Samskara: A Rite For A Dead Man (Paperback) Samskara: A Rite For A Dead Man is a religious novel about a deteriorating Brahmin colony in the south Indian village of Karnataka. Summary Of The Book Samskara analyzes the caste system, religious rules, culture, and traditions and also the uncertain relationship between traditional cultural values and the new values of the modern world. It also goes deeper into the moral and philosophical issues about how one can lead a righteous life, the legality of customs, and the Brahminism concept in a modern world. The novel starts with the death of a member belonging to an orthodox clan of Brahmins who do not follow the established customs. Naranappa is the disreputed person of the agrahara (Brahmin settlement) who offends the whole community by indulging in forbidden things like wine and women, and meat-eating. When he dies without a heir nobody from the brahmin community agrees to perform his last rites due to the fear of disgracing their caste. For getting a solution, they take the problem to Praneshacharya, the most revered person of the Agrahara. Praneshacharya does a detailed and prolonged search of the scriptures without success. Then he retires for meditating in the Maruti temple hoping for God's guidance for disposing the body. For solving the problem the Brahmins seek help from a colony in the neighbourhood and later, a monastery. Meanwhile, there is a break out of plague in the agrahara due to Naranappa's rotting corpse. Praneshacharya becomes frustrated due to his inability to arrive at a decision. As he staggers out of the temple he sees Chandri, the low-caste mistress of Naranappa and has an affair with her. This incident is a turning point in Praneshacharya’s life. Meanwhile his wife dies due to the plague. He cremates his wife and then leaves the agrahara not able to confront the people who had respected him until then as a learned teacher. Samskara has been adapted into a movie. About U. R. Ananthamurthy Udupi Rajagopalacharya Ananthamurthy was born on December 21, 1932. He is a contemporary critic and writer in the Kannada language and is considered as one among the pioneers of the Navya movement. His popular novels include Bharathipura, Bhava, Divya, Avasthe, and Stallion of The Sun And Other Stories. Besides English and Kannada, he has also written in Hindi and Marathi. He has written poems too. Ananthamurthy’s novels have much to do with the psychological aspects of people in different circumstances. Ananthamurthy is popular among Indian authors. He has Master’s degree in Arts from the University of Mysore and a doctorate from the University of Birmingham titled, Politics And Fiction in the 1930’s. He has written over two dozen books in Kannada, including five novels. Translations of many of these are available in English and other Indian as well as European languages. He has received Padma Bhushan and Jnanpith awards. He has served as vice-chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University, chairman of National Book Trust India, and also as the president of Sahitya Akademi. He is a visiting professor to many renowned Indian and foreign universities, and is currently the chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India. Quite a few of his books have been made into movies. He is married to Esther and has two children. He lives in Bangalore. Book Summary of Samskara: A Rite for a Dead Man, Second Edition (O... About the Book: Samskara: A Rite for a Dead Man Examining the caste system, culture, religious rules, and traditions, as well as the ambivalent relationship between handed-down cultural values and the new values of a changing world, Samskara looks at deeper moral and philosophical issues like how to lead a righteous life, the validity of customs, and the concept of brahminism in a contemporary world. A classic of modern Indian literature, it is both a religious novel and a contemporary reworking of ancient Hindu themes and myths. Probing multiple meanings of the word 'Samskara', which means rite of passage, ritual, preparation, transformation, as well as death rites, this novel is an engrossing tale of the personal transformation of a man living in a community that refuses to change with the times. This Oxford India Perennials edition includes detailed notes that explain Hindu myths, customs, Indian names, flora, and other terms, an afterword that explores the various dimensions of the novel's substance and meaning, and an essay by Susheela Punitha based on an interview with the author. About the Author: U.R. Ananthamurthy U.R. Ananthamurthy is one of India's best-known writers. He is the author of more than two dozen books in Kannada, including five novels, many of which have been translated into English and other Indian as well as European languages. Recipient of the Padma Bhushan and Jnanpith awards, he has served as vice-chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University, chairman of National Book Trust India, president of Sahitya Akademi, visiting professor in many renowned Indian and foreign universities, and is currently the chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India. A.K. Ramanujan was a distinguished Indian poet, critic, translator, and academic. He taught in many renowned universities in India and the US and is widely credited for his distinguished contributions to the discipline South Asian Studies. Recipient of the Padma Shri, among many other awards, he is best known for his English renderings of classical Tamil and medieval Kannada poetry. Samskara: A Rite for a Dead Man The quote. The plot involves a Brahmin who dies under irregular circumstances. “The more corrupt the State. it is apparent that we are moving in the wrong direction. Most people get it. Dictatorship does not make the dictator infallible. we are tying ourselves into knots. Our economy is essentially dead. our own laws that we passed to serve us . The strictures are difficult and numerous. The Vedic texts also prohibit Brahmins from eating until the body had been properly disposed of. R. the body is left to rot in the agarahara (Brahmin‘s quarters. America is the dead Brahmin in Murthy’s story. I am currently reading “Samskara: A Rite for a Dead Man” by U. We are doomed to suffer its rotting corpse at least until our laws permit us to proceed with a proper burial. From the sheer volume of legal documents. and the irregularity prohibits any Brahmin from performing the rites of cremation. Though the signs (even then) were obvious. the acharya (head of the Brahmin colony) consults the Vedic texts over and over again.120 AD). district or village). Yet. It is a quandary in which we now also find ourselves. Expedience cannot be a factor . Anantha Murthy. Even when rats begin to overwhelm theagarahara. Americans believed that there was something immutable that would mitigate any wayward impulse by a president: America.proscribe his removal for at least two more years. briefs and revisions that is being passed through the hands of Indian editors.neither can common sense. Since his station demands that his body be touched only by Brahmins. the more numerous its laws. yet he can find no