Rajagopalan: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Prominent critics and rasikas
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Nick H
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Nick H »

You may have not got everything
Quite right, and I suspected as much, and it might be too subtle even for my wife's translation, so I'd rather read it as it is. Part of the skill of the writing is that it is accessible and funny to a non-Tamil speaker. It takes great brilliance to make a TV program like Sesame Street that entertains adults as much as children, or to write a book like The Master and Margarita which is eminently readable to a person even though much of the contemporary Russian political satire may be over their head.

My hat flies off to Ponbhairavi :D
Last edited by Nick H on 19 Aug 2013, 21:10, edited 1 time in total.

Ponbhairavi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Ponbhairavi »

Thank you very much Nick and Rajesh.
I know that humour is not to be elucidated . But in view of the international readership of our forum let me furnish certain clarifications which may be useful in understanding certain cultural practices of the olden days of my generation,now inexistent
even in tamil nadu.
Some grihasthas who do not have male progeny take to sanyasa in the last few days of their life called aabath sanyas. and get sainthood.(eg. Saint Thyagaraja, Sengalipuram Anantharama Dikshithar) For them no shraddam, only aradhana The 15 days period preceding the aradhana thithi are for austerities. Some sabhas conduct their series for 15 days! coincidence ?.
The dishes mentioned were real items of yester years menu fast disappearing now
Puli nagam is a g(old) ornament consisting of a small dollar incrusted on the sides with2 small symmetrical curved projections
like the the 2 ivories of the elephant made with the bits of the claws of the tigers (obtained from Nari koravars). children wear it as chains and adults tie it around their biceps in red thread. It is supposed to ward off evil spirits
the names of SKs are real reputed cooks of yester years- names or towns changed-including saattai venu and the anecdote attached with his name.
- raghu vamsa Sudha in kadanakudoohalam noted for the speed
rasa vALi reminding raga rasAvali
eLLu puNNakku cakes(after extraction of gingili oil ) is a good cattle feed- ref-" Gallopping" 10 miles
rajagopalan
Last edited by Ponbhairavi on 19 Aug 2013, 22:37, edited 1 time in total.

arasi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by arasi »

ponbhairavi,
For those of us who appreciate your sense of humor in verse and prose, another treat.
rasa vALi full of pannIr rasam!

mohan
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by mohan »

Great story about the Samayal Kalanidhi!

Ponbhairavi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Ponbhairavi »

Arasi, Mohan,
thanks for your kind words

vgovindan
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by vgovindan »

Ponbhairavi wrote: Some grihasthas who do not have male progeny take to sanyasa in the last few days of their life called aabath sanyas. and get sainthood.(eg. Saint Thyagaraja...
Traditionally, Apat samnyAsa is taken at a critical juncture faced with death (not because someone does not have male progeny). Adi Sankara took Apat samnyAsa when was caught in the grip of a crocodile; but, as later events would prove, that was only a ruse.

A person of the stature of SrI tyAgarAja, who composed songs like 'paramAtmuDu veligE muccaTa' where he defines the very nature of paramAtma, is a 'sadyO-mukta' (instantaneous liberated). Such songs are not word or musical ornamentations (vAkya or SabdAlaMkAra). There must be some other sUkshma because of which he opted for Apat samnyAsa.
Regards,
Govindan

rajeshnat
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by rajeshnat »

shri VGV
nice to see a post of yours after a long long time

arasi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by arasi »

Govindan,
Good to hear from you!

cmlover
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by cmlover »

Welcome back Sri Govindan

Pratyaksham Bala
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

Ponbhaivai:

Why a person opts for Apat samnyAs, is purely subjective. In almost all cases, we are not privy to the reasons for his decision to take to samnyAs.

But we can discuss a few basics.
The second-birth is considered as dead when one takes samnyAs. A few formalities are done to confirm death, so that samnyAs becomes the third birth. With this, the person is rid of all the pApAs committed in the second life.

However, a person becomes eligible for taking samnyAs only after he goes through the three ordained stages – brahmacharya, grihasta, and vanaprasta. And there are a number of other conditions too. If all the criteria are to be applied strictly, most of the persons may not be eligible!

For them, the easiest way out is to go for Apat samnyAs, which means 'instant' or 'fast track' samnyAs. It is just a matter of self-declaration that they are taking samnyAs. How to justify this? The convenient excuse is 'vairAgyA', and this is oft-quoted as the only requirement. VairAgyA being a purely subjective matter, it is beyond questioning!

