SAMSKRITA IN KARNATAKA Earlier the state of Karnataka was known by its puranic name Kuntala. Inscriptional evidences are available to earmark the advent of SAMSKRITA language and literature into Karnataka. Early inscriptions found in Karnataka from the 3rd Century B.C to 4th Century A.D. are mostly in Prakrita. Halmidi inscription is the earliest Kannada record, which contains many chaste Samskrita expressions. Its mangala is mainly in Samskrita. The Talagunda inscription (450 A.D), of king Shantivarma, was written by the famous poet Kubja. This is the first Samskrita inscription of Karnataka. The Aihole prasasti, dated 637 A.D, is the next most important Samskrita inscription of Karnataka. It was composed by one Ravikirti. It mentions the names of Samskrita poets like Kalidasa and Bharavi. It is important to note that, in the early archaeological history of Karnataka from 5th Century A.D. to 7th A.D, Samskrita inscriptions were more in number. We have bilingual inscriptions which are written in both Kannada and Samskrita. Such inscriptions belong to the periods of the Kadambas, Hoysalas, Gangas and the Chalukyas. Many Samskrita inscriptions also contain Kannada statements, while referring to the boundaries of a gifted land and certain other gifted articles. From the times of king Nrupatunga onwards the inscriptions in Kannada were more in number. But the rise of Vijayanagara Kingdom saw the upsurge of inscriptions written in Samskrita. We can observe ornate Samskrita being used in the inscriptional literature of Karnataka, which adopted Samskrita for its recordings. Research on the early history of Kannada language and literature does not shed much light on the influence of Samskrita language and literature up on it, before the composition of Kavirajamarga by king Nrupatunga. Prakrita was the language of writing for the early Jaina writers of Karnataka. Writing in Kannada came to the fore only around 9th Cent. A.D. The Jaina scholars of Karnataka wrote many works in Prakrita and Samskrita, before venturing their Kannada works. It was a period when scholars of Vedic religion were very active in adding their literature in Samskrita both in Karnataka as well as in other parts of India. But the Jaina scholars of Karnataka started writing in Kannada only at a later period. There arose the necessity of a syncretic style, in which both Samskrita and Kannada languages were inseparably woven. Thus Samskrita words made their entry both in the literary form and spoken word of Kannada language and literature. From their onwards Kannada language and literature
took
into
their
fold
the
Adhibhautika
(elemental),
Adhidaivika
(celestial/mythological) and Adhyatmika (spiritual) essence of Samskrita language and
literature. The extent of Samskrita partnership in vocabulary, grammatical devices, poetic practices and literary style thus became evident in Kannada and has been worked out by bilingual scholars from time to time. Linguistically Kannada is a language belonging to the Dravidian group, where as Prakrita and Samskrita belong to the Indo-Aryan group. In the matter of basic structure and habits of these languages the basic differences are innate but somehow, in view of the long association of Kannada with Prakrita its influence was strategic in the first phase and of Samskrita in a second one. As regards vocabulary, grammar and literary expressions they evolved accordingly. Prakrita was almost the scholar’s language in Karnataka, primarily for the purposes of religious works and to some extent literary works also, until the advent of Bhadrabhahu. Later the Jaina scholars switched over to write in Samskrita and Kannada as per their timely exigencies. Thus a large number of words in Kannada, were borrowed from Prakrita, in their Tadbhava form.
But later on a more number of words in Tatsama increased in their
vocabulary due to the influence of Samskrita. In this context the language of the ancient Kannada text Vaddaradhane requires our attention.
