Kamban - A few random thoughts

On Friday, NRR called me to check if I would be interested in attending a Harikatha performance by T N Seshagoplan. I was and we both attended the performance, which was a good one. When I heard Seshagopalan sing, I thought I should write about him in my blog. As the katha progressed and he started quoting from Kamba Ramayanam, I decided that I will write what I know about Kamban. Which, you will discover, is not much. (Did that ever stop a blogger? All that you need to blog is an blog account, internet connection and time. I have all three in abundance this lazy Diwali afternoon.)

First thing that impressed me about Kamban's poetry, as I heard TNS recite it, was how wonderfully it captured the particular scene and made it jump right in front of your eyes. The poetry enabled you to visualize it as if you were watching it on a screen. This aspect of Kamban's poetry was first brought to light to me by my mother. She recited parts of Narasimavataram (yes, Narasimavataram in Ramayanam. I will come to that soon) and showed me how the whole drama unfolded as if it was a film screenplay. Which brings me to the fact that film makers love Kamban. I mean, the description that Kamban gives about Sita and Rama looking at each other, 'annalum nokkinar, avalun nokkinal' has been used multiple multiple times in movies. Kamban says that when lovers meet after a long time, where is the need for words? Something our film makers have agreed upon. It is well known that Kannadasan modeled his famous song, 'Paal Vannam Paruvam Kandu' on Kamban's poem, "Kai Vannam Angu Kanden, Kaal Vannam Ingu Kanden". Kamban wonderfully plays with the word 'vannam' to provide different meanings to it within four lines. Kannadasan used the same technique to good effect in songs like the one mentioned above and in "Parthen Sirithen". I have also read the writer Sujatha mention in one of his columns that the dialogs spoken between Ravana and his son Indrajeet in the Hindi serial 'Ramayana' were from Kamba Ramayanam.

Now for the Narasimavtaram in Ramayanam. Looks like Kamban was very much taken by this avataram of Vishnu and wanted to include this episode into his Ramayana in the Yuddha Kandam. (I am not sure, but I think that this comes in the part where Vibishana tells Ravana as to who Rama actually is. ) The scholars of those times were not impressed and didn't think that this episode should be included in Ramayana. As was the case in those days, Kamban had to pass a test. The poetry would be read aloud in the temple premises and the Lord should provide some proof that he liked what he heard. When the poetry is read out, the Narasimha sculpted in stone on one of the pillars comes to life and shakes his head, exclaiming, "Sabash Sabash". ( Digression : Now, such stories are generally dismissed as the imagination of some guy who had time in his hands. Rao & Shulman in their book "a poem at the right moment" tell how such stories are nothing but an Indian way of providing criticism and evaluating literary works. What the story implies is the power of Kamban's retelling of the Narasimha legend. I was very fascinated by the poems my mother recited and headed for the dungeon in Osmania University library which had books in various languages. I still vividly remember thumbing through the pages till I got to the point where Hiranyakasipu breaks the pillar and Narasimha emerges from the pillar. Kamban shows that he is a master of drama as he effortlessly creates the required tension and resolution.

What fascinates you about Kamban's poetry is the extraordinary music in his poetry. The musicality attracts you like a magnet. It is very difficult to find another poet in whole of Tamil literature whose use of language is so fascinating. It is said that it was Kamban's extraordinarily beautiful poetry of was responsible for elevating Rama to Lordhood. (Is there such a word?) Valmiki is supposed to have portrayed Rama as an ordinary person but Kamban makes it clear right from the outset that we are dealing with Lord GOD himself. This is how people now think of Rama. (I remember hearing one Harikatha, wherein the person said that in Valmiki Ramayana, there were passages where Rama tells Lakshmana during vanavasam, "See what our father has done to us. He will be sleeping peacefully in a nice warm bed whereas we are lying down on the mud floor here". Or something to that effect. When I told this to a friend on mine, he remarked, "How can Rama say such things? It is just not possible" !! People are more ready to believe in their own image of Rama than what Valmiki says !!)

