Samskara - U. R. Anantha Murthy

I love that I could see into her mindset and read exactly what she was feeling when she thought out situations. Her thoughts flowed well and moved the book along very quickly. Cassandra's narrative voice is wonderful. She is serious at times, but also very witty, which makes for an engaging read.

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U. R. Anantha Murthy is an outstanding figure in Kannada Literature. Jnanpith awardee and an instructor by calling, he was additionally the administrator of the Film and Television Institute of India. His name is regularly connected with Navya Movement. His present work Samskara - A Rite for a Dead Man is a great in Indian Literature. Initially written in Kannada, distributed in 1965, it was converted into umpteen dialects and furthermore make into a motion picture by a similar name.

On account of the outstanding Indian Poet and Translator, A. K. Ramanujan I got the benefit of perusing this gem.

A book with an immediate reference to religion is probably going to be questionable.

'Samskara – A Rite for a Dead Man' however alludes to the previous, distinctively escapes from what one may call discord. Religion is profoundly established in Indian speculation and when one may talk about religion, its Hinduism that has a place with the most seasoned school of thought.

We regularly make religion our character and neglect to recollect that it was intended to make life more rational and stable. This is as basic as presenting the dread of shrewdness in youngsters to help them turn out to be great.

Samskara is not for everybody, it covers everything that religion may call dull, it discusses passing, incineration however that isn't all. In a way it is excessively near life, excessively near reality. It is for the perusers who are prepared to acknowledge religion as a viewpoint to patch up life.

The Story covers a considerable measure numerous perspectives that may live with the perusers even in the wake of completing the book. I am introducing a couple of perspectives alongside the storyline; I trust that aides in getting a thought of the story.

Key Elements of Samskara:

1. Holy people exists in Every Religion: No religion educates a man to murder, take or be ruthless. Not all Saints are Fake and the other way around. Praneshacharya, the hero is a Brahmin who holds a respectable position in Agrahara(Land doled out to Brahmins for their upkeep, solely for their settlement). Aside from giving his day by day sermon, his routine incorporates dealing with his incapacitated spouse. His serene routine is disturbed when he is educated of a demise in Agrahara.

   
   




2. Demise – Change of Events: Death of Naranappa causes bewilderment among the Brahmins. He, however was a Brahmin, never played out any hallowed obligation and more terrible was his state of mind to test individuals and their convictions. He did everything that Brahmins' named irreverent, lived with a low standing lady(Chandri), ate meat, contaminated blessed stream and furthermore was the real explanation behind ruining the youthful personalities of Agrahara.

   
   




3. Effect of Death: Performing Naranappa's demise ritual was presently the obligation of Agrahara and with this we are presented to the genuine character of the general population who claim to be a piece of the higher segment of the social request. As an essential conviction the grown-ups in Agrahara didn't eat a piece on the grounds that the demise customs were yet to be performed.

   
   




4. Standing Never Determines Character: Chandri was there as well, her kind demonstration of giving the gold she was wearing stoked the fire. She didn't know about the resultant her activity.

   
   




5. Covetousness, an Instrument to Judge a Character: Chandri's Gold turns into the representation for man's materialistic and dull goals. Individuals who once didn't prefer to connect themselves with Naranappa are currently prepared to take the charge of playing out the ceremonies.

   
   




6. Long for Food Precedes Everything: Dasacharya was not able manage the yearning concocts an answer. In any case, will Praneshacharya acknowledge it?

   
   




7. Love, Devotion and Respect Lives Forever: The main thing that irritated Chandri was the deferral in playing out the ceremonies. Will she make a stride ahead and challenge the laws?

   
   




8. A Sin isn't a Sin when there Exists no Witness: Everyman wants a spotless personality. Shripati was Naranappa's mystery companion. This relationship however was appreciated by Shripati as he invested some quality energy drinking with Naranappa. He didn't know about Naranappa's inopportune passing.

   
   




9. A Pragmatic Action requires both Thinking and Time: Praneshacharya completely read all that he had however couldn't concoct an answer. He then requests that the Brahmins have a word with an Acharya in an adjacent town. The Brahmins leave and after that Praneshacharya's visits a close-by sanctuary, on his way back he meets Chandri and his life changes.

