Kumaran Asan

N. Kumaran Asan (Malayalam:കുമാരനാശാന്‍) (1873–1924), also known as Mahakavi Kumaran Asan (the prefix Mahakavi awarded by Madras University in the year 1922 means "great poet" and the suffix Asan meaning scholar or teacher), was one of the triumvirate poets of Kerala, South India. He was also a philosopher, a social reformer and a disciple of Sree Narayana Guru.
Kumaran Asan initiated a revolution in Malayalam poetry in the first quarter of the 20th century, transforming it from the metaphysical to the lyrical. Deep moral and spiritual commitment is evident in Asan's poetry. His works are an eloquent testimony of poetic concentration and dramatic contextualization.
Asan was born in a merchant family belonging to the Ezhava community[citation needed] in April 1873 in Kayikkara village, Chirayinkeezhu taluk, north of Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, south India. Named Kumaru He was the second son in a family of nine children. His father, Narayanan Perungudi, was well versed in Malayalam and Tamil.His mother, Kaali. Asan inherited his taste for Kathakali and classical music. Kumaru trained in mathematics and Sanskrit for which he had a passion. Even though through his father's efforts, he got a job as a primary school teacher was not before and an accountant to a wholesaler at the age of 14, he quit the job two years later to pursue higher studies in Sanskrit. He undertook a studentship in poetry under Manamboor Govindan Asan. He wished to learn Yoga and Tantra and worked as an apprentice in a Muruga temple at Vakkom. It is said that the Muse of Poetry blessed him during this time. He composed a few devotional songs for the benefit of regular worshippers at this temple.
In 1917 Asan married Bhanumathiamma daughter of Thachakudy Kumaran - younger brother of Dr.P.Palpu's father. Asan had two sons, Prabhakaran and Sudhakaran. Bhanumathiamma, who was an active social worker, later remarried after Asan's untimely death. Bhanumathiamma died in 1975.

Works


Handwriting of Kumaran Asan : From the notebooks of Asan kept at Thonnakkal Asan museum
Sthothrakrithikal (1901)
This is a collection of poems. The poems published in this volume are longer than those published in Manimaala.
Saundaryalahari (1901)
Veenapoovu (1907)
Asan scripted this epoch-making poem in 1907 during his sojourn in Jain Medu, Palakkad.[1] A highly philosophical poem, ‘Veena Poovu’ is an allegory of the transience of the mortal world, which is depicted through the description of the varied stages in the life of a flower. Asan describes in such detail about its probable past and the position it held. It is an intense sarcasm on people on high powers/positions finally losing all those. The first word Ha, and the last word Kashtam of the entire poem is often considered as a symbolism of him calling the world outside "Ha! kashtam".
Oru Simhaprasavam (1909)
Nalini (Subtitle: Allengkil Oru Sneham) (1911)
Leela (1914)
A deep love story in which Leela leaves madanan, her lover and returns to find him in forest in a pathetic condition. She thus realizes the fundamental fact 'Mamsanibhadamalla ragam' (Love is not an artifact of flesh)
Sribuddhacharitham (1915)
This is an epic poem (perhaps Kumaran Asan's longest work), written in couplets and divided into five parts.
Baalaraamaayanam (1916)
This is a shorter epic poem consisting of 267 verses. Most of these verses are couplets, with the exception of the last three quatrains. There are, therefore, 540 lines in all.
Graamavrikshattile Kuyil (1918)
Prarodanam (1919)
Chintaavishtayaaya Sita (1919)
Pushpavaadi (1922)
Duravasthha (1922)
Chandaalabhikshuki (1922)
This poem, divided into four parts and consisting of couplets, describes an untouchable beggar-woman" (also the name of the poem) who approaches Lord Ananda near Sravasti.
Karuna (1923)
Manimaala (1924)
This is a collection of short poems.
Vanamaala (1925)
This is a larger collection of poems of varying length.
Kumaran Asan also wrote many other poems. Some of these poems are listed in the book Asante Padyakrthikal under the name "Mattu Krthikal" (Other Works):
Sadaachaarasathakam
Sariyaaya Parishkaranam
Bhaashaaposhinisabhayodu
Saamaanyadharmangal
Subrahmanyapanchakam
Mrthyanjayam
Pravaasakaalaththu Naattile Ormakal
This is another collection of poems that come from various letters Kumaran Asan wrote over the course of several years. None of the poems were longer than thirty-two lines.
Koottu Kavitha
The other poems are lesser known. Only a few of them have names:
Kavikalkkupadesam
Mangalam
Oru Kathth
This is another one of Asan's letter-poems.
Randu Aasamsaapadyangal

Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan

Thunjathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan (Malayalam: തുഞ്ചത്തു രാമാനുജന്‍ എഴുത്തച്ഛന്‍, Tuñchattŭ Rāmānujan Eḻuttacchan; also known as തുഞ്ചത്തെഴുത്തച്ഛന്‍, Tuñcatt-Eḻuttacchan) was an Indian poet from around the 16th century, known as the father of the Malayalam language — the principal language of the Indian state of Kerala, spoken by 36 million people in the world. In his era, Vattezhuttu, an old script originally used to write Tamil, was generally used in Kerala to write this language. However, he wrote his Malayalam poems in Arya-ezhuttu, a Grantha-based script originally used to write Sanskrit, so that he could accurately transliterate Sanskrit words into Malayalam. His works became unprecedentedly popular, which popularized the writing system adopted by him, and it is the current Malayalam alphabet.

He was born in Trikkantiyur (തൃക്കണ്ടിയൂര്, Tr̥kkaṇṭiyūr), in the town of Tirur, in Kerala. At that time, it was a part of Vettattnad. His personal name is Ramanujan. Thunchaththu is his “family name”, and Ezhuthachan (schoolmaster) is an honorific title or the last name indicating his caste. His name is transliterated in several ways, including Thunchath Ezhuthachan, Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, and Thunjath Ezhuthachan.

Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan lived in the 19th century, He was born at Trikkantiyur (Trkkantiyur) in the Tirur municipality, Malappuram, Kerala, India. His birthplace is now known as Thunjan Parambu.

According to Arthur Coke Burnell, he was “a low-caste man who goes under the name Tunjatta Eḻuttacchan, a native of Trikkaṇḍiyûr in the present [1874] district of Malabar. He lived in the seventeenth century, but his real name is forgotten; Tunjatta being his ‘house’ or family-name, and Eḻuttacchan (=schoolmaster) indicating his caste”. In 1865, Burnell saw the manuscript of the Bhagavata translated and adapted by Thunchaththu, allegedly copied by his sister, preserved at Puzhakkal in the Chittur taluk, and wrote in his book published in 1874: “The author’s stool, clogs, and staff are preserved in the same place; it thus looks as if Tunjatta Eḻuttaččhan was a sannyâsi of some order.” Some sources[who?] state that he was born into a Chakkala Nair family, held low among Savarna Hindu caste system of Kerala and among the Nair caste. Some apocryphal legends have that Ezhuthachan's father was a Namboodiri. That version is unhistoric. A few sources claim that he was of the Ezhuthachan caste. A. C. Burnell, a noted Indologist, categorically stated that Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan belongs to the Ezhuthachan caste only. He had stated this when he edited an article written by another important scholar, F. W. Ellis, when he published an article in Indian Antiquery in 1878 after the death of linguist Ellis. In that path-breaking article Ellis articulated the evolution of Malayalam ("Malayanma") and other south Indian languages.

Ellis stated:

"A Brahman without a father must be born of an unmarried female of that tribe, whose celibacy ought to have been inviolate: he is considered, therefore, illegitimate, and has scarcely an assignable place in society. Elutt' Achan, or the 'Father of Letters', was a Brahman without a father, and on that account has no patronymic ... The Brahmans envied his genius and are said to have seduced him by the arts of sorcery into the habit of ebriety ... he enriched the Malayalam with the translations, all of which, it is said, he composed under the immediate influence of intoxication."

