Varadacharya’s Aesthetic Sense, Uprightness of Character (

Varadacharya’s Aesthetic Sense, Uprightness of Character (Part 1)

[[Varadacharya’s Aesthetic Sense, Uprightness of Character (Part 1) Source: prekshaa]]

I haven’t come across anyone who has described in detail the services rendered to Kannada literature by the doyen of drama,Nāṭaka ŚiromaṇiA V Varadacharya. The plays that he produced never saw publication –*i.e.*they were never printed as books. Words are inadequate to describe the charm of his scripts, songs, and poems. I used to marvel when I would hear how flawless, rich with emotions, and brilliant his plays were.

I never had the fortune of meeting and conversing with Varadacharya. Neither did I see him at close quarters. I was one among the thousands who were part of the audience, experiencing the magic of his art from afar and being lost in it.

Two or three of his close friends, who knew him intimately, were my friends too. I remember them speaking about Varadacharya, in preliminary terms. That Varadacharya was an extraordinary person became steadfast in my mind, thanks also to the accolades given to him by such friends.

I have watched just three or four of Varadacharya’s plays.Prahlāda-caritre ¹ twice or thrice,Manmatha-vijaya ² twice, Sāraṅgadhara-caritre ³ once, and probablyŚākuntala ⁴ once – that’s about it. And all this, fifty or fifty-five years ago.

Prahlāda-caritre

I recollect having watchedPrahlāda-caritreat the theatre near Tulasithota ⁵. During those days I lived on Fourth Street, Chamarajpet ⁶. Advocate M G Varadacharya used to live in the house opposite to mine. He was a dear friend. He passed away in 1919 – fifty years have passed since but my grief today is as acute as it was then. M G Varadacharya was arasika(connoisseur), an expert in literature, a powerful orator whose eloquent speech was rich in valour and vigour; he was generous and magnanimous. He had immense admiration and respect for A V Varadacharya’s art of drama. We enjoyed watchingPrahlāda-caritretogether at the theatre in Tulasithota. It was a popular play. People would throng the theatre. Ten or fifteen days after watching the play, one day I visited a friend’s house. About ten or twelve of my friends were sitting down playing a game of cards. Five or six of them were singing non-stop, songs from this play.

Near Kichchetty’s Choultry

The other time I sawPrahlāda-caritreas well asManmatha-vijayawas in the drama house near Kichchetty’s Choultry ⁷. The choultry used to be in today’s Gandhinagar ⁸, in the northern part. Our new-found patriotism has been to erase the past. ‘Kichchetty’ is a corrupt version of ‘Krishna Shetty’ – Krishnashetty—Kittishetty—Kichchetty. Krishna Shetty was adharma-abiding man. He had built the choultry. He lived in a time that did not have the facilities of railways or hotels. He undertook the philanthropic act of constructing this choultry for the benefit of people who came with their cargo, from the regions of Hindupur, Tumkur, and Chikkaballapur. With the progress of time, it fell into the jaws of neglect. It could have been used for a different social purpose, thus rejuvenating Krishna Shetty’s work of charity. At least his name could have been retained. If today’s generation obliterates the legacy of the yesteryears, will the same fate not be theirs over time? Let that be. Thanks to Varadacharya, at least for a period of time, Krishna Shetty’s name intermittently cropped up in people’s memory.

Narasimha Iyengar

During the time Varadacharya produced plays, there was one person who was the jewel of the theatre; I can never forget him. His name was Narasimha Iyengar. His elder brother Anantarama Iyengar was a partner in the textile business with Rao Bahadur B K Garudacharya ⁹, who gained renown as the city’s mayor.

Narasimha Iyengar had a majestic build. He was a tall man with a rich brown skin tone. His dressing was immaculate and in the latest style. He wore a turban in the Punjabi style. He also used to wear a hat sometimes. He spoke smilingly with everyone. A most energetic man, he always radiating enthusiasm; he was carefree and friendly. He had no part to play in the drama. Just looking at him was a joy. An extremely good-natured, kind soul; he would resolve any quarrels or troubles that arose. He would receive influential officers when they arrived. Such a friendly, smiling, immaculately dressed, and good looking individual is a jewel in an assembly.

