Indian Literature: An Introduction

425 Pages·2005·15.287 MB·English; Hindi

by  University of Delhi

PEARSON
L i t e r a t u r e
An Introduction
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UNIVERSITY OF DELHI
Indian L ite ra tu re
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B.A. Programme Committee, University of Delhi:
Sub-Committee on Language, Literature and Culture
1. Professor Rajiva Verma, Department of English - Convener
2. Dr. Malti, Prinicipal, Kalindi College - Co-convenor
3. Dr. Anjana Neira Dev, Department of English, Gargi College -
Co-convener
4. Professor G.S. Arshi, Department of Punjabi
5. Dr. Gautam Chakravarty, Department of English
6. Professor Ravinder Gargesh, Department of Linguistics
7. Professor Ramesh K. Gautam, Department of Hindi
8. Dr. Chander Shekhar, Department of Persian
9. Professor T.K.V. Subramanian, Department of History
10. Dr. Vimlesh Kanti Verma, Department of Hindi, PGDAV College
11. Professor V. Xaxa, Department of Sociology
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In d ia n Lit er a t u r e
An In t r o d uc t io n
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Edited for the
University of Delhi
By
Anjana Neira Dev
Bajrang Bihari Tiwari
Sanam Khanna
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PEARSON
An imprint of Pearson Education
The copyright for individual pieces vests with the contributors. Pages 383 and 384
are extensions of the copyright page.
Copyright © Registrar, University of Delhi 2006
Licensees of Pearson Education in South Asia
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ISBN 9788131705209
eISBN 9788131776087
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Contents
Preface ix
UMIcHI x
Introduction xi
vii
Valmiki
The Ramayana: The Valin Vadh Episode 1
OT1 10
Veda Vyasa
The Mahabharata: The Ekalavya Episode 21
30
Sudraka
Mrichchhakatika: The Making of a Breach 36
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49
Ilanko Atikal
Cilappatikaram: from The Book of Maturai 63
75
Namdev
You Have Put Up a Show and How Can I Live 93
‘ 3?h'‘'3?T fa-1 ^Tt’ 96
Kabir
The Simple State 98
vi / Contents
7. Mirabai
I Know Only Krsna 103
h’HNi'S
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8. Amir Abul Hasan Khusrau
Separation 107
fq4l<i 109
9. Asadullah Khan 'Ghalib'
Desires Come by the Thousands 111
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10. Firaq Gorakhpuri
Sad and Weary 117
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119
11. Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Do Not Ask 121
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123
12. Subramania Bharati
The Palla Song and
Letter to Parali Su. Nellaiappa Pillai 125
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13. Tarabai Shinde
A Comparison Between Women and Men 133
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14. Rabindranath Tagore
The Cabuliwallah and Shah Jahan 146
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Indian Literature: An Introduction / vii
15. Premchand
The Chess-Players 171
% RsldUil 183
16. Shrilal Shukla
Raag Darbari 194
TFT ^ R t 203
17. Ismat Chughtai
Touch-Me-Not 212
T O 219
18. Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai
A Blind Man's Vision of Fulfillment 226
237
19. Amrita Pritam
To Waris Shah 245
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20. Masti Venkatesha Iyengar
Venkatashami's Love Affair 252
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21. Gudipat Venkat Chalam
Widow 274
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22. Indira Goswami
The Journey 292
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303
viii / Contents
23. J.P. Das
Kalahandi 315
=tildl6is1 319
24. Omprakash Valmiki
Joothan 322
'jjci'i 334
25. Vikram Seth
A Suitable Boy 346
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26. Sitakant Mahapatra
Folk Songs 375
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Bibliography 379
tM-TTO 382
Copyright Acknowledgements 384
Preface
The present anthology of Indian literature is a prescribed
textbook for the literature component in the foundation course
on 'Language, Literature and Culture' for the new, restructured
B.A. Programme of the University of Delhi. The editors of this
anthology had several challenges before them. The very idea of
making such a small selection from the immensely vast and
rich storehouse of material available was daunting. No such
selection can be entirely satisfactory or can satisfy everyone.
For various, mainly practical reasons, it was not possible to
include works in all the major languages. But the shortcomings
of the anthology can perhaps be excused in view of its purpose,
which is to make the students aware of the wide range of Indian
literature in its broadest outlines and of the main phases of its
development across time and space, and to do this through an
engagement with specific texts rather than through a 'survey'
or 'history' of Indian literature.
Another challenge, necessitated by the fact that the
University of Delhi gives its students the option of choosing
either Hindi or English as the medium of instruction and
examination for a large number of courses, including this one,
was to find items that were available in both Hindi and English
translation. While this put a severe constraint on the choices
before the editors, we hope the end result is something that is
both interesting and useful and that goes beyond the immediate
purpose of the anthology. Though students doing this course
are not required to read both the English and Hindi versions of
the texts, we hope that the parallel printing of the two versions
will prompt them to do so. The anthology should also be of
interest to students doing courses in translation as well as to
the general reader who does not have any specific pedagogic
objective but would like to read purely for pleasure.
Rajiva Verma
Convener, Sub-Committee for ‘Language, Literature and Culture’
of the B.A. Programme Committee