Devudu Narasimha Sastri

Devudu Narasimha Sastri was a prominent Kannada writer, novelist, Sanskrit scholar, actor, and journalist born on December 29, 1886. He is better known by his pen name Devudu. Devudu had his elementary, secondary, and college education in Mysore. He mastered Sanskrit Amarakosha, Sabda, and Raghuvamshaat at the age of five. He attended the Maharaja College of Mysore and the University of Mysore. He picked Sanskrit and Philosophy as his MA subjects. Devudu was the headmaster of Sadvidy Phale in Mysore from 1923 to 1924. He served as the headmaster of the Arya Vidyalaya in Bangalore from 1924 to 1929. For some years, he quit the institution and established the Gandhinagar High School. He became the editor of “Navajjvana” in 1927, and in 1936 and 1938, he was the editor of the theatrical magazine.

He published a free children's magazine named "Namma Pustaka" for 21 years, from 1936 to 1957. From 1935 to 1936, he was also the editor of the Kannada Sahitya Parishad publication. Mahamahopadhyaya Vaidhyanatha Shastri was his guru. Mimansa Darpana, his commentary on Mim’s Indian philosophy is highly regarded among publications on the topic. Antaranga, his novel released in 1932, was the first in Kannada to use the monologue narrative approach. In 1947, he wrote Maha Brahmana (The Great Brahmin), a book based on the biography of the sage Vishwamitra. Mahkatriya (The Great Warrior), released in 1960, depicts King Nahusha's life and exploits. This work received the Sahitya Akademi Award, the highest literary honor bestowed by the Government of India. Maha Darshana (The Great Vision), Devudu's most recent work, is based on the life of sage Yajnavalkya.

After his death in 1962, the book was released. Devudu was also interested in drama and literature. He acted in several plays in Chamundeshwari Company in 1921. He was a member of the Amateur company in 1926. In 1928, he founded the Karnataka Film Corporation. He penned the screenplay for the film Bhakta Dhruva in 1934. In 1936, he penned the script for the film Chiranjeevi and starred as the sage Mṛkaṃḍu. In 1937, Devudu established the Kannada Sahitya society. From 1939 to 1942, he was active in the Adult Literacy Schemes of Mysore Province. From 1943 to 1945, he was a member of the Mysore Democratic Party. He was a Director and Textbook Committee member of Bangalore City Cooperative Bank in 1946. He was elected to the Bangalore City Corporation in 1948. He was also active in the Karnataka unification movement. In 1950, he established the Grvavidypha in Sankarapuram.

Between 1956 to 1959, he served on the Kannada Sahitya Parishad's Working Committee. Devudu is a well-known Kannada author. He has written in a variety of literary genres. His literary grandeur stems from his creativity, etymology, and reality. His first published work was a spy fiction Sāhasavarma in 1912. He was 16 at the time this fiction was written. He developed a complete definition for Pūrvamegha in 1920. Kengal Hanumanthayan established the Kannada Culture Development Department at Devudu's recommendation and appointed him as director. Devudu, on the other hand, objected and offered Sri CK Venkataramaiah. Devudu spent over four years of his life writing hundreds of essays and speeches to promote culture and the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. The death of his oldest son Ramu was revealed when he spoke about the song at Udupi.

He finished his speech without taking a break. He was given a special award by the Maharaja of Mysore for “mīmāṃsā darpaṇa” in 1938. Dr. Rajendra Prasad Rajendra Prasad is a famous actor in Telugu. He is >> Read More... , the first president of India, honored him in 1952. Then in 1963, his novel Mahākṣatriya was awarded the Central Sahitya Akademi Award. Devudu lived in poverty. One of his disciples, believing he was going barefoot, purchased slippers that damaged his leg. Diabetes necessitated the removal of a collar in 1959. He passed away on October 27, 1962.