Book Review

BOOK REVIEWS
ENGLISH

WHERE TIME IS DEADby Pronab Kumar Mazumder, published by P. Lal, Writers Workshop, 162/92 Lake Gardens, Kolkata. Pages 88. price Hard of Rs. 150/- Flexi Rs.100/­

This is the sixth book of poems in English by the poet, who edits the international poetry journal Bridge-In-Making.

In the poems included in this book the poet’s mind is pre-occupied with life, death, time and dreams. Also with the world, man, the forest, the garden and many other things that happen around us. The poems are the out pourings of a mature mind, having known what life is, preparing for the inevitable, neither afraid or welcoming it. What is to happen will happen is the theme and spirit. The ‘tired’ poet who says he has ‘realised very little in life’ yet cheers and encourages, warns and soothes in his twilight years with a sturdy mind.

A random selection of a few lines from the imaginatively titled poemsreveal the poet’s thinking.

In a stagnant life time is dead
Active life is what time is made.
In the cycle of life and death both are must
The play is complete with one in and another out just.
But I can’t be deathed I won’t submit to its sway
May my dream continue like limitless time.
Time is no dimention in the Kingdom of the dead
Time gets life and dimention in moving and livings.
I am afraid of going to heaven
What but earth is full of flower grain.
Life is never an empty dream.
Let us sing glory of life and light
Our committed mistakes should we set right.
Death is a pause giving life further voyage.
D. Ranga Rao

SRI VAMANA MAHAPURANAM; G. V. Joga Rao; Sri Suvarchala Charitable Trust, Vivekananadanagar, St No.8, Habsiguda, Hyderabad 500 007; pp 45/- SRI VAYU MAHA PURANAM; R.V.G. Krishna Murthy; Sri Suvarchala Charitable Trust, St No.8, Habsiguda, Hyderabad 500 007; pp 74.

Sri Chebiyyam Ramakrishna and the Sri Suvarchala Charitable Trust have been doing yeoman service in bringing English translations of the 18 Puranas by eminent and qualified scholars, with a view to making the rich cultural heritage available to the non-Sanskrit/Telugu knowing readers interested in knowing about our culture and literature. This attempt deserves all the more praise where our students learn everything else other than the richness of the mother tongue or Sanskrit, the mother of all Indian languages.

Sri Vamana Mahapuranam and Sri Vayu Mahapuranam are two of the series ably rendered into-English by Sri S. V. Joga Rao and Sri R.V.G. Krishna Murthy. They are written in easy to read style and give one a comprehensive idea of the puranas. As has been said, these books are not meant for the scholarly or the literary connoisseurs, but are meant for the ordinary men and women who are interested in learning about our great scriptures.

The puranas, called as Panchama Veda, were taught by Sage Veda Vyasa to his disciple Romaharsha (otherwise known as Suta) and have five main features - the Sarga, the pratisarga, vamsa, Manvantara and Vansanu charitam and contain the essence of the Vedas and are also chronicles of ancient history.

The books in this series are eminently readable and are a treasure house of ancient wisdom, and deserve to fie kept in one’s library available for easy reference.
- Vemaraju Narasimha Rao

TELUGU

SAHITYA SAGARAM LO ERINA MUTHYALU: (Selected poems and slokas): Sri T.V.K. Somayajulu : Nannaya Bhattaraka Peetham, Tanuku, 534211 : pp 212+ xx; Rs. l00/- ­This great compilation of selected Telugu poems and Sanskrit slokas ( in Telugu script) of Sri T.V.K. Somayajulu contains some of outstanding pieces of poetry worthy to be recalled again and again, for their poetic thought and expression. These are compiled under five parts; Chamat kara padyamulu, Sringara padyamulu, hasya padyamulu, and ekanta sringara padyamulu in the Telugu section; Neeti slokamulu, Chamatkara slokamulu, sringara slokamulu, and hasya slokamulu in Sanskrit poetry section.

As the compiler humbly says, we need not wonder why he has taken pains to compile the many poems and slokas already on the lips of the scholars. But there are likely to be at least a few which they might have missed and the compiler feels fulfilled if one finds at least one such in this book. Sri Somayajulu need not worry on this count, for one is sure to find many such in his worthy effort.

Another point has been pertinently made. Scholars look down upon erotic poetry but one has to enjoy the poetic content even in such works. What is more, such sringara padyamulu, composed in the name of Gods, have come to be accepted with reverence. The effort of the compiler is praiseworthy that many poems which are rare and not easily available would have been lost to posterity had they not reprinted. This itself is a great service to literature; and he deserves all praise for this attempt. Even the ekanta srigara padyamulu have great poetic content. He has taken pains to include several chatuvus and has given masterly but crisp comment where necessary.

A mute point for discussion is whether the erotic section adds spice to the literary section or the literary section has given respectability and status to the sringara padyamulu. Perhaps it is both ways.

An eminently valuable collection of rare and useful literary wisdom in both Telugu and Sanskrit. Sri T.V.K. Somayajulu deserves all praise for this excellent effort.
- Vemaraju Narasimha Rao