A STUDY OF THE DOMINANT RASAS IN SELECT POEMS

OF ARUNDHATI SUBRAMANIAM

A dissertation submitted for the partial fulfilment of requirement for the award of Degree of
Master of Arts in English

Batch: 2020-2022

Submitted by

PRIYA RAI
20LC402006

Under the Guidance of

Dr SOWMYA SRINIVASAN

AUGUST 2022

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES
SRM UNIVERSITY SIKKIM
SIKKIM- 737102

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 A DISSERTATION ON

A STUDY OF THE DOMINANT RASAS IN SELECT POEMS

OF ARUNDHATI SUBRAMANIAM

Submitted by

PRIYA RAI
20LC402006

MENG 1841 -DISSERTATION

Submitted to

Department of English
School of Languages
SRM UNIVERSITY SIKKIM

In partial fulfillment of requirements for the award of the Degree of

Master of Arts in English

AUGUST 2022

ii
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this dissertation titled “A STUDY OF THE DOMINANT RASAS

IN SELECT POEMS OF ARUNDHATI SUBRAMANIAM” does not contain

information of a commercial or confidential nature, or include personal information

other than which would be in the public domain unless the relevant permission has been

obtained.

This dissertation was submitted in partial-fulfilment of the requirements for award of

Master’s Degree in English at SRM University Sikkim.

I also declare that this representation has not been previously published or submitted

as a dissertation report for the award of any other degree.

PRIYA RAI
Reg. No.-20LC402006
AUGUST 2022

iii
 BONAFDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this dissertation titled "A STUDY OF THE DOMINANT RASAS IN
SELECT POEMS OF ARUNDHATI SUBRAMANIAM"" is the bonafide work of
PRIYA RAI (Reg. No.-20LC402006), who has carried out the research under my
supervision.

Certified further, that to the best of my knowledge the work reported herein is not part
of any other project report or dissertation based on which a degree or award was
conferred on an earlier occasion to this or any other candidate.

Submitted for the viva-voce examination held on 12 August, 2022.

SUPERVISOR HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

(Dr. SomyA BQNIVASAr

ASSOCIATE DEAN
 ABSTRACT

Poetry is an expression of emotions that highlights the part of life. Poetry can heal as a

form of therapy when the poet pours down all the emotions that are held inside mentally.

It is relatable to the readers, when it is combined with the essence of Indian aesthetic,

Rasa theory. This dissertation aims to read and explore Arundhati Subramanian’s

selected poems through Indian aesthetic point of view. Through the poems it helps to

denote the mental state and dominant emotional theme in Arundhati Subramanian’s

poems. In an attempt to analyze the nature of enlightenment and spirituality through

poems. To bring the primary feelings in a person who reads or views the work by Rasa

theory, a unique philosophical view in which poetry can be therapeutic.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Sowmya

Srinivasan, for believing in me and providing me the wisdom of ancient Indian aesthetic

point of view in Arundhati Subramaniam’s selected poems. This dissertation helped me

to approach and explore poems in unique philosophy through Rasa theory. I would like

to thank my supervisor for her guidance and encouragement throughout the thesis

process.

I am grateful to my other faculty Dr. Balaji Baburao Shelke for providing me the

technical necessity and his valuable suggestions constantly throughout the semester. I

would like to express my sincere gratitude to Sri Ramasamy Memorial University

Sikkim for providing me with the amazing platform. I also want to thank my parents for

being a supportive system. Lastly I would like to thank myself for never giving up and

always following my goals in life.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents Page Number

Title Page ………………………………………………………………………………. ii

Declaration by the student …………………………………………………………… iii
Bonafide Certificate …………………………………………………………………... iv
Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………….… v
Acknowledgement ……………………………………………………………………… vi

CHAPTER I : Introduction …………………………………………………. 01

1.1 Origin of Indian Poetry in English …………………………….. 01
1.2 Biography of Arundhati Subramaniam …………………..……. 02
1.3 Research Gap …………………………………….………..…… 03
1.4 Thesis Statement ………………………………….………..…... 03
1.5 Introduction to Rasa Theory ………………………………...…. 03
1.6 Is Rasa Theory Relevant? ……………………………………… 04
1.7 Why Rasa Theory among other Indian Theories? ………...…… 04
1.8 Causes for Downfall of Rasa Theory …………….…………….. 05
1.9 Rasa Theory and Its Meaning ……………….…………………. 06
1.10 Literature Review ………………………….………………….. 06
1.11 Scope of The Research ……………………….………………... 07
1.12 Textual Analysis …………………………….…………………. 08

