Pittsburgh Patrika October 2018 issue

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 24, No. 1, October 2018
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collapse of the Vijayanagar empire.
Impressed by the young Nilakantha’s exposition of the text Devimahatmyam,
the King Tirumalai Nayak was so impressed that he offered him a
position as an administrator in his kingdom. His exquisite poetical works
go beyond Bhakti, and are known for their humor, suggestion, sarcasm,
Slesha (double entendre) -- all in measured quantity.
His works include plays (his magnum opus being Nalacharitra Nataka)
epic poems like Siva-leela-arnavam and Gangavataranam. His minor
works include Kalividambanam, Sabaranjana Satakam, Santivilasam reflecting
the hypocrisy in the society in Kaliyuga among various professions.
Some of his works are not extant and some only partially available.
Neelakanta Dikshta’s poetry is like honey in a bottle. The pleasure
starts right with the look, easy to obtain and sweet, unlike the works of
some great poets. For example, Bhavabhuti whose works are heavenly, are
like cool coconut water in summer, but you have to get the fibers out and
break the shell before you enjoy it. Dikshita’s style is simple, his words
are fluent and spontaneous coming from the heart (Sahrudaya), with not
much of grammar problems. His descriptions of nature in Gangavataranam
is splendid. He also wrote heart-melting Bakthi poetry in which in spite
of all his scholarly understanding of the Upanishads, he makes a case that
one can attain liberation only by totally surrendering to God and through
His Grace — Her in his case, since he was a bakta of Goddess Meenakshi,
the presiding deity of Madurai temple) — and not by Gnana (knowledge)
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