Source: TW
Source: PrexA, author shashikiran
Intro
It gives me great pleasure to speak on the life and works of D V Gundappa, endearingly known by his initials, DVG. He has been a great source of inspiration to me. He has shaped my worldview and moulded my personality. I am therefore immensely grateful for this opportunity to express my indebtedness and admiration for the great man. I am doubly delighted to do this at Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs, a platform founded and nurtured by DVG, which is a living monument to his abiding legacy.
DVG was a consummate polymath. He was many things at once: poet, scholar, journalist, political analyst, social worker, builder of institutions, democrat – the list is virtually endless. Evidently, the facets of his personality are varied and wide-ranging. Today I have been asked to speak on his accomplishments as a littérateur and outline his contribution to the study and practice of culture and philosophy. My friend Sri Sandeep Balakrishna will speak on DVG’s attainments as a journalist, statesman and the conscience-keeper of public life at large.
This apportioning of the subject troubles me, because I find it hard to draw a strict line of demarcation between the publicist and the man of letters. DVG himself did not compartmentalize his activities in this manner. On the contrary, he looked at life as an “undivided whole.” I request you all to bear with me if I occasionally step into a territory other than mine. I hope Sandeep won’t mind. After all, territorial conflicts arise between rivals, not friends!
I have divided the talk into three parts. DVG is a national treasure, and it is only right that all Indians should know him well. But given our wanton disregard for native scholars, many people outside of Karnataka do not know him. So, I shall begin by giving a quick overview of some of the events of his life. In the second part I shall introduce a few of his major works and try to identify the key features that undergird them. In the final part, adhering to the theme of this lecture series, I shall discuss the aspects of DVG’s thoughts and personality that students of Indian culture will do well to emulate.
Childhood
DVG was born on 17.3.1887 in Mulbagal, a town in the Kolar district of Karnataka. Venkataramanayya and Alamelamma were his parents. His family was quite well to do at the time of his birth but was soon reduced to penury by a twist of fate. Quite early in life DVG learnt to endure hardships with courage – to ‘grin and bear’ as they say. The mountainous terrain of Kolar, a symbol of constancy, helped him steel his mind. Aunts and uncles who doted on him demonstrated the life-enriching values of love and affection. The unhurried life of humble townsfolk left a strong impression on the boy. DVG learnt various stotras and Vedic hymns from Brahmaśrī Veṅkaṭarāma Bhaṭṭa. The Guru instructed his disciple not just in Yajurveda but also compassion and contentment.
DVG made the most of his student days in Mysore and Kolar by lapping up the works of exceptional English writers: from Shakespeare and Tennyson to Morley and Gibbon. He was deeply influenced by the writings of Swami Vivekananda, particularly Lectures from Colombo to Almora. Before he turned twenty DVG had learnt what to value in life, had read widely and was exposed to the best thoughts of the East and West. He came to Bengaluru in the mid-1910s, poor in material resources but rich in knowledge and virtues.
Youth
In Bengaluru he pursued knowledge with greater vigour and tenacity. He was fortunate to find many mentors. While N Narasimha Murthy introduced him to the political classics of the West, K Ramachandra Rao, K A Krishnaswamy Iyer and M G Varadacharya sensitized him to the subtleties of English poetry. DVG studied classical Sanskrit poetry from Chappalli Viśveśvara-śāstrī and Advaita-vedānta from the colossus of traditional learning, Tarkapañcānana Hānagallu Virūpākṣa-śāstrī.
At the mundane level, he did odd jobs to make ends meet. He dabbled in all sorts of hackwork and kept accounts for a small workstead that painted horse carriages. Being married by then, he found it extraordinarily difficult to set up a home for his family. Then fate drew him to journalism. Although cut out for better things, DVG became a journalist and persevered for nearly seven decades to provide nourishing, wholesome food to a profession with an insubstantial appetite.
Public affairs
Inspired by Vajapeyam Venkatasubbayya, DVG began to take an active part in public affairs. Consequently, he was drawn to the rough and tumble of politics. With the support and guidance of enlightened statesmen such as Sir M Visvesvaraya, he endeavoured to instill a positive sense of community consciousness in our people and turn public opinion into a force for the good.