In this work written in Kannada
(following the Bruhatkatha model) more Tadbhava words are used than Tatsama words, to avoid Samskrita words being used. Hence borrowing from Prakrita was accepted as a fact by the time of writing Vaddaradhane and even a few centuries earlier to it. Consequent to Jaina writers switching over to write in Samskrita and then on to Kannada, the borrowing of Tatsama words directly from Samskrita became more and more. This aspect of borrowing more tatsama words of Samskrita origin, was probably protested and writers were made to stick-on to Tadbhava words of Prakrita origin. But historically it is evident that there was a general tendency to pick Tatsama words of Samskrita origin and thus the Kannada vocabulary of later centuries developed greater contacts with Samskrita than with Prakrita. Bhashabhushana (by Nagavarman) was the first available work on Kannada grammar and this was in Samskrita. But the next work in Kannada grammar i.e., Shabdamanidarpana was written in Kannada only. Shabdanushasana is another epoch-making work on Kannada grammar.
This work ascribed to Bhattakalanka is very elaborate and scholarly.
To
structurally analyze the Kannada language the said works employ a methodology, which was closely akin to the one employed in Samskrita grammar. The terminology, i.e., nama, dhatu, kriya, karaka, vibhakti and others, was the same. The structural tools like syntax, semantics
and others were also similar to the Samskrita methodology. But a close look will also bring into focus the influence of Shakatayana & Jainendra schools upon the said Kannada grammatical works. Thus the Kannada grammarians understood the complexity of Kannada as a dravidian language and developed tools suiting to it, but they took the specific rules of grammar from Samskrita as well as Prakrita. They have shown a special linguistic insight in mixing well some grammatical peculiarities of both Samskrita and Prakrita, while remodeling Kannada language. We have many inscriptions of Karnataka where in the language is Kannada but the script is Devanagari and vice versa.
But basically the scripts of Kannada and
Samskrita/Prakrita were entirely different. While the one was called Devanagari, the script of the other language namely Kannada, was developed on Brahmiscript. The Brahmi was a pan-Indian script and it has two branches North-Brahmi and South-Brahmi. The Kannada script had observable changes in every three centuries. The bifurcation between the present Kannada script at source stage and the present Devanagari script at source stage, appears to have taken place, very much earlier. However, the older Samskrita manuscripts of Karnataka, belonging to South of Karnataka are in old Kannada / Telugu / Grantha / Tigala scripts, but not in Nandinagari / Devanagari. Devanagari script became more current in Karnataka after the advent of printing. The earlier Samskrita works printed were either in Kannada or Telugu scripts. The same was the case in respect of Samskrita works printed in other states also. They followed the regional scripts. Samskrita was provided much succor to Kannada in the fields of Chandas(Prosody) and Alankara (poetics/rhetorics). The first and foremost available work in Kannada is Kavirajamarga of Nrupatunga. The text is remodeled on the Kavyadarsa of Dandin. Many Alankara works in Kannada that followed are modeled on Samskrita Alankara works. Most significant ones are the following : Udayadityaalankara of Udayaditya, Kavyalankara of Nagavarma,
Madhavalankara,
Rasaviveka
and
Sringararatnakara
of
Kavikama,
Rasaratnakara of Salva, Narapativijaya of Lingaraja. In the said works illustrations focusing on the different theories of poetry, as developed in Samskrita, were drawn from Kannada works. This sheds light on the theories of poetry in the different literatures of pan-Indian languages being based on Samskrita and accepted so. Thus Samskrita played the role of an elderly partner in case of all other Indian languages. Kannada took full advantage of this partnership.
