Karnbharam by mahakavi Bhas

Karnbharam is written by mahakavi Bhas. This play is originally based on epic Mahabharata. Bhas has chose an incident from that epic and with few changes created a seperate play.

"Karnabharam" title itself suggests its meaning that "Karnasya bharam iti Karnabharam". Word Karna has two meaning- First it mean EAR, and second it is the name of the protagonist. 'Bharam' means weight, pressure. So, it connotes two meaning that Ear's weight because of "KAVACH & KUNDAL. and second  KURUKSHETRA WAR is going on. and Karna was the newly elected Senapati of Kauravas. so, its pressure.

★Myth of Karna's birth & Kavach Kundal:-

it is said that Karna was born to Kunti by reciting Mantra before her marriage.

When Kunti was young girl at that time she had done good service to a Rishi Durvasa. Impressed by her service he asked her for boon. She denied and told that i am princess right now. I have everything. But you can look into future, so give me the thing which i may require in future. so he gave her Mantra of God, by reciting it she can have son of that god. Unmarried Kunti tried this in curiousness that whether it works or not. it worked and Karna-son of God Sun was born. Afraid of society Kunti left Karna into basket and then into river. But he was son of god sun- so god gave him Kavach & Kundal and a boon that untill he wear this he will be never killed in war.Kavach & Kundal were attached to his body naturally or we can say it was inborn.

For Pandavas it was inevitable to kill Karna. so God/ lord Indra comes to help them.

The play begins by Indra entering as Brahmin, where Karna was doing his morning pooja.Every morning Karna donates to Brahmins whatever they ask. so this was the morning before the war & Indra takes disadvantages of it.

In the play there is beautiful conversation between Karna and Indra. Karna offers so many things to Brahmins like cows, horses, golds, jewellery, entire kingdom and at last even his head. But Brahmin dont accet his offer. This conversation is very interesting with high seriousness. At last Indra demands for his Kavach Kundal. Karna knew very well that it is trap of Indra, because his father Suryadev (God Sun) had already informed him about this previous night, then even Karna gives it to him. Karna was aware that without it he may be defeated in war.

But at last he speaks very good dialogue that ".........Huttam cha dattam cha tathaiv tishthati". means whatever one has given that remains for ever.

KADAMBARI by Banbhatt

Kadambari is a Mahanavalkatha (long novel) by Banbhatt. This is one of my favourite book. The story of this book is very interesting. 
Kādambari is a romantic novel in Sanskrit. It was substantially composed by Bāṇabhaṭṭa in the first half of the 7th century CE, who did not survive to see it through completion. The novel was completed by Banabhatta's son Bhushanabhatta, according to the plan laid out by his late father. It is conventionally divided into Purvabhaga (earlier part) written by Banabhatta, and Uttarabhaga (latter part) by Bhushanabhatta. 



In fact, here 3 lives of protagonist are described in a single plot. Hero and heroine dies and borns three time.

Chandrapeed and Mahashweta are the hero & heroine. One major difficulty in reading this book is that because it is too long, narrated by many narrator and is full of cliches. there are several competing subplots; indeed, the heroine does not make her appearance until past the midpoint. Many of the characters appear in multiple incarnations, some as humans and some as demigods or animals. The narration proceeds in a succession of nested frames; a large part of it is a retelling by a parrot of a story which was told to it by a sage. The latter story also contains several instances of one character relating a sub-story to another character.

The way two monologues of Dr. Faustus, soliloquies of Hamlet & Temptation scene in Paradise Lost are very famous, similarly here a friends preaching/ guiding to his friend Pundarik is very popular.

its title is " Dhairyadhanahi Sadhavah" can be translated as Gentlemans are full of patience. It happens in the story that Pundarik- the protagonist in his third birth was in his student / Brhammacharya age. They were moving in jungle. At that time he saw a beautiful girl Mahashweta. Mesmorized by her beauty Pundarik forgets everything.

