After Jealousy, Let's Relax - And Enjoy Literature

Dear Sridhar.......Yes, which case and font does not matter. You seem to be glowing big time and BIG here:)
I never had any aspirations about reading Kamba Ramayanam in Tamil or any other language. But if it is being offered to me in this beautiful form in this forum, who am I, insignificant I, not to enjoy the pleasure?!
Thanks to Ramar, He has offered this precious opportunity to me to read lines of this beauty pouring out of your pen.
Thank you. You seem to excel yourself every time. Keep going and I shall keep waiting for more.

L, Kamla

sorry for my ignorance did not know such a ramayana existed but after going through the thread i was just visualising the whole episode maybe i dont belong to writers/poets/ clan but do knw abt our great epics .
hmm kambar is a great poet indeed!!
there is a difference between common man and god thts y rama cud be like a lotus was just imagining our own self maybe we wud go to court , take ram jethmalani along to any highest authority for justice :)) and even get down to harming someone if it wud come to money matters leaving kingdom and going to forest is only ramas deed had it been radha matter wud be different :))
wot abt urslf varalotti ? wot wud u do? definetly u wudnt be a lotus faced person

Varalotti,
I do have a doubt on Kambar's verse you have quoted first. If Rama is as still as a painted lotus, then does it not point out to insensitivity? Do you think insensitivity is the solution to life's problems?
To be frank Varalotti, I would hate to marry a short-tempered, irritable man; but any day I would prefer him to a cold, insensitive, lifeless man.
I would rather prefer a lotus that sways and waves and gets dirty than the lotus on the wall, which will remain the same come what may.
Want your reply varalotti.
Sriranjani

Dear Sridhar
Your post brought back the thirst to dip into the ambrosial lyrics of Kamban once again. Its been ages since I read Kamban.
Your differention of a real lotus and a painted lotus shows how subtle and intricate, the poet's mind worked. or maybe your own rasika- mind !( for all we know, he might have composed it with those words only for meter's sake , who knows ! Just like a painting, the meaning is in the mind of the beholder)


Did the sweetness of Thamizh enrich Kamban's poetry or did Kamban's imagination add sweetness to the language ? is my eternal, personal pattimanram !

Justice Mu.Ismail, an authority on Kamban, calls Valmiki's work an Epic and Kamban's a Lyric," the sparkle of which was like a worshipful offering to the Divine in his hero."

The rhymes, alliterations and similies he uses are all so awesome. When we try to recite them,the words seem to roll out effortlessly, like a crystal stream with a life of its own !
" Intha ippiravikku iru maatharai chindaiyaalum thoden enru chevvaram thantha varthai..."

Not just beautiful words of speech. He also had a playful , teasing way of presenting ideas.
While describing an ideal society, he starts off each line with "Vannmai Illai, Thinmai illai, unmai illai etc. Leaving us perplexed as to what sort of society is that where there is no truth, no courage, no charity etc. The second half of each line explains why . There is no charity because there is no poverty, nothing called truth because there is no untruth etc etc.
I do not remember the words properly, it goes something like this:
" Thinmai illai or(u) serunarinmaiyal
unmai illai poiyyurai illaiyal
( something) illai varumaiyillaiyal"

The santhams are so much like rap , so rat-a-tat-a-tat !
"Sutratthar thevarodum thozhaninru kosalaiyai thozhudunokki
kottratthar kurisilivar aar enru"

I think Vairamutthu is heavily influenced by Kamban in descriptive lyrics and elaborate symbolisms.
Oh god, I am rambling !
Let me cut short by thanking you for resurrecting Kamban from the dusty attic of my memory.
VS

Dear Vidya,

Since I touched on Ramayan, Vasisthar has come. And I am happy to receive the title Brahmarishi from him.

You were in no way "vicious" in your criticism. The word can be used to describe my reaction to you. It was a knee jerk reaction from my side which I realised much later and apologised to you. But I learnt a lot from your critical words and from then on strarted revising, refining and fine tuning my bi-weekly posts. Now if I do not have "quality matter" I skip the posting rathern than burden you with what I have. So absolutelly no hard feelings on either side.

