The Kalidas Sanskrit Academy, Ujjain, held a discussion titled ‘Vanyasanskriti’ under the Gamak cultural series on Sunday. Presiding over the discussion in context of the Hindu epic ‘Ramayana’, senior Sanskrit scholar, Professor Kedarnarayan Joshi from Ujjain said that the continuum of forest culture is eternal which is in existence since the Vedic era. He said that Maharishi Valmiki is an Adikavi and his poetry is called Adikavya. Underlining the characteristics of forest culture, he asserted that the same has been depicted in Ramayana. He termed Lord Ram to be at the center of this culture. Joshi continued by saying that even after being the son of a prince, Lord Ram spent 14 years in forest exile, emanating the message of this culture to the society. He stated that today, in the technological era, happiness and health are prevailing only due to this forest culture. Seconding Joshi in the discussion, Acharya Dr Surit Ram Dhruv from Government Sanskrit College, Ujjain said that forest culture encompassed the tradition of guru-disciple. The orders of the Guru (Preceptor) were not violated. “We should understand the importance of this culture in today’s world and incorporate it in our life,” he added. Dr Kailash Chauhan from Government Girls’s Post Graduate College, Ujjain said that forest culture is a culture of mutual harmony.

 

Despite being illiterate, the residents there were teeming with moral values. He stated that the difference between enemy and friend, right and wrong, small and big, is identified by means of these values. Delivering the welcome address, the Director-in-Charge of the Academy, Dr Santosh Pandya said that the forest culture is beneficial to the living beings and is at the core of civilisation. He labeled Sita in Ramayana and Shakuntala in Abhigyanshakuntala to be the best representatives of this culture. Towards the end of the program, Dr Yogeshwari Firozia proposed the vote of thanks and Dr Sandeep Nagar was the convenor of the programme.