Musings on the Life & Times of Chinnaswamy Subramania Bharathi
Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan
Preface
For it is always the practice to talk about why this book and what its contents were, in any Preface. These are musings on Bharathi. He was different and distinct. Let us have a different Preface befitting the Mahakavi . Bharathi became immortal on 11th December,1921, ( or to be exact Dec,12, as he died after midnight). He wore his very best white dhoti, bush shirt, Mundasu and sported his customary kumkum Tilak to go meet the Maker.
One is inclined to allude to an eyewitness account of that day in the words of Nellaiappar. This work is all about this Bharathi. The Bharathi his peers adored,respected, regarded and revered. It is not a critical analysis of his life and times or his works. Surely not.
These are on the anecdotal plane to align with the ordinary lay reader. Bharathi composed verses for his masses. When read, it must appeal. So the effort has been to make it interesting, entertaining and invigorating by searching hard and long, for the nuggets and vignettes in his life and times strewn across the literary history terrain and stitch them together.
Now to Nellaiappar, an authentic voice on Bharathi the man and poet, the day he moved on, as Chellamma said God hod decided to take him back early for that is what he always did to those he loved, like Swami Vivekanand and Chinnaswamy Subramania Bharathi.
Nellaiappar wrote, “ I received the information in Chintadripet, Chennai that Bharathi was seriously I’ll, only a day before. Immediately, I rushed to his house with Lakshmana Iyer and another friend. He was struggling . We brought Dr. Janakiram who was practising on T P Koil Street, Triplicane, Chennai itself. The Doctor prescribed a medicine and we got it. But, Bharathi was adamant. He angrily refused. The disappointed Doctor disappeared.
Bharathi was slipping, as night set in . We decided to stay in hid house. Every now and then, we went in to see his condition. It felt as if he may breathe his last any time.
Late that night or early morning, around 02.00 am , he breathed his last. Bharathiyar who had preached ‘Immortality’ – Amarathuvam – to the world, died in sleep.
காலா!உனை நான் சிறு புல்லென மதிக்கிறேன்; என்தன் காலருகே வாடா! சற்றே உனை மிதிக்கிறேன்-அட (காலா)
Ey Kaala- Yama- I look at you as a small blade kg grass
Come near my feet ! I will crush you under my feet
The man who challenged Kaalan- Yama- became a victim himself.
News on the demise of Bharathi was spread around. Advocate Duraisamy Iyer who was a benefactor of the family, arranged for his funeral. On the morning of the same day, around 08.00 am, Lakshmana Iyer, Kuvalai Kannan, Harihara Sarma, Surendranath Arya and myself had the blessing to carry Bharathi’s body on his final passage. He had a short and small frame. His body may have weighed 60 pounds.
He is a Mahakavi. Today the world celebrates him. But that last day there were but twenty persons on the funeral procession. ( There are references to only fourteen also). After Sriman Chakkarai Chettiar, Krishnaswamy Sarma and Ramachandra Iyer spoke on Bharathi in Tamil, Surendranath Arya rendered a eulogy in chaste Telegu.
After we sang Bharathi Geethams, after which the pyre was lit. ( No reference to who- there are multiple versions that it was Aarya or Kuvalai).
Bharathi was immortal. He lives in his words. He never died. His words will never. They live on. He too in them. A poet who challenged Kaalan that he would crush him under his feet, if he dared come near, has crossed time.
Nellaiappar
Do you know the title to the last speech made by Bharathi in Erode, Karungalpalayam? In the fifth year Readers’ Association conference, it was ;
“Man has No Death’.
Read this report as well- Senthmizh Naadenum Pothiniley Inbathen Vanthu Payuthu Kaathinile, is among the most famous songs of Tamil nationalist poet Subramania Bharathi.
