By N.V. Subbaraman from Chennai, India

The great patriotic, national poet Mahakavi Subrahmanya Bharathiyar had unbounded patriotism, abundant love for freedom political and more, love for the languages-he was a master of eighteen languages which is not an exaggeration- love for the people and their tradition and culture, infectious ‘optimism’ and fearlessness.

In this issue, we see his beautiful poem on –“Address to the Lord Yama”.

In the Hindu pantheon Lord Yama is the God of Death. He knows when to take away the life of a person born on earth and he does his duty meticulously!

Original in Tamil:

காலனுக்கு உரைத்தல்

பல்லவி

காலா! உனைநான் சிறு புல்லென மதிக்கிறேன்; என்றன்

காலருகே வாடா! சற்றே உனை மிதிக்கிறேன் – அட      (காலா)

சரணங்கள்

1. வேலாயுத விருதினைமனதிற் பதிக்கிறேன் – நல்ல

வேதாந்த முரைத்த ஞானியர் தமை யெண்ணித் துதிக்கிறேன்-ஆதி

     மூலா வென்று யானையைக் காக்கவே – நின்றன்

           முதலைக்கு நேர்ந்ததை மறந்தாயோ கெட்ட மூடனே?-அட(காலா)

2. ஆலாலமுண்டவனடி காணென்ற மார்க்கண்டன் – தன

தாவி கவரப்போய் நீ பட்டபாட்டினை அறிகுவன் – இங்கு

     நாலாயிரம் காதம் விட்டகல்! உனைவிதிக்கிறேன் –ஹரி

           நாராயண னாகநின்  முன்னே உதிக்கிறேன் – அட   (காலா)

Transliteration

KALANUKKU URAITHTHAL

Pallavi

Kaalaa! Unainaan sirupullena mathikkiraen-endran

Kaalarugae vaadaa! Satrae unai mithikkiraen-ada(kaalaa)

SaraNangaL

1. Vaelaayudha virudhinai manadhir padhikkiraen-nalla

Vaedhaantha muraiththa njaaniyar thamai yeNNIth thudhikkiraen – adhi

        Moolaa venru kadhariya yaanaiyaik kaakkavae –ninran

                   Mudhalaikku naerndhadhai marandhaayoa letta moodanae? – ada (kaalaa)

2. Aalaala mundavanadi saraNenra maarkaNdan – thana

Dhaavi kavarappoay nee patta paattinai ariguvaen – ingu

          Naalaayiram kaadham viitagal! Unai vidhikkiraen – hari

                   NaaraayaNa naaganin munnae udhikkiraen – ada (kaalaa)

TRANSLATION

Yamaa! I treat you as a trivial grass-

Come near my feet! I shall simply stamp you ! Yah (Yamaa)

1. Taken I to my heart the award of the Lord

    Pray to the saints of yore who gave me sermons –

To save the elephant that cried “oh, my great God”

    Do you forget fool Yamaa what happened to your crocodile-  yah, (Yamaa)

2. MarkaNda- who surrendered to the Lord Shiva who gulped Poi

               Whose life you wanted to take- your suffering and humiliation

         I am aware of- here

Get away four thousand miles! I order you-

          I appear before you as Hari Narayana- yah (Yamaa)

Comment:

This is one of the most beautiful poems of Mahakavi Bharathiyar who chose to challenge the God of Death- YAMA in Hindu pantheon. It is believed by the people that Lord Yama is very powerful. Bharathiyar in this poem describes two mythological beliefs and says that all powerful Yamaa could not succeed on the basis of which the poet challenges Yamaa to come near him and he will simply stamp him under his feet! He also orders Yamaa to go four thousand miles away!!

One incident is Yamaa’s decision to take away the life of an elephant by making a crocodile to drag the elephant into deep water and kill. When the elephant called Lord Vishnu, Yamaa through the crocodile could do no harm to the devoted elephant and had to quit his attempt!

Again when Lord Yamaa wanted to take away the life of a strong devotee of Shiva much against his own father’s advice to pray only Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva protected Markandeya and Yamaa could do nothing!

Quoting these two mythological happenings, Bharathiyar challenges Yamaa to come near him and he will simply make him to pulp by the poet’s feet! What a lovely theme, content and presentation!

(To be continued)