Triveni Journal

1927 | 11,233,916 words

Triveni is a journal dedicated to ancient Indian culture, history, philosophy, art, spirituality, music and all sorts of literature. Triveni was founded at Madras in 1927 and since that time various authors have donated their creativity in the form of articles, covering many aspects of public life....

KANNADA

Ramanavami–By ‘Srinivasa’ (Masti Venkatesa Iyengar). (Bangalore Press. Price As. 12.)

"’Tis my delight’, (said Words worth), "alone in summer shade
To pipe a simple song for thinking hearts."

Such a song has Srinivasa piped in Ramanavami. Steeped in Valmiki and brooding over the Ramayana as it lives in popular imagination with the simple faith that Rama and Sita and Lakshmana visited every village and wood and hill and stream in India, our new Kumara Valmiki touches this faith with the tenderness of a modern believer who sees deeper than the mere scoffing of a dry Rationalist:

Here sat Sitadevi;
Here Ramachandra
Stood by her side; there Lakshmana
Full of all goodness true.

So begins this lovely idyll. The poet meets the peasant–an old man, who, on the birthday of Rama, expects to see the divine trio, as he believes his forefathers saw them under that basiri tree. The divine is seen and felt in terms of the human, the simple human life of the simple village folk. Rama chaffs and teases Sita as a village lad might play with his lass. (We get this too, at the end.) On the birthday (in the Ramayana) Sita cooked and blessed the basiri tree for its shade and made it immortal: it is the same tree, this one. Why not? asks the poet, thinking of the Spirit of Truth in the heart’s affections and imaginations:

"When shall I see Sita, Rama, Lakshmana
Together, oh, all three?
Oh, when shall I see my life’s dear God
In whom I so believe!
Do not insist that you must see;
’Tis well if you do see;
Well, too, if you do not; think of them
Sitting quietly."
Hearing the words of the peasant, I
Beneath the tree in the hollow
Saw two; the boy was standing;
Sitting, the girl.
What! Have Sita and Rama come?
Throbbed my heart!
Why not the old man pleased,
To fill his hungry eyes?

That gives us the essence of the situation. The poet and the peasant are blended into one spiritual vision and the young ones are transfigured: God and Man are one.

’Twas God indeed; but the father, in front
When Rama stood that day,
Saw only the son and not the God;
Illusion who can pierce?
The bliss of seeing God in the son
Even Ayodhya Dasaratha
Had not; will it come to me?
That is good in a mere tale.
Before we can see the God in the son
Attachment-bonds must break;
Until man touches the heights of Mukti
That Oneness he cannot attain.

Lovely, isn’t it? The deep feeling, the lilt of the Verses, the simple words, the well of Kannada undefiled! Look at the homely similes and metaphors, the exquisite felicity of the pictures of nature and man:

That will do by way of quotation; else, one will have to quote every thing

–I became Janaka, says the poet in his fine frenzy: the peasant, his son and daughter-in-law becoming Dasaratha, Rama and Sita. May we not accept this as really true? He is Abhinava Kumara Valmiki and Janaka in one. With responsibilities of high office, is it not our good fortune that such a pious, tender, sweet, and homely singer can find time to touch our life and language with real and romantic beauty? Long may the Muses tend him–"so much to do, so little done" as he constantly murmurs: may Sri Rama give him the attainment he seeks!

B. M. SRIKANTIA

TELUGU

Panchavati-By M. B. Sundararama Sastri. (Published by the Navya Sahitya Parishat, Guntur. Price, As. 8).

This is a fragment of Sri Sundararama Sastri's larger work on the Ramayana. Here, he calls up a vision of Panchavati, the beautiful spot on the banks of the Godavari near Bhadrachalam where Sri Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana are, said to have lived for a time during their exile from Ayodhya. The poem is an out pouring of the poet’s deep personal affection for them all, an for Lakshmana in particular. It is in the form of a monologue, in which the Poet addresses Lakshmana as ‘brother’ and ‘child’, and refers to the many little details of his life of devoted service to Rama and Sita:

"Who is it sitting so peacefully on the couch of leaves, in the glades of this forest retreat? Can it be Rama, the Divine in human form? And who is it next to him? Sita, daughter of the Earth-Goddess–Lakshmi incarnate! My salutations to them. But where is our Lakshmana? After preparing the couch (for Rama and Sita), has he left them, for fetching flower and leaf and water? A thousand years of life to you, my Lakshmana; you have come just as I was mentioning your name! And what quantities of fruit have you brought for them, while, for yourself, you need neither fruit nor water!"

