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. He was also a philosopher and a social reformer. More than that he was one of honoured 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.

Birth and family

Asan was born in a merchant family belonging to the Ezhava community in August 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. 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.

Kumaran Asan and Sree Narayana Guru

Kumaran was dogged by ill-health all through his early life. When he was eighteen, Sree Narayana Guru visited his house at the request of his father. Kumaran was bedridden at that time. The great saint suggested that Kumaran should stay with him and become his disciple. The little boy found the invitation irresistible. Thus began a new phase of life for the young lad.

Kumaran’s meeting with Sree Narayana Guru can be compared to the meeting of Naren with Sri Ramakrishna. While Naren became a full fledged Swami, Kumaran continued as a lay disciple of Narayana Guru and made substantial contributions in the fields of poetry, literature and social renaissance.

Swamy took the fledgling devotee under his care and in 1895 Kumaran was sent to Bangalore for 3 years for higher studies in Sanskrit, at the Sree Chamarajendra Sanskrit College. He specialized in Tarka sastra. He could not take the final exam. Leaving Bangalore he came to Madras and after a brief stay, left for Calcutta to join the Sanskrit College. His teacher was Mahamahopadhyaya Kamakhya Nath who encouraged the poetic gift of his student and prophesised that he would one day become a famous poet.

Earlier works

Some of the earlier works of the poet were Subramanya Sathakam and Sankara Sathakam, wherein Asan voiced his devotional aspirations. His short poem Veena Poovu (fallen flower) is a literary classic. It paved the way for a new movement in Malayalam literature. His elegy Prarodanam mourns the death of his contemporary and friend A. R. Rajaraja Varma, the famous grammarian. His Khanda Kavyas (poems) like Nalini, Leela, Karuna and Chandaalabhikshuki won critical acclaim as well as popularity. In Chintaavishtayaaya Seetha (Seetha Lost in Thought or The Meditations of Sita) he displays his poetic artistry, while in Duravastha, he patiently and skilfully tears down the barriers created by feudalism, orthodoxy and casteism and consummates the dictum of the Guru, “One Caste, One Religion, One God for man”.

He wrote the epic poem Buddha Charitha for which he got inspiration from Edwin Arnold’s Light of Asia. While in Duravastha, he revealed his revolutionary zeal for fighting caste distinctions; a few other poetic works had a distinct Hindu/Buddhist slant.

The Mahakavi lived for 51 years. His life was tragically cut short by a boat accident in January 1924 while returning to Kollam from Alappuzha after attending a function as the chief guest. The boat capsized at Pallana and everybody drowned in the accident. The trail he blazed in the literary and social firmament of Kerala is an inspiration for any student of contemporary history.

Works

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". This poem is somehow similar to the poem called "Dead Rose" written by Elizabeth Barret Browning who lived in the early 18th century.[citation needed]

Listen to Veenapoovu sung by Prof.V. Madhusoodanan Nair here

According to Dr.Adoor Surendran,Veenappovu is only an improved version of "Presoona Charamam",a poem by Kuzhithura C.M.Ayyappan Pillai, published in 15th Karkkidakaom issu of Kana Kaumudi .Dr.Adoor got his PhD from Kerala university for his research in 1988.

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

chinthavishtayaya sita