The Experience of Renaissance

in “Kanthapura”

N. MADHAVA RAO

“The old order

Changeth yielding place to the new

And God fulfils Himself in many ways

Lest one good custom should corrupt the world.”

–TENNYSON

“Kanthapura” becomes the darling of India. Raja Rao accomplished a magnum opus in writing Kanthapura. Today it is highly appreciated far and wide and passed into the world of classics. It never fails to inspire us just as the Aurthurian legend does in England or Dantenian writing in Italy. Kanthapura is a life example of the Indian renaissance. It is the experience of a soul recovering its health. On the European continent the movement has been materialistic mostly. It has to wait for reformation to awaken its soul.

Renaissance in India is spiritual, though the physical part of it is also noticeable. When the body suffereth, cure is guaranteed. While both body and spirit suffer, everything has to go to purgatory. The shining virtues of renaissance are wisdom, truth, compassion, etc. In India renaissance occurs in the 20th century, somewhat late, as India’s disharmony, ignorance, fear and falsehood with their divergence and vastness needed a coordinating, cleansing and inspiring force. Just as Europe waited for reformation to purge its soul of dross, India waited for such force and found it in the Mahatma. So renaissance occurs in the early decades of the 20th century. But this great and historic movement is underlined by sorrow. India has to pay in flesh and blood heavily. After all Thomas Hardy is true in saying that grandeur has sorrow and sorrow grandeur. Kanthapura is one such sad tale told by Raja Rao.

Inferno

Moorthy, the central character in the novel, feels the weight and violence of “disharmony.” Many undesirable events take place owing to it earlier. Moorthy’s thoughts lead him to “The darkened shores.” The fury of his inner disharmony, like Samson’s susceptibility to the feminine charm, creates suffering, His mother’s life, Rachanna’s job and Bhatta’s peace of mind are put an end to. Moorthy does not know completely what is truth, nor the depth of compassion for the downtrodden. The Holy Bull is not holy.

The Dark Age of Kanthapura

Monumental corruption of soul, falsebood and barbarous use of power represent the Red Man of Kanthapura, They offer reminiscences of the Dark Ages, Bade Khans, waterfall Venkammas and Bhattas mirrorize the mighty ignorance, militance of religion of the age. Even Rangamma is not Rangamma. She is unable to offer face to face resistance to the militance of religion nor save Narasamma from death, nor Moorthy from excommunication, though the last two are highly difficult and may not be possible. But she does not show any inclination to accomplish these tasks. She has been a dumb onlooker. She is not so much reformed as to leave her inhibition of caste in the beginning. Everything in the novel awaits a call to awake, arise and get freed from darkness of soul and body.

The Dawn of Renaissance: Purgatory

Moorthy undergoes two kinds of experience–physical and spiritual. For his spiritual renaissance he has to pave the way. He accomplishes it by his physical awakening to the renascent values, In the physical phenomenon “he had a vision, a vision of the Mahatma.....” He attended the meeting being addressed by the Mahatma. In the atmosphere he finds that there is “.......something of the silent communion of the ancient books.” A voice deep and stirring went through the air and the nails of Moorthy into the very limbs, and Moorthy shivered. In Moorthy everything starts vibrating. Still Moorthy does not know what it all amounts to. But the voice of the Mahatma breaks through. “There is but one force in life and that is Truth, and there is but one love in life and that is the love of mankind and there is but one God in life and that is the God of all,” Enough! Enough! Moorthy was not able to grasp the full significance of those words” ..... and then came a shiver and he turned to the one behind” to hand him over the fan. Moorthy was torn by the words. Tears came to his eyes. He wept softly and with weeping came peace. In the same way King Lear raves, cries and weeps. Then peace comes to his mind. Moorthy went through the purgatorial flames.

Though Moorthy’s body is made anew because of his uncleansed soul he suffers from spiritual disharmony. Now he is in transition. He has to search for a strong base of spirituality. Because his diseased spirit, at present, cannot hold together its purged outer appearance (body).

The falconer cannot see th.e falcon here. In Kanthapura, a contrary situation is that in the beginning of the second coming. But everywhere “the centre cannot hold.”

