K. C. Kesava Pillai[note 1] was born on February 4, 1868, in Paravur in Kollam district of Kerala in India to Valiyavelichathu Veettil Raman Pillai and Desathu Lakshmy Amma.[2] His early schooling was at Paravur Malayalam School where he studied up to 5th standard and followed it up with Sanskrit studies under the tutelage of Paravur Kesavan Asan and grammar studies under Enakkattu Rajaraja Varma.[3] As a boy, Pillai regularly watched Kathakali and learnt the basics of Kathakali literature, costumes and mudras, besides gaining proficiency in music. Aged 15, he wrote his first attakadha, Prahladacharitham.[4] Simultaneously, he studied English with the help of a few friends while working as a Sanskrit teacher at a Vaidya School. In 1897, he joined as a Sanskrit teacher at a Malayalam school in Kollam but shifted to an English school in 1901 before moving to Thiruvananthapuram in 1901 as the teacher of Velayudhan Thampi, the son of Sree Moolam Thirunal, the then Maharajah of Travancore.[2]
Pillai married Kalyani Amma in 1890 but she died after two years. He married again in 1894; Nanikutty Amma, his father's niece, was the bride. A close associate of Pandalam Kerala Varma and A. R. Raja Raja Varma, Pillai died on September 4, 1913, at the age of 45 years.[4] On account of his musical and poetical achievements, he was awarded the title of Sarasa Gayaka Kavimani by Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran.[5] Noted writer and Sahitya Akademi Award winner, R. Narayana Panickar, was his son-in-law.[6]
Legacy
Literary work
Kesava Pillai's body of literary work, written in Sanskrit and Malayalam languages, comprises an epic, three attakathas for Kathakali, two Thullal songs, eleven short poems, six khandakavyas, four plays, two stories and four commentaries.[7] He wrote Prahlaada Charitham, later renamed, Hiranyasuravadham, the first of this three attakathas, when he was only 15. It was reported that Pillai, with his advice, assisted A. R. Rajaraja Varma in writing Vritha Manjari.[2] His plays, such as Lakshmikalyanam, were reported to portray the social life of the Nair community of his times.[8]Kesaviyam, a mahakavya and Kerala Varma Vilasam, a poem on the life of Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran are two of his major works.[9]Kesaviyam has been written without observing the dvitīyākṣara prāsa (second syllable rhyming), which was in vogue during those times.[10]
Music
Pillai composed six compositions, including Ganamalika, which has two volumes, besides over 100 songs.[7]Sadarama, one of his compositions,[11][12] is composed in the form of a Geya nataka, while Sangitamalika is an ensemble of 42 songs. The majority of his songs are devotional and are composed in ragas such as Todi, Sankarabharanam, Mohanam, Kapi, Kalyani and Pantuvarali.[4][13] One of his songs, 'Omanappennallayo... has been reworked by the Malayalam music director, M. Jayachandran, for the 2010 film, Kadaksham.[14]
Bibliography
Attakadha
Prahlaada Charitham, later renamed, Hiranyasuravadham
Soorapadmasuravadham
Sreekrishnavijayam
Poetry
Asanna Marana Chinta Satakam (Reflections of a Dying Man) although written for a competition, is a touching lyrical monologue with a predominant elegiac tone and anticipates the Khandakavyas or shorter poems of the poets of the renaissance. It has an underground connection with C. S. Subramanian Potti's Oruvilapam (A Lament: 1903), V. C. Balakrishna Panicker's Oruvilapam (A Lament:1908) and even Kumaran Asan's Veena Poovu (A Fallen Flower:1907) which may be thought of an elegy in disguise.
Sangeetha manjari and Sthavaratnavali: both contain kritis and bhajan songs
Sangeethamaalika and
Eswarasthothranga
Sthavaratnamalika
K. C. Kesava Pillai. Maya Gopala Bala (in Sanskrit). Raaga. Raaga : Kaapi, Thaala: Aadi thala
Works on Kesava Pillai
A. Alice (2014). K C Kesava Pillai: Kavithayude Samkramana Kaalam (in Malayalam). National Book Stall. p. 144. A study on the literary contributions of poet K C Kesava Pillai
Notes
^K. C. stands for Kanakku Chembakaraman, a title given to Pillai's maternal family by the Maharajah of Travancore
References
^The Journal of the Music Academy, Madras. Music Academy. 2001. p. 180.
