Stealing Hearts – Venkata Kavi’s Style

Many poets and composers have adopted a slightly critical and satirical tone while expressing reverence to their favourite God. That kind of ‘negative’ expression helps to highlight the proximity the composer feels with his God. Rajaji’s kuRai onRum illai and Saint Tyagaraja’s naa moralunu vini are classic examples. By juxtaposition, the flow of bhakti rasam becomes even more evident. A bond between the composer and his God is revealed when he adopts such a slightly sarcastic tone. This tone is slightly different from what is popularly known as “nindA stuti” where the composer praises God through apparent criticism. Tyagaraja’s “adigi sukhamu levvaranubhavinchirirA” (did anyone who approached you for comfort, get it?) would qualify for nindA stuti but “nee thAn mechchi kola vEndum” has a different hue.

“thiRai inRi niRkinRAi kaNNA, unnai maRai Odhum gnAniyar mattumE kANbAr” Rajaji veils his devotion by saying sarcastically that “you are standing in the open and yet only saints can see you” There is enough complaint in “....enRAlum kuRai onRum enakkillai kaNNA” . In naa moralunu vini, Tyagaraja even accuses his favourite God of taking a bribe from Gajendra and Draupadi for helping them but ignoring him! Pungent criticism and biting satire of the ways of the Lord! Papanasam Sivan queried “nAn oru viLaiyAttu bommaiyA…ammA ammA enRu alaRuvathai kEtka AnandhamA?”

But it will not be an exaggeration to say that it is Venkata Kavi who has composed the maximum number of songs using either veiled or explicit sarcasm to express his devotion. Venkata Kavi revels in such sarcasm while expressing his reverence to Krishna but all the while complaining about his mischiefs and antics. It is a form of adoration and the complaints belie the fondness of the composer towards his beloved Krishna. Many of his songs carry this overt sarcasm. Adum varai avar Adattum,  anRE nAn sonnathuthAnE, Asaiyinai pAradi, neethAn mechchi koLLa vEndum are typical examples.

Venkata Kavi drips with sarcasm as he lambasts Krishna “ingitham enRAlE vIsai enna vilai enRu kEtpAradi indhe mannan” and criticises Krishna openly “Asaikkum edhaRkum aLavuNdu ivanO aththanaiyum mIRuvAn. He reveals helplessness in “enRu nAm peN enRa peyar koNda nALO, anRE nAm kaNNanin adimai and “kAlam thavaRAthu kOL solla vandhu ninRa mAndharkku vidai solla nEramumillai”. The sarcasm takes very many forms but one never doubts the underlying reverence.

In the following song, the composer pours out the devotion and adoration in the form of complaint and lament. Venkata Kavi lets his imagination come out in full flow as he uses his prolific Tamil to telling effect, to describe the torment he is going through, on account of Krishna. The torment of a little boy stealing away his heart! Unadulterated love and affection being poured out in the form of expressing commiseration.

pallavi

vandhu kEtpAr illaiyO - en

manamAnathai oru siRuvan vandhu

vAri veNNai ena vizhungigiRAn idhai                                       (vandhu kEtpAr illaiyO)

anupallavi

nandhagOpan thanakku chella piLLai - AnAl

nadandhadhu ennavO naLLiravu koLLai

indha azhagil vERu peNgaludan shaLLai

ennavO pO en manam thAn  pOguthu koLLai                         (vandhu kEtpAr illaiyO)           

charaNam

vandhu piRakkum munnE mAman kAththirundhAn

manamAra peTRavarO dhaththu thanthirunthAr

vandha idaththil annai katti pOttirunthAL

adhai vattiyum mudhalumai pazhi vAnga vandhAn                             (vandhu kEtpAr illaiyO)

gAnak kuzhal onRu kannak kOl ayachchu

kannam vaiththa idam kAdhugaLaiyAchchu

anakkAval ainthum Adarangamachchu

andhandhO en manamellAm koLLai koLLaiyAga pochcu                     (vandhu kEtpAr illaiyO)

A thread of stealing, robbery and looting runs through the entire song. The poet begins by lamenting the fact that Krishna is stealing away his heart as though he is stealing a lump of butter. The attention is indirectly drawn, though no mention is directly made to the legend of Krishna stealing butter from the houses in Gokulam. The prank of stealing butter being compared to the stealing of one’s heart implies that Krishna resorted to both with equal ease.

The second reference to stealing or robbery is to the spiriting away of the child Krishna as soon as he was born, from the gaols of Mathura to Yasodha in Gokulam, in the middle of the night. Again, the repetition of the lament that his heart is also being stolen away, highlighting that this happens despite the fact that Krishna was a flirt, a not so noble trait. The rhyme on the ending words of anupallavi is very catchy - piLLai, koLLai, saLLai and koLLai again.

The first charanam is a veiled reference to the reasons why Krishna resorts to stealing – either stealing butter or stealing others’ hearts. Venkata Kavi imagines this as revenge extracted by Krishna for the poor treatment he had received from people who should have showered him with love. It is his justification for the actions of Krishna in resorting to stealing. First, his uncle who was waiting to kill the moment he is born – a welcome no child would want. Second his own father who gave him away in adoption. That it was done to save Krishna’s life is immaterial. What stands out is the desperate act of giving away. Finally, the foster mother Yashoda who tied him up, unable to control him otherwise!

The second charanam continues with the thread of stealing, with even more stress than what the anupallavi portrays. In addition, this stanza is accompanied by brilliant word play. Kavi likens the flute to an instrument with which thieves drill a hole in a house (kannakkOl). And the hole drilled by the robber (Krishna) is nothing but the ear, for listening to the divine music of the flute! The implication that Krishna is playing the flute with the intention of stealing hearts stands out.

The composer brings the song to a poignant conclusion by indicating total surrender, to Krishna and his music. The five senses Man possesses, control and protect an individual. But Venkata Kavi loses all his senses and is rendered powerless by the magic of Krishna’s flute. He goes to the extent of saying that his five senses have become an open theater - a performing stage where his senses dance, literally, to the tune of Krishna. Ultimately, he loses everything, his mind, his heart and even the senses - all having been stolen away by Krishna and the magic of his flute.

(This article was published in the October 2014 issue of Nadhabrahmam)