REVIEWS
Memories
and
Musings: By K. P. S. Menon. Allied
Publishers P. Ltd.,
K. P. S. Menon, so well-known to
readers almost everywhere, has in this very attractive volume collected some of
his writings which had appeared serially in dailies and journals. The remarkable
thing about his writings is that they reveal an intimacy with many of the
happenings in both
In this volume of nearly 345 pages,
we find the matter is divided into sections with headings which by themselves are
sufficient to whet the increasing appetite of the consumer who had already
tasted of his wholesome fare in earlier books of his such as Many Worlds,
Yesterday and Today, etc. Hardly allowing us to pause in our eagerness to
gain more of both knowledge of international affairs as well as our own country’s
progressive period of activities, he necessarily makes the reading something of
an autobiography with little to irk us of his achievements, especially when
they contain instruction for our profit and understanding of human nature.
The Musings which are at the end
seem not confined only to these pages under the title, but express themselves
in many places, adding much juice of a literary kind to a narrative which could
otherwise have been more a diary of his. While they were read in dailies like
the Indian Express, Swarajya and other journals, they showed how much of
an ability to retain the interest of the reader his articles were. In book-form
they retain to us the same enjoyment of his perspicacious observations and none-too-worn-out
quotations from other literary sources. Maybe in some places editing could have
been done to avoid repetitions of references to events which had found a place
in separate articles at the time of their first appearance in journals.
–K.
CHANDRASEKHARAN
Some Tame Gazelle: By
Barbara Pym (Jonathan Cafe,
This
English novel reminds us easily of the earlier writers such as Jane Austen and
Mrs. Gaskell though, of course, with the difference that Jane Austen could not
be copied or imitated in her subtle ironies or discernment of snobberies of
elegant “societies.” Still, for the harmless pleasure of noticing weaknesses
born of attempts at conforming to sophisticated society and its ceaseless
demands on peoples’ nerves, we have here plenty of opportunity for enjoyment of
a world revolving on its own axis of inconceivable comical situations.
Two
spinster sisters are the main characters whose meeting with Bishops,
Archdeacons and Curates form the chief occupation for them. Yet for the
formalities they indulge in and the frequent “Teas” and “Suppers” they arrange
for entertaining the new arrivals in their small place,
provide us no end of enjoyable occasions for harmless laughter. In between, we
come across so many details of dishes and food preparations that unless we are
also familiar with the names, our understanding of the points for humour may escape us. Next are the sartorial make-ups and
fashionable set-ups, most of which may by themselves
create a lot of good material for raillery, if only we have a knowledge of
Western fashions and their suitable outfits for specific occasions.
We
can indeed select passages revealing the capacity of the delicate
writer’s confidence in evoking our smiles at some of the indiscretions, inadjustabilities and unavoidable idiosyncracies
of people moving in “society.”
On
the whole, we feel no strain in savouring of the
concerns of little minds, though of a foreign clime.
–K.
CHANDRASEKHARAN
Essays in
Criticism and Comparative Poetics: By Prof. K. Viswanatham,
The
book under review is a fine collection of scholarly and critical essays on a
wide range of topics, including comparative poetics. There are three sections
in the book. Section A: “On Literature, Section B: “On Comparative Poetics”,
and Section C: “On Literary Topics.” The first two are in the category of
literary criticism proper; the last one is a mixed bag covering such
miscellaneous themes as translation, language controversy, academic research,
“Shakespeare in Telugu”, etc.
The
chief merit of this book is that it exemplifies the occasional gains and
rewards a comparative critical approach can yield: that it is not only
profitable but even desirable for English teachers to look at the
Western theories or literary texts in relation to our cultural and critical
contexts. Professor Viswanatham’s forte, as a
scholar-critic, is his remarkable ability to get to the core of English and
Sanskrit texts and to see their essentials in a comparative perspective. He can
quote from the relevant Sanskrit works with a familiarity and understanding
rarely possessed by other English teachers in
The
author’s objectivity and critical acumen are seen at their best in his two essays,
“Sri Aurobindo on Shakespeare” and “Sri Aurobindo and
Comparative Criticism.” Refusing to be overawed by Sri Aurobindo’s
immense stature as a thinker and writer, he points out how the great Indian
could also be quite uncritical at times in showing an undue preference for Shelleyan lines: “Life like a dome of many-coloured glass/Stains the White radiance of Eternity” over
Shakespeare’s “... it is a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury ...”
Another gem is, “Nature in Kalidasa and Shakespeare”. He observes: “Both the
poets have a wide sympathy, a wonderful eye for Nature: ... in both is nature immortalised in metaphor and simile … But the eloquent
expression of ‘unity of life’ We find in Kalidasa,
rooted as he is in Indian tradition, is not to be expected in Shakespeare” (p.
361).
Some
essays are not only full of rare critical insights but rare bits of information
too. This reviewer profited from Professor Viswanatham’s
sensitive appraisal of Thornton Wilder’s work and was
delighted to learn that the American novelist’s imagination was so much
captivated by Gandhian idealism that one entire novel
was based on the Gandhian kind of saintliness (Heaven
is My Destination). As the author rightly remarks about this novel: “It is
recommended to all Indians. It is given to an American to write a fine novel
about Gandhism; it is regrettable that no Indian has succeeded in writing a
great poem or a successful novel about Gandhiji’ (p. 255).
Admittedly, the most perceptive essays, from the standpoint of literary theory, are such fine pieces on comparative poetics as “Pratibha and Imagination”, “Tragedy and Sanskrit Drama”, etc., in Section B of this volume. The author’s unique gift of “inwardness” is seen to its best advantage here. Clinching the discussion on the paradox of tragic pleasure, he observes:
What
gives us pain in life should give us pain in poetry and drama too. Pain is pain
and does not vanish but is supplanted by a sense of thrill or pleasure, just as
in love sport though the lady is subjected to undue violence by the lover she
derives pleasure only. Statements of like import are found in Prataparudriyam and Abhinavagupta…
(p. 411)
Outside
Sanskrit poetics, the equivalent of this pleasurable pain is stated in
Cleopatra’s words: “The stroke of death is as a lover’s pinch / That hurts and is desired.” Professor Viswanatham
extends the implications of this analogy to tragic pleasure: tragedy hurts but
is desired. “Pity and fear are purged or eliminated by a
feeling of admiration for these tragic heroes” (p. 412).
