Vol.16 No. 7 July - 2016

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World epics, their rich and

varied content and literary artistrynotwithstanding, attract fewreaders if any. Yet the conferenceon Mahavakvyas got up byBharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB),Bengaluru Kendra, June last,

threw up such animatedparticipation as to rekindle interestin them, demanding a compulsivevisitation.

Epics, by definition, arevoluminous, immediately debarringthem from the interest area of

FASCINATING EPIC JOURNEY

Felicitations to eminent epic poets Prof. Reva Prasad Dwivedi of Varanasi andDr. T.V. Venkatachala Shastry of Mysuru (sitting extreme right and left)

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youngsters. Any kind of readingtoday, is, after all, passé! Whatdistinctly came across in the four-day event was the vastness of theliterary world vis a vis epics,“Mahakavyas”— the Indiannomenclature for epics— beingmore relevant to present times,rooted as they are in the culturalethos of the land.

If creative writing ofrecognized artistic value is acornerstone of categorizing aliterary work as a Mahakavya,Indian epics traverse from themysteries of time till date,capturing every aspect of life,the essential difference beingthat Mahakavyas represent,quintessentially, the culture,

Scholarschanting

Vedic hymns

Launch of book, ‘Message of Mahapuranas’

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traditions and life philosophyof India, whereas the western“heroic” epics are straitjacketed.

Inaugurating the seminaron June 17, Prof. MahaMahopadyaya Reva PrasadDwivedi said a work of arthas little use unless it aids inintrospection and self-realization.

Lauding the seminar as a greatopportunity to get to know worldand Indian epics, Prof. Dwivedi’spoints to ponder were that themessage of the Vedas was centralto Mahakavyas, sans which theyneeded to be shunned; Alankara isthe essence of poetry and notmere literary embellishment.

Rendering prayers from Mahakavyas under the direction ofSmt. Gangamma Keshavamurthy ( second from right).

Also seen is Sri. M.A. Jayarama Rao, renowned gamaki.

Prof. Reva Prasad Dwivedi of Varanasi and Dr. T.V. Venkatachala Shastry of Mysurubeing felicitated by Sri. Madhu Pandit Dasa, President, ISKCON, Bengaluru, andJustice Sri. B.N. Srikrishna, former Judge, Supreme Court & Vice President, BVB,

while other dignitaries on the dais join in.

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Delivering the keynoteaddress, Justice B. N. Srikrishna,former Judge of the SupremeCourt, and Vice-President, BVBinternational,while appreciatingthe great service being done byBVB for the ‘renaissance ofIndian culture’, dwelt at lengthon the Pancha Mahakavyas—considered the five gems ofSanskrit literature—coveringKalidasa, Bharavi andSreeharsha, to clearly arrive atwhat constitutes Mahakavyas.

In a scholarly talk that wasyet succinct in communication,culled from his study andunderstanding of the epics, JusticeSrikrishna derived the definitionsof Mahakavyas from classicalSanskrit poets such as

Vishwanatha and Dandi, theirmessages being more contextualto current times than ever before;their implementation imperativefor a ‘sublime life’.

Chief Guest Dr. T. V.Venkatachala Shastry pointedout the dichotomy betweeneulogizing of ancient Indianliterature as a national heritageand the apathy towards them inthe neglect of their learning.Incorporating classics into theeducation system alone couldensure their becoming thelifeblood of society once again,he felt.

Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa,President, ISKCON, in hispresidential address spoke of the

Sri. M. Veerappa Moily being felicitated by Sri. K.G. Raghavan (left)

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Akshaya Patra programme—synonymous with the serviceactivities of ISKCON— whichtoday feeds over 11 crore childrenin 10 states, even in the remotestof areas, the cascading effect ofthe mid-day meal scheme beingbetter enrolment in schools,dramatic dip in dropout rates,and addressing the problem of

malnutrition in a country where3,000 children die every daydue to lack of nourishing food.

Curtains were drawn on theevent with Sri Veerappa Moily,MP, in his valedictory speechquoting from Ramayana andMahabharata to reiterate that theirethical core is the lifeline of Indiansociety. He drew from his own

Sri.Ramakanth

Rath ofBhubaneshwar

beingfelicitated

by Sri. PathiSridharaand Sri.