solution. . but precise and unyielding. Rather than streamlining our legal system. They did not foresee the possibility that America itself could actually be dismantled bit by bit. Our nation is literally starving. When Americans voted for Obama.” is attributed to Publius Cornelius Tacitus (56 . Our problem is simple to define. it is not enough to break the stalemate. Obama is killing the country. It is not until Obama is removed from office that we can move forward and re-make America into the entity we so desperately desire(d). they essentially voted for dictatorship. In Murthy’s story. It is again another book that is hard to write a review.S. i read samskara.Ananthamurthy is a landmark book in the indian literary .So i wrote my stupid 2 lines on this Book.Samskara I read V. some other time. it is a literary achievement that has been analyzed and scrutinized by many.The reason is the thought that my review should do some justification to an awesome book like that.R. for it is not a run of a mill book.U. jnanpith Dr.I wrote the above lines to let u all know that the book is a lot lot more than what i am going to write.Naipaul's "India .And this one again placed me at the same position. ----story---This controversial novel by padma bhushan.I didn't want to add this one also in my list of.Before i could get out of the wounded civilization thoughts. "too be reviewed books".Then i decided to put it away for a while and write the review.A Wounded civilization" and since then i have been in a limbo on how to write a review to that book. what follows is a closer look into the aghrahara and its hypocratic brahmins. The acharya of the colony is made to decide on that. comes across a low caste man names putta.The novel later moves on from the problem of the samskara(last rite) of a dead man to the samskara(transformation) of the acharya. who accompanies the acharya to his destination. and his attempts to get redemption for his sin. This character becomes an important one in changing the views of the acharya and provides him with answers for various .The first part leads to a sin being committed by the acharya. In the second part it is about the sin and immediate aftermath. who is on a quest to find answers for his personal questions.where around 20 madhava brahmin families live.history.The problem starts on the question of who has to perform the last rites(samskara) of Naranappa. a fellow brahmin.The acharya. The colony in question is the agrahara of durvasapura . In the third part it is all personal.The book changes from a general one which was addressing the community as a whole to something that talks more about the acharya. who took to un brahminical ways of drinking.The problem that the agrahara faces at the start is a great imagination by the author and he plays with various characters to bring forth the various bad things of the community. -----------The book is divided into 3 parts.It is all about the acharya.It tells the story of a decaying brahmin colony. eating meat and womanizing. The confused and pensive acharya walks out of the agrahara and wanders aimlessly through a forest. Also the book is filled with allegories and points to mythological stories. At least that is what i thought. he enjoys the various small amusements . analyze and conclude things for yourself. compulsively sticks to him and takes him to a festival fair. rich with various literary components. for examples. Above all the book gives space for you to imagine.There is hardly a character or a line which does not convey an idea. around 140 pages.The book works on multiple levels. it asks a lot of questions like how to lead a right life.It tells an interesting story. There he meets a villager named putta on the way.This is a complete book.questions. Putta lives in the moment. This is a short book. in the 3rd part where the acharya is going through a transformation(The first 2 parts are less philosophical compared to the third where the acharya goes through the transformation). The book is also philosophical. a social commentary.On a first look it might look like yet another brahmin bashing book. this book is lot more than that. the validity of the customs . What is great about the book?.Even though it is partly true. But that is just one dimension of it. does good characterization and all the other things of a good novel. who is brahmin? etc. Putta who walks with the acharya for company. The book is open ended and there are so many events and characters which provide us with so many pointers for imaginations and conclusions. For example. May one's life be like that of a sunshine.The acharya thinks that it is a sin to watch a show or participate in a cock fight.available in the fair. illiterate saint-his mind was just one awarness. And when putta is doing all these things the acharya is thinking about his sin and how it could be corrected.what shall i do?. a wonder as he was to Kanaka-so no more god for me. eyes see. becomes a set of multiplication tables learned by rote. But when we think about what the acharya said at the start of the third part "yoga is the stilling of waves of mind. A mere awareness. Or else in desire it dries to a shell.that's why he came to his master and asked:'You want me to eat the plantain where there's no one.That kanake. Not an awareness. Then one's life becomes receptive. For a normal reader the behavior of putta might sound something that is mundane and a usual habit of any villager.He bargains with a goldsmith for the acharya.. bets and wins in a cock fight. he asks the acharya to eat with the brahmins while he waits ." You realize that Dr Anantha murthy uses the normal festival setup to drive his point.O to be without desire.Putta talks about how he fights with his wife and later buys a ribbon for her. it withers. a sheer astonishment. He goes to see a half snake-half women show.God is everywhere..So he stays away while putta enjoys himself..Legs walk.Where can i go. eats dosa from a local restaurant. buys ribbon for his wife and donates money to a beggar.God has become to me a set of tables. learned by rote. still floating still and self-content. ears hear. one wonder.where can i do that?.The acharya does not participate in any of the things that putta did. like the sacred brahmani-kite in the sky. In the forest. who stands outside the action and watches time pass by. The agrahara is supposed to be pure and residing place of all good things(Heaven) where as the fair is the residing place of all sins(Hell). who is called the 'crest jewel of vedantha'.putta lives in the moment and by all his acts at the fair he becomes a complete human being. You can know that the acharya is mixing the various . where as putta is a pimp. VANAPRASTHA(retirement into forest).It is an interesting contrast study. putta cherishes the god given life and lives when he is alive. On another level if you compare these two characters of Acharya and putta and there experience at the fair. BRAHMACHARYA. the buffer between good and bad he meets Putta. The acharya is an intellectual. he is a viewer but the kaleidoscope is just bigger. The acharya is an Upper class Brahmin. SANYASA(Renunciation of pleasures). a feast