D V Gundappa

Sonnegowda’s samārādhanā - Part 2

Now, I entered the third room. It had a nice carpet laid out and two or three pillows to lean against. Three or four men with splendid nāmas on their forehead,...

Appendix (Part 18)

(Karmayoga) yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko’yaṃ । karma-bandhana iti jānīhi satyam ॥ karma-phalāsaṅgaṃ tyaktvaiva santṛptaḥ । karma kurvannapi kar...

Appendix (Part 17)

itthaṃ rāmāyaṇe dṛśyā gītā-tātparya-mūrtayaḥ । īśa-prītyā loka-saṃsthā-kṣemārthaṃ datta-jīvitāḥ ॥11॥ The personification of the Gītā’s teachings are thu...

Appendix (Part 16)

Was dharma established? When Arjuna said he would not fight, what did Svāmi say? He said, “I stand for upholding dharma. This war is for the sake of that. This...

Appendix (Part 15)

A similar example can be seen even in business : (1) Adhiṣṭhāna = Capital and site of business (2) Kartā: the businessman’s and his knack (3) Karaṇa: the stock...

Sonnegowda’s samārādhanā - Part 1

Sonnavadi is a small village. It might have originally been called Svarṇavāḍi. Head of that village was a man called Sonnegowda. People often talked about Bhiss...

Appendix (Part 14)

There are two opposite energies hidden in music. One excites, inflames, and disturbs the mind. The other steadies it and calms it down. One helps in concentrati...

Appendix (Part 13)

We said in (5) that time is when existence is comprehended. Comprehension is the characteristic of the ātmā. That itself is ‘cit’ or ‘cicchakti’. Existence i...

Appendix (Part 12)

In our country, it is not difficult to find instances where extreme religiosity makes one forget worldly duties. It is quite common to find educated people who,...

Appendix (Part 11)

Bhakti-Karma-Jñāna Our philosophical literature is replete with analyses about the superiority of either one of bhakti, karma or jñāna. This also features as o...

Lawyer fees - Part 2

Naranappa’s household account Three to four years had passed by then. During this period there was no occasion for Naranappa and Seshagiriappa to meet. Thereaf...

Appendix (Part 10)

Adhyāropa-Apavāda[1] When we have to explain a completely unknown entity to someone, we first try to describe a thing he is familiar with, and at least partial...

Appendix (Part 9)

The great Bhartṛhari says thus: maheśvare vā jagatām adhīśvare janārdane vā jagad-antarātmani । ṇa vastubheda-pratipattir-asti me tathā’pi bhaktis-taruṇe...

ಇಂಗ್ಲಿಷ್ ಗೀತಗಳು

(ಕನ್ನಡಸಾಹಿತ್ಯನವೋದಯದ ಮುಂಗಿರಣದಂತೆ ಮೂಡಿದುದು ಬಿ. ಎಂ. ಶ್ರೀಕಂಠಯ್ಯನವರ ‘ಇಂಗ್ಲಿಷ್ ಗೀತಗಳು’. ಈ ಕೃತಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾದ ತರುಣದಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ನವೋದಯದ ನಿರ್ಮಾತೃಗಳ ಪೈಕಿ ಪ್ರಮುಖರಾದ ಡಿ.ವಿ.ಜಿ. ಇದನ್ನು...

Appendix (Part 8)

This is also called the bhramara-kīṭa-nyāya. A bee captures a worm with the intention to eat it, and keeps it in front of it, waiting for the vim of the worm to...

Appendix (Part 7)

The result of human love is also the same. When a mother feeds her baby, dresses it up, and cuddles it, what does she expect in return? She only desires for her...

Appendix (Part 6)

The study of five aspects Let us now examine the difference between the three matas. Each mata has its many subtle processes and detailed specifications. That...

Appendix (Part 5)

The differences between the three matas are due to the various interpretations of the Śruti and not because of their acceptance or otherwise of Vedic testimony....

Appendix (Part 4)

A Subtle Concept The truth explained in this appendix is that of the paramārtha. We have explained earlier that truth is of three kinds:  (1) vyāvahārika...

Appendix (Part 3)

One thing is established from this discussion of the history of philosophy; even though the testimony of the Vedas is necessary for all the three matas, since n...

Lawyer fees - Part 1

Thippadoddi is a village on the north-eastern border of the Mysore Princely State. Punganoor is about eight to nine miles from Thippadoddi. There resided about...

Appendix (Part 2)

Vedanta is not antithetical to Christism or Islam. Even if we say that divine principle resides outside man, Vedanta does not say that it is wrong. antarbah...

Appendix (Part 1)

Thoughts on the Three Matas It has become common practice among us — notably among Brahmins — and especially among those who think they have understood the ess...

Conclusions (Part 10)

udāracaritānām tu vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam || bāndhavā viṣṇubhaktāśca svadeśo bhuvanatrayam || This is the opinion of the Gītā. When contact with foreign...

Conclusions (Part 9)

Principle is more important than practice Whatever be the turmoil due to changing times, we should remember that it is related to our outer life and that it do...

Conclusions (Part 8)

About the relationship between husband and wife In recent days, a school of political thought known as socialism is making a lot of commotion. Taking birth amo...

Venkatagiriyappa

In Chikkapete area of Bengaluru, near the garment shop belonging to Late Rajasevasakta Pamadi Subbaramashetty, on a lane to the east of the shop, was a large ho...

Conclusions (Part 7)

Now, with the advent of democracy, our lives are full of constant turmoil. The king reigned over a kingdom that was subject to rule by a single ruler. Democracy...

Conclusions (Part 6)

But then, what is the use of lamenting over that? There is another side to this topic. We see this kind of admixture only among the rarefied urban population. T...

Conclusions (Part 5)

Having now reflected upon the steps to attain the right level of eligibility, let us think once again about the four problems due to changing times. 1) The det...

Conclusions (Part 4)

What about the jñānī? He too has to perform karma but instructing him is not necessary. He performs karma without any guidance. Karma is imperative as long as t...

Conclusions (Part 3)

Let us now remember and discuss these in some detail. 1) The pre-eminence of the self: The ātmā (self) is the essence of all beings. Whenever man thinks, "I","...

Conclusions (Part 2)

The Gītā is not a treatise with a limited outlook for one set of people. It is beneficial to the entire humankind. We firmly believe that the principles taught...

Conclusions (Part 1)

Section 20 / Conclusion We had a second look at the Gītā. What did we gain for our own use? Whatever be the śāstra or art that we set out to learn, there...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 20)

2.  Universal self-hood (Atmaupamya): is the perfection of knowledge; its ripe fruit. Intellectual conviction is achieved via reflection upon the śāstras a...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 19)

How can there be adharma for one established in the origin of dharma? For such a person, there is no other object or being than Brahma. Whence pāpa for him? The...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 18)

A doubt here. "sarvadharmān parityajya" (having given up all dharmas), "māmekaṃ śaraṇaṃ vraja" (surrender unto Bhagavān alone) - is the instruction. Fine. What...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 17)

There was a rich man I knew. When all members of his household were asleep, he would enter his room with a small lantern, open his iron safe, noiselessly remove...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 16)

There is a set of rules for the riders on the merry-go-round. The rider should proceed in his path and not collide with those ahead of him and those who follow...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 15)

Let us now look at a story. A story There was a wedding in our village in the house of the landlord Shamarao. Shamarao was wealthy and generous. His kin by ma...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 14)

In the phrase, īśvaraḥ sarvabhūtānām, īśvara is not to be taken as the same as the absolute aspect of Parabrahma. Īśvaratva is an aspect or a state of Parabrahm...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 13)

The nature of aparigraha (non-acceptance of superfluous material wealth) is well described in the story of Uṣasti in the Chāndogyopaniṣad. Uṣasti was a brāhmaṇ...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 12)

asaktabuddhiḥ sarvatra jitātmā vigataspṛhaḥ | naiṣkarmyasiddhiṃ paramāṃ saṃnyāsenādhigacchati || BG 18.49 The word naiṣkarmya is used repeatedly in t...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 11)

Qualities like truth and purity are not the special property of brahmins. They are to be practised by others as well. Why did we specially mention them as brahm...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 10)

While bringing up a baby, is one who feeds milk superior and one who cleans the cradle is inferior? Is the person who rocks the cradle superior to the one who t...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 9)

In our times, the question of why is a brāhmaṇa given more importance has become more and more vociferous. The answer to that is in the description of the above...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 8)

Impurities comprise impressions carried over from many lives, or natural temperaments — different tastes, wavering wants and infatuations, etc. Thus, the uncons...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 7)

There are three types of pleasure as well. yat-tadagre viṣamiva pariṇāme’mṛtopamam । tat-sukhaṃ sāttvikaṃ proktam ātma-buddhi-prasādajam ॥ BG 18.37...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 6)

Let us look at Śrī Rāmānujācārya’s commentary for the above sūtra. The interpretations of the three schools of Vedanta differ from one another only in parts whe...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 5)

The summary is this. Daiva is hidden, a secret. It comes suddenly and unexpectedly, and cannot be grasped by the logic of causality. The word in Saṃskṛta is “āk...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 4)

Since saṃsāris are thus different from saṃnyāsis, the interest and regard of saṃsāris towards karma is different from that of saṃnyāsis. However,the meaning tha...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 3)

Managing the family is a vrata. Marriage is a dharmic ritual. The transactions with the world that is done for these are opportunities for performing dharma. Ho...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 2)

A gṛhastha performs karmas out of desire — for the wellbeing of his wife and children and for the sake of his friends and relatives. Worldly life becomes possib...

Ch 18 Yoga of Single-pointed Surrender (Part 1)

Note sapta-daśādhyāya-gaḻoḻ Vistarisida dharma-tattva-gaḻan-īgaḻ saṃ- । kṣiptadi peḻvaṃ guru tan- nāpta-sakha-vyāja-diṃde loka-hitārthaṃ ॥ 1 ॥ For t...

Ch 17 Yoga of the Discernment of tri-fold Śraddhā (Part 4)

Let us now reflect a little upon its meaning. 1.Om tasmādomityudāhṛtya yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ | pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satatam brahmavādinām || BG 17.2...

Ch 17 Yoga of the Discernment of tri-fold Śraddhā (Part 3)

Arjuna now asks ye śāstravidhimutsṛjya yajante śraddhāyānvitāh । teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvamāho rājastamah ॥ BG 17.1 Some people in the world po...

Ch 17 Yoga of the Discernment of tri-fold Śraddhā (Part 2)

There are four kinds of activities of the buddhi. The first is analysis which means separating the object of inquiry into its constituent elements. The second i...

Ch 17 Yoga of the Discernment of tri-fold Śraddhā (Part 1)

Note śraddhèyoḻamirpudu trai- vidhyaṃ prakṛtijaguṇatrayāgatamadariṃ | buddhi samaṃtoṃtatsad- baddhamiral śraddhèyaduve saṃsiddhikaram || There are three...

Ch. 16 Yoga of Distinction Between āsurī and daivī qualities (Part 5)

Therefore, it does not mean that belief in śāstra means that the buddhi is going to stop working. In the sixth chapter, Bhagavān himself has explained how impor...

Ch. 16 Yoga of Distinction Between āsurī and daivī qualities (Part 4)

It is not possible for ordinary people to know the path of dharma by their own judgment, without the guidance of Śruti and Smṛti. Their knowledge is limited; th...

Ch. 16 Yoga of Distinction Between āsurī and daivī qualities (Part 3)

In the Rāmāyaṇa, after Daśaratha left to the heavenly abode, when Bharata begged Rāma to return to Ayodhyā and become the king, Srirāma says the following -...

Ch. 16 Yoga of Distinction Between āsurī and daivī qualities (Part 2)

All the above are sāttvika qualities. “Abhijāta” means one who is born after performing puṇya. Such a person is blessed with daivī qualities. Whoever thinks he...

Ch. 16 Yoga of Distinction Between āsurī and daivī qualities (Part 1)

Note manujaṃ daivāsurala- kṣaṇamiśritanavana jagakè kaṭṭuva saṃpad- guṇamāsuram adariṃ mo- canèyāgipa saṃyamādigaḻè daivya-dhanaṃ ॥ Man is an admixt...

Ch. 15 Yoga of meditation on the root of the aśvattha (part 4)

Let us now conclude this topic. The jīva has come in contact with the saṃsāra-tree. The root of that tree is in the supreme position (“parame vyoman”). In its l...

