Karanth’s preface to “Mookajji’s Visions”

(This is the foreword written by K.Shivarama Karanth, to the English translation of his Kannada novel ‘Mukajjiga Kanasugalu’. The aim of publishing this foreword on this website is to introduce the book to online audience, in Karanth’s own words. If anyone has any copyright/permission issue with this, please contact us at editor @ pustakam.net and we will remove the article if necessary – pustakam.net. The feature image of the multi-faceted Karanth is by K.K.Hebbar.)
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Since four decades or so, I have been writing novels in the Kannada language, thereby communicating to the Kannada people, my feelings, thoughts and experiences. Not that I didn’t have anything to offer to others, but for the reason that Kannada being my mother tongue, I could express myself best through that language. An additional fact would be that I gained much of my experience from Karnataka itself, where I have spent the best part of my life. Inspite of all this, there are quite a number of things-that my life, experiences and observations relate to a much larger world, often extending beyond this land. The human problem is as much my concern as anybody else’s, and its nature spreads beyond the bounds of one’s own time and country.

Here in this novel, I am tackling one of its many aspects. It pertains to man, his mind, beliefs, religion and god, etc. So far as the ‘geography’ of this story is concerned, I look to India and more particularly, to my own part of the country. The period concerned is fairly large, as it covers a period from the dawn of our civilization to the present day.

This reason impelled me to create a character like ‘Mookajji’, a grand lady who with her extra-sensory perceptions could easily probe in to the past as well as present. She chooses the grains from chaff, and tries to bring some order amidst a medley of beliefs.

I wrote the Kannada version of this novel in the year 1968 and am now presenting to you an English version of the same.

Here I must humbly plead my own shortcomings, so far as the language is concerned. Knowing my limitations in that matter, I have sought the help of friends, in making my writing more readable.

Firstly my thanks are due to Sri Seva Namiraj Malla, who often goaded me to undertake this venture. The final result is however due to the kind scrutiny and polish effected by my friend Sri T.S.Sanjiva Rao(of Hubli), a veteran journalist. I appreciate the help rendered by him very much and feel very grateful to him; so also to the other friend mentioned earlier. Such help has emboldened me to offer this novel to an all India audience. That too, on a topic that touches a vast number of people, their beliefs and susceptibilities.

This script has been returned to me as unacceptable by a few publishers but an award by the Jnanapitha of Delhi has brought respectability and demand after four years. At this juncture the IBH Prakashana has come forward to publish the same.

K.S.Karanth
20-9-1978
Saligrama P.O.
South Kanara.