Profiles

Masti Venkatesha Iyengar - A Patron of Literature

Masti Venkatesha Iyengar can be called the ‘Dewan’ of modern Kannada literature. Masti, who gained appreciation having served various governmental departments with great diligence and competence, could have been the Dewan of the State in a real sense. He had the capacity and was also slated to rise to that position. But for reasons unknown, that was not to be. Seeming to compensate for that lacuna, Masti ruled as the Dewan of the world of Kannada literature and scholarship for the good part of fifty years. In the past, the well-being of the State depended on the Dewan.

S Srikanta Sastri (Part 4)

In a play, at minimum there would be a hundred to hundred and fifty songs and verses. Their tunes would be composed on the lines of ‘Kamalākṣi nāṃ dhanyanādè,’ or the cakli song, or ‘Nāri māyākarāḻè,’ or ‘Nāḻè baruva rītikeḻi.’[1] In between these, on and off, there would be a tukaḍa jāvaḍi[2] or a tune of ‘iṅgliṣ cāl’ [Western classical tune], and so forth.

S Srikanta Sastri (Part 3)

Śrī-kṛṣṇa-vijayam; Compositions for Singing

In the branch of the Vèllāḻa family that had settled in Srirangapatna, one Candraśekhara-śāstrī was famous. Either it was he or his son Rāmacandra-śāstrī who composed the Vyāyoga titled ‘Śrī-kṛṣṇa-vijayam.’ It was composed during the early part of the nineteenth century or perhaps even earlier.

Prof. S K Ramachandra Rao – Philosophy and Puruṣārthas

Engagement with Different Schools of Philosophy

Rao’s writings on different schools of Indian philosophy are immensely valuable and provide a lot of clarity to its readers. It is important to note that Rao has written works on the thoughts and philosophies of Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, and Madhvācārya. As though to aid these writings, he has penned works such as ‘Śaṅkara-vāṇī.’ He has also written a work called ‘Śāradā Pīṭhada Māṇikya’ (The Gem of the Śāradā-pīṭha) about Śrī Candraśekhara-bhāratī Mahāsvāmī, whom he considered his guru.