08 Chapter 1

Chapter I
The Sacred and the Profane
Manjeri S.Isvaran was born in Tanjore which had a

tradition
Brahmin
in
family
traditional
Isvaran
Hindu religion and rituals. The

in which
ways
aristocratic
he was born adhered
strictly
of living. So it was natural
that
born and brought up in an atmosphere of
and 'vedas', became
the
of
elements in
The
well versed in Hinduism and traditional
could
draw
endowed
creative inspiration
culture
'he
the
old Brahmins and

formation
of
make
his
them
days
makes
him
a typical
had
philcsophy,
and religion. Hindu rituals, legends and
the
selection
of
during
Indian writer. His
show a well-marked influence of Hindu
locales,
the
inseparable
festivals
always find a place in his stories and poems. In the

the
from
artistic sensibility.
traditional Hindu orientation Isvaran
early
writings
of
young
snloke of the sacrifice, the verses of Rig Veda and
teaching
his
he
to
'mantras'
Indian philosophical thinking. Gifted with a richly

imagination,
rich
the
choice
material,
the
presentation of the incidents, the delineation of characters

and the interpretation of life, he is traditional. Tradition
is sacred to him because it has stood
Prepared by BeeHive Digital Concepts Cochin for Mahatma Gandhi University Kottayam
the test of time.
Attitude to Myths and Religion

Isvaran
found the Hindu world of myths to be
never
ending source of material for his writings. In the review of

Hamilton's
Mythology
in
Swatantra, 10
October
1953,
he
observes: "Classical mythology is an inexhaustible field for

exploration, study and interpretation".
The poetic world of
Isvaran, built around
of legend, myths and folklore, projects a complex

all
its
diversity.
tradition
that
This
world
emerges
his
and
heritage.
This
1t
dates back to thousands of years.
writings
knowledge
world
one
can
desire
is
see
to
the
hark
because
in
from a sense of
part of the life he led, it was part of his very

In
themes
was
existence.
philosophic quest for
back
"religion
to his
in
India
roots and
is
not
dogmatic. It is a rational synthesis which goes on gathering

into itself
(
new
conceptions
as
philosophy
progresses".
Mc Dermott 70)
Myth Defined
Myths and religion are co-related. Myths are narratives
born
in
the
early
stages
of
history
whose
images (gods, legendary heroes, big events, etc.)

attempts
to
generalise
and
explain
fantastic
are
different phenomena
of nature and society. Myth is a peculiar form of the

view
of
man's
moral
people
view
in
and
the
ancient
aesthetic
but
society.
attitudes
world
It
reflects
to
reality.
It is imaginative representation of the inner nature of
the
communities in the early stages of culture. With the passage
of
time myths have become an integral part of religion
tradition
and
stories.
They
underwent
exist
the
imbibes
upbringing
legends
reflect the cultural changes
during
individual
in the form of
and
process
their
its
spirit
colour
they
of
the
and
and
puranic
the
community
development.
through
An
education
subconscious
and
springs of
creation in him.
In
images
the
the process
the
in these myths get transmuted to become
primordial
germane
existing cultural context, such transmutation
product
nature
even
of artistic creation,
of
their
interaction
with
the
condition
inventions.
certain
They
embody
deep - lying
aspects
serving
meaningful
interpretation
cultural
group, race,
and
elements
of
human
and
as partly unconscious
extent,
not
which
inborn
some
his creative activity. Myths are
existence,
unifying
being
writer's
and experience. They stimulate and to
to
pure
symbolize
transhuman
for
of reality. They function
as
force, integral to one's identity
in
nation.
To
the writer,
vehicles
this
is
important since his writing draws strength from its
all
kinship
with the past through language and myth. The continuity with
tradition
and
kinship with the community which
the
writer
achieves through language and myth, enables him to transcend

the
confines
of the immediate and the
personal
and
draw
strength for a more comprehensive vision of reality. "
Myth
remains the same as long as it is felt as such" (Coyle 743).
Myth hsed in Literature

Modern writers make use of the myths in different ways.
They may sometimes use mythological names to title the
and
name
the
characters.
The
story
may
have
connection with any of the mythological fables. An

of
the present is thus narrated using
This
creates
sustained
ambiguity that stems
humour
results
no
incident
mythological
which
work
names.
from
the
from the dual roles of the characters;
one reiated to the present and the other to the mythological

past.
Such
maintained
conflict
in
and
uncertainty
Hiranya Kashipu
by
are
successfully
N.P.Mohamed. Sometimes
the writers make use of a philosophical idea as in G.Sankara

Kurup's
poem
between
Jivathma and Paramatma. Sometimes, the
tell
the
Sooryakanti, which
story
ofthe
puranas
narrates
but
the
relation
writer
gives
may
his
own
interpretation and judgments whereby it gets a new dimension

of meaning. Story thus becomes a conning tower which directs
the reader to mythology and ancient folklore but the path it
lights
is different and the reader has to be on
and armed with

of
knowledge
of
the
his
puranas.
guard
This
treatment usually makes the book an allegory and it
carry
a different meaning to the new set of
readers
kind
may
whose
moral value and world outlook are different from that of the
people of the ancient days. Thus we have the story of the
Mahabharatha retold by M.T. Vasudevan Nair in Randamoozham.
Religious
concerned
and
mythological
tales
with man and his relation with God.
are
Man
mainly
aspires
for divine knowledge and like Icarus, tries to reach

The ancient people were aware of man's
incapacities and
the same time his hunger for divine wisdom.

find
repeated
heaven.
at
Two images that
mention in ancient tales are
'waiting'
and
'journey'.
Moses
and his men undertook the hazardous
reach the
'Promised Land'
journey
to
of enlightenment, good cheer and
prosperity. In the Greek Fables, we see Psyche in pursuit of

Cupid and Oedipus on a long pilgrimage for redemption. Every
character
in
the
journey".
The
Hindu
mortals
puranas
undertake
undertakes
it
in
"the
the
long
form
of
pilgrimage to Kasi or the Himalayas where he or she may wait

either on the shores of the sacred Ganga or in the seclusion
of the woods
These
English
for the ultimate union with Parameswara.

themes
writers.
often recur in the
writings
of
In Gitanjali, Tagore writes: "
Indian
The
time
that my journey takes is long and the way of it longU.(7)

Hermann
Hesse's
discontent
abandons
Siddartha
the
hero
feels
the seeds of
within him as young Buddha felt and,

his
realisation.
home
In
to undertake a long journey
Kim we
-
come across such
In
like
him,
for
self-
long
journey
which the Lama in search of the "River of Arrow", undertakes

in
the
company
Murthy's
pilgrimage
Samskara
of young Kim o'

we
find
Hara.
In
Praneshacharya
U.R.
going on a
for identification with the divine.
The
of 'waiting'is amply made use of by R.K. Narayan in

for the Mahatma
-
and Raja Rao in Kanthapura.
Anantha
image
Waiting
Isvaran's Use of Myths

Isvaran
makes
use
of
these
stock
images
"waiting" and "journey" in many of his writings.
In
of
"This
Room",
he writes: "I linger ever in this room..."
(SH 13).
In
Rare Rosary" the poet pictures himself as
"A
waiting for the touch of God.

waits
for death.
person
"Courage" portrays a man
who
"The Wait" symbolically reveals the
long
waiting, man has to endure in this world before be gets
the
opportunity to meet God who is considered by Saivites as the

perfect male.
a
or
"Reflection" reveals implicitly the image
journey. Immersion could also be read as a

even
religious narrative.
of
philosophical
It is the description
of
It
journey to a holy place, a sort of pilgrimage." (Paniker 40)

The images of "travel" and "wait" co-exist in the
poem
"Discovery"
I TRAVELLED, travelled all the day,
,
and all the night the tedious way,

to where in welcome you did wait
for me, on that our promised date.
Literature
making
which
man know
he
Literature
reality
and
enacts
while
philosophy are allies in the
himself
belongs.
(BO
Both
in
and
the
are
reflections
imaginative
philosophy
does
world of
it
terms
of
reality.
perceptions
through
intellectual
inquiry. Many of Isvaran's writings are philosophic
because
in them he tries to analyse the relation of God and man
of
and
also
to solve the age
in the life of man.
old problem of suffering and
sorrow
In "A Rare Rosary" he says that God has
given man a rare rosary of pain and sorrow.

