DV Gundappa: Misadventures of Self-help

Right from my childhood, I was keenly interested in industrial ventures.  During the days I was in the high school, procuring a job was naturally a common concern of students. Matriculation was a momentous landing after the first few flights of the staircase of education. There, one would pause to ponder over the future course. “What would you like to become - teacher, lawyer, doctors, engineer or officer?” - were the questions posed by the elders.  I too was anxious about the future. This was when I was studying in the fourth Form in Mysore.

Back in those days, the Madras Government was running an institution called the ‘School of Arts’. It was equipped to train youngsters in various branches of vocation and industry. The Government would give them some amount of monthly stipend. The head of this ‘School’ was an Englishman called Alfred Chatterton.  He came to Mysore as the head of the Department of Industries during the initial days of the tenure of the renowned Diwan Visvesvaraya. He came to be known as Sir Alfred Chatterton when he came here. When he was the President of the school of Arts an advertisement was released in the papers. It was an advertisement  inviting applications for admission. The offer of a stipend was also mentioned. After seeing this, I wrote a letter requesting Mr. Chatterton asking for more details of the course.  He kindly sent me a little brochure describing the objectives and regulations of the institution. Reading this, I felt that this was a suitable opportunity for me and I wrote a letter to my father.

The summary of my letter is as follows:

‘I would like to earn my livelihood independently after getting trained in a suitable craft. There is scope for such training in the school of Arts in Madras. I am enclosing a copy of the regulations of this school. I would like to receive occupational training in sheet-metal work. During the training period, the school is going to pay me a stipend of seven Rupees a month. If you will send me seven or eight Rupees in addition, in two years, I would complete my course. Then, I could start a small factory of my own and earn money”

Divine Dispensation

Our plan was indeed excellent. But how could it be of any use if destiny was not in its favour? When my letter reached the hands of my father it was about 2.30 in the afternoon. In Mulabagilu the post arrived only by mid-day.  After reading my letter, my father must have become quite anxious. He thought it would be better to consult some friends and then to decide on the issue on his own.  Accordingly, on the following day, my father went to our neighbour Ramadasappa to get his good counsel. I have already described the personality of Ramadasappa.  He was a Sub-Registrar, was educated, knew Sanskrit, was good in thought and deed, was absolutely honest. Hence, his decision was to be honoured and followed.

You see how destiny played the game. When my father arrived in Ramadasappa’s house, he had sat down before the barber to get a shave.  Venkatashami, a  good natured barber was holding Ramadasappa’s cheek and moving his blade cautiously  across the cheek. At this unearthly time my father referred to my letter. Ramadasappa asked for the letter, took it from me and read it. After reading it, he put it aside. He said, ‘It is all right’.

My father:  What does not mean? 

Ra: It seems he wants to be self reliant.

My father: Oh! Does that mean he has nobody to help him?

Ra: It seems he wants to learn some occupation;

My father: What   occupation?

Ra:  Sheet-Metal work

My father: What does it mean?

Ra:  (showing the bowl of water near him) Preparing something like this

With that, my project saw its end.

My father wrote to me in reply:

“You don’t need to be independent. Nor do you need to take up the occupation of a barber. Being born in a great family, with a renowned great grandfather, and a renowned grandfather you should not think of being known as a grandson engaged in making a barber’s bowl. If you don’t give up this idea, you may take it the relationship between you and me as having snapped for good”.

But the botheration of looking for a proper job did not end there. For some days I struggled with the idea of becoming an agent for a Life Insurance company. I got the brochures of a number of companies  and  their lists of vacancies.  But friends discouraged me. Then for a few days I played with the idea of joining the Postal  Department. This suggestion was from our Subba Bhat. His idea was that the job would involve limited hours of work and a lot of free time. This would be conducive to my pursuit of knowledge. But its responsibility was extremely heavy.  For some days I got excited with the prospect of becoming a purohita. Then for some time I aspired to take up the position of a Village Patel.

 

Independent Creations

Now I’ll narrate the story of our last attempt to run a production enterprise.  Four of us, namely,  Anur Venkatchar  K. Venkata Rao, Dandi Narasinga Rao and I – were to run a dye–factory.  For this purpose, we rented a house  that belonged to Setlur  on the left side of the central Mohamadan Association on the  Arcot Srinivasacharlu Road.  We were to arrange grinding stones in a row and pound substances acting as colours or dyes and to mix them:  Charcoal, flax-seed, and oil for  mixing .

In this manner, by performing experiments on manufacturing our own products, we exhausted the little amount that we had on hand.

