ಮರೆಯಾದ ಮಹಾಚೈತನ್ಯ ಗುರು ಸುಂದರೀ ಸಂತಾನಂ ಸ್ಮರಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ..ಕರುಣಾ ಮತ್ತು ಶೋಭಾ

ತಾವಿಷ್ಟಪಡುವ ಕಲಾವಿದರ ಕುರಿತು ಭಾವನೆಗಳನ್ನು, ವಿಚಾರಗಳನ್ನು ಹಂಚಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲಿರುವ ಲೋಕಭ್ರಮರಿಯು ಈ ಸಂಚಿಕೆಯಿಂದ ಅರಳಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲಿದೆ. ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಕಂಡ ಅಪೂರ್ವ ಕಲಾವಿದೆ ನಾಟ್ಯತಪಸ್ವಿನಿ ಗುರು ಶ್ರೀಮತಿ ಸುಂದರಿ ಸಂತಾನಂ ಅಸ್ತಂಗತರಾಗಿ ಮುಂದಿನ ಆಗಸ್ಟ್ ೨೪ಕ್ಕೆ ಎರಡು ವರ್ಷವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವರು ಜನಿಸಿದ್ದು ಮಹಾಶಿವರಾತ್ರಿಯದಿನ. ಫೆಬ್ರವರಿ ೧೫. ಈ ವಿಶೇಷ ಸಂಚಿಕೆಯ ಸಂದರ್ಭಕ್ಕನುಸಾರವಾಗಿ ಅವರ ಅರುವತ್ತೊಂದನೇ ಹುಟ್ಟುಹಬ್ಬದ ಆಚರಣೆಯೂ ಇರುವುದರಿಂದ ಲೋಕಭ್ರಮರಿಯ ಈ ಅಂಜಲಿ ಔಚಿತ್ಯಪೂರ್ಣ. ಅವರೊಂದಿಗಿನ ನೆನಪುಗಳನ್ನು ಅವರ ನಿಕಟವರ್ತಿ ಡಾ. ಕರುಣಾ ವಿಜಯೇಂದ್ರ , ಶಿಷ್ಯೆ ಡಾ. ಶೋಭಾ ಶಶಿಕುಮಾರ್ ಲೇಖನಿಯ ಹನಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಣ್ತುಂಬಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಸುಂದರೀ ಸಂತಾನಂ

ಅಕ್ಕನಿಗೊಂದು ಪತ್ರ

ಸುಂದರೀ..ಅಕ್ಕಾ…

ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ…ಹೇಗಿದ್ದೀರಾ? ೨೪.೦೮.೨೦೦೯ರಂದು ‘ಆ’ ಲೋಕಕ್ಕೆ ಪಯಣ ಬೆಳೆಸಿದ್ದಿರ..ಬಹುಷಃ ಅಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ನಿಮ್ಮ ‘ಹೊಸ’ ಕೆಲಸಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತಲ್ಲೀನರಾಗಿದ್ದೀರಾ ಹೇಗೆ? ಅದು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಜಾಯಮಾನ ಬಿಡಿ !

ಇಲ್ಲಿ….ಹ್ಞಾಂ..! ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ನಿರಾಳವಾಗಿಯೇ ಇದೆ. ಆದರೆ ನನ್ನ ಲೋಕ ಸ್ತಬ್ಧ ! ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡೋಣವೆಂದು ಕೈ ಕೈ ಹಿಡಿದು ನಡೆಯುವಾಗ ಜೀವನದ ಏಳುಬೀಳುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಾಮುಂದು ತಾಮುಂದು ಎಂದು ಹೊರಟ ನಮ್ಮಿಬ್ಬರಲ್ಲಿ ನೀವೇ ಮುಂದಾದಿರಿ.. ನಾನಿಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂಟಿಯಾದೆ !

ನಿಮ್ಮ ನಮ್ಮ ನೃತ್ಯಲೋಕ ಅದರ ಪಾಡಿಗೆ ಇದೆ…ನಿಮ್ಮ ಕನಸಿನ ಕೆಲಸಗಳು ಇನ್ನೂ ಕೈಗೂಡುವಲ್ಲಿ ಕೈಗೂಸಾಗಿಯೇ ತೆವಳುತ್ತಿದೆ..,ಕಾಲು ಬಂದು ಯಾವಾಗ ಓಡುವುದೋ ತಿಳಿಯದಾಗಿದೆ; ಬಹುಷಃ ಇನ್ನೂ ಸಮಯ ಬೇಕಾಗಿದೆ.

