BOOK REVIEWS

 

A Comparative History of Ideas: By Hajme Nakamura. Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi –7. Price: Rs. 250.

 

            As one would expect from an interna­tional scholar like Nakamura, this work is an extraordinary combination of history, philoso­phy and sociology, with a remarkable range of vision. He traces developments in the intellec­tual and social evolution of societies in differ­ent cultures, e.g., Indian, Chinese, Japanese, European. He discusses the growth of concepts of God, Universals, Orthodoxy, Heterodoxy in the various cultures. He is obviously well grounded in Buddhist thought and religion and does his best to be faithful to the spirit of other religions. He covers the following subjects in a methodical manner: thought in early agricul­tural communities; rise of philosophy and the development of heterodoxies; early universal religions and the ideology of the universal state; medieval thought; modern thought.

 

            Throughout he takes the Indian model for his standard in assessing the value and direction of civilisations on the two continents. He thinks Thought in the West had little influence on the development of Mind in the East till after the impact of the European Powers on Asiq. It is difficult to agree with him when he says that evolution is mainly a Western concept. Actually it is implied in the philosophy of the Tantras which traces the journey of the soul on the rising stair of existence. He also seems to feel that the ethical obsession preponderates in the Eastern religious ideologies. It is inter­esting to follow him in his analysis of parallels in the scriptures of Buddhism and Christianity. Rightly does the author underline the growing turn towards mutual acceptance in the cultural and religious traditions of the world today.

 

            The study is well documented and the footnotes throw interesting lights on signifi­cant events in the history of the peoples. There are copious cross-references to developments in ancient Greece. “Alexander was once asked, ‘Why do you show greater respect and rever­ence to your instructor than you do to your father?’ He answered, ‘From my teacher I ob­tain life eternal; and from my father a perish­able existence. Moreover, my father brought me down from heaven to earth but Aristotle has raised me from earth to heaven.” (p.111)

 

            The overwhelming impression one has while reading this volume is of the extensive knowledge of the author with some areas where more depth is called for. He misses the vitality of the Indian Soul.

 

M. P. PANDIT

            (This review was written by Mr. M.P. Pandit before his passing away).

 

The Concept of Man - A Study in Comparative Philosophy: Edited by S. RadhaKrishnan and P.T. Raju. Indian edition 1992 published by Motilal Banarsidas Publishers Pvt. Ltd., Delhi -7. Pp. 546. Price: Rs. 250

 

            This is one more study on man. Ever since Man began to think, his first subject of study was himself. In fact, his life, his needs, his mates, his fellow-beings, their interaction with and inter-dependence on nature and life around him prompted him to muse about himself. From these musings, emerged originally naturalist religions and simplistic explanations regarding the universe and human beings. These were origins of philosophy and begin­nings of religion. Wider and deeper philoso­phies flowered, as human knowledge increased. Be it a theistic or atheistic philosophy, Man constituted its central point and theme. Even for the Bhakti cult, the main aim is to make man surrender himself to a supernatural power. Indeed Man is the axis around which all reli­gions and philosophical thoughts revolved.

 

            In consequence, innumerable concepts of Man came to be propounded. And their number is ever growing. Screening all these concepts, one aspect emerges fairly clearly. Man is gradually asserting himself and is en­deavouring to become free in mind and thought, untramelled by other influences.

 

            So studies in comparative philosophy have become not only useful, but also necessary. Otherwise, one runs the risk of losing himself in confusion. This book is one such study.

 

            S. Radhakrishnan and P.T. Raju have done a highly purposeful job in editing this comparative study. It has become so popular with seekers of philosophical knowledge that it soon became necessary to bring out a second edition even in 1996. This one, under review, is the Indian edition published in 1992.

