REVIEWS
1. The Great
Liberation or Mahanirvana Tantra
(Samskrit Text with Translation and Commentary by
Arthur Avalon. Third Edition. Pp. II
plus 421 plus 473. Price Rs.
30.)
2. Hymn to KaLi-Karpuradi Stotra with
Introduction and Commentary by Vimalananda Swamy. Translation and notes by Arthur Avalon. (Pages 158. Price Rs.
6)
Both
books published by Ganesh & Co.,
Tantrikas believe that Tantras are the only available practical guides for all
aspirants after truth, who in this Kali age cannot withstand the strain of
severe Vedic rituals and the Upanishadic Upasanas, prescribed for the realisation of the supreme
God-head. Mahanirvana Tantra
is one of the most authoritative texts followed by the Kaula
This book contains 14 chapters dealing with the liberation of beings, the worship of Brahman and Sakti, Mantras and purification, Mantras and rites, Hymn and amulet (stotra and kavacha) Varnas and Asramas, Rites and initiation, expiatory acts, the eternal Dharma, installation of the Devata and consecration and advantages.
This
Tantra will be of interest not only to the Kaulas, but also to the modern reformers and students of
Religion and Sociology, inasmuch as it introduces some departures
from the traditionally known orthodox principles and customs in the Hindu society.
Kula,
according to this Tantra, is Prakriti,
(including Jiva, space, time, ether, earth, fire and
air) and looking upon them as Brahman is Kulachara,
and those that practise this are known as Kaulikas. Within the Kula
circles (Bhairavi Chakra
and Tattva-chakra) distinctions of caste should not
be noticed, though without the circle, every one must follow the
customs of his own caste. Sadhakas whose minds are
not distracted by lust and who can look upon woman as the Parasakti,
can, with many restrictions, take to wine, woman, meat, fish and fried rice,
generally known as the five Makaras, but others must
substitute the three sweets (sugar, honey and milk) for the wine, and
meditation upon the lotus feet of the Devi and the
inward recitation of the Ishta mantra for the sexual
union.
There
are only two Asramas of Grihastha
and Bhikshuka (householders and mendicants) and
mendicants need not carry Dandas. Samskaras
or purificatory rites are essential to all but they
should be performed according to the injunction of the Agamas but not the
Vedas. A Vira Sadhaka can
have two wives, the Brahmi wife wedded according to
Sastraic rites and the Saiva wife who ceases to be so
without the Kula circles. Constancy in conjugal relations is insisted upon and
the violation of marital laws is severely punishable in law. A child widow is
eligible for remarriage and Sati custom is strictly prohibited. Fasting is not
at all necessary, and instead alms are prescribed. Debauchery and drinking of
liquor are serious crimes, and adherence to the cardinal virtues like
truthfulness etc., is insisted upon. These are some of the noteworthy
points mentioned in the book.
The
Samskrit text itself is very easy to understand and
the Samskrit commentary thereon also explains the
technical words clearly. The notes in English added to the excellent
translation give much information from other commentaries also, thus making the
book a valuable treatise for the Kaulas.
Karpuradi
Stotra contains 22 verses in Samskrit in praise of the Goddess Kalika.
It gives not only the Dhyana, Yantra,
Sadhana, and Svarupa Varnana of the Mahadevi but it
also contains the chief Mantras of Dakhinakalika.
There
are two Samskrit commentaries in addition to a Samskrit Tika on all these
verses. The commentary ‘Rahassyardhasadhika’ and the Tika give word for word meaning, whereas the second
commentary ‘Svarupavyakhya’ explains in detail the
esoteric meaning. The Preface written by Arthur Avalon ably exposes those
persons that abuse Kaula customs, and the
Introduction written by Swami Vimalananda is a
scholarly treatise on the philosophy and practice of Saktism.
Any devotee of Sri Kalika, whether he be initiated or
not, will find it a pleasure to read these verses, the teachings of which
deserve to be carefully understood, digested and put into practice for realising the Bliss that is Supreme.
Mahayogi
by R. R. Diwakar (Book University,
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, 7. Pp. 250. Price Rs.
