Indian Literature

In Introspections on Hinduism (On the Nature), here we examine Hinduism's philosophical conception of Nature as the irreducible, essential characteristic of existence, with the soul (Atman) positioned as its central metaphysical principle and divine manifestation. This treatise points out and analyzes the soul's role as an inner governor (Antaryamin) that bridges material and immaterial realms, enabling phenomena such as precognition through its timeless orientation toward Brahman. The work develops an ethical metaphysics wherein the soul's self-disclosure and cyclical journey of purification drive existential becoming, framing reality as a dynamic process of divine self-recognition rather than illusion. Hinduism emerges therefore, as we see in this treatise, as an internally focused, non-proselytizing tradition that spiritualizes material existence through introspective realization, distinguishing it within the domains of Asian religious cosmology in relation to other religious. The text presents Nature as the foundational category for world-disclosure, positioning conscious experience as the participatory unfolding of divine consciousness.

Tawaif, who were all women, were major contributors to poetry, dance, and music in India. However, tawaif today are primarily recognized as a group of women involved in prostitution and sex work, and their contributions to poetry and performance have been largely forgotten. This reductionist view has obscured their vital contributions to the cultural and literary life of South Asia. This article, therefore, revisits the history of the tawaif in pre-colonial and colonial contexts and deconstructs the poetry of Mah Laqa Chanda (d. 1824), a tawaif and a poet, to address the erasure of women's oral and written voices in Urdu literary traditions. The article employs Ferdinand de Saussure's theory of sign to understand the interpretation of "tawaif" as both a word and an identity over time. Furthermore, it applies Jacques Derrida's method of deconstruction to critically analyze Chanda's poetry, arguing that tawaif literature offers a powerful model for understanding how women appropriated dominant cultural forms to subvert patriarchal structures.

A good poem takes its roots in everyday life but does not stop there. It grows wings to take a higher flight. The best poetry furnishes a fertile ground in which the soul takes a free, happy, salvaging flight towards the universal. This paper critically analyses Susheel Kumar Sharma's book of poems, Unwinding Self, and marks the poetic journey here as a pilgrimage from regional to universal. The paper situates the poetic voice within the paradigm of Hindu spirituality.

In whatever situation a man living in a society, there is some kind of thought flowing over him. Although man is at the center of the social entity, he receives ideological lessons from childhood. After becoming wise, this sociable human follows some particular ideological system or goes ahead to represent it on the stage. Food, clothing and shelter are the means of material survival in any society, while different schools of thought form the ideological meeting of people. While thinking about literature and society, a bridge is created between literature and society.On this bridge, a social man is sometimes seen as zealous towards the nation through nationalist literature, sometimes as a Marxist who fights for his economic rights, and sometimes as a historian who proves historical principles through historical facts! Ultimately, man appears to be a social animal who gains scientific vision through the conflict between science and religion.

Partea întâi Jinn şi Phyllis petreceau vacanţe minunate în cosmos, cât mai departe de aştrii locuiţi. În epoca aceea călătoriile interplanetare erau cum nu se .poate mai obişnuite iar zborurile inter-siderale nu constituiau de loc o excepţie. Rachetele îi duceau pe turişti spre peisajele feerice de pe Sirius iar pe financiari spre faimoasele Burse de pe Arcturus şi Aldebaran. Dar Jinn şi Phyllis, doi tineri bogaţi şi cu mult timp liber, se remarcau în cosmos prin originalitate si printr-un dram de poezie. Străbăteau universul numai de plăcereîntr-o navă cu pânze. Vasul lor era alcătuit dintr-un fel de sfera al cărei învelişpânzaexcepţional de subţire şi uşor, se deplasa în spaţiu împins de presiunea radiaţiilor luminoase. Un astfel de vehicul, când e lăsat în voie în apropierea vreunei stele (şi totuşi destul de departe de ea, ca forţa de gravitaţie să nu fie prea mare), o ia întotdeauna în linie dreaptă în direcţia opusă acestei stele; întrucât sistemul stelar din care făceau parte Jinn şi Phyllis avea trei sori, relativ nu prea îndepărtaţi unul de altul, ambarcaţiunea lor primea valuri de lumina din trei direcţii diferite. Jinn născocise atunci un procedeu extrem de ingenios pentru a-şi cârmui nava. Căptuşise pânza pe dinăuntru cu un şir de storuri negre pe oare le putea coborî sau ridica după voie, modificând astfel capacitatea de reflexie a unor secţiuni şi, o dată cu ea, rezultanta presiunilor luminoase. Pe lângă aceasta, învelişul elastic se putea dilata sau contracta la o simplă comandă a navigatorului. Astfel, de pildă, când Jinn voia să accelereze viteza navei, sporea la maximum diametrul sferei. Aceasta recepta atunci suflul radiaţiilor pe o suprafaţă enormă şi vasul se năpustea în spaţiu cu o viteză nebună care-i dădea ameţeli prietenei lui, Phyllis; ameţeli care-l cuprindeau apoi şi pe el şi-i aruncau, pătimaşi, unul în braţele celuilalt, cu privirea pierdută în depărtări, spre tainicele abisuri unde-i împingea goana navei. Când, dimpotrivă, voiau să încetineze viteza, Jinn apăsa pe un buton. Pânza îşi micşora într-atât volumul încât se reducea la o sferă în care tocmai bine puteau încăpea amândoi, strânşi unul în altul. Acţiunea luminii devenea neglijabilă şi balonul acesta minuscul, deplasându-se numai în virtutea inerţiei, părea imobil, ca suspendat în vid de un fir invizibil. Cei doi tineri petreceau atunci ore întregi, leneşe şi îmbătătoare, în acest univers redus, clădit pe măsura lor, numai pentru ei, şi pe care Jinn îl compara cu un velier în pană iar Phyllis-cu băşica de aer a păianjenului de apă. Jinn cunoştea şi multe alte şiretlicuri socotite o culme a măiestriei de către corăbierii cosmici. Astfel, de pildă, ştia să folosească umbra planetelor şi a unor sateliţi pentru a executa o voltă, îşi împărtăşea cunoştinţele iubitei sale, Phyllis, care devenise aproape tot atât de iscusită şi adeseori chiar mai temerară decât el. Când se afla ea la drena, o lua uneori razna, străbătând distanţe uriaşe care îi duceau până la hotarele sistemului lor stelar, nesocotind de pildă vreo furtună magnetică ce începea să perturbe undele luminoase; şi să le zguduie luntrea ca o coajă de nucă. în vreo două sau trei rânduri, Jinn, trezit brusc din somn de vijelie, se făcuse foc şi pară înainte de a-i putea smulge cârma din mână şi a pune fără întârziere în funcţiune, pentru a se întoarce cât mai repede la liman, racheta auxiliară pe care no foloseauera o chestiune de onoare pentru eidecât în cazuri de mare primejdie.