 

            In Chapters I to VIII, highly qualified scholars, both Eastern as well as Western, unfolded with lucidity and objectivity the concept of Man in diverse thoughts. Namely, in Greek thought by John Wild of Harvard and Yale Universities, in Jewish thought by A.J. Her­schel of Jewish Theological Seminary, New York; in Chinese thought by W. T. Chan of Dar­mouth College, Hanover; in Indian thought by P. T. Raju, the co-editor of this publication, Pro­fessor of Philosophy and Indian Studies at the College of Wooster, Ohio, U.S.A; in Christian thought by Ernst Ben, University of Marburg, Germany; in Islamic thought by Ibrahim Madkour, Academy of Arabic Thought, Cairo; in Marxist thought by M.B. Mitten, Academy of Sciences, Moscow.

 

            In Chapter V, P.T. Raju gives an analyti­cal examination and comparisons of the above concepts and his own reflections. In the chap­ter he deals with a high level of clarity, with such basic aspects like aims of philosophy, the ideal man, Man and Nature, Man and the Soci­ety, Man and the Divine Spirit, etc. At the end, he adds a highly thought-provoking section un­der the caption “Epilogue”. S. Radhakrishnan makes some “preparatory remarks” which are enlightening. At the very commencement of the book P.T. Raju provides a “prologue” to the second edition. Therein he introduces the theme and purpose of the publication. He also contributes an introduction.

 

            The collection of different concepts of Man and of their comparative study is very informative. It provides to the reader a panoramic view of diverse philosophical thoughts. It also enables him to appreciate how diverse philoso­phies, studied together, unveil “the unending creativity of Man”.

 

            Every scholar included in this compen­dium unfolds his theme with clarity and at the same time also with a high degree of objectiv­ity. The second edition is made more comprehensive by adding to what was contained in the first edition, some chapters on concept of Man in Christian, Islamic and Marxist philoso­phies.

 

            However, one wishes that, in the Indian edition at least, published in 1992, the concept of Man in Humanism and New Humanism is included, as an independent chapter. Then the comparative study would have been up-to-date.

 

            It is note-worthy that “the interest of the editors, nor the contributors was religious in the sense of propagating one and criticising others” (page 14). This claim of the editors is fully justified by the contents.

 

            No individual philosophical concept is final and eternal, though fundamentalists claim that stature to their respective philosophies. History of human culture and civilization shows that concepts, of man are constantly ev­olving due to the unquenchable thirst for more and more knowledge on the part of Man. Com­parative study of what has been done and achieved so far is an absolute necessity for fur­ther growth and development of thought. This volume provides such a study. So much so, it helps in further progress of free philosophical thoughts. Such is the proclaimed purpose of the book. The editors succeeded in their cho­sen task in a full measure. This study is at once a valuable reference book and a thought-provoking treatise.

 

AVULA SAMBASIVA RAO

 

Indian Aesthetics: An Introduction; V.S. Setu­raman, Macmillan & Co., Ltd. Price: 150.

 

            Literary criticism is so important a part of the study and teaching of literature and in Indian universities particularly in the teaching of English literature that in many syllabi of English studies, there is a separate paper de­voted to it. The tendency hitherto has been to prescribe that some knowledge of the “classi­cal” background of English Literary Criticism shall be a part of such study. In India, at least in some universities, there has been some faint recognition of the need to enlarge the scope of the study of literary criticism and to attune it to the Indian sensibility by bringing within its range some knowledge of Indian speculations, criteria and values found in the great classics of Indian Alankarasastra. That Indian creative writers thought a great deal about this and that there is implicit in their great achievement, a finely conceived pattern of aesthetic values – this is no longer disputed. But the excuse was made frequently that there was no coherent in­ter-related introductory treatment of the subject available in English. This need was sought to be met by an anthology of critical essays on Indian Alankarasastra, brought out by Dr. Raghavan and Nagendra more than two dec­ades ago. However, this was inevitably re­garded as inadequate as the book did not in­clude extracts or selections from the classics of Indian Alankarasastra illustrating their values, concepts and approach.

 

            Dr V.S. Seturaman has gallantly at­tempted to provide us with carefully chosen extracts from the major alankarikas, while sup­plementing the original critical essays of Raghavan’s book with essays by Sri Au­robindo, Dr Ananda Coomaraswami and Rabindranath Tagore. An additional attraction of this new book is that Dr Seturaman has included an essay by himself on the practical as­pects of the study of Indian Alankarasastra in the teaching of English literature.

