Almost mid year. 27th & 29th June to be precise. Till 13 years back it was only 27th June. The day I was born. Years added to the age. Same number of years deducted from balance life. Now towing in line is 29th since SALIL died in 1997. Single year seemed to long on then. We thought his memory will never leave us. It is neither forgotten nor constant on thought and feeling. Life continued. Many people parted, many people joined from family, friends and colleagues. I did not want it that way at the time. I thought time will stand still. Not to be so. The memory which was thought to be constant companion for balance life is no more so. I thought giving up birth day celebration would be right thing to do. I tried visiting Pandharpur in this period. I continue to spend some time with inmates of SALIL SAH JEEVAN. , shelter for destitute children. Slowly all these things are turning into ritual. Done and forgotten. Don’t tell to all new people that come in contact. Now I get wishes from people who neither know nor care if I have a son or not much less his tragic end. Telling them about tragedy does sound like fishing for sympathy. Now I neither celebrate nor able to forget the birth day and of course much less the death anniversary. What a confused state of affair ! Do I regret it ? Sort of !
Kuch khoya kuch paya,
Chalti chale chalu duniya.
Hume ye kya ho raha hai ?
Ateet humse chut raha hai !
Iske pahle ki bhul de yade
Uparwale hume utha de.
P.S. Did not write for long time because did not feel strongly enough. Practically nobody bothered. That further dampened the spirit.
It’s OK. Be your own Biographer and be your own critic too.
Artvind Khare
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
COMING OUT OF HISTORY BOX
Millions of people take birth, live their life to the fullest and perish. Very few live their name behind. Very few of these very few make their way to history pages. History pages are difficult to define. The names of Prime ministers and Chie ministers are recorded. Can a page giving their chronology called as History page ? Even the police keep history sheets of the criminals. Are these History pages ? We have dynasties ruling India and some other parts of the world. History painstakingly records their chronology. Is it history ? In fact present school of thought does not classify chronologies of dynasties and wars as history. Only those who make difference to societies are given a place in history page. You find Mahatma Gandhi on history pages even if he did not rule for a single day. The purpose of this introduction is to show how difficult it is to get into history box But that is not the aim of today’s blog.
The aim is to trace those who come out of history box and continue to influence the society even after their time has come to end. They are not necessarily rulers ( including democratic rulers like Churchill.). Rulers are forget as soon as they stop to rule. Some go into oblivion like Gorbachev before death. They may get into history box and remain their unnoticed till some scholar decides to do some research. I do not think of myself as historian like Boxwel or Yadunath Srakar or Rajwade. Nor I have any inclination to follow some person or some era. I simply want to tell about some people which resurface again and again after the death.
Che Gavera for instance. He has outdone Fiedel Castro who continued to live and rule for long time after the revolution. I do not know if today’s youth prefer him on their T shirts for the face or for his work. I hope it is latter.
Apart from rulers and politicians some people gain or continue to gain acceptance much after their death. Very few knew Keshavsut and very few cared. He got recognition as father of modern Marathi Poetry much later. So much frustrated was he that he has written that People will not know how I looked like but some time in future they will know about me by my lines. Similar fate had befallen even on Shakespeare. Balkavi Thombre would have remained a character from autobiography of Laxmibai Tilak, But the merit of his poetry gained recognition much after death. No other poet writing for children in Marathi come any where near him. Shree Saibaba of Shirdi was not a God in his life time. Only a awaliya. This recognition came much after his death.
Similat fate comes way of some music and songs. “ Vaishnav jan to”is written by Narsi Mehta but became popular after Gandhi. So much so that western musicians composed tune for it more than fifty years of Gandhi. “Lakh;ahkti Chanderi “ was a song from Prabhat pictures. Modestly popular at its time. Not like icon state it has achieved today. Lata Mangeshkar sand “Jay Jay Maharshtra Maza” fifty years back and again on golden jubilee celebration of Maharashtra state. Not sung by her for the first time even fifty year back. Jyotsnabai had already made it popular. Original poem was written by Kolhatkar neither for Jyotsnabai or Latabai. It achieved icon state much later.
