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Possibilities of Innovations and Reformations in Yakṣagāna: Some Thoughts - Part 4

Usage of coloured screens in the background and bringing in sceneries on the stage prove to be obstacles in evoking Rasa. Similarly, tying banners or displaying advertisements are aesthetic impediments. Many a times, the sponsor, the patron or the academy that is hosting the show wishes to prominently display his name at the background. This has to be strongly discouraged. It suffices to have a screen of the navy blue or black shade as the backdrop. It is not appropriate to seat the himmeḻa – the music ensemble – behind the actors, facing the audience.

The Man who brought Village Life into the Precincts of Literature - 1

Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar attained fame in Kannada literature by his creative nonfiction writings and hundreds of stories that have humour as their mainstay. Among those writers whom the readers specifically identified as humorists, Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar and Na. Kasturi were the foremost. The characters that Gorur created several decades ago have remained enshrined in the hearts of readers even today; this bears testimony to the emotional richness in his writing.

‘ಮಣ್ಣಿನ ಕನಸು’: ಒಂದು ಸಮೀಕ್ಷೆ - 7

ಎಷ್ಟೇ ಗಾಢವಾದ ಸ್ನೇಹ-ಪ್ರೇಮಗಳ ಸಂಬಂಧವಾದರೂ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಮಿಕ್ಕೆಲ್ಲರಿಂದಲೂ - ಪ್ರಿಯರಿಂದರೂ ಸಹ - ಮುಟ್ಟಲಾಗದಂತಹ ತನ್ನದೇ ಆದ ಒಂದು ಖಾಸಗಿ ಮೂಲೆ (ಪರ್ಸನಲ್ ಸ್ಪೇಸ್) ಇರುತ್ತದೆ. ಅದನ್ನು ಯಾರೂ ಎಂದೂ ಮುಟ್ಟಲು, ಒಳಹೊಗಲು ಯತ್ನಿಸಬಾರದು. ಈ ಪ್ರತ್ಯೇಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಉಳಿಸಿಕೊಂಡೂ ಪರಸ್ಪರ ಅರ್ಪಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಾಗಲೇ ಪ್ರೇಮ-ಸ್ನೇಹಗಳ ಪರಿಪೂರ್ಣ ವಿಕಸನ ಸಾಧ್ಯವೆನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.

Maharṣi Vālmīki's sense of humour - part 11

Even the strongest of the rākṣasas couldn’t stand before him as his breath itself felt like a tornado. They tied their waists and exerted themselves for the cause. Ten thousand rākṣasa warriors shouted in unison along with various percussion instruments like drums being played! Kumbhakarṇa didn’t wake up! They brought in animals like elephants, horses, camels and donkeys, beat them up to make them trumpet, neigh, grunt and bray. With these sounds they also used a lot of other instruments to whip up a frenzy.

Kathāmṛta - 115 - Padmāvatī-lambaka

Padmāvatī-lambaka

देहार्धधृतकान्तोऽपि तपस्वी निर्गुणोऽपि यः।

जगत्स्तुत्यो नमस्तस्मै चित्ररूपाय शंभवे॥

चलत्कर्णाग्रविक्षिप्तगण्डोड्डीनालिमण्डलम्।

धुन्वानं विघ्नसङ्घातमिव विघ्नान्तकं नुमः॥

I bow down to the divine, who has his beloved occupying half his body, but is yet a tapasvī and beyond attributes. I bow down to this amazing form of Śiva, who is adored by the world.

‘ಮಣ್ಣಿನ ಕನಸು’: ಒಂದು ಸಮೀಕ್ಷೆ - 6

ಉದಯನನಂಥ ಅಪ್ರತಿಮ ಕಲಾವಿದನ ಬಗೆಗೆ ಸ್ವತಃ ಕಲಾವಿದೆಯೂ ಕಲಾಪ್ರೇಮಿಯೂ ಆಗಿದ್ದ ವಾಸವದತ್ತೆಯ ಅಭಿಮಾನ, ಆಕರ್ಷಣೆಗಳು ಎಲ್ಲ ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಸಹಜವಾದದ್ದು. ಅವಳು ತನ್ನ ತಾಯಿಯ ನೆರವಿನಿಂದ ತಂದೆಯನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪಿಸಿ ಉದಯನನನ್ನು ಗುರುವಾಗಿ ಪಡೆದು ವೀಣಾವಾದನ ಕಲಿಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದಳು. ಹೀಗೆ ಮೆಚ್ಚುಗೆ ಪ್ರೇಮವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಗತಿ ಹೊಂದಿತ್ತು. ಪಾಲಕನ ಕುತಂತ್ರ ತಿಳಿದ ಕೂಡಲೇ ವಾಸವದತ್ತೆ ತನ್ನ ಗುರು ರೇಭಿಲನನ್ನು ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಸಿ ಹೇಗಾದರೂ ಮಾಡಿ ಈ ವಿಷಯವನ್ನು ಯೌಗಂಧರಾಯಣನಿಗೆ ತಿಳಿಸಲು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಅದರಂತೆ ಶರ್ವಿಲಕ ವಿಂಧ್ಯಾಟವಿಯನ್ನು ಕ್ರಮಿಸಿ ಕೌಶಾಂಬಿಗೆ ಬರುವಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ಉದಯನ ಸೆರೆಯಾಗಿರುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಈ ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಹಾಮಾತ್ಯನ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವದ ವಿಶ್ವರೂಪದ ಪರಿಚಯ ನಮಗಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

Kathāmṛta - 114 - Suratamañjarī-laṃbaka - The story of Tārāvaloka

7. Upon observing his conduct, Sage Kaśyapa expressed his appreciation. He said, “O noble one! There never was an emperor equal to you; when you are seated on the dharmāsana—the seat of justice—you are not swayed by passion, prejudice, or malice. In the past, emperors such as Ṛṣabha were riddled with several flaws and ended up getting destroyed, losing all their wealth. Indra punished Ṛṣabha, Sarvadamana, and Bandhujīvaka for their excessive arrogance.