 

            It is indisputable that cultural variations deriving from some local, regional and linguis­tic factors do and can prevent somewhat but not irreparably the human aesthetic sensibility from looking for larger perspectives, common values and concepts of aesthetic stimuli and response. Beauty and power, aiming at the larg­est measure of ultimate Truth through the artis­tic percepts and creative achievement of gifted artists, have always been the goals of the aes­thetic quest. Alankara in speech and writing has always a valued means, in its infinite vari­ety, a means of achieving aesthetic delight. Irony, humour, pathos are common to all those who can at all respond to their presence in life and art. Peter Bells excepted most human beings respond to the intensely beautiful, the intensely tragic and exhilaratingly comic in life and art. The concept of Sahridaya is thought to be a Sanskrit concept but it is implicit in almost every culture in that sensitivity to emotional stimuli is recognized as the gift of a few, while the creative use of such a gift is recognized as possible only to a very few. There is therefore an essential and indispensable universality in aesthetic perceptions. It is the recognition of this universality that prompted Dr Seturaman to plan this book, so that Indian students of for­eign literatures, and particularly of English lit­erature, could bring to bear on their studies their native and implicit Indian sensitivities and values. This quest will, we feel confident, deepen and intensify Indian response to great art, to Hamlet and Lear, to Othello and Macbeth. Hamlet’s reactions to his problems, whatever T.S. Eliot may say, are aesthetically natural and therefore intensely moving and sat­isfying. Lear’s problem – is a human problem ­of fathers who are disconcerted by distressingly different responses to their affection from their own children. Macbeth’s commitment to evil in pursuit of vaulting ambition recalls Ravana’s pathetic, but not wholly dignified, enslavement to improper lust. Human nature is largely the same, everywhere. This is and ought to be the basis of any organisation of the study of the art of literature. Dr. Seturaman has by bringing into focus a large number of passages, skilfully and carefully selected from the Sanskrit Alank­arikas, served Indian students of English litera­ture, and may we say, even of Sanskrit litera­ture very well indeed. The translations of the passages selected are altogether admirable. One wishes, however, that Dr. Seturaman had given us an account of the contents of the passages selected, and some passages of practical criti­cism of the Indian Alankaras. A bibliography of books suited for further study and a vastly enlarged glossary would add greatly to the value of Dr. Seturaman’s book.

 

Prof. S. RAMASWAMI

 

Ethics of Sex and Marriage: By Dr. C. Jacob, Retired District Judge, Barrevari Street, Narsapuram, West Godavari Dist. Price: Rs. 25.

 

            Dr. Jacob, now a retired judicial officer, utilised his varied experiences in the course of his professional career in studying the intrica­cies of human nature, the inner recesses of the minds of men and women, with special refer­ence to their sexual psyche, as also his penetrating and extensive reading, especially the immortal Shakespeare, to good effect in writing about sex and marriage, a much-maligned and grossly misunderstood field. The writer brings to bear on the subject his fresh and original ideas with a disarming candour and acceptable aplomb in a manner and style, straight and di­rectly appealing. Steeped in the writings of Bertrand Russell, his preceptor and mentor, and Shakespeare, Dr. Jacob covers the wide range and amplitude of influence of sex and the de­sideratum of ethical approach with commend­able persuasiveness and convincing reasoning. The all-powerful and consuming puissance of sexual urge in youth, its potency in perverting even the best of minds, and the balancing forces and ballast that are essential for a sound and harmonious life are treated with clarity and completeness by the author, whose main theme is that the sex should always be tempered with morality, on pain of degrading itself into libertinism and licentiousness, a danger inherent in every exercise of exuberant responsiveness, especially in youth, to sexual urge.

 

            “Youth and sexual impulse”; “Why do sexual affairs fail”?, “Sex – its limitations”, “Marriages, its success and failure”, “Sexual knowledge”, “Intercaste Marriages”, “Divorce”, “The Secret of Happy Married Life”, “Celi­bacy”, and “Conclusion” we the chapters in the book, in everyone of which the author forcefully projects his convictions and courageous. ideas, garnering his knowledge from various sources from Freud to latest writers, from the Bible to modern ethical precepts and practices.

