I want to talk to you about Muthiah. He is essential for the current day and time. But before I introduce Muthiah let me tell you a small story. There was once a boy named Raju who was born blind. He lived in a blind home with other blind people. He only knew darkness and he never experienced light. At twenty-five or so thanks to a generous donor, he got vision. For the first time, he saw light. His joy was unbound. Things took a good turn in his life. After getting out of the hospital he went back to his home. What, none including Raju was not aware of until that day was that there was a man acting blind between them. So, that one man calls him an outsider and makes sure he is thrown out of the house. What do we understand from this? The people who want you to remain in the dark never let the vision return to you.
Let us jump back to Muthiah. The story has a purpose, please read on to understand it. Muthiah was born in pre-independent India, in the erstwhile British Raj, in 1927. Most of the Indians of the day had limited means and his parents had given him up for adoption for a price. The family that adopted him, educated him. After his education, he got a good private job. But his calling was elsewhere. He took up a job as editor in a Tamil Magazine. Pretty soon the world understood his prowess. He became a writer. He started writing film songs. Pretty soon, he was the most sought-after writer of his time. He never lost his name and fame till his last breath. Who is this Muthiah? If you still don’t know, don’t google for it. The surprise will be a lot of fun.
Muthiah was under the influence of Dravidian politics. He was an atheist. But he also had an unrelenting love for Tamil literature and its culture. He excelled in writing prose and poetry in Tamil. As an enthusiast of Tamil literature, he read Thiruppavvai of Andal and was spellbound by the mystic poetry. The poetry had a deep impact on him as a literary more importantly as a human. After a lot of introspection, he turned back to Hinduism. That was when he renamed himself Kannadasan, a Dasa of Kannan (Krishna). So, Muthiah became Kannadasan, Kaviarasu Kannadasan.
Kannadasan (aka Muthiah) had done a deep study into Hinduism. With this newfound understanding, he wrote a book “Arthamulla Indhu Matham (The Meaningful Hindu Religion)”. The book is known for its simplicity in explaining the principles of Hinduism. He goes onto write many spiritual books and lyrics. He read Kambaramayanam and had a deep appreciation and respect for Kambar. Kannadasan admired Kambar’s mastery of the Tamil language and his poetic skills. He recognized Kambar’s ability to weave complex emotions and profound philosophical thoughts into his verses with elegance and clarity. He saw Kambar as a pivotal figure in Tamil literature whose works had significantly shaped Tamil culture, language, and religious thought. Kannadasan appreciated how Kambar had localized the Ramayana, making it resonate deeply with Tamil audiences by incorporating local traditions, landscapes, and values. He noted how Kambar’s narrative went beyond mere storytelling to explore profound ethical and spiritual questions, offering lessons on duty, righteousness, and the complexities of human nature. Kannadasan recognized Kambar’s influence on contemporary Tamil literature and his own work. He saw Kambar as a source of inspiration, not just for his storytelling prowess but also for his ability to infuse literature with cultural and spiritual richness. Kannadasan’s writings often reflect a similar blend of poetic beauty and philosophical depth, a testament to Kambar’s lasting impact.
Kannadasan’s writing had a deep philosophical calling, not limited to the old generation. I remember a young engineer sharing his experience on some debate show, adding a rough quote here from my memory.
“All philosophical songs tend towards despair. Kannadasan too, in his lyrics talked about life and the loss it brings us. But he also subtly tells his listeners to make the best out of it. Giving you a sample of one, I felt, fits the bill.
பிறக்கும் போதும் அழுகின்றாய் இறக்கும் போதும் அழுகின்றாய்
பிறக்கும் போதும் அழுகின்றாய் இறக்கும் போதும் அழுகின்றாய்
ஒரு நாளேனும் கவலையில்லாமல் சிரிக்க மறந்தாய் மானிடனே
ஒரு நாளேனும் கவலையில்லாமல் சிரிக்க மறந்தாய் மானிடனே
பிறக்கும் போதும் அழுகின்றாய் இறக்கும் போதும் அழுகின்றாய்
“You cry when you are born and you cry when you die,
You cry when you are born and you cry when you die,
Oh, Human being you forgot to laugh without worries, even for one day.
Oh, Human being you forgot to laugh without worries, even for one day.
You cry when you are born, and you cry when you die.”
அன்னையின் கையில் ஆடுவதின்பம் கன்னியின் கையில் சாய்வதும் இன்பம் அன்னையின் கையில் ஆடுவதின்பம் கன்னியின் கையில் சாய்வதும் இன்பம் தன்னை அறிந்தால் உண்மையில் இன்பம் தன்னலம் மறந்தால் பெரும்பேரின்பம் பெரும்பேரின்பம்
“There is joy in dancing in the mother’s hands. There is joy in leaning in the maiden’s hands. There is joy in dancing in the mother’s hands. There is joy in leaning in the maiden’s hands. If one understands oneself, there is true joy. If selfishness is forgotten, there is a great joy, Great joy.”
Kannadasan’s writing was not limited to philosophical or spiritual. His writings had a patriotic fervour as well. They reflected his admiration for freedom fighters of the time, Gandhi, Subhash Chandrabose etc. His lyrics often invoked a sense of pride and national unity. His passion for the freedom fight and Tamil heroes of the freedom fight can be seen in the production “Sivagangai Seemai”, the story of Veerapandiya Kattabomman, which he gave the script for and produced. This rebellion happened long before the sepoy’s mutiny of 1857. If someone takes up the story today and redoes it with advanced technology, we will have a pan-India blockbuster.
Kannadasan wrote his autobiography and split it into Vanavasam, the time he was an atheist, and Manavasam, where he accepted God and followed his heart. All the changes, belief in God, writing positives about Hinduism, and supporting the Freedom struggle, were not received well by his political friends, and counterparts. They tried tarnishing his image. They kept asking, how can one trust someone who changed his views. What happened to atheism, etc?
I have one answer for all of them, Kannadasan was like that blind person Raju in the story. He got a vision, and he got vision not from some magic or superstition. He read a good number of books and learnt for himself. All of you guys acted like a blind guy to take advantage of the people who never had a vision. The ones who wanted to understand Kannadasan’s change, read his books and learnt for themselves.
On a concluding note, my request to all the millennials, and Gen-Z before you go on to read the philosophy of Trevor Noah’s , and silly social media digests, spend some time reading Kannadasan, if not for the philosophy and spiritual greatness you will understand the beauty of Tamil words and how great Tamil literature is.
Bhima Shankara Daasa
