appendix c:
biography of sōsale ayya śāstri
Sōsale Kr̥ṣṇasvāmi Śāstri757
757Sōsale Kr̥ṣṇasvāmi Śāstri was the second son of Sōsale Ayya Śāstri. This biography appeared in the Kannaḍa Sāhitya Pariṣad Patrike, 19-3, 1934, p. 281, and was reprinted in Venkaṭasubbayya and Gītācārya [2000].
Plate 37: ¯
Asthānamahāvidvān KavitilakaSōsale Ayya Śāstri (1855–1934).
The photograph is unattributed, but the similarity of the backgrounds in this plate and Plate 10 very clearly suggests that it was taken in the studio of Varadācārya. See footnote 777 regarding the bracelet on his right wrist.
the late āsth ānamah āvidv ān
*“kavitilaka”*sōsale ayya śāstri
*V ēdabrahma“Kavitilaka”*SōsaleAyyaŚāstriwasborninthevillage of sōsale in Tirumak ūḍalu Narasīpura tāll ūkon Thursday, the fiirst bahuḷa tithiof Phālguṇa in the Ānanda saṁvatsaracorresponding to 1776
of the Śakaera (March 20, 1854 C.E.).758 His parents were Vē∥Garaḷapurī Śāstri and ŚrīmatīSubbamma. He was from the Hoysaḷa Karṇāṭakacommunity of *Smārtas,*and was a descendant of Tammaṇṇabhaṭṭa, who had been a minister in the realm of Ānēgondi. He belonged to the Kāśyapa gōtra
and the Drāhyāyaṇa sūtraof the *Sāmavēda;*his father was a renowned poet and mahāvidvāṁsain the court of Kr̥ṣṇarāja Voḍeyar III, and had authored such subtle and exquisite works as the Campūrāmayaṇa Yuddhakāṇḍa, the Kr̥ṣṇabhūpāḻīyam, and the Harihara Stōtra. Vē∥Ayyaśāstri’s father-in-law was Cāmarājanagara Śrīkaṇṭha Śāstri. A śrōtriand a deep Vēdicscholar, he was also an expert on Vēdicrites and rituals, and the author of the grammatical treatise Dhātur ūpa Prakāśikā. Vē∥Ayyaśāstri was the second among his brothers.759 He also had two sisters, named Nañjamma and Sītamma. Although the Śāstri had been named Veṇkaṭasubbaśarma, the name “Ayya”, which his father called him by, became the popular way to address him.
The Śāstri remained in Sōsale in childhood for about six or seven years, and then moved to Mais ūru with his father. After he learned how to read and write, his elementary education proceeded for two or three years under the tutelage of his own father. Following his upanayana, he studied the Sāmavēdaunder Vē∥Magu Śrauti, who was accomplished in śrauticmatters, and had authored the Huṁkāracandrike, a work on the Sāmavēda.760
758This seems to be an error. March 20 corresponds to the fiirst śukla tithiof Phālguṇa of the Ānanda saṁvatsara. The fiirst bahuḷa tithicorresponds to Sunday, March 4, 1855 C.E. It is wise to take the tithias correct, so the date should be Sunday, March 4. The year should be 1855 C.E., rather than 1854 C.E., in either case. This is a widely reproduced error. We note in passing that this biography does not use “Ayyā Śāstri”, but “Ayya Śāstri”, the correct form.
759The three brothers were, in birth order, Aṇṇayya Śāstri, Ayya Śāstri, and Rāmasvāmi Śāstri.
760One was, of course, required to study one’s own Vēdic śākha. Huṁkārais the fiirst of seven bhaktisor segments of a sāmanrecitation. The others are prastāva, udgīta, pratihāra, *upadrava, nidhana,*and praṇava. Syllables such as *huṁ, hā,*and ūare extensively interpolated into the text in Sāmavēdicrecitation as textual and musical fiillers.
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At the time, Vē∥Garaḷapurī Śāstri’s home was indeed a small school devoted to the study of literature. More than twenty or thirty students, both local and from elsewhere, studied such subjects as literature, medicine, and logic with the senior (Garaḷapuri) Śāstri.761 In addition, spirited poetical contests, such as *antarlāpa, bahirlāpa,*and pratidattākṣara, took place regularly.762 A luminary by the name of Periyasvāmi Tirumalācārya had gained the elder Śāstri’s regard and affection owing to his exceptional brilliance, his consummate scholarship, and his poetical abilities. The elder Śāstri sent his son to Periyasvāmi Tirumalācārya for study, requiring him to return occasionally, so that he might evaluate his progress.
