REVIEWS
B. R. Ambedkar, The Politics of Emancipation: by Dr. A. M.
Rajasekhariah. Sindu Publications Private Ltd., 6, Oak Lane, Fort, Bombay-l.
Price: Rs. 30.
B.
R. Ambedkar, one of the architects of our Constitution of Democratic Sovereign
Republic, had played a very significant role for more than three decades, from 1930 till his death in 1956, in the public life of renascent
India. But for his constant
espousal of the cause of untouchables, Article 17 would not have found a place in the Chapter on Fundamental Rights of our
Constitution. If he had not made a secular approach to the vexing problem of
Minorities in the Indian Polity, we
could not have had the same satisfactory solution as was arrived at. If it had
not been for anything else and only had been for his services in emancipating a fallen lot of people forming a fifth of the Indian population, Dr.
Ambedkar would still be honoured and given a secure niche in the hall of fame.
The
author of this well-written
volume has not attempted to conceal his unbounded admiration for his hero in
assessing the worth of the great constitutionist and reformer. In ten chapters,
the book has presented the conditions prevailing in the political and social
fields anterior to our attaining Independence. The reforming zeal of Ambedkar
did not stand in the way of his thorough investigation of the entire problem of
the Minorities such as that of Scheduled Castes, Tribes, etc. The robust practicality he showed in approaching
the question of the Backward Classes and his insistence on their gaining a
political status along with the Majority Communities, left very little for others to further devote
attention to it. His knowledge of Constitutional Law proved an unfailing source
of strength when he functioned as the Chairman of the Committee for drafting a
bill of the Indian Constitution. The author has filled the pages with copious extracts from both the
speeches of Ambedkar as well as the tributes received by him for his solid work and industry in
shaping the Constitution.
The
author, though justified in his estimate of his hero as one India’s outstanding
emancipators of the people, could have
spared the readers frequent iteration of the same ideas in more than one chapter
though clothed in expressive language.
–K. CHANDRASEKHAR
Essays Throwing New Light on The Gandharvas, The
Apsarases, The Yakshas and The Kinnaras: by N. G. Tavakar. Published by Tavakar
Prakashan, 10, Daulat Mansion, Barrack Road, Marine Lines, Bombay-20. Price:
Rs. 20.
This
is a very interesting monograph on the mythological figures frequently met with
in our scriptures and classics. The author with enviable powers of research has
dived deep into the lore pertaining to these celestial beings and has shown no
weariness in collecting all available information from various sources
regarding their origin, places of dwelling, main characteristics and the
historicity, if any, of their existence. Thus the Gandharvas have been found
not merely as exponents of the arts of music and dance, but as sturdy warriors
guarding the directions and kings. The Apsarases, who are generally portrayed
as seductive in their charms and employed to wean away the sages from their
penances, are shown as respected much by the sages themselves. The Yakshas, as
represented in the sculptures, are not alluring enough to convince us of their
famed forms and beauty. The Kinnaras, who are not different from the
Kimpurushas, are of such mixed form with heads of horses and endowed with
wings, so much so their existence itself is doubtful at any time, for they
should have been more imagined
than real.
The
author needs our appreciation for his thoroughness in his research and for his
interpretations which are quite acceptable.
–K. CHANDRASEKHARAN
The Megha-duta of Kalidasa: Critically edited by Dr.
Sushil Kumar De. Second edition revised by Dr. V. Raghavan, with a general introduction
by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. Publishers: Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. Pages 140.
Price: Rs.6-50.
Critical
editions of Kalidasa’s texts are a long felt desiderata. The Sahitya Akademi
which has taken up the project for serial publication of critical editions of
Kalidasa’s works has started with Megha-duta under the editorship of the
late Dr. S. K. De–a distinguished name in the field of textual criticism. The second
revised edition is now in our hands. According to the available manuscript and
commentaries, the minimum and maximum stanzas in the Megha-duta are 110 and 127
respectively. This critical edition contains 111 stanzas. Dr. De’s critical
edition for the Akademi “was based by him not only on a study of all the
numerous previous editions of this popular poem but also on the examination of the
text as followed by its numerous commentators and its adaptation and
translations in Sanskrit, Indian languages, and the Singhalese. The criteria
adapted for the constitution of this critical text are noteworthy: (1)
Commentaries are taken as chief guide for textual study, (2) Each testimony is
to be judged on the value of the text tradition that it represents. Even a
manuscript written in Sarada script is not superior and even a Tibetan
translation is not free from conflation (3) No manuscript or commentary is
sacrosanct and every reading of a particular passage, word or phrase has to be
tested by its intrinsic probability. (4) One cannot be dogmatic with regard to
the authenticity of the good number of readings nor positively certain. But the
variations so far found are not greatly important and do not on the whole seem
to effect very much the poet’s own text in its pristine form. In his general
introduction, which is simply superb, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan surveys all Kalidasa’s
works. He points out his literary merits and discusses about his religion. In a
racy style Kalidasa’s conceptions of Dharma, Artha, love and marriage and his
love for Nature are beautifully brought out. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan breathes
philosophy into this literary criticism.
