vachana naDai pODum vara kavi (Bharathi's Grand Stride As A prose Writer)

[arasi]

Bharathi ezhuthennum pOdinilE nenjil inbam niRaindiDum akkaNamE--Just on thinking about Bharathi's writing, our hearts fill with joy...

It has been quite a while since I have read Bharathi's prose. Now that I am savoring it, I am tempted to share a bit of my joy with others.
More than a century old, how modern and bubbling with humor his writing sounds!
Here's a sampling from his vEDikkai kadaigaL (Fun Tales).

ARJUNA'S DOUBT

While at DrONAchAryA's school where PANDu maharaja's sons and duryOdanAdis (D and siblings) were studying, Arjuna and KarNa were taking an evening walk. Arjuna asked: Hey KarNA, is war a good thing or is it peace? (this folks, is an upakathA from the MahAbhAratha, not an imaginary tale ).
"Peace is a good thing", KarNA replied.
"Why?", asked kirITi.
"Hey ArjunA, if we were to fight, I would hit you which would hurt you. I am a kind-hearted person. I can't bear the sight of your suffering. Hence, both of us would suffer. So, peace is a good thing"
ArjunA: I didn't ask that question with the two of us in mind. I posed this question in a general sense.
KarNa: I do not have a taste for hypothetical analysis.

I feel like slaying this fellow, thought Arjuna, and went to see DrONAcharyA to ask the same question.
"War is a good thing", was the answer.
"Why?", asked Arjuna.
"Vijaya, you gain wealth by warring, gain fame, sometimes death too. Peace? Everything is iffy about it. sandEham, cha cha cha."

Arjuna went to Bhishma now. "Grandpa, is war a good thing or peace?"
Ripe old GangAputrA answered: Little one, Arjuna, peace is ideal. At war, yes, KshatriyAs find glory, but with peace, the whole world thrives."
"It's not fair, what you say", pouted Arjuna.
"First state your reason and then your conclusion," said the old man.
Arjuna persisted: in peace, KarNA is superior to me and I am humbled. But if a war takes place, the truth would be out!
To which BhIShmA intoned: Child, Dharma would thrive--whether in war or peace. Since we are all brethren, all of humanity should have love for each other. Love is the tAraka. Thus saying, BhIShmA shed a tear.

A few days later, VedavyAsA came to HastinApura. Arjuna posed his question: Is war good or peace? VEdavyAsa
said: Both are good. Only ,you have to act according to the hour.

Many years later, when the pANDavAs were in the forest, just before Sri KrishNA went to the KAuravAs as their dHUta,
Arjuna asked: KrishNa, is war a good thing or is it peace?
KrishNa chimed: for now, peace is good. I am going to HastinApura this minute, seeking it...

***

[Ranganayaki]

Nice story highlighting that there is no absolute in the relative world, and that Krishna stays true to his word (given later) with a higher view of what is best for all, while others (other than vedavysa) havea limited and more or less selfish view. being a pacifist when the situation demands a fight is just not a virtue, and that we experience in our lives regularly when we are called upon to stand up for something.

But why is this called a vedikkai kattai when it is full of serious teaching?

Also stresses on the importance of context in determining the “right” thing to do, answering the question people often ask, about how it can be right to kill your own family members (or even just ever kill anyone)as Krishna seems to demand in the Gita - how can a good god demand that a man ever kill other men..

Thanks Arasi.

[arasi]

Ranganayaki,
All I can think of saying is: idai Azha ninaindu, vEDikkaiyAi eDuthuk koLLavENDum, enbadE (that you should ponder over it, but take it all as fun--or that's how I understand him. There is philosophy , there's humor too, in his approach. Watch the way in which he says:here's a true upa kathA from the mahbhAratha!
I will try to post a few of them. His modernity is such that we forget he lived a century ago! Tamizh stories and novels were quite a new medium in his times. His prose writing which mainly was writing for the weeklies and dailies were of such weight, though lighthearted they pretend to be--my own feelings...

[vgovindan]

'Show your other cheek also' works well only when the affected person is a single individual who has transcended hatred through understanding of his real nature, and sees the offender as none other than HIMSELF - na mE dvEshyOsti, na priyaH.

On the other hand, when an individual runs riot against the society and harms innocent people who are not competent to defend themselves, the realised man, cannot and should not keep himself aloof. He has to put him down by any method - hook or crook. There, in the face of criminality, speaking of dharma is ridiculous, as has happened with Pandavas, who were ready to settle for just five villages. And, they were denied even that in their own Mother land. Krishna went on a peace mission, against wishes of Draupadi - to whom He gave His word that her humiliation would be avenged. And, Duryodhana tried to kill Him.