Ch. 15 Yoga of meditation on the root of the aśvattha (part 3)

We saw in the previous Bhāgavata śloka a mention of two birds in the primordial tree - dvikhago hyādivṛkṣaḥ. When there is a tree, there is usually a bird in it...

Ch. 15 Yoga of meditation on the root of the aśvattha (part 2)

What is the reason behind the name aśvattha for a tree thus extolled in the Veda? Śvaḥ in Saṃskṛt means tomorrow. Śvastha is something that will exist tomorrow...

Ch. 15 Yoga of meditation on the root of the aśvattha (part 1)

Introduction parākṛtanamadbandhaṃ paraṃbrahma narākṛti | saundaryasārasarvasvaṃ vande nandātmajaṃ mahaḥ || I bow to that Supreme Brahma in human form that d...

Ch. 14 Yoga of Attention towards the Mechanism of the Three Guṇas (part 3)

A relevant matter here needs discussion. Bhagavān says that the three guṇas have to be transcended or sublimated. Good. But even to transcend those guṇas, a guṇ...

Ch. 14 Yoga of Attention towards the Mechanism of the Three Guṇas (part 2)

What is a guṇa? A certain innate characteristic or natural power of a thing that causes affinity or otherwise with another thing is its guṇa. Thus the guṇa is a...

Ch. 14 Yoga of Attention towards the Mechanism of the Three Guṇas (part 1)

Introduction vaṃśī-vibhūṣita-karān-navanīradābhāt pītāmbarādaruṇa-bimba-phalādharoṣṭhāt | mugdhendu-sundara-mukhādaravinda-netrāt kṛṣṇāt-paraṃ kim-api ta...

Ch. 13 Yoga of Nature and the Primeval being (part 4)

The object that is water, is H2O for a chemist, and ambrosia for a thirsty man. The satiating and refreshing potential imperceptible in hydrogen and oxygen was...

Ch. 13 Yoga of Nature and the Primeval being (part 3)

Thus, the Parabrahma is conducting the activities of the universe in three forms — prakṛti, jīva and Īśvara. yāvatsaṃjāyate kiñcit sattvaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam...

Ch. 13 Yoga of Nature and the Primeval being (part 2)

How is Brahma? sarvataḥ pāṇipādaṃ tat sarvatokṣi-śiro-mukham । sarvataḥ śrutimalloke sarvam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati ॥ BG 13.14 “Its limbs are everywhere, as...

Ch. 13 Yoga of Nature and the Primeval being (part 1)

Introduction ekam-evādvayam-arūpaṃ brahmam-avyayam-akriyaṃ svīkarisi nijabhogakèṃdu śarīra-vividha-sahasramaṃ । prākṛtāsvādyagaḻa madhuviṃ tannane tāṃ mare...

Ch. 12 Yoga of the steps of Bhakti (part 3)

Śrī Kanakadāsa, the great mystic, said this - Ṣaḍurasadannakè nalidāḍuva jihvè । kaḍurucigoṃbuva ruciguṇa ninadayya ॥ (Yours is the tongue that enjoys fo...

Ch. 12 Yoga of the steps of Bhakti (part 2)

Well, then, is this path — performing one’s duties with the sole purpose of pleasing Bhagavān — an easy journey? Śrīkṛṣṇa himself was uncertain about it. Bhagav...

Ch. 12 Yoga of the steps of Bhakti (part 1)

Introduction dhyānābhyāsa-vaśīkṛtena manasā tannirguṇaṃ niṣkriyaṃ jyotiḥ kiñcana yogino yadi paraṃ paśyanti paśyantu te । asmākaṃ tu tadeva locana-camatkār...

Ch. 11 Yoga of the Vision of the Cosmic Form (part 3)

Śrī Kṛṣna was satisfied with this entreaty; Arjuna had been put on the path; his internal transformation was complete. Bhagavān felt certain that Arjuna was rea...

Ch. 11 Yoga of the Vision of the Cosmic Form (part 2)

Here, by “divine eyes” we do not need to imagine a pair of extra-physical eyes with their own eyeballs and eyelids. It is enough to think that Bhagavān endowed...

Ch. 11 Yoga of the Vision of the Cosmic Form (part 1)

Introduction āvudò viśvarahasyaṃ jīvāṃgaṇakiḻidu janada sukhaduḥkheccā-| dyāveśadi sahabhāgivò- lāvirbhavisidudu kṛṣṇananènipa vicitram || This strange...

Ch. 10 Yoga of Īśvara’s Glory (part 2)

Arjuna’s mind is gaining maturity. Didn’t Bhagavān say – dadāmi buddhi-yogam... BG 10.10 What is buddhi-yoga? Buddhi is a faculty of the antaḥkaraṇa. M...

Ch. 10 Yoga of Īśvara’s Glory (part 1)

Note nija-mahimeyan-īśaṃ tā- n-ajan-avyayan-aprameya-navaviliptaṃ meṇ  । tri-jagad-vyāptaṃ śaktaṃ bhajanīyaṃ kāmyaneṃbudaṃ baṇṇisuvam ॥ Īśvara, the...

Ch. 9 Yoga of the Relationship between Brahman and the World (Part 5)

Those who follow the āsurī form of prakṛti delude and waste themselves. moghāśā moghakarmāṇo moghajñānā vicetasaḥ BG9.12 The rākṣasas are cruel and uns...

Ch. 9 Yoga of the Relationship between Brahman and the World (Part 4)

7. "Mamātmā bhūtabhāvanaḥ" : Brahma-consciousness is the cause of a jīva's rise and fall. The term bhāvanaḥ can variously mean birth, existence, sustenance, or...

Dr. C. V. Raman: A Personal Tribute

This two-part tribute was published in December 1970 and January 1971 on the pages of Public Affairs, a monthly journal published by the Gokhale Institute of Pu...

Ch. 9 Yoga of the Relationship between Brahman and the World (Part 3)

4. Now on to "na matsthāni bhūtāni". Was it not said earlier that matsthāni bhūtāni (all objects are in me)? But when we analyse reality, the objects do not exi...

Ch. 9 Yoga of the Relationship between Brahman and the World (Part 2)

The two ślokas beginning with “Mayā tatamidaṁ” have the following seven points. Mayā tatam-idam (All of this is pervaded or extended by me) Mat-sthāni sar...

Ch. 9 Yoga of the Relationship between Brahman and the World (Part 1)

Note sarvagatamirdum ātmaṃ nirvikṛtaṃ sarvaśaktam adu niṣkarmam । nirvairaṃ sarvasamaṃ nirvṛtidaṃ patrasumajalārpakariṃgam ॥ The ātmā, though all-pervad...

Ch. 8 Yoga of the Meaning of Om (Part 2)

The Importance of Feeling During dhyāna, it is not syllables that are important, neither are sound or meaning. Feeling is paramount. The syllable is a means to...

Ch. 8 Yoga of the Meaning of Om (Part 1)

Note Brahmavadeṃ jīvavadeṃ । Karmavadeṃ bhautadaivayajñaṃgaḻadeṃ ॥ Gamyavadeṃ dhyeyamadeṃ । Samyagbodhanéyanintu pārthaṃ beḍal ॥ What is Brahma? What is...

Ch. 7 Yoga of Jagat-Jīva-Īśvara (Part 3)

Māyā Why does this discernment of thought not exist normally in people? Bhagavān answers: māyāyā’pahṛtajñānāḥ Māyā has taken away the discerning ability...

Ch. 7 Yoga of Jagat-Jīva-Īśvara (Part 2)

The State of Īśvara From the perspective of the visible world, the invisible and divisionless part of the universe, Supreme Brahman is known as Īśvara or Param...

Ch. 7 Yoga of Jagat-Jīva-Īśvara (Part 1)

Summary Whatever is essential and uniquely great in this world is to be understood as a salient mark of Brahma’s power. Whatever quality endows a thing with us...

Ch. 6 The Practice of Dhyāna (Part 4)

Accomplishment through Practice It looks as though this principle appealed to Arjuna’s mind, in the course of teaching of the true nature of the ātmā. However,...

Ch. 6 The Practice of Dhyāna (Part 3)

Limiting Pleasures It is not required for a sādhaka practising dhyāna to adhere to valiant restrictions on food and other diversions. His sitting posture shoul...

Ch. 6 The Practice of Dhyāna (Part 2)

The Advantage of Performing Karma The idea that the mind becomes pure by performing karma should be examined before acceptance. Even if one is selfish while pe...

Mirza’s Friendly Nature (Part 3)

Grasp of Subtlety Mirza never raised his voice in an argument. He did not use big words. He used to indicate his opinion in a single sentence. If the opponent...

Mirza’s Friendly Nature (Part 2)

The Position of Dewan Mirza became the Dewan in 1926. Many people had anticipated that appointment. Although I had not anticipated it, it came as no surprise t...

Ch. 6 The Practice of Dhyāna (Part 1)

Note jñānārhaté saṃnyāsādé saṃnyasipudu karmaphalavano karmavano| enaṃ karmadoḷillaṃ tānénuvudu seré karmadóḷagadu kaluṣaṃ|| Saṃnyāsa makes one fit for...

Mirza’s Friendly Nature (Part 1)

I cannot say that Mirza Ismail was a gifted public speaker. He used to write down what he intended to convey at a gathering and read it out. However, the style...

Ch. 5 Yoga of Harmony of Karma and Jñāna (Part 6)

The Three Maxims of the Yoga of Action If we consider the instruction of the Gītā as valuable in all places and at all times, the principles of karmayoga apply...

Ch. 5 Yoga of Harmony of Karma and Jñāna (Part 5)

The Vision of Equality (Sama-darśana) This is a famous śloka. What does – sama-darśana - the vision of equality mean? Does equality imply that both the elephan...

Ch. 5 Yoga of Harmony of Karma and Jñāna (Part 4)

The Actionless Ātmā The whole of creation is thus created from Brahma’s power, Brahma’s līlā. It is enjoying ānanda (bliss) causing all these actions. Why...

Ch. 5 Yoga of Harmony of Karma and Jñāna (Part 3)

The Steadfastness in Yoga of a Jñānī yuktaḥ karmaphalaṃ tyaktvā śāntimāpnoti naiṣṭhikīm ayuktaḥ kāmakāreṇa phale sakto nibadhyate (BG 5.12) The word “...

Fundamental Principles of a State’s Well-being - Part 10

Integrity and Competence Now, for the kind of State we are discussing about, these two duties are sufficient – the destruction of the wicked and the protection...

Ch. 5 Yoga of Harmony of Karma and Jñāna (Part 2)

The phrase hita-nirata (engaged in welfare) does not involve merely uttering homilies. It means those who internally resolve to act towards universal welfare an...

Fundamental Principles of a State’s Well-being - Part 9

Let the Field of Work be Limited Constantly expanding the area of work of the government has become an intoxicating disease afflicting all States today. This b...

Fundamental Principles of a State’s Well-being - Part 8

V. Representative Council i. First and foremost, we need two major developments: a. Membership should not become a means of livelihood. The salaries and perqui...

Ch. 5 Yoga of Harmony of Karma and Jñāna (Part 1)

Prologue to Chapter 5 ಬೋಧಿಸಿದೆ ಕರ್ಮಯೋಗವ ಬೋಧಿಸಿದಿದಯ್ ಸಂನ್ಯಸನವನುಮನಾ ದ್ವಿಕದೊಳ್ । ಸಾಧನ ಮೇಲೆನಗಾವುದೊ ಆದೇಶಿಪುದೆಂದು ಬೇಡಿದಂ ಕೌಂತೇಯಂ ।। ೧ Bodhisidĕ karma-yogava...

Mysore after 1940 (Part 3)

‘Responsible Government’ A ‘Responsible Government’ or an ‘Answerable Government’ can be briefly described thus: The country should be ruled by the citizens; h...

Mysore after 1940 (Part 2)

Helplessness of the Government I have mentioned earlier a statement that M N Krishna Rao used to repeat quite often: “When observed from one standpoint, the go...

Fundamental Principles of a State’s Well-being - Part 7

It is appropriate that the system of governance in India is a collection of one and many. Given the land’s geographical expanse, large population, bio-/geo-di...

Ch. 4 Yoga of Unattached Karma (Part 10)

APPENDIX 2 Distinction between karma and akarma karmaṇo hy-api boddhavyam boddhavyam ca vikarmaṇaḥ akarmaṇaś-ca boddhavyaṃ gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ (BG 4.17...