During the course of time when a few popular personalities resort to this method, it becomes handy for others to follow the same method, to overcome the eligibility criteria and to avoid the long, strenuous, time-consuming route.

Ponbhairavi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Ponbhairavi »

IF IT IS NOT THERE IT MEANS THAT IT IS MISSING

It was a Sunday evening.In my agenda there was the wedding reception of a relative of mine. From the beginning I could see that my wife was not very keen to go and she was dragging her feet though she did not openly say so.
-why don’t you get ready, it is time.?
I have no matching blouse for this new silk saree
This one seems to be Ok.
Aiye! It will be like you and me, total mismatch.
Then chose another saree for which there is matching blouse.
The wardrobe key is missing.said Mohan a- that is my wife’s name.
How can it be missing? Search for it.
I am searching since lunch.I kept it right here. Now it is not here. That means it is missing.
Did you look on the dressing table ,drawers,atop the cupboard?
I have looked for it every where.It is missing because it is not there.
How can a key disappear by itself,unless it has been made to disappear? I said with a little sarcasm.
I have the main door key,garage key, fridge key,puja room key only this one is missing.
Then I will go alone and tell them that you are unwell
I came to my room, went for the car key which I used to keep on my table. Well it was not there!
Mohana I yelled,where is the car key?
Is it not there on the table?
No I said angrily.
That means it is missing.
How can it go missing?
See in the car.If it is in the car that means it is not missing.If it is not there also it means it is missing.
And then Mohana added”I am not the custodian of keys”
Of course not.
In this house there are too many rats. Yesterday night I kept a vada on the dining table and now it is also missing. I have been telling you to find a better house but you won’t listen
My car keys have simply vanished.
Simple logic. Who stand to gain if the keys are not available now? I know the answer but if I say that the house will become Lok Sabha.
I was angry and disappointed. Suddenly I remembered about my scooter.” I am going to a carnatic music concert to calm myself and get a mood change.”She does not like CM and I know that she would not come.Seing me going out clad in dhothy she was relieved that I am going really to the concert.
I went to the sabha,parked my scooter, got a token, purchased a ticket and went in.Half an hour should have elapsed from the commencement. I caused many knee-jerks, and disgruntled murmurs, including that of my friend Nick in front of whom there was a vacant chair. I smiled sheepishly at him and occupied that chair and settled. The vidwan was extolling about the Raja Margamu advantages in kharaharapriya.
CM, slowly calmed me down. It was 8-45. The thani was about to commence when my cell phone rang. It was my wife.I switched it off hurriedly. I did not dare to look behind me but hurried out. This time I did not disturb many as all people in my row were clearing the way ahead of me.
Once out, I said : yes Mohana..
See she said gleefully, I have found the keys, If you come home right now we can go to the reception.
No I said sarcastically we will go for their next wedding.
- Their next wedding?
- Yes their shashtiabdapurthy. Now I am going to enjoy “thani”. I switched off came in and took a different seat.
- The concert was over in half an hour. I came out went to the parking to get my scooter.
- Surprize!! It was not there. I Yelled at the security. Where is my scooter? I parked it right here.
- If it is not there now it means that it is missing.
- How can it be possible? Here I have my token.
- If you have the token it means that the token is not missing.
- Wait you cannot talk like that, I have my token as proof of my leaving my scooter here.
- Then you can take it.
- ( To be continued)
-

cmlover
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by cmlover »

Leaving us in a suspense ... :D
Did you get the scooter back?
Did you find the car keys?
What was the reaction of Mohana on your getting back home?
Was the tiff with her worse than the Lok Sabha scuffles?
We will wait patiently for the answers to all these "life-threatenin" questions till the next episode...
:D

Nick H
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Nick H »

This must have been a fictional Nick. At only half an hour from the start, the real Nick might not have reached the hall yet!

arasi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by arasi »

It was Nicholas Nickleby :)

Ponbhairavi,
Moi, waiting to hear the rest of the story too...
Ah, do you and CML remember the 'going to a wedding' poem from my book?

Nick,
Will send you a translation, though I think you can understand most of it since it's in conversational tamizh...