To which Brunell added the footnote:

"Eluttachchan lived in the 17th century; there is no reason for supposing that he was a Brahman father's illegitimate son; he was certainly an Eluttachchan (or schoolmaster) by caste."

Great Malayalam poet and historian Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer concludes Ezhuthachan as either Chakkala Nair or Vattekattu Nair. Sri K. Balakrishna kurup in his famous book Viswathinte Kanappurangal published by Mathrubhumi printing and publishing company Kozhikode had stated that Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan belongs to Ezhuthachan caste. Prof. T. B. Vijayakumar, a noted scholar and historian who wrote many articles in prestigious journals, like Mathrubhumi Weekly, also stated that Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan belongs to the Ezhuthachan caste.

In nutshell, Ezhuthachan was a Kaniyan by caste and had the title Ezhuthu Asan in relation to his teaching service in Ezhuthupalli. In the pre- and early-British ruling era of Kerala, the Kaniyans (traditional astrologers) were the only class who had undertaken the role of teaching letters, grammar, Sanskrit and literature to non-Brahmin communities. So they were known Ezhuthu Asan (Ezhuthachan in the vernacular) but, later, this professional name was adopted by the descendants of families of non-Brahmin disciples of Thunchat Ezhutahchan as a special caste or class. Most of these people were from the Chakkala Nair and Kadupattan castes.

Census reports from 1870 onwards show the Ezhuthachan caste as low Sudra caste.

Mahakavi Kodungallore Kunhikuttan Thampuran, a titan among poets who singlehandedly translated entire Mahabharatham into Malayalam vernacular within short span, stated in an article in a literary journal, Rasikaranjini (edited by himself) that Thunchath Ezhuthachan belonged to Ezhuthachan Caste only.

Father of Malayalam language

According to Dr. K. N. Ezhuthachan, noted scholar, writer, essayist, poet, only Ramayanam and Bharatham belong to him. Others, usually attributed to him, were not really his. According to Dr Ezhuthachan even Uththara ramayanam is not his. Its composition lacks Ezhuthachan's stamp and genius. There may have been many popular keerthanas, namam or japam by other poets, but it was impossible to find a single house in Kerala without Ezhuthachan's Adhyathmaramayanam during those dark times of war, disease and famine.

There is no doubt about his contribution to the literary level of the common man. Ezhuthachan taught the people to respect and worship the language and the alphabet, a level of culture which is difficult to find even in the modern era. He refined the Malayalam language style and wrote his works for ordinary people, incorporating whatever is good with a strong sense of righteousness and worship. His contribution to the Malayalam language through the Adhyatmaramayanam (a translation of the Ramayana and Mahabharatham (a translation of the Mahabharata) is unparalleled, and his contribution in the cultural level is immense. His chief original works are said to include the:

Keralolpathi

Hari Nama Keerthanam (the song of the holy vame "Hari")

Ganapatistavam

Kilippatu Prasthanam

Devi Mahathmayam

Kerala Natakam

Harihara Sudham

"...[T]he phrase ‘father of language’ is a symbolic reference. Language represents culture. So Ezhuthachan is in fact denoting culture. He shone as a brilliant star above our culture. He renovated the alphabets of heart. We see the light of conscience and moderation in Ezhuthachan. We call him ‘the father of Malayalam language’ because he led the language to a new dimension." — Chattanath Achuthanunni, chair, Thunjan Festival meeting (1998)

The Thunjan Parambu

It was in the Thunjan Parambu that Ezhuthachan modified the Malayalam alphabet and wrote the Hari Nama Keerthanam to popularize the 51-letter alphabet. Even centuries after these events, people from around the state come to take sand from the Thunjan Parambu to use in the initiation of their children to the alphabet. Every year, hundreds of people bring their children to Thunjan Parambu to write their first letters during the Vijayadasami festival which falls in October–November. Children are initiated to the world of letters by masters, teachers or parents by holding their fingers and writing the letters in a plate filled with rice. The letters will also be written in their tongues with a golden ring. They write:

"Anpathoraksharavum oronnithenmozhiyil

Anpodu cherkka Hari Narayanaya Nama" — Hari Nama Keerthanam 14th stanza

There is no controversy that the great teacher was the strongest sponsor of the 51-letter alphabet for Malayalam instead of the 30-letter Vattezhuthu.

