REVIEWS
World Conquest in
Installments: by J.V. Stalin (World Communism Series
No. I; published by Society for Defence of Freedom of India; 12, Chowringhee
Square, Calcutta; Price As. 12)
Russian Imperialism: by
R. Swarup (Published by Prachi Prakashan, 12, Chowringhee Square, Calcutta;
price Rs. 2.)
Though
the purpose of the books is self-evident from the names of the books as well as
from those of the Publishers, the title of the first book is a bit misleading.
Its title makes an unwary reader to think that it is a book by Stalin and is in
defence of communism, whereas the fact is otherwise. Both the books preach
against Communism.
World
Conquest in Installments actually contains the text of two
chapters from Stalin’s Foundations of Leninism, with some omissions here
and there to suit the purpose of the Publishers. It also contains an
Introduction by Sita Ram Goel which is longer and in a way more interesting
than the text itself. The purpose of publishing this book seems to be something
like this. The Publishers fear that the non-communist world is lulled into
inactivity by the cock-and-bull stories of Russia’s peaceful objectives and
overtures, whereas the true intentions of the Russians were already there in
black and white since a long time. This “intellectually lazy, morally
indifferent and spiritually undecided” non-communist world must be told this
truth and the “pious political illiterates” must be educated. And hence this
book. If you belong to that class of people and if you are in search of ‘truth’,
you cannot think of a better book than this to initiate you into the mysterious
working of the Communist mind.
Russian
Imperialism: How to stop it is a ‘companion
volume’ to the above, as the publishers of the former themselves call it. It
certainly supplements the first one. If, after reading the first book, you
realise the danger of Russia’s expansion and her ideological weapon, namely,
World Communism, and are also conversant with the Bolshevic tactics, drive and
resources, and ask the question, rather in dismay: “How to meet this danger?”
well, here is the recipe of Mr. R. Swarup. The way is simply “by understanding
this danger and by helping this understanding to spread among the masses. That
is our most sure defence”. This missionary work is undertaken by the
publishers, though others, “with better resources”, are also welcome.
Whether
we like it or not, Communism has become a world force and is constantly on us
mentally; and the world is slowly getting itself divided into two broad camps,
the Communist and the non-communist, though a few people, especially in India,
whom probably the publishers would like to include among ‘the pious political
illiterates’, think that a via media is possible. And whether we like
Communism or not, it is better that we read both sides of the picture. These
two books are worth reading, especially because, though written exclusively to
give only one side of the picture to prove that Communism is an evil, “an evil
sufficiently theorised and idealised to deceive the most clever an idealist”,
they also serve the opposite purpose and set you a thinking why even ‘the most
clever and the idealist’ are deceived so easily. While preaching against
Communism is one way of meeting ‘the danger’, a sure way seems to be what we are
attempting in India through the Five Year Plan–of clearing the ground of mass
discontent due to poverty, on which alone Communism thrives well.
The Bhagavad-Gita and
the Changing World, by Dr. P. Nagaraja Rao, M.A., D.Litt.
(Published by The Ramakrishna Seva Samiti, Ahmedabad, pp. 150. Price Rs. 5.)
The
volume consists mainly of University Extension lectures delivered at Calcutta,
Banaras and Madras at different dates, extended and adapted for publication in
book-form, in which remarkable unity of purpose and outlook binds the different
chapters.
It
is professedly an attempt to state in broad outlines the central teaching of
the Bhagavad-Gita on some of the vital and crucial issues affecting our lives
and conduct. The purpose is identical with that of ‘The Art of life in The
Bhagavad-Gita’ by Sri H.V. Divatia, published by the Book University of
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and reviewed in this journal, but the presentation here
is more popular and calculated to appeal to a wider sector of the public, if
less scholarly and philosophical.
It is addressed to the large public
who are not satisfied with the two types of thought in vogue at present, the
secular ideologies which appeal to the conscience, and command the enthusiasm
of present-day youth, rationalism and humanism, both anti-religious, the
reaction to anti-humanistic religions of former times.