Ponbhairavi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Ponbhairavi »

Thanks Cml, Nick and Arasi-- here is part 2

AS custodian here you should know who has taken it
I am not the custodian of the scooters. I am the custodian of this auditorium. If this hall is missing then it is my responsibility.
What should I do now? I shouted angrily
If you want you can go and file a complaint in the nearby police station which is 2 blocks away. He said casually.
I went again to where I left my scooter and scanned the vacant place with my vacant look.then marched slowly towards the exit.
Then a great surprise. I saw a young man chatting with the security. Lo it was my scooter!! That fellow should have taken it by mistake and now he wants to return it .Dharmam has not disappeared from this world yet!
Hey I shouted that is my scooter that is my scooter ,here I have the keys.
He looked derisively at me and said: so what ?. Here I have the key to ALL scooters. You are such a “dharithran” that there is not even one litre of petrol in it.This is my 20th scooter since this morning and I could not collect even 50 litres of petrol so far. All pichaikarans ! and there is nothing inside that box except a rag and you are screaming as though it is a Cadillac,I want to throw this dabba on your dirty face that is why I have come back.
I was taken aback by this rowdyish tone. The security was watching the fun. My aggressor did not even get down from the seat of the scooter.
Whether Cadillac or dabba I will take it for whatever it is worth. It is mine.
Give me 500 rs to compensate for my disappointment and wait till my friend comes to pick me up.
I was nervous. I searched in my pockets but I could gather only Rs 450. !( I have paid Rs 50 for my ticket.)
I said I have only 450 now If you come to my office tomorrow the balance… I gave him my visiting card hoping to impress him.
Pichaikaran- pichaikara payalukku visiting card !
He snatched the money and the card from my hand . put the money in his pocket and gave the card to the security and said angrily, tomorrow you come here and give the balance to the security No dirty tricks beware. He violently pulled me put his hands in my pocket and snatched my cell phone and gave it to the security
I thought the deal was over. But he did not get down from my scooter’ he was apparently waiting for a lift..
Without caring in the least about my presence he told the security.I am fed up with all this running around for nothing. I want to get into the jail again and spend days peacefully with ananyaas chinthanai whereas my yogakshemam will be looked after by the state.
Bhaghavath Geetha from him.!!
The security said but next year we are going to have Elections and you cannot afford to be in the Maamiyar veedu during that bonanza period.
Of course I will come out in time.I am even thinking of filing my nomination.
The security asked “ suppose the judge gives you a longer period in , then you will have to miss the chance as you cannot come out in the middle
That is no problem. I can come out any day I want. The jail warders are the custodians of jail premises only and not custodians of the inmates.. When the inmates disappear it means they are missing.
My cellphone in the hands of the security rang.” It should be my wife.” I said and asked him to give it to me.
The rowdy pushed me away, grabbed the cell phone, opened it took the sim card out and put the phone and the sim card in his pocket. I may need it when I am in jail. He said . on my extended hand he saw my wrist watch snatched it and gave to the security as security for Rs 50. Tomorrow morning, remember no tricks. We have your visiting card,.
Within seconds another rowdy, bearded and gigantic drove in in a big motor cycle greeting nonchalantly the security with a grin.
The first rowdy got up from my scooter , pushed it to me contemptuously” here is your B M W “ which I dived forth to catch like Tendulkar. Then he went to “board” the motor cycle in the pillion seat
At that very moment 2 policemen on patrol duty came towards us. They reminded me of Gajendran’s Adimoolam and Prahladhan’s Narasingham from the pillar.I heaved a sigh of relief and said to myself God is great’
To be concluded

arasi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by arasi »

Ponbhairavi,

What a story! Pray continue--when one policeman turns out to have no motive to help you at all, but has his eye on the 'pichaikkArar's aDi vanDi (dregs of) funds and the other, like a lion pounces on you for being a pauper at the very moment when he thought you would yield at least enough rupees for dinner at the pretender of a Dindigul eatery... !

I bet though that you have a better story line in store!

pattamaa
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by pattamaa »

good writing sir...you have great skills... i remember reading a concert based story by one srinivas long ago !! May be, you should add some "carnatic" spices also in the story...