He founded and edited numerous newspapers and journals such as Sūryodaya-prakāśikā, Bhāratī, Sumati, Evening Mail, Mysore Times, The Karnataka, Karṇāṭaka Janajīvana mattu Arthasādhaka Patrikè, The Indian Review of Reviews and Public Affairs. He was a municipal councillor, member of Karnataka Legislative Council, senate member of the University of Mysore, member of the constitutional reforms committee of Karnataka, member of the executive council of the University of Mysore and the vice-president of Kannada Sahitya Parishat. He established and took an active part in organizations such as Popular Education League, Social Service League and Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs. He got down to the streets and served the public on multiple occasions: during the outbreak of the influenza epidemic, second world war and the Indian freedom movement.
Two statements actuated him to take up all these activities. One is by Svāmī Vidyāraṇya: “Jnāninā carituṃ śakyaṃ samyag rājyādi-laukikam” and the other is by Gopal Krishna Gokhale: “public life must be spiritualized.”
DVG looked upon public life as a sacred service. And service accepts no reward. In keeping with this view, he maintained a healthy distance from riches. He did not cash even one of the many cheques that the treasury of the Mysore State issued for his services as a consultant to Sir M Visvesvaraya, the then Dewan. The ringing words of Bhagavān Manu struck a deep chord with him:
yo’rthe śucirhi sa śuchirna mṛdvāriśuciḥ śuciḥ (Manusmṛti 5.106).
He remained fiercely independent throughout his life, exemplifying courage, candour and trustworthiness. I would like to quote his own words to describe his attitude to journalism and public affairs:
If I may so put it, the journalist is the humble sanitarian who labours hard to bring sunlight and fresh air into the halls peopled by administrators and legislators. (Presidential Address to the Mysore State Journalists’ Association, 1932)
I feel that the country today has particular need of that type of public men who would serve without getting entangled in power politics … Let us keep out of the competition and do our best from outside the seats of power.
I have always viewed life as a supreme Leela – sport, if you please. As such, how could I fall into the error of making a missionary of myself? It is only people wanting in modesty that conceive great ideas of themselves and their so-called missions here. (Viraktarāṣṭraka DVG, p. 128)
The following was his considered opinion:
Misery sweeps over us like unending waves of the ocean, while happiness presents itself drop by drop. We should never miss an opportunity to experience and spread happiness. In holding this view, he was inspired by Ācārya Cāṇakya’s words: na nissukhaḥ syāt (Arthaśāstra 1.7.3).
Humor
DVG was manly and hearty, brave and cheerful. To him, humour was an object of reverence and not casual indulgence. Even a simple act of deciding on a nickname for a friend was a serious business with him, requiring making lists and elaborate discussion. He enjoyed food. Once when he was binging on some fritters, Vidvān N Ranganatha Sharma, his good friend and a great scholar, came to see him. The woman of the house gave him a plateful of fritters. Ranganatha Sharma took just one and pushed the plate towards DVG, who quipped: “Sharma, your stomach is like a ladies’ wrist-watch; mine is like the Big Ben!” He once came across a book tilted Recovery and Remanufacture of Wastepaper and immediately exclaimed: “What an apt description of my profession!” Because he had this remarkable ability to laugh at himself, DVG never fell into the trap of self-aggrandizement.
Recognition
DVG never sought recognition. When the Jnanapith Award was first instituted, Maṅkutimmana Kagga, one of his major works, came before it for consideration. When one of his friends was indignant about this work not winning the award, DVG replied in his characteristic self-effacing, humorous manner: “Why do I want a lakh of rupees? Do I not look well-fed?” He went on to make a profound observation: “The idea of competitive prizes for literature is basically absurd. My whole nature rises in revolt against it. Valmiki and Vyasa and Potana and Thyagaraja are our ideals. Did they compete for anybody’s favours?” (Kaggakkoṃdu Kaipiḍi, p. 527). In 1970, his admirers organized a felicitation programme in recognition of his services to public affairs spread over six decades. The public of Bengaluru honoured him and presented a purse of one lakh rupees. DVG donated the entire amount to Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs. In fact, he had agreed to attend the event only on the condition that he would be allowed to donate the money to the Institute. He received several awards and honours such as Honorary D. Litt. from the University of Mysore (1961), Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award (1967) and Padmabhushan (1974).
