The Goṇḍalī Dance by Dr. S. Srikanta Sastri

In the interesting note on the Goṇḍalī Nṛtya (B.I.S.M.Q. June, 1939) it is pointed out that the dance originated in Karnāṭaka and was connected with the Rēṇukā cult. This is supported by some references in the works on Karnāṭaka Music. Jāyaṇa or Jāya Sēnāpati, the commander of the elephants under the King Gaṇapati of Warangal wrote two works Saṅgīta ratnāvaḷi and Nṛtya – ratnāvaḷī in 1240 A. D. In the latter work he says – 

कल्याणकटके पूर्वे भूतमात्रमहोत्सवे |

सोमेश: कोतुकी काञ्चित भिल्लवेषमुपेयुषीम् |

नृत्यंतीमथ गायन्ती स्वयं प्रेक्ष्य मनोहरम् |

प्रीतो निर्मितवाश्वित्रगोण्डली बिधिमिन्यम् |

यतो भिल्ली महाराष्ट्रे गोण्डलीत्यभिधीयते ||

From this it is clear that the Bhillī dance used to be held at Kalyāṇa, the capital of the Western Cālukyas, and that Somēśvara III, Bhūlokamalla (who was a recognised authority on Music and is the author of Abhilaṣitārthacintamaṇi or Rāja – mānasollāsa) made an improvement and called it Citra Goṇḍalī, since in Mahārāṣtra it was called Goṇḍalī. 

The Saṅgita – samaya – sāra of Pārśvadēva (C. 1200 A. D.) also defines Goṇḍalī dance thus – 

सामान्यं नर्थनं यत्र सम्यमगीतम् प्रवर्तते |

मध्यमा कथिता तेषा गुण्ड्लीति मनीषिभि: ||

(Tr. S. S. Ch. 8. V. 183.)

A manuscript in the Mysore Oriental Library (No. 4798) mentions the following authorities: 

आदिनन्दिउमाप्रोक्तं मोहनं नाट्यदर्पणम् |

संगीतकल्पवृक्षं च संगीतमणिदर्पणं |

कुण्डलीदर्पणं चोच कुण्डलीमणिदर्पणम् ||

It is probable that Kuṇḍalī – darpaṇa and Kuṇḍalī – maṇidarpaṇa also deal with this Goṇḍalī dance. 

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'The Two Bhagavatas' by Dr. S. Srikanta Sastri (1933)

It is well known that of the two Puranas – Devi Bhãgavata and Sri Bhagavata, the Saktas and Vaisnavas claim that their own sectarian work is the real Mahapurana composed by Vyasa and the other is a mere Upapurana. In his introduction to the Devi – Bhagavata, Nilakantha asserts that the authority of the Matsya and Saiva Puranas is in favour of the priority of Devi Bhagavata. He quotes the following verses in support.

Bhagavatyas ca Durgayas caritam yatra vidyate
Tattu Bhagavatam proktam na tu Devipuranakam
(Saiva – Madhyesyara mahatmye)

Here Devipuranaka means the Upapurana Kalika Purana
yadidam Kalikakhyam tanmulam Bhagavatam smrtam
(Hemadrsu)

The chief characteristics of Bhagavata are these enumerated in the Matsya: -

यत्राधिकृत्य गयात्रीम् वर्णयते धर्मविस्तर |
वृत्रासुरवधोपेतं तभ्दागवतमिष्यते ||
सारस्वतस्य कल्पस्य मद्ये ये स्युर्नरामरा: |
तद्वत्तान्तोभ्दबं लोके तभ्दागवतमिष्यते ||

Puranantare: -
हयग्रीवब्रह्मविध्या यत्र वृत्रवधस्तथा |
गायत्र्या च स्मारम्भस्तद्वै भागवतं विदु: ||

Thus, the Bhagavata is that work which commences with Gayatri and deals extensively with Dharma, and the story of the killing of Vrtra, in the Sarasvata kalpa, and Hayagriva Brahmavidya. All these are only applicable to the Devi Bhagavata which begins with this mantra.

