Publisher’s Note
Vedanayagam Sastriyar, arguably the greatest Tamil Christian poet, displayed extraordinary punditry in poetry, music and drama. Tutored by the incomparable Prussian missionary Christian Friedrich Schwartz, Sastriyar acquired a commendable grasp of various subjects like musicology, botany, theology, geography, physiology, biology, astronomy, philosophy and sociology - to say nothing about his more than nodding acquaintance with the English, German and Latin languages; besides, he was comfortable with usage of Sanskrit . And his works covered the entire human life cycle – from lullaby to elegy – and even went beyond to describe heaven!
Sastriyar’s manuscripts and books can be found in major centres of literature, arts, academia and theology around the world, most notably in the British Library, London, the French National Library, Paris, the Lutheran Museum, Halle, the United Theological College, Bangalore and the Saraswati Mahal Library, Thanjavur.
Unfortunately, only a handful of his 130 books is available to the public today and it has been my desire for some years to put his works in cyberspace for easy access by those interested, with only a few clicks of the mouse, touch of fingers or perhaps even voice commands. The fist of Sastriyar’s books to be so e-published was his magnum opus ஜெப மாலை and now I am happy to put in your hands the collection of his lyrics going under the name of ஞானப் பத கீர்த்தனைகள். Many of these lyrics have found their way into the book used widely for worship in Tamil Christian congregations the world over.
I cannot resist the temptation to give you a preview of some lyrics that evidence Sastriyar’s childlike trust in God the Father, reformist mindset, boldness to take the devil head-on, enduring faith in a risen savior and sadness over the state of affairs in the church!
கள்ளனாகிலும் வெள்ளனாகிலும் பிள்ளை நானுனக் கல்லவோ (243)
சாதியாலுண்டாகும் பேதகங்களு மன வாதையு மெளி தாமோ (259)
இருடா இரு கண் கெட்ட குருடா சமரிடடா
திருடா மெத்தத் துள்ளாதே பொருடா புத்தி சொல்கிறேன்
அடடா பழைய சற்பமே (281)
அன்னைவயிற்றிற் சமைத்த ஆண்டவன் செத்துப்போனானோ (289)
மேய்ப்பர்கள் தங்களை மேய்த்துக் கொண்டார்
மூப்பர்களுக்கு ணீதி யுமில்லை (346)
It ought to be mentioned that a few of the lyrics in this book have been composed by others in the Sastriyar family, most notably Eliya Deivasigamony, Vedanayagam’s youngest son (and my great grandfather). I do not know who set the Ragam and the Thalam to these lyrics. Pundits in music may want to probe this aspect and someday render them in the original arrangement.
So here they are - the ஞானப் பத கீர்த்தனைகள் complete with the 1963 preface by Rev.D.Thambusami and Shem Vedanayaga Sastriyar. If this effort has succeeded today, many thanks must go to the Sastriyar family diaspora who through their contribution to தஞ்சை வேதநாயக சாஸ்திரியார் பேரவை (TVSP) have borne the cost of e-publishing. Should you espy any errors, blame it on me and my mother Sarojini Vincent for less than perfect proof reading of the Unicode Word version.
Judah S.G.Vincent | August 2015 |
Blogsite: <judahsjottings.com> |