Kamban also stands as a testimony to the fact that great literature will survive all fashions. Kamban survived the change in political fashion. When DMK was on rise and spoke about the Tamil language, Kamban was one of the important enemies. He stood for everything that the Dravidian party hated. He has taken the literature of North India. (North Indians were enemies at that time. Now the Tamil leaders embrace the North Indian leaders regularly and also fight as to who should be given that honor !!). Second, the original tale was told in Sanskrit, which represented the Brahmin hegemony and hence should be hated. Third, it was about GOD. (Fourth, it was good literature !!!:) When the DMK leaders pointed out to ancient books which the followers should read, Kamba Ramayanam would never figure in the list. Thiru Kural and Silappadikaram became THE books of ancient times. I have seen a book by the former Chief Minister, Annadurai, where he has taken some 'erotic' passages from Kamba Ramayanam to prove that Kamban was only interested in you know what.

Jeyamohan, the Tamil writer, stated in one of his essays that while you would have expected the Vaishnavite Tamil Brahmins to come to Kamban's defense in the face of DMK onslaught, the defense came from every quarter. mainly from non-brahmins and non-Hindus. People like Rasikamani TKC, Mu.Mu.Ismail and Prof.Jesudasan are closely associated with Kamban. You can say that Kamban and those who loved his poetry, withstood the onslaught quite well. I saw a TV program of Yugi Sethu, wherein he interviewed the poet Na.Kamarasan. The poet is known for his strong opinions of Bharathi and Bharathidasan, which runs counter to popular opinion. In this program he said, "The slogans raised by Bharathi and Bharathidasan", when referring to their poetry. ('Bharathiyum Bharathidasanum Eyuppiya Goshangal"). He was summarily dismissive of Kannadasan, "He was a mediocre film lyricist". Even this man, who damned almost everyone, couldn't do the same to Kamban. He said, "I may have differences with him, but I accept Kamban as a poet". (The way he spoke gave almost gave an impression that Kamban was his next door neighbor. I love it when poets and writers speak this way.) Even Vairamuthu, a staunch follower of the Dravida movement, in an interview with Gowri Ramnarayan, in Hindu, said, "Yes. Kamban was a great poet."

Surviving political changes is probably more easy that surviving literary fashions. Kamban seem to have done that quite well. The aesthetics of poetry had started changing and what was once considered great poetry was frowned upon and thought of as inferior poetry. Heavy ornamentation was a strict no-no and music in poetry was not considered an asset. Poetry should be simple, ironical, talk in normal language, should be multi layered, should give rise to multiple interpretations etc etc. Kamban's poetry can be considered as an anti-thesis to this thought. So how come Kamban, whose poetry was sublimely musical, heavily ornamental survive?

There is an excellent interview with Prof. Jesudasan, conducted by Jeyamohan and others, ("Ilakkiya Urayadalgal", Ed: Jeyamohan and Sutradhari, Any Indian Publication.), wherein the professor gives his view on why he considers Kamban a great poet and why he maintains his relevance. If you get the book, read it. I can only capture a bit of it here. Prof. Jesudasan, a literary scholar, in his old age only read Bible and Kamba Ramayanam. He says that one of the central fact about Kamban's Ramayanam is that it speaks about 'dharmam' or 'aram'. (These two words, so central to Indian thought, are difficult to translate to English. 'Dharmam' may be translated as justice but it is beyond it. "Dharamam' and 'aram' are a way of life, moral values which are treasured.) Prof. Jesudasan goes on to say that Kamban is not someone who 'sang' about religion or bhakti. Instead he is the one who speaks about 'dharmam'. He speaks about 'dharmam' as if it has a life of its own. Even some of Rama's actions like Vaali Vadam and Sita's agni pravesham are governed by this 'aram'. He goes on to explain in detail about Kamban's ability for dramatization, the wonderful flow in his poetry ('thangu tadayillai') and mainly about Kamban's great view about mankind's strength and weaknesses. He says that he considers Kamban a greater poet than Shakespear.

It is indeed true that Kamban went beyond religion. There is lot of religious poetry which doesn't have too much poetry and is loved for either the music or just that it was sung by a great saint. (There are exceptions but not many of them.) Maybe it was his great grip over the language, the musicality of his verses or as Prof. Jesudasan says, his insisting on 'aram' that makes Kamban a 'great poet' and not just a 'religious poet'.

No wonder that Kamban is an inevitable poet for Tamils and remains as a benchmark against which other poets are measured (and routinely discarded) (I have pinched the last phrase from one of Rajan Parikkar's writings on Hindustani Music. It fits very apt here.)

I need to write about T N Seshagopalan soon. I still have the blog account and internet connection. Need to find a lazy afternoon.

Hope all of you had a lovely Diwali and those reading it on Diwali day, Wish you a very Happy Diwali.