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 him doing so, often gathered on either side of the corridors as he passed by to the washroom. They would tease him – “Here comes the procession with the bottle, here comes the procession with the bottle”. Venkatanaranappa often walked away turning a deaf ear to the taunts. This happened four to five times and the notorious students finding that their taunts bore no effect on their teacher, gave it up.

Venakatanaranappa never feared for lack of company or support to execute tasks he thought were right and dhārmic. He never spared a thought to take a check on the support or opposition he would encounter when he wanted to voice his idea on any matter. This was the case both at the University and in public gatherings. On several occasions, he was all alone, at times on the supporting faction and at other times in the opposition.

Venkatanaranappa had a specific way of working with candles too. There were certain rules he had created for himself and followed religiously. Whenever he was in ‘maḍi’ (a ritualistic sense of 'purity/ cleanliness'), he wouldn’t touch a candle. When he was on tours or visited other places where there was no other source of light, he would ask Venkannayya or somebody else who accompanied him to light a candle. The candle was to provide light as he cooked. Once when I was with him, I suggested that I could hold the candle for him. He said – “No, don’t!. You are talkative and you burst out into laughter frequently. Your arms that carry the candle might touch the utensils and defile them!'

Once, when I visited Jamakhandi, Alabala Venkataraya took me to for a visit to his grove which was located on the banks of the river Krishna. Venkatanaranappa was the chairperson of the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana that year. Looking at his face, one could figure that he had had a shave about eight to ten days back. I chanced upon spotting a barber there and pointed at him to Venkatanaranappa. As per my suggestion, he got himself shaved. However, as he was climbing down into the river to bathe, he recalled something and said – “Isn’ttoday an amāvāsya (no-moon day) ? It escaped my mind amidst your chatter! Why did you do this to me! I have now broken the tradition. Is this how ritualistic you are! ”

(Traditionally, brāhmaṇas did not have a hair cut or shave on the no moon days)

 

A Trouble

It was the ocassion of a wedding in Venkatanaranappa’s house. One night, about three to four days before the wedding, Venkatanaranappa came to my doorstep and called out for me. I was a bit worried, thinking that the wedding day was round the corner and he had come at this hour to my house. I went out and ..

Me: “What news, sir?”

V: “I have some difficulty! I have come to seek your suggestion.”

Me: “What is it?”

V: “You know this person xyz, right? Should I invite him for the wedding, or should I not?”

Me: “You may invite him! He is a nice person”

V: “But what if he comes because I have invited him”

Me: "What if he comes?"

V: "He has crossed the borders (of the land)!"

(Conservative brāhmaṇas thought that some kind of 'purity' is lost if one travels on sea)

Me: "Then, just don’t invite him!"

V: "How can I not invite him? He is a close relative of mine!"

Me: "So what? Even if he comes, he will silently sit at one place. He will receive the tāmbūla and leave."

V: "I don’t think he will stop at that. He will certainly join us for the meal."

Me: "Good! Let him stay back for lunch. There are several people partaking of the meal too …”

V: "It is not that simple! His women are going to accompany him. They will try entering the kitchen and lay their hands on the cooked food. They will want to help serving the guests. We can neither ask them to go ahead nor can we stop them. We will be tongue-tied. We all will feel embarrassed. Won't the food get defiled?”

I laughed and said –“You will need to manage such delicate situations in a gentle manner. You may avoid as many mistakes as possible, when it is under your purview. If there is a mishap without you being aware of it, you need not go in search of it”

It looked like he had taken my suggestion at least for the moment.

Perplexity with Procedures

It was the annual day of the Scholars' Association of Chamarajendra Sanskrit college in Bangalore. At nine in the morning, Prof. C.R Narasimha Shastri had delivered the Keynote address and the people who had gathered there were coming out of the hall, contented. Someone there went to Venkatanarappa who was in the audience as well and discreetly called him aside. He whispered something to him and Venkatanaranappa who was cheerful until then turned a bit anxious. His anxiety turned into harshness. He called me near him:

V: "Did you hear about the foolishness?"

Me: "What is it, sir?"

