In a heartwarming tale of familial dedication, a monumental Kannada dictionary compiled by a late school teacher has finally seen the light of day, decades after his passing. The Kannada Shabdartha Kosha was officially published on Wednesday, realizing the lifelong dream of T.K. Anantanarayana, thanks to the relentless efforts of his two elderly sons.
A Teacher's Lifelong Linguistic Labour
T.K. Anantanarayana, a former government school teacher, dedicated a significant portion of his life to meticulously documenting the richness of the Kannada language. His work, which spanned from the 1930s through the 1960s, involved recording thousands of words, their meanings, and usage. Anantanarayana, who also authored several books during this prolific period, passed away in 1982, leaving behind a vast collection of handwritten manuscripts.
For years, this invaluable intellectual treasure remained with his family, who later took the step of donating the original manuscripts to the Kannada Sahithya Parishat (KSP), a premier institution for the promotion of Kannada literature. This act ensured the preservation of his work but the journey to publication was still incomplete.
The Sons' Determined Endeavour
The task of bringing their father's magnum opus to the world was taken up by Anantanarayana's sons, A. Sreenivasan, 80, and A. Pattabhiraman, 77. In 2022, the brothers reignited the project, returning to the KSP to source the manuscripts. They embarked on the painstaking process of compiling, verifying, and preparing the decades-old notes for publication.
"They painstakingly completed the final compilation and publication of their father's lifelong endeavour, ensuring this intellectual legacy reached the public," said Deepa Srinivasan, the author's grandchild. Their dedication has resulted in a comprehensive lexical resource that stands as a testament to their father's scholarship and their own filial devotion.
A Lasting Legacy for Kannada Literature
The published dictionary, Kannada Shabdartha Kosha, is a formidable volume containing over 140,000 words. Its publication marks a significant addition to the corpus of Kannada linguistic reference works. The dictionary is expected to serve as an essential tool for:
- Students and scholars of the Kannada language.
- Writers and translators seeking precise word meanings.
- Anyone interested in the historical evolution and depth of Kannada vocabulary.
This story, emerging from Bengaluru, is more than just the launch of a book; it is a narrative of preserving cultural heritage across generations. It highlights how personal commitment can bridge decades to fulfill a visionary's dream, enriching a language and its people. The dictionary now stands as a permanent memorial to a teacher's passion and a family's profound respect for his work.