Alternate history has emerged as a significant narrative mode that reimagines the past through speculative reinterpretation. By introducing hypothetical variations into established historical or mythological events, it explores how minor deviations can generate alternative historical trajectories. Positioned at the intersection of history, myth, and fiction, alternate history challenges the stability of accepted narratives and foregrounds the contingent nature of historical knowledge. Although history is grounded in documented sources, its interpretations remain shaped by perspective, selection, and narrative construction. This paper argues that Ashok K. Banker's

The views and opinions expressed in this book are the authors' and the editor's own and the facts are as reported by them which have been verified to the extent possible, and the publisher is not in any way liable for the same. Grass flowers is a not-for-profit, open access publishing venture. Its logo is an illustration done by Pierre-Joseph Redoute, Belgian botanist and painter, in 1805.

In writing his novels R.K. Narayan throughout remains preoccupied with the treatment of social and national issues from a humanistic point of view. His novels which are published after independence delineate the experience of the colonial age and dilemmas of post-independent realities. Here Narayan has more or less spoken about the realities of colonial and post-colonial India. Like most of the Indian English fiction writers of post-independence era Narayan has chosen Indian socio-cultural situations as the themes of the novel. They have also explored the relationship between the east and the west. Fictional reworking of mythology and history has also been rediscovered by him in this period. National identity and national boundary occupy the narrative in most of them. In this juncture, the present paper tries to investigate Narayan's Post-Independence Novels from humanistic point of view.

Any brand names and product names mentioned in this book are subject to trademark, brand or patent protection and are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. The use of brand names, product names, common names, trade names, product descriptions etc. even without a particular marking in this work is in no way to be construed to mean that such names may be regarded as unrestricted in respect of trademark and brand protection legislation and could thus be used by anyone.

Presentem una mostra de la nostra versió mètrica de l'obra d'escolasticisme budista del filòsof indi Vasubandhu, que segueix l'estructura mètrica de les seves estrofes en l'original sànscrit.
Contribuïm, així, a normalitzar la pràctica de l'anostrament mètric de la poesia i de la filosofia índies, seguint una tradició ben arrelada a casa nostra.

This article examines the structural integration, political agency, and cultural position of Muslim wives, queens (maharanis), and elite consorts (paswans, lanjas, khawasis, or begums) within the royal domestic Premnath Yadav -Shadows and Sovereigns spheres of prominent non-Muslim Indian empires-specifically the Sikh Empire, the Maratha Peshwai, the kingdoms of Rajputana, the Vijayanagara Empire, the Kingdom of Assam (Ahoms), and the Bundela Kingdom-during the early modern period. Moving beyond the binary paradigm of communal historiography, this study utilizes contemporary court chronicles, administrative diaries (bahis), epigraphic records, and colonial diplomatic archives to analyze how these relationships operated at the intersection of political pragmatism, gender hierarchies, and religious orthodoxy. The paper demonstrates that while the Sikh court offered an unmatched path to sovereign autonomy for Muslim queens, and the Rajput and Maratha systems enforced stratified boundaries, kingdoms like Vijayanagara and the Ahom state utilized these domestic spaces to institutionalize trans-imperial diplomacy and secure complex frontier allegiances.

A beautiful smiling woman giving birth to her child without any discomfort while standing under a blooming tree and assisted by elegant company represents an image that every student of Buddhism will recognise as an illustration of the birth of the future Buddha. Along with the scene featuring the Buddha attaining enlightenment while surrounded by Māra's soldiers and the image of the reclining Buddha entering parinirvāṇa, this is certainly the most popular and iconic image of the Buddha legend. Research on the narrative cycle of Buddha's nativity is extensive, partly because of the question of the historical site where the episode is understood to have taken place. 2 The event itself has been regarded as historical since the time of Aśoka; this is evident from the famous inscription in which he endowed Śākyamuni's birthplace with part of the relics (thus making it a pilgrimage site). 3 In the inscription, Aśoka calls the place Lumbini gāma (village), 4 and it only became vana (forest) at a later date. The transformation of the story into the narrative of a marvellous birth under a tree in a park is comprehensible. It is quite possible that the specific features of Lumbinī inspired the later narrative from early on; a sacred tree was, after all, actually unearthed at the site (Coningham/Acharya/Davis 2015). As for the visual representations of the events in Lumbinī, art-historical research attempted to locate them in early art; as no visual representation could be traced in the art of Bharhut or Sanchi, the images of the goddess Lakṣmī were declared to be symbolical representations of the Buddha's birth (Foucher 1934). To us in the present, this may seem to be a rather unnecessary step in 1 We would like to express our thanks to all our colleagues who shared their knowledge and their textual and pictorial material with us: Prof.