In
is
"The Book and the Lamp" he states that
a mixture of
'
man's
"deceits, greeds, lusts, hopes,
life
despair,
li
hates.
( A F 5 ) "Image" tells us of a "thoughtless fool
"(SH
37) who goes to fashion an image of God.
In the poem "Paradox" he says:

that one of the hands of Freedom
is Bondage;
that one of the legs of Truth
is Falsehood.
(FA 9 )
and thus establishes the principle of duality in the cosmos.

Isvaran makes sustained use of Indian myths in his writings.
"In
his
Isvaran
choice
is
of themes and in his
typically
treatment
(Venugopal
Indian"
of
them,
He
34).
is
emotionally involved with them as an ardent devotee of Hindu

religion.
This
does
not mean that Isvaran makes
mythology only in his writings.
His choice of the
is not exclusively Indian mythology.

diverse
sources
capacity
ideas
for
His
origins,
images
the enormous
assimilating mythological
of various
European.
exemplifying
use
such
as
and
Greek,
of
Hindu
material
are from
reading
and
philosophical
Persian
and
In an article "Learning the Craft: Lessons
from
the Masters" he evaluates the influence of tradition on

creative effort
his
Like
green
impulse
thoughts
in
write
may
to
omnivorous
a green shade the

spring
from
an
reading cultivated in early life,
but it is the deep-rooted, the inborn love of

words
not concerned much with the shades and
subtleties
of their meaning that creates the
desire
write
to
them meaningfully.
an unmistakable sign of the latent
It is
writer.
(Swarajya 10 Nov, 1956)

Indian
philosophical
concepts such
as
Karma,
Maya,
Cycle of birth and rebirths (Punarjanma) the belief in Fate,

two elements of wisdom and power, Siva and Sakthi,
the
worship
of
the
cosmic
favourite
themes
Maugharn,
Aldous
R.K. Narayan,
Desai
and
mother
Kali,
in literature. The
Raja
others
Huxley,
L.H.
have
works
Myers,
always
of
the
Philosophy on their literary imagination.

concept
of
Myers.
Mabun
reality
I mean Maya". (Myers 178)
of
Anitha
Indian
The philosophical
maya finds a prominent place in the

Das
B ain,
F.W.
influence
been
Somerset
Rao, R. Taqore, Sri. Aurobindo,

reveal
the
novels
of
says
"By
Then he talks about
the
in --The Root and
the
-
Flower
eternity of Siva's Dance and its relation to the
phenomenal
world.
Aldous Huxley's novel Island can be described as an
Novel"
though
the locale is the
fictional
island
"Pala".
Most of the characters bear Indian names
"Vijaya
Bhattacharya",
"Susila",
"Lakshrni",
"Indian
called
such
as
"Radha",
"Ranga"
etc.
Somerset
of
and
subscribe
difficult
to
"The
pass
Indian
The Razor's
-
Maugham's novel
Kathopanishad,
to
sharp
vision
of
Edge echos the
edge
of
over: thus the wise
say
life.
words
razor
the
is
path
to
salvation is hard".
As
Gour
"Dance of
culture
the
Sunder
Siva"
religion"
Isvaran.
of
in
Isvaran's
says "The background of our
and without
other.
De, a character
knowing
the
one
Everything in India is
(RW 82).
you
deeply
art
story
is
our
can't
know
tinged
with
This is absolutely true in the case
of
Isvaran himself was aware of the fundamental place
culture
in stimulation of creativity.
He
believed
that the culture of a people is intimately related to

creative
their
endeavours.
Culture is creative: it cannot be produced to
order.
It is the
fundamental
family
keeps its good manners.
with
which
the
'It manifests
itself in innumerable ways in the endeavours and

endurances of humanity.
And it is these that a
writer has to reflect in his work, staying deeprooted in his traditional past.
(Swarajya 21 Sept. 1957; 10)
Isvaran
makes use of mythological and popular
folklore
in
mythological
or
different ways
I.
Sometimes
religious
story
story.
Isvaran
elaborates
Thus in "Sinning Heaven" he narrates
of Ahalya, sage Gautama's spouse who was
seduced
the
by
Indra.
The poet's sympathies are with the poor Ahalya who is
pictured
not as a goddess but as a mortal who
bewails
her
sad fate.
In
"Lovers, Dear Lovers" Isvaran narrates the
of Sakuntala,Gandnari and Damayandhi.
In the procession
lovers the last to come are Romeo and Juliet.
from households \ that nourished a bloody feud"
Verona,
(SH 6 6 ) .
In "Rhapsody in Red" he pictures goddess Kali and

her what offering he must bring to her.
of
Isvaran sings
they are "the most famous of them all, \ from
that
stories
asks
He offers his heart
to the goddess:
I pluck out my heart,

don't you see it bleeding
in the bowl of my hands ?
0
rhapsody in red,
are you satisfied (SH 87)

"Tandava"
Siva
and
has a human touch, though it describes
his spouse, Parvathi.
quite
humorously
describes the quarrel between Siva and Parvathi.
The couple
behaves just like mortals.
Isvaran
Lord
The poem "Again" describes
Fourth Avatar' the story of Hiranyakasipu, and concludes

saying
that
the Fourth Avatar may come again
to
'the
by
demolish
what is rotten and tarnished and to bring a regeneration
to
the present world.

The short story "Rainbow" narrates how the rainbow came
to be born and why it is called "Indra Chapam."The Squirrel
and the Parrot" is based on a puranic folktale.
It narrates
in
detail the story of Sri Rama and finally tells
squirrel
got
narrates
its story and says that it got the red
its
the
three white stripes.
The
establishes
squirrel
of
the
squirrel
and
the
that
the
memory of sorrow
the
parrot. then
beak as a souvenir of Sita's swayamvara.
conversation
how
colour
Through
parrot
and
on
the
Isvaran
pain
is richer and greater than the memory of
of
the
joy
and
gaiety of the parrot because "it was tlnen that he [Rama] was
nearer, dearer to Janaki than he had ever been" (FT 25).
The
gypsymaiden
is a familiar figure
in
the
Indian
villages. She is credited with the miraculous power of being

able to tell the future.
gipsym2iden
In many of Isvaran's writings
appears and holds the rein of the
the
proceedings.
In Immersion she appears to warn the heroine of the calamity

in store for her.
In
"Devadasi" Isvaran asks the devadasi
to dance.
in cobra stance
hooded duskily
chaunting huskily
swoon the gods in your sensual ecstasy! (SH 57)
Devadasis are "temple dancers", women who are given
the
temple as offerings to gods.
persons
Isvaran finds fault
who called them nautch girls because
devadasis
to
he
be part of a great tradition which
to
with
considers
tries
to
preserve the ancient dance forms from extinction.

2.
Isvaran
uses mythological stories
and
religious
beliefs for illustration, contrast and juxtaposition.
In Siva Ratri the story of Lubdhaka is juxtaposed with

the story of the grandmother.
The poem "Love's Sorrow" tells
us about the plaintive note coming from the throbbing throat

of
a kokil who sings the tale of a broken love.
The
echoes the theme of the 'Adikavya', th~eRamayana, the

of the Krauncha couple (a pair of curlews) with its
poem
story
setting
of death and bereavement which inspired Valmiki to write the

great
epic.
Kokil's
sorrowful note is
enriched
by
its
kinship with the puranic story of the Krauncha couple.

poem
"Saffron and
stories.
It
constant
beside
in
Gold" is reminiscent
of
us about the story
of a
tells
many
puranic
man
his love, being changed into a star
who
to
his love and thus to enjoy eternal bliss.
The
is
shine
The
poem
centres on the Indian symbol of womanhood.

