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'Kaviarasu' Kannadasan
Born	A. S. Muthiah Chettiar (1927-06-24)24 June 1927 Sirukoodalpatti, Karaikudi Taluk, Madura district, Madras Presidency, British Indian Empire (modern-day Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu, India)
Died	17 October 1981(1981-10-17) (aged 54) Chicago, Illinois, United States
Pen name	Karaimuthu Pulavar Vanangamudi Kanakappriya Parvathi Nathan Arokkiya Saamy
Occupation	Poet, novelist, lyricist, politician, film producer, literary editor
Nationality	Indian
Citizenship	India (1927-1981; his death)
Education	8th grade dropout (passed Tamil Pulavar course)
Notable works	Arthamulla Indhu Madham Yesu Kaaviyam
Notable awards	National Film Award for Best Lyrics 1961 Kuzhanthaikkaga Sahitya Academy Award 1980 Cheraman Kadali
Spouses	Ponnazhagi (Ponnammal) (m. 1950–1981; his death); 7 children Parvathi (Parvathiammal) (m. 1950–1981; his death); 7 children Valliammai - 1976 to 1981
Children	14)Including GandhiKannadasan AnnaduraiKannadasan Dr.KamalaKannadasan SrinivasanKannadasan GopiKannadasan Dr.RamasamyKannadasan VisaliKannadasan VenkadachalamKannadasan KanmaniSubbuKannadasan KalaivananKannadasan and Smt. RevathyShanmugham
Parents	Sathappan Chettiar (father) Visalakshi (mother)

Kannadasan pronunciation (help·info) (24 June 1927 – 17 October 1981) was an Indian poet and lyricist, heralded as one of the greatest and most important lyricists in India. Frequently called Kaviarasu or Kavirajar (King of Poets), Kannadasan was most familiar for his song lyrics in Tamil films and contributed around 5000 film lyrics apart from 6000 poems and 232 books,^[1] including novels, epics, plays, essays, his most popular being the 10-part religious essay on Hinduism, Artthamulla Indhumatham (Meaningful Hindu Religion). He won the Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel Cheraman Kadali in the year 1980 and was the first to receive the National Film Award for Best Lyrics, given in 1969 for the film Kuzhanthaikkaga.^[2]

Religious Views

Muthiah was a keen follower of the Dravidian atheistic movement. He had great love of Tamil language and it's culture, and excelled in Tamil literature, both prose and poetry. He read the Thiruppavai of Andal, and was amazed at its mystic poetry, which was to have a deep and lasting impact on him. After a lot of introspection, he decided to convert back to Sanatana Dharma. He renamed himself as Kannadasan, meaning the servant of Lord Sri Krishna (In Tamil Kannan means Krishna and in Sanskrit, Dasa means servant), as he had become a Vaishnava Hindu. There is another train of thought that the kanna in his adopted name doesn't refer to the Hindu God, but to Jalagandapuram Kannan, his mentor. He dug deep into understanding Sanatana Dharma, and wrote his series of books on Sanatana Dharma titled Arthamulla Indhu Matham. He was born in the village of Sirukoodalpatti, which is near Karaikudi.^[3][4]

Songwriting

Kannadasan's greatest contribution to Tamil culture is his songwriting. Before Kannadasan, many lyricsists like Papanasam Sivan, Kambadasan, Vindhan, A. Maruthakasi, and Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam were sought after in the Tamil music industry, but after the advent of Kannadasan, the scene changed. He quickly became the most sought after lyricist in the industry and remained so until his death. Kannadasan was so popular that few songs written by other contemporary poets were considered to be written by Kannadhasan } Though, after his death, film lyrics have come a long way, many people still consider Kannadasan to be the best songwriter.^{[citation needed]} He is considered to be the greatest modern Tamil poet after Subramanya Bharathi.^{[citation needed]}

He was the producer of the historic Tamil film Sivagangai Seemai portraying the pioneers of the Indian freedom struggle "Marudhu Pandaiars". The song "Santhupottu" from that film remains popular.

Spiritual Books

• Arthamulla Indhu Matham


• Yesu Kaviyam


• Bagavath geethai


• Ponmazhai


• Bajagovindam


• Sri Krishna Kavasam


• Sri venkatesa Suprabatham- Andal Thirupaavai


• Ambigai Alagu Dharisanam


• Krishna Anthathi


• Sankara Pokisham

Notable novels

• Cheraman kathali


• Aval oru hindhu pen


• Sivappukal mukkuththi


• Ratha pushpangal


• Avalukakga oru padal


• Swarna saraswathi


• Nadantha kathai


• Misa


• Suruthi seratha rakangal


• Mupadhu naalum pournami


• Arangamum antharangamum


• Kadal konda thennadu


• Ayiram thivu angkayarkanni


• Kamini kanchana


• Kutti kathaigal


• Oru kavinani kathai


• Velangkudi thiruvila


• Ayiramkal mandapam


• Birundhavanam


• Aachi


• Vilaku matuma sivapu


• Aathanathu aathimanthi


• Anarkalai


• Athaivida ragasiyam


• Paarimalai kodi


• Oru Nathiyin kathai


• Sembagathaman kathai


• Manampola vaalvu


• Sivakangai seemai


• Santhithen sinthithen


• Oomaiyin Kottai


• Sarasuvin soundarya lagari

Poetry

• Mutruperatha Kaviyangal


• Sri krishna anthathi


• Ambigai alagu dharisanam


• Maangani


• Paadi kudutha mangalam


• Thaipaavai


• Kannadhasan Kavithaigal Parts 1-7

Autobiographies^[5]