This vein of devotion couched in singularly beautiful verse–where Telugu and Sanskrit blend like the waters of the Ganga and the Yamuna–is the expression of an inward calm achieved after years of struggle against poverty and domestic misfortune. The Poet has a high conception of the mission of poetry, and believes that, "Poetry, however skilful, is futile unless it is a shining forth of the light of the Self."Like Potana, the poet of the Telugu Bhagavata, he prays that "hereafter may my Muse escape from the market-place and he dedicated to the service of the Lord!" To those who, like me, have been privileged to listen to Sri Sastri’s soulful chanting of Panchavati and similar poems of his, comes the thought, "Here again is a poet like old Potana!"

Sri Sastri is also a delightful humourist, and can send whole audiences into roars of laughter by reciting his lighter verse on the fashions of the day and on men in the limelight. He has also rendered Omar Khayyam into elegant Telugu verse. But, as time passes, the things of the spirit are gripping him. Panchavati is but the beginning of a poetical career in which the rich promise of today is bound to fulfil itself.

K. RAMAKOTISWARA RAU

ENGLISH

Naked Shingles–By Manjeri S. Isvaran. (The Chitra Bhanu Book-House, Triplicane, Madras. Price, Re. 1-8-0.)

‘Naked Shingles’ is the title story in a book of Short Stories which contains along with it nine others prettily and vividly told. Mr. Isvaran has a gift for narration, for delicate and even subtle perception, and has a fine sensibility. The stories ring true and picture life as it is lived in poorer and middle class families, and, in villages in South India. Incident, situation, atmosphere and characterisation are well and finely realised. From deft or intense sketches like the ‘Beginnings’ and ‘Seashells’ to the fully articulate pieces like the title story, there are varying degrees of fullness; and the writer never once loses grip of essential theme or his bearings. Even a digression (121-22) is in character. A few situations haunt the memory.

Mr. Isvaran’s is a self-conscious art and the stories are not so much told as presented; and there is in them more colour than line. There is also what Mr. Venkataramani calls sensuousness which is fairly rich. Neither prudery nor reticence constricts him, and, when he feels like being that, he is luscious. The influence of the French and the Russians is in it and he seems to know Lawrence ‘all right’. If his style tries to lyricise prose and ‘gild the lily’, the diction with odds and ends taken from English literature disturbs attention, drawing it more to writer than to theme or to the business on hand.

Quite an aesthetic is built round what Mr. Venkataramani speaks of as the new Indo-Anglian creative prose style, in the Foreword. Only, one wishes that both styles here were a bit less de1iberate, a bit less mannered and brave in writing as he does, and with such precious phrasing, Mr. Venkataramani is likely to take away from a just judgment of Mr. Isvaran’s really high merit. Even Mr. Isvaran will gain from not distilling and flavouring his phrase and word so much. He will also do well in the short story to shed inkhorn or heavyweight terms e.g., nubilities, mansuetude, arattling, asymptotically, minguant moon, are camels.

Though Mr. Venkataramani’s preferences are his business, his statement that there is a festive atmosphere here is not easy to follow. For Sadness is ground and foundation, theme and issue in many of these stories. Ratnam, the drunk and gambler unmindful of Mangi or son; the disputing little girls one of whom is deeply hurt and forlorn that her play-husband is taken away by the other; the heart-ache of the poor widowed Shyamala, the inconsolable grief of Nureddin’s parents when they learn of his death in a far-off land; the harsh inhumanity of Sarasu’s step-mother who will not let the child into the neighbours house for Kolu; the frustration of Essaki who loses all round; the dark venom of Vallathan and partner the former of whom commits murder and brings sorrow on a happy family,–surely, there is not much festivity in all this? Even in it, ‘Jowramma’ and ‘The Cradle’ the themes are too near tears; the threat of unhappiness is jerking about.

V. SITARAMIAH

What it Cost Me–(Leaves from a Diary).–By V. A. N. Rao. Foreword by Dr. B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya. Introduction by Prof. V. K. Gokak. (Published by the Author, C/o The Swadeshi Bhandar, Fort, Bangalore City. Price, Re. 1-8-0.)

Diaries are no full-dress affairs. They often lack point because they have not the completeness of art. Life in the raw is served with a jolting inconsequence unless the darist is a conscious artist scribbling like Pepys for posterity. Even the pickled gossip of Pepys or Croker or Lord Riddell, for instance, is only history in the making, social milieu in its fleeting, fanciful moods. But good diaries partake of literature, not because they may contain purple patches in isolation but because it is a life captured in the levity or excitement of brief moments, and because it is sincere and straight and has the primal inspiration of art. That is why diaries too are among the classics.