Ponbhairavi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Ponbhairavi »

part 3 now:
Though I was relieved I hesitated one second as to how to explain briefly. Should I scream or..
Before I could make up my mind, the policemen went to the motor cycle on either side and bending themselves to the ground and cleaning the mudguard and crash guard with their bare hands , told the motorcycle man: Sir,vanakkam, sir Hi Hi engalai marandhutinga sir, rumba naalachu, enga mamool yedhavathu paathu ….
The rishi(bearded) told them: dai pasangala, we are going to the exhibition ground. Come over there. You will get some bits of gold chain and you can establish your good name by arresting this fellow. He wants some rest”
The motor cycle whirred past followed by the jubilant policemen,
Totally dejected, I quicked my scooter with animal rage.. It would not start.The security told me there is no petrol in it. You can push it upto your house,or leave it here and come back tomorrow morning with a can of petrol and my dues.. If you want I will give you another token,
I said nothing and started pushing the vehicle home. When I reached home it was well past midnight and my wife seeing my battered look exclaimed: I was worried whether you were caught in any accident or gone to a whole night divya nama Bhajan in tha tcase, at least you could have telephoned to me.. What happened to your cell phone where is your wrist watch??
Mohana’s words of yesterday evening came to my mind. How prophetic!!. They should be etched in gold.
I mumbled “{: if they are not where they should be that means they are missing”
Last edited by Ponbhairavi on 06 Sep 2013, 17:49, edited 1 time in total.

Ramasubramanian M.K
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Ramasubramanian M.K »

Ponbhairavi" Great story!! Forunites,I propose that Ponbhairavi be nicknamed Edward O'henry--the suspense-laden American short story-writer!!

arasi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by arasi »

Bravo, Ponbhairavi!

Pattamma,
The poems and translations from french stories of Ponbhairavi are remarkable, He's a retired french prof who taught Ravi (rshankar) when he studied in Puduvai!

Yes, we miss Srinivasaraghavan's writing (a young man who is busy with his studies). His serial about music contests (before the mega competitions on the little screen became popular), is still cherished by us). Hope he gets the time to play his vINA even while he's absorbed in his studies.

You perhaps don't look into our literary threads. Many gems from old great writers are found there (thanks to Pasupathy) and also creative works of his and of others.

An example of how the arts don't exist in isolation but feed each other.

MKR,
Good to know you now have a bit of time to browse :)

cmlover
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by cmlover »

Ponbhairavi
So that is what happened.
Two days ago I received an email from you stating that you were stranded at the Sabha without a penny and that your scooter was stolen and asking me urgently to send $ 1000 by Weatern Union which of course you will repay as soon as possible. I thought that it was a spam and ignored it completely. Sorry for that. I would have called Mohana and appraised her if only you had given me her phone number. I know, if that was not there, then it must be missing...

P.S: That bearded guy was Durai PANDi, the TN chief of the IRA (International Rowdy Association). He was the Keynote speaker at the Jamaican branch of the Association at Toronto.
I pray you don't get to meet him again. He is the "best" in the use of veecharivaaL. He is lobbying to get it included in the next Olympics....

arasi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by arasi »

Mon ami,
:ymapplause:

Ponbhairavi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Ponbhairavi »

MK Ramasubramaniam, Arasi and Pattamaa,
thank you.
Cml
Your postface is better than the story. For a moment I thought whether I would continue on that prolegomenon! Your P.S. is timely.Thanks for your word of caution. I will keep away from the veecharivAl veeran

cmlover
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by cmlover »

cher Ponbhairavi:
La vie est plus vrai que la fiction.
Si cela s'est passé dans la fiction qu'il va se passer dans la vie!

arasi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by arasi »

How true!

Ramasubramanian M.K
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Ramasubramanian M.K »

Hey CMLover/Arasi: It is unfair you should communicate in French--I have enough trouble managing 2 languages--English and Tamil--You cannot teach an old dog new tricks!!!
The late R.K.Narayan would have enjoyed Ponbhairavi--nay would have felt a threat to his writings!!!!

arasi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by arasi »

There's room for everyone on the Rasikap palagai (like the sangap palagai of the poTRAmaraikkuLAm in Madurai of yore)! We communicate and share, rather than compete. RKN would have put it better, of course.

Ramesh,
I didn't say it in french! However, Ponbhiravi being a retired french prof makes us want to say a few things in that language. I can't manage much of it, but CML is a pro, so is your namesake, Mahavishnu!

Ponbhairavi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Ponbhairavi »

Cml;-Thanks.I am happy to learn now that you handle french also which I understand in all its nuances
. MKR;I am grateful for your spontaneous open mindedness.That my writing reminds you of O'Henry and R K N is itself a great compliment.
Arasi: Thanks. Your penchant for french is already well known to me in this forum.

cmlover
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by cmlover »

No No! I was forced to learn a smattering of french phrases being in a bilingual country!
My French is even worse than my Hindi :(
Nor am I a polyglot like Arasi who has a way with words since she has Saraswati (or ? Vinayaka more appropriately) kaDAkSham :)

smala
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by smala »

Great piece, enjoyed it even if I didn't get all the names implied.