ChiranjeevSingh

Dr. ManuBaligar,

President,KannadaSahitya

Parishat,being

felicitated by Sri.

N. Ramanuja,Chairman,

BVB,Bengaluru

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five-volume epic, “RamayanaMahanveshanam”, to reinterpretthe “Rama Rajya” of yore topresent times, within a “secularframework”.

Chief Guest Sri Manu Baligar,President, Kannada SahityaParishath, felt Mahakavyas couldbe popularized by organizingworkshops for youngsters,appealing to BVB to take upthe task.

Cultural programmes, centringon Mahakavyas, rounded off theacademic sessions on all days.

Conference highlights:—Book launch—Message ofMahapuranas—a compilation ofthe 2014 national conference

—Recitation and singing ofexcerpts from Mahakavyas

Dr.S. Ranganath

beingfelicitated

bySri. H.N.Suresh,Director,

BVB,Bengaluru

—Eight sessions with sevenspeakers each—50 scholars from across Indiaincluding Kashmir—Epics from 10 Indian languages—Epics from two foreignlanguages—Latin and Greek— Topics ranged from Ramayanaand Mahabharata to classicalSanskrit works, KambhaRamayana, What MahakavyasMean To Me, PanchaMahakavya’s in Telugu, Folk EpicTraditions in Hindi, Telugu, EpicTraditions in Persian, Urdu,Gujarati, Punjabi, Kashmir, Tulu,Kodava, Homer’s Illiad andOdyssey (Greek), Aenid ofVirgil (Latin), and Divine Comedyof Dante (Italian).—Book exhibition of BVBpublications.

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AN OVERVIEW OFMODERN SANSKRIT

EPICS

There is an astonishingincrease of creative writing inSanskrit today which isqualitatively comparable withSanskrit writings of any centuryincluding the golden age ofSanskrit.

—Dr. S. RanganathBengaluru

Dr. S. Ranganath

Dr. Vishwanath Bhat

Sri. Shashikiran

VYASA-MAHABHARATA

Mahabharata, keeping thelifestyle of its people in thebackdrop, has formatted aphilosophy that appeals to them,and one they can identifythemselves with.

—Dr. Vishwanath BhatBengaluru

RAGHUVAMSA

Testing times are revealingtimes; our actions in those trickymoments determine who we are.The greatest value upheld byRaghuvamsa is “enjoymentwithout indulgence”.

—Shashi Kiran B. N.Bengaluru

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SHISHUPALAVADHA OFMAAGHA

The poet’s scholarship, itscontextual use reflecting the socialvalues of the times, and languageembellishments while weaving astory are elements used to showthe supremacy of the divine andvictory of righteousness.

—Dr. Pratibha NagendraBengaluru

AADIPURANA

An analysis of the Aadipuranawas attempted for the first time inRanna’s Ajitha Purana in 993A.D. It is the shortestJainapurana.

—Prof. Kamala HampanaBengaluru

Dr. Prathibha Nagendra

Prof. Kamala Hampana

HARISHCHANDRAKAAVYA

The path of truth adheredto by Satya Harischandra isblended with existential realities.This is the special feature ofHarischandra Kavya.

—Dr. H. N.MuralidharaBengaluru Dr. H.N. Muralidhara

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PRABHULINGALEELE

In today’s world wherespirituality is caught in the web ofthe conflicts of daily life,symbolism and icons have gainedprominence. One looks forrewards everywhere, but the onewho has turned inward in histhinking has no such expectations.

—Dr. N. R. LalithambaBengaluru

BHARATESHA VAIBHAVAA rich vocabulary put to good

use, is more than evident in thiswork. This is one of the majorattractions of the epic, and anyonewho goes through it will appreciateits richness of content and words.

—Dr. R. LakshminarayanaBengaluru

BHARATHA SINDHURASHMI

Imbibing from the best ofepic traditions, the work tracesthe spiritual journey of man,centred through sageVishwamitra, and his transitionfrom Rajarishi to Brahmarishi.

—G. RamachandraMysuru

Dr. N.R. Lalithambha

Dr. R. Lakshminarayana

Sri. G. Ramachandra, Mysuru

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EPIC TRADITION IN TULU

Although the matrix of Tuluepics is similar to that of epics inother Indian languages, the detailsand emotions are more intricateand impactful, as seen in theworks of ancient Tulu poets.