CHAPTER II : Sringara Rasa ………………………….…………………… 09

2.1 Tree …………………………………………………………….. 09
2.2 Leapfrog …………………………………………………………10
2.3 I Live on a Road ………………………………………………... 12

CHAPTER III : Raudra Rasa………………………………………………… 14

3.1 Confession ……………………………………………………… 14
3.2 The Lover ………………………………………………………. 17

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CHAPTER IV : Santha Rasa ………………………………………………… 19
4.1 The City and I …………………………………………………... 19
4.2 Home ………………………………………………………….... 20

CHAPTER V ……………………………………………………..….………… 22
5.1 Conclusion …………………………………………………...…. 22
5.2 Scope for further Research ………………………………......…. 22

WORKS CITED ……………………………………………………….…...…. 23

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 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 ORIGIN OF INDIAN POETRY IN ENGLISH

It was Colonialism that gave birth to Indian poetry in English which became a medium

of literary expression of Indians. When the British came to India, their culture and language

influenced Indians, which is considered to be elite till date. Firstly, English language was

imposed to get help from Indians in commerce and trade. Secondly, people learnt English

because they wanted to get better opportunities. It was Lord Macaulay who established

English language in the Indian education system and in the society at an enactment called

‘English Education Act, ‘1835.

Thus, the Origin of Indian poetry in English began which can be divided into three phases:

1st phase [1890 – 1930]

2nd phase [1940 – 1980]

3rd phase [1990 onwards]

The first phase is the imitation phase which was influenced by Victorian and Romantic

writers like John Keats, Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, William Blake.

The major themes of the writings were Mythology, Spirituality, Nature, Human expression,

search for the cultural roots, crisis of identity. Michael Madhusudan, Manmohan Ghosh,

Derozio, were the poets of the imitation phase of Indian poetry in English.

In the second phase [1940-1980] poets were still romantic in spirit but themes of poetry

started to become reflective of Society, Civilization, Freedom, Assimilation, nostalgia for past

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and culture. Poets like A.K Ramanujan, Sarojini Naidu, Rabindranath Tagore, Harindranth

Chattopadhyaya, Aurobindo Ghose were the poets of this era.

In the third phase after 1990, DR. Manmohan Singh the Finance minister of India took

a major decision to support liberalization which will allowed to economic growth. Poets like

Agha Shahid Ali, Mahadevi Verma, Kamala Das, Shiv Kumar, Nissim Ezekiel and their

modernist writings dealt with a scope for better future, era of hope, women’s right.

From the beginning of twenty-first century, Northeast poets and writers contributed to

the corpus of Indian English poetry. They wrote on a unique range of themes like nationalism,

Indian Identity and culture, spirituality and the necessity of protecting Nature from excessive

anthropological interference. Mona Zote, Temsula Ao, Easterine Iralu, Nini Lungalang, Robin

S. Ngongom, Carolyine Maraka, Fameline Marak, Jacqueline Marak and a few more. They are

deeply rooted in Indian culture as a result of which nationalism and spiritualism can be vividly

seen in their poems. There has been a surge in modernist and post-modernist poetry among the

literati owing to global cultural exchange. Since the beginning of twenty-first century themes

ranged from nationalism, Nature to self-identity. Prominent poets were Tishani Doshi, Anita

Nair, Gulzar, Thamarai, Arundhati Subramaniam.

1.2 BIOGRAPHY OF ARUNDHATI SUBRAMANIAM

Arundhati Subramaniam was born in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu on 1st January 1973 in

a Tamilian. She completed her education in Mumbai, St. Xavier‘s college. She has worked as

a journalist, critic and translator too. She writes poetry and prose. Her work includes both

fiction and non-fiction. Her writings dwell on themes of spirituality, mysticism, philosophy and

culture in the contemporary times as against the usual post-modernist themes that are popular

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in the twenty-first century. As a result, she is identified as an Indian poet aligned with the Indian

Bhakti movement.

Some of her anthologies are ‘Love Without A Story’, ‘Where I Live,’ ‘When

God Is A Traveller,’ ‘Pilgrim’s India’. In 2020 she was honored with the Sahitya Akademi

Award for her poetry collection, “When God is a Traveller.” Her poems are short and

uncomplicated for easy comprehension. However, they have a deep philosophical tone that

embraces all worldly differences as one whole. Subramanian’s poems are rich with vivid

imagery and overflowing human emotions. These poems award a rejuvenating perspective

towards life when studied from the dimension of stylistics and Indian poetics.

1.3 RESEARCH GAP

Till now, no research has been done from the perspective of Indian aesthetic on

Arundhati Subramaniam’s poems through the Rasa theory. Thus, the research gap of this

dissertation is to study of the dominant Rasas in selected poems of Arundhati Subramaniam.

which is a novel one.

