Who spoke well Patti Mandram
I listened to one interesting Patti Mandram on the topic of who spoke well and wisely in Kamba Ramayanam. Patti Mandram is a forum that exists exclusively only in Tamilnadu. After selecting one topic, in general there will be three speakers with a judge. Each speaker will be given a fixed time to present their views. Interestingly after the first one, the next one will be from the opposition side. So, the one following the first vice versa, has not only spoken based on their preparation about the topic but on the spot taking the point from the previous speaker from the opposition side refuting and presenting her views.
In this Patti Mandram in Kamban Vizha held in Madurai [https://youtu.be/tQhDaU0GqQs?si=C1vRYPhOt5i7lARM] all the speakers spoke very well and also the judge [Sri Raja]. However, though he gave his verdict in favour of Men, still I find it difficult to agree with him considering the fact, not only based on Kamba Ramayanam but in life, women always speak not only well but also wisely.
Men know only to keep the dates but women know how to join them to make a kolam [rangoli]. Men seek pleasure but women seek pleasure and security. Men speak most of the time not thinking about the consequences. Whereas a woman with a cool mind, warm heart and sharp intelligence always keeps the result in her mind. Of course, there are few exceptions to this rule and also aberration. But in general, this is the fact in life, whether we men like it or not, accepted or not.
Based on my experience as well as observation, I will endorse only women as the wise speaker who relatively most of the time speak well. There is no point in refereeing only the Literature or Scriptures. We all know well how in almost every part of the world, leaving the modern period, women never got an opportunity to articulate their thoughts through writings, however there are rare exceptions to the rule. At the same time, if one does proper research, she or he will find how only women dominated the flock songs and storytelling through songs in the past, at least in India. Not knowing how to read or write amazingly, even now they can sing hundreds of songs in rural areas without seeing any printed text. It is a tragedy that still most of them are not properly documented.
As usual Smt. Bharati Bhaskar, a famous orator in Tamilnadu, very skilfully summarized heavily pounding all the arguments of her opponents. Fortunately, as the final speaker she had the advantage to listen to and give her response to everyone. But in spite of that advantage, she is, as usual, was at her best. [In another debate about the advantages and disadvantages of Social Media and Internet in the field of [Carnatic] Music both Raja and Bhaskar did their best. See: https://youtu.be/RGQkMr1pHUw?si=hz_WZ1OmtUX9LxS8]
This doesn’t mean that every time women were wise and spoke well. Take the example of the famous debated between Janaka and Sulabha [Mahabharata, Santiparvan Chapter 308], though she debated well and even silenced Janaka, still according to me Janaka by his silence finally won the debate and not Sulabha by her articulation or debating skill. Of course, Chakravarthi Ram Prasad in: The Gendered Body, The Dialogue of Sulabha and Janaka, in Human Being Bodily Being: phenomenology from classical India [Oxford University Press, 2018, paperback 2021], pp. 58-98 gives his verdict in favour of Sulabha, still I cannot agree with him. [This book is another best, but scholarly example to show how several times men cannot speak, in his case, write ‘well’, though he is very wise as a scholar. [See my review on Ram Prasad and article on Sulabha and Janaka: who actually is the true renouncer? And my secular song 176].
As Raja in his verdict favouring Men as the best and wise speaker [in Kambaramayanam] gave it based on the silence of Lakshmana on Rama’s question about Ayomuhi to Lakshmana. Lakshmana assured Rama that he didn’t kill her but only damaged her nose and ear and further refused to elaborate. This shows how Janaka was the wise one who spoke well and not Sulabha, though Ram Prasad favoured her and Badrinath also agreed with him to some extent [as I referred in my article]. Having said that, I don’t agree with Raja that Lakshman’s silence conveyed a strong message. In fact, Lakshman spoke without remaining silent. Of course, he used few words, like so many other characters [as Raja himself mentioned about Sumatra [Lakshmana’s mother] and also about the maid of Sita [Vanamala?] assuring her that it was Rama who broke the Bow to claim her hand. They, also like Lakshmana, only spoke four lines in the entire Kamba Ramayanam. Though Raja is a versatile speaker and has so vast experience in Patti Mandram need not heed my view on this. However, the verdict should not be based on his research on the text but also based on the way the points presented by both the parties should be considered. In this sense considering the way Smt. Bharati Baskar summarised the entire argument. I too will agree that it is women who spoke well and wisely in Kamba Ramayanam [and also in life]. https://youtu.be/tQhDaU0GqQs?si=C1vRYPhOt5i7lARMhttps://youtu.be/tQhDaU0GqQs?si=C1vRYPhOt5i7lARM
So if you are a Tamilian, have time and interest you can watch this not only as entertainment but also to learn some ‘wise’ lessons in life so that you can also speak well.
Db
4-2-24
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