Interview with Vinaya Chaitanya, Author of "A Cry in the Wilderness: The Works of Narayana Guru"

on Oct 07, 2022

Vinaya Chaitanya was born in Muvattupuzha – the place of the three rivers – in the foothills of the Western Ghats, before the invasion of rubber plantations, in 1952. He was accepted as a disciple by Nataraja Guru, disciple and successor of Narayana Guru, the philosopher-poet of Kerala. Vinaya has published books in Malayalam, Kannada and English, including a translation of Akka Mahadevi's vacanas, Songs for Siva.

Frontlist: You're such a great translator, and we can see the effort and pain you've taken to translate the words of Narayana Guru. But since no translation can ever be perfect, what do you think got lost in the translation of this book?

Vinaya: To ‘translocate the reader’ as A.K.Ramanujan beautifully put it, is often not as easy as one would wish, and especially when translating mystical poetry. And in translating Narayana Guru, not only the content, but the form also which is fully symmetrical. They are all composed in classical or desi metres, and I could only try to do full justice to the content, and not even attempt to imitate the style. These poems echo the sounds around the places where the Guru used to sit: near mountain brooks rolling pebbles, the sea murmuring or shouting, birds and the winds whistling etc. I could not translate such audio-visual effects of the originals. I have tried to convey the Guru’s meanings in an easy to understand language, for the benefit of those who can’t read the originals.

Frontlist: In the book, you play a lot with the notion of truth and knowing. So, what is one truth that you’d love to share with us?

Vinaya: There is some inner core within each and all of us which is of light, and it is of the nature of love, grace and empathy. It can be clarified through daily life. This truth cannot be found outside of yourself, as you are the truth.

Frontlist: What is the place for Indian Spirituality ?

Vinaya: Spirituality is not specifically Indian. The spirit is universal. But each culture has preserved it according to their conditions. The ideals of Peace and Love are found the world over.. But this should not make us complacent, we have to revalue and restate the age-old or eternal into a living process. We have to practise what we preach.

Frontlist: What is the place for Indian Spirituality in today's modern world?

Vinaya: The modern world is stressing the individual, and people make deals with the divine. Spirituality has a lot to do with turning inward towards the source and finding lasting sustenance.

Frontlist: What do you think is the role of death in this existence, and what's the difference between us human beings and the all-encompassing Bhraman?

Vinaya: death teaches us about life . To paraphrase Narayana Guru, if we are the waves of the ocean, then Brahman ( the Absolute) is the ocean. The wave is only water, but it appears to have a birth, stay and death when the wave rises, stays and merges back into the ocean. The whole time it is only water. But purity of our life-choices affects the quality of the water. We have the responsibility (through our choices )to see that the ocean stays clean.

Frontlist: What is the most significant difference between Dharma and Karma? And how do we adapt these to find life's real meaning and purpose?

Vinaya: Dharma means the natural way of rightness. Comes from a root suggesting ‘to support, to bear.’’ Karma means action, which can lead to reaction and thus cause endless consequences. Understanding releases us from all Karma. Awareness of our intentions, searching for higher values in life, being honest with oneself, all these can help give increasing purpose and meaning to life.

Frontlist: What is one wisdom that you've garnered from Narayana Guru that you'd like to amplify here for your readers to understand what this book is about?

Vinaya: This book is about how we all are of one self-fraternity. That we all are seeking Happiness, regardless of how different each effort may be. At the risk of sounding old-fashioned I’d say: “believe in God and be Kind.”