The
Wintermaidens, and Other Short Stories, Edited by Umadevi.
(The Indo-Polish Library, Postbox 1353, Bombay 1. Price Rs. 4-8.)
The
Wintermaidens, and Other Short Stories has a long foreword by
Prof. V. B. He tells us: “This new bunch of Polish tales forms a sequence to
the Polish Short Stories published last year; and though it includes the
names of five authors only, against eleven in the first volume, it brings us a
no less rich crop of realistic prose poetry, typical folk-lore, and recent history
in striking images.” I came across the name of Stefan Zeromski in the Polish
Short Stories, whose novel Ashes (translated by Stephen Garry) was
published in England during the Twenties, followed after a long interval by
another novel, The Faithful River. It was said of Zeromski that he
marked an epoch in Polish fiction. In characterization he is tender and
realistic, and his theme-motif, mainly, is human suffering. In the present
tales, the men and women brought together are intensely alive; they are creatures,
one feels, to be an integral part of the flora and fauna of the universe; and
those who cannot stand stark realism for long, will be compensated to find here
creative imagination soaring to memorable heights, and a lovely flowering of
poignant sensibility and poetic tenderness amid episodes of horror and hatred
and bravery. “Peasant Wedding” and “Contrasts” by Wadylaw Reymont, the Nobel
prize-winner in 1924, are two of the most impressive of the nine stories which
go to make this anthology. A reviewer of short fiction is more often tempted to
hurl a brick-bat (paper, of course, to escape the charge of grievous hurt or
culpable homicide) at the author; for this difficult literary form, today, is
caught despairing in the frivolous hands of the dilettante; here is a bouquet
(not paper) to Umadevi, the editor of The Wintermaidens–stories that
glow with life. But neither she nor Prof. V. B. who has written a rather heavy
introduction, trying to relieve the heaviness by an ineffectual stroke of wit
like–“Maryna is a girl’s name and has nothing to do with Madras’s beautiful
beach road”–has told us as to who is responsible for the fervour of rendering
these Polish tales into English.
The
Story of a Dedicated Life: The Biography of Swami Ramakrishnananda (Sri
Ramakrishna Math, Madras. Price Rs. 3.)
Sri
Ramakrishnanda was a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and was the
first apostle of Sri Ramakrishna-Vivekananda to work in South India. The
epoch-making work of Swami Vivekananda and the concrete achievements of the
Ramakrishna Mission in the educational, social, and religious sphere are well
known. Sri Ramakrishnananda (1863-1911) had the supreme privilege of being the
personal attendant of the great Master during his last days, and was the
‘nucleus’ of the Ramakrishna Math before it was formally established. As
desired by Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishnanda moved down to Madras in 1897
and the ‘leaven’ began to work in a small way. The intellectual elite of Madras
welcomed the new gospel, as indeed they had the privilege and the pre-vision to
discover the great Swami Vivekananda in 1892 and help his heroic mission to
America to the Parliament of Religions. How the Ramakrishna Math and Mission
founded just over fifty years ago has grown and flourished and shed its
beneficent influence is a matter of history.
Lives
of saints–particularly those who like the followers of Sri Ramakrishna lived in
the world and were of it, but with their minds fixed on the eternal values of
life–are a perennial source of inspiration. Sri Ramakrishnananda was a unique
personality and combined within himself the achievements of vigorous spiritual sadhana,
great gifts of teaching and exposition, organising ability of a high order,
added to amiable human virtues which enabled him in a far-off province to
establish himself in the hearts of people. The story of such a dedicated life,
which is a chapter of the religious renaissance in Modern India is told in this
volume. The narration is as interesting as it is authentic. Sri
Ramakrishnananda’s relationships with his great Master and his tireless
devotion to his relics and the shrine at Cossipore, Baranagore, and Alambazar,
how he held together the distinguished band headed by Swami Vivekananda and
tended them–these are moving passages in the book. The Swamiji’s life and work
are fully dealt with and make inspiring reading. The Publishers are entitled to
the grateful appreciation of the public for this Golden Jubilee publication.
K. S. G.
After
Gandhiji: Our Problems, by K. S. Venkataramani. (Svetaranya
Ashrama, Mylapore, Madras. Price 12 as.)