The
same inwardness helps the author to define Dhvani
as a complex and cumulative process of creativity: “Dhvani
is also named variously: dhvanana (echoing),
gamana (implication), protynyana (acquainting), dyotana
(illuminating), vyanjana (revealing.)
Dhvani is
a great Act of Renunciation on the part of words and meanings ... in the
interests of a more compelling beauty” (p. 468). Later, what Dhvani stands for is clarified by linking it
with Eliot’s auditory imagination: “Dhvani like Eliot’s
Auditory Imagination exploits the phonetic and the romantic, the diachronic and
the synchronic wealth of words” (p. 478). In the same essay, the Indian concept
of “Rasa” is lucidly explicated with an apt citation from Eliot’s verse: “Rasa
is: Music heard so deeply / That it is not
heard at all but you are the music / While it lasts” (p. 460).
The
only complaint this reviewer has against this stupendous scholarly volume is
about its “inclusiveness.” It is being suggested in good faith that Professor Viswanatham should consider the possibility of bringing out
his excellent pieces on comparative poetics and comparative criticism in a
separate handy edition so that it may reach a wider and discriminating kind of
reading public both abroad and in this country. The book is, doubtless, a
valuable addition to the already impressive tradition of Indian scholarship and
criticism and recommends itself as a model of comparative approach to the young
aspiring Indian scholar-critics.
–DR. A.
JANAKIRAM
Contemporary Indian
Philosophy: By Basant Kumar Lal. Motilal Banarsidas,
On
a perusal of the book, one would readily agree that it has largely succeeded in
dispelling the impression, wherever it may be current, that “contemporary
Contemporary
Indian thought is characterised by a sublime
humanism, which is not exhausted by any self-sufficient humanitarian emphasis
or an over-emphasis on the achivements of science and
technology, but would comprehend within its scope the deep-seated and enduring
aspirations of man seeking to exceed himself in his spiritual dimensions. It
offers a corrective to modern psychology in holding that the relevance of human
desires does not lie in their fulfilment as
desires but in their inherent incapacity to fulfil
themselves, thus leading every apparent satisfaction to a deeper discontent and
shaping it into a perennial aspiration at the core. It stretches reason to its
utmost limits, as if to show that “thought expires in experience.” These
features are evident throughout in the contemporary Indian philosophers, a
representative section of whose thought is here given compendiously in seven
lucid chapters. They serve to show that neither existentialism nor humanism,
not even the abstract delights of a total absorption in conceptual analysis, is
really foreign to modern Indian thought. That there is no genuine dichotomy
between the temporal and the eternal, that one is intended to blossom forth
into the other, is a characteristic consensus of the theme of the philosophers
listed here from Vivekananda to Iqbal. The exposition
of the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo would, in this behalf, particularly satisfy
both the scholar and the layman alike.
It
was really very thoughtful of the author to have included two apparently
opposite approaches, those of Rabindranath Tagore and Krishnachandra
Bhattacharya, the former with its blend of poetry and humanism and the
realisation of the Infinite-in-the-finite as Beauty, and the latter with its
philosophy of Theoretic Consciousness and its analysis of the notion of
subjectivity. When we look at “this picture and on that,” we would see how
significant mysticism is to modern Indian thought, no less than to the ancient.
–PROF. K.
SESHADRI
The Icon: By
Kurt Weitzmann. (Chatto & Windus,
The
sound and meaning of the word and the appearance and feeling of the form, have
been, from time immemorial casting their influences over the human mind. Every
form is not an icon, but every icon is a form. Icon means an image and yet a
sacred image alone is considered to be an icon. The art of making of icons is
called iconography; those who worship the icons are known as iconodules while those who destroy the icons are
iconoclasts.
The
present volume is a scholarly exposition of icons from the sixth to the
fourteenth centuries. The author Kurt Weitzmann is
Professor Emeritus of Art and Archaeology at
“However,
as the icon ascended to a central position in the Eastern Church it encountered
wild opposition. The traditional forces considered the worship of icons to be
idolatry, which they thought they had overcome in their fight against paganism.
Moreover, a widespread aversion to the representation of the human form was
rooted in the Jewish heritage of early Christianity as expressed in the Fourth
Commandment, ‘Thou shalt not make unto thee any
graven image...’ (Exodus 20:4). In the fourth century the zealous Bishop Epiphanios of
The
icon, overcoming the strong antagonism, had been able to save its existence.
Icons were made in several media–wood, stone, marble, ivory, etc, either in
gold or in white. The icon paintings are in two dimensions in presentation and
holy themes in representation. These paintings were done in line and flat colouring devoid of three-dimensional modelling
and perspective. Gold was freely used either in the background or in depicting
the figures.
“In
the course of the eleventh century, the classicising
mode of the Macedonian Renaissance (Plate 11) gradually gave way to a style
which exhibited a preference for a smaller figure scale and a more dematerialised rendering of the human body. Concurrently,
painting assured a dominant role, as it was more fitting for the expression of
an ascetic ideal. Monasticism in general and the mysticism of monks such as Symeon the New Theologion were
the main forces behind these stylistic changes. The delicate painting with its
often minute dematerialised figures –of which the
calendar icons (Plate 17), the representations of the Heavenly Ladder of John Climacus (Plate 25), and the Miracle of Saint Michael in Chone (Plate 22), are characteristic – very closely
resembles miniature paintings. In these as well as many similar instances a
good case can be made for the argument that, indeed, icon and miniatures were
produced in the same workshop by the same hand.”
The
present volume contains text written by a living scholar of our times while the
colour reproductions are of the paintings executed by the painters of yore who
are no more. The Icon is a book of unusual wisdom and unbound beauty.
–SANJIVA DEV
The Book of
Divination: By Christine Smith (Rider & Company). B. I.
