A love story of 1930.
The small town of Palayamkottai (called oxford of south now)in Tirunelvelli district did not have a ladies college like the Sarah tucker college of today.
So when Mr. Ponniah Nadar found that his second daughter has finished her schooling with distinction, he was desperate to give her college education.His elder and youngest daughters were both blind and could not even finish schooling. A man who was a Sanskrit teacher who had no son to carry his ideals to write poetry not only in Sanskrit but also in Tamil and English. This giant of a 6' 2" man with his handlebar mustache was desperate.He cannot afford education in distant Madras and so he approached the Principal of Hindu college of Tirunelveli which is a typical Gents only college and dominated by mainly tambhrams of that age.The Principal Dr.Alexander Gnanamuthu, a scholar of Shakespeare immediately gave admission to that girl Chandra breaking the tradition of The Hindu college. The principal has never to regret the decision as the girl came second only to VV Sadagopan , a topper who has always topped academics in every subject. Ponniah nadar willingly sold his land for the education of his daughter who bought him laurels in studies. There was this agitation for freedom movement and the students of college wanted to go on strike.But there was to be a debate on the issue.This sprightly young girl spoke openly against the strike and wanted students to concentrate on studies to do duty to their motherland.It was then decided that individual students can take their own decision on the matter.On the day of strike, it was the two girls and VVSadagopan who joined the class.Those days people donot convey their love by talk but only through their eyes.Sadagopan was smitten by this dark nadar christian girl who had a vivacious smile.When the University exams were over it was found that chandra had a second division in English while Sadagopan had first division. But he had the courage and conviction about his love that he approached Ponniah nadar in his house and asked for the hand of his daughter. A Tambhram asking for a nadar christian girls hand in the house of the girl in 1940s. Ponniah nadar put only one condition.Convert to Christianity. Sadagopan argued that he will allow his wife to be a christian while he himself will continue practicing Hinduism. Ponniah nadar did not agree. Chandra married a nadar christian boy from Chennai , a student of MCC, who loved wines,racing and gambling and never much bothered about Sunday school Christianity, a follower of EVR. To Chandra, a devout christian and member of choir this man was SINFUL.But she dutifully bore him two sons and a daughter. Sadagopan was a distant memory. Now the eldest of her son is selected to work in delhi in central government and she asked him to lookup Sadagopan who is working as professor of Music in Delhi university.Year 1961.I am that eldest son and with great difficulty i managed to find the address of the professor. As I was walking the street of KaraolBagh, i noticed CN.Annadurai (of DMK)was just taking a stroll after espousing an independent Dravidanad in Rajya Sabha that morning only.None recognised him and i just wished him which was acknowledged.Then i found the house of Prof .Sadagopan. He was sitting bare bodied with a long beard and sipping his coffee.As soon as i introduced myself,he got up and embraced me with his Poonool(sacred thread) and rudraksha malai touching me.I felt awkward as also his teen aged daughter and his wife who just gaped, How come a typical nonbrahmin from deep south is being embraced by the Tambhram without inhibition. I told him about my grandfather's translation of thirukural from tamil into sanskrit and can he do something about it. He readily agreed and asked him to bring it next time i visit his house. It was nearly 3 years later i visited his house and found that the family has moved. On enquiry i found that Prof.VVSadagopan, has taken to Sanyasam after informing his family and just vanished after doing everything for his family in a proper way. Was it a sad story of unfulfilled love. No. I married a rajasthani girl and my sister married a Hindu thevar(an antagonist caste in southern districts) and my brother had an arranged marriage.I found that to love and marry has one advantage even if the marriage fails.That is the decision is taken by YOU. In arranged marriages, if one does not find love, one tends to blame the parents.
" A true measure of love is that when you feel that no one could have loved like you and no one is going to love like this hereafter."I think this is said by Goethe. i know i have felt it that way and i hope everyone who reads this blog feels it once and has the courage to FACE THE CHALLENGE OF MARRIAGE for the sake of LOVE.
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written by partha, 2011-03-15 20:03:18
It is great to hear from you.
Please google search the word Viravanallur and one of the entries you get will be a google map. You search for Sundararaja Perumal temple and Boominatha Swami temple in the map by suitably zooming it up. The Sannidhi Street lies West to East between the two temples. The lane bisecting it at right angles is the Naaraasam, the lane, which you may not find named. The house immediately west of the Naaraasam on the Northern row of houses, facing south therefore, used to belong to your great grand father Vedantham Iyengar.
You may like to confirm this from your grand aunt Jayalakshmi Santhanam of Hyderabad, the gifted singer., or her sister's daughter Rajee Krishnan who lives in the Eastern USA (Rhode Island? Massachusetts?I do not remember now. She is a famous singer too and music rasika. Google should be able to lead you to her.
