Jayashankar Prasad His Mind and Art

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From the Jacket

Jayashankar Prasad occupies a place of distinction in the galaxy of world-poets-with Kalidas and Ravindranath in India and Dante and Milton in the West. He was a man of multi-facet genius and his muse traversed with the same confidence and grace in the realms of drama, fiction, history and philosophy.

Notwithstanding continued attacks on his skill in stage-craft, Prasad remains the tallest figure in Hindi Drama and excels his counterparts in other Modern Indian Languages in originality of thought and richness of emotive content. The synthesis he effected between the Western concept of 'conflict' and Indian theory of 'aesthetic bliss' is his unique achievement in this field. His novels are characterized by a keen philosophical analysis of the social problems of life in his times, a quality which the thoughtful reader misses in his great contemporary-the doyen of Hindi fiction. Many of has short stories are specimens of perfect art. And lastly, is researches in poetic philosophy and ancient Indian History are a monumental contribution to Indic studies.

This anthology covers all the major aspects of Prasad's creative genius and I am glad to humble tribute to the author of Kamayani- a work which I have read and taught for over thirty years of my life.

Dr. Nagendra

Professor Emeritus, university of Delhi' Born March 22, 1915.

Retired as Professor and Head of the Department of Hindi, Delhi University in 1980

Renowned Hindi critic and scholar

Publications:
Original Works, Major titles: Rasa Siddhanta, Bharatiya Saundaryashastra ki Bhumika, Mithak aur Sahitya. Sahitya ka Samaj-shastra, Astha ke Charan (Essays in Practical Criticism), Emotive Basis of Literature and other Essays, Literary Criticism in India and Acharya Shukla's Theory of Poetry.

Edited Works Major titles: Bharatiya Sahitya-kosha, Bharatiya Kavyashastra ki Parampara Pt. I & II, Pashchatya Kavya-shasta: Siddhant aur Vad, Bharatiya Sahitya, Tulnatmak Sahitya, Hindi Abhinav-Bharati, Hindi Vakroktijivit. Hindi Dhwanyalok, Dictionary of Sanskrit Poetics, Literary Criticism in Indian Literature, Contours and Landmarks of Hindi Literature-Series.

Foreword

Jayashankar Prasad occupies a place of distinction in the galaxy of world-poets-with Kalidas and Ravindra Nath in India and Dante and Milton in the West. He was a man of multifacet genius and his Muse traversed with the same confidence and grace in the realms of drama, fiction, history and philosophy.

Notwithstanding continued attacks on his skill in stage-craft, Prasad remains the tallest figure in Hindi Drama and excels his counterparts in other Modern Indian Languages, in originality of thought and richness of emotive content. The synthesis he effected between the Western concept of 'conflict' and Indian theory of 'aesthetic bliss' is his unique achievement in this field. His novels are characterized by a keen philosophical analysis of the social problems of life in his times, a quality which the thoughtful reader misses in his great contemporary-the doyen of Hindi Fiction. Many of his short stories are specimens of perfect art. And lastly, his researches in poetic philosophy and ancient Indian History are a monumental contribution to Indic studies.

The plan of this volume was drawn a few years back, but for several reasons it could not be executed. My life-long interest in and admiration for Prasad's literary personality, however, would not permit me to forsake the idea, and at an opportune time I resumed the work in right earnest with the help of a batch of distinguished scholars of Hindi and English literatures.

The publication of a volume in English on a Hindi poet is a hazardous enterprise, but I succeeded in availing of the willing cooperation of Messrs Prabhat Prakashan, Delhi-and I am glad to present this anthology (which covers all the major aspects of his creative genius) to the readers of Literature as my humble tribute to the author of Kamayani during his centenary year.