Musings on the Life & Times of Chinnaswamy Subramania Bharathi Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan 32

Musings on the Life & Times of Chinnaswamy Subramania Bharathi
Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan
32

Bharathi lived for almost one fourth of his life time on this earth at Pondicherry. And that too at the prime of his youth and the most productive phase his poetic career. And meeting Aurobindo Ghosh who landed in Pondicherry on being acquitted of Sedition charges in the Alipore case,emulating the example of Bharathi, was a huge highlight. And add the potion of Va. Ve. Su who too landed up there. Va. Ra.who was the obvious fly on the wall listened on in on these greats. What a fascinating and illuminating time Va.Ra. must have had. Necessarily therefore these musings may have to stay longer in course on the Bharathi-Aurobindo tete tete.

The most profitable years of Bharati’s life were the ten years spent in Pondicherry. The poet, the philosopher and the patriot in him flourished through the most difficult but wonderful years in Pondicherry. He had a large circle of friends whose influence on him is marked. He was fortunate to have Sri Aurobindo’s friendship at this time. As it turned out, this proved the greatest influence on his spiritual growth. The two of them joined together in reading and doing extensive research on the Vedas. They read almost all the originals along with the available interpretations. Bharati translated some of the Veda mantras in Tamil, which is truly an extraordinary piece of work.

Nolini Kanta Gupta, one of the close disciples of Sri Aurobindo writes:

“At one time, one of our main subjects of study was the Veda. This went on for several months, for about an hour every evening, at the Guest House. Sri Aurobindo came and took his seat at the table and we sat around. Subramanya Bharati the Tamil poet and myself were the two who showed the keenest interest. Sri Aurobindo would take up a hymn from the Rigveda, read it aloud once, explain the meaning of every line and phrase and finally give a full translation. I used to take notes. There are many words in the Rigveda whose derivation is doubtful and open to differences of opinion. In such cases, Sri Aurobindo used to say that the particular meaning he gave was only provisional and that the matter could be finally decided only after considering it in all the contexts in which the word occurred. His own method of interpreting the Rigveda was this: on reading the text he found its true meaning by direct intuitive vision through an inner concentration in the first instance, and then he would give it an external verification in the light of reason, making the necessary changes accordingly.”

Amrita, another disciple of Sri Aurobindo writes:

“Because of Bharati’s association with Sri Aurobindo and his immense respect and devotion for him, I felt in me a great inexplicable attraction to Bharati. Every evening, a little after dark, Bharati would go to Sri Aurobindo’s house. He chose that time not with the purpose of avoiding people who would want to make a note of his visit. It was because Sri Aurobindo used to come out of his room and receive his friends only after seven in the evening. An exception, however, was made for close friends like Bharati and Srinivasachari, who, at a very urgent need, could see him at any time of the day. Their visits to Sri Aurobindo’s house after seven had become a regular affair. Bharati would visit without fail; it was not so with Srinivasachari, however. There was hardly any subject which they did not talk about in their meetings at night. They discussed literature, society, politics, the various arts; they exchanged stories, even cracked jokes, and had a lot of fun. In the absence of Srinivasachari their talks would no doubt disregard all limits of sect or cult. In Bharati’s absence, Sri Aurobindo’s talks with the inmates of the house at dinnertime would reach the height of the humorous. That apart, I heard people say that Bharati and others would return home by eight-thirty or nine at night and carry in their hearts lovingly whatever share of the divine riches they had the capacity to receive. In consequence of their inner and outer change they would find the exterior world also changed the next morning. A long time after, I too had a little of this mystic experience. But now as I cast a retrospective look, I perceive that the past was in a way a period of tapasya before reaching the Gurudeva.

As I said, not a single evening would pass without Bharati’s calling on Sri Aurobindo. Bharati delighted in pouring out to Sri Aurobindo all that he had read in the dailies, all about local affairs and happenings in the suburbs. And if, however, Sri Aurobindo made comments on one or two of the points raised, his joy would know no bounds.

On his way to Sri Aurobindo’s house, Bharati would first call at Srinivasachari’s, go with him to the beach, stay there till 7 p.m., and then make for Sri Aurobindo’s house. The three together would jocularly discuss a variety of subjects. Bharati, on his way back, would often halt for a while at Srinivasachari’s and then go home. As soon as they reached home from Sri Aurobindo’s, the people assembled there would put the identical question: “What did Sri Aurobindo say today?” It was as though the Jivatman wanted to know the Will of the Paramatman.”

Bharati lived in Pondicherry till 1916. He returned to British India and continued writing inspiring poetry and his love of India became more intense. He was a great devotee of Shakthi and he strove to possess in his soul, spirit, body and mind, great vigour and strength, and attaining this became the chief aim of his life. But along with Shakti, he also aspired for Bhakti and Knowledge. All this he poured out in celestial poetry which inspired the youth. He believed that India could lead the world in many respects and knew that in order to do that India must first herself become free. Till the end of his life he strove to awaken the people of India to her great mission. He died on 11 September 1921.

Bharati was inspired by the passion for freedom; indeed to him freedom was the very breath of his life. His whole aim of life was to kindle the same passion for freedom in fellow Indians and this he did through his great poetry. Today his is a household name among all the Tamil-speaking people of India and his very name inspires reverence and patriotism

These Musings has no shame. It has been made clear and repeated ad nauseam that its credentials to claim ‘authority’ on all things Bharathi as a poet are in the laughable terrain. Typically, therefore, these Musings have indulged in a borrowing not stealing spree from entities who were true scholars. These musings are all about anecdotes and episodes. Bharathi and Co were too damn high in the stratosphere for yours truly to try and capture him and then with absent scholarship. Yet, with a keenness and devoted discipline, allied with enthusiasm to share, has been reading up whatever could be laid hands and eyes on. Source is unimportant. If there is an element of authenticity and not mere speculative or apocryphal takes, these musings have been game to embrace.

In line with such shameful proclivities not fearful of being accused of just borrowing and compiling as a compendium, these musings is reaching for Mr. A Ranganathan for his research paper of sorts on the Bharathi-Aurobindo philosophy construct and dissemination of our Vedas in the bargain. Why not? Why not? The purpose is to share as much as about Chinnaswamy Subramania Bharathi one gets privy too and on the anecdotal plane to inform and entertain and not necessarily educate.

(Author is practising advocate in the Madras High Court)