In "To India
image
in
Question" Isvaran makes use of a Hindu
describing India's death through
partition.
He
describes it in the ritualistic manner of a Hindu funeral:

She died a dazzling death,
with vermilion on her brow!
with flowers in her hair!
as we threw her into the funeral flames,

and immersed her ashes in the sacred rivers,
(SH 42).
In
"Zeitgeist" the
regeneration.
poet
seems
hopeful
He believes that India will be
of
India's
reborn
like
the fabled bird Phoenix.
The Hindu belief in rebirth is
conspicuous here.
Isvaran
combines
Ayappa
Paniker
establishes
Indian
beliefs
with
European
In this connection, it i,sworthwhile to
mythology.
to
Indian
"!Phe
who comments:
spiritual continuum
sentiments
and
the
way
between
European
that
the
listen
Isvaran
basically
sensibility
is
remarkable." (17)
the story "Heart of Man'' Isvaran tries
In
the
to
despondency of the hero through a number of
and religious anecdotes.

everyone
who
has
Gautama,
Jesus, Sankara
explain
historical
The hero says that he feels
spoken
since
speaking
Plato,
began,
has been made complete
"that
fool
of,
each believing he was on the track of truth in a
wilderness
where
direction"
(NA
there are no tracks, no paths, not even a

73).
Images from different sources,
varied
as
life
itself, philosophical queries as enigmatic and wonderful
as
philosophy
He
then
itself enter into the thinking of the hero.
ponders over the futility of the! cycle of
rebirths.
"The riddle of life will ever remain
(NA 76).
No one is consulted when one is born.
move
"In
aside to make space for the fresh

this
state
consciousness
one shouldn't fret.
births
a
One
can
riddle"
One
arrivals
and
must
(births).
return
the
with the grace of Socrates returning the
cup
of hemlock and quit" (NA 76).

In
"Peaceful Was the Night" Isvaran quotes
profusely
from the Bible [Isaiah : Chapters 11 and 4 0 1 to describe the
fateful
day
on which Paul Tambidurai keeps
vigil
on
the
It is the Christmas night c!ommemorating the birth
warfront.
of Christ which was to mark a new dawn in human history.
The
prophet is quoted by Isvaran to illustrate the peaceful

cruelty of
of the night as contrasted with the w!L~--u~
joy
war.
The child-like love and spirit of brotherhood on earth which

Jesus
came
to preach is deliberately
pitted
against
the
antagonism and evil that war begets.

In "A Light Was Lit" Parvati lights the Karthikai
hoping and praying that her brother would return.
The story
is based on the tradition associated with Karthikai

It
is
the
day when women light lamps
well-being
brother
and
has
celebrations
long
life of
their
and
of
Karthikai
Deepam
pray
is
the
Parvati's
setting
to
deepam.
for
brothers.
deserted his studies and the
lamp
of
the
reinforce
by
contrast, her sufferings at the hands of her mother-in-law.

In
stone
or
Immersion Isvaran tells the story of

'Kodaikal' brought into being by
the
Umbrella
Brahmin
who
gave vent to his anger on his not receiving due respect from
three pariah women at work in the rice fields.
Akhileswaran
comments on the nature of folklore: "folklore is so redolent

of rustic piety and innocence that it is timid before reason
and
thrives
folklore
is
only
on man's
complicity'' (IM
cited to substantiate the innocent
9).
nature
The
of
Akhileswaran and as the author claims "this short digression

but
intensified
his [Akhileswaran's] anxiety
more important matters".
(IM 10)
relating
to
In the story "Painted Tigers" Isvaran uses the fable of

the
"Lion and the Fox'' to explain the unequal
Umar
and Karim and how the well-set Umar is
deception by the puny Karim.

wonder
strength
of
vanquished
by
The story of "Kamadhenu", the
cow that the devas and the danavas brought out
when
they churned the deep milk sea suits l:svaran1spurpose
well
when
in
describing the wonderful cow under the care of

"Illumination".
mythological
But in "The Toilette" Isvaran
story from a different source.
The
--
Ali
Baba from Thousand and One Nights serves him
for
introducing
the beautiful heroine.
Morgiana touch too was there...

the
dancing
slave-girl
of
uses
story
of
admirably
writes:
"The
She would easily have
been
the
He
Kannan
household
of
Ali
Baba"
(RW 3 7 ) .
The story of Sakuntala is made use of, in "Visit of
Immortal", to ridicule the young film artist Svarna
In
His
Kumari.
"The Kolu" the beautiful slight of Kolu is described
using
the image of "Aladdin's magic lamp" (NS 68).
Nativity"
the
birth
of a
child
to
the
In
sister
Raghunathan is super-imposed on the festivities and
an
by
"At
of
beliefs
relating to the births of Lord Krishna, who was born under

the star Rohini to kill Kamsa,his uncle. 1n"The Serpent Gem"
Isvaran
narrates
many stories relating
to
serpents.
He
alludes to many references to snakes in the Mahabharata:

The snake was a garland round the neck of Lord
Siva; the snake was the couch of Lord Vishnu.
The
robe which Kunti had placed in the box in which

she immured the child Karna sprang like a real
live serpent at those pretenders who came to
claim him as her own, as the one who had given him
birth ( N A 129)
Thus Ulundai dreams about the serpent and comes to
conclusion
that "the serpent under the jasmine
bush
the
which
was part and parcel of her home had come to stand guard over
her,
to
defend
her who was a virgin
against
all
harm".
( N A 129)
3.
of
Sometimes, Isvaran builds his stories in the

fable
mythical
story
or
character
becomes
elements
fable,
of
and carries
an
the
allegory.
He
the
story
different
achieves
meanings.
combines
the
apparently different forms
The
structural
such
the parable, the myth and the fantasy to
moral purpose.
is
folk tale so that
mould
as
the
achieve
In these stories, as in a fable, the surface
relatively insignificant and exists for the sake of
the
underlying meaning it carries.

"Bewitched" is a story which combines the qualities
fable,
who
fantasy and fairy tale.
visits
dolls.
a small provincial town with
"The
even, looked
It is about a
three dolls looked on

as
if
the
with
three
vendor
mysterious
simple
dignity,
art that had gone to fashion them
squared triumphantly with life" ( R W 63).

the
doll
of
The vendor summons
people round and explains the mystery about the
When he finishes the story something unusual happens:
dolls.
Hardly had he finished speaking when the three

dolls that stood on the cou:nter leaped abruptly
into the basket and a mist began to rise from the
very bowels of the earth and settle like a thick
pall from end to end of the whole bazaar.
How
long it lasted it is not known, but when it

lifted, the dollvendor was nowhere to be seen, and
the bazaar lay as if under a spell, empty of
animation, the buyers and sellers benumbed in
their activities
open mou-ths, hurrying feet, and
gesticulating hands
painted town.
a pai:nted bazaar in a
And it was full twenty-four hours
before life and liveliness returned to it...

( R W 66-67)
The
tale
has
all the qualities of a
fable
of
rich
imagination expressed in images drawn from our culture and a

narrative directness characteristic of a folk-tale.
of
the
which
fairy story is created by

is unreal and ethereal.
fantastic
The myystic number
The echo
atmosphere
three
associated with the major images in the story: three

three
principles, three wires etc.
from
ings.
changed.
he comes back he finds the real
People
immersed in their
unreal
happen-
world
activities
are
subject to the ceaseless cycle of births and rebirths.
is
The reader moves
the real into a strange wonderland of

When
dolls,
The aura of mystery
conveyed by finely graded flight of fancy.
is
itself
still
The
story tells us that people who do not realise eternal truths

will
be
caught
rebirths.
in the never ending cycle
Hindu
knowledge and
hymn.
and
true
As Isvaran himself, in another
"Decision", says:- "The sun never sets.
ancient
births
"Rebirth is the lot of man until he obtains
knowledge" (Mc Dermott 172).

story
of
So says
Nor does it set for him who
has
the
the
the faith." (NA 105)
Foolishness
and
endurance
are
characteristics
associated with the donkey down the ages. 1n"The Thoughtless