Publications, Promotions Department, 359,
This
work is a valuable introduction to the methods and arts of divination. Eliphas Levi is quoted as saying “Imagination in effect is
like the soul’s eye; therein forms are outlined and preserved, thereby we
behold the reflections of the invisible world; it is the glass of visions and
the apparatus of magic life.” The authoress advises in the first chapter
entitled “On meditation and divination” as follows – “Allow man’s mind to
journey without restraint beyond the conventional limits he has come to accept.
It is then perfectly feasible to credit the ability to change ill luck, to cure
disease and to have the power to communicate with animal and plant life all by
the potency of the mind” Meditation is a means to develop the mental potencies
and imaginative power and in the first chapter a very simple process of
meditation together with cautions and warnings is indicated. The other nine chapters
deal with oneiromancy and crystalomancy,
cleromancy, astrology, Chinese astrology, numerology,
taseography, radiesthesia, cartomancy, and chcirognomy and cheiromancy. All these methods of divination are even now practised in all parts of the world in some form or the
other, and are found to be of some use.
It
may be of some interest to note here that radiosthesia
is resorted by medical men in Western countries to
diagnose a disease and decide upon the remedies also. Eric F. W. Powell a Homotopath in his work “The Group Remedy Prescriber” refers to the “de la warr
diagnostic instrument for diagnosis and remedy selection” and observes that he
found the instrument testifying to his selection of remedies. In all the above
chapters the authoress suggests hints for practising
the systcms and “suggests interpretations for the
many symbols and auguries that the practitioner will find presented for
consideration.” Thus this work is of some use to a layman also. In the last
chapter she lists and writes short notes upon many systems of fortune-telling
that have fallen into disuse now.
This
work serves both as an introduction to the arts of divination and also as a
preliminary guide and stepping-stone to the practice thereof.
–B. KUTUMBA RAO
Vedic Metaphysics: By
Jagadguru Swami Shri
Bharati Krishna Tirthji Maharaj.
Motilal Banarasidas, jawaharnagar, Delhi-7, Price: Rs.
60.
This
is an extensive report of the talks and interviews given by the late H. H.
Shankaracharya Bharati Krishna Tirtha of Puri in
In
his discussion with the historian, Dr. Arnold Toynbee, he speaks strongly for
peace, but not peace at any cost. He calls for peace with honour
and impliedly admits the necessity of the Kurukshetra
spirit when Evil is at large. He soothes the American sentiment by refuting the
usual charge that Americans are a worldly and unspiritual people. He recalls
their history and draws attention to the fact that they have had their own high
ethical and spiritual standards. He appreciates the contribution of the West in
science and technology which are also evolutes of the growing human
consciousness.
Explaining
the importance of Vedic Metaphysics, he states: “Four hundred, five hundred
steps of working necessary at the present time according to the present are
saved, and answers for big mathematical problems can be had in a line or two of
working alone (by following the Sutras of the Veda).”
His
explanation of the term mithya (P. 242)
as neither true nor false but unreal is something to be pondered over. His
clarifications of the concepts of reincarnation, Karma, Yoga,
–M. P. PANDIT
Yoga Unveiled: By
U. A. Asrani (Part 1). Price: Rs.
25.
Yoga as Philosophy and
Religion: By Surendranath Das
Gupta. Price: Rs. 35.
A Study of Yoga: By
Jajneshwar Ghosh. Price:
Rs.45.
Published
by Motilal Banarasidas, Jawaharnagar, Delhi-7.
Dr.
Asrani approaches Yoga as a lifelong quest of Truth,
truth of life and of God. A physicist by profession, he has sought Philosophy
in Science and Science in Yoga. After thirty-five years of this intense pursuit
he had his first climactic encounter with a high yogic objective in a jail
where he had been confined on political grounds. It appears a
highly disturbing news of his domestic front reached him one day and he
got very vexed. However, the next morning, he woke up with a totally new state
of being, absolute unconcern, complete detachment and peace. This state continued
for over two days and radically changed his life. The state has been
coming over him from time to time, but not established itself. Certain yogic
techniques, Mantrajapa, induce that state but our
author is not in favour of such “inducements.” He has
been researching ever since on the implications and possible application of
this “Sthitaprajna” state for mental therapy. He is
now in his eighties and the present volume is a collection of his studies in
this direction. His forte is Jnanayoga and he
believes in its possibilities for reducing the tensions and curing a number of
psychosomatic illnesses.
Dr.
S. N. Das Gupta, the noted Professor of Philosophy, is more interested in the
“philosophical, psychological, cosmological, ethical and religious doctrines”
underlying yogic practices. He studies, with this point of view, the Rajayoga of Patanjali as
explained by Vachaspati and Vijnanabhikshu
(mainly), compares it with other systems of thought and establishes its
affinity to the Samkhya. The treatise is more
metaphysical than practical in its appeal and should be of use to students of
philosophy.
Dr.
Jajneshwar Ghosh’s Study
of Yoga first appeared in 1933 and the present is a revised edition of the
same. The writer received valuable instructions from Samkhya-Yogacharya
Sri Hariharananda Aranya
and his close knowledge of the several commentaries on the Sutras of Patanjali ensures a fresh interpretation of the several
concepts involved in the system. The scope and spirit of Yoga,
Self-consciousness and Intelligence, the Mind, Nature, Discipline of Yoga are
the headings of the four chapters of this learned exposition. It is terse and
calls for concentrated study. The author’s disagreements on important points
with philosophers like William James from the West, and Radhakrishnan from the
East are well reasoned and merit attention.
Each
of these books on Yoga has something special to offer all together they cover a
very wide ground.
–M. P. PANDIT
Studies in History of
Buddhism: Edited by A. K. Narain.
B. R. Publishing Corporation, 461, Vivekanand Nagar,
Delhi-52. Price: Rs. 180.