to the various senses to make him realise what he is missing in life. where as putta is a lower class mahler.outside and donates alms to the cripple beggars. Whereas in the kaleidoscopic picture of the festival fair the acharya is a viewer. Again this crossing of forest by the acharya could be viewed in the context of the different stages of a hindu human life. And when you look at from that point.Here the physical crossing of forest can be viewed as the vanaprastha stage of a human being. GRIHASTHYA(married life).The acharya who comes out of his agrahara after crossing a forest lands in the fair. When the acharya is accumulating good karma for a better life after his death. who takes the acharya on a sensual tour. when all these things where happening the acharya was just WATCHING . It is the same in the life also. Ramanujam. The book was written in 1965 and made into a movie by girish karnad later.The book is philosophical at times and puts lot of deep questions.The whole book is like that.I can imagine the amount of protest he would have got in 1965 when it was released in kannada. This is just one small part that i wanted to talk.It evokes anger and hate against the practices of the upper caste people of that agrahara.stages of a human being.This book is still a powerful one which talks a dig at the brahminical attitudes. .The book starts its multiple meaning for every thing that is conveyed in the book right from its title samskara. putta. This book is kind of similar to Herman hesse's "Narcissus and Goldmund" The Acharya who wants to acheive god by the scriptures and naranappa who wants to acheive god by loving the life given by him can be related to narsissus and goldmund. The translation of the book should be mentioned. The book brings forth the characters and incidents so vividly.Excellent translation by A.K. acharya and many more characters from the agrahara are beautifully sketched. The book is simply fascinating with its characters. Narannappa. this small 140 page book expands into a much much bigger one as you start analysing it. Also this is a book that reach's the western reader as a indian regional book and not as those books that are written with western audience in mind.It is a multilayered deep one and an excellent character study. without providing any answers. at first glance..R. householder (grhastha). or duty. the central question of the first part of the novel becomes whether or not the brahmin men in the agrahara may perform the funeral rights for Naranappa. Anantha Murthy contrasts many possible paths to salvation including that of Naranappa and that of Praneshacharya.. In Samskara." (Flood 62).. In the novel. Praneshacharya is considered the wisest brahmin in the agrahara because he studied the Vedas in Kashi. then one comes closer to liberation (moksa).. did Naranappa still possess his brahminhood despite the way he lived his life? In attempting to answer this question.. or asramas...Fall 1998 In Hinduism. Thus. and renouncer (samnyasa). this means obeying her husband. it involves performing the vedic rituals and progressing through the four life stages. Dharma can be loosely translated to mean "duty. and right." (Flood 52) It is the idea that each person in society has a certain path or duty to follow and it is by following this path that a person obtains salvation. Durvasapura.. However. For a woman... if either. For the brahmin male. (Flood 12) Dharma differs for each caste in Hindu society. religion. hermit or forest-dweller (vanaprastha). ethics. It is most important in Hinduism to actaccording to your dharma rather than just to believe that it is good to do so. this means living his life according to the four life-stages (asramas) and practicing the vedic rituals. Praneshacharya begins a spiritual journey in which the question becomes whether or not he has truly fulfilled his dharma in the way he has lived his life. If one fulfills one‟s dharma.. on the other hand. religious merit. The only toll to pay on this path is that of dharma. Samskara. a person is offered many paths towards salvation depending on his or her caste. Murthy makes it obvious to the reader that this is the most important question in the novel by having Chandri secretly cremate Naranappa‟s body. in particular. Thus. the question of the funeral rites no longer exists and the .. justice. At the beginning of the novel. of these two is actually performing their dharma. Naranappa.. In other words. (Murthy 21) He leaves his wife for Chandri.Dharma in Samskara Written for Religions of South Asia Sophomore Year .. U. I do not believe that either Naranappa nor Praneshacharya are successful at performing the dharma of a brahmin man because neither fulfilled both the life stages and the performance of the rituals. cast off his brahminhood for more hedonistic ways. a low-caste woman and begins to eat meat and keep company with Muslims. throughout the novel it becomes less clear who. Chandri tells Praneshacharya that Naranappa has died. both Naranappa and Praneshacharya are brahmin males living in the agrahara. principle. law. "The four stages are: that of the celibate student (brahmacarya). a sinner and a saint. For a brahmin man. or rite of passage. a brahmin man is expected to abstain from sex and study the Vedas. an invalid woman. However. He never seems able to give up the world of any stage in order to move to the next stage." (Flood 63) After a period of study is complete. Praneshacharya was never able to experience that desire. Part of the householder stage of life is experiencing desire. only Praneshacharya is given the opportunity to discover his past mistakes and perhaps learn from them. eats meat. the brahmin boy is expected to marry and enter the stage of the householder. with Bhagirathi as a wife. for Praneshacharya in which he attempts to discern the correct path to salvation by becoming a part of the world instead of a being beyond it. neither Praneshacharya nor Naranappa completely fulfill their dharma. (Flood 62) The celibacy of this stage is necessary to retain energy for the study of the Vedas. Praneshacharya tries to have the best of all worlds by combining all four life stages. In the life stage of the celibate student. I believe that in order to make the life stages of the forest-dweller and renouncer meaningful. Praneshacharya obviously experienced the life stage of a celibate student. He attempts to exist in the social world among the brahmins while still attaining the spirituality and separateness of a renouncer or forest-dweller. and drinks liquor. He sets out to experience desire whenever he can. I believe Praneshacharya never truly crossed to this stage because he married Bhagirathi. represents the other extreme. including sexual desire. Naranappa. He tries to skip the stage of the "man-in-the-world" (Flood 89) and move directly to the life of a renouncer. Praneshacharya‟s samskara takes place in three phases similar to those of other Hindu samskaras like the upanaya for brahmin boys in which a young man is initiated into his time of learning the Vedas. Praneshacharya had spent his whole life studying the Vedas and the Puranas without once knowing for himself