INTRODUCTION
Sri Manalur Veeravalli Ramanujachariar was the
first person to translate, MAHABHARATHAM- the
longest poem in the world- (more than One Lakh
Verses) from Sanskrit Language into Tamil.
Sri Ramanujachariar was born in 1866 in a small
village Manalur in Tamil Nadu located near
Kumbakonam. He lost his father at a very young
age. He was brought up by his mother. Young
Ramanujachariar showed keen interest in
mastering languages, grammar, and ancient
literature. He learnt Sanskrit from his maternal
uncle Sri U Ve. Veeraraghavacharyar, an expert in
Vyaakarana Sutras. After completing his
matriculation, Sri Ramanujachariar went to Kasi to
pursue higher learning in Sanskrit. In Kasi, the
principal of Queen’s college Dr.Thibault, who was
well-known for his translation of Saint Ramanuja’s
Sri Bhashyam into English, conferred the title of
Pundit on Ramanujachariar. Achariar stayed at
Kumaraswamy mutt (connected to Tirupanandal
Adheenam) in Kasi and continued his studies. Due
to his mother’s inability to bear the separation, he
had to discontinue his studies and come back to
his hometown. He then moved to the
Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam and pursued his
learning together with the junior Thambiran
Ambalavana Desikar who later became Head of
Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam. There
Ramanujachariar met Tamil Thatha U Ve
Swaminatha Iyer at Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam
and there began a lifelong association between
the two of them.
U Ve Swaminatha Iyer asked Sri Ramanujachariar
to join the Native High school, Kumbakonam, as a
Tamil teacher and also asked him to assist him in
his works like Manimegalai, Civaka Sinthamani
etc. Sri Ramaujachariar worked at Native High
School between 1893-1911.
Ramaujachariar subsequently joined the
Kumbakonam Arts college as a lecturer in 1911.
During his stay at Kumbakonam, his learned
friends encouraged him to take up the translation
work of Mahabaratham into Tamil. The work
started in 1905 and the first Sanchikai/journal on
Aadhi Parvam came out in 1908. Despite the
daunting task filled with huge financial
commitments and difficulties in deciphering
meaning of complex Sanskrit Verses, he
undertook the task with courage, wisdom and
confidence. Thanks to the encouragement and
financial support from Sri U.V.Swaminatha Iyer
and other eminent people in society such as the
Heads of Tirupanandal Adheenam and
Tiruvaduthurai Adheenam, Sarva Shree Rao
Bahadur V.T.Krishnamachariar, Diwan of Baroda,
Brahmasri Sundarama Iyer, Colombo
Ramanatham Chettiar,, M.C.T.Muthiah Chettiar
and Annamalai Chettiar and many others.
Since he found that translating the great epic
Mahabharata was a time-consuming job, he quit
his job from Kumbakonam college as a Tamil
Pundit and dedicated his entire attention on
completing this precious divine work. He sought
the help of some learned Sanskrit scholars of the
time for precise translation.; To name a few, Sri
T.V. Srinivasachariar, Painganadu Ganapathy
Sastrigal, Kadalungudi Natesa Sastrigal, T.E,
Srinivasachariar and a few more. It took nearly
twenty-five years to complete this Mahabharata
translation work and the 45 th and last
Sanchikai/journal was published in 1932. The
Tamil Mahabaratham translated by him is known
as "Kumbakonam edition" and it is an extensive
and complete translation done in a precise manner
for the first time in Tamil.
Sri Ramanujachariar’s Kumbakonam edition of
Mahabharatham is considered by great scholars
for critical analysis of events in Mahabharatha.
On completion of his work, The Hindu newspaper
praised him saying that the author has rendered a
great job to the excellent Tamil language, and to
the Tamil literature lovers! Likewise, the great
Tamil scholar, Sri U V Swaminatha Iyer in his Auto
biography ‘En Saritham’ has praised Sri M V
Ramanujacharyar for his marvellous contribution
to the Tamil literature. Dr. Annie Besant praised
the contribution of Sri Ramanujacharyar as an
excellent work and mentioned his Mahabharata
translation in Tamil would help the Tamil people to
reading it in their own language!
Sri Ramanujacharyar served in the
Madras University academic council nearly for 21
years as its member and contributed a lot for the
growth of Tamil language. Especially, he fought
hard for Tamil teachers’ pay to be brought on par
with other language teachers. The prestigious
"Sanskrit Academy" of Chennai honoured him with
the title “Bhasha Bharathadurandara”. meaning a
great scholar of many languages. The Governor
General and Viceroy of India Lord Linlithgow
conferred on him the, Title ‘Mahamahopadyaya’
in 1936 – a title accorded to the scholars achieving
greatness in various fields.
Sri MV Ramanujachariar reached the abode of
almighty in 1940. Ananda Vikatan, one of the
popular Tamil weekly Magazine, published a
tribute and obituary after his passing mentioning
‘Bageerathar Maraindhar’. All India Radio
announced his death. Sri MV Ramanujachariar’s
name would be remembered forever as one of the
noble sons of our Bharata (Bharatam) for his
yeoman service and great contribution to Tamil
Literature and Society.
Those interested in knowing more about M.V.
Ramanujachariar and his works:
Follow You-Tube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/@KumbakonamMahabha
rathamRamanuj
Contact the Family of MV Ramanujachariar
Email –
Manalurramanujam23@gmail.com
WRITTEN BY
R. HARISHANKAR
Email: tsharishankar@gmail.com