents, all deeds- is a form of God. (Therefore, everything is equal to everything else). IsAvAsya Upanishad says, ‘Whatever happens in this world is a form of God.’
Bhagawan says the same idea in Gita as, ‘Realise that God who permeates this entire universe is imperishable.’

Therefore, in the world where everything is a form of God and all action is action of God, is it not silly for anyone to worry or be distressed?

Why should I suffer when everything is a form of Siva (sivamayam)?
‘Is Siva dead, who willfully wrote on my head the course of my life?’

All the stars revolve in the sky by God’s will. The three worlds move in His wheel.

You are He. Your mind, your thoughts, everything is He.
“Sarvam Vishnumayam Jagath.
Hence, man, why are you needlessly carrying the burden? Drop the burden down with a thud (doppenRu) and keep doing happily the work which you can. What does it matter to you whatever happens? Did you create this world? When ‘world’ is mentioned, do not reckon the world apart from you. Reckon it including you. Man, did you create the world, which, standing as your provenance, creates, nurses and obliterates you? Do you manage it? Do the stars carry out your command? Were you consulted for your birth? Why do you assume authorship for anything?”

[kvchellappa]

Storm in Puducherry

27 Nov 2016

Night

Wednesday night, 8th day of Karthikai, in the year Nala, resembled deluge at the end of a yuga.

For long, beginning Wednesday evening, rain and wind were severe: uninterrupted rain; uninterrupted wind.

After eleven in the night it grew bigger: hurricane at the end of a yuga: pateel, pateel, pateel.
Houses collapse and fall down; trees are uprooted; electric wires snap. It appeared as though the four walls would fall on us. I was in a house that was like a fortress. Still, the noise of the hurricane was unbearable. The winds were revelling.

If we open the window to see what is happening outside, the rain water gushes inside in spate. Nothing is visible. It was pitch-dark. It was a Herculean task to close the opened window.

Morning Time

Thursday, 9th Karthikai: it was pleasant daybreak. The storm had stopped.

The citizens stirred out of their homes. There was no place in Puducherry City, which could be recognized. There were broken trees in the streets. Coconut and Portia trees abounded in the streets. Eighty out of a hundred lay broken. I did not see a single house that was not damaged of tiles, storeys, or roofs. Some roofs were lying blown off at a distance. The morning mail did not come. The electric wires and the roof of electricity generation station have fallen. In the streets nearby the huts of the poor have been razed. There has bee loss of life too. The count is unknown.

News available so far:
“In MuthiAlpet, there used to be 6000 weavers. Almost in all houses, the looms and other articles have been damaged. Mostly, the houses themselves have been damaged. The quantum of loss could not be gauged. There is not much loss of human life.

In PAkkamuDaiyAn PEcchai, a major part of the village has been destroyed. There have been many casualties.

It is gathered that in AriyAnkuppam, Kuricchikuppam and other nearby villages, there has been loss of human life and houses.”

Several youth are distributing free food to the extent possible to mitigate the suffering of people. It is whistling today also.

We pray unto the gods of storm. May they bestow peace on the world.


(Friday, Nov 24, Puducherry)

What blew on Wednesday night was not storm. That was revelry of the gods of wind: Broken trees all over the streets; destroyed vegetation in forests and parks; fields of crops are sheets of water.

Houses with broken walls; they say that no thatched houses are left in villages. The wind has blown away the benches in the beach. In Kalavai College, a big Makizha tree has fallen down broken. Windows have been damaged. Though today is Friday, it is declared a holiday because of the storm. It is a holiday for the big college too.

Almost all offices are on holiday. The electric wires are being revived in some corner now only. Efforts are still not on to remove the fallen trees. In some places crows are strewn dead. All grand oldies say that such devastation was never before witnessed.

Raja Garden

There was a Raja Garden in this city. What an exquisite garden it was! VAyu has destroyed the entire garden. The trees are all broken like sugarcane broken by hand. Four hamlets around the city are under water. There is famine there. Many have lost banana plantation. Many have lost betel leaf crop. Yesterday in daytime, on a mound in the field opposite the laundry house, seven to eight people were stranded. Water was all around. Throughout the rain at night, they stood on the mound and were freezing. In the daytime, some men swam across and rescued them. Who knows how many people and cattle could have been washed away? There is no way to know the count. The wood cutters will have a windfall. To cut a coconut tree, a wage of rupees two is offered. They are cutting down all coconut trees that endanger the houses.

