Mankutimma!!

ಅನ್ನದಾತುರಕಿಂತ ಚಿನ್ನದಾತುರ ತೀಕ್ಷ್ಣ
ಚಿನ್ನದಾತುರಕಿಂತ ಗಂಡು-ಹೆಣ್ಣುಒಲವು
ಮನ್ನಣೆಯ ದಾಹವಿದು ಎಲ್ಲಕಿನ್ತೀಕ್ಷ್ಣತಮ
ತಿನ್ನುವುದದಾತ್ಮವನೆ - ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ!

The literal translation of this poem would be:

The urge to have gold (money) is fiercer than the urge for food

The urge for gold is overridden by the attraction towards the opposite sex

But the urge to get recognised is sharper than any of the other urges

And it ultimately eats our soul.

Mankutimmana Kagga is a masterpiece in the Kannada literature, written by the great, humane poet Late. Sri. Devanahalli Venkataramanayya Gundappa, more popularly known as Dr. DVG. The Mankutimmana Kagga is fondly remembered by the Literature lovers as “The Bhagavadgeeta in Kannada”. That is because, all the wonderful values, ideas, ideals contemplated in the Bhagavadgita can be found in Mankutimmana Kagga and is put across in a very lucid manner.

The language, the style, the rhythm, the brevity, the beauty of the Kagga is just flawless. Even the very abstruse spiritual values are put across in such simple way that any person who reads those verses can’t help but admire the ingeniousness of DVG, because explaining something so abstract and abstruse in such a simple mode is a Herculean task. I haven’t read the whole of Kagga till date, and whatever little I know of it is through my father who is a great fan of DVG and knows so many of the verses bye heart.

The verse that I have written above is my most favourite one. Not that I have read all of it, but out of the little that I know, this one is really close to my heart. I haven’t translated it in the right way and my translation does no justice to the original verse because the life and seriousness found in the original one is utterly lacking in my translation!

Basically, it says that the burning urge to be recognised is the ultimate thing any human being wants. The desire is so strong that people have lost their lives only to get recognition! The need to get importance, limelight, recognition and appreciation is an innate human instinct. We find that in every human being, right from a little infant vying to get it’s mother’s attention to an old man trying to get the attention of his children or his companions (And here I am, trying to get recognition for my blogs!!). In fact there is a distinct concept called "RECOGNITION" in Public International Law!! (It speaks about newly formed nations getting recognised by existing nations) We want to be recognised no matter what. Even if we haven’t achieved anything great or even good, we want people to know us, and appreciate us. Especially in today’s world it has become so rampant that all the so called “reality shows” are a burning example of this pathetic urge! People do what all just to get their share of limelight! They want to be known whether they do something good or bad. Whether they become famous or infamous is secondary to them. They just want to be RECOGNISED!!

When I see these instances, this verse plays itself in my mind! How true!! The Kagga stands so germane even to this day even though it was written decades ago!