D. R.

Bendre From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search

Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre D.R Bendre D.R Bendre Born 31 January 1896 Dharwad,
Bombay Presidency, British India Died 26 October 1981 (aged 85) Mumbai,
Maharashtra, India Pen name Ambikatanayadatta Occupation Teacher, poet Nationality
Indian Genre Fiction Literary movement Navodaya Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre (31
January 1896 – 26 October 1981), popularly known as Da. Ra. Bendre, was a Kannada
poet of the Navodaya Period. He was given the honorific Varakavi ('the gifted poet-
seer'). Bendre was awarded the Jnanapita[1] for his 1964 poetry collection, ನನಕಕ
ತತತ (Naaku Tanti). Bendre published most of his work as ಅತಬಕನತನಯದತತ
(Ambikatanayadatta; lit. Datta, son of Ambika). Often mistaken for a pseudonym in
the Western sense, Bendre described Ambikatanayadatta as the "universal inner
voice" within him that dictated what he (Bendre) then presented in Kannada to the
world.[2] He was recognized as the Karnataka Kavi Kula Thilaka ("The crown-jewel
among Kannada Poets") by the Udupi Adamuru Matha. He was also awarded the Padma
Shri in 1968 and made a fellow of the Sahitya Akademi in 1969.[3] Contents 1
Biography 1.1 Early life and education 1.2 Career 1.3 Later life 2 Works and
message 3 In popular culture 4 Awards and honours 5 Bibliography 6 Further reading
7 Notes 8 External links Biography Early life and education Dattatreya Ramachandra
Bendre was born into a Chitpavan Brahmin Marathi family in Dharwad, Karnataka.[4]
His grandfather was a Dashagranthi ("Master of ten volumes of sacred lore") and a
scholar of Sanskrit classical literature. Bendre's father, a Sanskrit scholar
himself, died when Bendre was only 12 years old. The oldest of four boys, Bendre
completed his primary and high school education in Dharwad and matriculated in
1913. He then joined Fergusson College, Pune, and graduated in 1918 with a BA in
Sanskrit and English. Returning immediately to Dharwad, he became a teacher at the
Victoria High School, thereby transforming into "Bendre Maastra" (ಬಬಬತದಬದ ಮನಸಸ), a
sobriquet he held for the rest of his life. He married Lakshmibai from Ranebennur
in 1919. He earned his Master of Arts degree in 1935.[5] Career Starting his career
as a teacher at Victoria High School (later called the Vidyaranya High School) in
Dharwad, he worked as a professor of Kannada in D.A.V. College Solapur between 1944
and 1956. In 1956, he was appointed an advisor for All India Radio's Dharwad
station.[citation needed] Later life Bendre formed the Geleyara Gumpu ("Group of
Friends") in 1922, a peer group inclined toward the study of culture and
literature. This friends circle drew poets, writers and intellectuals from
different parts of Karnataka including Ananda Kanda, Shamba Joshi, Siddavanahalli
Krishna Sharma, Enke, G.B.Joshi, Krishnakumar Kallur, V. K. Gokak, R. S. Mugali and
Pandhareenathachar Galagali.[6][7] In 1926, Bendre started the cultural movement
"Nada-habba'", a celebration of the land and its culture which is still prevalent
in Karnataka. This festival is celebrated during the time of the Hindu festival
Navaratri. In 1932 Bendre was sentenced to home imprisonment in Mugad village for
writing Nara Bali ("Human Sacrifice"), which was branded seditious by the British
government.[8] Bendre's two sons Panduranga and Vamana and daughter Mangala were
the only surviving children among nine who were born to him.[9] In 1943, he
presided over the 27th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held at Shimoga. He went on to
become a fellow of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat. In 1972 the Government of
Karnataka produced a documentary on his life.[9] Works and message Bendre started
with simple and earthly romantic poetry, often using the "spoken" form of the
language. His later works dug deeper into social and philosophical matters.
According to G. S. Amur, a leading critic in Kannada, "Bendre believed in the value
of an integrated personality but loved to project himself as a threefold being:
Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre - the biological self, the thinking self and the
creative self. According to Amur, the three 'selves' were conceived as mutually
supporting 'selves', as the imagery Bendre used to concrete this idea clearly
suggests. He spoke of Ambikatanayadatta and Professor Bendre as two entities that
were closely related just as the river and its bank or the belly and the back. One
could not exist without the other.[10] Bendre is usually considered the father
figure of modern Kannada poetry. His poems are linked to the Kannada poetic
tradition through their use of folklore, the vachanas and the Kirtans. Apart from
native prosodic forms, Bendre also employed native imagery, folk beliefs,
references to Indian mythology and the language spoken by the common people. Nada
Lila ("The Play of Sounds") is perhaps the most remarkable among his collection of
poems. All the features of Navodaya poetry like patriotism, the reformatory zeal,
critical attitude, Indian culture, consolidation of traditional strength, mystical
faith and assertion of a poet's individuality can be found in this collection of
poems.[original research?] Bendre used diverse techniques for spiritual lyrics,
classical style for sonnets, and traditional as well as colloquial idioms for
pastoral and folk lyrics. Symbolism is characteristic of his poetry. His poem
Patargitti (Butterfly) which is sung as a nursery rhyme is about the colors of
temptation. Mudalmaneya ("Dawn") is symbolic of all pervading peace or, the poet's
yearning for it. In the Kuniyonu bara ('Let us Dance") all diverse currents of
thought meet in on great confluence. Apparently, all of Bendre's poems could be set
to music and abound in alliteration; but there was always a hidden layer of meaning
which only a trained poetic mind could decipher.[original research?] Towards the
end of his life Bendre was deeply absorbed in numbers. This was not just a new
interest but one that became a central concern.[10] When Dom Moraes visited him
during his exploration of Karnataka in 1976, he found Bendre immersed in numbers.
