Veerapuram – A Type Site for
Cultural Study in the
Veerapuram, a village in Nandikotkur taluk of
In this it resembles the
more famous sites of Nagarjunakonda and Alampur as well as Sangamesvaram.
Nagarjunakonda was excavated and salvaged in view of Nagarjunasagar, while the other two, more recently, have had
to be preserved or “salvaged” in view of the Srisailarn
project. Amaravati, perhaps the most famous of the
sites on the
This book, which
embodies the results of the excavations for three seasons, shows that, while Veerapuram is not as
important to the scholar as Amaravati or Nagarjunasagar, it has its own significance. Principally,
it takes its place alongside of Nagarjunakonda for
the beginnings of the structural temple in the south. But it is also important
as indicating the presence of a dynasty little known before, the Maharathi. Further, the find of Roman coins on the banks of
the
This book supports the
view of many scholars that sustained excavation and exploration will strengthen
our national ethos by bringing to light many triumphs of our ancestors now
lying underground. It was the archaeologist’s spade which made us aware of the
glories of Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda,
and it was the engineering ingenuity of the archaeologist which saved many
precious Chalukyan temples from submersion. The
Archaeological Survey and the State Departments of Archaeology are doing their
best, but so vast is the scope that their efforts, even when aided by those of the
universities, are inadequate. A private organisation,
the Birla Archaeological and Cultural Research
Institute of Hyderabad, has, with commendable dedication and enterprise, made
its contribution, placing scholarship in its debt.
Since excavation reports
in our country are often not published at all or, if they are, only after
unconscionable delay, the Institute is entitled to praise for producing this
report in reasonable time and with the full scholarly apparatus of drawing,
figure and photograph. The report would be even more valuable if it had been
presented in a style free from grammatical errors. But, in an excavation
report, this is perhaps of minor importance.
Veerapuram sheltered man
continuously from 1800 B. C. to 400 A. D. except for a brief interval between Neolithic and
Megalithic. The excavators postulate three successive periods of habitation,
Neolithic (with three sub-divisions: Early, late and Chalcolithic),
Megalithic, and Early Historical, with an “overlap”, which was marked by the
occurrence of punch marked coins, new painted pottery and the use of Cuddapah
stone in buildings. The ceramic industry is variously but richly represented.
To the art historian,
what is of great importance in these excavations is that they have produced
evidence of structural temples in the
A group of nine belongs
to an earlier of two periods. In a later phase three of these temples were
renovated and four added. In the later development two of the earlier fanes and
a newly-erected one were made into one “complex” with a common Mandapa. But it is difficult to follow the authors in what
they say about the plan of some of these temples.
They do not say
explicitly, but suggest, that, like the apsidal plan found in Nagarjunakonda,
the square form also has “its origin” in
These early temples
provide much valuable evidence for the study of the development of rituals,
iconography and constructions. But of the first occurrence of the square
temple, or shrine, not very convincing evidence has been provided in this book.
The Roman coins found in
the excavations belong to the time of Tiberius. So they are not exceptional,
since it is coins of this emperor and his predecessor, Augustus, which have
been found in abundance in
The Maharathis,
whom these excavations bring to clear historical light, were the builders of
the temples noticed. Successors of the Satavahanas in
this part of the
The book contains an
exhaustive study of many kinds of artefact found in
the excavations and, in its way, is a model of its kind. It tells us what kind
of life man led on this part of the
–N. S. RAMASWAMI
History of the
The author of this work
combines in himself both the modern and traditional scholarships in Sanskrit
and philosophy, and is a doughty champion of Madhva
Vedanta. The first edition of this invaluable book received the highest
literary award of the Sahitya Akademi.
This is the second and revised edition.
Herein we have a
systematic survey, from the early beginnings to our times, of the Dvaita philosophy, its literature and Acharyas
in all aspects in historical, chronological, creative, expository,
interpretative, comparative, dialectical and polemical. The learned author
suggests “Swatantra Advitiya
Brahmavaada” as an alternative and more significant
designation for Madhva’s system. All original texts
and commentaries, major and minor printed and unprinted, in Sanskrit, and books
in Indian languages and English on this subject are noticed and reviewed. A
long preface, nine appendices and other additions enhance the usefulness of the work.
