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softening: the mind and then implanting moral truths. Indian poetry docs not command, does and teach does not preach, does not give friendly advice, but show us all that is good, all that is noble and all that is virtuous, in such a graphic and telling way that our minds are unconsciously mollified to love nobleness and virtue for their own sake.
Of popular poetry the highest and the noblest is the Rāmāyana and the influence it exerts on the character of Indians is enormous; everyone wants that he should live like Rāma. And this influence is perceptible in every Hindu household, and the enormous good that it has done cannot be exaggerated. It has made Hindus what they are, -- a mild, god-fearing, truthful, law-abiding and honest race of men.
The artistic Epic does not appeal to the people in general, but to the cultured society, with the same result. Nay more -it makes them more gentlemanly, more cultured and more refined, it makes them conscious of their limitations and always kecps them within the bounds of propricty. In creating beauty the artistic poctry is more effective than the popular and the beauty is always elevating always mollifying and always inspiring,
Prakrit poetry is all religious or didactic. But some of the anthologies are full of exquisite sentiments and beautiful images. Creative fancy it has none. Some of its verses have become proverbial. That is all that can be said about Prakrit poetry in a short address like this. But its extent is very great and I believe it is an altogether unexplored field of work.
But Sanskrit language and literature, Prakrit language and literature in all their varied aspects deserve greater attention, greater energy and persistency than is given to it at the present moment. The whole history of the Indian races is buried both in these languages and these literatures, and if that history is to be recovered, if we want to know what we are, then these are our only means to achieve that result. But we have neglected them. Time has come that we make atonement for this neglect or we would be swept away by disruptive influences from the West.
OJO
gaat UF 30 - France, 2002
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| SR No. | 524611 |
| Book Title | Tulsi Prajna 2002 04 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Shanta Jain, Jagatram Bhattacharya |
| Publisher | Jain Vishva Bharati |
| Publication Year | 2002 |
| Total Pages | 122 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Classification | Magazine, India_Tulsi Prajna, & India |
| File Size | 6 MB |