Art is Beyond Language

During those years, A Rangaswamy Iyengar of the famousThe Hindunewspaper of Madras would come to Bangalore to spend the summers. His abode used to be at Chamarajpet – at the residence of his nephew C R Srinivasan (who managedThe**Swadesamitran, a Tamil newspaper). Rangaswamy Iyengar was particularly enthusiastic about Varadacharya’s plays. He used to come to my house and take me along with him. Rangaswamy Iyengar was a scholar and had gained proficiency in Sanskrit and music.

Rangaswamy Iyengar was a Tamilian. He did not know Kannada. Even so, with no desire for an interpreter, without exception, he would follow and understand the context of the play. The principles hidden in this tale are relevant to our context today:

1.The plot (Prahlāda, Manmatha) is familiar to the Tamilians as it is to Kannadigas.

2.In the case of Kannada words, the Tamil people are acquainted with them as related words.

3.In the case of Sanskrit words, the language nears the pan-India range and hence easy for non-Kannadigas to follow.

4.Carnatic music is common to both Kannadigas and Tamilians.

Just as India needs a collective mindset beyondjātiandvarṇa, one can say that we need literature and culture that transcends language. Through Varadacharya’s plays, Tamil-Kannada friendship developed and strengthened.

To be concluded…

This is the first part of a two-part English translation of the nineteenth chapter of D V Gundappa’s Jnapakachitrashaale – Vol. 2 – Kalopasakaru. Thanks to Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh reviewing the translation. Thanks to Arjun Bharadwaj for his help with the footnotes. Edited by Hari Ravikumar.

Footnotes

Varadacharya’s Aesthetic Sense, Uprightness of Character (Part 2)

[[Varadacharya’s Aesthetic Sense, Uprightness of Character (Part 2) Source: prekshaa]]

Varadacharya’s Proficiency in Art

When we were watching Varadacharya’s plays at the theatre near Kichchetty’s Choultry, I remember what Rangaswamy Iyengar would say about the nature ofrāgas used in the plays. I also remember his explanation on the terminologies likeviṣkambha,śuddha viṣkambha, andmiśra viṣkambhaused in drama for indicating certain aspects. ¹⁰

By that time, Varadacharya’s acting prowess had spread to the Madras province and had taken root there. The Tamil people watched his plays and showered praises on him. The secret of this widespread popularity and respect was Varadacharya’s proficiency in art. Whatever role he played, one could see emotional completeness. That should manifest itself in an actor’s body movements (āṅgika) and speech (vācika). It should appear like Hiraṇyakaśipu ¹¹himself is present in flesh and blood. Varadacharya was blessed with the strength to create such an effect.

Notable among his unique strengths was his art ofgamaka[3]. While reciting or singing the words of a poem, the method of pronunciation of each letter as well as his melodic composition for the lyric shown by Varadacharya was worth emulating. Every letter in it had value. There was a meaning when he uttered a word, a meaning when he paused. In this way, his poetic style was rich in emotion. I doubt if there’s anyone can render akanda-padya ¹² like Varadacharya used to. Perhaps that art is lost and gone! Emanating from the mouth of Varadacharya,kanda-padyafelt like Kannada’s treasure of fortune. Every syllable was uttered with clarity, with the appropriate emphasis; the words from his mouth made the listeners’ chests swell and their eyes melt with tears. If ever one desires to listen to akanda-padya, it should be from the mouth of Varadacharya.Kanda-padyais related to Sanskrit’sĀryā chandas[5]. It is popular in both Kannada and Telugu. I am not aware if there is an equivalent in Tamil and other languages. However, coming from agamakilike Varadacharya, it would be imprinted in the heart as a lovely composition. The composer of such simple and elegantkandapadyaswas S G Narasimhacharya.

S G Narasimhacharya’s Cooperation

I have heard that the person who composed the lyrics for Varadacharya and edited lyrics of the others was the great poet-scholar S G Narasimhacharya. Persuading such a scholar-connoisseur to help him with the lyrics of his plays shows Varadacharya’s ability to discern the calibre of others.

