DEIVATHIN KURAL #189 (Vol #4) Dated 12 May 2011

DEIVATHIN KURAL #189 (Vol #4) Dated 12 May 2011

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by Periyaval of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are proceeding from the last para on page number 1,065 of Vol 4 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated constantly)
22. Wherever KaaLidaasa would have run, the world would certainly have recognised him and start celebrating. He did not want such recognition and being celebrated. He wished to hide incognito. So, he went to a small place Dhar which was within 50 miles to the south of Ujjain and tried to hide his identity with a guise. Having been forsaken by his closest friend, he did not wish to have the patronage of anybody else anymore. Seeking such a support, he considered as an act of disloyalty to his old friendship. If sometime in the future there was to be a chance for the old friendship to revive, he did not wish to do anything contrary to such possibility. He assumed the guise of a mad Sanyaasi!
23. After he had left the town, a few days later Bhoja Raja could not bear the pangs of separation anymore. So he started out in search of KaaLidaasa in the guise of a ‘Guduguduppaandi’, that is a crude artist who lives on alms given by the general public after some entertainment with a colourfully decorated bull which nods his head or refuses to nod, to whatever the man says, the whole thing made to look as though the bull is divinely endowed with omniscience and capable of predicting the future! His guise was absolutely befitting as KaaLidaasa was a different type of a bull! How they met and found out about each other is yet another story. May be I will cover that some other time. All that I intended to say here is that, instead of nodding their heads to whatever the King had to say, there were people with a clear conscience and lived by the courage of convictions and self respect.
Traditional Stories and Research
24. I mentioned the names of two towns Dhar and Ujjaini. Dhar was the capital of Malva kingdom from where Bhoja Raja ruled. Ujjaini was adjoining Dhar towards west as the capital of Avanti. Between Krishna and Godavari Rivers is what is now known as Berar, earlier known as ‘Vidarba’ kingdom. North of this Vidarba were located both Malva and Avanti kingdoms. The capital Ujjaini itself was also known as Avanti. The King of that place Vikramaditya was actually the patron of Kaalidaasa and not Bhoja Raja. Someone by the name of PallaaLan collected some stories and anecdotes from the common folks, that are spread by word of mouth and put them together as ‘Bhoja Prabhandam’ which contains this story, without any authenticity as opined by scholars of history. Then who was that Vikramaaditya? Was he the one who is said to have defeated ‘Sagars’; established the Vikram Sahabdam and calendar; and ruled as an emperor from Ujjaini by name of Chandra Gupta or the Chandra Gupta II who ruled from Pataliputra? There are many differences of opinion on such things amongst the scholars too!
25. Not only about KaaLidaasa and the language of Sanskrit, about other poets also and in other languages too there are many versions about the place, historical time and the characters involved. For example about William Shakespeare I have heard, in a lighter vein a claim that, ‘the dramas that he had written were not actually his but written by somebody else with the pseudonym of William Shakespeare’! For example in Tamil itself, one story goes that ThiruvaLLuvar and Avvaiyar were brother and sister; another story says that Avvaiyar, Kambar, Ottakkoothar and Pugazhendi are all contemporaries. All such stories are said to be only fictions and not true historically.
26. Whether they are facts or fiction or whatever, I feel that we should study them and learn the right lessons. The stars of literature about whom such stories are prevalent themselves created their characters adding imagination and colour sustaining the interest of the readers. You look at how one RamayaNa has been written by Vaalmeeki, Kambar, Thulasidas and Kruttivaas in so many different ways! Why? Each as per their own imagination, experience, taste and style has made changes as per their own aim in writing. If fact has a certain element of truth in it, imagination and aim of the author also has the important ingredient of truth in it! We also benefit variously in reading them.
27. As those poets created various characters, similarly others have used their imagination to spin stories about them. We should appreciate the fact and fiction thereby learning our own lessons. Even when the stories have been the creation of the society at large instead of the poets themselves, they have a weightage of their own as outputs of tradition and culture and so cannot be ignored either! There is a proverb that, ‘there can be no smoke without fire’. Even when apparently without basis, these stories cannot be discarded out of hand. Despite the location, names and the dates being at variance, there will be some truth in the incidents and character qualities of the poets involved.
28. I must make a mention of one discordant aspect however. Whether it is imagination or not, the stories connecting the poets and women of low virtues, is what I am talking about. However much their works may be expounding and inculcating devotion to divinity, or reflecting the philosophy of spiritualism and bringing out the high ideals of culture of those days, just because the poet had a fertile imagination and intelligence; to depict them as debauches is simply not acceptable! Here if you ask me as to, ‘how can there be smoke without fire only here’, for this smoke also we can identify a fire. In classic literature there will always be some descriptions of ‘Sringaara Rasa’ that is eroticism. That is the fire behind the smoke. If they can describe such incidents in detail, the natural conclusion is that they must have been keen on self indulgence.
29. In later days, actors and poets have been rather ‘happy go lucky’ types. In the past the kings and luminaries of the royal assemblage were rather concerned about their personal behaviour being above boards, strictly as per the Saastraas! They cared for their names and reputation more than these days. So, we are not to think that they were all debauches of various hues. There might have been one or two like that. Except for this one point, all stories have to be taken on face value and appreciated.
30. Kambar and Kulothungan. Let me come to Kambar. We need not get into a discussion as to whether his period was 10th or 11th century AD. We need not get into tussle about whether the king those days was Vikrama Sozha or Kulothungan and if it was the latter, was it the first or second? We are more concerned about the stories and noble character qualities that the stories bear out. Like Bhoja and KaaLidaasa, Kambar and Kulothungan were intimate friends. So, Kambar had all the freedom to have his say on any subject. One day Kulothungan was boasting with pride that he had a huge empire under his control. Out of his license, Kambar said, “That is alright, but despite having a great empire under your control, you yourself are under my control”! Out of love and freedom of expression without any pride only he said this.
31. Easwara the God Himself is said to be ‘bhakta paraadeenan’ meaning subservient to the devotee. In Tamil it is said that, ‘easwararo thondar uLLathu adakkam’ (meaning the God is confined in the hearts of the devotee) and that is God’s greatness, is it not so? Thus the King of the Land is under the control of the King of Literature, to mean that he is such a fan of the poet! So, Kambar thought that his statement will be taken in that spirit. People in power, unless they are careful, the power of the position will go to their head. That is why it is said that, ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’! This is what went to the head of Kulothungan now.
32. He thought, “Look at this poet. He has the temerity to say that I am under his control! What is this? For a simple poet to claim suzerainty over the King is just not on!” He got thoroughly annoyed and irritated. I told you earlier as to how, close friendship can turn into utter hate!
(To be continued.) Sambhomahadeva.