what the desire they spoke of was like. one must first experience desire. Thus. The entire novel represents a samskara. More importantly.reader is forced to turn to the issue of Praneshacharya‟s dharma and path to salvation. However. ignoring his duties as a householder and casts off the traditions of brahminhood altogether. Worldly desires were foreign to him because he avoided them. . However. He sleeps with Chandri. His education is mentioned and praised many times throughout the novel. However. he purposefully chose to marry Bhagirathi in order to completely avoid sexual desire and intercourse. He knew only of those things transcendent to this earth. He leaves his wife. He attempted to move from the life of a celibate student to the life of a renouncer or forest-dweller in which a brahmin gives up desire. He knows desire and gives into it at every moment he can. on the other hand. It is a Hindu belief that semen contains energy that "can be sublimated for a religious purpose. At first it seems exciting and beautiful to the narrator. He still sees himself as not yet of the world but above it. At first he probably felt that way about his friend Mahabala at Kashi but as soon as Mahabala fell from grace Praneshacharya ceased to see himself as part of that ." (Murthy 115) He is still primarily unable to look at the world from a view other than a transcendent one. But then she comes to understand that she is not only part of the good but the bad as well." (Murthy 121) Everything around him. He certainly saw himself in the Vedic teachings and in his teachers when he was a student. The life of conflict turned out to be the quicker path to salvation than a life like Praneshacharya‟s in which conflict was avoided at all costs." unless she also says of Hitler and the Nazis: "They are you. and he. But he never allowed himself to carry that feeling out to other parts of the world. After his psychological separation from the community. He believes that he has fallen from grace for giving into his sexual desires.First. salvation was something Praneshacharya worked for his entire life. The Lord did not choose Praneshacharya. He expects people to recognize him as the "Crest-Jewel of Vedanta Philosophy." Up until this point at the car-festival. She sees herself in all the good things of the world. This is the usual second stage to a samskara. is a part of it all. Praneshacharya is isolated from society." (Murthy 75) In other words. however. Taking in all the spectacles of the festival he suddenly realizes: "That art Thou. Lord! Why do you make me a gambler?‟" (Murthy 48) The gods answered his call instead of appearing to the brahmins in the temple. During this time.‟" comes to the same realization. his transition is not yet complete. but only with the transcendent world. At this point he exists in a phase of transition which lasts the rest of the novel. his immediate reaction is that he has lost all of his authority in the community. He recognizes beauty (in Chandri) and ugliness (in his wife) for the first time. in turn. is also part of him. The action of sleeping with Chandri is the moment of his psychological separation from the community of the agrahara. After being shunned from his community he prayed to the Lord: "„O. It is at the car-festival that Praneshacharya reaches a revelation about his place in the world. But. He feels that he is no better than Naranappa and that the other brahmin men should not pay attention to what he says. at the same time. Praneshacharya chose the Lord. Praneshacharya experiences a physical isolation. Praneshacharya most probably did experience a sense of oneness with the world. "„All That is You. The narrator in the essay. When he sleeps with Chandri. She cannot say to a butterfly: "That is you. Praneshacharya becomes more aware of the physical world around him. He leaves the agrahara after he cremates his wife and begins to wander the forest. He laid out his path to salvation when he was sixteen by marrying Bhagirathi and never allowed desire or any other obstacle steer him from that path. The gambler in Praneshacharya‟s story. A brahmin gentleman addicted to gambling could not rid himself of his vice no matter how hard he tried. was chosen by the Lord. Praneshacharya compares this fall from grace to "a baby monkey losing hold of his grip on the mother‟s body. as well. A brahmin cannot afford to be completely of the world as Naranappa was because he will lose the qualities that have made him a brahmin since the beginnings of vedic tradition. He comes to no concrete conclusion about what to do. Praneshacharya says that marrying Bhagirathi makes him "„ripe and ready‟" (Murthy 2) the implication being that it made him ready for salvation." (Murthy 121) Throughout his life. He did not marry Bhagirathi because he was compassionate but because he was selfish. it begins to become clear to Praneshacharya that he married Bhagirathi not because he felt compassion towards the invalid woman to follow his path to salvation. He planned his path to salvation while he was still a child and did only those things in life that allowed him to continue on this path. Naranappa did not completely fulfill his dharma either because he did not follow the vedic rituals. But he cannot afford to be completely beyond the world either as was Praneshacharya because then he will not know conflict or desire and. When the novel ends. thus. Praneshacharya comes to the knowledge that he is not immune to "desire. Praneshacharya is still in his liminal phase. and then to be able to shun those desires and live as a renouncer. It is clear that Praneshacharya was unable to fulfill his dharma as a brahmin because he never let himself experience any of the life stages fully. In other words. He merely gets on the cart to Durvaspara. he belongs not only to the transcendent but to the earthly." nor should he be a stranger to its "fulfillment. This brings him one step closer to knowing that he is part of the whole world. is the hardest thing of all and perhaps the only way to fulfill the dharma of a brahmin. including marrying his wife. . To live either as Praneshacharya did or as Naranappa did is too easy and will not lead to salvation. Praneshacharya finally realizes that he is not only part of the brahmin world but of the low-caste world as well. Praneshacharya had struggled to avoid desire in order to attain salvation. to live part of your life as a householder. experiencing the worldly desires. At the end of the novel." At the car-festival. Murthy makes the point in Samskara that brahminism in must be a combination of the two forms exhibited by Praneshacharya and Naranappa. the rituals."sinner. To be able to do both. to renounce them would be meaningless. At the very beginning of the novel. namely. With this novel Anantha Murthy. and returned with the title "Crest-Jewel of Vedic Learning". has caught sacred fish from the temple tank. drinks alcohol sitting in his front veranda. They do not care to understand. (Among the several meanings of the word samskara. The other "famous" brahmin who lives in this agrahara is Naranappa. following traditions which are thousands of years old. funeral and