Kunchan Nambiar
Kunjan Nambiar | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 1770 |
Nationality | Indian |
Occupation | Poet |
Kunchan Nambiar was a prominent
Nambiar is believed to have been born at [1] Kalakkathu Veedu at Killikkurussimangalam in Palakkad district of the south Indian state of Kerala;.[2] He spent his early childhood at Killikkurussimangalam, his boyhood at Kudamaloor and youth at Ambalappuzha, and learnt Kalaripayattu and Sanskrit from such masters as Mathoor Panickar, Dronaballi Naicker and Nannikod Unni Ravi Kurup, before moving to the court of Marthanda Varma of Travancore in 1748; later, he served at the court of his successor Dharma Raja.[3] By the time he reached the royal court, he had already established himself as a poet.[note 1] the later part of his life, it is believed that Nambiar returned to Ambalapuzha where he died in 1770, at the age of 65, reportedly due to rabies
Career
Many of Nambiar's verses have transformed into proverbs in Malayalam. 1. ചെറുപ്പ കാലങ്ങളിലുള്ള SHIലം മറക്കുമോ മാനുഷനുള്ള കാലം (cheruppa kalangalil ulla sheelam marakkumo maanushanulla kalam)
- Translation: How can a man forget habits that he acquired at his young age?
- Closest English equivalent: Old habits die hard
2. ദീപസ്തംഭം മഹാശ്ചര്യം, നമുക്കും കിട്ടണം പണം (dīpastaṃM bhaṃ mahāścaryaṃ namukkuṃ kiṭṭaṇaṃ paṇaṃM)
- Translation: Your Deepa-Stambham (A multi-layered oil lamp) is magnificent, and we too want our share of money.
- Closest English equivalent: When it is a question of money, everyone is of the same religion.
3. മുല്ലപ്പൂമ്പൊടി ഏറ്റു കിടക്കും കല്ലിനും ഉണ്ടാം ഒരു സൗരഭ്യം (mullappūmpoṭi ēṯṯu kiṭakkuṃ kallinuṃ uṇṭāṃ oru saurabhyaṃ)
- Translation: The stone where the pollen of the jasmine flower falls acquires its fragrance.
Kunchan Nambiar is considered by many as the master of Malayalam satirist poetry
Honours
The Government of Kerala observes Nambiar's birthday, 5 May, as Kunchan Day.[11] A society, Kunjan Nambiar Memorial Society, has been established by the government overseas the management of various memorials which include Kunjan Nambiar Memorial in Ambalappuzha,[5] Kalakathu Bhavanam, Nambiar's house in Killikkurussimangalam,[12] Kunchan Memorial Library, Kunchan Memorial Arts Society, and Kunchan Memorial Society.[11] Kunchan Smarakam Fort is a fort built by the state government in honour of the poet and the monument houses an institution which promotes teaching of satirist art forms.[1]
Kunchan Nambiar's body of work is composed of at least 21 Otttan, 11 Seethankan and 9 Parayan compositions.
Extracts from Kunchan Nambiar's poems/writings
The kingdom of the Gandhara ruler
Has turned into a mere desert.
The land of the Sinhala King
Is now filled with lions and leopards.
The lord of the Chera people
Feeds himself on cheap vegetables.
The Chola King has nothing to eat
Except the maize of low quality
The kings of the Kuru house
Have nothing but jackfruit seeds.
The lord of the land of Kashmir
Is busy eating cucumbers.
The ruler of the Champeya land
Eats only tubers and broken rice.
The Konkan prince is about to die
Thinking of his wives' breasts.
- Another passage from the same work:
Tributes must be paid from time to time;
Half the yield should be given to me.
The whole of pepper yield should be handed over
Coconut, arecanut, mango, jackfruit:
All the trees should be confiscated.
There will be no place in my country
For the pomp of local barons.
Double the seed crop should be given
To me by houseowner.
The Tamil Brahmins (Pattars) staying here
Should also give one fourth to me.
The Nayars who stay at home
Should take their bows and spears
And stay at the residence of Ravana
And do whatever chores are assigned.
Nayars who drink toddy
Would be beaten up, beware!
Notes
- ^ Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer propounded a theory that Kunchan Nambiar and Sanskrit poet, Rama Pānivāda, were the same person ("Pānivāda" means "Nambiar" in Sanskrit), but the argument has not been popularly accepted.[4]
References
- ^ a b "Kunchan Smarakam Fort Palakkad - Kunchan Nambiar Smarakam Fort Palghat Kerala India". www.kerala-tourism.org. 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ "Major poets of Malayalam Literature". www.keralaculture.org. 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ a b c "prd-Kunchan Nambiar (1705-1770)". Department of Public Relations, Government of Kerala. 23 March 2006. Archived from the original on 23 March 2006. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ "കുഞ്ചന് നമ്പ്യാര് - മലയാളത്തിന്റെ ഹാസ്യസാമ്രാട്ട്". Madhyamam. 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ a b "Kunchan Nambiar memorial in Ambalappuzha gets facelift - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ "Ottamthullal - Dance Forms in Kerala". kerala.me. 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ "Kunchan Nambiar - Veethi profile". veethi.com. 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ "Thullal and Aattakkatha". keralaculture.org. 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ Srikanth, Rupa (27 October 2016). "The dramatic language of Ottanthullal". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ Biographicon, 'Kalakkaththu Kunchan Nambiar'
- ^ a b "Kunjan Nambiar Memorial Society, Ambalappuzha & Killikurissi Mangalam". www.keralaculture.org. 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- ^ "The Kunchan Nambiar Smarakam, Killikkurissimangalam, Palakkad". Kerala Tourism. 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
External links
- Two poems by Nambiar (scroll down to "Poetry Section #1")
- Kerala Government site on Kunchan Nambiar at the Wayback Machine (archived 23 March 2006)
- Terms UP Malayalam (17 November 2015). "Kunchan Nambiar Biography". YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2019.