Annadanam

In several places, there is free distribution of food. They give porridge. Alleviation of troubles is not to the required extent. The troubles of the poor are not such as can be withstood. Only God should protect.

P.S.
Sri AakkUr AnanthAchAryAr has written about this severe storm as follows in his book ‘Kavi Chakravarthi Subramania Bharathi’:

“Throughout one night, severe cyclone and rain lashed Pondicherry alternately. Aravinda Ghosh lived in a house in the streets of the Whites, Sriman Bharathi in another house in Iswarn DharmarAjA KOil Street, and Va. Ve. Su. Iyer in yet another. Almost all houses yielded to the storm and rain, and were razed to the ground. People shivered in the rain and cold. There was knee-deep water in Va.Ve.Su. Iyer’s house. He stood the whole night carrying his children on his shoulders. The house where Bharathi lived the previous day had fallen suddenly. However, the house where he had moved in newly that day braved and withstood somewhat the mighty storm and rain. But the heap of paddy got wet. The chief work of the wind was making the window doors dash against the wall in Bharathi’s house. The window broke and the splinters fell on his children. Then, he prayed to ParAsakthi to ward off any harm to them. Thanks to this incident, a beautiful song was born:
“KAtradikkuthu kadal kumuRuthu..
……………………………………..
DInak kuzhanthaikaL thunbap paDAdingu
DEvi yaruL seyya vEndukirOm.”

[rshankar]

(Friday, Nov 24, Puducherry)What blew on Wednesday night was not storm. That was revelry of the gods of wind: Broken trees all over the streets; destroyed vegetation in forests and parks; fields of crops are sheets of water.

Houses with broken walls; they say that no thatched houses are left in villages. The wind has blown away the benches in the beach. In Kalavai College, a big Makizha tree has fallen down broken. Windows have been damaged. Though today is Friday, it is declared a holiday because of the storm. It is a holiday for the big college too.

Almost all offices are on holiday. The electric wires are being revived in some corner now only. Efforts are still not on to remove the fallen trees. In some places crows are strewn dead. All grand oldies say that such devastation was never before witnessed.

With very minor changes, this may weel have been the description of Sandy!!

[kvchellappa]

Pudu PEy (New ghost)

13th May 1916

Vedapuram Eli Kunju Chettiar’s daughter is possessed. Her name is Kanthimathi. She is pretty, and fair in complexion. Her face is radiant like moon with no blemish. She resembles a slender creeper of flowers. She is conversant in two or three languages. She would sing well. She can play the veena. She would read current newspapers and try to be abreast of world affairs minutely. She will delve into the words spoken by some minister, great diplomat, or great sage, or tycoon and find meaning of a quarter mile. She would find out even the words left out by the exponents of mythology as not to be divulged. She is very intelligent.

Till last month she had no problem. She was normal. Suddenly, one Friday evening, she felt giddy and began to freak out. There has been a big commotion, with shouts of ‘ha’, laughter and babble. Chettiar came and invited me. I went to see. On seeing me, Kanthimathi laughed aloud. Her eyes looked like a person under delirium.

I asked, “Kanthimathi, what ails you, dear?” There was no reply. After insisting the question two or three times, she said things like, “Ha, Kalidasan, is it? Come, come. Are you sleeping? I came to wake you up. Oho, where is the poetry? Sing a song on me. I am the new ghost. Aha, sing Venezuela, chief of monastery, South Africa, veena, TiruchinApaLLi song.” I was taken aback.

Eli Kunju Chettiar said, ‘What a fine brain she had’ and shed tears.

I asked again, “Dear, you are babbling. What is wrong with your health?”

