A RITE FOR A LIVING MAN: A STUDY OF U.R. ANANTHA MURTHY’S NOVEL SAMSKARA

U.R. Ananthamurthy's Samskara draws a picture of a decaying Brahmin agrahara in the village of Durvasapura in Karnataka. The agrahara is famed after its great ascetic Praneshacharya, who is a much sought after scholar. The conflict in the novel arises when Praneshacharya is unable to find a solution to the samskara ofNaranappa, a member of the agrahara. Since Naranappa had no children, a member of the agrahara had to do the last rites. But everyone was hesitant since Naranappa had not lived the life of a Brahmin. The paper traces the different meanings of the word ‘samskara' through the life of Praneshacharya. The title is a pointer to the different phases of transformation that Praneshacharya undergoes.