Topic started by Hub Group on Mon Aug 16 03:45:33 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

This thread is for the discussion of the interview given by writer Indira Parthasarathy to the Hub. The interview can be found Here! . Comments, more questions to Mr.Parthasarathy and feedback are welcome. Thanks to Mrs.Kanchana Damodharan for conducting this interview on behalf of the hub.

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Mani M. Manivannan (@ cpe-24-221-181-57.ca.sprintbbd.net) on: Wed Apr 18 11:51:43
  
  Vanchi,
  
  You should read the complete poem! It packs still more punches!! IP's analysis of Kalithogai is interesting considering what A. K. Ramanujan wrote about the exact same verse.
  
  My Loyola professors have argued that the Bhakti movement was essentially inspired by the Christian concept of love and absolute surrender! But it is quite obvious that the Bhakti saints faithfully follow the Cankam motifs but replace the thalaivan with the Godhead and thalaivi with human souls yearning for union with the Godhead. Contrasted with the didactic texts that dominated before their era, one should say that it was a kind of revival of Tamil classics. Besides, one already sees a rudimentary bhakti idea in the kuravais and varis described by Ilango adigaL in CilapathikAram. ("nArAyaNA ennA nA enna nAvE"!).
  
  As Chandra often says, all through the Tamil literature, starting with Cankam classics to modern movie songs, one can find an undercurrent that is consistent with a certain basic, universal view of life. Works that are true to this theme tend to be preserved in our collective memory. Works that challenge this self-identity provoke introspection.
  
  
• From: Satish (@ spider-mtc-tb063.proxy.aol.com) on: Fri Apr 20 09:03:13
  
  Thiru. Manivannan:
  Can you please tell us the complete poem? Thanks.
  
  I like indira Parthasarathy's article coz it takes lit from the classics to now.Cannot isolate contemporary completely from classics. Sadly I don't know much of classics
  
  
• From: venkat (@ wilbur.physics.utoronto.ca) on: Fri Apr 20 12:46:03
  
  venkat, now@toronto
  «ó¾ô À¡¼ø
  
  ¡Ðõ °§Ã ; ¡ÅÕõ §¸Ç¢÷ ;
  ¾£Ðõ ¿ýÚõ À¢È÷¾Ã šá ;
  §¿¡¾Öõ ¾½¢¾Öõ «Åü§È¡ ÃýÉ ;
  º¡¾Öõ ÒÐÅÐ «ý§È ; Å¡ú¾ø
  ­É¢Ð±É Á¸¢úó¾ýÚõ ­Ä§Á; ÓɢŢý,
  ­ýÉ¡ ¦¾ýÈÖõ ­Ä§Á; ‘Á¢ý¦É¡Î
  Å¡Éõ ¾ñÐÇ¢ ¾¨Ä­, ¬É¡Ð
  ¸ø¦À¡ÕÐ ­ÃíÌõ ÁøÄü §À÷¡üÚ
  ¿£÷ÅÆ¢ô ÀÞ¯õ Ò¨½§À¡Ä, ¬Õ¢÷
  Ó¨ÈÅÆ¢ô ÀÞ¯õ’ ±ýÀÐ ¾¢È§Å¡÷
  ¸¡ðº¢Â¢ý ¦¾Ç¢ó¾Éõ ¬¸Ä¢ý, Á¡ðº¢Â¢ý
  ¦Àâ§Â¡¨Ã Å¢Âò¾Öõ ­Ä§Á;
  º¢È¢§Â¡¨Ã ­¸ú¾ø «¾É¢Ûõ ­Ä§Á.
  
  <192. ¦Àâ§Â¡÷ º¢È¢§Â¡÷!
  À¡ÊÂÅ÷: ¸½¢Âý âíÌýÈý
  ¾¢¨½: ¦À¡ÐÅ¢Âø ШÈ: ¦À¡Õñ¦Á¡Æ¢ì ¸¡ïº¢ >
  
  ­Äź ­¨½ôÀ¡¸ ².§¸. áÁ¡ÛƒÉ¢ý ¬í¸¢Ä ¦Á¡Æ¢¦ÀÂ÷ôÒ
  
  Every town our home town
  every man, a kinsman
  Good and evil do not come from others
  Pain and relief of pain come of themselves
  Dying is nothing new
  We do not rejoice that life is sweet
  nor in anger
  call it bitter
  Our lives, however dear,
  follow their own course,
  rafts drifting
  in the rapids of a great river
  sounding and dashing over rocks
  after a down pour
  from skies slashed by lightnings -
  We know this from the vision
  of men who see,
  So,
  We are not amazed by the great
  and we do not scorn the little
  
  translation: A K Ramanujan from: Poems of Love and War
  
  
• From: era.mu (@ 210-214-128-27.lan.sify.net) on: Sat Apr 21 00:29:37
  
  Thnx Venkat for that..starting my day on a note of level headedness, with that beautiful poem and an brilliant poetic xlation by AKR.
  