As a notable feminine voice in the field of diasporic literature, Meena Alexander assesses the experiences of migrants through careful assimilation of her own experiences of multiple dislocations. Primarily known for her poetic creations, this writer attempts to amalgamate a multitude of personal as well as social structures and frameworks that lead to the composition of a comprehensive diasporic consciousness also through her novels, essays and memoir. Literature of diaspora explores the impact of the composite process of uprooting and re-rooting the lead to a reconfiguration of the individual's identity. Her widely known works include the novels Nampally

Diaspora means a voluntary or forced displacement of a community that shares a strong cultural, emotional or religious connection to a shared homeland while residing in foreign region. Diasporic literature highlights the literary works of those authors who migrated to another country for economic or academic benefit but their works reflect their umbilical connection to homeland, native culture, traditional values, pains of displacement. Diasporic writing captures the diverse experiences of deterritorialization and re-territorialization of the immigrants. The rise and growth of Indian women diasporic writers is a remarkable literary evolution. Moving from postcolonial themes of displacement and identity crisis to contemporary explorations of global citizenship, several women authors have transformed global literature by highlighting the immigrant experience, cultural hybridity, and the female voice in a foreign land. Emerging from a legacy of post-colonial displacement, authors like

In a postcolonial and psychological setting, this research paper discourses the intricate play of trauma, identity, and bureaucracy in the book, English, August: An Indian Story by Upamanyu Chatterjee, written on a postcolonial and psychological platform. The omnipresence of bureaucratic, cultural and existential trauma is explored through the lens and heart of the main character, Agastya Sen. The alienation, ennui, and identity crisis that the novelist labyrinths in the postcolonial Indian bureaucracy are expressed through the emotions of the protagonist. This kind of exploration is purely aimed at unleashing the trauma psychic wounds, which the people inherited during the colonial rule. As we see in the novel, trauma is not a personal disease. It is a structural ailment entrenched in the social and institutional systems. The gist of the novel is the divided consciousness of Agastya, where the novelist is indicting the bureaucratic machine as an item and a generator of trauma. More than this, it exposes its moral paralysis and alienating influence. In addition, it reveals the familial disconnection, cultural mimicry, and the clash between Western modernity and Indian tradition that unitedly intensify Agastya’s psychological dislocation. The study suggests that, in this novel, the novelist has transformed personal suffering into a metaphor for collective postcolonial anxiety with the aim of mirroring a nation's moral and existential crisis that causes bureaucratic stagnation. The traumas, whether it is moral or societal in the novel, serve as a powerful tool. They critique postcolonial identity formation and bureaucratic modernity, revealing how inherited systems of power shape emotional and cultural life in today’s India.

This paper attempts to investigate the process of writing of the literary history in the context of South Asia and the Indian subcontinent. In doing so, it problematizes the process of canon formation by raising a number of questions. What are the critical frameworks and methodological tools involved? What are the gaps in the formation of the literary canon? What roles did caste, gender and class play in the process of writing of literary texts and their incorporation into the canon? The paper also problematizes the influence of the Western models of literary historiographies over the existing literary historiographies across Asia and the Indian subcontinent. It attempts to probe into the possible points of departure that provide us with the alternative frameworks from the ones provided to us by the Western model. Can we look at the literary history, alternatively, rather than classifying texts according to chronology or genres as is conventionally done? The paper attempts to suggest some of the frameworks in order to undo the influence of western model. Tracing the oral transmission of texts while highlighting numerous folkloric motifs prevalent in the canonical texts particularly focusing on the Sufi-Bhakti traditions. Another alternative is adopting a dynamic approach by incorporating new concepts such as "margino-centrism", "multicultural corridors" and "pluralistic epistemologies" (206), as Prof. T.S. Satyanath puts it. His approach would be to reconceptualize cultural contacts as cultural re-negotiations which "nullifies the effects of imperialistic influence model of comparison" (208). Such an approach could dismantle the status of literary history as a grand narrative and propose alternative approaches.

This article traces the origin, evolution, and development of children's literature. It examines literary works written by adults for children as well as those created by children themselves. The study highlights the distinctive features, growth, and significance of children's literature in nurturing imagination, creativity, and intellectual development among young readers.

महिला सशक्तिकरण बिहार में एक महत्त्वपूर्ण सामाजिक, आर्थिक और राजनीतिक
विमर्श का मुद्दा है। यह न केवल राज्य के विकास दर को प्रभावित करता है बल्कि आर्थिक
और सामाजिक समरसता के लिए भी आवश्यक है। नीतीश कुमार ने इस दिशा में कई
महत्त्वपूर्ण कदम उठाए हैं, जिसमें विशेष योजनाओं का क्रियान्वयन और नीतिगत पहलें
शामिल हैं। इनके नेतृत्व में महिलाओं को शिक्षा, स्वास्थ्य सेवाओं और रोजगार के माध्यम
से सशक्त करने पर बल दिया गया है। इससे महिलाओं की सामाजिक, आर्थिक और
राजनीतिक स्थिति में सकारात्मक परिवर्तन आया और उनके आत्मनिर्भरता को बढ़ावा मिला है। यह अध्ययन नीतीश कुमार की नीतियों का विश्लेषण करते हुए इस बात पर बल देता हैं कि कैसे उनके नेतृत्व ने बिहार में महिलाओं की स्थिति में सुधार करने की दिशा में ठोस कदम उठाए हैं। इस अध्ययन के माध्यम से यह समझने का प्रयास किया गया है कि
सशक्त महिलाओं का समाज में क्या महत्वपूर्ण योगदान होता है और कैसे यह विकास की
दिशा में एक महत्वपूर्ण कारक बनता है।

Ce séminaire a pour objet de présenter les recherches philosophiques en cours et de contribuer à la formation des doctorants. Il veut être un espace de réflexion et de discussion commun à toutes les équipes de recherche. Il est ouvert aux enseignants-chercheurs et aux professeurs invités de l'UFR de philosophie, aux chercheurs, doctorants et étudiants de master rattachés à l'École Doctorale, ainsi qu'à des intervenants extérieurs. Les doctorants peuvent mentionner leur participation à ce séminaire dans leur rapport final d'activité, au titre de l'insertion dans l'environnement de recherche. Dominique Couzinet (coordination du séminaire) Laurent Jaffro (directeur de l'EDPH).