Here
is a good collection of research papers presented at the International
Conference on the History of Buddhism at the
The
very purpose of organising the conference and
collecting these papers was “to discuss problems relating to the history of
Buddhism, in a transnational and cross-cultural perspective, incorporating the
inputs from the various sub-disciplines of Buddhist study.” The conference
brought international scholars devoted to the study of Buddhiam
from diverse disciplinary backgrounds as philosophy, religion, history,
politics, sociology, anthropology, art, history, archaeology, language and
literature for the first time together round the table. Almost fifty per cent
of the papers deal with
In
the words of the Editor whose paper stands first in the collection
(Introductory paper with the title: “Toward a New History of Buddhism”), it is
mentioned: “Buddhism has so far persisted for about 2,500 years, and during
this period it has undergone profound and radical changes. Its history can
conveniently be divided into four periods. The first period is that of the old
Buddhism which largely coincided with the Hinayana.
The second is marked by the rise of the Mahayana, the third by that of Tantra... This brings us to about 1000 A. D. After that
Buddhism no longer renewed itself, but just persisted, and the thousand years
can be taken together as the fourth period.” It is further sub-divided into
seven sub-periods for the convenience of the reader.
Some
of the views expressed by the Editor need
reconsideration. For example: “It is not unlikely that some of the innovative
ideas in the Upanishads owe their origin to the Sramanik
sources. But, of course, credit must also go to the enlightened liberal
elements among the Indianised Aryans for such a
fruitful interaction.” The Indo-Aryan theory itself is in want of evidence.
Besides, it should be understood that Buddhism, as a religion was not known by
Buddha or his followers of the immediate centuries. Such views that are purely
personal can always be honoured by many if not
accepted by all. We whole-heartedly enjoy, appreciate and feel the richness of
information in this collection. It is highly commendable that the major share
of the output is impersonal, informative and illuminating. We commend the book
to the seekers of truth and research scholars.
–Dr. E.
KRISHNAMACHARYA
The
Collected Poems of P. Lal. Price:
Rs. 20.
The Man of Dharma and
the Rasa of Silence, A Long Poem: By P. Lal. Price: Rs. 10.
The Bhagavad Gita, Transcreated
by P. Lal. New Edition. Price: Rs.
10.
All
the above volumes are published by Writers Workshop,
A
quarter century ago, P. Lal burst upon us as a whirring brain and sensibility
enraged simultaneously in editing, translating, (“transcreating”),
lecturing on and writing poetry. His Writers Workshop venture was to make a
definite impact on poetry circles in Indo-Anglia. His early attack (in
collaboration with Raghavendra Rao) on earlier
masters like Manmohan, Sri Aurobindo and Sarojini Naidu at least drew some
attention to the new school of denigration and its own poetic exploits. While
they didn’t succeed in any way diminishing the stature of the earlier Masters,
the Workshop poets proliferated in Indo-Anglia and some one hundred or more
“poets” have appeared under the Workshop imprint alone. It can hardly be
doubted that P. Lal has given a push to and even sustained in some measure the
current renaissance in Indo-English poetry.
The
publisher and publicist in Lal should not, however, obscure the poet himself.
It is true that in recent years he has been devoting more and more of his time
to the stupendous task of “transcreating” the entire Mahabharata
into English, and already over 100 fascicules have come out. The
Collected Poems is itself a reminder of his unupholstered
poetry that spoke to us over a period of years with a rare directness and
force. A few familiar images (spiders, roses, bees, sparrows) return again and
again reviving old memories:
“Love
like a flower
Has roots that reach
Beyond
fragrance, beyond power
Of loving speech.”
Rationed volumes of
verse were appearing throughout the ’Sixties and ’Seventies at regular
intervals. World-wide travel has also had no effect on his poetry, tinging it with an agreeable internationalism. Feelings are
gently smothered by details of strange places and stranger findings. A Boeing
707 flight, a sculptured figurine, a romance that speaks of a snake’s marriage
to a human maid: Lal is precise and pleasing always. The Collected Poems also
includes selections from The Man of Dharma.
This
new poem is obviously the result of Lal’s near-total
involvement in the Mahabharata. His introduction itself is something of
an experience;
“I
take Yudhishthira as an authority-conscious, troubled
man, given to rationalism and self-justification, indulging frequently in
arrogant humility and corrosive self-pity. He is in intriguing ways a symbol of
modern man, a kind of latter-day job...”
Lal makes Yudhishthira
experience the “otherness” of the eight Rasas (Sringara,
Hasya, Krodha, Soka, Vira, Bhaya,
Bhibhatsa and Adbhuta) till
he arrives at silence (Santa). The poem winds through the doubts of Yudhishthira, the sorrow of Karna
and the manifestations of Shakti at home and on the
battlefield to arrive at silence, a Rasa which is actually beyond experience.
Not the senses, nor the intellect, can feel this Rasa. Lal finds the necessity for physical death to reach
this, which is rather surprising. And Lal isn’t right in equating silence with
Santa.
With
“When will your children not feed
On scraps in the
festal dustbin? Beloved city,
When will the innocent famine in
your children’s hearts
Not show in their eyes?”
He touches upon live characters from
various classes who populate the city. The well-to-do executive, the dubious
poet, the spiritualist, the rickshaw-puller, the Purohit,
the prostitute on the city supreme!
The present reprint of P. Lal’s conversationally elegant translation of the Bhagavad
Gita contains a new introduction which deals with the basic problem: How to
reconcile
–Dr. PREMA NANDAKUMAR
Lesser Known Forms of
Performing Arts in
A process of creative introspection
is the necessary preparation for artistic activity. Traditional art induces
such an introspection. Indian art is an enthralling
and fascinating repository of such tradition. It is now generally accepted,
that our art of the future has to be built on tradition, and this requires an
emotional conviction about its worth. The book under review presents a
bird’s-eye-view of the value of this tradition by compiling short studies of
our lesser known forms of performing arts. In this volume, 23 authors have
dealt with 23 different art-forms found in different States of India. They
cover Koodiyattam, Thottam,
Yathrakali, Thullal and Mohino Attam of Kerala; Jatra and the Mask dance of Bengal; the Song of Haryana; the Gotipua, the Mahari, the Karma and Sahi Yarra of Orissa; the Tamasha and Powada of Maharashtra; the Ankiya
Nat of Assam; Nautanki of the Hindi-speaking belt; Devanarayan Ki Par of Rajasthan;
Paintings of Mahila; the Veedhi Bhagavatham
of Andhra; Yakshagana Baylata of Karnataka; the
Dhrupad of the North; the Chau Nacha
of Orissa, Bengal and Bihar; and the Shadow Theatre of North India.
