Kagga 200

D. V. Gundappa · 1887–1975 · from the Kannada original

Kagga 200 in the original Kannada script

Transliteration

hoTTeyondara ragaLe sAladendEno vidhihoTTekichchina kiDiya neTTihanu naranoLhoTTetumbida tOLa malagItu; nIm peraradiTTisuta karubuveyo – MANKUTIMMA

Interpretation

On one hand, man is the most evolved & intelligent among all living beings in the Universe. The inability to understand & decipher the complex emotions in his mind also often makes him to be a perennially unsatisfied being as well

The Creator has not only made man to sate the hunger in his belly…at the same time, he has also developed an emotion of fire in his belly

Mankutimma, this fire in the belly is a double-edged sword. When mastered appropriately, it is the main reason why mankind has progressed & evolved…however, when this fire in belly is of an inappropriate nature due to jealousy & not being able to savor the success of fellow human beings, that is when he starts the process of becoming a perennially unsatisfied person…he soon loses control of all his emotions, he becomes a slave to them rather than becoming their master. He then loses the differentiation between needs & wants…and becomes a perenially unhappy person

Did this poetry & its translation speak to you?

Tell Krishna what you thought →

← All translations