About

प्रेक्षा or Prekshaa is a Sanskrit word that means ‘seeing clearly.’ Other meanings include ‘intellect,’ ‘reflection,’ and ‘contemplation.’ The word prekṣā can be explained etymologically as प्रकृष्टतया ईक्षणम् (prakṛṣṭatayā īkṣaṇam) – ‘profound vision’ or ‘well seen.’

The Inspiration

अर्थचतुष्टयशिक्षा
साक्षात्कृत-यज्ञ-दान-तपसा॑ दीक्षा ।
वाग्वृत्तित्रयरक्षा
प्रेक्षाऽसौ जयति भारतीपदलाक्षा॥ 

(शतावधानि डॉ. रा गणेश)

Victorious indeed is Prekshaa – the clear intellect that has been
constantly educating everyone about the Purusharthas.
Prekshaa is synonymous with the initiation into
Yajna (Sharing), Dana (Giving), and Tapas (Penance) |
 Being the protector of the three modes of expression
(Abhidha – the designated meaning,
Lakshana – the suggested meaning, and
Vyanjana – the implied meaning),
Prekshaa, the clear intellect, is indeed the red lacquer
on the feet of Bharati, the deity of wisdom ||

(Śatāvadhāni Dr. R. Ganesh)

A Niche Online Journal of Indian Cultural Heritage

Prekshaa is a niche online journal featuring articles, essays, long-forms, interviews, and videos on Indian art, culture, literature, history, and philosophy in multiple Indian languages. Prekshaa’s primary goal is to make the vast and chequered fabric of Indian cultural heritage more accessible to all.

Prekshaa Journal has three main focus areas:
1. Publish original research of scholars in subjects related to Indian cultural heritage.
2. Produce lucid English translations of valuable literature in these areas, which are already available in Indian languages.
3. Identify, curate, and make available in the public domain primary texts related to various aspects of Indian antiquity and build an online archive.

Timeless Content

Deeply influenced by the Indian spirit, the content in Prekshaa is characterized by the element of timelessness and continuing relevance. The journal tries to resonate within its pages the eternal spirit of the Vedāntic realization by the seers of the Upaniṣads to the poetic genius of Kālidāsa, the historical pre-eminence of Vidyāraṇya to the new dimensions in Indian classical music explored by M. Balamuralikrishna. In other words, the content on Prekshaa is space-and-time neutral.

The Journey

Prekshaa Journal was originally started in early 2010 by a group of youngsters from Bangalore, under the guidance of Śatāvadhāni Dr. R. Ganesh who also composed the verse that inspires the motto of Prekshaa Journal. Encouraged by the regular stream of quality content to its corpus and response from a discerning readership, Prekshaa was officially registered as a non-profit publishing organization in 2016.

In the journey so far, Prekshaa Journal has published about four hundred pieces including essays, long-forms, interviews, translations, and videos in English, Sanskrit, Kannada, and Tamil featuring such stalwarts as Prof. M Hiriyanna, D.V. Gundappa, Dr. M Balamuralikrishna, Dr. S L Bhyrappa, and Śatāvadhāni Dr. R. Ganesh.

Editorial Team

 

Sandeep Balakrishna is an author, columnist, translator, socio-political analyst, and former technologist. He is the author of Tipu Sultan: The Tyrant of Mysore and The Madurai Sultanate: A Concise History. He translated Dr. S L Bhyrappa’s magnum opus Avarana into English. He is currently working on his third book.

 

 

Shashi Kiran B N holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. His interests include Indian aesthetics, Hindu scriptures, Sanskrit literature, and philosophy. A literary aficionado, Shashi enjoys composing Sanskrit verses set to classical poetic meters. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Sanskrit. He co-wrote a translation of Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh’s Kannada work Kavitegondu Kathe.

 

 

Arjun Bharadwaj is a poet, translator, engineer, and musician. He holds a master’s degree in Engineering as well as in Sanskrit. He is a polyglot, well-versed in Sanskrit, Kannada, Hindi, English, Greek, and German. Arjun is currently studying comparative aesthetics of classical Greek and Sanskrit literature. He co-wrote a translation of Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh’s Kannada work Kavitegondu Kathe.

 

 

Hari Ravikumar is a writer and musician with a deep interest in the Hindu scriptures, Carnatic music, education pedagogy design, and literature. He co-wrote The New Bhagavad-Gita, Srishti, and Foggy Fool’s Farrago. He translated Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh’s Kannada monograph on dharma into English (as Your Dharma and Mine).