The guiding principle of the
contributors has been to trace the origin and history of a particular art-form,
its growth, its main aspects, its transformations, and also the socio-economic
factors behind its decay. The editor has done a commendable job in bringing
together such a variety of subjects under one book. This approach will help the
inter-change of ideas on art among connoisseurs in different parts of
The book rightly begins with Koodiyattam, the surviving form of Sanskrit drama, which is
extant only in Kerala at present. However, D. Appukuttan
Nair has dealt with the subject in a very perfunctory manner. Koodiyattam has religio-mystic
overtones, and is a symbolic interpretation of the Vedic Yajna
through the Aharya, Angika
and Vachika aspects of art. Till recent times this
art was performed only on the Natyagrihas of temples.
This central theme of Koodiyattam has been lost sight
of by the author. The article leans heavily only on the satirical aspect of the
art, which has its origin in the folk-medium. The author has also failed to
mention the influence of Koodiyattam on Kathakali,
the dance-drama of Kerala.
Dr. V. Raghavan
presents a small, but succinct treatise on the Veethi
Bhagavatham of Andhra. He makes an effective plea for
its revival. The articles on Yathra-kali by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar,
and on Thullal by Dr V. S. Sharma adequately bring
out the main features of those art-forms. K. S. Upadhyaya’s
article on Yakshagana Baylata does
ample justice to that art of Karnataka, revived by the efforts of Dr. Sivaram Karanth. The
Jatra and Mask dances of
The printing and get up are
excellent. The book has only seven illustrations. One would wish there was at
least one illustration on each art-form. The book on the whole is, indeed, a
laudable effort.
–P. T. NARENDRA
MENON
Twentieth Century
American Criticism: Edited by Rajnath.
Interest in the wide range of
American studies is generated and sustained by the workshops and
seminars liberally funded by the American agencies like the U. S.
After the rapid marches in the
fields of linguistics, psychology, sociology and anthropology, to which both
writers and critics are increasingly exposed, literature, especially criticism,
can no longer be an exercise in isolation. Inevitably, criticism draws from and
contributes to advances in the related areas of human endeavour. The
comprehensive survey of American criticism between 1910 and 1949 by Prof. Kohili provides a backdrop for the specific
interdisciplinary approaches analysed by the other
participants. Prof. Jonathan Culler traces the significant movements in
American criticism from 1940 to 1974. Richard Ellmann,
in two well-documented papers, explores the interaction between biography and
criticism. Prof. P. S. Sastry examines the
Neo-Aristotelian theory in relation to the mimetic mode in lyric poetry. The
role of linguistic analysis in literary criticism is assessed by Jonathan
Culler, Chaudhury Harischandra
and Prof. Kelkar, while Prof. S. Nagarajan
looks at some themes in the later work of I. A. Richards. Sections
5, 6 and 7 deal with the sociological, theological, psychological and
anthropological contexts of literary criticism. Special mention may be
made of the evaluation of myth-criticism by Prof. B. Das
and an examination of the tie-up between religion and literature in The
Family Reunion by Prof. M. K. Naik. The last
section is devoted to a study of Lionel Trilling’s
“Cultural Criticism” and the recent evaluations of Shakespeare in
The volume is a comprehensive
introduction to recent trends in American literary criticism which testify to
both breadth and depth in scholarship. However, the papers in this volume share
the venial deficiency of similar collections in repetitiveness and overlapping.
The papers serve as introductions and little effort is made toward originality
in evaluation of the trends recounted. The collection certainly urges the
reader on to further fruitful exploration in the exciting area of
interdisciplinary studies.
–Dr S. S.
PRABHAKAR RAO
Maurice Ashley, an established
authority on the history of
The book opens with a prologue in
which the author sets the stage for the coronation of King James. In the next
chapter, the economic and social life of the 17th century
In chapter V, the author reviews the
reign of James I. James I was a clever and learned man. However, he is weaker
in character than that of Queen Elizabeth. The author traces the development of
antagonism between the king and the Parliament. The middle of King James’ reign
was distinguished by struggles between personalities. When compared to the age
of
In the chapters VII and VIII the
author traces the history of Civil War and the rule of Oliver Cromwell. From
1629 to 1640,
The book under review should be read
by all those interested in the history of
–DR.
K. SUNDARAM
The Seven Freedoms: By
Bharat Bhushan Gupta. Ashish
Publishing House, New Delhi-27. Price: Rs. 40.
The concept of freedom has a long
history behind it and in modern times its growth is traced usually from the
time when John Locke published his Treatises in 1690. Locke is hailed as the
champion of “positive freedom” as expressed in the form of rights. Locke’s
influence on the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence issued by
the thirteen American States in 1776 and other famous documents that followed,
is well-known.
During
Discussion and debate have ensued
since then in the press, on the platform and in the legislature on the relative
importance of these two chapters which are rightly described as “the
conscience” of our Constitution. Since 1965 when the late Nath
Pai introduced his famous bill in Parliament, a kind
of rivalry has surfaced between the protagonists of Fundamental Rights and the
champions of Directive Principles. Prof. Bharat Bhushan Gupta’s small book is an excellent contribution to
the understanding of the significance of “The Seven Freedoms.” In this small
work packed with many references, the author has presented, in a lucid style,
why the fathers of our Constitution bestowed so much of attention on this
chapter and how attempts have been made several times in the recent past to
stifle these sacred rights. The author rightly argues that freedom does not
mean license, but only responsible conduct and behaviour
in private or in public. The last three chapters seem more relevant than the
other nine, particularly because of the emergency experience. The seven
appendices enhance the value of this work.
–Dr.
A. PRASANNA KUMAR
The Bliss of Life: By
Dr M. V. Rama Sarma. S. Chand
& CO., Ltd., Ram Nagar, New Delhi-5. Price: Rs. 15.