Some of his observations are very refreshing. Kalidasa in his first
stanza of the “Kumarasambhava” “suggests that the culture which developed in
the Himalayan regions and which is essentially spiritual in quality may be the
measuring rod of the cultures of the world.” “The world is under a moral
government. The good will ultimately triumph. If we have no tragedies in
Kalidasa, it is because he affirms the reality of the concord and decency.
Subject to this conviction, he induces our sympathy for the hard lot of the
majority of men and women.” “History is not a natural but a moral phenomenon.
It is not mere temporal succession. Its essence lies in the spiritual which
informs the succession.” “The laws of Dharma are not static and unchanging.”
Dr.
De’s introduction is masterly. It deals with important subjects like editions
of the text, adaptations and translations, commentaries, manuscripts, theme,
sources and characteristics and the critical
apparatus. Select bibliography, indices, geographical notes and
footnotes giving important variations in readings make the work most valuable.
In short, this edition leaves nothing desired. It can be easily a model for any
future critical edition of any text. In revising the work for the second
edition Dr. V. Raghavan has corrected the errors and printing mistakes that
have crept into the first edition and has added also further references.
–B. KUTUMBA RAO
Indian Aesthetics and Art Activity: Published by the Indian
Institute of Advanced Study, Simla. Price: Rs. 40.
The
book is a compilation of papers read at a Seminar on Aesthetics and Art Activity.
Almost all the points of view expressed on fundamentals are common. And a brief
survey is herein attempted.
Aesthetics
is the science of beauty and of ugliness as well. Art is the objectification of
subjective experiences of an aesthete. The appropriate media may be line or
color, sound or syllable, clay or one. The compositions are not dead-pan
imitations to a ‘T’. They are ‘Adarsa Pratibimbas’. Nature is embellished and
Life is improved. Both the content and form are significant. Deviation from reality
makes Art abstract and distorted.
The
spectator discovers his identity throughout. His pettiness dissolves. His
little self is lost in Universal life. He experiences a state of aesthetic
repose (Rasa) corresponding to the mystic A’nubhava’ of a login. On the continent traditional
art has its antithesis. It is dubbed anti-art. It negates Form. Its
manifestations are bizarre. To its list of cubes, cones and squares Walter
Gropins of the Bauhans school adds cups, saucers and machines, etc. The
variants of anti-art embrace Pop, Op, Kinetic, Neon arts, Musical paintings,
Happenings and the like. The Black painting, the silent symphony and the Blank
Book are outstanding creations in the field.
Art
is not to exist here for Man’s sake. Nor is it to exist for art’s sake. But it
is to exist for cup’s and saucer’s sake.
A
woeful degeneration to contemplate! It can be likened to the descent of the
Heavenly Ganga to mundane earth.
The
book is well got up and a devoted study will be worthwhile.
–K. SUBBA RAO
Homi Mody: A Many-splendoured life–Political
Biography: by D. R. Mankekar. Popular Prakashan, Bombay-34 W.B. Price: Rs.
25.
“When
you were born, all around you laughed, my son, while you cried;
So
live your life that when you depart, you will laugh, while all around you weep.”
So
says a Persian couplet, the essence of which seems to have guided the rich and
variegated career of late Sir H. P. Mody. Not only when he was born, but
throughout his life, he was able to keep everyone around him laughing. His
sense of humour had carried him through wherever he was–in public life as in
private life. He was a thoughtful man of affairs, who managed to pass for a licensed jester. It
suited him well too.
It
would be difficult to think of any public man In India who had led a fuller and
a happier life than Homi Mody. Beneath the lightness of vein was of course an
earnestness or purpose that was evident in all the spheres of his activity–as
city father and mill-owner, industrialist and legislator, administrator,
politician or statesman.
A
student of literature, trained for law, Mody modelled his life on that of the
Father of Modern Bombay, Sir Pherozeshah Mehta, of whom he later wrote a
standard biography. Each was attracted to the other from the very first
encounter.