   
   




10. An Escape from Reality is What Man Needs to Come Back to Senses: Agrahara is no longer the same, one passing after the other, it was torment that brought about it all. Praneshacharya's wiped out spouse was no more. He conveyed the blame and now chooses to leave the Agrahara and go where his feet take him.

    
    

11.Fear of Being Discovered: Praneshacharya left Agrahara however was terrified of getting distinguished. In course of his walk he is helped to remember his companion Mahabala who once was a dear companion increasing otherworldly learning with him, changed his routes for a lady.

He has an inclination to scan for Chandri as he had never scanned for any Dharma.

1. A New Identity isn't Easy to Build: He meets a Villager named Putta who draws in him in discussions he isn't keen on. Praneshacharya tries his best to escape with him however falls flat. He turns into a Simile of the Sins in his Past.

Praneshacharya: Which way would you say you are going?

Putta: This route(Pointing towards a Path)

Praneshacharya pointed the other and said "That is mine"

Putta: "Both go to Melige, one is somewhat indirect there's nothing more to it. I am in no rush."

Praneshacharya depicts a round character that develops with the story. He portrays the personality of a steady man, a man who knows how to lead an existence, a man who knows about his activities.

A sensible individual isn't the person who is rational constantly, he is somebody who is sufficiently steady to control his activities in the wake of acknowledging he isn't right. A capacity to comprehend self is the thing that one may learn by perusing this showstopper. The depiction of the circumstance and the dialect includes to the pleasure of the readers.On a negative side, it may be a lot for perusers who incline toward light perusing.

In the event that Indian Writing in English is some tea then Samskara wil be a decent night nibble.

Cheerful Reading!~

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It is comprehensive depiction of orthodoxs southindian Brahmin community and their age-old traditons. The novel gives us the detailed account of the conflict between mind and heart as well as the contrast in between thought and action. One can analize the'samskara' as a psychological study of human mind. There is also a symbolic significanse of the Tital samskara. It also tells us about Romance and Ramealism. Thus, the message in samskara is highly relevant in dealing with situations in modern life. Thanks you.

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Samskara is all about  the  dilemmas in the life of people in adhering to the dogma of Hindu religion and so called upper caste people who proclaim themselves to be the messengers of Gods words. These upper caste people consider themselves as pure, chaste, chant mantras so that the lower caste people would receive the divine blessings. They perform the rituals not knowing the real meaning or the Samskara in them. They think that their purity would be lost if they touch or mingle with the other caste people. They don’t even realize that the other caste people are also created by Gods divine plan. They don’t even help their own people when they are really in need because they think that it would reduce their Samskara and make them less Samskara.

This is the dilemma that the Praneshacharya faces in the case of performing the final rights for the dead body of another brahmin Naranappa  who spent his life with a lower caste woman Chandri and could not adhere to orthodox Brahmin rituals and practices. As the story unfolds itself we come to understand that it is Chandri with the help of a Muslim man performs the last rights for Naranappa. Ironically, it is a Brahmin man who in the name of the Samskara becomes the cause for the epidemic in that place by neglecting the dead corpse, decaying and destroying God given natural gifts and becomes the victim of fear, death and destruction. So the dilemma in the mind of the Praneshacharya is the dilemma in the Brahmin Samskara itself.

That may be one of the reasons why even the Guru who seems to be the epitome of purity and chastity could not resolve the problem of Naranappa and engulfed in the quagmire of sensuous pleasures. Samskara is also the dilemma of all most all the Brahmins who could never be humane to other people in the guise of Gods Chosen people. Orthodox or heterodox let people be human first.

M. JAYARANJAN.

Asst.Professor,

V.R.Siddhartha engineering college.

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U. R. Anantha Murthy is a well known figure in Kannada Literature. Jnanpith awardee and a teacher by profession, he was also the chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India. His name is often associated with Navya Movement. His present work Samskara - A Rite for a Dead Man is a classic in Indian Literature. Originally written in Kannada, published in 1965, it was translated into umpteen languages and also make into a movie by the same name.

Thanks to the well known Indian Poet and Translator, A. K. Ramanujan I got the privilege of reading  this master piece.

A book with a direct reference to religion is likely to be controversial.

‘Samskara – A Rite for a Dead Man’ though refers to the former, vividly escapes from what one may call dissension. Religion is deeply rooted in Indian thinking and when one may discuss religion, its Hinduism that belongs to the oldest school of thought.

