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One of the highlights of this volume is the longform titled The Code of Manu. DVG firmly believed that (i) tradition and modernity are mutually complementary (ii) such a mutuality is a sine qua non for civilized progress and (iii) the frequently projected dichotomy between the two is gratuitous and regressive. To this end, he spent a considerable part of his literary labours to elucidate the message of classical texts from a contemporary perspective.

As with Visvesvaraya, DVG enjoyed close contact with another Dewan of Mysore, Sir Mirza Ismail. DVG’s writings on him, too, present a wealth of insight rarely available elsewhere. Here is his assessment of Mirza’s tenure:

कंपण द्वितीय का उत्तराधिकारी देवराय प्रथम था और उसका पुत्र विख्यात देवराय द्वितीय अथवा प्रौढ़देवराय था जो प्रौढप्रतापी’ की उपाधि से सम्मानित था। उसने बचे हुए दुश्मनों का सफलतापूर्वक मुकाबला किया। उसने विजयनगर साम्राज्य की सीमाओं को और सुदृढ़ करते हुए नौसेना की शक्ति को भी बढ़ाया । उसने गोवा तक फैले समुद्री तट को पुनर्जीवित कर नये बंदरगाह तथा मालगोदामों का निर्माण करवाया। उसकी सेना का नेतृत्व आक्रामक लकण्ण दण्डेश कर रहा था। उसने पूरे साम्राज्य में एक नव चेतना का जागरण अभियान चलाकर लोगों को जागृत किया। उसने कला, साहित्य, धर्मशास्त्रों तथा विद्वानों को प्रश्रय तथा

We can gather quite a few biographical details about Viśākhadatta from the prastāvanā of his play Mudrārākṣasa; he was the grandson of Vaṭeśvara-datta and the son of Bhāskara-datta (or Pṛthu). However, it is quite difficult to ascertain who these men were and where they lived; it is also challenging to arrive at a fair estimate of the period in which they existed. The bharata-vākya of the play reads –

vārāhīm-ātmayonestanumavanavidhāvāsthitasyānurūpāṃ