This book, though termed a novel by
its author, hardly answers the features of a regular novel. It is a life-sketch
clothed in the form of a story of one of our greatest music composers. Varadayya, who became later known as Kshetrajna,
belonged to the 17th century. His advent into the world of music was as sudden
as it was surprisingly unique in many respects. Here, the story starts with him
as a boy who had a girl-friend, Mohana, whom he began
getting attached to. In course of time their relationship developed into one of
master and disciple, he as the tune-maker and she as the dancer to the tune.
The simple friends gathered, experience of life and
began showing a deeper understanding of each other. The usual domestic
obstacles to free love were there, though ultimately they were overcome by constancy
on their mutual parts. The vision of Godhead in the shape of Muvva Gopala soon transformed him
into a devotee of a higher order, whose main mission in life turned to be
spreading the Bhakti for the Lord of Muvva. Each of
his famous Padams would bear the appellation of Muvva Gopala in it and his
dedicated service was more in composing song after song on his favourite Deity. His pilgrimages to temples and visits to the
royal courts in the South added to his widening circle of admirers. He became a
supreme worshipper in his own characteristic style of compositions.
There is not much of a plot; nor even written after the
fashion of the novel-like biography, which has gained currency in the Western
literary world. It is plainly told without the artifices of a complicated
texture of incidents. In short it is a tiny tribute to a great composer whose
successor in that style of musical composition is yet to be born.
–K.
CHANDRASEKHARAN
Sensibility Under Stress – Aspects of
Indo-English Fiction: By Raji Narsimhan.
Ashajanak
Publications, c/o Central News Agency (P.) Ltd. 1,
Raji Narasimhan’s
critical study of Indo-English fiction, as it can be seen from her imaginative
and scholarly work “Sensibility Under Stress–Aspects
of Indo-English Fiction,” is marked by candour and
sympathy, clear analysis and constructive criticism. Though the book begins on
a note of pessimism by the statement that “creative writing in English is not
natural for an Indian,” it actually serves the positive purpose of enlightening
confused Indo-English writers on problems of creative writing in English. This
positive effect is achieved by an imaginative analysis of some of the works of
R. K. Narayan, Raja Rao, Mulk Raj Anand and Desani.
She suggests that a genuine affection for English language should be preferred
to affectation of English way of thinking, feeling and living. She points out
the negative results of the confrontation with the West. Her appreciation of R.
K. Narayan is a clear clue to our understanding of her critical stance. She recommends
R. K. Narayan’s unaffected affection for English, his
artless artistry, his spontaneous response to the living tradition, his total
unconcern for rationalization of sentiments, his realistic and non-didactic
approach to life for a careful study of the critical reader.
However, Raji Narasimhan can better put across her ideas if only she
avoids some highly esoteric expressions and jargon. The same ideas can be
expressed in simple and creative English. The book reveals the writer’s mastery
over critical jargon of the modern times. But if only we remember that the
primary purpose of criticism is to explain what is complex and difficult, we
realize that bombarding the reader with bold compound expressions and abstractions
defeat the very purpose of criticism.
Imaginative, scholarly, original, candid and bold, “Stress
under sensibility” is certainly an impressive book of criticism.
–Dr. C. N.
SASTRI
Dust And
Soul: By K. V. Sundaresa Iyer. Kalakshetra Publications, Tiruvanmiyur, Madras-41.
Price: Rs. 10.
Sri K. V. Sundaresa Iyer drank deeply at the fount of Indian religion and
philosophy. He had an unusual flair for comparative studies.
The Dust and Soul of Fitzgerald’s Omar Khayyam
is an analytical study of Omar’s philosophy of life in relation to the Hindu
view of life and Puranic mythology of later times. In
the first part of the introduction to the book, Sri Iyer
says that the Omar Khayyam is really a Jnanakosa (treasure-house of wisdom) and dilates on its
relevance to the modern times. “Omar’s destiny philosophy” he says, “supplements
the teachings of the principal religions.” In the second part, he refers to the
popularity of Fitzgerald’s translation in
The introduction is followed by
annotated text of Fitzgerald’s version as given in Palgrave’s
Golden Treasury. The author had taken pains to compare it with the
Indian edition by Khanna Brothers published from
It all makes a refreshing and
rewarding reading. As the author reads the whole from philosophical point of view,
the imaginative part does not receive as much attention as it deserves. For example,
his brief comment on verse XIX is as follows: “This is an expression of
imagination. The actual idea is ‘Where bleeding Caesar was buried.’ To quote
Kalidasa in the context of thought in LVI is rather amusing.
A chapter on the life and adventures
of Omar Khayyam to provide a backdrop to his
philosophy would have added value to the book. From the point of view of exact
scholarship, it would have been well if the learned author told his readers
that the Rubayat is not exactly the title of the
book, but the name of a metre in Persian and that it
would be read as ‘Rubaayee.’
–Dr.
G. SRIRAMAMUR
The Indian Temples–Its
Meaning: By Prof. S. K. Ramachandra
Rao B. H. Prakashana, Gandhi Nagar,
Bangalore-9. Price: Rs. 20.
This is a critical study of the
significance of the Indian temple. While tracing the origin and development of
the Indian temple, the author, declares that the temple may be regarded as a
direct descendant of Stupa which in its turn had been
evolved from the primitive funerary mound–a startling opinion indeed–but substantiated
by archaeological evidences. The second chapter describing the evolution of the
temple is very scholarly and critical. The word “Rathakaara”,
the author asserts, means builders of temples but not builders of chariots. In
the third chapter temple structure and symbolism of some parts thereof are
explained with the authority of Agamas and help of diagrams and photos of
temples, etc. Symbolism is the subject matter of the fourth chapter and it
deserves careful study and understanding. “The sanctum is a model of the normal
tree with roots below and branches above, and the spiral tower of the sanctum symbolises the inverted tree with roots above and the
spreading branches below.” This chapter forms the kernal
of this study.