1.4 THESIS STATEMENT

This dissertation attempts to study select poems of Arundhati Subramaniam from the

perspective of Indian aesthetics with a primary emphasis on Rasa theory. It is a textual

appreciation of the poems by aligning it to the dominant Rasa evident in the poems.

1.5 INTRODUCTION TO RASA THEORY

Rasa is a unique philosophical and spiritual point of view in art and literature. Rasa in

Sanskrit means ‘juice’ that denotes the mental, psychological and emotional state in arts and

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literature that tug at the deep hidden feelings in the person who reads or views the art. The

significance and presence of Rasa theory has been a topic of scholarly discussion for ages

especially when confronted with the dominant critical theories that were formulated in the

West. However, this dissertation asserts the importance of Rasa theory by using it as a lens to

view the chosen poems of Arundhati Subramaniam.

1.6 IS RASA THEORY RELEVANT?

Firstly, theory must have the power of flexibility to cover a wide area to give new ideas,

interpretation and new philosophy so that it can be applied to a literary text. Rasa, the oldest

theory among many theories in Indian tradition, fulfills these conditions.

Secondly, rasa theory was first explained in Bharata’s Natya Sastra between the first

century BC and AD the fourth century. This theory is a unique Indian aesthetic treasure.

Readers can evoke emotions, because the artist with their pratibha [genius] pour down the juice,

essence of aesthetic enjoyment to the art, text, literature that made it a total world view.

Thirdly, emotions are suggested through words. The depiction of these emotions can

be understood by studying the images build in the poems with the help of Rasa theory and

thereby deciphering the emotional essence.

Fourthly, Rasa, being the oldest theory has the potential to influence regional writers

and critics powerfully by the quality of emotional fulfillment in a work, art and literature. Thus,

rasa theory is relevant.

1.7 WHY RASA THEORY AMONG OTHER INDIAN THEORIES?

There is a need to go back to the history of poetics in order to understand the importance

of Rasa theory. Bharata Muni, the ancient sage, in his Natya sastra {Natya} refers to technique

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of dance and drama, and {sastra} refers to science has a work called Vacikabhinaya – the first

extant work that deals with poetics in Indian tradition. He laid down certain conditions that

characterized good works.

He mentioned ten conditions of good writings to keep it away from ten literary faults.

He mentioned the maintenance of literary characters and listed thirty-six of these characters.

Above all they must have the essential rasa, which is the soul of literature in Vacikabhinaya.

Bhamaha [Sanskrit poet] in the seventh-century mentioned alamkaras (decoration of

poetry) in his work kavyalamkara and according to him rasa is another figure among many

literary figures.

Udbhata and Rudrata [classic authors] from school of thought (Alamkara), Udbata has

no comment to make about rasa whereas Rudrata was influenced by rasa theory.

Anandavardhana [author] in the nineteenth century claims in his Dhvanyaloka that

dhvani [A light on suggestion] is the soul of poetry. He mixed rasa with it and called it

rasadhvani that aims for good poetry.

From seventh-tenth century rasa came within the discussion of poetics and shook off

its attachment to drama. Till now we have classic work like sahityadarpana of Visvanatha on

Rasa and Dhvani, Kavyaprakasa by Mammata, Rasagangadhara by Panditaraja Jagannatha in

seventh century, there is no trace of other school of thought after this.

1.8 CAUSES FOR DOWNFALL OF RASA THEORY

Sanskrit language gradually became alien languages and the regional languages of India

became more popular. Though India has no national language but Hindi became the official

language of India (Act No. 19 of 1963). The regional languages of India become so powerful

5
that the court language was no longer Sanskrit. Almost all regional literatures incorporated and

elaborated upon what had been written before in Sanskrit. Exchange of ideas and philosophies

hardly took place on a wider scale due to European canon influenced.

1.9 RASA THEORY AND ITS MEANING

The word ‘Rasa’ has assumed many forms and connotations over the years. The word

has been in acamadic and scholarly usage the areas Vedic study, medicine and other fields of

science like chemistry. Rasa, in Natyasastra refer to the various technical and emotional

aspects depicted in performative arts such as music, dance, speeches and drama.

According to Bharata, Rasa is a combination of bhavas; (emotion or mood conveyed

by a performer). It is the expression of the psycho-physiological state of an individual in

particular situation. Rasa can also be said to exist in music, dance, painting, poetry or any

artistic work that is capable of suggesting emotions or psycho-physiological state.