Attitude towards life
The source of DVG’s conviction was his attitude to life. He looked at the world as an abode of the Supreme (brahmapaṭṭaṇa) and at himself as a mendicant wandering on its streets (brahmapaṭṭaṇa-bhikṣuka). He firmly believed that our duty here is to make life pure, beautiful and elevating. The celebration of life, he thought, is not a mark of materialism but the essence of the Vedas.
His ideal in life was a vanasuma, forest flower. When a flower blooms somewhere deep in a forest, there is nobody to appreciate it. Colour, shape, tenderness and all its other fine qualities go unsung. Nobody writes a poem on it; nobody offers it to a deity. Even so, it breathes a fresh fragrance into the air and quietly withers away. DVG thought we should live in this manner: organic evolution leading to self-discovery should be our sole objective. DVG unconditionally practised what he preached. And therein lies the greatness of his ideal.
Writings
DVG wrote more than twenty thousand pages in English and Kannada. While his English writings largely deal with politics and rarely foray into culture, literature and philosophy, his works in Kannada cover a wide range of literary genres. Among his Kannada writings are children’s literature, reminiscences, pen portraits, biographies, discursive essays, literary criticism, plays, lyrical poems, songs, philosophical poetry, analytical poetry, socio-political writings, spiritual works, contemporary commentaries on traditional treatises, translations and adaptations.
An in-depth understanding of seminal concepts such as truth, goodness, beauty and dharma underpins all his writings. He saw no difference between truth and goodness, truth and beauty, politics and philosophy. I would like to quote his own words.
On truth and goodness:
The good can never be viewed as apart from the true … It is significant that Sanskrit has the same word for the truly good as well as for the truly existent.+++(5)+++ That word is Sat. Sat is both eternal being and indestructible good. The supremely true is the supremely good … The nature of the right must be derived from that of the good and the nature of the good from that of the true. (Selected Writings of D. V. Gundappa, vol. 5, pp. 9–10)
On philosophy and politics:
Philosophy and politics are … two aspects of the same activity – pursuit of the good … The statesman concretizes and fulfils what the philosopher initiates and commends. Between them, they complete the service of the social good. Philosophy without the instrumentality of statesmanship is ineffectual longing and vain fancy-play. Politics without the inspiration of philosophy is a welter of blind forces and a raffle for the adventurous. (Selected Writings of D. V. Gundappa, vol. 5, p. 11)
On ṛta, satya and dharma:
Ṛta is a self-existent instinct of man … It acts in us on the instant, as a sudden flash, lighting up the shape of the true in any situation. It is our inner witness and usually our first witness. Satya is ṛta confirmed … or action-worthy truth. And satya in action is dharma … Dharma […] based upon a rational appreciation of the relative values of things of the body and of the soul, is justice or due satisfaction of the claims of each entity in a conflict. It is generosity or willingness to share the good things one has with those who have them not … It is harmony in relationships and grace in behaviour. It is not the suppression but the regulation of desire. It is the introduction of a rational order into the chaotic promptings of the body and the mind. It is in life what balance and proportion are in a picture. (Selected Writings of D. V. Gundappa, vol. 6, pp. 49–51)
An ancient epithet eminently suits DVG – dharmaprāṇa. His exposition of dharma is a valuable contribution to Indian philosophical thought. This rootedness in dharma helped him interpret ancient treatises as applicable to our time, without ever injuring their intent. His works on Puruṣasūkta, Īśāvāsyopaniṣad and most importantly Bhagavadgītā testify this fact.
