Interview l TM Krishna: Sree Narayana Guru's poetry is directly talking to the struggles of today

When Carnatic musician TM Krishna sat in his studio in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, more than half a decade ago to set a particular text to music, it sparked a new turn for classical music and reimagining India's rich history in the pursuit of a society without social, economic and caste discrimination. The text was from Sree Narayana Guru, the philosopher and social reformer whose universal and humanitarian outlook shook up caste hierarchy in the late 19th century Travancore, Kochi and Malabar region. Nobody before Krishna, who is known for his activism against caste discrimination, had attempted to seek the profound poetic and aesthetic value hidden in Narayana Guru's works. (Also Read | TM Krishna not to be recognised as MS Subbulakshmi award recipient: Controversy explained)

The transformation of Narayana Guru's texts has its origins in the work of the Backwaters Collective, an organisation which was addressing the lack of access to material for reimagining knowledge in the country. Several of Narayana Guru's philosophical texts that directly dealt with caste and equitable distribution of resources were gathered by the Collective for Krishna to begin a quest for truth and knowledge, through classical music.

The result was a series of concerts based on the philosopher's poetic texts across the country launched just before the Covid-19 pandemic. Ahead of his first TM Krishna Sings Guru concert, titled The Prosody of an Emerging New, this year in the national capital on February 28, the classical music maestro talks to the Hindustan Times about making music from reformist texts and how history will guide the next generation in creating a just society.

How were you drawn to Sree Narayana Guru, and his philosophy and works?

The truth is that I didn't know much about him. I knew he was a social reformer and spiritualist. At the Backwaters Collective (co-founded among others by social theorist Ashis Nandy and historian Vinay Lal) where I had spoken a few times, we have had conversations about Sree Narayana Guru. I later tried to understand the larger landscape of his philosophical thought. One element of his philosophical thought was what is the obviously evident anti-caste struggle. I realised early the fact that there is much more to him than an anti-caste warrior. There was his re-imagination of faith, religion and inner realisation. I found it a fascinating coming together of faith and social action in a very powerful way. That is how I was drawn to his works.

What brought you closer to his philosophical texts?

Sree Narayana Guru, also being a linguist, wrote in Tamil, Malayalam and Sanskrit. Though in Carnatic music we have used the verses of many poets beyond the composers of Carnatic music, tuned it also, somehow Sree Narayana Guru has never featured in it. Of course, I know I have a few recordings of a few musicians in Kerala who have used the verses of Guru. However, we were creating a repertoire out of the blue. It has never been done before.

What was the process of making music from his reformist texts?

Initially, we had 14 pieces of Sree Narayana Guru's texts, and we used five or six in terms of form for composing and tuning. There were 10-15 verses, and we chose three or four. We have never taken an entire piece for composition. That is also a departure from what is traditionally done where all the verses of a piece are tuned.

What are the poetic aspects of his texts?

What is the most elegant is the fact that Guru's text is always musical. There are generally different kinds of poems: Some poetry can be easily sung and some poetry is better read, but it doesn't really work when you put it in music. That is just the nature of the poet and the poetry. In the case of Sree Narayana Guru, what is most beautiful is all his texts are naturally musical. It was very easy to put that into music. People think it is a question of meter. It is not. It is also a question of the kind of the words that you use. One of the things that you need a lot from music is how the vowels and consonants interact. The vowel is a very important emotional coefficient in music which allows both extension of consonant and contraction of consonant, and extension of raga. And in Sree Narayana Guru, you find this whole play between consonant and vowel.

Will you give a few examples of his texts that reflect this musicality?

Purushakruti poonda daivamo Naradivyakruti Paramesha pavithra puthrano Karuvan Nabi muthu rathnamo? (If he a god in human form or the law of dharma in the shape of human God or if he is the holy son of the Lord most high or the kindly prophet Nabi the pear, the pearly gem?) and Azhiyum thirayum kattum Azhavum pole njangalum Mayayum nin mahimayum Niyum ennullil akanam Niyallo srishtiyum srishtavayathum Srishtijalavum, niyallo daivame srishtikulla samagri ayathum.

Inwardly seen, we are like the ocean, and Maya is the like the wave. The wind is your Glory and The depths, You Yourself. You, verily, are creation and creator, And the magical web of creatures, too. Are You not, Oh God, the very stuff. Of which all creation is made? (Translation: Vinaya Chaitanya)

There is automatically music to it as I say it. There is this whole rhyme and reason to it. It is easy to set it to music. It is naturally musical.

How relevant are Sree Narayana Guru's works to the contemporary society nearly a century after his death?

Guru is not only important because he is a social warrior, but because he is a person who reimagined faith. That is why he is important. Guru was able to bring together every sensation and morality of social co-existence along with a deeply inward looking reflection on faith, self-realisation on god, not considering them to be competing with each other, and not treating them as something that don't come together. He did it both through inner strength and through public action. He reimagined the temple, for example. A temple is a physical space. Bringing what is called modern constitutional justice with having deeply inward journey of realisation, it is very rare. Singing his verses in a concert I think I am having a dialogue with myself and the public.

What about Sree Narayana Guru's teachings on the caste system?

That is also a very strong part of my social discourse, combating the whole issue of caste, combating the feeling of caste, because caste is also a feeling of identity. From that comes control of resources, denial of resources, superiority and power. I think my public discourse has been very strongly about that. I understand that I come with caste privilege, with gender privilege. My discourse is from a position of privilege. When I am having a discourse on caste, I am acutely aware of that. So for me to engage in a robust way where I am constantly challenging caste privilege is very important. I think in today's world, it is very important to reflect on issues of equal distribution of resources, access and aesthetic and cultural transformation. That is what Sree Narayana Guru speaks. He is a cultural person, an aesthetic person, who is also having an economic and social discourse. The two discourses are not separate. I think finally we have to realise that unless this cultural transformation happens, no amount of quality policy decisions or economic decisions or public action is going to change the society. It has to change from the place of who we are as a people and cultural being, aesthetic being. That is where Sree Narayana Guru's poetry is important, his songs are important. It is directing talking to the struggles of today.

Your concert series is titled, The Prosody of an Emerging New. How are you reimagining knowledge for the future generation?

I am optimistic about the next generation. I am optimistic that they are thinking people. I am optimistic at 20, 25, 30 they are thinking about things I never thought about at their age. I am optimistic they will be moved by the words of Sree Narayana Guru. They will understand the discourse and they will participate in their own way. I am completely optimistic about the future. Whatever we do, we are participating. The present is always about the future. The past is always about the future. The question is why are we seeking this past. That is what we should be asking ourselves. So we are having a conversation that is in the present but it is also about the future. I believe that the next generation is far more awakened than any of us.

Have you visited Varkala in Kerala where Sree Narayana Guru came to live at the beginning of 20th century?

No. I have to go to Varkala. We are hoping we can do a concert there.