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Talk back to Veda Vyasa
(Basic Concepts and Format developed by KRS Murthy
We invite all of you to participate
in setting up a novel tradition in literature and art. Please feel free to invite your friends and other literary enthusiasts
to participate in this project.
Normally the author talks to the readers using many techniques to include direct
story telling, making the point through characters and events. This is true for a drama, story, poetry or novel. However,
this forum attempts to create a reverse communication to the author. The basic theme is "Talk back to the author".
Reverse communication with the author is the key.
We have chosen Veda Vyasa's Mahabharat for the pilot project, in
which the forum would focus on "Karna talks back to Veda Vyasa". The forum would attempt to:
1 Raise a
lot of issues on the theme
2 Analyze characters
3 Question the author on the treatment of characters and events.
4
Debate with the author on moral and social values
5 Dialogue with the author on the selection of heroes versus villains
6 Understand the intentions of the author through direct discussions about good guys versus bad guys
7 Pin point to
the author on disturbing events and discuss regarding potential alternative events and other potential alternative tracks
for the story.
8 Understand the author's intentions on the creation of VIP characters like Krishna
9 Ask the author
for the reasons of interlocking relationships with other epics like Raamaayana.
10 Team effort with open participation
by all novices and scholars would be participating different levels of the forum.
11 Use internet for publicity, awareness,
coordination and distribution.
12 Encourage all web based forums to participate and cooperate
13 Hold interim discussion
groups on web and in many parts of the world
14 Use characters in the epic to ask questions back to its creator Vyaasa:
Debates and discussion of special characters
Even though Karna is the character of interest in this pilot
web forum, we could also allude to other characters as needed.
Seriously disadvantaged: Karna, Ekalavya, Draupadi,
Kunthi, and Abhimanyu
Unnecessarily privileged: Arjuna, Bheema, Krishna, Draupadi, Nakula and Sahadeva.
Over idealistic
characters: Bheeshma, Dharmaraya, Vidura
Authors involvement: Vyaasa and other sages fathering of too many important
people in the epic.
Incapacitated characters: Paandu, Drutharaastra
Moral Values: Arranged impregnations of many
important characters.
Child bearing out of wedlock: Kunti, Matsyagandha
Forum Guidelines
1 The web-based
debate will take the form of dialogues, critical and constructive discussion groups. We have set up two sides on this web
stage: Karna Team and Vyasa Team. [Both sides can have a picture, figure (artist's conception) or a simple icon.]
2 In
the Karna Team, Karna is the main character, with supporting characters like Duryodhana, Dushyasana and Kunthi. The Vyasa
Team is headed by Vyaasa supported by characters like Krishna, Vidura and Bheeshma.
3 Anyone can decide to post on Karna's
side or Vyaasa's side. The posting can be a question, challenge, simple query or response. Participants submission will be
in the form of a dialogue, with a mention of response to another dialogue [thread]. Alternatively, it can be a question posed
to one of the characters on the opposing team.
4 Please note that both men and women can freely decide to take any side
and any role, irrespective of their gender Any one can respond to the question / challenge / statement made by the opposing
team.
5 The web forum is made up of two important parts:
A For invited scholars
B For general web forum readers
/ participants. (Based on the quality and substance of the posting by this group, selected individuals may be invited to the
scholars group for a limited time.
6 Everyone can read the posting in both groups, while only invited scholars can post
(Web forum staff may post on their behalf) in scholars group.
Participants fill out the Meghdutam form (example shown)
and submit the following:
Real Name: Ram Singh or Savitri Shenoy
Alias name: NaatakPremi
E-mail: my_email@MyInternet.com
Debate Team: Vyasa or Karna
Role for the dialogue: Krishna or Kunthi
Question or Response: Refer to the dialogue
from the other team, if it is a response.
(Meghdutam may collect any other information as necessary).
Benefits
of the forum
1 Encourage a lot of people to read Mahaabharatha seriously, not merely read passively, but critically
and constructively.
2 Encourage kids and youngsters to understand with a questioning and constructive mind
3 Increase
awareness of the epic around the world.
4 Encourage translations of the epic to many more languages
5 In addition
to taking current interpretations, encourage expanded constructive interpretations.
6 The forum may trigger scholars of
many types of genres to write poetry, drama, essay or story. The benefits are similar to that of a brain storming session.
7 Meghdutam will maintain an archive of the forum for reference.
8 Based on the ideas and challenges presented by
Karna team and the responses of the Vyasa team, dramatists could prepare drama dialogues. This is better than a solitary dramatist
trying to write it. Many heads are better than a lonely one. The dramatist could credit the scholars of the panel debate.
Please understand that this type of writing a drama has never been attempted. This could make a new wave of dramas and movies
to be made.
9 Because scholars would be invited and they read all postings in the scholars group and open group, this
is an opportunity for aspiring scriptwriters and upcoming authors.
10 This could be a project for some research scholars
in Indian universities and Ph.D. students. This may also create serious interest from international universities and scholarly
organizations.
11 This technique and its implementation create a new movement of "Group Literary Creation" or
"Samoohika Sahitya Rachana". The web forum would stand out as a web based literary incubation environment.
12
Media would be invited to observe the forum on the web. Media coverage would really enhance the visibility and give a serious
additional impetus to the movement. As dramatists and filmmakers start watching the forum, they can write powerful dramas
based on this technique, where Veda Vyasa would be the real hero! After all, it is OK to talk back to the great master, and
shine the spot light on him.
Example questions from Karna
1 Karna would directly interrogate Vyasa and challenge
him on the creation of the character and the ways character has serious discriminative disadvantages starting from childhood.
2 Karna stays with Duryodhana in spite of being told about his birth by Krishna. For him serving his master, (Duryodhana)
is more important. But when Bheeshma insults him, his personal ego overrides his duty of serving his master and he stays away
from the war for precious 10 days. Why did Vyasa make him do this mistake?
3 He makes so many stupid promises to
Kunthi knowing very well that this will harm his purpose of staying with Duryodhana. Is this not an inconsistency in the characterization
of Karna?
4 He wastes his Shakthi given by Indra for killing Ghatotkatcha. He could have waited to use it on Arjuna.
Why did Vyasa let Karna make such unwise decisions?
5 Karna gets another chance to use Sarpasthra. He refuses to
do it. Why did Vyasa not give fair chances to Karna?
6 Karna was doomed to fail, be insulted, insult others, make
unwise decisions, and not really serve his master and friend Duryodhana through out his life. Did Vyasa have any other alternative
ways to develop the character of Karna?
7 Karna can directly ask these questions. Alternatively, other characters
can these question on behalf of Karna. We could also use characters from literary works of other authors to question and examine
the author. Could characters from Ramayana ask questions?
8 You may create your own fictional character to dialogue back
to Vyasa.
9 Why did Vyasa write the literary work, with a special mention of the role and characterization of Karna?
What was the event or experiences in the Vyasas life that triggered or prepared for this writing? Was there any reflection
of personal life? Was it just observation of the society? Was it all or part imagination?
It is time that we really
talked back to these literary masters and asked them directly anything all of us want to really ask.
Be part of the
new wave creation.
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