1-12-0)
There
can be no question of the wisdom of the choice of the subject of The Life and
Teachings of Sri Aurobindo, the greatest exponent of the Modern Indian
renaissance, for the realisation of the objective of the Bharatiya
Vidya Bhavan–the
reintegration of Indian culture, in the light of modern knowledge and to suit
present day needs, and the resuscitation of its fundamental values. The life
and achievement of any of the great makers of Modern India–Vivekananda,
Tilak, Tagore, Aurobindo, Mahatma Gandhi–would serve
the purpose well, as each in his own way was true to, and had his roots in, the
fundamental values of Indian culture, and sought to apply them in their life
and work, with suitable adaptations, to the conditions of modern life. In fact,
it is by such application that the value of the fundamentals of Indian culture
and their universal validity can be demonstrated, so that India, free India,
may once again take up her ancient role of guide and philosopher to the other
nations and make her own distinctive contribution to the solution of the
various problems confronting the materialistic and war-worn Western
civilisation.
But,
of all these makers of Modern India, Sri Aurobindo stands out pre-eminently as
a conscious exponent of the fundamentals of our ancient but perennial culture
and the role it is qualified and destined to play, in the present and future,
by the very laws of its evolution. It is rightly claimed by Sri Munshi, in his Foreword, that Sri Aurobindo presented
mankind with a new hope and a new mission by leading a great revolt against the
scientific materialism dominating the scene which seeks to reduce man to the
position of an insect, and by giving a new direction to the destiny of man.
The
author, Sri Diwakar, with true modesty introduces the
volume as a brief study of the life, the sadhana
and the teachings of the Mahayogi, neither an
exhaustive biography nor a full picture of his life. Estimating the achievement
of his hero as the greatest spiritual adventure in modern times, shedding fresh
light, giving new life and expanding the frontiers of human vision and
consciousness, he characterises his own attempt in
the volume to be indicative and stimulative rather
than extensive or exhaustive, and only in the nature of a door to the great
heritage that the Maha-yogi has left to posterity.
The
first six chapters deal with the facts of Sri Aurobindo’s
life which have their own romantic appeal to the reader, in so far as the
development of a child, brought up deliberately on alien ideas, into a patriot
and politician, and later, saint and Yogi, is full of drama and adventure. But
even from the beginning the endeavour of the author
seems to have been to trace the seeds–and their growth–of the later Sadhana, Siddhi and teaching, to
which the rest of the book is devoted. Sri Aurobindo’s
was, no doubt, a highly integrated personality and his achievement in
literature, journalism and education, and his prolific and brilliant writings
on poetry, art, politics and human civilisation were all in tune with, and
varied phases of, his Sadhana. More light on these
earlier phases of the life of the Mahayogi would be
welcome to the common reader, but it cannot be denied that the main achievement
of Sri Aurobindo lay in the region of his inner life and the system of Yoga
which he evolved, and practised. But a full picture
of the inner life of a Yogi is so difficult to reconstruct, and it is
impossible to write the biography of a Yogi in his own words. We should feel
highly grateful to the learned author for his attempt to present
in a short compass so interesting an account of the life,
and such a valuable introduction to the Sadhana and
the teachings of the Mahayogi.
Our Greatest Need and
other Addresses by Sri K. M. Munshi.
(Book University, Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan, Bombay. 7, Price Rs.
1-12-0)
The
volume is a collection of some of the numerous addresses delivered on diverse
occasions during the last few years before widely different gatherings. The collection
bears, nevertheless, the stamp of remarkable unity, the stir of a vigorous life
and the fervour of a deep-seated earnestness, as Dr.
K. R Srinivasa Iyengar
points out in his valuable Preface. The unity and consequent power of the book
is obviously due to the versatile and yet integrated personality of the author,
reflected all through in his outpourings of original thought and genuine
sentiment on a wide variety of subjects of public importance.
Much
of the credit is also due to the careful selection and skilful arrangement of
the addresses so as to present to the reader a connected exposition of a
synthetic philosophy and comprehensive outlook upon life, evolved by one of the
foremost disciples of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Here are
reflected the author’s brilliant intellect and fervid patriotism, his rich
experience of a many-sided and active public life covering the first half of
the twentieth century, a period of cultural renaissance, politica1 struggle for
freedom, and national reconstruction in India.