Battlefield does not countenance relations.

[arasi]

Govindan,
I am presuming of course, but it's Bharathi, and his creative energy finds many channels, we all know. The mere fact that he chooses to call it a vEDikkai kadai (a fun story) indicates that he sees humor even in serious situations in what we on earth as humans (even heroes) have to go through. He wrote this with his tongue in the cheek,of course. To see humor in the most serious of matters is not a bad thing. I don't mean an immature 'ha ha ha' response, but a mature reaction which really is tinged with philosophy that things will remain the same most of the time. We need to look upon them without breaking down. All aspects of life, serious and otherwise have a sobering moment to it, and humor can be part of it. I don't think Bharathi is being trivial here. In all his humorous writing, he has something for us to benefit from, by way of focusing on human vagaries. Bharathi's vitality--in his thoughts, his writing and actions speak volumes of his 'loving all 'personality.
Humor after all is the best medicine for many of us nd Bharathi is a champion of it, it seems...

[vgovindan]

The whole kaurava and pANDava clan was wiped out with just one baby left , women folk were left wailing; and another one was cursed to become leper - aswattAma. Yadava dynasty was wiped out with the curse of gandhAri - remember, yAdava army fought for duryOdhana. Krishna left the World lonely. I can't even imagine in my dream, humor in such a wholesale tragedy which left the bhArat varsha, leaderless and subsequent depredations by marauders. There are only tears of sorrow at the human stupidity that we have not learnt anything from our past and now we are awaiting an inevitable doom of humanity on this planet - all in just a fraction of fraction cosmic time scale. Can't even lament 'God, save us'. It's all self-inflicted.

[arasi]

Govindan,
I don't mean to be trivial nor do I wish to sound that way. I shared what I enjoyed in the bard's writings in prose. When novels and short stories were quite new in tamizh (no, parables don't belong here. I know they are ancient), he sounds like a very modern prose writer, that's all. This is a literary point of view, and no more!

[Ranganayaki]

I’m sorry, Arasi, for my silly question! Of course there is vedikkai: Krishna’s response is full of irony, because WE have hindsight, so it’s almost like a punchline. Krishna undoubtedly strove first for peace, and then he became fully committed to the war.

Sri VG, im surprised to hear you say Sri Krishna died lonely. I’m sure he was at peace and equanimous at the time of his death. I’m reminded of his own teaching:

Asaktiranabhishvangah putra-dhaara-grihaadishu
Nityancha samachittatvam ishthaanishthopapattishu.

So when the moment of death came, whether the time was opportune or not, I’m sure he did not crave for his putra, daara or griha, he must have been equAnimous, and did not lament anything about his situation. I would not say he died lonely, but that he died in solitude.

.......

The humor lies in our hindsight in light of the words “for now..”, that he juxtaposes with Krishna’s effort, his wisdom, the foolishness of the situation..

With no effort, Bharatiyar makes us remember all that, and realize the futility of both the war and the peace, and of Arjuna’s question.

The vedikkai is also in the fact that he uses just a few snippets of dialog to establish each person’s essential character..

The story and the vedikkai simply does not take anything away from the devastation and the tragedy of the war.

Thank you so much Arasi.. I enjoyed it.

[Ranganayaki]

I

Asaktiranabhishvangah ...

.......

Just to be clear, I’m not saying this verse refers to Krishna’s death.

[vgovindan]

Ranganayaki,
Krishna's equanimity and humility and grace - whoever could surpass! Proposal to conduct Rajasuya yaga - the nemesis of Pandavas - was initiated by Yudhishtra without consulting Krishna. And, in the yaga, Krishna was honoured as Chief guest, but, imagine what duty he performed - reception of guests! Of all, I am thrilled by the episode of hunch-back flower girl - whoever could be so gracious! - forget His heroics, like lifting Govardhana. We are all very fortunate to have been born in the land He straddled.

The loneliness I referred was about the destruction of Yadava clan before His very eyes. Die - we all must - lonely, but not that lonely.

[arasi]

Thanks, Ranganayaki.
In a humorous vein again, when you read Krishna's line at the end (and to start a new bit of trouble?) one could ask: was Krishna, the supreme teacher at this instant happy to be in league with KarNA in his way of thinking?:)

[Ranganayaki]

Not trouble, Arasi , but more seriously than you say you are asking, I don’t think Krishna was a follower. He was unlikely to find satisfaction bring in Karna’s league. Karna was not in Krishna’s league in fact; Krishna had the wider view even though they came up with almost the same answer, and Krishna had convictions, while Karna was responding to his feelings at that time.