Let Polly Thrive: May anyone shout as they please
₹200.00
Author: Kotiganahalli Ramaiah, Translator: Anusha Ravi Sood
Who are you?
Let Polly Thrive: May anyone shout as they please poses this very question. Can a piece of laminated paper define your identity, or should society’s rules dictate who you are? Why can’t a man dream of food, or a buffalo fall in love with a girl? A quirky yet hard-hitting play, it holds up a mirror to you and me, forcing us to take a long, honest look at ourselves. Perhaps the answer lies within this unusual love triangle between a man, a woman, and a buffalo—or maybe it flickers under the lantern that lights up a Dalit woman’s home. Could it be hidden within the farce of communism among the privileged castes, which reeks of casteism?
Well, if you can figure out this riddle, let me in on it too.
Interested readers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book.
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Madhavi Kathana Kavya
Author: ONV Kurup Translator: Parvathi G Aithal
ವ್ಯಾಸ ಮಹಾಭಾರತದ ಉದ್ಯೋಗ ಪರ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುವ ಒಂದು ಉಪಾಖ್ಯಾನವನ್ನಾಧರಿಸಿ ಬರೆದ ಒಂದು ಕಾವ್ಯವಿದು. ಮೂಲಕಥೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾಧವಿಯ ಶೋಷಣೆ ಎದ್ದು ಕಾಣುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ವಿಶ್ವಾಮಿತ್ರ ಶಿಷ್ಯನಾದ ಗಾಲವನು ತನ್ನ ವಿದ್ಯಾಭ್ಯಾಸವನ್ನು ಮುಗಿಸಿ ಹೊರಡುವಾಗ ‘ಗುರುದಕ್ಷಿಣೆಯಾಗಿ ಏನನ್ನು ಕೊಡಲಿ?’ ಎಂದು ಕೇಳುತ್ತಾನೆ. ವಿಶ್ವಾಮಿತ್ರರು ಗುರುದಕ್ಷಿಣೆ ಬೇಡವೆಂದರೂ ಕೇಳುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಕೊನೆಗೆ ವಿಶ್ವಾಮಿತ್ರರು, ‘ಒಂದು ಕಿವಿ ಮಾತ್ರ ಕಪ್ಪಾಗಿರುವ ಎಂಟುನೂರು ಶ್ವೇತಾಶ್ವಗಳನ್ನು ಕಾಣಿಕೆಯಾಗಿ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಬಾ’ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆದರೆ, ಅಂಥ ವಿಶೇಷ ಗುಣದ ಕುದುರೆಗಳು ಬಹಳ ದುರ್ಲಭವಾದುವೆಂಬುದನ್ನು ಅರಿತಾಗ ಗಾಲವ ದಾನಶೂರ ಯಯಾತಿ ಮಹಾರಾಜನ ಬಳಿ ಸಹಾಯ ಬೇಡಲು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಆಗಷ್ಟೇ ದೊಡ್ಡದೊಂದು ಯಾಗ ಮುಗಿಸಿದ ಯಯಾತಿಯ ಬಳಿ ಅಶ್ವಗಳಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ, ತನ್ನ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠೆಯನ್ನು ಉಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದಕ್ಕೋಸ್ಕರ ಯಯಾತಿ ತನ್ನ ಮಗಳು ಮಾಧವಿಯನ್ನು ಗಾಲವನ ವಶಕ್ಕೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ‘ರೂಪಸಿಯಾದ ಈಕೆಯನ್ನು ಬೇಕಾದ ಹಾಗೆ ಬಳಸಿಕೊಂಡು ನಿನಗೆ ಬೇಕಾದ ಅಶ್ವಗಳನ್ನು ಪಡೆ’ ಅನ್ನುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಹಾಗೆ ಗಾಲವನು ಮಾಧವಿಯನ್ನು ಮೂರು ಮಂದಿ ರಾಜರ ಬಳಿಗೆ ಕರೆದೊಯ್ದು ಅವರಿಂದ ತಲಾ ಇನ್ನೂರು ಅಶ್ವಗಳನ್ನು ಪಡೆದು ಆ ರಾಜರುಗಳಿಗೆ ಒಂದು ವರ್ಷದ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಉಪಯೋಗಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಮಾಧವಿಯನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಮೂಲ ಕಥೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾಧವಿಯ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನ ಸಂಘರ್ಷಗಳು ವ್ಯಕ್ತವಾಗಿಲ್ಲ. ‘ಪುರುಷರಿಂದ ಲೈಂಗಿಕವಾಗಿ ಎಷ್ಟು ಸಾರಿ ಬಳಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟರೂ ನನ್ನ ಕನ್ಯತ್ವ ಉಳಿಯುವಂಥ ವರ ನನಗಿದೆಯಾದ್ದರಿಂದ ನಾನು ನಿನಗೆ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡಬಲ್ಲೆ’ ಎಂದು ಗಾಲವನ ಬಳಿ ಅವಳೇ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾಳೆ . ಓಎನ್ವಿ ಕುರುಪ್ ಬರೆದ ಈ ಕೃತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರು ಕೆಲವು ಬದಲಾವಣೆಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಇಡೀ ಕಥೆಯನ್ನು ಪುರುಷರಿಂದ ಘೋರ ಅನ್ಯಾಯಕ್ಕೊಳಗಾಗಿ ಮಾನಸಿಕ ಯಾತನೆಯನ್ನು ಅನುಭವಿಸಿರಬಹುದಾದ ಮಾಧವಿಯ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಯಿಂದ ಬರೆಯಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಇದರ ಸ್ತ್ರೀವಾದಿ ಓದು ಒಂದು ವಿಶಿಷ್ಟ ಅನುಭವವನ್ನು ನೀಡುತ್ತದೆ.