Respectfully following his father’s bidding, Vē∥Ayyaśāstri pursued his studies under the ¯
*Acārya,*covering all aspects of literature, including poetry and alaṇkāra, as well as works on grammar and logic, and as directed, presented himself regularly to be tested, both by his father, as well as in Pradoṣapūjaassemblies.
Vē∥Ayyaśāstri also pursued advanced studies for some time with Kumbhakōṇa Śēṣācārya. Just as both his father and Periyasvāmi Tirumalācārya had done, he applied himself to poetical composition even from childhood, soliciting the suggestions of his guru and his father. In his spare time, he learned music and the graphic arts.763 *Vē∥ *Ānandāḷvār (the current head of
the Yatirāja Gurupīṭha, known as Āsūri Anantācārya in his prior āśrama) was his fellow-student.764
761See page 26 and footnote 85. This is the fiirst explicit reference anywhere indicating that Garaḷapurī Śāstri taught logic, in addition to literature and medicine.
762An antarlāpikāis a riddle whose answer is hidden within itself, while a bahirlāpikā’s answer lies outside it. A pratidattākṣarachanges meaning when one syllable is substituted for another in the composition.
763This is clear indication that Ayya Śāstri had expertise in these fiields (also see footnote 226). His name does come up in the context of art and music of the period [Pranesh 2003].
Much of his poetry has been set to music, and his granddaughter Sarōja Veṇkaṭarām, now in her eighties, is still able to sing many of his compositions from memory. Consistent with the regrettable history of indifference of brāhmaṇa families to their own heritage, however, no verifiiable examples of his art appear to have survived. An unsigned painting of his wife Lakṣmīdevamma, clearly copied from her likeness in Plate 32, is in the possession of Anasūyā Śāstri, widow of Ayyā Śāstri’s grandson Veṇkaṭakr̥ṣṇa Śāstri (nicknamed Puṭṭasvāmi). We may speculate that Ayyā Śāstri produced the painting after Lakṣmīdevamma’s death in 1917.
764Ayya Śāstri also knew Saccidānanda Śivābhinava Nr̥simha Bhāratī, the 33rd pontiff of the Śr̥ṇgēri Maṭha, known as Śivasvāmi in his prior *āśrama *(see page 260). In fact, Ayya Śāstri’s grandson ṢR̥Śivasvāmi indicates that his own name had originally been Śivaśaṇkara, but that Ayya Śāstri began to call him Śivasvāmi after the pontiff, and the name stuck.
notes on garaḷapurī śāstri’s family history 337
Cāmarājanagara Śrīkaṇṭha Śāstri arranged for the marriage of his daughter Sau∥Lakṣmīdevamma with Ayya Śāstri in the Akṣaya saṁvatsaracorresponding to 1866 C.E., when the Śāstri was fourteen years old.765 Subsequently, the Śāstri advanced his poetic skills greatly through his association with Cāmarājanagara Rāmaśāstri, his father-in-law’s younger brother.
At the time, AḷiyaLiṇgarāje Arasu, the wealthy royal kinsman, was resident in the street within the Mais ūru fort known as H ūvina Bīdi. He would engage himself in melodious recitation of the Kannaḍa Jaimini Bhārata, study of Saṁskr̥tapoetry, and being poetically talented, in composing small yakṣagānas. Impressed by Garaḷapurī Śāstri’s poetical skills and scholarship in literature, he began studying plays and poetics with him. Basappa Śāstri, who since childhood had been a fellow-student of the Arasu, was also present at these lessons. He became an even greater scholar than the Arasu.
The elder Śāstri often took his son Vē∥Ayya Śāstri with him on visits to the Arasu’s residence. Through his association with the Arasu and Basappa Śāstri, Ayya Śāstri developed a deep interest in Kannaḍa poetry. Yakṣagāna performances were held weekly at the Arasu’s residence. The Arasu and Basappa Śāstri encouraged the younger Śāstri by having him compose poetry in Kannaḍa. The enthusiastic Śāstri directed his scholarly abilities towards the study of numerous literary and grammatical works in Kannaḍa, and thereby greatly enhanced his poetical skills in both Kannaḍa and Saṁskr̥ta.