ಸುಂದರಿ ಅಕ್ಕ, ಇದ್ದಾಗ-ನೀವು ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಬೇಕಾಗಿದ್ದವರು (ಅದೂ ಸೀಮಿತ ವರ್ತುಲದಲ್ಲಿ ! ) ನಾಟ್ಯಶಾಸ್ತ್ರ, ನೃತ್ತಹಸ್ತ, ಚಾರಿ, ಕರಣಗಳು, ಅಭಿನಯ ಚರ್ಚೆ ಇವುಗಳ ವಿಷಯ ಬಂದಾಗ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಅಕ್ಕನಾಗಿದ್ದಿರಿ. ಆದರೆ ಈಗ ನೀವು ಯಾರೆಂಬುದು, ಎಲ್ಲಿದ್ದೀರ ಎಂಬುದು ಬೇಕಾಗಿಲ್ಲ, ನೀವು ಹೋದಂತೆ ನಿಮ್ಮ ನೃತ್ಯಗಳು, ನೆನಪುಗಳು ನಿಮ್ಮನ್ನರಸಿ ಯಾವುದೋ ಲೋಕಕ್ಕೆ ತೆರಳಿವೆ.

ಅಂದಹಾಗೆ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ನುಡಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ಮೃದಂಗ ವಿದ್ವಾನ್ ತುಳಸೀರಾಂ ಅವರೂ ಪಯಣ ಬೆಳಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ; ನಿಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಭೆಟ್ಟಿಯಾಗಿರಬೇಕು; ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತೆ ಏನೋ ಕೆಲಸ ಆರಂಭಿಸಿದ್ದೀರೋ ಹೇಗೆ?

ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮಗಳು ನಡೆದಿವೆ ಅಕ್ಕ ; ನೃತ್ಯೋತ್ಸವಗಳು, ಸಂಭ್ರಮದ ಸಮಾರಂಭಗಳು, ಭರತಮುನಿ ಜಯಂತಿ, ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಹಬ್ಬ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಸಾಂಗೋಪಸಾಂಗವಾಗಿ ನಡೆದಿವೆ…ಆದರೆ ಎಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾಪವಿಲ್ಲ-ನೆನಪಿಲ್ಲ. ಅಷ್ಟೇಕೆ ನೀವು ಬಹಳ ಆತ್ಮೀಯರೆಂದು ಭ್ರಮಿಸಿ, ಸತ್ಕರಿಸಿ, ಆದರಿಸಿ, ತುಡಿತದಿಂದ ಬೆನ್ನು ತಟ್ಟಿದವರು ಬೆನ್ನುಹಾಕಿ ಬಣ್ಣ ಬಯಲು ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ…

ನಾಟ್ಯಶಾಸ್ತ್ರ, ಅಭಿನಯ, ಸಾತ್ತ್ವಿಕತೆಗಳ ಅರಿವು ಯುವ ನೃತ್ಯಾಸಕ್ತರಲ್ಲಿ ಮೂಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ಈ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನೀವಿಲ್ಲಿರಬೇಕಾಗಿತ್ತು… ಎಲ್ಲಕ್ಕೂ ಅವಸರ ನಿಮಗೆ, ಹೊರಟಿರಿ..

ಯಾಕೆ ಹೀಗಾಯಿತು??? ಹೊಸ ಕೆಲಸಗಳು, ಹೊಸರೂಪ, ಹೊಸ ಆವಿಷ್ಕಾರಗಳು, ಹೊಸತನದ ನೃತ್ಯದ ಜಾಡು ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ಜೋಳುಜೋಳಾಗಿ ಕರಗಿಯೇ ಹೋಗಿವೆ. ಆದರೂ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲವರಲ್ಲಿ ಮನೆಮಾಡಿ ಗೂಟ ಹೊಡಕೊಂಡು ಕೂತಿದ್ದೀರಿ. ಅಂತಃ ಶಕ್ತಿ, ಧೀಃಶಕ್ತಿ ನೀಡಿ, ಕೆಲಸಮಾಡುವ ವಾಂಛಲ್ಯವನ್ನು, ಛಲವನ್ನು, ಸಾಹಸಮನೋಭಾವವನ್ನು ಕೊಡಿ. ನಮ್ಮ ಮನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಂತು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಕೆಲವು ಕನಸುಗಳನ್ನು ನನಸಾಗಿಸಲು ಸಹಕರಿಸಿ…

ಇಂತಿ

ಕರುಣಾ ವಿಜಯೇಂದ್ರ

(ಲೇಖಕರು ಸಂಶೋಧಕರು,  ನೃತ್ಯ ವಿಭಾಗದ ಉಪನ್ಯಾಸಕರು; ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ನಿವಾಸಿ.)

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ಕಾಲನ ಕರೆಗೆ ಕರುಣೆಯಿದೆಯೇ?

Tribute to Akka..

– Dr. Shobha ShashiKumar, Bangalore

I wonder if Lord Nataraja was so much obsessed with a soul who grew nourished by his divine nritya, meditated on it, lived it and offered it to the world. Otherwise would he have put her to so many trials carefully carving her path of perfection? Smt. Sundari Santanam was the blessed soul whom the ‘King of Dance’ chose as his divine instrument to spread the fragrance of nritya. Today at 60, she left her mortal coils, but lives through her contribution.  Sundari was an ‘Iron lady’ who had designed and determined her own lifestyle. She embellished her life with simple and meaningful values which no material luring could ever distort it. She silently contributed greatly. She never sought the world and unfortunately the world around her was unworthy to be wise to seek her. Hence she remained an undiscovered jewel for major part of her life. Only people who were blessed to be affiliated closely could know the current of her genius. She brought glory to the Gurukula Sampradaya, which was how she was carved in the hands of her Legendary Guru Dr. Padma Subramaniam. Her Guru herself once proudly lauded during a public address, the patience, perseverance and dedication of her disciple during her “reconstruction of the Marga Karanas on the Natya Shastra” when she said , she had taken to task every limb of Sundari. Not every student could be so loyal, serving and dedicated. Till the last breath of her life she attributed all her contribution to the blessings of her Guru.

