Who is Mahakavi Kumaranasan? His magnum opus 'Chinthavishtayaya Seetha' marks his poetic legacy

Chinthavishtayaya Seetha poem: Mahakavi Kumaranasan began writing 'Chinthavishtayaya Seetha' in August 1914 and it was published in 1919. One of Malayalam literature's true gems, this great poet did not have an easy life, found himself subjected to considerable travails one after the other, particularly in the field of literary greats. [Read: Dark Night of Soul]

[Source: Pixabay]

The tragedy of Mahakavi Kumaranasan life is also that he was not given the due recognition that a person of his literary brilliance truly deserved.

Among his finest works, 'Chinthavishtayaya Seetha' takes the spotlight always.

Rather than portraying Sita Devi solely from the perspective of being the wife of Lord Ram, the poet views her as emerging from her Goddess-like stature to experience the travails of womanhood and motherhood as she inhabits earth as a divine being in sync with Mother Nature.

Inevitably, poems are deciphered by scholars and readers differently, based on their own interpretation of each verse in Chinthavishtayaya Seetha.

[READ: Four Paths to Divinity in Hinduism]

Mahakavi Kumaranasan's Chinthavishtayaya Seetha

That the consort of Prince Rama preferred living in the lap of Mother Nature rather than occupy the luxury befitting a would-be-Queen is evident from the choices that she has made throughout the journey of her life. Her choices have always been resonating with upholding Dharma at every juncture no matter how difficult or challenging the situation turns out to be.

The poetry that flows in 'Chinthavishtayaya Seetha' paved the way for heated debates on whether the poet had meant to criticize the identity of Sita Devi through the verses, plunging readers into a glimpse of her sorrow and grief.

Yet many critics also opined that the portrayal was neither meant to denigrate nor meant to pave the way for a religious debate.

To many scholars in Malayalam, Kumaranasan's poem epitomised Sita Devi as an embodiment of goodness, patience and sacrifice even as it delved deep into her emotions. The verses in Mahakavi Kumaranasan's poem represented an emotional awakening for those who have judged Sita Devi without understanding her emotions. [READ: Why OM is Powerful]

Being borne of Nature and living in harmony with Nature, Mahakavi Kumaranasan portrays Sita Devi as one who is almost inseparable from all the energies of the natural world.

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