பதிவுகள்; http://www.pathivukal.com

Swami Vipulananda (1927 – 1947): a pioneer scholar in Thamil Studies

K S Sivakumaran

Thamilians all over the world are indebted to the late Swami Vipulananda of the Ramakrishna Mission for his pioneering researches in the fields of Literature, Music and Drama (Iyal, Isai and Nadagam).. He was a Lankan scholar respected and considered a forerunner in many fields even in Thamilnadu in India. Born in Kaaraitheevu in the Maddakkalappu (Batticaloa) district as Mylvaganam and excelled in Mathematics and Physical Sciences. After joining the Ramakrishna Mission with headquarters in Kolcatta (Calcutta) he turned his life as a savant scholar excelling in Thamil, Sanskrit, English and other languages.

The focus here is on one of the important aspects of Swami’s contributions made known to the uninitiated and the new generation in the form of a seminar organized by the Kolumbu Thamil Sangam at 57th Lane in Wellawatta, Sri Lanka on February 21, 2010. Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Colombo, Prof S Santhirasegeram chaired the academic oriented discourses. The lectures for most part heavy for most of those present. However those benefitted did enjoy the arrangement.

The one aspect explored at the seminar was the research undertaken by the learned Swami in unearthing and reconstructing an ancient musical instrument used by the ancient Thamilians. The instrument was called “Yaal” that resembled the Harp.

Dr Nagalingam Sivayohan, Head of the Physics Department of the Yaalpaanam (Jaffna) University understandably laboured hard to reconstruct with illustrations the methodology employed by Swami Vipulananda in his Magnum Opus, the Yaal Nool.

Dr V Maheswaran, Senior lecturer in the Department of Thamil at the University of Peradeniya introduced the book from the angle of Thamilolgy. His was also a difficult subject to water down to an uninitiated audience.

And finally Dr Pramila Gurumoorthy, a Lankan born Professor and Head of the Department of Indian Musicology at the University of Chennai (Madras) gave an enchanting talk with intermittent singing in her melodic voice. Her subject was in relation to the musical aspects of the great work. Incidentally she is the daughter of a very popular broadcaster in the 1950 s over the then Radio Ceylon. The stylistic newsreader was S. Cunjitha Paatham and Pramila’s mother was the then Head of the education service of Radio Ceylon, Monie Elias. The musicologist Pramila is an old girl of St.Bridget’s Convent in Colombo.

Fortunately at least one speaker’s talk had text tat was distributed among the participants, although the speaker spoke almost extempore in a clear diction. That helped the listeners follow her points in a lucid manner. The speaker was Pramila Gurumoorthy.

Main points from her elucidatory speech

Swami Vipulananda’s long researched book Yaal Nool was published in 1947 with the financial assistance of Chithambaram Chettiar of Thamilnadu. There are seven sections in the book. The Afghans use a musical instrument called Kafir Harp This Harp is similar to the Vil Yaal used by the ancient Thamilians and an improvement of the Thamilian Harp is the Kafir Harp (Thomas Alvad in an article on Kafir Harp published in a magazine called Man in 1954) This is mentioned in pages 70-71 in a book titled “Innisai Yaal” by Prof Margaret Bastin.
Swami Vipulananda quoting Sangam Literature mentions the existence of PeariYaal, Mahara Yaal, Seeri Yaal, Sengoatti Yaal, and Sakoda Yaal. Information regarding these can be found in the paintings and sculptures museums in London and Cairo
He provides sketches of these different kinds of Yaals and suggests comparative studies with the music of other nations.
Mahara Yaal is a gift to the Thamilians by the Greeks. There are 19 strings attached to this particular kind of Yaal. Yaal Nool is a scientific examination of the ancient Thamil musical instrument and a study of Thamil Music written in the 20th century.

Short Notes

Swami Vipulananda studied in Kalmunai and at Methodist Central College and passed the then Cambridge Junior School in 1906. Then he joined St. Micheael’s College in 1908 and was teaching in the school in 1910. In 1911 he taught at Kalmunai Catholic Mission School. He underwent training as a teacher at the Government Training College in Colombo. In 1916 he studied engineering at Government Training College and obtained a Diploma... In the same year he became the first Pundit from Lanka to pass out from the Mathurai Thamil Sangam Examination for Pundits.

In 1920 he taught at St.Patrick’s College, Yaalpaanam and obtained his B.Sc London degree. He established the Yaalpaanam Ariya Dravida Bhasha development Sangam and in the following year he was appointed the Principal of Maanippai Hindu College. Soon after he left for Mylapoor Ramakrishna Madam in Thamilnadu to become a Swami renouncing the materialistic world. He was named Prabodha Chaithanya and became the Editor of Vedanta Kesari (English) and Ramakrishna Vijayam (Thamil) published by the Mission. He published Ulakiyal Vilakkam written by Pandithamani Nakrishna Bharathi with a commentary by Vidwan Poopallapillai. He was named “Vipulanandar” in 1924 and he returned to Lanka in 1925. From then to 1947 what Swami Vipulananda did for the country and Thamil studies deserve a separate article.

sivakumaran.ks@gmail.com