Mysore after 1940 (Part 1)

In this survey of history, l have touched all the frontiers I had intended to. It is a wheel of time spanning sixty years between 1880 and 1940.* The historical...

V P Madhava Rao (Part 4)

Vokkaligara Saṅgha I have heard that the Vokkaligara Saṅgha was established with the support and encouragement of V P Madhava Rao. He greatly admired K H Ramay...

Fundamental Principles of a State’s Well-being - Part 6

Profession Hereafter, the collective opinion of the citizens may take a back seat and unilateral decisions may find strength. In future, politics will only rep...

Fundamental Principles of a State’s Well-being - Part 5

Administrative Intelligence of the Dewans Before 1940, all those who administered the State in the position of the Dewan were loyal and competent in their own...

Ch. 4 Yoga of Unattached Karma (Part 9)

When they ascend the throne, England’s Kings (or Queens) take an oath in front of their subjects that they will follow, preserve, and protect the traditional me...

Fundamental Principles of a State’s Well-being - Part 4

That doesn’t mean we don’t want democracy at all. The State must be dependent on the citizenry is an important principle. The policies of the State as well as t...

V P Madhava Rao (Part 3)

Generosity There is yet another instance. Vidvān Brahmaśrī Chappalli Viśveśvara-śāstrī of Bangalore was a Sanskrit Scholar at Central College. He was an outsta...

V P Madhava Rao (Part 2)

In Travancore In this manner, V P Madhava Rao became the Dewan of Travancore long before Krishnamurti became the Dewan of Mysore.* There is no doubt that...

Fundamental Principles of a State’s Well-being - Part 3

Wealth and Prosperity With respect to wealth and resources, it is true that they are showing more activity than India. The reason behind it is not the governme...

Ch. 4 Yoga of Unattached Karma (Part 8)

The Necessity of Firm Decision Arjuna, if we analyse from the perspective of the supreme principle, it becomes clear that your doubts are baseless. Be firm abo...

V P Madhava Rao (Part 1)

After P N Krishnamurti, V P Madhava Rao came to power as the Dewan. He was a smārta Deśastha brāhmaṇa from the Tanjore region. We could see a little bit of Sir...

Fundamental Principles of a State’s Well-being - Part 2

Rights In this manner, we started extending our rights according to what we felt was appropriate at a certain moment. All the rights that we have mentioned can...

Ch. 4 Yoga of Unattached Karma (Part 7)

A person who carries out his duties without considering it an offering, will not even gain the good in this world. Then, how can he obtain a good state in other...

Dewan Rungacharlu (Part 3)

Appendix [A few incidents which highlight Rungacharlu’s nature and character can be seen in an article published in the Deccan Herald dated 7th December 1961....

Fundamental Principles of a State’s Well-being - Part 1

rāṣṭraṃ vā aśvamedhaḥ… – Yajurveda (Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa 3.8.9) kalpate ha vai tatra prajābhyo yogakṣemaḥ yatraitena yajñena yajante – Yajurveda (Tai...

Rājakārya-prasakta Dewan Bahadur Sir M N Krishna Rao - part 4

Five-year Plan After Krishna Rao retired from the Government of Mysore, at the time of announcement of the first Five-year Plan of the Indian Government, he wr...

Ch. 4 Yoga of Unattached Karma (Part 6)

Once we say that it is not wrong but only fit and proper to experience pleasure, we have to make all arrangements to obtain it. Sustaining the family, earning a...

Dewan Rungacharlu (Part 2)

Attire Rungacharlu was extremely careless about his clothing. He was always hasty. He wore baggy coats. Seeing him wrongly buttoned was not a rare sight. He us...

Dewan Rungacharlu (Part 1)

The First Proponent of Democracy in India I have never seen Chettipunyam Rungacharlu [alternatively, Rangacharlu or Rangacharya.] I was born five or six years...

Rājakārya-prasakta Dewan Bahadur Sir M N Krishna Rao - part 3

During the early days when Krishna Rao became the Dewan, the British Resident wrote him a letter informing about his visit to see the Dewan and sought a suitabl...

Ch. 4 Yoga of Unattached Karma (Part 5)

Selfless Karma Who should follow the principle of not wanting results for one’s duties? Those who are seeking mokṣa. How many of us are wishing for mokṣa? Sure...

Rājakārya-prasakta Dewan Bahadur Sir M N Krishna Rao - part 2

Seetharamiah’s Hospitality In the next week or ten days, I reached Delhi. Seetharamiah was waiting at the train station by the time the train reached. I asked...

Sir K Seshadri Iyer (Part 8)

APPENDIX ‘Deśābhimāni’ One of the most important political situations during Seshadri Iyer’s tenure was related to newspapers. In the city of Mysore, a person...

Ch. 4 Yoga of Unattached Karma (Part 4)

Arjuna is hasty. Initially, he was eager to fight. Then, he was eager to give up fighting. Vikarma is the result of this haste. Therefore, the following is said...

Sir K Seshadri Iyer (Part 7)

 Virūpākṣa-śāstrī Everyone agreed to that [conditions laid down by Seshadri Iyer’s wife]. Seshadri Iyer himself, very cheerfully, agreed to all of it. Acc...

Rājakārya-prasakta Dewan Bahadur Sir M N Krishna Rao - part 1

According to one set of friends, the letters “M N” in M N Krishna Rao’s name stand for Maḍi [orthodoxy, purity, conservatism, discipline, ritualism] and Niyama...

Sir K Seshadri Iyer (Part 6)

The Two Parties This controversy raged on quite intensely. Several public meetings were held by the prominent citizens of the State, countless petitions were f...

Ch. 4 Yoga of Unattached Karma (Part 3)

Why is Dharma Worthy of Worship? Dharma is established and nurtured by the divine. Bhagavān who needs to have no thought for anything else thinks of dharma alo...

Freedom or Anarchy - Part 2

Business Acumen In the past twenty years, how many commoners have risen from poverty to affluence? How many government officials and employees have maintained...

Freedom or Anarchy - Part 1

Freedom or Anarchy[1] Tipu Sultan complained to the then maṭhādipati of Śrṅgeri about the attacks of Marāṭhas on his kingdom. Svāmīji replied – हसद्भिः क्र...

Sir K Seshadri Iyer (Part 5)

Chanchal Rao’s Nourishment of Dharma P Chanchal Rao was an Āndhra-brāhmaṇa. He was a great Sanskrit scholar and one who had gained expertise in all modern subj...

Downfall of Drona and the Subtlety of Dharma

Ch. 4 Yoga of Unattached Karma (Part 2)

The Antiquity of Karma-vidyā “Arjuna, what I am explaining to you now is not something new and contemporary. It is something that I had explained to the sun na...

The Moral Trials of Dharmaraya

Sir K Seshadri Iyer (Part 4)

Standing Committee An incident took place at the Representative Assembly of Mysore. During one of the sessions of the Representative Assembly, M Venkatakrishna...

Karna and the Encouragement to Adharma

Ch. 4 Yoga of Unattached Karma (Part 1)

Note vivarisidenidāṃ pūrvadi vivasvataṃgeṃdu Kṛṣṇanoreyal Pārthaṃ। avatāraṃgaḻadeṃtene svavapurdhṛti dharmarakṣegeṃdaṃ devaṃ॥ Said Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna “Long...

Gandhari and the Gambling Episode

Characters of the Mahabharata :Duryodhana

Sir K Seshadri Iyer (Part 3)

We learn the following from a treatise authored by M Gopalakrishnayya, published by the Mysore Electrical Department in 1932 – apparently, during the last decad...

Does Dharma have Ascent and Decline?

Characteristics of Yuga and the Wheel of Time

Ch. 3 Yoga of One’s Own Dharma (Part 9)

Why only Svadharma? "One’s own karma performed diligently, even though it may not be the best thing, is better than others’ karma performed in a most satisfyin...

Characters of the Mahabharata: An Introduction to DVG's Monograph

Sir K Seshadri Iyer (Part 2)

Competence at Work Alongside his reputation for proficiency at work, there is another trait of Seshadri Iyer that needs to be mentioned as a corollary. He was...

Sir K Seshadri Iyer (Part 1)

Sir K. Seshadri Iyer was a native of Madras. He hailed from the region of Palghat (Palakkad). He wasn’t, in fact, someone the British authorities had summoned....

Ch. 3 Yoga of One’s Own Dharma (Part 8)

Human nature is composed of the triad of guṇas – sattva, rajas, and tamas. It is true of the universe also. A man’s inner nature influences his outward behaviou...

Ch. 3 Yoga of One’s Own Dharma (Part 7)

There is another thing to consider. Illustrious people such as Janaka, who are greater than you have all performed karma much before you. karmaṇaiva hi saṃs...

Ch. 3 Yoga of One’s Own Dharma (Part 6)

Who are devas? Various pictures of divine beings holding a trident, staff, rope, or discus might arise in our minds. These pictures are useful elsewhere; they c...

Ch. 3 Yoga of One’s Own Dharma (Part 5)

“When devas are worshipped and satisfied, they give rain and good crops.” It is easy to misconstrue this statement. Will rains cease, or will crops die be...

Ch. 3 Yoga of One’s Own Dharma (Part 4)

Thus, one who leads life in the form of tapas, yajña, and dāna, does not have to hanker after mokṣa. It is readily available. By leading a life that is dedicate...

Ch. 3 Yoga of One’s Own Dharma (Part 3)

If we consider the verses between the ninth verse – “yajñārthāt...” and the sixteenth verse – “moghaṃ pārtha sa jīvati” as one single meaningful portion, the me...

Singing Kshetrajna's Padams: A Guide and Exposition

Ch. 3 Yoga of One’s Own Dharma (Part 2)

Sat-karma itself is dharma. It is of three kinds: Laukika (pertaining to the world) Vaidika (pertaining to the Vedas) Pāramārthika (pertaining to the ul...

Kshetrajna's Prowess over Language and Music

Works of Kshetrajna

Ch. 3 Yoga of One’s Own Dharma (Part 1)

  naranahudu hariyumahuda- ccariyahudu rahasyamahudu rasikanaliptaṃ। pariṇata-laukikanumahudu paripūrṇa-manuṣya-jīvanōjjvala-mukuraṃ॥ He is human a...

The Life of Kshetrajna - By DVG

Decline in the Shradda of a Great Ideal or Vow

Ch. 2 Yoga of Discernment of Reality (Part 11)

Appendix 5. Vyavasāya (Sustained effort) vyavasāyātmikā buddhirekeha kurunandana || (2.41) Here vyavasāya refers to sustained effort or continuous indust...

Culture: A Lecture by DVG – Changing Manners

Ch. 2 Yoga of Discernment of Reality (Part 10)

Appendix 2. What do we do with our sense organs? The havoc created by the sense organs repeatedly comes up for discussion. There is no life without sense organ...

Some Councillors - Part 2

Rangaswamy Iyengar A. Rangaswamy Iyengar started his Government service during the time of Rangacharya. He was revenue commissioner for a long time and later a...

Ch. 2 Yoga of Discernment of Reality (Part 9)

The principle of the Self decides everything The teaching of the Gītā begins from the second chapter in which Bhagavān classifies the entire Universe into the...

Some Councillors - Part 1

Purna Krishna Rao was a councillor during the era of Dewan Rangacharlu. He was the very first councillor from Mysuru. He was born and brought up in Mysuru. I...

Ch. 2 Yoga of Discernment of Reality (Part 9)

The Characteristics of a Knower The teaching must have affected Arjuna a wee bit. He asks, “You mentioned about the state of being in samādhi and talked about...

Kolar Lodging

Upon completing my first year of high school (Fourth Form) at Mysore, I moved to Kolar for the second year (Fifth Form). After initial hardships in matters of b...

Amin-ul-Mulq - Sir Mirza M Ismail - Part 8

Discord Once again rumours flew thick and fast about Mirza Ismail when the Crown Prince died in Bombay (11 March 1940). Some people spread rumours that Mirza h...

Ch. 2 Yoga of Discernment of Reality (Part 8)

There are several tiers of instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā from the level of "patraṃ puṣpaṃ phalaṃ toyam" (offering a leaf, flower, fruit or water) to the leve...

Amin-ul-Mulq - Sir Mirza M Ismail - Part 7

Wise Counsel Mirza Ismail was courageous in providing counsel to the British government. In the course of his speeches at the Representative Assembly or the Le...