ritual. English translation by A. They are afraid that if they do not follow the rules. held aloft a clear mirror to the brahmin community. invites muslims to his house and eats meat with them. a brahmin who rejected his brahminhood. a prostitute from Kundapura. Durvasapura and its agrahara are famous in the surrounding area. and is ready to undergo all kinds of tests on the path to salvation. Naranappa. a narrow street in which brahmins belonging to the Madhwa community (followers of guru Madhwa. a nearby town. One of them is Praneshacharya and the other one is Naranappa. They feel safe as long as they follow rules and traditions. disasters will fall upon them.Samskara By: U. which actually remains unresolved even in this novel. Anantha Murthy First published in 1965 in the Kannada language. He has brought home Chandri.K.is it achieved by blindly following rules and traditions. utterly devoid of selfish motives. Still. has cooked them. Praneshacharya went to Kashi (Benaras). If the flowers in the backyards of the other brahmins are meant mainly for the altar. created a big furore in Karnataka when it was published more than thirty years ago. Other brahmins are aghast at this sacrilegious act. is the samskara (funeral) of Naranappa. He believes completely in the saying of Bhagavadgita. Ramanujan. His life is pure. Their smell haunt the brahmins of the agrahara. They do not understand why they follow the rules. Shankara. not only of Durvasapura but also of those living in the surrounding villages. "Do what is to be done with no thought of fruit!" Praneshacharya wants to attain salvation. Madhwa and Ramanuja are the three most famous philosophers of ancient India) live. Anantha Murthy. He leads a celibate life and is proud of his self-sacrifice. because of two brahmins who live there. He is brahmin who has actually rejected brahminhood. The brahmins of this agrahara are utterly decadent. selfish. and if their women wear only withered flowers gathered from the altar in their hair which hangs at their back like a rat's tail. and eaten them. He has deliberately married an invalid and sick woman. Samskara is the story of life in an agrahara. narrow-minded. totally devoted to religion. jealous. R. somewhere in the western ghats (mountain range) of southern India. professor for English at the Mysore University. R. He raised the question "What is actually culture (Samskara) . studied there. some of the important ones are culture. He has thrown Saligrama. Their brahminhood consists solely of fulfilling rules. greedy.) In 1970 "Samskara" was made into an award-winning film. one of the few art films of its kind in the Kannada language. Published by the Oxford University Press in 1978 The short novel "Samskara" by U. a brahmin himself. and has spit after it. into the river. The agrahara of Samskara is situated in a tiny hamlet called Durvasapura. the holy stone which is believed to represent God Vishnu. In this way the agrahara of Durvasapura is nothing special. He lives openly with her. They . with his muslim friends. is it lost when they are not kept?" The background for this eternal question. He is the local guru of all the brahmins. Naranappa grows the night-queen plant in his front garden. Until a few years ago many villages and towns in South India had such agraharas. Its intense smelling flowers are meant solely to decorate Chandri's hair which lies coiled like a thick black cobra on her back. Alive. He felt her breath. his hair rose in a thrill of tenderness as he caressed her loosened hair.. his head. But until then he had not desired any of the beauty he had read in them. Praneshacharya decides to speak out in front of the brahmins. that whosoever touches them will vomit blood and will die! Naranappa has even corrupted the youth of the agrahara. The brahmins of Durvasapura are afraid and sick of Naranappa. the proper path.the agrahara believes so . till then. and lead him back to Dharma. that he has fallen from the height of Dharma.. a problem. overcome with compassion for this helpless brahmin. With broken spirit Praneshacharya leaves the temple and walks through the forest homewards. After the cremation. gets hold of a muslim.had believed. On hearing steps behind him. sees that the dead body of her former lover has started to rot. hopes to. because Naranappa was theoretically a brahmin when he died. It was as if for the first time he was aware of beauty and ugliness. bent forward to bless her with his hands. and returns to Kundapura. He still wants to. Soon he developed a big lump. Naranappa's only ambition in life seems to do everything that destroys the brahminhood of the agrahara. But neither does an entire day spent in the dark. Next morning he goes to the Maruti temple to pray to the Monkey-God to help him find the solution. It was midnight when Praneshacharya woke up. Her fingers were caressing his back.. that these fish should not even be touched. The brahmins look to Praneshacharya to solve their problem. win Naranappa over. Samskara deals with the complications which arise due to Naranappa's death. It was Chandri who. Because one of the rules that is followed by the brahmins is that when someone dies. a prevention of meals. his ears. When the novel opens. bent down to touch his feet in devotion. Neither can they let a non-brahmin cremate the body. He had of course read all the classics. Chandri leaves Durvasapura. and died within a couple of days. "Who should cremate Naranappa?" Every brahmin is afraid to volunteer. as a corpse. The immediate question is. As long as the dead body is lying around nobody should eat food. Who knows how long this battle between Dharma (adhering to the right path) and Adharma (rejecting the right path) would have otherwise lasted? Some days ago Naranappa went to Shivamogge. damp temple bring a solution. Chandri is hurrying to Praneshacharya's house to inform him of Naranappa's death. except for the brahminism of Praneshacharya. he stopped. In the morning as Praneshacharya helps his wife as usual to bathe. he is full of disgust at the body he sees in front of him. because he fears that his brahminhood would thus be polluted. Left to themselves they would gladly tell their guru in Udipi to excommunicate Naranappa and thus get rid of him. who unknown to anyone carries the body and cremates it in the dead of the night. The Sanskrit formula of blessing got stuck in his throat . was an enemy. and returned with high fever. bewildered by the tight hold of a young female not his own. But Praneshacharya is against this radical step.is forced to eat beef. the body should be cremated immediately. a nuisance. Naranappa. Reading the holy books he had during the entire night does not help Praneshacharya find an answer.. Till then all earthly fragrance was like the flowers that go only to adorn the god's hair. Another young man left his wife and home. Praneshacharya. His head was in Chandri's lap. and joined a travelling group of singers and actors. Chandri goes back home. He returns home. dead. to find in the holy books an answer to their question.. His only sorrow is that hardly anything of it is left to destroy. Because of him one young man left Durvasapura and joined the army. a town far away. to tell them that he slept with Chandri. where he . All female beauty was the beauty of Goddess . a brahmin who has rejected brahminhood. does not answer the other important question. Samskara: A journey of one’s fAith Connor Grant Professor Gitomer “Hindu Thought and Culture” June 6th. should now do. Should he be courageous and say openly what he did. should he hide it and live as if nothing has happened? Initially Praneshacharya decides on the second course of action. He even runs away from home after his wife dies of plague. What does one do when faced with such truth? As the translator A. But Anatha Murthy. The novel "Samskara" deals with eternal questions.. with the question of who should cremate Naranappa.407 . Now he wanted for himself a share of all that. a pious man in whom life is finally stirred by the female contact. 