 


Editorial Advisory Board

Prekshaa’s editorial advisory board members represent the highest echelons of scholarship and art in the country. Apart from mentoring the editorial team, the members of the editorial advisory board also give specific inputs on articles and essays in their chosen domain of expertise. The journal is fortunate to have the support of the following luminaries:

 

Dr. S L Bhyrappa is India’s foremost novelist with over twenty novels and several non-fiction essays to his credit. In a career that has endured over fifty years, he has written novels such as Mandra, Parva, Daatu, Sakshi, Nele, and Aavarana. His novels Vamshavruksha, Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane, Matadaana, and Naayi Neralu were made into critically acclaimed films. After completing his PhD. in philosophy and working in various government departments, he decided to become a full-time writer. He won the Kannada Sahitya Akademi Award twice: in 1966 for Vamshavruksha and in 1975 for Daatu, which also brought him a Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award the same year. In 2010, he was awarded the 20thSaraswati Samman and in 2015, he was given the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in the year 2016. He is also a National Professor

 

 

Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh is one of India’s foremost Sanskrit poets, scholars, and avadhānis. He writes and lectures extensively on various subjects pertaining to India and Indian cultural heritage. Over 10,000 hours of his lectures on Indian culture and heritage, Indian and Western arts, and Indian and Western philosophy have been recorded. He is a master of the ancient art of avadhāna and performs it in Sanskrit, Telugu, and Kannada (he is credited with reviving the art of avadhāna in Kannada.) He is fluent in eighteen languages including Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Latin, Greek, and Italian. Dr. Ganesh holds a master’s degree in Metallurgy and in Sanskrit. Hampi University gave him a D.Litt. for his thesis, ‘The Art of Avadhāna in Kannada.’ He was formerly the director of the Gandhi Centre at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. He is recipient of several awards and recognitions including the Bādarāyaṇa-Vyāsa Puraskar from the President of India for his contribution to the Sanskrit language.

 

 

Dr. S R Leela is a writer, dramatist, professor, and a former Member of the Legislative Council of Karnataka. After graduating with a master’s degree in Sanskrit, Dr. Leela obtained an M.Phil. from Madras University and PhD. from Bengaluru University. She was the director of the RV Institute of Sanskrit Studies and Professor and Head of the Sanskrit Department in NMKRV College. With a view to propagate classical arts in Sanskrit theatre, she established Abhinaya Bharati. Dr. Leela has produced and directed feature films in Sanskrit. She has authored more than fifteen books in Sanskrit, English, and Kannada apart from translating scholarly articles and books from Sanskrit to English. She joined the Mahabharata Pratishtana as the editorial coordinator of the Encyclopedia of the Mahabharata. She was honoured with the Aryabhata Award in 2008.

 

 

Dr. S R Ramaswamy is a journalist, writer, scholar, and environmentalist par excellence. Since 1980, he has been the honorary editor-in-chief of Utthana and Rashtrotthana Sahitya. Earlier, he was the chief sub-editor of Sudha. Proficient in multiple languages including Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, English, Hindi, and German, Dr. Ramaswamy has written over fifty books and more than a thousand articles in his career of more than five decades. He was in close association with the intellectual giants of India between 1950 and 1990, particularly D V Gundappa, who was a guru and mentor to him. He is currently the honorary secretary of the Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs. In 2011, the Karnataka State Open University conferred him with an honorary D. Litt for lifetime contribution to literature and journalism. In 2015, the Hampi University honoured him with the Nadoja award.

 

 

Dr. T S Sathyavathi is a renowned Carnatic classical musician, guided by stalwarts like Smt. Vasanthamadhavi and Sri. R K Srikantan in singing, Sri. B V K Sastry in musicology, and Sri. Bangalore K. Venkataram in mridangam. An ekasandhigrāhi, her musical journey started at the age of two when she sang before the then Maharani of Mysore. She has a deep knowledge of Sanskrit and has composed music-dance-dramas for Gītā-govindam, Abhijñāna-śākuntalam, and Dakṣa-yajña. She has written scores of scholarly articles and papers for prestigious journals. She has been a much sought-after guru and in the past forty years many of her students have become accomplished artistes. She is the recipient of several awards including Karnataka Kalashree, Madras Music Academy Award, Ganavisharade, Karnakata Sangeeta Kalarathna, and Sangeeta Sahitya Vinodini.