Jīvanadharmayoga
DVG called his book on the Gītā as Jīvanadharmayoga and looked upon it as a work that can enhance the quality of our worldly life. He envisioned it primarily as a jīvanaśāstra and then as a mokṣaśāstra.+++(5)+++ He coined meaningful alternatives to the names of the Gītā’s chapters, which succinctly capture their content. I will give two examples: DVG termed Arjunaviṣādayoga as Prākṛta-kāruṇya-yoga and Sāṅkhyayoga as Tattva-viveka-yoga.+++(5)+++ While the former perfectly describes Arjuna’s misplaced and inconsiderate compassion—which is the crux of the first chapter—the latter immediately clears a common misconception that the second chapter deals with the Sāṅkhya school of philosophy.
The introductory essay not only contextualizes the work but also serves as a most reliable guide to students of Indian philosophy. DVG explains concepts such as anubandha-catuṣṭaya, sādhana-catuṣṭaya, the puruṣārthas and adhikāribheda with great clarity, defines the technical terms of philosophy in a comprehensive manner, shows the subtle shades of karma and dharma and expounds on the contemporary relevance of this ancient text. At the level of form, Jīvanadharmayoga is a veritable model for non-fiction writing. It illustrates the fact that technical subjects can be explained with warmth and literary flair without sacrificing rigour and clarity.
Antaḥpuragīta
DVG explained the equivalence of truth and beauty in poetic works such as Nivedana, Śrīcènnakeśava-Antaḥpura-gītagaḻu and Śṛṅgāra-maṅgalam. Inspired by John Keats’ famous poem Ode on a Grecian Urn, DVG amplified its essence in Indian terms using the illustration of the madanikā images in the Belur temple.+++(5)+++ Antaḥpuragīta is a unique work that demonstrates the happy fusion of fundamental arts such as literature, music and sculpture. A similar work perhaps does not exist in any other Indian language.
Attitude towards epics
Vālmīki, Vyāsa and Kālidāsa are the best representatives of India’s literary heritage. DVG has made these poets more meaningful to us through many of his writings. In the forewords he wrote to Vidvān N Ranganatha Sharma’s Kannada translation of the Rāmāyaṇa, he has explained the kind of mindset that is essential to the study of epic literature. He asserts that we should approach an epic as a child would her mother, with natural and effortless trust. He urges us to guard against over-interpretation caused by stretching the words of the poem to extreme limits. Further, he explains that poetry presents only a ‘verisimilitude of truth’ and not truth itself and upholds ‘willing suspension of disbelief’ as a requisite in poetic appreciation.
DVG has analyzed the major characters of the Mahābhārata in a long essay. His sublime analysis includes discussions on kāla, ṛta and conflicts that arise in the transition from one age to another. This is an exposition that befits the epic dimension of the Mahābhārata.
Gītaśākuntala
Gītaśākuntala is a unique work that presents several poignant episodes of Kālidāsa’s Abhijñānaśākuntala in the form of songs. In the introductory section of this work, DVG analyzes the characters of Duṣyanta, Śakuntalā and Kaṇvarṣi with remarkable insight. He looks upon sage Kaṇva as an embodiment of niṣkāma-karma as enunciated by the Bhagavadgītā and as exemplified by Bharata in the Rāmāyaṇa. He observes that the play comes a full circle between the opening and closing verses – from yā sṛṣṭiḥ to punarbhavaṃ kṣapayatu nīlalohitaḥ.
