Thirunalloor Karunakaran
Encyclopedia
Thirunalloor Karunakaran (October 8, 1924 – July 5, 2006) was a renowned poet, scholar, teacher and leftist intellectual of Kerala
, India
.
in Kollam
(Quilon
) district in Kerala
to P.K.Padmanabhan and N.Lakshmy. He started learning Sanskrit
in the traditional way before joining primary school and was associated with the working class
political movement early in his life.He published his first book-the Malayalam translation of a poem by Oliver Goldsmith
- while in school. During student days he wrote several poems, lyrics
and articles in periodicals and made his mark during the Pink Decade
in Malayalam poetry.By the time of his joining college his close contacts with Communist leaders like R.Sugathan and M. N. Govindan Nair
had made him a staunch sympathiser of the Communist party
.
Trivandrum for post graduate studies in Malayalam where he did some advanced study of Kerala history under Prof. Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai
, famous historian and scholar who was a major influence in his intellectual life. After taking his MA in Malayalam he joined the government service as college lecturer and taught at Government Arts College and University College. He served as a member of the Kerala Public Service Commission
for 6 years. Later he worked as the editor of Janayugam, a weekly cultural magazine of the Communist Party of India
. In 1973 he visited the Soviet Union
as a member of the delegation of Indian writers who participated in the Afro-Asian Writers Conference held in Kazakhstan
.
Awards conferred on him include Asan Award (1984), Vayalar Award
(1988), Muloor Award (1992), Abudabi Shakthi Award, Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for lifetime contribution (2000) etc.
on the banks of the scenic Ashtamudi lake
which had been a constant source of inspiration for his poetry.
He died on July 5, 2006 at his residence in Quilon
. He was laid to rest without any customary religious rites or ceremonies, as he had wished. During his last years he was engaged in writing a long poem titled 'Seetha' (Sita
) reinterpretting the Ramayana
legend.
A three-day long cultural festival called 'Thirunalloor Kavyolsavam
' is held every year from May 1 (International Workers' Day
) on the banks of the Ashtamudi lake
in Quilon
to perpetuate his memory.
and Indian philosophy
in depth he formed a unique vision of his own combining the best aspects of both and this vision is the central illuminating force of all his poems.In many of his poems he depicts the physical and spiritual experience of collective human labour as a creative process of self assertion and self emancipation of the mankind. Tharisu nilangalilekku (To the barren fields), Parayudappukar(The Granite crushers), Adyathe Theevandi(The First Train)Kayamkulam Kayal(Kayamkulam Lake) etc.better bear the stamp of this vision.
The Ashtamudi lake
and the life on its shores inspired his writings a lot and his poetry is abound with varied themes, characters and imagery taken from this rich repository. He wrote with equal ease short lyrics
dealing with soft transitory feelings and moods as well as long narrative poems having diverse characters and complex social situations.
Several of his works like lyrics written for various media and artforms like 'Kadhaprasangam
'and stageplays, as well as marching songs, articles and writings in Sanskrit
are yet to be compiled. This include the Sanskrit translation of Kumaran Asan
's Chandala Bhikshuki and studies in Indian aesthetics
.
He believed that the Indian Philosophy is essentially materialistic and areligious and he strongly called for a critical evaluation of the Bhagavad Gita
and the philosophy of Shankaracharya
(Adi Shankara
) to expose their darker sides. He said that Shankaracharya was a supporter of the caste system and the Bhagavad Gita was an open sanction for violence.
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Early life
Thirunalloor (variously spelt in English as Thirunelloor, Thirunellur and Thirunallur) Karunakaran - 'Thirunalloor',his family name and 'Karunakaran',first name - was born in the village of PerinadPerinad
-Demographics: India census, Perinad had a population of 32864 with 16032 males and 16832 females.Perinad is a fast growing village at the outskirts of Kollam city. The Perinad panchayath office is about 13 km away from Kollam City center. The important towns in the Panchayath are...
in Kollam
Kollam
Kollam , often anglicized as ', is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city lies on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake on the Arabian sea coast and is situated about north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram...
(Quilon
Quilon
Quilon may refer to,* Venad, a former state on Malabar Coast, India* Kollam , Kerala state, India* Kollam district, Kerala state...
) district in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
to P.K.Padmanabhan and N.Lakshmy. He started learning Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
in the traditional way before joining primary school and was associated with the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
political movement early in his life.He published his first book-the Malayalam translation of a poem by Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith was an Irish writer, poet and physician known for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield , his pastoral poem The Deserted Village , and his plays The Good-Natur'd Man and She Stoops to Conquer...
- while in school. During student days he wrote several poems, lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
and articles in periodicals and made his mark during the Pink Decade
Pink Decade
Pink Decade in Malayalam Poetry - Is the term used by some literary critics to describe the period in Malayalam literature in which a brigade of young poets inspired by the ideals of scientific socialism and Marxist world view were active in creating ‘revolutionary’ poetry.The term Pink Decade...
in Malayalam poetry.By the time of his joining college his close contacts with Communist leaders like R.Sugathan and M. N. Govindan Nair
M. N. Govindan Nair
M.N. Govindan Nair popularly known as MN was born in Pandalam presently in Pathanamthitta District.-Political life:He was one of the foremost leaders of the Communist Party of India in Kerala...
had made him a staunch sympathiser of the Communist party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
.