Mody
always took his work, not himself, seriously. He never lost his poise and sense
of proportion under the most trying circumstances in his life. A mill-owner and
a member of the affluent society, he was sensitive to the sufferings of the
poor and the working classes. A director of the Tatas, his outlook was wider
than that of most capitalists. A Knight of the British Empire, he could be
described as a nationalist among the loyalists. He had no hesitation in
quitting the Viceroy’s Executive Council, when Lord Linlithgow refused to release
the fasting Mahatma from prison.
In
free India, Mody made a popular Governor, succeeding Mrs. Sarojini Naidu in
U.P. A delightful after-dinner speaker, he was always ready with the refined
joke that relaxed any set of hard-faced men. Towards the end of his public
life, he combined wit and wisdom as an elder statesman of the Swatantra Party.
The most solid and lively monument to his personality is his son, Mr. Piloo
Mody, who has inherited the father’s gift of humour as well as his political
acumen in ample measure.
–D. ANJANEYULU
Saga of Satyagraha: by R. R. Diwakar.
Publishers: Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi. Pages 248. Price: Rs. 9.
Satyagraha
is a name to charm within Indian political movements and it is the greatest
single contribution of Mahatma Gandhi to human thought and action. Satyagraha
is a moral equivalent for war. Western political thinkers have also recognised
its importance and have written many dissertations on it. Satyagraha as the
late Rajendra Prasad defines in his introduction to the first edition of this
book published in 1946, is “truth in its dynamic form unattended with violence”.
But the meaning of the word is not properly understood nowadays, and the word
Satyagraha is wrongly applied to all violent movements also. A study of this
book will give us an accurate idea of the philosophy and technique of
Satyagraha as preached and practised by the Mahatma. A historical treatment of
the Satyagraha Movement, its application in India and in other countries and
the results achieved thereon are described in detail. An American version of
this book in its first edition was used as one of the texts in America for
Cultural Studies of India and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. acknowledged that this
book in its American version “had helped to understand some of the deeper and
detailed aspects of Satyagraha.” This is a second revised and enlarged edition
of that original book and deserves to be prescribed as a text-book to all
university students.
–B. KUTUMBA RAO
The Working Press: Special to the New York Times:
Edited
by Ruth Adler. Lalvani Publishing House, 210, Dr. D.N. Road, Bombay-1. Pages
287. Price: Rs. 6.
Newspaper
reporters are envied by their readers the exciting places they go and the
historic events they cover. But as a class, they are most reluctant to talk
about themselves. The job on hand is what matters most to them. The result is
there in black and white. To induce them to talk about it, even after sometime
has passed, is no easy task. But that is just what Ruth Adler has been doing
for decades now. And with a lot of success too.
Editor
of Times Talk, the house organ of the New York Times, Ruth Adler
has a flair for getting the story behind the story from her colleagues. It is
often as exciting and intriguing as the news story itself. One correspondent
looks back upon how he was kicked out of Poland, while another feels relieved
how he narrowly escaped the fate in Saigon, but only for the time being. It was
certainly a delicate affair for the news-hound to track the love-birds to their
lair in a common friend’s room in Rome by midnight – and get Roberto Rosellini
and Ingrid Bergman to talk about their plans for the future. To cover a royal
funeral on the Bali Islands, with the given mode of transport and communication
could be exasperating for a seasoned pressman like Robert Trumbull. How would
it be for others, less experienced and less resourceful?
The
stories, crisp and factual, with a reluctant first person singular, make
rewarding reading. The book is a ‘must’ not only for Indian reporters but
Indian newspaper readers as well. The brief note on journalist’s jargon could
be a useful guide to them both.
–D. ANJANEYULU
Gita and Kural: by Dr. M. Muthuraman, M.
A., Ph. D., Pachaiyappa’s College, Madras-30. Price: Rs. 5.
The
book under review is a comparative study of the cardinal teachings of Gita and
Kural, the immortal works of Vyasa and Thiruvalluvar respectively.
Compressing
a vast ocean of thought in a nutshell, Tirukkural has been justly famous over
the ages for its pithy couplets shedding revealing light on the high purposes
of life–dharma, artha and Kaama–viz., aram, porul and inbam.
The three purposes of life have to be diligently pursued in the spirit of
the fourth purpose, veedu, liberation. The Gita teaches man to face the
battle of life and do action without caring for the fruit. Both the Gita and the
Kural are books of life and they teach the science of self-perfection.
The
message of the Gita and the message of the Kural are very relevant and pertinent
to the present age and the author’s exposition of the whole theme is marked by
earnestness and moving sincerity.