Her disciples know the ‘guru’ in her. The day she would say to a student, “This is better” would be cherished. She was a tough guru and a task master. She being a perfectionist would expect nothing short of it from others. So she could not be easily pleased. But she had all the patience on earth to correct a student infinitely. Though later celebrity dancers sought her guidance, their status never had any influence on her. Her heart poured affection equally on every ardent student. Her strict uncompromising personality did not attract a big student folk. She faced a lot of hostility and contempt from the artists group, because she never attempted to sell or publicise her art potentialities like many others. If today the technique of Karana has found application in Karnataka, the contribution of Sundari is to be remembered, for not all could go to Chennai to learn from Dr. Padma Subramaniam. Those dancers, who realised the rarity of opportunity to learn the Natya Shastra technique, have availed. She was a gifted dancer who had a special eye for rare and subtle nuances which just do not come upon mere learning. Her demise has left a vacuum for an artiste of her kind.

Sundari lives through her works. Though she was ailing with cancer, she worked feverishly to leave her gift to the dance community. Her suffering only heightened her courage, determination and efforts. Her internal strength was her piety. She always believed that ‘Work ‘was done by God alone and only He decides who should be assigned to do it. So she attributed all successes and failures to the will of God. She was a rare artiste and a rare human being. Her classes besides blossoming a student into a better dancer, would blossom her attitudes and lifestyle too, such was her magnetic personality!

Her extraordinary works include her DVD production titled “Karana Viniyoga Malika” wherein the applications of Karanas have been demonstrated to the excellent poetry of Dr. Shatavadani R Ganesh. While Natya Shastra mentions how a Karana is to be performed, it does not mention how it can be used. This work shows to the students of the Karana technique, how infinitely they could be explored. Her next great contribution is the Reconstruction of ‘Desi Karanas’ (being awarded the Senior Fellowship from the Dept. Of Culture, HRD, Govt. Of India) based on the Sangeetha Ratnakara of the eleventh century.  She dreamt big and worked incessantly to expand the work of Desi Karanas with the literary support of the Dr. Shatavadani R Ganesh who penned the poetry for the same. Now it is the challenge to her student community to offer Shraddanjali to her in the real sense, by completing her dreams.

Smt. Sundari was a captivating performer. Only those who were fortunate to witness her performances know their worth. One such immortal occasion was during her performance at “Kavya Chitra”, conducted by Dr. Shatavadani R Ganesh, an ‘on the spot’ confluence of poetry, painting, music and dance performances based on the public request. It was breathtaking to see those eminent artists and artistes perform effortlessly. Smt. Sundari would dramatise any subject with ease.

Her solo ballet “Vamsi Sandesham” once again the literary work of Dr. Shatavadani R Ganesh was basically a philosophical piece meant to be meditated upon. But the excellent portrayal   of such a piece moved Dr. Ganesh himself and he said he definitely never imagined this could be danced and that too to such heights. The performance left everybody in tears of Krishna tattva.

Again she explored adopting the Karana technique to Yakshagana style and presented ‘Nala Damayanti’. The speciality of the production was that Smt. Sundari enacted as the hero Nala , while her  renowned  male co -dancer , Sri Mantap Prabhakar enacted the heroine Damayanti. It took the Yakshagana artists themselves to surprise that the dance form could so much be enhanced by blending with appropriate Karanas. Thus she has time and again demonstrated how the Karana technique could be universally adopted in all dance forms only to enhance the beauty of each style. She was indeed a visionary. Her other productions include  choreographing for Gayathri Mantram for a tele serial directed by GV Iyer; Svapnavasavadatta , a Sanskrit production based on the Natya Shastra technique; Geetha Govindam of Jayadeva and Ashta Nayikas of Dr. Shatavadani R Ganesh.

Besides her conceived productions, she had immensely travelled with her guru rendering solo, duet and group performances. She has also penned the biography of her Guru titled “Oro Sagaptham” ( Padma Subramaniam – A Legend) which was published.

Her awards include the Sangeetha Nritya Academy Award 2009; Guru Sevamani conferred by Nrithyodaya; Bharatakala Bharati by Dr. Ratnakar and Sri. Lakshminarayana Kasi, Shimoga.

The dance community mourns the loss of a great contributory as a performer, researcher, teacher, choreographer and an author. But she lives eternally through her works.

( Writer is performer, researcher, choreographer, Bharathanatyam Guru and Director of Mayoori Nrityashala in Bangalore.)