The works on prosody in Kannada cover the meters that were current in Samskrita, Prakrita and Kannada. The Chandombudhi of Nagavarma, is the earliest available work on prosody. It mentions the name of Pingala as the progenitor of chandas(prosody) in Prakrita and Samskrita. Kavijihvabhandha of Ishvarakavi and Chandassara of Gunachandra are the other notable Kannada prosody works. Along with the formative influences, Samskrita and Prakrita also provided thematic leads to many of the pivotal works in Kannada literature. Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Brihatkatha, the Jaina Agamas, the Saiva Agamas and the Puranas have provided the Itivrutta (content line), to many Kannada literary classics. The vocabulary and style of these classics have been immensely influenced by Samskrita and Prakrita classics. A pick of them includes classics like Vikramarjuna Vijaya of Mahakavi Pampa, Sahasabhima Vijaya or Gadayuddha of Ranna, Ramachandra Charita of Nagachandra, Harishchandra Kavya of Raghavanka, Yashodhara Charite of Janna, Kumaravyasa Bharatha of Muddanna, Jaimini Bharatha of Lakshmisha, Parashuramacharita of Chandravarni, Sri Rama Parikshanam of D.V. Gundappa, Ramayanadarshana of Ku.Ve.M.Pu (by K.V. Puttappa), Sri Hari Charitha of Dr. Pu.Ti. Narasimhachar, Ramayana Mahanveshanam by Veerappa Moily. Instead of translating the original, many works of Kannada have retained their original Samskrita names and rendered the themes into Kannada, with regional fervor. Noteworthy among them are Panchatantra of Durgasimha, Kadambari of Nagavarma, Shakuntala by Basappa Shastri, and Kannada versions of Mudrarakshasa, Ratnavali, Kannada Meghadutam by A.R. Mitra (2011). Many established writers in Kannada translated the works of Kalidasa, Bhasa, Shudraka, Vishakadatta and Ashvaghosha. Well known among them are translations by Dr. K. Krishna Murthy and Dr. S.V. Parameshwara Bhat. Rendering into lucid prose of Mahabharatha and Ramayana also deserve our attention. A few classical presentations are Vachana Bharatha and Bhagavata by A.R. Krishna Shastri. He has also rendered into Kannada the Kathasarithsagara by the name Kathamrutha. Even now many Samskrita literary works are competitively being translated into Kannada. Mention may also be made of centenarian pandit Sudhakhar Chaturvedi who has translated the 4 Vedas into Kannada. Bharata Sindhu Rashmi, a poetical work of Dr. V.K. Gokak has brought out the Indian ethos in metrical form. Karnataka had several centuries of contact with the literary genres of Samskrita and Prakrita literature and this paved the base for many a writers of Karnataka to venture into
original Samskrita writing. Hence Karnataka has the finest specimens of creative works in Samskrita that can be a part of the golden treasure of Samskrita. Chudamani of Vardhamana Mahadeva is the earliest available Samskrita poetic work written by a Karnataka writer. It is referred to by Dandian, but the copy of the work is not available. The Ganga King Durvinita takes credit of translating Brihatkatha of Gunadhya, claimed to have been written in paishachi language.
Somadeva’s
Kathasaritasagara is a rendering into Samskrita verse, the
Bruhatkatha of Gundahya. Raghavanpandaviya is a work with contains in pun style both the story of Mahabharatha and Ramayana. The author of this work is Vidyadhanjaya, a court poet of a Ganga king Bhutuga. Several Jaina poets have narrated the Jaina Mythology through their Samskrita writings. Outstanding mahakavyas among them are Varangacharita of Jatasimhanandi, Chandraprabhacharita of Viranandi, Parshwanatha and Yashodhara Charita of Vadiraja, Uttarapuranan and Jinadatta Charita by Gunabhadra, Nagakumara Kavya by Mallisena; Gadyachintamani of Vadibha Simha. Essentially these are religious works but their poetic quantity is excellent. Vijjika or Vijayambika happens to be a great Samskrita poetess.
She was the
daughter-in-law of King Pulakeshi II. Kaumudimahotsava is the work written by Vijjika. This historical play with a romantic theme. She depicts herself as a rival to Dandin and taunts him. Many of her verses are quoted as examples in later Samskrita alankara works. Trivikramas Nalachampu is the first champukavya in Samskrita. Thus Karnataka gave impetus to the later champu style in Samskrita literature. Trivikrama was a court poet at the court of Rastrakuta kings. Somadevasuri’s Yashastilakachampu is another champu work known for its discriptions of the military strategy of South India during its time. Prashnottaramalika is a philosophical work.