Career
After taking his BA degree in History from S N College, Kollam, he worked as a tutor there for a brief stint. Soon he joined University collegeUniversity college
The term "university college" is used in a number of countries to denote college institutions that provide tertiary education but do not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university...
Trivandrum for post graduate studies in Malayalam where he did some advanced study of Kerala history under Prof. Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai
Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai
Elamkulam Pillai was a historian and scholar from Kerala, India, who through his works enriched the field of historical research of Kerala-Early life and career:...
, famous historian and scholar who was a major influence in his intellectual life. After taking his MA in Malayalam he joined the government service as college lecturer and taught at Government Arts College and University College. He served as a member of the Kerala Public Service Commission
Kerala Public Service Commission
The Kerala Public Service Commission is a body created by the Constitution of India to select applicants for civil service jobs in the Indian state of Kerala according to the merits of the applicants and the rules of reservation....
for 6 years. Later he worked as the editor of Janayugam, a weekly cultural magazine of the Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
. In 1973 he visited the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
as a member of the delegation of Indian writers who participated in the Afro-Asian Writers Conference held in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
.
Awards conferred on him include Asan Award (1984), Vayalar Award
Vayalar Award
The Vayalar Award is given for the best literary work in Malayalam. The award was instituted in 1977 by the Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust in memory of the poet and lyricist Vayalar Ramavarma . A sum of Rs.25,000/-, a silver plate and certificate constitutes the award...
(1988), Muloor Award (1992), Abudabi Shakthi Award, Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for lifetime contribution (2000) etc.
Final years
Though he lived in the city of Trivandrum for more than three decades he chose to spend the rest of his life in his native village PerinadPerinad
-Demographics: India census, Perinad had a population of 32864 with 16032 males and 16832 females.Perinad is a fast growing village at the outskirts of Kollam city. The Perinad panchayath office is about 13 km away from Kollam City center. The important towns in the Panchayath are...
on the banks of the scenic Ashtamudi lake
Ashtamudi Lake
Ashtamudi Lake in the Kollam District of Kerala, India, is the second largest and deepest wetland ecosystem, a palm-shaped large water body, next only to the Vembanad estuary ecosystem of the state. Ashtamudi means 'eight coned' in the local language of Malayalam...
which had been a constant source of inspiration for his poetry.
He died on July 5, 2006 at his residence in Quilon
Quilon
Quilon may refer to,* Venad, a former state on Malabar Coast, India* Kollam , Kerala state, India* Kollam district, Kerala state...
. He was laid to rest without any customary religious rites or ceremonies, as he had wished. During his last years he was engaged in writing a long poem titled 'Seetha' (Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
) reinterpretting the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
legend.
A three-day long cultural festival called 'Thirunalloor Kavyolsavam
Thirunalloor Kavyolsavam
Thirunalloor Kavyolsavam-is an annual cultural festival held in Quilon district in Kerala, India to commemorate poet Thirunalloor Karunakaran.It is organized from May 1 to 3 every year by Thirunalloor Smrithikendram, a memorial trust...
' is held every year from May 1 (International Workers' Day
International Workers' Day
International Workers' Day is a celebration of the international labour movement and left-wing movements. It commonly sees organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and their labour unions throughout most of the world. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries...
) on the banks of the Ashtamudi lake
Ashtamudi Lake
Ashtamudi Lake in the Kollam District of Kerala, India, is the second largest and deepest wetland ecosystem, a palm-shaped large water body, next only to the Vembanad estuary ecosystem of the state. Ashtamudi means 'eight coned' in the local language of Malayalam...
in Quilon
Quilon
Quilon may refer to,* Venad, a former state on Malabar Coast, India* Kollam , Kerala state, India* Kollam district, Kerala state...
to perpetuate his memory.
Writings and Philosophy
Having studied MarxismMarxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
and Indian philosophy
Indian philosophy
India has a rich and diverse philosophical tradition dating back to ancient times. According to Radhakrishnan, the earlier Upanisads constitute "...the earliest philosophical compositions of the world."...
in depth he formed a unique vision of his own combining the best aspects of both and this vision is the central illuminating force of all his poems.In many of his poems he depicts the physical and spiritual experience of collective human labour as a creative process of self assertion and self emancipation of the mankind. Tharisu nilangalilekku (To the barren fields), Parayudappukar(The Granite crushers), Adyathe Theevandi(The First Train)Kayamkulam Kayal(Kayamkulam Lake) etc.better bear the stamp of this vision.