Paradise-Renaissance in Complete View

The spiritual disharmony leads Moorthy through confusion, heat and suffering (Rachanha’s dismissal, Bade Khan being beaten, Narasamma’s death). Spirit killeth while the physical bears. Now Moorthy sets out on an adventure of conscience into the world of delight, wisdom, joy and compassion.

On the fast Moorthy feels “the illuminated consciousness to rise up into the back of the brain...” Light infuses itself with his very toes. There was a vital softness about it. “A primordial radiance and love seemed to pour out of him.” He feels Lord Hari everywhere like Prahlada and “floated away like child Krishna on the pipal leaf.” These moments of Eternity carried him far away into a new world. He is unable to go as it takes him unawares. Therefore he swoons. After his recovery from it, he suddenly broke into a fit of sobs. With the sobs the malady of his spirit flowed out. The Holy Bull is Holy now.

Earlier during the fast he overcomes the instinct for hating or becoming angry. When waterfall Venkamma squeezes a roll of wet sari over him, he reacts mentally: “I shall love even my enemies and ........” Compassion binds him to Pariahs, the dumb downtrodden throughout the novel. This takes him to their quarters and even into Rachanna’s house.

Moorthy becomes a devotee of truth. After the misunderstood Pariah-attack-on-Police, Moorthy in jail speaks of truth “.....but truth, truth and truth was all that Moorthy said.....” As members of Congress all begin speaking truth and practising Ahimsa because of Moorthy. They leave hatred for caste, community and complexion. Even the Red Man is an allegorical phenomenon though of vice. Moorthy grows out of Raja Rao’s hands and walks into the uncomprehensive world of spirituality. But his deep association throughout with the Satyagraha Movement keeps him adequately human and passionate to avert the criticism that, like Joan of Bernard Shaw, this character loses human touch, merely a force. Therefore, Moorthy is felt everywhere by everybody in the novel. Nobody crosses even the threshold to meet Moorthy! He is where they are like Hamlet in “Hamlet.”

Renaissance and Women

The Bengali novel strove to portray the awakening woman in India. The novel took the world by storm. Raja Rao in the South claiming no explicit commitment did the same. His Kanthapura with all exuberant and adequate description portrays the women trying to free themselves from the shackles of ignorance and fear. In the early pages Rangamma is too unprepared to renaissance. Sadhu Narayan and Kanwar’s atmosphere pour forth some inspiration. Then a new “strength has been flowing...” out of Rangamma. This new strength is the influence of renaissance.

Women Movement

Rangamma organises women volunteer camp in Kanthapura. Spiritual strength enters their weak frames. The rapture of devotion to “the path of spirit” generates vital softness and a primordial radiance. The woman came out from the world of “the blowpipe and broomstick” to that of liberty and truth. With the same strength and love of truth they oppose the Red Man’s, mighty power before Boranna’s toddy grove. “....the more we (they) are beaten the more we get used to it.” Gradually women shed their caste and other inhibitions. “..... all seemed to feel they were of one caste, one breath.” They begin to drink the sweet milk of compassion and have the brightness of wisdom. They get reconciled with Ratna’s reading of the Holy texts. This “bangled widow” leads the mightiest battle in Kanthapura against the Red Man. After all it is a grandmother receptive in mind and heart and reformed by renaissance, tells us the sad tale of Kanthapura. Woman thy name is not Frailty!

Bhatta, the anti-climax of renaissance

Bhatta’s world appears to be beyond any change. But the shadows of renaissance fall on it. His world refuses to be compassionate to Pariahs or to abide in the world of truth. It loves, money and dogmatic Hinduism. Yet, the breeze of renaissance passes over Bhatta with the information that Boranna’s toddy grove is successfully picketed. He could not prevent, earlier, Kanthapura from giving a warm welcome to Moorthy on his way back from jail. Bhatta accepts defeat and saves his face by leaving for Banaras on pilgrimage. He leaves the readers exactly in the middle of the novel. Perhaps, Raja Rao himself felt that in the full bloom of renaissance Bhatta is a fish out of water and removed him just as Shakespeare removed Fool from the third act of “King Lear” without warrant. But the novel loses one of the most potential characters, though the situation of renaissance recommended it.

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