O. N. V. Kurup

Ottaplakkal Nambiyadikkal Velu Kurup (Malayalam: ഒറ്റപ്ലാക്കല്‍ നമ്പിയാടിക്കൽ വേലു കുറുപ്പ്), popularly known as O. N. V. Kurup or simply O. N. V., is a Malayalam poet and lyricist from Kerala, India, who won Jnanpith Award,the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He is considered one of the finest living lyrical poets in India. O. N. V. Kurup is also a lyricist in Malayalam cinema. He received the awards Padma Shri in 1998 and Padma Vibhushan in 2011, the fourth and second highest civilian honours from the Government of India. In 2007 he was bestowed an Honorary Doctorate by University of Kerala, Trivandrum. O. N. V. is known for his leftist leaning. He was the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency for the Lok-Sabha elections in 1989.
Kurup was born to O. N. Krishna Kurup and K. Lakshmikutty Amma, on May 27, 1931 at Chavara, Kollam in Kerala.[4] He lost his father when he was eight. His childhood days were spent in the village where he attended the public 'Government School, Chavara'. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in Economics from SN College, Kollam, he moved to Thiruvananthapuram city (Trivandrum) where he joined Travancore University (now Kerala University) and pursued Master of Arts (postgraduate) in Malayalam literature.

O.N.V. was a lecturer at Maharajas College - Ernakulam, University College - Trivandrum, Arts and Science College - Kozhikode, and Brennen College - Thalassery. He joined Government Women's College - Trivandrum as the Head of Malayalam Department. He was also a visiting professor at Calicut University. He retired from service in 1986.

He received the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honour, for the year 2007. He is the fifth Jnanpith laureate from Kerala and the second Malayalam poet to win the prestigious award. According to a statement by Bharatiya Jnanpith, the trust which presents the award, Kurup began his career as a "progressive writer and matured into a humanist though he never gave up his commitment to socialist ideology".

He is now settled in Vazhuthacaud in Thiruvanathapuram, with his wife Sarojini, son Rajeev, and daughter Mayadevi.
O. N. V.'s first published poem was 'Munnottu' (Forward) which appeared in a local weekly in 1946. His first poetry collection named Porutunna Soundaryam, came out in 1949. He published a book named Dahikunna Panapatram (The Thirsty Chalice) which was a collection of his early poems during 1946-1956.

P. Kunhiraman Nair

P. Kunhiraman Nair (4 November 1906 – 27 May 1978), also known as Mahakavi P, was a renowned Malayalam poet whose works romanticised the natural beauty of his home state of Kerala in southern India and juxtaposed it with the hard realities of his life and times.

Born in Bellikoth near Kanhangad of North Malabar, P., as he is known (simply by his initial), led a Bohemian lifestyle, wandering across Kerala, living in several places, meeting their people and making them part of his life and literature. He worked as a school teacher, having taught at Koodali near Kannur and Kollengode in Palakkad district.

Poetry formed his main genre of work (it isn't exactly known how many poems he penned during his half-a-century career as many are irretrievably lost), though he has also penned stories, articles and a few plays. His autobiography, 'Kaviyude Kaalpaadukal' (The Footmarks of a Poet), is one of the celebrated works in prose in Malayalam.

The central Kerala belt of Valluvanad, known for its scenic charm and cultural vibrancy, worked as a major source of inspiration for the poet, who lived there for long—partly as a family man. His works are also dotted with metaphors from Kathakali, the classical dance-drama of his region.