Bharata used rasa in the drama. Later, it was applied to all genres of literature, especially

to poetry. Rudrata is the first person to use it in his kavyalamkara (the ornaments of poetry)

but Anandavardhana and Abhinavagupt used rasa in poetry with the heights of aesthetic delight

of writing in a meaningful manner.

1.10 LITERATURE REVIEW

The review of the literature of this dissertation explores the research paper by different

research scholars on Arundhati Subramanian’s writings.

1.10.1 - TRACING AND IDENTIFYING THE SUBMERGED RHYTHMS OF THE

VOICELESS IN INDIA: A PHYSICAL – METAPHYSICAL – SPIRITUAL

ANALYSIS OF ARUNDHATI SUBRAMANIAM By Sayan Dey. May, 2014

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 This research focused on the feminist observation that highlights canon world literature

as a symbol of patriarchy monopoly, during the Renaissance and Romantic period there were

no traces of women’s writing but after 1980’s women poets holds a prestigious place in this

field. Arundhati Subramaniam is a good example she covers, physical metaphysical and

spiritual stages of human emotions in her poems.

1.10.2 - THE ART OF REMEMBERING: NOSTALGIA IN ARUNDHATI

SUBRAMANIAM ‘S POETRY by Manjari Thakur. August, 2020

The main focus of this research is about the style of Subramaniam’s writings. Her

poetry seeks to inform the viewers the ability to possess the past by being in the present at the

same time.

1.10.3 - TRACES OF SPIRITUAL NATIONALISM IN THE SELECTED POEMS OF

RANU UNIYAL AND ARUNDHATI SUBRAMANIAM by Dr.Neelam. February,

2022

The research focused on the comparative technique of writings and the ideologies

between Uniyal and Subramaniam that explore the mindset of both poets through their poems.

Both poets are deeply planted into Indian soil and believe that peace and harmony in the nation

can be stay when we realized the core value of Indian culture.

1.11 SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH

1.9.1 The importance of reading Rasa theory being in the postmodern era which has the ability

to come up like a fresh start.

1.9.2 To study the flexibility of the Indian aesthetics through Rasa that implies not only in

poetry but also in other artistic works.

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1.9.3 To capture the aesthetic and emotional effect through Rasa theory in the select poems of

Arundhati Subramaniam.

1.12 TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

This dissertation is be divided into five chapters.

Chapter 1: Introduction - The introduction of this dissertation presents the origin of Indian

poetry in English, three phases of poetry, biography of Arundhati Subramaniam, Introduction

to the Rasa theory, literature review, research gap and the scope of the research.

Chapter 2: Sringara Rasa - This chapter will deal with the two types of the sringara Rasa

through three poems of Arundhati Subramaniam,’ I live on a road’, ‘Leapfrog’ and ‘Tree’.

Chapter 3: Raudra Rasa - This chapter will highlight the Raudra Rasa with two select poems

of Arundhati Subramaniam. ‘Confession’ and ‘The lovers’.

Chapter 4: Santha Rasa - This chapter will explore the beauty of peace that is Santha Rasa

with the help of three poems by Arundhati Subramaniam. ‘The city and I’, and ‘Home’.

Chapter 5: Conclusion - The conclusion of this dissertation will highlights the importance of

the use of Rasa theory in the poems to evoke the hidden emotions in the person that reads or

views the work. Knowledge gained by this dissertation. Scope for further research.

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 CHAPTER 2

SRINGARA RASA

Sringara rasa, which signifies beauty or love, is considered to be the mother of all rasas.

It gives birth to a range of other emotions such as admiration, joy, intoxication, jealousy,

compassion, eroticism and, anger. The color of Shringara is blue since Lord Vishnu is the

presiding deity of Sringara.

There are two types of Sringara Rasa:

I) Sambhoga: The term means love in union. Aspects of Nature and environment like

seasons, decorations, bright worldly things, spring which are associated with beauty play

a major role in evoking Sambhoga Sringara. This in turn causes an emotional outburst of

love, admiration, happiness and sensual pleasures.

II) Vipralambha: The term means separation which is opposite to emotions like anger,

jealousy, and sickness. It has the capacity to turn a colorful environment into dull one.

2.1 “TREE”

‘Tree’ is one of the poems by ‘Arundhati Subramaniam ‘published in March 2018 that

highlights the Sambhoga Sringara Rasa. She has beautifully penned the poem which talks about

the strength of the tree living in a city that is unmoved by any kind of civilization or

modernization. Arundhati Subramaniam writes thus:

‘to continue that dated ritual,

Re-issuing a tireless

Maze of phalange and webbing,

Perpetuating that third world profusion

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 Of outstretched hand,’

Hence, it can be said that the poet imagines the tree continuing the ritual of selfless love,

surviving without any resentment towards the modern society which cuts down trees to build

concrete structures. The modern society which is full of computers and technology has the

ability to web, browse and connect, even to make the replica of a tree but the Nature has the

persistence. It follows the popular adage ‘live and let live’. It allows others to survive while it

also survives spreading its branches like a developing and under developed country that asks

for the support to survive in a city thriving on deforestation. The tree, in the poem, holds itself

and becomes substitute without any resentment. Thus, the aesthetic beauty to the concrete cities

in a developed country.

