Attempting to get people back to reading our cultural heritage, a group of techies have joined together to come out with the Kannada version of the first ever encyclopaedia of the world in any language, Sivatattva Ratnakara in Sanskrit. An initiative by Daresa Publications, which was started by a group of friends, the work has been translated to Kannada by Professor Mallepuram G Venkatesh, who is the present Vice-Chancellor of Karnataka Sanskrit University. “He is a scholar in Kannada and Sanskrit and author of several books and articles, he is a pleasant blend of abilities of administration, study, teaching and research,” says MA Dayashankara, who is one among the founders of the publication.
VARIED SUBJECTS
The series is being published in five volumes by Daresa Publications. The first book consists of vedas, puranas, cosmology, astronomy and astrology and second one comprises geography, genealogy, history, polity and science of warfare amongst other things. The third volume deals with architecture, town planning, music, dance, biological sciences, gemology, culinary art, ayurveda and toxicology. The other two volumes elaborate on various subjects such as archery, economics, wrestling, poetics, vaidic and avaidic doctrines and the doctrine of emancipation.
PRINT IN VOGUE
“Reading books widens our knowledge and makes us feel different and better than what we are. However there is a common belief that in these days of computers, CDs and e-books, the number of readers of printed books is dwindling. On the contrary, we would say that in spite of the widespread use of the internet, the printed book readers have increased by three to four times,” says Dayashankara.
THE BEGINNING
A c c o r d i n g t o Dayashankara, a bunch of like-minded friends were dreaming of running a publishing firm to provide the society with a wide range of subjects. “It is now materialising with the mega project Shree Shivatatva Ratnakara. The idea is to cater to the needs of a big section of elite as well as the general public who are eagerly looking for useful works like Shivatattva Ratnakara, which is a magnificent encyclopedia in sanskrit dealing with a large variety of subjects touching upon all departments of oriental culture such as religion, philosophy, history, literature, science and art,” he says.
THE GEM
Throwing light on the extraordinary literary work, Shivatattva Ratnakara, Dayashankar further says, “Ratnakara literally means ‘an ocean abounding in gems’. With a study of the gems in this repository, you will find our true our culture which cannot be accessed through Vedas, Puranas, Itihasas or Shastras, even though each of these texts holds aloft several peaks of culture. m asharadhaa @newindianexpress.com