Kannada Literature from 16 - 19th Century A.D.

Dr S. Srikanta Sastri writes about Kannada literature from 16 - 19th century A.D. This was published in the "The History & Culture of the Indian People" - Vol 7, 8 & 10.

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Samshodhana Lekhanagalu (2014 Reprint) by Dr S. Srikanta Sastri

"Samshodhana Lekhanagalu"

Dr S. Srikanta Sastri's articles and papers were collected and brought out in 1975 under the title of "Samshodhana Lekhanagalu". This collection of priceless articles on such varied topics as archaeology, Indus Valley civilization, Mahabharatha, Ramayana, Akbar the Great, Vijayanagara Kingdom, First War of Indian Independence and Siribhoovalaya among others has now been updated with three hitherto unpublished articles and brought in a beautiful hardbound reprint by D. K. Shyamasundar Rao of Kamadhenu Publishers.The hardbound edition sports a portrait photograph of the author taken by renowned photographer K. G. Somashekhar and has been set into an aesthetically pleasing cover page by designer S. L. Ravishankar. The book with 664 pages has been priced at 650 Indian Rupees and is available for sale at the below address:

"Kamadhenu Pustaka Bhavana",

c/o D. K. Shyamasundara Rao,

# 5/1, Nagappa Street, Seshadripuram,

Bangalore - 560 020

Mob: 09449446328

email: deep_scription@yahoo.com

Timings: Mon - Sat: 10:00 a.m. - 01:00 p.m., 05:00 p.m. - 07:00 p.m.

The book encompasses a wide range of topics for the discerning reader and history

Dr T. V. Venkatachala Sastry

afficianado. The revised edition in particular has about 6 - 8 black and white photographs of ancient temples at Belur and other Hoysala places of rule - these photographs having been taken by K. G. Somashekhar and S. L. Ravishankar. The revised edition also has an additional preface by noted Kannada writer & Lexicographer Dr T. V. Venkatachala Sastry, who was incidentally Dr S. Srikanta Sastri's student at Maharaja College, Mysore in the 1950s.

The book can be purchased online by clicking here.

Conquests of Śiladitya in the south (July, 1926) by S. Srikanta Sastri

Mayùra, supposed to be the father-in-law of Bãņa, the biographer of Harşa Šìlãditya, is credited with the following stanza eulogising Šrì Harşa:-

Bhùpãlãh Šašibhaskarãnvayabhuvah ken am nãsãditãh |
Bhartãram punar ekameva hi bhuvastvãm deva manyã mahe |
Yenãńgam parimŗşya Kuntalamathãkŗşya vyudasyã yatam |
Colam prãpya ca madhyadešamadhunã Káncyām karah pātitah ||

Here reference is made to southern conquests of Harşa – Kuntala, Cola and Madhyadeśa and Kãñcì. On the supposition that Pulakesin II effectively repulsed the advance of Harsa, this was regarded as “praise in the conventional exaggerated style of a poet given to punning and without any reference to historical accuracy”. Curiously, however, in the Gaddemane Inscription Notes in the Mysore Archaeological Report for 1923 (p. 83) we come across the following, in characters of seventh century:-

 Svasti śrì Śila-ādityan diśām-bharggan ākevāļan aggaļakaņţakan –
 Pērāļke vare Pettaņi Satyānkan aţţuļvabhaţan bedare mahēndran –
 Bēdara-rāyara Malappara kālegaduļe viŗudu svarggālaya –
 Khāŗidan beļeya māla kādon kalyāņam akke aļivon pafìcha-ma....

It records the death of one Pettaņi Satyāńka fighting against Beda chiefs when Harşa came conquering and Mahendra fled in fear. This Mahendra is evidently Mahendravarman, predecessor of Narasimhavarman Pallava, constantly at war with Pulakesin, who had defeated him about the year A. D. 609 – 610.

Published in Journal of The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, July 1926
S. Srikanta Sastri published this article, while a history student at Maharaja College, Mysore, at the age of 22 years. This was his first publication. 

"Iconography of Sri Vidyarnava Tantra" (1944) by S. Srikanta Sastri

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"Prapancha Charithreya Ruparekhegalu" by S. Srikanta Sastri now reprinted !

Prapancha Charithreya Ruparekhegalu 

Dr S. Srikanta Sastri's book "Prapancha Charithreya Ruparekhegalu" first published in 1957 and later reprinted in 1960 was written with University students in mind. In this book S. Srikanta Sastri outlines the world history spanning over two millennia in a succinct and encapsulated manner and by virtue of its publication in late 1950s stays true to global events till that period. Its relevance for general readers of history today, who seek a concise but well laid out historical record of global events across two thousand years is undeniable. With these readers in mind, D. K. Shyamasundar Rao of Kamadhenu Publishers has reprinted this book in 2013 with a beautiful cover design by upcoming design artist Ravishankar and is now available for sale at the following address:

"Kamadhenu Pustaka Bhavana",

c/o D. K. Shyamasundara Rao,

# 5/1, Nagappa Street, Seshadripuram,

Bangalore - 560 020

Mob: 09449446328

email: deep_scription@yahoo.com

Timings: Mon - Sat: 10:00 a.m. - 01:00 p.m., 05:00 p.m. - 07:00 p.m.