His fiirst major accomplishment was a campūwork based on the coronation ceremony of Śrī Cāmarājēndra Voḍeyar in 1884. Everyone, including the elder Śāstri, was delighted with the work.766 Around this time, Vē∥
Periyasvāmi Tirumalācārya, who had been a student of Garaḷapurī Śāstri, established the Sadvidyāśāla in the capital city, with the help of scholars and other notables.767 Ayya Śāstri taught here for a number of years. Among his students here were ṀṆKr̥ṣṇarāv, who graced the position of Dīvān, his brother Prof. (retd.) ṀHiriyaṇṇa, AmaldārVeṇkataramaṇa Śrauti, 765This cannot be correct. Ayya Śāstri would have turned fourteen only in 1869 C.E.
766This “elder Śāstri” may be Periyasvāmi Tirumalācārya. It cannot be Garaḷapurī Śāstri, who had died in 1877 C.E. Also, the coronation of Cāmarājēndra Voḍeyar was not in 1884
but in 1881 C.E., as part of the “rendition” restoring the Arasu family’s rule over Mais ūru.
The work alluded to is the Cāmarājēndra Paṭṭābhiṣēka, a campūcomposition in Saṁskr̥ta.
767The Sadvidyāśāla was founded in 1870 C.E., not around 1884. A detailed account of its founding appears in the undated anonymous manuscript the translator discovered in 2008
among Ayya Śāstri’s papers (footnote 184). It has been published by Sāstri [2012, p. 83].
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Br∥Mais ūru Sītārāma Śāstri, and Br∥Narahari Joyisa. He also established a Saṁskr̥taassociation during his well-regarded tenure at this institution.
Vē∥Garaḷapurī Śāstri passed away on the eleventh bahuḷaday of the month of Caitraof the Īśvara saṁvatsara.768 Deeply saddened at his demise, Śrī Cāmarāja Voḍeyar appointed Ayya Śāstri to a position as a palace scholar, charged with editing Kannaḍa works at the Jaganmōhana Printing Press.769
Around this time, that is, in 1887–1888, a Kannaḍa school called Bhāṣōj-jīviṉī was founded in Mais ūru. Many well-known scholars worked at this institution. Ma∥ Rā∥Mallappa invited Ayya Śāstri to teach Kannaḍa at this institution. The Śāstri furthered his scholarship in the company of Kannaḍa scholars here.
ḤḤCāmarāja Voḍeyar appointed the Śāstri, who was well known for his character, his virtues, his appearance, his scholarship, and his poetic abilities, as tutor to the princesses, and directed him to pursue poetic composition in the time that remained. In accordance with the king’s wishes, the Śāstri engaged himself in composing many new literary, musical, and dramatic works, as well as in translations of such works, and gained the respect and regard of the king, his associates, and scholars. Around this time, a learned lady by the name of Jñānasundarī arrived at the court from the region of P ūnā, recited her Saṁskr̥tapoetry, impressed the king and the assembly of scholars at the palace, and gained their regard.770 The king honoured her, 768See page 63 for further details.
769The appointment would have been made by Palace Controller Raṇgācārlu in the name of Cāmarāja Voḍeyar X, who was only fourteen years old at the time. See page 65 and footnote 226 for fascinating details about Ayyā Śāstri’s situation at the time.
770The identity of this lady has long remained a mystery, and indeed, her association with P ūnā (the modern Puṇe) implied here turns out to be misleading. The translator has discovered the following information [in Krishnamachariar and Srinivasachariar 1974]: Jnanasundarī was a dancing girl of Kumbakonam. She lived there and passed away about 1910. She was the pupil of Kuppuswami Sastri of Śrīvatsagotra and was, as she says, the author of several works; of these however only one Hālāsyacamp ū in 6 stabakas has been traced. There are old gentlemen living in the southern districts who remember her discourses, dancing and recitals, well and with delight and R.