—Prof.Paadekal Vishnu BhattaUdupi

EPIC TRADITION INKODAVA

Mahabhrata has beenintegrated into the regional,cultural, and literary aspects ofKodava life, the essence of theepic having seeped into thepsyche of the common man.

—Dr. Rekha VasanthKodagu

PANCHA MAHAKAVYAS INTELUGU

Excellent story-tellingnarrative, rich costuming, andclassy style of writing have madethe Panchamahakavyas a sourceof inspiration to Telugu poets andwriters. They are a literary andphilosophical guide to students.

—Prof. R. V. S. SundaramMysuru

Prof. Paadekal Vishnu Bhatta

Dr. Rekha Vasanth

Prof. R.V.S. Sundaram

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KAAMAAYANI

The message of Kaamaayaniis that the equilibrium between theinanimate and life force is the wayto eternal happiness.

—Dr. T. G. Prabha ShankarBengaluru

EPIC TRADITION INMALAYALAM

From the very beginnings ofMalayala literature, poets havebeen following the Sanskrit epictradition. Some historical poemsare based on Christian andMuslim stories.

— Prof. P. K. MadhavanLakkidi, Kerala

PROPER APPROACH TOTHE RAMAYANA AND

MAHABHARATAACCORDING TO SRILA

PRABHUPADA

Ramayana is not just greatpoetry. It is transcendentalliterature meant for self-realization. Mistakes, illusions,cheating and defective perceptiondo not occur in the sayings ofliberated sages, the compilers ofour ancient history, says SrilaPrabhupada

—Stoka Krishna DasaISKCON, Bengaluru Sri Stoka Krishna Prabhu

Dr. T.G. Prabha Shankar

Prof. P.K. Madhavan

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PARADOX OF FEMALECHASTITY IN THE

BENGALI RAMAYANA OFKRITTIVASA

The Bengali Ramayana ofKrittivasa, from the perspective ofa strict code of female chastity,points to how this verysubjugation becomes a weaponfor female empowerment that canthreaten the most powerful ofpatriarchs including Rama himself.

—Dr. Saumitra ChakravartyBengaluru SARALA DAS

‘Sarala Das’ characters arelike ordinary people who combinedifferent attributes in themselves.He is a poet who once belongedto a tradition and rebelled againstit, protesting the caste system andmeaningless rituals.

—Ramakantha RathBhubaneshwar

ILIAD AND ODYSSEY OF HOMER

The works of Homer havelargely influenced the themes inpainting and sculpture of theGreco-Roman world, onRenaissance artistes of Europe,and contemporary artistes theworld over. These are Homer’sfootprints on the sands of time.

—Arjun BharadwajBengaluru

Dr. Saumitra Chakravarty

Sri. Ramakanth Rath

Sri Arjun Bharadhvaj

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KUMARA SAMBHAVAM OFKALIDASA

Kumarasambhavam is agreat epic, the shortest but mostprofound epic in the whole rangeof Indian literature. The poet dealswith the concept of beautybeyond body.

—Shatavadhani Dr. R. GaneshBengaluru

Prof. K.M. Seetharamaiah

Dr. S.L. Srinivasmurthy

FOLK EPICS OF THE EAST

The world of folk epicliterature is a treasure trove oflanguage, ideas, heroics, andearthy philosophy, and providesexcellent material for researchers.

—Dr. S. L. SrinivasamurthyBengaluru

Shatavadhani Dr. R. Ganesh

DIVINE COMEDY OFDANTE

To Dante, Beatricerepresented divine enlightenment,his writings making him out to be aphilosopher despite their strikingimagery.

—Prof. K. M. SeetharamaiahBengaluru

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FOLK EPICS OF CENTRALASIA & MIDDLE EAST

King Gesar, the oral epic ofcentral Asia, is narrated in the“champu” mode of Sanskritpoetics, with a distinct influence ofthe Ramayana visible in some, andlater, Buddhism, yet studded withSanskrit and Pali words. Manas,another oral epic, gradually cameunder the influence of Islam.