2010 Word count: 3.. . and to own up his fall. All sexual enjoyment was Krishna's when he stole the bathing cowgirls' garments.K. with the question of what Praneshacharya. But wherever he goes he is haunted by the fear of discovery and haunted by Chandri's touch. Ramanujam puts it. The novel ends as Praneshacharya decides to return to Durvasapura. the novel ends. queen and servant of Lord Vishnu. the author of "Samskara". and left them naked in the water. It is the question of what the brahmins should do when they are confronted with the confessions of Praneshacharya.Lakshmi. but does not conclude. . Praneshacharya follows the traditional teachings of a Brahmin 1 Anantha Murthy. Once Naranappa dies.Throughout Samskara. a plague hits the city. “The Lord definitely means to test him on his way to salvation.” 1 Praneshacharya sees life in this sense as a means of being tested. The plague that hits the city can be seen in a symbolical sense. Praneshacharya. 2. and praises Krishna. and the surrounding families are thrown into turmoil over what ritual rites should be performed. into a liberal practitioner. He is thankful for being in the caste and situation that is. because it allows for Praneshacharya to rid himself of what he once knew about himself and the world around him. the reader learns of the power that Hinduism has in culture and society. that's why He had given him a Brahmin birth this time and set him up in this kind of family. and a greater understanding of how the world is viewed in the eyes of a follower. the window of Hinduism through which he interpreted the world is shattered. As a result. the protagonist of the story. and he is reborn with a new view towards life. Praneshacharya is a well-respected Brahmin who is well-connected to his faith in his agrahara neighborhood. develops from an admired and respected Acharya of his town. he understands his existence as a result of reincarnation to ultimately be led to his salvation. Naranappa was an enemy. individuals like Praneshacharya study Vedic scriptures and texts to eventually become a Shankara-acharya. as it goes against religious practice and standards. people who are connected with their faith and found answers to life problems are no longer able to do so in the particular crisis the town is facing. Everyone looks to Praneshacharya to see should be done and what rituals must be passed. they travel for many years as gurus in their own right. the town is thrown into an uproar.student. dead a preventer of meals. which means leader or master:2 “Before taking on the mantle of religious authority. Until his body is cremated.”3 When the news of Naranappa is revealed that he has passed away. he still refrains from eating because it is a tradition of death. no one in the agrahara can eat. 3. as a corpse. even though he had quarreled with Naranappa..Alive. the townspeople will not allow her to cremate his body. People begin to use the teachings of their faith 2 Knott 13. a problem. and considering his wife is a prostitute. 14.”4 The problem that arises out of Naranappa’s death is that he does not have any children. This problem begins to plague the agrahara and its' inhabitants. “He couldn't eat.. Praneshacharya is so connected to his faith in the beginning of the story that even though he has cut off all connections with Naranappa. severed all relations with him. Everyone begins to rely on Praneshacharya to have the answers. . these leaders receive a traditional training undertaken by many Brahmin boys in which they learn to recite Vedic texts…Once they are selected as future leaders. 13. 4 Anantha Murthy. a nuisance. Discussed by Knott. giving spiritual advice and helping people to carry out their religious duties. 3 Knott. and shed his kinship long ago. because of his caste placement and respect of everyone in the city. I didn't get an answer in the Books. 9. a mother. . He entreated. do I not deserve it then?--the supplicant doubted himself. we'll do it. and the rituals for his death of only letting another Brahmin touch his body are to be upheld. at least a flower on the left. he is given the pressure of finding a solution. He uses what he has always found comforting. and drinking alcohol. 7 Anantha Murthy. a beloved. he was hated for talking with Muslims. 6 Anantha Murthy. eating the flesh of animals. He recalled the holy songs that blamed the Lord.' he begged. give me a sign. he never was officially excommunicated from being a Brahmin. He became a child. how long is this ordeal going to last?--he pleaded. and I didn't get it here. he still died a Brahmin. “It's but right we should go by the ancient Law Books. If it shouldn't be done.. therefore.”5 Immediately. 'How can I face the people who have put their trust in me?”7 5 Anantha Murthy. The words of Garuda seem to settle the pressure of the situation when he says that in the eyes of everyone in the agrahara. to find comfort and knowledge about what to do: “O Maruti.6 Praneshacharya questions what is to be done about Naranappa's corpse. listed his hundred and one faults. Acharya. Give us the word.to find a possible solution to disposing of Naranappa body.. religious texts and hymns. and is being drained mentally and physically by the ordeal and how it is affecting his loved ones around him. Because of his caste rank. you are our greatest scholar. Praneshacharya is given the burden of figuring out what is to be done. your word is Vedic gospel to us. However. sleeping with a low caste woman. 62. 5. He sang devotional love-songs to the god. please. Praneshacharya opens his eyes to all the possibilities of life. in his 8 Anantha Murthy. he still found no answer from his faith. . without responding to their passion. As a result. her breast touches the Acharya. By accident. he was awakened to a side of life he has not experienced before. After sleeping with Chandri. “‘I didn’t get the answer in the books and I didn’t get it here. and in the heat of the moment. He recalled the words from Naranappa: “to keep your brahminhood. Praneshacharya begins to understand that while Naranappa was viewed by all in the agrahara as polluting the town.Even after devoting time towards praising Maruti. Chandri overheard his bickering with Maruti. Praneshacharya has not slept with a woman for quite some time. 63. He was not killed or punished by any gods after sleeping with Chandri. This event of sleeping with Chandri causes for him to wake up late when he should have been taking care of his wife. it was a lower-caste woman. The next event that took place directly after he was leaving the temple was sleeping with Chandri. 