Chinnaswami Subramania Bharathi (11 December 1882 – 11 September 1921) was an
Indian writer, poet, journalist,
Indian independence activist and social reformer from
Tamil Nadu. Popularly known as "Mahakavi Bharathi", he was a pioneer of modern Tamil poetry and is considered one of the greatest Tamil literary figures of all time. His numerous works were fiery songs kindling patriotism and nationalism during the
Indian Independence movement.
[1]
Bharathi's works were on varied themes covering religious, political and social aspects. Songs penned by Bharathi are widely used in Tamil films and music concerts.
Early life[edit]
Bharathi was born to Chinnasami Subramanya Iyer and Lakhsmiammaal as Subbayya on 11 December 1882 in the village of
Ettayapuram. He was educated at a local high school called The M.D.T. Hindu College in
Tirunelveli. From a very young age he learnt music and at eleven, he learnt poetry. It was during this time that he was conferred the title of "Bharathi", the one blessed by
Saraswati, the goddess of learning. Bharati lost his mother at the age of five and his father at the age of sixteen. He married Chellamma who was seven years old when he was fourteen years old. He was brought up by his father who wanted him to learn English, excel in arithmetic, and become an engineer.
[2][3] Through his great efforts he learnt 32 languages (29 Indian languages and 3 foreign languages).
During his stay in
Varanasi, Bharati was exposed to
Hindu spirituality and nationalism. This broadened his outlook and he learned Sanskrit, Hindi and English. In addition, he changed his outward appearance. He also grew a beard and wore a turban. Though he passed an entrance exam for a job, he returned to Ettayapuram during 1901 and started as the court poet of Raja of Ettayapuram for a couple of years. He was a Tamil teacher from August to November 1904 in Sethupathy High School in Madurai.
[3] During this period, Bharati understood the need to be well-informed of the world outside and took interest in the world of journalism and the print media of the West. Bharati joined as Assistant Editor of the
Swadeshamitran, a Tamil daily in 1904. In December 1905, he attended the All India Congress session held in Benaras. On his journey back home, he met
Sister Nivedita, Swami
Vivekananda's spiritual heir. She inspired Bharati to recognise the privileges of women and the emancipation of women exercised Bharati's mind. He visualised the new woman as an emanation of Shakti, a willing helpmate of man to build a new earth through co-operative endeavour. He considered Nivedita as his
Guruand penned a couple of lyrics praising her. He attended the Indian National Congress session in Calcutta under Dadabhai Naoiroji, which demanded
Swaraj and boycott of British goods.
[3]
By April 1907, he started editing the Tamil weekly
India and the English newspaper
Bala Bharatham with
M.P.T. Acharya. These newspapers were also a means of expressing Bharati's creativity, which began to peak during this period. Bharati started to publish his poems regularly in these editions. From hymns to nationalistic writings, from contemplations on the relationship between God and Man to songs on the
Russian and
French revolutions, Bharati's subjects were diverse.
[2]
Bharati participated in the historic Surat Congress in 1907 along with V.O. Chidambaram Pillai and Mandayam Srinivachariar, which deepened the divisions within the
Indian National Congress between the militant wing led by
Tilak and
Aurobindo and the moderate wing. Bharati supported Tilak and Aurobindo together with
V. O. Chidambaram Pillaiand Kanchi Varathaachariyar. Tilak openly supported armed resistance against the British.
[3]
Cover page of the 1909 magazine
Vijaya, published first from
Madras and then from
Pondicherry.
In 1908, he gave evidence in the case which had been instituted by the British against V.O. Chidambaram Pillai. In the same year, the proprietor of the journal
India was arrested in
Madras. Faced with the prospect of arrest, Bharati escaped to
Pondicherry which was under French rule.
[4] From there he edited and published the weekly journal
India,
Vijaya, a Tamil daily,
Bala Bharatha, an English monthly, and
Suryothayam, a local weekly in Pondicherry. The British tried to suppress Bharati's output by stopping remittances and letters to the papers. Both
India and
Vijaya were banned in India in 1909.
[3]
During his exile, Bharati had the opportunity to meet many other leaders of the revolutionary wing of the Independence movement like
Aurobindo,
Lajpat Rai and V.V.S. Aiyar, who had also sought asylum under the French. Bharati assisted Aurobindo in the
Arya journal and later
Karma Yogi in Pondicherry.
[2] This was also the period when he started learning Vedic literature. Three of his greatest works namely,
Kuyil Pattu,
Panchali Sabatham and
Kannan Pattu were composed during 1912. He also translated Vedic hymns, Patanjali's
Yoga Sutra and
Bhagavat Gita to Tamil.
[3] Bharati entered India near
Cuddalore in November 1918 and was promptly arrested. He was imprisoned in the Central prison in Cuddalore in custody for three weeks from 20 November to 14 December and was released after the intervention of
Annie Besant and
C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar. He was stricken by poverty during this period, resulting in his ill health. The following year, 1919, Bharati met
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He resumed editing
Swadesimeitran from 1920 in
Madras (modern day
Chennai).
[5]
Later years and death[edit]
Bharati's birth home at Ettayapuram has been renovated by Tamil Nadu government and open to the public
He was badly affected by the imprisonments and by 1920, when a General Amnesty Order finally removed restrictions on his movements, Bharati was already struggling. He was struck by an elephant named Lavanya at
Parthasarathy temple,
Triplicane,
Chennai, whom he used to feed regularly. Although he survived the incident, a few months later his health deteriorated and he died on 12 September 1921 early morning around 1 am. Though Bharati was considered a people's poet, a great nationalist, outstanding freedom fighter and social visionary, it was recorded that there were only 14 people to attend his funeral. He delivered his last speech at Karungalpalayam Library in Erode, which was about the topic
Man is Immortal.