–S. SHANKARANARAYANA
Humanity at the Crossroads: by
E. A. Hollender. Philosophical Library, New York. Pp.420. Price: 10 dollars.
In
his analysis of the present crisis in the life of humanity, the author points out
that spirituality alone can fill the gap caused by the breakdown of both
physical science and theology to meet the demands of the Time-Spirit. He draws
upon various occult traditions, mainly of Christian origin, and explains how
the Earth and its inhabitants are involved in a gigantic movement of Evolution
of the Spirit and Man today has to expand inwards and upwards in his
consciousness. The growth needed is within. The next Age is the Aquarian of
which greater harmony and understanding of minds, infusion of a dynamic spiritual
Light in humanity are important features.
He
observes: “We have now moved into a revolutionary era of rapid change, and new
light is gradually penetrating into many dark corners and hidden recesses.
Through means which are still rather obscure, Mankind is slowly inching its way
along the path towards progressive mentalization and a significant expansion in
awareness. ‘It seems to us’ opines a team of contemporary French investigators ‘that
Man is by no means in his final state (as assumed by a lagging psychology); we
believe it is possible to discern through the formidable upheavals that are
changing the face of the world, vertically in the sphere of knowledge,
horizontally as a result of mass groupings, the first signs of a new trend in
human consciousness, a rejuvenating change in the interior of Man himself.
One
mayor may not agree with the relevance of his data or with his course of reasoning,
but all will accept the direction of his thought.
–M. P. PANDIT
Mahayogi: by R. R. Diwakar. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,
Bombay-7. Pages 300. Price: Rs. 5.
By
far the most popular of the biographies of Sri Aurobindo, this book by the
scholar -statesman Sri R. R. Diwakar–presently in its fifth edition–covers the
main events of the career of the aster, his Sadhana, Siddhi and Philosophy. Sri
Aurobindo’s distinct contribution in the field of Nationalism is analysed in
detail; his services in the reclamation of the treasures of Indian spirituality
and culture are recorded. Considerable space is devoted to an able exposition
of the major concepts in this Philosophy and Yoga of Divine Life.
Valuable
appendices give additional data regarding Sri Aurobindo’s early life in
England, the lines on which he has envisaged the coming and establishment of a
new Age. As the author observes: “So long as man has not established Swaraj
within himself and, so long is mind is swayed by passions and blind vital
urges, we seek in vain the peace that should be ours, the harmony that should
reign in our affairs and the joy that should fill our being. Aurobindo is the
explorer par excellence in this century of that inner realm.”
–M. P. PANDIT
The Magic Flute (Krishnavatara I) : by K. M. Munshi.
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay-7. Pages 249. Price: Rs. 4.
In
this first volume of his romantic reconstruction of the life and mission of
Lord Krishna, Sri Munshi begins with the wedding of Vasudeva and Devaki and
leads the story up to the killing of Kamsa. The main part naturally deals with
the boyhood exploits of the hero in Gokula and Vrindavan, the call of his
celestial flute to the Gopi-souls to join in the cosmic play and his outwitting
of the enemy in diverse forms.
Though
Radha does not figure in the Mahabharata or even in Bhagavata, the author has
introduced her forceful personality in the narrative and developed her story in
a few delectable chapters. In a special note he explains why he has preferred
to adopt the popular tradition started by Jayadeva.
–M. P. PANDIT
Hindu Religion and Culture: by Sri Hari Benoy
Bandopadhya. Published by him at 140 B, Khatir Bazar Lane, Mahesh, Hooghly Pages 181. Price: Rs. 10.
The
author of this interesting book discusses the fundamentals of the Hindu
Religion and Culture from the angle of material science and shows how its
central conceptions anticipate the findings of modern scientists. He sees the
key to the problem of reconciliation between the physical and spiritual in the
existence of Energy which is recognised on all sides to be all-pervasive. This
Energy is not of one kind; it is not mechanical either. The fundamental Energy
is conscient and takes different forms according to the instrument through
which it works–life-energy, mental-energy, etc. In other terms it is a Shakti
which has many statuses. Science as it is developed in the west takes
cognisance only of the most external, physical aspect of this power, though of
late a breakthrough in its thinking is evident in the experiments in
para-psychology, etc.
An
earnest attempt to broadbase Indian thought and culture in keeping with the
spirit of the age.
–M. P. PANDIT
A Critical Study of the Philosophy of Ramanuja: by Anima Sen Gupta, M.
A., Ph. D., Vidya Visarad, Patna University. Publishers: The Choukhamba
Samskrit Series Office, Varanasi-I. Pages 263. Price: Rs. 20.