Ch. 2 Yoga of Discernment of Reality (Part 7)

Every jīva’s characteristics and circumstances differ from one another. Therefore every one’s dharma is different. Thus everyone has his or her own svadharma....

Amin-ul-Mulq - Sir Mirza M Ismail - Part 6

Not Bookish Scholarship Mirza didn’t think of himself as an erudite scholar in polity. He was not too interested in the science of politics nor just theory. Wh...

Ch. 2 Yoga of Discernment of Reality (Part 6)

Dharma is a word not used just by the vaidikas but also employed reverently by the Buddhists and Jains. The vaidikas have employed this term in different śāstra...

Amin-ul-Mulq - Sir Mirza M Ismail - Part 5

Industries Mirza Ismail opined that in every town or Hobli, a factory, a trading unit, or some other business should be established. He encouraged prominent pe...

Ch. 2 Yoga of Discernment of Reality (Part 5)

The Self Cannot be Destroyed Arjuna, there are two substances in this world – the body and the embodied. The body is a thing that is known directly to everyone...

Amin-ul-Mulq - Sir Mirza M Ismail - Part 4

Vidurāśvattha Riots The agitation for a Responsible Government led to yet another riot, this time at Vidurāśvattha. This incident too led to firings and killin...

Ch. 2 Yoga of Discernment of Reality (Part 4)

It may be apt to recall the maxim of the English philosopher John Stuart Mill. It is not enough if one person forms an opinion or follows a certain set of actio...

Amin-ul-Mulq - Sir Mirza M Ismail - Part 3

Sultanpet Riots The second disturbance that occurred during Mirza’s reign as Dewan was related to the unfortunate event that occured on Arcot Srinivasacharlu S...

Amin-ul-Mulq - Sir Mirza M Ismail - Part 2

Huzūr Secretary The Mahārāja didn’t find any use for the European secretary. But someone nominated by the British government was not to be left out. The Mahārā...

Ch. 2 Yoga of Discernment of Reality (Part 3)

The Beginning of the Instruction The second chapter of the Gītā has four main aspects. The remainder of the first chapter’s topic, i.e. Arjuna’s words of a...

The Disease of Blind Imitation

National Unity, Truth and Justice

Amin-ul-Mulq - Sir Mirza M Ismail - Part 1

Sir Mirza Muhammad Ismail Saheb’s ancestors hailed from Persia. Persia is known as the land of famous poets like Firdausi [Abul-Qāsem Ferdowsi Tusi], Hafiz [Khw...

Virtuous Selfishness and the Five Purposes of National Congress

Ch. 2 Yoga of Discernment of Reality (Part 2)

Terminology [Continued]   7. Kāla-Deśa – See Deśa-Kāla. 8. Deśa-Kāla (Space-time) – The ideas of size and duration that emerge in our minds through the...

The Virtuous Person in Public Life

Buḍḍu Saheb Climbs a Hill

Janab Muhammad Buḍan Khān was the inspector of Urdu schools. He would come to inspect the Anglo-Hindustani school in our town[1] once or twice a year. Muslims...

Ch. 2 Yoga of Discernment of Reality (Part 1)

Gist ಸ್ಮಿತದಿಂ ಸೌಹೃದವೀಕ್ಷಾ- ಮೃತದಿಂ ಫಲ್ಗುಣನ ಸಂತವಿಡುತವನುಲಿದಾ ಮತಿಮೋಹವ ನೀಗುವ ಜೀ- ವಿತತ್ತ್ವವ ಪಾಡಿದಂ ಜಗದ್ಗುರು ಕೃಷ್ಣಂ || 1 || With a smile and a nectar-like glan...

T S Venkannayya (Part 8)

2. Faith in Ancient Traditions Seasoned by Critical Analysis[1] It has been thirty years since Venkannayya left for his heavenly abode. Even so, that sorrow i...

T S Venkannayya (Part 7)

Satkāvya and Adhyātma Among the readers, those who have seen a Nāgarakaṭṭe of the yesteryears might recognise the twin serpents sculpted in stone there. The sc...

Chapter 1. Yoga of Inconsiderate Compassion (Part 4)

The fault of Arjuna’s compassion is not just that it was indiscriminate and unexamined. It was mixed with ego. The self-delusion that he was responsible for dec...

T S Venkannayya (Part 6)

A Humorous Episode Once, Venkannayya had fallen ill. It was a disease that troubled him on and off – something stomach-related. When I heard the news, I wrote...

Chapter 1. Yoga of Inconsiderate Compassion (Part 3)

It is claimed often that ours is an Age of Science, an era of intellectual superiority. On the one hand, the intellect is mighty but on the other hand, the mind...

Paṅktipāvana Venkatakrishnaiah - Part 5

Commitment Pondering about his work in the press reminds me of a sad incident. Around 1902 or 1903 he lost his son. His daughter and son-in-law Dakshinamurthy...

T S Venkannayya (Part 5)

Atop Narahari Rao’s Hillock Sitting in the eastern slope of Narahari Rao’s Hillock in Basavanagudi, Venkannayya, Srinivasamurthy, and I – with A R Krishna Shas...

T S Venkannayya (Part 4)

Scholar of Literature When Venkannayya lived in Mysore, his life was somewhat comfortable. He expected a spacious living room wherever he stayed. A soft blanke...

Chapter 1. Yoga of Inconsiderate Compassion (Part 2)

At this point, as an example of the severity of the result of one’s own experience, we can recollect the episode of the blind king Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Vyāsa offered to...

Paṅktipāvana Venkatakrishnaiah - Part 4

All-round capability Chikkamagalur’s coffee planter Sri Srinivasa Rao used to tease Venkatakrishnaiah affectionately. “If some troublemakers made an associatio...

T S Venkannayya (Part 3)

Joint Endeavours I have mentioned earlier about my first meeting with T S Venkannayya and A R Krishna Shastri. That was in 1915–16, just after the establishmen...

Chapter 1. Yoga of Inconsiderate Compassion (Part 1)

Gist ಭರತಕುಲದುಭಯವಾಹಿನಿ ಕುರುರಂಗದಿ ಸೇರಿ ಸಮರಶಂಖಂ ಮೊಳಗಲ್ । ನರನುತ್ಸಹಿಸದೆ ಕೃಷ್ಣಂ ಗೊರೆದಂ ತನಗಾದ ಧರ್ಮಸಂಕಟಭಯಮಮ್ ॥ When the two armies of Bharata’s descendants me...

Paṅktipāvana Venkatakrishnaiah - Part 3

Magnanimity of Seshadri Iyer But Seshadri Iyer was a great person. He wouldn’t bring the political animosity to the personal relations. He had accepted the gre...

Paṅktipāvana Venkatakrishnaiah - Part 2

In 1902 my sister got widowed. Then she was about 10 years old. This matter somehow reached Sri Venkatakrishnaiah and he wrote to me and conveyed his condolence...

T S Venkannayya (Part 2)

Venkannayya’s Whims Venkannayya and I, for several years, were like members of the same family. During the summer vacations, his wife would visit her native to...

The Great Instruction of the Gītā

The Yoga of Life The Bhagavad-gītā establishes and illustrates these three problems of life on a philosophical foundation. There is a place for kāma, a place f...

Paṅktipāvana Venkatakrishnaiah - Part 1

While referring to Sri M. Venkatakrishnaiah we should first respectfully acknowledge the small number of his disciples who were serving him with utmost dedicati...

T S Venkannayya (Part 1)

1. Inner Vision Five or six days after the [Kannaḍa Sāhitya] Pariṣat was established (in 1915), one day at about three in the afternoon, two eminent people cam...

The Puruṣārthas and the Self

Puruṣārtha Man is a bag of desires. His life is a river of ceaseless likes and dislikes. Whatever he desires and whatever goals he attempts to attain have all...

T R Venkatarama Shastri (Part 3)

A Request There is one more episode worth narrating. During 1938–39, he wrote a letter to me. It read as follows – “I have attached a letter of a person with...

Contemplation and Reasoning

Manana There is an element of truth that escapes words and can be discerned only through inner experience. That is the secret. Contemplation via considered ref...

T R Venkatarama Shastri (Part 2)

Enthusiasm in Public Service I have already mentioned that Venkatarama Shastri belonged to the tradition of Shivaswami Iyer. Both of them followed the same pat...

T R Venkatarama Shastri (Part 1)

T R Venkatarama Shastri can be called a disciple of Shivaswami Iyer. Sir S Varadachari, who retired after serving as a Federal Court judge and Venkatarama Shast...

Undivided Family - Part 2

An Upper Bound for the Number of People in the Family It is not possible for anyone to argue that a joint family should remain intact for eternity. Division at...

Importance of Realizing the Meaning

The Importance of Contemplation The Gītā has two intertwined streams of instruction. One is theoretical whereas the other is practical. The theoretical part is...

Undivided Family - Part 1

Undivided Family Whenever I think of the lives of our ancestors, a kind of anxiety envelopes me. Is there any future for joint family system in our country? Is...

'Pradhaana Shiromani' T. Ananda Rao (Part 3)

An Open Letter Keeping the glory and successes achieved by the Mahārāja of Bikaner as a pretext, I wrote and published around ten or fifteen open letters co...

'Pradhaana Shiromani' T. Ananda Rao (Part 2)

Cancellation of Sastri’s Lecture It had been announced that V S Srinivasa Sastri—member of the Servants of India Society—who had come to Bangalore, would be...

Repetitions and Reiterations in the Gītā

Let us get back to the Bhagavad-gītā. There are so many punaruktis (repetitions); upamāna-upameyas (comparisons in a simile) and paradoxes. Our attention should...

The Grāma-devatās of My Town - 2

Plague The Plague pandemic came to Mulbagal perhaps after all other places in the vicinity. When the news spread that Plague had broken out in Kolar and Bowri...

'Pradhaana Shiromani' T. Ananda Rao (Part 1)

After V. P. Madhava Rao, Thanjavur Ananda Rao came to power as the Diwan. He was rich by birth and also possessed all the great attributes that a wealthy person...

The Grāma-devatās of My Town

I have previously described the vaidikas[1], scholars, and connoisseurs of Mulbagal, in bits and pieces, in many series of articles. In the present essay I shal...

Sādhana-catuṣṭaya - The Four Prerequisites

It is indicated above that the buddhi is a power that works with the manas. The buddhi is under the influence of the manas. Therefore, to purify the buddhi, it...

The System of Governance before Independence (Part 2)

The Beginning of Fragility This idea is now crippled. A few people opine that the pride of the local officer (i.e., the officer in charge) was first pricked du...

Instruction on the Viṣaya is According to the Adhikārī

Let us first look at the theme of the work and the qualification to study it. Each of these decides the other. The story of puṇyakoṭi befits a six year old. A s...

The System of Governance before Independence (Part 1)

According to the Hindu calendar, a span of sixty years is counted as a paryāya. From the start of the Prabhava saṃvatsara till the end of the Akṣaya saṃvatsara...

The Conversation of the Gītā

The Style of a Conversation between Friends The sequence of the Gītā appears jumbled at times. The Gītā is referred to as a śāstra. Its theme does make it one....

Sir P. N. Krishnamurti (Part 2)

Unspirited Functioning Despite all this, the administration showed no increase in its spirit and enthusiasm. I have thought about its reason. In my view, it wa...

The Nature of the Gītā

The Nature of the Work The Gītā is simultaneously a simple-difficult work or a difficult-simple work. What does it mean? Words may be simple to understand but...

My Maternal Grandmother

My maternal grandmother Sakamma lived a long and healthy life. Cooking was an integral part of her daily routine. She was also responsible for the safekeeping a...

Sir P. N. Krishnamurti (Part 1)

Śrīmān (who was later knighted) P. N. Krishnamurti had to wait for quite some time before he obtained the position of the Dewan. Krishnamurti was the grandson...

Impromptu Poetry and Singing

Around the year 1909-10; one day I was sitting in the Printing press of Navaratna and Sons. It was about 9 AM. Two customers arrived, and they consulted the cos...

What to Expect from the Gītā?

What do we get from the Gītā? What can we expect from the Bhagavad-gītā? We normally expect something special from any book we choose. If it is a story, we ex...

K V Ramaswami Iyer (Part 3)

English Reader In doing so, Iyer would also explain the classification of nouns in English, the usage of tenses, structure of singular and plural forms, and al...