All the best. You can be very proud, justifiably, of the wonderful man that your grandfather was.
Partha Desikan
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written by Shru, 2011-03-15 01:14:32
I am the grand daughter of VV Sadagopan. I am on a journey of discovering my grandfather.
I would be deeply indebted to you if you could share any other details about his life. You say, you can show us where teh ancestral home once stood. If i ever make the trip to Viravanallur, would you be so kind as to show the site to me?
Warm regards
Shruti
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written by Shru, 2011-03-15 01:01:29
I have never met my grand father. I know him only through the stories my mother has told me. His ideals, his nature, his beliefs, his music, his joy, his songs. But it is only now that i have slowly started to fathom the depth and magnanimity of the man.
Your blog has brought to light a whole new chapter of his life that was thus far inaccessible to me. Needless to say, finding people who knew my grand father in the prime of his youth is not easy.
In four years, we will celebrate the centenary of my grandfather's birth. And I deeply wish to know him further. I would be truly indebted to you if there is any way in which you can help me understand my grand father better.
Thanking you,
Shruti Sridharan
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written by P. Desikan, 2009-03-27 04:06:20
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written by P. Desikan, 2009-03-27 04:03:55
Regards. Partha
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written by P. Desikan, 2009-03-26 16:27:59
much later in New Delhi, days before taking the fateful trip to Chennai and disappearing at Gudur.
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2005/03/04/stories/2005030400170300.htm
Regards. Partha
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written by P. Desikan, 2009-03-05 03:55:09
People who translate old Tamil classics into Sanskrit do not do so simply because they have great skills with the latter language, but because they know that they can reach the classics in question to at least some people in each of India's states. In turn, these will pass on the whole or the essence of these to others speaking their mother tongue.
The Captain's good father's contribution, so long ago, was therefore really worthwhile.
Since the Captain possibly could not lay hands on a copy of the old book, I searched elsewhere and found that Sri S N Sriramadesikan, an 88 year old resident of Chennai had been a prolific translator of Tamil classics into Sanskrit, though several of his projects are at present incomplete, because of his ambitious plans and his ageing frame. He lives by himself and my daughter found him last week among his and other's books in an apartment at Nandanam on Turnbulls Road. His address and telephne number are available on his website www.srinivasadesikan.com.
He has finished translating Arathu Pal of Tirukkural having to do with the purushartha of Dharma. This can be viewed in the link of a person who probably purchased the corresponding CD from him and edited it. The link is http://nvkashraf.co.cc/kursan/sancont.htm.
Warm regards. Partha.
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written by P. Desikan, 2009-02-08 22:49:17
Let me try my hand on the very first kural.
akaara pramukhaani aksharaaNi- tathaa(aa)dau
bhagavat prabhavam-hi jagat.
Dear Captain, did your dad use the kural verse format in his Sanskrit version,like my attempt above, or a Sanskrit chhanda, or just free translation in Sanskrit prose?
Regards. Partha
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written by narensomu, 2009-02-08 04:44:16
I second what Partha says.
Your narration of these happenings is well told , from the heart.
Did your Grandfather translate THirukural in to Sanskrit? It shows that the great language was learnt in earnest by many those days.It wasnt a monopolised property of some as it is claimed by some others.
Can we have more information on that?It is a pleasant surprise to hear that as my Father recently published his English translation of the Kural .
Sanskrit would be a more suitable language to translate the concise verse in to.
Love, I guess can be found in any kind of marriage.It seems complicated but may be actually very simple.
Thank you for a fine article.Looking for more info on the Kural translation.
Regards
ns
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written by P. Desikan, 2009-02-07 19:33:39
I have a few minor details connected with my origins to share with a fellow Tirunelvelian and a request to make at the end.
I was born in Palamcottah at my maternal grandfather's house in 1936. My Grandfather Desikachari was the only male teacher at St Ignatius' Girls' School at that time. My mother had studied there as well. She is a beloved memory only since 1997 and now I cannot verify with her whether she knew Ponniah Nadar's daughter.
Grandfather subsequently moved to Viravanallur, where I became one of his students for 4 years, doing class 5 and Forms I, II and III. The agraharam is still intact, and I believe I can show you where Mr V V. Sadagopan's ancestral house stood once near the Naaraasam (mid agraharam lane).
I am fascinated by the idea of an old translation of Tirukkural into Sanskrit and will be obliged dear captain, if you can help me to purchase a copy of your father's fine work.
Regards. Partha.
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i am keen to know more about the tirukkural translation done by your grandfather. Please email me of the details where I can find more about it. I have been collecting some information on the two-way translations of tamil - sanskrit works. thanks, gopal