Literature

Kaliṅgasenā who was pleased looking at the dolls forgot her hunger. She refused to eat anything that was offered to her. Her worried mother thought that she must have developed some kind of disease in her body and took her to the doctor. Upon looking at her, he said – ‘She has become like this because of extreme joy. Look at her eyes! They have blossomed so well! Look at her face! She seems to be laughing!’ When the mother asked her the reason for her happiness, Kaliṅgasenā told her the story of her dear friend. She then ate whatever she could.

Volume Three (1923–1927)

               DVG congratulated the Hindu Mahasabha on its attempt to consolidate our community. He explained the salience of the endeavour and the perils of neglecting it:

Kaliṅgasenā grew up. Once while she was playing on the terrace, Somaprabhā, the daughter of Mayāsura saw her and thought, ‘Who is this girl who is radiant like the Moon? I think we were friends in our past lives; or else why would I feel so much affection towards her!’ She came down and became friends with her. Then she said, “Living with princes is an ordeal; they are quickly angered from even trivial mistakes; I’ll narrate you the story of the prince and the sons of the merchant. —

ಮಾಘ

ಮಾಘನು “ಶಿಶುಪಾಲವಧ”ಮಹಾಕಾವ್ಯದ ಎರಡನೆಯ ಸರ್ಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಅನೇಕಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗಳಾಗಿ ಬಳಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತ ರಾಜನೀತಿಯನ್ನು ಪೋಷಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಈ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಸಮೂಹದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಲಂಕಾರಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಕ್ಕೂ ಅವಕಾಶವನ್ನು ಕೊಟ್ಟಿರುವುದು ಕವಿಯ ಔಚಿತ್ಯಪ್ರಜ್ಞೆಗೆ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿ. ಇಲ್ಲಿಯ ಕೆಲವು ಮಾತುಗಳು ನಿಜಕ್ಕೂ ಮನನೀಯವಾಗಿವೆ. ಅವನ್ನೀಗ ಪರಿಶೀಲಿಸೋಣ.

ಬಹ್ವಪಿ ಸ್ವೇಚ್ಛಯಾ ಕಾಮಂ ಪ್ರಕೀರ್ಣಮಭಿಧೀಯತೇ |

ಅನುಜ್ಝಿತಾರ್ಥಸಂಬಂಧಃ ಪ್ರಬಂಧೋ ದುರುದಾಹರಃ || (೨.೭೩)

Volume Two (1917–1922)

               Journalism today has mostly been reduced to a racy reportage of colourful caprices, half-truths, and open propaganda. These were the precise journalistic evils DVG repeatedly warned against. His standards were exacting, and he made sure that he practised what he preached. His essays and editorials in The Karnataka unceasingly celebrated enduring values such as gratitude, trustworthiness, independence, courage, and candour.

The story of Vikramasimha and two brāhmaṇas

ಬಾಣಭಟ್ಟ

ಮಹಾಕವಿ ಭಟ್ಟಬಾಣನ ಕೃತಿಗಳ ಪೈಕಿ “ಹರ್ಷಚರಿತ” ಒಂದರಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಕಾವ್ಯಮೀಮಾಂಸೆಯ ಚಿಂತನಶಕಲಗಳು ಕಂಡುಬರುತ್ತವೆ. “ಕಾದಂಬರಿ”ಯ ಉಪಕ್ರಮಶ್ಲೋಕಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾವ್ಯಕಲೆಯನ್ನು ಕುರಿತ ಒಂದೆರಡು ಮಾತುಗಳಿದ್ದರೂ ಅವು ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯತತ್ತ್ವಕ್ಕೆ ನೇರವಾಗಿ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿಲ್ಲ; ಮೌಲಿಕವೂ ಎನಿಸಿಲ್ಲ. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ ಹರ್ಷಚರಿತವೊಂದೇ ನಮಗಿರುವ ಆಲಂಬನ. ಇಲ್ಲಿಯ ಕೆಲವೊಂದು ಮಾತುಗಳು ನಿಜಕ್ಕೂ ಸತ್ತ್ವಪೂರ್ಣವಾಗಿವೆ. ಆರಂಭದಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಕೃತಿಚೋರರನ್ನು ಕುರಿತು ಹೀಗೆ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾನೆ:

ಅನ್ಯವರ್ಣಪರಾವೃತ್ತ್ಯಾ ಬಂಧಚಿಹ್ನನಿಗೂಹನೈಃ |

तर्जयन्निव विघ्नौघान्नमितोन्नमितेन यः |

मुहुर्विभाति शिरसा स पायाद्वो गजाननः ||

[May that elephant-faced deity, who by repeatedly raising and bowing his head, appears to continually threaten the multitude of obstacles, protect you all]

ಸುಬಂಧು

ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಬಂಧುವಿನ ಸ್ಥಾನ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆ ಪಡುವಂಥದ್ದೇನೂ ಅಲ್ಲ. ಬಾಣನ ಪೂರ್ವಸೂರಿಯಾಗಿ ಕೆಲಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಮಾರ್ಗದರ್ಶಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದಾನೆಂದರೆ ಸಾಕಾದೀತು. ಶ್ಲೇಷವನ್ನು ಅಳವು ಮೀರಿ ಬೆಳೆಸುವಲ್ಲಿ ಇವನು ಸಾಧಿಸಿರುವ ಅನೌಚಿತ್ಯ ಮುಂದಿನ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಮಂದಿಗೆ ಮಾದರಿಯಾದದ್ದೊಂದು ವಿಪರ್ಯಾಸ. ಈತನ ಏಕೈಕ ಉಪಲಬ್ಧಕೃತಿ “ವಾಸವದತ್ತಾ.” ಇದರ ಉಪಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾವ್ಯಮೀಮಾಂಸೆಗೆ ಸಲ್ಲಬಲ್ಲ ಒಂದೆರಡು ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಮಾತುಗಳನ್ನಾಡಿದ್ದಾನೆ:

ಅವಿದಿತಗುಣಾಪಿ ಸತ್ಕವಿಭಣಿತಿಃ ಕರ್ಣೇಷು ವಮತಿ ಮಧುಧಾರಾಮ್ |

ಅನಧಿಗತಪರಿಮಲಾಪಿ ಹಿ ಹರತಿ ದೃಶಂ ಮಾಲತೀಮಾಲಾ || (೧೧)

The next morning Satyavrata saw him and said, “Sir! I have thought of a plan for you to accomplish your desired objective. It is as follows: There is an island called Ratnakūṭa in the middle of that ocean. The ocean-king has performed a pratiṣṭāpana of Viṣṇu there. On the day of Āṣāḍha-śuddha-dvādaśī, they celebrate a grand festival of the local deity and several tourists from various islands gather there. From one of them you should be able to get some information about Kanakapurī. So let’s go there!