An outstanding feature
of this work from the viewpoint of a mere student of philosophy is the
presentation herein, with relevant citations, in a lucid language not only of
the main tenets of the Dvaita philosophy in their
broad outline, but, also some of the dialectical and polemical arguments and
disputes that were couched in terse and technical language in the Dvana classical tests and commentaries in Sanskrit that are
sealed books to non-traditional students. Main drawbacks and defects, according
to the Dvaitins in Shankara’s
monistic thought, and merits in the Dvaita system,
are also pointed out. Thus this will serve as a standard reference book on this
subject to all students of philosophy. Zealous students of Dvaita
in particular and those of Advaita and other faiths
also in general will be highly benefited by a close study of chapters 12-15,
22, 24,29, and 30 and Appendix 5 in particular. The former will be animated to
know more by delving deep into their own classics. The latter will be induced
to armour themselves with more dialectical ammunition
to defend their own system and counter the arguments found herein by studying
more of the Advaitic dialectics. A linguist will be
delighted to note the nuances in the interpretations of the same sentences and
phrases of the Upanishads and other texts. Every good library should make this book available to the
inquisitive students.
–B. KUTUMBA RAO
Sirdar’s Letters: Mostly
Unknown. Edited by G. M. Nandurkar. Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel Smarak Bhavan, Bhadra, Ahmedabad-1. Price: Rs.
30.
This is the third volume
in succession to the two previous volumes of the correspondence of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The contents chiefly deal with the correspondence of the year
1950–the year of the death of the Sardar also.
But some of the significant events had taken place witnessing the remarkable
shrewdness of a statesman and courageous decision of an administrator in the
“Iron Man”, as Sardar was aptly described by those who had watched
his mind and achievements in the post-Independence organisation
of the country starting on its career of a responsible
Certainly no other
person could have completed the unification of the Indian Union by bringing in
the Native States into the fold with such alacrity and swiftness. His chief
merit lay in his determination once formed on a task never afterwards
slackening under any circumstance. As Rajaji so well
put it in a letter published here, “You are destined to save the nation from
this great calamity. This agreement of yours is a glorious achievement greater
than independence. Is not the conquest of evil minds and the conversion of
ill-will and distrust into goodwill and friendliness a bigger achievement than
negotiations with reasonable men...”. The reference is
to the Nehru-Liaqat Agreement which saved
This volume has gathered
many of the less known correspondence in the public view. Reading them only
adds to our admiration and gratitude for the “Iron Man,” for the inestimable
services he had rendered without quail of any opposition either from his own
camp followers of the Congress or from outside. Some of them reveal how much
far-sighted the Sardar had been in his estimate of
the Chinese goodwill towards
These letters will be a
real source of information in understanding the critical period of our
country’s history in the immediate aftermath of the
–K. CHANDRASEKHARAN
The Story of Udavana: By T. R. Rajagopala Aiyar. U. V. Swaminatha Aiyer
Library. Tiruvanmiyur,
This is an eminent
English translation of Udayanan Kaadai published in 1924, by the late M. M. U. V. Swaminatha Aiyar of fragrant
memory. With his indefatigable pursuit of manuscripts of old, the great savant
brought out many a lost work in Tamil literature. The story of Udavana is traced to the Brihat
Katha of Gunadhva in
Sanskrit, where the escapades of this prince had been told with much elaboration. Renowned
poets such as Bhasa and Sriharsha
have drawn upon this same source for their celebrated dramas.
No doubt the Tamil
version has its own attraction for its change of atmosphere and makes the
reader feel the whole as one of its own treasures. The translator has done it
with an eye to keep the simplicity of narration of the Tamil story while at the
flame time not forgetful of the language proving no hurdle to the smoothness of
reading. Though as a story with lots of adventures and happenings of an
unrealistic kind, it may not fully absorb the modern reader’s enthusiasm, still
for the knowledge of the growth of Tamil literature bearing influence of
Sanskrit, its value can no wise be minimised.
The Swaminatha
Aiyar Library has done a good job by publishing the
works in translation of Swaminatha Aiyar.
–K. CHANDRASEKHARAN
Leela: Game of Knowledge: By Harish
Johari. Rupa & Co., 15,
Gyan Chaupad,
game of
knowledge, is to be found in some of the family heritages in parts of U. P. It
is a “game” played with dice and each throw is believed to be influenced by
one’s Karmic legacy. This book gives a modern version of the game, with
detailed explanations of the concepts involved. There is a board with 72
squares interspersed with arrows (leading upwards) and snakes (thrusting
downwards). Each square stands for a particular plane of existence, state of
consciousness, the prevailing guna, etc.
When the principles are understood and the game is played with full awareness,
the player can determine for himself his state of being, the kind of future
that is in store for him and so on.
The author explains: “If
the player lands on square 69, the absolute plane, he cannot reach Cosmic
Consciousness, which is square 68. In that case he has to reach square 72,
where Tamoguna can bring him back to earth, after
which he can reach Cosmic Consciousness by gradual progression or by throwing a
three and reaching spiritual devotion – the direct arrow to Cosmic
Consciousness.”