^ abc"Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal". Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
^"K. C. Kesava Pillai - Veethi profile". veethi.com. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
^ abc"A comprehensive website on the life and music of Swathi Thirunal". www.swathithirunal.in. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
^Jayakumar Vijayalayam (1987). Sarasa gayaka kavimani K C Kesava Pillai. Kottayam: National.
^"Biography of R. Narayana Panikkar". Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
^ ab"List of works". Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
^K. M. George (1972). Western Influence on Malayalam Language and Literature. Sahitya Akademi. pp. 147–. ISBN978-81-260-0413-3.
^T. K. Krishna Menon (1990). A Primer of Malayalam Literature. Asian Educational Services. pp. 63–. ISBN978-81-206-0603-6.
^K. M. George (1992). Modern Indian Literature, an Anthology: Surveys and poems. Sahitya Akademi. pp. 238–. ISBN978-81-7201-324-0.
^Sisir Kumar Das (2005). History of Indian Literature. Sahitya Akademi. pp. 274–. ISBN978-81-7201-006-5.
^Amaresh Datta (1988). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Devraj to Jyoti. Sahitya Akademi. pp. 1083–. ISBN978-81-260-1194-0.
^A D Madhavan (25 January 2011). Core of Karnatic Music. DC Books. pp. 4–. ISBN978-93-81699-00-3.
^"Omanappennallayo ... (Kadaaksham - 2010)". www.malayalachalachithram.com. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
^"kesaveeyam". keralaliterature.com. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
Further reading
"Kesaviyam". Wikisource. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
Alice, A (1997). "K C Kesava Pillai transitional period poet: a study on the basis of his work". INFLIBNET (in Malayalam). Department of Malayalam Literature, Mahatma Gandhi University: 196. hdl:10603/7633?mode=full.
External links
"Portrait commissioned by Kerala Sahitya Akademi". Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
"Jayasadajitha - a K.C.Kesava Pillai composition". YouTube. 16 October 2011. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
Nalini Natarajan; Emmanuel Sampath Nelson (1996). Handbook of Twentieth-century Literatures of India. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 188–. ISBN978-0-313-28778-7.
"K C Kesava Pillai - Sameeksha". YouTube. Doordarshan. 24 January 2015. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2019. documentary
January 07, 2023
kesava, pillai, kanakku, chembakaraman, kesava, pillai, 1868, 1914, indian, composer, carnatic, music, poet, malayalam, literature, poet, laureate, travancore, known, kesaveeyam, mahakavya, malayalam, attakathas, several, bhajans, kirtans, also, translated, sa. Kanakku Chembakaraman Kesava Pillai 1868 1914 was an Indian composer of Carnatic music and a poet of Malayalam literature He was the Poet Laureate of Travancore and was known for Kesaveeyam a mahakavya in Malayalam two attakathas and several bhajans and kirtans He also translated the Sanskrit text Narayaniyam into Malayalam under the title Bhashanarayaniyam K C Kesava PillaiBorn 1868 02 04 February 4 1868Paravur Kollam Kerala IndiaDiedSeptember 2 1914 1914 09 02 aged 46 1 Kerala IndiaOccupationTeacher poet musicianNationalityIndianNotable worksKesaviyamAdimalarinaAsanna Marana Chitha SathakamSadaramaBhashanarayaniyamSpouseKalyani AmmaNanikutty AmmaRelativesValiyavelichathu Veettil Raman Pillai father Desathu Lakshmy Amma mother R Narayana Panickar Contents 1 Biography 2 Legacy 2 1 Literary work 2 2 Music 3 Bibliography 3 1 Attakadha 3 2 Poetry 3 3 Plays 3 4 Other works 3 5 Musical compositions 3 6 Works on Kesava Pillai 4 Notes 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksBiography EditK C Kesava Pillai note 1 