Mr. Rao in ‘What it Cost Me’ attempts no classic. This book is not the work of an artist, as Prof. Gokak in his fine Introduction calls it, unless he means that the result of Mr. Rao’s effort gives artistic satisfaction. It is nevertheless an interesting achievement and has the spontaneity, if not the finish, of art. There is no purple lining or velvet lacing. It is the straightforward record of a Satyagrahi in the Salt campaign, of a Satyagrahi's beginnings and groupings and intimations of that perfection or Swaraj which attracted so many from schools and colleges to the ‘battlefield’. The Salt Satyagraha had an epic quality about it because of the primal cry that Gandhi raised, the spectacular march to Dandi and the equally spectacular violence with which the Government reacted to it. Mr. Rao gives us unforgettable pictures of the peace and conflict and slogans and despair of those days. We get vivid, if still life, pictures of the village where the Satyagrahi takes shape amidst social conflicts, of the camp with all its trials and little ironies and loud laughter, of the slow corrosion of C-class life in prison. To the complaints of C-class prisoners, Sir James Crerar, the Home Member of those days, spat out C-class answers. Ill-health, decay and death were the wages of the Government’s sinfulness.

For the glory of this patriotic catharsis, one has to pay the penalty, and Mr. Rao paid it in abundance. It is all typical of the dilemmas and pains and crisis of suffering. As Dr. Pattabhi says in his Foreword:

"Help comes from nowhere. There is an old mother who is left in distress. The younger brother is turned adrift and the uncle dies a premature death. The employers have given notice to quit. Life looks like a tragedy."

But there is no wailing or grunting from the author. There is not the least trace of cynicism. It is all accepted experience. As he says:

" The book is neither an accusation nor a defence. At best, it is a modest exposition of the part played by a common soldier in the non-violent struggle now in progress in India, and attempts to set down the experiences of young men who, even though they may have failed in the attempt to free the country, appear to have stumbled on the threshold of an entirely different but more tangible type of freedom."

Here we have in simple, lambent prose, with, at times, a touch of lyrical afflatus, the story of the transformation of a political soldier into a political sadhu, who comprehends and understands the processes and pitfalls, the glory and tears, the pathos and humour of patriotism. It is a social chronicle of charm. It is at once a testament of faith and re-affirmation of that larger understanding which is the basis of true patriotism. For, patriotism, as Edith Cavell said, may not be enough.

M.CHALAPATHI RAU

A Handbook of Virasaivism: By Dr. S. C. Nandimath, M.A., Ph.D., with a Foreword by R. D. Ranade, M.A. (The Literary Committee, L.E. Association, Dharwar. Price, Rs. 3)

To the lay reader the book introduces Virasaivism by impressing on him (i) that it has a long history and can be traced to ancient times, (ii) that it possesses a copious literature presenting high truths in extremely attractive form and (iii) it has a well thought out scheme of action and a definite procedure for attaining salvation.

Dr. Nandimath has done a great service not only to his co religionists but to all students of religion by giving an attractive and authoritative exposition of the teachings of Virasaivism. It is all the more welcome because his sincerity, scholarship and impartiality are evident in all his arguments which he sets forth with admirable patience and clearness.

After throwing important sidelights on the history, literature, Avaranas or symbols, rites and the cosmogony of Virasaivism, the volume enters into a valuable discussion on the philosophy of Virasaivism. We recommend in particular the three chapters entitled ‘The Philosophical ground’, ‘The Piligrim’s Progress’, and ‘The quintessence of Virasaivism’.

The most important problems for discussion are (i) the relation between Siva and Sakti which together are responsible for the creation of the universe, (ii) the duty and function of human beings in the universe.

Siva is identified with Brahma or Spirit, and Sakti with Prakriti or Matter. The latter is regarded as real and not an illusion. It acts as a real force in a twofold Way: as Kala Sakti creating entanglements, and as Bhakti Sakti removing entanglements. It is the duty of men to take advantage of both (i) by resorting to more and more moral acts in the first three stages or sthalas, and (ii) by surrendering more and more to God and removing entanglements to reach unity with Siva. The unity is to be complete: "even existence is nonexistence" The stages by which this result is to be accomplished are described in the chapter on ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’. It is to be accomplished not by Kriya or action alone (which is blind) or by knowledge or jnana alone (which is lame) but by a combination of both.

All this philosophy is perfectly clear. But doubt begins to assail us when a philosophy which proceeds by Kriya and Bhakti must interpret the unity with Siva, or the last stage, in the purely negative manner of Advaitism or when a philosophy which begins with the reality of Prakriti sets to jnana the almost impossible task of turning it into an illusion. For all these doubts, the learned Doctor and the Masters whom he follows may be tight in their interpretations. We raise these doubts, because it is not always recognised that metaphysical systems other than Advaitism have an equal right to exist.

  1. D. DHOPESHWARKAR

An Introduction to Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason –By N. A. Nikam, M.A. (Published by the Bangalore Press, Bangalore. Pp. 191 Price, Rs. 5-8-0.)

