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തീക്കടൽ കടഞ്ഞ് തിരുമധുരം: Theekkadal Kadanhu Thirumadhuram
ഉപജാപങ്ങളില്നിന്ന് ഉടലെടുത്ത അടിസ്ഥാനരഹിതങ്ങളായ ഐതിഹ്യങ്ങളാലും ആരോപണങ്ങളാലും അപ്പാടെ വികലമാക്കപ്പെട്ട ധന്യജീവിതകഥയെ വീട്ടില്നിന്നേ കേട്ടും ചരിത്രപാഠങ്ങള് ഒത്തുനോക്കിയും പതിറ്റാണ്ടുകള് അന്വേഷിച്ചും കിട്ടിയ അറിവിന്റെ വെളിച്ചത്തില് യുക്തിഭദ്രമായി പുനഃസൃഷ്ടിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. യുഗപ്രഭാവനായ ഒരു സര്ഗ്ഗപ്രതിഭയെ സമൂഹഘടനയും ചരിത്രഗതിയും എവ്വിധമൊക്കെ വേട്ടയാടി എന്നതിന്റെ സാക്ഷ്യപത്രമാണിത്. അതോടൊപ്പം, ആ ധന്യാത്മാവ് സ്വജീവന് പണയപ്പെടുത്തി ആയുരന്ത്യംവരെ നിര്ഭീകം കാത്ത മഹാദര്ശനം സരളസുന്ദരമായി അനാവൃതമാവുന്നു. അഞ്ചു നൂറ്റാണ്ടു മുന്പത്തെ കേരളീയ ജീവിതചിത്രം കണ്മുന്നില് തെളിയുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു.
686 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2005
44 people are currently reading
510 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 21, 2015
Thunchath Ezhutthachan.
The name is a hallowed one. Very few languages have recorded ancestry – and very few people can claim to have created languages. The gentleman mentioned above is widely recognised by us Malayalis (the people of Kerala) as the father of our language, Malayalam.
I had studied about Ezhutthachan (which itself means “Father of Writing”) in school. It is generally agreed that he created the modern Malayalam script; adapted letters from Sanskrit and Tamil to provide for all the spoken sounds in Malayalam, thus removing the discrepancy between the spoken and the written language. He also composed Malayalam versions of the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Bhagavata. His Hari Nama Keerthanam (“Prayers in praise of the Lord’s Name”) is one of the most popular prayer songs even today.
According to popular legend, Ezhutthachan was a man of one of the low castes; a man who drank and ate fish (possibly also tapped toddy from coconut palms). In present day Kerala, the Ezhutthachans are ranked as OBC (Other Backward Caste). However, this caste name was adopted relatively recently (only in 1921). Before that anyone who taught children were known as “Ezhutthachan” (it may also have been “Ezhutthaasaan” – “Master of Letters”).
As it happens with most things in Kerala, the exact caste of Ezhutthachan has led to a caste dispute; both the Nair community (who belong to forward castes) and the Ezhutthachan community claiming him. With the status of historical records of Kerala being what they are, it is not likely that this issue will be resolved anytime soon, if ever. The problem is also compounded by the fact that all castes in Kerala from Nair downwards are officially Sudras according to the ancient system of the four Varnas (castes) of Vedic Brahmanism. The Brahmins who came to Kerala relatively late in history seem to have elevated some of the local ruling families to a higher caste and dumped the rest under the umbrella of Sudras – so Ezhutthachan may have been any non-Brahmin who taught children.
So much for official history. The renowned Malayalam novelist C. Radhakrishnan has a different story to tell – one which he has dug up from family legends.
Read the rest of the review here.
The name is a hallowed one. Very few languages have recorded ancestry – and very few people can claim to have created languages. The gentleman mentioned above is widely recognised by us Malayalis (the people of Kerala) as the father of our language, Malayalam.
I had studied about Ezhutthachan (which itself means “Father of Writing”) in school. It is generally agreed that he created the modern Malayalam script; adapted letters from Sanskrit and Tamil to provide for all the spoken sounds in Malayalam, thus removing the discrepancy between the spoken and the written language. He also composed Malayalam versions of the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Bhagavata. His Hari Nama Keerthanam (“Prayers in praise of the Lord’s Name”) is one of the most popular prayer songs even today.
According to popular legend, Ezhutthachan was a man of one of the low castes; a man who drank and ate fish (possibly also tapped toddy from coconut palms). In present day Kerala, the Ezhutthachans are ranked as OBC (Other Backward Caste). However, this caste name was adopted relatively recently (only in 1921). Before that anyone who taught children were known as “Ezhutthachan” (it may also have been “Ezhutthaasaan” – “Master of Letters”).
As it happens with most things in Kerala, the exact caste of Ezhutthachan has led to a caste dispute; both the Nair community (who belong to forward castes) and the Ezhutthachan community claiming him. With the status of historical records of Kerala being what they are, it is not likely that this issue will be resolved anytime soon, if ever. The problem is also compounded by the fact that all castes in Kerala from Nair downwards are officially Sudras according to the ancient system of the four Varnas (castes) of Vedic Brahmanism. The Brahmins who came to Kerala relatively late in history seem to have elevated some of the local ruling families to a higher caste and dumped the rest under the umbrella of Sudras – so Ezhutthachan may have been any non-Brahmin who taught children.
