I've been meaning to write about this for more than a year, finally am geting around to do that now. Not sure if I'll finish this in one go. Since we (my better half and I) compiled the best SPB songs for my sister (who was a mega-fan of SPB), there is this song that I got re-engaged with.
Its the song. Ilakanam Maarudho from the movie (if I may say one of the outstanding movies of its time) Nizhal Nijamaagiradhu written by Kannadaasan, composed by MSV and sung by SPB and Vani Jairam. It is a song with so rich in meaning, depth that simply resonated with me. The movie itself was directed by K. Balachander and superb performances by everyone in the movie with stand-out brilliant performances by Hanumanthu and the outstanding Shobha (who went too soon!). Even the comedic track in that movie was well done by Moulee; if there is any ding in performance, probably the usual wooden presence of Sarath Babu
Anyways, this post is not about the movie, but about the song. Kannadasan's poetry; in the early part of the song - his command over the language and the philosophy shines through the song, specifically through use of homonyms early on and then later on just the depth.
The song itself is seen from the eyes of 4 main protoganist in the movie (Kamal, Sumithra, Hanumanthu and Shobha). In the movie, Shobha is an innocent child, gets pregnant - but is completely accepted by deaf/mute Hanumanthu who takes care of her; Kamal who is the main in the movie (like a narrator, where the story is seen through his eyes) is "in love" with Sumitra who hides her feeling for him, since she isn't sure if Kamal is the father of the child.
Here is the song itself and why I'm wow'ed by it.
இலக்கணம் மாறுதோ…ஓ ஓ ஓ ஓஓ
இலக்கணம் மாறுதோ இலக்கியம் ஆனதோ
இதுவரை நடித்தது அது என்ன வேடம்
இது என்ன பாடம் (இலக்கணம்)
The song starts of questioning if the Grammar (இலக்கணம் = ie what happens in as in daily lives around these four people) is morphing into a classic literature (இலக்கியம்), that potentially can live timelessly.
கல்லான முல்லை இன்றென்ன வாசம்
காற்றான ராகம் ஏன் இந்த கானம்
வெண்மேகம் அன்று கார்மேகம் இன்று
யார் சொல்லித் தந்தார் மழைக்காலம் என்று
மன்மதன் என்பவன் கண் திறந்தானோ
பெண்மை தந்தானோ (இலக்கணம்)
To me this is the weakest part of the poetry, relative to rest of it; standalone it probably is great writing - Perhaps the bard decided to warm up for what is to come next. This stanza is in the eyes of Kamal, perhaps narrating what his perspective about Sumitra is and start of his sub-conscious attaction to her.
என் வாழ்க்கை நதியில் கரை ஒன்று கண்டேன்
உன் நெஞ்சில் ஏனோ கறை ஒன்று கண்டேன்
புரியாததாலே திரை போட்டு வைத்தேன்
திரை போட்ட போதும் அணை போட்டதில்லை
மறைத்திடும் திரைதனை விலக்கி வைப்பாயோ, விளக்கி வைப்பாயோ
You can sense Kannadasan slowing amping it up here - with the use of homonyms - கரை / கறை and விளக்கி/விலக்கி. This Sumitra who has feelings for Kamal (கரை) but still isn't sure, if he is not the one who got Shobha pregnant (கறை) and is holding back here feelings; she is expecting Kamal to remove (விலக்கி) the invisible barrier between them by explaining (விளக்கி) it to her.
தள்ளாடும் பிள்ளை உள்ளமும் வெள்ளை
தாலாட்டுப்பாட ஆதாரம் இல்லை
தெய்வங்கள் எல்லாம் உனக்காக பாடும்
பாடாமல் போனால் எது தெய்வமாகும்
மறுபடி திறக்கும் உனக்கொரு பாதை
உரைப்பது கீதை………..
This is where Kannadasan begins his depth of thought. He sets up the character painting that of an innocent, child-like and with a pure heart. The he continues on his unyielding take on Divinity - Reading the line - "தெய்வங்கள் எல்லாம் உனக்காக பாடும் பாடாமல் போனால் எது தெய்வமாகும்" (The Gods will sing for you (innocents and pure souls) and if they don't would they be Gods?)- was something that made an anchoring impact in me - right from when I was a young boy in my teens. As I grew, I started realizing what it actually meant. It shifted my thinking recontextualizing divinity / Gods—not as an abstract power, but as a moral and ethical compass. Kannadasan's words were visceral to the extereme, but at minimum, unambiguous - true divinity cannot be passive; it must be an active participant speaking for the innocents and the powerless.
மணி ஓசை என்ன இடி ஓசை என்ன
எது வந்த போதும் நீ கேட்டதில்லை
நிழலாக வந்து அருள் செய்யும் தெய்வம்
நிஜமாக வந்து எனை காக்கக் கண்டேன்
நீ எது நான் எது ஏனிந்த சொந்தம்
பூர்வ ஜென்ம பந்தம்
ஆ ஆஆ ஆ ஆஆ ஆஆ ஆ (இலக்கணம்)
This is the last stanza of the song. Having driven the central theme Kannadasan yields a bit here. After establishing this unyielding, almost gold standard for divinity, his tone seems to soften. He appears to move from a philosophical absolute to a deeply personal confession. He writes:" (நிழலாக வந்து அருள் செய்யும் தெய்வம் நிஜமாக வந்து எனை காக்கக் கண்டேன்). I'm not clear if he is compromising on his compass of what God should be; it could also be his validation his premise - the God, that is just a whisper of an Idea, has now come in reality to protect. While at first, this might seem like a simple acknowledgment that 'Gods come in many forms.' But the specific words here, Kannadasn uses, are far more profound: he makes a crucial distinction between a god that is a 'shadow' (நிழலாக) and one that comes 'in reality' (நிஜமாக); and that reality is very much possible in our lives. To me, this resonates to me quite a bit, because several times in my own life, when I thought there are no ways out staring at wall in an alley, there was always something that showed up. That was my நிழல், out in real life being morphed into something (நிஜம்).
There are several times, when I hear this song on my long drives alone to work, when I hear those two lines, my eyes well up - so thankful to that shadow/reality who has been scaffolding me all these years and specifically the past 3 years and during my darkest hours.
Anyhow this has been a wonderful rediscovery of this song. The fact that SPB and Vani Jairam sang it so well, is just an incing on the cake. This has been my go-to song when I'm on my own for Caraoke - It has been so cathartic bawling out (to) the song !