Fisher, Bar-at-law, of Madura was her particular patron. She visited the Mysore court and there received the title KAVIRATNA. Her narration of the wedding of Mināksī and Sundareśa makes a pleasant reading. In verse she is fond of alliteration: “madhurīkr̥tagaralatvāt madhurābhikhyā tadādi sā nagarī | nijasīmasthaphaṇitvāt vibhāti *hālāsyanāmataśceha ∥ tasyā lalāṭaḻīnasvāhāpatireva śāntasantāpaḥ| reje kuṁkuma-tilakavyājānn ūnaṁ budhā hi kālavidah. ∥” *
Her Hālāsyacampūwas published in 1906 by the Vidyā Press, Kumbakonam.
notes on garaḷapurī śāstri’s family history 339
while thinking to himself: “Is there nobody at our court capable of defeat-ing her?” The assembly of scholars nominated Ayya Śāstri. Within a week, the Śāstri composed and submitted to the assembly numerous ślōkasof extraordinary merit. The assembly was impressed. The king was pleased. The Śāstri was then honoured. The learned lady, her natural shyness amplifiied, prostrated herself before the Śāstri in the assembly.
A drama company visited Mais ūru from the Sāṇgali region during the reign of Cāmarāja Voḍeyar.771 This company performed several plays in Marāṭhi. Many were impressed, including the king, who resolved to have plays composed and performed in the Kannaḍa language. The king’s Retinue visited Bombay around that time. The Śāstri was directed to accompany the king.
During its sojourn there, the Royal Retinue visited several Pārsi play-houses. The Śāstri had been directed to accompany the Retinue on these occasions, and witnessed the performances with the king. The Śāstri immediately saw what the king had in mind.
After the Royal Retinue returned to Mais ūru, the king had the play Śākuntalawritten by the poet Basappa Śāstri, the play Vikramōrvaśīyawritten by Vē∥Ayya Śāstri, and the play Mr̥cchakaṭikawritten by Nañjanagūḍu Subbāśāstri, all in Kannaḍa, and arranged for them to be performed by a drama company he established. Many plays, including Othello, *Caṇḍakauśika, Pratāpasiṁha Caritre,*and The Merchant of Venicewere translated into Kannaḍa by poets at his court.772 Ayya Śāstri oversaw the operations of this drama company for some time, ensuring its development and growth.
771Sāṇgali is in southern Mahārāṣtra.
772The drama company referred to is the Cāmarājēndra Karnāṭaka Nāṭaka Sabha, established in 1880 C.E. The Abhijñāna Śākuntalaṁand Vikramōrvaśīyaare among the best-known plays of Kālidāsa. The Mr̥cchakaṭikais a play by Śūdraka. These three plays belong to the Saṁskr̥taclassical period. Othellowas translated by Basappa Śāstri as the Śūrasēna *Caritre *(1895), and The Merchant of Venicewas the Pāñcāḻī Pariṇayaby Ānandarāv
[Trivedi and Bartholomeusz 2005]. This reference also lists Śrīkaṇṭhēsa Gauḍa’s Pratāpa *Rudradēva *(1895, Macbeth) and *Pramīḷārjuṉīya *(no date, A Midsummer Night’s Dream), *Hemacandrarāja Vilāsa *(1889, King Lear) by ṀṢPuṭṭaṇṇa, and *Caṇḍī Mardana *(1910, The Taming of the Shrew) by Lakṣmaṇa Rāv. The Caṇḍakauśikais a 10th century play by Kṣemīśvara, and tells the well-known story of the righteous king Harīṣcandra. The original of the Pratāpasiṁha Caritrehas apparently long remained a mystery (see, for example Venkaṭasubbayya and Gītācārya [2000, p. 37]); in his introduction, Ayyā Śāstri merely states it to be a translation of a play originally in the “Hindustāṉī” language. The translator has found several plays with matching titles, but none with matching content.
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He accompanied His Highness on trips to places such as Madrās, Bombay, Calcutta, Kāśi, and Delhi, where he came into contact with scholars, offiicials, and other notables. Consequently, and due to his scholarship, his poetic abilities, and ḤḤCāmarāja’s encouragement, his works attained great renown. He completed such works as the *Śēṣarāmāyaṇa,*the Damayantī Caritre, the *Naḷa Caritre *(play), and the *Pratāpasiṁha Caritre *(play) even during the lifetime of His Highness, and brought them to his notice.
His Highness Cāmarāja Voḍeyar passed away in 1894 C.E. The Śāstri was deeply anguished by this loss. The Regent Queen of the Vāṇī Vilāsa Sannidhāna appointed the Śāstri instructor to her children, who are now the king and the Yuvarāja.773 At this time, the Śāstri composed many ślokas in Kannaḍa and Saṁskr̥tasuitable for the purpose, and taught them to his royal disciples and their fellow-students.