Amoghavarsha’s
Halayaudha’s Kosha, Kavirahasya and
Mrutasanjeevani deal with lexicon and metrical skills. Bilhana is a Kashmiri. He was a court poet of Chalukya Vikramaditya of Kalyan. His prose work Vikramankadeva Charita is of historical importance. During the Hoysala period the poets belonging to Vidyachakravartin family made significant contributions to Samskrita kavya. Vidyachakravartin II wrote Gadyakarnamruta and Vidyachakravartin III wrote
Rukminikalyana which are outstanding literary works.
Ushaharana is a poem written by Trivikrama Pandita a comtemporary of Madhvacharya which is an excellent literary piece.
Narayana Pandita sketched the bio-graphy of
Madhvacharya in his work Madhvavijaya. On the model of this later many Samskrita Kavyas were written.
They are Jayathirthavijaya, Vadirajacharitamruta, Vidyadhishavijaya,
Satyanathabhyudaya,
Raghavendravijaya,
Sathyasandavijaya,
Vyasayogacharita
of
Somanatha kavi is a unique champu kavya written with scholastic fervor and charming expressions. Shankaradigvijaya of Anandagiri and Vidyaranya are two biographical works delineating the life of Shankaracharya. During the Vijayanagara period Samskrita literature had an all-round development. Bhoganatha, brother of Sayana wrote Udaharanamala, giving illustrations for different kinds of alankaras in Samskrita Alankarasudhanidhi is another rhetorical work written by Sayanacharya. Another work of Sayana in Samskrita is Subhashitasudhanidhi. Bhoganatha has other works to his credit viz., Rasollasa, Tripura Vijaya, Shrungaramanjari. Poetess Gangadevi was the daughter-in-law of Bukka II.
She married Veera
Kampana. Commemorating the victory of Kamparaja, her warrior husband, Gangadevi, wrote an itihasika mahakavya in Samskrita. The work is well known as Madhuravijayam. The work is incomplete as a full manuscript is not available yet. Samskrita composition of Vijayanagara period are the following:
Another important Narakasuravijaya of
Virupaksha, Rambhyudaya of Saluva Narasimha, Jambavati Kalyana and Madalasa Charita of Krishnadevaraya, Mahanataka Sudhanidhi of Pranadevaraya, Ratiratna Pradipika of Immadi Devaraya. Dindima family is a well known family of the Vijayanagara period. The poets of this Dindima family have contributed well to the cause of Samskrita poetry. Anantha Bhatta, Shivasurya, Vamanabhatta, Bana, Bhaskara, Ekambaranatha, Arunagirinatha, Mallikarjuna, Vidyaranya, Madhava Mantri, Bhoganatha, Svayambhu, Divakara and such other several poets and writers flourished during the Vijayanagara period. Srivadiraja of Sonde Mutt wrote two works in Samskrita. They are Rukminisha Vijaya and Tirtha Prabhanda. He was a philosopher poet, turned a saint. During this period many Samskrita poetesses like Kamakshi, Tirumalamba, Madhuravani, Mohanangi
exhibited their literary
skills through their works. Even after the disintegration of Vijayanagara empire Samskrita literary works continued to be written in Karnataka. It is difficult to enlist all of them. But we have to mention a few outstanding literary products of the time. They are - Yaadava - Pandaviya Rajhaviya written by Ananthacharya.
Kavikarna Rasayana of Shadakshara Deva,
Veerabhadra Vijaya of Ekambara, Nanjarajayashobhushana of Narasa Kavi, Subhadra
Dhananjaya of Sudhindra Yogin, Subhadra Parinaya of Sumatindra, Konkanabhyudaya of Ramacharya. Particularly intersting are some of the Samskrita classics which were written under the patronage of Mysore Wodeyars.