Small but funny slip of the finger/tongue :p

"...thavittu puNNaku togayal a special togayal which he makes with brawn and dry cake bits which are the bye products of gingili oil extraction."

thavittu puNNaku togayal, made with brawn (for our English-translation friends) would not only make Kshatriya King Connoisseurs in the audience swoon in cannibalistic ecstacy, might have them beamed up straight to the heavens in seated posture, especially if these are bye-products of edible oil extraction. :-! Incidentally, this togayal made from Brawn reminds me of something I read recently that is making waves with people...Dutch 'Vegetarian Butcher' transforms plants into 'meat' (see http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-new ... 19414.aspx).

Perhaps there's a pre-requisite. Like Abhangs, Ponbhairavi's SK's creating a laundry list of sundry items in Brahmin Bhojanam need a point of departure from the norm - at least on one item, before landing on the Rasam?

..."and a high sense of humour."

I'd say a wry sense of humor.

Ponbhairavi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Ponbhairavi »

Thanks, smala.
" A wry sense of humor"; or a sense of wry humor ?

Ponbhairavi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Ponbhairavi »

What is bliss?
(A senior citizen to his son)
Happy is he who breathes his last in his house where he has lived all his dreams.
Lucky is he who dies without any debt yet leaves behind some savings ,however devalued, to his survivors.
Fortunate is he whose eyes rest as their last sight on the anxious faces of his kith and kin near and dear surrounding him
Blessed is he whose honest lifetime earnings of a few lakhs are not wiped out on one sweep in his last week.
“ Dear son , I SEE YOU now and I want the same sight before my eyes close for ever on your lap
Do not put me in I C U on any account.
Not only they take life and property but also they deprive me of my simple last wishes too.
The I C U’s white shroud wraps not only a muted dead body but also their lapses in air- conditioned impenetrability.

cmlover
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by cmlover »

Even more blessed if
Eyes See You...
which get donated and continue to see You and the world..

Nick H
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Nick H »

Ponbhairavi, I never felt like getting anything tattooed on my skin until I read that post.

Ponbhairavi
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Re: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas forum

Post by Ponbhairavi »

Cml;as usual, you always go ahead of me and casually add something Which i missed to think about. !
Nick : You are absolutely correct. that is a safe way of expressing our opinion as we may not be conscious at that time." appOdaiku ippOdE solli vaithEn" .In our middle class families, when someone is sick,the so called relatives and passing-by friends vie with each other to suggest bigger and bigger names of corporate hospital as index of their concern. When there is some hesitation about the cost, they assert:
"panam yennaiyA panam; innikki pogum nAlaikiki varum, uyir varumA?" Neither the person who said that, nor the panam nor the uyir will be there
the concerned person has to sell himself out to take the dead body out of the hospital and beg and borrow to perform the last rites.

Ponbhairavi
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music season, a short story

Post by Ponbhairavi »

Mods; If This is not the proper place it can be shifted to any other heading.

[*] Music season. review of an imaginary concert.

