COLLECTIONS OF QUOTATIONS

            A proper reconstruction of the history of Kannada literature is often hampered by non-availability of ancient classics which have become extinct. However, some such texts are mentioned elsewhere in anthologies prepared painstakingly by diligent individuals. Some Kannada scholars, belonging to bygone days have collected whatever has appealed to their minds in works that were contemporary to them and created anthologies containing pieces selected by them. In an oblique way, these anthologies hold a mirror to contemporary literary tastes. Such works created over a period of time by different anthologists are edited and published by modern scholars. This note provides some information about such collections.

 

  1. ‘Sukti Sudharnava’, (sUktisudgArNava) (ಸೂಕ್ತಿಸುಧಾರ್ಣವ), by Malikarjuna, 1240 A.D., Edited by N. Anantarangachar in 1947 and published by the Government Oriental Library, Mysore. It contains ninteen chapters including the introductory chapter and about 2200 poems. The basis for classification of the poems into various chapters is the ‘aSTAdasha varNane’. (descriptios of eighteen different themes) He has not mentioned the sources of these quotations.
  2. ‘Kavyasara’, (kAvyasAra) ((ಕಾವ್ಯಸಾರ) by Abhinava Vadividynanda, 1500 A.D., Edited by S.G.Narasimhachar and M.A. Ramanuja Iyyengar and published in 1898 in the series Karnataka Kavyamanjari’
  3. ‘Kavyasara’, (kAvyasAra) (ಕಾವ್ಯಸಾರ) by Malla Kavi, edited by N. Anantarangachar and published in 1973 by Kannada Sahityaparishat, Bangalore. It contains about 4000 poems.  
  4. ‘Neetisarodaya’, (nIti sArOdaya) (ನೀತಿಸಾರೋದಯ), author unknown. This work was edited by B.S. Sannaiah making use of a single manuscript and published in 1985 in the periodical ‘Prabuddha Karnataka’. (Vol. 66, Number 4 and Volume 68, Number 1) It contains 250 poems written in the metrical forms of ‘kandapadya’ and ‘campu’.
  5. ‘Vave mattu gattipadagalu’, (vAve mattu gaTTi padagaLu) (ವಾವೆ ಮತ್ತು ಗಟ್ಟಿ ಪದಗಳು) Author unknown. Edited by G.G.Manjunathan and published in 1986 by the Institute of Kannada Studies, Mysore University. This work contains 101 poems in the form of riddles taken from Veerashaiva classics with a solitary exception taken from Kumaravyasa.

 

 These anthologies have helped a great deal in fixing chronologies and identifying works/authors.

 

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