Mandra: Beauty and Values: Ramkumari and Gore

This article is part 4 of 4 in the series Mandra: The Triumph of Ramkumari

In Ramkumari, sex doesn’t merely remain on the plane of beauty or emotion but elevates itself to the status of a value. Her encounter with her employer, the wealthy lawyer and musical connoisseur Gore is one of the most splendid literary episodes. Indeed, Gore’s character is also quite an extraordinary creation of the author. The sexual attraction that he develops towards Ramkumari is rooted in a complex mixture of emotions: pity, compassion, respect, and most of all, in her steadfast faith in her rustic, traditional values which makes her bow down to none except those who share her values.

So when Gore expresses his wish to bed her, she has no confusion in her mind. The question of its morality never enters her mind. The entire episode is best savoured in the original.[i]   

[Ramkumari]: Sahib, I have deprived you of breakfast and meals for three days. Please bear this wretched woman’s mistakes.’…Later, she touched both my feet and said, ‘The fact that a person like you, so noble and great, sought my friendship is my good fortune. I know that you don’t go behind any random woman. I thought for three days. I went to the Amba Bhavani temple where I got married and asked her. ‘That fellow did this to me. He married another woman in spite of being married to me, having two children…So what is wrong if I also have a secret marriage?’ This is what I asked her. Devi appeared in my dream last night and said, ‘His sins and virtues are his. You don’t commit any sin. Your Saheb is really a good man. Tell him this frankly. Serve him with Bhakti.’ Please correct me and advise me with wise words if I make any mistake. If you wish to have me, please have me. I am a rustic woman who has neither brains nor learning.

[…]  

[Gore’s stream of consciousness]

I can tell her after breakfast tomorrow that it was not Devi’s words that you heard in your dream but the anxiety in your own mind. But suddenly, a sense of greater responsibility flashed within me. If I convince her to sleep with me, it means I will be embedded in the place occupied by Amba Bhavani, her Devi who is giving her strength to bear all her difficulties. From then on, will I have the strength to erase all her external and internal difficulties and give her peace?...I will transform a woman who is working, earning her livelihood and living in contentment into a clandestine whore of a rich householder. What noble quality or emotion is there in such a relationship?...The thought of not dragging Ramkumari into a base relationship began to fortify…If one develops a relationship with a woman, it must be a relationship based on the pure emotion evoked by ragas like Bibhas, Bairagi Bhairav, Todi, Jeevanpuri…Bhimapalasi, Kalyan. What musical value will remain if one gives a false assurance to a poor woman only in order to sleep with her?...It was not at all difficult to touch her other body parts. But my mind desists. If one reduces the unblemished emotion of the Bhairavi Raga to the level of the flesh, nothing will remain.   

This is pure art. Exalted art. And the whole of Mandra is a grand honeycomb of such magnificence.

From this decisive stage, the relationship between Ramkumari and Gore coalesces into what can be called the true spiritual dimension. As Gore reflects within himself, it takes on the tinge of Madhura Bhakti on her part and a contented acceptance of it on his part. It is an intensely moving journey of a relationship where dignity is elevated into Madhura Bhakti. At no stage does he feel or exhibit a sense of overlordship over her although he has the power and entitlement to do so. This relationship fittingly reaches a truly ennobling climax where both Gore and Ramkumari appear to compete with each other in celebrating the strength of their respective characters. The end of this episode evokes a blissful calm akin to the silence that follows a masterly Indian Classical Music concert. Even here, Mandra truly lives up to its title.

Self-Reliance, Dignity

The other great strain of Ramkumari’s character is her fierce independence, self-reliance, and innate dignity. Nowhere is this more pronounced than in her retorts to Mohanlal who returns to meet her after two decades. The literary architecture of each of these situations and the flow of conversations bears the characteristic hallmark of Dr. Bhyrappa. As well as in the pointed and piercing moral and ethical questions she poses to her grown-up children. These are great treats best savoured in the original.