The author substantiates his views
after a deep study of Agamas, inscriptions, and Archaeological findings. Almost
all points are illustrated either with photos or with diagrams. But an
inquisitive and curious reader may like to have the relevant quotations from
the Agama texts given here chapter and verse in their original form to infuse
confidence in him as regards the reliability of the views of the author. In
spite of it the work contains a mine of useful information regarding Indian
temples and no student of Indian culture can ignore serious study of this.
–B.
KUTUMBA RAO
Marx Theory of
History: By William H. Straw. (
Besides Bible and Bhagavadgita, Marx’s writings are the most commented upon.
The author, an Assistant Professor of Philosophy,
The author interprets that what Marx
had in mind was “actually ownership relations” when he refers to production
relations in dealing with property. Similarly at various places, the author endeavours to bring out the real meaning of Marx untramelled by the party fetish and he succeeded admirably.
The thought and style are strikingly Laskian,
reminding the “Grammar of Politics.” Nothing is an explanation but an explication
and nothing is an example but a paradigm.
The book is beautifully printed and
it is a pleasure to read it.
–P.
SITARAMA RAO
Sankara’s
Concept of God: By P. Krishnamohan.
Nelanuthula Publishers,
Philosophy is centuries-long
intellectual endeavour of our ancient Rishis and
modern thinkers to discover the ultimate truth and Sankara’s
concept is based on Vedic and Upanishadic thought
with a fair blend of theistic and atheistic elements. The Brahman of Sankara is Amatra (immeasurable)
and Anirvacaniya (ineffable) and in his infinite
compassion and love gets finitized into Isvara, the universe, so, as to be within accessible reach
of humanity who are incapable of measuring up to Subjective Idealism. This
transformation is, Vaiseshikas say, Asatkarya and Sankhyas Parinama, while Sankara argues
that it is Satkarya or Vivarta
(apparent). Because of this conditioning (the Tatastha
lakshana) of the incomprehensible essence inclosed in Maya, non-existence looks like existence and a
duality is projected in place of Advaita non-dualism) of Sankara
and Buddhistic bhutatathata
(that-ness or such-ness). In comparison Spinoza’s God cannot be even a near
approach to Sankara’s by its identification with
Nature–a limitation that is to be considered
whatever the other characteristics of his Divinity may correspond with Sankara’s God. The Primal Principle immanent in creation
can only be felt or experienced and is not subject to objective proof by either
geometrical or mathematical methods. Whether it is Nominalism
or Modalism or Epiphenomenonalism
or Existentialism or for that matter any dry-as-dust philosophy, either
Occidental or Oriental can adequately explain the mysterious origins of the
universe and its goings-on. The Brahman of Sankara in his Nirguna or Saguna aspects is approachable only through faith and intuition
which with its penetrating optics can sound the depths of the mystery and
uncover the Reality hidden under a golden vessel (Isa).
The book is a scholarly effort and is useful to any researcher in the field.
–K.
SUBBA RAO
KANNADA
Mahatma
– Vols. I and II: Kannada
translation of D. G. Tendulkar’s book in English by
several persons. Edited by Dr. H. Tipperudraswamy.
Published by Gandhi Bhavan, Manasagangotri,
The two volumes under review contain
translations into Kannada of the first two parts of the eight-volume biography of
Mahatma Gandhi written by Shri D. G. Tendulkar in English. The original work is authentic and
comprehensive, being a product of deep understanding and patient labour over many years. The
The translation is on the whole
adequate and satisfying. But one can discern here and there a literalness,
which could have been avoided by changing either the idiom or structure of the
sentence. It would have been better if every volume had been entrusted to one
translator instead of distributing it to three persons, variations in whose
style are inevitable despite the supervision of the general editor. For
example, in the first volume in the portion allotted to the first translator, the
word ‘Soumyavadi’ (wrongly printed as Samyavadi) is used to render the word ‘moderate’, whereas
in the next portion, allotted to the second translator, the word used is ‘Mandawadi.’ It is hoped that such variations will be minimised while revising the volumes for the next print.
–R.
S. MUGALI
SANSKRIT
AND TELUGU
1.
Sri Vishnu Sahasranaama Stotra
Bhaashyamu –with Telugu translation by Vaaranaasi Subrahmanya Sastry. Price: Rs. 8.
2. Sri Sankara Grandha Ratnaavali – Stotramulu –
with Telugu translation by Tadepalli
Raghava Narayana Sastry. Price: Rs. 8. Both published
by Saadhana Grandhamandali,
Tenali.
Sri B. Suryaprakaasa
Sastry a Pandit endowed with indefatigable missionary
zeal is doing signal service to Andhras by publishing
Sanskrit books. that aid all aspirants after spiritual
evolution, in Telugu script with authentic Telugu translations. He is also
engaged in publishing all the works of Samkara with
Telugu translations in a series entitled “Samkara Grandha Ratnaavali.” The first
bark under review is the seventh volume in that series. Yudhishthira
puts five questions to Bhisbma–
“Who is the one Supreme
God in the world? Who is the ultimate resort? By praying and worshipping whom
can men attain good? Which is the best of the Dharmas?
By chanting which can a man free himself from this bondage of births and
deaths? Bhishma replied that Vishnu is the only God
the ultimate resort by worshipping, praying and chanting whose names a man
becomes freed from his shackles of births and deaths. His worship, etc., is the
best of the Dharmas. He recited the thousand names of
Vishnu. These names are commented upon by Sri Samkara.
Whether this Samkara is identical with the author of
the Bhashyas or not may be a moot question, but the
commentary gives an exposition of the significance of all the names on Advaitic lines, and a recital of these names with a knowledge of their meanings cannot but be beneficial to
the devotees. Telugu translation is done by an erudite scholar Sri Subrahmanya Sastry. It goes
without saying that every devotee must own and read this work.
The second work is the eighth volume
in the series. It contains 31 Stotras written by Sri Samkara. The translator is renowned for his saintly
qualities, miraculous Mantric powers and scholarship
in Telugu and Sanskrit in addition to his being a poet of no mean rank. All the
Stotras in this volume are mainly in praise of Siva
and Devi. One is in praise of Ganesha
and another eulogises Subrahmanyeswara.