Donkey"
Isvaran reworks an old folk-tale to illustrate
his
view of life that

Life is in a ceaseless quest of itself; gay,
ludicrous and tearful, cynical and ironic; in its
quest are born characters and backgrounds; as in a
game of chess it moves the characters to establish
their import or allow for their irrelevance; and
from under degrees and vari'eties of camouflage it
passes on the mystery to the creative artist for
explanation or elaboration as best he may. (RW 47)
The
story
is
made
up of facts
and
fancy
and
the
employment of phantasies lends the tale the charm of a fable

and
provides
mysteries
of
Isvaran
life.
an opportunit:{
The
to
ca:n have
The donkey is the
ordinary
man
by the promises of one thing
like
the
the
complex
interpretations.
Man,
into
many
story
philosophical
deceived
probe
thoughtless donkey, gives
or
up
the
his
other.
present
occupations and seek fresh ones to find himself deceived
in
the
end.
It can assume political meanings too.
Men end
regime to make a new one and expect the millennium to arrive

but
find
rulers.
themselves ruthlessly treated by the new
set
of
Then men may think the old to be gold and yearn for
it.
''A Bold Stroke", in narration, is in the manner
folk-tale.
It
is about the misery caused to
young
by
the wantonness of
wife
Goddess
her
There
appears in the form of her neighbour, an
husband.
old
lady
matters...
is always a goddess in flesh and blood who
generally
sits atop a dunghill, enchanting to a man who neglects

gem
of a
beautiful
faithless
who advises her that "praying is no good in such
of
his
wife and it's with her you've to fight" (PT 9 4 ) .
As in a fairy tale, we read about the wandering of the
girl
pursuing
wins
her
husband.
With steadfast devotion,
she
back her husband.

Thus, based on and controlled by an overt violation
what
story
what
is
generally accepted as possible and
like a fable explains meanings and

is
apparent.
probable,
realities
It lifts the reader from
the
of
the
behind
everyday
world of reality to the realm of a marvellous world where he

is exposed to strange experiences which in turn help him
in
the realisation of his own world.

"Two Brothers" is in the form of a fable.
It tells the
story of two brothers who seek their fortunes in the

of
a Zamindar.
estate
They forget their sense of brotherhcod
try to deceive each other with the result they are
and
deceived
by
the manager of the Zemindar.
put
to
test.
Their rustic innocence
Finally they talk candidly of
their
misery.
Worn out by fatigue, they run away from the estate to

their village.
the
dazzle
migrate
to
reach
The story warns the people who attracted
of
easy-to-get wealth
the
cities, deserting
and
luxurious
their
is
by
living,
peaceful
rustic
homes.
"Democracy" is a story cast in the mould of a fable.
king, once struck by a novel idea, made a waherman, a barber

and a potter magistrates of his kingdom.
came
he
When a poor farmer
to these magistrates for redressal of his
grievances,
inadvertently used language which reminded each
magistrates
of his past.
him out of their presence.

dismissed
the
authority.
He
three
So they thrashed him
of
and
the
kicked
Finally, the king intervened and
upstarts
from
their
also began to discuss ways
positions
and
means
for
improving the elementary education within his kingdom.

Isvaran
suggests
that democracy cannot
among illiterate people.

for the
function
A formal orientation is
of
Thus
properly
necessary
democrats to exercise their rights and at the
same
time, be conscious of their duties and responsibilities.

Immersion is a breathtaking tale fascinatingly told
in
the age-old Indian tradition of story--telling,bordering
on
the legendary, the mythical and the puranic.

and
Both in
in the mode of narration it is mythical and so
multiple meanings.
theme
carries
Akhileswaran (the word in Sa.nskrit literally means

the lord of all) is uncontaminated by distrust or
suspicion; his simplicity keeps him above sin.
Jagadamba (literally, the mother of the universe)
is touched by the Maya aspect and contaminated by
evil.
She has to be purified through fire or

(Sita in Ramayana is taken possession of
water.
by the evil demon, and so had to seek purification

through the ordeal of fire)
source of contamination, but
for
his
sin
too.
The cartman is the

he
pays
price
The priest is obviously the
most wordly of all the characters, but he sees

through the
resolves
reactions
significance
puranas
cartman
and
All are
in Karma, the inevitable logic of
commitment".
puranic
the
the mystery of the suicide.
enveloped
The
of
names
(Paniker 40)
Isvaran
employs
acquire
special
because they have meanings in relation to
which
are fixed in the mind of
the
readers.
either uses these names merely as extensions of the

characteristics
or in contrast t o t h s old
the
puranic
meanings
rooted
in the readers' minds.
themes
with mystery and symbolism and bring new
He
deeply
Hence,,the names invest
dimensions
Akhileswaran in Imrnersion means the
to
the contents.
of
the Universe and ~ a ~ a d a d athe

, Mother Earth.
the
Lord
When
we
ponder over the meanings of the names,,the story assumes new

levels of meaning.
The theme is the relation of God and the
Earth.
The
tampers
with
result
of
represents man.
his environment.
man's vandalism.
spectator.
He
cartman
Man
injudiciously
Mother Earth suffers
Akhileswaran remains
Finally man's actions have their
as
silent
repercussions.
sows the seeds of destruction which finally engulfs
and brings him to disaster and death.
him
The story thus sounds
a warning to man who pollutes Mother Earth..

Sometimes, Isvaran uses the puranic names for
and juxtaposition of ideas.
Door"
has
Lakshmi in "The Miracle of
nothing in common with Mahalakshmi who
benevolent
does
contrast
to
her devotees.
Lakshmi here is a
is
the
very
miser
not give the due share of wages to a poor woman.
who
The
contrast is quite apt to highlight the meaning.

The
poem
philosophy
of
"Dewdrop,
Teardrop"
the
echoes
transitory nature of human
Hindu
existence.
Man
through love understands the power of God and transmutes his

wordly
Love
existence into something meaningful

transfigures
level
himself.
to
The
and transcends man's life.
beautiful.
In
another
the poem is a comparison between an introvert and
extrovert.
like
and
The
dewdrop,
ascetic in search of
spiritual
tries to take in the glory
an
salvation
of
god
into
But the ascetic's achievement is personal, limited
himself and so it cracks like a bubble with
his
death.
man who indulges in multifaced ac:tivities scatters his
glory as a ray of light gets scattered through a prism.

achievements shine like a multicoloured rainbow that
between heaven and earth.
His
exists
Mythological Facts as Idioms

Certain
We
the
mythological facts become idioms in a
writer.
come across many such idioms in Indian writing

benevolent
Isvaran
mother, chaste wife, foolish
such
donkey,
makes profuse use of such idioms and phrases
as
etc.
taken
from Indian tradition and puranic literature in his writings

as: "as plain as the palm of his hand" (RW 61) "the star
of
his birth" ( N A 104) "Like Vasuki" (NA 132) "the patience
of
Mother
Earth"
(RW 48)
"young Tilottama" (RW
sharp as a kusa grass'' (NS 57) "ill starred"
42)
"tongue
(PT 41).
Love of Philosophy
Isvaran's poems and stories are rich with philosophical
insights.
"Philosophy means a love of wisdom, of knowledge"
(Silverman
general
truths
9).
It is "the science which combines
5).
into
scheme of things the most general truths and

which chiefly affect the human emotions"
Isvaran
appears
as
philosopher
those
(Silverman
type,
calm
and
meditative, and exhibits always a keen understanding of life

in
its
complexity and rich variety.
He rarely
opportunity to comment on life and its futility.

his
spirit
is
that
of
misses
Basically
satirist
and
so
is
employed for
the
production
"Mango
Lane", when
philosophical
acumen
humour.
Thus
in
Kathayi
that he has seen her son with Tamarai,
unable to believe it.
Ponnan
an
even
this
of
reports to
Kathayi
is
Then Isvaran writes: "Impossible! Yet
it was true.
Honesty had only one tongue
..." (PT 74).
Most
of the wise, general sayings result from his observation and

judgment of life and
philosophical
they occur to him naturally for
insights were part of
his
early
comments: "Isvaran has a tendency to ramble or

in
the
middle
of
education
In this connection Venugopal
based on Vedas and Upanishads.
even
these
story,
another
philosophise
legacy he has
inherited from our legendary lore". (41)

These
the
plot
readers
They
innumerable musings do not mar the

of his stories.
do
remain
example
are:
They appear so
not recognise them as

as
movement
vital
that
philosophical
diamonds set in a gold
the
thoughts.
ornament.
"Death is a date with destiny" ( N A
of
A
48)
few
"Old
people are largely with the past" (AD 2 ) "Stepmotherhood has

a tradition as old as the epics" (AD 46) "Life never
pauses
for death" (IM 61).

