Kagga 174
D. V. Gundappa · 1887–1975 · from the Kannada original
Transliteration
tandemakkaLige hadageTTadanu kANeyA?hondiruvaravar ahanteyu moLeyuvanakatandeyAr makkaLar nAnembudeddunile?bandha murivudu baLika – MANKUTIMMA
Interpretation
The Creator on one hand gave man the ability to think, discern & act; but on the other hand, to make things difficult for him, imparted the ability to have a sense of ego in him
Ego is one of the key characteristics in man that prevents or hinders man in his quest of truth, of his true purpose in life
Mankutimma, ego is a double edged sword. On one hand, it is this pride, ego that drives man to achieve great things in life – it is this that pushes him out of his comfort zone & discover new boundaries. At the same time, when satisfying self-ego becomes the only purpose of existence, that is when man’s life begins to unravel. That is what blinds man from seeing the realities of life…it even drives man to become a bitter enemy of even his father, the same person who nurtured him as a child & made him a man. Ego makes man lose his rational thinking ability & push him to sever ties with his well-wishers…so guard yourself against this…and do not let ego get the better of you.
Did this poetry & its translation speak to you?