Ramkumari’s decisive rejection of Mohanlal when he resurfaces after twenty years is the real beginning of his downfall. It is a layered study in human nature. The real feeling of Mohanlal towards Ramkumari is a sense of pity rooted in a subconscious contempt for her background. And when such a woman, based purely on the indomitable strength of her values, rejects this world-renowned Vidwan, the impact this has on his psyche and ego is akin to a sledgehammer blow. In a manner of speaking, Ramkumari takes revenge without harboring any feeling of vengeance.

Superb Characterisation

As with all his novels, characterization is one of Dr. S L Bhyrappa’s strongest fortes, be it Srinivasa Shrotriya, Katyayini, Satyabhama, Melagiri Gowda, Bheema, Kunti, Draupadi, Krishna, Tayavva, Kalinga Gowda, Venkataramana, Ravindra, Kanti, Kumarila Bhatta, Razia/Lakshmi, Hamdullah, Mohanlal or Ramkumari.

The author’s grasp of the literary craft is readily evident in the manner in which he makes Ramkumari seek employment as a cook in Gore’s household. The selfsame Gore is an ardent admirer of Mohanlal’s matchless musical talent and knows everything about his debauched lifestyle. Yet he retains a dignified separation between the artist and his art. On occasion, he also offers free legal advice to Mohanlal. And simultaneously acts as the protector of his hapless, innocent wife and a guardian of sorts to her children.

Among other things, this architecture of plot affords a beautiful delineation and unfoldment of Ramkumari’s character. Throughout the novel, Ramkumari’s character is fully revealed through other characters, most prominently through the thoughts of Gore.

First there’s Mohanlal who treats her no better than an object of pleasure but slightly better than a maidservant. Then there is Mohanlal’s Tabla accompanist, Rajaram Tipnis who genuinely sympathises with her plight. It is Tipnis who gets her employment at Gore’s house and also regularly enquires about her well-being. Both her children regard her as a rustic loser who hasn’t done enough for them but have no qualms in using her. Then there is Gore, whose role we have explored at length in the earlier passages.

But the most profound unfolding of Ramkumari’s character occurs in her conversations with Amba Bhavani. It is in these episodes that Ramkumari comes alive in flesh and blood, so to say. A representative excerpt[ii] should suffice in this context.

Ramkumari…reached the Amba Bhavani temple…and stood before the sanctum sanctorum and folded her hands. She stared at the marble Devi who was wearing the warrior’s attire holding a sword in her hand and seated on a tiger. She filled her eyes with this sight and closed her eyelids. ‘Mother, if I have committed any sin, if I have had any evil thoughts, take that sword in your hand and chop my neck. Else, if I have uttered any sinful words, cut my tongue off. If I beseeched you for a good husband in my next birth, how will that be a sin? You tell me.’ She secured these lines within the confines of her closed eyelids…’If it was a sin, you should’ve told me yourself. But you didn’t. If it still is, tell me even now.’…Her eyes remained closed. No voice within her told her that it was a sin. After a while, she opened her eyes. The Pujari drew a streak of Kumkum vertically on her forehead…and gave her some Prasad…She circumambulated thrice on the same spot and emerged from the temple. As she walked towards her home, her steps were firm. Her composure was equanimous.

Further elaboration on this point will be superfluous. This is extraordinary literary latticework, a fine specimen of textual embroidery. Needless, Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa exhibits the same finesse in developing all characters in Mandra.

Conclusion

In closing, the character of Ramkumari stands shoulder-to-shoulder with all other memorable characters spread across Dr. Bhyrappa’s literary corpus. The real triumph of Ramkumari is the full gamut of her journey from a naïve, rustic and traditional Hindu woman who is heartlessly exploited but ultimately grows to the stature of a Tapasvini.

Series concluded

Notes       

  • Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa. “MANDRA.” pp. 186–9., Sahitya Bhandara, Bangalore. Excerpt translated by Sandeep Balakrishna
  • Ibid pp. 408-9

 

Author(s)

About:

Sandeep Balakrishna is a writer, author, translator, and socio-political-cultural analyst. He is the author of "Tipu Sultan: The Tyrant of Mysore" and "The Madurai Sultanate: A Concise History." He translated Dr. S L Bhyrappa's magnum opus "Avarana" into English.