The merit and explosion of communication media is playing important role in such magic tricks . Perhaps many more resurrections are in the offing.
Arvind Khare
The aim is to trace those who come out of history box and continue to influence the society even after their time has come to end. They are not necessarily rulers ( including democratic rulers like Churchill.). Rulers are forget as soon as they stop to rule. Some go into oblivion like Gorbachev before death. They may get into history box and remain their unnoticed till some scholar decides to do some research. I do not think of myself as historian like Boxwel or Yadunath Srakar or Rajwade. Nor I have any inclination to follow some person or some era. I simply want to tell about some people which resurface again and again after the death.
Che Gavera for instance. He has outdone Fiedel Castro who continued to live and rule for long time after the revolution. I do not know if today’s youth prefer him on their T shirts for the face or for his work. I hope it is latter.
Apart from rulers and politicians some people gain or continue to gain acceptance much after their death. Very few knew Keshavsut and very few cared. He got recognition as father of modern Marathi Poetry much later. So much frustrated was he that he has written that People will not know how I looked like but some time in future they will know about me by my lines. Similar fate had befallen even on Shakespeare. Balkavi Thombre would have remained a character from autobiography of Laxmibai Tilak, But the merit of his poetry gained recognition much after death. No other poet writing for children in Marathi come any where near him. Shree Saibaba of Shirdi was not a God in his life time. Only a awaliya. This recognition came much after his death.
Similat fate comes way of some music and songs. “ Vaishnav jan to”is written by Narsi Mehta but became popular after Gandhi. So much so that western musicians composed tune for it more than fifty years of Gandhi. “Lakh;ahkti Chanderi “ was a song from Prabhat pictures. Modestly popular at its time. Not like icon state it has achieved today. Lata Mangeshkar sand “Jay Jay Maharshtra Maza” fifty years back and again on golden jubilee celebration of Maharashtra state. Not sung by her for the first time even fifty year back. Jyotsnabai had already made it popular. Original poem was written by Kolhatkar neither for Jyotsnabai or Latabai. It achieved icon state much later.
The merit and explosion of communication media is playing important role in such magic tricks . Perhaps many more resurrections are in the offing.
Arvind Khare
Thursday, May 6, 2010
DEATH CONNECTIONS
No. I am not going to write about features of death like murder, plot, killings etc.. Nor I am going to write about features of death like wars, mercenaries, revolutions and such social equivalent to features of death at individual level.
I cannot claim vast expanse of experience either time wise or space wise. Still with whatever small experience of life that passed my journey, strange phenomena has come to my notice. Just as people are connected by birth or by marriage they are also connected by death. The end of a being has such bonding impact on those who live behind.
I could look at the bond between the victims of 26/11 through their interviews. Its not necessary to come together and form some kind of forum for that. It’s a matter of emotional bond. I am sure the emotions of a war widow can be best understood by another war widow known or unknown. We have lost our young son. We immediately bond with others who have similar fate. It is Just like love at first sight. No introduction is needed. What is true about a husband or a son must also be true about other relations.
Some times death comes from unexpected quarters. Our assistant lost his life while on duty in my office. We were at loss as how to console his mother. To our surprise she thanked my wife for acting as his mother during last moments.
My wife lost her aunt at the ripe age of 90. She died as SUHASINI at that age. Her husband is 98 years old confined to bed but still breathing .Too frail to react. Just tears rolling down silently. The neck is dropped. One does not know weather due to grief or weakness. Is it a bond till the death does them apart? In contrast we come across instances of old patients on death bed counting last moments are removed from the bed and kept on cold floor so the last breath can be hurried.
My maternal uncle has some knowledge of astrology. He knew that he is going to loose one of his son. He had three sons one of whom is dumb. For no reason, he earmarked dumb son for early death. Did almost nothing to educate him. The destiny had something else in store. It was middle son brought up like regular child that died early. The uncle is no more and the dumb boy is now burden on his elder brother. Half knowledge ? Wishful thinking ?
