DEIVATHIN KURAL #192 (Vol #4) Dated 20 May 2011

DEIVATHIN KURAL #192 (Vol #4) Dated 20 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 1,083 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)
55. Since he ended the poem that the Lord Varadaraja is looking at his ‘vakshasthalam’, that is the chest; KrishNa Deva Raya named him, ‘Vakshasthala’ as a Title. He was already known as Aachaarya and so his name came to be known as ‘Vakshasthalaachaaryaa’. Similarly there is one incident bringing out as to how KaaLidaasa praised Bhoja Raja in an over exaggerated way. KrishNa Paramaatma having grown up in Gokulam as a child, when he finished his Avatara, was said to be living in the world of cows, calves and bulls, known as Golokam.
56. One day he was supposed to have been going from the Golokam to the Bhulokam that is the Earth. Narada met him on the way and asked him as to where he is going and what for? Sri KrishNa told him, “My Dear Devarishi! You know that Kamadenu is the most important animal here. Its milk has dried up that it is not able to feed its calf. The reason for such drying up seems to be that it has come to know of the reputation of this Bhoja Raja, who bestows so much largesse on all the laureates and poets that Kamadenu feels jealous of Bhoja Raja as to ‘How can there be anyone superior to her in having such a big heart?!’ Thinking on such lines, her udders have dried up. So I am going to the earth to bring some grass for the calf!” Narada replied, “I am sorry Swami! You will not find any grass on earth either because so many kings have lost to Bhoja Raja in bravery, knowledge and philanthropy that they have all been grabbing the earth with their mouth in defeat!”
57. Sometime the world praises you and sometimes it roundly criticizes you also. The same KaaLidaasa, who praised Bhoja Raja to high heavens like this, virtually deserted him when Bhoja Raja forcibly tried to pry a ‘Sarama Kavi’ from him while still alive! Similarly, Kambar who asked, “Mannavanum neeyo VaLanaadum unnaduvo”, celebrated the same Kulothungan with, “tanneerum kaaviriye; taarvendan sozhane; maNNaavaduvum Sozha mandalame!” But these poets praised when the target richly deserved and not for grinding their own axes. They criticized also when it was due and not for any sustained hate. If the kings showed large heartedness in their liberality, the poets were more than equal in their encomiums of praise heaped upon the donor. While describing the Pattabhishekam (coronation ceremony) of Sri Rama, Kambar says that, it was one of the forefathers of his own patron Sadaiyappa VaLLal, from whose hands the Sage Vasishta received the Crown and did the Crowning for Sri Rama!
58. King and Child – Mutual Admiration. (Now let us come back to the Kutty Kavi’s story.) Shahji had come to Madurai to have the Darshan of Meenaakshi Amman. He was accompanied by many of the poets and other followers with their families. Amongst them there was this Kutty Kavi and his father having Meenaambikai Amman’s Darshan. The moment Shahji saw the AmbaaL, his poetic heart knew no bounds. The poem that sprung on the occasion was this: “purimaduram kirimaduram garimadurandara nitamba paaraadyam I sthoola kucham neela kacham balaka chandraangitam bhaje teja: II Twice there is the word ‘maduram’ as puri maduram and ‘kiri maduram’ repeated as a ‘praasam’ in ‘garima – durandara’ as underlined. AmbaaL lives in the sweet ‘madura – puri’ that is Madurai. Her speech or voice is also sweet. Then her sweet physical body is described as ‘sthoola kucham’ and ‘neela kacham’, meaning ‘massive breast’ and ‘long middle’ (or it may mean blue cloth around the hip); on Her head She is sporting the small young crescent moon; such a beautiful effulgence is what is AmbaaL; finishes the poem! (KTSV adds: Readers may please bear with this translation as the original Sanskrit words are not available, I have had to rely on the Tamil transliteration only and so, there may be some errors in my translation.)
59. This sweet out pouring of poetical brilliance was enjoyed by the child Vanchyeswaran standing nearby. He responded with a poem of his own, praising the king’s expression. He went one step higher with the play of words. “kaviloke naviloke bhuvi lokesya shaahaje roopamaam I hrudi tarasaa (a)vidhitarasaa – tat ititarasaahitya – vaa – na – me – lagathi II” The first line means, “To compare with this ruler of the lands, this king Shaahji, I have not seen anyone (comparable) in this earth and in all the poetical world.” The words ‘kaviloke’, ‘naviloke’ and ‘bhuviloke’ rhyme in sound; ‘kaviloke’ means ‘in the world of poetry’ and ‘bhuviloke’ means ‘in the earth world’; while the word ‘naviloke’ will separate as ‘na viloke’ to mean, ‘not seen’!
60. The second line, the first word is ‘hrudi tarasaa’ and the second word is ‘(a)vidhi tarasaa’. While these two words rhyme, the second word actually separates as ‘(a)vidhita rasaa’ (of various tastes). Then ‘tat – etara – saahitya’ also there is a ‘tarasaa’ as underlined. In the second line Vanchyeswaran is saying, as there is not such literary beauty anywhere else in the whole of literature as to be seen as in this King’s words, they have not got so suddenly attached to my heart, as his!” While giving a certificate of merit to the King, the child is also giving himself a pat on the back that he is capable of recognising literary beauty as what cannot be seen in any other poem! Only Shahji’s words he says, had the power to attach itself to this child’s heart, ‘tarasa’ = suddenly; ‘lagathi’ = adheres!
61. If you have to have certain amount of courage to speak ignoring the King, for a child to be able to give a certificate of merit to the King, he needs double that courage! In the forecourt of AmbaaL’s sanctum sanctorum, when the King brought out an outpouring of devotion, all the others were just hearing humbly, respectfully. At that time for the child poet to come out with a certificate of merit for the King, that too in the form of an impromptu poem of excellence; clearly brings out the higher position or status that a poet naturally held over that of a king, those days! It was at this time that the King gave the title of ‘Kutty Kavi’ to this child poet Vanchyeswaran! The Kutty Kavi that praised the King to high heavens did not hold back when the King erred in his behaviour. But that was not the same King Shahji.
62. Pratapa Simha and Kutty Kavi. After Shahji, his son Pratapa Simha became the King. The special officers of the King such as Nanaji Prabhu, Chandra Banu, Ananda Raya and such others who had effectively looked after the governance had died with the passage of time and as luck would have it, Pratapa Simha had employed some not so well qualified persons as officers. In the bargain the administration of the State suffered seriously. The learned pundits had no more royal patronage.
63. This was the time when Kutty Kavi came forward to write a piece of Kaavyam to nudge the King to become aware of his failure in governance! By then, instead of being a Kutty Kavi he had grown up to maturity. He did not write just to exhibit his dislike and hate. He intended to shake the King Pratapa Simha back to senses through his words. He was after all a good man, but proving to be a tyrant due to being advised by unworthy characters.
64. Kutty Kavi thought deeply over the situation. He decided to opt for satire and irony, to indirectly point out to Pratapa Simha about his offences of omission and commission in governance. Such writing is known as ‘saalokti’ to mean ‘advisory counselling’! He also used implied nudging known as ‘anyopadesam’ like the political cartoons of these days. There they make people look like so many animals. Kutty Kavi painted a political cartoon with words only!
(To be continued.)
Sambhomahadeva.