“Nothing is wrong with my health. I am the new ghost. All of you are diseased. I have come to cure you. Bring holy ash,” said Kanthimathi and started to scream. Eli Kunju Chettiar brought ash in a brass plate and handed it to me. He was under the impression that I was a sorcerer. If any disease is about the nerves, it can be cured by administering some mantra and fortifying the mind. I do not know the way to cure a possessed person by mantra. More than that, I have no belief in ghosts.

Resolving to have a try nevertheless, I took hold of the ash plate in hand. Kanthimathi swiftly attacked and seized the plate from me.

“Ha, ha, ha. Are you trying to smear the ash on me? I will do it for you. Eli Kunju, you also come. Sit there. I will smear the ash on you as well. Bring, bring South Africa Razul Muslim society, Madan Mohan Malavya, TiruchinApaLLi BandAra, doctor Kizhanari, ChennapattaNam. I will smear the ash on all,” said she.

Eli Kunju Chettiar started to sob.

“Don’t cry, you coward. Get out,” Kanthimathi said.

Eli Kunju Chettiar went out. He was not able to bear the grief.

“There are no ghosts. It is all a myth,” I said.

Kanthimathi laughed.

I repeated, “There are no ghosts.”

“New ghost,” she said.

I : What do you want?

She: Lamp.

I: What lamp?

She : Ghee lamp.

I : What ghee?

She : Tiger ghee.

I : Where will it be available?

She : In the forest.

I : In which forest?

She : In the Podhikai forest.

I flew into a rage.

I threatened her, “Kanthimathi, you are out of your mind. I am going to cure you by mantra. Keep quiet for some time. If you talk, I will strike you with this cane.”
She jumped at me in one go, snatched the cane from my hand, broke it and threw it away. She started to scream again.

She said, “Ghee, ghee, bring ghee. Walk, walk, don’t sleep, get up. I am new ghost. Everyone should bring ghee lest I will trouble this girl much.”

I replied, “Kanthimathi, I don’t understand the meaning of your words.”

She said, “Don’t know the meaning? Kalidasan, Kalidasan, it is false, false.” She prattled more incoherently, shouted once more ‘ha’ and fell down unconscious. I left with a sigh. About half an hour later, Chettiar came and said, “Kanthimathi is back to her senses.” When I later questioned her, she says she does not remember being possessed. This has been going on for the last two or three Fridays.

I do not understand the subtlety behind this. I have no belief in ghosts and ghosts.

[kvchellappa]

KANTHAMANI – A Short Story.

14 Sep 1919

The old lady asked, ‘KAnthamaNi, what is your father’s name?’
This incident happened near a well. It was a summer morning. The young sun is sporting freely sending down his rays; there is a blue hill in front; green trees; cows; many persons; a few asses; a collection of these presented itself. The English poet, Shelley, says that if the sunrays fall on any object, that object will appear beautiful; to me any object appears beautiful to look at any time.

But, since in the morning time, cheerfulness and alacrity are more among people, the world presents then a happy outlook.

A well in the middle of the garden; a few shrubs of araLi (oleander) in that garden; some jasmine shrubs; some rose srubs. From that well, the girls from the nearby streets would draw water.

On that morning when this story commences, besides KAnthAmaNi and the old lady, a blind old man was drawing water from the well by himself and taking bath. Parthasarathi Iyengar, who was dismissed from police service and has settled down in that village since then, would normally spend his evening time in chanting the name of Rama. He was standing by there and staring at that old lady.

There is a dilapidated wall beside the above well. Behind it is a grove of neem trees. There are many herbs there. One mystic (sAmiyAr) told me that one of the herbs was a good appetiser. Based on it, I had been to that grove to fetch the herb. The sparrows chirp in the sky. The crows preach ‘caw, caw’. Light dances in the open space. In front, the divine form of KAnthAmaNi has manifested.

The old lady asked KAnthAmaNi, ‘What is your father’s name?’

KAnthAmaNi said in a whistle like flute sound, ‘My father’s name is PArthasarathi Iyengar.’ The old lady stared at the Police Parthasarathi Iyengar. Police Parthasarathi Iyengar’s hands and legs trembled. Even though his face and head were white with grey hair like a ninety year old man, his physique, robust with strong limbs, would resemble that of a warrior of just eighteen years old. It was hearsay that he was well versed in hunting tigers. He has himself told me ten to fifteen times that he would not be afraid if a snake flung at him straight.