The Ashtamudi lake
Ashtamudi Lake
Ashtamudi Lake in the Kollam District of Kerala, India, is the second largest and deepest wetland ecosystem, a palm-shaped large water body, next only to the Vembanad estuary ecosystem of the state. Ashtamudi means 'eight coned' in the local language of Malayalam...
and the life on its shores inspired his writings a lot and his poetry is abound with varied themes, characters and imagery taken from this rich repository. He wrote with equal ease short lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
dealing with soft transitory feelings and moods as well as long narrative poems having diverse characters and complex social situations.
Several of his works like lyrics written for various media and artforms like 'Kadhaprasangam
Kadhaprasangam
Kadhaprasangam, literally meaning story telling performance, is a popular performing art form of Kerala, India. It combines the techniques of speaking, acting, and singing to present a story. There will be no costumes, make-up, or settings...
'and stageplays, as well as marching songs, articles and writings in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
are yet to be compiled. This include the Sanskrit translation of Kumaran Asan
Kumaran Asan
N. Kumaran Asan , also known as Mahakavi Kumaran Asan , was one of the triumvirate poets of Kerala, South India...
's Chandala Bhikshuki and studies in Indian aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
.
He believed that the Indian Philosophy is essentially materialistic and areligious and he strongly called for a critical evaluation of the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
and the philosophy of Shankaracharya
Shankaracharya
Shankaracharya, is a commonly used title of heads of mathas in the Advaita Vedanta tradition. The title derives from Adi Shankara, a 9th century CE reformer of Hinduism. He is honored as Jagadguru, a title that was used earlier only to Lord Krishna...
(Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
) to expose their darker sides. He said that Shankaracharya was a supporter of the caste system and the Bhagavad Gita was an open sanction for violence.
Poetry
- Samagamam (Long poem)
- Manjuthullikal (Collection of poems)
- Premam Madhuramanu Dheeravumanu (Long narrative poem)
- Soundaryathinte padayalkal (Collection of poems)
- Rani (Long narrative poem)
- Rathri (Long narrative poem)
- Anthi Mayangumbol (Collection of lyrics)
- Tashkent (Long narrative poem)
- Thirunalloor Karunakarante Kavithakal (Collection of poems)
- Vayalar (Long narrative poem)
- Greeshma sandhyakal (Collection of poems)
- Puthumazha (Collection of poems for children)
- Meghasandesam (Translation of MeghadutaMeghadutaMeghadūta is a lyric poem written by Kālidāsa, considered to be one of the greatest Sanskrit poets.A short poem of 111 stanzas, it is one of Kālidāsa's most famous works...
by KalidasaKalidasaKālidāsa was a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language...
)
- Omarghayyaminte Gadhakal (Translation of RubaiyatRubaiyat"Rubāʿī" is Arabic for "quatrain", and is used to describe a Persian quatrain, or its derivative form in English and other languages. The plural form of the word, rubāʿiyāt ,often anglicised rubaiyat , is used to describe a collection of such quatrains.There are a number of possible rhyme schemes...
by Omar KhayyamOmar KhayyámOmar Khayyám was aPersian polymath: philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and poet. He also wrote treatises on mechanics, geography, mineralogy, music, climatology and theology....
)
- Gypsikal (Translation of Gypsiesby Alexander Pushkin)
- AbhijnanaShakunthalam(Translation of AbhijnanasakuntalamAbhijñānaśākuntalamAbhijñānashākuntala or Abhijñānaśākuntalam) , is a well-known Sanskrit play by Kālidāsa. Its date is uncertain, but Kalidasa is often placed in the period between the 1st century BCE and 4th century CE....
by KalidasaKalidasaKālidāsa was a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language...
)
Prose
- Malayalabhashaparinamam Sidhanthangalum Vasthuthakalum (A study on the origin and evolution of Malayalam languageMalayalam languageMalayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
)
- Oru Mahayudhathinte Paryavasanam ( The Mahabharata retold through an independent angle)
- Praacheena Bharathathile Bhouthikavaadam (Translation of In Defence of Materialism in Ancient India by Debiprasad ChattopadhyayaDebiprasad ChattopadhyayaDebiprasad Chattopadhyaya was an eminent Bengali Marxist philosopher from India. He made extensive contributions to the exploration of the materialist current in ancient Indian Philosophy...
)
- Anusmaranangal (Collection of articles)
Further reading
- -Frontline;April 11-24 ,1998
- Malayalam Poetry Today; Edited by K.M.Tharakan;Kerala Sahithya Academy,Trichur
External links
- -Honouring a poet differently
- -Thirunalloor flays Parameswaran’s comments
- -A pioneer in translating classics
- Thirunalloor for movement to spread 'real Indian culture'
- -Poetic Obituaries
- -Thirunalloor laid to rest
- -www.kerala.gov.in
- -Call to shun superstitions
- -Interview:G.Aravindan
- -Fete in memory of poet Thirunellur
- -Kavyotsavam in Quilon from May 1
- -Labour Revolution and Literature;P. Govinda Pillai
- -www.devaragam.com
- -thatsmalayalam.oneindia.in