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Bhārata-Sāvitrī (Part 4)

A Touchstone

Though we have a great deal of material connected with dharma, it is not easy to decide what constitutes dharma and what would be adharma when faced with challenging situations. Draupadī, while being humiliated in the court of the Kauravas hurls a scathing remark at Bhīṣma and questions him about the nature of dharma. Bhīṣma replies that it is beyond his capacity to assess what is dhārmic under the current circumstances.[1]

Lāvaṇakalambaka - 18 - The Story of Illaka, The story of Puṇyasena, Yaugandharāyaṇa's plan

Once the king refused, the commander married her. Once when the king was roaming, he saw her standing in the balcony of the commander’s house. As soon as he saw her it was as though he was put under a mesmerising spell. He came back to the palace and laid down with great mental agony.

Vīrakesari Sitarama Shastri: Treason case and Sharda act - Part 4

The Case

The government filed a case against Sitarama Shastri and Ashvatthanarayana Rao, accusing the article published in Navajīvana to be treasonous.

Shastri had severely criticized the government’s callous attitude towards its own people in the January 1929 issue of Vīrakesari. The issue published on 15th January had an article titled Will Tyranny Win? The contents were as follows –

Lāvaṇakalambaka - 17 - The Story of Mahāsena, The story of Mendicant and the Ape

निर्विघ्नविश्वनिर्माणसिद्धये यदनुग्रहम्।
मन्ये स वव्रे धातापि तस्मै विघ्नजिते नमः॥

[Salutation to that deity, the killer of obstacles, (Gaṇeśa), from whom even the creator (Brahmā) seeks blessings so that the creation can happen without hindrances.]

आश्लिष्यमाणः प्रियया शन्करोऽपि यदाज्ञया।
उत्कम्पते स भुवनं जयत्यसमसायकः॥