Isvaran's admiration for Hindu philosophy
when
he
finds
Upanishads.
fault
with
Eliot
for
is
evident
misquoting
the
Isvaran expresses his contempt in these lines:
(Standing at the border

and twisting the Upanishadic order)
.................................
How unpleasant to meet Mr. Eliot!
(Whether his mouth be open or shut)
(SH 116)
Hindu Rituals and Ceremonies

Hinduism is a ritualistic religion.
stories
and
poems
ceremonies.
The
Some of
are concerned with
ceremonial
Hindu
immersion
of
Isvaran's
rituals
the
and
ashes
of
Akhileswaran's father is the pivot around which the plot

the
story
moves.
immersion
of
Akhileswaran
his father's ashes in the
sacred
for
Ganges
is
according to the cultural tradition of Akhileswaran,
of a religious nature.
It is the sacred duty
racial belief and social custom, to be performed with

devotion
and piety.
The funeral ceremonies of
are described in detail here.

panchakachcha
of
sandal
the
\<
The dead body lay covered
immaculate white silk,

paste adorning" ( I M
with
15)
the
the
forehead.
After
the cremation the ashes had lain buried in the
under
these
six months Akhileswaran was performing
pipal tree, secure in a pot for six
Accompanied
earth
months.
his
by
All
father's
his
wife,
was travelling with it to Benares to consign it in
sacred waters of holy Ganges.
in
sacred
and
monthly "Shraddha" devoutly.
great
Hindus
ashes
he
the
of
purely
son
of
The journey
of
For the Hindu, the Ganges
the
is
the holiest of holy rivers and Kasi, the holiest of the holy
cities.
Hindu marriage is a sacrament.
which
main
There are certain rites
must be performed for marriage to be

rites
are:
"panigrahana"
or
"Homa" or offering in
taking
the hand
complete.
the
of
sacred
the
bride
"saptapadi", the bride and the bridegroom going seven
The
fire,
and
steps
together.
All these rites are performed by a Brahmin in the
presence
of
the
sacred fire and are
by
accompanied
the
chanting of vedic mantras.

In
Immersion
we
have details of
Hindu
marriage.
- ".,
Akhileswaran had married Jagada with sacred Agni &ithe&,
performing
the ceremony of "saptapadill thus:
have we taken together.
Let us be companions
swerve from fidelity to thee..."
" / & ? n steps
... Lgt me
I'
(1M 24).
$ ,
f',,
The
in
the
In the poem "Neem is a Lady"
have descriptions of the celebration of

pipal
unit?;;/
a curious belief prevalent among
especially the Tamil Brahmins.

we
not
'
neem and the pipal tree are believed to':k\
wedlock,
tree
and
its
marriage
to
"Upanayana" of
a neem.
The women
circumambulate the pipal tree and cherish the belief that if

they
do
so, they would be blessed with children.
In
the
poem Isvaran presents the neem as dreaming of

her bygone bliss
of the splendour of her husband in his prime,
whom barren women had circumambulated
a hundred and eight times the week's immediate day
and too the new moon day..."
In
the
story
"The Kolu"
celebration of the Navarathri.
are
exhibited
( S H 106)
Isvaran
describes
It is a time when the
in splendour in the
households
and
celebrate the occasion with the exchange of sweets.
the
dolls
people
Isvaran
loses no opportunity to describe the beautiful sight of
the
Kolu and says that the little world of the dolls appeared as
if
it
were raised by "a rub on an Aladdin's
magic
lamp".
(NS 68).
In
the poem "A Brahmin Wedding" we have
description
of a Hindu wedding.
with
and jasmine and her face
roses
garlands
the
detailed
The bride, her hair

pink
with
the groom and soon the wedding pipes
wreath
blushing,
sound
merry
tunes.
The priests now light the sacred fire,
Their Vedic chants solemnness inspire
Into the rite: the thali's knot
Is done and so the couple's lot
With each other for all their life,
Through thick and thin, through joy and strife
(SG 10)
In
"The Suttee" Isvaran describes the cruel custom
'Sati', the immolation of the bereaved wife by entering

pyre
of her husband, which was first recommended
in
of
the
Visnu
Dharmasamhita in the second or third century A.D.

The story "At His Nativity" highlights the festivity of
Krishna Jayanthi.
Radha and Visali, when they returned from
the temple found their house to be bright and festive.
The
footsteps of a child were drawn with liquid rice-flour,
the
same that was used for the intricate designs and patterns of
the
Kolam.
They
were the footsteps of the
Lord
of
the
Universe, "whose festal night it was." (NA 18)

The
story
"A Light Was Lit" has
'Karthikai Deepam'in the background.
the
proceedings
of
It is the festival
of
lights.
So lamps are brought out, "little lamps
like
the
pipal leaf, of brass and bronze and burnt clay and steatite,
and
laid
in
lines
everywhere.
.."
(NA 114)
In Siva Ratri we have a detailed description of the

vigil
and
offering
sacrifice
to
Siva
linga.
One
performs these rites solemnly and devoutly will be

from one's past sins, emancipation at one stroke.
a
hardened sinner, does all these rites
the ,cumulative merit
of
his
absolved
Lubdhaka,
involuntarily
actions,
who
obtains
and
for him
salvation.
The Law of Karma
The
of
Hindu concept of life roots its faith in 'the Law
Karma'.
In Indian Philosophy vol. 1
S.
Radhakrishnan
says:
According to the principle of Karma there is
nothing uncertain or capricious in the moral
world.
We reap what we sow.
The good seed brings
a harvest of good, the evil of evil.

action has its effect on character.
Every little
Man knows
that some of the tendencies to action which exist

in him are the result of conscious or intelligent
choice on his part.
Conscious actions
become
habits,
unconscious
and
tend
to
not
unnaturally the unconscious tendencies we find in

ourselves were regarded as the result of past
conscious actions.
We cannot arrest the process
of moral evolution any more than we can stay the

sweep of the tides or the course of the stars.
The attempt to overleap the law of karma is as
futile
as the attempt to leap over one's
shadow.
(244
Isvaran
the
Hindu
suffers,
believed in 'the Law of Karma' as well
belief
but
it
present existence.
why
such
highly
of
rebirths.
philosophic
245).
as
in
~ a ~ a d a m h a in Immersion
is not owing to any sin of
hers
in
Isvaran explains in the following
a tragedy happened to Jagadamha.
faith in the
but his words, reveal
The
his
the
words
author
is
deep-rooted
'Law of Karma' and 'cycle of births'.
What is beauty and perfection in the eyes of man

is not so to the creator who endowed such on an
individual life; if it is destroyed in an
unnatural way it cannot be said that an accident
caused the destruction, it is the result of a sin
the individual had committed in a previous
existence (IM 48).
In
the
finds
the
words
"I
story "Decision", Sarada, a
barren
creature,
reason for her incapacity to conceive

must
have killed many
children
in
birth." ( N A 100) Isvaran's belief in rebirth is
in
these
previous
conspicuous
when he tells mother India that

in some lone corner, cradle of future earth/
You shall leap to life again-like that fabled
bird (SH 51)
Belief in Astrology and Palmistry

Hindus believe that one's fortune is determined by
positions
of
the planets at the time of one's
the
birth.
So
there occur such phrases, as "ill-starred" (PT 4l)"the
star
of
give
his birth' (NA 104) in Isvaran's writings.
Hindus
credence to the words of astrologer, gipsymaiden and kurathi

who posses the talent of fortune-telling. In "Immersion" the
kurathi
tells Jagdamba about the danger that is
to befall
her shortly. The prophetic voice of the fortune-teller

like 'this:" Like the mountain it will
come...
mountain... but will it melt away like mist

must." (IM 45).
with
and
like
The kurathi and the gipsymaiden are endowed

will
which will wilt, but Isvaran's gipsymaiden is

than
a mere
soothsayer.
philosopher
kurathi
comes "from the green hills, from the coral
While
(IM 42) the gipsymaiden hails from a country which

beginning and end.
that Land of No Desires" (SGM 9 ) ,
Isvaran
claims:
experience
an
the
hills"
has
no
"Nothing ever changes there; not an atom
Remote to the vision of the disputing
the Gipsymaiden
-
grow
more
advaita
lies;
the
what, must be,
the prophetic power to predict which seeds
moves.
runs
dualists
it
Sonq
of
-
Isvaran's
echoes a note of deep advaitic enquiry.

