Pravachan
Encyclopedia
Pravachan is a form of Hindu religious discourse, which are lectures on scriptures. A Pravachana Pandit becomes a religious and spiritual interpreter of these Scriptures.
Pravachans are usually on a religious theme, usually the life of a saint or a story from one of India's epics. Pravachans sometimes become very emotional. People who listen to Pravachans have become more tolerant of their brethren, a sense of giving and forgiving has been inculcated in them.
In the olden days Pravanchan pundits were often well versed in the Sanskrit language and educated and well trained in Veda Sastras and Vedanta. It is easier to listen to some Pandit or Purohit who is conducting a Pravachan to understand some of the scriptures. Basically the Pandit elaborates on the significance of the sloka or scripture he reads and gives several bhavas and angles to look at a single verse.
Pravachan, Harikatha
, Kalakshepa, Upanyasam, Villuppattu are all similar in the sense they are interpretations and story telling on religious theme, yet they have different styles.
South India has a long tradition of religious discourse. Religious scholars such as Oduvars who were knowledgeable in religious scriptures used to render discourses in Temples and monasteries. Villuppttu, in which folk stories were told accompanied by a stringed instrument resembling a bow, was also popular in Tamil Nadu. A form of Kalakshepa, in which the story teller, usually proficient in Carnatic music, interspersed the main story with music, dance and sub-stories, was also prevalent. Harikatha
is a composite art form with story telling, poetry, music, drama, dance, and philosophy. Harikatha involves the narration of a story, intermingled with various songs relating to the story.
Pravachan on the other hand interprets slokas and scriptures and does not involve as much singing. A Pravachan can take several days to interpret a single line from a sloka. Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri's Rasanishyandini is an example of a detailed Ramayana explanatory work.
The period from 1870 to 1940 could be described as the golden age of the art of Pravachan, Harikatha, Kathakalakshepam and Upanyasa, not only in Tamil Nadu but also in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The Kathakalakshepam style of Thanjavur Krishna Bagavathar (1841–1903) became the standard for all other great Bagavathars in this field for the next 50 years. Krishna Bagavathar was a disciple of Saint Thiagaraja. Soolamangalam Vaidyanatha Bagavathar (1866–1943), Mangudi Chidambara Bagavathar (1880–1938), Chitrakavi Sivarama Bagavathar (1869–1951), Soolamangalam Soundararaja Bagavathar (1890–1925), C Saraswathi Bai (1894–1974), and N S Krishna Bagavathar (1892–1984) were all inspired by the style and technique of Thanjavur Krishna Bagavathar.
Mannargudi Sambasiva Bhagavatar, Tanjavur T.N. Subramanya Bhagavatar and T.S. Balakrishna Sastrigal were Harikatha experts. Kalakkad Muthuswami Sastrigal, Sengalipuram Muthanna
Sastri, Samartha Ramadas Swamigal, Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri, Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar
, Embar Vijayaraghavachariyar were the Pravachan experts of this Golden Age.
In later years Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Vivekananda gave excellent life straightening and motivational Pravachans. Afterwards, Keeran, Krubananda Variyar, and Krishnapremi gave captivating lectures.
In the recent years Aniruddha Bapu, Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu
, Swami Dayananda Saraswati Arsha Vidya Gurukulam
, Baba Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
, Sathya Sai Baba
, Mata Amritanandamayi are some of the many spiritual gurus who draw huge crowds, and have tremendous fan following because of their faith in humanity and the miracles that they have caused to happen in peoples lives.
Of late Prema Pandurang, Jaya Raw, and Hariji, Vishaka Hari, Vengat G, Suki sivam, Brahmashri Vittal Dass Jayakrishna Deekshithar are popular. They cut across age, caste, creed etc. with their soul-inspiring discourses. They are even able to reach western audiences.
Famous scholar & Vedantha Shiromani with the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt Kumbakonam, Rishiyur Sri N. Santhanam Aiyar (1887–1945), who translated Krishna Sastris Rasanishyandini in 1943, best describes Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri in his book. He quotes, "Paruthiyur and Krishna Sastri are synonymous, and in the Kaliyuga only Krishna Sastri is equal to Maharishi Valmiki in Rama bhakthi and capable of extolling the Virtues of Lord Rama. No Pravachan of Ramayana is complete without prayers to Valmiki and Krishna Sastri."
Pravachans are usually on a religious theme, usually the life of a saint or a story from one of India's epics. Pravachans sometimes become very emotional. People who listen to Pravachans have become more tolerant of their brethren, a sense of giving and forgiving has been inculcated in them.
In the olden days Pravanchan pundits were often well versed in the Sanskrit language and educated and well trained in Veda Sastras and Vedanta. It is easier to listen to some Pandit or Purohit who is conducting a Pravachan to understand some of the scriptures. Basically the Pandit elaborates on the significance of the sloka or scripture he reads and gives several bhavas and angles to look at a single verse.
Pravachan, Harikatha
Harikatha
Harikatha , otherwise called Katha Kalakshepa is a form of Hindu religious discourse, also known as Katha storytelling format, in which the story teller explores a religious theme, usually the life of a saint or a story from an Indian epic.Harikatha is a composite art form composed of story...