The
book is especially deserving of careful study at the hands of the younger
generation, alike for the significant reaction, evident in it, of one of the
most representative figures of the older generation to the various cultural and
social problems confronting the country, and for the admirably constructive
manner and hopeful temper of the reaction to the needs of the nation, in
education, culture, books, national language, law, philosophy, character, and
integrity.
M. S. K.
Silver jubilee
Souvenir (1928-53): (Andhra Chamber of Commerce, Madras-I.
Price Rs. 7-8-0)
For
a country like India, agriculture is its backbone, industry its sinews, and
commerce its very life-blood. It is only when all these are equally
well-developed and harmonised that there can be any
real prosperity, and the economic future of the country depends almost entirely
on these three factors.
Andhra
Desa is admittedly one of the richest and best States
of India, with vast natural resources and industrial possibilities not to speak
of agricultural prosperity. Trade flourished here even from the days of the
Roman Empire, and there was a time when ships sailed from its coast to distant
lands carrying merchandise. Within India, Andhra always carried intensive trade
with the other parts. Now that it has emerged as a State, it is bound to have
even greater industrial and trade potentialities than before. The task of “mobilising and formulating commercial and industrial
opinion of the new State so as to shape and mould its economic and commercial
policies” rests with the Andhra Chamber of Commerce which, having completed
twenty-five years of activity, has recently celebrated its Silver Jubilee–by a
happy coincidence–at the same time as the inauguration of the Andhra State.
It
is to the foresight and imagination of some Andhra businessmen of an earlier
generation, of whom the late Dewan Bahadur K. Suryanarayanamurti Naidu was the foremost, that the Chamber owes its
inception. “Progress through Commerce and Industry,” is significantly its
motto. The Chamber which was registered in the year 1928 with a modest
membership of 35 has today a strength of 700 and a big building of its own in
Madras. In the words of no less a man than Dr. B. Pattabhi
Sitaramayya, the Chamber has acquired “a considerable
moral and political influence in South India because of the solid and
substantial work that lies to its credit during the past quarter of a century.”
If today the Chamber enjoys an added prestige and importance, it is due in no
small measure to the energetic guidance and indefatigable efforts of its
present President, Sri P. Suryanarayana, the
well-known industrialist and merchant of Madras.
It
was a happy idea of the President and the Office-bearers to commemorate the
Silver Jubilee of the Chamber by bringing out a Souvenir. The Jubilee Committee
well deserves the congratulations of the public on this fine effort. They have
presented a highly interesting volume which contains valuable information on a
wide variety of subjects relating to the Andhra State–its Agriculture,
Irrigation, Power, Minerals, Industries, Commerce, Banking, Insurance,
Transport, Communications, Finance etc.–written by men who are acknowledged
authorities on the subjects dealt with. Almost everyone of the contributions is
of a high standard while some are particularly good, as for instance ‘Place of
Andhra in Indian Economy’ by Mr. V. K. Narasimhan,
‘Agriculture in Andhra State’ by Dr. B. Visva Nath, ‘Food Production in Andhra’ by Sir S. V. Ramamurty, ‘River Basins in Andhra’ by Dr. K. L. Rao,
‘Power Development in Andhra’ by Mr. B. R. Somayajulu,
‘Industrial Potentialities in Andhra’ by Mr. V. Ramakrishna, and ‘History of
Andhra’ by Dr. N. Venkataramanayya, to name only a
few.
No
efforts have been spared to make the Souvenir worthy of the occasion. Maps and
statistics enhance the value of the articles, while photographs of some
distinguished personages add to the interest of the book, which also contains
some of the more important messages received in connection with the Jubilee.
Elegant printing and attractive get-up give the volume a certain distinction.
As an authoritative reference book on the economic aspects of the State, the
Souvenir surely deserves a place in every library and institution in Andhra.
‘Beginners’ Guide to
Typographical Layout: By S. K. Thamba
and V. S. Krishnamurty. (Published by S. Srinivasa Rao, 30-A. Audiappa Mudali Street, Madras, 7. Demy Quarto size. Pp. 62 plus
appendices. Library Edition Rs. 12.)