My Ātma-guru: N Narasimha Murthy (Part 7)

Moral Values In those days, four or five of us met up every evening at the Century club in Sheshadri memorial club. We chatted, had discussions, and had light...

The Structure of the Gītā

Prerequisites to the Study of the Gītā A word of caution before we begin. All parts of the Gītā cannot be understood at the same level of clarity by everyone....

K V Ramaswami Iyer (Part 2)

Felicity of Language Ramaswami Iyer learnt Kannada within three or four months of moving to Mulbagal. A few Kannada words were already familiar to him bec...

The Great Symbolism of our Independence Day: Part 2

My Ātma-guru: N Narasimha Murthy (Part 6)

Fruits of Scholarship After a few weeks, that discourse was published in the magazine [Karnataka] . A person who was close to Murthy read that work and said: “...

Jīvana-dharma-yoga: Introduction

[On the occasion of D V Gundappa’s forty-fifth death anniversary, Prekshaa is delighted to publish the first episode of a new series – a modern English translat...

The Great Symbolism of our Independence Day: Part 1

K V Ramaswami Iyer (Part 1)

I have already written about my Sanskrit teacher, Kashi Raghavendracharya elsewhere.[1] I shall now move on to reminiscences of my English teacher. It appears...

My Ātma-guru: N Narasimha Murthy (Part 5)

Interesting puranic exposition Giriyamma came home after a discourse on Purāṇa. Murthy asked: Murthy: Giri, which story was the topic of the discourse today?...

V N Narasimha Iyengar

One of the most popular personalities among the old Mysore citizens was one V N Narasimha Iyengar. He was also known as mīsè (mustachioed) Narasimha Iyengar. Th...

My Ātma-guru: N Narasimha Murthy (Part 4)

Abode of Snacks Meeting with friends was among Murthy’s favorite pastimes. He was not the one to chitchat. Others needed to chitchat. He listened to them and l...

My Ātma-guru: N Narasimha Murthy (Part 3)

Amaldar[1] Sitaramayya Another instance. Both of us were walking on the 3rd cross road of Basavanagudi. We heard someone singing when we came near a house. We...

Baṇḍi Rasūl Khān

I have passed two examinations in my life. One is the Lower Secondary[1] in Kannada. That was probably in 1898–99. At that time, there was no English [medium] s...

Pāśampalli Ādèppa

When I was young, I aspired to become a paṭela (village headman, chief of a town). Not because the position would provide a lot of money. But because a paṭela i...

Art Experience (Part 2)

3. Kāvya This has three stages too. 1. Manaḥ-prasāda – The nāndī-padyas in a kāvya, the description of city, country, mountains, forests, rivers, forts, palac...

Art Experience (Part 1)

Art—kalā—is an adroit phenomenon[1] that gives our mind the experience of some beauty or some grandeur or some profound thought through our eyes, ears, and othe...

Drama Companies of Bellary (Part 2)

Kumbāra Guṇḍayya (Guṇḍayya, the Potter) In one of the plays – probably ‘Vijayanagara Patana’ – one of the characters is a potter. That day Raghavacharya beckon...

My Ātma-guru: N Narasimha Murthy (Part 2)

Guidance Most of the major works that I can claim to have read in the areas of political science and economics were suggested by Murthy. He lent his personal c...

Drama Companies of Bellary (Part 1)

Circa 1909, the drama company Sumanorama Sabhā (or Suguṇavilāsa Sabhā) of Bellary arrived in Bangalore. Kolachalam Srinivasa Rao was the director of that drama...

‘Dharmaprakāśa’ Sajjan Rao (Part 2)

Gratification On the day the gopura work was completed, the kalaśa was established, and the samprokṣaṇā was done, one should have seen Sajjan Rao. He was the e...

My Ātma-guru: N Narasimha Murthy (Part 1)

My intention here is to write about my Ātma-gurus. Ātma-guru can mean several things: “The teacher of my choice”, “The teacher who taught me about the Ātman”, “...

Scholarly Connoisseurs of Elduru

Yeldur (Elduru) is an ordinary small town. But it was neat and pretty. The arterial road ran from east to west. On the western end was the Kodandaramaswamy Temp...

‘Dharmaprakāśa’ Sajjan Rao (Part 1)

Along with Mandi Hariyanna’s name, it is Dharmaprakāśa S Sajjan Rao’s name that comes to mind.[1] The two were always together, like the Aśvini-devatas. Every m...

Art and Artistes

It is rather unlikely that experts in music and dance will find immense value in the episodes narrated here[1]. These have been written by an ordinary man who h...

The Genres of History and Biography (Part 5)

Revealing Character What is necessary for a biography is a series of character-revealing incidents. An Example: I had mentioned earlier about my meeting with...

The Genres of History and Biography (Part 4)

The People who are Worthy of a Biography History is the external transactions of the people, while Biography comprises the inner landscape. Those who stir the...

The Genres of History and Biography (Part 3)

Two Sides The important aspects of a biography may be divided into two categories: i. external aspects and ii. inner nature. By external episodes, I mean deta...

Ramadasappa (Part 2)

After I entered high-school, I lived in the college hostel in Mysore. Belavadi Dasappa was the hostel warden. He was Ramadasappa’s friend. As per Ramadasappa’s...

Devotion to Education

The starting salary for teachers in the education department was three rupees. This was during the time of Garret, Leonard, Rice, and other British officers. As...

The Genres of History and Biography (Part 2)

The Necessity of History What’s the meaning of this? It is just that history will never leave us. What we do, what we don’t do, what we experience, what we avo...

Ramadasappa (Part 1)

Ramadasappa was my second teacher who taught me the English language. He was the first person to graduate with a BA degree from Mulbagal. I recall him coming th...

DV Gundappa: Systematic Study

It has been seventy years since I bade farewell to my schooling (1902). I've now analyzed my life through these seventy years and I have learned two lessons...

The Genres of History and Biography (Part 1)

History and Biography – these two genres of literature are new to our country. They are not particularly ancient to any country. In this essay, when I say ‘his...

Splendour of Knowledge (Part 3)

My Dedication to Lessons My maternal uncle prepared me for all the above lessons. A special part of this was dedicated to mathematics. Its machinations went so...

Splendour of Knowledge (Part 2)

‘Kurrāya’ I was better acquainted with Puṭṭappa’s younger brother Srinivasa Rao. This Srinivasa Rao was a disciple of my guru Candraśekhara-śāstri. When I was...

DVG: Beauty of Heart: A Sweet Recollection

Perhaps, it was 1920-1921: The line of shops in New Taragupete in the east of Bangalore.  Among the warehouses that lay on the opposite side of the western...

Splendour of Knowledge (Part 1)

Now I’m setting out to reminisce about my teachers. The almighty has blessed me in myriad ways and has given me several shortcomings as well. Of those shortcom...

DV Gundappa: Life with the Ink Pot (Part-2)

Another Idea There was a new theory (regarding my tendency to fall asleep while studying). “The child is going to feel bored if he has to study all alone. If h...

Hanumantha Rao and Krishnaswamy Iyer

My studies in Mysore spanned only seven-eight months. That year (1901) was quite unfortunate for my family. My grandfather had passed away in the year 1900 itse...

DV Gundappa: Life with the Ink Pot (Part-1)

When I was studying in the High School, Mr. Gopalakrishna Rao was one of the teachers. Though he did not teach me, I am grateful to him for certain reasons. As...

Ramanna’s discipline, affection (Part 6)

Turban I shall tell you the story of the turban. A distinguished muslim lived near the Avani Mutt near Mulbagal. Apparently he was a goldsmith. One day, he roa...

Ramanna’s discipline, affection (Part 5)

Jaggery The major part of expenditure of the house was, jaggery. The arrangement for jaggery was similar to the one above. Ramanna was to pay the designated fa...

DV Gundappa: Misadventures of Self-help

Right from my childhood, I was keenly interested in industrial ventures.  During the days I was in the high school, procuring a job was naturally a common...

Dasappa and Varadacharya

A distant relative of mine, who was quite well-to-do and had heard about my academic prowess agreed to provide me with some financial assistance. He, in fact, h...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 26) - Sastri and Gandhi

The following is a translation of an extract from DVG’s lecture which was telecast on 22-9-1956 in the Bengaluru ‘Akashavani’. The transcript of this lecture co...

Invoking Sita Devi's Name is Catharsis of the Heart

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 25) - Marriage Customs and the Sarda Bill

.... continued from Part 24 of the article "Let me now move on to the second aspect connected with the issue. From what I gather from the śāstras, it is only a...

Shurpanakha and Maricha: The Germination of Ravana's Enmity

According to Agastya’s instructions, when Sri Rama goes and resides in Panchavati, the major events in the story occur there. Shurpanakha sees Sri Rama, becomes...

Ramanna’s discipline, affection (Part 4)

‘Urus’ In the southeast corner of Mulbagal stands a Dargah. A dargah is a grave of Muslim saints. It seems that a devotee named Haider Valli had performed pena...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 24) - Visit to Sringeri and the Sarda Bill

Our Visit to Sringeri Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati was the presiding Jagadguru during our visit to Sringeri back then. About a couple of weeks before Sastri’s v...

Aranyakanda: The Hub of the Wheel of Srimad Ramayana

Two Venerable Individuals

1. Veeresalingam Pantulu The stature that belonged to R Narasimhacharya[1] in the history of Kannada literature was earned in Telugu literature by Kandakuri Ve...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 23) - Mysore Vasudevacharya's Singing and the Sringeri Jagadguru

Acharya’s Singing After a few months (since our stay at the Vasanta Mahal), Vidvān Mysore Vasudevacharya’s vocal concert was organised at the reseidence of Dr....

The Five Warriors of Renunciation in Srimad Ramayana

Dr. T V Arumugam Mudaliar

Renowned as a doctor, a compassionate man, and an extremely capable surgeon in the old Mysore area, Rao Bahadur Dr. T V Arumugam Mudaliar was a contemporary of...

Ramanna’s discipline, affection (Part 3)

Introduction to books I have mentioned above that Ramanna made me read Kannada Rāmāyaṇa, Bhārata and other books regularly. Bhāgavata and Ranganātha-rāmāyaṇa -...

Sri Rama's Renunciation and the Dharma of Giving a Promise

Ramanna’s discipline, affection (Part 2)

Kāvyavācana[1]  Thanks to such readings and recitations, people from our neighbourhood used to come and gather at our place. Attikunte Sripatiraya, Lingap...

The Ayodhya Kanda as a Harbinger of an Entire Tradition of Nobleness

Ramanna’s discipline, affection (Part 1)

Ramanna is my Cikka-tāta (grandfather’s younger brother). Sheikhdar Gundappa’s second son. I had briefly introduced him in my earlier writings. He initially wor...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 22) - The Days at the Vasanta Mahal

An Experience at the Vasanta Mahal On the evening of Deepavali in 1923, we, i.e., Sastri and his friends, reached Mysore. As per the directions of Sir Mirza Is...

Maharshi Vishwamitra Trains Sri Ramachandra

āśīrnamaskriyā vastunirdeśo vā || (Dandin: Kavyadarsha) is a famous aphorism. However, this was composed long after Maharshi Valmiki’s period. I simply cannot...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 21) - The Gentle Path

Benevolence Srinivasa Sastri possessed several characteristic traits that won people’s heart and gained him their appreciation. Scholarship, oratory skills, bo...

Introducing the Balakanda: Valmiki's Renowned Curse

Sheenanna (Part 4)

Shamanna’s family Even I had moved to Eldooru. During those days, Shamanna’s wife Venkamma who was suffering from illness for a long time, passed away. Venkamm...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 20) - Sneha-rasa; John Morley and his Works

Meeting Once Again! That summer, Srinivasa Sastri had taken residence in a house named Seetaalaya in the B.P. Wadia Road in Basavanagudi. Sastri’s sixty-first...

Sri Ramachandra: Deity by Day, Guru by Noon and Parabrahma by Night

Sheenanna (Part 3)

Sinister view I have told that my youngest grandfather was someone who indulged in loose talk. His view was also sinister. Sometimes he used to talk ill of my...

Two Muslim Brethren

My father was down with an illness. He was not in a condition to speak. His body and hand movements were also limited. When this was the situation, one morning...

An Honest Study of Srimad Ramayana is the Key to Understand the Veda

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 19) - A Request, a Plan and Friendship

My Request Back in 1929, the government led by Sir Mirza Ismail constituted an advisory committee that was to give suggestions for bettering the political syst...