Śrīrāmaparīkṣaṇam and Śrīkṛṣṇaparīkṣaṇam
Śrīrāmaparīkṣaṇam and Śrīkṛṣṇaparīkṣaṇam are unique works in which DVG has analyzed Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, two shining ideals of life. One verse here captures all the facets of Kṛṣṇa’s magnificent personality. It is so profound that any list of the best verses on Kṛṣṇa that is worth its salt ought to include it:
veṇu-svānamo pāṃcajanya-ravamo gītokta-gāṃbhīryamo
mauni-snehamo gopikā-praṇayamo kaunteya-vātsalyamo /
senānitvamo rājyatantra-nayamo cakrāstra-sandhānamo
nānā-jīvana-dharma-raṅgagaḻoḻ ādarśaṃ yaśodā-sutaṃ //
(Śrīkṛṣṇaparīkṣaṇam)Be it in the delicate melodies of the flute, the thunderous roar of the Pāñcajanya, the majesty of the Gītā counsel, friendship with sages, love for gopikās, affection for the pāṇḍavas (particularly Arjuna); be it as a warrior, political strategist or the wielder of the sudarśana-cakra, Kṛṣṇa, Yaśoda’s loving son, is the ideal in the myriad stages of life pertaining to dharma. (Translation by Hari Ravikumar; reordering mine)
Rubaiyat and Macbeth
DVG’s translations of Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyats and Shakespeare’s Macbeth are landmarks in Kannada literature. While the translations are themselves splendid, the introductions that DVG wrote to these works are worth their weight in gold. His analysis of the relative merits of Lucretius, Robert Browning and Omar Khayyam from the perspective of Vedānta is remarkable. The perspective he brings to bear on the analysis of tragedy is unique and profound.
Vidyāraṇya
Śrīvidyāraṇyaru mattu avara Kāla and Vidyāraṇyara Samakālīnaru are works that bear testimony to DVG’s attainments as a first-rate researcher. Sāyaṇa and Mādhava are two of the most illustrious sons of Karnataka. DVG spared no pains in going through a vast body of literature—both printed books and manuscripts—to bring to light invaluable historical facts about them, the milieu of the time in which they lived, and the fraternity of scholars before and after them.
Maṅkutimmana Kagga
Maṅkutimmana Kagga is a bouquet of verses that captures DVG’s meditations on life. It was addressed to the proverbial common man who forms a major part of the society. It soon won legions of unpretentious worshippers and made DVG a household name in Karnataka. The reasons for its stellar success are many. Being the creation of a man who had drunk deep from the fountain of life, Kagga draws our attention to the profound aspects of everyday life that we are likely to miss, being entangled in the maze of frenzied activity. It talks to us in a tone of gentle persuasion. It performs the role of a companion – a learned, reliable and compassionate friend who holds our hand and walks us through the highways and byways of the sprawling city of life. It is āpta-vākya in the truest sense.
Kagga does not attempt to simplify life or provide readymade solutions to personal problems. It drives out pessimism and pusillanimity and ushers in ardour, refinement and forbearance. It asks us to avoid extremism (ati beḍavèlliyuṃ 724) and live in the present (indigī matav ucita 939). Suppose we are morose, it gives us reassurance (èṣṭādar aṣṭè sari 583, pada kusiyè nèlavihudu 600); if we are riding the wave of overconfidence, it brings us back to reality (pèṭṭu tinnuvè jokè 532, spardhiyè trivikramagè 292). It urges us to accept life as it is—comprising both the good and bad—but asks us to fight for the good by invoking images and metaphors etched in our cultural memory (rāma-bhaṭan āgu nīṃ 288). It teaches us truths about such fundamental concepts as dharma, anubhava and yoga (śuddha-satyava jīvita-praśnèg anvayipa paddhatiyè dharma 545, anubhavavè diṭad aḻatè 393, vyasana-maya-saṃsāradali vinodava kāṇba rasikateyè yoga 241) and equips us to live an enjoyable and satisfying life, which others find helpful and meaningful.
Saṃskṛti and Bāḻigondu Nambikè
Saṃskṛti and Bāḻigondu Nambikè are monographs that are arguably the best examples of self-help books. The first book discusses the concept of culture from multiple viewpoints and presents pragmatic ideas to enhance the quality of personal life. The second book extends their scope by setting the individual against the backdrop of society. DVG listed five essential traits of a cultured person. The world will be a better place if everyone adopts them at least partially:
- Svasthāna-parijñāna – Understanding our place or status.
- Pareṅgita-parigrahaṇa – Understanding others’ intentions.
- Svārtha-niyamana – Regulation of personal desires and self-interest.
- Samanvaya-dṛṣṭi – An attitude to seek harmony and reconciliation.
- Sarasatè – Gentleness, finesse and refinement.