• Enathu Suyasaritham


• Enathu Vasantha Kaalangal


• Vanavasam


• Manavasam


• Naan Partha Arasiyal

Selected filmography

Lyrics

1. 
   Singari (1951)


2. Aayirathil oruvan


3. Mannadhi Mannan


4. Thaai Sollai Thattadhe


5. Thaayai Kaatha Thanayan


6. Paasam


7. Karuppu Panam


8. Panathottam


9. Periya Idathu Penn


10. Dharmam Thalaikakkum


11. Anandha Jodhi


12. Neethikkupin passam


13. Kudumbathalaivan


14. Kaanchi Thalaivan


15. Parisu


16. Vettaikaran


17. Panakkara Kudumbam


18. Thiruvilayadal


19. Saraswathi Sabatham


20. Pattikada Pattanama


21. Urimaikural


22. En Kadamai


23. Nadodi


24. Thanga Pathakkam


25. Paasa Malar


26. Moondram Pirai


27. Iruvar Ullam


28. Dheerga Sumangali


29. Aalayam


30. Annai


31. Naanum Oru Penn


32. Pazhani


33. Varumayin Niram Sivappu


34. Billa (1980)


35. Thee

Scriptwriter

• Mannadhi Mannan


• Karuppu Panam


• Madurai Veeran


• Nadodi Mannan


• Thirudadhe


• Mahadevi


• Thenali Raman


• Theiva Thirumanangal


• Thiruneelakandar


• Sivagangai Seemai


• Sangili Thevan

Onscreen appearances

• Karuppu Panam


• Ratha Thilagam


• Suryakanthi


• Apoorva Raagangal


• Kavalai Illatha Manithan


• Parasakthi


• Velum Mayilum Thunai

Poet laureate

Kannadasan was the poet Laureate of the Tamil Nadu Government at the time of his death. He wrote two notable autobiographies, titled Vanavasam, a book about his past life whilst he was atheist, with the DMK and a sequel, titled Manavasam a book about his life after he had left DMK

His contribution to Tamil literature

Kannadasan was a prolific writer and his writing covered a variety of forms- poems, novels, lyrics for Tamil films and books on spirituality. His series titled Arthamulla Indhu Matham (Meaningful Hindu Religion) is known for its simplicity in explaining the principles of Hinduism. He wrote a number of spiritual works in the later part of his life including Yesu Kaviyam the story of Jesus told in the poetic form. Many of Kannadasan’s poems have been translated into French.^[6]

He wrote and published several volumes of poetry. He was an admirer of Kambar, and wrote a number of poems praising Kambar's artistry, contrary to the satire ("Kambarasam") on the same by C.N.Annadurai. He also spoke at several of the Kambar festivals. He sang the beauty of Seethai's gait and the shoulders of Rama; he spoke of beauty intoxicating and dropped me in a vessel of amrut (liquour)" This is one of Kannadasan's tribute to the poet Kambar.

He wrote a book about the life of Jesus Christ "Yesu Kaaviyam" rendered in a pristine poetical Tamil. It was published at Trichirapalli in the year 1981. The function was presided over by the then chief minister of Tamilnadu Mr. M.G. Ramachandran. Yesu Kaaviyam was the last literary work of Kannadasan.

Death

Kannadasan died on 17 October 1981 in Chicago, United States, where he had gone from India to attend a Tamil conference organised by the Tamil Association of Chicago. He was aged just 54 at the time of his death.^[7] The song "Kanne Kalaimane" from the film 'Moondram Pirai', released a few months later, was his last song.

Legacy

The Government of Tamil Nadu erected a memorial hall as "Kaviarasar Kannadasan Manimandapam" at Karaikudi.^[5] The road adjoining Natesan Park in T.Nagar, Chennai was previously called as Hensman Road is where Kannadasan resided from 1958 and it was renamed "Kannadasan street" in his honour after his demise.
It was in this house where 7 Chief Ministers from Sri Mr. Bakthavachalam to Sri Ms.Jayalalitha had visited Kannadasan. Kannadhasan once owned 14 cars which were parked on either side of the road in front of house and the last remaining one which was given by Sri Kamarajar is still at display in this very house.

References

^[1]http://www.localnewspaper.in/gallery/gandhi-kannadhasan/
^[2]https://www.dailythanthi.com/News/SirappuKatturaigal/2018/10/16124710/Karna-in-life.vpf
^[3]https://www.vikatan.com/news/coverstory/95177-this-is-how-kannadasan-bought-house-tale-of-t-nagar-episode-14.html
^[4]Https://www.vikatan.com/thadam/2018-aug-01/exclusive-articles/143028-gandhi-kannadasan-talks-about-kannadasan.html
^[5]

Https://www.vikatan.com/news/coverstory/105237-a-poet-turned-politician-kannadasan.html