A Subjective Lens: Muddupalani’s Poem, How to Read a Book

This week in Daak:

1. A Subjective Lens: Muddupalani’s Poem, How to Read a Book

2. Write a Handwritten Letter to a Loved One

3. Daak Recommends

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1. A Subjective Lens: Muddupalani’s Poem, How to Read a Book

Muddupalani was an 18th-century Telugu poet and courtesan at the court of the Maratha king Pratapa Singh, renowned for her controversial work, Radhika-Santvanam (Appeasement of Radha), a narrative poem about Radha's emotional and physical intimacy with Krishna. Her literary prowess and candid depiction of female desire were groundbreaking, challenging the social norms of her time. Despite its censorship and suppression in the early 20th century, this poem found its way into literary history due to the efforts of Bangalore Nagarathnamma, a devadasi and scholar, who played a crucial role in reviving Muddupalani's legacy.

This week we bring you another poem by Muddupalani, one that talks about the fluidity of reading and meaning making. In “How to Read a Book”, she urges the reader to resolve the “thorns” or complexities in a piece of text using their own knowledge and experience, trusting their subjective interpretation rather than relying on the supposed expertise of poets.

How to Read a Book
When you are reading, and you come to a thorn,
pull it out. Use your knowledge
to heal the book. Don’t meddle with poets
who make a living out of finding fault.
They’re bad news.

(Translation by Velcheru Narayana Rao and David Shulman)

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2. Write a Handwritten Letter to a Loved One

When was the last time you put pen to paper and wrote a heartfelt note to a loved one? Check out our different collections of postcards and tell someone you’re thinking of them - the old-fashioned way!

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3. Daak Recommends

You can read a translation of Muddupalani’s Radhika-Santvanam here.

Read another Daak on Amrita Pritam’s musings on fearless reading.

Also, flip the lens and learn about the process of poetic creation from Kamala Das.