Kāleju Baravaṇigè (‘College Writings’)
Rajarathnam gave ample opportunities to his students to showcase their talents through publications like Namma Bendre, Namma Nammavaru, and Bāla-sarasvati.
One among his many achievements was to inspire students to write, followed by editing and polishing their articles, finally leading to the publication of Kāleju Baravaṇigè. The finesse he demonstrated in teaching also showed up in organizing and executing extra-curricular activities. The diligence and care he showed in everything – organizing events, organizing essay writing or debate competitions, publishing, maintaining official records – is rare to see even in huge organizations that have numerous employees at their disposal. When V Si. remarked, “Rajarathnam has considered his participation in the activities of the Karnataka Sangha as a sacred inviolable vow,” it was no exaggeration.
Devotion and Finesse
As an orator Rajarathnam earned widespread fame. The reasons for this were his style of exposition and a booming voice. However, one reason stood above all these: his preparation. To deliver a talk spanning half an hour, he would spend multiple hours in study and deliberate on the topic in detail. This diligent study, which was invisible to the audience, was the main foundation [of his skill as an orator]. This devotion and finesse came naturally to him. His sense of humour and comic timing hid the herculean effort that went through the preparation. He would be present at the venue on the dot, even if it required him to leave home three hours earlier and the commute required him to change three to four buses.
People who knew him for decades didn’t find any change in his personality. His enthusiasm remained unimpaired even in his twilight years. Misfortunes couldn’t diminish his workaholic nature. Probably these lines from the Dhammapada, which he remembered time to time, was the key to his undimmed youthfulness –
मनसा चे पसन्नेन
भासति वा करोति वा ।
ततो नं सुखमन्वेति
छाया व अनपायिनी ॥[If one speaks and works
with a clear mind,
peace follows him/her
like an undeparting shadow]
His life philosophy is best gleaned from his own words –
“In life both happiness and sorrow are inevitable, unavoidable. The wretched in times of sorrow become disheartened. The firm and steadfast laugh at the misfortune, thus decreasing the weight of the situation!”
ತಾಂಬೂಲಕೆ ನಾನಾ ಫಲ,
ಹೊರಗೆ ಕರಟ ಒಳಗೆ ಜಲ
ನನ್ನ ನೋಡಿ ನೀನು ಕಲಿ,
ನನ್ನ ಹಾಗೆ ನೀನು ಬೆಳಿ[Coconut for tāmbūla
Hard shell outside, sweet juice inside
Look at me and learn,
You too grow like me!]
An Award
An instance from Rajarathnam’s Nūru-puṭaṇi (A Hundred Little Ones). Some elders showed Rajarathnam to a child who was around five or six years old and instructed him, “You should become like this gentleman when you grow up!” The next time when it was the child’s turn to visit the saloon for a haircut, he opted for a ‘summer cut.’ This was an innocent child’s award to Rajarathnam who liked his poem!
ಕವಿ ಬೋಳು ತಲೆಯವನು
ಬಂತು ಪದಕ ಪವನು
ಹೊಗಳಿದರು, ಹಾಡಿದರು, ಹುಚ್ಚು ಹಿಡಿಸಿದರು.
ಬಾಲ ಬಿಚ್ಚಲು ತೊಡಗಲಲ್ಲೆ ಮಡಿಸಿದರು
ಬಂತೊಂದು ಹೊಸ ಮೆಚ್ಚು
ಮಿಕ್ಕೆಲ್ಲಕ್ಕೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು –
ಮಗುವೊಂದು ಕವಿಯಾಗಬಯಸಿದಂದು
ಬಯಸಿ ತನ್ನೆಳೆಗುರುಳ ಕುಯಿಸಿದಂದು![The aged poet of bald pate
Won numerous awards and fame
They praised him and sung paens, made him go mad with fame
As he became haughty they cut him down to size
Then came a new appreciation
Better than everything before
When a child wanted to emulate him,
and opted to cut his tender locks for that!]
Appendix: Important Milestones of GPR’s Life
| Date/Time | Milestones |
|---|---|
| 5th December 1908 | Birth |
| 1928 | Completion of BA, started writing, first marriage |
| 1931 | B M Sri gold medal awarded for his poem “tāre”. Completion of MA. Published his first book, Soligara Sidda mattu Nenapu (Soliga Sidda and memories) |
| 1932 | Published Cīnādeśada bauddha-yātrikaru, Gaṇḍu-goḍali, Tuttūri, and Yeṇḍkuḍka Ratna |
| 1933 | Father’s death. Devaraja Bahadur Award for Cīnādeśada bauddha-yātrikaru |
| 1934 | Death of his first wife Lalitamma. Second marriage |
| 1935 | Devaraja Bahadur Award for Ratnana Padagaḻu |
| 1937 | Devaraja Bahadur Award for Buddha-vacana-paricaya |
| 1938 | Joined University of Mysore as a lecturer. President of the writers’ symposium of Bellary Sahitya Sammelana |
| 1939 | Published Hattu-varuṣa (Ten Years) and Namma-nammavaru, a collection of student writings |
| 1940 | Published Mahākavi Puruṣa-sarasvati |
| 1942 | Established Gandhi Sahitya Sangha |
| 1945 | President of the writers’ symposium of Rabakavi Sahitya Sammelana |
| 1952 | Started working in Karnataka Sangha, Central College (till 1964). Published Nāgana Padagaḻu |
| 1957 | ‘Rajarathnam’ felicitation volume published/dedicated by his students |
| 1964 | Retirement |
| 1967 | Death of his second wife Sitamma |
| 1968 | Sixtieth Birthday |
| 1969 | Severe health problems. Felicitation in Malleswaram, dedication of the money obtained by book sale. Namma Rajarathnam published. Receives the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award. |
| 1970 | Karnataka Rajyotsava Award |
| 1971 | President of the Dakshina Kannada district Sahitya Sammelana in Karkala, president of the Shivamogga district Sahitya Sammelana in Hombuja. |
| 1972 | A Na Kru memorial volume ‘Snehada Dīpa’ published |
| 1973 | Vicāra Raṣmi published |
| 1975–77 | Nirbhayāgraphy published as nine episodes |
| 1977 | Honorary D. Litt. awarded by the University of Mysore |
| 1978 | President of the Delhi Sahitya Sammelana. Kandana Kāvyamāle published |
| 1979 | President of the children’s literature symposium in Dharmasthala Sahitya Sammelana |
| 13th March 1979 | Death |
(Credit: Ārada Beḻaku by Nilattahalli Kasturi, 1980)