So, his friend tells him very good lines that " O my dear friend Pundarik ! this is not good for you. That is a path choosen by ordinary people & you are not so. How can you be so impatient that you dont realise falling of 'Yaksha mala' from your hand. Where is your sense and understanding? It looks like all your education goes in vain. Dhairyadhan hi sadhav.

Reading this kind of books gives understanding of the great Indian tradition, value system and morality. Here a friend is also ideal example of friend that he stops his friend from going to wrong path.

Work cited:-
Wikipedia contributors. "Kadambari." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 16 Feb. 2016. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.

HITOPDESH

Hitopdesh is written by Narayan Pandit. It is largely based on "Panchtantra", a similar kind of book by Vishnusharma. Title itself suggests that what is the book all about.In this book all characters are animals and they deliver story and moral message at the end of the story. It is allegorical book, not just story of animals but intentionally written to teach people.

The book is devided into four sub sections - Mitrabhed, Mitraprapti, Labdhapranashan, and Aparikshitkarak.

The background of the story is like that There was a king and he has a four son. But all of them were dumb / fool. so king declared that whoever takes responsibility to educate his sons in four months will be rewarded by king. and then through this story their education begins. and he successfully makes all sons wise in given time.

Narayana says that the purpose of creating the work is to encourage proficiency in Sanskrit expression and knowledge of wise behaviour . This is done through the telling of moral stories in which birds, beasts and humans interact. Interest is maintained through the device of enclosed narratives in which a story is interrupted by an illustrative tale before resuming.

वज्रादपि कठोराणि मृदूनि कुसुमादपि ।

लोकोत्तराणां चेतांसि को नो विज्ञातुमर्हति॥

Vajraadapi kathhoraani mridooni kusumaadapi

Lokottaraanaam chetaamsi ko nu vijnaatumarhati.

The hearts of the best of men who are a cut above the ordinary people are harder than diamond (when facing obstacles or enemies ) and softer than flowers (towards the less privileged and the miserable). Who can understand the hearts of such men?

ज्ञानं भारः क्रियां विना

Jnaanam bhaarah kriyaam vinaa

Without action knowledge is a burden (knowledge, not put into practice, is sheer waste)

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GHASIRAM KOTWAL by Vijay Tendulkar

GHASIRAM KOTWAL

Ghasiram Kotwal is a play by Vijay Tendulkar. It is about power politics. It is frightening that Ghasiram gives his daughter Gauri to Nana Phadanvis to become a Kotwal.

The play is written in simple language but its satire, dark humour, concept and content are miraculous.

How Ghasiram had came there to find his fortune but situation ruins everything. Ghasiram's suffering and poor condition creates sympathy for him but after becoming Kotwal what he did is terrific.

Vijay Tendulkar himself  was a Brahmin, and in this play he bitterly criticizes/ satirizes the Brahmins. This is ideal example of self criticism. You cannot praise your so called tradition, which in real sense is rotten.

This kind of books actually helps to make society better. It raises awareness that everything is not well, we've to overcome our pitfalls and shortcomings.

I still remember one line from play that " There are no Donkeys in Nana's kingdom?". this sentence is ironical. Means state was full of people like this.

play also throws light on other aspects like how Brahmins were going to visit prostitute at night on the name of Pooja /  worship in Temple. Their wives alone at home waiting for them. there is also reference that This women visited by other men.

Nana Phadanvis has also so many wives, and theneven he lusts Gauri, who is just fourteen years old. This also shows the typical lude nature of kings. How female body was just an object for men is presented here. Ghasiram uses it to gain power and Nana uses it for pleasure.

FAR FROM MADDING CROWD by Thomas Hardy

FAR FROM MADDING CROWD

Hardy took the title from Thomas Gray's poem Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard (1751).

Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strifeTheir sober wishes never learn'd to stray;Along the cool sequester'd vale of lifeThey kept the noiseless tenor of their way."Madding" means "frenzied" here.

Far from Madding Crowd is a novel by Thomas Hardy.  It is about love triangle between Bathsheba- a beautiful girl and Gabriel Oak, Boldwood and sergeant Troy.