Srimad Ramayana is the Inner Evidence of Our Heart

Sheenanna (Part 2)

Sarcasm I remember very little of that argument. Whenever I remember this behaviour of Sheenanna, I feel disappointed and worried. Why did he behave like that?...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 18) - Edwin Montagu, Catussūtrī and Idomatic Expression

Edwin Montagu In matters connected with politics and the social relationships, Sastri wanted to make sure that his speech was clear, credible and did not lead...

Sri D.V. Gundappa’s Essays on the Ramayana: An Introduction

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 17) - 'Nourishing the Body' and Oratory Skills

‘Nourishing the Body’ Every morning during the days when we were working on Gokhale’s biography, we went for a walk. Once we returned, we would sit to work wit...

Sheenanna (Part 1)

Out of my grandfathers, hasn’t it been evident that my third grandfather Sheenanna was very dear to me? But when it comes to him, will I be able to talk about e...

Unsung Poetry (Part 5)

Here is a verse composed by Naraṣiñyācārya, dedicated towards his teacher. ಗೋಪೀನಾಥಗುರಂ ವಂದೇ ಗೋಪೀಚಂದನಧಾರಿಣಮ್ | ಅಂಗಾರತುಳಸೀಯುಕ್ತಂ ಆರ್ದ್ರಚಿಕ್ಕಪಟಾನ್ವಿತಮ್ |...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 16) - Kamala Lectures and the Biography of (Gopala Krishna) Gokhale

‘Kamala Lectures’ In 1926, the Culcutta University invited Srinivasa Sastri to deliver talks as a part of the Kamala Lectures series. The word ‘Kamala’ that ap...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 15) - Rajaji's Advice and Tour to Kerala

Rajaji’s words of advice It is a well known fact that at the end of the World War II, world leaders such as Churchill, Roosevelt, Clemenso and others put their...

Unsung Poetry (Part 4)

Sixty-seventy years ago, the erudite scholars of the era were blessed with an abundant vocabulary. Unfortunately, the themes on which this prowess was to be app...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 14) - My Suggestions and our Trip to Hassan

My Suggestions Once, there was a certain shortcoming in the functioning of the Servants of India Society. Sastri was the head of the organization. The English...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 13) - Thrifty by Nature - a Miser too?

Meeting Venkatakrishnayya Each time Sastri was in Mysore, he first visited M. Venkatakrishnayya at his house. He always informed Venkatakrishnayya well in adva...

Unsung Poetry (Part 3)

The revered Sheshappa and Subba Rao Both Shri. Sheshappa and Shri. Subba Rao are older than me by a good number of years. Subba Rao also taught me during me sc...

Monthly Magazines; GTA Press

It can be surely said that the rejuvenation of modern Kannada literature started during the regime of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III. The mahārāja offered shelter and...

Unsung Poetry (Part 2)

Subbanna the Musician Shri. Subbanna was the music teacher in the girls’ school. During those days, teachers were familiar with a bit of poetry. They were trai...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 12) - Love for Scholarship and Regard for Hiriyanna

Meetings and Hospitality Every evening about seven to eight of us met at Srinivasa Sastri's house in Bangalore. Dr. B K Narayana Rao, M S Ramachandra Rao, N N...

Unsung Poetry (Part 1)

Here poetry isn’t the proverbial tough nut to crack. One need not raise their eyebrows remembering illustrious poets like Pampa, Ranna, Ṣaḍakṣarī, Harihara, Rud...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 11) - Tradition and Contemporary Science

Tradition and Contemporary Science Though Srinivasa Sastri had great respect for our śāstra-s and tradition, people who knew him thought that he had some disda...

A Few Distinguished Dancers (Part 2)

Venkaṭalakṣmāsānī Among the popular dancers of my village, Bairakūru Venkaṭalakṣmāsānī’s dance and histrionics[1] became famous. Apart from the know...

M R Srinivasamurthy: Littérateur and Connoisseur

Although he was sixty years old, he was like a thirty-year-old in mind and body – my dear friend, Srinivasamurthy.[1] Even now, whenever I reminisce about him,...

A Few Distinguished Dancers (Part 1)

There once lived an elderly veśyā who went by the name Sītakka in the Guniguntipalya area of Mulubagilu town. She had a foster daughter. I remember her name...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 10) - The Epic Poet and his Influence on Sastri

A Request Once when Srinivasa Sastri was serving as the Vice Chancellor of the Annamalai University, he visited Bangalore to spend his summer in the city. Dr....

ಸನಾತನಧರ್ಮೀಯರ ಜೀವನದೀಪಿಕೆ

ಭಗವದ್ಗೀತೆಯ ಹೃದಯ – ಡಾ|| ಲಿಂಗೇಶ ಮಹಾಭಾಗವತರು [ಇದು ‘ದಿ ಇಂಡಿಯನ್ ರಿವ್ಯು ಆಫ್ ರಿವ್ಯೂಸ್’ ಮಾಸಪತ್ರಿಕೆಯ ‘ವಿಶಿಷ್ಟಗ್ರಂಥಗಳು’ ಎಂಬ ಅಂಕಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಡಾ|| ಡಿ. ವಿ. ಗುಂಡಪ್ಪನವರು ಆಂಗ್ಲಭಾಷೆಯಲ...

R Narasimhacharya (Part 2)

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 9) - The Lectures on Ramayana and a Concert of Thevaram

Reiteration Though Srinivasa Sastri often claimed it as an excuse, he did not lack knowledge about the Rāmāyaṇa at all. He went through the original Rāmāyaṇa i...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 8) - Passion for Rāmāyaṇa

Passion for Rāmāyaṇa  I have mentioned earlier that VS Srinivasa Sastri’s love and devotion for the Rāmāyaṇa was something he inherited from his forefathe...

Rāja-mantra-dhurīṇa Sir A R Banerjee

Albion Rajkumar Banerjee was a Bengali by origin. His father, Devavrata Sasipada Banerji, used to be the chief of a branch of the Brahmo Samaj. A. R. Banerjee’s...

Two Harikathākāras (Part 2)

R Narasimhacharya (Part 1)

‘Prāktana-vimarśana-vicakṣaṇa’[1] ‘Mahāmahopādhyāya’[2] ‘Rao Bahadur’[3] R Narasimhacharya was a close relative of S G Narasimhacharya. I remember to have first...

Rāja-sevā-dhurīṇa Sardār M Kantaraj Urs

Sardār M Kantaraj Urs was related to the Royal family: he was the Queen Regent’s younger brother and son-in-law. However, this wasn’t—even remotely—the reason w...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 7) - “No Anger, please”

“No Anger, please” Sastri was an advocate of patience and humility. He was, at times, ridiculed by his own friends because of the great emphasis he laid on the...

Two Harikathākāras (Part 1)

Polepalli Chinnaswamy Shetty

I have heard that Chinnaswamy Shetty is the son-in-law of a wealthy landlord of Polepalli[1]. I may have gotten to know him around 1910-11. I was in need of som...

Bhajan Organizations

What I’m writing about now dates back to the situation in Bangalore c. 1905–10. At that time, there were also a few music institutes in existence. The Doddanna...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 6) - Teaching Literature; Angst and Anxiety

Mandi Hariyanna

Around 1914-1915, when Visvesvaraya was the Diwan, Hariyanna, who was a trader in the wholesale market (Mandi), was appointed by the government to the Legislati...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 5)

Beauty in his Words Even if a minor grammatical mistake in the English language fell on Sastri’s ears, he would react as though he was gravely wounded on his b...

Magadi Karanika Krishnamurthy

Magadi Karanika Krishnamurthy is worthy of remembrance. He had a mind that was liberal, a heart that was generous, and an outlook that was progressive. The rewa...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 4)

The Tradition of Smārta-bhāgavata-s It is easy to infer from his name that Sastri belonged to a family of Vaidikas. He beloned to a sub-community called the ‘v...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 3)

Daily Routine V.S. Srinivasa Sastri's daily routine in Bangalore was as follows: He got up before 7 in the morning and visited Lal Bagh. He would sit on the sh...

K.P. Puttanna Shetty (Part 5)

Preventable Diseases Dr Subbarao was really enthusiastic about Kannada literature. I remember him enjoying reading the Pampa Ramayana along with me. He authore...

K.P. Puttanna Shetty (Part 4)

Creating Happiness I’ve already told that the main aspects of his ingenuity were his wisdom and his conduct. One of his key principles was the prominence he ga...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 2)

The Lecture at Shankara Mutt Srinivasa Sastri visited Bangalore in about 1909-10 for publicizing the activities of the Servants of India Society. I remember hi...

K.P. Puttanna Shetty (Part 3)

Home in Chamarajpet Puttanna Shetty’s home on the 5th (main) road of Chamarajpet was excellent in all aspects. A huge compound, vast space with abundance of fr...

V.S.Srinivasa Sastri (Part 1)

It is very hard for me to write about V.S.Srinivasa Sastri or to get anything written about him. It is a challenging task to decide where to start and where to...

K.P. Puttanna Shetty (Part 2)

Reorganizing the Municipal Council A situation arose about eight- ten days after this, which required a reorganization of municipal council. A recommendation w...

Shekdar Gundappa (Part 3)

The Hauteur Such goliathon pastimes of my great grandfather were rather popular. For a subject of the Queen of Scantiness that I was, I sensed pride in every p...

The Dawn of the Hotel Industry in Bangalore: Venkanna's Hotel Menu and Social Norms

  Note: This is the second of a two-part series of an English translation of D.V. Gundappa's essay titled "Bengalurinalli Hotel Udyamada Arambha," the ten...

K.P. Puttanna Shetty (Part 1)

K.P. Puttanna Shetty was the deputy commissioner of Kolar during 1903-04. On one of those days, K.P Puttanna Shetty inaugurated a library in one of the clubs of...

Shekdar Gundappa (Part 2)

Rumāle Śāmabhaṭṭa Now, this Vēṅkaṭaśarma was not one among my ancestors. It was a person named Śāmabhaṭṭa who was my predecessor. A Vedic practitioner by birth...

The Dawn of the Hotel Industry in Bangalore

Note: This is the first of a two-part series of an English translation of D.V. Gundappa's essay titled "Bengalurinalli Hotel Udyamada Arambha," the tenth essay...

Thiruvengadam Mudaliar

Thiruvengadam Mudaliar was Armugam Mudaliar[1]’s younger brother. He was a friend of the entire world. A man with no enemies. I was very close to Thiruvengadam...

Shekdar Gundappa

The storage of the genealogical records and investing in their maintenance are the things that have barely captured the emphasis of our folk. On the contrary, t...

The Violinists of Mulbagal

Among the violinists from Mulbagal (Kolar district, Karnataka), four are prominent:   Madhavayya Ramachandracharya Venkatappa Sethumadhava Rao...

Home Remedies - Part 2

Discharging Social Debts Now I will narrate some social etiquette that was in practice more than seventy years ago. People did not frequent hotels or restauran...

Modern Hindu Restaurant: K.T. Appanna

Read Part 1: Sri K.T. Appanna and The Hindu Coffee Club Sri S.G. Sastri At times, our Independent Board would carry on its business till 8 PM. On one suc...

Abbas Khan Sahib

Among the important citizens of Mysore state, based on their oratory skills and efficiency, I can say from the bottom of my heart, that Abbas Khan sahib belongs...

Karpura Srinivasa Rao (Part 2)

A Special Incident A scholar used to attend all the Sahitya Parishat meetings. But, Venkatanarayanappa wouldn’t give him much attention. He would be kept isola...

Home Remedies - Part 1

I’ve heard that medical experts document in detail, in accordance with their working philosophy - the onset of an ailment in a patient, its progression, the eff...

Sri K.T. Appanna and The Hindu Coffee Club

Sri K.T. Appanna hailed from the Aruvelu Brahmin sect. He was originally from Kollegal. His father was Sri Tirumalaswamayya working as a First Division Clerk at...

Karpura Srinivasa Rao (Part 1)

I have mentioned earlier[1] that Karpura Srinivasa Rao was one of the founding fathers of Karṇāṭaka Sāhitya Pariṣad. In any activity beneficial to the nation, h...

Respectability of the Art of Dance - Part 2

The Debauchery of the Art of Dance No one would mistake the intention of deterring the profession of prostitution. But it cannot be accepted that the art of da...