Kunhiraman Nair was an award winner of both the Kerala Sahithya Akademi and the Kendra Sahithya Academy Award.

Also proficient in Sanskrit, Kunhiraman Nair initially worked at a printing press in Thrissur for a few years. Later, he published a newspaper from Kannur, before taking to teaching job and gaining name as 'Kavimaash' (poet teacher) among children. He retired from service in 1961. A sudden bout of illness claimed his life on May 27, 1978, when the poet was staying in a rest house in Thiruvananthapuram.

Poetry

Kaliyachhan (Oriental Dance teacher, 1954)
Onassadya (Onam Feast, 1960)
Pookkalam (spring, 1964)
Thaamarathoni (Lotus Boat, 1966)
Vasantholsavam (Spring Festival, 1972)
Chilamboli (Tinkling of the Anklet Bells, 1974)
Ratholsavam (Chariot Festival - 2 volumes, 1978)
Thamarathen ( Honey of the Lotus, 1983)

Stories

Indira
Chaaithraraksha
Nirmala
Ramabai
Veerapratinha

Plays

Rangamandapam (Stage Canopy, 1956)
Upaasana (Worship, 1958)
Swapnasanchari
Poonilaavu
Chandramandalam
Essays

Vichaaravibhaatam
Satyaraksha

Autobiography

Kaviyude kalpadukal(Footprints of poet)
Ennethirayunna njan(I searching myself)

Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon

Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon (11 May 1911 – 22 December 1985) was a renowned Indian poet of Kerala. He was born on 11 May 1911 in Kaloor in the Ernakulam district. After taking his bachelors degree in science he took B.T. and joined as teacher in government service in 1931.

He started writing under the pen name 'Sree' and his very first collection 'Kannikkoythu' (Maiden Harvest), which came out in 1947, attracted the attention of critics by its innovative style free from the clutches of the Romantic tradition. He was associated with Samastha Kerala Sahithya Parishath the biggest forum for Malayalam writers at that time, for more than 10 years. He represented Kerala in the national poets' meetings held at Delhi (1951 and 1969) and Bangalore (1965). In 1970 he toured the Soviet union. He was the first President of Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham, a forum of progressive writers led by leftist intellectuals and artists.[1]

He is considered by literary historians as one of the major voices in Malayalam poetry who marked the transition from the Romantic to the modern era. A scientific insight into the historical roots of social evolution and a deeper understanding of the psychological undercurrents of the human mind characterise his poetry. His mastery of the medium is evident in all his poems both lyrical and narrative.[2]

Many critics consider the long poem Kudiyozhikkal (Eviction of the tenant) as his magnum opus. In the prefatory lines to the poem the poet says: "Punchiri! Ha, Kuleenamam kallam. Nenchu keeri njan nerinekkattaam" (The smile! Oh, It's but a noble lie. Let me tear open my chest and show you the truth). The poem is a ruthless self-examination of a middle class land owner who realizes that the future belongs not to himself but to his poor tenant whom he despises at heart.[3][4]

He died on December 22, 1985 and his body was cremated on the banks of river Bharathappuzha (also called 'Nila'), as he had wished.

Awards and honors

Madras Government Award
M. P. Paul prize
Kerala Sahithya Academy Award (1965) for Kaipavallari
Kendra Sahithya Academy Award (1972) for Vida
Vayalar Award (1981) for Makarakoythu
Sovietland Nehru Award (1964)
Odakkuzhal Award

Selected works

Kannikoythu
Sreerekha
Onappatukar
Makarakoythu
Vithum Kaikkottum
Vida
Kaipavallari
kadalkkakkakal
Kuruvikal
Kudiyozhikkal
Minnaminni
Pachakkuthira
Mukulamala
Krishnamrigangal
Charithrathile Charudrisyam
Anthi Chayunnu
Kunnimanikal
Risyasringanum Alexandarum (Play)
Kavyalokasmaranakal (Autobiography)
Mambazham