செந்தமிழ் நாடெனும் போதினிலே – இன்பத்
தேன் வந்து பாயுது காதினிலே – எங்கள்
தந்தையர் நாடென்ற பேச்சினிலே – ஒரு
சக்தி பிறக்குது மூச்சினிலே (செந்தமிழ்)
வேதம் நிறைந்த தமிழ்நாடு – உயர்
வீரம் செறிந்த தமிழ்நாடு – நல்ல
காதல் புரியும் அரம்பையர் போல் – இளங்
கன்னியர் சூழ்ந்த தமிழ்நாடு (செந்தமிழ்)
காவிரி தென்பெண்ணை பாலாறு – தமிழ்
கண்டதோர் வையை பொருனை நதி – என
மேவிய யாறு பலவோடத் – திரு
மேனி செழித்த தமிழ்நாடு (செந்தமிழ்)
முத்தமிழ் மாமுனி நீள்வரையே – நின்று
மொய்ம்புறக் காக்குந் தமிழ்நாடு – செல்வம்
எத்தனையுண்டு புவிமீதே – அவை
யாவும் படைத்த தமிழ்நாடு (செந்தமிழ்)
நீலத் திரைக்கட லோரத்திலே – நின்று
நித்தம் தவஞ்செய் குமரிஎல்லை -வட
மாலவன் குன்றம் இவற்றிடையே – புகழ்
மண்டிக் கிடக்குந் தமிழ்நாடு (செந்தமிழ்)
கல்வி சிறந்த தமிழ்நாடு – புகழ்க்
கம்பன் பிறந்த தமிழ்நாடு – நல்ல
பல்விதமாயின சாத்திரத்தின் – மணம்
பாரெங்கும் வீசுந் தமிழ்நாடு (செந்தமிழ்)
வள்ளுவன் தன்னை உலகினுக்கே – தந்து
வான்புகழ் கொண்ட தமிழ்நாடு – நெஞ்சை
அள்ளும் சிலப்பதி காரமென்றோர் – மணி
யாரம் படைத்த தமிழ்நாடு (செந்தமிழ்)
சிங்களம் புட்பகம் சாவக – மாதிய
தீவு பலவினுஞ் சென்றேறி – அங்கு
தங்கள் புலிக்கொடி மீன்கொடியும் – நின்று
சால்புறக் கண்டவர் தாய்நாடு (செந்தமிழ்)
விண்ணை யிடிக்கும் தலையிமயம் – எனும்
வெற்பை யடிக்கும் திறனுடையார் – சமர்
பண்ணிக் கலிங்கத் திருள்கெடுத்தார் – தமிழ்ப்
பார்த்திவர் நின்ற தமிழ்நாடு (செந்தமிழ்)
சீன மிசிரம் யவனரகம் – இன்னும்
தேசம் பலவும் புகழ்வீசிக் – கலை
ஞானம் படைத் தொழில் வாணிபமும் – மிக
நன்று வளர்த்த தமிழ்நாடு (செந்தமிழ்
Few in Tamil Nadu will fail to recognise the song, or not be carried away by its tune. Yet, can you believe that when the poem was submitted for a competition organised by a city-based association in the early 1900s, it secured only the third place?
“The prize money was Rs. 100. V.V.S. Iyer was upset with the decision of the association. But, Bharathi did not take it seriously. He consoled us by saying that the association might have decided the winner in advance,” reminisced Yathugiri Ammal, the daughter of Mandayam Srinivasachariyar, who ran the India weekly.
That is life. Bharathi did not get the first prize when alive. But after his death he has been elevated to first place as Mahakavi, with no equal. Yet, we must learnt not to just revere the man or the poet. But read and revere his works. For he said, his works were immortal.And lives in them like Lord Krishna in the Srimad Bhagawatham.
This writer has written on law, on making and working of constitution, on Sam Manekshaw’s Beloved Armed Forces, on humour and drama in courts,L and more, during these Pandemic times. But these musings trip, on the bush cart with Bharathi, was like no other. He was and is a man after my heart. He was a child at heart. Had simple tastes and joys. But, hr was no simple poet or writer. He was immortal and sublime.,He was extraordinary. A genius to the manor born. He was no emperor. But he reigned over Tamil. He was the uncrowned King in the hearts and minds of common people. He needed no titles. No Bharat Ratna. Not anything.
For he was Bharat Mata’s favourite son. What better title can there ever be!
Bharathi’s works were nationalised. The first of artistes to attain this privilege. And this writer read, read and read more. Heard, heard and heard more. Nothing original in his effort. He borrowed and borrowed with attribution wherever it mattered.
There are in all one hundred Chapter synchronising with the one hundred anniversary of the date on which Bharathi went into time as an immortal on Sep,11,1921.
In the wake of the subject matter and his unique status in the pantheon of Bharatiya greats, one is readily inclined to forego any Copy Right over this work. It shall be : Copy Right: Bharat Mata.
And there is no intent to commercially exploit these musings. It belongs to public. In public domain, free to be quoted or used. And proceeds shall go to good and noble causes.
But firstly it must get read, read and read by more and more, for that would be the finest homage, we can ever pay to Chinnaswamy Subramania Bharathi. Need one say more.
Vazhiya Senthamizh. Bharat Mata ki Jai.
Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan
Advocate, Madras High Court
January 5, 2022
Chennai.
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