MV Nadkarni, former Vice-Chancellor of Gulbarga University and author of the book ‘Vacanamrtam – Nectar of Sayings, Selected Vacanas of Siva’ | Photo credit:
The 11th and 12th century Shiva Sharan’s verses are considered to be Karnataka’s greatest contribution to Indian thought and literature. Some scholars have translated them from Kannada to English, but 85-year-old economist and writer Mangesh Venkatesh Nadkarni’s trilingual version of the verses stands out because he has translated them into Sanskrit and English.
Prof. Nadkarni, former Vice Chancellor of Gulbarga University and author of over 40 books and 150 research articles in academic journals, has written the book. Vacanamrtam – the nectar of sayings, the chosen Vacanas of Shiva’s devotees (2024), published by Manipal Universal Press.
He said that the authors of recitals have yet to eradicate the social evils that they slander and fight against by making them relevant. “The wordsmiths were way ahead of their time,” he said. Original words sThose selected for translation are presented in Roman script with diacritical marks for the benefit of those who speak Kannada but cannot read the script.
From the works of Kalburgi
Besides translating the works of Basaveshwara, Allama Prabhu, and Akka Mahadevi, Prof. Nadkarni has selected 34 other Vachankaras, some of which are not so familiar even to Kannada readers. He has selected 320 words Out of 21,788 koshas collected by Kannada writer late MM Kalburgi.
Vachanas in Kannada, including the post-Basavanna eras from the 12th century onwards, can be translated as ‘sayings’, which are poems in free verse, rich in literary value, moral and philosophical content, and independent and bold in thought.
Vacanamrtam – the nectar of sayings, the chosen Vacanas of Shiva’s devotees By Mangesh Venkatesh Nadkarni Photo credit:
Having served as Professor at ISEC, Bangalore for many years, Prof. Nadkarni said, “Without the visionary and energetic leadership of Basavanna, Veerashaivism would not have achieved its present mass base and influence in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.”
The author states that Basavanna’s popularity was so high even in his own time that he attracted not only the working class but also the elite – Vaishnava and Shaiva Brahmins and the Jains and trading communities in his movement. Basavanna found the caste system and rituals repulsive, and he rejected his Brahmin origins and embraced Veerashaivism early in his life. Basavanna was proselytizing and successfully converted many to Lingayats.
In the 354-page book, Prof. Nadkarni has chosen a middle ground between literal translation and transcreation. His translation is not mechanical or literal. it is constructionism – A translation of intent, spirit or essence, but true to the original.
Retired IAS officer Chiranjeev Singh, in his opening remarks, says Prof Nadkarni treated “Lingayatism as a part of mainstream Hinduism”. But Mr. Singh believes that “Lingayatism is a separate religion like Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism, but all of them are part of the overall Sanatana Dharma. Those who consider Lingayatism as a separate religion like SM Jamadar have given the example of Sikhism to make their case. Debate on this question continues.
from underprivileged communities
Prof. who established the first academic department of ecological economics in India. Nadkarni said that most of the composers of Vachan came from underprivileged backgrounds with little or no formal education, and yet their compositions possessed a unique sophistication and depth of expression, emotion, and thought. The recitals flagged their social concerns and awareness of discrimination against disadvantaged castes. “Equally remarkable is the amazing relevance of the words to the problems of the present day, and the need to constantly learn from them.”
Despite its inclusion, the author wonders why Veerashaivism could not absorb all Dalits in Karnataka and why Dalit communities continue to be exploited in society at large.
published – December 15, 2024 at 11:28 pm IST