Soap Manufacture

When I was working in the journal Sūryodaya Prakāṣikā, around 1966 a certain nationalist hero came to Bangalore. He was perhaps from the Punjab region. I have by now forgotten his name. He was a certain Sardar. He was a secret revolutionary. He would tell us: “Be warned. Foreigners would conspire to trample us down. No trick can drive them away. We have to start a revolution to evict them. For that purpose all our youth should gird up their loins.  Everyone should learn to wield a sword and to make a bomb. But it should be done secretly- in absolute secrecy.  I’ll teach you how make a bomb. But I have told you in absolute secrecy. Openly what we can do is to make soap”.

He demonstrated how to make soap.  The soap that we first prepared under his guidance was red in colour, was somewhat sticky and was in lumps.  It was awful  in its appearance. Being red, it gave the impression of being meat. To make this  concoction  of a soap, we had installed  machinery including an oven, a frying  bowl belonging to  Sūryodaya Prakāṣikā press.

Of course all this had to be done in absolute secrey.

 

Great Slogans

This went on for about fifteen days. We had arranged for food for our guru in revolution at the hotel of Arcot Bhimacharya. This guru covered himself with a coat. He had a profusely grown beard.  He had a turban wound around his head in a typically North Indian style, typically casual. The loose end of the turban often touched the left side of his chest (I have  already written this  in the portrayal of  D Venkataramayya) . That I too had once imitated this style, I have mentioned  in my write – up on D. Venkataramayya. This guru of ours taught us this refrain:

pagaḍī sambhālo jāṭhā

pagaḍī sambhālo

Jāṭhā refers to a soldier or a fighter.  The lines meant “Set right your turban.” This would further mean, “Get ready to go to the battlefield”.

With this epic poetry we included a few other poetic lines. One of them was a stanza from Byron.

Freedom’s battle once begun,

Bequeathed from  bleeding sire to son.

Though battled oft, is ever won

Breathing in this revolutionary atmosphere, we spent three or four months. Among my partners of this experience, one was Navaratna Krishnaswamy, younger brother of Navaratna Rama Rao.

A group of young revolutionaries was perhaps active in every big town in those days:  in Calcutta, Madras and Pondicherry. In Madras, A.P Thirumalacharya and others were leading. He belonged to a wealthy family of Srivaishnava community of Mandya. His house was on the bank of a lake called ‘Teppakola’ in front of the Parthasarathi Temple.  It was a large house. The building was grand. Bipin Chandra Pal, who had given fiery speeches in Madras in 1906-07 was a guest in the house of A.P Thirumalacharya.

A branch of this family lived in Pondicherry. In Pondicherry, under the care of a certain Srinivasacharya,  a printing  press called India Press functioned, which brought out, among others, two dailies: an  English Daily  named ‘India’  and a Tamil Daily by name ‘Vijaya’. Renowned Tamil poet Subrahmanya Bharati lived in Pondicherry in those days. He actively participated in the work of these dailies and was also involved in fervently patriotic dialogues. I feel now the days that I spent there were very joyful.

The main part of this joy was our irresponsibility. Chats-chats arising from irresponsibility, considering neither the past nor the future. What came to the mind at the spur of the moment would come in an article. What came as the first thought was the argument. I will wind up this chapter at this point.

This isthe English translation of the twenty-fifth essay in D V Gundappa’s magnum-opus Jnapakachitrashaale (Volume 8) – Sankirna Smrutisamputa

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)

NTBhat
About:

Prof. N Thirumaleshwara Bhat holds a PhD in the German language and has taught English and German at various levels in different institutions of Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka. He has translated numerous works across Kannada, English and German languages. He was conferred with the Order of Merit by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1993 and is also the recipient of the Sediyapu Award in 2019. His independent works include a monograph on Manjeshwar Govind Pai and on Kushi Haridasa Bhatta.

Prekshaa Publications

Among the many contributions of ancient Indians to world thought, perhaps the most insightful is the realisation that ānanda (Bliss) is the ultimate goal of human existence. Since time immemorial, India has been a land steeped in contemplation about the nature of humans and the universe. The great ṛṣis (seers) and ṛṣikās (seeresses) embarked on critical analysis of subjective experience and...

One of the two great epics of India and arguably the most popular epic in the world, the Ramayana has enchanted generations of people not just in Greater India but the world over. In less than three hundred pages The Essential Ramayana captures all the poetic subtleties and noble values of the original and offers the great epic in an eminently readable form that will appeal to the learned and...

The Bhagavad-gītā isn’t merely a treatise on ultimate liberation. It is also a treatise on good living. Even the laity, which does not have its eye on mokṣa, can immensely benefit from the Gītā. It has the power to grant an attitude of reverence in worldly life, infuse enthusiasm in the execution of duty, impart fortitude in times of adversity, and offer solace to the heart when riddled by...

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...