ಋಷಿಕುಮಾರ ಋಷ್ಯಶೃಂಗ ಹೆಣ್ಣನ್ನೇ ಕಾಣದೆ ಬೆಳೆದವನು. ಅವನು ಮೊದಲ ಬಾರಿಗೆ ಬೈತಲೆ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಹೆರಳು ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡ ಹೆಂಗಸರನ್ನು ಕಂಡಾಗ ಅವರ ಹಣೆಯೇ ಎರಡು ಪಾಲಾದಂತೆ ಭ್ರಮಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಅದನ್ನು ತುಂಬ ಚಮತ್ಕಾರಕವಾಗಿ ಮಹಾಭಾರತ ಹೇಳುವ ಪರಿ ಹೀಗಿದೆ:
ದ್ವೈಧೀಕೃತಾ ಭಾಂತಿ ಸಮಾ ಲಲಾಟೇ (೩.೧೧೨.೯)
ಯದ್ವಿಜ್ಞಾನಮಹಾವ್ಯೋಮ್ನಿ ಕ್ರಿಯತೇ ತಚ್ಚರಾಚರಮ್ |
ತಸ್ಮೈ ಜ್ಞೇಯದರಿದ್ರಾಯ ನಮೋ ಭಾರತವೇಧಸೇ ||
(ವರದವಿದ್ವಾಂಸನ “ಜ್ಞಾನಪಂಜರ”ವ್ಯಾಖ್ಯಾನ)
(ಯಾರ ಅನುಭವಜನ್ಯಜ್ಞಾನವೆಂಬ ಮಹಾಕಾಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಕಲಚರಾಚರಗಳೂ ರೂಪಿತವಾಗುವುವೋ ಅಂಥ ಭಾರತಬ್ರಹ್ಮನಿಗೆ ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ. ಆ ಕೃತಿಯೂ ಅದರ ಕರ್ತೃವೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಪಾಲಿಗೆ ತಿಳಿಯಲು ಮತ್ತಾವುದನ್ನೂ ಉಳಿಸಿಲ್ಲ.)
वयमिह परितुष्टा वल्कलैस्त्वं दुकूलैः
सम इह परितोषो निर्विशेषो विशेषः।
स तु भवति दरिद्रो यस्य तृष्णा विशाला
मनसि च परितुष्टे कोऽर्थवान् को दरिद्रः॥
In Ramkumari, sex doesn’t merely remain on the plane of beauty or emotion but elevates itself to the status of a value. Her encounter with her employer, the wealthy lawyer and musical connoisseur Gore is one of the most splendid literary episodes. Indeed, Gore’s character is also quite an extraordinary creation of the author.
Vyāsa is said to have presented to Brahmā the topics discussed in the Mahābhārata thus – “In this work there are several secrets of the Vedas; my definitive siddhāntas on them; several details and descriptions of the Vedas compiled from the ṣaḍaṅgas and the Upaniṣads; matters pertaining to the three time periods – past, present, and future; unambiguous descriptions about the nature of the origin and destruction of birth, death, fear, and disease; the characteristics of the various varṇāśrama-dharmas; the vidhānas (metho
भोगे रोगभयं कुले च्युतिभयं वित्ते नृपालाद्भयं
माने दैन्यभयं बले रिपुभयं रूपे जराया भयम्।
शास्त्रे वादभयं गुणे खलभयं काये कृतान्ताद्भयं
सर्वं वस्तु भयान्वितं भुवि नृणां वैराग्यमेवाभयम्॥
From one perspective, Ramkumari’s character is fundamentally tragic. She is the only character in Mandra who keeps “losing” throughout her life. Her loss isn’t merely her abandonment by Mohanlal or much later, by her own grown-up children who choose their long-estranged father’s fame and wealth over their mother’s lifelong sacrifice in nurturing them.
Just because the Mahābhārata was narrated in the period of King Janamejaya it doesn’t make it an ancient tale; it is fresh even today and it will forever be new because when will there not be disputes between cousins? Although it is a story of the kṣatriyas, such disputes exist in all communities around the world. The problem is described with great imagery and we feel as though the events are happening right before our eyes. Who doesn’t like a story?
किं वेदैः स्मृतिभिः पुराणपठनैः शास्त्रैर्महाविस्तरैः
स्वर्गग्रामकुटीनिवासफलदैः कर्मक्रियाविभ्रमैः।
मुक्त्वैकं भवबन्धदुःखरचनाविध्वंसकालानलं
स्वात्मानन्दपदप्रवेशकलनं शेषा वणिग्वृत्तयः॥
The true root and heart of Mandra is located in the music of Raja Saheb and his small Mahadeva Temple overlooking the perennial, gurgling currents of Narmada River amid the dense jungle he has specially grown. In less than ten pages, Dr. Bhyrappa unveils a majestic opulence that at once encompasses the highest and the best traditions of Indian music, its underlying philosophy, its aesthetic goal and its ultimate ideal.