Kagga 209
D. V. Gundappa · 1887–1975 · from the Kannada original
Transliteration
kallAgi mRutyuvAgi kAlava karedoDeballAgi jIvavAgi beLava bALigeellAdarU oMdu dAna mADikoLLa ballavanuellA lOkakU mUla – MANKUTIMMA
Interpretation
Death comes in many forms – sometimes as a stone, sometimes as time, sometimes as an accident
But life too manifests in many ways – as growth, as prosperity, as happiness
The one who can give something to others, the one who can be of use to the world – that person is the true root of all worlds
Mankutimma, make your life meaningful by being useful to others. That is the way to immortality.
Did this poetry & its translation speak to you?