"The Gipsymaiden
and
fulfilment;
provides
experience
surrender" (SGM 6).
at
which
once
is
As
the
self-
Adva ita
Advaita
is
non-dual.
It
is
school
of
non-duality
philosophy that teaches the absolute oneness or

of
Brahman.
indicate
Brahman is the word used in the
the supreme reality.
Vedanta
Upanisads
to
Sankara,
the
"According to
chief exponent of the advaitic system, Brahman is
qualified
by attributes or particulars; the existence of the phenomenal

world is due to the superimpositions (adhyasa) of reality on
the
self" (Sastri 331).
gipsymaiden defines God.
In the true Advaitaic
manner
the
She says:
He is the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient,
Formless.
He outstrips Time.
He is Maya, the Magician.
He outgrows Space.
Inventor of the Dance
of Illusion, of the Ugly Dream of Life.
Sages
hail me as His first and most Supreme devotee.
have my being in Him and bear His affirmation.

Thou art That
(SGM 15).
"Thou art that" is "Tat Tvam Asi" in Sanskrit.
Ti~isis
an Upadesa Vakya, a sentence that teaches non-dualism and is

similar to "Aham Brahmasmi".
A
similar
passage
"I am Brahman".
exists
in
Aldous
Huxley's
Perennial Philosophy where Huxley quotes from the

Upanishad in his chapter "Thou Art that":
the
Chandogya
"In that which is
subtle essence all that exists has its self.
the True, that is the Self, and thou, Svetaketu, art

(38).
The
That
is
That!"
The
blessed experience of Not-Twos is
Advaita.
Tat Tvam Asi.
It transcends the
place, time and substance.

by Time and Space
non-dualism
or
limitations
of
The gipsymaiden who is unbounded
tells the lady:
Know then that the mortal Body is the source of

all sorrows, the Body which passes through
countless births and deaths.
To cast out the
devil of family bonds, I shall instruct you in the

secret of Sivamantra.
It is riches beyond
expectation. (SGM 18)

Lord Siva
Lord Siva is the Lord of Time, Kala Bhairav.
give 'Jiva' detachment and independence.
can
bliss
one
can think of in life is the
from
life
The
final
and this can be achieved. if one
He
alone
greatest
emancipation
conducts
Siva
Puja, certain rites solemnly devoutly in Sivaratri.

Siva is the great God, Mahadeva.
He is the
Immortal Divine principle who has entered the

mortal beings.
He is known as the Death-
conquering Deity, Mrityumjaya.

the eternal life principle.
The great God is
He incarnates Himself
in matter and comes within the orbit of individual

experience.
He is unmanifest in his universal
form but manifest in each individual body whether

men, animals or plants. (Agrawala 1)
According
represents
to
the
Saivism, Siva is the Supreme

static
aspect
of
Deity
consciousness
in
and
the
manifest
world.
He
life
and
opposites:
prakriti.
death,
the
good
perfect
and
balance
evil,
Of
purusha and
This idea is well contained in the image of
that Isvaran draws in

his
represents
Siva
Ratri "And gently he drew Uma
to
side, till the two energies male and female melted
and
fused and flowed in that celestial sphere as the One Eternal

Delight" (SR 11).
The celebration of Siva Ratri [The Sacred Night or

Night
of
the
Auspicious]
is
associated
with
the
several
religious and mythological stories which give it an aura

the spiritual grandeur and sanctity.
Siva
Ratri,
linga.
of
It is believed that on
Siva manifests himself in the form
of
vast
If one does certain rituals such as fasting, keeping
vigil
in the night and offering sacrifices to
Siva,
one's
past sins will be absolved. Some of Isvaran's characters are

devotees of Siva and some acquire the blessings of the Lord,
Union with the Eternal.
Isvaran believes in the myths associated with Siva
so
retells them.
to
criticise
observe
the
contract
to
worship,ing
cinema.
the
The latter part of Siva Ratri is

materialistic
rituals.
which
the other members of the home who
Siva,
go to the theatre to keep
devoted
does
not
study
in
instead
of
The old grand mother is a
vigil
at
When they return they find the old dame dead.
like Lubdhaka, attains 'moksha'.

story
society
to
An attempt is made in
explore the mysteries of
the
and
spirituality
the
She,
the
that
forms an essential part of the traditional culture and their

rele-dance to the present and to the future.
The
short
wonderful
period
Nataraj
story
mythology
"Dance
of
Siva"
is
that has grown right
from
and in it, Isvaran embodies the whole

in
its
deepest. and
most
based
abiding
the
the
and art, is rudely awakened to the
greatness
dream.
of
Vedic
tradition
of
significance.
Patterson, the Englishman who shows contempt towards

culture
on the
Indian
recognition
it when Lord Siva appears to
He wakes up to a "raging cataclysm.
him
of
in
He woke up
see a gigantic figure towering to the skies, with eyes
a
to
like
fiery globes, its matted locks awhirl with the whirling inky
clouds.
.."
(RW 89).
The dance takes place in the heart of every devotee. In

Huxley's Island a devotee who visits the Siva temple sings:You Shiva, you dark and terrible Bhairava,
You Suchness and Illusion, the Void and All Things
You are the Lord of life, and therefore I have
brought you my heart
This heart that is now your burning ground.

Ignorance there and self shall be consumed with
fire.
That you may dance,
Cosmic
...(164)
knowledge
that
the self and this infinate consciousness are the same.
When
the
consciousness brings about the
individual sheds the constricting limited
identity
of
himself, he can see that he is Siva Himself, "I am Shiva" as

is
indicated
in
a refrain in
Adi
Shankaracharya's
Hymn
"Nirvana Shatakam" (Rao 40).

Patterson
is
brought
to
the
awareness
of
the
transcendental aspect of Nature.
He experiences the Supreme
experience,
in
therefore
the
Supreme
Siva,
whom
all
things lie;
the deity that personifies the ultimate
consciousness.
He
experiences
form
of
principle
experience that can be realised by the ecstasy of
of
pure
spiritual
illumination.
Belief in the Supernatural
Incidents
supernatural
Hindus.
Gem"
to
beliefs, which
many,
are
appear
natural
and
mysterious
ordinary
Written in the manner of a folk tale "The
in rural India.
Ranganathan
T.J.
reflect
the
snakes.
kindly
Serpent
Snake,
When
alive.
Living
the sequel which
is
Hindu
Isvaran's
for most Hindus, is a god
to
Ulundayi and Manickam
nourish
that
the snake bears in its hood a
Ulundayi
is anxious to get it as a
tells
If
it
her:
"It [the serpent]
it's killed the gem would

must be made to vomit.
abhorred
the
wedding
must
it's
own
treated
common
brilliant
vanish
But if
be
be
of
towards
attitude
and not simply a poisonous creature to
Manickam,
snakes
The translation of the story
benevolent, friendly
thrashed.
belief
and
and
to the
narrates certain myths and superstitions about
prevalent
and
and
gem.
present,
be
caught
like
magic.
forced
to
vomit it'll die" (NA 139).

Isvaran deals with another type of superstition in
story
"Seashells"
in
which figures the
sad
young
the
widow
Syamala whose husband has lost his life while taking.a dip in
the sea at a time of lunar eclipse.
The Hindu faith associates tragic episodes with
portents,
The
visitations of the soul of the dead
souls
just
apparitions.
of the fore-fathers of Akhileswaran
before
the
missingof the pot.
"My
omens,
visit
son,
him,
you
are
betrayed!" sounded a voice, as if from the unknown! ( I M 25).

