MODERN SANSKRIT
LITERATURE: TRADITION & INNOVATIONS
Prof: - P. Srirama
Murthi
Retired Professor of
Andhra University,
Waltair.
Sanskrit literature is a perennial stream like the Ganges
that originated in hoary past and is still flowing into the ocean of future
ever growing rich in its course. It is both a classical and a modern literature
of India. At the same time, it is unlike other classical literatures which
ceased to be productive, no longer being used as vehicle of thought and muse.
It is also unlike other modern literature s which are only of recent origin. It
has strong cultural moorings of its own, a strong tradition and immense
vitality. It has been used by poets and playwrights, scientists and
philosophers, artists, and craftsman for expressing their ideas, codifying
their discovery and clothing their muse. It has thus survived the ravages of
time and is still being used by the contemporary poets and scholars, inspiring
their muse and evoking new responses and also catering to new tastes and
sensibilities. In this way Sanskrit literature is a unique phenomenon the
history of world literature.
When the writers in Sanskrit are using the languages for
their muse and thought, they are employing an age old idiom. Words with long
associations of mythology and culture, philosophy and religion are employed to
evoke new responses. The imagery, tones and overtones, nuances and suggestions
associated with them, embedded in them and impregnated into them are called
forth into play. They are further associated with newer ideas in new contexts.
Thus the semantic richness is immense and this makes Sanskrit poetry a treat of
aesthetic in modern times.
It is my pleasant duty now to review in a humble way the
Sanskrit poetic writings of contemporary times and to find out how far it is
tradition bound carrying on its legacy to the present and future and how far it
is able to assimilate newer ideas, newer responses without losing its moorings.
Is it able to succeed in this process? Or how far from its destination it is
lingering on its way?
Sanskrit has continued to be the medium of expression of the
elite throughout the history. It has flourished side by side with the regional
languages as also along with the cultivation of Persian and Arabic. However the
European onslaught gave a death blow as it were. But the great vitality is
possessed enabled it to struggle hard to keep it alive and to grow further
though with an apparent slump. The signs of revival and take off are seen once
again on the horizon.
It is indeed amazing to see the abundance of contemporary
Sanskrit literature almost in all parts of the country. Hundreds of poems and
plays, big and small, on a variety of themes, ancient and modern, in diverse
forms, old and new are being written in Sanskrit. The language itself is borrowing
new idioms, coining new words, adapting old words to new ideas, giving them new
connotations. It appears it it trying to emerge into an effecting modern idiom.
I now venture to make a humble effort to present the scene mentioning a few
works of only a few poets of representative character as far as possible and
notice the trends and conventions being evolved in modern Sanskrit poetry.
A good number of Mahakavyas of the conventional type have
been written during the period. They have adapted epic and mythological themes
like Brahmagati and Prasannanjaneya of Dr.Dulipala Arkasomayaji. Dr.Somayaji was a scientist poet of Andhra, a
mathematician by profession and a Sanskritist and a poet by heart. Both of them
received the U.P.Government award. The Prasannanjaneya is based on the
Sundarakanda of Ramayana and it is in ten sargas. He is endowed with rare
poetic genius and writes in chaste Sanskrit with a free flow. He adapted the
Mandakranta metre famous for its suitability for Sandesakavyas. The state of Sri
Rama after listening to the message of Sita from Hanuman is described thus.(1)
स्वान्ते पश्यन् जनकतनयां दु:खतप्तां स राम:
अन्तर्दृष्टि: न वचनशृणोल्लक्ष्मणस्य
प्रियस्य
क्षुब्धे चित्त्ते न किमपि नर: कर्तुमीष्टे विमूढ:
Pt.Tryambak A.Bhandarkar’s Sri Swami Vivekananda charita
mahakavyam is in 18 cantos with 1192 verses. The first letter of each Sarga is
in different metre and the name of the metre comes in the verse itself.(2)
Vivekananda,
the great nationalist saint is described thus;(3}
Vivekananda
concern for the poor is voiced thus exhorting the youth.(4)
Srimat pratapanannyana Mahakavyam by Sri Ogeti Pariksit Sarma
is a big epic of nationalist spirit divided into 8 kandas, eight sargas and
4233 slokas. Thirty-three different metres are employed in it including those
of Telugu and Marati – Atavelades, Tetagiti and ovi. The poet is a keen student
of history and charged with patriotic spirit which he expresses in the words of
Ranapratap’s words –(5)
He calls the
Rasa in the poem as WORD 1 nourished by Vira, Raudra,
Karuna, Bibhastsa and Bhayanaka. Dr. Chandrasekhara Goswami pays an apt tribute
to the poet in the words: (6)
The poem is deserved and awarded by the Sahitya Academy.