—Prof. C. N. RamachandranBengaluru

EPIC TRADITION INKASHMIRI

Avatar Bhatt’s “BanasurVadakatha”, the first epic inKashmiri written in 1446, latersequenced into long poems, as aseparate genre, then intoMathnavi or narrative poetry—much of it with Islamic motifs,interspersed with writings onRamayana.

—Prof. Shafi Shauq, SrinagarProf. Shafi Sahuq

Prof. C.N. Ramachandran

AENIED OF VIRGIL

The undercurrent of Virgil’sAenid directly addresses universalhuman experience.The Aenidprovides a background rootedin Greek mythology for thedevelopment of Romancivilization, with the intention ofimmortalizing Rome.

—Suhas MaheshBengaluru

Sri. Suhas Mahesh

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BVB book exhibition

Childrenparticipate

in the

inauguralprogramme

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Justice Srikrishna with the school children

Group Photo : Staff, faculty, and children pose for a pic with Justice B.N. Srikrishna

JUSTICE B.N. SRIKRISHNA VISITS

BHAVAN-BBMP PUBLIC SCHOOL

ON JUN 18, 2016

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JUSTICE SRIKRISHNA VISITSTHE BHAVAN BENGALURU KENDRA

OFFICE ON JUN 18, 2016

Justice Srikrishna being felicitated by Sri. Raghavan

Smt. H.V.

Gayathri,Manager,Bhavan-BBMPSchool

interactingwith theJustice

B.N.Srikrishna

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BHAVAN-INFOSYS FOUNDATION PROGRAMMEAT INDIAN INSTITUTE OF WORLD CULTURE,

BASAVANAGUDI, BENGALURU ON JUNE 10, 2016

Sugama Sangeetha by Smt. Vani Mardur Salimath & Party

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PROGRAMME :JULY- 2016

Sat 5.30 p.m. -02. BVB -Infosys Foundationand Ananya Outreach programme :Carnatic Vocal Music :Vid.Pavan Rangacharaccompanied byViolin : Vid B RaghuramMridanga :Vid. Anoor Anantha Krishna SharmaKhanjira : Vid. Anoor Sunaad A DVenue : Indiranagar SangeethaSabha, Purandara Bhavan, 8th MainHAL II Stage, Bengaluru - 560038

Sat 11.00 a.m. - KRG Hall09. Book Launch‘Rich Tradition, Richer Heritage’authored by Bhavan’s PresidentSri Surendralal G Mehta.Launch by : Dr. K Radhakrishnan,Advisor, DOS / ISRO andFormer Chairman, ISROIntroduction of the book :Prof. M H Krishnaiahformer Chairman, Karnataka SahityaAcademySri. N. Ramanuja, Chairman, BVB,Presides

Sat 6.30 p.m. - Khincha Hall09. Horizon series -Dance programme –Shivakamiunder the direction ofGuru Revathi Narasimhan(in association with IndianCouncil for Cultural Relations)

Thu 6.00 p.m. - Khincha Hall14. BVB Sai Grace Foundationpresents Sri Yadalam Nanjaiah SettyMemorial Endowment LectureSpeaker : Dr. Gururaj Karajagi –Educationist and Chairman Academyfor creative teaching.Topic : Pleasure in giving

Fri 6.00 p.m. -15. Thatva Padagalu byVocal : Sri K M RamaiahEkadaari Tala : D NarayanammaShruti : MahalingaiahDamadi : PrakashKanjira : Ratnamma(in association with InfosysFoundation)Venue : Indian Institute of WorldCulture, Basavanagudi, Bengaluru

Tue 6.00 p.m. - KRG Hall19. BVB – Jyothy charitableTrust present Vyasa Jyothy Award toProf. G. Shivaram Agnihotri.Award presented by Hon’ble JusticeDr. M.N.Venkatachalaiahformer Chief Justice of IndiaLecture onImportance of Guru Poornima byDr. T V Satyanarayanrenowned scholar

Thu Khincha Hall28. 10.30 a.m. to 12 Noon and5.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.

BVB and Aatmalaya Academypresents ‘Wings of Fire’ a thematicdance by the students of theacademy to commemorate PresidentDr. A P J Abdul Kalam’s first deathanniversary.

Sun 6.00 p.m. - Khincha Hall31. Kuchupudi Arangetram byDr. N.R.ChandrikaDisciple of Guru Dharani T Kashyap.

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July - 2016

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