Traditional Aspects In Bharathi' S  Writings        Bharathi,  The Poet

TRADITIONAL ASPECTS IN BHARATHI' S  WRITINGS        Bharathi,  the poet of Tamil renaissance has the gift of duly adopting the traditional matters in the relevant contexts.   "Do the virtuous and speak the truth" is conveyed in the following Traditional Maha vaakya of Vedic times:  Satyam vadha Dharmam cara .  The message has been elegantly adopted in the poem "Bharathamatha Navaratnamaalai"of Subramaniya Bharathi.        Mano Maatra Jagat,  Mano kalpita jagat is a philosophic dictum since the vedic age.  It means that the world and the life depend on the mind and its moorings.  The same idea is incorporated in the poem on Bharathamatha.  Bharathi says that the worldly life depends on Mind and so the fervour of Mind shall give the strength to conquer all sorrow and enable us to live happily on earth.         The word JAYA is repeated in the song Bharathasamuthayam which hails and greets the country with the ideas of solidarity.  The purpose behind this is to remind that the meaning of JAYA is success or victory.   Mahabharata, the Ithihasa has another name,  JAYA which means victory.  The central idea celebrated in Mahabharata is the victory of virtue over sin or good over the evil.  Bharathi has suggested that India shall succeed in its crusade against the evil of slavery.

   LIGHT AS TREATED IN BHARATHI'S WRITINGS   Gayathri Mantra is one of the earliest prayers in sanskrit.  It has inspired Bharathi.   The poet says,  Let the luminous light of sun god inspire our wisdom and make us active and energetic in our lives(Refer Sengathir devan cirantha oli ........ arivinai thoondi nadathuga)  Rig Veda as an appeal to the poetic impulse of an Indian poet.  But it is curious to note that Bharathi was inspired by the German poet Goethe Whose theory of light is well known among scholars Goethe said: If the eye is not engendered in light how can it see the sun?  in other words If the eye is not sunny how can it see the sun?  The impact of this idea may be discerned in the words of Bharathi: Eye is your home (in the invocation to the sun ) The light

            Bharathi and Tradition Bharathi's poems are known for simple diction and soulelevating message.  In the history of Tamil literature,  tamil mystics or Siddhars are considered to be the fore runners of modernism.  Siddhars , who may be happily compared to the Sufis proclaimed equality and condemned casteism.  Bharathi claims with confidence(In his auto biographical poem) that he is one in the legacy of Siddhars.  This is an interesting aspect of his message to be studied at length.  Siva vakkiar who is one of the eminent mystics says that there are three kinds of stones ie. the male, the female and the eunuch.  Bharathi in the invocation that is placed as preface to Panchali Sabatham says that one stone is kept as the idol in the sanctum sanctorium in the temple and another kind of stone forms the temple steps.  It is Bharathi says, the will of God to assign function and role to any one on earth.  Siddhars have been the mystics who have an access to spiritual experience besides yoga and

In the Siddha literature we see that man breaths 21600 number of times per day.  Another idea traditionally spoken is that breathing has bearing on manas.  Hence the arresting of mind's  modification is inculcated.  In one of the hymns glorifying Goddess Kali,  Bharathi pleads, "Mother put an end to passion! or else put an end to my very life.“ ----Dr.Minnoorsrinivasan