Simple natural deaths with no foul play also have stories to tell. I am sure every one will have stock of them if looked for.
Arvind Khare
I cannot claim vast expanse of experience either time wise or space wise. Still with whatever small experience of life that passed my journey, strange phenomena has come to my notice. Just as people are connected by birth or by marriage they are also connected by death. The end of a being has such bonding impact on those who live behind.
I could look at the bond between the victims of 26/11 through their interviews. Its not necessary to come together and form some kind of forum for that. It’s a matter of emotional bond. I am sure the emotions of a war widow can be best understood by another war widow known or unknown. We have lost our young son. We immediately bond with others who have similar fate. It is Just like love at first sight. No introduction is needed. What is true about a husband or a son must also be true about other relations.
Some times death comes from unexpected quarters. Our assistant lost his life while on duty in my office. We were at loss as how to console his mother. To our surprise she thanked my wife for acting as his mother during last moments.
My wife lost her aunt at the ripe age of 90. She died as SUHASINI at that age. Her husband is 98 years old confined to bed but still breathing .Too frail to react. Just tears rolling down silently. The neck is dropped. One does not know weather due to grief or weakness. Is it a bond till the death does them apart? In contrast we come across instances of old patients on death bed counting last moments are removed from the bed and kept on cold floor so the last breath can be hurried.
My maternal uncle has some knowledge of astrology. He knew that he is going to loose one of his son. He had three sons one of whom is dumb. For no reason, he earmarked dumb son for early death. Did almost nothing to educate him. The destiny had something else in store. It was middle son brought up like regular child that died early. The uncle is no more and the dumb boy is now burden on his elder brother. Half knowledge ? Wishful thinking ?
Simple natural deaths with no foul play also have stories to tell. I am sure every one will have stock of them if looked for.
Arvind Khare
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
50 YEARS OF MAHARASHTRA STATE
1ST May 1960. The day state of Maharashtra was created out of erstwhile bi-lingual state of Mumbai. It was blinder to keep Bombay province in tact in reverence to British rule. No wonder the states of Maharashtra & Gujrat had agitation as legacy even before formation. Some body fought some body else hogged in credit. Fifty year celebration was carried in the same spirit to hijack credit. Sanyukta Maharashtra Samiti which carried agitation was quickly confined to memory. Both the Congress ( which includes Rastravadi ) and the Shivsena ( which includes Maharashtra Nav Nirman Sena ) had nothing to do with agitation. One championed bi-lingual state and others were simply not born. Yet both parties sought to gave impression of being father of the state. Absolutely absurd.
What is 50 years in the life of a state ? Infantile state of a state ? Never. What has separate statehood brought to its people ? Very little. The word Maharashtra itself is few century old. Some say its land of Marathi speaking people. Some say its land in which Mahar ( remember Mahar regiment in army ? ) caste can be found. Some poetic inclined say its land of Maha ie. Giant people. Whatever that may be but this land and its people had their own identity of language, history, literature, culture. The Marathi language is descent and transformation from Sanskrit like all other Indian languages. It can boast of literature history f over 700 years. Its legacy of Saints like Jneashwar, Namdev, Eknath, Tukaram continues till today. Its cookery stile, folk dance and music forms like Lavani & Povada , its attire of nIne yards sari and such other distinguishing features are centuries old. Hindustani classical music is descended from Dehli but nourished here. Its Classical Dance is preserved in places like Tanjore This sate was but only briefly under alien ruler. It has given first generation of freedom fighter like Lokmanya Tilak. First generation tradition can be traced to Communism in S.A Dange and Dr. Ambedkar in Republican party of India. It was always been pioneer of new thoughts championed by stalwarts like Agarkar. Institutions like Prathna Samaj, Theosophist societies have roots here. Who can forget education to women and untouchables pioneered by Fuke and Karve. First Bronze ,edal in Olympics went to a Marathi wrestler Khashaba Jadhav as outcome of long tradition of Aakhadas. Most of them had already arrived and some gone from the scene long before 50 years. Entire fifty year of rulers added very little to what it already had as its glory. What contribution of present day rulers will enable them to find a place amongst illustrious names mentioned above ? Lata Mangeshkar may be. Sachin Tendulkar may be. But definitely not the rulers who felicitated them. They are pigmies occupying stage when giants have left.
