Page 18 - programmes conducted during year 2016

PROGRAMME : JUNE - 2016

FASCINATING EPIC JOURNEY

World epics, their rich and varied content and literary artistry notwithstanding, attract
few readers if any. Yet the conference on Mahavakvyas got up by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
(BVB), Bengaluru Kendra, June last, threw up such animated participation as to rekindle
interest in them, demanding a compulsive visitation.
Epics, by definition, are voluminous, immediately debarring them from the interest area
of youngsters. Any kind of reading today, is, after all, passé! What distinctly came across in
the four-day event was the vastness of the literary world vis a vis epics, ―Mahakavyas‖— the
Indian nomenclature for epics— being more relevant to present times, rooted as they are in
the cultural ethos of the land.
If creative writing of recognized artistic value is a cornerstone of categorizing a literary
work as a Mahakavya, Indian epics traverse from the mysteries of time till date, capturing
every aspect of life, the essential difference being that Mahakavyas represent,
quintessentially, the culture, traditions and life philosophy of India, whereas the western
―heroic‖ epics are straitjacketed.
Inaugurating the seminar on June 17, Prof. Maha Mahopadyaya Reva Prasad Dwivedi
said a work of art has little use unless it aids in introspection and self-realization. Lauding
the seminar as a great opportunity to get to know world and Indian epics, Prof. Dwivedi‘s
points to ponder were that the message of the Vedas was central to Mahakavyas, sans which
they needed to be shunned; Alankara is the essence of poetry and not mere literary
embellishment.
Delivering the keynote address, Justice B. N. Srikrishna, former Judge of the Supreme
Court, and Vice-President, BVB international,while appreciating the great service being
done by BVB for the ‗renaissance of Indian culture‘, dwelt at length on the Pancha
Mahakavyas—considered the five gems of Sanskrit literature—covering Kalidasa, Bharavi
and Sreeharsha, to clearly arrive at what constitutes Mahakavyas.
In a scholarly talk that was yet succinct in communication, culled from his study and
understanding of the epics, Justice Srikrishna derived the definitions of Mahakavyas from
classical Sanskrit poets such as Vishwanatha and Dandi, their messages being more
contextual to current times than ever before; their implementation imperative for a ‗sublime
life‘.
Chief Guest Dr. T. V. Venkatachala Shastry pointed out the dichotomy between
eulogizing of ancient Indian literature as a national heritage and the apathy towards them in
the neglect of their learning. Incorporating classics into the education system alone could
ensure their becoming the lifeblood of society once again, he felt.

Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, President, ISKCON, in his presidential address spoke of the
Akshaya Patra programme—synonymous with the service activities of ISKCON— which
today feeds over 11 crore children in 10 states, even in the remotest of areas, the cascading
effect of the mid-day meal scheme being better enrolment in schools, dramatic dip in dropout