Subramania Bharati, a luminary of the Indian Renaissance, encapsulated the spirit of early 20th-century Tamil Nadu with his profound verses and passionate activism. Born in 1882, Bharati’s pen wielded a revolutionary fervour that resonated with the aspirations of a nation awakening to the call of independence. A poet, journalist, and social reformer, Bharati’s eloquence was matched only by his commitment to social justice.
His verses, a cascade of lyrical brilliance, spoke of freedom, equality, and the beauty of a united India. A fierce advocate for women’s rights, Bharati challenged societal norms, championing education and empowerment. His writings, like a clarion call, stirred the masses, igniting the flame of nationalism.
In the tumultuous times leading to Bharat’s independence, Bharati’s words became a rallying cry for those yearning for a liberated homeland. His literary prowess and unyielding spirit earned him the title of “Mahakavi” (great poet), as he etched his name indelibly in the annals of Bharatiya literature and freedom struggle. Though Subramania Bharati’s life was cut short at age 38, his legacy endures as a beacon of literary brilliance and a testament to the power of words to ignite revolutions.
“Mahakavi” Bharati was born on December 11 1882, at Ettayapuram in Tuticorin District of modern Tamilnadu. His father’s name was Chinnaswamy Iyer, and his Mother was Lakshmi Ammal. Their parents named him Subramani. At the age of 5, Subramanian lost his Mother. At an early age, Subramanian was blessed with literary, poetic and debating skills. He started to develop poetic abilities at the age of 7. At 11, Subramanian won a debate contest held at the court of Maharaja of Ettayapuram. Seeing young Subramanian debating abilities with eminent scholars, the Maharaja of Ettayapuram conferred him the title “Bharati”. Henceforth, he was known as Subramania Bharati. Bharati ji did schooling till 9th grade at Hindu School in Tirunelveli. He developed his poetic and literary capabilities while pursuing studies.
Many distinguished scholars were amazed that the young Bharathi was blessed with outstanding credentials at an early age. Bharati was married at a very early age of 15, a prevailing custom in those days. His wife’s name was Chellama. At the age of 16, Bharati’s father died, which propelled him to poverty. At 16, Bharati left to live with his Uncle in Varanasi. There, he gained a fair knowledge of Sanskrit, Hindi and English. He also duly passed the Entrance Examination of Allahabad University with credit. The Banara’s stay brought about a tremendous change in Bharathi’s personality. Outwardly, he sported a moustache and a Sikh turban and acquired a bold swing in his walk. After spending a few years in Varanasi, Bharati returned to Ettayapuram. The king of Ettayapuram requested Bharati to work as a poet in his court. After a short stay at Kings Court, Bhar,ati, worked as a Tamil teacher at Sethupathi High School in Madurai.
Bharati developed a love for poems and literature and a nationalistic passion. Bharati’s thirst for the nation’s freedom from colonial rule took him to Madras to work as a Journalist at Swadeshi Mitran. While working in Swadeshi, Mitran Bharati developed a rapport with other freedom fighters such as V.O. Chidambaram Pillai and Subramania Siva. In 1906, Bharati was invited to attend the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress. There, he had an opportunity to meet national leaders like Dhadhabahai Naoroji, Bala Gandadhar Tilak, and Lajpat Rai, etc. At the same time, he met Swami Vivekananda and Sister Niveditha. Later, Bharati accepted Sister Niveditha as his Guru. Bharati started to get more feverishly involved in the freedom movement. He started two more magazines, “Bala Bharatham and India”, where he outpoured his nationalistic emotions. His poems and writing were so simple that even a layperson could understand them. His simple poems and writings awakened the spirits of youth and every common man to participate in the freedom struggle. Apart from contributing to the freedom struggle through his writings, Bharati organized several meetings inviting revolutionary national leaders such as Balagandhar Tilak and many others. Bharati was a freedom fighter and created many through his writings and speeches. The noted ones were Neelkanda Brahmachari and Vanchinathan.
Bharati created an arousing response to the freedom struggle through his writings, which triggered anger among the British. They exiled him to the then-French territory of Pondicherry. After that, for many years, Bharati lived in Pondicherry. He also started to publish his magazines from Pondicherry once the British banned his publications in their territory. Bharati’s years at Pondicherry were the best part of his life. Bharathi became acquainted with one of India’s greatest freedom fighters and spiritual reformers, Aurobindo Ghosh. Bharati produced the greatest literary and poetry works at Pondicherry; time brought out the real “Mahakavi” in him. Bharati was arrested by the British in the year 1918 from Cuddalore, which was in British Bharat when he reached there to meet his ailing wife. He was released after spending 34 days in prison. Since his publications were banned, Bharati was again pushed into poverty. Bharati came back to Chennai and never stopped to pursue his passions.
Bharati used to visit Parthasarathy Temple at Tiruvellikeni in Madras and feed the temple elephant. One unfortunate day, when Bharati went to feed, the elephant attacked him. Bharati sustained injuries on his legs and head. What affected his health was the sudden shock after the elephant attack, from which he never recovered. Mahakavi Subramania Bharati attained god’s lotus feet on September 11th 1921, at 39.
Some of Bharati’s notable works are Panjali Sapatham, Kannan Pattu, Kuyil Pattu, translation of Patanjali Yoga sutra, translation of Bhagavad Gita, Chinnanchriu kylie, Vinayagar Nanmanimalai, Viduthalai Padalgal, Gnana Padalgal and many more.
“Dravidian” Bharati
The Dravidian academicians and writers these days portray Bharati as someone who was against the Brahmin community and Hindu religion, which practised “caste evils”. But Bharati was only against discriminatory practices such as untouchability and discrimination against women. Bharati was a great devotee of the Ma Kali and composed many poems praising the goddess. In his days at Madras, he was a frequent visitor to Parthasarathy temple, which is dedicated to Bhagwan Vishnu. The Dravidian thinkers are now trying to misrepresent their original ideals to suit their propaganda.
Subramania Bharati is the father of modern Tamil poetry. His Poems and literary works were not restricted to thoughts on the freedom movement alone. Still, they echoed his emotions as a social reformer speaking about all social evils prevailing at his times. As a spiritual philosopher, he translated Bhagavad Gita into Tamil and wrote many poems for children. As mentioned earlier, he touched every aspect of human life as a poet of all ages. His poems were visionary documents on how free India should be. That is why he is celebrated many years after his time and will be for generations.
