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

 

I have a doubt Varalotti!

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

 

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