An exciting game which
is perhaps the ancestor of the present children’s game of snakes and ladders.
– M. P. PANDIT
Desire and Suffering: By Boleslaw
Leitgeber. Writers’ Workshop,
This is an essay on
Eastern and Western views of desire and suffering from a polish-friend of
–G. SRIRAMA MURTHY
Our Duty: H. H. Chandrasekhara Bharati Swamy. Bharatlya Vidya BhavAn,
The collection of ten
essays representing some of the teachings of H. H. Sri Chandrasekhara
Bharati Swamy of Sringeri Sarada Peetham (1892-1954) who was a great scholar and true tapaswin is the second edition issued on the
occasion of the celebration of the Vijayayatra of
their Holinesses Jagadguru Sankaracharya
Sri Abhinava Vidya Teertha Swamy and his successor-designate Sri Bharati Teertha Swamy of Sringeri to Bombay in
1982. The essays were composed in limpid English by a devotee for the benefit
of laymen. In the first chapter “Practical Religion”, the Swamiji
brings out the distinctive features of the Hindu Dharma properly called Sanatana Dharma, and establishes that no other religion is so universal as it. However, he sounds a note of caution
that “it is not uniformly applicable to all mankind and prescribes also special
laws for those among them who are born in this sacred land subject to the
religious discipline based on the caste system. If the Sastras
are our only guide for telling us that a particular line of spiritual conduct
is beneficial we cannot throw them over-bound when they tell us in the same
breath for whom it is beneficial. Our religious and, in fact, any system
which aims at a regulation of conduct, must be based upon the principle of Adhikaara or individual competency.” The Swamiji defines the goal of man’s life as self-realisation which also guarantees permanent happiness. It
is our duty to put effort in that direction though the goal may not be reached
in a lifetime. He exhorts us not to be lost in the maze of metaphysical
speculations regarding Jeeva, Jagat and Isvara and live a purposeful
life here and now as ordained by our Sastras. With a
remarkable clarity of thought and expression, the Swamiji
discusses all important metaphysical problems as fate and free-will, the nature
of inner self, the role of God, Sastras in man’s
tireless efforts to accumulate Punya and attain Moksha. As a simple guide for
right living and thought, the book is most welcome.
–Dr. G. SRIRAMA MURTHY
Rta-Psychology Beyond
Freud: By
Nirmal Kumar. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,
Bombay-7. Price: Rs. 45.
Yaska and other ancient
commentators declared and illustrated how Vedas and Puranas
can be interpreted in three ways. The learned author of the book under review,
probed deep into the interpretations of the Vedas and the Upanishads, etc., and
evolved a system of Vedic psychology for the first time. Constituents of
Psychology are discussed in separate chapters in the first part. The problem of
disintegration and chaos in human personality from a few important angles is
presented. Reintegration is taken up in the third part and the remedies
recommended by our ancient seers are discussed.
Discovery of a system of
Vedic and Upanishadic psychology and its presentation
on modern lines is the first and foremost contribution of this author. A separate chapter is devoted to discuss the
difference between the psychology of our ancient masters and that of Freud.
Here and throughout the work, the author has shown where Freud has gone wrong
and hence failed and where our ancient masters have gone beyond Freud and
succeeded. This is the second and marvellous contribution
of the author. Ills and evils that are eating into the vitals of the modern
society all over the world, and in all fields are pointed out, and remedies
based on the Vedic psychology – Advaitic Knowledge,
Love and Sacrifice with its psychological significance are clearly suggested.
Adherence to “Rta” in short is prescribed as a
panacea. This is the third and constructive contribution of the author to this
ailing society. On the whole this work not only challenges but corrects Freud’s
psychology, and presents Vedic psychology for the first time in modern terms.
The book deserves a serious study by persons of all avocations, and they are
sure to be richly rewarded by that.
–B. KUTUMBA RAO
Monarch of Rhythm (A biography of A. Narayana Das): By Dr. G. Sreerama
Murthy. Published by Smt. Karra Syamala Devi,
Syamala Nagar,
This is an excellent
biography of Adibhatta Narayana
Das, a multifaceted genius of renascent Andhra. Narayana
Das, a household name in Andhra, was a combination of unusual faculties of
music, literature, scholarship, wit and wisdom, a philosophy of life and a
flare for all that is true, good and beautiful. As an innovator-exponent of Harikatha (a musical, religious and literary discourse) he
was peerless. He was a rare genius in music who blended Karnatic
and Hindustani styles and earned kudos from men of eminence like Rabindranath Tagore and performed
feats like demonstration of Panchamukhi Tala and Dasavidha Raganavati. As a writer, Das has to his credit many
valuable works. He was an Avadhani. He could sway
thousands of audiences and transport them into the realms of aesthetic pleasure
by dint of his talent in Harikatha. He had a deep
sense of spiritualism. Pitfalls like hedonism and wayward life notwithstanding,
Das’s, life and achievements are unparalelled.
