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 didn’t come in the way of his Pourohitya.

Translator’s note: It is difficult to give an exact translation of the word “Pourohitya.” It is typically but incorrectly translated as “Priestcraft.” The word is a noun derivative of the word “Purohita.” Accordingly, Pourohitya  is the vocation of a Purohita. The nearest approximation in meaning is the following: a person learned in the Vedas, Agamas, and various procedures for performing and officiating different Pujas, Yajnas, naming ceremony, wedding, and last rites.

He had a deep and abiding interest in music and literature. He was my father’s age and a friend to him. I used to address him as “Mama” (uncle).

Three or four teachers were part of my father’s circle of friends. They were studying for the Upper Secondary and the Pandit Examination conducted by the Government’s Education Department. Because we had an expansive verandah, in the summer, they used to study there for some time and then sleep on it. I had my first acquaintance with Sanskrit poetry in their company.

Sheshappa from Srinivasapura, Subbaraya from Attikunte, and “Kurraya” Srinivasaraya were the key persons of the group. Apparently, Srinivasaraya displayed great enthusiasm in emphasizing the word, “Kururaya” (the King of the Kuru clan) while reciting verses[i] from Kumaravyasa’s Mahabharata. It seems that he was also afflicted by “Kuru” (boils) from time to time. After deeply considering these two aspects, our Headmaster, Sri Chandrashekhara Sastri nicknamed him “Kuruaya.” Over time, this honorific was transmuted as “Kurraya.”

Fruit Salad

Once on a fine full moon night at around eight, when the aforementioned three or four students were preparing to sleep, Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta arrived. Addressing Sheshappa in Telugu, he said: “It begins at nine. All of you come. Everything will be ready.” He spoke some other stuff. I was lying down, my eyes sleepy. Therefore, I couldn’t clearly hear everything that was spoken. The moment Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta said, “come,” Sheshappa replied, “Oho! Certainly, we’ll all come.” Assuming it was something special, I asked, “What’s it mama?” He said, “Rasayana, fruit salad, salad!” Whatever little sleep was dawning on me vanished at the precise moment I heard “salad.” But then I was not invited. And so, I decided that the best approach was to feign negligence. I pretended that I was asleep. Because it was summer, I did get some sleep.

I awoke after fifteen or twenty minutes. Outside, the moonlight was spread like someone had spilled milk all over.  When I opened my eyes and looked around, none of the friends were present. I called out. Silence. Then I recalled the invitation that Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta had given. I stood up and ran towards his house which was about 60 metres from mine.

About eight or ten people were sitting in the living room when I entered his house. Four oil lamps were burning in each of the four sides. Sheshappa was seated before a pillow that was propped on the Western wall. A small sliding desk in front of him. A massive book on it. Two lamps that would facilitate his reading. Perfume from the Agarbhatti, fragrance from the jasmine garland that was hung around the Deity’s picture…all of this was divine, auspicious.

I sat in a corner. Sheshappa was reading a portion from the Telugu long poem, Manu Charitra. The episode he had chosen was a conversation between a Brahmana named Pravara and a beautiful damsel named Varuthini who meet each other in a forest. The entire assembly listened with rapt attention as Sheshappa sang the verses by setting different Ragas to them. I was not at an age where I could understand the meaning of the text. I became bored after listening to it for five minutes. Then I asked in Telugu:

“Where is the Rasayana, mama?

“You mad fellow! Do you need a tastier salad than this?”

Everyone laughed.

After several years passed, I finally understood the secret message hidden in Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta’s words.

It was the Lunar Eclipse that night. It would last between 9 and 11. After the eclipse ended, Brahmanas would take bath and offer Tarpana—offering libation with water and sesame—to their ancestors.  After this, they had to perform Puja and other sacred rituals. That meant that sleep was impossible until late midnight.

Because they had two hours of free time, Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta and his friends decided to spend it in the study of poetry. True Rasayana is the Rasayana of good literature.