 

            Word-juggling V.R. Krishna Iyer, Re­tired Judge of the Supreme Court of India, contributes a weighty Foreword in his wonted way quoting extensively from authorities, and main­taining his betenoir with a hefty allegiance that is characteristic of him and his writings. He also concludes his comment with the author thus: “There will never be a generation of great men until there has been a generation of free women, of free mothers” – a quotation from Robert Ingersoll, the famous American lawyer and leader of rationalism there.

 

P. SURYANARAYANA MURTHY

 

Economic Conditions of Mediaeval Andhradesa – A.D. 1000 – A.D. 1500: By Dr. K.  Radha Krishna Murthy. Sri Venkateswara Publications, Tirupati. Price: Rs. 40.

 

            “Economic Conditions of Madiaeval Andhradesa - A.D. 1000 - A.D. 1500” is the Part I of the Ph.D. thesis of the author, submitted to the Karnataka University.

 

            The book consists of three chapters. The first chapter contains the introduction, scope and significance of the subject, description of the sources of information, besides a brief description of the political history of Andhradesa and the factors shaping the economy of the area under study. Chapter two deals with the Rural Economy and describes the origin of Agrahar­am, types and situation of villages, land own­ership systems, transfer of ownership by differ­ent methods and the various authorities operat­ing in the rural and urban areas in the context of land and landholdings.

 

            Chapter three continues the discussion on Rural Economy and discusses the size of landholdings, types of soils affecting the pro­ductivity of land, types of crops raised, the rules of tenancy and taxation, besides describ­ing the facilities needed for agriculture and the occupations, connected with land. It describes some of the allied activities like horticulture, floriculture, pissiculture and dairying, though briefly.

 

            The statements made in the body of the thesis are all well-documented and are well­-supported by the sources indicated. The lan­guage is simple and does not contain the tech­nical jargon. The author apparently intends this book to serve as a text-book for the degree stu­dents on the subject and more particularly for those who follow the cores syllabus in the dif­ferent universities in Andhra Pradesh. The au­thor hopes to bring out the Part II of this thesis shortly. One can hope that the forthcoming vol­ume will be equally informative and readable.

 

Dr. B.P. RAO

 

SAMSKRIT - ENGLISH

 

Mulamadhyamakarikas of Nagarjuna - The Philosophy of Middleway: By J. Kalupahana. Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi - 7. Price: Rs. 175.

 

            This is quite a new translation of Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakarikas which is a Buddhist classic. The author, a scholar endowed with critical acumen, felt convinced that Chandrakirti, a famous commentator on Nagarjuna’s Madhyamakarika, was lead­ing away the readers from Nagarjuna’s philo­sophic point of view and that Kumarajiva who was a close disciple of Nagarjuna, and who was prior to Chandrakirti by atleast two centuries, recorded Nagarjuna’s views correctly in his work “Chung-lun”. Hence, the author asserts that one has to look at Nagarjuna through Kumarajiva’s eyes. This translation with anno­tations, evidently, is based on this conviction and hence new, unlike many others in the field.

 

            The author attempted to put into perspective the philosophical and spiritual nature of Nagarjuna which has been exaggerated be­yond limits more by modern scholars than by the classical Buddhism. Madhyamakarikas destroyed the weeds that had grown around the Buddhist.

 

            Karikas given in Samskrit, in English transliteration are followed by a translation. All praise for the author who in his annotations substantiated his statements in his introduc­tion.

 

            All in all, this is a non-prejudicial, bal­anced and authentic presentation of Nagarjuna’s philosophy, taking into considera­tion all the interpretations and views of old and modem commentators and critics of both East and West and hence, gives a correct and com­plete view of Madhyamakarikas.

 

B. KUTUMBA RAO

 

SANSKRIT - TELUGU

 

Sri Bhaghvadgitamritamu: With Telugu and Sanskrit Commentaries: By Sriman K.S. Ramanujacharyulu and Srimad Vara Vara Muni. In two Volumes. Price: Rs. 20 each.