I was taken by surprise when Parthasarathi Iyengar of such reputation gave way to trembling limbs, perspiring body and agitated face, just at the stare of an old woman.

Thereupon, the old woman asked KanthAmaNi pointing to Parthasarathi Iyengar, ‘The man standing here, this Brahmin, is he your father?’

KanthAmaNi raised both her hands skywards and with radiance in the face excelling that of the skylight, said, ‘Ai, Ai, not he. He is jet black like an AchAri (smith). My father will be of good complexion like a lemon. Is he not a greyed old man? My father is a youngster.’

Then, Police Parthasarathi Iyengar asked KAnthAmaNi, ‘Where is your father working?’
KAnthAmaNi replied, ‘My father is sub-inspector in SankaranAthan KOil.’
Parthasarathi Iyengar drooped his head. The word ‘sub-inspector’ was to him like a thunder to a snake.

The following conversation took place between KAnthAmaNi and the old lady then.

Patti asked, ‘How many sisters are you?’
KAnthAmaNi says then, ‘My elder sister is eighteen years old. Last month only ‘thiratchi’ (puberty ceremony) was conducted for her. For me, it will be next month in Srivaikuntam. My younger sister is in line next. We three are girls. My father has an unending anguish that he does not have a male progeny. What can be done? Only with the grace of PerumAL (Vishnu), there will be no downside, is it not? He consulted an astrologer in the matter. One cursed astrologer has said that my mother cannot deliver a male baby. Concluding it as sealed, that widow-like (aRuthali) Brahmin, my father, will be marrying next month a girl in MannArkOil as a second wife. The muhUrtham is all fixed.’

The old lady asked, ‘What is the name of the would-be father-in-law of your father in MannArkOil?’

KAnthAmaNi replied to it, ‘His name is said to be GovindarAja Iyengar. It appears he is a big landlord in that place. He has only one daughter, it is said. It seems that from head to foot she is bedecked with diamond jewels. She is beautiful like DEva RambhA, I hear.’

‘Why is such a beautiful girl from a rich family given as a second wife?’ asked the old lady.

‘It is two or three years since she has attained puberty. Her mother is also deceased. Her conduct and bearing are like a European. Therefore, no one has come forward so far to marry her. My father has consented to the marriage, dismissing the talk of puberty as a falsehood. Moreover, he is happy inwardly that he is getting a girl that has attained puberty. This morning also, my mother and he were talking. We are lodging in the rest house of this town. When my father and mother were talking, my mother said, ‘There is a strong rumour in this place also that it is two or three years since that MannArgudi girl had attained puberty. Both men and women talk so in chorus.’ Father said to it, ‘Never mind. I am doubly happy that that the lass has attained puberty. We will get money. A male child will be born. The girl is exceedingly beautiful. For such a connection, I don’t care about sAstrAs. We treat sAstrAs as dirt.’ KAnthamaNi narrated thus.

I overheard their conversation as above. My eyes were wholly fixed on Parthasarathy Iyengar. As I was looking at him, an idea struck me all of a sudden. Of those present there, only the face of KAnthAmaNi was new to me. I knew Parthasarathy Iyengar as well as that old lady. That old lady was not an Iyengar woman, but a smArtha woman. She was the younger sister of the village munsif. I had heard that a strong love was on between her and Parthasarathy Iyengar in their youth, that scuffles broke out between Police Parthasarathy Iyengar and the village munsif many a time and that it was during one of those scuffles that there was a serious injury to one eye of Parthasarathy Iyengar which was blinded. Bearing in mind the above hearsay and noting the gestures that appeared on the face of the above-said Iyengar during the conversation of the ladies as above, the following thing became crystal clear in my mind.

It became clear that he wanted to convey that his past love for the old lady was still afire undiminished and that the old lady’s face looked most beautiful to him even in the midst of young girls like KAnthAmaNi. It also became apparent that half of his gestures were fake. For, even Brahma, who created both KAnthAmaNi and the old lady and was their father, would flinch from looking at the old lady in the presence of KAnthAmaNi. That being so, the attempt of Police Parthasarathy Iyengar to fix his gaze on the old lady unswervingly was going on in an incredible manner.