Translator’s Note: There is a pun in the term “Rasayana.” Typically, Rasayana is a fruit salad which is garnished variously with shredded coconut, jaggery, and honey. In the parlance of Indian aesthetics, the word “Rasa” means “sentiment, emotion, feeling,” etc, which is evoked by art works like literature, music, dance, and so on.

The foregoing incident is an instance to show the affectionate nature of Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta. Because he was always mirthful, it was common to see at least four or five people in his company almost at all times. His words typically contained an element of ingenuity. He was well-versed in Kannada, Telugu and Sanskrit.

Family Life

Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta wasn’t fortunate enough to have a happy family life. His wife was his own maternal uncle’s daughter. By nature, she was quarrelsome, and because she was the only daughter, she would visit her maternal home once every two or three months and stay there for a couple of months.

During the Gowri and other important festivals, it was the custom of the Vaishyas of the town to perform Puja in Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta’s home. Their respective wives typically adorned themselves were expensive saris and jewelry. Children would create a huge ruckus. Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta had no children. It appears that his wife didn’t quite like this sort of celebration and the noise that accompanies it. And so she would create some excuse and depart for her maternal home.

 

On such occasions, Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta’s home would transform into a Choultry, a hall for conducting functions like weddings, etc. Together with my father and two or three friends, he would embark on preparing a variety of dishes. They would take the name of some Deity and using that as an excuse, they would prepare delicacies that their palates demanded and feast on it.

My experience in this is limited to two items. The first is Avalakki or flat rice; the second is the Green Gram salad. Coconut was extremely cheap in those days—you would typically get six or eight coconuts for an Anna (Sixteen Annas was One Rupee). Because Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta was a Purohita, he had absolutely no need to buy coconuts. Smashed Avalakki was stored in large boilers in his house. Soaked Avalakki, an equal measure of shredded coconut, generous amounts of jaggery, the heady fragrance of cardamom—this was one preparation. Avalakki dipped in gojju or sauce, shredded coconut, fried groundnuts—this was another preparation. Copious amounts of thick sweet soup made of mango or jackfruit, depending on the season. This culinary worship of fruits would take place at least once a week in Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta’s home. During major festivals like Ananta Chaturdashi and Ganesha Chauti (typically in August or September), a massive feast involving sweet delicacies like Laddus and Chirotis would carry on their business.

In this manner, Sri Venkatanarana Bhatta found fulfilment in life: preparing and savouring tasty food, enjoying good literature, listening to music, and taking delight in dance.

This is the first part of an English translation of the third chapter of D V Gundappa’s Jnapakachitrashaale: Vol. 5 – Vaidikadharma Sampradayastharu. Translated by Sandeep Balakrishna.

To be concluded in the next part

Notes

[i] Kumaravyasa’s real name is Narayanaappa who hailed from Gadag and flourished in the early 15th Century. He is perhaps the greatest poet of Middle Kannada who achieved immortality by authoring the Karnata Bharatakathamanjari in verse form. It is the Kannada rendering of Veda Vyasa’s timeless epic, Mahabharata. Kumaravyasa’s work is also known as Gadugina Bharata. Typically, it is recited in the form of Gamaka or Kavya Vacahana, a form of storytelling that originated in Karnataka, where verses are sung in different classical ragas and its meaning expounded by a learned scholar. The tradition of singing the Gadugina Bharata continues to thrive to this day both in Karnataka and among the Kannada-speaking diaspora across the globe.

Author(s)

About:

Devanahalli Venkataramanayya Gundappa (1887-1975) was a great visionary and polymath. He was a journalist, poet, art connoisseur, philosopher, political analyst, institution builder, social commentator, social worker, and activist.

Translator(s)

About:

Sandeep Balakrishna is a writer, author, translator, and socio-political-cultural analyst. He is the author of "Tipu Sultan: The Tyrant of Mysore" and "The Madurai Sultanate: A Concise History." He translated Dr. S L Bhyrappa's magnum opus "Avarana" into English.

Prekshaa Publications

Among the many contributions of ancient Indians to world thought, perhaps the most insightful is the realisation that ānanda (Bliss) is the ultimate goal of human existence. Since time immemorial, India has been a land steeped in contemplation about the nature of humans and the universe. The great ṛṣis (seers) and ṛṣikās (seeresses) embarked on critical analysis of subjective experience and...