A few of them are : Hamsasandesha of
Parkalayati, Bhaimi Parinaya and Meghapratisandesha of Mandikal Rama Shastry, Alankaramanidarpana of Pradhana Venkamathya. He was a versatile poet composing natakas, prakaranas, prahasanas, bhanas and such other varities of technical plays. The begining of the 20th Century had an upsurge of writing in Samskrita and propogation of Samskrita received patronage under the Jayachamarajendra Granthamala, Mysore, the O.R.I. Mysore (1887) (which published the first MSS of Kautilyas Arthashastra) and the department of Samskrita in the University of Mysore (1916). During this century Karnataka has produced some of the outstanding literateurs of Samskrita. Prominent among them are Jaggu Valkulabhushana (1902); Nirpaje Bhima Bhat (1903), Hittalahalli Ganesha Bhatta (1905), Venkatesha Sharma (1909), K. Vittalopadhyaya (1910). K. Nanjunda Ganapathi (1910), H.V. Narayana Shastri (1910), Dr. K.S. Nagarajan (1911), K. Krishna Jois (1912), B. Venkatarama Bhatta (1915), N. Ranganatha Sharma (1916), M. Manjunatha Bhatta (1916), K.T. pandurangi (1918), Bala Ganapathi Bhatt (1919), M. Nanjundaradhya (1919), Bhimana Kone Bhaskara Bhatta (1920), Pandarinathacharya Galagali
(1922), Visveshawara
Dixit (1929), C.G. Purushottama (1925), Y. Nagesha Sharma (1926), Samba Dixit (1934), Paraddi Mallikarjuna (1940), Gurupada Hegde (1940), H.V. Nagaraja Rao (1942), Areyar Rama Sharma (1943), Sri Sri Bharthiteertha Swamiji, Gumdmi Ganapayya Holla (1952), S. Jaganatha (1956), Janardhana Hegde (1960), Shatavadhani R. Ganesh (1962), H.R. Vishwas (1965), S. Shankar (1970). A few outstanding 20th Century Samskrita works are the following : Yadushaila Champu, Krishnakathithalaya, Kavyakalpam, Shauri Shauryam of Jaggu Shingararya, Panchadashi Stutihi, Sharada Bhujangama, Navaratnamala of Rallapalli Anantha Sharma, Anantha Bharathi, Svarajyaratnakara, Devi Vasanti, Jayantika, Yaduvamshacharita, Mani Haranam,
Amulyamrutam, Upakhyanamanjusha, Samyukta Prasanna Kashyapam,
Pratignakautilyam, Hyderabada Vijayam of Vakulabhushana, Dhruva Charitam, Sri Lakshminarayaniyam, Sri Vidyaranya Katha Tharangini, Unmatta Kichakam, Gurushapam, Sri Shabari Vilasa, Deshabhakti Charitam, Gandhi Mahima, Kumbhabhisheka Champu- K.S. Nagarajan; Shankaracharitam, Mohanayanam, Satyavijayam(play), Bhavageetashtakam, Mandatimmasamasya
-
Bommalapura
Venkatarama
Bhatta;
Ekachakram,
Bahubalivybhavam - N. Ranganatha Sharma; Viraktiveethika, Bhakthiveethika - Manjunatha Bhatta;
Upanishadroopakani,
Nabhovanairoopakani,
Purandaravachanani - K.T. Pandurangi; Nanjundaradya;
Sri
Gurukrupa
Ravindraroopakani,
Madhura Channaiah, Stotra Sangraha - M.G.
Tarangini,
Shambhulingeshwaravijaya
champuhu,
Lokamanyatilakacharitam - Visveshwara Dixit; Lobhasamrajyam, Dambhasamrajyam, Kavyonmeshaha - C.G. Purushottam; Bhookailasa Natakam, Varadakshina Shatakam - P. Manjunatha Bhatt; Basava Bhaskarodayam, Channveera Vaibhavam, Samskrita Kavya Malika, Basaveshwara Shatakam, Akkamahadevi Shatakam- Mallikarjuna Paraddi; Gurupada Sankramanam and Sleshasiddantaha - Gurupada Hegde; Anyapadesha Shatakam, Varanweshanam, Vidulaputriyam, Upakhyanaugmakam H.V.