[6] The last years of his life were spent in a house in
Triplicane, Chennai. The house was bought and renovated by the
Government of Tamil Nadu in 1993 and named Bharati Illam (Home of Bharati).
[citation needed]
Subramania Bharati's poem Ninnai charan adaindhen song
Bharati is considered as one of the pioneers of modern Tamil literature.
[7] Bharati used simple words and rhythms, unlike his previous century works in Tamil, which had complex vocabulary. He also employed novel ideas and techniques in his devotional poems.
[1] He used a metre called
Nondi Chindu in most of his works, which was earlier used by Gopalakrisha Bharathiyar.
[8]
quote he was a gud man in the world.matter whatever befalls him and however much he suffers, will at the end attain honour and happiness.
[9]
Bharati's poetry expressed a progressive, reformist ideal. His imagery and the vigour of his verse were a forerunner to modern Tamil poetry in different aspects. He was the forerunner of a forceful kind of poetry that combined classical and contemporary elements. He had a prodigious output penning thousands of verses on diverse topics like Indian Nationalism, love songs, children's songs, songs of nature, glory of the
Tamil language, and odes to prominent freedom fighters of India like
Tilak,
Gandhi and
Lajpat Rai. He even penned an ode to New Russia and
Belgium. His poetry not only includes works on Hindu deities like Shakti, Kali, Vinayagar, Murugan, Sivan, Kannan(Krishna), but also on other religious gods like
Allah and Jesus. His insightful similies have been read by millions of
Tamil readers. He was well-versed in various languages and translated speeches of Indian National reform leaders like Aurabindo, Bala Gangadar Tilak and Swami Vivekananda.
[5]
He describes the dance of Shakthi in the following lines:
Tamil
சக்திப் பேய் தான் தலையொடு தலைகள் முட்டிச்
சட்டச் சட சட சடவென்றுடைபடு தாளம் கொட்டி அங்கே
எத்திகினிலும் நின்விழி அனல் போய் எட்டித்
தானே எரியும் கோலம் கண்டே சாகும் காலம்
அன்னை அன்னை
ஆடுங்கூத்தை நாடச் செய்தாய் என்னை
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In Bharathiyaar's
Panchali sapatham, he compares Panchaali (
Draupadi) with
Bharata matha, the
Paandavas with the Indians, the
Kauravas with the British and the
Kurukshetrawar of
Mahabharat to that of the Indian freedom struggle. He visualised Draupadi to India and Indian women, who were held by slavery and social clutches of the society.
[2][3]
Tamil
பட்டினில் உடையும் பஞ்சினில் ஆடையும்
பண்ணி மலைகளென வீதி குவிப்போம்
கட்டித் திரவியங்கள் கொண்டு வருவார்
காசினி வணிகருக்கு அவை கொடுப்போம்
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[English Translation]
We make Dresses from Silk and Cotton
In quantities as large as mountains
They bring lot of wealth
The traders around the world, to whom we give it(dresses)
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He is known to have said, "Even if Indians are divided, they are children of one Mother, where is the need for foreigners to interfere?" In the period 1910–1920, he wrote about a new and free India where there are no castes. He talks of building up India's defense, her ships sailing the high seas, success in manufacturing and universal education. He calls for sharing amongst states with wonderful imagery like the diversion of excess water of the
Bengal delta to needy regions and a bridge to
Sri Lanka.
Bharati also wanted to abolish starvation. He sang, "Thani manithanakku unavu illayenil e jagaththinai azhithiduvom" translated as " If one single man suffers from starvation, we [Tamilians] will destroy the entire world"
Bharati on feminism[edit]
The new age women will learn many intellectual texts. They will set the base for many scientific discoveries that facilitate human life. They will expunge all backward superstitions in the society. They will, all the same, be devoted to God and present all achievements of mankind as a tribute to God. They will earn good name from men.
Bharati is considered the first to have advocated and campaigned for women's participation in politics. He advocated greater rights for women and their education. He visualised a modern Indian woman at the vanguard of society. He was of the strong opinion that the world will prosper in knowledge and intellect if both men and women are deemed equal. He condemned the
Shashtras, the procedures formulated by some orthodox Hindus and weren't held as holy by most Hindus, that suppressed women's rights. Most of his views are considered contemporary even in modern times.
[10]
Bharati on caste system[edit]
Bharati also fought against the
caste system in Hindu society. Although born into an orthodox
Brahmin family, he gave up his own caste identity. He considered all living beings as equal and to illustrate this he performed the
upanayanam for a young
Dalit man and made him a
Brahmin. He also scorned the divisive tendencies being imparted into the younger generations by their elderly tutors during his time. He openly criticised the preachers for mixing their individual thoughts while teaching the
Vedas and the
Gita. He strongly advocated bringing the
Dalits to the Hindu mainstream.
Tamil
சாதிகள் இல்லையடி பாப்பா!-குலத்
தாழ்ச்சி உயர்ச்சி சொல்லல் பாவம்;
நீதி உயர்ந்த மதி, கல்வி-அன்பு
நிறைய உடையவர்கள் மேலோர்."
|
[English Translation]
There is no caste system.
It is a sin to divide people on caste basis.
The ones who are really of a superior class are the ones
excelling in being just, wise, educated and loving.
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In March 2013,
SS Music and
Ayngaran International noted British singer
Adele's song "
Skyfall"'s similarities to Bharati's poem
Achamillai Achamillai, which contains the lyrics "
Uchchi Meedhu Vaan Idindhu Veezhugindra Podhinum, Achcham Illai Achcham Illai Achcham Enbadhillaiyae", which loosely translate "Skyfall"'s lyrics, "Let the sky fall, when it crumbles, we will stand tall and face it all together."
[16][17]