 

 

Dr. L V Shantakumari is a renowned scholar with extensive work in both academic and non-academic fields. She has a master’s degree in English and a Vishaarada in Hindi. She taught English at Tumkur University, Government Arts and Science College, Siddaganga Women’s College, and Vidyodaya Law College. With her mastery over Kannada, English, and Hindi, she has produced several works of translations. She has written more than twenty books in Kannada and English and has translated eleven books into Kannada and English, including English translations of bestselling novels of Dr. Bhyrappa. Her anthology of essays, A Creative Appreciation of Dr. S L Bhyrappa’s Works has been critically acclaimed. She has also written short stories, poems, and research papers, which have been published in many newspapers and magazines in Karnataka.

 

 

Author(s)

About:

Prekshaa is a premium journal of Indian culture and philosophy drawing from the vast and timeless treasure trove of various aspects of India's grand heritage.

Prekshaa Publications

Among the many contributions of ancient Indians to world thought, perhaps the most insightful is the realisation that ānanda (Bliss) is the ultimate goal of human existence. Since time immemorial, India has been a land steeped in contemplation about the nature of humans and the universe. The great ṛṣis (seers) and ṛṣikās (seeresses) embarked on critical analysis of subjective experience and...

One of the two great epics of India and arguably the most popular epic in the world, the Ramayana has enchanted generations of people not just in Greater India but the world over. In less than three hundred pages The Essential Ramayana captures all the poetic subtleties and noble values of the original and offers the great epic in an eminently readable form that will appeal to the learned and...

The Bhagavad-gītā isn’t merely a treatise on ultimate liberation. It is also a treatise on good living. Even the laity, which does not have its eye on mokṣa, can immensely benefit from the Gītā. It has the power to grant an attitude of reverence in worldly life, infuse enthusiasm in the execution of duty, impart fortitude in times of adversity, and offer solace to the heart when riddled by...

Indian Perspective of Truth and Beauty in Homer’s Epics is a unique work on the comparative study of the Greek Epics Iliad and Odyssey with the Indian Epics – Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata. Homer, who laid the foundations for the classical tradition of the West, occupies a stature similar to that occupied by the seer-poets Vālmīki and Vyāsa, who are synonymous with the Indian culture. The author...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the sixth volume of reminiscences character sketches of prominent public figures, liberals, and social workers. These remarkable personages hailing from different corners of South India are from a period that spans from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Written in Kannada in the 1970s, these memoirs go...

An Introduction to Hinduism based on Primary Sources

Authors: Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh, Hari Ravikumar

What is the philosophical basis for Sanātana-dharma, the ancient Indian way of life? What makes it the most inclusive and natural of all religio-philosophical systems in the world?

The Essential Sanātana-dharma serves as a handbook for anyone who wishes to grasp the...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fifth volume, episodes from the lives of traditional savants responsible for upholding the Vedic culture. These memorable characters lived a life of opulence amidst poverty— theirs  was the wealth of the soul, far beyond money and gold. These vidvāns hailed from different corners of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom and lived in...

Padma Bhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam represents the quintessence of Sage Bharata’s art and Bhārata, the country that gave birth to the peerless seer of the Nāṭya-veda. Padma’s erudition in various streams of Indic knowledge, mastery over many classical arts, deep understanding of the nuances of Indian culture, creative genius, and sublime vision bolstered by the vedāntic and nationalistic...

Bhārata has been a land of plenty in many ways. We have had a timeless tradition of the twofold principle of Brāhma (spirit of wisdom) and Kṣāttra (spirit of valour) nourishing and protecting this sacred land. The Hindu civilisation, rooted in Sanātana-dharma, has constantly been enriched by brāhma and safeguarded by kṣāttra.
The renowned Sanskrit poet and scholar, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R...

