Rhythm of the Mahabharatha
PREMA MANMADHAN
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M.N. Kesava Menon has transformed the rhythm and metre of the Mahabharatha into Vanchippattu style to popularise the epic.
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Photo: Vipinchandran
EPIC VENTURE: M.N. Kesava Menon's Mahabharatha in Vanchippattu style has simple Malayalam and a folksy tune.
Creativity with a capital `C' is the hallmark of M.N. Kesava Menon's very existence. The septuagenarian, living in Aroor, has spent all his life teaching children in various capacities, in the Kerala State Government service. This unsung hero has put to use his artistic sensibilities in offbeat ways and never shied away from attempting to try the near impossible even in a department ridden with red tape. Optimism is what keeps Menon going.
Menon has always been interested in the arts such as Kathakali, Thullal and music. His latest venture is indeed a tall order, but he is almost through - writing a version of the Mahabharatha in Vanchippattu style for common folks who are put off by the epic's length. The rhythm in the Vanchippattu format catches attention easily and the simple Malayalam and folksy tune make it easier to reach the epic to all sections of people who want to know more about it but find it difficult to wade through the pages. The sage advice and universal characteristics of the umpteen characters in Vyasa's epic have been translated into several tongues, but Menon' Vanchippattu style has never been tried.
Tested formula
"Everyone loves to sing `Kuttanadan punchayile... ' So, the same metre and rhythm, that is, of Vanchippattu, has been used in my Mahabharatha. It is almost ready," the Kuttanad-born Menon says, bringing out the manuscripts, carefully written in his neat handwriting. The Vanchipattu style is a tested formula for Menon.
On one side of the page, the Sanskrit version is given while on the other, is the Malayalam in Vanchipattu mode, 701 verses in 18 chapters.
"After all, Vyasa was born in a boat (vanchi)," he adds, stressing the logical link.
Menon has used this style earlier and found that it does click with the youth. `Gandhidarshanam,' a small booklet containing the gist of Gandhiji's teachings, was published in the Vanchippattu format by the Gandhidarshan Samiti of Aroor of which he is a member. The children just loved it. "Along with the rhythmic verses, maybe they will imbibe the Father of the Nation's teachings too," hopes the teacher with old-world values.
"Teaching entailed the welfare of the children too in my days. We not only taught but went beyond that role often," Menon says. For instance, when he was headmaster in several Government schools, education was often the last priority for some. Instead of succumbing to anti-social elements and lying low, Menon tried in his own inimitable way to mend matters.
"Even in an impossible situation, commitment can help matters," he says and explains that is the reason why he feels Gandhiji is relevant even today.
Rules in Thullal format
Another Herculean task he took on voluntarily after retirement was to lighten the burden of his former colleagues. Census-taking every 10 years is a tough task. Government servants are given a list of rules and directions to follow while on the task and reading them and understanding them is a tedious affair. In 1981, Menon rewrote these directions in Thullal format.
"I did it in one night and submitted it to the Education Department. They accepted it and took copies of it, which were given to every census official. I did it in 1991 and in 2001 too. God willing, I'll do it in 2011 too," he says.
At present, he is focused on the Vanchippattu Mahabharatha, which he hopes to get published soon, something that Ved Vyasa never ever imagined, surely.
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