The
book contains six chapters-originally contributed as articles to the weekly Swatantra
of Madras. Though presumably of only topical interest and value, their
collection in the form of this booklet is fully justified because of the fact
that the author who is a deep thinker and a persuasive writer has approached
the problems confronting us in a spirit of lofty idealism, and has brought to
bear on it what may be compendiously termed the Gandhian outlook. The author
feels that “free India has a definite message to give. The world in sorrow and
suffering today expects one from us.” He desires that the Central Executive
should be reconstituted and there should be thirty members of whom ten shall be
free from any portfolios. It is his profound conviction that good government
requires only one party. He fears that a third global war is looming on the
horizon but wants India to build up her moral and material strength quickly so
as to remain neutral. “Let us drop all our vague ecstasies and sentimental love
of Russia,” advises the author. Analysing our home problems, the author pleads
as Gandhiji did, for making a group of villages the “basic foundation of our
political and economic structure” and wishes the Draft Indian Constitution to
have begun with the villiage and proceeded upwards. The author is well aware of
our national defects and does not mince matters when analysing them and pleads
with fervour for a determined drive to renovate Indian life and character! The
chapter on the Draft Constitution and Our Ideals contains many
thought-provoking ideas and categorical suggestions which show that the author
is a practical idealist. Some of his suggestion are:–
(1) Adult
franchise is the correct basis for primary voting but it must not be used
directly on a provincial or national scale except for a plebiscite on a
definite issue.
(2) The
Assembly should be based on two-thirds territorial and one-third functional
constituencies. The territorial constituencies should be plural with not less
than five seats.
(3) No
upper house in the States.
(4) Religious
instruction should be included among Fundamental Rights.
(5) Eighteen
years of age as the basis for adult franchise as against twenty-one.
(6) Rural
units of not less than ten thousand and not more than twenty-five thousand for
each unit; every adult shall have a vote at the Panchayat election, one member
being elected for every thousand of the population. The rural list of subjects
shall be comprehensive. All panchayatdars shall form an electoral college, and
the district shall be the unit of a constituency with plurality of members
electing members to the State Legislature on the basis of one member for every
lakh of population.
The
author’s earnest hope is for the evolution of “a genuine Indian democracy which
would embody the ideals inherent in an ancient culture and civilization.” Poets
have been spoken of as the unacknowledged legislators of the world.
Acknowledged or otherwise, one hopes that the next set-up would embody some of
the idealism that inspired the author and that inspired the national movement
during the last two generations.
K. S. G.
Song
of the Spirit: Selected Verses of S'ami–A Mystic of Sind, Translated
by Shanti L. Shahani. With a Foreword by Sadhu T. L. Vaswani. (Motherland
Press, Karachi. Price Rs. 3)
“The
human being is nature’s fall from a state of innocency; but it is not a
decline, it is rather an ascent, in that a state of conscience is higher than a
state of innocence,” says Thomas Mann. Nature is explored but not realized.
Scientists interpret what could be known and harnessed for the knowledge and
benefit of man in nature. The songs of the mystics bear evidence to the fact
that nature finds in man its ascent and not decay. Those who perceive in wonder
and awe that supreme joy of a perfect construction and grace in all creation
are they, in whom, even beyond the state of conscience, a non-dual state is
reached. That is the abode of the mystic. He is beyond nature in that nature is
spiritualized in him. He is beyond man in that man is dissolved in him. He is
neither nature nor man, but a moving flame of pence that has neither birth nor
end.
India
is more a land of the mystics than any other nation of the world though the poems
of Donne, Blake, and Francis Thompson have profundity of thought. Nations and
nationalities may differ from one another in ways of life and habits. The
mystics of the world have only one voice and one language. They know no
barriers; they care little for the wrath of those that rule over them, tyrant
or despot; they attach little importance to the study of books, they always
seek and suffer for getting a glimpse of that Atman who is the secret of
the Creative Sound. Life has a great meaning for them and is accepted by them
with humility, patience, and love.
S'ami
was a great mystic of Sind. He was one of those eminent men who had known the
workings of the human mind. The stained mind is to be cleaned for the
reflection of the Lord, the Beloved, to fall on it. He put to practice the
wisdom he acquired from his Master in whose guidance and personality he had
implicit faith. He realized that the secret of harmony is in one’s Self.