was born on February 4 1868 in Paravur in Kollam district of Kerala in India to Valiyavelichathu Veettil Raman Pillai and Desathu Lakshmy Amma 2 His early schooling was at Paravur Malayalam School where he studied up to 5th standard and followed it up with Sanskrit studies under the tutelage of Paravur Kesavan Asan and grammar studies under Enakkattu Rajaraja Varma 3 As a boy Pillai regularly watched Kathakali and learnt the basics of Kathakali literature costumes and mudras besides gaining proficiency in music Aged 15 he wrote his first attakadha Prahladacharitham 4 Simultaneously he studied English with the help of a few friends while working as a Sanskrit teacher at a Vaidya School In 1897 he joined as a Sanskrit teacher at a Malayalam school in Kollam but shifted to an English school in 1901 before moving to Thiruvananthapuram in 1901 as the teacher of Velayudhan Thampi the son of Sree Moolam Thirunal the then Maharajah of Travancore 2 Pillai married Kalyani Amma in 1890 but she died after two years He married again in 1894 Nanikutty Amma his father s niece was the bride A close associate of Pandalam Kerala Varma and A R Raja Raja Varma Pillai died on September 4 1913 at the age of 45 years 4 On account of his musical and poetical achievements he was awarded the title of Sarasa Gayaka Kavimani by Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran 5 Noted writer and Sahitya Akademi Award winner R Narayana Panickar was his son in law 6 Legacy EditLiterary work Edit Kesava Pillai s body of literary work written in Sanskrit and Malayalam languages comprises an epic three attakathas for Kathakali two Thullal songs eleven short poems six khandakavyas four plays two stories and four commentaries 7 He wrote Prahlaada Charitham later renamed Hiranyasuravadham the first of this three attakathas when he was only 15 It was reported that Pillai with his advice assisted A R Rajaraja Varma in writing Vritha Manjari 2 His plays such as Lakshmikalyanam were reported to portray the social life of the Nair community of his times 8 Kesaviyam a mahakavya and Kerala Varma Vilasam a poem on the life of Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran are two of his major works 9 Kesaviyam has been written without observing the dvitiyakṣara prasa second syllable rhyming which was in vogue during those times 10 Music Edit Pillai composed six compositions including Ganamalika which has two volumes besides over 100 songs 7 Sadarama one of his compositions 11 12 is composed in the form of a Geya nataka while Sangitamalika is an ensemble of 42 songs The majority of his songs are devotional and are composed in ragas such as Todi Sankarabharanam Mohanam Kapi Kalyani and Pantuvarali 4 13 One of his songs Omanappennallayo has been reworked by the Malayalam music director M Jayachandran for the 2010 film Kadaksham 14 Bibliography EditAttakadha Edit Prahlaada Charitham later renamed Hiranyasuravadham Soorapadmasuravadham Sreekrishnavijayam Poetry Edit Asanna Marana Chinta Satakam Reflections of a Dying Man although written for a competition is a touching lyrical monologue with a predominant elegiac tone and anticipates the Khandakavyas or shorter poems of the poets of the renaissance It has an underground connection with C S Subramanian Potti s Oruvilapam A Lament 1903 V C Balakrishna Panicker s Oruvilapam A Lament 1908 and even Kumaran Asan s Veena Poovu A Fallen Flower 1907 which may be thought of an elegy in disguise Adimalarina A ragamalika in four languages Malayalam Tamil English and Sanskrit Satya Swaroopavibho in raga Sankarabharana Bhajikka Nee Ramane in Mohanam Koti Divakara in Dhanyasi Nana Jaathikal in Kambhoji Vande Maatharam in Sindhubhairavi Vande Maatharam in Kuntalavarali Kamalanatha in Thodi Sree vasudeva in