The IISC Samskrita Sangha held an Avadhana session by Shataavadhani Dr.R.Ganesh on Sunday the 25th. Hmmm..I sure am attending a lot of his programs now-a-days. :-)
Avadhana in simple terms means concentration. It is an art followed from ancient times. Languages used were mostly Sanskrit, Kannada and Telugu. It mostly dealt with testing the power of concentration and knowledge a person possesses. An Avadhani [ who performs an Avadhana] is challenged by a set of 8 people [normally] known as Prucchakas. These Prucchakas are well-versed in Sanskrit literature and pose questions to the Avadhani. The answers should be given by the Avadhani in the format of a poem, in any of the languages [Sanskrit, Kannada and Telugu] as chosen by the Prucchaka. The poem has to adhere to the grammar and the Chandhas [metric], either assumed by the Avadhani or as told by the Prucchaka. This would of course mean that the Avadhani has to be well-versed in Literature [in all the three languages, but mostly in Sanskrit] and grammar of the same.
The Prucchakas pose challenges to the Avadhani in different subjects and forms and the best part is that this does not happen one after the other. It is simultaneous!!! The Avadhani does not complete a particular question and then go to the next. He tells one line of the poem which is an answer to a given question and then starts formulating the answer to the next question. This goes on in a round-robin fashion for 3-4 rounds at the end of which he solves all the challenges. And he does all this without referring to literary and grammar books. Without a pen and paper, even. All of this is solved in his mind!
The Avadhani has to remember the questions posed to him and the lines he has completed so far with the constraints placed on him.
More info on this ancient art form can be found here.
Ok…now back to the program I witnessed. Some long post this is going to be! Wait..I'll write about it in the next post. Happy waiting!!
No comments:
Post a Comment