The Śāstri remained Kannaḍa and Saṁskr̥tainstructor to His Highness and the Yuvarāja till 1901 C.E. He later became instructor in the Lakṣmīvilāsa Sannidhāna.774 At this time he also taught at the Royal School for the grandchildren of ŚrīVāṇī Vilāsa Sannidhāna. The queen Mahāmātr̥śrī Vāṇī Vilāsa Sannidhāna had deep regard for the Śāstri, and often had him recount stories from the *Purāṇas,*which she listened to respectfully.
The Śāstri helped Mr B.ḶRice edit the Karṇāṭaka Śabdānuśāsana.775
He was also a member of the textbook committee from the time of Mr Bhābha until 1920 C.E.776 He also performed editorial work on the Karṇā-ṭaka Kāvyakalānidhiseries.
773These children would be His Highness Kr̥ṣṇarāja Voḍeyar IV and Yuvarāja Kaṇṭhīrava Narasiṁharāja Voḍeyar. Also see page 115.
774ḤḤLakṣmīvilāsa Sannidhāna was the princess Sri Pratāpa Kumārī Ammaṇṇi Avaru (b. 1889), who married ḤḤKr̥ṣṇarāja Voḍeyar IV in 1900 C.E., in what is surely a surprising alliance. She was the youngest daughter of Raṇa Srī Bane Sinhji Sāhib, Rāṇa Sāhib of Vana in the Kaṭhiavār region of present-day Gujarāt state. At the time, Maisūru was one of the largest and most signifiicant Indian states, but Vana appears to have been a minor tāl ūkof Jhālwār prānt, in the Kāṭhiavār Agency, comprising a mere three villages. In 1901 C.E., it had a total population of 2,600 and a total revenue of just 26,000 *R ūpīs *[Gazetteer 1908, p. 164].
In his prime, Kr̥ṣṇarāja Voḍeyar IV is said to have been the world’s wealthiest man, with a personal fortune of $56 billion at current values.
775The Karṇāṭaka Śabdānuśāsanais a classical work on Kannaḍa grammar by Bhaṭṭākalaṇka Dēva. The edition by B.ḶRice appeared in 1890 C.E.
776See footnote 335.
notes on garaḷapurī śāstri’s family history 341
He solicited criticism of his poetical works from his relative ¯
A∥ Ma∥
Vi∥ BrahmaśrīCāmarājanagara Rāmaśāstri, and his friends, such as BrahmaśrīLakṣmīnarasiṁha Śāstri, Ma∥ Rā∥B. Mallappa, Vē∥ Br∥Timmappayya Śāstri, and Karṇāṭa Bhāṣāratnaṁ Ma∥ Rā∥P. R̥Karibasava Śāstri.
The king endowed him with the titles Mahāvidvānin 1905 and Kavitilakain 1912.777 To celebrate these titles and to express their appreciation to the king, his friends felicitated him in a celebration held in the Raṇgācārlu Memorial Hall in the capital city. Starting 1913, he served as a member of the Maharāja’s Saṁskr̥taCollege Committee for three years, and contributed greatly to its growth and advancement. He later served for three years on the committee to advance Saṁskr̥taeducation, and assisted greatly in improving the quality of Saṁskr̥taeducation. Dr. Brajēndranāth Śīla invited him to deliver three lectures on Kannaḍa literature at the University of Mais ūru.778 He became a member of the Karṇāṭaka Sāhitya Pariṣad in 1914.
He contributed greatly to the establishment of the Bālabōdhiṉī school within the Mais ūru fort in 1894–1895. This school was founded due to the joint efforts of such persons as Ma∥ Rā∥Veṇkaṭakr̥ṣnayya, Ma∥ Rā∥
Ambaḷe Aṇṇayya Paṇḍita, Ma∥ Rā∥Biḍadi Muddurāja Arasu, and Ma∥
Rā∥Nañjuṇḍa Rāja Arasu. Following the suggestion of Rāv Bahādūr Ambil Narasiṁhayyaṇgār, a great promoter of women’s education in Mais ūru, he composed many poems and songs suitable for a girl’s school. Many of these compositions appear in the Bālikā Gīta Muktākalāpa, but without specifiic attribution to him.
