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Dewan Rungacharlu (Part 1)

The First Proponent of Democracy in India

I have never seen Chettipunyam Rungacharlu [alternatively, Rangacharlu or Rangacharya.] I was born five or six years after his demise.

I wrote a fairly exhaustive treatise about Rungacharlu’s administration in both English and Kannada. That was fifty-seven or fifty-eight years ago. The aspect of his history that caught my mind and firmly fixed itself in my psyche was his understanding of the democratic system such a long time ago.

Bhavabhūti: A Portrait - 2

Let us briefly examine the literary scene prevalent in Sanskrit when Bhavabhūti began writing plays. While dramatists respected the compositions of past masters such as Bhāsa, Śūdraka and Kālidāsa, they mostly took to writing risqué ‘causeries’ (bhāṇa) and ‘harem romances’ (nāṭikā). Examples include such plays as Padma-prābhṛtaka, Pāda-tāḍitaka, Dhūrta-viṭa-saṃvāda, Ubhayābhisārikā (collectively termed as Caturbhāṇī), Priyadarśikā and Ratnāvalī (both by Harṣavardhana).

Kathāmṛta - 89 - Śaśāṅkavatī-lambaka - The Story of Pracaṇḍaśakti and The Story of Śīladhara and Satyadhara

Thus after reuniting with his ministers, Mṛgāṅkadatta continued his journey through the jungles of the Vindhyās. When they reached a place which had ample shade and water, they took a bath and ate the fruits they had gathered. Right then, from behind a shrub nearby, they overheard someone talking. Out of curiosity they slowly went there. To their surprise they saw a huge elephant taking care of a tired blind man who lay on the ground. It was offering him fruits and water and fanning cool air upon him with its huge ears.

Rājakārya-prasakta Dewan Bahadur Sir M N Krishna Rao - part 3

During the early days when Krishna Rao became the Dewan, the British Resident wrote him a letter informing about his visit to see the Dewan and sought a suitable time. 
Krishna Rao, in response, wrote “I am happy that you desire to see me. Salutations. I am at my office every day from eleven to five.” His conduct with people was appropriate; an apt response, behaving in a manner that was natural and never crossing bounds. That was Krishna Rao’s way.

Bhavabhūti: A Portrait - 1

Bhavabhūti was a Sanskrit poet par excellence. He lived in the eighth century CE. A thorough scholar of many branches of Indian learning, he composed three plays: Mahāvīra-carita, Mālatī-mādhava and Uttara-rāma-carita. All his works bear an indelible imprint of his personality – a feature rarely seen in Sanskrit poems. This essay attempts to sketch a portrait of the great playwright using the hues and strokes available in his works.

Ekavyakti-Yakṣagāna: Structure and Content (Part 6)

We used the traditional accompaniments of Yakṣagāna, namely caṇḍè and maddalè. To enhance the melody, however, we included flute and violin as accompaniments. From the early days, I felt the need to include a svara-vādya to add to the melody of the Yakṣagāna himmeḻa. I have even spoken about this on various platforms. Shivaram Karanth, Padmacharan, Mahabala Hegade, and others were of the same opinion. Shivaram Karanth has used violin and saxophone for accompaniments. It is worth mentioning here that when I shared my thoughts with Prof.

Kathāmṛta - 88 - Śaśāṅkavatī-lambaka - The Story of Vicitrakatha and The Story of Śrīdarśana

There, he found a yakṣiṇī, who had a divine charm. She was in the company of her maidens. Śrīdarśana saw that they were carrying varieties of delicacies and drinks; he gathered courage and went to them seeking the share of a guest. One of the women was impressed with his courage and offered food that would suffice for three people. After the three ate their portions of food, Mukhuraka said – “Ārya! You really are a man filled with divine qualities. I will offer my sister, this charming girl, in marriage to you!” He agreed and said – “So be it!

Rājakārya-prasakta Dewan Bahadur Sir M N Krishna Rao - part 2

Seetharamiah’s Hospitality

In the next week or ten days, I reached Delhi. Seetharamiah was waiting at the train station by the time the train reached. I asked him, “How did you know of my arrival?”
He said, “I got it somehow. You have arrived now, have you not?”
“Why did you come?”
He answered, “To escort you.”
I said, “I was thinking of some other arrangement.”
“Let the other arrangement be kept aside. Please accept this arrangement now.”