To write an Introduction to Kant’s Critique is by no means an easy task. Even the magnificent works of Max Muller and N. Smith fall short of the philosophical norm expected of a Kantian scholar. Both Kant’s language and thought have occasioned different translations and interpretations. He seems to have over-shot his mark by too much attention to logical subtlety. This fact accounts for need less complication both in construction and the exposition of Kant’s fundamental points of thought. The author of the ‘Introduction’ under review has simplified the argument of Kant’s most difficult work very well.

The entire Introduction is compressed within about two hundred pages and is divided into ten chapters. The distinction between analytic and synthetic judgments is the fundamental problem of the Critique. The Critique is mainly concerned with the synthetic a priori type of judgments. Are they possible? If so, how? Terms like ‘a priori’, ‘appearance’, ‘sensations’, ‘matter’, ‘empirical,’ ‘transcendental’ are explained in very simple words before the main arguments are taken up for consideration.

The fourth, fifth and sixth chapters state the meanings of the terms category, schematism, deduction and others of a similar nature, and explain, with illustrations, what is meant by Transcendental Deduction, Metaphysical Deduction, and the problem of Schematism. Synthesis is explained as an act of the self-activity of the subject. Again, ‘Apprehension’, ‘Reproduction’, ‘Imagination’, ‘Concept’, ‘Percept’, ‘Apperception’ are some of the terms which are defined. The relation of categories to judgments is next taken for detailed treatment.

The three Analogies are then stated and explained. Our judgments are expressed in three modes, viz., possibility, actuality and necessity. Dialectic or Speculative philosophy is dealt with in the seventh chapter.

The ninth chapter is devoted to an explanation of the two sides of Kant’s doctrine of self. Self has a, negative (passive) and a positive (constructive) side and we have no direct knowledge of the self. In relation to the self the four Paralogisms of Kant are considered. The last chapter gives a criticism of Kant’s Proofs for God’s existence.

The above is a brief resume of the topics defined, illustrated and explained in the body of the book. The book is an excellent introduction for beginners. It is, however, more a dissertation on the logical sequence and interrelatedness of the different parts of the Critique rather than an initiation into the atmosphere of Kantian philosophical Speculation. It is an able terminological lexicon on Kant's Critique. An appendix of copious extracts from Kant's Critique would have enhanced the value of the book to Indian Students. The language is simple and flowing. The book is to be commended as an easy and brief introduction to the moot difficult Work of Kant. There is an index which enhances the usefulness of the publication.

DR.PANYAM RAMAMURTHY

Akhand Hindustan–By K. M. Munshi. (Publishers: New Book Co., Kitab Mahal, Hornby Road, Bombay. Price, Rs. 4.)

Sjt. Munshi is the originator of the ‘Akhand Hindustan’ movement. One would therefore be apt to think that a book bearing such a name would be a sustained thesis on the movement. It is not so. The book is a collection of several articles and speeches by Sjt. Munshi spreading over a period of three years. Some of them deal with the problems raised by the ‘Pakistan’ movement. Others seek to "present the unity which runs through the history, culture and life of India". In some articles, Sjt. Munshi has endeavoured to give his interpretation of the Hindu Sacred Texts and there is an appendix Containing the Gandhi-Munshi correspondence and Sjt. Munshi’s statement on the ‘Akhand Hindustan Front’.

Recent as these speeches and writings are, many of them are necessarily topical in character. Events have been moving so fast that the central problem presented by Sjt. Munshi has been rendered infinitely more complex in the last few months. The Cripps mission and the implicit recognition given by the British Cabinet’s proposals to the Pakistan principle, and Sjt. Rajagopalachari’s move to placate the Muslim League have brought about a situation which holds the immediate attention of the nation and naturally robs topical literature relating to even the recent past of much of its interest. This is not to deny that the integrity of India is a cause which remains paramount as ever, or to say that, in assessing a vital issue, the historical ground could be lost sight of. The need today, however, is to rest the case for the preservation of the integrity of India on contemporary facts and factors.

Sjt. Munshi’s articles and writings are characterised by eloquence, clarity and transparent sincerity. Some passages reveal great insight, as when Sjt. Munshi shows how some of Mr. Jinnah’s slogans were directly inspired by the tactics that were being practised by the Nazis at that time in Europe, and how British Imperialism found it convenient to condemn Nazi methods in Europe while placing a premium on similar tactics here. The following, showing what strange products are yielded by the alchemy of Imperialism and Communalism, will be found revealing. Says Mr. Munshi:

"I started active political life under a Muslim political leader. I was the Secretary, he the President, of our organization. He shared his political thoughts with us; and there was not a whisper nor a breath of his which could be called communal. He was the first to insist on ‘India for Indians’. He was the one who brought about the Hindu-Muslim pact of Lucknow.

His name was Mohamed Ali Jinnah."

The book is one which will evoke great interest not only as throwing light on the burning questions of contemporary politics, but also as revealing the inner evolution of a personality who has played no mean part in the cultural and political life of the country.

‘N’

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