The Visalabharata of Pt.Shyamvarna Dwivedi narrates the story
of Indian Republic. The first part in ten sargas was designated
Jawajardigvijaya. The role played by great leaders of freedom struggle and
national reconstruction is described in it. Similarly we have Mahakavyas written
on Tilak, Gurugovinda Sinha, Chatrapati Sivaji, Jesus Christ, and Yasodara and
so on.
We have a good number of modern writers who wrote Sanskrit
poems of smaller size in both the traditional forms as well as new forms of
style. In this class we may mention Vasantatilaka of Bommanakanti
Srinivasacharya; Gagam Prati Himagiviri damuce by Ramachandra Misra,
Sivachaturdasi of Rewaprasada Dwivedi (Sanatana). Eg. From Vasantatilaka –
(Pratibha – 1969)(7)
Rasik Bihari Joshi wrote in rhythmic classical Sanskrit
metres with rich imagery and musical resonance breathing a spirit of Bhakti –(8)
Dr. V.Raghavan’s poems show the influence of English romantic
poets. One of his Anyopadesas carries a message to time in unity. (9)
Bhata Mathuranatha Sastri had initiated certain new genres in
Sanskrit like Ghazals, Thumries and Dhrupada songs. Ratinath Jha composed
verses on Mujib’s Muktiashini while Umashankar Sharma Sripathi wrote a
monologue on untouchability – a down pour of expression of the feelings of the
untouchables. The pathos is brought out acutely in the following verse (10)–
Similarly he
speaks out for the farmer – (11)
Bhaskar
Varnekar shows influence of Gandhian philosophy – (12)
The poetry of Ramakaran Sarma is rooted in Indian ethos and
tradition. Rajendra Mishra experimented writing Ghazals and Kahari. M.G.
Mainekas’s beautiful elegy Smritaranga
is – according to Radhavallabh Tripathi is a fitting tribute to a life partner
and a celebration of conjugal love through memories. It reveals the saddest
thought with tender feelings – (13)
His Garikasipakaram
is a sonnet in Sanskrit. B.K.Bhattacharya too wrote a number of sonnets
collected in Kalapika. Jagannath Pathak has made a sustained effort to relieve
and recreate the spirit, beauty and imagery of Persian poetry in his Kapisayani
following Umarkhayyam. He harmonized the spirit of Umarkhayyam with Sanskrit
culture and tradition. Ogeti Pariksit Sarma’s lyrics are modeled after Gita
Govinda. He also wrote folksongs, fisherman songs and even disco songs in
Sanskrit Sribhashyam Vijayasaradhi also instilled the resonance of folk songs and
folk metres of Telugu into Sanskrit. Keshab Chandra Das writes blank verse.
Harshadev Madhav introduced Japanese Haiku, Tanka and Korean Cize in Sanskrit
poetry.
The Cize poems are unique in form and content and expressing
Korean values with elegance of national characters, the beauty of the land and
aspiration and passion of the people. This is ably borrowed by Harshadev Madhav
–(14)
Arunoday
Jain’s mono h also be exemplified –
C.D.Deshmukh an active participants of national life and
statesman has reacted to contemporary events in Sanskrit muse. His writings
breathe the spirit of Gandhian philosophy and socialism. His elegy of Kennedy
is full of pathos (1968).
Sriramavijayam of S.B.K.Raghunathacharya depicts the
conversations of Srirama and Parasurama and culminates in the recognition and
identification of the two Avatars of Vishnu which is substantiated in the
Arthaetarayasa – (15)
Aurobindo the great nationalist yogi is known to have written
an in completed poem Bhavamibharati while working with revolutionaries.
There have been several translations of classics of Indian
and world literatures in Sanskrit. Some of them are translated by different
persons and some in portions too. What strikes most is the translation of Sant
Kabir’s songs and Saktis of Harihar Triwedi in his Kabir Trisati and Saktis. It
is acclaimed to be as good as an independent poetic composition e.g.-(16)
Dr. B.Raghavan edited the renderings of poems of Rabindranath
Tagore by different poets in Sanskrit under the title Samskrita Ravindram some
from Bengali direct and some from English versions.
