Professor L.S. Sheshagiri Rao, an important figure in the field of Kannada literature, has been a witness to the growth of Kannada Literature from the Navodaya period onwards. In a career spanning five decades, his books have educated generations about not only some of the best works in Kannada but also in English literature. Lakhs of students in Karnataka would have referred to the English-Kannada dictionary put together by Prof. LSS. On February 16, LSS turned 90 and his many admirers commemorated the memorable occasion by releasing four of his books. The event was marked by simplicity – much like the personality of LSS itself, was proof of the fact that age is merely a number for him. It has not dented the enthusiasm in his spirit. His congenial nature and humility flows forth profusely — ready to sweep everyone off their feet.
Can you tell us something of your childhood? How did you develop an interest in literature?
I was born in the year 1925. My parents – Sri Lakshmeshwara Swami Rao and Kamala Bai were very loving and so were my sisters. My father was a headmaster in a school and encouraged me to read a lot. I was a bright student and did well in academics. My family fostered this and am really thankful for the way they supported my growth. I did my English honours at the Central College in Bangalore, and was also the first student to get the H.V. Nanjundaiah Gold Medal for standing first. Apart from belonging to the last batch of students, to whom the famed B.M. Shrikantaiah taught English, I also had the privilege of learning under stalwarts such as Anantaramaiah, S.V. Ranganna and A.N. Murthy Rao among others. I obtained my MA degree from the Nagpur University.
What was your experience of learning under some of the towering figures of Kannada literature?
I believe that it was my good fortune which provided me with the opportunity to study under and interact closely with them. They were extremely dedicated to their profession and had the knack of recognising the potential of a student. They played a significant role in nurturing the writer in me. I remember an incident when I had scored 84 per cent in Comparative Drama. The person who evaluated my paper was Sri Swaminathan who was in Chennai. He came down to Bangalore to meet me and congratulated me on doing an exemplary work in the exam. Such experiences reinforced my confidence and encouraged me to continue to write and involve myself in literature. They were perfectionists. In one of the exams on English literature, I had quoted an author’s opinion. When I received the evaluated sheet by my professor, S.V. Ranganna, to my surprise, I found a big remark in red ink advising me to check the source and quote correctly. To my dismay, I had missed a comma in the statement made by the original author. So sharp was their observation, that they could instantly recognise a missing comma which could alter the meaning of the entire sentence!
Your initial works were short-stories. How and when did you change course and pick up literary review as a medium of interest?
It is true that my initial works were short-stories. “Idu Jeevana”, a collection of short stories was published in the year 1948. I had even won first place in a short story competition conducted by the Sahitya Parishath in 1947. My short stories were getting published regularly in many Kannada magazines like Sudha. When I was doing my honours, my classmate G. N. Narasimha Murthy used to run his own magazine called “Kathegara”. He encouraged me to write for his magazine and eventually started asking me to review books and also to write articles on literary topics. Those were days when there were not many credible critics in Kannada literature. Soon, my reviews started grabbing a lot of attention and I started receiving more requests to do literary reviews and before long, I had been recognised as a critic. However, to this day, I still regret not being able to write short stories. They are my favourite medium of expression.
Have you had to suspend your own beliefs or thoughts about a concept when you are reviewing? You may have some principle differences in the outlook. How were you able to remain impartial?
In any review or critique that I presented, I would always base my statements on facts. Anything that I would state had to be backed up by evidence which means, I had to keep going back to the book. Read, and re-reading it several times till I was satisfied that I had obtained the essence of the author’s purport. If I was quoting or drawing similarities, I had to prove my statements by showing the source and establishing my claims. So the conclusions that are drawn are based solely on the text. Not from my belief system or culture but what the author has expressed in his work. Basically you need a lot of patience to be a good critic. It is easy to write about established authors like Masti or Karanth – their works have been analysed by so many. But when a new writer comes on the block and presents his works to you, you have to give that equal importance and the same dedicated effort. You should have a trained taste to recognize the quality of the work because people would believe you. Abercrombie was a renowned critic and a professor of poetry at Oxford. When he reviewed Eliot’s works he dismissed them completely saying that Eliot cannot write poems at all! We all know how Eliot went on to win the Nobel Prize in literature!
You have translated some of the famous works from Kannada to English and vice versa. What is the biggest challenge for you when you translate?
Showcasing the right culture in a way that it can be assimilated easily by the reader. I had the opportunity to be at a banquet hosted for the Nobel committee for Literature and interacted with some of the members. When I drew their attention to the many works in Kannada that would deserve a Nobel, they remarked that there were not sufficiently good translations available for these works at all. When you translate, it is essential that you imbibe the culture and understand it well enough to communicate it effectively through words. This can be quite challenging at times. It is not a mere word to word translation.
What do you feel is the future of Kannada literature? Do you have a vision for the growth of the language?
I have a dream that Kannada should become a modern language. There is a huge gallop in every field – science, technology and society at large. Language should also progress hand in hand. We have not been able to produce books on say Nuclear physics in Kannada. Why is that? Unless language can grow to such an extent that knowledge of any field can be expressed through its medium, it will become tough for the language to leave a mark on the society.
On LSS
After a stint in various Government colleges, LSS became part of the English department of Bangalore University from where he retired. But retirement only meant that he could continue to essay critical roles in many other spheres including being the first President of the Kannada Book Trust. He was the chief editor for several projects of literary importance and strived to create an all round awareness about Kannada literature. Translations, dictionaries, reviews, analysis, short stories, plays and biographies are but a peek into the spectrum of literary forms that he colored in all those years of tireless service. “Hosagannada Sahitya Charitre” was a common man’s entry into the world of Kannada literature.
Professor LSS’ repertoire of literary knowledge transcends the boundaries of time and geography. From the modern annals of Kannada literature to the ancient Greeks, the greatest works and epics have been analyzed and thoroughly assimilated. His scholarly treatises on Shakespeare, Eliot, Frank Kafka, and Oliver Goldsmith are a treasured collection. His work “English Sahitya Charitre” won him the Kendra Sahitya Academy award.
LSS’ services for Kannada literature were duly recognized and honored when he was elected as the President of the 74th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana organized at Udupi. He laid emphasis on obtaining the classical language status for Kannada. Rajyotsava Award, Masti Award, Karnataka Sahitya Academy award are but a few of the accolades that have come his way.
