P S Shivaswami Iyer – Part 2

Shivaswami Iyer was a Sanskrit scholar. V Krishnaswami Iyer was his friend, colleague, and sometimes an opponent in his profession as a lawyer. Krishnaswami Iyer founded a Saṃskṛta Mahāpāṭhaśālā in Mylapore, Madras and also established a medical school called Venkataramana Ayurvedic Dispensary. He too was a great scholar of Sanskrit and had compiled a Sanskrit work called Ārya-caritam. When he had to appoint new faculty for his Sanskrit college or when he had to take a call on the credibility of other scholars, he consulted Shivaswami Iyer without fail, transferring the entire responsibility to him. He was assured of the depth of Shivaswami Iyer’s scholarship and his objective outlook.

Reverence for Tradition

Shivaswami Iyer never gave up his adherence to traditional customs even when he rose to the post of Governor. When he was given an opportunity to go abroad for official work, he rejected the proposal because he did not want to hurt his mother’s sentiments. A year after his mother passed away, he went on a tour to Europe. He performed the Sandhyāvandana meticulously even when he was travelling and was away from his homeland. During his old age, even when his health was delicate, he would take a daily bath like a ritual, smear vibhūti over his body, and seat himself behind a round table. He never failed in performing the Sandhyāvandanam. Every night, at around nine, he read through and recited the Bhāgavata – it was a text that was very dear to him.

Bhāgavata is a hard nut to crack and to digest. It was a great source of delight for Shivaswami Iyer to decipher the challenging portions of the text. He would explain why a ‘ghuñ’ was used here and why a ‘kvip’ there.[1] Why is an auṇādi brought in here?[2] – he would try answer such difficult questions. He did not put his scholarship into use only for decoding such knotty constructions and it was out of his great devotion to the work that he took up such endeavours.

Once he asked me to read out loud the story of Rāma from the Bhāgavata. I was a bit audacious and asked him, “Why do you want me to read it out? To make you cry?”

Shivaswami Iyer said, “O fool! You know how touching the story is! You know how great a work of art it is!”

Adherence to Norms

One day, Srinivasa Shastri, Ventakarama Shastri, and their group of about eight friends, that included me, was heading towards Lal Bagh for our usual get-together. We were walking along the street on which Dr. B K Narayana Rao’s eye hospital was situated. When we had walked some distance, we saw Shivaswami Iyer going towards Lal Bagh in his car, going on the lane in front of Dr. Narayana Rao’s house. He stopped his car when he saw us and came walking towards our group. Shastri whispered to us, “Oops! He’s coming in this direction!” Before he finished his last word, Shivaswami Iyer had already come near us. He exchanged pleasantries with the group and then he looked at me with piercing eyes – from head to the toe. I thought there was some disaster in store for me. However, Shivaswami Iyer did not speak a word.

We went ahead by a couple of steps. He again looked at me from head to toe. We still went further ahead without speaking a word. Shivaswami Iyer looked at me for a third time and asked me in Tamil, “Why aren’t you wearing a kacche?”

I said, “I always wear it. Today, for some reason, I just wrapped the dhoti around me and stepped out.”

I was lucky that day; Shivaswami Iyer did not probe further. He seemed to have accepted my excuse.

Srinivasa Shastri looked at me and said, “Phew! We’re indeed blessed! But you did not argue with him nor did you pose a counter question like: What is wrong in just wrapping a dhoti around myself?” I then narrated the incident connected with Venkatarama Shastri and remarked, “Do you think I’m such a crooked person?”

Shivaswami Iyer always wanted things to be as they were meant to me. He would not tolerate any deviation from the norm.

Terms and Conditions

Once Shivaswami Iyer told me in a tone of finality, “There is a work that you must read. It is written by Mr. and Ms. Sidney Webb. They are sociologists and have authored a two-volume book titled The New Civilization. I can let you borrow the book if you want, but under four conditions
1. You should not pass on the book to anyone else; it should come back to me, directly.
2. You must not open the book too wide.
3. Before you close the book after reading it, you must clear off the dust that might have got accumulated on the pages.
4. You should not make notes on the margins or in any other part of the book.”

He strictly adhered to these aspects himself. If someone visited him when he was going through a book, he would gently wipe off the pages of the book with his soft handkerchief, place a book-mark and carefully close the book. Whenever he went through a book, he had a pencil and paper at hand. He would make his notes on this paper and would never spoil the pages of the book.

Shivaswami Iyer always abided by rules and norms he had set for himself. He was a disciplinarian. He wouldn’t let a person come to him if he knew that the person was lacking in discipline or hygiene. Shivaswami Iyer was called stingy by some. However, only those who did not know him intimately considered him to be parsimonious. The reason behind him being labelled thus was that his name was never found in any of the donor lists. A cursory glance suggested that he never donated to any dhārmic causes. My opinion changed when I came to know the reality.

Family

Shivaswami Iyer once stayed in the bungalow in front of Karaṇikara Pāṭhaśālā. There I saw a teacher tutoring a small girl in Sanskrit. I asked Srinivasa Shastri who was with me, “Who do you think the child is? Shivaswami Iyer does not have children, right?”

Shastri said, “Don’t you know? She must be Gopalan’s daughter. Gopala Iyer was the caretaker of his house. Wherever Shivaswami Iyer went, Gopala Iyer was to accompany him along with his own family. Doreswamy Shastri, the tutor, and his family; his driver and his family – all these people had to accompany Shivaswami Iyer in all his travels and they were very much a part of his family. He would take care of boarding and lodging of all the people. This was his practise. He did not want his people to suffer from the lack of anything. He would be happy if they were all happy.”

One year later, when I visited Shivaswami Iyer, he called the little girl and told me, “This girl has cleared the exam. She has learnt Kannada and is now learning Sanskrit. I’m looking for a suitable bridegroom for her. If you know of anyone, please let me know. I’ve got some gold and silver ornaments prepared for the girl. Her father will perform the kanyādāna as per our tradition.”

Along with the seamless flow of his words of praise, a few drops of tears seemed to wet his eyes too.

As a Host

If Shivaswami Iyer had invited someone as a guest to his house, he would take care of all the needs of the person from the time he got off the train until the time he boarded a return train. In the room in which the guest stayed, Shivaswami Iyer had a few postage covers with stamps stuck on them and also a few postcards. He made sure that the guest did not have to face any trouble looking for essentials. A car was reserved for his use. As soon as the guest sat in the car, Shivaswami Iyer’s personal assistant would occupy the seat next to the driver. He would go around with him, wherever the guest desired to go. The assistant would make a note of any purchases that the guest would make while going around the city. Shivaswami Iyer would pay off the bills.

The guest’s ticket for the return journey was bought by the assistant and he would slowly slide it down the guest’s pocket without letting anyone notice it. Shivaswami Iyer always wanted to be discreet in the services and hospitality he had rendered on his people.

 

To be continued…

This is the first essay in D V Gundappa’s magnum-opus Jnapakachitrashaale (Volume 6) – Halavaru Sarvajanikaru. Thanks to Hari Ravikumar for his edits.

Footnotes

[1]Ghuñ’ and ‘kvip’ are ‘pratyayas’ in Sanskrit that add on to word-roots to produce meaningful words.

[2] Auṇādi is another technical term in Sanskrit grammar.

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...