This
is a masterly study of the Philosophy of Visishtadvaiata. The main purpose of
this book according to the learned author is to bring to light the essentially
synthetic character of the philosophy of Sri Ramanuja who has enabled the
system to effect a happy reconciliation of Sastra and Yukti, Tattva, Hita and
Purushardha, Dvaita and Advaita, etc., on the basis of Indian scriptures, and
the author has wonderfully succeeded in achieving it. The six main chapters of
the book deal with the Biography of Ramanuja, Epistemology, Metaphysics,
Ethics, Theology and conclusion respectively. Inferential proof of the
existence of Prakriti, Venkatanatha’s criticism of the Samkhya view, meaning of
‘that thou art,’ and Sankara and Ramanuja on the self-validity of knowledge are
the subjects explained in the four appendices.
Presentation
and exposition of the subject in every chapter is very good. It is authentic,
clear, critical and comprehensive. A staunch champion of the Visishtadvaita
Philosophy, the author explains and refutes the charges levelled against this
philosophy by the ancient and modern writers like M. M. Krishnasastry and
others.
In
many conceptions, as for example, the conception of Brahman as qualified by Cit
and Acit in subtle forms, Body and
Soul, relation between God and the Universe, Synthesis of Jnana and Bhakti, the
author opines, Ramanuja has improved upon, or more clearly explained the same
or similar conceptions in his system than in the Bhagavad Gita. “In many
matters it is a midway between the systems of Samkhya, Nyaya and Vaiseshikas on
the one hand and the Advaita on the other. It is a logical synthesis between
the Jnanakanda and Karmakanda”. Similarly the author brings out many salient
features of the system of philosophy expounded by Ramanuja. One remark of the author, however, “that the
philosophy of Sankara will undoubtedly fail to satisfy the emotional and conative
cravings of man as both the spheres of morality and religion have been admitted
by Sankara as false and illusory” is, in our view unfounded and uncharitable or
at least controversial. Students of Philosophy in general and Visishtadvaita
students in particular cannot find a better book than this for having a clear
grasp and evaluation of the system of philosophy of Sri Ramanuja and as such we commend this book to them
whole-heartedly.
–B. KUTUMBA RAO
Indian Essays in American Literature: Edited by Sujit
Mukherjee and D.V.K. Raghavacharyulu. Published by Popular Prakashan, Bombay.
Price: Rs. 7-50.
This
book is a birthday present, offered by
his Indian students to an American Professor Robert E. Spiller.
There are, within its covers, essays on American literature, its different
forms and aspects.
With
the publication of “Light of Asia” and “Song Celestial,” by Edwin Arnold, the
contemplative East landed in materialistic West. And a whole crop of
Transcendentalists and Buddhists descended, as a consequence, out or the
cultural contact.
“Buddha
and Brahma” of Henry Adams, T. S. Eliot’s “The Waste-land” and “Four Quarters,”
Thoreau’s “Week” and Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” are severally inspired by
Buddhistic and Vedantic thought.
Likewise,
“All my sons” of Arthur Miller and “Moralities and Mood plays” of Macleish
projected a moral vision and discovered truths underlying “Paste Board Masks”
for laymen.
And
in this connexion it is significant to note that critical standards set the
sights for literature, for good or for worse. American literary radicals
pontificate that literature should be a record of society: Neo-Humanists stand
pat on basic moral values. New critics trot out “Semantics.” Art and Artifice
are elevated to irrational heights. A poem becomes “craft.” Language is utilized
as gesture. In poetry, two groups emerge. “A poem should not mean but be,” is
the cry of poet and his camp. Whitman and his ilk are concerned with the
rendering as well as the rendered: the experience and the way art explores it.
The poem and the image of the poet go together. Poetry is not mere paradox,
ambiguity, emotion, or theme. It is all or nothing. As Arnold puts it, poetry
is composed in the soul. It is not a step by step self-conscious progression.
All true and great literature should exert metamorphic power.
And
it will be appropriate to reproduce, in this context, a sentence, ultimus, from
a passage quoted by Sisir Kumar Ghose. “....Instead of reaching for the grand
themes that can give literature the epic quality it deserves, too many writers
have been trying to cut (their works) down to the size of psychiatric case
history.” In such a crisis a moral vision, with totality of existence for its
province, shod animate American literature or for that matter any literature for
healthy survival of its people and its heritage. The book deserves a place in a
public or a private library.
–K. SUBBA RAO
The Mysteries of Life and Death (Lectures delivered by
Acharya Shri Rajneesh): Translated by Malini Bisen. Motilal Banarasidas Delhi-7.
Pages 66. Price: Rs. 4.