One of the two great epics of India and arguably the most popular epic in the world, the Ramayana has enchanted generations of people not just in Greater India but the world over. In less than three hundred pages The Essential Ramayana captures all the poetic subtleties and noble values of the original and offers the great epic in an eminently readable form that will appeal to the learned and...

The Bhagavad-gītā isn’t merely a treatise on ultimate liberation. It is also a treatise on good living. Even the laity, which does not have its eye on mokṣa, can immensely benefit from the Gītā. It has the power to grant an attitude of reverence in worldly life, infuse enthusiasm in the execution of duty, impart fortitude in times of adversity, and offer solace to the heart when riddled by...

Indian Perspective of Truth and Beauty in Homer’s Epics is a unique work on the comparative study of the Greek Epics Iliad and Odyssey with the Indian Epics – Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata. Homer, who laid the foundations for the classical tradition of the West, occupies a stature similar to that occupied by the seer-poets Vālmīki and Vyāsa, who are synonymous with the Indian culture. The author...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the sixth volume of reminiscences character sketches of prominent public figures, liberals, and social workers. These remarkable personages hailing from different corners of South India are from a period that spans from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Written in Kannada in the 1970s, these memoirs go...

An Introduction to Hinduism based on Primary Sources

Authors: Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh, Hari Ravikumar

What is the philosophical basis for Sanātana-dharma, the ancient Indian way of life? What makes it the most inclusive and natural of all religio-philosophical systems in the world?

The Essential Sanātana-dharma serves as a handbook for anyone who wishes to grasp the...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fifth volume, episodes from the lives of traditional savants responsible for upholding the Vedic culture. These memorable characters lived a life of opulence amidst poverty— theirs  was the wealth of the soul, far beyond money and gold. These vidvāns hailed from different corners of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom and lived in...

Padma Bhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam represents the quintessence of Sage Bharata’s art and Bhārata, the country that gave birth to the peerless seer of the Nāṭya-veda. Padma’s erudition in various streams of Indic knowledge, mastery over many classical arts, deep understanding of the nuances of Indian culture, creative genius, and sublime vision bolstered by the vedāntic and nationalistic...

Bhārata has been a land of plenty in many ways. We have had a timeless tradition of the twofold principle of Brāhma (spirit of wisdom) and Kṣāttra (spirit of valour) nourishing and protecting this sacred land. The Hindu civilisation, rooted in Sanātana-dharma, has constantly been enriched by brāhma and safeguarded by kṣāttra.
The renowned Sanskrit poet and scholar, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R...

ಛಂದೋವಿವೇಕವು ವರ್ಣವೃತ್ತ, ಮಾತ್ರಾಜಾತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಕರ್ಷಣಜಾತಿ ಎಂದು ವಿಭಕ್ತವಾದ ಎಲ್ಲ ಬಗೆಯ ಛಂದಸ್ಸುಗಳನ್ನೂ ವಿವೇಚಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಬಂಧಗಳ ಸಂಕಲನ. ಲೇಖಕರ ದೀರ್ಘಕಾಲಿಕ ಆಲೋಚನೆಯ ಸಾರವನ್ನು ಒಳಗೊಂಡ ಈ ಹೊತ್ತಗೆ ಪ್ರಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಛಂದಸ್ಸಿನ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಲಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ತೌಲನಿಕ ವಿಶ್ಲೇಷಣೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅಂತಃಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀಯ ಅಧ್ಯಯನಗಳ ತೆಕ್ಕೆಗೆ ಬರುವ ಬರೆಹಗಳೂ ಇಲ್ಲಿವೆ. ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಕಾರನಿಗಲ್ಲದೆ ಸಿದ್ಧಹಸ್ತನಾದ ಕವಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಸ್ಫುರಿಸಬಲ್ಲ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಹೊಳಹುಗಳು ಕೃತಿಯ ಮೌಲಿಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸಿವೆ. ಈ...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fourth volume, some character sketches of the Dewans of Mysore preceded by an account of the political framework of the State before Independence and followed by a review of the political conditions of the State after 1940. These remarkable leaders of Mysore lived in a period that spans from the mid-nineteenth century to the...

