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The Mahābhārata Paintings by Sri Chandranath Acharya: An Introduction

The paintings on epic and purāṇic themes by Sri Chandranath Acharya, an artiste par excellence, represent an optimal blend of the classical Indian flavour with the techniques of the West. He has not only mastered the traditional Indian techniques but also brings in perfect anatomy and three-dimensional charm, typical to the Greco-roman tradition and the Italian Renaissance. He has taken forward the tradition of master artistes such as Raja Ravi Varma, M V Durandhar, M T V Acharya, Vaddadi Papaiah, and S M Pandit.

V P Madhava Rao (Part 3)

Generosity

There is yet another instance. Vidvān Brahmaśrī Chappalli Viśveśvara-śāstrī of Bangalore was a Sanskrit Scholar at Central College. He was an outstanding scholar of grammar and literary aesthetics. He was a person whose conduct and faith in traditions were worth being emulated by everyone. One day, he went to Dewan V P Madhava Rao to make a request. Rao received him with a lot of regard and asked him what the purpose of his visit was.

V P Madhava Rao (Part 2)

In Travancore

In this manner, V P Madhava Rao became the Dewan of Travancore long before Krishnamurti became the Dewan of Mysore.* There is no doubt that V P Madhava Rao had become popular in Travancore. In my consideration, three of his attributes are extremely necessary for an administrator –

Kathāmṛta - 95 - Śaśāṅkavatī-lambaka - Stories of Harisvāmī and Yaśaḥketu

Story 5

12. For the fifth time, king Trivikramasena took the corpse upon his shoulder and started to walk. The vetāla began to narrate another story:-

Long ago, Ujjainī was ruled by a king called Puṇyasena. He had a minister named Harisvāmī who had a son Devasvāmī and a daughter Somaprabhā. When Somaprabhā came of age, she told her parents and elder brother that she would only marry someone who was either valorous or wise or a man of science.

Ch. 4 Yoga of Unattached Karma (Part 8)

The Necessity of Firm Decision

Arjuna, if we analyse from the perspective of the supreme principle, it becomes clear that your doubts are baseless. Be firm about the ātmā. Do not entertain doubts in your mind.

ajñaścāśraddhadhānaśca saṃśayātmā vinaśyati
nāyaṃ loko’sti na paraṃ na sukhaṃ saṃśayātmanaḥ (BG 4.40)

(One who does not know, doesn’t have faith or is filled with doubts in his mind, perishes. A doubtful man can neither live in this world nor the otherworld. He is never happy.)

Kālidāsa - 9

Mallinātha has made some insightful observations in commenting on this verse. According to him, there were pictures in the mansion of various episodes from the time that Rāma and Sītā spent in the forest. Among them were paintings that depicted Sītā’s abduction, Rāma’s lament, his search for Sītā, and so on. When Rāma and Sītā looked at these and mulled over the episodes once again, they were neither sad nor disturbed; instead, they were happy.