In the beginning of the novel, Gabriel Oak proposes Bathsheba for marriage, but she denies because of Oak's poverty and lefts the place. After sometime Oak looses his everything, so he has to move to other place. on the way he saves a farm from fire. coincidentally it was farm of Bathsheba. so he lives there and works for Bathsheba.

At this juncture Bathsheba was in love with Boldwood. But Oak, forgets his past and works sincerely there. He was not jealous of anyone. Later on , Sergeant Troy comes in Bathsheba's life. Boldwood thought that it is because of Troy Bathsheba is away from him. so Boldwood shoots Troy and he has to go in jail. After few time Bathsheba realizes love of Oak, and he marries her.

This novel also like other novels of Hardy set in the "Wessex".  Reading book like this gives boundless aesthetic pleasure.

Hardy's Wess

Far from the Madding Crowd offers in ample measure the details of English rural life that Hardy so relished.

Weatherbury Church (Puddletown)(Wikipedia)

Hardy first employed the term "Wessex" in Far from the Madding Crowd to describe the "partly real, partly dream-country". (Wikipedia)








Work Cited:-


Wikipedia contributors. "Far from the Madding Crowd." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 30 Jan. 2016. Web. 6 Feb. 2016.

DR.JAKYLL AND MR. HYDE by R.L. Stevenson

• DR.JAKYLL AND MR. HYDE

• Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is the original title of a novella written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson first published in 1886. The work is commonly known today as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or simply Jekyll & Hyde. It is about a London lawyer named Gabriel John Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the evil Edward Hyde.

It is very interesting scientific fiction about two sides of a person. Dr. Jackyll was a well reputed person in society. Everybody respected him. In the novel many bad incidents takes place at night. But at the end of the novel the mystery reveals that all this were done by Mr.Hyde. Who is Mr.Hyde?? Mr Hyde was no one but Dr. Jackyll.  it was done by someone called Mr. Hyde. 

Dr. Jekyll is a "large, well-made, smooth- faced man of fifty with something of a slyish cast",  who occasionally feels he is battling between the good and evil within himself, thus leading to the struggle between his dual personalities of Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde. He has spent a great part of his life trying to repress evil urges that were not fitting for a man of his stature.

 He creates a serum, or potion, in an attempt to mask this hidden evil within his personality. However, in doing so, Jekyll transforms into the smaller, younger, cruel, remorseless, evil Hyde. Jekyll has many friends and has an amiable personality, but as Hyde, he becomes mysterious and violent. As time goes by, Hyde grows in power. 

After taking the potion repeatedly, he no longer relies upon it to unleash his inner demon, i.e., his alter ego. Eventually, Hyde grows so strong that Jekyll becomes reliant on the potion to remain
conscious.He ended the letter by saying, "I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end." With these words, both the document and the novella come to a close.

ALL MY SONS by Arthur Miller

• ALL MY SONS

I had studied the play six years ago, so i may not able to recall it completely. But then even let me try...

This play is criticism of the American Dream.

• All my sons is a play by Arthur Miller, presenting grey shade of world war.Corruption in business and as a result plane crash and death of so many soldiers are beautifully connected in the play. It beautifully captures that how people were money minded or for them war is medium to make money. As soon as there is profit behind the war, the war will never stop. this idea is strikingly captured by book. This is what i like most about literature is that it always stood on the side of humanity.Politicians, businessman or other power structures may favor war, profit but literary texts always protest that this is wrong. And luckily, though after a long time writers voice is realized as right.