Kapi Sreemoolarajavijayam 1894 submitted to Sree Moolam Thirunal Maharaja Aasannamaranachintasatakam a work consisting of 104 slokas songs in Carnatic music or Indian music praising God in Saardoolavikriditham Kerala Bhashaa Narayaneeyam a translation of Narayaneeyam in Malayalam Subhashitha Ratnakaram Abhinayamalika Kesaviyam A mahakavya modeled on the Sanskrit pattern adhering to the rules of structure and style of the classical rhetorician Dandi 15 Sadarama A popular Tamil musical play A selection of attakkathas Plays Edit Lekshmi Kalyanam Raghava Madhavam Vikramorvaseeyam Sadaarama Other works Edit K C Kesava Pillai Jyothisha Gurubhoothan Mathrubhumi Musical compositions Edit Sangeetha manjari and Sthavaratnavali both contain kritis and bhajan songs Sangeethamaalika and Eswarasthothranga Sthavaratnamalika K C Kesava Pillai Maya Gopala Bala in Sanskrit Raaga Raaga Kaapi Thaala Aadi thala Works on Kesava Pillai Edit A Alice 2014 K C Kesava Pillai Kavithayude Samkramana Kaalam in Malayalam National Book Stall p 144 A study on the literary contributions of poet K C Kesava PillaiNotes Edit K C stands for Kanakku Chembakaraman a title given to Pillai s maternal family by the Maharajah of TravancoreReferences Edit The Journal of the Music Academy Madras Music Academy 2001 p 180 a b c Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal 7 March 2019 Retrieved 7 March 2019 K C Kesava Pillai Veethi profile veethi com 7 March 2019 Retrieved 7 March 2019 a b c A comprehensive website on the life and music of Swathi Thirunal www swathithirunal in 7 March 2019 Retrieved 7 March 2019 Jayakumar Vijayalayam 1987 Sarasa gayaka kavimani K C Kesava Pillai Kottayam National Biography of R Narayana Panikkar Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal 9 April 2019 Retrieved 9 April 2019 a b List of works Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal 7 March 2019 Retrieved 7 March 2019 K M George 1972 Western Influence on Malayalam Language and Literature Sahitya Akademi pp 147 ISBN 978 81 260 0413 3 T K Krishna Menon 1990 A Primer of Malayalam Literature Asian Educational Services pp 63 ISBN 978 81 206 0603 6 K M George 1992 Modern Indian Literature an Anthology Surveys and poems Sahitya Akademi pp 238 ISBN 978 81 7201 324 0 Sisir Kumar Das 2005 History of Indian Literature Sahitya Akademi pp 274 ISBN 978 81 7201 006 5 Amaresh Datta 1988 Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature Devraj to Jyoti Sahitya Akademi pp 1083 ISBN 978 81 260 1194 0 A D Madhavan 25 January 2011 Core of Karnatic Music DC Books pp 4 ISBN 978 93 81699 00 3 Omanappennallayo Kadaaksham 2010 www malayalachalachithram com 8 March 2019 Retrieved 8 March 2019 kesaveeyam keralaliterature com Retrieved 8 March 2019 Further reading Edit Kesaviyam Wikisource 8 March 2019 Retrieved 8 March 2019 Alice A 1997 K C Kesava Pillai transitional period poet a study on the basis of his work INFLIBNET in Malayalam Department of Malayalam Literature Mahatma Gandhi University 196 hdl 10603 7633 mode full External links Edit Portrait commissioned by Kerala Sahitya Akademi Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal 7 March 2019 Retrieved 7 March 2019 Jayasadajitha a K C Kesava Pillai composition YouTube 16 October 2011 Archived from the original on 19 December 2021 Retrieved 7 March 2019 Nalini Natarajan Emmanuel Sampath Nelson 1996 Handbook of Twentieth century Literatures of India Greenwood Publishing Group pp 188 ISBN 978 0 313 28778 7 K C Kesava Pillai Sameeksha YouTube Doordarshan 24 January 2015 Archived from the original on 19 December 2021 Retrieved 29 May 2019 documentary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title K C Kesava Pillai amp oldid 1086845896, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