As I am a true rasika of CM , not a day passes without my reading about music,writing about music,fighting about music ,uploading, downloading ,classifying, indexing etc. why, .I even listen to music once in a whileThe eagerly awaited season has come! My research has led me to discover that maestros and stalwarts perform during the free concerts slots . I chose one of the best, and I was there in a vantage seat. On my right there was a conservative music mama (white dhothy,white jibba white strips on his forehead,and a vetrilai petti on his hand ( an ingenious camouflage for a recording device ), with his regular accompanist, a madisar mami. On my left there were two young boys soaked in revolutionary ideas about avant-garde music.
In the row in front there was a foreigners couple probably from Pondicherry.
Just before the screen could go up, the organizer came on the stage and said " warm welcome to all of you, I wish to forewarn you that this is NOT a concert."and went back.
The French lady got up telling " mon Cheri, I think we have come to the wrong place,
Let us go."
But before her bulky husband could get up,the screen rolled up revealing a mridangist, a vocalist, a violinist, with four tambura artists in between.All of them were sitting in a straight line(180 degrees to each other )parallel to the audience.Ah exclaimed my left neigh our, this is perfect equality of the artists fraternity whose individual liberty could be seen when they perform.The French lady turned back and smiled , and said, " vraiment !" The Frenchman who got up now sat down,:"they look very much like musicians;if this is not a concert,it does not look like a wedding reception either.let us wait and see "
The humming of the six tamburas filled the air in unison.The hall was submerged in shruthi undisturbed by any cough or sneeze.what a divine experience to start with exclaimed my left.it lasted for ten minutes though it seemed ages to me.
A short bulky vidwan entered the stage,and stood in the centre showing his broad back to the audience and waved his hands and fingers ostentatiously like an orchestral conductor.Immediately the mridangam started roaring.A reviewer in the front identified it as tisra jambai thalam by the "veechu". A thrilling Thani avarthanam for the next ten minutes after which the tala master who was standing so far, now sat down facing the vidwans. An exclusive tala man !. Quite correct. Why should the violinist strain himself by keeping the tala with his feet?why should the singer unnecessarily make his towel covered thigh muscle numb?why should some zealot in the front row , by putting a wrong thalam , misguide the mridangist, forcing him to strain his neck and turn his face towards the back screen for full ten minutes !?.The French lady appeared to be slightly annoyed that this tala man is obstructing the view.
The vocalist opened his mouth and started alapana of Sahana. What a delightful intellectual Sahana it was !All the contours nooks and corners of this plaintive raga came out in all hues It was crisp.I joined the audience in giving a thunderous applause.acknowledging it with nonchalant humility he turned towards the violinist who dished out a crisper alapana. The madisar mami murmured to her husband that he is going to sing giri pai.To her surprise he brought out a complicated pallavi:" Adhi nAdhan kEtkinrAn arali poovai tharavEndum"It was a marvel of tight rope walking with all its dissections and resuscitations assembling and disassembling which baffled the tala master. The spontaneous applause from my left and other knowledgeable experts confirmed the class of the vocalist and that of the pallavi.
Promptly he started another alapana.Right at the outset, my right side mama ,rightly identified it as husseni,as if it had an invisible beard.In the next ten minutes , husseini high jacked us to heaven.my left opined that it was more sensuous than intellectual , full of mesmerizing Bhava which touched the senses,and reached the soul via the spirit thus revealing the aesthetic prowess of the singer.after giving the raga a concluding final round up he looked at the violinist.
The latter took the bow but without putting it on the strings, he dropped the violin and the bow , and bowed to the singer like Arjuna in the battle field:
Anna , he exclaimed, "neengal ippadi pAdinathukku appuram , naan vAsikkirathukku yenna Anna bAkki irukku indha useniyilE
Suddenly the inspired violinist started singing:" nEtru andhi nErathilE, nIrAdum thuraiyinilE ". The music mama clarified that the violinist is also a good vocalist.The unflappable singer encouraged him to continue and very soon joined him as a duet.The madisar mami said that she is reminded of Alathur bros.The languorous Padam was so moving that the indolent mridangist stopped playing and wiped the tears from his eyes. So did many in the spellbound audience.To every one's surprise ,a young girl,fully clad in bharathanatyam attire,darted into the stage and started doing abhinaya in an ecstatic trance.The madisar mami clarified that she is the dancer scheduled to perform in the next program.she was sitting behind the stage listening .
She could not resist the appeal of the bhava and that dragged her onto the stage.my left neigh our added that she is an ardent rasika of the singer to whom she is distantly related.on seeing the bharathanatyam the French lady exclaimed: "Oh ,la ,la, qu'elle est charmante"The tala master who was performing the role of nandhi in more than one sense,uttered the jathis with punch.
Next the vidwan sang an abhang by which he took the audience on a pilgrimage tour to Pandarpur.:"sAdhu lAra mEru randi pandaripuram pothama ". With closed eyes , he sang it in such high bhajan pitch and tempo that his facial muscles underwent much distortions,as though an invisible dentist is extracting his molar ,forgetting to give local anesthesia.The same people who complained that the nandhi tala master was blocking the view, now felt that it is a fortunate relief.
The vocalist left Pandarpur and next took us to Badami and sang: "Vatapi Ganapathim Bhaje" as the last item of the program which brought the curtain down.
-" an unforgettable experience "
The Frenchman told his wife : Ma Chere, in the season you wanted to attend oneC M program one dance and one bhajan. Now you got all the three in one- tu comprends pourquoi il a dit que ce n'est pas un concert "
My left neigh our interjected " this is not a concert, this is TOTAL MUSIC.
- " C'est formidable" she said
That is it what more do you want? He exclaimed.
- A plate of idlis and sambar she said.
I felt that some one shook me and asked me to go out before the next program could commence.Then I realized the soporific effect of music.

