Thirteen Plays of Bhasa

Thirteen Plays of Bhasa
Author: A. C. Woolner
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass
Total Pages: 396
Release: 2015-01-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 8120809084

This translation is of thirteen Sanskrit plays discovered in South India by the late Pandit Ganapati Sastri and edited by him in the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series. It comprises the following titles: 1. Pratijnayaugandharayana, 2. Svapnavasavadatta, 3. Carudatta, 4. Pancaratra, 5. Madhyamavyayoga, 6.Pratima-nataka, 7.Dutavakya, 8.Dutaghatotkaca, 9.Karnabhara, 10.Urubhanga, 11.Avimaraka, 12.Balacarita, and 13.Abhiseka. Sastri attributed all the thirteen plays to Bhasa and the prevailing opinion of the scholars is in agreement with him, though the available evidence is not conclusive and so the question still remains open. The translation was done by two eminent Sanskrit scholars. It was published s early as 1930 and a reprint is now issued in view of a persistent demand of scholars. Pandit Ganapati Sastri attributed all thirteen plays to Bhasa, a famous dramatist earlier than Kalidasa. Some verses are ascribed to Bhasa by medieval anthologies, but only ten with unanimity. We are told that he composed a Svapnavasavadattam (his best play) and that in another play the device of the wooden elephant was used. Characteristic features of his work are described by Bana, and other poets evidently held him in high estimation. One or two verses from his plays are quoted by writers on poetics. Otherwise, the text of BhasaÍs numerous plays had completely disappeared. The learned editor of the Trivandrum plays found that they contained a Svapnavasavadattam (the best play in the collection), and, in the Pratijna-Yaugandharayanam, a scene dealing with the wooden elephant. He noticed also certain peculiarities in the technique of the plays which he regarded as signs of antiquity. All these points confirmed the opinion that Bhasa was the author.

Evil in the Mahabharata

Evil in the Mahabharata
Author: Meena Arora Nayak
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 435
Release: 2018-01-19
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0199091838

Good and evil, loyalty and treachery, faith and doubt, honour and ignominy—the Mahabharata has served as a primer for codes of conduct to generations of Hindus. Over time, the epic has also fascinated those who love a tale well told. In its telling, however, the story has lost much of its richness and nuance, and the characters have become one-dimensional cut-outs—either starkly good or irredeemably evil. In this reinterpretation, Meena Arora Nayak analyses how the values espoused in the Mahabharata came to be distorted into meagre archetypes, creating customary laws that injure society even today.

The Difficulty of Being Good

The Difficulty of Being Good
Author: Gurcharan Das
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 487
Release: 2010-10-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0199779600

Why should we be good? How should we be good? And how might we more deeply understand the moral and ethical failings--splashed across today's headlines--that have not only destroyed individual lives but caused widespread calamity as well, bringing communities, nations, and indeed the global economy to the brink of collapse? In The Difficulty of Being Good, Gurcharan Das seeks answers to these questions in an unlikely source: the 2,000 year-old Sanskrit epic, Mahabharata. A sprawling, witty, ironic, and delightful poem, the Mahabharata is obsessed with the elusive notion of dharma--in essence, doing the right thing. When a hero does something wrong in a Greek epic, he wastes little time on self-reflection; when a hero falters in the Mahabharata, the action stops and everyone weighs in with a different and often contradictory take on dharma. Each major character in the epic embodies a significant moral failing or virtue, and their struggles mirror with uncanny precision our own familiar emotions of anxiety, courage, despair, remorse, envy, compassion, vengefulness, and duty. Das explores the Mahabharata from many perspectives and compares the successes and failures of the poem's characters to those of contemporary individuals, many of them highly visible players in the world of economics, business, and politics. In every case, he finds striking parallels that carry lessons for everyone faced with ethical and moral dilemmas in today's complex world. Written with the flair and seemingly effortless erudition that have made Gurcharan Das a bestselling author around the world--and enlivened by Das's forthright discussion of his own personal search for a more meaningful life--The Difficulty of Being Good shines the light of an ancient poem on the most challenging moral ambiguities of modern life.

