Prekshaa articles feed

C Vasudevaiah (Part 1)

The moment I think of R Narasimhacharya, C Vasudevaiah’s name floats up to the surface of my memories. Both of them would come together to social events. They usually sat next to each other. There was an abundance of affection and respect between them. Their professions were quite dissimilar. Vasudevaiah had retired as the office manager of the Department of Educational Outreach. Even in their scholarship of śāstras such as grammar, they differed. Yet it never seemed like Narasimhacharya remembered any of these differences; not even for a split second.

Mahābhārata – Episode 41 – The Story of Sāvitrī (Part 1)

In the kingdom of Madra, there lived a king named Aśvapati who always abided by dharma and truth and was loved by everyone. He did not have any children even though he grew old. With a desire to obtain offspring, he undertook many rigorous vows and vratas. He would lead a life of self-restraint, eating little, and performing ten thousand homas daily in praise of goddess Sāvitrī. After eighteen years of strictly adhering to this ritual, one day he had a vision of goddess Sāvitrī, who appeared before him, pleased with his devotion.

ಡಿ.ವಿ.ಜಿ. ಅವರ ಭಾಷಾಶಿಲ್ಪ—ಗೀತರಚನೆ

ಗೀತರಚನೆಯ ಪಾಟವ

ನವೋದಯದ ಕವಿಗಳ ಪೈಕಿ ಡಿ.ವಿ.ಜಿ.ಯವರಂತೆ ಲಕ್ಷಣಶುದ್ಧವಾದ ಗೀತಗಳನ್ನು ರಚಿಸಿದವರು ಹಲವರಿಲ್ಲ. ಅವರ ಗೀತಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಗ-ತಾಳಗಳ ಸುಂದರಾನ್ವಯಕ್ಕೆ ವಿಪುಲಾವಕಾಶವಿದೆ. ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಆದಿಪ್ರಾಸ, ಅನುಪ್ರಾಸ ಮತ್ತು ಅಂತ್ಯಪ್ರಾಸಗಳ ಅಂದವೂ ಸಮೃದ್ಧವಾಗಿದೆ. ಇಷ್ಟೇ ಅಲ್ಲದೆ ಅವರು ವಡಿ, ವರಣ, ಅತೀತ, ಅನಾಗತ, ಪದಗರ್ಭ, ಗಣಪರಿವೃತ್ತಿ ಮುಂತಾದ ಗೇಯಶಿಲ್ಪದ ತಾಂತ್ರಿಕಸೂಕ್ಷ್ಮತೆಗಳನ್ನು ಸೊಗಸಾಗಿ ಬಳಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಪಲ್ಲವಿ-ಅನುಪಲ್ಲವಿ-ಚರಣಗಳ ಸಾಂಪ್ರದಾಯಿಕ ಚೌಕಟ್ಟಿನೊಳಗೆ ಗತಿಭೇದಗಳ ಹಾಗೂ ಕಾಲಭೇದಗಳ ಲಯವಿಲಾಸಗಳನ್ನು ಸಾಧಿಸಿರುವುದು ಡಿ.ವಿ.ಜಿ.ಯವರ ಭಾಷೆ-ಬಂಧಗಳ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ನಿದರ್ಶನ.

Upanayana in the Sūtras and the Smṛtis

It was in the Sūtra period that the upanayana saṃskāra seems to have been fully established.[1] Most of the details of the ceremony are laid out in the gṛhya-sūtras. The Dharma-sūtras and Smṛtis have nothing new to say about the ritualistic aspects apart from what has already been said earlier; they primarily develop the social side of the saṃskāra. It was also perhaps during this period that the Upanayana became compulsory for men from the first three varṇas.

Dr.Padma Subrahmanyam’s Contributions to Indian values and National Integration in the Context of the Dravidian Movement

This article is an adapted version of the talk presented by Arjun Bharadwaj at the Swadeshi Indology Conference in December 2017

 

Abstract

 

The current paper attempts to explore the contributions of Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, an artist and scholar, in the context of the Dravidian movement and her artistic rebuttal of the same.

Rajputs: The Trailblazers of Warfare and the Mahakshatriyas of Mewar

When this was the perilous condition of Sanatana Dharma, it was the Rajputs who faced the aggression unleashed by Muslims. The history and contributions of the Rajputs are truly memorable given the fact that they have shown unforgettable valour and unparalleled heroism throughout. Some scholars have woven fabricated tales claiming that they were not originally from India. However, it is indisputable that they hailed from India. They also claim that there was infighting among them. However, there is no race or class or group of people that do not have infighting. 

Mahābhārata – Episode 40 – Rāmopākhyāna (Part 3)

Just as Śani approaches Rohiṇī for pleasure, Rāvaṇa decked himself up in expensive clothes and ornaments and went to Sītā. He described his achievements and wealth to her and persuaded her to be his wife. She, however, held a blade of grass before her and spoke to it with tears in her eyes, “I’ve heard these words several times from you already. I’m the wife of another and I’m committed to my husband alone. I’m a pativratā. Give up your thoughts about me! What do you get out of tormenting a helpless lady, O wicked king?

ಡಿ.ವಿ.ಜಿ. ಅವರ ಭಾಷಾಶಿಲ್ಪ—ಪದ್ಯಶೈಲಿಗೆ ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗಳು

ಪ್ರೀತಿ-ರಸಿಕತೆ-ಕಾವ್ಯ:

ಪ್ರಣಯವು ಪ್ರಾರಂಭದಲ್ಲಿ ದ್ವೈತ, ಸರಸಸಲ್ಲಾಪಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಶಿಷ್ಟಾದ್ವೈತ; ಪ್ರಣಯಶಿಖರದಲ್ಲಿ ದ್ವೈತತಾವಿಸ್ಮೃತಿ, ಅಭೇದವೃತ್ತಿ, ಅದ್ವೈತ.

(ಜೀವನಧರ್ಮಯೋಗ)

ಪ್ರೇಮ-ವಾತ್ಸಲ್ಯರಸಗಳು ಧರ್ಮಪ್ರಣಾಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹರಿದಾಗ ವ್ಯಾಮೋಹಪಂಕಗಳಾಗದೆ ಪಾವನತೀರ್ಥಗಳಾದಾವು.

(ಗೀತಶಾಕುಂತಲ)

ಶ್ರೀರಾಮನಿಗೆ ಶೃಂಗಾರಪರೀಕ್ಷೆಯು ವಿಯೋಗರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಂದರೆ ಶ್ರೀಕೃಷ್ಣನಿಗದು ಅತಿಯೋಗರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಂದಿತು.

(ಶ್ರೀಕೃಷ್ಣಪರೀಕ್ಷಣಂ)

Yakṣagāna – A Deśī Theatre Art - Part 4

Several people have the tendency to find parallels between Bhūtārādhana and Yakṣagāna. They classify Bhūtārādhana as ‘folk’ (Jānapadīya) and as a corollary, conclude that Yakṣagāna is ‘folk’ as well. However, Yakṣagāna’s allied forms of art such as Terukkūttu, Kūcupuḍi, Bhāgavatameḻa, Dūḍālapāya, Doḍḍāṭa and Keḻike are not influenced by Bhūtārādhana at all. Among these, one can say that only Kathakali has faint reflections of Bhūtakola in it. When this is the case, how can the argument that Yakṣagāna is also ‘folk’ be substantiated?