When you translate somebody as profound like Kamban or Bharathi, you do not do much; the intensity of their thoughts does everything for you. The only condition is that you should have immersed yourself completely in their words.

Thanks, Vidya. I will choose more from Kambar for the relaxation threads.
regards,
varalotti

Dear Varloo,
Not only you, but every one goes through such stages in life one time or another. And every time we should have Kambars words as the ideal before us.

That does not mean that we can straightaway reach the state of Rama. But in our preoccupation with our present problems, we should not forget that there exists such an ideal state, which we can reach, may be in a year or in a hundred thousand births. It does not matter when do we reach. But the awareness of the ideal state is the first step towards evolution.

The same words apply to the second verse as well.
The best way to start Kambar is to read some small books on Sundara Kaandam. They are available in plenty. And then go to great texts. Best of luck in your Kambar studies.
regards,
sridhar

Dear Vidya,

When you attempt to translate Kambar, he himself comes to help you. The intensity of his words make you glide through the translation process.

For some time to come, we will be using Kambar for the relaxation threads that comes between heavy weights like jealousy and gossip.

Thanks for your prayer to Srirama on my behalf.
In deference to your wishes I have started using the usual font size.
regards,
varalotti

Varalotti,VS,Srirenjeni,

Varalotti-thanks for yr response. I still wish u will open a Kambar thread,take a verse a day and give us your flawless translation. In The Hindu, the narrow spiritual column used to attract as much attention as the unbiased reporting. Your Kambar thread will be our spiritual sanctuary in IL.

VS- I learnt much from yr reply to Varalotti. I like the way you mention abt the rap meters,what is not there in our ancient,hoary,revered texts? Keep posting more like this.

Srirenjeni- a mild post for once,Rama does that to us! But a pertinent one. Actually when I read of Varaloottis poetical translation, Ramas face akin a painted lotus, I was strangely reminded of our Mallu superactor Sri Prem Nazir.Just as Andhra had NTR as the forever Krishna,Rama- we in Malluland had Prem Nazir who always played Rama and other Uttama purushas.As a human being Nazir was a Rama.But as an actor,Nazir could not emote to save his life.He had the same deadpan 'expression'(?) -joy,sorrow,anger,valour-all flashed thru his face in the same way.That is with no expression. With no disrespect to Rama, NAzir and most of all VAralotti,me thinks, was Nazir above all the best person to portray Rama?

Am getting definitely old,hence this rambling.Varalotti-ignore this post.

Thanks
Vidya

Dear Vandhana,
Actually I had lined up excerpts from classical Tamil literature to be posted in these threads. But I was sceptical about their reception. But when my publisher told me that my books are being bought by the libraries in Singapore, Denmark and Germany, I could understand the feeling of Indian ladies living abroad. Moreover yugapurushas like Kambar do not belong to the Tamils or the Hindus or the Indians. They belong to the entire Universe. These two thoughts gave me the courage to post on Kambar. I am very happy it clicked.

But Ponniyin Selvan, I have not read. So you have to do with Kambar, Bharathi, some Sangam Literature and something from the middle period.
Thanks Vandhana once again for those words,
regards,
sridhar

Dear Ambika,
Only a profound writer and a prolific writer like you can capture my condition when I had the blessing of translating these verses. I was in a state of trance and while being there, the translation just happened. 120% of the credit belongs to the great poet.
There is an interesting story behind this post. I recently met a M.Phil student (I would love to boast quite often; may be I should start a thread on humility exclusively for me; but till then you and the other ILites have to bear with my bragging) who is researching on my book Jannal (it is as unbelievable to me as it will be to you and other ILites).

Along with him came his guide who heads the Tamil Department of a local college. When talking about Kamban the HOD said, if Kamban were alive today, I will bear him on my shoulders and will never let him get down so long as I live. And that is the minimum I can do to that great soul. He said it with so much emotion, that tried hard as I did, I could not prevent tears gushing out of my eyes. I had to turn this way and that, lest I should not be mistaken as a sentimental idiot, which truly I am.
I brushed up on my (little) knowledge of Kambar and posted this thread. I am now confident that I can post many such threads from Kambar.
Thanks Ambika. Getting your appreciation is like winning the ISO 14000 for me.
regards,
sridhar