Collected Culture (Essays on Modern Telugu Literature)

R.S. Sudarshanam opened new doors of perception to contemporary Telugu Literature interpreting the works of noted writers in the mode of criticism as an art form. These remarkable essays stand out as intellectual criticism sparkling with thorough scholarship and amazing insights educating and enlightening practitioners of fiction and poetry.

That the foundations of Indian culture were deeply embedded in Dravidian culture is now an incontrovertible fact. Dravidian culture is one of the most ancient cultures of the world. Those cultures, slightly contemporaneous to one another, slowly started fading out. However, the primordial Dravidian culture continues to thrive without losing its quintessence despite the apparent changes in systems of dress and address.

Dravidian University was established in 1997 to mirror the real and rich picture of Dravidian culture not only in its linguistic, literary, cultural and philosophical facets but in science and technological angles also. The spirit of integration is the guiding force behind the creation of the University. The linguistic and cultural integration, not at the regional but at the national level is the cherished objective of the University.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh started Dravidian University, with the co-operation of the sister States, to research and reflect on the inherent oneness of the cultures of Dravidian family the four States whose languages number up to 27. Its endeavour is to promote unity and amity in the family of several languages. The main objectives of Dravidian University are to augment the common weal and social well being of the communities of marginal languages and to build bridges among the Southern States. While working on each language separately in varied areas, it aims at a synthesis and a discovery of the common heritage through Comparative Studies.

Sti R.S. Sundarshanam’s collection of critical essays ‘saahityamlo drikpadhaalu’(1968)’ ‘samaajamu saahityamu’(1972) ‘saahitya nepadhyam’ (1983) ‘kavi hridayam’ (1988) stand him in good stead even now as a distinguished literary critic unsurpassed in his fresh outlook and serious explorations. He has many facets to his career: a venerated Professor of English literature, an educational administrator, a poet of rare intrinsic vision, intellect and comprehension, an inquisitive observer of men and matters shaping him as novelist and short story writer.

The assiduous training he received at Madras Christian College as a student of English literature has become a boon to many a man of , letters by way of his essays written in English on Telugu literature. Authoritative, Knowledgeble and informative though they are, he never sounds stentorian or sloganising. As a literary interpreter and critic he stands equal in rank with Matthew Arnold, Dowden, Middleton Murray and T.S. Eliot. In Telugu he is next only to Sri Rallapalli Ananta Krishna Sarma, the first ever disciplinarian in literary criticism as tratise.

His self appointed research in contemporary literature resulted in a profitable search for common Indo-Western Critical principles. He runs the whole gamut of world literature through original thinkers, philosophers and social scientists.

He goes into the roots of knowledge, tradition and experience. He applies the notion of complimentarity in literature as that of science. He emphasises on the validity of the subjective individual experience in relation with knowledge permeated by objective thinking.

Telugu literary criticism is now enriched by Sri R.S. Sudarshanam’s explorations of such a broad spectrum of ideas. He advanced the theory of liteature applying principles of criticism to it. He deduces the primary principles by both the theoretical and historical literature.

Dravidian University is grateful to Smt. Vasundhara Devi, wife of Sri R.S. Sudarshanam for permitting it to bring all these essays in English as "Collected Critique". We are happy on this memorable occasion of starting Sri R.S. Sudarshanam Endowment Lecture on 31st May, 2008 and releasing this collection.