Literary theory
DVG’s thoughts on literature and literary theory are fresh and valuable. He was of the firm opinion that poetry should have a positive bearing on human life. He says:
Good poetry fascinates the ear by the phonic properties of the words it uses and the rhythm of their arrangement. At the same time, the sense of those words raises pictures in our mind, working upon our memory and on the knowledge we already possess of the world and its ways. The sound gives vividness and intensity to the sense; and the sense vitality and value to the sound. In cooperation, the two create in our consciousness a world different from the one we found about ourselves before.+++(5)+++ That creation, let us note carefully, is really a collaboration between what the poet has put into his words and what we have developed from within ourselves—between his skill in the use of words and our sensibility to their significance—between the deftness of his fingers and the fineness of our clay—between his stimulus and our responsive faculty … The essence of poetry is emotion culminating in reflection. It is pregnant speech issuing in illuminated silence. (Selected Writings of D. V. Gundappa, vol. 5, pp. 294–95, 297)
Going by the etymological meaning of the word sāhitya, he defines literature as the unison of several things: the aspirations of our inner world and the order of the outer world; creative imagination, erudition and practice; expression and experience; instruction and enjoyment, and so on (Kāvya-svārasya, pp. 3–7). He gives us an elevated vision of poetry by describing it in the tone of the Taittirīyopaniṣad:
Athādhikāvyam /
kavipratibhā pūrvarūpam /
śrotṛ-hṛdayam uttararūpam /
rasānubhūtiḥ sandhiḥ /
vākkauśalam sandhānam /
ityadhikāvyam // (Kāvyasvārasya, p. 9)+++(5)+++The poet’s creative imagination is the initial object, the listener’s heart is the final object, aesthetic experience is the junction between these two and felicity of expression is the medium that brings about this process.
DVG’s essay titled Kāvyopāsanè in Kannada is an intimate and comprehensive introduction to Indian aesthetics.
Jñāpakacitraśālè
Jñāpakacitraśālè is a collection of DVG’s reminiscences spread over eight volumes in nearly 2,500 pages. Nāḍoja S R Ramaswamy has comprehensively described the uniqueness of this series. I can do no better than quote his exact words:
What distinguishes these writings is their special alchemy comprising not merely vibrant personality portraits but also vignettes of family life of bygone days, the social scenario of the period and in some parts the political and administrative configuration in the pre-Independence era. Such is the keenness of observation with which DVG was endowed that much of the documentation in these writings is not to be found anywhere else. What is written is eminently worth writing, and it comes to the reader in a lucid and intimate style, unburdened by pedantry, frequently enlivened by gentle humour. In fact, many read these essays merely for their human interest. Thus the content and the form are both equally endearing. Added to this is the richness of detail which transmutes everyday occurrences into memorable events. It is not surprising that since publication these writings of DVG have come to be regarded as not merely a unique documentation encapsulating the flavour of life of the people three generations ago but also as indispensable source material for reconstructing social history. (Foreword to Art Gallery of Memories, p. 9)
These writings are fine examples of interpretive biography or creative non-fiction, which DVG had made his forte. They sketch the lives of people with anecdotes and not tiresome lists of dates and achievements. DVG tells us the stories of poets and pundits, businessmen and bureaucrats, masons and mendicants, artists and aristocrats. He writes about everyone with great empathy, amazing the readers with his prodigious memory. As Śatāvadhānī R Ganesh puts it, Jñāpakacitraśālè is DVG’s gadya-mahākāvya (prose epic).
Personality
I will now outline the qualities of DVG’s personality and works that can guide us in the pursuit of knowledge.
