Insights into oriental wisdom
Professor Sunanda Mahendra
COLUMNS: Columnists can do wonders in certain ways, as they may
record side issues and comments that can pave the way for unbelievable
insights for the historian and other scholars.
This fact is observed mainly in the writings of the late Art Buchwald
and Alistair Cooke; their writing appeared in thousands of newspapers
over the years. So are the various types of columns written by our own
Sinhala writers in the calibre of Munidasa Cumaratunga, Martin
Wickramasinghe and Sri Chandraratne Manavasinghe.
I remembered these aspects on reading the column-collection Kandu
Pamula (At the Foot of the Mountain, an author publication, 2006)
compiled by Dr. Saman Chandra Ranasinghe, a senior lecturer at the
University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
In the arrangement of the columns into the book form, the author has
added some significant footnotes presumably enabling the reader to peep
more into the depth of his presentation and grooming the pieces look
more learned, which I think, is the research process akin to the likings
of the writer.
Basically the essays contain the wisdom of the East or the Orient, as
they may be called at a glance. Dr. Ranasinghe lays emphasis on the
selected subjects with gleanings to his mastery-field, the subject of
culture and language with reference to Sanskrit.
However, he goes beyond the narrow paths in the subjects, with more
modern insights, with more interpretations and analyses, than being mere
commentarial like many writings by the university dons.
Take for instance the opening subject titled Sundaratvaya (The
Beauty). He quotes a stanza from Hitopadesa by Vishnusharman, an ancient
Sanskrit scholar, who is said to have been instrumental in enlightening
three sons of a certain king.
Communication
“If there is something one desires and appreciates on this earth, may
it be beautiful or not, it is supposed to be something that concerns
beauty for him as far as he is concerned” is the plain meaning of the
stanza as I understood.
Ranasinghe then goes further steps ahead interpreting the same in
more modern terms, with a touch of religious communication selecting
some events from actual day to day at his wish.
He shows how the truthfulness can be beautiful, and the friendship
and honour added in one’s life could enhance its achievement. The ways
and manners of the old age could be termed as beautiful, taking into
account of how the life had been spent by a particular individual.
The concepts as laid down in books like Mahabharatha are unfolded, as
he says that while the sun shines it is beautiful, but it gradually
falls towards the evening and in the same manner the beauty in people
too wane gradually, depending on the way they shone while they lived.
Then he goes a step ahead on analyzing the manner in which the people
live and presents four interconnected factors: firstly those who live
and do nothing, secondly those who live for the sake of living ignorant
of what they should perform while they live, thirdly those who live in
our hearts for what they have contributed in their lives, and fourthly
those who have not lived the life properly, nor do they live in our
hearts at all.
He selects the lives of poets who have performed a creative task in
order to show that the poets live as long as the people admire their
poems. Whenever examples are required to exemplify a matter, the writer
draws, at his beck and call, events from his life mainly referring to
poets Kumaragama, Alwis Perera, Kudaligama and a few others.
Examples
The writer shifts his attention to such subjects as wind, (sulanga),
clouds (valakulu), environment (parisaraya) and life (jivitaya) citing
examples from oriental texts and linking them to the modern knowledge.
He has a knack of bringing light to some of the age old anecdotes
referring to kings, wise men and poets; the reference made to Sanskrit
works like Meghaduta of Kalidasa and Kamasutra of Vatsayana perhaps
unknowingly proves that some of the age old sayings and concepts are
more modern and acceptable if interpreted scientifically.
For instance, he cites that the work Kamasutra is grossly
misunderstood by the modern readers as a text mainly on sex matters, but
he says that it is written to explain the value of a better lay life
where sex cannot be left out. Thus an invitation is extended to reread
the work; one will find more concepts on love than lust and passion.
I found the short essay on Dr E.W. Adikaram as one of the finest so
far written about his life and works. For Ranasinghe, Dr. Adikaram is
gifted with the rarest nature of being compassionate like a sage of
wisdom, with an outlook on many subject areas.
Ranasinghe admires Adikaram’s high truthfulness, simple manners,
genuine relationship, being critical on fraudulences, brimful
non-violence, being of non-competitive nature and above all his
happiness.
He highlights Adikaram’s seven volumes of booklets titled Sitivili
Poth should be made to be read by all to evaluate his calibre. I also
felt happy on reading the essay on the poet Pandit Vimal Abhayasundara
as the time is ripe for some one to assess this poet’s contribution as
well.
One moment in his academic career he had been invited to attend an
international seminar on Sanskrit studies for which he had duly accepted
and gone with some other Sanskrit scholars. During the proceedings most
of the Sanskrit scholars have been conversing in Sanskrit.
The writer records with a touch of wit that to his surprise there
appeared a certain scholar who accepted he is not familiar with the
language called Sanskrit but would prefer to discuss the significance of
being knowledgeable in English language.
Such anecdotes of real life too emerge homely in this collection,
which in turn open the eyes of many of us; we pretend we know everything
though in reality we are not sure what we actually know.
The modern Sinhala columnists of varying nature should take time off
from their busy schedule and read this collection. It will definitely
help reflect their stance. Dr Saman Chandra Ranasinghe is well equipped
with his subject, Language and Culture, and he writes on topics related
to it, which is admirable.
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