Baduku Jataka Bandi – A tribute to DVG

BadukujaTakabanDi,
vidhiadarasaheba

– Life is a horse driven cart, fate its driver.

Most of us see less, interpret lesser and carry forward the least. We see a flower, exclaim, we know that we are mortal; we know that what goes around comes back around, we know so hence and so forth. What makes few of them different and unique is their way of thinking, their way of seeing things around, not the way they are but the way they would like to see it.
Well introduction and the content cannot completely justify the greatness when writing about such personalities. Just true facts amaze us the author’s contribution to words are least.
DevanahaLLiVenkataramaNaihGunDappa, known as DVG was an Indian writer, biographer, journalist, and novelist in the Kannada language with philosophical approach to life. Several other poems, plays, essays, biography, political science write up, spiritual write up, children’s literature, novels have him as The father. No literary form has been untouched by DVG.

Above all his mastery works, the work that fascinated DVG the most was his passion for Journalism.
When at high school, DVG used to read out the daily news ‘Madras Mail’ for a Sub-Registrar who was deprived of eye sight. This made DVG show interest towards Journalism.
Once when DVG was introduced as a greatest writer of the times, he interrupted and said “Excuse me for this but I am a journalist first. In order to deviate from the stressful day to day news, I write poem, essay etc.” DVG was very proud about being a Journalist.

MankuThimmanaKagga, (Dull Thimma’s Rigmarole). I now need a word master dictionary to give me words in order to explain this extremely remarkable master piece of Kannada literature. The philosophical Kagga unveils the truth of life. It exhibits the way in which the life can be balanced with peace within oneself. One of the famous Kagga of times goes like this:

HullaaguBeTTadaDi, manegemalligeyaagu
KallaagukashTagaLamaLevidhisuriye
Bella sakkareyaagudeenadurbalaringe
EllaroLagondaaguMankuthimma

Be a (gentle) blade of grass at the foot of mountain, and jasmine flower (spread the fragrance of love) at home,
Be (strong) like a rock when fate pours rains of difficulties on you,
Be sweet like sugar and jaggery to the poor and weak,
Be one among all, Mankuthimma.

Kagga is a collection of 945 poems, and each ends with referring our fellow being- MankuThimma. One of my favorite lines being –hogendha kaDegeoDu- Run to where He takes you.
Another master piece of DVG is AntahpuraGeethegaLu. This is a collection of 60 songs that explicitly throws light on Belur sculptures and architecture. These songs are sung with raga and taLa giving a profound experience of visualizing those Belur sculptures.
The present blog will turn out to be a novel in itself if tried to explain more on DVG’s literary works.
Few to mention are VasanthaKusumaanJali, Nivedana, Umaranaosage, MysurinaDivanaru (Biography), GeethaShakuntala etc.
Dr. DVG was awarded Padmabhushan by the Government of India. Dr DVG donated the entire award money to the Gokhale institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) located in Bull Temple Road, Basavanagudi, India. India Post issued a commemorative stamp of Dr. Gundappa.

A statue was erected to honor Dr. DVG in Basavanagudi, Bugle Rock Park at Bengaluru, and a Road in Gandhi bazar is named after him which is a very famous road of South Bangalore , for shopping as it offers variety of shopping experience .

We are blessed with such thinkers. We have the lessons and teachings right before us. The ups and downs are the part and parcel of life but that should never compromise the best that we can give to the society.
This blog is a small tribute to our cult Kannada writer DVG on his birthday i.e. March 17th.

DVG avarigeVandanegaLu.

– Niveditha B.S 

A systems Engineer by profession Niveditha nurtures many hobbies, Painting, Reading Writing being few. Having dream of becoming a teacher to teach and to learn,  Niveditha is one of the most Active member of KG team and teaches Kannada with a passion towards the language.