Literature

ಈಚೆಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಶದ ಒಳಗೂ ಹೊರಗೂ ಭಾರತೀಯಪರಂಪರೆಯನ್ನು ಕುರಿತು ಕುತೂಹಲ ಮತ್ತು ನವೋತ್ಸಾಹಗಳು ಹೊಮ್ಮಿದಂತೆ ತೋರುತ್ತದೆ. ಈ ಮಾರ್ಪಾಡು ಸ್ವಾಗತಾರ್ಹವೇನೋ ದಿಟ, ಆದರೆ ಅದೆಷ್ಟೋ ಬಾರಿ ಇಂಥ ಕುತೂಹಲ-ಉತ್ಸಾಹಗಳು ಅತಿರೇಕ-ಅವಿವೇಕಗಳಿಂದಲೂ ಅವ್ಯುತ್ಪತ್ತಿ-ಅಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯಗಳಿಂದಲೂ ಕೂಡಿರುವುದು ವಿಷಾದಕರ. ವಿಶೇಷತಃ ಪ್ರಾಚೀನಭಾರತೀಯಸಮಾಜ ಮತ್ತು ಇತಿಹಾಸ-ಪುರಾಣಗಳನ್ನು ಆಧರಿಸಿದ ಕಥೆ-ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳಂಥ ರಸಪ್ರಧಾನವಾದ ಕಾಲ್ಪನಿಕರಚನೆಗಳನ್ನು ವಿವಿಧಭಾರತೀಯಭಾಷೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿಯೂ — ಎಲ್ಲಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಮಿಗಿಲಾಗಿ ಇಂಗ್ಲಿಷ್ ನಲ್ಲಿಯೂ — ನಡಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ಹೊಸ ಪೀಳಿಗೆಯ ಬರೆಹಗಾರರ ಪೂರ್ವೋಕ್ತರೀತಿಯ ಕುಂದು-ಕೊರತೆಗಳನ್ನು ಕಂಡಾಗ ನನ್ನಂಥವರ ವ್ಯಥೆ ಮತ್ತೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

Analysis – Characters and events

Uddaṇḍa-śāstri was well-known for his ability to compose fine poems on the move. He authored works such as Mallikāmāruta, Kokilasandeśa, Naṭāṅkuśa, and Svātīmuktaka. There are innumerable verses—some entertaining and some caustic—associated with Uddaṇḍa-śāstri’s life and works. At times, these verses can be enjoyed even without a context and stand as independent poems (muktakas). Here are a few verses that are neither contextual nor independent, but are related to a certain person or a circumstance requiring just a line by way of background.

The current series on the epics of Homer is in six parts. The series contains a brief synopsis of the stories, analysis of the main characters and events, figures of speech and a discussion on the Greek epic structure. A talk on this topic was delivered by the author on 20^th June 2016 in a seminar on Mahakavyas organized by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore

The current article adopts anglicized versions of proper nouns and the English translations provided in [1] and [2]

विदितमेव खलु काव्यं दृश्यं श्रव्यं चेत्यादौ द्वेधा विभक्तं; पश्चाद्गद्य-पद्य-चम्पूभेदत्वेन त्रेधा चेत्यपि । तथा च मुक्तक-युग्मक-सान्दानितक-कलापक-कुलक-अष्टक-शतकादिपद्यसङ्ख्यानुसारं विभागा वर्तन्त एव । अपि च गद्ये पद्यगन्धि-उत्कलिका-चूर्णिकाप्रायादयः सन्ति नैके विभागाः । महाकाव्यं, खण्डकाव्यं, आख्यायिका, कथा इत्यादयः श्रव्यकाव्यप्रभेदास्तथा नाटक-प्रकरण-भाणादिदशररूपकत्वेन च नाटिका-त्रोटक-सट्टकाद्यष्टादशाधिकोपरूपकत्वेन दृश्यकाव्यप्रकारा अपि राजन्ते । एवमेव नूतनसंप्रदायानुसारं लघुकथा (short story), दीर्घकथा (novel), प्रवासकथनं (travelogue), ललितप्रबन्धः (essay),  जल्पकथानकं (comic writing) इत्या

The poetic conversation between Vāsiṣṭha-gaṇapati-muni and Ambikā-datta that took place at the conference of scholars—‘paṇḍita-goṣṭhi’—at Nava-dvīpa (Nadia) is a good example for the genre of dialogue-poetry.

Dialogue-poetry was not restricted to scintillating exchanges among scholars in India. Though rare, there are instances where this form of dialogue took place with foreigners as well. The current example captures an episode that is more morose than cheerful.

The contribution of Kerala to Sanskrit literature is tremendous. Just recalling the name of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya is enough to evoke in our minds the vast magnitude of the literary contribution from Kerala. The state had a unique setup, where anyone could learn Sanskrit irrespective of their caste or creed, and such indeed is the outlook of sanātana-dharma. Women in particular used to be trained in Sanskrit. One such Sanskrit scholar was Manoramā Tampuraṭṭi, who was born in 1760 CE.

Sarisava, a village near Amarāvatīpura of the Mithila province, was home to several erudite poets in the past. Mahāmahopādhyāya Bhavanātha-miśra, who lived in Sarisava in the latter half of the fifteenth century, was a great scholar, a connoisseur of the arts, and a gifted poet. Just like him, his son Śaṅkara-miśra was a polymath and a poet. Śaṅkara was a scholar of the four śāstras: pada-vākya-pramāṇa-vedānta and wrote several works on these, apart from composing a few poems and plays. A few episodes connected with them are narrated here.

There are many anecdotes associated with the life and works of Veṅkaṭanātha, a poet and tārkika (logician), popularly known as Vedānta-deśika. Some of them, though fabricated, are good entertainers. Among these is the debate between Vedānta-deśika and Ḍiṇḍima-bhaṭṭa, which is in the form of verses displaying their intellectual valour. Historically speaking, however, the two were not contemporaries at all. Vedānta-deśika lived between 1269 and 1369 CE and Ḍiṇḍima-bhaṭṭa lived during the times of Prauḍha-devarāya, who ruled from 1424 to 1446.