Shakespeare, Keats, and Ramana - Glimpses of Advaitic Bliss

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

...."Bhagavan was a perfect *rasajna* .......taught again the lesson

that literature provides a safe and pleasant bridge between

*paramaartha* and *vyavahara*.

 

"Bhagavan listened like a child to passages from Shakespear's plays

and Keats's letters and quickly and convincingly revealed the

universal truth in each flower unique in its own beauty. On Keats's

letter on 'negative capability' his passing comment was:'So there are

Upanishads in English as in Sanskrit'. The nightingale whose song

Keats heard [stanza i] and the immortal bird not born for death

[stanza vii] are the same two birds mentioned in the Upanishad, one

eating the fruit, the other looking on. After a passage from

Shakespeare was read, discussed and duly praised, he uttered words to

this effect:'The Self as joy alone exists. As Shakespeare, it enjoyed

writing this, and now, as you, it enjoys reading it' "

[from : Sri Ramana, The Self Supreme, by Prof. K. Swaminathan

(1896-1994); Ramanashram, 1st ed. 1997; p. 16.]

 

 

*rasajna: one who understands the taste or character of a work , the

feeling or sentiment prevailing in it.

[from 8 to 10 Rasas are generally enumerated, viz.

shR^i~Ngaara,love ; viira, heroism; biibhatsa, disgust;

raudra , anger or fury ; haasya , mirth ; bhayAnaka, terror ;

karuNa, pity ; adbhuta, wonder ; shaanta , tranquillity, contentment ;

vAtsalya, parental fondness].

 

*paramartha: transcendental

 

*vyavahara: empirical

 

Regards,

 

s.