 

Sribhaashya Saaramu: By Sriman K.S. Ramanujacharyulu. Price: Rs. 25.

 

Goda Grandhamaala, Musunuru - 521 207.

 

            The above books under review are highly commendable, in view of the fact that a normal understanding of the, Gita and Sri Ramanuja Bhaashya, without any dialectical intricacies, is made easy by these.

 

            Bhagavadgitamritam: The Telugu commen­tary “Gitamritam”, gives word-for-word mean­ing of the verses in prose order and the import thereof in simple Telugu. The Samskrit commentary in addition to word-for-word meaning in “anvaya” method, gives the Vigrahavakyas of Samaasas, derivations of words, and signifi­cance of some particles and words. Thus a stu­dent cannot only understand the Gita, but can learn Samskrit also. Addition of “Geetaardha Samgraha” of Sriyamuna with translation at the end of every chapter is another important fea­ture.

 

            Sribhaashya Saaramu – true to its name – ­gives the essence of Sri Ramanuja’s Bhaashya on Brahmasutras. Main conclusion of each adhikarana is given generally in one sen­tence in Telugu at the beginning of each adhikarana. Brahmasutra in Sanskrit fol­lows. Words in each Sutra are split up and word-for-word meaning is given. Then follows an easy exposition omitting all polemical dis­cussions in the original Bhaashya in Sanskrit. Differences in the readings of Sutras are pointed out. This volume serves as a stepping­stone to the study and understanding of Sribhaashya.

 

B. K. SASTRY

 

Telugu Praakrita Bhaashotpatti: By M. Venkata Ramachandra. Price: R. 20.

 

Telugulo Pallipadaalu: Compiled by Dr. Ch. Rama Rao. Price: Rs. 10. Telugu Goshthi, Ramanagar, Hyderabad - 500 044.

 

            Telugu language is closely allied to Praakrit languages. Hence an elementary knowledge atleast of Praakrit is a sine qua non to those that are interested in Telugu linguistics. The first book under review ful­fills this demand. This is the second edition of the book first published in 1921. Freed from printing mistakes, the text in this edition is di­vided into sections with titles and sub-titles. That Sanskrit was once the spoken language of the cultured Sishtas and that others spoke different Praakrita dialects is shown here with evidence. Relationship between Sanskrit and Praakrits is also pointed out. Pali is one of the Praakritas. Origin of the Gadhaa language, phonetic transformation in Praakrit languages, grammatical rules, declensions of nouns and conjugation of verbs therein are all explained, making this a perfect elementary Praakrit grammar book.

 

            The second book under review is the result of painstaking research of Dr. Rama Rao. 239 Telugu words are picked up and their origin and development from Sanskrit and Praakrit are explained. Caldwell’s theory that Telugu is mainly allied to Tamil and Drav­idian languages is questioned now. These two books together form a good guide and step­ping-stone for further research in this direction.

 

B. KUTUMBA RAO

 

TELUGU

 

Mahaakavi Raghunaatha Bhupaaludu: By Dr. R.L. Kameswara Rao. For copies: Au­thor, 16-433, Usman Nagar, New Malakpct, Hyderabad - 500 036. Price: Rs. 80.

 

            This work on hand celebrates the towering and multifaceted genius of Raghunatha Bhupaala of Tanjore. Among the Nayaka kings of Tanjore Raghunatha Nayaka (1580-­1631 A.D.) is considered the most distin­guished one. He was not merely a great king and good warrior but a patron and connis­seur of fine arts, besides being a builder of temples too.

 

            Raghunatha was such a great scholar in Sanskrit (and Telugu) that Yajnanarayana Deekshita, the son of his Chief Minister, Govinda Deekshita, had his education under him, which he gratefully acknowledges in his works, besides writing Sahitya Ratnakara and Raghunatha Vilasa Nataka in Sanskrit.