His Works:
In Kannaḍa: (1) *Śēṣa Rāmayaṇa *( ṣaṭpadī mahākāvya), (2) *Maisūru Ma-hārāja Caritaṁ *( campū mahākāvyain old Kannaḍa), (3) Vikramōrvaśīya 777In 1912, Ayyā Śāstri was bestowed with the title Kavitilakaand a gold bracelet having a bejewelled medallion with the Mais ūru royal emblem, comprising the two-headed gaṇḍabheruṇḍabird and the motto *“satyameva uddharāmyaham” *. Ayyā Śāstri bequeathed this bracelet to his son Gōpālasvāmi in his will, asking that it be preserved in his memory. It remains in the family, but has now been converted into a necklace with the medallion as pendant. It is in the possession of Usha Uday, daughter-in-law of ṢG. Rāmacandra (son of Gōpālasvāmi, Ayyā Śāstri’s son) and Maṇgaḷāmbā (daughter of Rukmiṇī and Dr Śāmaṇṇa, respectively Cāmarājanagara Śrīkaṇṭha Śāstri’s granddaughter and Ayyā Śāstri’s grandson).
778Brajēndranāth Śīla was a well-known philosopher, humanist and thinker, and a close associate of many leading Beṇgāli fiigures of the time, including Rabīndranāth Tagore and Svāmi Vivekānanda. He became Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mysore in 1921.
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(play translated from Saṁskr̥ta), (4) *Rāmāyaṇa *(play), (5) Naḷa Caritre (play), (6) *Pratāpasiṁha Caritre *(play), (7) *Damayantī Caritre *(poem in ṣaṭpadīmetre), (8) *Yakṣapraśńe *(poem in ṣaṭpadīmetre), (9) *Rājabhakti Laharī *(poem in ṣaṭpadīmetre).
In Saṁskr̥ta: (1) *Cāmarājēndra Paṭṭābhiṣeka *( campū), (2) *Kr̥ṣṇāmbā Pariṇaya *( campū).
Edited Works: (1) *Karṇāṭaka Śabdānuśāsana *(2) Karṇāṭaka Kādambarī, (3) Nāgarasana Karṇāṭaka Bhagavadgīte, (4) Karṇāṭaka Vacana Bhārata In addition, he composed many smaller works such as the Daśastōtra, the
¯
Aśīrvacana Pañcaka, the Bhagavatpādācārya Praśaṁse, as the time and occasion demanded.779 He also served as a judge for the poetry competition that His Highness organized in 1925. The Government Department of Education and palace offiicials would often send him books for review.
Over the last couple of years, his body greatly weakened, he had organized all his personal affairs, and devoting himself to his daily observances and rituals, and distancing himself from worldly matters and discontinuing his regular visits to the palace entirely, he had immersed himself in japaand meditation, and remaining a strong saṁnyāsiwithin though seeming externally as if a weakened child, he continued full of dignity and effulgence, and at last, unbowed and resolute, he departed this physical body and reached the lotus-feet of Bhagavantaon the fourth śuddha tithiof the month of Vaiśākha in the Bhāva *saṁvatsara *(April 17, 1934).
His was a large family. Including his four sons, fiive daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, more than sixty persons continue their lives with the blessings of the Śāstri.780
779The Daśastōtrais the well-known composition beginning “Svāmi dēvane lōka pālane *te namōstu namostu te” *, which was used as a school prayer for decades in Karṇāṭaka. It was also used as a song in the Kannaḍa movie *School Master *(1958).
780Ayya Śāstri’s children were: Veṇkaṭalakṣamma (“Akkayya”, w/oVeṇkaṭaramaṇayya of Dēvarāyanadurga), Jānakīamma (married Mattig ūḍu Vāsudēva Śāstri), Veṇkaṭasubbamma (“Ajjubu”, w/oVeṇkaṭanarasiṁhayya), Mīnākṣīamma, Garaḷapurī Śāstri ([1888–1955], h/o Veṇkaṭasubbamma, gd/oof Cāmarājanagara Śrīkaṇṭha Śāstri), Kr̥ṣṇasvāmi Śāstri ( h/oSubbamma, and author of this biography), Rāmasvāmi Śāstri ([July 17, 1892–September 9, 1973], h/oSītamma [September 21, 1904–December 17, 1991], d/oof ṀṢPuṭṭaṇṇa), Viśālākṣamma (“Śālamma”, tragically widowed in childhood), and Gōpālasvāmi Śāstri.