In
the words of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the book deals with the present day
challenge to religion and deals with it with wide learning and true understanding,
and presents the complete and comprehensive ideal of true religion expounded by
Lord Krishna in the Gita, as an effective answer.
It
is not a technical, metaphysical treatise on the Gita but only an attempt to
state the central teaching of the Gita in broad outlines; but, in the process,
it give us incidentally a just and adequate estimate of various secular
ideologies, competing among themselves for the place which rightly belongs to
true religion. It shows how the ideal of true religion expounded in the
Bhagavad- Gita satisfies the intellectual requirements of rationalism and the
emotional basis of humanism, and provides at the same time a panacea for all
problems facing the godless modern humanity and a safe guide for conduct of
universal validity.
The
book is a valuable addition to the growing literature on the Gita which bids
fair to take its rightful place as the text of the universal religion of the
future.
Sanskrit Comic
Characters, by J. T. Parikh (Published by The Popular Book
Stores, Tower Road, Surat, Pp. 72, Price Rs. 2.)
The
nine-fold classification of permanent human feelings or Sthayibhavas of the
ancient Indian aestheticians is in perfect accord with the analysis of Prof.
Macdougall in his ‘Social Psychology’. Hasya, the offspring of Sringara, is
according to them one of the nine aesthetic sentiments delineated in Kavyas and
Rupakas. The definition of Hasya by these ancient Indian critics is also in
close agreement with the views of Max Eastman in his scholarly treatise ‘Enjoyment
of laughter’. He says: “To my mind the old philosophers of India approached
this problem wisely. They approached it as a laughing infant must,
impersonally; ‘The comic,’ they said, in which the permanent condition is
mirth, may arise from the fun of distorted shapes, words, dresses, gestures
etc.’ That is the simple truth, in the permanent condition called mirth and
called by us the play attitude.”
The Vidushaka or comic character is an embodiment
and source of laughter in almost all the Sanskrit dramas with Sringara as the
main sentiment and he is defined as ‘Hasya praya.’
This
brochure, “Sanskrit Comic Characters,” proposes to attempt
an appreciation of Vidushaka characters in Sanskrit drama.
It is, the author declares, modelled on ‘The English Comic Characters’ of
Priestley. The entire gamut of Vidushaka characters is surveyed here. In the
introductory part he rightly draws a distinction between the comic characters
of English dramas and the Vidushakas of Sanskrit dramas. He then proceeds to establish
the individuality of each of several Vidushaka characters, thus successfully
refuting the charge, levelled by some against the Sanskrit dramatists in this
respect, that their comic characters are all typical and conventional and
exhibit no individuality. ‘Laughter of Bhasa,’ ‘Maitreya,’ ‘the clown in
Kalidasa,’ ‘Humour of Harsha’ and ‘Revival in Rajasekhara,’ are all
well-written chapters, presenting vivid pictures of the different vidushakas
with their individual traits and providing the reader-with a feast of mirth
that is of the Sanskrit dramas. The author richly deserves commendation for his
laudable attempt and congratulations for the remarkable success he has achieved
in this work.
Srimad Guru Bhagavatam
(11th and 12th Skandhams) by Kavisekhara Minnikanti
Gurunadha Sarma, Guntur. (Orient Publishing House, Tenali. Pp; 33 Plus 336,
Price Rs. 5)
Potanamatya,
the immortal Telugu poet who enthroned himself in the hearts of all Andhras,
young and old, by virtue of celestial and enrapturing poetry that spontaneously
sprang from the depths of his devout heart, did not, for some reason or other
translate the 11th and the 12th Skandhas of the Bhagavatam, but allowed them to
be translated by Veligandla Naraya. Naraya’s translation, which as poetry pales
before Potana’s, is neither exhaustive nor faithful to the original. So a
complete, faithful and charming translation of the original is a long-felt
desideratum.
