K. S. Bhagawan


Kallahalli Sannegowda Bhagawan, known as Prof. K. S. Bhagawan, is an Indian Kannada writer, rationalist, translator, critic, scholar and retired professor. In addition to his works on Hinduism, Indian culture and history, he has translated the works of William Shakespeare including Julius Caesar and Hamlet. He is a recipient of many awards including the Rajyotsava Award, Kuvempu Award and the Lokayata Award.

Career

Bhagawan acquired a post-graduate degree in English language from University of Mysore. As a professor, he taught English at Maharaja's College in Mysore. At the same time, he worked as a writer and translator. In 1982, his work Shankaracharya and Reactionary Philosophy, a collection of essays, on how Adi Shankara, an 8th-century Hindu theologian, advocated the caste system strongly, destroyed Buddhist viharas and was against education for women, shudras and dalits, was published. It was met with criticism from right-wing Hindu groups who issued threats to his life. His other books in Kannada include Badalaavane, Antarya and Kuvempu Yuga. As a translator, he translated popular works of William Shakespeare to Kannada. It includes Merchant of Venice as Venisina Vartaka, and others such as Julius Caesar, Hamlet and Othello..
Bhagawan was chosen for the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement for the year 2013.

Controversies

At an event in Mysore on 15 February 2015, Bhagawan said that he would burn certain pages of the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita. Police also filed FIR against him for "hurting" religious sentiments. He said that verse 32 and 33 in chapter 9 of the scripture describes women, vaishyas and shudras as "sinners" .
Following the murder of another Kannada writer and rationalist M. M. Kalburgi, a Bajrang Dal activist from Bantawala threatened that Bhagawan would be the next target for "mock Hinduism", with the arrest of the activist, the security at Bhagwan's residence was tightened.

Selected bibliography

In [Kannada]

ಶಂಕರಾಚಾರ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ರತಿಗಾಮಿತನ ಬದಲಾವಣೆ ಅಂತರ್ಯ ಕುವೆಂಪು ಯುಗ ಅನನ್ಯತೆ ಭಾಷೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಇತಿಹಾಸದ ಪಾಠಗಳು
  • ''ಗಾಂಧಿಯನ್ನು ಗೋಡ್ಸೆ ಯಾಕೆ ಕೊಂದ''

Translations

Hindu Saamrajyashahiya Itihasa Julius Caesar Nimmishta Venisina Vartaka Othello
  • ''Hamlet''

In English

  • ''Violence in Hinduism''

Awards

  • Kavyanand Award
  • Kuvempu Prize
  • Rajyotsava Prashasti
  • Naada Chethana Award
  • Poet-laureate Kuvempu Birth centenary Award
  • Karnataka Nataka Academy Awards
  • Kuvempu Award
  • Shoonya Peetha Prashasthi
  • Sahitya Kalaratna Award
  • Karnataka Sahithya Academy Award
  • Lokayata Award
  • Karnataka Kranthirathna Award