‘Jnanappana’ by Poonthanam Nampoothiri eulogising Krishna written long back in the 16th century is still etched in the minds of Malayalis. The poem that can be rightly called the Bhagavad Gita of Malayalees is remarkable for its lucid style and rhythm that makes the lyrics of it a part of our quotidian life.
To widen the scope of the work of art, veteran litterateur A R Narayanan, has translated the poem into English, titled ‘Chalice of Knowledge’. In a function held in Kochi on Wednesday, Justice V R Krishna Iyer released the book, presenting a copy to former Justice K Narayana Kurup.
“The philosophical overtones recurrent throughout the work sets ‘Jnanappana’ apart from other books. Along with insights on Indian philosophy, the work also puts forth a beautiful way to live. People often consider texts like ‘Jnanappana’ as a spiritual work, often forgetting that they are reservoirs of knowledge that gives us valuable lessons on how to live and even to confront death,” says 73-year-old Narayanan, who leads his retired life in Thripunithura.
‘Jnanappana’ has been translated before. But what distinguishes the new version apart is that it has been translated in the same meter, says the translator. He says, “It was Poonthanam who discovered ‘paanavrutham’ in which the poem has been written. I followed the same style. Therefore the readers can recite it in the same tune in which they recite it in Malayalam.”
The poet who took more than one year to translate the work says, “It was an enlightening experience after which I am planning to translate more such works into other languages. I find it a challenging task as most of the works are rich in philosophy and psychology.”
Narayanan who has retired as a managing consultant from Chennai is right now engrossed in the translation of a few more texts. A couplet named ‘Truth and the Myth’ written a few years back is his major work.
Right now he is engaged in the translation of ‘Harinamakeerthanam’ and ‘Bhagavadgeetha’. The latest book to hit the market is the translation of ‘Punyaham’ by lyricist and poet Bichu Thirumala.