Researchers and scholars are divided in opinion by wide margins when it comes to the period of the composition of most of the ancient Indic texts. In an earlier post I have addressed it. Similarly opinions vary about their authorship. In some posts I have brought out this issue. But there being so many sides, … Continue reading who wrote and how?
Tag: Indian Mythology
The Stuti Genre of Sanskrit Literature
Stuti is a musical composition in praise of a particular form of the divine. Sometime it includes the prayer element, sometimes not. The nearest word for it is hymn. Of course for the compositions of the post vedic periods, the word hymn is rarely is used since hymn has an ancient connotation to it being … Continue reading The Stuti Genre of Sanskrit Literature
Mricchakatikam – the cart of clay
Mricchakatikam, the Sanskrit play of the fifth century AD written by Sudraka, has all the element of a Bollywood blockbuster. It is unfortunate that the movies made on this paly in Hindi and other languages did not become so. Hindi movie Utsav was made on this play and it starred Rekha, Sekhar Suman, and Amzad … Continue reading Mricchakatikam – the cart of clay
From Wholeness to Wholeness : three types of mathematics
In my previous post I have given some idea about vedanta or the Upanishads which are the foundations of India philosophy and spirituality. Most of the stanzas of the Upanishads do not subject themselves to easy understanding. That is also one of the reasons why many epics were written so that the common man can … Continue reading From Wholeness to Wholeness : three types of mathematics
Vedanta and the Villains of our epics
If you think that the use and popularity of grey characters in movies and literature is a recent phenomenon, you have to think again. It may well have its first inception back in the vedic ages. Even though not many in number, in India there are temples dedicated to Ravana. In many versions of Ramayana, … Continue reading Vedanta and the Villains of our epics
What happens when you don’t understand Sanskrit
So, what does really happen if you are an Indian and don't understand Sanskrit? Chances are, you may grow up to be a fake mythologist like Devdutt Pattanaik. It is a matter of shame that Indians grow up reading the interpretation of our mythologies and other scriptures of only western authors and then grow up … Continue reading What happens when you don’t understand Sanskrit
The Idea of India
If I were asked to have only one post on the current AtoZ theme, mera gaon mera desh, I would have this one. It is a book review of ‘India: a sacred Geography’. The book was written by Diana L. Eck - an award winning professor of comparative religion and Indian Studies at Harvard University. … Continue reading The Idea of India
A land linked by the footsteps of pilgrims
Post independence we can say our constitution defines the idea of India, apart from its physical boundries carved out through historical corrections and blunders. But the idea of India is an ancient one, as ancient as perhaps when efforts were taken to sanctify its mountains, rivers and all other important natural landmarks and link those … Continue reading A land linked by the footsteps of pilgrims
because they are so young …
There is a saying in Sanskrit: "yuktiyuktam bacham grahayam baladapi shukadapi, yuktihinam bacham tyajjyam balaldapi shukadapi" It means - reasonable words or words of wisdom must be accepted even if those words come from a child or a parrot, Unreasonable talks or words devoid of wisdom must be shunned even if those words come from … Continue reading because they are so young …
doordarshan days
In those good old days of Doordarshan raj, I never had a fight with my wife for the remote, it being still a remote possibility when I had my first TV. Otherwise also you could not fight as there was no alternate channel to switch to. While watching the Bengali Movie Dhananjoy (with subtitles) a … Continue reading doordarshan days
