By Dr. S.N. Bhagirath
HSK’s repertoire was vast and seemingly endless. He seemed to transcend boundaries of different genres of writing with effortless ease. While he was an ace biographer and chronicler of his times, he was also a master essayist, critic, poet, editor and novelist of considerable repute. His five collections of essays bear testament to this. His three novels “Mukti Marga”, “Bayakeye bele” and “Kurukshetra” showcase his narrative skills beautifully. His two collections of short stories “Aa Chitra” and “Muppina Sangathi” were very well received in literary circles. His work “Kannadadalli Vidambana Sahitya” received the Karnataka Sahitya Parishat Award in 1981. His literary perspective on Kuvempu’s writings wherein he saw glimpses of ‘Vishistadvaita’ were indeed novel for his time — this he beautifully encapsulated in “Kuvempu Sahityadalli Vishistadvaita Darshana.”