62. Praneshacharya begins to question if Naranappa’s open lifestyle was truly all that evil. Sleeping with Chandri was a giant leap towards breaking away from his faith. Not only did he sleep with someone who was not his wife. and realizes that if he cannot find the answer through his faith. do I not deserve then?”… “‘How can I face the people who have put their trust into me?”8 Praneshacharya second guesses himself. 9 Anantha Murthy.9 Because of his wife's ailment. they sleep together. and came to comfort him. Embedded in his compassion. the beloved god of the revered Gita texts. if anything. Praneshacharya is seen as questioning the power of his faith. he will not be able satisfy the needs of those counting on him in the agrahara. you must read the Vedas and holy legends without understanding. entering it. . counterwill to his will. was an explosive spark. he has sang the holy hymns and songs of praise. thrust into our life like breasts. Praneshacharya begins to understand that he never felt the same kind of emotions run through him from his faith like he did from Chandri. For far too long. I too was a shell.learning. Just as he had received the touch of woman. He is losing connection to his faith because his prayers and cries for direction are not being heard. Praneshacharya begins to question the importance and role that his faith even has in his life anymore.. unbidden?. He is deciding against abstaining from eating. 82. As a result. The plague can be seen in a different sense. He is also weakened through the strain of taking care of his wife that he lost the romantic passion that was re-kindled by Chandri's attention. but for Praneshacharya. an action unheard of from a loyal brahmin. did Naranappa receive the touch of God in the dark. 11 Anantha Murthy. he has studied the ancient texts without question. but what can be interpreted is that he failed to truly connect his faith to his life. In fact. a high Brahmin and once revered holy man.”10 Praneshacharya finally comprehends these words in a new light. it has allowed him to break free of everything he once knew: “He'd thought experience was fulfillment of what one wanted. baring its teeth.”11 Praneshacharya finds the touch of a woman particularly more powerful than any “touch” he has received from God. but now it seemed it was the unseen. which was not there in the others' stupidity. Now the tamed tiger is leaping out.'Till I touched Chandri. 82. The plague in the novel can thus be seen as a test to 10 Anantha Murthy.. the unpredicated. It may have the negative connotation of being filled with disease and negativity. Like an idiot. These stages follow Brahmacari. the heat. He sat down. The weight and shape of their bodies still visible on the green grass. he pulled out blades of grass and smelled them. and that his life-long teachings and practices are beginning to slip and causing him to become a renunciant. the stressful demands and guidance that everyone is expecting of him.Praneshacharya's commitment to orthodoxy. and found meaning in praising towards the gods. the cool. and takes in the scenery: “He stood at the place where his life had turned. To be. he pulled at everything that came into his hand and smelled it. and the burden of taking care of his dying wife. When he thinks of home. Praneshacharya has already gone through the first two stages. but appears to be under the third stage of life which is being a forest dweller. to the grass. keen. or becoming married and living in a household is the next stage. a value. To be.Like a hen pecking at and raking the ground.”12 Praneshacharya is seen fulfilling the stages of life found in Hinduism culture. 83. As a result. or being a celibate student. However. he is reminded of a rotting corpse. The plague of the city reminds Praneshacharya of why he wants to move away from the obligations of his faith. the flower. his commitment of his faith is tested. He sees life in new ways. just to be. He has always considered himself loyal to his faith. Just sitting cooly under a tree had become a fulfilment. the green. the pang. . Praneshacharya returns to where he and Chandri laid earlier. when something truly bad happens such as the predicament of Naranappa's death ritual and the temptation of Chandri. 12 Anantha Murthy. in the heat. the shade. Putting aside both desire and value.. Praneshacharya begins to understand that his original worldview of Hinduism is no longer being applicable in his life. Grhastha.. it cold. worn-out bodies and fastens on others that are new. 14 Ramanujan. Translation of “The Bhagavad Gita”. 85. or his old self when he leaves the agrahara and meets with Putta to embark on a new journey to discover his new “self” or atman.”15 The tie to caring for his wife was the last obligation for Praneshacharya to stay in the agrahara. he loses his wife. even when his wife dies...22 . so the embodied self leaves behind old.”14 The plague in the story is seen as a symbolic means of stripping Praneshacharya away of all his religious duties and obligations. and she was ritually cremated before dawn. He embarks on a new journey after his wife is cremated and burned. David. 2. He loses his connection to his faith. but only on its threshold. as he is moving further away from religious practice. A line from the Bhagavad Gita applies to Praneshacharya’s situation:“[j]ust as a man leaves behind old.13 “The Acharya moves through the three stages—thought we see him not entirely into the third stage. worn-out clothes and puts on others that are new. who dies of the same fever that apparently Naranappa fell victim to. took his wife's body to the burning ground. However. 4-29-10.He brought them back with him. he does not feel the urgency to go through all of the rituals that come with taking care of the deceased body: 13 Class notes.and is retires away from what he has once known. 142. The last stage that he transitions towards is a renunciant. 16 Gitomer. and begins walking where ever his legs will take him.”16 Praneshacharya appears to relieve himself of old “clothing”. “When he touched his wife's forehead. Afterword. 15 Anantha Murthy. Royal. 45.”19 Praneshacharya is seen as taking on a whole new set of meanings and principles to guide his life.20 Pranescharya suppresses his mind by wanting to do the opposite of what he has been accustomed to through his Braminical activities.“For a fleeting minute he felt remorse that he didn’t have the patience to wait and pick out the leftover unburned bones. Stated in the Upanishads: “Therefore one should not go to [foreign] people. no debts. and using points of the yoga sutras to give his life a necessary balance. “Whenever in the past his mind had become overactive. he would chant the names of Lord Vishnu to give it a single point and to still its streaming distractions. Pranescharya relieves himself of his obligations to his community. Brhadaranyaka Upanisad. lest he fall in with evil. 91. one should not go to the end [of the earth].He wanted to do likewise. The importance of yoga's teachings in Hinduism is to suppress the mind of mental activities.”17 Praneshacharya is seen as abstaining from the sacred Upanishad texts with his new view of life to walk where his legs take him.. 91. 