2.2 “LEAPFROG”

Sometimes confinement and limits may seem stagnant. This locks creativity inside a

box. At such moments, creativity fails explore and explode to go beyond the limitations. The

only way to give birth to creativity is by ignoring the limitation by being limitless. Similarly

the poem ‘Leapfrog’ by ‘Arundhati Subramaniam’ talks about the limitless explorations

undertaken by a poet in the process of writing poetry. Arundhati Subramaniam writes thus:

“Not scripture, no,

but grant me the gasp

of bridged synapse,

the lightning alignment

of marrow, mind and blood

that allows words

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 to spring

In these lines she tries to express her experience at that moment of writing poetry when

her mind, heart and body combine together that try to evoke an image and give it a word.

William Wordsworth’s popular and powerful verse namely ‘Preface’ to Lyrical Ballads (1801)

“‘Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings:

It takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility’” bears a

similar approach to the logical explication of the culmination of emotional, psychological and

physical process involved in writing poetry. (William Wordsworth)

Similarly, Subramaniam wants to capture that gasp of pain, emotion, powerful feelings

in order to translate them into words. By this, she attempts to give a shape and form to abstract

feelings. Imagination with no limitation because poetry is the spontaneous overflow of

powerful feelings. Sringara rasa is highlighted through the beauty of nature. She imagines being

in nature by using words like ‘place radiant’, ‘bird flight’ and ‘river green’ that questioned the

logic behind rain, and love. The latter are uncertain and limitless. Sringara rasa is also

highlighted in the process of creative writing. When the words cut through words, to form an

uncontrollable language. Not bound by any doubt or gravity. It keeps diving, un-forming,

swarming. This is wilder than snowstorm in Antarctica and wetter than days in Cherrapunjee.

Due to its deep movement these all words can’t be written down quickly. It moves too fast,

words are unafraid to go deep. Thus, the process of creating poetry is like a tadpole galaxy

among the stars due to its vastness. The idea is great. The emotions are deep. To write down

each word to explain the depth of emotions is impossible.

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2.3 “I LIVE ON A ROAD”

When a person is in separation with their own self, they tend to fill that gap with outer

world by alcohol, drugs, lustful activities and sometimes binding themselves with physical

beauty standards which is enough to generate toxicity, low self-esteem, anxiety for not meeting

up to that standard., Similarly the poem ‘I live on a Road’ by ‘Arundhati Subramaniam’ which

was published in 2009, .The poet talks about a road which is full of beautiful people. Those

people are well updated towards fashion to look fresh but the appeal is same to confront self

with self. Everything is separated eyes, hair, teeth, butt, but no one sees themselves as a whole

complete individual. The influence of 70mm immortality that is, the notion and image of a

perfect body, its size, description and weight, as created and propagated by cinema has led to

inferiority complex among people. ,Low self-esteem and depreciated self-image has resulted

in people grooming themselves to look perfect; they run at the gym to maintain 36-24-36 as an

ideal size for women, they starve themselves and torture their bodies, goes to parlour just to

seek outer validation. People are in a rush to jump into vanity and always wanting more from

small accommodations like PG to penthouses, auto rickshaws to Ferraris that they forget

happiness is inside and not outside. People forget to live in the moment. Due to this chaos,

there is no peace. Subramaniam writes in “I live on a Road “thus:

“Blessed by an epidemic

Of desperate hope,

At any moment,

my road

might beanstalk

to heaven.”

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 Thus, people are not aligned with their inner self that causes Vipralambha sringara

[love in separation], separation from their own self. This causes tiredness, anxiety and

frustration. In the hope of seeing our better selves at the physical self we forget the true spiritual

beauty that pervades the creation. Man forgets the ephemerality and impermanence of life and

goes after superficial, physical, evasive and false perfection.

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 CHAPTER 3
RAUDRA RASA

The rasa called ‘Raudra’ has the anger or krodha at its primary emotion which is caused

by provocative actions, battles, insult, lies, harsh words and assaults. It can be said that Raudra

Rasa is evoked when one is greatly humiliated and is manifested through a readiness to protest

and resist- through verbal aggression, loud cry, violence and war. When carefully observed,

Raudra is not only the negative state as it causes pain. Since Raudra is also associated with’

Vira Rasa’, it is positive as well because it can do good by destroying the evil. Wind or storm

is the deity associated with Raudra Rasa and the color of this rasa is red.

