Golden Harvest (An Old and Rare Book)

About the Author

Born 19-1-1904: educated in P. S. High School, Mylapore : graduated from the Presidency College with degree in Honours, 1924; Joined the Madras Bar after studying for Law in the Madras Law College, 1926 : Writer in Tamil and English, his first book in English being 'Persons And Personalities' 1932; Appointed Professor of Humanities in the Tagore Chair, Madras University for two terms, 1967-1968, 1968-1969: The lectures delivered, first series, published by Macmillan & Co., under the title "Culture and Creativity", 1969; Second series of the lectures now published under the title "Golden Harvest".
His Other Books Are

Persons and Personalities, 1932 ; Studies and Sketches, 1951 ; Sanskrit Literature in Collaboration with V. H. Subrahmanya Sastri (P. E, N. Publication), 1951 ; Ramayana Triveni, 1954; Waifs and Strays, 1954 ; Tagore-A Master-Mind, 1961; Culture and Creativity, 1969; P. S. Sivaswami Aiyar (Builders of Modern India Series) 1969.

Administrative Law (in Madras) (1938) and Delegated Legislation, (1965).

Preface

The contents of the present volume include the nine lectures delivered by me as the Tagore Professor of Humanities of the Madras University, between the years 1968 and 1969. These form the second series of the lectures, the first series having been already printed and published by Messrs Macmillan & Co., under the title CULTURE AND CREATIVITY, in 1968.

|As in the former book, topics were chosen representing the many aspects of literary writing in most of which something of valuable contribution had been made by the Poet Rabindranath Tagore. His comprehensive range of culture as well as his profound thinking on many of the trends in modernity have added much to any serious discussion of problems facing humanity in general.

I was hesitant for some time in bringing out this additional volume owing to want of an enthusiastic publisher. I am therefore beholden to the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Publishers, for agreeing to undertake the publishing of this book.

I owe an apology to my readers, especially those quite unfamiliar with Tamil, for refraining from translating two passages in Tamil, in the Chapter, HUMOUR IS LIFE-BELT, sampling parody as an art. Because of the fact that the passage given has its life in the very turns of expression employed, any translation would only defeat the purpose of the attempt. To omit it wholly would be denying Tamil-knowing readers of a rich source of effective parody.

I would be failing in gratitude if I do not acknowledge the help rendered by Sri V. S. Muthia, M.A., L.T., A.M.I.S., former librarian of the Madras University Library, and Brahmasri V. H. Subrahmanya Sastri, former Principal, Madras Sanskrit College, with whom discussions enabled me to fulfil my task better than I would have without them.

I am grateful to the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Madras, the late Dr. A. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar, for his gracia ous permission to publish myself these lectures. I am thankful to the M.L.J. Press Private Ltd., Madras, for their printing of the book with their usual quality of execution.

**Contents and Sample Pages**