A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF NOVELS ‘SHEKHAR: EK JIVANI’ BY AGYEYA AND ‘VIRAGAYA’ BY MARTIN WICKRAMASINGHE

Abstract

This research mainly deals with the comparative study of two modern novels written in Hindi and Sinhala. Sachchidananda Hirananda Vatsyayan ‘Agyeya’ (1911- 1987), a pioneer among the Hindi writers who introduced the modern sensibility to the ‘post-Chhayawadi’ Hindi literature (1936 onwards), was deeply influenced by the western literary aesthetics, novels, poetry and ideologies. His first and the most famous novel; ‘Shekhar: Ek jivani (Shekhar: A Biography) is influenced by the western literary theories. Shekhar: Ek jivani is not a complete novel. It has two parts as (part -I, 1941, part - II, 1944) being parts of a trilogy. The third part of the novel was apparently composed but never show publication. Thanks to a certain climactic episodes which are ‘pre-viewed’ in the ‘pravesh’ section (a kind of prelude) by the execution waiting hero, one can roughly visualize the pattern that would be executed in the third part. Martin Wickramasinghe; ‘helaye mahāgatkaru’ (1890-1970), a pioneer among the Sinhala writers as the ‘Emperor of Sinhala novel’; introduced the modern sensibility to the Sinhala literature (1956 onwards). He was deeply influenced by western literary theories and ideologies. The influence of the western literary theories are sufficiently evident in ‘Viragaya’ (vira:gəyə) (devoid of passion); his first and the last most famous psychological novel. ‘Shekhar: Ek jivani’ and ‘Viragaya’ (vira:gəyə) are considered ‘the second greatest novels’ in Hindi and Sinhala after the ‘Godān’ in Hindi and Gamperaliya’ in Sinhala. ‘Shekhar: ek jivani’ and ‘Viragaya’ (vira:gəyə) have evolved over a period of one hundred years, conquering new territory for fictional exploration, developing new styles and techniques better able to capture the changing contours and dynamic of contemporary sensibility. These novels are remarkable experiments in form and the techniques of modern Hindi and Sinhala fiction. The special attention is focused on these novels are the protagonists (Shekhar and Aravinda), their attempt at self - analysis examines three dominant instinct - sex, fear and ego. This study further assesses the aim, theme, characterization, dialogues, background and language in these two novels. These are examined in detail here with understanding the place it occupies in the broader contemporary literary tradition in the same way in India and Sri Lanka. This research has been done through modern Hindi and Sinhala literary analysis.