March 2020
Cāṭu-kavitva
Cāṭu literally means ‘pleasing,’ ‘entertaining,’ and ‘endearing.’[1] Modern dictionaries explain it as pleasing or graceful words of discourse, flattery; agreeable, sweet or coaxing speech; flattery, especially of a lover to his sweetheart. The root of the word cāṭu (caṭe varṣāvaraṇayoḥ) draws our attention to the swiftness of its appeal and its ability to attract and amaze the hearts of connoisseurs. Cāṭu verses are traditionally...
Ramanna is my Cikka-tāta (grandfather’s younger brother). Sheikhdar Gundappa’s second son. I had briefly introduced him in my earlier writings. He initially worked as a government employee probably in the excise department and seemed to have saved some of the money he earned during that period. By the time I was born, he was not formally employed. He was self-reliant. A bit of money lending along with a stamp vendor job. As for the basic...
An Experience at the Vasanta Mahal
On the evening of Deepavali in 1923, we, i.e., Sastri and his friends, reached Mysore. As per the directions of Sir Mirza Ismail, our stay was arranged at the Vasanta Mahal. There were no pre-determined errands or tasks to be carried out. Mirza Saheb wanted Sastri to spend the evening in whatever manner he wished to. It was to proceed ‘as the spirit moves’. I shall narrate a couple of incidents that took place...
āśīrnamaskriyā vastunirdeśo vā || (Dandin: Kavyadarsha)
is a famous aphorism. However, this was composed long after Maharshi Valmiki’s period. I simply cannot believe that Valmiki was completely bound by this rule. We don’t find any other example to claim that Valmiki was a poet who specialized in puns. One can shut the mouth of the opponent in an argument through clever feats of grammar. We can even astonish the opponent akin to performing...
சந்தியா[1] என்றால் அந்தி நேரம் என்றாலும் காலை, மாலை என இரு வேளைகளிலும் சந்தியா வந்தனம் செய்யப் படுகின்றது.[2] சூரியனைப் போற்றும் இச்சடங்கை நாம் ‘sandhyopāsana’ என்றோ ‘sandhyāvandana’ என்றோ அல்லது வெறுமே ‘sandhyā என்றோ அழைக்கிறோம்.[3] 'சந்தியா' என்பது 'இரவு பகலை சந்திக்கும் வேளையையோ (அதிகாலை)' அல்லது 'பகல் இரவை சந்திக்கும் வேளையையோ (அந்திமாலையையோ)' குறிக்கும் சொல். முதலாவது ‘prātaḥ-sandhyā’, பின்னது ‘sāyaṃ-sandhyā.’
சந்தியா வந்தனத்தை ஒரு நாளைக்கு...
As Yudhiṣṭhira went ahead, he first saw Duryodhana. He was sitting amidst the Devatās, glimmering with the wealth of courage, seated on a throne that was resplendent like the sun. Upon looking at that ungainly sight, Yudhiṣṭhira simply could not contain himself. Not looking in that direction a moment longer, he sharply turned his head the other way and said, “I don’t want to be in the world that is inhabited by Duryodhana! Owing to his...
Introduction
Sanskrit is one of the most sophisticated languages in the world. A rubric of aesthetics that is universal in scope governs its poetry. Sanskrit has also evolved a highly language-specific scheme of analysis comprising poetic conventions, prosodic patterns, and grammatical nuances. Its employment and assessment of figures of sound and sense are unique.
Factors that contribute to poetic content by serving as raw materials are...
ಕುಸುಮ ಕೋಮಲೆಯೆನಿಸಿದ್ದ ದ್ರೌಪದಿ, ಸೋದರರ ಬಗೆಗೆ ಅಮಿತ ಪ್ರೇಮವುಳ್ಳ, ಭೀಮ ಹಿಂದೆ ತಮಗಾದ ಒಂದೊಂದು ಅನ್ಯಾಯವನ್ನೂ, ಅಪಮಾನವನ್ನೂ ನೆನೆಯುತ್ತ ಭೀಭತ್ಸ ಎನಿಸುವಂತಹ ಕೃತ್ಯಕ್ಕೆಳಸಿ, ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂತೃಪ್ತಿ ಕಾಣುವುದನ್ನು ನೋಡಿವಾಗ, ಎಲ್ಲ ದ್ವೇಷ, ಸೇಡು, ಅಪಮಾನಗಳೂ, ಇಂತಹ ಕೃತ್ಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮಾಧಾನ ಪಟ್ಟುಕೊಳ್ಳುವಂತಹ ಮಾನವನ ಮೂಲ ಪ್ರವೃತ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಸಾರ್ವಕಾಲಿಕ ಸತ್ಯ ಗೋಚರವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಪ್ರತಿಹಿಂಸೆಯಿಲ್ಲದೇ ಸೇಡಿಗೆ ಶಾಂತಿಯಿಲ್ಲವೆನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಭೀಮ ದ್ರೌಪದಿಯರಾಗಬಹುದು, ಅಗಾಮೆಮ್ನನ್ ನ (Agamemnon) ಪತ್ನಿ ಕ್ಲೈತಮ್ನೆಸ್ತ್ರಾ (Clytemnestra)...
Benevolence
Srinivasa Sastri possessed several characteristic traits that won people’s heart and gained him their appreciation. Scholarship, oratory skills, boarded mindedness, generosity, profundity, ethical shrewdness and political stances – these were amongst the several different kinds of qualities he possessed. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was largely unparalleled in these qualities.
I personally adored the compassion he...