Bharatiya Kavya-mimamseya Hinnele is a monograph on Indian Aesthetics by Mahamahopadhyaya N. Ranganatha Sharma. The book discusses the history and significance of concepts pivotal to Indian literary theory. It is equally useful to the learned and the laity.

Sahitya-samhite is a collection of literary essays in Kannada. The book discusses aestheticians such as Ananda-vardhana and Rajashekhara; Sanskrit scholars such as Mena Ramakrishna Bhat, Sridhar Bhaskar Varnekar and K S Arjunwadkar; and Kannada litterateurs such as DVG, S L Bhyrappa and S R Ramaswamy. It has a foreword by Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh.

The Mahābhārata is the greatest epic in the world both in magnitude and profundity. A veritable cultural compendium of Bhārata-varṣa, it is a product of the creative genius of Maharṣi Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa. The epic captures the experiential wisdom of our civilization and all subsequent literary, artistic, and philosophical creations are indebted to it. To read the Mahābhārata is to...

Shiva Rama Krishna

சிவன். ராமன். கிருஷ்ணன்.
இந்திய பாரம்பரியத்தின் முப்பெரும் கதாநாயகர்கள்.
உயர் இந்தியாவில் தலைமுறைகள் பல கடந்தும் கடவுளர்களாக போற்றப்பட்டு வழிகாட்டிகளாக விளங்குபவர்கள்.
மனித ஒற்றுமை நூற்றாண்டுகால பரிணாம வளர்ச்சியின் பரிமாணம்.
தனிநபர்களாகவும், குடும்ப உறுப்பினர்களாகவும், சமுதாய பிரஜைகளாகவும் நாம் அனைவரும் பரிமளிக்கிறோம்.
சிவன் தனிமனித அடையாளமாக அமைகிறான்....

ऋतुभिः सह कवयः सदैव सम्बद्धाः। विशिष्य संस्कृतकवयः। यथा हि ऋतवः प्रतिसंवत्सरं प्रतिनवतामावहन्ति मानवेषु तथैव ऋतुवर्णनान्यपि काव्यरसिकेषु कामपि विच्छित्तिमातन्वते। ऋतुकल्याणं हि सत्यमिदमेव हृदि कृत्वा प्रवृत्तम्। नगरजीवनस्य यान्त्रिकतां मान्त्रिकतां च ध्वनदिदं चम्पूकाव्यं गद्यपद्यमिश्रितमिति सुव्यक्तमेव। ऐदम्पूर्वतया प्रायः पुरीपरिसरप्रसृतानाम् ऋतूनां विलासोऽत्र प्रपञ्चितः। बेङ्गलूरुनामके...

The Art and Science of Avadhānam in Sanskrit is a definitive work on Sāhityāvadhānam, a form of Indian classical art based on multitasking, lateral thinking, and extempore versification. Dotted throughout with tasteful examples, it expounds in great detail on the theory and practice of this unique performing art. It is as much a handbook of performance as it is an anthology of well-turned...

This anthology is a revised edition of the author's 1978 classic. This series of essays, containing his original research in various fields, throws light on the socio-cultural landscape of Tamil Nadu spanning several centuries. These compelling episodes will appeal to scholars and laymen alike.
“When superstitious mediaevalists mislead the country about its judicial past, we have to...

The cultural history of a nation, unlike the customary mainstream history, has a larger time-frame and encompasses the timeless ethos of a society undergirding the course of events and vicissitudes. A major key to the understanding of a society’s unique character is an appreciation of the far-reaching contributions by outstanding personalities of certain periods – especially in the realms of...

Prekṣaṇīyam is an anthology of essays on Indian classical dance and theatre authored by multifaceted scholar and creative genius, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh. As a master of śāstra, a performing artiste (of the ancient art of Avadhānam), and a cultured rasika, he brings a unique, holistic perspective to every discussion. These essays deal with the philosophy, history, aesthetics, and practice of...

