-
Aesthetic Textures...
Aesthetic Textures
Living Traditions of the Mahabharata by: Molly Kaushal₹1,620.00
Genral Editor: Sukrita Paul Kumar
ISBN: 9788124609989
Year Of Publication: 2019
Edition: 1st Edition
Pages : xvi, 464
Bibliographic Details : Index
Language : English
Binding : Hardcover
Publisher: Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
Size: 25 cm.
Weight: 1250
The fascinating world of multiple Bharatas that this book introduces its readers with is that of a perennial tale discovered and created afresh at each juncture of time; at each moment of self-doubt and self-exploration; at each rejoicing of self-discovery and self-recovery. If one does not come across a seamless continuity here, one does not encounter apparent ruptures either. The Bharatas, as narrated here, present us with amazing diversity with palpable consubstantiality expressed in myriad forms and multiple hues; tradition belonging as much to its contemporaneity as to its past; belonging as much to the spokes as to the axle; centrifugal and centripetal at once; a tradition old and new at the same moment of time.
The book is based on the proceedings of a seven-day international conference organized by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) on the living traditions of the Mahabharata in the year 2011. The conference explored the multiple tellings and retellings of the Mahabharata story as sung, danced, and celebrated in festivals, inscribed on to geographic landscapes, committed to memory as sacred genealogy, embodied in rituals, and sculpted in shrines and temples. The presentations ranged from issues of poetics and ethics to translations, adaptations, and variations to folk and tribal traditions as sung, recited, and performed. Rather than exploring the Mahabharata as a book or a singular narrative, these papers focus on the multi-tradition of the Mahabharata in all its multidimensionality, multiplicity, and above all, in its fluidity. The book would certainly interest the scholars engaged in the study of the living heritage of Indian epics, folklorists, indologists, and anthropologists.
Preface
— Sachchidanand Joshi
Acknowledgements
Editorial Note
Introduction
— Molly Kaushal
Section I
Poetics and Ethics
- Poetic Vision in the Mahabharata
— Radhavallabh Tripathi
- Ethical Dilemmas in the Mahabharata
— Kavita A. Sharma
- Mahabharata and Modern Dilemmas A Search for a Living Tradition beyond Metaphysical Trappings
— Sehdev Kumar
Section II
Translations, Adaptations and Variations
- Ashvamedha Parva of Vyasa and Jaimini — A Comparison
— Shekhar Sen
- Variations on Vyasa: The First Bengali Mahabharata
— Pradip Bhattacharya
- Mahabharata: A Symbol of Composite Culture during the Mediaeval Period
— Mansura Haidar
- The Mahabharata through the Eyes of Two Jaina Poets of Karnataka
— H.S. Shiva Prakash
- Mahabharata and Regional Variations: Sarala Mahabharata in the Folklore of Odisha
— Mahendra K. Mishra
- Mahabharata in the Literature and Lore of Kashmir
— S.S. Toshkhani
Section III
Folk and Tribal Traditions
- Folk Adaptations of the Mahabharata: The Parallel Journey of Rajasthani Literature
— Chandra Prakash Deval
- Bhilo nu Bharath in the Sociocultural and Religious Life of the Bhils
— Bhagwandas Patel
- The Mahabharata in Adivasi Narrative, Creation, Myth, and Folk Theatre: Bhima’s Persona in the Folklore of Gondwana-Chhattisgarh Region
— N.K. Das
- Gond Pandavani: A Narration by Pardhans
— Vasant Nirgune
- Mahabharata: Tangibility of the Intangible
— A.K. Das
Section IV
The Himalayan Complex
- Sacred Landscape of the Pandavas in Garhwal
— D.R. Purohit
- Multiple Realities, Realpolitik, and Anti-heroes Duryodhana and Karna of the Himalaya in a Secularizing India
— Lokesh Ohri
- Worship of Heroes and Anti-heroes of the Mahabharata in Western Uttarakhand: Changing Self-perceptions and the Intimate Divine
— Neeru Nanda
- The Mahabharata Lore: Temples and Legends in the Beas-Yamuna Region
— O.C. Handa
Section V
Performance Traditions
- Thoda Dance-Drama Tradition in Himachal Pradesh
— Tulsi Raman
- Pandavayana: Pandava Gatha Singing
— Lalita Kaushal
- Lord Krishna in Jatra: The Popular Theatre of Bengal
— Soumen Sen
- The Mahabharata, A Voyage into Celestial Space and Time: A Study of the Cult Tradition in South India
— Pulikonda Subbachary