Dr.B.K. Bhattacharya rendered the Ruayat of Omarkhyaam into
Sanskrit in Sardulavikyidit metre. The translation is from the English version
of Fitzerald. While translating, the author rightly hoped ‘that the present
Sanskrit translation in rhyming tunes will not fall on deaf ears, for most of
the present day lovers of Sanskrit literature have a sufficiently catholic
outlook in the academy no less than in the work-a-day world’. A few renderings
as sample –(17)
Ajjada Narayanadasa not only wrote Harikatha’s in Sanskrit
but also translated Omarkhayyam into Sanskrit. His was an erudite rendering
with a scholastic diction.
Sri S.T.G. Veradachari of nationalist and an educationist
wrote profusely in Sanskrit. He translated the famous Satika of Telugu – like
Sunali solaka and Vemana solaka. They are well received in the Sanskrit world
for their edification value –(18)
कांश्यवत्किं वदेत्स्वर्णं
श्रूयतां वेम विश्वद ||
नक्रो जले द्विपं हन्ति
हन्यते तु बहिश्शुनै:
स्थानाद्बलं न तु स्वस्य श्रूयतां वेम विश्वद ||
आयात्येव स्वयं संपन्नारिकेळजलं यथा
अपैति करिणा जग्धं कपित्थं सुमते यथा ||
कोप एव स्वकीयोsरि: शान्ती रक्षा
तथा दया ||
बन्धुस्तुष्टि: भवेत्स्वर्गं निरय: --- व्यथा ||
सत्सङ्गाज्जायते सौख्यं कुसङ्गो क्लेशकारक:
अतस्तत्रैव गन्तव्यं यत्र साधुसमागम:
जीवरूपेण सर्वेषां हृदये सो विराजते |
एतस्मात्कारणेनैव जीवहत्या निषिध्यते ||
संभाषणेन जानीयादयादयं साधुर्नवेति च
जिह्वाध्वना बहिर्याति यदस्ति हृदि कस्य चित्
Similarly Nallanchakranarti Krishnamacharya translated
Naukacharitam, a Telugu opera of Tyagaraja into Sanskrit. It depicts a boat
shire of Sri Krisna and Gopis - Naukavihara in a beautiful manner (Pratibha
VIII – I; 1969). The Abhangas of Tukaram are rendered into Sanskrit by Govinda
Tekale. Tulasidas is translated by A.S.Venkatanatha, Nalini Sadhale and others.
A.M.Srinivasacharya translated some of the Tamil songs of Alwars into Sanskrit.
Prithvinath Pushpa translated Ghalib with the name Ghalib Trimsloka. Chandrasekhara
Ramachandra Tamha rendered a few of Emerson’s poems and other English poems
into Sanskrit.
The writers of modern Sanskrit literature are all not from
the teachers of Sanskrit, the Pandits and the Professors. There have been civil
servants like C.D.Deshmukh and B.K.Bhattacharya. Dr.Arakasomayaji, a professor
of Mathematics and Dr.Dineshchandra Datta, a Professor of English, great poets
in modern languages like Nagarjuna, Ambikadatta Vyasa, Viswanatha Satyanarayana
and Kumaran Asan. With glowing interest in Sanskri among scientists and
technicians, businessmen and administrators, Doctors and Engineers both the
readers and creators of Sanskrit poetry are varied coming from diverse fields
and giving a hope for a great revival of Sanskrit literature.
I may conclude the summary with thoughtful note of our friend
Radhavallabh that –
“Tradition and modernity are going hand in hand in
contemporary Sanskrit poetry. The efflorescence vibrates with immense
possibilities”.
In imbibing the Indian spirit and in reacting to the modern
situations in true Indian spirit Sanskrit poets of modern times are unique
phenomenons. It is also well known that the great modern poets of Indian
languages like Tagore have also been truly great and successful and brilliant
when they inherited the Sanskrit culture and even idiom. They have tried to
look at the events from a universal stand point but certain obsessions have
made them look short. But I hope that in near future they will also do the same
to develop a universal spirit becoming to our great tradition breath the same
spirit that would enable its readers to become citizens of the world of the new
orders.
SELECT
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sobasi - An
Anthology of Contemporary Sanskrit Poets by Sri Radhavallabh
,
Tripathi, Sahitya Academy 1992.
Samskrita
Pratibha - VIII – I,
Sahitya Academy, 1969.
Surabharati - 25th
Annual Number, Baroda, 1991.
Omarakhayyama - by B.K.Bhattacharya,
Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar, 1969.
SANSKRIT REFERENCES
No comments:
Post a Comment