Pradeep Kaul
When a book like Sanskrit Adbas Ka’shiren Hyund Dyut is released it is bound to incite interest. Reasons are not so far away to find, particularly in the present times, when we are grappling with many problems related to the Kashmir. Both at political and historical stage, Kashmir has remained for many reasons at the forefront of national and international focus. A need is felt within the psyche of well meaning people to reinterpret and reassert historical wrongs being imposed about Kashmir and it is here that the author S N Pandit and his book assumes importance.
This is not the virgin attempt of the author. Those who are interested in the variegated cultural mosaic of Kashmir know pretty well that the author is well known for his incisive books on Kashmir Viz- Kashmir Hindu Heritage, Kashmiri Hindu Sanskaars (Rituals, Rites and customs), Ka’shhiren Batten Handi Rasa’m Ta Rivaaj and Ropa Bhawani : Akh Saam. He has also worked on the Editorial Board, Tri Lingual Dictionary Committee involving English, Hindi and Kashmiri. In addition he has published scores of research papers and articles in prestigious journals of the country. The author by writing this book has done a valuable labour which will not go waste because it is aimed at an audience, significant size of which has traditionally refused to understand that the history of Kashmir goes beyond a particular date. Though there are notable exceptions. We ought not forget that the university song of Kashmir university written by famous poet Rahman Rahi depicts the glorious past of Kashmir in the lines Hee maej kashiri chiy Ayuet anndi vaand alim aagar saariy (Oh Mother Kashmir you since ages has been font head of knowledge). Unfortunately, such intense and candid views are not resonated now and in its place the rabble rousers, among the literary fraternity in the valley have not registered the fact that Kashmir for millennia has been a bastion of Sanskrit learning.
The sinister forces of bigotry and narrow mindedness have further exacerbated the situation. Wonder if Kashmiriat means to ignore the glorious Hindu and Buddhist traditions of Kashmir then the time is not far when we shall through this ominous design find it on the shores of Arabia! In this clime of obfuscation, the arrival of S N Pandit’s book in vernacular language of Kashmiri is bound to contribute towards an impartial assessment of Kashmir’s contribution to the Indian and world literature. And this honour shall stay with this book without any shred of demur. This book serves two mighty purposes, first to dissolve the hackneyed opinion about Sanskrit Kashmir which as mentioned earlier has been perpetuated by a classic majority imposition. Secondly, as this book is written in Nastalik script in Kashmiri language, the target readership of this work will not only be encouraged to revisit their past but also get a window view of Kashmir which it once was, a great seat of varied learning.
To the lay, the fare put up in the book could flummox him into disbelief, at the huge output that Kashmiri intellect has provided to the world in the form of some seminal contributions in literature and philosophy. This book is all about that and tells it emphatically yet without any brashness. Here, words flow in a seamless stream in Kashmiri used by the common people but with a slightly different but authentic flavor. In place of the Kashmiri, being propagated by majority of scholars with liberal use of Persio-Arabic words that has nearly made it overburdened with a foreign load which it barely is able to carry, S N Pandit in this book as a welcome change has made use of colloquial words which add a dash of local flavor to the overall narrative of the book.
A similar attempt to sum the great legacy of glorious Kashmir was made a few decades earlier by the redoubtable scholar and Sanskritist, Ved kumari Gai in her book Sanskrit Sahitya ko Kashmir ki Daen. It is a coincidence that the book written by the well known author and researcher S N Pandit almost has the same title. Could it be that the two literary minds and researchers have struck a mental tonality in the similar pattern, decades after?
The first chapter of the book is devoted to the three sub- Puranas compiled within the geographical boundaries of Jammu and Kashmir. There is ample analysis of all the three Nilmatt Purana , Vishnodarhmotar Purana and Vasuki Puran. The last one is important from the point of view because it seems to have been compiled in Badhrewh /kishtwar region of the state and details many religious places of the region besides the Vasuki legend.
The second chapter is devoted to the historical works of Kashmir like all the four Raajtarangins of Kalhana, Jonraja, Srivar and Suka, beside long descriptive works of the Mahakavayas also find place in this chapter. Long narrative poems of classic Sanskrit have been dealt with in the fourth. In this chapter abridged works of renowned authors like Kshmendra called Manjiri Kavyas find good mention also. The available works of ancient theatre and drama related works find mention in the third chapter. Some of the finest folk stories of world literature based on the Katha sarit Sagar of Som Deva are detailed in the fifth chapter. Kashmiri writers in past were also concerned with the social order and prevailing conditions. They wrote on social issues too in a different genre called Mukhtaq kavya. These have been dealt ably by the author in the sixth chapter.
Great Sanskrit poets like Kshemendra and Bilhana and their celebrated shorter poems have been treated copiously in the seventh chapter. Eight chapter is dedicated to the devotional poems in Sanskrit which are of immense value not only from the esoteric value but from the imaginative and intense devotional merit of the authors who wrote them. Ninth chapter is very prolific as it details the contribution of Kashmiri scholars to the field of poetics and literary theory. In this field Kashmiri scholars have contributed immensely not only to the Indian literature but to the world literature in a way that is simply mind boggling. The learned author has taken pains at elaborating and enumerating these contributions in this chapter. All the poetic schools of India’s original literature have been formulated in Kashmir. Schools of poetics like Aalankaar, Riiti, Vakrokti, Rasa, Dhavni and Auchitiya have been listed and detailed by the author in this book.
Besides, giving some examples of comparative analysis of some of the selected passages from modern Kashmiri poetry on the lines as found in the Sanskrit poetics and adopted by a few of the poets of modern Kashmiri language in the 11th Chapter, Mr Pandit has extended the canvas of his views in the 12th chapters that includes a special last chapter of “Adabi Istilah” – A list of equivalent technical terms from modern Kashmiri, originating from the Sanskrit that have been used in the book while discussing various works of literary nature. The author has tried to give their equivalents in the modern Kashmiri language and it is expected that such attempts may be of literary value to the scholars of the future generations of this language.
Incorporation of different themes makes this book akin to an encyclopedia in scope and scheme. It is one window where we can have a Darshan of ancient Kashmir and its classic contributions to the world literature. It opens a vast area before us, a vast mosaic of which we all irrespective of creed, place or language should be proud of. No wonder, the book earned unrestrained praise from the Governor of the state when he released this book very recently. One last wish from the lovers of literature and Kashmir history will be to see this work translated into Hindi and English so that it attracts a wider audience and the people who cannot read Nastaliq script, relate to the great literature that Kashmir has produced.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
