DEIVATHIN KURAL #191 (Vol #4) Dated 16 May 2011

DEIVATHIN KURAL #191 (Vol #4) Dated 16 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 1,075 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)
43. When Kambar returned to Sozha’s court, Kulothungan welcomed him with open arms and reinstalled him as the Poet Laureate of his Royal Court. But after a few days, he happened to hint that Kambar had not lived up to his challenge of making the Chera King function as his ‘adaippakkaaran’! Kambar now considered that the time has come for the ‘unless critically inescapable’ situation has come about, that he had told the Chera King earlier! So, he sent a message to the Chera King. He promptly presented himself in the guise of an ‘adaippakkaaran’, after a few days.
44. At that time the Kulothungan and Kambar were conversing. Kambar noticed the Chera King in the guise of an Adaippakkaaran! He felt very bad about that. But it came to his mind that he had been kind enough to respond so promptly and so willingly. Then it also came to his mind that it was better to obviate Sozha King from having a dig at him once again! So he did not even acknowledge the presence of the Chera King. The Sozha King and his security staff had no idea that it was the King of Chera. They all took him to be one of Kambar’s servants! Kambar did some nice play acting now.
45. With a slight pause in his conversion, he extended his hand towards the ‘adaippakkaaran’ and he promptly folded a fresh ‘paan’ and offered it to Kambar, who took it without a second look at the man. He did not put it in his mouth. He was holding it between his fingers at the back of his hand while, continuing the conversation. The drama was repeated thrice. After the third time, while still holding the ‘paans’ between the fingers at the back of his hand, he disposed off the ‘adaippakkaaran’ with a wave of his hand, who promptly went out jumped on his horse and rode away in a flash. It was then that this Sozha King realised that ‘he had been taken for a ride’ literally! In that nonchalant act of his getaway, the Chera King had also let drop a ‘signet’ ring of his with the royal emblem!
46. “Oh! Kambar, what is this? Why did you not tell me that it is the Chera King? He is so good a rider that we just cannot catch him!” said the Kulothungan! Kambar’s reply was this. “My Dear Sir, the Chera King came here on my personal invitation and not as your visitor! When he has come to save my respect, he has to protect his life also is it not so? We were not very certain as to what would have been your response and reception had you known his identity. As he had come for my sake and I wanted my job to be done, I did not introduce him to you.” Can you see as to how careful, diplomatic and civil that Kambar had been from this incident? “OK! It is all right!” said Kulothungan and continued. “But, tell me as to why you are still holding on to those ‘paans’ inserted between your fingers? Why do not you eat them?” Kambar’s answer to this question is more revealing and takes him to the pinnacle of decency and decorum!
47. Kambar gave this reply. “When a King offers to act as someone’s assistant, it shows the Kings greatness and humility. The one in receipt of such respect and service is not to get too haughty! He should also respond with ‘quid pro quo’ of equal vinayam, is it not so? Somehow the time was bad I suppose that, in the past what was light banter between you and me unnecessarily led us to avoidable confrontations and acrimony. Just to keep up my end of the challenge, I had to request one of the Kings amongst the triumvirate of Chera, Sozha and Pandya; to do the adaippakkaaran’s role. Then I had to ensure that his identity was not revealed while I had to play act as though I am his lord! That is why I took those paans from him so flippantly. But to eat those paans is a different matter. It behoves on me also that I should not start thinking too much of myself, is it not so?”
48. He continued his reply. “Had I eaten those paans, it would be as though I am accepting my Lordship over that King. That was neither my challenge nor my intention. Even when I said that ‘you are under my control’, it was more as a friendly banter that was not to have been taken too seriously. Even this substantiation of my challenge, you may note was necessitated by your reminding me about it indirectly after I had returned back to you forgetting the past! Accepting the paan from the Chera King was part of play acting to prove the challenge; eating the paan would have meant an acceptance of Lordship over the Chera King that would have been an unpardonable transgression of decency on my part!” Thus not only did Kambar take care of his own self respect but also that of the Chera King. Ottakkoothar and Pugazhendi were the official Poet Laureates of the King’s Court. But, Kambar remained loyal to the patronage of Sadaiyappa VaLLal, a regional chief. From this fact we can make out that he was too keen about retaining his freedom and independence!