ಮಲಯಾಳದ ಜ್ಞಾನಪೀಠ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ವಿಜೇತ ಸಾಹಿತಿ ಓಎನ್ವಿಕುರುಪ್ ಅವರ ‘ಸ್ವಯಂವರಂ’ ಎಂಬ ಖಂಡಕಾವ್ಯದ ಭಾವಾನುವಾದವಿದು. ಮಹಾಭಾರತದ `ಉದ್ಯೋಗ ಪರ್ವ’ ದಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುವ ಒಂದು ಉಪಾಖ್ಯಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಪುರುಷ ವರ್ಗದಿಂದ ಘೋರವಾಗಿ ಶೋಷಣೆಗೊಳಗಾದ ಮಾಧವಿ ಈ ಕಥೆಯ ನಾಯಕಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದು ಇಡೀ ಕಾವ್ಯವೇ ಅವಳ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಕೋನದಿಂದ ರಚಿತವಾಗಿದ್ದರಿಂದ ಸ್ತ್ರೀವಾದಿ ಓದಿಗೆ ಒಳಪಡಿಸಲು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಸೂಕ್ತವಾದ ಕೃತಿಯಿದು ಎಂದೆನ್ನಿಸಿ ಅನುವಾದಕಿ ಅದರ ಶೀರ್ಷಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ‘ಮಾಧವಿ ಕಥನ ಕಾವ್ಯ’ವೆಂದು ಬದಲಾಯಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ . ಇದನ್ನು ಓದಿದಾಗೆಲ್ಲ ರಾಮಾಯಣದ ಸೀತೆಯ ನೆನಪಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.
Interested customers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book.
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Swapna Saraswatha
Author: Gopalakrishna Pai Translator: Sumathi Shenoy, M R Rakshith, Savita Sastri
Swapna Saraswatha is the saga of migration of a community called Saraswaths in the west coast of India, extending from Goa to the south of Mangalore. It captures the dominance of a colonial power over the region that began with the entry of the Portuguese about four hundred years ago. The novel is a graphic description of the displacement of this strongly-rooted community which saw its resurrection in a new area. In the course of its narrative, the novel traces the gradual changes in the structure of the family that moved from a closely knit joint family of the bygone era to the nuclear family. It also deals with the factors that are responsible for the change in value systems of individuals in the wake of such paradigm shifts. With its vast canvas, it remarkably weaves fiction with myth and history, peppered with cultural details and linguistic nuances. The narration in Swapna Saraswatha progresses in the form of an epic detailing the story of nine generations spread over a period of two hundred and fifty years from 1510 to about 1760. It encompasses more than a hundred and fifty characters which include Hindus, Muslims, Christians, chieftains, traders, farmers, priests and black magicians, and covers a range of themes spread across folk tales, legends, armies, myths and a sprinkling of history.
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Ekathaari: An Autobiography of a Nomad
Author: Kuppe Nagaraja, Translator: Sadananda R
Kuppe Nagaraja’s autobiography is of social importance as it covers the life of a nomadic community. Its uniqueness comes from the fact that the nomadic and semi-nomadic lifestyle is markedly different from that of other communities in the lower socioeconomic strata of society. This autobiography does not glorify the life of its author; it narrates the story of a community through the lens of an individual’s life. It begins as the story of an individual, then becomes the story of a family, and finally transforms into the story of a community. The autobiography grows beyond the traps of self-glorification by providing equal space to all these aspects in a balancedmanner.
– Baraguru Ramachandrappa
Noted Kannada writer, critic and film directorJust as birds migrate to greener pastures, nomadic people move towards regions that have received good rains. Kuppe Nagaraja’s autobiography meaningfully captures their traditions, beliefs, social interactions, and superstitions. This book can also be considered a free gift to social scientists as it provides insights into the life of nomads. It should be noted that it is very difficult to study nomads, as they keep to themselves and often dodge any probing questions. Moreover,
the book provides an answer to all those people who often stand on the footpaths of cities debating the relevance of caste-based reservation in Indian society.
– Krupakara-Senani
The Green Oscar winning wildlife photographersinterested customers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book.
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Two Plays – The Sahyadri Saga and The World of Swayamvara
Author: Akshara K V Translator: Jayanth Kodkani
These two plays negotiate with the real problems of contemporary India. If Sahyadri Kanda is about the ripples caused in the life of the people in a village on the Western Coast which will soon have a nuclear plant, Swayamvaraloka, is an allegorical narrative set in a small village that extends to include the larger contemporary world. Both the plays dwell on the seeming binaries of village-city, success-failure, modern-traditional while examining the nature of human relationships in the changing world. These plays also reflect an ambition to elevate the real experience to a mythical level. While most playwrights attempt to echo contemporary concerns by reinterpreting history and mythology, for these plays, the epics, their grandeur, the struggle, the wars are not episodes that happen in kingdoms and palaces and battlefields, they are also that which takes place in the microworld of one’s consciousness. Each character in these plays find their own dharma, yet it offers no model for the reader, and remains only a pointer to the complex process of finding it.
Interested readers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book.
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Tunes of a Single String
Author: Kathyayini Kunjibettu, Translator: N Thirumaleshwara Bhat
Dive into the enchanting poetry of Dr Kathyayini Kunjibettu through Tunes of a Single String, a captivating translation of her anthology Ekthari Sanchari. Kathyayini’s verses defy convention with unrhymed lines and free verse, reflecting a profound liberation of spirit and language. Each poem brings rural landscapes and Indian mythological scenes to life with remarkable freshness and emotional depth.
This collection invites readers to explore why Kathyayini’s works align with Renaissance Poems of a Modernist Tradition. Her poetic voice resonates with freshness and depth, deftly blending familiar themes into uniquely unconventional settings. Tunes of a Single String invites readers to delve into the vibrant world of modern Kannada poetry through Kathyayini’s fearless exploration of life, culture, and language.
Interested customers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book.
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BAKA – Collection of Two Plays
Author: M S Keshava Prabhu, Translator: L V Shantakumari
Baka dramatizes the episode of Bakasura, from the Indian epic, Mahabharata. Baka is a cannibal demon that terrorizes a village with its horrifying attacks. The king of the village strikes an agreement with the demon, putting its people in peril. They live in constant fear for years until the sudden arrival of a hero changes everything.
A theatrical and evocative narration, this play satirically mirrors society’s greed and irresponsibility. It depicts power struggles through the conflict that arises between Baka the demon, the cowardly king, and the oppressed people.Interested customers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book. -
The Other Face
Author: Na Mogasale Translator: N T Bhat
Set in a fictitious village called Kanthapura in Kasaragod district, Mukhāntara spans across the life of seven generations of a Havyaka Brahmin family. A story about the realities of living in a society marked by caste distinctions, the desire to find communal harmony and the tribulations of the characters through the entirety of the novel, it is also a tale of changing times and people. After unexpectedly coming into possession of a huge portion of land, Thirumalēshwara Bhat of Īshwarīmūle becomes a satisfied man. But childless, Thirumalēshwara Bhat and his wife Pārvathakka decide to adopt Venkappaiah and also give shelter to his widowed mother, Rathnamma. Venkappaiah is to inherit Thirumalēshwara’s vast wealth but when Krishnaiah, the illegitimate child of Thirumalēshwara and Rathnamma is born, rivalry ensues. Through the overlapping narratives of the characters, we get a glimpse into their journey from tradition to modernity. The characters strive to reshape new values when old values are slowly questioned and erased as they move on and are swept along in the waves of globalization.
Interested readers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book.
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Kaitan Gandhi’s Freedom Struggle
Author: Na D’Souza Translator: B Gangadharamurthy
Kaitan Gandhiya Swatantrya Horata is one of the very few novels written in Kannada on the Gandhian phase of the Indian freedom struggle. It is not globally unknown that Gandhi not only changed the idiom of the struggle and successfully experimented his lifetime-belief in non-violence on the vast canvas but also made it decisively inclusive. Kaitan Gandhi’s Freedom Struggle thematically illuminates these two crucial aspects of the great struggle and grapples with the naked truth as Charles, the priest in the novel revealingly says,The rulers, whosoever it is, are rulers. Caste, colour, or country does not matter to them. All are wicked. Like in all true works of realist literature, the author, here too, creatively blends the individual, the social, and the historical in such a way that the novel poignantly unfolds the true spirit of quest for freedom and humanity.
Interested readers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book.