A Few Public Institutions

I shall narrate my recollections of certain public institutions in Bangalore. I have written elsewhere about political institutions.[1] I will reminisce about s...

Who are the Rasikas? (Part 2)

The Nature of Rasikas Say, you have an invite to a dinner at a relative’s house, which is loaded with laddoos and chirotis (sweets). M S Subbalakshmi’s concert...

Who are the Rasikas? (Part 1)

It will be appropriate to explain the purpose behind reminiscing several musicians and rasikas.[1] The purpose is simply the lament that connoisseurship has dec...

Respectability of the Art of Dance

The mind and the intellect (manas and buddhi) are the two-primary means by which a man perceives the world and lets himself be perceived. The eyes, the ears an...

S G Bindu Rao (Part 3)

One of the stories of Sri Ramakrishna Whenever I remember Bindu Rao, a story that Bhagavān Ramakrishna Paramahamsa often narrated comes to my mind.  A sc...

Bellave Venkatanaranappa - The Basavanagudi Club and his Last Days

Basavanagudi Club I've mentioned earlier that Venkatanaranappa was unassuming, disciplined, honest, dispassionate, and hard-working. There were, however, a cou...

S G Bindu Rao (Part 2)

Beginning of Bhārata-vācana This group of literary and musical connoisseurs made it a routine to take turns and meet in one of the houses every day after work,...

Bellave Venkatanaranappa - Editing Texts, Purity of Language

Editing Texts Bellave Venkatanaranappa was overly enthusiastic about impossible tasks. One such task that he always thought of undertaking was ironing out the...

Rājadharmapravīṇa T R A Thumboo Chetty

After Sir K Seshadri Iyer, Rayalu Arokiaswamy Thumboo Chetty of Tiruchirapalli (Trichinopoly) became the Diwan of Mysore. His tenure as Diwan was for a mere sev...

The Pioneering Efforts of Swami Vivekananda

Does the ancient Hindu religion have the life-essence to survive, giving answers to the questions posed by the new world? Does that hallowed and sacred culture...

S G Bindu Rao (Part 1)

One day, at about three in the afternoon, Bindu Rao visited my house. I asked him, “When did you arrive?”  He said, “I left Chitradurga this morning and c...

Bellave Venkatanaranappa - Associates, Dispute and Remuneration

Subbarayappa I would like to make a special mention of two of members of our (English-Kannada Dictionary) Committee – D C Subbarayappa and B Puttayya. The...

C Rajagopalachari (Part 3)

Literary Work In reality, Rajagopalachari’s first love was literature. He had deep interest in good books. Once on a visit to Bangalore when he was the Governo...

Bellave Venkatanaranappa - Popularizing Science and Preparing English-Kannada Dictionary

Visvesvaraya’s Library By the time (Sir M.) Visvesvaraya rose up to become a diwan, his acquaintance with Venkatanarappa had grown stronger. Visvesvaraya reque...

The Musician Kempe Gowda

I had the acquaintance of Sri Kempe Gowda for a really short time—about two or three hours. Sri Kempe Gowda hailed from the Coimbatore region. There was no one...

C Rajagopalachari (Part 2)

A Logical Intellect Rajaji was endowed with critical thinking, backed by sound logic. Whatever the topic, he first examined the sentence that communicates the...

Bellave Venkatanaranappa - Vijñāna, Clarity in Śāstras and Preparing the Text of the Pampa-bhārata

“Vijñāna” (ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ) - A Science Monthly Venkatanaranappa was always keen on the propagation of science (and scientific thought) among the masses. For his ideas...

C Rajagopalachari (Part 1)

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari always wore smoked glasses (i.e. dark glasses). This gave way to ridicule. It’s true that his eyesight was weak, just like several o...

Bellave Venkatanaranappa - Building a Temple Prākāra

Commitment and Attention to Detail Venkatanaranappa always considered the Mallikarjuna temple as an extension of his residence. He visited the temple at least...

Bellave Venkatanaranappa and the Mallikarjuna Temple

Self-help We were to start working for the Kannaḍa Sāhitya Sammeḻana (Kannada Literary Conference), which was to take place in Davanagere. The Chair of th...

Dharwad Karnataka’s Zest for Literature

The Kannada renaissance movement had begun several years earlier[1] in the Dharwad Karnataka region. One can say that in some sense, (literary) programs began i...

Bellave Venkatanaranappa – Debates on Beauty, Travels, Neatness

Debates on Beauty The members of the Mythic Society Bangalore, once decided to go on a study tour of the historical sites of Hampi. The team comprised of Fr. T...

Bellave Venkatanaranappa – Fight against Corruption, Agriculture

Elimination of Corruption Venkatanaranappa actively pursued several endeavors for the well-being of the people and the society. There were co-operative societi...

Bellave Venkatanaranappa - Culinary Skills, Compassion and Innocence

Culinary skills Venkatanaranappa was our chief by default in all our endeavours. He led our tours and cooked our meals. In those days, several places lacked ele...

Kannaḍa Sāhitya Pariṣad (Part 2)

Establishment of the Pariṣad The Sāhitya Pariṣad was established in the assembly hall located in the quadrangle of today’s Arts and Science College building, w...

Bellave Venkatanaranappa - A Man of Rules

Committment When in college, if Venakatanaranappa had to quickly answer nature’s call, he would carry a small bottle full of water. Students who had observed h...

Kannaḍa Sāhitya Pariṣad (Part 1)

Karṇāṭaka Sāhitya Pariṣad is one of the most prominent public institutions of our state. The key objectives of this organization as envisioned by its founders w...

Bellave Venkatanaranappa - A Multi-faceted Teacher

A Conspiracy There was a conspiracy against Venkatanaranappa when he was serving as the Physics lecturer at the Central College. Venakatanarappa’s pro...

On poetry--Meter and Rhyme

Art experience is essentially personal. It never demands external attestation. It differs from person to person, taking shape based on their attitude and saṃskā...

On Poetry--Truth and Beauty

I am of the firm opinion that a devoted study of literature is ātmasaṃskāraka—it refines us from within. The poet reveals in a suggestive manner the extent of o...

Bellave Venkatanaranappa - An Epitome of Gentleness and Sincerity

Career as a Teacher   John Cook, who was impressed with Venkatanaranappa’s dedication to studies and his ethical outlook, appointed him as a lecturer soo...

On Poetry

            Poetry concerns itself with the activities of our inner world. It paints in a motion picture...

Bellave Venkatanaranappa - his Appearance, Pocket Clock and the Sarvāyudhi

For an institution to survive for long and to find fulfilment in executing its objectives, it needs a dedicated set of active workers. At least one person will...

Tireless Striving and Innate Genius (Part 2)

As I’ve said earlier, it is assumed that sādhanā—rigorous practice—is essential for this. Sādhanā is indeed tapas. This is crystal clear when we see the life of...

BM Srikantaiah (Part 4) - Sanskrit, Kannada and English

No Hatred Towards Sanskrit Rumours were afloat for some time that B.M. Srikantaiah did not have interest in and hated Sanskrit. I cannot say that these rumours...

Tireless Striving and Innate Genius (Part 1)

Vīṇā Sheshanna (1852–1926) and Tirukkodikaval Krishna Iyer (1857–1913) were great sādhakas (hard-workers, musicians who practiced a great deal), but sādhanā (di...

BM Srikantaiah (Part 3) - Language Reforms and Traditional Scholarship

Conflicts It was not uncommon for B.M. Srikantaiah and me to have conflicts of opinion. Our views differed on several issues. Discussions and debates arose on...

B M Srikantaiah (Part 2)

‘English Poems' A few poems from Srikantaiah’s “English Gītagaḻu” (meaning English Poems) were published at regular intervals in the monthly “Karnataka Grantha...

Sri Chappalli Vishweshwara Sastri's Pristine Royal Highway

Love of Scholarship On another occasion I was walking on the Shankara Matha street from the south of Shankarapuram. An assembly had gathered in the front veran...

S G Narasimhacharya

Among the yesteryear scholars of Kannada literature I know, the most extraordinary ones are S G Narasimhacharya, R Narasimhacharya, M A Ramanuja Iyengar, and De...

B M Srikantaiah (Part 1)

  B.M. Srikantaiah was one of the members of the youth club of Srirangapattana. Other prominent members of the club were Vice Chancellor N.S. Subba Rao, A...

Sri Chappalli Vishweshwara Sastri Explains the Qualifications for a Mantra

As lecturer of Sanskrit Literature at the Central College, Sri Chappalli Visweshwara Sastri earned the gratitude and respect of numerous students. His recitatio...

Europeans’ Service to Kannada

In the history of the revival of Kannada literature, a few Europeans are among those who ought to be remembered with reverence. Antique jewels of (Kannada) lite...

Balakrishna Rao and Vasudeva Rao

Balakrishna Rao Shankaranarayana Rao’s name brings to mind a close associate of his, namely S.R Balakrishna Rao. Their friendship and affection for each other...

The Tiger Mouth of Sri Chappalli Vishweshwara Sastri

Tiger’s Mouth Let’s now return to the marriage hall. It was a festival of five or six days. Whether he went to the marriage hall or to the temple, Sri Chappall...

Shankaranarayana Rao

K Shankaranarayana Rao, an epitome of positive values, is one of my favourite people. I first met him when he was an advocate in Shivamogga. He was not only an...

Sri Chappalli Vishweshwara Sastri: Scholarship and Nobility

Sometime in 1898-99, my Sanskrit Guru, Sri Kashi Raghavendracharya addressed about four or five of his disciples thus: “Hey! In four or five days from now, Sri...

M G Varadacharya (Part 3)

Although legal practice was the means for his livelihood as well as his wealth and success, his inner interests solely lay in literature. During the time we sta...

M G Varadacharya (Part 2)

Once, the great scholar, writer and speaker Romesh Chunder Dutt visited Bangalore. Several people who were enthusiastic about listening to his lecture sent a de...

M G Varadacharya (Part 1)

I mentioned earlier that as per the recommendation of my friends, M G Varadacharya was the third of the three people in Bangalore who were best suited to estima...

Mysore Vasudevacharya

[In the book, Vāggeyakāra Vāsudevācārya, there is an essay that records my reverence and admiration about Mysore Vasudevacharya’s personality. Acharya’s grandso...

PS Shivaswami Iyer - Part 6

Thoughts on Politics Shivaswami Iyer sided with the Moderates in politics. This party was known as the ‘Liberals’. He did not like the extremists and did not a...

Varadacharya’s Aesthetic Sense, Uprightness of Character (Part 2)

Varadacharya’s Proficiency in Art When we were watching Varadacharya’s plays at the theatre near Kichchetty’s Choultry, I remember what Rangaswamy Iyengar woul...

PS Shivaswami Iyer - Part 5

My Introduction When this incident occurred, I was not yet formally acquainted with Shivaswami Iyer. I am speaking of a story that is 45 years old now. Shivasw...

Varadacharya’s Aesthetic Sense, Uprightness of Character (Part 1)

I haven’t come across anyone who has described in detail the services rendered to Kannada literature by the doyen of drama, Nāṭaka Śiromaṇi A V Varada...

PS Shivaswami Iyer - Part 4

Aristocracy PS Shivaswami Iyer's lifestyle and eating habits were largely aristocratic. He wanted to have a big house. It was not to have thresholds. The house...

P S Shivaswami Iyer – Part 3

Dharma-dhvaja I recall an incident when Shivaswami Iyer once poked fun at a group of people, calling them ‘Dharma-dhvajas.’ This was during one of his lectures...

P S Shivaswami Iyer – Part 2

Shivaswami Iyer was a Sanskrit scholar. V Krishnaswami Iyer was his friend, colleague, and sometimes an opponent in his profession as a lawyer. Krishnaswami Iye...

P. S. Shivaswami Iyer - Part 1

During 1934-35, during Sir Mirza Ismail's term as the Diwan of Mysore, there were many prominent men from Madras who would come to Bangalore to spend their summ...

Non-Entities - A Less Known Organization

I will now talk about a small organization that lived only for a few years starting from about 1916-17. I also happened to be a member of the organisation. The...

The Connoisseurs of Mulabagilu

Muniswamy Achar was one of  the frontrunners among a group of connoisseurs at Mulabagilu. He was popularly called Gattanagari Muniswamy. He was a goldsmith...

