Many should have heard the beautiful lullaby rendering by Bombay Jayshree - மன்னு புகழ். Its a lullaby by Kulasekara Azhwar about Lord Rama. 'Kulasekaran' as per history lived approximately 1200 years ago and ruled what is known as Kerala today roughly around the region of Ernakulam. His 105 poems take a special place in the Vaishnava sacred 4000 hymns. An ardent devotee of Lord Rama and Ranganatha has penned most of his poems revolving around Lord Rama, Ranganatha, Venkatachalapthy (Tirupathi), Sowriraja Perumal (Thirukannapuram).
But why mention of this mystic-poet today? Today is his birth-star that appears on a Maasi (Tamil Month) "Punarvasu Star", the two brightest stars (Castor and Pollux) in the constellation of Gemini. Incidentally this is the star of Lord Rama too. I selectively recited few key poems today and was touched. Being a king in the Kerala region which has Malayalam as its lingua, his compostions are in flourishing Tamil.
When I recite such poems, I usually have an eye to notice the contemporary situations embedded in the verses. e.g. In some poems the description of the village and its rice fields, the types of plants, types of insects, people's dispositions etc. can be understood. Interestingly a set of poems about Krishna by PeriyaAzhwar (a) Vishnu-Chithar (1.2-7-4, 1.2-7-6) in first centum portrays two things.
In a way, is he describing the way guys were in 6th Century AD? Also it sounds very much same even today as how Teenagers behave in streets today!!!
In Kulasekara-Azhwar's composition (1.6-1), he sings that sitting on a sandpit, he awaits Lord Krishna takes me back to my childhood days to Neyveli where on one occassion of a Janmashti (Krishna's birthday), impressed by Krishna's valour, and believing my mom's words, I had sat outside on the doorstep waiting for Krishna's arrival. (Now girls should say choo chweeet!)...
It is also interesting to observe, how Kulasekara Azhwar vividly describes Tirupathi, Chidambaram, Thirukannapuram in his poems. Though these are in the context of a Hindu religion and also in Tamil, I wonder, how a King of such stature notices such subtle things, brings philosophic views and renders in a language that is not his native-tongue? In the same vein he also describes his emotions too.
I have always felt such classics can actually be a lens to know our civilization, about our ancestors and useful especially to understand the thinking and interests in that age. This is one of the reasons, that I wish our future generations learn Tamil to actually understand our history and more importantly cherish it.
This azhwar in my view represents a vibrant, positive, nurturing period of south Indian history where the states, its kings, its people, language and different philosophies were simultaneous and harmonious unlike portrayed by Modern historians.
But why mention of this mystic-poet today? Today is his birth-star that appears on a Maasi (Tamil Month) "Punarvasu Star", the two brightest stars (Castor and Pollux) in the constellation of Gemini. Incidentally this is the star of Lord Rama too. I selectively recited few key poems today and was touched. Being a king in the Kerala region which has Malayalam as its lingua, his compostions are in flourishing Tamil.When I recite such poems, I usually have an eye to notice the contemporary situations embedded in the verses. e.g. In some poems the description of the village and its rice fields, the types of plants, types of insects, people's dispositions etc. can be understood. Interestingly a set of poems about Krishna by PeriyaAzhwar (a) Vishnu-Chithar (1.2-7-4, 1.2-7-6) in first centum portrays two things.
- He describes how Krishna stands at the street corner and teases girls
- He also describes how Krishna picks up fight in the street with the wrestlers...
In a way, is he describing the way guys were in 6th Century AD? Also it sounds very much same even today as how Teenagers behave in streets today!!!
In Kulasekara-Azhwar's composition (1.6-1), he sings that sitting on a sandpit, he awaits Lord Krishna takes me back to my childhood days to Neyveli where on one occassion of a Janmashti (Krishna's birthday), impressed by Krishna's valour, and believing my mom's words, I had sat outside on the doorstep waiting for Krishna's arrival. (Now girls should say choo chweeet!)...
It is also interesting to observe, how Kulasekara Azhwar vividly describes Tirupathi, Chidambaram, Thirukannapuram in his poems. Though these are in the context of a Hindu religion and also in Tamil, I wonder, how a King of such stature notices such subtle things, brings philosophic views and renders in a language that is not his native-tongue? In the same vein he also describes his emotions too.
I have always felt such classics can actually be a lens to know our civilization, about our ancestors and useful especially to understand the thinking and interests in that age. This is one of the reasons, that I wish our future generations learn Tamil to actually understand our history and more importantly cherish it.
This azhwar in my view represents a vibrant, positive, nurturing period of south Indian history where the states, its kings, its people, language and different philosophies were simultaneous and harmonious unlike portrayed by Modern historians.
அருமை. மிக அருமை, நண்பரே !
ReplyDeleteஒரே ஒரு விண்ணப்பம்: அடுத்த முறை, இது போன்ற நன்னாள் வரும் முன்னரே முடிந்தவர்களுக்கு தெரியப்படுத்துங்கள் - ஒருரிரு வரிகள் போதும்.
தமிழ் கற்பிக்க ஆரம்பித்திருக்கீர்களா ?
மற்றுமொரு கருத்து: குலசேகர ஆழ்வார் காலத்தில், மலையாளம் என்றொரு தனி மொழி முழுமையாக தமிழிலிருந்து பிரியவில்லை என்று நினைக்கிறேன்; அவர் வாழ்காலத்திற்கு பிறகு 200 ஆண்டுகள் கழித்துத் தான் அது நிகழ்ந்திருக்க கூடும் ?! எனக்கு எட்டிய வரை, கடந்த 1000 ஆண்டுகளாகத் தான் மலையாளம் தனிமொழிக்கு (தற்சமயம் அம்மொழிக்கு உள்ள) அந்தஸ்தில் உள்ளது.
மீண்டும் இது போன்ற பதிவுகளை ஆவலோடு எதிர் பார்கிறேன்.
I remembered by seeing an FB update.
ReplyDeleteRe. Malayalam you are correct, but there is no clarity - how ever the main point is that we have inherited a lot richer culture and must be aware of it.