Prekshaa Publications

Among the many contributions of ancient Indians to world thought, perhaps the most insightful is the realisation that ānanda (Bliss) is the ultimate goal of human existence. Since time immemorial, India has been a land steeped in contemplation about the nature of humans and the universe. The great ṛṣis (seers) and ṛṣikās (seeresses) embarked on critical analysis of subjective experience and...

One of the two great epics of India and arguably the most popular epic in the world, the Ramayana has enchanted generations of people not just in Greater India but the world over. In less than three hundred pages The Essential Ramayana captures all the poetic subtleties and noble values of the original and offers the great epic in an eminently readable form that will appeal to the learned and...

The Bhagavad-gītā isn’t merely a treatise on ultimate liberation. It is also a treatise on good living. Even the laity, which does not have its eye on mokṣa, can immensely benefit from the Gītā. It has the power to grant an attitude of reverence in worldly life, infuse enthusiasm in the execution of duty, impart fortitude in times of adversity, and offer solace to the heart when riddled by...

Indian Perspective of Truth and Beauty in Homer’s Epics is a unique work on the comparative study of the Greek Epics Iliad and Odyssey with the Indian Epics – Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata. Homer, who laid the foundations for the classical tradition of the West, occupies a stature similar to that occupied by the seer-poets Vālmīki and Vyāsa, who are synonymous with the Indian culture. The author...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the sixth volume of reminiscences character sketches of prominent public figures, liberals, and social workers. These remarkable personages hailing from different corners of South India are from a period that spans from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Written in Kannada in the 1970s, these memoirs go...

An Introduction to Hinduism based on Primary Sources

Authors: Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh, Hari Ravikumar

What is the philosophical basis for Sanātana-dharma, the ancient Indian way of life? What makes it the most inclusive and natural of all religio-philosophical systems in the world?

The Essential Sanātana-dharma serves as a handbook for anyone who wishes to grasp the...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fifth volume, episodes from the lives of traditional savants responsible for upholding the Vedic culture. These memorable characters lived a life of opulence amidst poverty— theirs  was the wealth of the soul, far beyond money and gold. These vidvāns hailed from different corners of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom and lived in...

Padma Bhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam represents the quintessence of Sage Bharata’s art and Bhārata, the country that gave birth to the peerless seer of the Nāṭya-veda. Padma’s erudition in various streams of Indic knowledge, mastery over many classical arts, deep understanding of the nuances of Indian culture, creative genius, and sublime vision bolstered by the vedāntic and nationalistic...

Bhārata has been a land of plenty in many ways. We have had a timeless tradition of the twofold principle of Brāhma (spirit of wisdom) and Kṣāttra (spirit of valour) nourishing and protecting this sacred land. The Hindu civilisation, rooted in Sanātana-dharma, has constantly been enriched by brāhma and safeguarded by kṣāttra.
The renowned Sanskrit poet and scholar, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R...

ಛಂದೋವಿವೇಕವು ವರ್ಣವೃತ್ತ, ಮಾತ್ರಾಜಾತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಕರ್ಷಣಜಾತಿ ಎಂದು ವಿಭಕ್ತವಾದ ಎಲ್ಲ ಬಗೆಯ ಛಂದಸ್ಸುಗಳನ್ನೂ ವಿವೇಚಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಬಂಧಗಳ ಸಂಕಲನ. ಲೇಖಕರ ದೀರ್ಘಕಾಲಿಕ ಆಲೋಚನೆಯ ಸಾರವನ್ನು ಒಳಗೊಂಡ ಈ ಹೊತ್ತಗೆ ಪ್ರಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಛಂದಸ್ಸಿನ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಲಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ತೌಲನಿಕ ವಿಶ್ಲೇಷಣೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅಂತಃಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀಯ ಅಧ್ಯಯನಗಳ ತೆಕ್ಕೆಗೆ ಬರುವ ಬರೆಹಗಳೂ ಇಲ್ಲಿವೆ. ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಕಾರನಿಗಲ್ಲದೆ ಸಿದ್ಧಹಸ್ತನಾದ ಕವಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಸ್ಫುರಿಸಬಲ್ಲ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಹೊಳಹುಗಳು ಕೃತಿಯ ಮೌಲಿಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸಿವೆ. ಈ...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fourth volume, some character sketches of the Dewans of Mysore preceded by an account of the political framework of the State before Independence and followed by a review of the political conditions of the State after 1940. These remarkable leaders of Mysore lived in a period that spans from the mid-nineteenth century to the...