“Giving up all scriptural recitation, awake and behold the Beloved within thee!”
In short he echoes the fundamentals of the religions of the world. An ethical
way of life lived in contentment and action with no expectation is sure to have
that integration necessary for realization.
The
translation of Shanti L. Shahani is in good English. The appearance of gifted
poets and seers is becoming rarer though the tribe of poets manque and
versifiers is on the increase. Hence, one is inclined to read the great minds
of various countries in renderings of languages widely spoken and in usage. One
is to congratulate the translator for his good sense in choosing the English
medium as that would help many to understand the sayings of the famous Sindhi
mystic, S’ami; also the artist who has caught the spirit of the poems in
exquisite lines and shades.
Sankhavadya,
by N. Kasturi, M.A. (Usha Sahitya Mala, Mysore. Price Re.
1-12 as.)
Mr.
Kasturi has achieved a remarkable blend of delightful humour and wistful pathos
in his latest novel. Mahabala Rao’s reactions to his retirement from
officialdom form the main theme. A disciple of Gokhale, he has started life as
teacher under the auspices of the Servants of India Society. He has been lured
later by his parents into a submissive married life and a mechanical clerkly
career. After retirement, he takes up the thread of social service by becoming
manager and contributor to two newspapers holding contradictory views on almost
all subjects. This is in the best traditions of parliamentary democracy as well
as a popularising strategem. One of the dailies is edited by his son Nagaraj,
and the other by his old friend Rama Iyengar. As Special Correspondent in
Bombay for several Kannada newspapers, Nagaraj has disobliged his employers by
sending reports of sociological and cultural import, rather than items of
sensational news. However, he has soon been driven to pot-boiling. When his
uncle buys Sankha-vadya and appoints him as its quite independent
editor, he revitalizes this newspaper with his revived idealism. On the other
hand, Rama Iyengar has turned to journalism after seeing through the
pseudo-spirituality of his own life as a common sannyasi. The triple pattern of
initiation, apostasy, and re-conversion to humanitarianism which is worked out
in Mahabala Rao’s life is given definition and emphasis by the repetition on a
small scale in the lives of these two minor characters. Then, too, the novel is
mostly taken up with the several, at first futile efforts, to pass from the
second phase of this pattern to the third, to pursue again the visions of
youth. Hence the aptness of the title which is suggestive, in Kannada idiom, of
lamentations at once desolate and ludicrous.
No
amount of comment, in the absence of actual reading, can give a true indication
of the gusto of Mr. Kasturi’s writing, of the sparkling humour under which lie
such treasures of significance. It is no less abundant than spontaneous. The
novel opens with a most exquisite dialogue, Mahabala Rao has squeezed himself
into his old navy-blue wedding-suit in order to attend a farewell party in his
honour at the office; and his wife asks him to extricate himself from it. He
has, however, a special fondness for it as it symbolizes for him his vanished
youth, and when he starts life all over again as newspaper manager, it is this
suit that he hunts out. One chapter describes his disastrous effort to reduce
his fat by the practice of a Yogasana, and another gives an account of
the first meal after his retirement which he can at least take with the
slowness required for aesthetic enjoyment and critical judgment. Then there is
the delicious scene in the overcrowded compartment in which, travelling from
Bombay, Nagaraj rejoices on his uncomfortable perch to hear the exchange of
even indecent abuse down below, in his dear native Kannada. Except for a couple
of lapses into farce and an occasionally irritating habit of ungrammatically
twisting parts of words and well-worn sayings for satirical purposes, the novel
makes most delightful reading throughout.
Ezhuttum
Ezhuttalanum: By Thi.Ja.Ra. (Kartikeyini Prachuram,
Ramachandrapuram, Trichinopoly. Price Re. 1.)
For
a general idea of the author and the art and craft of writing this is a useful
little publication. It discusses, among other things, the need for book-clubs
to promote healthy criticism; and as an instance cites the Kyverdale in
London–an account of which appeared in the John O’ London’s Weekly sometime
ago–a new-style book-club consisting of about a dozen members who speak out
with exceptional frankness what they think of a book. Such a rota is the very
life of the circle; they come from all walks of life: from the Civil Service
down to the humble artisan class. Tamilnad, today, will greatly profit itself
by forming small literary circles; in a civilised society the autnor has a
status and his dignity has always to be recognised. The personality of
the creative artist can never be divorced from his writings; it must shine as a
flower shines with its own fragrance. It can’t be a croton, all gaudy hues and
no scent. The writer’s social responsibility is great. He has to connect his
expression with his passion for life.