Nagaraja
Rao;
Asmath
Champuh,
Kathakadambakam,
Gali
Shatakam,
Kshudrakadambari, Samskrita Katha Prabhandah, Kavya Kallolini - Arayar Rama Sharma; Sri Krishna Lahari, Jatashakuntalah, Ila Kaivalyam, Charuchandrika, Anveshanam, Kavitavanitastavah, Yaduvamshacharitam - Shatavadhani R. Ganesh. Contributions of Karnataka to general Samskrita language and literature is cited as above, but its contributions to the development of Shastras is also noteworthy. Some of the important Samskrita Shastra works may be noted thus; Ganitasarasangraha of Mahaveeracharya; Madanatilaka of Chandraraja; Jatakatilaka of Sridharacharya; Govaidya of Keertivarma; Mitakshara of Vignaneshwara; Sangeetachoodamani of Jagadekamalla; Anandabhodha, Nyayabhodha and Smruthikousthubha of Narahari; Vedarthaprakasha by Sayanacharya; Smrithichandrika by Devanna Bhatta. Besides these, many Vaggeyakaras of Karnataka belonging to 20th Century are known as Samskrita Keerthanakaras in the filed of Music. Prominent among them are Sringeri Narasimha Shastry; M. Lakshminarasimha Sastry, Varadadeshikachar; Jaggu Vakulabhushana; Ralapalli Ananthakrishna Sharma, Motaganahalli Subramanya Shastry. Karnataka has contributed to the growth of Indian Philosophical systems like Advaita, Vishshistadvaita and Dvaita. Hence we have some outstanding polemical works belonging to the said schools which were written in Karnataka in chaste Samskrita. The great Sureshwara Vishwaroopa belongs to the Advaita School.
His works
Bruhadaranyaka Bhashya Vartika and Naishkarmyasiddhi have a classical touch. Anandagiri’s commentaries on Geeta bhashya and Upanishat bhashyas of Sri
Shankaracharya are very well known. Nyayamakaranda,
Nyayadeepavali
Panchapadikavivarana,
Vidyaranya’s
Anandabhodha has written three works namely and
Pramanamala.
Vivaranaprameyasangraha
Prakashathman’s as
well
as
Vivaranabhavadeepika of Nrusimha Muni belong to a school called Vivarana School of Advaita. Vadeendra has composed a work called Mahavidyavidambana and Bharatitheertha a work called Vyasikya Nyamala, which are well known in Advaita circle. The works of Sachidananda Saraswathi (34 and more) of Adyatma Prakasha Karyalaya, Holenarasipura, brings into focus all the works of Shanakaracharya and this needs a special mention here. The works namely Adhyasabhashya and Atma-Anatama Viveka are astounding Samskrita works on Advaita. The Dvaita School of Philosophy is exclusive to Karnataka. Sri Madhavacharya wrote his Bhashyas on Brahmasutra, Upanishads and Bhagavadgeeta. He also wrote a commentary on Rigveda and prepared digests of Mahabharatha and Bhagavata. He has to his credit more than 37 works in which he has re-evaluated the entire Hindu Sacred literature and has propounded exclusive Dvaita doctrines. The chief commentator of Madhvacharya is Jayateertha he has written commentaries on all the major works of Dvaita Philosphy. His major work is Nyasudha. The work brings into focus all the epistemological problems of Indian philosophy with a fresh approach to discuss each of them. Another great Dvaita writer is Vyasaraja. His works (more than 60 in numbers) are Chandrika, Nyayamrutha and Tarkatandava, which are great dilectical works in Indian philosophy. The commentetorial literature in the Dvaita school is stupendous. The chief commentators include such stalwarts like Vijayeendra, Vadiraja, Vidyadheesha, Raghavendra, Satyanatha, Yadavaraya, K.T. Pandurangi, Ananda Bhatta, Keshava Bhatta, Sri Vyasatheertha and such others. The Dvaita system of thinking on Vedanta is a challenging one, particularly to the Advaitha idea of illusory nature of the world, which is denounced. Another offshoot of Dvaita philosophy is the Haridasa School which delineates the teaching of the Upanisads, Epics and Vedanta in the vernacular language. As a Bhakthi Cult it has influenced the Chaitanya School of Bengal. The works belonging to Vishishtadvaita school are very closely related with Melukote in the Mandya district of Karnataka. Under the aegis of Samskrita Academy of research at Melukote many Vishishtadvaita works have been published. Some of the outstanding authors are Ramamishradeshika, Vatsyavarada, Varadavishnumishra, Parakalayati, Srinivasacharya and Ananthacharya.
