HIREMATHA R.C., 1920-1998

Rudrayya Chandrayya Hireamatha, (rudrayya candrayya hirEmaTa) (ರುದ್ರಯ್ಯ ಚಂದ್ರಯ್ಯ ಹಿರೇಮಠ) was a well known academician, administrator and scholar who has contributed handsomely to the fields of linguistics, literary research, textual criticism and publication in Kannada. He has served the cause of Kannada by taking up and executing projects related to Kannada literature and culture from many vantage positions held by him during his career. He thrived hard to edit and publish many texts related to Veerashaiva religion and vachana literature. 

Hirematha was born in kuruDagi a small village in the RON talluk of Gadag district in North Karnataka. After completing his early education in Dharwar and Belgaum he obtained his M.A. degree in Kannada from the University of Bombay in 1945. Even though he started his professional career in Bagalakote, Hiremath moved on to the Karnatak University. He joined the department of Kannada in 1951 as a reader and retired as a Professor and Head of the department in 1974. He went to U.S.A. to study modern linguistics in the University of California, Berkley on a scholarship from the Rockefeller foundation. Meanwhile, he obtained a Ph.D. degree in 1955, for his dissertation titled “Linguistic Investigation of Some Problems on the relationship of Indo Aryan and Dravidian Languages’. He was the Vice Chancellor of the Karnataka University during 1975-80. He was a National Professor in 1978 and the Director of the ‘International School of Dravidian Linguistics’ in 1979.

Hirematha has published about seventy seven books including those that were edited by him. He has published more than one hundred research articles in various journals and periodicals. They include many articles in English.

‘The Structure of Kannada’ (1961) is a descriptive grammar of Kannada. It contains three sections on Kannada phonemics, morphology and syntax. It provides a wealth of information about the non-brahmin Kannada dialect of North Karnataka.  ‘Shunyasampadane’ (1965) is a translation of the celebrated Kannada Work. He has translated a biography titled ‘Sri Chennabasaveshvara’. It is interesting to note that Hirematha has written most of his articles on Kannada language and linguistics in English.

R.C.H. has edited about sixteen ancient literary works in Kannada. They include important works such as ‘Ramachandracharitapurana’ by Nagachandra, ‘Basavapurana’ by Bheemakavi, ‘Rajashekharavilasa’ by Shadakshara, ‘Mohanatarangini’ by Kanakadasa and ‘Somanathacharitra’ by Raghavanka.  He has made use of a number of manuscripts for this work and he has written useful introductions and provided supplementary material for most of these editions.

However the lasting contribution of Hirematha to the world of textual criticism is the systematic publication of the Vachanas composed by the great Shivasharanas of the twelfth century. Karnatak University took up this task under the leadership of Dr Hirematha in 1962. More than 5000 manuscripts were collected and they were analyzed according to the principles of modern textual criticism. The volumes published in this series include complete vachanas of Chennabasavanna, Basavanna, Allamaprabhu, Akkamahadevi and Siddaramashvara. ‘Shunyasampaadane’ in its various versions by Shivaganaprasadi Mahadevayya, Guluru Sidaveerannodeya, Halageyarya and Gummalapura Siddalingayati were published during this period along with many theoretical works on the Veerashaiva religion. The publication of these volumes paved the way for further research and documentation. Hirematha was personally involved in all these publications as a scholar, editor and administrator. He was the one who formulated the guiding principles of this work. 

Hirematha’s work in the areas of literary history and religion are mostly related to Veerashaiva religion. He traces the history of the Veerashaiva religion in many facets such as philosophical concepts, social conditions and historical antecedents. ‘Mahakavi Raghavnaka’ is an important monograph dealing with the life and works of the noted poet. He has also published a couple of poetry collections and a few works of literary criticism. 

Some important works of R.C. Hirematha are enumerated here:

1.      ‘Basavapurana’ (Edited Work)                                            1953

2.      ‘Somantha Charitra’ (Edited Work)                                    1961

3.      ‘Padmarajapurana’ (Edited Work)                                                  1958

4.      ‘Shatsthalajnanasaramrita’ (Edited Work)             1964

5.      ‘Chennabasavannanavara Vachanagalu’ (Edited Work) 1965

6.      ‘Ippattelu Shivasharaneyara Vachanagalu’ (Edited Work) 1968

7.      ‘SakalapuratanaraVachanagalu’(EditedWork)                 1973

8.      ‘Mohanatarangini’ (Edited Work),                                       1973

9.      ‘Ramachandracharita puranam’, (Edited Work)             1975

10.  ‘Mahakavi Raghavanka’                                                      1968

11.  ‘Kavi Padmananka’                                                             1958

12.  ‘Shatsthalaprabhe’                                                               1965

13.  ‘The Structure of Kannada’,                                          1961

14.  ‘Assamii Sahitya Charitre’ (Translation)                        1972

15.  ‘Buddhism In Karnataka’                                                     2002

Hirematha was honoured with the chairmanship of the 59th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held at Hubli in 1990. “Belvola’ is the felicitation volume presented to this scholar in 1981.

 

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