WRITTEN BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN

Date: 5 January 2016

Post No. 2462

Time uploaded in London :–  8-20 AM

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Western world is very familiar with blindfold chess games. German chess player Marc Lang played blindfold chess with 46 people at the same time and set a new record. But Tamils did 100 tasks simultaneously and earned a special place in the literary world. It is called Satavadanam. It is the art of responding to one hundred tasks performed simultaneously. One Tamil Muslim scholar Seykuthambi Pavalar is known for this feat. There was another gentleman born in Jaffna in Sri Lanka and attained the title ‘Satavadani’. His name is N.Kathiraver Pillay (1871-1907).

Born in West Puloli of Jaffna peninsula, he migrated to Chennai in Tamil Nadu hundred years ago. He was a great Tamil scholar who compiled a proper dictionary for Tamil like the English lexicographer Samuel Johnson. Mr Pillay lived just 36 years, but yet carved a special place for him in the field of literature. He composed poems in many genres such as Chitra Kavi (composing poems to fit them in the figures such as lotus, snake, chariot), Seettuk Kvai (Letter is the form of verses), Siledaik Kavi (poems in double entendre or paronomasia). He wrote commentaries for minor Tamil works and also published out of print Tamil works.

When he was in Sri Lanka he did 18 tasks at the same time. But he practised more and got ready for 100 tasks. This was demonstrated in front of learned men in Chennai. If one is able to do eight tasks at the same time he is known as Ashtavadani and those who could do ten tasks simultaneously are known as Dasavadani. Like blindfold chess, more the number, more difficult it will be.

Ashtavadanam includes tasks such as answering eight people at one time. One will be asking him to compose a verse in Tamil , another will be asking him to do sums like addition, multiplication, subtraction, fifth person may ask him to play with him a board game. Other scholars will be asking him difficult questions in grammar. While he is doing all these things, he has to make an iron chain with difficult links. This is not the end. Someone will be throwing small stones or marbles on his back. When he stops he would ask him how many balls he threw. Another person will ask the meaning of a poem from Tamil Ramayana or Mahabharata.

If ashtavadanam is this complicated, one can imagine how difficult it would be to do 100 tasks simultaneously. N Kathirvel Pillay did 100 tasks in Lakshmi Vilas Theatre in Chennai. All this was done after announcing to the general public and inviting Tamil professors and other scholars. Simple questions such as the day, date, time on a particular point in the calendar will also be asked. Since N Kathirvel Pillay had tremendous memory power he did this without any difficulty.

Rev Clayton who was an officer in the British Government at that time wrote a review in ‘Mail’ newspaper after Kathirvelpillay’s Satavadanam. He mentioned that Mr Pillay did this with effortless ease.

Blindfold Chess: similar task

The art of doing 8 or 10 or 100 tasks is unique to the Tamil speaking world. Tamil literary history mentioned several Ashtavadanis, Dasavadanis and a few Satavadanis. They symbolised tremendous memory power, focus and concentration.

–subham–