Towards
the end of the story, Akhileswaran
omens
must
have
journey". ( I M 77)
the
fatal
been
when
we
set
out
In "Crutches" Srimati's mother
accident
ill-omen.
bad
reflects.
of Lalitha
to
be
an
"The
on
the
considers
ill-omen.
What a time the accursed creature chose to
"An
fall
the daughter of the house was to be married". (FT 34)
when
There
many
superstitious beliefs
current
among
the
unsophisticated,
credulous rural folk.
They associate
the
sounds
are
of lizards with omens.
"Crutches".
One such belief is
seen
in
Srimati believes that her wish will materialise
and she will be able to win a hearing from her husband
when
she finds two lizards struggling on the wall and one clicked
as if to confirm her thoughts.
A Critic of Superstitions
Isvaran
seems
not
uncanny ways of worship.

revealed
in
to
be
blind
Isvaran's wife
believer in such
Annapurna Isvaran,
a private interview, that they never
illogical
ritualistic
religious
beliefs
celebrations associated
in their home in N.
Delhi
had
with
any
blind
[Appendix-I]
though,
as
a young man, her husband had on
many
cccasions
participated in such ceremonies and rituals performed in all

and
its pomp and splendour at his ancestral home at Manjeri

at
his
early
abode in Tanjore.
In this
context,
it
is
and faith
in
worthwhile to listen to Venugopal who writes:

Isvaran also
digs at superstitions
heavenly interference.
"At His Nativity'' is a
clear mocking of the belief that a boy born at the

auspicious moment of the birth of Lord Krishna
proves inauspicious to the new-born's uncle.
"Sea
Shells" is another story which presents Isvaran in

rebellion against blind faith (35).
"At
His
superstitions.
Nativity" presents two opposed
attitudes
to
The old woman is credulous and she wants the
child not to be born under the star Rohini, which she thinks
will be critical for its uncle Reghunathan.
She even
wants
the child to be a girl so that the evil effect will be less.

But her daughter-in-law feels that the old woman is carrying
her
superstitions rather too far.
the
star Rohini and the old dame becomes silent.
son,
got
The child is born
the father of the little child, says:
under
Then
"Children
to be born under some star" (NA 21) and this
her
have
admirably
sums up Isvaran's attitude to such superstitions."

"Seashells" ridicules
The
man
priest's
was
another kind
of
superstition.
who tried to ward off ill-fate, according

instructions, went to bathe in the sea when
an eclipse of the moon.
to
the
there
The priest had said that the Serpent had hitched

its tail to his (her husband's) star and for
redemption he should bathe in the sea with the
charm of the palmyra leaf tied over his brow.
And
he had gone to bathe and to become a spirit in the

glaucous bosom of the sea; naked he did not come
into
Mythili's
the
world again. (NS 44
husband
the traditional beliefs.
also
exhibits
45)
revolt
sgainst
When Mythili and her husband shift
their house, the milk boiled for the first time in their new
house,
over.
as
part of the house-warming ceremony
gets
Then her husband, against all popular norm,
"Let it.
In
"Lustral
Bath"
Brahmin
Isvaran
ridicules
who performs Sivapuja
the
for
redemption from sins and attainment of material
linga was spilled by Sarada's child.
cruet
attaining
the
of her mother-in-law.
Siva
Sarada was dazed.
the silent ire of her father-in-law and the
insinuations
over-
prosperity.
day the milk for the purificatory washing of
imagined
comments
It's a good omen," ( A D 41).
enthusiastic
One
boiled
She took up
and filled it with her own milk.
the
She
sharp
empty
The milk brings
in
drastic changes.
The whole of that day, after the puja, Sivasankara
Sastri found himself charged with an indescribable
spiritual ecstasy.
He was not uncertain of its
cause.
For, as soon as the lustration of tt~e
linga with milk was over, he had descried a glow

such as he had not seen before, spreading over it1
a glow as if all the shining bodies of heaven had
condensed themselves within a colossal drop of
dew.
In
It was a marvel of marvels (MA 23).
"Decision"
matching
Isvaran makes fun
of
astrology,
of horoscopes' and the performance
of
'the
pilgrimage
and conduct of homas for the achievement of certain
desired
ends.
he
was
suggested
one
Janardanan
indifferent.
thing
He
was
without an
issue
because
consulted astrologers who
or the other.
One cited chapter and verse
from
the
Brihat Jataka and the other suggested that he should perform

a
tila homa and a pilgrimage to holy
however,
had
Rameswar.
"Nothing,
come out of all these; none could
break
his
indifference; and so the years had passed". ( N A 99)

Fate
Isvaran's
or
writings.
supernatural.
where
So
the supernatural plays a
The
Immersion is full of
jagadamha was molested is
where
he
echoes
death of the cartman at the
also the death of the
porch
prominent
something
rickshawallah
at
role
of
same
in
the
place
extra-ordinary.
the
station
had unwittingly killed the Englishman
is
incredible.
Faith in Pre-Ordained Fate

Isvaran, at times, like Thomas Hardy seems to nourish a
very strong faith in Providence.
Every thing is in a
state
He
pre-ordained by God and we cannot alter the will of God.

seems
to
think
playthings
like
Omar
Khayyam
that
mortals are
in the hands of Fate, which tosses them
up
and
down according to its whims and fancies. "Thou art but what/
Thou shalt be
344).
(Fitzgerald
that
Nothing
Thou
shalt
not
So "it was a dispensation of
be
providence
The
grand
says
that
Panchanadam was not inquisitive" (PT 24).
mother
of Radha and Visali in "At His Nativity"
"everything is in the hands of God" (NA 17).

Immersion
(IM
will"
The priest
says
"we poor mortals, have to
submit
65).
In "Sympathy" Gomati's father
Gomati's fate that has made her what she is"

kind
of
The
whether
unquestioning
attitude
to
the
they are for our weal or woe, is an
to
says
in
His
"It's
(NA 10).
reconciliation to one's lot is part of
faith.
less."
This
the
Hindu
happenings,
essential
and
integral part of the character of the typical Indian rustic,

whose
life is always subject to the vagaries of nature
who expects neither retribution nor reward here and now.

willingly
karma,
births.
submits
not
only
himself
to the immutable
of this birth but also
of
laws
the
of
and
He
his
previous
This may appear illogical to an ordinary reasonable
person but this is part and parcel of the daily existence of

an ordinary Indian villager.
High Sense of Morality
Isvaran's
the
in
high moral sense could hardly let him
evil without its retribution.

this respect.
leave
He appears as a
Puritan
He could not tolerate relations,
outside
to
the wedlock though Hinduism is not rigid in its attitude

sex.
Manusamhita allows such unions for pleasure.
Sudra
far
In
marriage has the purpose of pleasure only.
fact
But,
as
as the upper Brahmin class is concerned, marriage is
sacrament.
It is irrevocable.
The parties to the marriage cannot dissolve it at

will.
They are bound to each other until tha
death of either of them and the wife is supposed

to be bound to her husband even after his death
(Kapadia 168).
Isvaran
matrimonial
tolerate
attaches great value to wedlock and

bliss
to be the best in life.
any liaison outside wedlock.
character
in his stories who has extra
He
considers
could
not
There is hardly
any
martial
relations.
If
anybody cherishes such wishes, Isvaran makes it a
to
give him due punishment.
Irulayi in "No Bird's
point
Sing",
who runs a Pleasure House gets six months' imprisonment

finally
goes
insane.
In "Motorman" Yellan
who
and
makes
advances to Vallachi, a woman of loose morals, gets his legs

cut off.
Attitude to Marriage, Women and Family

"The aims
praja
the
of Hindu marriage are said
(progeny) and rati (pleasure).

functions
indicating
of
marriage,
it
is
to
dharma,
Though sex is one

given
third
that it is the least desirable aim of
be
of
place,
marriage"
(Kapadia 167).
Putra or son is the one who saves the
father
from going to hell [put].

