Samskara by U R Ananathamurthy, Oxford Paperbacks

U R Ananthamurthy’s Samskara was written in the 1960s and I am thankful to my friend for suggesting that I should read it. Originally written in Kannada the English translation is a very good read. The story is quite famous and has been made into a film also. The story revolves around the  death of a Brahmin man  and the confusion around the performance of his last rites .The man  is considered a heretic by the village Brahmins and was shunned by his community when he was alive , yet his last rites cannot be performed by  any non-Brahmin  according to social rules. Life in the tradition ridden village society is wonderfully portrayed and  the conflicts amongst castes, the various social taboos have been narrated in great detail.

What I enjoyed reading most was the close analysis of the psychological conflict waging in the mind of the revered Brahmin pundit  . Pranesacharya the central protagonist is faced with a life changing situation which completely destroys his peace of mind but in a way it also liberates him from the fetters of tradition. He tries to escape from his known surroundings initially but later on longs to return to his village and among his fraternity. A celibate who shuns all kind of vices and  weaknesses , who deliberately marries a sick woman and seeks spiritual release by serving her unfailingly, has a chance encounter with a low-caste beautiful woman . The ancient texts which he knew by heart and used to recite everyday suddenly come to life as he experiences reality in the shape of this beautiful woman. He feels he is not a Brahmin anymore but does not repent it.

The social situation might seem dated for urban tastes but anyone who has been brought up in  conservative brahminical traditions cannot fail to notice the striking resemblance to one’s own emotional, cultural and social response to similar situations in life.  Samskara can have a vice like grip on society and sometimes can destroy human lives completely. Pranesacharya reminded me about Tagore’s Gora. Both rediscover themselves  .