Yaugandharam

इदं किञ्चिद्यामलं काव्यं द्वयोः खण्डकाव्ययोः सङ्कलनरूपम्। रामानुरागानलं हि सीतापरित्यागाल्लक्ष्मणवियोगाच्च श्रीरामेणानुभूतं हृदयसङ्क्षोभं वर्णयति । वात्सल्यगोपालकं तु कदाचिद्भानूपरागसमये घटितं यशोदाश्रीकृष्णयोर्मेलनं वर्णयति । इदम्प्रथमतया संस्कृतसाहित्ये सम्पूर्णं काव्यं...

Vanitakavitotsavah

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Vaiphalyaphalam

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Nipunapraghunakam

इयं रचना दशसु रूपकेष्वन्यतमस्य भाणस्य निदर्शनतामुपैति। एकाङ्करूपकेऽस्मिन् शेखरकनामा चित्रोद्यमलेखकः केनापि हेतुना वियोगम् अनुभवतोश्चित्रलेखामिलिन्दकयोः समागमं सिसाधयिषुः कथामाकाशभाषणरूपेण निर्वहति।

Bharavatarastavah

अस्मिन् स्तोत्रकाव्ये भगवन्तं शिवं कविरभिष्टौति। वसन्ततिलकयोपनिबद्धस्य काव्यस्यास्य कविकृतम् उल्लाघनाभिधं व्याख्यानं च वर्तते।

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the third volume, some character sketches of great literary savants responsible for Kannada renaissance during the first half of the twentieth century. These remarkable...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the second volume, episodes from the lives of remarkable exponents of classical music and dance, traditional storytellers, thespians, and connoisseurs; as well as his...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the first volume, episodes from the lives of great writers, poets, literary aficionados, exemplars of public life, literary scholars, noble-hearted common folk, advocates...

Evolution of Mahabharata and Other Writings on the Epic is the English translation of S R Ramaswamy's 1972 Kannada classic 'Mahabharatada Belavanige' along with seven of his essays on the great epic. It tells the riveting...

Shiva-Rama-Krishna is an English adaptation of Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh's popular lecture series on the three great...

Bharatilochana

ಮಹಾಮಾಹೇಶ್ವರ ಅಭಿನವಗುಪ್ತ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ವಿದ್ಯಾವಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಮರೆಯಲಾಗದ ಹೆಸರು. ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಶೈವದರ್ಶನ ಮತ್ತು ಸೌಂದರ್ಯಮೀಮಾಂಸೆಗಳ ಪರಮಾಚಾರ್ಯನಾಗಿ  ಸಾವಿರ ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಇವನು ಜ್ಞಾನಪ್ರಪಂಚವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಭಾವಿಸುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದಾನೆ. ಭರತಮುನಿಯ ನಾಟ್ಯಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಇವನೊಬ್ಬನೇ ನಮಗಿರುವ ಆಲಂಬನ. ಇದೇ ರೀತಿ ರಸಧ್ವನಿಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತವನ್ನು...

Vagarthavismayasvadah

“वागर्थविस्मयास्वादः” प्रमुखतया साहित्यशास्त्रतत्त्वानि विमृशति । अत्र सौन्दर्यर्यशास्त्रीयमूलतत्त्वानि यथा रस-ध्वनि-वक्रता-औचित्यादीनि सुनिपुणं परामृष्टानि प्रतिनवे चिकित्सकप्रज्ञाप्रकाशे। तदन्तर एव संस्कृतवाङ्मयस्य सामर्थ्यसमाविष्कारोऽपि विहितः। क्वचिदिव च्छन्दोमीमांसा च...

The Best of Hiriyanna

The Best of Hiriyanna is a collection of forty-eight essays by Prof. M. Hiriyanna that sheds new light on Sanskrit Literature, Indian...

Stories Behind Verses

Stories Behind Verses is a remarkable collection of over a hundred anecdotes, each of which captures a story behind the composition of a Sanskrit verse. Collected over several years from...