Akhileswaran
in Immersion considers it his sacred duty
to carry his father's ashes to Banaras for the ritual of the

immersion
in
the
Ganges.
"Akhileswaran
thought
father and his father's father before him who had

to
Benaras
of
his
travelled
Janardanan
on a similar purpose" (IM 22).
"Decision" wishes for "a son, just to perpetuate the
in
line"
(NA 99).
Isvaran's attitude to women and family was
by
the
requirements
absolute
marital
pativratya
of Hindu
fidelity
popularised
dharma.
from
conditioned
Indians
women.
The
by the Puranic writers
expected
ideal
of
insists
on
fidelity to the husband even when he may not be sincere

faithful.
woman
In Immersion we have the picture of such an ideal
in Akhileswaran's sister who puts up "patiently

infidelities of her husband" (IM 20).
the
narrates
wife's
[married one].
is
not meaningful
unless
she
58).
is
the
Hindu
sumangali
The woman dying sumangali [husband outliving
the woman] is considered glorious.

priest
wantonness
for ever, in
wife, in the veins of mother" (IM
life
Stroke"
As a true Hindu wife
thinks: "Blood once fouled is fouled

of
with
~agadamhain Immersion believes that
chastity is the duty of an ideal wife.
veins
"A Bold
the story of a woman who tolerates the
of her husband in sex.
she
and
When Jagadamma dies
cries "she has gone a sumangali" ( I M 60).
carry a ring of approval and contentment.
The
the
words
Concept of Love
Isvaran
considers
human relationships.
Puranas
recognise
realisation.
tales.
of
love to be the most sacred
It is the reality of realities.
it
as
means
of
Hindu
identification and
Lord Krishna is the symbol of love in
Surprisingly,
Isvaran
who
all
never
has
Indian
missed
an
opportunity to talk about love and lovers, has not exploited

fully
the Krishna
Radha image of eternal love.
love holds the key for a happy marriage.
For
him,
He considers
love
as
an annihilating fire where two souls merge to
It
is
muitiply.
an act of consummation where the identities
individuals
are
lost in sublime union.
Gods
of
the
watch
from
heaven and bless with children the man and woman who partake
in
the
sexual
act
of
fulfillment.
Thus
in "Decision"
Janardhanan and Sarada have sexual bliss as ordinated by God

and Janardhanan gets "lost in the past" ( N A 101).
Isvaran's
concept of ideal family life can be
clearly
seen in the picture of the married life of Brihadisvaran and

Savitri
in "Revelation".
each rejuvenated the other with their pure
physical sympathy, derived from one another their
handsomeness and sense of strength; and Savitri
bloomed like a sunflower in the sun in the
splendid presence of her husband, opening

thresholds in stranger worlds than the phenomenal
( N A 25).
All
the
visualizes
beauties
in
the
and pleasures
merging
of
two
of
nature,
souls.
Isvaran
"The
tender
confiding nature of the eternal feminine in adoration of the

pure male in man" ( N A 30).
the
to
her
husband,
she gets herself lost in the tight embrace of
her
husband,
each
female,
other
beauty.
The male represents strength and
Thus when Jowramma
returns
new sense of understanding and

descends
upon them, a sense
strength and sweetness of nature itself.
recognition
redolent
of
of
the
Isvaran writes:
In his tight clasp she felt the strength and

silence of the hills and trees around: in the dew
of her lips he tasted the sweet of life and the
salt of the earth
(NS 30).
Ideal Womanhood
Isvaran's
concept
of ideal woman is
traditional
coincides with the image of a South Indian woman.

woman
is
wreaths
with
thrifty as Mangi in
err^-GO-~ound."
His ideal
She
wears
of jasmine in her hair and besmears hands and
henna.
and
Jagadamba in Immersion has henna on her
legs
hands
and so the Kurathi refuses to read her hands.

"Tu
Vatamalli
Quoque" is "filled with the scent of jasmine" (NS 83).
Radha in "At His Nativity" carries jasmine wreath.

in "The Serpent Gem" dreams of jasmine.
lover
in
In "This Room"
who waits for his sweetheart, smells "her
scented hair" (SG 37).
Ulundayi
jasmine
the
In "A Life's Love" Isvaran describes
his concept of ideal beauty likewise:
A flower
soft countenance rimm'd
With tresses wavy, dark,
An collyrium'd eyes bliss

And brow
And betel
brimm'd,
deck'd vermil mark,
redden'd lips
parted and showing

Teeth chisell'd pure, and set
Like tiny seeds glowing
In a pared pomegranate,
And henna'd fingertips
Crowned with pearly nails
His
...
(AF 2 6 )
ideal woman is not the one who subscribes
principles of the women liberation movement.

silence
to
She suffers in
and puts up patiently with the infidelities of
husband.
Ahalya
the
in " Sinning Heaven" cries but
does
her
not
blame anybody for her sad fate.

Indian
as
if
that
ridicules
his
were
part
of
his
very being.
the common man whose only aim is
race,
occurs
mythological beliefs came to Isvaran
to
Germanic myth about the souls

him naturally and in "Happy
naturally
Even when he
propagation
of
New
of
the
departed
Year"
Isvaran
expresses his belief in the ceremony of paying homage to the

departed, 'Sradha'
I, their eldest, born in their prime,
...
the hope of the family, the perpetuator of the

line,
on whom the manes look on with hungry eyes
for the annual balls of rice and water,
(SH 46)
True
to the Indian tradition, Isvaran pictures
dreams
as 'Abhisarikas' in the poem "My Lady Somnambula"

In the stillness of the night,
in the middle of the might,
(SH 70).
she comes, my Lady Somnambula!

Isvaran's writings thus embody deep
philosophical insights.
religious
and
His poems and short stories
are
deeply rooted in the Indian tradition. The complex

philosophy
nexus
is
between
beliefs
rendered artistically by
reality
current
and
unreality.
among the rural folk
place in Isvaran's writings.
Hindu
establishing
Superstitious
find
naturally
But he treats them with
intellectual acumen which marks him out as a

writer.
an
progressive

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Chapter I

The Sacred and the Profane

Manjeri S.Isvaran was born in Tanjore which had a

Hindu religion and rituals. The

he was born adhered

of living. So it was natural

born and brought up in an atmosphere of

and 'vedas', became

well versed in Hinduism and traditional

old Brahmins and

and religion. Hindu rituals, legends and

Indian writer. His

show a well-marked influence of Hindu

always find a place in his stories and poems. In the

traditional Hindu orientation Isvaran

snloke of the sacrifice, the verses of Rig Veda and

Indian philosophical thinking. Gifted with a richly

presentation of the incidents, the delineation of characters

the test of time.

Attitude to Myths and Religion

found the Hindu world of myths to be

ending source of material for his writings. In the review of

observes: "Classical mythology is an inexhaustible field for

Isvaran, built around

of legend, myths and folklore, projects a complex

dates back to thousands of years.

part of the life he led, it was part of his very

philosophic quest for

dogmatic. It is a rational synthesis which goes on gathering

images (gods, legendary heroes, big events, etc.)

of nature and society. Myth is a peculiar form of the

It is imaginative representation of the inner nature of

communities in the early stages of culture. With the passage

time myths have become an integral part of religion

reflect the cultural changes

in these myths get transmuted to become

existing cultural context, such transmutation

his creative activity. Myths are

and experience. They stimulate and to

of reality. They function

force, integral to one's identity

important since his writing draws strength from its

kinship with the community which

achieves through language and myth, enables him to transcend

of the immediate and the

strength for a more comprehensive vision of reality. "

remains the same as long as it is felt as such" (Coyle 743).

Myth hsed in Literature

connection with any of the mythological fables. An

the present is thus narrated using

ambiguity that stems

from the dual roles of the characters;

one reiated to the present and the other to the mythological

the writers make use of a philosophical idea as in G.Sankara

Jivathma and Paramatma. Sometimes, the

interpretation and judgments whereby it gets a new dimension

is different and the reader has to be on

and armed with

treatment usually makes the book an allegory and it

a different meaning to the new set of

with man and his relation with God.

for divine knowledge and like Icarus, tries to reach

the same time his hunger for divine wisdom.

Two images that