Message of Mahakavyas (A Unique Four - Day National Conference on the Message of Mahakavyas June 17th – 20th, 2016)

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The present volume contains Thirty Four articles in three languages namely Sanskrit, English and Kannada and is a comprehensive compendium with contemporary relevance. The Volume is a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity, intellect and wisdom, Orient and Occident and is like a bridge between the wisdom of the sages on one hand and the intellectuals of the present century on the other.

I am highly grateful and immensely happy to present the foreword to the present volume entitled "Message of the Mahakavyas" on behalf of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan as a follow up of the volume entitled "Message of the Mahapuranas" - a National Seminar held from 17th to 20th of June 2016 jointly organized by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore and ISKON at the Multi Vision Auditorium of ISKON.

The Word "EPIC" comes from the latin "EPICUS", Greek "EPIKOS" from "EPOS" which means "WORD", "SPEECH", "TALE", "SONG". The Oxford companion to classical literature defines the epic as "Narrative Poetry of Exhalted Style, celebrating heroic adventures, mythical or historical, in poems of considerable length." The Oxford dictionary of etymology mentions that it is a "Continuous narrative of the doings of heroes."

For the early Greeks, the epic in a way represented Drama, History as well as Philosophy. The probable origin was in the hymns celebrating the gods, and like the hymns of epic poetry was chanted by ministrels to the accompaniment of lyre.

In Rome, the Epic was the most enduring form and deeds of the Roman heroes used to be sung at Banquets. Epic at Rome reached its highest point in the AENIAD of Virgil which is a deliberately constructed, erudite literary epic and not a spontaneous growth derived from already existing folklore handed down from generation to generation by word of mouth and collected together as in the case of Homer.

In relation to Sanskrit Mahakavya, the literary epic which is also known as the "Written Epic" or the "Epic of Art" is more relevant than the other variety of Western Epic known as "Popular Epic" or "Oral Epic" or "The Epic of Growth". Dr. S. Ramaswamy, Fellow, Silliman College, Yale University, USA has made comparative study of The Eastern and Western Epics which is much appreciated in the intellectual circles.

The present Volume contains Thirty Four articles in three languages namely Sanskrit, English and Kannada and is a comprehensive compendium with contemporary relevance. The Volume is a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity, intellect and wisdom, Orient and Occident and is like a bridge between the wisdom of the sages on one hand and the intellectuals of the present century on the other. The articles have been arranged in the chronological order from the Sanskrit Mahakavyas and the Western Epics.

It is hoped that the present volume would find favour with scholars and layman alike.

I would like to appreciate the earnest effort of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan staff and the Management for bringing out this Volume as follow up of "Message of Mahapuranas" which will be of immense importance and relevance for posterity.