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THE UTTARA KASI PILLAR INSCRIPTION OF GUHA

This inscription was discovered at Uttara Kasi in Tehri-Gharwal, by Pandit Chiddure Matha Virabhadra Sarma of Secunderabad (Deccan), who took an impression of it and has published some preliminary notices1. The inscription is engraved on the dhvaja stambha before the temple of Siva at the Uttara Kasi. The pillar is called a Sakti Stambha in the inscription and was erected to commemorate the victories of the ruler Guha. The pillar is now called a trisula and current legends assert that Siva’s trisula after the destruction of Tripurasura, was established in this place. 

The inscription is engraved in late Gupta characters of about the sixth century, but earlier than the Banskhera grants of Harsa. The language of the inscription is Sanskrt and the florid Kavya style of the record is reminiscent of the Allahabad inscription of Harisena and the Mehrauli inscription of Candra. The metres used are Sardula-vikridita and Sragdhara. The text begins with the symbol for Om and ends with the letter tha. 

There was a ruler named Ganesvara whose praises were sung by men and who erected the resplendant temple of Bhava, high as the peak of Himavat. This forest ruler (vanajadhipa) considering all his wealth (including amatya etc) as less than an atom and remembering the friendship of Indra, went to Sumeru with a cheerful mind. 

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Rallapalli Ananta Krishna Sharma

Rallapalli Ananta Krishna Sharma was born on 23 January, 1893 in Rallapalli village in Kambadur taluk, Anantapur district to parents Sri Karnamadakala Krishnamacharya and Smt. Alamelu Mangamma. Sharma was initiated into Telugu and Sanskrit literature by his father at a very young age. He had mastered classics of Kalidasa and the Telugu trio by his 12th year of age. While his father ensured that his son had a keen interest in literature, it was thanks to his mother’s persistence that Sharma’s love for music blossomed into something tangible. Rallapalli Ananta Krishna Sharma and his sister Yadugiramma routinely sang religious hymns at the Hanuman temple inside the fort at Rallapalli village.

Early life 

Sharma left Rallapalli in 1905 and went to Mysore for further education. At Mysore he stayed in the Brahmatantra Parakala Mutt where he came under the influence of Krishnabrahmatantra Swamy. By then quite old, Krishnabrahmatantra Swamy was partially blind and was struggling to read. When Sharma came under his tutelage, he was working on his treatise on ‘Alankara Shastra’ titled ‘Alankara Manihara’. In many respects, Sharma became his eyes and ears and would read aloud the original verses so that the Swamy could hear them better and then spell out his interpretation of the same. 

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T. S. Subbanna - Sarvajanika Subbanna (A Brief Biography)

Taĝaduru Subbappa Subbanna was born in 1905 in Taĝaduru village, Nanjanagud taluk. His father Eshwarappa was the chief priest at the Ankanatheshwara temple in Taĝaduru. His mother Parvatamma was a devout pious lady. 

Early years
Subbanna had his preliminary schooling at Taĝaduru govt. school. Then the family moved to Mysore for his further education. While in Mysore, Subbanna worked part-time as a priest at the Kashi Vishwanatha temple in Madvachar road in Agrahara. Subbanna was admitted to the Wesley Mission High School. Venkatakrishnayya was one of the senior teachers who had a profound impact on him. Some of the British teachers tried to persuade students like Subbanna to focus on their academics instead of spending time in the freedom movement. But Subbanna had already come under the influence of freedom fighters like M. N. Jois, Sharada Prasad, Agaram Ramayya, Subramanyam and Dasappa. Subbanna and friends convened as the ‘Tilak Sangha’ to share news about various freedom fighters from across the country. Subbanna had to slip away to Channapatna (Sogale) to avoid impending arrest. He participated in the civil disobedience movements at Sirsi, Siddapur and Ankola. Subbanna’s mother, in an attempt to distract her son from the freedom struggle, tried to get him married – but this was in vain. Interestingly, Subbanna is remembered to have dressed as a woman in a saree to escape being caught, while participating in a protest march passing in front of Hardwicke High School. He managed to give police the slip and made it to Subbarayana Kere to hoist the Indian flag! On another occasion, while being pursued, he ran into a coal plant and smeared himself with coal soot and succeeded in evading arrest! Subbanna was among the freedom fighters to hoist the flag at Shivapura in Maddur. He then made his way to Sabarmati ashram where he spent time imbibing the Gandhian way of life directly from the Mahatma! 

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