TRADITIONAL ASPECTS IN BHARATHI' S  WRITINGS

       Bharathi,  the poet of Tamil renaissance has the

gift of duly adopting the traditional matters in the
relevant contexts.   "Do the virtuous and speak the
truth" is conveyed in the following Traditional Maha
vaakya of Vedic times:  Satyam vadha Dharmam cara . 
The message has been elegantly adopted in the poem
"Bharathamatha Navaratnamaalai"of Subramaniya
Bharathi.

       Mano Maatra Jagat,  Mano kalpita jagat is a

philosophic dictum since the vedic age.  It means that
the world and the life depend on the mind and its
moorings.  The same idea is incorporated in the poem
on Bharathamatha.  Bharathi says that the worldly life
depends on Mind and so the fervour of Mind shall give
the strength to conquer all sorrow and enable us to live
happily on earth.

        The word JAYA is repeated in the song

Bharathasamuthayam which hails and greets the
country with the ideas of solidarity.  The purpose
behind this is to remind that the meaning of JAYA is
success or victory.   Mahabharata, the Ithihasa has
another name,  JAYA which means victory.  The central
idea celebrated in Mahabharata is the victory of virtue
over sin or good over the evil.  Bharathi has suggested
that India shall succeed in its crusade against the evil
of slavery.
   LIGHT AS TREATED IN BHARATHI'S WRITINGS
  Gayathri Mantra is one of the earliest prayers
in sanskrit.  It has inspired Bharathi.   The poet
says,  Let the luminous light of sun god inspire
our wisdom and make us active and energetic
in our lives(Refer Sengathir devan cirantha
oli ........ arivinai thoondi nadathuga)  Rig Veda
as an appeal to the poetic impulse of an Indian
poet.  But it is curious to note that Bharathi
was inspired by the German poet Goethe
Whose theory of light is well known among
scholars Goethe said: If the eye is not
engendered in light how can it see the sun?  in
other words If the eye is not sunny how can it
see the sun?  The impact of this idea may be
discerned in the words of Bharathi: Eye is your
home (in the invocation to the sun ) The light
            Bharathi and Tradition

Bharathi's poems are known for simple diction and soul-

elevating message.  In the history of Tamil literature, 
tamil mystics or Siddhars are considered to be the fore
runners of modernism.  Siddhars , who may be happily
compared to the Sufis proclaimed equality and
condemned casteism.  Bharathi claims with confidence(In
his auto biographical poem) that he is one in the legacy
of Siddhars.  This is an interesting aspect of his message
to be studied at length.  Siva vakkiar who is one of the
eminent mystics says that there are three kinds of
stones ie. the male, the female and the eunuch.  Bharathi
in the invocation that is placed as preface to Panchali
Sabatham says that one stone is kept as the idol in the
sanctum sanctorium in the temple and another kind of
stone forms the temple steps.  It is Bharathi says, the
will of God to assign function and role to any one on
earth.  Siddhars have been the mystics who have an
access to spiritual experience besides yoga and
In the Siddha literature we see
that man breaths 21600 number of
times per day.  Another idea
traditionally spoken is that
breathing has bearing on manas. 
Hence the arresting of mind's 
modification is inculcated.  In one
of the hymns glorifying Goddess
Kali,  Bharathi pleads, "Mother put
an end to passion! or else put an
end to my very life.“
----Dr.Minnoorsrinivasan