What makes a human life complete? This paper explores the parallels between Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs and the Hindu framework of the four Ashramas. One emerged from modern Western psychology. The other comes from ancient Indian philosophy. Yet both recognise that human life unfolds in stages. Our priorities evolve over time. This paper does not claim equivalence between the two systems. Rather, it reflects on a timeless question: how does a human being grow through life? It also explores what the Ashrama framework might add to modern psychology, specifically around responsibility, timing, and detachment.

This book offers a critical study of Koshali/Sambalpuri Folk poet, Padmashri Haldhar Nag’s rendition of four characters from the Rāmāyana, namely Urmilā, Tārā, Mandodari and Shabari, in his three long poems. While doing so, the volume attempts to foreground the Koshali/Sambalpuri folk tradition which has cradled the creative genius of Haldhar Nag.  Among Nag’s many creative feats, synthesizing Indian mythological materials with the Koshali/Sambalpuri folk elements stand out the most. The book argues that given the popular perception of the Rāmāyana being either about the Avatār Purush Sri Rām or the Maryādā Purushottam Sri Rām (where one would normally expect to witness the trials and tribulations of Sri Rām and Mātā Sitā) the very act of making the other female characters the center of one’s poetic world, by itself is a testimony to the democratic vision of the poet. The book hopes to address the curiosity of scholars interested (and invested) in Haldhar Nag’s poetic world and its contribution to Indian literature, Odia literature, Koshali/Sambalpuri writings, folk studies, identity studies and gender studies.

In rural India, the ethical, economic, and cultural foundation of the agricultural sector has had a significant influence not only on the economy but also on the identity and worldview of the people. In the three decades, however, perennial crop failures due to climatic instability, ecological destruction, and the neoliberal restructuring of the agrarian economy have turned farming from a means of sustenance into a state of perpetual adversity. According to this paper, crop failure in India should be viewed as a type of socio-ecological violence that disturbs subjectivity, communal life, and human–nature relationships. It does this by conceptualising crop failure as agrarian trauma. Drawing on trauma theory, political economy, and ecocriticism, specifically Rob Nixon's concept of slow violence, the study identifies a major gap in Indian English literary criticism. Historically, agrarian suffering has been characterised either by humanist narratives of resilience or by structural-economic analyses that overlook psychological and cultural factors. To show how crop failure functions as a recurring, normalised, and cumulative trauma ingrained in daily rural life, the paper integrates environmental and trauma frameworks. The study demonstrates how literature portrays crop failure as an ethical rupture that materialises as hunger, fear, debt, shame, displacement, and, ultimately, farmer suicide through close readings of Kamala Markandaya's Nectar in
a Sieve, Munshi Premchand's Godaan, and Jaideep Hardikar's Ramrao: The Story of India's Farm Crisis. These texts demonstrate the impact of agrarian trauma on cultural memory, ethical imagination, and narrative temporality at both individual and collective levels. The study says that Indian English literature is a record of agrarian suffering and an ethical testimony that shows the slow, often unnoticed violence of crop failure. The study provides a new interdisciplinary framework for comprehending rural suffering, environmental injustice, and the psychological costs of development in modern India by theorising crop failure as agrarian trauma.

KEYWORDS:
Agrarian trauma; Crop failure; Environmental crisis; Farmer distress;
Sustainability.

The present study examines the representation of feminine trauma, cultural resistance, and ethical consciousness in selected contemporary Haryanvi Ragnis composed by Anand Kumar Ashodhiya. Focusing on the compositions “सातमा फेरा,” “निर्भया,” “देश की बेटी म्हारी बेटी,” “रील बणावण के चक्कर में,” “कन्या रतन लक्ष्मी,” and “धोखे की गाथा,” the article investigates how the Haryanvi Saang-Ragni tradition functions as a performative medium of social critique, moral reflection, and regional cultural memory. The study argues that contemporary Haryanvi Ragni has evolved beyond entertainment-oriented folk expression into a vernacular discourse capable of addressing dowry violence, gender insecurity, institutional apathy, digital exhibitionism, emotional commodification, and the fragmentation of social relationships.
The research adopts an interdisciplinary qualitative methodology combining textual interpretation, oral-performance studies, feminist literary criticism, cultural semiotics, and Pingal-based prosodic analysis. Particular attention is given to the interaction between thematic intensity and oral-musical structure. The article demonstrates that Samamatrik rhythmic organization, Yati placement, refrain systems, cadence patterns, and Antya-Anupras structures significantly enhance emotional participation and collective ethical reception during performance.
The study further establishes that these Ragnis preserve indigenous oral aesthetics while simultaneously articulating contemporary social anxieties rooted in North Indian rural and semi-urban life. Through close literary and prosodic analysis, the article identifies a significant gap in existing scholarship concerning the integrated study of feminist folk discourse, oral-performance theory, socio-psychological interpretation, and Pingal prosody within Haryanvi literary traditions. Consequently, the research positions contemporary Haryanvi Ragni as an important archive of regional consciousness, cultural resistance, and vernacular ethical expression within modern Indian folk literature.
Keywords
Haryanvi Ragni, Pingal Shastra, Saang Tradition, Feminist Folk Discourse, Oral Tradition, Cultural Semiotics, Gendered Trauma, Folk Performance, Vernacular Ethics, North Indian Folk Poetics, Social Resistance