Priyadarshini patnaik opines, “ Raudra can usually be associated, when justly felt, with

‘injustice’ and ‘oppression’. In fact, in modern literature, this kind of injustice, oppression and

cruelty is very much felt; especially in a literature-.”(145). In alignment to her theory,

Arundhati Subramanian’s two poems “Confession” and “The Lover” , can also be seen facing

injustice and oppression that gradually evoke Raudra Rasa that leads to the destruction of evil.

3.1 “CONFESSION”

This poem indicates the slow approach to realize things that are happening in reality just

like the homeopathic approach letting a sick body gradually recover itself completely. It is

evident from the beginning that the poet had taken time to realize that nothing is permanent.

Anyone who is born today will die tomorrow whether you have achieved great name and fame,

in life living an extraordinary life or ordinary life, she took time to realized by fully being aware

of her conscious to subconscious mind the brutal reality of life which is not permanent because

knowing is one thing and doing is another. Thus she flashes her understanding that nothing

lasts forever. Subramaniam writes in “Confession” thus

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 “Time to own up then

To blue throat

and gall bladder extraordinary,

To rages pristine,

Guilt unsmeared

By mediocrity”

In the above stanza the word blue throat may refer to depression, due to suppressing

emotions for a long time. Due to critical circumstances it becomes hard to digest those beliefs.

It needs an extraordinary gall bladder to digest the crude reality of things.

Subramaniam advocates this slow approach where we don’t have to punish ourselves

with depression, anxiety for facing the reality. Let us be soft on us by trying to accept life as it

is and by accepting ourselves. Anger that is considered to be a negative emotion could be pure

and selfless as in another interpretation of blue throat. In Hindu mythology- Neelkanth

(wherein ‘Neel’ means blue colour and ‘Kant’ means throat) refers Lord Shiva who drank

poison called haalahala or kalakuta that emerged during the churning of the ocean also known

as samudra manthan. When Gods and demons were fighting to drink the nectar of immortality

haalahala came along which could wipe out all the creation. In order to save the world Lord

Shiva drank that poison which remained in Shiva’s throat and changed the color of his neck to

blue. Thus this action is considered to be pure and selfless that has led to end of evil. The poet

preaches to accept separation traumas, grief that is from the ancient time which has not been

realized yet. We tend to avoid reality in the name of hope. Hope is not healthy all the time.

There is nothing hygienic about avoiding darkness and living in self-designed ignorance by

15
erasing reality. The poet is of the opinion that- hope creates a world full of illusion. Thus we

need to admit darkness, reality and uncertainty as it is.

Arundhati Subramaniam writes thus:

“I erupt from pillars, half-lion half-woman

The floor space index I demand is nothing short of epic.

I still wait sometimes for a flicker of revelation

but for the most part

I’m unbribable.

When I open the coffee percolator

the roof flies off.”

The above lines are connected to Raudra Rasa,- the act of eruption is the expression of

rage and anger with the reference to Lord Narasimha who is the fourth avatar of the Dasavataras

of Hindu god Maha vishnu. Lord Narasimha incarnates in the form of a part-lion, part-man to

kill Hiranyakashipu. The demon king forbade his son Prahlad from worshipping Vishnu in the

Asuric Kingdom and tried to murder his son. Thus Lord Narasimha brusted out anger seeing

the assaults and injustice done to his devotee, Prahlad . The action took by Lord Narasimha is

the essence of Raudra Rasa to kill the evil by restoring dharma. In the next line poet continues

the Raudra Rasa by saying she demands something that is epically huge and she will not

compromise on the demand. Rage is depicted here with the word unbribable and her demand

is to inhale the essence of enlightenment. Once she inhales it, there is no limitation and no end.

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3.2 “THE LOVER”

The poem called ‘The Lover’ by ‘Arundhati Subramaniam ‘ explain the emotion of the

poem with resistance, protest, anger that suppressed with disappointment through a particular

woman, who is like a devadasi which worship a deity for the rest of her life. She is not seen as

an individual person. Her identity comes from her master; she can’t call herself a saint name

that is given to her is a lover of a saint. Even though that saint has been dead for four hundred

years but she name include with saint because society doesn’t see her pure self. Maybe she is

tied up with the restriction because she doesn’t see people on weekdays but her master gives

her fake hope saying “we’re safe” for no reason.