Dr. Sreerama
Murthy’s biography of the great man, master and
maestro, runs like a poem. Flare for idiomatic and colourful
narration, objectivity and sense of involvement in the subject make this easily
one of the best biographies.
–DR. DHARA RAMANADHA SASTRY
Bapu: By G. D. Birla. Translated by P. Lal. Writers’ Workshop’
Calcutta-44. Price: Rs. 10.
G. D. Birla is one of those blessed people who had the rare
privilege of enjoying the company and confidence of Mahatma Gandhi. This is a
talk, originally delivered in Hindi, under the auspices of Sangeetakala
Mandir. Calcutta, on 24th December 1981, long after
the Mahatma was dead and gone, when he himself was in his 83rd year. (He passed away
last year in England) He had already published a book In the Shadow of the
Mahatma: A Personal Memoir (1968) and his correspondence with the great
soul entitled Bapu: A Unique Association (4
vols. 1977) from which an intimate picture of the Mahatma emerges. The present
volume is not a book deliberately written but an extempore talk in which he
presents the human side of the superhuman hero through a series of interesting
anecdotes. The author has no use for the public life of the Mahatma. He asserts
“It’s true that Gandhi was the originator of Satyagraha Movement. It is also
true that he brought us independence. But the important thing to remember is
that he gave us a new direction and a special quality of inspiration. That
direction and that inspiration will survive for thousands of years. Satyagraha
and independence are secondary matters.” We must be grateful to Gandhi for his
fresh interpretation of the Gita with a
heavy stress on Anasaktiyoga; for his
message of fearlessness and above all for his open-mindedness and rich
humanity. Birla, unlike Jawaharlal Nehru, observes
Gandhi with awe and unquestioning faith. Hence here emerges a picture of the
Mahatma untouched by personal
predilection and criticism. The talk is studded with many a poetic quotation
and gentle humour. P. Lal
has given us an elegant and readable translation.
- Dr. G. SRIRAMA MURTHY
White Darkness and Other Poems: By Shyam
Singh Shashi. Price: Rs.
20.
When Grief Rains: By T. Vasudeva Reddy. Price: Rs. 15.
Day in and Day out: By Banshidhar
Sarangi. Price: Rs. 15.
Charm and Chastity and Other Poems: By Clement Eswar. Price: Rs. 20. The above
four volumes are published by Samkaleen Prakashan, 2762. Rajguru Marg. Paharganj, New
Delhi-110055.
Flowers are Bleeding: By Somesh
Dasgupta: Price: Rs. 20.
Melody of Wounds: By Nar
Deo Sharma. Price: Rs. 20.
Roopali: By Dinesh
Chibber. Price: Rs. 30.
The above three volumes
are published by Writers Workshop. 162/92, Lake Gardens. Calcutta-700 045.
In the current
poetry-deluge from Indians, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find any
flame of poetic fire. There is plenty of wordy versification which illumes
neither the reader nor, perhaps, the author himself. But the poses struck by
these poets vary from the sublime to the ridiculous. Consider Shyam Singh Shashi who confesses
that he scribbles “my imagination on paper during my leisure moments.” Lo!
these “scribblings” some of them originally
scribbled in Hindi – are offered to us as an olla-podrida of sex (both individual and group
varieties, if you please!) and idiocy. More sober in the selection of his
themes, T. Vasudeva Reddy, however, offers a mere jug
of sour cream:
“Eating in the hotel of my heart
fired in the penitential
fire
when shall I come to you
to place
The remnant of my heart at
your feet?”
Indeed, Banshidhar Sarangi’s Oriya poems
are confessional jottings that appear drab in their English garb. Clement Eswar can get away from the ‘I’, and if he chooses to write
seriously on the human situation, he can do fairly well:
“O Butterfly ..
butterfly,
Where will you go?
No plants or flowers to
show.
Concrete buildings are
high,
We cut off all to throw.
And no place to grow
Baby to beetroot we know
To produce in
test-tubes, you go.”
Calcutta is too much
with Somesh Dasgupta and we
are given interesting vignettes of the megacity.
