He who writes poetry is not a poet. He whose poetry has become his life, and who has made his life his poetry – it is he who is a poet – Subamanya Bharathi
Vinoth Kumar Shanmugam is a Trustee of Vishva Vidya Foundation which is focused on recovering Tamil Education and Bharatiya Shiksha and a Physicist by profession. He is offering an INDICA Course – Bharathiyaar Paadalgal, or the songs of Subramania Bharathi, which will cover a collection of inspiring Tamil poems.
These works cover a wide range of themes, from the celebration of India’s cultural heritage and the call for independence from colonial rule, to the advocacy for women’s rights and the upliftment of the oppressed. His vibrant language and evocative imagery capture the emotions and aspirations of a nation yearning for freedom. The rhythmic and lyrical quality of his poetry, combined with its profound messages, has made his songs timeless, continuing to inspire generations. The duration of the course is 12 hours and starts on November 19, 2024.
Through this INDICA Course, we hope to create an understanding of the historical and cultural significance of Maharishi Bharathiyaar’s work, explore his contributions to Tamil literature, analyze the structure of Bharathiyaar Paadalgal and appreciate the lasting honor and respect accorded to Maharishi Bharathiyaar.
In this interview, Shri Shanmumgam speaks about his interest in these poems as well as how they can be a vehicle for uplifting national consciousness.
What is your main interest in Bharatiyar’s oeuvre and how did you study it?
My interest with the Bharathiyar’s work was mainly his national and Vedanta poems. During my school days, I used to read them which thrilled me in my early days. I wonder how a poet could write, think and live solely for his country. I studied atleast once in a week in my school days.
When I grew up his Vedanta poems inspired me immensely. The Advaita philosophy was underlined in all his writings. It was expressed in simple lines which reached common people easily. His work on nature also reflected the Vedanta concept. I cannot say I have studied it, but I meditated on it.
What is the structure of the course on Bharatiyar? Should one know Tamil to appreciate the nuances?
Bharathiyar had touched many aspects of life and inspiration in his complete works. So I have structured the course with the topics like national songs, songs on Tamil Nadu, Vedanta songs, songs on national leaders etc. It is not compulsory to know Tamil to appreciate but it will be an added advantage to enjoy his poetic devices. One can understand, appreciate and enrich one’s national feelings through the course.
A senior musician recently sang to me a song by Bharatiyar on Ujjaini Kali and there is a shrine to her in Thanjavur. This shrine was installed by the ruling Martha’s to protect Thanjavur. How does the music of Bharatiyar, the shrine to the great Goddess and the connection to Ujjain demonstrate a national consciousness?
Bharatiyar songs and his life itself demonstrate national consciousness, he was born in Tamil Nadu travelled to Kashi and lived there for a while. Bharathi was aware that Kashi was the center of our national consciousness and hence he was there for a while to realise his inner soul. He knew and spoke many Bharateeya languages and set a example for integration. His songs on Chatrapati Shivaji, Guru Govind Singh, Balagangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Lala Lajpat Rai, Dadabhai Naoroji all speak about his national consciousness.
How does the poetry of Bharatiyar resonate with the state of India today?
I am not sure of Bharatiyar poems resonating with the state of India, His poems always resonated with the spirit of Bharath. He never believed in the modern state of India rather sang, worked for the spirit of undivided Bharath. He iimagined a British-free India which he had sung in the song “Aduvome pallu Paduvome”. He expected the unity and integrity with the people of Bharath. He advised total freedom in thoughts and deeds from the English. We have not achieved what he imagined but are striving for it.
With regard to your course on the Thirukkural, how can the pithy aphorisms connect to other literature of India?
This is worthy of being considered as a research topic: “Compare Thirukkural with other pithy aphorisms of Bharateeya languages”. Thirukkural can be compared with the other Dharma sashtras of Samskritham, Dohas of Hindi and the wise sayings in all languages. Since the philosophy is the same, we can find the commonality in thought across these works of Bharath in different styles. The script and style may differ, but the underlining thoughts are same.
Is there any poetry from other parts of India in the same metre?
The metre is the structure of the poem. The Thirukkural metre could be compared with the Gayathri Mantra which has the same metre. As we are aware, Gayathri Mantra is not a sloka, it is a meter. We have many Gayathri Mantra for many deities.
Dohe of Hindi literature could also be compared with the Thirukkural couplets. Dohe also conveys meaning in a short form with great depth.
A lot of these works are moral and value based? What does it say about the society of the times?
Most of the Dharma shastras in Bharatheeya languages reflect the people’s mindset of those times. It is very certain that the people lived a rich life with high values and virtues. They had people around them insisting on these values when they sometimes diverted from the path. Since there is a lot of literature refecting this, it means people were educated in these values from a early age. It would have been the syllabus of schools (patasalas) of those days. The diversity in the structure of the works means that the literature was written based on the interests of the learners. We have shastras with high grammatical language and as well as with simple language in order to be accessible by all.