Classics
DVG laid great emphasis on the study of classics. He was an ardent devotee of elevating literature in three languages: Sanskrit, Kannada and English. This enabled him to develop a healthy, balanced, harmonious and constructive perspective on life. He exhorted his friends and students to read widely. To this end, he started a study circle in the Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs in 1947 and conducted it every week till he passed away in 1975. He held the study circle so close to his heart that he considered all other activities of the Institute as, to borrow a phrase from French cuisine, hors d’oeuvre, of secondary importance. In the present age of reduced attention spans and bite-sized learning, there is an urgent need to listen to DVG:
Never lose touch with books. Never cease to find a warm place in your heart for all that is elevating in history and literature. Let reading be a passion of your lives; and whether outward fortune smiles upon you or not, may the inward fortune of a high idealism be never denied to you. (Selected Writings of D. V. Gundappa, vol. 2, p. 254)
Honing expression
DVG can help us in honing our expression. He wrote in a lucid, engaging and intimate style. When we read his works, we feel that he is physically present with us, absorbed in friendly conversation. He had the uncanny ability to present the most complicated of subjects in the most simple and cogent manner, without ever dumbing it down. He could do this because he had internalized all the subjects he wrote about. While explaining an abstruse concept, he defines it, enlists its characteristics and gives examples for it from common aspects of life that everybody can readily understand. His exposition evolves naturally like a tree: from the root to trunk, branches, flowers and fruits. Jīvanadharmayoga and Jñāpakacitraśālè are the most sparkling illustrations of his prose style, the former representing śāstra and the latter, kāvya in the widest sense of the term.
He often composes easily recallable verses to summarize his arguments.+++(5)+++ This is a direct reflection of the objective of our ancients in composing saṅgrahaślokas, antaraślokas and parikaraślokas. Today, popular writings present themselves in an academic garb and academic expositions largely propose vacuous theories in high-sounding but vaporous jargon. A friendly tone and inoffensive humour are conspicuously absent.+++(5)+++ DVG inspires us to do better.
Objectivity
The world today is hurtling forward at a dizzying pace. Easy and widespread access to information has led people to adopt an almost irreverent attitude to wisdom. Reason seems to be lost between jingoistic assertions and blithe dismissals. DVG can help us rise above these abysmal trends. We will do well to pay him heed when he describes the features of an objective mind:
It should hold its opinions firmly, though tentatively.+++(5)+++ It should not yield easily, nor should it close its doors obstinately to new argument. It should have strength, but not stiffness. It should be elastic, but not flaccid. It should absorb new material, but must select it. Such is the characteristic of a truly rational mind. It does not elevate every passing thought to the height of a conviction. It arranges its possessions in several grades—as impressions, notions, ideas, opinions, beliefs, conclusions, and so forth—and is scrupulous about promoting them from one grade to another … Neither dogmatic and cocksure, nor pusillanimous and feeble-voiced, neither exposed to every passing gust of wind nor impervious to the purifying rays of sunlight—like a well-ventilated and yet well-sheltered house—is the mind of the provisionalist. (Selected Writings of D. V. Gundappa, vol. 3, pp. 199–200)
Social work
DVG thought of social work as necessary training that can help us progress in the spiritual path. He emphasized on the observance of duties before the assertion of rights. His exposition of the philosophical underpinnings of active citizenship can help us better appreciate democracy, our chosen form of governance:
The origin of the right is a part of morality … and fitness is another part of that same morality. It is the latter part that has gone neglected in the career of democracy. Its prophets from Rosseau downwards have over-emphasized the “rights” aspect and under-toned the “duties” aspect of the democratic ethic. Herein has been the root of the trouble. (Selected Writings of D. V. Gundappa, vol. 5, p. 53)
Citizenship is a moral discipline, besides being a material privilege; it teaches us habits of thinking and feeling in terms of the lives of the many, whom, but for the bond of the State, we may not count as our own. The State, like the family, is a school to impart lessons in self-abnegation and to purge the soul of its native passions – thus to prepare it for communion with the Supreme Spirit of all Being, all Activity and all Joy. (Selected Writings of D. V. Gundappa, vol. 5, pp. 44–5)
Patriotism
DVG was a staunch, unabashed patriot. He had translated Bankim Chandra’s soul-stirring song, Vande Mataram into Sanskrit as far back as in 1912. On the eve of Indian independence, he composed a set of twenty-four verses in a grand style, titled Svatantrabhārata Abhinandanastava. Speaking of India’s partition, he said:
In the past Rāma united us by his travel from Ayodhya to Lanka, Aśoka by his deeds of compassion recorded in edicts throughout the country, and Śaṅkarācārya by traversing our whole land on foot. India will be reunited again (Bhāratabhūvandanam, 5).