Rajagopalan

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: music season, a short story

Post by rajeshnat »

PonBhairavi
This is like Jerome K Jerome Three Men in a boat

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: music season, a short story

Post by rajeshnat »

Mods
Rajagopalan Sir has already a thread ,merge this thread with that
http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18687

Post merging move that thread to Critics and Rasikas topic

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: music season, a short story

Post by arasi »

Mon ami,
Fantastique!

Adi nAdan kETkiRAn, araLippUvaith thara vENDum! What a gem :)

sreecons
Posts: 90
Joined: 15 Oct 2009, 13:51

Re: music season, a short story

Post by sreecons »

:YMAPPLAUSE: :YMAPPLAUSE: :YMAPPLAUSE:

Most enjoyable :)

Ponbhairavi
Posts: 1075
Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 08:05

Re: music season, a short story

Post by Ponbhairavi »

Many thanks, Rajesh,P.Bala,Arasi,Sreecons

Ramasubramanian M.K
Posts: 1226
Joined: 05 May 2009, 08:33

Re: Rajagopalan: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas f

Post by Ramasubramanian M.K »

Respected Ponbhairavi: Hilarious!!! Looks like the combined reincarnation of KALKI and DEVAN!!
look forward to more of the same!!!!

thanjavooran
Posts: 2972
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 04:44

Re: Rajagopalan: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas f

Post by thanjavooran »

Shri Ponbhairavi
Excellent !
Thanjavooran
06 12 2014

Ponbhairavi
Posts: 1075
Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 08:05

Re: Rajagopalan: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas f

Post by Ponbhairavi »

My thanks.MK Ramasubramanian,Thanjavooran.
I feel flattered by the company of such Famous names.

Ponbhairavi
Posts: 1075
Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 08:05

Re: Rajagopalan: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas f

Post by Ponbhairavi »

Post 136
and sang: "Vatapi Ganapathim Bhaje" as the last item of the program which brought the curtain down".
"
dream come true quite fast
Wait for other predictions.

Ponbhairavi
Posts: 1075
Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 08:05

Re: Rajagopalan: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas f

Post by Ponbhairavi »

MUSIC SEASON OF THE FUTURE.