her body blazing in its nakedness

Its tummyfold and breastsag

and wild spiraling nipple

reminding us that life

is circles--

crazy, looping, involuting, dazzling

circles.” ( Subramaniam, n.p)

Word like’ blazing ‘indicates Raudra Rasa. Nakedness here means pure, so the pure

suppressed anger reminds her of the circle of life where we come back to the point from where

we started; from a child to teenager, from teenager to adulthood, adult to old age. In this circle

of life we face many circumstances full of spiraling, looping, involuting, and dazzling. These

words indicate the quality of Raudra. A kind of disappointment and suppressed rage is seen

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when she tells how the world called her a whore because it fails to see her true self. Her master

tells her the reality of master-slave relationship. We are not the master of our own self, a whore

serves a master but the rest of the world who called her a whore serve many masters by

satisfying lover, family, money, children, bosses, power. There is no end to this slavery.

Everyone goes to the same direction to serve this master-slave relation. In the last stanza

Arundhati Subramaniam says “outside the window the sun is a red silk lampshade over a great

soiled bedspread ricocheting in the wind.” It can be said that this stanza projects a violent image

by comparing sun to a red silk lampshade. The soil seems disturbed by the wind.

Metaphorically it could imply that the earth is equally disturbed and ferocious like the mind of

the poet. The poet considers her relationship with her divine master as the purest form of love.

But the prejudiced vision of the world enrages her and hence its cruelty becomes unbearable.

Thus these lines exude Raudra rasa in an evident way.

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 CHAPTER 4

SANTHA RASA

The state of peace or tranquility is known as Santha Rasa. It is marked by the feeling of

calmness. The main precept of Santha is non-violence or Ahimsa. In “Rasa in Aesthetics”

Priyadarshini Patnaik opines… from whatever emotional state one moves to `santha, two

possible ways are to be seen. One, when there is a fulfillment and hence the end of desire.

Secondly, when from and due to excess, there is disgust and thus a rejection which leads one

away from the state of excitement and away from desire.” (225). Santha is different from other

rasas because all other rasas are absent in Santha. This rasa is unmixed and pure. The color of

Santha rasa is white.

4.1 “THE CITY AND I”

The poem”The City And I’” by ‘Arundhati Subramaniam’ has Santha Rasa as the

dominant Rasa. This poem teaches us when a person is enlightened they will be in peace with

themselves by accepting all kinds of imperfection. The poem begins when the poetic persona

returned back to Bombay after November 26, 2008. She was not in rage at that particular place

but she was more at peace. There was no urge for competition or any kind of urgency, which

highlights the state of tranquility. She introduces a female character in the poem; calls her ‘the

nose-digging librarian’. The stainless steel tiffin box, that she is seen to carry gives an image

of an old minded, conventional and an unstylish person. In the past, it seemed that such scenes

and rustic behavior created disgust and aversion in the poet. But in the present the space which

has turned “more and enough” that is symbolic of her mental space, which has become more

accepting and less judgmental towards other people or circumstances. She speaks of an

insignificant character, which is a peon and writes Marathi poems. She gives time to that peon

to read the poem as she listens to him gently without ignoring him. She derives the state of

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peace and tranquility by giving time to an insignificant character that is not related to her

personally or professionally. Another character in the poem is a traumatized woman, a beggar,

slow with green combs in her hair at Bhayandar railway station on the 7.10 train. She is

observed to be constantly repeating “He’s coming to get me. He is coming.”’ The poet

expresses that she had the time and mind to notice the woman and also feel her pain for a

moment who otherwise is ignored by the passersby. Arundhati Subramaniam writes thus:

“This time the city surged towards me.

Mangy bruised-eyes

Non-vaccinated

Suddenly mine.”

Thus, she realizes that the city that is vulnerable to diseases, full of dirt, neglected and

miserable suddenly becomes hers. She is trying to embrace the imperfection in life. She also

hints at a sense of solitude that gave her peace and inclusive mindset. She is in a tranquil state

of mind to accept faults with all her heart.

4.2 “HOME”

The poem ‘Home’ by ‘Arundhati Subramaiam’ holds a peaceful, tranquil state of mind

that dawns when one realizes the ephemerality of this life., impermanence of this body and

transcendent nature of life. This body is like a room that we visit during certain time and leave.

In this process the poet doesn’t want any sense of attachment or a sense of belongingness. The

poet begins her line saying “Give me a home that isn’t mine.” The word mine is full of

attachment and bondage that doesn’t give peace. She wants a home where she can come and

go, without being answerable or bound by anyone or to worry about plumbing. The word

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“plumbing” indicates repair activities but she doesn’t want to indulge herself worrying about

any kind of repairs, the color of curtains, types of book beside her bed, appearance of the house

that gives her bondage to take responsibility. But she wants a home where she can “wear

lightly” that is a space of emotional freedom and liberation without any stress. People often

carry grudges from the past and tend to forget to live in the moment. She doesn’t want to stick

herself with the previous day’s conversation, but wants to live in the moment that gives

supreme sense of peace. She desires that this space should be free from egoistic altercations.