The present study examines the relationship between ethical consciousness, social resistance, and Pingal prosody in selected contemporary Haryanvi Ragnis composed by Anand Kumar Ashodhiya. Focusing on the compositions “बेईमानी और लालच,” “मुफ्तखोरी और लालच,” “लोभ की चौसर,” and “चुनावी शतुरमुर्ग,” the article explores how Haryanvi Ragni functions as a medium of public ethics, cultural memory, and socio-political critique within North Indian folk traditions. The study employs a qualitative interdisciplinary approach combining textual interpretation, oral-performance analysis, cultural semiotics, and prosodic examination. It argues that contemporary Haryanvi Ragni has evolved into a significant vernacular form through which issues such as corruption, welfare exploitation, commercialization of education and healthcare, electoral manipulation, and moral decline are articulated in culturally accessible ways.
The article further demonstrates that the prosodic features of these compositions—including Samamatrik rhythmic organization, Yati placement, refrain structures, and Antya-Anupras patterns—strengthen emotional communication and collective memorability during oral performance. Drawing upon insights from oral tradition studies and Indian folk aesthetics, the study situates Haryanvi Ragni as a living performative tradition where ethical reflection and oral poetics intersect. It also identifies a continuing research gap in interdisciplinary studies combining Pingal analysis with socio-cultural interpretation in Haryanvi folk literature. The article therefore contributes to contemporary folk literary discourse by positioning Haryanvi Ragni as an important vernacular tradition of ethical expression, oral aesthetics, and democratic social critique.
Keywords
Cultural Semiotics, Folk Aesthetics, Folk Performance, Folk Prosody, Haryanvi Ragni, Institutional Critique, North Indian Folk Poetics, Oral Epistemology, Oral Tradition, Pingal Shastra, Saang Tradition, Social Resistance, Vernacular Ethics,

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, often hailed as Sahitya Samrat, emerged as a pivotal architect of modern Indian nationalism by fusing Hindu cultural revivalism with anti-colonial political consciousness. Through seminal works like Anandamath (1882) and the hymn "Bande Mataram," he personified the nation as a Hindu Mother Goddess (Bharat Mata), advocated Anushilan (disciplined self-culture), and reinterpreted Hindu dharma as a call to action. This article examines how Bankim laid the ideological foundations for a Hindu-inflected cultural nationalism that influenced the Indian freedom struggle and continues to resonate in contemporary debates on identity, secularism, and Hindutva.

Phonetics, the scientific study of speech sounds, serves as a cornerstone in the development of
communicative competence, especially in the context of second language acquisition. Despite its relevance,
phonetics is frequently overlooked in language pedagogy, often relegated to optional content. This article
argues for the systematic integration of phonetics into mainstream language instruction. Drawing upon
insights from applied linguistics, cognitive psychology, and educational theory, the study explores how
phonetic training enhances pronunciation, fosters listening and speaking skills, and builds intercultural
communication. With globalization shaping English into a global lingua franca, learners must not only
understand vocabulary and grammar but also produce intelligible, rhythmically appropriate speech. The
paper further explores the pedagogical challenges and offers practical strategies—including technology
integration and multisensory learning—for classroom implementation. The article concludes that phonetics
must no longer be seen as ancillary but as an essential element of language pedagogy aimed at meaningful,
fluent, and confident communication.
Keywords— phonetics, language acquisition, pronunciation, communicative competence, language
pedagogy, intelligibility, listening skills, supplemental

Contemporary Indian families are negotiating a difficult transition between collectivist traditions and modern demands for autonomy. Urbanization, globalization, educational mobility, and changing career landscapes have expanded opportunities for younger generations, yet emotional and cultural expectations around obedience, loyalty, and caregiving continue to shape decision-making. This paper examines how parental authority, often framed as love and protection, may contribute to incomplete individuation in adulthood. Through illustrative clinical-social narratives and a psychological lens informed by hypnotherapy and developmental theory, the article explores anxiety, stalled identity formation, emotional guilt, and dependency patterns in adult children. The discussion also revisits the traditional Hindu framework of Chaturashrama (the four stages of life), arguing that Indian culture historically encouraged structured independence rather than perpetual dependence. The paper proposes that healthy adulthood requires agency with accountability rather than rebellion, and that families must evolve from systems of control to systems of scaffolding.

Contemporary Indian families are negotiating a difficult transition between collectivist traditions and modern demands for autonomy. Urbanization, globalization, educational mobility, and changing career landscapes have expanded opportunities for younger generations, yet emotional and cultural expectations around obedience, loyalty, and caregiving continue to shape decision-making. This paper examines how parental authority, often framed as love and protection, may contribute to incomplete individuation in adulthood. Through illustrative clinical-social narratives and a psychological lens informed by hypnotherapy and developmental theory, the article explores anxiety, stalled identity formation, emotional guilt, and dependency patterns in adult children. The discussion also revisits the traditional Hindu framework of Chaturashrama (the four stages of life), arguing that Indian culture historically encouraged structured independence rather than perpetual dependence. The paper proposes that healthy adulthood requires agency with accountability rather than rebellion, and that families must evolve from systems of control to systems of scaffolding.

Dead man's soul crossing the Vaitarani River. "Vaitaranitara" literally translates from Sanskrit as "one who crosses or helps in crossing the Vaitarani river." It combines Vaitarani (the mythological river of the afterlife) with Tara (from the Sanskrit root tṛ, meaning "to cross" or "to ferry across"). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] The phrase is deeply rooted in Hindu mythology, particularly in the Garuda Purana, which describes the soul's journey after death. [1, 6] 0 1 F 3 0 A The Mythological Context: What is the Vaitarani?