But that is the strong point of Marathi Manoos through centuries. He never depended on the rulers. Rulers are seldom worth more than the names painted on the notice boards of their chambers. It is common Marathi manoos who becomes uncommon without aspiring to be one. Salute to him. The state is safe in his hand.
Arvind Khare
What is 50 years in the life of a state ? Infantile state of a state ? Never. What has separate statehood brought to its people ? Very little. The word Maharashtra itself is few century old. Some say its land of Marathi speaking people. Some say its land in which Mahar ( remember Mahar regiment in army ? ) caste can be found. Some poetic inclined say its land of Maha ie. Giant people. Whatever that may be but this land and its people had their own identity of language, history, literature, culture. The Marathi language is descent and transformation from Sanskrit like all other Indian languages. It can boast of literature history f over 700 years. Its legacy of Saints like Jneashwar, Namdev, Eknath, Tukaram continues till today. Its cookery stile, folk dance and music forms like Lavani & Povada , its attire of nIne yards sari and such other distinguishing features are centuries old. Hindustani classical music is descended from Dehli but nourished here. Its Classical Dance is preserved in places like Tanjore This sate was but only briefly under alien ruler. It has given first generation of freedom fighter like Lokmanya Tilak. First generation tradition can be traced to Communism in S.A Dange and Dr. Ambedkar in Republican party of India. It was always been pioneer of new thoughts championed by stalwarts like Agarkar. Institutions like Prathna Samaj, Theosophist societies have roots here. Who can forget education to women and untouchables pioneered by Fuke and Karve. First Bronze ,edal in Olympics went to a Marathi wrestler Khashaba Jadhav as outcome of long tradition of Aakhadas. Most of them had already arrived and some gone from the scene long before 50 years. Entire fifty year of rulers added very little to what it already had as its glory. What contribution of present day rulers will enable them to find a place amongst illustrious names mentioned above ? Lata Mangeshkar may be. Sachin Tendulkar may be. But definitely not the rulers who felicitated them. They are pigmies occupying stage when giants have left.
But that is the strong point of Marathi Manoos through centuries. He never depended on the rulers. Rulers are seldom worth more than the names painted on the notice boards of their chambers. It is common Marathi manoos who becomes uncommon without aspiring to be one. Salute to him. The state is safe in his hand.
Arvind Khare
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
GOLDEN JUBILEE OF PUSHPAK
Sunday we had a Satya Narain Puja dedicated to golden jubilee of our home Pushpak. 50 long years that saw five generations till now. Laxmibai Jagannath Khare came from eldest generation followed by Manohar Jagannath Khare & Mangla manohar Khare who constructed the bungalow. The construction took about four months. We Mukund, Arvind, Anu & Sachhit Mnaohar Khare from third generation used to visit and play in the sands. Just like the way Salil, Jagdish & Suruchi did later on while extension was underway. Reema and Mana came after the bungalow has to come to its present stage. Rohan and Manas belong to fifth generation who have inherited share in the bungalow by virtue of birth. Asha, Ramaa and Jyoti have acquired it as Daughters in law. Mention must be made for Amrutrao Bhagwat and Amit Dhavale as sons in law.
1st May 1960 was the day when Pushpak bungalow was occupied by us. It was Akshay Trutiya of 1960 when we moved in the bungalow. One bed room was occupied by Aaji which also served as Devghar. She was a lady of small delicate frame. Her bed had to be extended to enable others to sleep on it. Other bed room was of course for Aai & Baba, We siblings used to sleep in the hall. The kitchen was built big. The measurement then was how many people can be seated in a row for lunch. Dining table made its entry quite later. More than dozen could seat in a row with folded legs on “ Paat ”. That too quite comfortably. We had a washing place with shed over it near back door entry of Kitchen. All washing and scrubbing would be done there.
