Book Reviews

TELUGU

VIJAYANJALI: (Poetry) by Dr. Yelchuri Vijaya Raghava Rao: (Publishers Sagara Grandhamala, 9-19-3. CBM Compound, Visakhapatnam-3) Pages 100; Prize Rs. 40/-

This Book contains 30 verses and 3 stories on different topics. Dr. Y. Vijaya Raghava Rao, has abundant knowledge in Music, Literature and Dance, and is a PADMASRI awardee. He visited foreign countries and received several rewards.

VIJAYANJALI is dedicated, not to any person, but to the Mankind! One can understand the depth of his commitment mid faith in the human nature.

In Sravanthi, the poet inspires the reader to strive for universal family, ignoring caste, creed etc., as interlinked with music and dance (flow of nectar) and vedas etc.

“Oh, man why are you silent? Can’t you see through the artificial differences between man and man, religions, languages and castes?” asks the poet and exhorts to look at the Sun and the Moon instead.

“What is the use of going to a temple /church without having Love in your heart? Dividing the Society means dividing God” and declares that ultimately “Society is God”.

Paradoxically, while everyone wants Peace, everyone is found to be fighting! His language and expression stir the soul.

All the three stories deal with politics, love and films all three being current topics.

M. S. SASTRY

CHAITANYA KAVITHA: (April & July, 95): Editors - Tangirala Subba Rao and R.V. Sudarsanam. Pages 85. Prize: 20/-­ Publishers: Chaitanya Kavita Vedika, R-2, Jnana Bharathi, Bangalore-560 056.

This is a quarterly journal as declared by the publishers. The present issue is dedicated to that noted personality - the late Smt. T. Premalatha Reddy, a great social worker, feminist and activist, and the worthy wife of a worthy husband, renowned poet, PATTABHI.

The production values of the magazine are very good and the get up is good and attractive.

There are 32 articles and the main theme is the understanding of woman, her place in the society and the need for striving for human welfare. As the revolutionary writer Chalam said, “The woman is today cleaning the vessels but is capable of ruling the country”. One has to be aware of the potentialities of the woman. Jayaprabha is vehement in her criticism of the writers describing the body of the woman. Each and every movement of the woman is looked at by man from the sexual angle (Streeparvam - Swarupa Rani)

Prof. Nayani Krishna Kumari deeply and seriously questions, “Who am I?” and answers – “woman is being with self respect and individuality.” With an insight and a philosophical touch, Antaranga Rodasi depicts the battle of life and the eternal flow of time.

“Surname; name plate or the name of the ration card holder are not ours - But we are worshipped as Gruhalahshmi” (Mandarapu Hymavathi)

“Unless the domination of the man ends, the woman continues to be a slave obtained without any expenditure, free.” (M. Srilatha).

Also included in this is a piece, “VANCHITA” by the late G. Joshua. Translations of Kannada and Pakistani writers also find a place in, this special issue.

M. S. SASTRY

C. P. BROWN CHARITRA: by Janamaddi Hanumat Sastry, 1/1845, Gandhinagar, Cuddapah-516 004, published by Telugu Akademi. Hyderabad. Pages 85, Rs. 8/-.

Great names like Sir Arthur Cotton, Col. Collins Mackenzie, Sir Thomas Munroe, Charles Philip Brown roll by for their great contribution to the Telugu country and the Telugus. The contribution of C.P. Brown to the Telugu language and literature is invaluable. Such was his love for and interest in Telugu literature that he maintained a regular army of Telugu scholars of eminence and got many classics edited and copied from the palm leaves, which otherwise would have been lost to us. This he did at great personal cost and devotion. His Telugu lexicon is still used and is considered an authoritative work. His knowledge of the Telugus and appreciation of the culture is evident when he said “The Telugus are a people quite, as highly civilized as any in Europe; occasionally their modes of speech resemble those of Italy”.

Mr. Hanumat Sastry had done a creditable work in his short but lively account the life and times of C. P. Brown and his great contribution to the Telugu language and literature. The book also contains some of the rare poems collected by him, which are as interesting. Mr. Sastry has been doing excellent work as the Secretary of the Brown Memorial Committee to perpetuate the memory of C. P. Brown. A laudable venture.

Vemaraju Narasimha Rao