Nationality Indian Name K. Bhagawan | Education MA, D.Litt | |
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Born Occupation Writer, professor, translator Notable work · Shankaracharya mattu Pratigamitana (ಶಂಕರಾಚಾರ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ರತಿಗಾಮಿತನ) · Kuvempu Yuga (ಕುವೆಂಪು ಯುಗ) | ||
K. S. Bhagawan (born 14 July 1945) is an Indian rationalist, Kannada writer, translator and retired professor. In addition to his works on Hinduism, Indian culture and history he has translated the works of William Shakespeare including Julius Caesar and Hamlet. He is a recipient of many awards including the Rajyotsava Award, Kuvempu Award and the Lokayata Award.Police case FIR also filed against him for "hurting" religious sentiments despite the celebrated writer complaining of receiving threats from right-wing groups accused of killing other rationalists.
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Career
Bhagawan acquired a post-graduate degree in English language from University of Mysore. As a professor, he taught English at Maharaja's College in Mysore. At the same time, he worked as a writer and translator. In 1982, his work Shankaracharya and Reactionary Philosophy (original title: ಶಂಕರಾಚಾರ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ರತಿಗಾಮಿತನ), a collection of essays, on how Adi Shankara, an 8th-century Hindu theologian, advocated the caste system strongly, destroyed Buddhist viharas and was against education for women, shudras and dalits, was published. It was met with criticism from right-wing Hindu groups who issued threats to his life. His other books in Kannada include Badalaavane, Antarya and Kuvempu Yuga. As a translator, he translated popular works of William Shakespeare to Kannada. It includes Merchant of Venice as Venisina Vartaka, and others such as Julius Caesar, Hamlet and Othello..
Bhagawan was chosen for the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement for the year 2013.
Controversies
At an event in Mysore on 15 February 2015, Bhagawan said that he would burn certain pages of the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita. He said that verse 32 and 33 in chapter 9 of the scripture describes women, vaishyas and shudras as "sinners" [paapayonaha].
Following the murder of another Kannada writer and rationalist M. M. Kalburgi, Bhuvith Shetty, a co-convener of a Hindu organisation, Bajrang Dal, posted on Twitter that Bhagawan would be the next target for "mock[ing] Hinduism". After having detained Shetty and his eventual release on bail, the security at Bhagwan's residence in Kuvempunagar locality of Mysore was "tightened".