In his books Vishvadharanasutra and A Theory of Immortality Bendre made ambitious
attempts to intuit all knowledge into numbers.[10] In popular culture In 1972, film
director and playwright Girish Karnad made a Kannada documentary film, D. R. Bendre
on his life and work.[11][12] Awards and honours Jnanpith Award – 1973 (For the
collection of poems Naaku Tanti) Padma Shri – 1968 Sahitya Academy award – 1958
Kelkar prize – 1965 Fellowship of Sahitya Academy – 1968 And many more.
Bibliography Poetry collections Krishṇakumāri (ಕಕಷಷಕಕಮನರ) (1922) Gari (ಗರ) (1932)
Moorthi mattu Kamakastoori (ಮಮತರ ಮತಕತ ಕನಮಕಸಮತರ) (1934) Sakheegeeta (ಸಖಬಗಬತ) (1937)
Uyyāle (ಉಯನಯಲಬ) (1938) Nādaleelē (ನನದಲಬಲಬ) (1938) Meghadoota (ಕನನಡ ಮಬಘದಮತ) (1943))
Haaḍu Paaḍu (ಹನಡಕ-ಪನಡಕ) (1946) Gangāvataraṇa (ಗನತಗನವತರಣ) (1951) Sooryapaana
(ಸಮಯರಪನನ) (1956) Hrudaya Samudra (ಹಕದಯ ಸಮಕದದ) (1956) Muktakanṭha (ಮಕಕತಕತಠ) (1956)
Chaityālaya (ಚಬಚತನಯಲಯ) (1957) Jeevalahari (ಜಬವಲಹರ) (1957) Araḷu Maraḷu (ಅರಳಳ ಮರಳಳ)
(1957) Namana (ನಮನ) (1958) Sanchaya ( ಸತಚಯ) (1959) Uttaraayaṇa (ಉತತರನಯಣ) (1960)
Mugila Malligē (ಮಕಗಲ ಮಲಲಗಬ) (1961) YakshaYakshi (ಯಕಯಕ) (1962) Naaku Tanti
(ನನಕಕತತತ) (1964) Maryaadē (ಮಯನರದಬ) (1966) Shrimaata (ಶದಬಮನತನ) (1968) Idu Nabhōvaaṇi
(ಇದಕ ನಭಬಮಬವನಣ) (1970) Matte Shrāvaṇa Bantu (ಮತಬತ ಶನದವಣನ ಬತತಕ) (1973) Chaturōkti
(ಚತಕರಬಮಬಕತ) (1978) Paraaki (ಪರನಕ) (1982) Kavyavaikhari (ಕನವಯವಬಚಖರ) (1982) Tā Lekkaniki
Tā Dauti (ತನ ಲಬಕಕಣಕ ತನ ದದತ) (1983) Bālabodhē (ಬನಲಬಬಮಬಧಬ) (1983) Pratibimbagaḷu
(ಪದತಬತಬಗಳಳ) (1987) Shatamaana (ಶತಮನನ) (1990) Bhoo Daivategaḷu (ಭಮ ದಬಚವತಬಗಳಳ) Plays
Tirukara Pidugu (1930) Uddhara (1930) Nageya Hoge (1931) Hucchatagalu (1935) Hosa
Samsara mattu Itara Ekankagalu (1950) Ambikatanayadatta Nataka Samputa (1982) Story
collections Nirabharanasundari (1940) Criticism Sahitya mattu Vimarshe (1937)
Sahityasamshodhana (1940) Vicharamanjari (1945) Kavi Lakshmishana Jaimini
Bharatakke Munnudi (1954) Maharashtra Sahitya (1959) Kannada Sahityadalli Nalku
Nayakaratnagalu (1968) Matella Jyotu (1972) Sahityada Viratsvaroopa (1974)
Kumaravyasa (1979) Matadharma mattu Adhunika Manava (1979) Edited works Nannadu Ee
Kannada Nadu (1928) Hakki Haruthide (1930) Chandrahasa (1948) Hosagannada
Kavyashree (1957) Kanakadasa Chaturshatamanotsava Samsmarana – Samputa (1965)
Translations Vittala Sampradaya (1984) Hosagannada Kavyashree (1957) Shantala
(1972) Upanishadrahasya, by R.D. Ranade (1923) Bharatiya Navajanma (1936, "The
Indian Renaissance" by Sri Aurobindo) Sri Aravindara Yoga Ashrama mattu
Tatvopadesha (1947) Kabira Vachanavali (1968) Bhagnamoorthi (1972) Guru
Govindasingh Noorondu Kavanagalu (from Tagore's poems ed. by Humayun Kabir) Works
in other languages A Theory of Immortality (1977)