The present research article critically examines selected contemporary Haryanvi Ragnis from the Avikavani corpus authored by Anand Kumar Ashodhiya, with particular reference to Ragni titled as धोखा चीन का - गलवान घाटी, आज्या राखी बंधाज्या भाई, शादी में भात रस्म, मेरे तन की ढेरी हो ली -  विरह, कदे आज्या याद तेरी, असली दर्द, खेतड़ - दोचश्मी, निशाना, तोताचश्मी, करवा चौथ पै प्यार की पतँग, and फौजी फ़ौजण दोचश्मी. The study investigates how these compositions collectively construct a multidimensional folk discourse around nationalism, military sacrifice, agrarian ethics, ritual collectivism, conjugal devotion, feminine emotionality, psychological longing, betrayal consciousness, and regional cultural identity within the oral-performative framework of the Haryanvi Saang-Ragni tradition.
Employing an interdisciplinary methodological framework grounded in oral tradition studies, Pingal prosody, folk-performance theory, feminist folklore criticism, cultural semiotics, and socio-psychological literary analysis, the article argues that these Ragnis represent a sophisticated contemporary evolution of Haryanvi folk poetics rather than merely localized entertainment-oriented verse. The selected corpus demonstrates how regional oral literature transforms lived social experiences into culturally resonant poetic structures through disciplined mātrā architecture, refrain systems, dialogic cadence, symbolic compression, oral-musical continuity, and emotionally charged vernacular expression.
The article further establishes that Pingal Shastra functions not merely as a technical metrical framework but as an active performative mechanism sustaining emotional intensity, mnemonic continuity, dramatic progression, and collective participation within oral recitation traditions. Special emphasis has been placed upon the integration of Veer Rasa, Karuna, Shringar-Viraha, conjugal separation, feminine resilience, and military domesticity within orally adaptive Samamatrik structures.
The study identifies a major scholarly lacuna in contemporary Haryanvi literary criticism, particularly the absence of integrated analytical approaches combining Pingal analysis, oral-performance theory, feminist interpretation, cultural semiotics, and psychological folk aesthetics. By situating these compositions within broader frameworks of Indian folk dramaturgy, oral epistemology, regional poetics, and performative consciousness, the article positions the Avikavani corpus as a significant contribution to contemporary North Indian folk literature and indigenous knowledge systems.

This conversation between California- based American Poet-Editor Danielle Hanson (DH) and Prayagraj-based Indian Poet-Professor Susheel Kumar Sharma (SKS) took place via email over a period of nine months, from Sept 2024 to June 2025. Susheel is a Professor of English at the University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, the fourth oldest university of India. Unlike many others, Susheel has not been a prolific poet. This wide-ranging literary interview probes the craft, ethics and cultural politics that shape Sharma’s third poetry collection, Unwinding Self (2020), while mapping three decades of his creative evolution. Structured around fifteen substantial questions, the dialogue ranges from close readings of key poems to broader reflections on pedagogy, ecological crisis, gender violence, spirituality, and the role of the poet in society. Hanson presses Sharma on the personal-universal dialectic. Sharma explains how teaching, multilingualism and post-colonial location recalibrate his voice from youthful introspection through social satire to philosophical witness.
Sharma candidly reflects on ecological degradation, gender violence, and spiritual hypocrisy. He positions poetry as an ethical space that can elevate the ordinary, interrogate systems, and preserve human dignity amidst silence and erasure. Sharma also outlines his concept of the “ideal reader”– a synthesis of the Western “writerly reader” and the Indian sahrdaya pāṭhaka. The interview culminates in a discussion of the book’s unusual inclusion of seven international afterwords as a deliberate act of critical polyphony. The conversation concludes with practical guidance for emerging poets. This interview will be of interest to scholars of Indian poetry in English, postcolonial literature, comparative poetics, and creative writing pedagogy, as well as to poets and readers engaged with cross-cultural aesthetics and ethical imagination.
Keywords: Poetry, Pedagogy, Postcolonialism, Spirituality, Intertextuality, Environment, Ethics and Aesthetics

The present study critically examines selected socially interventionist Haryanvi Saang-Shaili Ragnis composed by Anand Kumar Ashodhiya, namely “हरियाणे में व्याप्त कुरीति,” “हरियाणे की सभ्यता और संस्कृति,” “पर्यावरण,” “किसा रँग बदल्या संसार नै,” and “इंटरनेट मोबाइल खतरा.” These compositions collectively represent a major contemporary development within North Indian folk poetics wherein the Haryanvi Ragni tradition evolves beyond entertainment-oriented oral performance and emerges as a sophisticated medium of ethical reflection, ecological consciousness, cultural resistance, and technological critique. The article situates these Ragnis within broader theoretical frameworks of oral tradition studies, folk-performance theory, cultural semiotics, regional epistemology, ecological humanities, and Pingal-centered prosodic analysis.
Employing an interdisciplinary methodology combining textual interpretation, oral-performance analysis, ecological hermeneutics, digital sociology, socio-cultural criticism, and Pingal examination, the study demonstrates that contemporary Haryanvi Ragni functions simultaneously as literary discourse, performative pedagogy, communal memory, and regional knowledge production. Particular attention has been devoted to Dirgha Samamatrik and Lavani-Mishrit Chaubola structures, Yati distribution, Guru-Laghu sequencing, refrain systems, tonal descent, and oral-musical cadence. The article argues that these prosodic structures intensify emotional participation and transform social critique into collectively embodied oral experience.
The selected Ragnis reveal deep anxiety regarding ritual exploitation, ecological destruction, vulgar commercialization, consumerist modernity, algorithm-driven digital culture, weakening intergenerational communication, and the erosion of embodied rural life. Simultaneously, they preserve regional linguistic texture, folk-symbolic consciousness, and performative continuity within rapidly changing socio-cultural conditions. The study further identifies a significant scholarly gap in the absence of integrated research combining Pingal prosody, ecological criticism, oral-performance studies, and digital sociology in relation to contemporary Haryanvi literature. Consequently, the article positions modern Haryanvi Ragni as an important epistemic archive of North Indian folk modernity, cultural transition, ecological ethics, and performative resistance.