1. All My Sons is based upon a true story, which Arthur Miller's then mother-in-law pointed out in an Ohio newspaper. The news story described how in 1941–43 the Wright Aeronautical Corporation based in Ohio had conspired with army inspection officers to approve defective aircraft engines destined for military use.The story of defective engines had reached investigators working for Sen. Harry Truman's congressional investigative board after several Wright aircraft assembly workers informed on the company; they would later testify under oath before Congress. In 1944, three Army Air Force officers, Lt. Col. Frank C. Greulich, Major Walter A. Ryan, and Major William Bruckmann were relieved and later convicted of neglect of duty.^[
2. Henrik Ibsen's influence on Miller is evidenced from the Ibsen play The Wild Duck, where Miller took the idea of two partners in a business where one is forced to take moral and legal responsibility for the other. This is mirrored in All My Sons. He also borrowed the idea of a character’s idealism being the source of a problem (Wikipedia)

Work Cited:-

Wikipedia contributors. "All My Sons." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 Jan. 2016. Web. 6 Feb. 2016

Characteristics of Modernism/ Modernist Literature

• What is Modern? When we say 'Modern', it automatically signifies that there was something ancient or old. Then we can differentiate that things which are not ancient or old or traditional are modern.

• Dictionary gave me meaning of the word Modern:-

• Pertaining to a current or recent time and style, not ancient.
• Synonym- contemporary.
• 
  
• Antonym- dated, old, pre modern, ancient.

●"The Modern Age"(1901-1950).A.C. Ward- the Setting        

• It is very difficult to differentiate when particular movement in history began or ended. We cannot give exact dates. But then even various critics have tried to put Modern age into different periods.

• When any new thing starts in history it doesn’t became particular movement rapidly. But after a long time people realizes the traces, seeds of that movement or age/epoch, which later on recorded by historians by keeping in mind particular references. The same case happens with all the great ages or says The Modern age also.

• Categorizing is very much western idea. They see in linear way like rail bogies, whereas for Indians everything is in cyclical nature (life-death-rebirth). My point is that thus they differentiate history also in various compartments.

• Literature captures fluctuations of time/ society. Literature is affected/ influenced by society. So whatever was happening in early 20th century that time is captured in The Modernist Literature.

• Modernism:-

• Although the term “modernism” generally refers to the collective literary trend in the early twentieth century, it more precisely applies to a group of British and American writers—such as James Joyce, Ezra Pound, and T. S. Eliot—who crafted carefully worded images in colloquial language. In the broader sense of “modernism,” early- twentieth-century writers broke up the traditional plot structure of narratives, experimented with language, fragmented ideas, played with shifting perspectives, and drew self-conscious attention to the very nature of language itself. Postmodern writers playfully create allusions, contradictions, meta-narratives, and linguistic games in order to disrupt reader expectations of fixed, objective references. (online literature.com)

• In Modernism Experimentation and individualism became virtues, where in the past they were often heartily discouraged In contrast to the Romantic world view, the Modernist cares rather little for Nature, Being, or the overarching structures of history. Instead of progress and growth, the Modernist intelligentsia sees decay and a growing alienation of the individual. The machinery of modern society is perceived as impersonal, capitalist, and antagonistic to the artistic impulse. War most certainly had a great deal of influence on such ways of approaching the world. Two World Wars in the span of a generation effectively shell-shocked all of Western civilization.

• It is a literary & artistic movement that provided a radical break with traditional modes of western art, thought, religion, social convention & morality. Major theme of this period include the attack on notion of hierarchy, experimentation in new forms of narrative such as stream of consciousness, doubt about the existence of knowledge, objective realty, attention to alternative viewpoints & modes of thinking, and self referentiality as a means of drawing attention to the relationship between artist and audience, and form & content.

●How this age is important for Europeans?

• It is the age when human race moved faster forward and backward than during perhaps fifty generations in the past. It brought progress and regress both. (Scientific revolution-aero plane, other means of mass slaughter in two world wars, with nuclear power bring threat of universal destruction) (In peace time motor car & motor cycle gave almost unlimited mobility to millions).

▪Victorians V/S Modernist

• in the study of literature few things are most interesting than to consider periodic changes of outlook which sway the human mind and spirit, and to observe those fluctuations of value which cause the truths and certainties of one generation to appears as superstitions and baseless conventions in the eyes of the generation following. (Ward)

• Young men & women during 20th century looked back upon the (Victorian Age) as dully hypocritical.

• -Victorian ideals appeared mean and superficial and stupid.