A R Krishnasastri (Part 2)

Prabuddha Karnataka Krishnasastri took up the sole responsibility of taking care of the Karnataka Sangha, its activities, and also as the chief editor...

A R Krishnasastri (Part 1)

AR Krishnasastri (popularly written as A R Krishna Shastry) was a scholar by his very birth. His father, Ambale Ramakrishna Shastry was the head professor of Gr...

The Heart of Vaidika Brahmanas

Kunigal Sri Rama Sastri[i] had once embarked on a pilgrimage to Rameshwaram. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III had made all the necessary arrangements for the sa...

Gundopanth Road—Abode of Renowned Vidwans

Diwan Gundopanth Road[i] in Bangalore lies to the north of City Market when we traverse from Arcot Srinivasacharlu Road towards Doddapet. The word “Diwan” has b...

C Vasudevaiah (Part 2)

Final Days I had visited Vasudevaiah’s home about a month before the day of his demise. He sat up in his bed, made space for me, and insisted that I sit right...

Motaganahalli Sankara Sastri

Among the Sanskrit Vidwans whose patronage I sought, it was Sri Motaganahalli Sankara Sastri who showered me with love and affection. There was no other Vidwan...

C Vasudevaiah (Part 1)

The moment I think of R Narasimhacharya, C Vasudevaiah’s name floats up to the surface of my memories. Both of them would come together to social events. They u...

Mahadeva Sastri and Ramasesha Sastri

Sri Mahadeva Sastri  was the elder brother of Motaganahalli Sri Sankara Sastri. Even he was highly accomplished in music and literature. Every Ekadashi a B...

Bangalore’s Vainikas and Violinists

As far as I know, there were three eminent vaiṇikas (musicians who play the vīṇā) in Bangalore. Of them, the seniormost was an Iyengar. If I remember right, his...

Rai Bahadur Arcot Srinivasacharya (Part 2)

The Muzrai Amendment In 1891, the government decided that a separate body needed to be established for regulating the activities of the Muzrai institutions, na...

Rai Bahadur Arcot Srinivasacharya (Part 1)

Sometime around 1910, my article in English about Diwan Rangacharlu’s governance was published in Indian Review, a Madras-based monthly. With that, I not only r...

Dakshinamurti Shastri

Dakshinamurti Shastri hailed from Kollegal. He was a vaidika[1] from birth; a person who was absorbed in the study of the Vedas. He was also one who deeply enga...

Two Music Connoisseurs of Bangalore

Dushtabuddhi Soorappa Soorappa was a clerk at the Government Printing Press. This is the last thing that should be said about him. What should be mentioned fir...

The Galaxy of Madhva Vidwans: Dung Association

Ill-will between the Mathas I’ve already mentioned that there were two Madhva Mathas in Mulabagal. There arose a cause for ill-will between the two. I’ve also...

The Galaxy of Madhva Vidwans: The Madhva Sabha of Tirupati

We have recounted in an earlier episode[i] that the Madhva Brahmanas of Mulabagal depended on the land grants given to them in the ancient times for their livel...

A Few Public Organizations (Part 4)

There were two major social conventions that took place within eight years spanning between 1920–28: (i) Prajamitra Mandali or the unrest in favour of non-brahm...

A Few Public Organizations (Part 3)

I’ve mentioned elsewhere about a couple of other incidents under the tenure of V P Madhava Rao[1] that stirred up people’s minds. The government bringing down t...

A Few Public Organizations: Book Clubs, Night Schools

K T Appanna encouraged us and supported us in many ways. After he set up his Hindu Restaurant at Ahmed Building, there was a vacant space available in Chikpet w...

A Few Public Organisations of the Mysore State: Citizens Representative Assembly

I haven’t found the means to determine the period that marks the commencement of efforts towards giving an integrated structure to public life in the State of M...

Vidwans of Chamarajapet

Translator’s Note: In this essay, Sri D.V. Gundappa recalls the lives and times of some renowned Vidwans in the Chamarajapet locality in Bangalore. The Vidwans...

Panje Mangesha Rao (Part 2)

The Raichur Conference Panje Mangesha Rao was the president of the Kannada literary conference that was conducted in Raichur. Although a formal invitation from...

Panje Mangesha Rao (Part 1)

In the history of Kannada revival, Panje Mangesha Rao (Maṅgeśarāya in Kannada) must be definitely remembered as an important scholar and a noble person. His zes...

M A Ramanuja Iyengar and Alasingaracharya

Whenever I recall the name of S G Narasimhacharya, I’m also reminded of Mandayam Aji Ramanuja Iyengar. SGN (S G Narasimhacharya), RN (R Narasimhacharya), and MA...

Madhva Luminaries of Mulabagal: Swamis and Pandits

Sri Hariyappacharya Swami was a truly magnanimous person who extended patronage, patience, and friendship towards other sects. He did not prohibit the Sahapankt...

Madhva Luminaries of Mulabagal: Sripadaraja Matha

There was a large population of Madhva Brahmanas in Mulabagal. The locality they lived was divided as the Upper and the Lower Agraharas. In total, there were ab...

Śrīkṛṣṇasūkti

While reflecting on the history of Kannada revival, one thing that I am most certainly reminded of, is the publication of Udupi’s Śrīkṛṣṇasūkti. Śrīkṛ...

The Archakas of Mulabagal

The Anjaneyaswamy Temple of Mulabagal is extremely famous. Folks from the Mysore-Bangalore region who went on a pilgrimage to Tirupati would typically travel vi...

Nangapuram Venkatesha Iyengar

Among those who built the Kannada Sahitya Parishad, it is essential for my contentment to reminisce about the early few. Nangapuram Venkatesha Iyengar is o...

Kashi Raghavendracharya: The Devout Sanskrit Guru

My first Sanskrit Guru was Sri Kashi Raghavendracharya. Although there were numerous Sanskrit Vidwans in Mulabagal, there was no formal Sanskrit Patashala (Scho...

Mirza Saheb’s Gurubhakti

It was night-time. Sometime during 1914-15. Venkatanaranappa visited my house and said, “I had been to Mysore the day before yesterday to attend the senate meet...

M L Shreekantesha Gowda

In an earlier episode, while discussing the revival of modern Kannada, we reminisced about Mysore’s GTA, the university graduates’ association. One among the ma...

Sri Vasudeva Sastri and his Family of Disciples

From what I’ve heard, Sri Vasudeva Sastri hailed from Doddaballapura. His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore bestowed upon him the title of “Vidyanidhi” (literally...

M S Puttanna

M S Puttanna was a person who toiled for the revival of Kannada right from the beginning. During his initial days, he worked for a while along with Venkatakrish...

Nanjundashastri of Kadaba

Much like Togere Nanjundashastri, the Nanjundashastri of Kadaba was also a traditional scholar. A person with complete mastery over both Sanskrit and classical...

Togere Nanjundashastri

The Kannada Sahitya Parishad appointed two senior scholars to carry out its work. One was Nanjundashastri of Togere. The other was Nanjundashastri of...

Purohitas and Purana Vidwans

- 1 - Sri Subbabhatta   Mulabagal Sri Subbabhatta hailed from a lineage of Raja Purohitas (Royal Purohitas) and belonged to the Badaganadu subsect. He w...

Sri Chandrashekhara Sastri

Sri Chandrashekhara Sastri belonged to the Hulusukamme (or Ulucukamme) Brahmana subsect hailing from Srinivasapura. He arrived in Mulabagal as the Headmaster of...

Y K Ramachandra Rao

Y K Ramachandra Rao is one among the people to be remembered from the Parishad’s initial history.[1] He retired as a Railway Chief Engineer. He hailed from Elan...

Punyashloka Venkatarama Bhatta's Abiding Devotion to Vedic Learning

My Thread Ceremony   Sri Venkatarama Bhatta urged my grandfather and my younger grandfather to perform my Thread Ceremony as early as possible. It seems...

The Daily Routine of Punyashloka Venkatarama Bhatta

Sri Shivashankara Sastri On occasion, Sri Shivashankara Sastri and Pocambhatlu Narasimha Sastri would visit our home to perform Homams and other rituals. I mus...

Basavappa Shastri

M Venkatakrishnaiah, M S Puttanna, C Subbarao, and other language enthusiasts in Mysore decided to publish a monthly magazine called Hitabodhini. They decided i...

Relatives and the Culinary Prowess of Punyashloka Venkatarama Bhatta

Nivrutti Tippa Bhatta Sri Venkatarama Bhatta’s wife, the Revered Mother Akkayyamma hailed from Mudiyanoor, an Agrahara[i] populated by the Vaidika Brahmanas of...

Punyashloka Venkatarama Bhatta: His Lineage and Family

If there’s anything good in my life, Sri Vedamurti Venkatarama Bhatta is one of the people responsible for it. He is akin to my grandfather. Sri Annambhatta an...

S G Narasimhacharya

Once my craze for English came under control, the craze for Kannada began. During those days [i.e. the early 20th century], for people of my age, a prominent na...

Contemporary Vasistha Maharshi: Punyashloka Venkatarama Bhatta

A Tragic Episode   At the time of my grandfather’s death, Sri Venkatarama Bhatta was among the four or five other people—including my father and younger...

Attikuppe Krishnashastri

We know that in December 1919, the Mysore People’s Convention, a citizens’ initiative, met in Bangalore. Among the members who came to attend the meeting, aroun...

The Kannaḍa Sāhitya Sammeḻana of Davanagere

In 1922, the Kannaḍa Sāhitya Sammeḻana[1] was held at Davanagere. That year, Mysore’s Vṛddha Pitāmaha[2] Sri. M. Venkatakrishnayya presided over...

D. Venkataramaiah

In and around the period 1907–08, Advocate Sri. D. Venkataramaiah was among the foremost public personalities in Bangalore. A road in Malleswaram has been named...

Varadaraja Iyengar and the Abalāśrama

I vividly remember the opening ceremony of the abalāśrama[1]. It must have been in 1909 or 1910. That day of celebration started with the traditional nāgasvaram...

Sri Venkatanaranappa: A Life of Dharma

Now, a tragic episode. Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta’s wife (I think her name is Smt Venkamma. I can’t clearly recollect it now) hit upon a plan that seems bizarre....

The Affectionate Venkatanarana Bhatta: Finding Fulfilment in Simple Things

Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta hailing from Mulbagal was a relative and a disciple of Sri Venkatarama Bhatta. His speech was affected with mild stammering but that di...

Bhagavata Sheshacharya, Amaldar Mahadevaraya

Sri. Hebbani Sheshacharya belonged to an era when thirty-five ounces (roughly a kilogram) of rice was available for just a rupee and six tender coconuts could b...

ऋतं सत्यं तथा धर्मः — धर्मस्वरूपविवरणम्

९ ऋत-सत्ययोरर्थभेदस्तैत्तिरीयब्राह्मणस्य वचनेनानेन स्पष्टीभवति। “ऋतं त्वा सत्येन परिषिञ्चामीति नायं परिषिञ्चति। सत्यं त्वर्तेन परिषिञ्चामीति प्रातः। अग्निर्वा...

Bhāṣyam Devaḍi (Part 2)

Chip off the old block – Bhashyam Ramacharya Bhashyam Venkatachaarya was the elder of the two grandsons of Bhashyam Tirumalachaarya. He worked as a sub-registr...

Bhāṣyam Devaḍi (Part 1)

Among what I consider my universities, one of the places was a south-facing corner-house ahead of the Sri Narasimhaswamy Temple in Balepet.[1] It may be called...

Dr. Gundanna (Part 2)

Once, a Department of Health employee visited Dr. Gundanna’s clinic and explained his brother’s illness. Gundanna patiently heard his description and then turne...

Dr. Gundanna (Part 1)

It’s impossible that anyone who has seen Dr. Gundanna will ever forget him. So magnificent was the mark left on the mind by his personality. For a period of twe...

H V Nanjundaiah (1860-1920) (Part 2)

When Nanjundaiah was in Shimoga, a teacher got transferred from there. He was a great scholar, highly civilised, and a tutor par excellence. He was loved and re...

H V Nanjundaiah (1860-1920) (Part 1)

I had heard the name of Sri. H V Nanjundaiah when I was still a student. I was told in my hometown about this legend – he had passed his M.A. (Master of Arts) a...

The Obscure Shiva Bhakta: Shiva Puje Naranappa

Earlier in this series, I had written about my maternal grandmother Sakamma. Naranappa was her husband. I’m unaware of how he was transferred to the Mulubagil...