 

            A scholar, poet and artist in his own right, Raghunatha is known as the author of some thirteen works, nine in Telugu and four in Sanskrit. Of these, five in Telugu and one perhaps in Sanskrit, are not extant. These in their chronological order arc Paarijaataa­paharanam, Gajendramoksham, Rukmini ­Krishna Vivahamu, Jaanakee Kalyanamu, Achyutaabhyudayamu, Nalacharitramu, Savi­tricaritra, Ramayanamu in Telugu, Valmikicaritramu, a Prabandha, Ramayana Saara Samgrahamu in Sanskrit, Bhaarata Saara Sangraham in Sanskrit, Samgeeta Saara Sudha, and Bharata Sudha. The first seven are thought to have been before the battle of Topur in 1616 A.D. and the rest after­wards.

 

            As a builder of temples Raghunatha was responsible for the Subrahmanya temple in the Brihadeeswara temple complex in Tanjore and the Ramaswamy temple at Kumbhakonam, besides the sixteen Mandapams at the Maha­makham tank there.

 

            The author of the present work has faced his task with verve and boldness. The result is a satisfying work of absorbing interest. It is divided into five Tarangams (waves or tides). The more outstanding parts of the work are the attempted comparative study of Sangeeta Ratnakara and Sangeeta Sudha in so far as the first four chapters go, the elucidation of Veenaavaadana in Savitricharitram and Nalacharitram. These works of Raghunatha are veritable storehouses regarding the playing of the Raagas like Naata, Gauli, Varaali, Jayantasena, Bhairavi Sankaraabharana and Sri as also the Pancataaleswara Prabhandha in Taala. The author has given extensive informa­tion when he elucidated the argumentation between Rambha and Urvasi regarding their per­sonal supremacy in music and dance.

 

            The success of any earnest work is the satisfaction it yields. The author deserves to be congratulated for his effort in providing a satis­factory work. A worthwhile book for all students of literature and arts.

 

Dr. SALVA KRISIINAMURTHY

 

Prahlada Charitha – A comparative study of Errana’s and Potana’s poetry: By Dr. Nandula Gopala Krishna Murthy, Lecturer, Telugu P.G. Department, Government College, Rajahmundry - 5. Price: Rs. 20.

 

            The importance of comparative criti­cism is stated by Max Mueller thus: “The doc­trine that all higher knowledge is gained by comparison, and rests on comparison is as true and important in the study of literature also”.

 

            This is true. But if the critic’s mind is not sound the comparative study would be dangerous. The students of Telugu literature still remember the bitterness of comparative criti­cism when the Telugu critics compared Nacha­nasomana with Errapraggada and declared that the former’s poetry was far superior to the later. This hasty statement was strongly condemned by late Rallapalli Anantakrishna Sarma. He drew the subtle differences between the two poets and established the heights of Errana’s poetry.

 

            But in this study, the author has nicely drawn all the good features of the two kinds of poetry under various headings, without taking sides. Errana is a century ahead to Potana. The objectives of the two poets are different. Errana is a descriptive poet and a pioneer to Prabandha poets like Peddana, Timmana, etc. Potana is a devotional poet, Errana’s style is descriptive. Potana’s is ecstatic. As such, Potana’s poetry captures the readers instantly.

 

            The style of Errana is a thought-provok­ing one, whereas the style of Potana is musical with all its alliterations which are essential for devotional poetry. The objects of the episodes are subtly different. Errana’s episode is to establish the supremacy of Lord Vishnu in Narasimhaavataara. As such the treatment of the plot is philosophical. Potana’s episode is to establish the supremacy of devotion of Prahalada. As such there is much conflict in the story which attracts people very easily. Dr. Murthy briefly deals with all these points and con­cludes that the two are great poets in their own way. But the overhead poetry of Potana is unique.

 

            The writer’s concept that the non-dualist is one who does not differentiate between Lord Vishnu and Siva is not correct. (P. 95)

 

            Since psychological conflicts, dramatic irony universalisations are the life of Potana’s poetry, it is to be esteemed as superior. There are still people who read verses from this episode as part of their prayers daily. The efficacy of Potana’s poetry on people’s mind is indelible.

 

Dr. B. PURUSHOTHAM

 

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