The best thing Baba did was not to let any part of house on the rent. We could add to the original four room ground floor bungalow as and when need came. Nevertheless Baba magnanimously invited many to stay in this bungalow in the forming years of their career and life. Pushpa Tamahankar, Usha Jog, Shrikant Khare, Viswas Dabholkar, Rajamama Gondhalekar, are some names coming to my mind. That was the ascending time for Pushpak when occupants grew in numbers. Two dogs Tipu and Ceazar lived full life here. A feat achieved only by Salil amongst human. Others were either born outside or died outside.
Initially the house was seldom without Guest / s. Slowly things began to change. The guests stopped coming. Anu and Suruchi got married. Salil died pre-matured. Jagdish went to America. Now it resembles old age home. The only grace is the office of Amit. The diminishing game of occupants will continue for sometime and then would come the end of Pushpak.
Another building will come with another set of occupants and another set of pathos. The picture coming before my eyes is a green field where Baba constructed Pushapak. That field will never come back. Now its turn of miniscule of civilizations making way for the layers of few inches of earth ( read as rabbit ). Regrets ? None whatsoever ! That is the way life goes. Every thing born has to die. Whether it is a person or a building makes no difference. Enjoy while it goes
Arvind Khare
1st May 1960 was the day when Pushpak bungalow was occupied by us. It was Akshay Trutiya of 1960 when we moved in the bungalow. One bed room was occupied by Aaji which also served as Devghar. She was a lady of small delicate frame. Her bed had to be extended to enable others to sleep on it. Other bed room was of course for Aai & Baba, We siblings used to sleep in the hall. The kitchen was built big. The measurement then was how many people can be seated in a row for lunch. Dining table made its entry quite later. More than dozen could seat in a row with folded legs on “ Paat ”. That too quite comfortably. We had a washing place with shed over it near back door entry of Kitchen. All washing and scrubbing would be done there.
The best thing Baba did was not to let any part of house on the rent. We could add to the original four room ground floor bungalow as and when need came. Nevertheless Baba magnanimously invited many to stay in this bungalow in the forming years of their career and life. Pushpa Tamahankar, Usha Jog, Shrikant Khare, Viswas Dabholkar, Rajamama Gondhalekar, are some names coming to my mind. That was the ascending time for Pushpak when occupants grew in numbers. Two dogs Tipu and Ceazar lived full life here. A feat achieved only by Salil amongst human. Others were either born outside or died outside.
Initially the house was seldom without Guest / s. Slowly things began to change. The guests stopped coming. Anu and Suruchi got married. Salil died pre-matured. Jagdish went to America. Now it resembles old age home. The only grace is the office of Amit. The diminishing game of occupants will continue for sometime and then would come the end of Pushpak.
Another building will come with another set of occupants and another set of pathos. The picture coming before my eyes is a green field where Baba constructed Pushapak. That field will never come back. Now its turn of miniscule of civilizations making way for the layers of few inches of earth ( read as rabbit ). Regrets ? None whatsoever ! That is the way life goes. Every thing born has to die. Whether it is a person or a building makes no difference. Enjoy while it goes
Arvind Khare
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
75 YEARS OF MUSIC.
Last week saw felicitation on occasion of completing 75 years of age of Shri G. G. Joshi. Guruji as he is called out of love and reverence is a known personality in Thane totally devoted to Indian ( Hindustani ) Classical Music.