 

View Larger Map The book is priced at 150.00/- and has close to a dozen cartographical plates personally

Kuvempu

sketched by Dr S. Srikanta Sastri in the 1950s depicting the rise and fall of various civilizations and their inevitable influence on newer ones. Owing to S. Srikanta Sastri's demise in 1974 and his poor health in the later years, the book was sadly never revised or updated to reflect the successive events that ensued forth on the global stage. Nonetheless the book is definitely worth reading and serves as a bird's eye view of history for a beginner and a professional alike. The book was written in Kannada and is lucid and understandable in its prose. 

The book has its preface penned by the renowned Kannada poet and writer K. V. Puttappa, better known by his pen name Kuvempu and bears witness to Kuvempu showering praise of S. Srikanta Sastri's erudition, scholarship and lucid writing style.

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T. V. Venkatachala Sastry - a brief biography

T. V. Venkatachala Sastry (1980)

Togere Venkatasubbasastry Venkatachala Sastry is a renowned Kannada writer, grammatician, critic, editor and lexicographer. He has to his credit over 90 books, several translations and has edited numerous collections of essays, biographical sketches and felicitation volumes. Recipient of the prestigious “Kannada Sahitya Akademi Award” (honorary), T. V. Venkatachala Sastry is an authority on Kannada language grammar and its various facets ranging from the metre scale (Chandassu) on which he has written extensively to history of Kannada literature spanning two millennia. His work on Jain temples, culture, religion and heritage has attracted considerable attention. His research work “Mulukanadu Brahmanaru” is an anthropological study of the Mulukanadu Brahmin community since the early 17th Century. It traces their origin, migration and absorption of modern western education. It records their history in detail with fifty and odd family genealogical trees and is indeed a valuable contribution to the field of caste study in sociological sciences. T. V. Venkatachala Sastry has served as Kannada Professor for over two decades at University of Mysore and additionally held the post of Director at “Kannada Adhyayana Samsthe” for several years before retiring in 1994.

T. V. Venkatachala Sastry was born on the 26th day of August, 1933 at Harohalli village in Kanakapura taluk of Bangalore district to devout Brahmin parents Venkatasubba Sastry and Subbamma. T. V. Venkatachala Sastry hails from the Telugu speaking South Indian "Mulukanadu" sect. Both his parents had little formal education and were avid devotees of the Ramakrishna Order. T. V. Venkatachala Sastry had his primary schooling at Kanakapura near Bangalore. At the age of 15, he finished his Intermediate course in the year 1947-48. From

T. V. V. Sastry at his Graduation

1948 till 1954, he would spend the next six years pursuing undergraduate and post-graduate degrees at University of Mysore. He joined Yuvaraja College, Mysore in the year 1948 where he came under the influence of noted Kannada professors N. Anantarangachar and U. K. Subbarayachar. In 1950, he joined B. A. (Honours) course in Kannada at Maharaja’s College. At that time, there were such illustrious scholars as K. V. Puttappa (Kuvempu) who taught “Pampa Bharata” and “Literary Criticism”, D. L. Narasimhachar (History of Literature), S. Srikanta Sastri (Cultural History of Karnataka), K. V. Raghavachar (Kannada classic – “Basavarajadevara Ragale”), N. Anantarangachar (Kannada Grammar – “Shabdamanidarpana”), T. S. Shamarao (Vachanas of Basavanna) and Parameshwar Bhatt (Bharatesha Vaibhava). He did intensive research work on Pampa, Ranna, Harihara, Nemichandra, Raghavanka and Kumaravyasa by availing ancient texts both from the Mysore University library and the Oriental Research Institute. He would finish Master of Arts (Kannada) from Maharaja’s College, University of Mysore in the year 1953-54. T. V. Venkatachala Sastry started his career as a lecturer at Kanakapura rural college in the year 1955. Subsequently, he shifted to St. Joseph’s College, B'lore in the year 1957 and continued till 1959 as a lecturer there. He was later appointed as lecturer at Osmania University in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh where he toiled hard to build the nascent Kannada department. In addition to his teaching duties at the University, he also taught at several Women’s and Arts Colleges. 

T. V. V. Sastry with G. S. Shivarudrappa

His genial bearing and affable manners both with fellow colleagues and students earned him the affection and respect of many students. Among these were Puranik, Venkatoba Rao, Hanumanthacharya Upadhyaya, Divakarla Venkata Avadhani, P. Madhava Sharma, C. Narayana Reddy and B. Ramaraju. He involved himself avidly in the affairs of the “Telugu Sahitya Akademi” and during these years put together his “Mahakavyalakshana”. He translated Sophocles’ “Trakiya Pengal” during his tenure at Osmania University. Later he translated “Prometheus Bound” by Aeschylus into Kannada. In fact, he is credited with modern Kannada literature’s first number specific dictionary titled “Sreevatsa Nighantu”.

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