Another noteworthy feature in this regard was that just as I was observing the Iyengar from behind a tree, KanthAmaNi and the old lady were observing him through the corner of their eyes. Ladies have ears sharper than snakes and eyes keener than eagles. Therefore, I inferred from their facial gestures that they have made out the state of mind of Parthasarathy Iyengar just as I have.

None of the three saw me though. They could not notice me because I was hiding behind bushes and creepers.

In a while, a Malayali boy of about twenty years of age brought asafoetida. His business was peddling asafoetida. I have seen him bringing asafoetida to that village many times for sale. I have not probed any further about him. He was like Manmatha in appearance. Dark eyes, long nose and curly tuft – when I looked at him, even I felt infatuated.

That boy sat near the well and asked for water from the old lady to quench his thirst. I noticed KAnthAmaNi tremble at just his sight. The boy stared at KantAmaNi once. She let drop the pot of water from her lap. It fell heavily. KAnthAmaNi bent and picked it up and said with a sigh, ‘Alas, what will I do, madam? The pot has dented six inches deep. My mother will hang me.’

She loosened her upper garment and faced Podhikai range of mountains. I deduced from afar that this KAnthAmaNi had love for that Malayali boy beyond all limit. From later enquiry, it was revealed that Parthasarathy Iyengar, KAnthAmaNI’s father, had earlier been working in Malayalam (Kerala) and that love sprouted between KAnthAmaNi and the Malayali and grew day by day. Out of monetary consideration, sub-inspector Parthasarathy Iyengar married off KanthAmaNi to a fifty-year old KOzhambEdu Srinivasacharya, pension deputy collector and a landlord of KUnthalApuram. KAnthAmaNi did not fancy living with that Srinvasacharya. I came to know all this later.

I will relate further what happened at the well before my eyes. KAnthAmaNi placed the pot in her lap and went away wailing, ‘My mother will scold. What will I do?’ But, she did not go to the rest-house where her parents were staying. She went straight to the river that was to the west of the village. After drinking water to slake his thirst the Malayali also went towards the river bank. Meanwhile, since the time for my sandhyavandanam was long past, I left the well-side and reached home.

That evening, the teacher of the above village, Sundara Sastri, came to my house. He shouted suddenly on arrival, ‘Did you hear? Very strange, very strange.’
‘What is strange ya? If you tell me what happened and then scream, it will suit me fine,’ I said.
‘In the rest-house, sub-inspector, Parthasarathy Iyengar coming from Sankaranathan Koil has been staying, is it not? He had brought a girl also, his daughter. That young girl is said to be very beautiful. ThilOtthama, Rambha et al will be nowhere near her in beauty, it is said. Her name is KAnthAmaNi, I hear. Even while uttering the name, the tongue waters. KAnthAmani, KanthAmaNi, what a sweet name!’

I interrupted the continuation of the description by Sundara SAstri in the above vein. I said, ‘Please tell what happened further.’
‘They were searching the whole morning for that KanthAmaNi who has been missing. Now only a telegram has come from Ambasamudram, I believe. That telegram seems to convey that that KAntAmaNi and a Malayali boy had married in a Christian temple.’

A few days later, another surprise was there. The grey-haired Parthasarathy Iyengar, former village policeman, and the old lady who was the target of his erotic glance at the well-side the other day, had decamped to Rangoon. The news from Rangoon that came later was: the old lady has grown hair; Parthasarathy Iyengar and she live as man and wife; Iyengar earns a decent salary working under a Nattukottai Chetty and lives comfortably.

[arasi]

How The Horse Lost Its Horn
------------------------------------
(An outrageous story)
by
Sriman C. Subramania Bharathi


RIvaNan

Andapuram In Sindhu dEsam was ruled by a rAjA called RIvaNa Naickan known to be a direct descendant of RavaNA who ruled over Lanka many yugAs ago.