A
badly printed book is, indeed, an insult to the reader. Book production in
India is still in its infancy. Book lovers in our country always yearn to
possess books printed in England, America or Russia. No doubt young India has
taken an active part in shaping world policies and has become today the leader
of the Asian countries–thanks to its illustrious Prime Minister, Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru. It is earnestly hoped that India will try to emulate her
compeers in the West in this great industry, viz., printing.
The
book under review is perhaps the first of its kind written by Indians and
published in India. The authors, who are fully qualified to handle the subject,
have done their job quite well. The book gives useful information not only to
printers but also to buyers of print. We wish the authors would bring out
instructive and interesting books on the other branches of printing, also.
The
language adopted is very simple and lucid and the treatment of the subject
quite interesting. The quality of printing and get-up compares favourably with that of books brought out in foreign
countries. We commend the book to all those interested in books–in getting them
printed, as well as in reading them.
B. N.
Srimadbhagavata
Mahima by Sri Minnikanti Gurunadba Sarma (Author, Brodiepet, 5th
Line, P.O. Arundelpet, Guntur,
Pp. 154. Price. Rs. 5).
“Where
even Veda fails, there Bhagavatam rules.” “Hear Bhagavatam, in seven days; Moksha
will be at your gates.”
This
in short is the message of this book, a free translation into Telugu verse by
the author, for the first time, from the Samskrit
original in Padmapurana.
This
book contains mainly two allegorical stories in praise of Bhagavatam:
(I) At the beginning of “Kali” age, Jnana and Vairagya, the two sons of Bhakti, a youthful lady, became
prematurely old, and with their broken hearts and shrunken limbs were reduced
to prostration, and were gasping for breath. Hearing Bhagavatam
infused new life into them and they were themselves again. This allegory is
indicative of two facts. Hearing of Bhagavatam
promotes Bhakti, Jnana and Vairagya
in the devoted hearers, and Bhakti, to be active and fruitful, must be
accompanied by Jnana and Vairagya.
According
to the second story, Dhundhukara, the worst type of
sinner, who could not be purged of his sins even by the observance of
Vedic rites and offerings of oblations for his sake by his brother Gokarna, was liberated from his sinful condition by hearing
Bhagavatam. The story is indicative of the efficacy
of hearing Bhagavatam in seven days.
This
book is also prefaced with an instructive and valuable Introduction by Sri J. Madhavarama Sarma.
The
racy style and free flowing verses coupled with poetic flashes, in Dhudhuli’s story in particular, will surely make this book
a valuable addition to Telugu literature.
Adarsalu
by A. S. Avadhani, M.A., B.L.
(Published by the Lalita Kala
Parishat, Masulipatam. Pp.
III. Price Rs. 1-4-0)
The
author’s claim, endorsed by the talented writer of the Introduction, that the
play is not a translation but an adaptation in Telugu (Anusarana
not Anuvada) of Oscar Wilde’s
“Ideal Husband” is just and deserves to be recognised,
for a proper appreciation of his achievement, by the critic as well as the
reader. The author is indebted to Wilde only to the extent of the basic theme
and the barest outlines of the plot and the main characters. The details of the
plot and the situations and the dramatis personae through which the
theme is worked out are so skillfully adapted to the conditions of modern India
that the play reads altogether like an original composition and not at all like
a translation from a foreign language. The publishers as well as the author
deserve warm congratulations upon this admirable production, a new kind of
translation of a famous modern English classic into Telugu.
The
play is a valuable addition to the meagre stock of stage plays in Telugu with a
powerful theme of modern interest.
Of
course, the style of any classic, and especially the brilliant phrase and
sparkling wit of the dialogue of an acknowledged master of style like Wilde, is
clearly untranslatable, and it is unfair to compare the translation with the
original in this respect. But the play bears favourable
comparison with most of the modern original dramatic compositions in Telugu, in
elegance of diction, crispness of idiom and force of expression.
The
play offers considerable evidence of literary and dramatic talent on the part
of the promising author and we are led to expect from him similar valuable
contributions to modern Telugu literature.