The
11th Skandha was already translated by Sri Haribhattaraka, an ancient Telugu
poet, and the translation is now being published in the “Andhra Sahitya
Parishat Patrika” of Kakinanda. K. Pattabhi Ramayya Garu, a modern poet, has
also translated the 11th Skandham. These two are literal translations. Another
modern poet Mudumba Singaracharya also translated many of the Skandhas of
Bhagavatam into Telugu.
The
book under review is a free translation of the original and the author has
succeeded in bringing out the spirit of the original in his translation. In
some places the story in the original is expanded by the author according to
the needs of the Rasa and auchitya, and nowhere does he appear to miss
the beauty of the original.
The
language throughout is chaste and the style is elegant, befitting a classic.
While the free play of the translator’s power of imagination and fancy can be
seen clearly in his additions to the original, the poet is quite at home and at
his best while delineating the sentiment of Sringara as well as Santa.
The free flow of the verses, and the Telugu national idioms and sayings
bestrewn here and there, coupled with pleasing alliterations, add to the relish
of the poem.–“Kidrsa” but not “Yadrsa” seems to be the apt word in page 29 line
17.
Andhra Kavayitrulu, by
Ubhaya Bhasha Praveena Srimathi Utukuri Lakshmikanthamma, Bapatla. (Pp. 380,
Price Rs. 5.)
Awarded
the first prize of the Telugu Bhasha Samiti by the Madras Government, this book
is a remarkable and valuable addition to the all-too-meagre corpus of
literary criticism in Telugu.
It
is a comprehensive survey of the literary achievement of Andhra women from the
remote beginnings of Andhra history and Telugu literature down to the present
day. It includes all the available and interesting historical information
regarding the life of each poet, a brief account of the literary work, and a
critical estimate of the literary achievement in relation to the history and
life of the people and the development of the literature. It reveals, at the
same time, through the entire treatise, an attempt to distinguish and assess
the distinctive contribution of womanhood to the magnificent wealth of Telugu
literature and the gain to it thereby. The chief objective of the book seems to
be to provide inspiration and incentive to Andhra womanhood of the present and
future generations to cultural endeavour and progress, and to qualify for
participation in the current literary renaissance. The incidental literary
appreciation and criticism by way of comparative study is exceedingly
interesting and illuminating even to the specialist student of literature and
literary criticism, and entitles the book to a respectable place in the sphere
of literary criticism.
The
somewhat excessive, however pardonable, zeal of the author for the
objective of securing adequate recognition for the achievement of her sex has
resulted in the inclusion of several lists of mere names. Perhaps
the aim could have been better realised by proper selection and discriminating
emphasis on those poets only with a considerable body of achievement to their
credit.
The Greatness of Siva:
Mahimnastava of Pushpadanta, with Sanskrit commentary by
Jagannadha Chakravarti. Translated with commentary by Arthur Avalon. (Ganesh
& Co. Madras-17. Pp. 71, Price Rs. 3)
Pushpadanta’s
Mahimnastava contains 36 inspiring Sanskrit verses in praise of Siva,
and these even to this day dance on the lips of every Saivite. The
versatile scholar and philosopher Sri Madhusudana Saraswati Swami wrote a
scholarly commentary on these verses. According to him all these verses admit
of two interpretations, one in praise of Siva and the other in praise of Vishnu
and he succeeded marvellously in elaborating the two meanings.
The
book under review contains two Sanskrit commentaries. Of these two the
commentary by Jagannadha Chakravarti is masterly. Though he does not attempt to
interpret the verses as in praise of Vishnu, he gives all the information that
is necessary for a proper understanding of the verses. Only, one doubts whether
the Vedic passage “Na Karmana na prajaya” etc., cited in this commentary on the
7th verse is relevant to the context.
There
is nothing remarkable about the second commentary except that it now and then
gives grammatical explanations of some words also.
The
value of the book is to a considerable extent in the English translation and
elucidative notes by Arthur Avalon.