- “Making That Young Bride a Widow, Whoever She May Be”: Aravan-Kuttantavar, From Kuvakkam to Coimbatore
— Alf Hiltebeitel
- Mahabharata in Kutiyattam
— G. Venu
- Fight between Narakasura and Satyabhama in Harivamsa and Southern Performance Tradition
— A. Purushothaman and A. Harindranath
- From Nehru to Benegal: An Alternative Mahabharata
— Bodh Prakash
Contributors
Index
“Aesthetic Textures”
-
Sale!Brhadaranyaka Upanisad ₹540.00
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is one of the ten major Upanishads. A dialectical narration that unabashedly stands up to the rational scrutiny of the modern mind, it is directed towards both the individual aspirant caught up in the dark morass of confusion and the philosophic thinker in search of rare pearls of wisdom from humanitys treasury. Guru Nityas matchles commentary will enable the reader to discover the ancient seers timeles insights, to appreciate a fully-developed, integrated system of thought, and, most importantly, to learn to connect with what is real and enduring in his or her own essence. Schematically, the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad a brilliant discourse from the Yajur Veda is set out in three volumes, entitled: Madhu Kanda, Muni Kanda and Khila Kanda. In his planned three-volume thorough-going, meticulously analytical commentary. Guru Nitya distills the wisdom teaching of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, drawing on his intimate understanding of the human psyche, as well as both Eastern and Western philosophy, science, art and literature. Dwelling in turn on each of its 435 mantras, its poetic charm, myths, metaphors, images and symbols, Guru Nitya recreates and expands the Upanishadic vision of our own nature, human interaction, and the cosmos, and their relation to the unmoved essence of all. With highly useful appendices and a comprehensive index, the commentary will hold an enduring appeal for both scholars and discerning readers.
-
Sale!Rasa in Aesthetics ₹891.00
The Indian tradition of criticism is over two millennia old. And its rasa theory has, from the beginning, essentially influenced authors, connoisseurs and art critics alike. First expounded sometime between the 1st century bc and the fourth century AD in the eminent aesthetician, Bharata’s Natya Shastra, rasa theory deals with the ‘emotive content’ of a work of art — how it is depicted, inferred and transmitted. Dr. Patnaik’s book is a unique effort that demonstrates, with diverse examples, the universality of this ancient theory and its applicability to modern Western classics. Elucidating afresh the concept of rasa and all its nine primary kinds largely on the basis of Natya Shastra of Bharata and the commentaries of the tenth-century aesthetician, Abhinavagupta, the book investigates the validity of rasa theory as an aesthetic, more specifically, a literary theory, and how its canons are applicable to modern Western literature as well as Chinese love lyrics and Japanese haiku poems. Dr. Patnaik’s transcultural exploration, thus, covers all major genres of literature — poetry, drama and fiction; and also major writers — Lawrence, Mayakovsky, Kafka, Camus, Conrad, Hemingway, Faulkner, Marquez, Eliot, Hesse, O’Neill, Ionesco, Beckett, Lorca, Neruda and several others. In emphasizing the universal validity of the rasa theory, the author considers certain modern problems relevant to text, meaning and readers’/audiences’ response as well. Very few are the examples of applied rasa theory even in Sanskrit and other Indian literatures, leave alone its application to Western creative writing. This book, with its bold framework and lucid style, should, therefore, fascinate the scholars of Indology, Indian aesthetics and, above all, comparative literary criticism.
-
Sale!Vada in Theory and Practice ₹1,170.00
Vada, meaning debates, dialogues, discussions, was the quintessential of Indian spirit, enabling and promoting the growth of different philosophical and knowledge systems of India. It percolated deep into our mindset and enriched the moral, ethical, religious and sociocultural edifice of anything that was essentially Indian in nature. As continuation of Anvikshiki from the bc era, vada helped thrive Indian traditional knowledge systems. It subsists on diversity and its tradition envisages pluralism.