Of these the fifth Stotra describes Siva from feet to
head. “Sri Suvarnamaalaastuti” a famous one, contains
50 verses each beginning with a letter of
the Sanskrit alphabet in order. The eleventh one is useful for
worshipping Mrityunjaya mentally with all the Upachaaras. “Anandalahari”, the
sixteenth, is a well-known prayer. “Sri Tripurasundari
Vedapaadastava “, the 17th one, has a unique feature.
The fourth line in each verse is taken from Vedas. Some verses in Sri Devi Bhujanga Stotra
have some esoteric significance and also enlighten upon the mode of meditation,
Verses 9, 11, 12 and 16 need some more elucidation.
These Stotras give picturesque descriptions of the
deities meditated upon and many of the verses are beautified with alliterations.
All these prayers are very good aids for concentration and meditation and lead
a Saadhaka to higher realms of bliss.
TELUGU
Tyagaraja
Keertanalu – Visesha Vivaranamu. Volume II: Edited by Kalluri Veerabhadra Sastry. Published by Swadharma
Swaaraajya Sanghamu, 95,
Broadway, Madras-1. Copies can be had from
Tyagaraja
is acclaimed to be the greatest of the saint-composers of
The editor of the book under notice,
Sri Kalluri Veerabhadra
Sastri, who is a profound scholar in Sanskrit and Telugu, is eminently
qualified to undertake the task of explaining the intricacies of Tyagaraja’s compositions. This is the second volume of the
series and contains 252 Keertanas with meanings for difficult words and explanatory
notes. Besides these, he has explained their Puranic
allusions and Vedantic meanings in simple and precise
language.
We hope Sri Veerabhadra
Sastry would complete the task of bringing out
similar commentaries on the remaining compositions of
Tyagaraja.
Chatussootri:
By Swami Vimalananda Bharati II of
Courtallam Tamil Nadu.
Copies can be had from the author at 5/6, Kothapet, Hyderabad-35,
and also at Mounaswami Mutt, Dattatreya
Ashramam, Siddheshwari Peetham, Courtallam, via Tenkasi, Tirunelveli Dt., Tamil Nadu.
Price: Rs. 10.
This book is a true and literal translation of the Sankara
Bhashyam of the first four of Brahma Sutras. A very
useful and critical summary of the
book is given in English which would give the English reader a correct view of the subject. Notes
of 100 pages was given in the end clarifying the matter wherever
necessary.
A novel method is followed in the book, giving literal
and true translation of the
Sanskrit version on the opposite page, to avoid strain for the reader. An
elementary knowledge of Sanskrit
will do to follow the book, in spite of
the complexity of the subject. It is usually the ambition of every honest modern reader to read
the original in Sanskrit and to note the bear textual reading. Elaborate
volumes with comments are available on the subject but the vastness and
cumbersomeness therein make the reader seek the help of an expert for study. This book, without sacrificing the
substance or the detail of the Bhashya, makes the volume handy and really useful for the
modern reader. The subject is divided into five sections: I) The Adhyaasa Bhashya, 2) The Jignaasa Adhikarana, 3) The Janmadi Adhikarana, 4) The Shastra Yonitwaadhikarana and 5)
The Samanwayaadhikarana. The world-famous theory,
original as it is, explaining the “fundamental error” of the man, is the theme of the Adhyaasa
Bhashya. Adhyaasa or
superimposition is explained in fine and convincing logic with apt reasons. The
second section prescribes a mandate for spiritualists, and all retired gentry
to wake up and take up to spiritual investigation not by worship or rituals or
Yogic feats, etc. The third section deals with the definition and description of Brahman, who is the creator,
protector and destroyer of cosmos. The fourth section deals with the means to
attain Brahman. By a recourse to the study of Vedanta, Brahman is attainable.
The fifth section deals with the harmonious interpretation of Vedanta for attainment of the pith
and substance of the whole field of Vedantic texts.
The entire book expounds the basic doctrines of Advaitic
Vedanta and the book is essential for daily study by Yatis
and spiritual pursuers.
It is hoped that books of this type will help the average reader to acquire spiritual
wisdom through self-study.
–“SADHAKA”
Maga
Dikku: Paidipati
Subbarama Sastry. Bharati Niketan,
According to Hindu tradition man and woman together, like
Siva and Sakti, constitute a whole, and are
complementary to each other. For a woman, desirous of leading
a noble and virtuous life, a righteously wedded man is a must. A Purohit (priest) well-versed in his lore is in no way
inferior either to a post-graduate or an engineer. A village life has its own
charm and happiness. Our contempt towards our traditions and customs is born
out of our ignorance and prejudices. These are the main truths that the author
of this novel, a poet, dramatist and novelist of established fame, desires to
bring home to the readers of this novel.
Seshayya a
Brahmin of average means refused to give his educated daughter Sarojini to his sister’s son Suryam,
a Purohit by profession. Surekha
though married was not sent to her husband’s house, because he refused to leave
his village and settle down in
The author deserves our
congratulations for his daring presentation of an almost revolutionary idea regarding
matrimonial alliances in these modern days. The sanctity and significance of
Hindu conjugal life and some other minor traditions, beliefs and customs are
all well-expounded. Portrayal of characters and their feelings are both natural
and charming. In Surekha we see a typical Hindu girl
with a cultural background who could not, in spite of her deep love for her
husband, assert herself against her father. Suryam is
a humanist. The author opens the eyes of our modern men to some infallible
truths treasured in our culture. The sufferings of a woman without a husband
both in her father’s house and society are well-depicted. Spiced with popular
sayings and written in a fine language, the novel with a novel theme and suspense, provides a very good reading. The denouement, however is to some extent disappointing, in
spite of some lame excuses offered therein. Did Sarojini
follow Surekha or vice versa? (p. 66) or perhaps it
has a significance? We eagerly await the release of a companion novel “Aada Dikku” also wherein the
indispensability of a woman for a man and the prime position given for her in
Hindu religion also are properly brought to limelight.
–B.
K. SASTRI