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தெக்கான் குரோனிக்கல் நாளிதழில் இன்று (08.12.2019) வெளியான கட்டுரை
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RECREATING RAMAYANA
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Kamban’s poetic genius coined over 10K new words in Tamil
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Dr.N.Arul
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The Tamil nationalist poet Subrahmanya Bharathi was prescient when he sung that classical Tamil poets like Tiruvalluvar, Ilango Adigal and Kamban, who made Tamil poesy’s reportorial legacy what it is today even after hundreds of years, have no peers yet in the world. This is no mere hyperbole, but a living truth! We look at Kamban’s contributions to this legacy here.
Learned Tamil scholar SelvaKesava Mudaliar has observed, “the refuge (Kathi) of Tamil lies with two poets, one is Kamban and the other one is Thirivalluvar. When the first letters of the names of these two poets are joined, the word ‘Kathi in Tamil, meaning refuge, is obtained.”
One of the mono verses reveals that the debut of the ever-living epic ‘Kamba Ramayanam’ composed by ‘Emperor Poet’ Kamban took place on the star day Astha of the month Panguni at Sri Ranganatha Temple, Srirangam.
During the year of “eight hundred and seven of countable timeline”
in Vennainallur (place name). Sadaiyan was the patron who nurtured him. Tamil literary tradition has it that the unveiling of the epic “Rama Kaathai’ composed by Kamban in six cantos was solemnised on the star day ‘Astha’ in the Tamil month ‘Panguni’.
The six cantos in all comprise 10,368 verses. Each verse is made up of four lines with a minimum of four ‘seers and a maximum of eight ‘seers’ in a line.
A man of average calibre uses 2,000 to 3,000 words for the purposes of speaking and writing and may acquaint himself with a maximum of 5,000 words. The range of vocabulary of great writers may be one. and-a-half to two times of the above evaluation. Emperor Poet Kamban exceeded all these limitations and has employed not less than 40,000 words in the composition of ‘Kamba Ramayanam’.
A study declares that newly coined words may be more than 10,000. Kamban praises the magnanimity of his patron Thiruvenn. ainallur Sadaiyappa Vallal once in every 1,000 verses.
In Natttarasankottai near Karaikudi, a memorable function was organised in the honour of Kambar by the Kamban Kazhakam under the chairmanship of its secretary Kamban – Adippodi Ganesan on March 24, 1940, and celebrated as a ‘Literary
Festival for three days. In – keeping with that remark
able gesture, the Government of Tamil Nadu has decided to honour the famous poet by garlanding his upright statue of
elegant stature on March 24 every year.
Besides, Government of Tamil Nadu is honouring every year a Tamil scholar eminent in Kambar’s works with an award called by his name ‘Kambar Award’.
This festivity, to remember the poetic genius that brings glory to the nation and its tongue would be an
impetus to “reaffirm eternity” for the eminence of
Kamban, to reinforce the passion for applauding and adopting the body and soul of Kamban’s evergreen verses, and to inculcate indefatigable determination in every Tamil to strive for the development and growth of the epic-rich language Tamil by felicitating Kamban’s extraordinarygift.
In Tamil Nadu several sayings and axioms are in vogue commending the ingenuity of the poet. Also, the poets of all times throughout the history have always adored him with a few laudations such as ‘Kambar the greatest scholar of learning (Kalviyil Periyavar Kambar), ‘even the loom shed of Kamban’s house would sing poetry (Kamban Kattuthariyum Kavi Paadum), and ‘Kambar the Emperor Poet’ (Kavi Chakravarthy).
Though Kambar adapted the original Ramayana of Valmiki so as to fit in with Tamil culture, the epic ‘Kamba Ramayanam’ as created by Kambar with his utmost ingenuity became a magnificent master piece as an original in its true
sense, which could be in no way termed as either a translation, an adaptation or a dependant literature. It is indeed an entirely new epic in its form and content.
In fact, Kambar with unparalleled imaginative power has ornamented the originality. One of the great Tamil scholars, Dr Va Su Pa Manickanar has observedaptly, “No doubt he has
adopted the basic story of the original, yet the undeterred flow of the language, the elegant style unmatched, the singularity in nature, indomitable emotions and the graceful compassion that Kambar has entwined as unique wholeness has provided the fragrance, flavor and spirit of a bonafide original creation in Tamil. The diligence of Kambar in formulating it as an epic that gives birth to a new poetic language could not be found in any other poets all over the world.”
Dr Mu. Va. Varadharajanar commented, “Some of Valmiki’s original portrayals have been adopted as they are and some have been elaborated. Kambar himself has created some new arena of delightful aroma that are not found in Valmiki’s epic. Whether it is old or new everything glitters with the workmanship of Kambar.”
The original epic of Valmiki had its beginning and end in northern part of India itself. But Kambar envisages it as one that emerged in Tamil Nadu with the emotions of Tamils in body and soul. The nationality that he depicts is not the one lies in Cauvery delta but a nation having fertility as a sign of wealth; likewise he personifies the Godhavari river as a poem of Sangam age, the bow as the lone one embodying the Tamil customs and the arrows that shoot up from it as the enriched vocabulary of Classical Tamil. It is to the extravagance of the ‘Emperor Poet’ that he commiserates by dissolving his – powerful emotions in seeing the lotus as a place where the chaters sucking its honey dew sing the sweet tunes of Tamil and in hearing in the buzz of the beetles the versatility of Tamil poetry.
Kambar narrates the marriage that took place between Rama and Seetha as that of exemplary love wherein the lovers exchange their hearts and soul through their eyes of unimaginable power of look. This is in tune with the subjective poetical character of ancient Tamils’ five-fold love life (Anbin Ainthinai) Rama strolling the streets of Mithilai along with Ilakkuvan and the seer Viswamithra does not fail to have a gaze at the embodiment of beauty Seetha. This onerous oneness in exchange of looks is depicted by Kambar’s ever green imagination sings, “the Super Star gazed and So did the Superior Heroine, and thus they displaced and enshrined each other in their respective hearts.”
The whole scenic architecture of the epic praises the glory of the world’s primary classical language Tamil. People used to applaud Agathiar as father of Tamil. Kambar subtly denying it says, “He attained the glorious state by speaking ever-living Tamil.” Thus in Kambar’s point of view, Agathiar rose up to the highest stature only with the help of Tamil language and literature.
It is the eminence of Kambar’s creativity that we enjoy sweetness of poetic elegance in every syllable, ‘seer’ and word of the epic as never ending providential. The associations to propagate the glory of Kambar have been formed and functioning meticu. lously in Chennai (AVM Rajeswari Hall), Ambattur, Pudukkottai, Karaikudi. Vellore, Nellai, Trichy, Madurai, Rajapalayam, Villupuram. Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Puducherry.
Besides, in overseas countries such as Sri Lanka, France, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia also, Kambar festivals are celebrated with all pomp and ingenuity so as to reaffirm the eternal glory of the poet.
(The writer is Director
(Translation), Government of Tamil
Nadu)
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