The songs inManmathavijayaandPrahlādacaritrewere suitable both in terms of linguistic purity as well as emotional richness.

balam chalam।
chalam balam।
nelam ido।
aluṅgade॥

(Strength is determination / determination is strength / Will this floor / not shudder?)

This is the Hiraṇyākṣa-Hiraṇyakaśipu ¹³dialogue.

ghana vasanta।
manakananta।
mudavanīvudo॥

(Majestic spring / brings to the mind / infinite delight)

All these are the handiwork of S G Narasimhacharya.

For a complete expression of the emotions that arise in the hearts of a human being, a blend of three fine arts is necessary – 1.Kāvya(poetry), 2.Saṅgītā(music), and 3.Abhinaya(lit. acting; drama). Without music, there cannot be intensity in the feelings of the common folk. The power to create a suitable ambience for the emotional activities of the heart belongs toSaṅgītā. After it has completed its task, thenAbhinaya—through its body movements—provides a form to the storyline. The emotion that was formless earlier manifests itself due to the impact ofAbhinaya. It is then that the emotion ofKāvyatakes its complete form. This being the case, the coming together of Varadacharya—matchless in singing and acting—and S G Narasimhacharya—the poet-scholar with deep insight into poetry—was a great fortune for the world of connoisseurs.

Varadacharya and Narasimhacharya lived in Chitradurga for a while. It was there that their friendship blossomed. Common interests and goals strengthened their friendship.

Varadacharya had other authors as well to assist him. I’ve heard that Srinivasa Iyengar was one among the poets who would write lyrics for him. Even so, it was S G Narasimhacharya who watched the play in its entirety and helped ready the final version.

Varadacharya’s Noble Bent of Mind

Varadacharya was generous, magnanimous. No seeker who went to him ever returned empty-handed. He provided food, clothes, and jobs to hundreds of destitute men and women. He used to treat all his colleagues with familial love and affection. For those who sought his help for marriage orupanayana, their luck determined their profit. Varadacharya would handover whatever he had in his hand, say, “Kṛṣṇārpaṇamastu” and fold his palms together in anamaskar.

I wish to illustrate how truthful Varadacharya was by narrating an incident as heard from a lawyer friend of mine. The friend who told me this incident is endowed with peerless integrity and belongs to a high rank in the legal profession.

Varadacharya had once borrowed money from a rich man. The principal together with interest amounted to around thirty thousand rupees. Saying that he was unable to wait any longer, the moneylender filed a court case. Everyone knew that a court order followed by confiscation of property was inevitable.

Then a friend of Varadacharya came to this lawyer-friend of mine and asked him, “Is there a way out?” The lawyer examined all the documents in the file and said, “The case of the prosecution is quite strong. But there’s one document that seems to be missing. The petitioner has no supporting evidence to prove the incident related to that document. If the judge or the petitioner’s lawyer questions him about it and Varadacharya says he doesn’t remember the incident, the case will not stand. Would your friend be ready to say this?”

The moment Varadacharya heard this suggestion, he guffawed with a “Huh,” accompanied by a boisterous laughter that was so natural to him and said, “Should this tongue utter a lie for a mere thirty thousand rupees? How many times the almighty has blessed these hands with such thirty thousands! Will he not bless me again? Let it be, what will the rich man do? He may take away my old screens and old costumes. Let him. Let’s borrow money elsewhere, buy new screens, stitch new costumes, and stage the plays. And then we can return both this loan and the new one. Telling a lie to wriggle out of a debt is not something I can do.”

This was Varadacharya’ssattva. This was the inner reality of that person’s greatness. He was righteous in all matters. His plays sparkled because of this righteousness, for he captured the reality of nature.

Concluded.

This is the second part of a two-part English translation of the nineteenth chapter of D V Gundappa’s Jnapakachitrashaale – Vol. 2 – Kalopasakaru. Thanks to Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh reviewing the translation. Thanks to Arjun Bharadwaj for his help with the footnotes. Edited by Hari Ravikumar.

Footnotes