February 2017

यथा वेदान्तविद्यायां जीवन्मुक्तपरम्परा । तथा साहित्यविद्यायां महाकविपरम्परा ॥ तदिदमवधेयं यद्भारतीयपरम्परायां सर्वप्रमाणापेक्षया निस्सामान्यसार्वत्रिकानुभव एव सार्वभौमत्वमर्हतीति । अनेनैव शुष्कतर्कापेक्षया स्वरसानुभवरासिक्यं वरमिति स्फुरति । तथा च शतानां शब्दशरणानां शास्त्रज्ञंमन्यानां गड्डरिकाप्रवाहापेक्षया त्वेक एव ज्ञानविज्ञानवान्प्रशस्यते । अनेनैव नयेन वेदान्तविद्यायां  वामदेव-याज्ञवल्क्य-श्रीकृष्ण-शङ्कर-रामकृष्ण-रमणादीनां जीवन्मुक्तपरम्परेव...
अपर्याप्तमुदाकारामामपर्यायतमास्मिताम् । प्रपद्ये सकलास्वादां निष्कलां रसभारतीम् ॥ पूर्वपीठिका तदिदं ‘रसाध्याय’संज्ञितस्य कस्यचन ग्रन्थस्य सारासारविवेचनार्थं समायोजनम् । तथापि नास्माभिरस्यैकस्य मीमांसने मनः प्रवर्ततेतराम् । यत ईदृशा आक्षेपविक्षेपा बहोः कालादारभ्य वर्तमाना एव विद्वज्जगति । नेदमपूर्वं किञ्चिन्नाप्यभिनवम् । अन्यच्च नात्र काप्यस्मदीयानस्मदीयविभेदव्यपदेशोऽपि लगति । यतः पुरा हि रसस्यानुमानिकतां लोलुपतां सुखदुःखात्मकतां च कथयद्भिः...
आभाति हाटकसभानटपादपद्म ज्योतिर्मयो मनसि मे तरुणारुणोयम् | नूनं जरामरणघोरपिशाचकीर्णा संसारमोहरजनी विरतिं प्रयाता || Appayya-dīkṣita set out to Kāṣi as he wanted to draw his last breath there. However, upon realizing that he was nearing his death at Chidambaram itself, he laid his head down at the feet of the deity Kanakasabhāpati in the Naṭarāja temple and uttered his last words thus चिदम्बरमिदं पुरं प्रथितमेव पुण्यस्थलमं सुताश्च...
"Meditations of Marcus Aurelius" by the ancient Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius is one of the great books, which has an all-time relevance because of the practical knowledge, philosophical maxims and psychological insights that are expounded there. The worth of these observations will be more enhanced as Marcus Aurelius as an emperor had to face the problems of his government, had to lead his soldiers against outlandish tribes, and had to...
It appears that the God Brahma who was so munificent in bestowing the boon of command over language to Venkatarama Shastri indulged in mischief in the matter of giving him speech. If this wasn’t true, what explains the fact that a Vidwan—an accomplished scholar—like him stammered at every step? It was for this reason that all the village folk referred to him as “Stammering Shastri.” This appellation was merely for the convenience of...
I don’t deem it inappropriate to concisely present a collection of my musical experiences over the last sixty to seventy years. As in the case of so many other disciplines in our lifetime, music too has undergone several changes. Just like the fashion in food and clothing has changed, there has been a change in music. About thirty or forty years ago, Malavalli Sundaramma was singing at a wedding in a friend’s house. The Tyagaraja kriti in...
ಅನಪೇಕ್ಷಿತಗುರುವಚನಾ ಸರ್ವಾನ್ಗ್ರಂಥೀನ್ವಿಭೇದಯತಿ ಸಮ್ಯಕ್ |ಪ್ರಕಟಯತಿ ಪರರಹಸ್ಯಂ ವಿಮರ್ಶಕಶಕ್ತಿರ್ನಿಜಾ ಜಯತಿ || ಗುರೂಪದೇಶದ ಅಪೇಕ್ಷೆಯಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಕಗ್ಗಂಟಿನಂಥ ಎಲ್ಲ ತೊಡಕುಗಳನ್ನೂ ಸುಲಭವಾಗಿ ನಿವಾರಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಹಾಗೂ ಗಹನವಾದ ಪರಮರಹಸ್ಯವನ್ನೂ ಅರ್ಥೈಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯವು ಸ್ವಂತವಿಮರ್ಶಕಶಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಲಭಿಸುವುದು. Sediyaapu_2.jpg SEDIYAPU KRISHNA BHAT ಶ್ರೀಯುತ ಸೇಡಿಯಾಪು ಕೃಷ್ಣಭಟ್ಟರನ್ನು (8.6.1902 – 8.6.1996) ನೆನೆದಾಗಲೆಲ್ಲ ವಲ್ಲಭದೇವನ ಸುಭಾಷಿತಾವಲಿಯ ಪ್ರಕೃತಪದ್ಯವು ನನಗೆ...
अकृशं कुचयोः कृशं वलग्ने विपुलं वक्षसि विस्तृतं नितम्बे | अधरेस्रुणमाविरस्तु चित्ते करुणाशालि कपालिभागदेयम् ||   Appayya-dikshita is known to have had eleven sons. Each of them was virtuous in conduct, well educated and modest. Once, one of the sons having fallen for the beauty of a certain deva-daasi, was lost in his thoughts about her good looks and composed the first three lines of the above verse: “May her charming form - with ample bosom,...
मारमणमुमारमणं फणधरतल्पं फणाधराकल्पम्। मुरमथनं पुरमथनं वन्दे बाणारिमसमबाणारिम् ॥ Appayya-dikshita, an advaitin, out of his love for traditional rituals, practiced the non-dualistic worship of Shiva. Works like 'Shikarini-maala', are testimonies to his devotion to Shiva. However, hymns like ‘Varadaraaja-stava’ indicate that he was not averse to the worship of Vishnu. He strictly adhered to the advaitic school of philosophy of Shankaracharya that...
The big problem with the system of republics is the constant infighting. Since their vision is so narrow, when there is an attack from an external enemy, these republics don't unite and offer resistance. It is for this reason an empire is necessary. But the problem with a kingdom or an empire is that the local and regional identities don't survive. An ideal kingdom should lay stress on the local as well as the pan national aspects. But how can...