Gopalakrishna Adiga
Encyclopedia
Mogeri Gopalakrishna Adiga was one of the majors figures in modern Kannada poetry
. He is known as the "pioneer of New style" poetry.
State. After primary education in Mogeri and Baindooru, he went to high school in Kundapur, 14 miles away from his village. His education would have ended after high school, but for the foresight of his aunt, who, against the will of other family members, gave moral and monetary support for his college studies. Thus, Adiga went to Mysore and earned his BA (Hons) in English from Maharaja College, University of Mysore
.
After several minor jobs in Karnataka, Adiga worked at Sharada Vilas College in Mysore as lecturer in English from 1948 to 1952, during which time he completed a master’s degree from Nagpur University. He also served at St. Philomena College in Mysore for ten years. In the mid 1960s, he became Principal at the newly created Lal Bahadur Shashtri College in Sagara
, and later at Poorna Prajna College in Udupi.
As editor of Saakshi magazine he helped bring Kannada literature
to the masses.
, and from 1968 until 1971 he was Principal of Poorna College in Udupi. He later worked as the Deputy Director for the National Book Trust of India.
Adiga was a prolific poet, uncompromising critic and a profound thinker. Through his essays, translations and poems, Adiga’s influence on the modern Indian literature
has been felt for over five decades. He has been rightly called the doyen of the "naveena saahitya chaluvali" (the “modernist literary movement”). Although Adiga taught English literature, he wrote almost exclusively in Kannada, except for a single poem in English on Rabindranath Tagore
in 1961. It seems that he wrote this at the request of M.N.Roy for the Radical Humanist magazine.
from British rule
in 1947. The style called Navya was generally about the new times. Inspired by modern Western literature
and Indian tradition, he set out to portray the "disillusionment and angst of the times". His work illustrated the dreams and thoughts of the middle class and the beginning of an individual spirit.
Translating Adiga into any language remains a daunting proposition, undertaken only by a few scholars, such as A. K. Ramanujan
, M. G. Krishnamoorthy, Rajeev Taranath
, Sumateendra Nadig, and M. K. Anil. Recently, Dr. Nadig brought out Selected Poems, Gopalakrishna Adiga (2007), a work commissioned by Bharatiya Sahitya Parishat (Indian Academy of Literature.)
Besides the rarity of his translated works into English, Adiga’s anonymity is in part be due to his unique, uncompromising personality. He loathed self promotion and propaganda. Honest to the core, Adiga was most comfortable “behind the leaves” rather than in the limelight. In life, as in his poetry, Adiga never promoted himself. His never-bending stance in life and poetry is revealed in his 1957 poem Prarthane (Prayer).
Prayer
Lord,
plying the well-known pumps of heraldic praise
your hirelings bend double; others, gouty wagtails,
lick the land for crumbs; one snuffs his candle out
and seeks like a eunuch leech
the warm marshes in the cracks of light;
another sissy gives his back to the time-fed rumps
and sheathes his dagger deep.
Lord,
I am not of these.
—In Prarthane (Prayer, 1957)
To leave behind everything we have and to yearn towards freedom from the bondage of life and mind.
Kannada poetry
Kannada poetry is poetry written in the Kannada language spoken in Karnataka. Karnataka is the land that gave birth to eight Jnanapeeth award winners, the highest honour bestowed for Indian literature...
. He is known as the "pioneer of New style" poetry.
Early life
Born in an orthodox, scholarly, Brahmin family in the coastal village of Mogeri, Udupi district, in KarnatakaKarnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
State. After primary education in Mogeri and Baindooru, he went to high school in Kundapur, 14 miles away from his village. His education would have ended after high school, but for the foresight of his aunt, who, against the will of other family members, gave moral and monetary support for his college studies. Thus, Adiga went to Mysore and earned his BA (Hons) in English from Maharaja College, University of Mysore
University of Mysore
The University of Mysore , is a public university in India. The University founded during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore, and was conceptualized on the basis of a report on educational progress in the United States and Australia, submitted by Messrs Thomas Denham and...
.
After several minor jobs in Karnataka, Adiga worked at Sharada Vilas College in Mysore as lecturer in English from 1948 to 1952, during which time he completed a master’s degree from Nagpur University. He also served at St. Philomena College in Mysore for ten years. In the mid 1960s, he became Principal at the newly created Lal Bahadur Shashtri College in Sagara
Sagara, India
Sâgara is a city located in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located within the Western Ghats range, it is known for its proximity to Jog Falls and to the historical places of Ikkeri and Keladi. Varadamoola, the origin of the river Varada, is also near Sagara...
, and later at Poorna Prajna College in Udupi.
As editor of Saakshi magazine he helped bring Kannada literature
Kannada literature
Kannada literature is the corpus of written forms of the Kannada language, a member of the Dravidian family spoken mainly in the Indian state of Karnataka and written in the Kannada script....
to the masses.