The present research article critically examines selected spiritually, ethically and philosophically oriented Haryanvi Ragnis composed by Anand Kumar Ashodhiya, with special reference to Ragnis गुरू पालेराम दहिया श्रद्धांजलि, बुढ़ापा, हरि भजन, हिन्दू धर्म सनातन है, बाबा खाटू श्याम का भजन, शिवजी भोळे का नया कांवड़ भजन, दक्ष प्रजापति जयंती and यो बदल गया इन्सान from the thematic corpus identified as “Pedagogical Memorials and Vedantic Metaphysics.” The study investigates how these compositions collectively construct a vernacular philosophical discourse centred upon guru-veneration, collective memory, Bhakti consciousness, ethical anxiety, social fragmentation, Vedantic ontology and moral selfhood within the oral-performative framework of Haryanvi Saang-Shaili traditions.
Employing an interdisciplinary methodology grounded in oral tradition studies, Pingal prosody, folk-performance theory, cultural semiotics, psychological literary criticism and vernacular philosophical hermeneutics, the article argues that these Ragnis function not merely as devotional or commemorative lyrics but as sophisticated oral-literary systems preserving regional epistemology, ethical pedagogy and performative spirituality. The selected corpus demonstrates how contemporary Haryanvi folk literature transforms abstract metaphysical concerns into emotionally accessible vernacular expression through disciplined mātrā architecture, refrain systems, dialogic cadence, tonal gravity, symbolic metaphors and orally adaptive rhythmic structures.
The article further analyses how Pingal Shastra continues to operate as an active structural force shaping emotional intensity, mnemonic continuity and collective participation within oral recitation traditions. Particular attention has been devoted to the integration of Bhakti aesthetics, Karuna, Shanta and socio-ethical discourse through Lavani-Mishrit Samamatrik Chhand structures, Guru-Laghu sequencing, Yati placement and refrain-oriented performative rhythm.
The study identifies a significant scholarly gap in contemporary Haryanvi literary criticism where integrated analyses combining Pingal studies, oral-performance theory, vernacular Vedantic discourse, feminist interpretation and psychological folk aesthetics remain substantially underdeveloped. By situating these compositions within wider frameworks of Indian folk dramaturgy, oral epistemology and regional literary modernities, the article establishes Ashodhiya’s Avikavani corpus as a major contemporary contribution to North Indian folk poetics, ethical folk consciousness and performative philosophical literature.

This study presents a critical analysis of Haryanvi Sāng-style Rāgṇīs (17-23) from Adharājan, examining them through the combined frameworks of Pingal prosody and folk-cultural expression. Using a qualitative, text-centric methodology based on close reading and prosodic analysis, the paper explores how classical metrical principles interact with the flexibility of oral-performance traditions. The analysis highlights the dynamic relationship between narrative progression, emotional intensity, and structural design, demonstrating that elements such as mātrā-vinyāsa (syllabic distribution), flexible yati (caesural pauses), and evolving rhyme schemes are not merely formal devices but integral to the expressive and performative power of the compositions. The role of refrain (tek) and popular melodic templates (tarz) is also examined, showing how they enhance audience engagement while extending the accessibility of traditional metrics. The selected rāgṇīs, centered on the figure of Raskapūr, reveal a layered dramaturgy in which themes of love, conspiracy, power, and female subjectivity are articulated through dialogic and monologic poetic forms. Situated within a feudal-patriarchal socio-cultural context, these compositions function as sites of emotional expression, symbolic resistance, and cultural negotiation. The study further argues that Pingal śāstra, rather than remaining rigid, demonstrates considerable adaptability within vernacular practice, allowing for both structural innovation and experiential depth. By integrating literary, prosodic, and cultural perspectives, this paper establishes that Adharājan's work not only sustains the classical Pingal tradition but also redefines it through performative praxis, thereby contributing significantly to the evolving discourse of North Indian folk poetics and performance literature.

Preface Late Masato Fujii, emeritus professor at Kyoto University, passed away on 11th October, 2024. One of his last works was a paper titled "Vedic aghalá-/akhala-" presented at the 7th International Vedic Workshop, August 19-24, 2019, Dubrovnik, Croatia. Its full paper was never finished. Here I reproduce the abstract and handout presented at the Workshop, hoping they will be of some help to scholars interested in this topic. The abstract will also be included in the forthcoming Proceedings of the Workshop; it is presented here under the kind permission of Professor Mislav Ježić, who is editing the Proceedings. Please refer to Professor Fujii's name when you use the materials below.

This paper aims to explore performance in a culture that is afflicted by contagion and death. Ritual after any death is a performative act and a re-performance, but when the fear of contagiousness pervades this ritual, it accentuates a new form of performance. Indian literature written on the contagion reveals the myths and superstitions that cling to any death ill-comprehended, and also a deeper social reality, which places the burden of disposal of bodies on the underprivileged. Performance, primarily, is a transformative process that is consolidated through repetition or the actions or behaviour of the active or passive participant. Rather than simply being an individual autonomous act, it involves all the participants, thus taking on a character of spontaneity and unpredictability. Here, a cultural performance occurs in the enactment of rituals post-death by contagion and in the response to such a situation. It is also in the heightened fear, in escapism through beliefs and in the vulnerability of the poverty-stricken. Even in the absurdity where the basest of human emotions take on an animalistic form, a pattern emerges and takes on the shape of a performance that takes root in the past and informs the future.
It is this idea of performance in Indian culture that the paper explores through three short stories, “Quarantine” by Rajinder Singh Bedi, “Plague Ki Chudail” by ‘Master’ Bhagwan Das and “Vibhatsa” by Pandey Bechan Sharma ‘Ugra’. The paper closes by proffering that performance following death due to contagion gives insight into an absurd and unprecedented response after such a death. As narratives on epidemic or on events of mass death often seem devoid of empathy towards the bodies of the dead since the fear of infection lingers, the notion of performance explains the unconscious and unplanned act of doing away with the dead, which also deviates from the ritualistic acts of burial or cremation. The texts, therefore, exemplify the performative response of Indian culture to deaths caused by contagion.

