THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘Thanatta Suthra’, a prosody introduced by an unconventional linguist to help learn the rhythmic pattern of Malayalam poetry in an easier way, is yet to gain popularity.
Though Poovathur Bhargavan, 78, got it published with the assistance of the Department of Culture of the state government in 2004, no effort had been made by the State Institute of Languages or any other recognised agencies to popularise it.
Compared to poet and grammatician A R Rajaraja Varma’s contributions in this sector, Bhargavan’s ‘Thanatta Suthra’ makes the study of prosody an easy affair. ‘Thanatta Suthra’ is distinct as it focuses on the metrical pattern of poetry. It focuses on rhythm.
“It is a simple but novel way of learning prosody. ‘Thannatta Suthra’ is based on a vision that everything is based on Sankhya philosophy,” Bhargavan said.
For learning the prosody of Malayalam, he emphasises the relation between ‘Mathra’ (metre) and ‘Thala’ (rhythm).
Instead of learning by heart all the characteristics of prosody described in detail by Raja Raja Varma, Bhargavan shows an easy way.
For instance, learning ‘Keka’, a ‘vritham’, is very simple. Normally to learn Keka Vritam the rule goes like “Moonum randum, randum moonum, randum randenna ezhuthukkal pathinalinu aaru ganam padam randilum.......padadi porutham ithu Kekaya”.
But in ‘Thannatta Suthra’, ‘Thithakatheyyam theyyam’ x 2 makes one line of a poem in Keka vritha. For Kakali vritham, it is ‘thithakam’ x 4. For Manjari Vritham- Thithayyam x 6 + thithitheyyam x 1. Thitthitheyyam x 6 +thithakatheyyam x1 makes Nathonnatha vritham. The same way he has introduced 64 Suthras.
‘Thanatta Suthra’ contains a line comprising of just a single ‘mathra’ to denote 58 ‘mathras’.
Using basic sounds such as ‘Tha’ and ‘na’, ‘Thanatta Suthra’ helps learners to find the right ‘vritha’. Bhargavan says learning the ‘Suthra’ will help aspiring poets to write poems based on the right rhythmic and metrical pattern.
A scholar of Upanishads, Vedas and epics, Bhargavan, however, could not complete his formal education.
“It was English language which stood as a barrier to me,” he says.
Though he has translated over 10 Upanishads such as Brahmavidyopanishats, Brahmabindupanishats, Sreekrishnopanishats and Ananthasyanopanishats, he had no access to the publishers.
Bhargavan’s masterpiece is ‘Gurudeva Bhagavatham’ written on the ‘Kilippattu’ style along the lines of Sreemad Bhagavatham. He said though he had sought the assistance of SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan to publish the book, the latter’s response was disappointing.
Following this, Bhargavan’s son Chithrasenan, an employee at the Government Secretariat, availed of a loan of Rs. 3 lakh to publish the book on their own.
Recently, the authorities at Sanskrit College invited him to deliver a lecture on the subject.
His only hope is that the authorities concerned will take note of his efforts and get the books published at the earliest.
“I do not want any remuneration. I wish someone will publish my works for the future generation,” he says.
Bhargavan ekes out a living by teaching in parallel colleges and conducting ‘Sapthaha yagnas’.