She wants a more selfless atmosphere to pervade that space. Subramaniam compares this home

to her body and explores the state of detached living in the following lines:

“A home, like this body,

so alien when I try to belong,

so hospitable

When I decide I’m just visiting”

Thus, it looks strange to her when she tries to identify herself with the body. When she

identifies herself with the soul, body becomes hospitable. She understands that she is the soul

not the body, and knowing that gives her a sense of supreme bliss and peace.

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 CHAPTER 5

5.1 CONCLUSION

Arundhati Subramaniam has the ability to evoke a variety of emotions in her readers through

her poems. The twenty-first century poet writes on spirituality, the metaphysical nature of the

world from feminine perspective and gender equality. Her writings can be healing and full of

wisdom. She widely writes on the journey of a soul, cycle of birth and death, mental growth

and stages of evolution in consciousness through spirituality that leads to ultimate

enlightenment. Her poems envision beyond materialistic limitations as she teaches not to

restrict one’s self with limitation or circumstances and not to indulge in the past or worry about

the future. She teaches to embrace the moment with self-acceptance without being harsh to

one’s own self in search of perfection.

5.2 SCOPE FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

This dissertation undertakes the study of select poems from the perspective of Indian aesthetics.

However, Subramanian’s poems have an immense potential to be studied from various other

perspectives. Her writings are marked by complex thoughts, spiritual leanings and inspirational

objectives. Therefore there is a wide scope for further research on her works. Listed below are

three such suggestions.

1. To explore the other five Rasas in Arundhati Subramaniam’s poems.

2. An auto biographical approach to Arundhati Subramaniam’s poems.

3. Comparative study of Arundhati Subramaniam’s poems with ancient bhakti poets of

same nature.

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 WORKS CITED

PRIMARY SOURCES:
Subramaniam, Arundhati. ‘Confession’. https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/confession-37/
-- . ‘Home’. https://www.poetryinternational.com/en/poets-
poems/poems/poem/103-12093_HOME
-- . ‘I Live on a Road’. https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-live-on-a-road/
-- . ‘Leapfrog’. https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/leapfrog
-- . ‘The City and I’. https://www.poetryinternational.com/en/poets-
poems/poems/poem/103-21136_THE-CITY-AND-I
--. ‘The Lover’. https://www.usawa.in/poetry/three-poems-by-arundhati-subramaniam.html
-- ‘Tree’. https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/tree-89/
--. ‘I Like the Process of Writing Poetry to be Play rather than Work’. Scroll.in. Interview
by Rohini Kejriwal. Apr 16, 2017. 07:00 am.
https://scroll.in/article/834722/i-like- the-process-of-writing-poetry-to-be-
play-rather-than-work-doodling-rather-than- penance
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rs-at- work--Arundhati-Subramaniam.html
--. ‘Emptiness Leads to Extraordinary Discoveries: Poetry and Spirituality’.
Interactions – A Multi Medium. Vol. 01, QTR-03. Interview by Lila.
December 17, 2018. https://lilainteractions.in/author/arundhati-
subramanium/
--. ‘Despite Attempts to Erase them, Female Mystics’ Voices have Endured’. eShe: The
Female Gaze. Interview by Aekta Kapoor. 03 July, 2019.
https://eshe.in/2019/07/03/arundhathi-subramaniam/

SECONDARY SOURCES:

Dey, Sayan. ‘Tracing and Identifying the Submerged Rhythms of the Voiceless in India: A
Physical-Metaphysical-Spiritual Analysis of Arundhati Subramaniam’. Research Scholar:
An International Refereed e-Journal of Literary Explorations. ISSN 2320 – 6101.Vol- 2,
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Patnaik, Priyadarshi. Rasa in Aesthetics: An Application of Rasa Theory to Modern Western

Literature. D.K. Printworld (P) Ltd. 1997.

Shanmugam, Mohankumar. ‘Era of Emptiness to Era of Expressions: The Emotive Poetic

Interpretation in Select Poems of Arundhathi Subramaniam’. Conference: ETEFLT – 2019.
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Subramaniam, Arundhathi. ‘Arundhathi Subramaniam: Zoomsday and other poems’. ‘Poet’s

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Thakur, Manjari. ‘The Art of Remembering: Nostalgia in Arundhati Subramaniam’s Poetry’.

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