We often make religion our identity and fail to remember that it was meant to make life more sane and stable. This is as simple as introducing the fear of evil in children to help them become good.

Samskara is not for everyone, it covers everything that religion may call dark, it talks about death, cremation but that isn’t all. In a way it is too close to life, too close to reality. It is for the readers who are ready to accept religion as an aspect to revamp life.

The Story covers a lot many aspects that may live with the readers even after finishing the book. I am presenting a few aspects along with the storyline; I hope that helps in getting an idea of the story.

Key Elements of Samskara :

1. Saints exists in Every Religion: No religion teaches a man to kill, steal or be brutal. Not all Saints are Fake and vice versa. Praneshacharya, the protagonist is a Brahmin who holds a respectable position in Agrahara (Land assigned to Brahmins for their maintenance, exclusively for their settlement). Apart from giving his daily sermon, his routine includes taking care of his bed ridden wife. His peaceful routine is disrupted when he is informed of a death in Agrahara.

2. Death – Change of Events : Death of Naranappa causes bewilderment among the Brahmins. He, though was a Brahmin, never performed any sacred duty and worse was his attitude to challenge people and their beliefs. He did everything that Brahmins’ termed  blasphemous, lived with a low caste woman (Chandri), ate meat, polluted holy river and also was the major reason for spoiling the young minds of Agrahara.

3. Impact of Death : Performing Naranappa’s death rite was now the duty of Agrahara and with this we are exposed to the real character of the people who claim to be a part of the higher section of the social order. As a basic belief the adults in Agrahara didn’t eat a morsel because the death rites were yet to be performed.

4. Caste Never Determines Character : Chandri was there too, her kind act of giving the gold she was wearing added fuel to the fire. She wasn’t aware of the resultant her action.

5. Greed, an Instrument to Judge a Character : Chandri’s Gold becomes the metaphor for man’s materialistic and dark intentions. People who once didn’t like to associate themselves with Naranappa are now ready to take the charge of performing the rites.

6. Hunger for Food Precedes Everything: Dasacharya was unable to bear the hunger comes up with a solution. But will Praneshacharya accept it?

7. Love, Devotion and Respect Lives Forever : The only thing that bothered Chandri was the delay in performing the rites. Will she take a step ahead and defy the laws?

8. A Sin isn’t a Sin when there Exists no Witness: Everyman desires a clean identity. Shripati was Naranappa’s secret friend. This relationship though was cherished by Shripati as he spent some quality time drinking with Naranappa. He wasn’t aware of Naranappa’s untimely death.

9. A Pragmatic Action requires both Thinking and Time: Praneshacharya thoroughly read everything he had but couldn’t come up with an answer. He then asks the Brahmins to have a word with an Acharya in a nearby village. The Brahmins leave and then Praneshacharya’s visits a nearby temple, on his way back he meets Chandri and his life changes.

10. An Escape from Reality is What Man Needs to Come Back to Senses : Agrahara is no longer the same, one death after the other, it was plague that caused it all. Praneshacharya’s sick wife was no more. He carried the guilt and now decides to leave the Agrahara and go where his feet take him.

11.Fear of Being Discovered: Praneshacharya left Agrahara but was scared of getting identified. In course of his walk he is reminded of his friend Mahabala who once was a close friend gaining spiritual knowledge with him, changed his ways for a woman.

He has an urge to search for Chandri as he had never searched for any Dharma.

12. A New Identity isn’t Easy to Build: He meets a Villager named Putta who engages him in conversations he isn’t interested in. Praneshacharya tries his best to get away with him but fails. He becomes a Simile of the Sins in his Past.

Praneshacharya : Which way are you going?

Putta: This way (Pointing towards a Path)

Praneshacharya pointed the other and said “That is mine”

Putta: “Both go to Melige, one is a little roundabout that’s all. I am in no hurry.”

Praneshacharya portrays a round character that evolves with the story. He depicts the identity of a stable man, a man who knows how to lead a life, a man who is aware of his actions.

A sensible person isn't the one who is sane all the time, he is someone who is stable enough to control his actions after realizing he is wrong. An ability to understand self is what one may learn by reading this master piece. The description of the situation and the language adds on to the delight of the readers.On a negative side, it might be too much for readers who prefer light reading.

