www.research-innovator.com Research Innovator ISSN 2348 - 7674 International Multidisciplinary Research Journal Volume III Issue II: April 2016 (98) Editor-In-Chief: Prof. K.N. Shelke Ramnarayan V. Pathak’s Literary Criticism in Translation Manisha Gosai Assistant Professor of English, Govt. Engineering College, Bhuj, (Gujarat) India Abstract Ramnarayan V. Pathak, apart from his creative effulgence, also emerges as one notable reflective critical mind of the 19 th century. His writings bear historical and critical significance in the contexts of Gujarati as well as pan Indian language literatures. His prodigious volume of work pertains to varied domains such as creative writing, literary criticism, literary history, translation, prosody, epistemology, and aesthetics among others. This variety of subjects and his ingenious critical acumen not only invite translational delibe rations for Pathak’s precious little appearance in Indian English academia, but they also pose questions of nature of and methods for translation. Pathak’s creative and critical orientation cause strategic deviation in his register, tenor, content and execution in sync with nature of his discourse (historical, formalistic study, philosophical, social, political, aesthetic etc.), form of discourse (critical essay, review, radio talk, key-note address to seminars, etc), audience (informed audience, general readers, students, academics, etc.), subject matter (study of poetic meters, Indian Darshana theories of knowledge, practical criticism of writers like Narmad, Tagore among others). Translating Pathak’s writings in English amounts to revaluing, interpreting, adapting and deploying popularly discussed and practiced translation theories in indigenous discoursal context. This paper intends to study translatorial perspectives on critical writings of RV Pathak in terms of theory and practice. Key Words: Literary Criticism, effulgence, epistemology Introduction Ramnarayan Vishwanath Pathak was few amongst his literary contemporaries who held the opinion that the study of Gujarati literary theory and criticism need not subscribe to the non-native models without recognizing its full consequences. Pathak worked during the Gandhian Era and after when the zeal for progressive reforms and modernization was morphing India in to the model of an egalitarian socialist democracy. It was considered progressive to evaluate Gujarati literary concepts, forms, terms etc. in the light of European literary theory and criticism. His contemporary writers Vijayraj Vaidhya, Vishwanath Bhatt and Vishnuprasad Trivedi were favourably inclined to Western literary theory and criticism. Their efforts were oriented more toward making their literary criticism aesthetic. Ramnarayan on the other hand constructed criticism as a ‘shastriya vimarsha’ (technical discourse) and so made no conscious efforts to avail his readers with the relishing flare for style or structure. He believed that Gujarati literature and criticism should be evaluated keeping in view principles of Sanskrit poetics, linguistics, prosody and grammar as all Indian bhasha-s stem from Sanskrit. It could be said that