The Culture and Civilisation of Ancient India in HIstorical Outline

The Culture and Civilisation of Ancient India in HIstorical Outline
Author: D D Kosambi
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 251
Release: 2022-09-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 1000653471

First published in 1965, The Culture and Civilisation of Ancient India in Historical Outline is a strikingly original work, the first real cultural history of India. The main features of the Indian character are traced back into remote antiquity as the natural outgrowth of historical process. Did the change from food gathering and the pastoral life to agriculture make new religions necessary? Why did the Indian cities vanish with hardly a trace and leave no memory? Who were the Aryans – if any? Why should Buddhism, Jainism, and so many other sects of the same type come into being at one time and in the same region? How could Buddhism spread over so large a part of Asia while dying out completely in the land of its origin? What caused the rise and collapse of the Magadhan empire; was the Gupta empire fundamentally different from its great predecessor, or just one more ‘oriental despotism’? These are some of the many questions handled with great insight, yet in the simplest terms, in this stimulating work. This book will be of interest to students of history, sociology, archaeology, anthropology, cultural studies, South Asian studies and ethnic studies.

Hitopadesa

Hitopadesa
Author: Narayana (tr. Haskar
Publisher: Penguin Books India
Total Pages: 268
Release: 1998
Genre:
ISBN: 9780144000791

The Ever-Popular Book Of Good Counsels From Ancient India. One Of The Best-Known Sanskrit Classics, Narayana&Rsquo;S Hitopadesa Is A Fascinating Collection Of Animal And Human Fables Augmented With Polished Verse Epigrams And Gnomic Stanzas, Many Of Which Have Become Proverbial. This Satirical, Often Irreverent And Sometimes Ribald Text Has Been Popular For Centuries As A Compendium Of Worldly Advice On Matters Ranging From Statesmanship And Detailed Battle Plans To Personal Conduct And Marital Fidelity. It Has Also Served Generations Of Students As A Model Of Grammatical And Metaphorical Excellence. In This &Lsquo;Garden Of Pleasing Stories&Rsquo;, As Narayan Himself Describes It, Birds, Beasts, Men And Women Scheme, Suffer, Lust, Err, Grieve And Rejoice, Acting As Perceptive Social Critics And Astute Commentators On The Absurd Nature Of Human Folly. Combining His Own Literary Genius With Skilful Selections And Modifications Of Material From The Panchatantra And A Host Of Other Traditional Sources, Narayan Has Created A Refreshingly Original Masterpiece. This Excellent New Translation Faithfully Renders The Wit And Wisdom Of The Original. &Nbsp;

AJAYA - RISE OF KALI (Book 2)

AJAYA - RISE OF KALI (Book 2)
Author: Anand Neelakantan
Publisher: One Point Six Technology Pvt Ltd
Total Pages: 480
Release: 2015-08-27
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9381576041

"THE MAHABHARATA ENDURES AS THE GREAT EPIC OF INDIA. While Jaya is the story of the Pandavas, told from the perspective of the victors of Kurukshetra, Ajaya is the tale of the Kauravas, who were decimated to the last man. From the pen of the author who gave voice to Ravana in the national bestseller, ASURA, comes the riveting narrative which compels us to question the truth behind the Mahabharata. THE DARK AGE OF KALI IS RISING and every man and woman must choose between duty and conscience, honour and shame, life and death… o The Pandavas, banished to the forest following the disastrous games of dice, return to Hastinapura. o Draupadi has vowed not to bind her hair till she washes it in the blood of the Kauravas. o Karna must choose between loyalty and gratitude, friend and Guru. o Aswathama undertakes a perilous mission to the mountains of Gandhara, in search of the Evil One. o Kunti must decide between her firstborn and her other sons. o Guru Drona has to stand with either his favourite disciple or his beloved son. o Balarama, having failed to convince his brother about the adharma of violence, walks the streets of Bharatavarsha, spreading the message of peace. o Ekalavya is called to make the ultimate sacrifice to uphold a woman’s honour. o Jara, the beggar, sings of Krishna’s love while his blind dog, Dharma, follows. o Shakuni can almost see the realization of his dream to destroy India. As the Pandavas stake their claim to the Hastinapura throne, the Kaurava Crown Prince, Suyodhana, rises to challenge Krishna. As great minds debate dharma and adharma, power hungry men prepare for an apocalyptic war. The women, highborn and humble, helplessly watch the unfolding disaster with deep foreboding. And greedy merchants and unscrupulous priests lie in wait like vultures. Both sides know that beyond the agony and carnage the winner will take all. But even as gods conspire and men’s destinies unfold, a far greater truth awaits. ***** One of the six most remarkable writers of India. DNA An Amazing read. The WEEK Unique voice of a rebellious author telling the story from the other side, a feat a few have dared or managed so well. Bihar Times"

An Introduction to the Study of Indian History

An Introduction to the Study of Indian History
Author: Damodar Dharmanand Kosambi
Publisher: Popular Prakashan
Total Pages: 500
Release: 2023-11-05
Genre: History
ISBN: 9788171540389

This book is the culmination of patient research and mature reflection of a profoundly original mind and has earned universal recognition and honour over the last few decades.