, Kalakshepa, Upanyasam, Villuppattu are all similar in the sense they are interpretations and story telling on religious theme, yet they have different styles.
South India has a long tradition of religious discourse. Religious scholars such as Oduvars who were knowledgeable in religious scriptures used to render discourses in Temples and monasteries. Villuppttu, in which folk stories were told accompanied by a stringed instrument resembling a bow, was also popular in Tamil Nadu. A form of Kalakshepa, in which the story teller, usually proficient in Carnatic music, interspersed the main story with music, dance and sub-stories, was also prevalent. Harikatha
Harikatha
Harikatha , otherwise called Katha Kalakshepa is a form of Hindu religious discourse, also known as Katha storytelling format, in which the story teller explores a religious theme, usually the life of a saint or a story from an Indian epic.Harikatha is a composite art form composed of story...
is a composite art form with story telling, poetry, music, drama, dance, and philosophy. Harikatha involves the narration of a story, intermingled with various songs relating to the story.
Pravachan on the other hand interprets slokas and scriptures and does not involve as much singing. A Pravachan can take several days to interpret a single line from a sloka. Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri's Rasanishyandini is an example of a detailed Ramayana explanatory work.
The period from 1870 to 1940 could be described as the golden age of the art of Pravachan, Harikatha, Kathakalakshepam and Upanyasa, not only in Tamil Nadu but also in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The Kathakalakshepam style of Thanjavur Krishna Bagavathar (1841–1903) became the standard for all other great Bagavathars in this field for the next 50 years. Krishna Bagavathar was a disciple of Saint Thiagaraja. Soolamangalam Vaidyanatha Bagavathar (1866–1943), Mangudi Chidambara Bagavathar (1880–1938), Chitrakavi Sivarama Bagavathar (1869–1951), Soolamangalam Soundararaja Bagavathar (1890–1925), C Saraswathi Bai (1894–1974), and N S Krishna Bagavathar (1892–1984) were all inspired by the style and technique of Thanjavur Krishna Bagavathar.
Mannargudi Sambasiva Bhagavatar, Tanjavur T.N. Subramanya Bhagavatar and T.S. Balakrishna Sastrigal were Harikatha experts. Kalakkad Muthuswami Sastrigal, Sengalipuram Muthanna
Sengalipuram Muthanna
Sengalipuram Vaidhyanatha Deekshithar or Sengalipuram Muthannaval Muthannaval the great guru from the family of Dikshitars was from Sengalipuram near Paruthiyur, on the northern banks of Kudamuruti River, in Thiruvarur District of Tamil Nadu. Sengalipuram was "Shivakalipuram" as it is known in...
Sastri, Samartha Ramadas Swamigal, Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri, Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar
Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar
Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar was a Śrauti scholar and also was a great exponent of the art of upanyasas on various subjects in Hinduism...
, Embar Vijayaraghavachariyar were the Pravachan experts of this Golden Age.
In later years Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Vivekananda gave excellent life straightening and motivational Pravachans. Afterwards, Keeran, Krubananda Variyar, and Krishnapremi gave captivating lectures.
In the recent years Aniruddha Bapu, Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu
Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu
Sant Shri Asharam Ji Bapu , also endearingly called "Bapu", is a self-realized Hindu Spiritual Guru from India. Bapu preaches the existence of One Supreme Conscious in every human being and represents a confluence of Bhakti_yoga, Gnana_yoga and Karma_yoga...
, Swami Dayananda Saraswati Arsha Vidya Gurukulam
Arsha Vidya Gurukulam
Arsha Vidya Gurukulam is the name of two related institutions for the study of traditional Indian practices. One of these is located on a campus in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania; the other is located in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The institute in Pennsylvania was founded in 1986 by Swami Dayananda...
, Baba Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar usually known as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, born Ravi Shankar Ratnam, born 13 May 1956) is a spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation , which aims at relieving individual stress, societal problems and violence. It is an NGO with UNESCO consultative status...
, Sathya Sai Baba
Sathya Sai Baba
Śri Sathya Sai Baba , born as Sathyanarayana Raju was an Indian guru, spiritual figure, mystic, philanthropist, and educator. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi, a spiritual saint and miracle worker who died in 1918 and whose teachings were an eclectic blend of Hindu and...
, Mata Amritanandamayi are some of the many spiritual gurus who draw huge crowds, and have tremendous fan following because of their faith in humanity and the miracles that they have caused to happen in peoples lives.
Of late Prema Pandurang, Jaya Raw, and Hariji, Vishaka Hari, Vengat G, Suki sivam, Brahmashri Vittal Dass Jayakrishna Deekshithar are popular. They cut across age, caste, creed etc. with their soul-inspiring discourses. They are even able to reach western audiences.
Famous scholar & Vedantha Shiromani with the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt Kumbakonam, Rishiyur Sri N. Santhanam Aiyar (1887–1945), who translated Krishna Sastris Rasanishyandini in 1943, best describes Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri in his book. He quotes, "Paruthiyur and Krishna Sastri are synonymous, and in the Kaliyuga only Krishna Sastri is equal to Maharishi Valmiki in Rama bhakthi and capable of extolling the Virtues of Lord Rama. No Pravachan of Ramayana is complete without prayers to Valmiki and Krishna Sastri."