The most unfortunate development of our age is the denigration of nationalism. DVG’s writings can help us develop positive pride for our country.
Reform
Today in India we proudly assert our civilizational identity. This is very good. At this juncture, it is crucial to adopt the attitude of ‘critical conservatism’ as explained by Prof. M Hiriyanna.+++(4)+++ A careful study of DVG’s works can give depth and direction to our pride. We have much to learn from his insights into timeless concepts such as ṛta, satya, dharma and saundarya. We should strike a healthy balance between past experiences and present aspirations. DVG shows us the way to reconcile tradition and modernity, order and progress, precept and practice, form and content:
Not that the shastras are fundamentally incapable of supplying guidance for to-day. On the other hand, they are wonderfully long-visioned and all-comprehensive in their essentials. Only, we must learn to regard their spirit as more important than their letter.+++(4)+++ We must discover what is implicit in them and re-interpret them, paying more attention to their nodal precepts than to their subsidiary and formalistic requirements. (Selected Writings of D. V. Gundappa, vol. 3, p. 241)
Tradition, scripture, convention, law, – these represent the static elements in every human society. Reason, criticism, experiment, research, – these represent its dynamic elements. A society that does not want either to stagnate and die of inanition, or else to head for anarchy and dissolution, but is anxious to maintain steady and sure-footed progress towards greater health and strength, should take care to keep both these sets of elements alive and constantly operative. They are respectively the brake and the motor-engine to the car of society, both kinds of apparatus being equally indispensable for its safe journey. (Selected Writings of D. V. Gundappa, vol. 3, p. 261)
Every age aspires to progress by shaking off what it thinks is a burden of the past. To this end, it pursues reformation. We should welcome enlightened progress and guard against reform for its own sake. DVG says:
Owing to the complexities of human nature and owing to the obscurities of large parts of our problems, action either in political or in social reform is bound to be a long and slow series of only second-best achievements. (Selected Writings of D. V. Gundappa, vol. 3, p. 212)
Reform should not be simply a kind of aberration from the normal paths of the community. It should be the result of a generally undertaken revision of attitudes and ideals. It should be a process that will sooner or later come to be accepted by the entire bulk of the community. (Selected Writings of D. V. Gundappa, vol. 3, pp. 262–63)
A reform can work as intended only if it has been preceded by a course of public education and discipline for it. In the absence of intellectual and emotional preparation for it, the new regime may break down and become perverted. (Selected Writings of D. V. Gundappa, vol. 6, p. 10)
Disagreements
Before I conclude I would like to briefly discuss a few aspects of DVG’s thoughts that a sincere student of his works might find somewhat inconsistent with his overall body of work. In some writings, DVG appears to portray the past in a spotless light. We might feel that he gives undue credit to the West, especially the British. He appears to posit the existence of a physical God and ignore the ill-effects of the varṇa system. Correctives to these thoughts exist in DVG’s own works. We can resolve the issue of his portrayal of the past by considering it alongside his lifelong endeavour to make the present a better time. He enriched the Kannada language through his works and instilled confidence in our people by the sheer force of his personality, and so we need not blow his views on the British out of proportion. Finally, we can refine his conception of brahman by passing it through the sieve of avasthātraya-viveka, universal experience.
Grace and serenity
To my mind, two words wonderfully capture DVG’s personality: grace and serenity. Incidentally, he considered these virtues as “the highest use of literature.” DVG was serene within himself because he had the wisdom to reconcile the disparity inherent in the world. This internal serenity manifested as grace in conduct. I shall conclude by quoting Śatāvadhānī R Ganesh’s words:
The greatest learning from DVG’s personality … is perhaps the following – celebrate life, value enjoyment more than achievement +++(5)+++, abandon stubbornness, pursue what you love, be grateful for what you have, help people around you as much as you can, find harmony in dichotomy, follow the path of the golden mean, and most important of all, don’t take yourself too seriously. (Introduction to Foggy Fool’s Farrago, p. 52)