This
slender book is an English version of the original lecture in Hindi delivered
by Acharya Rajneesh–‘an Enlightened One. It is ‘a glimpse, a ray, of his
infinite wisdom’
The
general metaphysical norm defines that ‘life’, like ‘a dome of many-coloured
glass’, obscures ‘the white radiance of Eternity’, till ‘death’ tramples it to
fragments, when ‘the pure spirit’ shall go back to ‘the burning fountain whence
it came’. The Bhagavata Gita reveals: “As a man discarding worn out clothes,
takes out new clothes, likewise
the embodied soul, casting off worn out bodies, enters into others which are
new” (II, 22). ‘Life’ is a
prism of His light, and ‘death’
the shadow of His face. And the soul oscillates between ‘prism’ and ‘shadow’,
until all terrestrial desire is shed.
Acharya
Rajneesh convincingly deciphers the mysteries of life and death. The So-called
horrible death is only a means to an end–not the end itself. He explains it in
terms of the meaning of life: ‘there is only life and no death’. The soul or aatma which is eternal, is the innermost shrine of life. In death, the spirit or glow of life shrinks,
like the flame of an oil-exhausted lamp; but the wick glows again when the oil is
secured. What is known as death can be experienced consciously by means of a planned death: dhyaana, yoga, or samaadhi. It is a controlled withdrawal of
the life-force, into the innermost shrine from the body, which helps the soul
attain the Light and realize
the secret lore or life and death. If there is rupture between the body and the
spirit, living becomes
impossible. But death is only a
transition of the soul from one
body into another. To get rid of ‘the scare of death’, one ought to master the
power to observe and experience what one had been through the series of one’s past lives, through the one process–Yoga.
If this is attained, the soul
ceases to have the shackles of birth and death’: desire vanishes, worldly life
ends, and the journey towards Eternity commences. The desire-stricken soul
after the death of the body awaits the proper new body Such souls are categorized into three:
mediocre, low and high. The waiting time for re-entrance depends on the
category of the soul and the availability of a proper new body. Thus the soul
passes through the endless chain of births and deaths.
The
Acharya deplores that the white-capped politicians have destroyed the spirit of
humanity. He explains what he conceives as he ‘concept of life-atoms’ and the
formation of the baby in the womb. Woman, having (forty-eight atoms)
twenty-four atoms on each side in every cell
of her body, is balanced; and so she is static. Man, having (forty-seven
atoms) twenty-four atoms on one side and twenty-three on the other in every
cell of his body, is unbalanced; and so he is dynamic–capable of attaining the immortal will. The Acharya offers
to train some worthy men, to acquire saadhana, so that they can brighten the dark path and show the people ‘the
way to a brighter future of full knowledge and light.’
He
amply illustrates the various
implications of his conception pleasingly, employing apt similes, images and
symbols. The booklet affords a
captivating reading; and after reading, one certainly feels enlightened.
–Dr. K. V. S. MURTI
Tirukkural - Translation in Verse: Kasturi Srinivasan.
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chowpatty Road, Bombay-7. Price: Rs. 10.
This
is yet another translation of Tirukkural in English, done in verse, the
previous ones being those of Dr. G. U. Pope, K. M, Balasubramaniam and
Shuddhananda Bharati. It has to be conceded that Pope’s is the most famous,
though not the most perfect, but by and large, more correct than most of the
translations. No translator can claim perfection, more so with a great work
like Tirukkural, comparable only to the Vedas, the Bhagavad
Gita and the sayings of Jesus. In the words of Albert Schweitzer, “Then
hardly exists in the literature of the world a collection of maxims in which we
find so much lofty wisdom” as in the Kural.
The
first couplet has been translated by Mr. Srinivasan as under:
“As
alphabet with ‘A’ begins,
The
Universe with God begins.”
In
translating a work from one language to another, one has to keep constantly in
one’s mind that sense is not sacrificed at the altar of brevity. But in
translating an ethical work as the Kural not even a single word can be
omitted.
F.
W. Ellis translated the couplet thus:
As
ranked in every alphabet the first,
The
self-same vowel stands, so in all worlds
Th’
eternal God is Chief.
It
is impossible to put Tiruvalluvar’s epigrammatic couplets in English in the way
he has done. That Tiruvalluvar only can do. Hence any translation of Tirukkural
must try to bring out the ideas
of the author in as great a measure as possible, though it may involve
many words. Whereas in couplet 81 even Tiruvalluvar has used ten words, the
translator has slashed it to six English words. With what effect, one does not
know.
“All
domestic felicity
Is
for hospitality.”
