Tamil treasure: Modi releases compilation of Subramania’s works

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday released a compendium of complete works of Subramania Bharati, the legendary Tamil poet on his birth anniversary.

The PM said he was honoured to release the collection of ‘Mahakavi’ Subramania Bharati’s works. “Bharati was a profound thinker who was dedicated to serving Mother India. Subramania Bharati’s thoughts and intellectual brilliance continues to inspire us even today. His literary works are a treasure of the Tamil language,” the PM said at a ceremony at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, his official residence.

He further said, “His vision for a prosperous India and the empowerment of every individual continues to inspire generations. In our country, words are not considered to be just expressions. We are part of a culture that talks about ‘Shabda Brahma’ — the infinite power of words.”

Paying tributes to the great poet, Modi further said the grand culmination of the publication of the works of Mahakavi Subramania Bharati was done today.

The PM also lauded Seeni Vishwanathan, who led the compilation project, which took around six decades and involved the compilation of ‘Kaala Varisaiyil Bharathiyar Padaippugal’ in 21 volumes. He added that Vishwanathan’s hard work was a penance, which would benefit many generations.

“Vishwanathan’s penance reminds me of Maha-Mahopadhyay Pandurang Vaman Kane, who spent 35 years of his life in writing the ‘History of Dharmashastra’,” he said. He also expressed confidence that the seminal work of Seeni Vishwanathan would become a benchmark in the academic world.