We are in December. I was browsing the sunday newspaper.I wanted to go to a top class concert this evening.I saw an advertisement for a book release function.
“thOl(L) kAppiam “At first I overlooked it as I am not a tamil scholar.But the next few lines printed in bold red letters puzzled me and arrested my attention. “A book which is going to cause a total revolution in C M world.After reading, everyone of you will realize how much you have been living in fool’s paradise about C M and regret how much you have been an accomplice to social inequality today through the CM.”
This got me hooked.I went to the book release function with irrepressible curiosity to know how much foolish I have been so far,Thousands of people should have thought the same way because there was a large gathering. In the press preview the authors Kambi narayanan(reputed violin maestro so surnamed because of his mastery over the strings )and IndhOlAn(a mridangam maestro, who is so named because his caressing the thoppi itself is inimai(sweet) answered all the questions of the inquisitive pressmen. Given below are some of the questions and answers;
Q-why have you given the name of a tamil literary work to your book on music?
A-Pl read carefully. It is “thOl(L) kAppiam.” which means “epic of the leather “ as the book extolls the virtues of the instruments like mridangam,kanjira,tavil,dolky etc.
Q-It could also be read as “thOL kAppiam”?
A- Exactly,The shoulders are the most indispensable human part in C M .
Q-Why is a revolution necessary in CM ?
A-Revolution is the inescapable conclusion of inequality.See there are unpardonable inequalities in carnatic music at various levels.inequality among artists; why should the vocalist be given preponderance and centre stage.? why do we always say “music concert by so and so with the following accompanists” ? this results in inequality of importance(name announcements, garlanding ),inequality of honorarium, inequality of the language of the compositions( why should a particular language or composer get a lion’s share in a concert?) inequality of the rAgAs(why should some be called heavy like bhairavi,thodi etc.. and some light like behag,kunthalavarali ? This is the cause of inequality in the sequential order (although we acknowledge that some attempts are now being made towards equality of inter changeability ).
Q- How can you say that the vocalist and instrumentalist are equals? The vocal music is the central pivot of our musical tradition.
A- That tradition is an illusion created by Ariakudy and some others and that is the root cause of all our evils.
Q- cannot you leave his name out?
A- You cannot talk about total revolution without talking about guillotin.
Q -Why blame him if the tradition which comes down the ages was such ?
A-Because he belongs to particular community which has monopolized CM and prevented others to come anywhere near.
Q-But there have been many other genius in C M not belonging to that community.
A-Those are exceptions Which justify the rule.
Q-How can you say that a vocalist is not superior to an instrumentalist?
A- I will answer that question by another question.Knowledge,talent,imagination ,skill, being equal among the three artists in a concert how can you say that the vocalist is superior.?There are many violinists who are superior to many vocalists. So also about mridangists.
Q- But it is only the vocalist who utters the words of a sahithya and communicates the bhava.
A-Exactly we have proved in our book that the words are not important., the sahithya is not important,compositions are not important, religion and bhakthi bhava are not important.
Q- So you mean that the vocalist is just like any instrumentalist ?
A-Actually the vocalist is himself nothing but an instrumentalist.
Q- without any instrument ??
A-The vocal chords are his instrument.
Q so in this book you wish to dethrone the sanctity of the vocalist.
A- There is no sanctity in music. It is just an art for art’s sake.
Q-So what is your aim in this book ?
A- To ensure perfect equality among all the artists
Q-So what is your idea about a new type concert?
A -first the word concert is wrong. We propose the new name MUSIC AVIYAL
Q- Why this name?
A- this is a preparation where the name itself emphasizes the plurality of the vegetable components all of equal importance.
Q-How will you ensure equality on the aviyal platform. there should be one first and another next?
A-In our scheme all the artists will sit in a circle. So the beginning is also the end and hence in the performance pavamana can be the beginning and vatapi ganapathy the end.This is our revolutionary concept of circular aviyal.
Q-Some artist would then be showing their back to the audience.?
A-No the future auditorium would be like a football stadium- circular or elliptical
Q- Who is to begin the performance.?
A- In a football match the referee tosses the coin which decides the first to quick. In our system
all the names will be put in a ballot box and a person from the audience will pick one.
Q-If it happens to be the kanjira player’s name ?
A- So what that will be a sweet revenge for him. because in the present day concerts he is seen sitting doing nothing but sprinkling water occasionally to quench the thirst of the üdumbu thOl" which incidentally go also to refresh the bunch of flowers of the singer who sometimes turn to him and display a radiant smile by way of thanking., He will start a thala nadai,the next sitting person ,if he is the violinist will start a song in that thala and if the next person is the vocalist he will accompany the violinist simultaneously by singing the words of the composition and so on. by rotation.
Q- where will the thambura sit.?
A- She will be the centre of the circle and thus we propose to redress an injustice done to the thambura artists by so many generations by making her sit always behind.
Q who wil……
A Sorry gentlemen ‘ Time is up.If you still have doubts you can buy and read this book. or you can go to rasikas.org where we have our friends who are eminently loquacious who can answer any question about our concepts with massive verbiage of explanations and elucidations that will soon silence you.
Q - just a last one .When will be the first musical aviyal performance ?
A - On the first of April.
For me,Newspaper reading induces mid morning sleep ,an index of old age.
Last edited by Ponbhairavi on 15 Dec 2014, 10:56, edited 2 times in total.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Rajagopalan: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas f

Post by rshankar »

:ymapplause:

Pratyaksham Bala
Posts: 4164
Joined: 21 May 2010, 16:57

Re: Rajagopalan: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas f

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

Got it!
thOlkAppiam!

What a great name selected by the one and the only genius in the KM field!
There are 99 gems which I have identified already, which I will share with the rasikas shortly.

I know that another member is trying to identify 108 gems!
May He bless him and him!

Nick H
Posts: 9379
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Re: Rajagopalan: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas f

Post by Nick H »

In another thread, which I keep meaning to go back to, it is said that the mridangam is only entertainment. Indeed an injustice waiting to be redressed!

I have one question about this circular format (but I suppose I will have to wait, and buy the book) and that is: what if one person simply goes on and on and on, and refuses to give way to the next? Let me stir the controversy pot here, with my certainty that it will be a tabla artist!

Or possibly a speech maker :))

Ponbhairavi
Posts: 1075
Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 08:05

Re: Rajagopalan: Multifaceted personalities of the Rasikas f

Post by Ponbhairavi »

Thanks'Shanker'P Bala and Nick.
To answer Nick's query, I would say that there will be a set of beautiful cheerers (as in US basketball matches)They will go cheering all the way to the stage,with flower bouquets on hand (containing anesthetics used by train robbers in Andhra region)
They will shake the bouquets vigorously on the face of the culprit musician or speech maker who will be promptly benumbed.

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