V: "Don’t you know? It apparently happened during the yāga that abc Shastri is performing in the Ganesha temple in Basavanagudi. Last night, as the yāga was going on, one of the ṛtviks went out to answer nature’s call. He came back and continued the yāga without even washing his feet or performing ācamana. What kind of an injustice is this!

(ācamana is a ritual performed to 'purify' oneself after some supposed defilement)

His exclamation tickled me a bit.

V: "And you laugh? Is this how you much you adhere to dharma?"

Me: "What can we do about it sir?"

V: "You ask me what we should do? We must punish him. We must make sure that a person like him should not exist in the brāhmaṇa-maṇḍali"
(brāhmaṇa-maṇḍali is the community of the brāhmaṇas)

Me: "Alright. Are you sure you heard the truth? Who saw the incident happening?"

V: "GHI Shastri says so – do you think he will ever lie?"

Me: "Let us, for a moment, assume that it is not false. He might have misunderstood the ṛtvik's intensions, right? The brāhmaṇa might have gone out from the place just to scratch his back or to pat his tummy. How can we say that he actually went to answer nature’s call and caused defilement to the yāga ? Shouldn’t we ask him what really happened and give him the benefit of doubt? Would it be just to punish him without understanding everything in detail? If we dig into the matter, the brāhmaṇa might have something to say about the person who complained to you. The conversation and the chain of accusations might lead us to unforeseen people and places. We might end up calling random people as witnesses. We don’t know who will accuse whom of what! It will be all the more difficult for us to know the truth. This will only lead to jealousy and strained relationships."

V: "If so, what do you suggest we do? Was this alright?"

Me: "There is nothing we can do. Moreover, it is not our duty to act here. Just because someone has complained about someone else, we need not dig into the matter.”

As we were conversing, Motaganhalli Subrahmanya Shastri came to us. To my fortune, he took my side:

S: T"his brainless dispute between the Vaidika brāhmaṇas knows no beginning or end. If you try getting involved in this, it is like putting your hand through a red-anthill."

By then, Venkatanaranappa’s exasperation had cooled own a bit.

V: "What – so, this is what you both think?"

Finally, we decided to drop the matter there.  

Firmness of Mind

Venkatanaranappa had his share of family problems. There were diseases, deaths and poverty in his family that often caused him distress. His family members underwent depression too. Though he could easily get agitated, Venkatanaranappa always thought out his decisions well. If someone explained the pros and cons of his actions to him and provided him with objective suggestions, he would reconsider his previous decisions and gladly correct himself. Among his qualities, his steadfastness stood out.

 

Adherence to Rules

Venkatanaranappa was not a great conouisseur of food. He was of the opinion that spending too much of time on food only spoiled the business at hand. He first noticed my weakness for food when I joined as the co-chair of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat. Along with a few of my friends including Venkannaya, I had made arrangements for some snacks to be served before every meeting of the Parishat. Accordingly, vangibath and sweet sajjige were served. As soon as this caught Venkannayya’s eye, he stood up, shocked, as though he had spotted a poisonous snake. “What is this Nonsense!” he exclaimed. We tried to console him. He did not lend his ear to us and walked out of the meeting. When we went to him and requested him to join us back, he retorted – “Let all the Nonsense you have ordered for, get over. I’ll come”

Venkatanaranappa had quite a conservative outlook in everything and was a hard disciplinarian. He did not refuse food and drinks. He had invited us to his house several times and hosted us well.  Yet, he never gave up his maḍi.

 

This is the seventeeth essay in D V Gundappa’s magnum-opus Jnapakachitrashaale (Volume 3) – Sahityopasakaru. Thanks to Hari Ravikumar for his thorough review

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:

Arjun is a writer, translator, engineer, and enjoys composing poems. He is well-versed in Sanskrit, Kannada, English, Greek, and German languages. His research interests lie in comparative aesthetics of classical Greek and Sanskrit literature. He has deep interest in the theatre arts and music. Arjun has (co-) translated the works of AR Krishna Shastri, DV Gundappa, Dr. SL Bhyrappa, Dr. SR Ramaswamy and Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh

Prekshaa Publications

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...