Swami Vipulananda

இந்தப் பக்கத்தை தமிழில் வாசிக்க: சுவாமி விபுலானந்தர் ‎

Swami Vipulanandar

Vipulanandar

Swami Vipulanandar (March 27, 1892 - July 19, 1947) was a Tamil musicologist, professor and a monk. He has worked in many fields including literature, religion, philosophy, science and music. He undertook extensive research work in studies of Tamil music, Tamil literatue, Tamil drama and linguistics. His most important works are the Yazh Nool, a treatise on the history of music and the Madhanga Soolamani, a study on drama. He is best known as the author of the Yazh Nool, which is considered as one of the original sources in the history of Tamil music.

Birth and education

Vipulanandar was born on March 27, 1892 in Karaitivu located in Eastern Province of Sri Lanka to Samithambi and Kannamma. Mayilvakanan is his given name. In 1921, he joined the Ramakrishna Mission and was renamed Prabodha Chaithanyar. Then he became known as Vipulanandar and was ordained a monk.

Vipulanandar received his early education from Kunchithambi in the local elementary school. Along with his English studies, he studied Tamil grammar and basic literature with Vaithiyanatha Desikar, a priest at the Pillaiyar Temple in Karaitivu.

Swami Vipulanandar as student

Vipulanandar was educated first at Kalmunai Methodist English School and later at St. Michael's College, Batticaloa. He developed an interest in mathematics with Rev. Bonnell, a Frenchman. After passing the Cambridge Senior examination at the age of 16, he worked for some time as a teacher at St. Michael's College.

He joined the Teacher Training College in Colombo and learned ancient Tamil literature from Thenkovai Kandaiya Pillai. Karaitheevu Vaithilinga Desikat, Thenkovai Kandhaiya Pandithar and Kailayapillai are also known to be Vipulanandar’s Tamil teachers. He participated in the examination conducted by the Madurai Tamil Sangam and obtained the title of Pandithar. Swami Vipulananda was the first recipient of this title from Sri Lanka.

He joined the Colombo Government College of Technology in 1915 to study science and received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1916. In 1920 he passed the BSc examination conducted by the University of London.

According to C. Mounaguru, five aspects of his background played a great role in shaping Vipulanandar’s personality. These include:

Traditional Tamil learning
English education
Scientific education, particularly in mathematics
Knowledge of Sanskrit
Association with the Ramakrishna Mission
Knowledge of multiple languages

Swami Vipulanandar Memorial Book

Personal Life

In 1912 worked as a teacher for two years at St. Michael's College, Batticaloa with the certificate of Trained Teacher of the Teacher Training College
Worked as a Chemical Assistant Lecturer in Government Technical College, Colombo.
In 1917 worked as a science teacher at Sampatharisiyar College, Jaffna.
Accepted the post of Principal of Manipay Hindu College at the request of Advocate Thiruvilangadhar.
Served as Manager, Trincomalee Koneswara Hindu College, 1925
Accepted the presidency in 1928.
From 1926-1930 he was in Trincomalee and also served as the Manager of Ramakrishna Mission’s Vaitheeswara Vidyalaya, Jaffna.

Teaching

Archam Bandrasariyar College (1919)
Manipay Hindu College (1920)
Annamalai University (1931-1933)

Vipulanandar

Monastic life

Vipulanandar started the Vivekananda Sabha at his home in Anaibandi, Jaffna in 1916 with the help of artist Kalaipulavar Navaratnam, S. Mayilvakanam and C. Muthukumaru. When Sarvanandar, the head of the Mylapore Ramakrishna Mission, came to Sri Lanka in 1917, the organization Vivekananda Sabha welcomed him. At the instigation of Vivekananda Sabha, Ramakrishna Mission took over the dilapidated Vaitheeswara Vidyalaya in Jaffna and helped in running it. While working in Manipay, Vipulanandar received some yoga training from a monk named Yogaswamy.

Vipulanandar resigned as a teacher and joined the Ramakrishna Mission in 1922. At the Mylapore Monastery in Chennai, he was administered the Brahmacharya initiation and Sannyasa initiation under the name of Prabodha Chaithanyar, by Swami Sarvanandar. Vipulanandar studied there for two years. On the full moon day in the month of Chittirai in 1924, he received monastic title from Swami Sivananda, a student of Vivekananda. After that, he returned to Sri Lanka and coordinated the educational work of the Ramakrishna Mission. A Saiva Siddanthi from the early days, he became an absolutist Vedantin. In the classes he taught, he instituted a practice of same food and same seat for everyone.

