"O! Thou Valiant of the reddy rays! What else can be the hiding place for one who is chased by his own shadow? His own eyes sharp are but his enemies? Just a mirror terrifies him as death?
.........
"Risen in the East, standing in the zenith and protecting, relaxing in the West, He disappears into the darkness. His form of non-being, is it not the very night that comes to be? Darkness, is it not his protection verily being present in the form of his non-being? Longlive He! Food for the common beings, pleasure for those able to fly, wisdom for the thinking, Brahmam for those whose forehead-eyes become open - let us praise and worship Him who has become all these respectively."
(translation of some opening lines of the section Veyyon of Venmurasu of Sri Jeyamohan - https://venmurasu.in/veyyon/chapter-1 )
I am a fan of his early books like 'pinthodarum nizhalin kural', 'kaadu', 'ezhaam ulakam'. After a long time when I came across these lines from Venmurasu, it is happy to see such philosophical writing in Tamil pouring forth pages after pages. My good wishes to the great author.
The incident of Alarkka, the wasp, in Mahabharata, is a very crisp note. But the recreation or rather embellishment of the same akhyana by Jeyamohan is awesome. The characterisation of Kyati (literally 'fame'), finds unending overtones of suggestion as it is found in Veyyon.
'Kyati, since she was born in the mature poetic moment of aesthetic fullness, was incomparable in beauty in all the petals after petals of blossoming worlds of Brahma.'
'My anxious craving! the dream of my forefathers, fond memory of my sons!' so said thrice mystically the Sage and created a fascinating shadow-form for her.'
'Flame-formed! Fame is capable of flying everywhere. It is the fire that erupts out of word brazing word. She who is named Fame, who can really hide her?'
(Translation of some lines in Veyyon, Venmurasu https://venmurasu.in/veyyon/chapter-2 )
Srirangam Mohanarangan
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