Tenacious tiller

Upright and principled, Thirunavukkarasu has made Vanathi a symbol of purity.

Publisher Vanathi Thirunavukkarasu. Photo: S.S. Kumar

Publishing isn't an easy business to be in. One can't roll books out like cars off an assembly line, for one has to please different sections of the reading public, whose tastes keep changing over time. A publisher therefore is always anxious regarding the success of a book. But fear and anxiety do not come easily to a person who climbed mountains and trekked through miles of jungle, braving bombs. Publisher Vanathi Thirunavukkarasu made such a trip at the age of 14, from Burma to India when WWII broke out.

Back in India, he resumed studies in Devakottai, but failed in the SSLC examination. Stung by his mother's criticism, he left home, and made his way to Madras, where he was offered a job in Chinna Annamalai's Tamizh Pannai.

The stint lasted for a year, after which Thirunavukkarasu found a post in a monthly called

Tyagi, which had its office in Egmore. But

Tyagi folded up, and Thirunavukkarasu was again jobless.

At this time, Thirunavukkarasu's childhood friend Tamizhvanan was working for Vai. Govindan's Sakthi publications. He and Thirunavukkarasu teamed up and started their own publishing house and called it Jil Jil! When Tamizhvanan took up a job with

Kumudam , Thirunavukkarasu decided to bring out a magazine titled Jil Jil .

One of the stories he received was from a 14-year old boy named Rajendran. It turned out that this was Kalki's son! “Thirunavukkarasu published my story as a serial in Jil Jil,” recalls Rajendran.

After his marriage in 1949, Thirunavukkarasu settled down in Broadway, and started his own press. At night he would operate the machine himself, while his wife took care of the binding. He launched more children's magazines such as

Mittai and

Komali and even a literary journal called

Vennila . But despite his best efforts, many of his magazines remained unsold. His wife had to sell her jewels to pay off the loans. Fortunately, Aru. Ramanathan, editor of the magazine

Kaadhal , bought the Jil Jil Press from him and Thirunavukkarasu decided that he would no longer dabble in journalism, but would concentrate on publishing books.

In 1955 he established a publishing house and called it Vanathi, after the character in Kalki's ‘Ponniyin Selvan.' The logo chosen was that of an elephant holding aloft a pot containing the pure water of the Akash Ganga. The symbolic significance of the logo is reflected in Vanathi's publications. Tawdry books have never come out of Vanathi. Nothing has been published under political pressure.

Vanathi originally functioned from the first floor of the building that now houses Twin Brothers in Pondy Bazaar, and moved into its own building in 1965.

Initially Vanathi came out with detective stories, but later Vanathi's output became more eclectic. However, books on astrology are never published.

One of the most popular of Vanathi's publications is Paramacharya's ‘Deivathin Kural.' It has run into 27 editions since it was first published in 1976.

There were many who felt that industrial houses that were keen to publish the book should be entrusted with the work. But Paramacharya said that if corporates brought out the book, it would just remain a showpiece. But if Vanathi brought it out, it would reach the people.

Once Thirunavukkarasu received a letter from a University saying that they planned to confer an honorary doctorate on him, but nothing came of the proposal. Hearing of this Paramacharya said, “I shall give you the title of ‘Gem who propagates Hinduism.'” His Holiness then took off a coral strand that he was wearing and presented it to Thirunavukkarasu.

Upon the suggestion of Kalki Rajendran, Thirunavukkarasu published Mukkur Lakshmi Narasimhachariar's widely acclaimed ‘Kurai Ondrum Illai.' Rajendran again suggested that Vanathi publish A.L.S. Veeraiah's ‘Thirai Ulagam Oru Samudram', which had been serialised in Tuglaq .

Dharmalingam who has been with Vanathi for 40 years, says Thirunavukkarasu, as a policy, never publishes atheist literature. So he published Kannadasan's works, only after the poet parted ways with the Rationalist Movement. Vanathi has brought out all of Kannadasan's works, including his autobiography, which gives the reasons for Kannadasan's disenchantment with the Dravidian movement.

“Kannadasan's ‘Arthamulla Indu Madam' has gone into 81 editions, sale crossing several several lakhs. No other Tamil book of any publisher has sold so many copies,” says Thirunavukkarasu's son Ramanathan. Thirunavukkarasu was honoured with the Kannadasan award recently.

Touch of compassion

Long time employee Durai points to Thiunavukkarasu's uprightness as one of the reasons for the success of the business. “Other publishers take a long time to give authors the royalty amount. But not so with ayya. When Mi.Pa. Somu was in hospital, ayya made out a cheque for the royalty amount due to him and told me to take it to Somu sir without delay.”

Kalki Rajendran says, “In the case of indigent authors, Thirunavukkarasu pays the royalty amount for all the copies, even before he has sold them.”

“My father is involved in every stage of the business right from deciding what to publish, to the selection of the title, the wrapper design and even who should write the foreword,” says Ramanathan. While other publishers discard the original illustrations of the artists once the book has been published, Thirunavukkarasu has preserved them. Vanathi has won Best Tamil Publisher Award from the Federation of Indian Publishers and a Tamil Nadu Government award for their children's books. Thirunavukkarasu is also an author and has written books on Saivite saints. An ardent devotee of Lord Srinivasa, he attributes his success to Him.

Every time a book is released, Thirunavukkarasu sings an inspirational folk song, which exudes optimism and speaks of bounteous yield from the arid land of Ramanathapuram district.

Today Vanathi stands tall because its founder Thirunavukkarasu had tenacity and optimism like the farmer in the song.