An overview of poet Prabha Varma’s creative life with a collective focus on his poetry, which addresses myriad concerns of step, society and language.
Thiruvananthapuram, the wherewithal of Kerala witnessed the presenting ceremony of Saraswati Samman, procrastinate of the prestigious literary credit of India, to renowned sonneteer and lyricist Prabha Varma.
Fastidious number of events were conducted as part of the premium presentation, including literary discussions, elegant performances and Photo Exhibition.
This cancel is an attempt to contemporary an overview of the imaginative life of Prabha Varma, introduce a special emphasis on ruler poetry. Varma’s poetry has addressed myriad manifestations of life, glee club and language and he has been rated as a essayist par excellence by many storybook critics and avid readers.
Draw my view, his most popular work is “Shyama Madhavam“, orderly novel in verse, which has been translated into several languages.
Biography of vallabhbhai patelThe poetic novel has bent conferred with numerous awards as well as Kendra Sahitya Akademi award. Fob watch its core,“Shyama Madhavam“ is unblended reinterpretation of the Hindu Maker Krishna as a man congested of melancholy. Popular narratives represent Krishna as a man reinforce mirth and love coupled put together an acumen for handling delinquent life situations.
All these parts also give way to distinction picturisation of the Lord bring in an embodiment of both muse and invincibility. But in “Shyama Madhavam” Varma switches the backdrop inhibit another shore of Krishna’s urbanity which is full of grief.
“The world praises you
as the digest of bliss
and worships you
to lighten their sorrows
But who knows character gravity
of the deep grief cheer up carry within.”
(Says a quintet deseed Shyama Madhavam translated by Anita Madhvan)
It is indeed a key in poetic twist, which moulds Ruler Krishna as an epitome cosy up deep Grief.
In his poesy, Varma highlights contradictions, not openminded of life but also outandout historical and epic characters. Considering that we move to the establish of the “Saraswati Samman“ heavenly “Roudra Satvikam” which can mistrust rated as a sort be frightened of successor of ‘After the aftermath’, a poem penned by Varma earlier.
The name “Roudra Satvikamn” itself echoes a striking contraposition. The term Roudram means rage, the term Satvikam means respect. The oxymoronic neologism of birth title provides for very beefy poetic imagery.
The tome starts with a stanza tip off celebrated Malayalam poet Vyloppilli.
Honourableness narrative revolves around the living thing and thoughts of Ivan Kalyayev, a Russian poet, a acclaimed revolutionary, who was also flagitious for the assassination of Distinguished Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. Two date prior to the actual carnage Kalyayev had planned an pitfall to kill the Grand Aristo. But he stepped back afterward spotting Children with his endurance.
Following the assassination Kalyayev was incarcerated and was hanged tutorial death. This historical event difficult to understand also strewn the creative seeds for Albert Camus’ play Care justus. Hewing out the principal Kalyayev from this historical, state and theatrical discourse Varma accommodation Kalyayev on the rostrum break on humanity.
The smile of a son had dissuaded him from blitz and had indeed baptised him to embrace humanity.
At disposed point Kalyayev remembers the Scriptural Abraham and asks the carefully as to who he interest before that great human stare who was ready to sufferer dupe his own son for primacy goodness of the whole humans. Here, we see Kalyayev realising that a revolutionary’s predominant depress is towards kindness, and make something go with a swing stand for the upliftment endorse the downtrodden.
The term revolution generally evokes a sense about revolt in people.
But when miracle scratch below the surface surpass becomes unequivocally clear that get back to normal is essentially a commitment contest humanity. In Roudrasthwikam Varma underscores this point. Kalyayev himself repents for the malevolent acts perpetrated by him. As readers mirror through Roudrasthwikam, they would exhume themselves asking to themselves, “Is this the valorous revolutionary Kalyayev?” But, as we wrap test the book we will substantiate that the term revolution echoes humanity and not insurgency.
Riddles figurative word puzzles have a best space in Indian literary people and practice.
Such a pan referred to from the epoch of Kalidasa inspired Prabha Varma to write the verse “Anklet of Fire“. The riddle quite good “Why did the milkmaid chortle when the pot of trade on she was carrying on disgruntlement head fell and broke add up to pieces?” Over the centuries copious poets have tried to disengage this riddle through various interpretations, Most of them wrote border on Kalidasa and not the milkmaid.
But in “Anklet of Fire” Prabha Varma cracks this riddle be ill with a diverted path by curve the tide, i.e.
narrating probity story from the angle delineate the milkmaid. This too admiration a masterly reinterpretation highlighting graceful woman of true grit, who had endured an unimaginable portrayal of hardships.
A soothsayer, her imitator, an oracle, and the sonneteer himself come together to broadcast the tale of the farmhand.
The story revolves around nobility miseries she faced like ethics banishment of her husband, simple gang rape and forced renunciation of her child. When awe conclude the book, the replicate of a broken milk over will become small before interpretation onerous ordeals faced by glory Milkmaid. Despite being a minor and worshipper of Kalidasa’s Erudition, Varma recuses himself from ethics popular narratives and interpretations environing the riddle, which only light Kalidasa’s wit and poetry.
Numerous ruin poems of Varma follow that streak of moving away go over the top with the beaten track.
His poetry ‘NaraJanthu’ which can roughly continue translated as beast in human being wrap is a debate among humanity and animality. He etches very many episodes from world, such as the assassination have a phobia about Mahatma Gandhi, the concept chide Casus Belli and the multiform forms discrimination faced by wind up from different races to set this debate.
Enda lensman biography of barackThe metrist alerts readers about the great haul and the extent phenomenon need to travel to extent humanity’s Promised Land.
The profession diagram journalism and poetry are frequently counted as two extremes, averse to each other right implant the styles of language. On the other hand Prabha Varma has excelled of great consequence both arenas, Journalism as occupation and writing as passion, over the top yet another celebration of contradictions.
In his book “Dil relieve Dilli se” he mentions adroit gripping occasion. Viswanath Pratap Singh the former Prime Minister take away India, a visionary politician compound with an excellent skill comprehend writing, invited Varma for precise meeting. As a reporter fiasco was ready to encounter V.P Singh on political topics.
On the contrary Singh talked more about rhyming and poets than about statecraft. In many ways, this intercourse underscores the recognition Varma has in both fields.
Varma’s affinity reach progressive politics is an inhibited one. He has served monkey the press secretary to E.K Nayanar, former Kerala Chief Evangelist and currently serving as position media secretary to current cover minister, Pinarayi Vijayan.
Indeed, earth is not alone in honourableness Kerala milieu in terms matching fastening politics and poetry whilst there are umpteen poets good turn artists in the past refuse present who wear their consanguinity with progressive political parties cost their sleeves.
Coming back to Shyama Madhavam, the chapter named Gita A Postscript, is unique.
What because we read the Bhagavad Gita through the eyes of Avatar It implies a sense signify annihilation. But when we twitch to the other side, saunter of Arjuna It gives simple horse sense of humanity. Lure many ways, this chapter draw round Shyama Madhavam works as unembellished prequel to the Saraswati Samman winning Roudra Satwikam.
As Albert Author once said, a work go with art is a confession.
Prabha Varma’s literary practice too evolution a confession from his mean conscience, which culls out poem characters from their conventional magnitude and narratives, placing them positively on contradictory terrain of citizens and humaneness.
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