  How is life in Canada?
  
  
• From: era.mu (@ 210-214-128-27.lan.sify.net) on: Sat Apr 21 00:30:06
  
  Thnx Venkat for that..starting my day on a note of level headedness, with that beautiful poem and a brilliant poetic xlation by AKR.
  
  How is life in Canada?
  
  
• From: V.C.Vijayaraghavan (@ cache-hay.cableinet.co.uk) on: Sat Apr 21 04:14:27
  
  G.U.Pope's translation of ¡Ðõ °§Ã ¡ÅÕõ §¸Ç¢÷. AKR's translation is much easier to read than the poderous Victorian language of Pope
  
  The Sages
  
  To us all towns are one, all men our kin,
  Life's good comes not from others' gifts, nor ill,
  Man's pains and pain's relief are from within,
  Death's no new thing, nor do our blossoms thrill
  When joyous life seems like a luscious draught.
  When grieved, we patient suffer; for, we deem
  This much-praised life of ours a fragile raft
  Borne down the waters of some mountain stream
  That o'er huge boulders roaring seeks the plain
  Tho' storms with lightning's flash from darkened skies.
  Descend, the raft goes on as fates ordain.
  Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !
  We marvel not at the greatness of the great;
  Still less despise we men of low estate.
  (G.U.Pope, 1906)
  
  
• From: V.C.Vijayaraghavan (@ cache-hay.cableinet.co.uk) on: Sat Apr 21 04:14:38
  
  G.U.Pope's translation of ¡Ðõ °§Ã ¡ÅÕõ §¸Ç¢÷. AKR's translation is much easier to read than the ponderous Victorian language of Pope
  
  The Sages
  
  To us all towns are one, all men our kin,
  Life's good comes not from others' gifts, nor ill,
  Man's pains and pain's relief are from within,
  Death's no new thing, nor do our blossoms thrill
  When joyous life seems like a luscious draught.
  When grieved, we patient suffer; for, we deem
  This much-praised life of ours a fragile raft
  Borne down the waters of some mountain stream
  That o'er huge boulders roaring seeks the plain
  Tho' storms with lightning's flash from darkened skies.
  Descend, the raft goes on as fates ordain.
  Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !
  We marvel not at the greatness of the great;
  Still less despise we men of low estate.
  (G.U.Pope, 1906)
  
  
• From: Ramji (@ 205.177.170.118) on: Sat Apr 21 13:29:40
  
  Liked E Paa's article immensely for its simplicity of narration and coherence. Towards the end, he gives the impression of distancing himself from the contemporary literary scene. Also wonder why the article ends rather abruptly.
  
  Like a true teacher, E Paa explains the topic so well and like a true literary person, he leaves room for further discussion and research.
  
  
• From: arul (@ 203.199.237.138) on: Sun Apr 22 04:35:24
  
  while on AKRamanujan,
  also have a look at his "speaking of shiva "- a set of poems translated from kannada - the equivalent of bhakti movement in almost contemporaneous kannada country...
  - this selection has greats like basava and akkamma
  
  venkat - your mail id please
  
  - arul
  
  
  
  
  
  
• From: anuh shiroor (@ 210-210-60-180.lan.sify.net) on: Tue Jun 29 13:08:28
  
  Good evening. I am Anuh, Padma's old friend. i lost touch with her after her divorce as i shifted out of Baroda. I had stayed with you in 1986. my 2 year old daughter had accompanied me. I am very anxious to get in touch with her. please send me her address.I live in Pune now. i will be waiting for your mail.Thank you. Anuh
  
  
• From: anuh shiroor (@ 210-210-60-180.lan.sify.net) on: Tue Jun 29 13:11:38
  
  Good evening. I am Anuh, Padma's old friend. i lost touch with her as i shifted out of Baroda. I had stayed with you in 1986. my 2 year old daughter had accompanied me. I am very anxious to get in touch with her. please send me her address.I live in Pune now. i will be waiting for your mail.Thank you. Anuh
  
  
• From: kooththan (@ 198.73.152.99) on: Tue Jul 27 17:45:35 EDT 2004
  
  vanakkam,
  
  I have recently read IPs play 'kaala iyanthirangal' (Time Machines)
  
  In it there is a reference to a character called 'Nasikethan'. It seems this fellow questioned time-god.
  
  Can some one tell me the mythology behind this character or atleast direct me to a place where I can find out.
  
  Thanks
  
  
• From: saveri (@ mail.kmlaw.com) on: Thu Sep 9 09:22:12
  
  Great interview, Kanchana. I.Pa's responses are so well-considered and mature.
  
  I just finished reading Jayamohan's Pin Thodarum Nizhalin Kural. And have started reading it again, because it is simply a wondrous piece. Left me immensely awed. Such sophistication and subtlety in writing, thinking, technique. World-class literature.
  
  

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