Under the patronage of different kings Karnataka was a home of Jainas scholars write from the time of Bhadrabahu. He was followed by many a euridite Jainas scholars in Samskrita
like
Samanthabhadra,
Prabhachandra, Manikyanandin.
Poojyapada,
Akalanka,
Gunabhadra,
Vadiraja,
Samanthabhadra lived at a place called Munavalli in
Belgaum district. Poojyapada belonged to Kollegala of Chamarajanagar district. some of the important Jaina works in Samskrita are the following : Tattvarthasutras, Sarvarthasiddhi, Tattvarthavartika,
Dhavala-Jayadhavala-Mahadhavala,
Pramanasangraha,
Prameya
Kamala Marthanda, Nyayakumudachandra. The philosophy of Veerashaivisam is expressed well in the Kannada vachanas of Shivasharanas belonging to Karnataka, along with its ethics and religious practices. Later on Shaktivishishtadvaita developed as an independent branch of philosophy in Karnataka along with the Vachanas of Shivasharanas. The principle tenets of this system are traced to the Shaivagamas like Vatulagama. following
the
Veerashaiva
Many of the Samskrita works belonging to Karnataka philosophy,
embody
these
thoughts.
Works
like
Siddhantashikamani, Srikarabhashya, Kriyasara and Anubhavasutra deserve our applauds. In the field of vedic studies in Karnataka, we have to especially make a mention about the Vedabhashya of Sayanacharya. It was a teem work of scholars led by Sayanacharya, the entire gamut of vedic system is interpreted with notes on etymology, grammar, accent, rishi and chandas. It is really an astounding achievement making Karnataka proud. Mitakshara is a commentary written by Vignaneshwara on Yagnyavalkya Smrithi. It is a unique work on Hindu law. Now an institute in the name of Vignaneshwara is carrying on research. Another commentary on Yagnyavalyka smrithi is Balakreeda of Vishveshwara. In the field of Purvameemamsa and Dharmashastra, precursors to modern jurisprudence in India, also there are a few remarkable contributions of Karnataka. Jaiminian Nyayamala Vistara of Madhava, Bhaattasangraha of Raghavendra Yati and Shastramala of Dinakara Bhatta deserve our accolades. Followers of the Panini School of Grammar also thrived in Karnataka. Satyapriyatheertha’s commentary on Vyakarana Mahabhashya of Patanjali, Gajendra Gadkar, Raghavendracharya’s, Sushabhadapradeepa and Shabdakantabharana are noteworthy in this field. Jainendra and Shakatayana Schools of Grammar were also initiated in Karnataka. This field of polity that is Rajanitishastra was not left behind. A few works represents this
category. They are Neetivakyamrutha and Abhilashithaarthachintamani. The later is known as encyclopedic work and it has another title namely Manasollasa. Another such work is Shivatattvaratnakara which covers polity, fine arts and hunting. It also deals with all other secular and aesthetic aspects of life. Thus Karnataka adopted Samskrita as a medium of intellectual, religious, literary and aesthetic pursuits along with Kannada. For centuries the linguistic, the literary and other persuits of Karnataka as well as Kannada language were interwoven with Samskrita. However during the early 19th Century, the 20th Century and the 21 Millennium due to the advent of English language and literature as well as globalization, Kannada is breathing an independent spirit. But the essential bond between Karnataka and Samskrita language is kept intact, (and as a force), through the universities, institutions, learning centers and societies of both Samskrita and Kannada languages. Historically Karnataka is in the fore front of giving impetus to Samskrita studies. And Samskrita journalism as well as spoken Samskrita. Madhuravani was published by Galagali Ramacharya. Sudharma a Sasnkrit daily is being published from Mysore since fifty years.