All diasporic novels belong to a literary genre that examines several aspects of human existence, encompassing cultural identity, ethics, values, and self-awareness, which are inherently connected to each person's material and spiritual dimensions. Cultural values hinder the impartial reporting of societal occurrences; nonetheless, they are associated with inner peace. Writers of Indian Diasporic literature show the subtle effects of moving to a new country, changing cultures, and finding their own identity. Chaudhuri has made a name for himself as a novelist and essayist who loves and writes about the deep meaning of his cultural identity. In his works, cultural values manifest through mobility, hybridity, and migration. Chaudhuri examines migration through his cultural lens and depicts the multicultural aspects of existence in his literary works, which are exceptional classics in the English language. The main goal of our article is to look at migration, change, and identity crises through mobility in Amit Chaudhuri's novels, all of which take place in a setting of cultural hybridity.

Hedayat was sent first to Belgium then to France, on a state scholarship for academic studies. He was not happy in either of them, though he preferred France to Belgium. The root of his unhappiness was his endemic tendency towards affective depression. This made it difficult for him to work in a disciplined framework of study in Paris as well as two other French cities. But inaugurated his career of fiction writing, though he had written two significant long non-fictional essays before in his youth. Some of his best short stories such as 'Buried Alive' date back to this period. Of great significance  also is his letters to his friend Taqi Razavi from the French provinces to Paris.

This essay reflects on my personal and intellectual encounters with Rabindranath Tagore and Bengal, tracing how Tagore’s writings, ideas, and cultural legacy shaped my academic journey and relationship with India. Written in the form of letters, the text moves between memories of discovering Tagore in childhood, experiences in Calcutta and Shantiniketan, the study of the Bengali language in Europe, and reflections on translation, literature, and cultural belonging. Blending autobiographical narrative with cultural commentary, the article explores the enduring universality of Tagore’s works and the unexpected connections between Romanian and Bengali intellectual and literary worlds.

Amongst the few principal Upanishadic texts, the Taittiriya Upanishad
of the Yajurveda, lays the foundation of some profound insights into the
philosophy of education in ancient India. Not just its metaphysical teachings, but the unique pedagogical approaches enshrined in this document emphasizes
the holistic development of the learner. This paper explores the nuances
of educational thoughts as created and passed down by the seers. Special
attention has been given to the concepts of models of instruction, teacher-student relationships, ethical foundations, goals and objectives, disposition of the learner, teachers’ positions, and the layered methodology of learning represented by the Panchkosha (the five sheaths of existence- that are peeled as one progresses in the process of education). By analyzing it’s three chapters,
Shiksha Valli, Ananda Valli and Bhrigu Valli, the quotes picked from the
verses highlight themes of discipline, ethical living, intellectual inquiry and
experiential realization. The key argument of the paper is to draw how parallel are the pedagogical approaches of the Taittiriya Upanishad and contemporary integral and value-based education, that aims at realizing the ultimate truth.

प्रस्तुत शोध हरियाणवी सांग-परंपरा में अधराजण (रसकपूर) केंद्रित रागनियों 24–30 का पिंगल-शास्त्रीय तथा लोक-सांस्कृतिक परिप्रेक्ष्य में समग्र विश्लेषण करता है। इसका उद्देश्य यह स्पष्ट करना है कि ये रागनियाँ केवल प्रेम-कथा नहीं, बल्कि भावात्मक, सामाजिक, राजनीतिक और सांस्कृतिक स्तरों पर बहुस्तरीय आख्यान का निर्माण करती हैं।
रागनियों का कथात्मक प्रवाह कैद, विरह, आत्म संघर्ष, नैतिक प्रतिरोध और अंततः मृत्यु के माध्यम से एक क्रमिक भाव-यात्रा प्रस्तुत करता है, जो नारी-अस्तित्व के गहन आयामों को उद्घाटित करता है। रसकपूर का चरित्र एक ऐसी स्त्री के रूप में उभरता है, जो प्रतिकूल परिस्थितियों में भी सत्य, प्रेम और आत्मगौरव के प्रति अडिग रहती है।
छंदात्मक दृष्टि से “4+6+8+10” मात्रा-विन्यास का सतत प्रयोग एक सुसंगठित अनुशासन को दर्शाता है, जो भावों की क्रमिक तीव्रता को आधार प्रदान करता है। ध्रुवपद, तुकांत-विन्यास और ध्वन्यात्मक पुनरावृत्ति काव्य-सौंदर्य के साथ-साथ सांग-परंपरा की मौखिकता और सहभागिता को भी सुदृढ़ करते हैं।
सांस्कृतिक स्तर पर धार्मिक समन्वय, गुरु-परंपरा और लोकस्मृति के तत्त्व विशेष रूप से उभरते हैं। रागनी 30 में मृत्यु का प्रसंग इतिहास और मिथक के मध्य सेतु का निर्माण करता है, जहाँ व्यक्तिगत त्रासदी सांस्कृतिक प्रतीक में रूपांतरित हो जाती है।
इस प्रकार, यह अध्ययन सिद्ध करता है कि हरियाणवी रागनियाँ भारतीय साहित्य में महत्त्वपूर्ण स्थान रखती हैं तथा नारी-विमर्श, उपेक्षित वर्ग-अध्ययन और सांस्कृतिक चिंतन के लिए व्यापक संभावनाएँ प्रस्तुत करती हैं।
मुख्य शब्द
हरियाणवी सांग-परंपरा; अधराजण (रसकपूर); रागनी काव्य; पिंगल-शास्त्र; लोक-सांस्कृतिक विमर्श; नारी अस्मिता; दरबारी राजनीति; विरह; मौखिक परंपरा; लोकस्मृति

Entretien avec Peggy Cardon de THALIM :
"Dans ce numéro, vous trouverez un entretien avec Maëline Le Lay, qui explore les liens entre littérature et théâtre en Afrique et en Océanie, et montre comment ces pratiques deviennent des espaces de résistance et de réparation".