Despite so many writers seeking to know its inmost secrecy of survival,
Calcutta retains her aura of mystery:
“Ah Calcutta! city of
slums and skyscrapers
you have Seen bullet,
fire and youth’s rage.
Ideas and feelings
together make your mystery,
unravelled, a winding maze.”
Nar Deo
Sharma shows great promise in Melody of Wounds. Biting sarcasm is his specialty and the evils of
the Hindu society are attacked relentlessly by his scalding pen.
“After a great loss
It dawned on you
That borrowed raiments
of foreign cultures
Remain loose or skimpy,
The shoes of alien
traditions
Always pinch the wearers.”
“Roopali
is his wife and his second book of poems.” Such is the Writers Workshop introduction
to Dinesh Chibber. An army
officer, he has not let his poetic veins to be clogged up and poems like
“Second Strike” to are
grimly prophetic. One hopes he would take up a challenging subject and give us
a long poem on the inhumanness of man-made war-machinery.
–Dr. PREMA NANDAKUMAR
HINDI
Annamacharya Aur
Surdas, Samaj Shastriya Adhyayan: By Dr. M. Sangamesam.
Copies available with the author at 18-3-56, Shanti Nagar, K. T. Road, Tirupati -
517501. Price: Rs. 50.
Dr. Sangamesam’s
doctoral thesis on the sociological study of the literature of Anamacharya and Surdas is a
substantial contribution to the field of comparative literature. It brings
together two celebrated personalities separated by distance, language and the
social background, but culturally united. Dr. N. B. Subbannacharya
is right in his observation that this research work is a crucial and
significant contribution to methodology as well as interpretative exposition of
the on-going experience of the spiritual varieties of Indian culture. Indeed it covers a wide range of
human behaviour in two different parts of our country
inhabited by the two distinguished personalities, Annamacharya
in Tirupati and Surdas in Madhura.
While going through the
pages of this book one cannot but feel elevated to find the basic unity of our
country in spite of the apparent diversities. The concept of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha, the four components of the quadrangle of life, have
been dealt with in the first chapter of the book from a sociological point of
view with a pleasant accent on Indian tradition. The social structure prevalent
in those days and the attitude of the two celebrities towards society received
a masterly treatment in the hands of Dr. Sangamesam.
Even from the purely
secular point of view the present work presents an interesting account of the
social customs like marriage, joint family, food habits, garments and
ornaments, education, sports, etc. Dr. Sangamesam
tried to illustrate in these pages, the glorious and the scintillating past and
the expression coming from a person who has tried to assimilate the philosophy
of two saints, in particular, and of all saints in general, is particularly
refreshing and revealing.
One more feature about
the work is the command of the author over Hindi language which is not his
mother-tongue. It is, however, not surprising to find such masterly expression
in Dr. Sangamesam who has dedicated his whole life to
the cause of Hindi and has tried to bridge the gulf between two language communities. In this respect
it is a contribution not only to literature but also to national integration
resulting, of course, in the appreciation of human values in the right
perspective.
–Dr. I. PANDURANGA RAO
TELUGU
Cheppukodagga Manushulu
(Men
and Women that Matter): By Devulapalli Prabhakara Rao.. Sri Andal Prachuranalu, 3-4-529/12/7, Lingampally,
Hyderabad. Price: Rs. 35.
Portrait-painting in
Telugu in the manner of modern writing does not have a long history, nor are
there many writers in Telugu who speciallsed in this
art and brought out the collections of their pen-portraits with the exception
of Mr. Tirumala Ramachandra.
As if to fill up this gap, Mr. Devulapalli Prabhakara Rao has brought this collection of 125 of his
portraits done week by week to feed a Telugu Weekly named “Prajatantra”
which no more exists. These sketches relate to politicians and party bosses,
beads of states and governments, administrators and chiefs of institutions,
legal luminaries and jurists, litterateurs and scholars, actors and actresses,
singers and musicians, artists and film directors, journalists and cartoonists,
scientists and industrialists, Sarvodaya leaders and
social workers belonging to all the continents.
In these pen-portraits,
Mr. Prabhakara Rao, apart from providing brief
biographical details, highlights the career of the persons in the fields in
which they carved out a niche for themselves and assesses the personality both
from within and without bringing out their human questions in the historical
process. Since the author kept himself to current events. while writing these
sketches, historical personalities such as Gandhiji,
Jawaharlal Nehru, Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin do not find a place in this
collection and even when he chose to write about a person who is not in the
news very much, he picked up only contemporary living persons talking about
whom, one finds relevance in the present day context. Students of current
affairs and budding journalists will find the volume a very useful one.