So much for official history. The renowned Malayalam novelist C. Radhakrishnan has a different story to tell – one which he has dug up from family legends.
Read the rest of the review here.
December 11, 2012
This is my first book of C Radhakrishnan and what a revelation it has been.It is a must read for all those who love malayalam and want to know more about the man who developed it. From Sanskrit and ' vattezhuthu' which was only accessible to the elite class, he developed malayalam for the use of the common man. Apart from that C's writing is quite philosophical, poignant and inspiring at the same time. One read is not enough to appreciate the book completely and hope to read this again soon.
July 11, 2022
ലളിതമായ ഭാഷയാണെങ്കിലും ഉൾക്കൊള്ളാൻ അല്പം പ്രയാസമായിരുന്നു. മാമാങ്കത്തിന്റെ കാര്യങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് പറഞ്ഞു തുടങ്ങി എവിടെയാണ് പുസ്തകം അവസാനിച്ചത് എന്നത് വളരെയേറെ ചിന്തിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. അടിസ്ഥാനരഹിതമായ പല ഐതിഹ്യങ്ങളെയും ചരിത്ര പാഠങ്ങൾ ഒത്തു നോക്കിയും അന്വേഷിച്ചും വിലയിരുത്തുന്നുണ്ട് ഇവിടെ.
July 26, 2014
One of the rare books from C.Radhakrishnan that I found too boring to proceed. This is the life history of Thunjathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan. It is true that I was not that keen to read about his life. So, only when one of my friend gave me this book I thought of reading it. Perhaps it was too poetic for a novel and C.R seems to be very devoted to the historic character.
It maybe that others might like the book. There are elements in for others who likes such style. For me personally it was a put off.
It maybe that others might like the book. There are elements in for others who likes such style. For me personally it was a put off.
June 18, 2014
The author is trying to create an imaginary history based on the life of Thunchathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, father of Malayalam poetry. In fact, there is a clash between Eezhavas and Nair castes in Kerala, each claiming Ezhuthachan belongs to their caste. Some argues that C. Radhakrishnan wrote it for affirming the Nair communities claim for Ezhuthachan...
March 10, 2022
ഭാഷയെയും സാഹിത്യത്തെയും കടഞ്ഞെടുത്ത ഭാഷപിതാവിന്റെ ജീവിതത്തെ വായിക്കുന്നതിനൊപ്പം ഒരു കാലഘട്ടത്തെ അടയാളപ്പെടുത്തുന്ന വാക്കുകളുടെ പ്രവാഹമാണ് തീക്കടൽ കടഞ്ഞു തിരുമധുരം. ജീവിതത്തിലെ ദുരന്തങ്ങളെ ഒരു പുഞ്ചിരിയോടെ നേരിടാൻ പ്രാപ്തമാക്കുന്ന പൊള്ളുന്ന അനുഭവങ്ങളാണ് അതിന്റെ കാതൽ.
May 26, 2020
The best Malayalam novel I read in the past 15 years. It is a must read for Keralites before they die. Theekkadal Kadanju Thirumadhuram is the story of Thunjathezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam language. The novel deals with Tunjathezhuthachan's, struggles, his fight against establishment, a painful account of his sacrifices to translate Ramayanam into Malayalam language. Ezhuthachan created full fledged Malayalam language, without his efforts the non brahmins would not have understood many epics of Hinduism, since most of them were written in Sanskrit.
Radhakrishnan won the Moorthidevi award for this book in 2013 one of the highest literary award in India followed by Ezhuthachan award in 2016. If you haven't read this book, please consider it and add to your reading list.
Radhakrishnan won the Moorthidevi award for this book in 2013 one of the highest literary award in India followed by Ezhuthachan award in 2016. If you haven't read this book, please consider it and add to your reading list.
April 3, 2018
ആനന്ദചിന്മയം, ഏകം.
അധിത്രയഹരം.
ഹരി:
ഹരി:
ഹരി:
VERY AMAZING WORK. IT MAY BE THE MAGNUM OPUS OF THE WRITER.
അധിത്രയഹരം.
ഹരി:
ഹരി:
ഹരി:
VERY AMAZING WORK. IT MAY BE THE MAGNUM OPUS OF THE WRITER.
May 16, 2022
I love C.Radhakrishnan sir...❤️
March 7, 2017
I think everybody should know the life story of the father of their language. It is minimum for anybody who loves their mother tongue. C.Radhakrishnan has done all those who love their mother tongue a great favor by writing the biography of Ezhuthachan. Especially when all the history we get are corrupted by the ones who were in power. I really not sure whether there is another book that can claim so much research went into it and gives us a clear picture of the life our forefathers had to go through among the warlords who were as selfish as they are everywhere with no value or respect for anybody else.
February 4, 2016
Excellent!
July 21, 2018
Every malayali and everybody who loves malayalam should read this book. This book shows the sacrifices of the great father of the language MALAYALAM
March 9, 2021
ഞാൻ എഴുതിയ 'തീക്കടൽ കടഞ്ഞ് തിരുമധുര'ത്തിൻറെ നിരൂപണം എൻറെ Quora ഫീഡിൽ വായിക്കാം:
https://qr.ae/pNLMz2
https://qr.ae/pNLMz2
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews