The adoration of Kamakshi, a book written by Dr R Asha (Sivasree), based on the compositions of Dikshitar, is full of scholarly interpretations of the compositions.
With the inspirational assistance of Dr Veezhinathan (formerly Professor and Head of Department of Sanskrit of University of Madras) and with appealing lyrics and sophisticated approach, the book reveals the excellence of signs of music, outlining the devotional journey, into mystic realm of Dikshitar.
Asha is very emphatic when she avers that Dikshitar’s compositions are priceless, as he reinstated the eternally relevant path to steadiness, peace and fulfillment during the turbulent times of bewildering change.
Asha feels that the subtleties and the profundity of Dikshitar’s thoughts and the continuous Advaita thread through his kritis have not been fully explored. She is confident that with the grace of gurus, she would open up new vistas of exploration of this esoteric subject.
We certainly go through a devotional journey by reading The Adoration of Kamakshi. While sound manifests the form, Dikshitar uses both and also transcends to the realm of Advaita.
We could not agree less, when it is said that in view of the progressive decline of the man’s faith in spiritual values as raging skepticism, such studies would serve as beacon lights to humanity and reinforce the eternal relevance of our age old cherished values.
An exceptionally outstanding student with great intuitive insights into philosophy and art, Asha has won laurels and medals for being the top ranker. Holding a Doctorate in Sanskrit, she is a prolific writer, researcher, cultural aficionado, dancer and musician.
A master of different languages, namely Sanskrit, English, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam, her academic aspirations blossomed along with her cultural journey, which was complimented and supplemented by Gnana Baskara Narayana Sastrigal of Karunananda Mandali. So, when she was awarded the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarship for Doctoral Studies, it was but natural that she chose to pursue her doctorate on the kritis of Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar.
Having served as the Chief Editor for a tri-lingual quarterly, Sandharsanam, and having been a regular contributor for Tattvaloka magazine, what gives her immense satisfaction is her association with Adi Sankara Advaita Centre.
Asha expanded her artistic spheres by learning classical dance forms Bharathanatyam and Mohiniattam, all enriching her aesthetic sensibilities, offering deep valuable perceptions into art, spirituality, mysticism and the efflorescence of Indian culture.