V. V. S. Aiyar translates the same thus:
“What
for do the wise toil and set up homes? It is to feed the guest and help the
pilgrim.”
Notwithstanding
certain observations made earlier, it may be said that Mr. Srinivasan has done
a commendable piece of work in bringing out this translation of Tirukkural and
thereby propagating the message of a great world teacher.
–K. C. KAMALIAH
The Christian Concept of Man: by lung Young Lee.
Publishers: Philosophical Library, New York. Price: $ 5.95.
All
philosophical systems, codes of conducts, creeds of religion and the rules of
logic are for men. Man is the centre of all creation. He is the highest
category of human thought. The volume under review is a clear and competent
analysis of the nature of man and his real essence contrasted with his
appearance. The approach adopted is the Christian standpoint. The key concepts
in the light of which the concept of man is examined are Jin-Yang categories.
The author is a trained theologian and priest with a persuasive style.
The
learned author interprets the Christian theology in terms of the classical
Chinese category Jin-Yang relationship. These two principles enunciated
for the first time in the Book of change of Chinese cosmology explain
that everything in the world is the result of the interaction of the two
principles. They respectively represent the opposites–shade and light. They are the
complimentary process of making the rounded whole. The Jin is feminine
and Yang is the masculine principle. The interactions of the two
principles are the essential elements of fire, water, metal, wood and earth. Late
Chinese thought in works of Taoists reduced the two under the principle Chi and
described them as being covered by Li.
In
the light of these two principles our author explains the Christian concept of
man. Man is not a physical object like other things in the world. He is a
subject that is known. He is a being, that too not a mere rational being. He
is made not only in the image of God, but is a divine being created to carry on
God’s work on earth. He is in essence a divine being. The book is a sustained
interpretation.
–DR. P. NAGARAJA RAO
Metaphysical Psychology of Henri Bergson (A critical study): by
A. Lakshmana Rao, Andhra University, Waltair. Price: Rs. 15.
Sri
Lakshmana Rao’s volume is a valuable study of the celebrated French Philosopher
Bergson’s Psychology. We have many books on his metaphysics. For example, the
compact book by Wilson Carr and the long articles on him by Dr. S.
Radhakrishnan. Two decades ago the late Dr. Seshagiri Rao Naidu wrote on the new
light on Bergson’s thought and philosophy. Bergson and Bradley have been the favourite
philosophers of India.
Sri
Rao in ten substantial chapters has sought to comprehensively cover the
views and contribution of Bergson. The topics treated are Mind-Body Problems,
sensations, feelings, emotions, perception, instinct, intelligence, memory and
attention. We have also interesting accounts of Bergson’s theories on sleep,
dreams and para normal phenomena. There is the discussion on Bergson’s aesthetics
in the concluding chapter. We have in the book interesting comparisons “instituted
between Bergson and other contemporaries. In short the book is a valuable study of Bergson from the
psychological point of view. The book carries an appreciative foreword from Dr.
Satchidananda Murthy and an opinion from Dr. P. T. Raju.
–DR. P. NAGARAJA RAO
Rulers of the Mind: by A. D. Starr.
Philosophical Library, New York. Price: $ 4-95.
The
volume under review is a deep study of man and the ‘rule’ of the mind and the
place of ‘reasoning’ in the development of the human society. The relationship
between Personality and Social Crisis is explained by expounding the correlation between History,
Philosophy and Psychology. The author makes a searching analysis of the complex
nature of our civilization and culture. He examines the merits and drawbacks of
the roles of reason, institutions, codes, passions, technology and science.
He gives us an estimate of their contribution they make to the progress of
civilization. The concept of change and progress is discussed in all its details.
The parts played by ideology and social habits in the crisis of our
civilization is well described. Progress the author defines “as the change in
relationship between man and the forces that control him” XIV). The place of
indoctrination is well explained. The role of primitive passions, ignorance,
social inertia and the need for adjustment are all discussed in relation to
human progress. The fact that men think differently, not only in
different values but by different values is clearly explained. The author’s
fervent plea is for a double control of “passions and logic” is admirable. In
short the book is a valuable study of our scientific civilization and progress.
–Dr. P. NAGARAJA RAO
TELUGU
Sahitya Tattvamu–Sivabharata Darsanamu: by Sirdesayi Tirumala
Rao. Copies can be had from J. S. Bhimasena Rao, 14/150, Kamala Nagar, Anantapur.
Price: Rs. 13.
Sivabharatam
of Sri
Gadiyaram Venkata Sesha Sastry is one of the most outstanding modern classics
in Telugu literature A comprehensive and comparative study and a critical
appreciation of this classic is a long felt desideratum and this precious book
fulfills it.
