Book buff: Madhusoodanan Nair, Malayalam poet Book: Ujjaini (poem) Author: O N V Kurup Language: Malayalam Where did the book find me: I was fortunate enough to read the manuscript while the poem was in the making. When it was published, O N V Kurup himself presented me a copy and I have gifted copies of the book to many of my friends.
To the average Malayali, O N V Kurup is not so much a literary figure as he is a cherished nostalgia. A valued reminisce of an era that bred hope in every shack and every song hummed. His poetry has always been for us the natural outflow of that bygone age tempered with the beauty of revolutionary fervour and romantic ideals. When the poet was chosen for this year’s Jnanpith award, the feeling that pervaded the Malayali heart is like the joy of hearing a dear old song sung aloud in new times and strange lands.
His poems may sound warmly simple, but ONV is one of Malayalam’s lone poets whose writing bears the signature of ‘ecological spirituality’, says Madhusoodanan Nair, a worthy representative of the author generation that followed. “In his smaller poems ‘Sooryageetham’, ‘Bhoomikkoru C h a r a m a g e e t h a m ’ a n d ‘Karuthapakshiyude pattu’, this spiritual oneness with the ecosystem is most pronounced. But then, there are other aspects to the poetry of ONV — his chosen stance as the ‘poet of the destitute’, and his calling into question the accorded status of woman in society as against her innate strength,” he says.
But ‘Ujjaini’, the long narrative poem based on the life of Kalidasa, published in 1994, is the epitome of ONV’s explorations to define the true poet, believes Madhusoodanan Nair. “It combines a political philosophy with an aesthetic philosophy. The poet seeks to find through the legendary epic poems the true Kalidasa whose tale is steeped in myths handed down over generations.
Through this exploration, ONV has made an attempt to create the idol of a true poet. This search is effected through the poems of Kalidasa, and I would call the truth that he elicits as poetic truth.” ONV’s interpretation lends a new dimension to the picture of Kalidasa, often painted as a weakling given to worldly pleasures. “That the works of literature he left behind are the greatest testimonies against such fictional stories is the counter argument that ONV presents to the readers while fleshing out a new and radiant poetic personality of Kalidasa.” The purpose of the task that the poet undertakes in ‘Ujjaini’ is to present this ideal poetic individuality, Madhusoodanan Nair explains. Political power structures and literary endeavours have been in conflict all through history. But the poet is endowed with the task of correcting the corruptible power echelons and instill in the machinery the ideals of a welfare state. By projecting Kalidasa as the ideal poet, Madhusoodanan Nair says ONV has metaphorically stated the true calling of an ideal poet.
“And on that score, the poem passes on a great message to the nation and the world at large.” Madhusoodanan Nair further elaborates the point by quoting poet Iqbal who said that nations are born in the minds of poets; they prosper and die in the hands of politicians. “The poet should be capable of imagining himself in the role of the ruler, only then will he be able to write about the ideal ruler who protects and nourishes the land and the subjects as Kalidasa does in his poems ‘Vikramorvaseeyam’ or ‘Malavikagnimitram’.
The ancient poet Abhinava Gupta has underscored the primacy of the concept of the ideal state that the poet creates in his mind - ‘Apare kavya samasare kavireka prajapatih’ - (the poet revels in the boundless realm of poetry and creates his own welfare state)," he says. Though Madhusoodanan Nair would vouch for ONV’s shorter poems for their simple beauty, or the narrative poem ‘Swayamvaram’ for its deep-seated reflection on the psyche of a woman, he attributes greater importance to ‘Ujjaini’ for its relevance in the strife-torn modern world. He has written elaborately on the poem in his book, ‘ONV Kavita - Eenavum Porulum’. “The poem offers a fresh look at a chapter of India’s history. And therefore it is of utmost significance as a literary document passed on to posterity.”
aswathy@expressbuzz.com
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