• From 1901 to 1925 English Literature was directed by mental attitudes, moral ideals and spiritual values at almost the opposite extreme to the attitudes, ideals & values governing Victorian literature.

• The old certainties were certainties no longer.
• Everything was held to be open to question.

Question

Examine

Test→ watchword of Modern Age.

• Standard of artistic craftsmanship and of aesthetic appreciation began to change fundamentally.

• What he Victorians had considered beautiful their children and grandchildren thought hideous.

• Intellectuals and artists at the turn of the 20th century believed the previous generation’s way of doing things was a cultural dead end.  They could foresee worlds events were spiraling into unknown territory. The stability and quietude of Victorian civilization were rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

• The post Victorian generation disliked the furnishings of Victorian households; they were even more contemptuous of the furnishings of the Victorian minds.

• In the Victorian age there was a widespread and willing submission to the rule of expert.
• The voice of authority was accepted in religion, in politics, in literature, in family life.

Victorians

Modernist

hypocritical, artificial emotional literature-simple traditional narrative technique (Aristotle) Hardy, Dickens etc. never broke the tradition of writing-way of telling. Religion Bible Without questioning willing submission to the rule/voice of expert/authority/religion. Bible -Adultery is a sin. 'MASK' old morality Believer Living in a house built on unshakable foundations and established in perpetuity. sense of stability. Home, constitution, Empire, religion are the best form. Permanence of institutions. Our empire will never shaken.

Realistic Rational all broken (Fragmented) stream of consciousness ( experimentation) no respect for tradition science 'Origin  of species', 'Interpretation of Dreams' Faith in Freud & Darwin- book (The Descent of Man) than the voice of God in book of Genesis. &evolution Freud-it is just bodily need. Removed that MASK New Morality Skeptical- (somebody denying knowledge is possible) doubtful- question everything Agnostic-(somebody denying God's existence is provable). H.G.WELLS- MEANWHILE UNIVERSAL MUTABILITY NOTHING IS PERMANENT Camp side-modernist idea Body is home- we've to leave it. All these Victorian ideas challenged. You Victorians were wanted to eat fruits of garden of entire world- their own generation.  the great Victorian and Modernist conflict Morally and mentally frustrated great Britain. Tess of D’Urbervilles- Hardy Victorians don’t see the beauty of heart but see bodily beauty. Hardy-Tess-a pure woman Criticized earlier now classic. If you question, then you are bad (religion, father, guru. etc.) G. B .SHAW-Question, examine old superstitions. 'INTERROGATIVE HABIT OF MIND' Major Barbara-quote-you will upgrade things but not thinking &morality. G.B.SHAW &H.G.WELLS-PIONEER Conflict with forefathers. MASSMAN became important in 20th century. Mass production & threat/death of craftsmanship. Reader Response Theory emerged↓ Author is dead Craftsmanship is not important. Reader: i will generate my meaning. JAMES JOYCE-ULYSSES T.S.ELIOT-THE WASTE LAND V.WOOLF-JACOB'S ROOM- ------Esoteric (abstruse) Difficult to understand. requires high intellect to understand deep-philosophical,  feeling of uneasiness, restlessness

• ♣ Characteristics of Modernism / literature

•  High degree of complexity in structure
• Anxiety and interrogation
• reworks tradition (Kumar)
•  Works are intensely self-reflexive, exploring the process of their own composition.
• Are often Fragmented and nonlinear, breaking up time frames and plots.
• Some critics identify a sense of apocalypse & disaster in modernism.
• City based.
• It is also located in the context of Empire and world wars, of advanced military technology.
• A great deal of experimentation with language and form.
• An interest in subjectivity and the working of the human consciousness.
• Often rejects realism & the idea that art has to capture reality.
• Modernist fiction defamiliarizes or makes strange what is common.
• MAKE IT NEW- is the Modernist slogan.
• Highly elitist because it was complex and used allusions and classical references that called for great erudition- which was available only to certain classes of people.
• FRUSTRATION
• FRAGMENTATION
• ISOLATION
• BROKENNESS
• NOTHINGNESS     Characteristics of modernist Literature.