Re: reference to caste in tyAgAraja kIrtanalu
DEVARAKONDA VENKATA NARAYANA SARMA (narayana@hd1.vsnl.net.in)
Thu, 16 Apr 1998 09:23:52 +0500
At 10:51 AM 4/15/98 -0700, you wrote:
>This discussion is similar to the debate that often crops up over
>Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, which is full of anti-jewish rants.
>
>One argument that I have seen in connection with MoV that might apply
>to Thyagaraja kritis is to leave the references in to remind ourselves
>that life is not black and white: just because someone is a saint or
>a great composer doesn't mean that they don't have flaws, and we needn't
>be heartbroken (though it is a natural reaction) that someone whom we
>idolized has turned out to be imperfect. The other, related argument for
>enlightened folks is that leaving these things in is a reminder of
>where we have come from, and where we might still go if we are not
>watchful.
>
>There are equally good arguments for leaving the references out, but I
>won't make them. Isn't it ultimately the singer's choice?
>
>My personal views.
>
>Bapa Rao
>
This discussion about Tyagaraja is similar to the 3 volume (or 4)
book written by a famous authoress about Ramayana, judging Rama
in light of Karl Marx's writings (As though Karl Marx is infallible).
There is nothing wrong in such a discussion but I do not think that
it will serve any useful purpose. Both Rama and Tyagaraja are
beyond the reach of our discussion to mend their ways. If one
wants carry on a proxy war using them as a pretext, one can do so.
regards,
sarma.