taara, raMbha, mEnaka, varoodhini, et al - feminists?
Rao Veluri (rveluri@smtpgate.anl.gov)
Mon, 12 Aug 96 16:15:00 CST
taara, raMbha, mEnaka, varoodhini, et al - feminists?
It was amusing to see a post that tried to depict taara as a 'feminist.'
Before some other zealot/good soul comes up certifying raMbha, mEnaka,
varoodhini,etc., as 'feminists,' of yore, I would like all the participants
to have an agreed upon working definition of words such as 'feminism,
feminist writings, and feminist causes' as they pertain to the present.
Otherwise, bizarre posts would follow. And, some enthusiasts might even go
to the extent of suggesting 'we all should start writing feminist poetry,'
just because we know chandassu well enough! It may look farfetched, but,
in a free and democratic country like the U S of A, betraying one's
ignorance and exposing one's stupidity by performing silly adventures,
literary or otherwise, I am afraid is not at all prohibited.
With my limited knowledge of the prabandhas and kaavyaas of the erstwhile
era, I strongly believe that the mythological blokes (oops! it should be
folks! typo regretted!) taara, raMbha, mEnaka, varoodhini et al were sex-
starved lust-ridden nymphomaniacs who would get into bed with any Tom, Dick
and Harry (you can have Indian names if you like) at every opportunity.
Incest was never a bad word or taboo with them. Incest, adultery, etc.,
were never in their language, the dEva bhaasha, and in their dictionary!
The feminists' poetry, the feminist movement, and feminism per se, that we
have been discussing about within these news groups, in my humble opinion,
have nothing in common with those concubines who were permanent residents
of the lecherous indra's court, that occasionally visited the bharatakhanDa
to satiate their lascivious impulses! That's all.
A couple of poems by two feminist writers will further elucidate the Indian
feminists' position. Please read them with a little patience. I hope we
will have a better understanding of their 'words,' 'worlds, 'problems' and
'perceptions.' Here we go!
The first one is by Lakshmi Kannan, a Tamil/English poet with nine volumes
of poetry, fiction and criticism to her credit. She has published in the
Encounter, Helix, New Letters, etc. The following poem, entitled Daraupadi
was originally written in english. Here we go!
Draupadi
Once more
stripped to the raw nerves
the bones vibrating cold,
Draupadi is bared in books
papers, case-studies,
written about, explained, clinically justified
peeled of mythical euphemism
that covered her physiognomy, anatomy, her psyche,
discussed till she is wrung out dry-
a subject.
Eased of the weight
of an anachronistic civilization
which once bent her double,
She has now straightened up to stand easy,
looks clear as sheer glass
through which you see everything.
The global features on her face
launched a thousand UN meetings
and a conference at Copenhagen.
The garment she is now offered
to wrap herself for warmth
are resolutions on thin paper.
The pain was more tangible years ago
when She was a mere palpitating organism
beaten and kicked about.
The swollen blue and purple bruises
on her body
won her quick, straight sympathy
Not beaten anymore
Draupadi stands bare of bruises
her heart arrested at a still point in history.
She has done it.
Has offended the supreme male
into a sullen silence
by her terible nakedness.
The second poem is by jayaprabha from her 1991 collection 'ikkaDa kurisina
varshaM ekkaDi mEghaanidi?' The poem is entitled ' nEnu eenaaTi daanni.'
nEnu eenaaTi daanni
naaku saugaMdhikaa pushpaM vaddu
nEnu draupadini kaanu
naaku satyavaMtuDi praaNamoo vaddu
nEnu saavitrini kaanu
nEnu sairaMdhrinee kaanu
avakaaSaala baTTi marugujjulai pOyE
naluLLa kOsaM
marOsaari varamaala paTTukunE
damayaMtinee kaanu
paavurai gooLLallO
paDi kaTTu gaa kukkEsina
raaninee dasinee saaninee kaanu
nEnu rekkalu mukkalu cEsukuni
SramiMci batukutunna daanni
nEnoka kooleeni tallini
kaamrEdnee medhaavini
iMTaa bayaTaa niraMtaraM
pOraaTaM lO nimagna maina daanni
naligina daarilO naDici pOkuMDaa
talavaMci pOkuMDaa
kutaMtraalani gurtistoo heccaristoo
muMduku pOtunna daanni
nannu nEnu jayiMcukunna daanni!
nEnu eenmaaTi danni!
I hope the symbolism in both the poems is self-explanatory!
Regards.
-- Venkateswara Rao Veluri