In his court, there were scholars who had mastery over all branches of knowledge. One day, the king asked those brilliant men the following question: why doesn't a horse have a horn?

The scholars could not come up with an answer. Vakramukha Shastry who had come from Karnataka to seek the favor of the king offered to answer the question and told the following story...

"Hear ye RIvaNa mahArAjA! Horses did have horns once. It was upon the order of your noble ancestor that Brahma DEvA stopped granting a horn to a horse".

RivaNA was thrilled to hear this. "Let's hear the story in detail!" , he exclaimed.

vakramukha RAmAYaNam
-------------------------------
When RAvaNA ruled as the dharma rAjA of LankA, it rained thrice every month. During that time, there were thirteen months to a year, thirty three days to a month. Thus, it rained every eleven days, bringing the count to thirty nine days of rain each year. The brAhmaNAs were capable of repeating accurately the four vEdAs, six shAstrAs, works on the sixty four arts, a thousand and eight purANAs from the very end to the beginning.

Every day, counting all brAhmaNA households, twenty four thousand goats were offered in various sacrifices. Only the count of goats are mentioned in the purANAs--not of other animals. Perhaps some slOkAS are missing here. Thus, folks of every varNA did their duties and led upright lives. They were dharmishTAs and puNyAtmAs who enjoyed the joys of this world and attained the feet of the very parama sivA in the life after.

Then, in AyOdhyA, DasharathA's son RAmA rebeled against his father, claiming for himself the kingdom which was to be his elder brother BharathA's. The father got angry and drove RAmA out of the kingdom along with his brother LakshmanA who was his aide in the evil plot. The brothers fled to MithilA and sought JanakA's help. JanakA granted them asylum, but charmed by his daughter SItA's beauty, RAmA kidnapped her and disappeared into DanDakAraNyA.

There, RAmA and LakshmanA gave endless trouble to the sages, ruining their holy yagnAs. The word got to SUrpanaKA who happened to be in the surrounding area. Being rAvaNA's sister and also being born of a brahmaN, she could not bear to see the harm caused by RAmA to the rishis. She commanded her soldiers to bring the evildoers to her in chains...

[arasi]

Friends,
Will post the rest of the story soon.
I came upon this in a collection of prose and poetry published in 2004 by Kalaignan Padippagam and it's called SudEsa mithiran idazh thoguppu. This little story of course was written by BhArathi during the time he contributed to SvadEsa mitran. I see the date as 1935 at the end of the story--the work was printed in an issue of the magazine in that year as a reprint? Or was it published for the first time that year, having been found in their piles of unpublished works??).

In this story, BhArathi's sense of irony sparkles

[arasi]

story continues:

Then SUrpanakA asked the guards to free the princes.
She warned them: since you are young, I let you go free this time. You will be punished severely if you misbehave again!
She gave them good counsel and even invited them to be guests at her palace. When SItA was alone with her, SItA revealed to her that the mighty RamA had kidnapped her, and she longed to be back in the kingdom ruled by her father!
SUrpanakA was moved to tears by what SItA had said. She whisked her away to LankA to her brother, asking him to send her home safely.
Right from the day SItA arrived in LankA, an auspicious day was sought for her departure to MithilA. Two years went by without their finding a suitable day for the journey. So, RAvaNA let her stay on in his palace.
When RAmA asked SUrpanakA about SItA's whereabouts, she said SItA was on her way to MithilA.
LakshmaNA was not pleased with her answer and started questioning her. She in turn took out her fruit knife and cut LakshmanA's two ears and big toes.
By seeing this brave act of hers, RamA fell in love with her and asked her to marry him.
Blushingly, SUrpanakA said: though you are such a handsome man and I would like to marry you, I'm afraid that your brother might get mad at me. Please leave my domain before all this gets to be a scandal!

[arasi]

(continued)

RAmA then asked:
When did you send SItA to MithilA and with whom? How far has she traveled?
She replied:
SItA is in LankA with my brother who is the lord of the three worlds. He might send her away or not. It's best for you to forget her.