Swami Vipulanandar in Chidambaram

Vipulanandar was in charge of welcoming Gandhi to Sri Lanka in 1927 as the President of the Jaffna Youth Union. Annamalai University was started in 1931. At the invitation of Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar, Vipulanandar went to Chidambaram and accepted the post of Tamil Professor. In 1933, he returned to Sri Lanka to continue his work at the Ramakrishna Mission. In 1937 he travelled to Mount Kailash in Himalayas. In 1939 he moved to the Mayawati Ashram in Almora, at the foothills of the Himalayas, as the editor of the Prabhuda Bharatha, the English magazine of Ramakrishna Mission. There he began his work on Yazh Nool. (Adapted from an article by S. Ambigaibagan, Vipulananda's assistant. Adigalar Pativamalar Internet Library ^[1])

Journalism

Vipulanandar was the editor-in-chief of the following magazines.

Vedanta Kesari (English),
Prabhuda Bharatha (English)
Ramakrishna Vijayam (Tamil)

Literary life

Vipulanandar Memorial Home

Vipulanandar was the editor of the Tamil magazine Sri Ramakrishna Vijayam run by the the Ramakrishna Mission and the English language magazine Vedanta Kesari. He was appointed as the selector of the Pandithar examination conducted by the Madurai Fourth Tamil Sangam. He wrote literary articles for the Madurai Tamil Sangam magazine, Senthamizh. Choolamani'.

Literary Criticism

Vipulanandar wrote during the period when literary criticism was just coming into vogue in Tamil. He tried to formulate principles that could be used to analyze both traditional and modern literary forms. His notable essays include Nagariga varalaru, Egiptiya nagareegam, Yavanapurakkalai selvam, Metrisai selvam, Aiyamum azhagum, Unmaiyum vadivum, Nilavum pozhilum, Malayum kadalum, Kaviyum salbum and Nadum nagarum. He believed that literature in Tamil must be read and analyzed in the context of Tamil culture, world cultures and other artforms.

Translation

Vipulananda's Tamil translation of English poems were published as a collection titled Angilavani. Poems by Walter Scott (The Lady of the Lake), Tennyson (In Memoriam), Milton, Wordsworth, Keats are notable. He has published several critical essays based on Shakespeare's plays. These articles are included in the collection 'Madanga Soolaamani’

Coinage of Technical Terms (Terminology/Glossary)

The Technical Terms Coinage Academy was formed in 1934 under the leadership of Swami Vipulananda and the Glossary book ‘Technical Terms (kalai choRkaL)’ was published in 1938 by the Chennai Tamil Sangam. He emphasized the need to create terminology in Tamil and to create unique words in Tamil for each English word associated with the same subject. (e.g. the word kannadi is used for both a mirror and a piece of glass. Swami Vipulananda wanted unique words to be created for each concept). His view on translation is flexible. His concept is that it is important not to deviate from the meaning of the source during translation.

Tamil Terminology/Glossary Conference led by Swami Vipulanandar was held on Sunday 20th September 1936 at Pachaiyappa College Hall, Chennai. Scholars from the University of Chennai, the Government of Sri Lanka, the South Indian Teachers' Association and the South Indian Tamil Association attended the conference. Swami Vipulanandar served as the Chairman of the Terminology Committee and the Chairman of the Chemistry Glossary Committee. When the Chennai Provincial Tamil Conference was held on September 27, 1936, a resolution was passed praising his efforts in creating new technical terms.

Music research

Yazh Nool

Swami Vipulanandar became the first Tamil professor at the Chidambaram Annamalai University in 1931 and undertook research on early Tamil music. In 1934, while at the Mayawati Ashram in Almorah, Himalayas, he began writing a book entitled ‘Yazh Nool'. He later finished writing while working in Sri Lanka. (See Yazh Nool)

Drama research

One of Swami Vipulanadar’s most important contributions was his attempt to formulate a modern grammar for Tamil dramatics. He wrote a book called Madanga Choolamani analyzing Shakespeare’s plays on the basis of principles of dramatics found in Tamil literary texts.

Spirituality

Swami Vipulanandar was attracted by the ideals of the Ramakrishna Mission. He found his calling there and became a monk in that order. C.Mounaguru describes his spiritual journey thus - “Vipulanandar started out as a saiva siddhantin. But in later years he appears to be a staunch absolutist Vedantin”

Awards

Vipulanandar’s book

In recognition of Vipulanandar’s service to the people of Eelam, Sri Lanka has included him as one of the National Heroes.
Tamil Language Day is observed on the day of his death in all schools in Sri Lanka.

Death

Swami Vipulanandar Memorial

Vipulanandar returned to the country in a critical condition after the debut of his book Yazh Nool. He passed away on July 19, 1947. His body was buried under a tree in front of the Sivananda Vidyalaya, which he had created in Batticaloa.

Statue of Vipulanandar

Under the leadership of Dr. Ma. Parasuraman, Vipulananda’s statue was erected in front of the Vipulananda Public Library on the main road in Karaitivu, 22 years after Vipulananda's death. The statue was inaugurated on October 08, 1969 by Kunrakkudi AdigaLar visiting from India. During unveiling ceremony of the statue, a book 'Adigalar Padivamalar' compiled by the writer Ma.Sargunam M.A. was released. The statue was smashed during 1990 genocide.