Bharatiya Kavya-mimamseya Hinnele is a monograph on Indian Aesthetics by Mahamahopadhyaya N. Ranganatha Sharma. The book discusses the history and significance of concepts pivotal to Indian literary theory. It is equally useful to the learned and the laity.

Sahitya-samhite is a collection of literary essays in Kannada. The book discusses aestheticians such as Ananda-vardhana and Rajashekhara; Sanskrit scholars such as Mena Ramakrishna Bhat, Sridhar Bhaskar Varnekar and K S Arjunwadkar; and Kannada litterateurs such as DVG, S L Bhyrappa and S R Ramaswamy. It has a foreword by Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh.

The Mahābhārata is the greatest epic in the world both in magnitude and profundity. A veritable cultural compendium of Bhārata-varṣa, it is a product of the creative genius of Maharṣi Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa. The epic captures the experiential wisdom of our civilization and all subsequent literary, artistic, and philosophical creations are indebted to it. To read the Mahābhārata is to...

Shiva Rama Krishna

சிவன். ராமன். கிருஷ்ணன்.
இந்திய பாரம்பரியத்தின் முப்பெரும் கதாநாயகர்கள்.
உயர் இந்தியாவில் தலைமுறைகள் பல கடந்தும் கடவுளர்களாக போற்றப்பட்டு வழிகாட்டிகளாக விளங்குபவர்கள்.
மனித ஒற்றுமை நூற்றாண்டுகால பரிணாம வளர்ச்சியின் பரிமாணம்.
தனிநபர்களாகவும், குடும்ப உறுப்பினர்களாகவும், சமுதாய பிரஜைகளாகவும் நாம் அனைவரும் பரிமளிக்கிறோம்.
சிவன் தனிமனித அடையாளமாக அமைகிறான்....

ऋतुभिः सह कवयः सदैव सम्बद्धाः। विशिष्य संस्कृतकवयः। यथा हि ऋतवः प्रतिसंवत्सरं प्रतिनवतामावहन्ति मानवेषु तथैव ऋतुवर्णनान्यपि काव्यरसिकेषु कामपि विच्छित्तिमातन्वते। ऋतुकल्याणं हि सत्यमिदमेव हृदि कृत्वा प्रवृत्तम्। नगरजीवनस्य यान्त्रिकतां मान्त्रिकतां च ध्वनदिदं चम्पूकाव्यं गद्यपद्यमिश्रितमिति सुव्यक्तमेव। ऐदम्पूर्वतया प्रायः पुरीपरिसरप्रसृतानाम् ऋतूनां विलासोऽत्र प्रपञ्चितः। बेङ्गलूरुनामके...

The Art and Science of Avadhānam in Sanskrit is a definitive work on Sāhityāvadhānam, a form of Indian classical art based on multitasking, lateral thinking, and extempore versification. Dotted throughout with tasteful examples, it expounds in great detail on the theory and practice of this unique performing art. It is as much a handbook of performance as it is an anthology of well-turned...

This anthology is a revised edition of the author's 1978 classic. This series of essays, containing his original research in various fields, throws light on the socio-cultural landscape of Tamil Nadu spanning several centuries. These compelling episodes will appeal to scholars and laymen alike.
“When superstitious mediaevalists mislead the country about its judicial past, we have to...

The cultural history of a nation, unlike the customary mainstream history, has a larger time-frame and encompasses the timeless ethos of a society undergirding the course of events and vicissitudes. A major key to the understanding of a society’s unique character is an appreciation of the far-reaching contributions by outstanding personalities of certain periods – especially in the realms of...

Prekṣaṇīyam is an anthology of essays on Indian classical dance and theatre authored by multifaceted scholar and creative genius, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh. As a master of śāstra, a performing artiste (of the ancient art of Avadhānam), and a cultured rasika, he brings a unique, holistic perspective to every discussion. These essays deal with the philosophy, history, aesthetics, and practice of...

