From The Jacket

Shringar is a cosmic order. The cycle of seasons set in the process of destruction and rejuvenation. After a deep slumber nature suddenly vibrates and there is a phenomenal change in the flora, mushrooming of flowers and leaves of various hues with multitudinous variety in size and pattern. There is joy and delight everywhere.

For the roop shringar there is a natural desire of a woman since the onset of the civilisation. The author traces the theory and conceptualization of roopl avanya through the vast available literature and has tried to compress the essential features.

In the realm of poetry shringar-the amorous feeling is regarded as rasraj among the rasas or poetic moods by the Indian aestheticians. The author traces the genesis and evolution of theory of shringar and has given copious illustrations from Sanskrit classics.

There is a visible impact of our ancient literature on the subsequent art and literature, sculpture and painting related to shringar. We also find a unique blending of music and painting in ragmala and barahmasa folios of the painters of various schools. The author has put the impact of the ancient literature in proper perspective as this is not properly recognised or appreciated.

There is a popular belief that there is too much of body in Sanskrit poetry on shringar. While his impression is partially true the author argues that this is a lopsided view. The shringar poetry is not a flesh school of poetry but is in many respects comparable to the great English romantic poetry excelling in the delineation of nature and flight of imagination.

It is a unique effort of bringing under the umbrella of shringar ras the poetry, the music, sculpture and painting, a rare mix of scholarship and popular writing.

About The Author

Shri Ved Bhatnagar is a person with multifaceted personality. A writer, a thinker and a very keen photographer. A scholar of English and Sanskrit literature he has been making consistent efforts through media and translations to popularise the ancient Indian classics. He translated the Meghdootam of Kalidas in free verse in English and made an audio-visual presentation in the prestigious Kalidas Samaroh in 1983/84 in Ujjain. A serial on Meghdootam was telecast on Doordarshan based on his translation. He uses his photographic skill to bring about the pictorial quality of the poems. He has held one-man exhibition of his photographs in Ravindra Bhawan and Birla Auditorium in Jaipur. He is closely linked with the activities of Shruti Mandal Jaipur an Organisation engaged in the promotion of classical music and dancer and holding ballet festivals annually in memory of Udaishankar the creator of this new genre of artistic expression.