ಛಂದೋವಿವೇಕವು ವರ್ಣವೃತ್ತ, ಮಾತ್ರಾಜಾತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಕರ್ಷಣಜಾತಿ ಎಂದು ವಿಭಕ್ತವಾದ ಎಲ್ಲ ಬಗೆಯ ಛಂದಸ್ಸುಗಳನ್ನೂ ವಿವೇಚಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಬಂಧಗಳ ಸಂಕಲನ. ಲೇಖಕರ ದೀರ್ಘಕಾಲಿಕ ಆಲೋಚನೆಯ ಸಾರವನ್ನು ಒಳಗೊಂಡ ಈ ಹೊತ್ತಗೆ ಪ್ರಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಛಂದಸ್ಸಿನ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಲಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ತೌಲನಿಕ ವಿಶ್ಲೇಷಣೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅಂತಃಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀಯ ಅಧ್ಯಯನಗಳ ತೆಕ್ಕೆಗೆ ಬರುವ ಬರೆಹಗಳೂ ಇಲ್ಲಿವೆ. ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಕಾರನಿಗಲ್ಲದೆ ಸಿದ್ಧಹಸ್ತನಾದ ಕವಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಸ್ಫುರಿಸಬಲ್ಲ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಹೊಳಹುಗಳು ಕೃತಿಯ ಮೌಲಿಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸಿವೆ. ಈ...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fourth volume, some character sketches of the Dewans of Mysore preceded by an account of the political framework of the State before Independence and followed by a review of the political conditions of the State after 1940. These remarkable leaders of Mysore lived in a period that spans from the mid-nineteenth century to the...

Bharatiya Kavya-mimamseya Hinnele is a monograph on Indian Aesthetics by Mahamahopadhyaya N. Ranganatha Sharma. The book discusses the history and significance of concepts pivotal to Indian literary theory. It is equally useful to the learned and the laity.

Sahitya-samhite is a collection of literary essays in Kannada. The book discusses aestheticians such as Ananda-vardhana and Rajashekhara; Sanskrit scholars such as Mena Ramakrishna Bhat, Sridhar Bhaskar Varnekar and K S Arjunwadkar; and Kannada litterateurs such as DVG, S L Bhyrappa and S R Ramaswamy. It has a foreword by Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh.

The Mahābhārata is the greatest epic in the world both in magnitude and profundity. A veritable cultural compendium of Bhārata-varṣa, it is a product of the creative genius of Maharṣi Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa. The epic captures the experiential wisdom of our civilization and all subsequent literary, artistic, and philosophical creations are indebted to it. To read the Mahābhārata is to...

Shiva Rama Krishna

சிவன். ராமன். கிருஷ்ணன்.
இந்திய பாரம்பரியத்தின் முப்பெரும் கதாநாயகர்கள்.
உயர் இந்தியாவில் தலைமுறைகள் பல கடந்தும் கடவுளர்களாக போற்றப்பட்டு வழிகாட்டிகளாக விளங்குபவர்கள்.
மனித ஒற்றுமை நூற்றாண்டுகால பரிணாம வளர்ச்சியின் பரிமாணம்.
தனிநபர்களாகவும், குடும்ப உறுப்பினர்களாகவும், சமுதாய பிரஜைகளாகவும் நாம் அனைவரும் பரிமளிக்கிறோம்.
சிவன் தனிமனித அடையாளமாக அமைகிறான்....

ऋतुभिः सह कवयः सदैव सम्बद्धाः। विशिष्य संस्कृतकवयः। यथा हि ऋतवः प्रतिसंवत्सरं प्रतिनवतामावहन्ति मानवेषु तथैव ऋतुवर्णनान्यपि काव्यरसिकेषु कामपि विच्छित्तिमातन्वते। ऋतुकल्याणं हि सत्यमिदमेव हृदि कृत्वा प्रवृत्तम्। नगरजीवनस्य यान्त्रिकतां मान्त्रिकतां च ध्वनदिदं चम्पूकाव्यं गद्यपद्यमिश्रितमिति सुव्यक्तमेव। ऐदम्पूर्वतया प्रायः पुरीपरिसरप्रसृतानाम् ऋतूनां विलासोऽत्र प्रपञ्चितः। बेङ्गलूरुनामके...

The Art and Science of Avadhānam in Sanskrit is a definitive work on Sāhityāvadhānam, a form of Indian classical art based on multitasking, lateral thinking, and extempore versification. Dotted throughout with tasteful examples, it expounds in great detail on the theory and practice of this unique performing art. It is as much a handbook of performance as it is an anthology of well-turned...

This anthology is a revised edition of the author's 1978 classic. This series of essays, containing his original research in various fields, throws light on the socio-cultural landscape of Tamil Nadu spanning several centuries. These compelling episodes will appeal to scholars and laymen alike.
“When superstitious mediaevalists mislead the country about its judicial past, we have to...

The cultural history of a nation, unlike the customary mainstream history, has a larger time-frame and encompasses the timeless ethos of a society undergirding the course of events and vicissitudes. A major key to the understanding of a society’s unique character is an appreciation of the far-reaching contributions by outstanding personalities of certain periods – especially in the realms of...