“Fighting
erroneous impressions, overcoming the many difficulties and obstacles in life,
and swimming against the current–such a writer has given out his opinions
here,” says the author of this book, ending his brief prefatory note. The
element of self-pity in it is a trifle vexatious; the explanation
is quite unnecessary; for Thi. Ja. Ra. is an authentic writer, and an authentic
writer, I am sure, doesn’t want the pity of the public, he wants it to take
note of his pride.
Mudrarakshasanataka
Katha: By Mahadeva. Edited by V. Raghavan, M.A., Ph.D.
(The Saraswathi Mahal Library, Tanjore, Price Rs. 2-8.)
This
is the second revised edition of Mahadeva’s Prose rendering of Visakadatta’s Mudrarakshasa
brought out by Dr. V. Raghavan for the Maharajah Sarfoji Saraswati Mahal
Library, a couple of years back.
Mudrarakshasa
is a well-known Sanskrit classic read and appreciated by
Sanskritists all over the world. Apart from its historical importance, it
displays the extraordinary skill of Visakadatta in the construction of the plot
and delineation of character. The plot is so intricately and ingeniously
constructed that it is not easy to follow its development for the ordinary
reader. To aid the general reader to follow the progress of the play, it was
considered desirable to present the subject-matter in the form of a lucid
narrative in prose or verse.
On
the works describing the story of Visakadatta’s drama, Mahadeva’s prose
rendering is the best. His language is simple and he presents all the incidents
connected with the play. It serves as a good text-book for colleges and it is
gratifying to note that the occasion for this second edition
is that the work has been adopted as Intermediate Sanskrit Prose Text in the
Madras, Annamalai, and Travancore Universities. Through
this work, Dr. Raghavan has rendered substantial help to the Saraswati Mahal,
Tanjore, which is one of our best and richest manuscript libraries.
The
valuable English Introduction and the copious notes at the end of the work by
Dr. Raghavan enhance the usefulness of the book. In his comprehensive survey of
the various problems connected with the drama, Dr. Raghavan has brought
together much material scattered in many publications and made it an invaluable
guide to students and scholars alike.
Devabandi
Varadaraja: The Temple Minstrel, by V. Raghavan, M.A.,
Ph.D. (V. B. Subbiah & Sons, Bangalore)
The
author, an ardent Samskrita bhakta, has rightly chosen Sanskrit–the language of
Indian culture, philosophy, and religion, to give expression
to his fine poetic thoughts. The Sanskrit-knowing public is familiar with his Kamasiddhi
and other interesting small poems and plays. His Devabandi, or The
Temple Minstrel, a lyric poem in sweet and simple style, depicts the life
and the final communion with the Lord, of a mystic saint. Varadaraja or
Varam-tarum-perumal.Arayar is a sacred minstrel of the God Ranganatha at
Srirangam. Seized with a divine frenzy, he worships the Lord with singing songs
and rendering them in gesture. As a result of the residue of prarabdha, he
falls in love with a harijan maiden who was also a servant of the Lord. She cut
fodder for the temple elephant. The God-intoxicated men are above the barriers
of caste and creed; and Varadaraja woos and wins the harijan girl for his
bride. He is discarded by the high-case men and disowned by the harijans. He
puts up a hut on the bank of the river Kaveri, away from the precincts of the
orthodox. Enshrining the Lord in his heart as a true bhakta, he lives his life
in the company of his harijan wife.
After
a long time, the image of Ranganatha is taken in procession to the sandy river
bed on a full moon night in the month of Chaitra. The melodious songs of the
services of the Lord falling on the ears of the minstrel transfigures his
entire being. He rushes to the presence of the Lord and in a trance of utter
beatitude pours forth a flood of divine melody. He follows the deity in
procession back to the temple, but before entering the sacred premises, he
casts off his mortal coils and becomes one with the Lord, even as the divine
bride Andal, did.
G. HARIHARA
SASTRI