A widely acclaimed effort by this medical practitioner to make this classic work of Kannada Literature, accessible to English readers.Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style.December 2007).It is widely regarded as a masterpiece among the Kannada speaking population of southern India, and is referred to as the Bhagavad Gita in Kannada.
The title of this work can be translated as Song of Mankuthimma. Kagga is a collection of 945 poems, each being four lines in length. Some of these poems are written in old Kannada style (halegannada). Thus, Kagga advises us to follow the middle path while extending one hand towards the Ultimate Truth and the other hand to the phenomenal world. The following are but a few of the poems that are quite well known to people familiar with Kannada literature. The song says, be humble like a blade of grass at the foot of the mountain and spread your fragrance like a gentle jasmine flower. The metaphor of gentle blade of grass at the foot of the mountain is very profound. When the rain pours over the mountains, when the mighty winds blow, the tall trees on the mountains may fall down, but the gentle blade of grass will bend and survive. The tall trees are too proud to bend and surrender to the winds, whereas the humble blade of grass will bend and surrender to the mighty wind. Selected Dialy Verses Of Mankutimmana Kagga How To Survive ByThus this song imparts to us one of the secrets of life, which lies in learning how to survive by understanding the humbleness of the gentle blade of grass. This poem says, do not always stand firm like a proud, tall tree, but bend like a gentle blade of grass when the winds blow. But, when fate brings its share of difficulties, be ready to face them like a rock. Be gentle and send your fragrance in all directions like the jasmine flower, but also learn to face the difficulties like a rock. Be strong, yet be compassionate to the poor, weak and down-trodden. In the last line, this poem tells us to lead a harmonious life by becoming one with all people. The poem explains in simple poetic images one of the messages of the Bhagavad Gita: samatwam, or balance in life (SAMATWAM YOGA UCCHATE). Its unique feature is that the author has revived the context-based divisions of the verses as adopted in the very early editions of the Mankutimmana Kagga, adding a distinctiveness to the divisions through his vast experience and deep-rooted study of the work. The book is internally classified into four chapters, titled Antharanga (Inner world), Jeevanadhi (River of Life), Chaithanya (Spirit) and Neethisutragalu (Moral rules). A distinctive feature of the division is that the classification is based on the commonness of the message delivered in the verses. It not only provides a short and relevant commentary of the verses but also provides meanings for the difficult words used in the verses and suggests the best way of splitting the compound phrases. In the end, the author provides an insight into DVGs other works which convey many valuable thoughts that are worth remembering and applying in life. The author also lists short phrases from the verses, termed as Thimma Guruvina Sutragalu, which by themselves convey the various vagaries and nuances of life and the best way to deal with them and lead a contented life.
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