Still, RAmA wanted to wrestle SItA away from RAvaNA. So he went to KIshkindA where SugrIvA ruled. His brother vAli who was king before him was a good friend of RAvaNA. They even studied Mathematics together at school. They were so close, RAvaNA would even waive any allegiance from him.

When vAli was asleep, SugrIvA beheaded him with a spade and took his wife tArA by force. With the trickery of his minister HanumAn, he appropriated the kingdom.

RAvaNA was enraged by this and sent the following message to SugrIvA:
You killed my friend and stole his kingdom. The moment you see this message, send tArA to a nunnery in LAnkA. Cede the kingdom to vAli's son AngadA. Exile yourself and live a life of penance. If not, I will wage a war against you.

SugrIvA was shaken and sought HanumAn's counsel.
HanumAn said: Send tArA and all the seventeen hundred and a half crores of females under the age of
seventeen to rAvaNA as slaves. To the righteous rishis who adorn his court and are adored by rAvaNA, for their sacrifices, send forty crore fifty lakh thirty four thousand two hundred and forty goats and cattle. Also, four hundred crore leather bags full of sOma rasA, each bag containing four thousand measures of the beverage. This way, you can make peace with him.
Also, promise to anoint AngadA as king and pay him an allegiance of four thousand crores of gold
annually. This will get us out of this mess.

SugrIvA complied. All the above, with a message to RAvaNA were sent promptly. The slaves and the money were by mistake delivered to the rishis and RaavaNA was sent the cattle, sOma rasA and the message on palm leaves. Having emptied many bags of the rasA and imbibing the same made the couriers deliver goods haphazardly.

RavaNA feasted with his friends then and there and exhausted the supply of the cattle and the content of the bags. Then he read the message and was furious why he didn't get the consignment of the women and gold.
The rishis claimed that most of the women had fled and that all the gold was distributed as dakshiNa to the priests and reclaiming them would be against the laid down shAstrAs.

RavaNA commanded the army to march into KishkindA.
On getting wind of it, SugrIva got his army together with HanumAn's help. Even though RAvaNA was all ready with his forces, he was still looking for an auspicious day to start the siege.
Meanwhile, HanumAn was ready with his ilk of monkeys who were known for their speed. rAmA and LakshmaNA joined them.

[arasi]

(continued)

In their army, there were forty nine crore nine hundred and four lakh, thirty thousand three hundred and three thousand six hundred in the infantry alone, fourfold chariots, and seventy times that much in count of elephants.
A number of them were slain on their way to Lanka. RAmA and LakkshmaNA with an army reached LAnkA surreptitiously.
On hearing the news, RavaNA thundered: hA, hA, hA! What farce is it, these humans with an army trying to fight me!
On hearing this, AdisEshA turned deaf. SUrya maNDalA crashed to earth.
RAvaNA ordered that the brothers be brought before him.
True to his generous nature and since the brothers were from an illustrious royal family, he forgave them and asked his men to escort them to MithilA. He sent SItA too with them.
JanakA was noble enough to give SItA in marriage to RAmA.

The threesome soon went to AyodhyA and lived there under the reign of BharathA.

"This is the true version of The RAmAyaNA", concluded Vakramukha ShAstry.

The Horse's Horn

RIvaNA then asked: ShAstiyArE! I still haven't got an answer to my question. Why has the horse no horn?

VakramukhA answered thus: Ah! You do know that the SUrya MaNDalA crashed to earth when rAvaNA thundered. It was then that all the seven horses to his chariot broke their horns.

SUryA came running to RAvaNA and fell at his feet."My horses have the boon of immortality. They are the speediest ones at that. Won't they be laughing stock in the eyes of all? Please help me!

RavaNA kindly took the matter to Brahma dEvA and from then on, all horses that BrahmA created were hornless...
RIvaNa NAikan was so happy on hearing this that he gifted ShAstry with a gold coin for every single word which he uttered in narrating the story
* * * *

[Govindaswamy]

[quote][/quote]#134 - smala
Re: Translations of Bharathy's Prose Writings » 06 Nov 2012 23:50

Found this song by accident - seems deep. Would love to know the context and when it was written...