If Indian Writing in English is your cup of tea then Samskara wil be a good evening snack..

Happy Reading!~

~$/\M~

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Novella SAMSKARA, the title, is the wholesome of rules, tradition, culture, rituals and funeral. SAMSKARA is hovering around the samskara of Naranappa, but encapsulated so many questions regarding the hypocrisy of false brahminhood.

SAMSKARA is the story of life in an agrahara, situated in a tiny hamlet called Durvasapura, somewhere in the Western Ghats of South India.The Brahmin of the agrahara are utterly narrow minded, selfish, greedy, and jealous. The purpose of their Brahmin hood is only fulfilling rules, following traditions which are thousands of years old. They do not understand the logic behind these rules they follow. They are afraid that if they do not follow the rules, disaster will fall upon them. They think their safety is lying in following these rules and traditions only.

Durvasapura and its agrahara are famous in the surrounding area, because of two Brahmins, who live there. One is Praneshacharya and the other one is Naranappa.

Praneshacharya is the local guru of all the Brahmins of Durvashapura and nearby villages. To attain salvation he undergoes all kinds of tests, and deliberately marries an invalid, sick woman. He leads a celibate life and is proud of his self-sacrifice. He thinks his life is pure and completely devoted to religion selflessly.

On the other hand Naranappa, who has rejected Brahmin hood, brought a woman‘Chandri’ from a nearby town to live with. His only ambition in life seems to do everything that destroys the Brahmin hood of the agrahara

SAMSKARA, actually, deals with the complications which arise due to Naranappa’s death. Here the question arises, ‘Who would cremate Naranappa?’, every Brahmin is afraid to volunteer for his Brahmin hood would thus be polluted .Neither they let a non-Brahmin to cremate the body, because Naranappa was theoretically a Brahmin when he died. The Brahmins look Praneshacharya to solve their problem, but in course of solving this problem he came across to Chandri, who overcame with compassion for this helpless Brahmin, and when he woke up in the midnight, he finds himself in Chandri’s lap, her fingers were caressing his back, his ears and head.

When Chandri goes back, she finds Naranappa’s dead body has started to rot. She gets hold of a Muslim, unknown to anyone, carries the body and cremates it in the dead of the night.

On the other hand, Praneshacharya first time realises the difference between beauty and ugliness. He does not have courage to speak the truth of Chandri and his, as he will fall the height of Dharma.

The novella ends, but does not answer so many questions which arise in the mind of the readers, such as, who should cremate Narappa?, Should Praneshacharya be courageous to say openly, what he did, and many more.

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Samskara a book written by U.R.Anatamurthy,was first published in 1965 in Kannada, A.K.Ramanujan translated it to english in 1978.

I read Samskara long back I just feel that I write something about it, after reading it I felt like reading Murthi's other books so I read Bharathipura which I liked more than Samskara. I don't think it is worth suggesting samskara to you now,because many later authors have written on same line. It was revolutionary then because it tried to uncover the veil of conservative society. I remember reading something like that in english too ,but I can't remember the name of the book and author.

If you are a a book colector I suggest you buy the book, It will help our future generation to know about our past.It explains the rigidity of caste system. If you know Kannada I would suggest you to read other works of U.R.Anatamurthy. Particularly Bharati Pura and Avasthe. They help to understand the our past ,it takes us through a journey in to the past.

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‘SAMSKARA – A RITE FOR A DEAD MAN’ BY PROF. U R ANANTHAMURTHY

The uncertainty on the distinction as to what is Good and what is bad is perhaps the oldest question in the history of humankind. This issue must have been argued about and discussed without reaching a satisfactory conclusion ever since the concepts of morals, values and ideals came into being, and it remains incomprehensible even in the present day that is supposed to be the age of absolute knowledge and freedom.

This ceaseless conflict has been time and again depicted not only by creative minds through the media of art and literature, but also through the very thoughts and actions of people, manifesting itself by raising questions in their lives, and at times, finding its way into the pages of history. Prof. Ananthamurthy’s award winning novel ‘Samskara’ explores this eternal question and takes a deeper look at the perpetual paradox of ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’. Set in early twentieth century India, the book depicts how thin the demarcating line is, between the so-called conflicting values as defined and viewed by society.