Most of our Sanskrit works, covering a wide gamut of knowledge systems, are structured in the techniques of debate. This reality applies not only to the philosophical writings, but to Indian medical systems (Ayurveda), Arthashastra of Kautilya and Kamasutra of Vatsyayana as well. Even great epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata are no exceptions.
Vada culture involved verbal duals, attacks and even violence of speech, and all major religious systems — old or modern — were parties to it. This book also elucidates how vata was vital and critical for the growth of our socio-political fabrics. It shows how some of the major conflicts in philosophical systems were centred around karma, jnana, choice between violence and non-violence, pravritti and nivritti. It also presents the manifestations of vada on a vast canvas during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Modern spiritual and religious gurus like Ramana Maharshi, J. Krishnamurti and Vinoba Bhave were men of dialogues. Our scholars have applied the varied techniques of vada against the philosophical and scientific systems of the West to prove them correct.
This collector’s issue should enthrall a wide audience of philosophers, scholars and believers in Indian knowledge systems. -
Sale!Ancient Indian Scientific Thought and Modern Theories ₹315.00
The experiences and knowledge from our past are recorded in manuscripts which have been handed down to us over several thousand years. The Government of India, through the Department of Culture, took note of the importance of this vast tangible heritage and, in order to preserve and conserve as well as to make access to this wealth easy, established the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM). In order to disseminate the knowledge content of manuscripts, the Mission has taken up several programmes such as lectures, seminars and workshops. The Mission has published the proceedings of the above-said programmes under the following series: Samraksika (on conservation), Tattvabodha (comprising lectures based on manuscripts delivered by eminent scholars), Samiksika (research-oriented papers presented in the seminars), Krtibodha (transcribed and edited texts prepared at advanced level manuscriptology workshops conducted by NMM) and Prakasika (publication of rare, unpublished manuscripts).
Ancient Indian Scientific Thought and Modern Theories makes one revisit the development of Indian science and technology in varied fields since the Vedic period, and suggests that we have a living tradition which is vivid and dynamic, inheriting at the same time claiming freedom from the past. It is the proceedings of a three-day seminar held during 25-27 March 2017 in Kolkata, organized by the Sanskrit Sahitya Parishad, Kolkata, and sponsored by NMM. This volume bears testimony to the fact that Indian sages, philosophers and scholars had a grip on all the topics that the modern-day scientists deal with, including complicated surgery and quantum mechanics. Our Vedas, Upanisads and other literary works were the storehouse of scientific wisdom, though the prevailing socio-religious conditions impeded its widespread dissemination.
This volume is expected to invoke keen interest among all who wants to know about a scientific past that Indians inherit, be a scientist or a layman. -
Sale!Brhadaranyaka Upanisad Vol. 1 Madhu Kanda ₹720.00
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is one of the ten major Upanishads. A dialectical narration that unabashedly stands up to the rational scrutiny of the modern mind, it is directed towards both the individual aspirant caught up in the dark morass of confusion and the philosophic thinker in search of rare pearls of wisdom from humanitys treasury. Guru Nityas matchles commentary will enable the reader to discover the ancient seers timeles insights, to appreciate a fully-developed, integrated system of thought, and, most importantly, to learn to connect with what is real and enduring in his or her own essence. Schematically, the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad a brilliant discourse from the Yajur Veda is set out in three volumes, entitled: Madhu Kanda, Muni Kanda and Khila Kanda. In his planned three-volume thorough-going, meticulously analytical commentary. Guru Nitya distills the wisdom teaching of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, drawing on his intimate understanding of the human psyche, as well as both Eastern and Western philosophy, science, art and literature. Dwelling in turn on each of its 435 mantras, its poetic charm, myths, metaphors, images and symbols, Guru Nitya recreates and expands the Upanishadic vision of our own nature, human interaction, and the cosmos, and their relation to the unmoved essence of all. With highly useful appendices and a comprehensive index, the commentary will hold an enduring appeal for both scholars and discerning readers.
There are no reviews yet.