Swami Vipulanandar's Statue

In 1999, another statue was erected near the house where Vipulanandar was born, in the Manimandapa area, under the leadership of V. Jayanathan. It was inaugurated on June 26, 1999 by Swami Atmananda Maharaj, President of Ramakrishna Mission Sri Lanka. The book 'Adigalar Memorial Malar' compiled by journalist VR Sakadevaraja was unveiled.

Another statue was unveiled at Vibulananda Square, the main intersection of Karaitivu, 69 years after Vipulananda's passing away on Chitra Pournami 2016. Both the statues were carved by the sculptor Nallarethnam from Pullumalai, Batticaloa. The statue was unveiled by the Minister of Hindu Affairs, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Prisons Reforms, DM Swaminathan ^[2].

Literary Significance

Swami Vipulanandar was one of the principal architects of the Tamil renaissance of the 19th century. The Tamil renaissance of the 19th century took place in two stages. The discovery and publication of ancient, forgotten Tamil texts that had borne the ravages of time constituted the first stage. Constructing ancient Tamil history and culture from these texts constituted the second stage. Swami Vipulanandar can be said to be the face of the second stage of the Tamil renaissance.

Vipulanandar’s contributions spanned three domains. Firstly, he contributed significantly to the coining of new keywords and technical terms in Tamil. A keyword or a technical term captures a concept new to that language in a single word. Such words usually have roots in the language and are coined anew from the root to represent a specific concept. Thus a new concept finds a place in that language. When the concept grows in meaning, the new word grows in meaning too. Vipulanandar’s coinages were fundamental to Tamil culture and Tamil scholarship.

Secondly, Swami Vipulanandar made a notable contribution with his book on dramatics, Mathanga Choolamani. It created a fresh grammar for Tamil dramatics based on traditional Tamil literature and modern plays. Advances in dramatics have the tendency to influence literature and society at large since they describe emotional states and bring in fresh ideas. Vipulanandar’s Matanga Choolamani is such a text.

Thirdly, Vipulanandar played a fundamental role in the renaissance of traditional Tamil music. Yaal nool is considered a classic text of Tamil music. The book describes not just Tamil music but an entire cultural landscape entwined with the music. This text helps to improve our readings of ancient Tamil literatures.

C. Maunaguru summarizes Swami Vipulanandar’s contributions thus - “Swami Vipulanandar has the tendency to find harmony in everything and take the best out of it. We see this tendency in his approach to literature too. He makes no difference between human beings. Similarly he does not contend that only the ancient, traditional literatures are good literature and the modern works are not literature. He does not maintain the line that Tamil has the best literature in the world either. He finds the best in everything, finding harmony in diversity”

Swami Vipulanandar Kaalamum Karuthum

List of Books

Music

Vangiyam (1942)
Sangeetha parijatham (1942)
Parijatha veenai (1944)
Yazh Nool

Others

Madhanga Soolamani
Swami Vipulanandarin Akkangal (Collection of 127 essays, 3 பாகங்கள், 1997)
Vipulanandar ilakkiyam (Collection)

Postal Stamp

Essays

payanatra kalvi (Kumaran 1934)
payanuLLa kalvi (Kumaran 1934)
puthiya kalvi thittaththiRku aadharavu (1938)
lagara ezuththu (thamiz pozhil)
chozha mandalamum eezha mandalamum (kalaimagaL)
kalaichollaakkam (pachaiyappan kalloori malar)
yavanapuraththu kalai chelvam
aiyamum azhagum
Ilakkiya chuvai

Small Poetic Texts

Ganesha thoththira pathigam
maanikka pillaiyaar irattai mani malai
Subramaniya irattai mani malai
kumaravel navamani malai

Religious Texts

Nataraja vadivam
Thillaai thirunadanam

Swami Vipulanandar Memorial Book 2003

English Essays

The Phonetics of Tamil
The Gift of Tongues
An Essay on the Study of Language

Translations

aangilavaani (Poems)
saaral mazhai (Shakespeare's Tempest)

Texts about Vipulanandar

Adigalar padiva malar ^[3] - ma.sargunam
Vipulanandar imayam - Batticaloa Tamil Sangam
Vipulanandar kaaviyam - Subramaniyam Sivalingam
Swami Vipulanandar kalamum karuththum - C. Mounaguru^[4]
Swami Vipulanandarin sinthnai nerigal - kaa.chivaththambi^[5]
Yaazhppana Samuga Uruvaakkamum Vipulanandarum - A. Gaurikanthan^[6]
Swami Vipulananda AdigaLar documentary^[7]
vipulam, Vipulananda adigal malar^[8]
Swami Vipulanandarin samaya chinthanaigal - kalanidhi arunachchalam^[9]