Prekṣaṇīyam is an anthology of essays on Indian classical dance and theatre authored by multifaceted scholar and creative genius, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh. As a master of śāstra, a performing artiste (of the ancient art of Avadhānam), and a cultured rasika, he brings a unique, holistic perspective to every discussion. These essays deal with the philosophy, history, aesthetics, and practice of...

Yaugandharam

इदं किञ्चिद्यामलं काव्यं द्वयोः खण्डकाव्ययोः सङ्कलनरूपम्। रामानुरागानलं हि सीतापरित्यागाल्लक्ष्मणवियोगाच्च श्रीरामेणानुभूतं हृदयसङ्क्षोभं वर्णयति । वात्सल्यगोपालकं तु कदाचिद्भानूपरागसमये घटितं यशोदाश्रीकृष्णयोर्मेलनं वर्णयति । इदम्प्रथमतया संस्कृतसाहित्ये सम्पूर्णं काव्यं...

Vanitakavitotsavah

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Vaiphalyaphalam

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Nipunapraghunakam

इयं रचना दशसु रूपकेष्वन्यतमस्य भाणस्य निदर्शनतामुपैति। एकाङ्करूपकेऽस्मिन् शेखरकनामा चित्रोद्यमलेखकः केनापि हेतुना वियोगम् अनुभवतोश्चित्रलेखामिलिन्दकयोः समागमं सिसाधयिषुः कथामाकाशभाषणरूपेण निर्वहति।

Bharavatarastavah

अस्मिन् स्तोत्रकाव्ये भगवन्तं शिवं कविरभिष्टौति। वसन्ततिलकयोपनिबद्धस्य काव्यस्यास्य कविकृतम् उल्लाघनाभिधं व्याख्यानं च वर्तते।

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the third volume, some character sketches of great literary savants responsible for Kannada renaissance during the first half of the twentieth century. These remarkable...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the second volume, episodes from the lives of remarkable exponents of classical music and dance, traditional storytellers, thespians, and connoisseurs; as well as his...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the first volume, episodes from the lives of great writers, poets, literary aficionados, exemplars of public life, literary scholars, noble-hearted common folk, advocates...

Evolution of Mahabharata and Other Writings on the Epic is the English translation of S R Ramaswamy's 1972 Kannada classic 'Mahabharatada Belavanige' along with seven of his essays on the great epic. It tells the riveting...

Shiva-Rama-Krishna is an English adaptation of Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh's popular lecture series on the three great...

Bharatilochana

ಮಹಾಮಾಹೇಶ್ವರ ಅಭಿನವಗುಪ್ತ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ವಿದ್ಯಾವಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಮರೆಯಲಾಗದ ಹೆಸರು. ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಶೈವದರ್ಶನ ಮತ್ತು ಸೌಂದರ್ಯಮೀಮಾಂಸೆಗಳ ಪರಮಾಚಾರ್ಯನಾಗಿ  ಸಾವಿರ ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಇವನು ಜ್ಞಾನಪ್ರಪಂಚವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಭಾವಿಸುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದಾನೆ. ಭರತಮುನಿಯ ನಾಟ್ಯಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಇವನೊಬ್ಬನೇ ನಮಗಿರುವ ಆಲಂಬನ. ಇದೇ ರೀತಿ ರಸಧ್ವನಿಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತವನ್ನು...

Vagarthavismayasvadah

“वागर्थविस्मयास्वादः” प्रमुखतया साहित्यशास्त्रतत्त्वानि विमृशति । अत्र सौन्दर्यर्यशास्त्रीयमूलतत्त्वानि यथा रस-ध्वनि-वक्रता-औचित्यादीनि सुनिपुणं परामृष्टानि प्रतिनवे चिकित्सकप्रज्ञाप्रकाशे। तदन्तर एव संस्कृतवाङ्मयस्य सामर्थ्यसमाविष्कारोऽपि विहितः। क्वचिदिव च्छन्दोमीमांसा च...

The Best of Hiriyanna

The Best of Hiriyanna is a collection of forty-eight essays by Prof. M. Hiriyanna that sheds new light on Sanskrit Literature, Indian...

Stories Behind Verses

Stories Behind Verses is a remarkable collection of over a hundred anecdotes, each of which captures a story behind the composition of a Sanskrit verse. Collected over several years from...