A critical work that salutes motherhood

Title : Bhyrappanavara Krithigalalli Taytanada Teregalu

Author :  Prof. L.V. Shantakumari

Page s: 144

Price : Rs.175

Publisher:  Sahitya Bhandara, Bengaluru

By Prof. G.L. Shekar

Bhyrappanavara Krithigalalli Taytanada Teregalu,’ authored by Prof. L.V. Shantakumari, a critic and a translator, is a critical work that salutes motherhood delineated in its myriad forms and manifestations in Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa’s novels.

Joys and sorrows of motherhood, the power of creation, protection and destruction of motherhood are powerfully portrayed in these works.

While the short story  ‘Gatajanma’ written by Bhyrappa in his teenage expresses the helplessness of an uneducated, economically dependent mother who cannot protect her daughter in some novels, we get the picture of mothers-to-be,who have to terminate their pregnancy owing to personal, social and other pressures. Here, the mothers-to-be are educated and are shown how they can live economically independent.

Savitri of ‘Sakshi’, Manohari Das of ‘Mandra’ and Amrita of ‘Anchu’ are some examples. Mother like Lakku turns revenge incarnate, when she knows Manjayya has seduced her daughter Latha. Motherhood here transformed itself as savior of all innocent girls from vicious clutches of diabolic beings like Manjayya. We are made to witness that trial and the tribulations, agony and pains, joys and responsibilities of motherhood from Katyayani of ‘Vamshavriksha’ to Sita of ‘Uttarakanda’.

Prof. L.V. Shantakumari, who has enriched the Kannada language through her many-splendoured literary works, has delved into the novels of Dr. Bhyrappa in such a depth that when we read ‘Yugasakshi’ and ‘Pratibhana’, we feel that the characters of the novels converse with her and empty their hearts to her. The same insight has worked in the writing of ‘Taytanada Teregalu’ as well. 

She has unveiled a fascinating world of different facets of motherhood through Bhyrappa’s works. Her keenness in understanding the conflicts of motherhood has covered a wide spectrum of mothers starting from seemingly unimportant and a nameless mother of ‘Gatajanma’ to the most powerful, magnanimous mother, Kunti of ‘Parva’. She brings out with examples the warmth, dedication, affection, sacrifice and strength of mothers and at the same time throws light on the evils a motherhood does to the society when it gets possessed by selfishness. A totally convincing depiction makes the book an enjoyable and thought provoking reading.

‘Taytanada Teregalu’ book was released recently by Shatavadhani Dr. R. Ganesh at Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs, Bengaluru in the presence of Dr. Bhyrappa, Dr. Chandrashekhara Kambara and Dr. S.R. Ramaswamy. The 144-page book, published by Sahitya Bhandara, Bengaluru, is priced at Rs.175.