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ChitrapurEbooks.com is a community website dedicated to digitising and collating eBooks, articles, commentaries that are iconic in the collective memory of the Chitrapur Saraswats.
The Community (aka Bhanaps/Amchis) has experienced exponential and (sometimes) turbulent change in its 300 years+ of existence, and our endeavour is to glean the positivity from it, and look at the present & future, through the prism of it's past. The works presented here are unedited, mirroring the life and times they were written in, giving the reader a flavour of the past, thereby refreshing memories across communities and people. We hope this corpus of writings will provoke and sustain reader interest, and continue to connect The Community to it's rich, lively Heritage.
What's new at ChitrapurEbooks.com
Ramrao Manjunathayya Benegal
The second half of 19th century was a time of social, political, and cultural ferment in India. The stirrings of Indian national movement were being felt with spread of education and social reform movements. An urgent need was felt to change mindset of people, to unite the country, divided as it was under colonial rule. Benegal Ramrao (b.1876, Mangalore), the subject of this article was not only the namesake and near contemporary of one of the famous “Benegal brothers”, but also erudite in his passion for Kannada language and literature, translating many works of different Indian languages into Kannada. He edited Kannada newspapers like ‘Suvasini’and ‘Vagbhushana’, and later worked as Head of Translation department of the Madras government. Through his writings and opinions, his selfless work at the grassroots level helped the cause of freedom and unification of modern Karnataka.
The author of the article, Dr Sushama Arur holds a PhD in History from Pune University and has taught for two decades. She writes mainly in English and has books to her credit in Kannada as Editor of “Sangit Sarasi”, and now in Konkani as well. She lives in Goa.
ChitrapurEbooks.com appreciates Dr Arur’s efforts in unearthing this personality from the sands of Time, and thankfully acknowledges her permission to digitise this article, which appeared initially in the KSA of Jan. 2009.
Parijnana II
By Gopal Hattiangadi
On the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivaratri 2024, we are happy to add the digitised version of Dr.Gopal Hattiangdi’s book ‘PARIJNANA II: The Unknown Phenomenon’ (2001)
This unusually planned book has barely 65 pages; the author expresses difficulty of writing about an 18th century Guru details of whose life activities are only sketchy. (H.H. Shrimat Parijnanashram Swamiji II (1757-1770) was the third spiritual leader of our community) Let us hear, therefore, in the author`s own words, how he worked his way around this difficulty “Divine Providence reminded me of a technique used by some others - the art of communicating with holy humans who have left their bodies, but are resilient in one’s mind, heart and soul. No planchettes or séances are involved. Just fervent prayer and sincere meditation. Fully aware of my limitations, I have attempted this procedure”.
Use of this technique, which Dr.Hattiangdi calls “meditative exploration” perhaps lends his descriptive phrases, in the words of Dr. Sadhana Kamat, “a dream like quality, and makes the reader delve deep into philosophic expositions.” As we go through his works, it is as though we are witnessing a verbal jugalbandi. Not only the meaning, but even the connotation and purport gently slides into another language. The pristine beauty of language and his elegant style, she notes, uncovers the original flavours of Vedic thoughts.
It is, however, in a Benediction, written by H.H. Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji (significantly on Maha Sivaratri day, 2001) for the book, that the true shape and purpose of such thinking is brought out very lucidly. H.H.Swamiji observes “In the presence of the Master, the seeker`s mind lets go of all doubts and queries that have been plaguing it, and in its temporary resonance with Maha Mouna—the thunderous silence---of the Master, has glimpses of Siva. Further Sadhana and surrender by the seeker brings about a crystallization of this into steady realization and the jiva is established in his Siva Swaroopa……….We pray to Lord Bhavanishankar that this book may inspire sadhakas to do their Guru Upasatti with alertness and devotion”.
Authorscape
Writers of yesteryear whose legacy lives on in their writings, for future generations to enjoy, ponder, or even meditate upon.