Sambhashana Sandesha a weekly is being
published by the Samskrita Bharathi, Bengaluru. Hosahalli and Matturu the two hamlets of Shivamogga district are well known as Samskrita speaking villages. Historically the centers of learning Samskrita more are less coincided with the centers of royal headquarters and the centers of religious establishment. Many agraharas were donated to the scholars by different royal dynasties. Such agraharas became the centers of learning. Gurukulas were established where some scholars had there residences in which they practiced their well-measured teachings and learning. In a way in its haydays Samskrita learning was a more student-teacher oriented programme than institution oriented. All though many royal centers of learning opened and closed at the rise and fall of a particular dynasty, the gurukulas in agraharas and mathas of different religious denominations, continued to cater to Samskrita education as the time went by. Along side this the centers serving at the head quarters of the three schools of Vedanta namely Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dwaita at Sringeri, Melukote and Udupi, grow in serving the respective traditions of education, in due course Koodli, Shivaganga, Avani,
Sankeshwara, Parakala matha - Mysore, Mulabagal, Bengaluru, Mantralaya and other such places associated with the said three schools, developed as independent centres of learning. The Jaina School of Philosophy of Karkala, Moodabidri, Shravanabelagola and Huncha are prospering at a great speed. We have numerous Veerashaiva centres which are carring on Samskrita learning in them. We may make special mention of Shivayogi Mandira and the head quarters of Panchacharya Mathas, which are working in tandem, to spread their tenets. During the 19th century with the intorduction of modernised educational institutions, many Samskrita colleges and Patashalas[ both aided and unaided] have come up. As a sequel to this we have a Karnataka Samskrita University (2010) established in Karnataka, to channelize Samskrita education. The university has many local and global schemes to foster Samskrita education in the state. Many of the universities, colleges, patashalas and institutions like Sri Surasaraswathi Sabha, Ubhayavedanta Sabha, Unnahini Sabha, Sameera Sabha, Melukote Research Academy, conduct vidwat sabhas and seminars. A few registered societies like Akhila Karnataka Samskrita Parishat[1976], Vishwa Samskrita Pratisthanam, Aksharam, Shubhamkaroti and such others organise a number of programmes to propagate Samskrita in the state. In January 2010 a Vishwa Samskrita Pustaka Mela, a Global Samskrita Book Fair was organised by Samskrita Bharathi for the first time in India.
It was organised in
Bengaluru which was webcast live in the world. Wiki Mahabharatha and Wiki Samskrita have been added to the Kitty of Samskrita activities in Karnataka. A few electronic media like Duradarshana Kendra- Bengaluru, and Shankara TV.net are also producing Samskrita based programmes. Besides this Karnataka is first in producing quality Samskrita cinemas. G.V. Iyer produced Sri Shankaracharya, Madhvacharya and Ramanujacharya.
Now
Krishnamishra’s Prabhodhachandrodaya an allegorical drama with a philosophical theme is under production as a cinema being directed by Y.S.L. Swami (Ravi). Thus Samskrita is vibrantly present in the intellectual and cultural life of Karnataka but the survival of the Samskrita spirit in Karnataka needs the exposure of Samskrita protagonists to the global intellectual and social changes that are taking place both in the state of Karnataka and the Country.@
@By Dr H.S.Nagabhushana bhatta retdassociate professor of sanskrit 976 2 cross 3 blk bsk 3 stage Bangalore 560085
for Karnataka gazetteer quarterly review 2012