संस्कृतसाहित्यचर्यासपर्या
VI
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What can Atheists Learn from the Bhaja Govindam?
Bhaja Govindam is a popular poem attributed to the scholar-saint Adi Shankara, one of the foremost advocates of the Advaita Vedanta School of philosophy. A short work, of 31 verses, it urges us to pray to Govinda (‘the herder of cows,’ another name for Krishna).
‘Vaiyakarani’ Garani Krishnacharya: Personality and Erudition
The concluding part of DV Gundappa's profile of the prolific and erudite Sanskrit and Kannada scholar and grammarian, ‘Vaiyakarani’ Garani Krishnacharya.
The Inner Eye: A Documentary on Binode Behari Mukherjee
In 1972, Satyajit Ray made a documentary film on Benode Behari Mukherjee, a painter who became blind in his fifties. The documentary features the life and works of the great painter, traversing the journey from his childhood till his affliction and life after his handicap.
Mukherjee famously said, "Blindness is a new feeling, a new experience, a new state of being."
The Illusion of Nostalgia
Through the ages, in the writings of great thinkers and social commentators, we find a certain weakness for nostalgia. We often find passages that bemoan the fall in moral values in the present generation (as it applied to them) and how the days of the past were so much better.
Rāgānurāga – Part 1
The etymology of the word ‘Raaga’:
The word raaga has many meanings. Raaga means love, color (referring to red in particular), emotion, bliss, comfort, beauty, pathos , passion, attraction etc., In common parlance, however, raaga is understood as the essence of a song/music. Now what does the etymology of the word say? 'रञ्जनाद्रागः'- It means one that entertains.
The Bhakti Sutras of Narada: Part 4
अभिमानदम्भादिकं त्याज्यम् । ६४
64. Abandon pride, hypocrisy, etc.
तदर्पिताखिलाचारः सन् कामक्रोधाभिमानादिकं तस्मिन्नेव करणीयम् । ६५
65. Having offered all activities (to the Supreme) if (still troubled) by lust, anger, pride, etc. then offer them (to the Supreme) as well.
[The Bhagavad-Gita says, “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in yajna (worship) or give as dana (charity) or give up as tapas (austerity), dedicate that to me.” (BG 9.27)]
संस्कृतसाहित्यचर्यासपर्या
IV
इदानीं पाण्डित्यपारम्यमात्रमेदुरं दर्शनध्वनिदूरं प्रदर्शनपर्याप्तवाच्यवैदुष्यं विद्वत्काव्यविषये किञ्चिदालोचयामः। तदिदं बहुधा श्रद्धाजडं, रूपगर्वितं, यातयामञ्च कविकर्म परिणामात् प्रयत्नं, प्रतिभानात् पाण्डित्यं, परिपाकात् प्रावीण्यञ्च बहुमन्यमानानां दुर्विलसितमेव समजनि। अनेनैव हेतुना हि युगेऽस्मिन् कल्पनावतां कवीनां स्थाने वैदुष्यदुर्विदग्धानां प्रत्यादेश आसीत्।
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Myth and Reality in ‘Myth and Reality’ – Bhagavad-Gita and War
After casting aspersions on the authenticity of the Great War, Kosambi goes on to examine the ethics of the Gita as if the war happened exactly as narrated by the Mahabharata (emphasis is mine):
The Unalloyed Erudition M. Hiriyanna: Writing to Elevate Himself
The concluding part of D.V. Gundappa’s profile of Prof. M Hiriyanna renowned for his scholarship, compassion and spotless conduct.