Yaugandharam

इदं किञ्चिद्यामलं काव्यं द्वयोः खण्डकाव्ययोः सङ्कलनरूपम्। रामानुरागानलं हि सीतापरित्यागाल्लक्ष्मणवियोगाच्च श्रीरामेणानुभूतं हृदयसङ्क्षोभं वर्णयति । वात्सल्यगोपालकं तु कदाचिद्भानूपरागसमये घटितं यशोदाश्रीकृष्णयोर्मेलनं वर्णयति । इदम्प्रथमतया संस्कृतसाहित्ये सम्पूर्णं काव्यं...

Vanitakavitotsavah

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Vaiphalyaphalam

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Nipunapraghunakam

इयं रचना दशसु रूपकेष्वन्यतमस्य भाणस्य निदर्शनतामुपैति। एकाङ्करूपकेऽस्मिन् शेखरकनामा चित्रोद्यमलेखकः केनापि हेतुना वियोगम् अनुभवतोश्चित्रलेखामिलिन्दकयोः समागमं सिसाधयिषुः कथामाकाशभाषणरूपेण निर्वहति।

Bharavatarastavah

अस्मिन् स्तोत्रकाव्ये भगवन्तं शिवं कविरभिष्टौति। वसन्ततिलकयोपनिबद्धस्य काव्यस्यास्य कविकृतम् उल्लाघनाभिधं व्याख्यानं च वर्तते।

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the third volume, some character sketches of great literary savants responsible for Kannada renaissance during the first half of the twentieth century. These remarkable...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the second volume, episodes from the lives of remarkable exponents of classical music and dance, traditional storytellers, thespians, and connoisseurs; as well as his...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the first volume, episodes from the lives of great writers, poets, literary aficionados, exemplars of public life, literary scholars, noble-hearted common folk, advocates...

Evolution of Mahabharata and Other Writings on the Epic is the English translation of S R Ramaswamy's 1972 Kannada classic 'Mahabharatada Belavanige' along with seven of his essays on the great epic. It tells the riveting...

Shiva-Rama-Krishna is an English adaptation of Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh's popular lecture series on the three great...

Bharatilochana

ಮಹಾಮಾಹೇಶ್ವರ ಅಭಿನವಗುಪ್ತ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ವಿದ್ಯಾವಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಮರೆಯಲಾಗದ ಹೆಸರು. ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಶೈವದರ್ಶನ ಮತ್ತು ಸೌಂದರ್ಯಮೀಮಾಂಸೆಗಳ ಪರಮಾಚಾರ್ಯನಾಗಿ  ಸಾವಿರ ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಇವನು ಜ್ಞಾನಪ್ರಪಂಚವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಭಾವಿಸುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದಾನೆ. ಭರತಮುನಿಯ ನಾಟ್ಯಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಇವನೊಬ್ಬನೇ ನಮಗಿರುವ ಆಲಂಬನ. ಇದೇ ರೀತಿ ರಸಧ್ವನಿಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತವನ್ನು...

Vagarthavismayasvadah

“वागर्थविस्मयास्वादः” प्रमुखतया साहित्यशास्त्रतत्त्वानि विमृशति । अत्र सौन्दर्यर्यशास्त्रीयमूलतत्त्वानि यथा रस-ध्वनि-वक्रता-औचित्यादीनि सुनिपुणं परामृष्टानि प्रतिनवे चिकित्सकप्रज्ञाप्रकाशे। तदन्तर एव संस्कृतवाङ्मयस्य सामर्थ्यसमाविष्कारोऽपि विहितः। क्वचिदिव च्छन्दोमीमांसा च...

The Best of Hiriyanna

The Best of Hiriyanna is a collection of forty-eight essays by Prof. M. Hiriyanna that sheds new light on Sanskrit Literature, Indian...

Stories Behind Verses

Stories Behind Verses is a remarkable collection of over a hundred anecdotes, each of which captures a story behind the composition of a Sanskrit verse. Collected over several years from...