This song appears in the movie on Bharathy. From his poetry pudiya AtticcUDi (புதிய ஆத்திச்சூடி) some lines have been taken at random and called a song. Original AtticcUDi (ஆத்திச்சூடி) was the poetry of AvvaiyAr. (ஔவையார்). In AtticcUDi the lines follow in alphabetical order/அகர வரிசை.
I thought that the transliteration was having few errors. Besides I found some variations in text. Hence I have attached the tamizh version with comments on variations in text, where ever noticed. The correct version is to be found out. It is strange that changes in text take place within such short period.

அச்சம் தவிர் -Accam tavir
நையப்புடை-naiyappuDai
மானம் போற்று -mAnam pOtRu
ரௌத்திரம் பழகு -rauddiram pazhagu
ஆண்மை தவறேல் - ANmai tavaREl
கேட்டிலும் துணிந்து நில் – kETTilum thNinDunil
கெடுப்பது சோர்வு-keduppatu sOrvu
தீயோர்க்கு அஞ்சேல் –tIyOkku anjEl
ஓய்தல் ஒழி- OyDal ozhi
நேர்படப் பேசு- nErpaDappEsu
தாழ்ந்து நடவேல் –tAzhnDu nadavEl
மிகைப்படச் சொல்லேல்- migaippaDachchollEl

In place of the above, in the Copy of book by Sri Indhu Publications it is given as “மிடிமையில் அழிந்திடேல்”. The meaning is ‘ don’t get destroyed by ignorance’.
காலம் அழியேல்- kAlam azhiyEl
(To me this does not seem to be grammatically correct and meaning is not clear. )
கீழோர்க்கு அஞ்சேல்- kIzhOrkku anjEl
போர்த்தொழில் பழகு- pOrttozhil pazhagu
தோல்வியில் கலங்கேல்- tolviyil kalngEl
புதியன விரும்பு-pudiyana virumbu
வீரியம் பெருக்கு –vIriyam perukku
பேதமை அகற்று-pEDamai agaTRu
{In the Copy of Sri Indhu Publications, this is given as ‘பெரிதினும் பெரிது கேள்’. This may mean either ‘listen to’ or ask for the greatest}.
உண்மைக்கு அஞ்சேல –uNmaikku anjEl
(In the above mentioned book this is given as உடலினை உறுதி செய், (i.e) Strngthen your body)
For ‘Vedipara paesu’ the meaning has been given as ‘Speak with clear articulation’. Is this ‘வெளிப்படப்பேசு/veLippaDappEsu/ talk openly?
In the book I have ,it is given as veDippuRappEsu. This may mean’ talk explosively’. Does this make much sense?
நன்று கருது –nanDRi karudu
வௌவுதல் நீக்கு –vauvudal nIkku
Thavaththinai nirappu nee- (The meaning is not clear. The version I have is tanmai izhavEl/தன்மை இழவேல்.
கற்றது ஒழுகு- katRadu ozhugu
கைத்தொழில் போற்று- kaittozhil pOTRu
Saerkay ariyea- I have this as, சேர்க்கை அழியேல். Does it mean ‘don’t give up friendship?
பேய்களுக்கு அஞ்சேல் – pEygaLukku anjEl
மானம் போற்று- mAnam pOTRu
மந்திரம் வலிமை- mantiram valimai
Vallamai pasael The version I have is ‘வருவதை மகிழ்ந்துண்’.
நாளெல்லாம் வினை செய்- nALellAm vinai sey
கோவிந்தஸ்வாமி/ Govindaswamy

[cmlover]

I think
காலம் அழியேல்- kAlam azhiyEl
means Don't waste (your) time..

[arasi]

Yes, that's what I thought too.

peridinum peridu kEL is not just literally to 'ask' or 'hear'.
It's more in the sense of 'sky's the limit'? So, 'aspire for even more'??

roudram pazhagu doesn't tell you to make a habit of getting angry! It means--righteous indignation becomes you. Be stirred by unjust things...

sErkkai azhiyEl: did he mean unity by sErkkai? Be united.

vallamai pEsEl: don't be boastful.

Is it nanRi karudu (be grateful) or nanRu karudu (think right?).