The
author is a voracious reader and a versatile scholar. He is a keen student of
literary criticism both oriental and occidental. He has a knowledge of Vedic
and Upanishadic literature, History Philosophy and modern scientific theories. He
is gifted with a penetrating thought and powerful pen. Any reader will have
those impressions in the first instance.
This
book is divided into twelve chapters. Poetry and its essence, Title of the
Kavya, Poetry and History, Beauty of the Telugu idioms in the book, Metre,
Dramatic Art in the Poem, Nature description and propriety, Knotty usages in
the Poem are the subjects discussed in the first eight chapters. In almost all
these chapters, guiding principles of literary criticism both oriental and
occidental are first enunciated with relevant quotations, and these principles
are applied to and illustrated from this poem; so much so this book serves the
purpose of a text-book of practical and applied criticism. Quotations in
English are translated into Telugu.
A
complete chapter is devoted to “Cow Protection”. The other chapters deal with
characters of Sivaji and Jijiya as depicted in this book. Sivabharatam’s place in
literature is discussed in the last chapter. Every chapter is informative and
invigorating. The author has done a good job of his undertaking and he richly
deserves our congratulations.
–B. KUTUMBA RAO
Angla Sahitya Charitra: by Goparaju Sambasiva
Rao, M.A. Navajeevan Booklinks, Vijayawada. Price: Rs. 20.
It
is a commendable book and the first of its kind in Telugu. On a broad canvas of
seven hundred pages the author has presented the history of English literature
from its humble beginning up to the modern times. He has brought to bear upon
his stupendous task his vast reading and rich experience as a teacher of
English. Following the traditional division into ages, the author has narrated
the story of the origin, growth and development of one of the greatest
literatures of the world with the zeal of an eager student and the unclouded vision
of a historian.
Though
there were stray articles of appreciation on different authors published by several writers in the
past, this is the first, sustained, full-length and systematic study of English
literature. It deals with the age-makers and their masterpieces which have
stood the test of time
and become models of excellence. Sri Sambasiva Rao sought to offer judicious
assessment of the writers and their literary accomplishments by placing them in
the context of their times. He has portrayed the social, economic, political
and religious conditions of the different periods which served as source
of inspiration for gifted writers who held up a mirror to their age.
Sri
Sambasiva Rao deserves congratulation on having chosen a simple clear and
idiomatic style which is devoid of the pedantic stiffness that is found in many
historical narratives. He possesses his facts and is never possessed by them.
He is free from the desire to show off the wealth of his erudition which lures
away many historians. His narrative moves on slowly, steadily and surely with even
pace.
The
value of the book is enhanced by the cogent and crisp summaries of the
masterpieces of great authors. He has offered in a nutshell the contents of all
the great plays, novels, and poems which have won undying fame. His book shall
serve as a model for those who seek to write in Telugu, historical narratives
dealing with culture and literature of foreign lands. As rightly pointed out by
Dr. Viswanatna Satyanarayana in his preface, Sri Sambasiva Rao has absorbed and
assimilated the material and presented it in the idiom that catches the Telugu
reader by employing a natural and easy-flowing style that is needed for
exposition. Sri Sambasiva Rao’s book shall find an honoured place on the
shelves of all libraries. To bring out a work of such magnitude on English
literature really a venture which richly deserves recognition and encouragement.
It is a testimony to the author’s grateful appreciation of English literature
that has nourished and sustained his spirit.
–Dr. C. N. SASTRI
Mitra Panchasati: by “Darsanacharya”
Konduri Veera Raghavacharyulu. Copies can be had from the Author, Gandhinagar,
Tenali. Pages 144. Price: Rs. 3.
“Kalaprapurna”
K. V. Raghavacharyulu is not only a reputed scholar in Philosophy, Sculpture
and Yoga, but also a well-known poet and critic in Telugu. The book under
review is one of his latest and precious presentations to the Telugu literary world.
This contains 521 gnomic verses in ‘Aataveladi’ metre, a forte of Vemana, under
45 captions. Written in elegant, graceful and mellifluous Telugu each verse
ends with the words ‘Vinara mitra’ .The subjects dealt with are
variegated in nature didactic, religious, philosophical, yogic, social,
domestic and sarcastic. The verses abound with arresting axioms, wise and crisp
sayings, and illustrative similies.
A
treasure-house of wisdom, this book, coming from the pen of “Abhinava Vemana”,
deserves to be treasured in every Telugu house.
–B. KUTUMBA RAO