Family
Adiga's wife, Lalita, currently lives in Bangalore. She is survived by 5 children and 9 grandchildren.Work
In the early 1950s and '60s Adiga was a teacher in Mysore. From 1964 until 1968 he was the principal of Lal Bahadur College in SagaraSagara, India
Sâgara is a city located in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located within the Western Ghats range, it is known for its proximity to Jog Falls and to the historical places of Ikkeri and Keladi. Varadamoola, the origin of the river Varada, is also near Sagara...
, and from 1968 until 1971 he was Principal of Poorna College in Udupi. He later worked as the Deputy Director for the National Book Trust of India.
Adiga was a prolific poet, uncompromising critic and a profound thinker. Through his essays, translations and poems, Adiga’s influence on the modern Indian literature
Indian literature
Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Republic of India has 22 officially recognized languages....
has been felt for over five decades. He has been rightly called the doyen of the "naveena saahitya chaluvali" (the “modernist literary movement”). Although Adiga taught English literature, he wrote almost exclusively in Kannada, except for a single poem in English on Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
in 1961. It seems that he wrote this at the request of M.N.Roy for the Radical Humanist magazine.
Style
His style has been described as a response to the independence of IndiaIndian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
from British rule
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
in 1947. The style called Navya was generally about the new times. Inspired by modern Western literature
Western literature
Western literature refers to the literature written in the languages of Europe, including the ones belonging to the Indo-European language family as well as several geographically or historically related languages such as Basque, Hungarian, and so forth...
and Indian tradition, he set out to portray the "disillusionment and angst of the times". His work illustrated the dreams and thoughts of the middle class and the beginning of an individual spirit.
Translating Adiga into any language remains a daunting proposition, undertaken only by a few scholars, such as A. K. Ramanujan
A. K. Ramanujan
Attipat Krishnaswami Ramanujan was a scholar of Indian literature who wrote in both English and Kannada. Ramanujan wore many hats as a Indian poet, scholar and author, those of a philologist, folklorist, translator, poet and playwright. His academic research ranged across five languages: Tamil,...
, M. G. Krishnamoorthy, Rajeev Taranath
Rajeev Taranath
Rajeev Taranath is an Indian classical musician who plays the sarod. Taranath is a disciple of Ali Akbar Khan.-Career:...
, Sumateendra Nadig, and M. K. Anil. Recently, Dr. Nadig brought out Selected Poems, Gopalakrishna Adiga (2007), a work commissioned by Bharatiya Sahitya Parishat (Indian Academy of Literature.)
Besides the rarity of his translated works into English, Adiga’s anonymity is in part be due to his unique, uncompromising personality. He loathed self promotion and propaganda. Honest to the core, Adiga was most comfortable “behind the leaves” rather than in the limelight. In life, as in his poetry, Adiga never promoted himself. His never-bending stance in life and poetry is revealed in his 1957 poem Prarthane (Prayer).
Prayer
Lord,
plying the well-known pumps of heraldic praise
your hirelings bend double; others, gouty wagtails,
lick the land for crumbs; one snuffs his candle out
and seeks like a eunuch leech
the warm marshes in the cracks of light;
another sissy gives his back to the time-fed rumps
and sheathes his dagger deep.
Lord,
I am not of these.
—In Prarthane (Prayer, 1957)
Works
- Bhavataranga - 1946
- Ananthe - 1954 (novel)
- Bhoomi Geetha - 1959
- Mannina Vasane (book of essays) - 1966
- Vardhamana - 1972
- Idanna Bayasiralilla (poems) - 1975
- Samagra Kavya (collection of poems) - 1976
- http://sirinudi.org/Sakshi/sakshi.html Sakshi (Magazine) - 1962
Quotes
- "ಇರುವುದೆಲ್ಲವ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಇರದುದರೆಡೆಗೆ ತುಡಿವುದೆ ಜೀವನ" (Iruvudellava bittu iradudaredege tudivude jeevana)
To leave behind everything we have and to yearn towards freedom from the bondage of life and mind.
- ಮೌನ ತಬ್ಬಿತು ನೆಲವ" (mouna tabbitu nelava)
See also
- Kannada languageKannada languageKannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
- Kannada literatureKannada literatureKannada literature is the corpus of written forms of the Kannada language, a member of the Dravidian family spoken mainly in the Indian state of Karnataka and written in the Kannada script....
- Kannada poetryKannada poetryKannada poetry is poetry written in the Kannada language spoken in Karnataka. Karnataka is the land that gave birth to eight Jnanapeeth award winners, the highest honour bestowed for Indian literature...
- Gopalakrishna BharathiGopalakrishna BharathiGopalakrishna Bharati was a Tamil poet and a composer of Carnatic music. He wrote a katAkALatcEpam , NantanAr Carittiram , two other works in this genre, and many independent kritis....