Offered by: Centre for Avadhanam
Schedule: 11 to 20 August 2021
Every day from 4 pm to 5.30 pm
Description
Classical Sanskrit poets are the representatives of a rich literary heritage. They inherit an aesthetic code that caters to all tastes and perpetuate poetic sensibilities unique to our land and language. Drawing freely from a wide spectrum of worldly experiences and knowledge systems, they create marvels that are as instructive as they are enjoyable. Sanskrit, their chosen medium, is eminently suited to navigate the entire range of the emotional landscape. The freedom it affords for linguistic flourishes is unparalleled.
Owing to these factors, the form and content of a typical Sanskrit poem have an immense depth of detail. Overwhelmed by them, the tenderfoot connoisseur often finds it hard to pinpoint the beauty of a poem, to understand what makes it appealing. Given the right kind of exposure, s/he soon rises to a position at par with the poet and comes to be called sahṛdaya, one who has the same bent of mind as the poet.
This workshop will introduce the participants to the ingredients that go into the making of a flavourful Sanskrit poem, such as metres, figures of speech, elements of grammar, recurring motifs, poetic conventions, and the foundational texts of Indian culture. It will equip the attendees to savour any classical Sanskrit poem that they might lay their hands
on!
Objectives
- To understand the historical, social, cultural, and literary factors that condition classical Sanskrit poetry.
- To identify the hallmarks of Sanskrit literature across various genres.
- To appreciate factors of appeal at the level of form and content.
Outcomes
- The participants will have exposure to the cream of Sanskrit literature.
- The participants will be able to appreciate Sanskrit poetry as an integrated whole, whilst being equipped to break it down into its elements of appeal.
- The participants will develop a feel for various poetic styles.
Prerequisites
- Familiarity with the Devanāgarī script and IAST
- Basic knowledge of Indian tradition and literature
- Rudimentary knowledge of classical Sanskrit poetry
Pedagogy
The reading material for the workshop will include selections from a host of primary texts apart from a few secondary sources. The resource persons are likely to refer to various texts, verses, and passages; all of these will be compiled and shared with the attendees. Visual aids such as PDFs of the texts and PPTs will be shared with the attendees after the
sessions.
Highlights
- Unique opportunity to listen to and learn from accomplished scholars and poets
- Get a taste of various poetic styles and genres
- Glean unique insights into poetry through treatises of literary theory
Resource Person
Śatāvadhānī Dr. R. Ganesh, Bengaluru
One of India’s foremost Sanskrit poets and scholars, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh is a master of the art of avadhāna and performs it in Sanskrit, Telugu, and Kannada. He has performed over 1200 Aṣṭāvadhānams as well as five śatāvadhānams till date. He is credited with the revival of this art in Kannada. Hampi University honoured him with a D.Litt. for his thesis on The Art of Avadhāna in Kannada.
Dr. R. Ganesh also writes and lectures extensively on various subjects pertaining to India and Indian cultural heritage. Over 10,000 hours of his lectures on Indian culture and heritage, Indian and Western arts, and Indian and western philosophy have been recorded. He holds a master’s degree in Metallurgy and in Sanskrit. He is a polyglot, fluent in eighteen languages including Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Latin, Greek, and Italian. He
was formerly the director of the Gandhi Centre at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. He is also a recipient of several awards and recognitions including the Bādarāyaṇa-Vyāsa Puraskar from the President of India for his contribution to the Sanskrit language.
Certification
A Certificate will be awarded to the registered participants if they have more than 75% attendance.
Registration fee
INR 1000 (inclusive of GST)
Coordinators
Sri. Shashikiran BN, Editor of Prekshaa (A Journal of Culture & Philosophy), Bengaluru
Dr. Mridula Aswin, Project Assistant, Centre for Avadhanam, Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth
Contact
+91 97391 00950 | +91 94973 90716 | avadhanam@cvv.ac.in | mridula.aswin@cvv.ac.in