TWO KUTTIES
49 Not only such world famous poets like Kambar and KaaLidaasa were keen on retaining their independence, many poets have been there who would not be afraid of the authorities of kings and chiefs. For them freedom of expression was paramount! Having spoken about two great poets let me talk about the shorter versions known by the name of ‘Kutty Kavi and Kutty Saastry’! (Kutty in Tamil means the shorty or mini.) The first Kutty Kavi I am going to talk about was known as Vanchyeswaran. As his forefathers were from Sri Vanchiyam, they named him with the name of the Presiding Deity of that place. As his poetical acumen was identified at a young age itself, he got famous as the ‘Kutty Kavi’.
50. The Shahji Mannar. At the end of the 17th century the Tanjore Rajyam got transferred from the Naickars to descendents of the Shivaji Dynasty of Maharashtra origin. One of the first Kings of that lineage was Shahji. He was well versed in all fine arts. He took good care of the Vidwaans, Pundits and Artists. He was soaked in devotion in Siva Bhakti. Like Jayadeva eulogised Sri KrishNa and wrote the Ashtapadi, this Shahji himself had written and composed 24 Ashtapadi Slokas on Thyagaraja Swami of Thiruvaroor. He wished to develop a whole township in which very learned Pundits would be given houses and lands to settle. So what he did was to establish a Sarva Maanya (Sarva means all and Maanya means respectfully awarded) Agrahaaram by the name of Thiru Visai Nallur, on the southern banks of the Cauvery River. (Agrahaaram is the first line of houses around a temple like a garland. Agra means first and Haaram means a garland. This Thru Visai Nallur is referred in Tevaram songs as Thiruviyalur.)
51. There he settled learned pundits of varied attributes from, Gujarat (known as Koorjaram those days), Maharashtra, Andhra, and Karnataka and also from other parts of Tamil Land. Each was granted a house with landed properties of agricultural lands for their living and sustenance. One of the pundits so settled was from Sri Vanchiyam, the father of our Kutty Kavi. I started talking about the poets who did not care to be subservient to royalty. But, first let me talk a little about how from his childhood the Kutty Kavi composed and sang Paamaalai and Pugazh Maalai in honour of Shahji.
52. Those days when the kings were connoisseurs of literature and arts as well great philanthropists, so as to further encourage them to do more such liberal contributions and appreciate their large heartedness, and in the bargain enhance the productivity of such good works of art; to sing their praise was quite normal. Such praises used to be sort of exaggerations quite often. In literature itself such praises were quite the in thing, known as, ‘adisayokti’, ‘migaipada kooral’, ‘uyarvu navirtchi’ and ‘chaadu kavitai’, all synonyms for high praise! When you praise the king, you find it more profitable to praise the King’s Consort! That reminds me of another episode.
53. Appayya Deekshidar’s grandfather was known as ‘Aachaarya Deekshidar’. He was also known as ‘Vaktshasthala Aachaaryaar’. He got this name by praising KrishNa Devaraya’s Queen in an impromptu poem! It came about like this. KrishNa Devaraya had come to Kanchipuram to have darshan of Varadaraja PerumaaL. At that time accompanying him was his Asthaana Pundit Aachaan Deekshidar. (The word Aachaan is a variation of Aachaarya only.) The Bhattar of the temple showed Mangala Aarathi with burning camphor held aloft in a plate as was done. While doing so the King noticed that it looked as though God Varadaraja PerumaaL seemed to have lowered his eyes, as though looking down on his own chest. He told the Deekshidar about what he had observed and asked him if he knew of any precedent for such happening.
54. Deekshidar promptly replied with a sloka created on the spot! “Oh that? As we are looking at God He was looking at all of us. When He observed the Queen standing next to you shining in golden effulgence, He thought that she looked like Maha Lakshmi. For a second wondering if His Consort had slipped out of her normal place, He checked his own chest if Maha Lakshmi is still there or not! (Siva is said to have given his left side of his own body to His Consort Parvathi and thus is known as Ardha Naareeswara. VishNu is supposed to have let His Consort be on his chest as per belief.) “kaanchit kaanchana gowraangeem veekshya saakshaad iva sriyam I varada: samsayaapanno vakshasthalam avekshate II”
(To be continued. We will come back to the Kutty Kavi shortly, wait.)
Sambhomahadeva.