FOREWORD Dr. Mogasale is a major novelist-poet-columnist in Kannada; and the present work contains eight of his significant short stories in translation. Narrated in a leisurely pace, these stories, authentically but sensitively, document the ethos of a society in coastal Karnataka, struggling to come to terms with the contradictory pulls of tradition and modernity. The society of coastal Karnataka, in which these stories are located, is a rich fabric of variegated patterns and colours –what with many communities (Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Byari), many languages (Kannada, Tulu, Konkani, English, etc.), and varied traditions from Dwaita to Bhootaradhane, co-existing peacefully for many centuries. However, this society, also, is not immune to the present-day pressures of changing societal and familial structures: Serfs of yesterday are landowners today, women are no longer muted in their suffering, old religious beliefs are being eroded, and sons do not always tread the path of their fathers, resulting in conflicts and anguish. The stories of this collection present such a society that is about to come off at the seams. But, these stories also reveal, what prevails in the end is the ‘Innate Goodness’ of Man, which can transcend traditional-religious-gender barriers: a Brahmin and a Muslim think alike and come together for the common good of the society (“ Lord’s Own Decree”); a father and his son, though they do not see eye to eye with each other, can understand each other xi
and patch up their differences (“ The Hinge”); a Brahmin landlord donates the money meant for his pilgrimage to help a Christian woman rebuild her house (“ Kashiyatre”); and an old feudal lord’s son can respect and help former-tenants-turned-landlords (“ The Lord’s Code of Conduct”). In short, the writer believes that ultimately what matters is Man and ‘this world’; ‘Dharma’ (of every hue) is for Man and not Man for Dharma. Translating into English a culturally ‘thick’ Indian text is always a challenging task, especially so with this text which freely uses, besides Kannada, Tulu, Havyaka and Byari words and concepts. However, when I began to read the translations, I was really surprised –happily. The translator has found an admirable golden mean between the opposing pulls of ‘fidelity to the Text’ and ‘intelligibility to the Reader’; the translated text sounds authentic, without sacrificing either facility of expression or readability in English. Of course, I would have translated a few more terms into English, such as ‘Nagaradhane’ (Serpent-worship), ‘Godana’ (Gift of a Cow), ‘Kashiyatre’ (Pilgrimage to Kashi), ‘aurdhwadaihika’ (Post-death rituals), and such terms; and, as a translator, I would have liked to have as short a glossary as possible. But, these are highly debatable – and debated—points; hence, let me not elaborate them here. I heartily congratulate the translator, Dr. Shashidhar, on having made available to non-Kannada readers stories that are noted for their humane concerns, very relevant for today’s fragmented society.
Dr. C. N. Ramachandran xii