I knew him as founder of Kalwa Music Circle some where in sixties or seventies. He might be on any position but was always back bone of the Music circle. As an organizer he had good contacts with well known and lesser known personalities from the field. Many doyens from the field know Thane as town of G.G.Joshi who organizes the concerts and invites them. The economic side of Music concerts is pathetic. Once upon a time Music flourished owing to the patronage of Princely states. For a brief period it became a popular amongst common people who would buy tickets and support the Music tradition through concerts. It would not matter which Gharana the artist may come from. No more. The crowd is thinning and becoming ensemble of gray hairs. Young artists are regularly coming forward through GURU SHISHYA PARAMPARA. But the audience is no more good enough to meet two ends. The fees charged by some popular exponents are sky high while others have to go literally begging for a program. Music Circles coming from medium and small towns were excellent platform for such aspirants. Unfortunately many of them are closing not because of any other eason than economic viability. Against this back ground the work of GURUJI is definitely noteworthy.
But that is not all. He has training from AGRA GHARANA which is mainly sustained by Muslim performers and teachers. In fact most of the Gharanas are sustained for centuries by devoted Muslim performers and teachers. Gharana like Gwalior could find Hindu patronage earlier and in abundance. Thanks to Pt. Paluskar. AGRA Gharana had and still has minority of Hindu exponents. Against this back ground the determined training itself would have made any other person than GURUJI happy and satisfied. Not so fro GURUJI. Not only he obtained the TALIM vigorously but also chose to propagate it by training other disciples. He is doing it without taking any fee as cause for the spread of GHARANA. How rare in modern times !
I had the good fortune to be trained by him. I will be ever grateful to him for that. Next to Spirituality, Music is probably the only field where in GURU is held in such high esteem. In fact I owe a lot to music. It has given me plenty in terms of creative happiness and a dear collection of music lovers.
LONG LIVE GURUJI and long live his music through disciples trained by him.
I knew him as founder of Kalwa Music Circle some where in sixties or seventies. He might be on any position but was always back bone of the Music circle. As an organizer he had good contacts with well known and lesser known personalities from the field. Many doyens from the field know Thane as town of G.G.Joshi who organizes the concerts and invites them. The economic side of Music concerts is pathetic. Once upon a time Music flourished owing to the patronage of Princely states. For a brief period it became a popular amongst common people who would buy tickets and support the Music tradition through concerts. It would not matter which Gharana the artist may come from. No more. The crowd is thinning and becoming ensemble of gray hairs. Young artists are regularly coming forward through GURU SHISHYA PARAMPARA. But the audience is no more good enough to meet two ends. The fees charged by some popular exponents are sky high while others have to go literally begging for a program. Music Circles coming from medium and small towns were excellent platform for such aspirants. Unfortunately many of them are closing not because of any other eason than economic viability. Against this back ground the work of GURUJI is definitely noteworthy.
But that is not all. He has training from AGRA GHARANA which is mainly sustained by Muslim performers and teachers. In fact most of the Gharanas are sustained for centuries by devoted Muslim performers and teachers. Gharana like Gwalior could find Hindu patronage earlier and in abundance. Thanks to Pt. Paluskar. AGRA Gharana had and still has minority of Hindu exponents. Against this back ground the determined training itself would have made any other person than GURUJI happy and satisfied. Not so fro GURUJI. Not only he obtained the TALIM vigorously but also chose to propagate it by training other disciples. He is doing it without taking any fee as cause for the spread of GHARANA. How rare in modern times !
I had the good fortune to be trained by him. I will be ever grateful to him for that. Next to Spirituality, Music is probably the only field where in GURU is held in such high esteem. In fact I owe a lot to music. It has given me plenty in terms of creative happiness and a dear collection of music lovers.
LONG LIVE GURUJI and long live his music through disciples trained by him.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
TUKARAM- AN INFLUENCE VIEW
Tukaram an influence view. Was the subject of the talk I gave on this Ekadashi day i.e. on 10th April. Whole speech is to big but here are some excerpts.
The life and work of Tukaram makes an excellent watch tower for casting a glance at Marathi Literature and culture. His work and persona is lofty enough to offer good panoramic view.