The novel is set against the backdrop of a death - The death of a rebelling member of an orthodox clan of Brahmins. When Naranappa, the black sheep of the agrahara (Brahmin settlement) who scandalises the entire community by indulging openly in meat-eating, wine and women dies issueless, none of the Brahmins come forward to perform his last rites for fear of sullying their caste. They take the issue to Praneshacharya, the most respected person of the Agrahara for a solution.

After a prolonged and detailed search of the scriptures in vain, Praneshacharya retires to meditate in the Maruti temple, seeking God’s verdict to dispose the body. The Brahmins try to solve the problem by seeking help from a neighbouring colony and later, a monastery. Meanwhile, Naranappa’s rotting corpse causes plague to break out in the agrahara. Frustrated with his incompetence to arrive at a decision, Praneshacharya stumbles out of the temple and on a spur of the moment, has a liaison with Chandri, the low-caste mistress of Naranappa. This encounter marks a turning point in Praneshacharya’s life. After cremating his wife who succumbs to the plague, he leaves the agrahara, unable to face the people who had revered him until then as a learned teacher.

Though he flees from his native surroundings, Praneshacharya comes face to face with his real self and he realises that he is basically no different from the hedonistic Naranappa. He contemplates on his past life as he walks aimlessly through the adjoining villages with a vague notion of searching for Chandri.

An epitome of idealism for nearly forty years of his life, Praneshacharya had deliberately chosen the path of sacrifice and felt an inane satisfaction in his perfection. His decision to marry an invalid woman and to deny himself earthly pleasures begin to appear to him as vanity, even sheer hypocrisy. He realises that he had been vain to think that he was above the likes of his dear friend Mahabala and Naranappa, who had descended to revelling in the lower pleasures of life. The Brahmins return to the agrahara and get ready to cremate the corpse, without knowing that Chandri had already cremated it with help from a Muslim.

The novel’s ends with Praneshacharya’s return to the agrahara in a state of confusion that portrays the paradox central to the theme of the novel. In keeping with the essence of this theme, the book brings up several questions and highlights various aspects in accordance with and in contrast to established norms, without offering any specific solution. Indeed, it confirms that there is no specific solution.

Traits of gluttony, lust and greed within the Brahmins are portrayed in a direct, down-to-earth manner, implying that these are the inherent traits of humans beyond boundaries of caste and creed. This is shown explicitly in situations such as the competition among two Brahmins Lakshmanacharya and Garudacharya to perform Naranappa’s rites for claiming Chandri’s gold ornaments, the clandestine relationships between some Brahmins and lower caste women, the self-indulgent speeches of Naranappa and Mahabala glorifying a life of pleasure etc., conveyed subtly in the attitude of the brahmins who loathe Naranappa in public but envy him secretly, and illustrated clearly through the self-awakening thoughts of Praneshacharya who symbolically goes through a rebirth.

There is more than one reference to the sage Parashara whose liaison with a fisher-woman resulted in the birth of Ved-Vyas, the pioneering sage who compiled the sacred Vedas, the scriptures that lay down the guidelines followed by the Brahmins. This further highlights the dual existence of contrasting natures within any person who is basically human, as does the reference to Adi Shankaracharya’s brief tryst with worldly life and the contrasting views of the Brahmin youth and the women who listen to Praneshacharya’s rendering of stories from the Puranas, some for spiritual guidance and others for enjoyment of the descriptions of heroines like Shakuntala and the apsaras.

Some critics have raised factual quibbles about the authenticity of some portions of the novel. They confirm that the ancient scriptures do have provisions to handle the last rites of a Brahmin who has strayed from his prescribed duties, and point to the impossibility of vultures preying on plague-ridden rats.

Notwithstanding these trivial lapses, the novel is a straightforward portrayal of a serious issue that makes the reader think and reflect on convention and values that are part of the foundation of any social framework. This is especially relevant to today’s transient world where these issues are being questioned, challenged and debated as ever. However, after reading the book, one gets the feeling that it is nothing new, merely an echo of the questions posed from the past and presumably, the future…

Note: I had written this review for Meghdutam quite some time back...

https:// https://meghdutam.com/ bookstemp.php?name= book34.htm&&printer=0

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