Profiles

Generosity of Personality

Masti was not particularly affluent. His earnings were not much compared to what government officials earn today. He felt that whatever he had must be spent for society and as a result, he had cultivated living a simple life. He kept aside a large portion of his savings for the sake of public welfare. He led a life along the ideals laid down by Kālidāsa in his Raghuvaṃśa, “त्यागाय सम्भृतार्थानां...” (One who ‘accumulates wealth only so that he might offer it in charity...’)

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 have heard from respectable people that he was scrupulously honest, sattvik and honourable.

His son was Purna Raghavendra Rao. He was a preceptor to Maharaja Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV. Later, he was a huzur secretary. He was initially an excise commissioner during the time of Sir M. Visvesvaraya and later a councillor.

Literary Feats

At the behest of H. H. Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, there was an āśu-kavitā competition held in 1925 at Mysore in which the participating poets had to compose poetry instantaneously on the topic of the overall development of the modern Mysore State. Sarma stood first in the competition in which over forty scholars participated. His creation—a campū-kāvya—known as ‘Śrī Mahiśūra-rājyābhyudayādarśaḥ,’ became famous in due course.

Masti’s life was extremely organized; his work was meticulous, immaculate, and accurate; he kept a track of all his activities and an account of all his expenses. Once I happened to meet him in the bank and we got talking. He told me, “You know what, in the last forty years, I have spent —lakh and —thousand rupees for printing books. Until now, I have received —lakh and —thousand rupees from sales. I am left with books worth —lakhs.” Even his intake of food was temperate.

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 boarding and lodging, I was able to set up boarding arrangement at one Venkataramayya’s residence, which was made possible by Ramadasappa’s munificence.

“There is a dire need for the rejuvenation of connoisseurship. The number of connoisseurs in the society must increase. The tastes and opinions of people need to be more cultured.” Rāḻḻapalli Ananthakrishna Sarma had expressed this concern during his presidential speech at the Āndhra Nāṭaka Kalāpariṣat at Nellore in 1938. To this day, after the passage of so many decades, his opinion is relevant, perhaps even more so.

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 harboured contempt towards the crown prince and hence he didn’t show his respect during the funeral.

The people who resorted to such mischief gained nothing from such tales except that it caused deep agony to Mirza.

Wise Counsel

Poetry in Hosagannaḍa

Masti, who was inspired by the Hoysaḷa sculptures, wrote his early poems in Hosagannaḍa. Upon seeing this, T S Venkannayya remarked, “It has been more than three hundred years since something this original has been composed in Kannada.”

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. What he wanted was peace and contentment of the common people. He left the bookish knowledge to others.