18 Goddall. He remembered the first maxim of yoga. “Translation of the text of the Yoga Sutras”. and throw them in the stream…[b]ut he consoled himself that he had no more duties. Instead of chanting Vedic prayers and looking towards the gods. .. and with the new thoughts of desire to explore the world. with death. he is relying on himself. 19 Anantha Murthy. it can be interpreted as a call that will remove his cultural identification of being a Brahmin. 17 Anantha Murthy. 1.”18 With the passing of Naranappa and his own wife. the remains of his wife’s body. 20 Weiler. is that these afflictions stem from “latent mental impressions left by actions previously performed which should be recognized as having either a definable or indefinable origin. 23 Weiler 6. These are: ignorance. egotism. From this. 97. Not until he is actually thrown into a difficult situation such as his wife's sickness and the death of Naranappa is Praneshacharya truly tested to the limits of his faith. 22 Weiler. With the inclusion of remembering his yogic teachings. nonsectarian.”23 Praneshacharya clearly suffers from multiple afflictions in his life. Praneshacharya has qualities relatable to those of the Universalistic Smarta Sect. This sort of power goes to his head. passion. Smartism is “an ancient Brahminical tradition reformed by Shankara in the ninth century. he is “privileged” enough to be able to learn of the Vedic scriptures and to be a voice of reason in his agrahara.”24Smarta’s 21 Anantha Murthy. and makes him confident that he is respected by his community. this liberal Hindu path is monistic. and can only be attained through the complete opposites and overcome by meditation. meditative and philosophical. he is surrounded by ignorance and egotism because of what his faith has taught him. In the first section of the story. ready to perform brahmin functions by sheer habit. Found in the “four denominations”.“Praneshacharya reined his mind and stopped it dead. aversion and the will to live. Also stated in the text. Worshiping six forms of God. 24 .”21 Also found in the yoga sutras are the five afflictions. while it was about to get into action.22 The dissociation of these afflictions in ones' life allows for liberation of the mind. He is born into power through his caste. 6. Praneshacharya is going through the first few of the eight limbs. but he cannot seem to understand why he did what he did: “But the moment altered me—why? I’m responsible now for someone who’s changed—that’s the present distress. and the Bhagavad Gita. not deceive myself even one little bit. Hindu‟s Four Denominations. . These limbs include: fundamental moral concepts.rely on Vedic texts and classical smriti. 8. concentration.”26 These realizations of his actions allow for him to grow and think differently about how to conduct his life: “I must conduct my future differently. 27 Anantha Murthy. 25 Weiler. meditation.25 He has the fundamental understanding of moral concepts. and is going through withdrawal from walking away from his agrahara into the unknown. and lastly. trance. breathe control. secondary moral concepts. He has responsibilities and obligations brought upon him that he cannot control. postures. He thinks about his actions to himself throughout the story. Considering his caste identification. Through the understanding of the yoga sutras. 26 Anantha Murthy.”27 Praneshacharya's purusa in the story has been the possession of his caste and identity in his society. 3. withdrawal. 97. and the ignorance he held towards his ego brought him to the state of despair and anguish that he experienced with not knowing how to take care of Naranappa's cremation or finding answers through praying to Maruti. Praneshacharya can thus be seen as having qualities relatable to that of a Smarta. 92. There is a moment where Praneshacharya comes to rest under a tree after walking for quite some time. it begins to lick his hands and face. a calf appears and comes close to him. Kim 114. “The agrahara was stinking. one couldn’t bear to return to it. and felt like playing with the calf. with such qualities as “non-injury. the sense of pollution. leaped at him. purity and purification. The cow is regarded in Hindu cultures to be a holy and sacred animal. and such actions would have not happened if he had encountered the calf earlier in the story when he was still connected to his faith and his wife and Naranappa were still alive. 115. goodness. then leaped away into the sunshine and disappeared. Certainly a good reason: the intolerable stench in my nostril. and walking away after cremating his wife. uppuppuppu…The calf lifted both its legs. . 28 Anantha Murthy. He questions his previous actions of leaving his town behind. He responds by suddenly getting a burst of energy and a desire to play with the cow: “Praneshacharya rose to his feet. this can be seen as Praneshacharya continuing to question his faith that has enwrapped his actions his entire life. 30 Anantha Murthy. he put his hands under its neck and said.”28 As he is pondering his actions. to protect it is a must and the mistreatment of one is completely restricted. Explained by Knott. By disregarding this and deciding to play with the cow and scaring it. 93. and motherhood…protection of the cow became a symbol for Hindu society”29. certainly. When the calf approaches Praneshacharya. cows in India are associated as a very holy figure. 92. 29 Knott.”30 The event between the calf and Praneshacharya can be interpreted in a symbolical sense. By playing with the cow and scaring it. Praneshacharya is ignoring the values of his faith. choosing himself.Praneshacharya starts as a loyal brahmin. they also have the potential of separating one another like that of the caste system found in Hinduism. Praneshacharya transitions through the multiple stages of life found in Hinduism.”31 Samskara is a not simply a novel to explain the straining possibilities Hinduism or religions in general have on a loyal followers. Religions have uniting capabilities to connect people. but rather expresses the principle of change that carries with Hinduism and every religion. “We only see him mutating. Afterword. he rejects the principles of his faith. but because of multiple obligations to his village through his caste identity. he leaves his agrahara in search of something new. and ‘alienating’ himself. . however. 143. changing from a fully evolved socialized bramin at one with his tradition towards a new kind of person. individuating himself. Through these experiences. Through all the events that occur in Praneshacharya’s experiences. or even to express Hindu concepts to those unaware. One must understand that to practice faith requires the inclusion of the principles into their own personal life. not all of the material found in the scriptures will be applicable to ones’ life. 31 Ramanujan.