The language Marathi might have been used perhaps as vocal language since 5th century but the earliest instances of literary contributions can be traced since 12th century onward i.e. about 700 years back. The time of Tukaram is 400 years back. Time wise he is little off centre towards present time. It would be interesting to note the development of Marathi literature before him and after him. How much influence he had taken from his predecessors and how much influence he has left on his followers. He has written about his predecessors like Sant Jnaneshwar, Sant Namdev, Sant Eknath and his disciples like Bahenabai, Rameshwar Bhat, Nilobarai too have written about him. An Abhang by one of his disciple Bahenabai somes it all in eloquent fashion by using metaphor of a temple construction. She compares Jnaneshwar with plinth, Namdev with expanse of superstructure, Eknath with columns and Tukaram with the dome. She takes upon herself the role of flag flying on top with many others.
Jnandeve rachila paya, ubharale devalaya
Nam tayacha kinkar, tyane rachile avaar.
Janardana Eknath , kham dila Bhagwat,
Tuka zalase kalas, bhajan karit savkash.
Baheni fadakati dhaja, nirupan kele voja.
Baheni, Rameshwar, Niloba were disciples and contemporary. People have written about Tukaram in every century thereafter. Right now probably dozens are writing about him. If being written about is a test then Tukaram will have few parallels from Shakespeare, The form of Abhangs is as much attributed to Tukaram as the sonnets is attributed to Shakespeare.
Sushloka wamanacha kinve Arya mayrpantachi
Ovi Jnaneshachi Abhang prasiddh Tukayacha.
Only greatest of the great are honored in such fashion. Dozens of Doctorates will fade in comparison.
Tukaram is so popular that many of his lines have come to pass as adverbs in contemporary Marathi language like Aliya bhogasi asave sadar, Gath padli thaka thaka . Many of his half liners have become titles contemporary Marathi plays like Tuze ahe tujpashi, Vaje paul apule, Knay saurasi jaye
Apart from Literature his work and persona has fascinated commoner and learned alike. More about it some time later.
The life and work of Tukaram makes an excellent watch tower for casting a glance at Marathi Literature and culture. His work and persona is lofty enough to offer good panoramic view.
The language Marathi might have been used perhaps as vocal language since 5th century but the earliest instances of literary contributions can be traced since 12th century onward i.e. about 700 years back. The time of Tukaram is 400 years back. Time wise he is little off centre towards present time. It would be interesting to note the development of Marathi literature before him and after him. How much influence he had taken from his predecessors and how much influence he has left on his followers. He has written about his predecessors like Sant Jnaneshwar, Sant Namdev, Sant Eknath and his disciples like Bahenabai, Rameshwar Bhat, Nilobarai too have written about him. An Abhang by one of his disciple Bahenabai somes it all in eloquent fashion by using metaphor of a temple construction. She compares Jnaneshwar with plinth, Namdev with expanse of superstructure, Eknath with columns and Tukaram with the dome. She takes upon herself the role of flag flying on top with many others.
Jnandeve rachila paya, ubharale devalaya
Nam tayacha kinkar, tyane rachile avaar.
Janardana Eknath , kham dila Bhagwat,
Tuka zalase kalas, bhajan karit savkash.
Baheni fadakati dhaja, nirupan kele voja.
Baheni, Rameshwar, Niloba were disciples and contemporary. People have written about Tukaram in every century thereafter. Right now probably dozens are writing about him. If being written about is a test then Tukaram will have few parallels from Shakespeare, The form of Abhangs is as much attributed to Tukaram as the sonnets is attributed to Shakespeare.
Sushloka wamanacha kinve Arya mayrpantachi
Ovi Jnaneshachi Abhang prasiddh Tukayacha.
Only greatest of the great are honored in such fashion. Dozens of Doctorates will fade in comparison.
Tukaram is so popular that many of his lines have come to pass as adverbs in contemporary Marathi language like Aliya bhogasi asave sadar, Gath padli thaka thaka . Many of his half liners have become titles contemporary Marathi plays like Tuze ahe tujpashi, Vaje paul apule, Knay saurasi jaye
Apart from Literature his work and persona has fascinated commoner and learned alike. More about it some time later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
