M. V. Seetharamiah

Mysore Venkatadasappa Seetharamiah or M. V. See (pen name Raghava; 9 September 1910 – 12 March 1990) was an Indian Kannada language author, editor and translator. Through a career spanning over sixty years, he published over 100 works spanning short stories, poetry, novels, and dramas. Some of his notable works included Sri Vijaya kruta Kavirajamarga, a retelling of the classical Kavirajamarga, Udayadityalankara, a work on Kannada poetics, and also other works on ancient Kannada language grammar.

Seetharamaiah was a recipient of the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award, Rajyotsava Prashasti, and the Kannada Sahitya Parishat Award for his contributions to Kannada literature. He also set up the Bangalore-based B. M. Shri Pratisthana, an organization focused on advancing Kannada language literary studies.

Early life
Seetharamaiah was born on September 9, 1910, in Mysore, in the present day southern Indian state of Karnataka. He completed his master's degree in Kannada literature from the Maharaja College of Mysore in the Mysore University in 1933.

Career
After obtaining his degree, he continued to work at the Mysore University, working as a research assistant. During this time he worked on developing an English to Kannada language dictionary, working with some of the leading language scholars of the time. Some of his collaborators and mentors from the period included B. M. Srikantaiah, TS Venkannaiah, A. R. Krishnashastry, T. N. Srikantaiah, and D. L. Narasimhachar. He worked as a professor at the Government Arts College in Bangalore between 1946 and 1963. He was later inducted into the Kannada department of the Bangalore university where he worked as a University Grants Commission professor between 1967 and 1974.

Writing career
As a writer, he was from the second wave of the Navodaya or renaissance period of Kannada literature, continuing in the tradition of Masti Venkatesha Iyengar. His writings focused on showcasing some of the social issues of the time. He wrote under the pen name 'Raghava' and wrote over 100 works through his writing career. Among his major contributions include establishing authorship of Kavirajamarga, where he noted that the author of the classical work was Sri Vijaya and Nrupatunga, the Rashtrakuta emperor was mainly credited with approving the content. His re-writing of the classic was titled Sri Vijaya kruta Kavirajamarga. His other major contributions included the study of ancient Kannada grammar. Some of his other works included Udayadityalankara, a work focused on Kannada poetics. He also studied the role played by Kannada poets on the language's discourse evolution and wrote on ancient Kannada language grammar. Archana and Keertana Kusumanjali were a collection of devotional songs that he summarized. He also wrote poems for children including Banna Bannada Navilugari Haakide Pustakadali Mari. He also wrote a biography and study of the works of the Kannada language writer Muddana and another of author D. V. Gundappa for his birth centenary in 1988.

He was a recipient of the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award, Rajyotsava Prashasti, and the Kannada Sahitya Parishat Award for his contributions to Kannada literature. He also hosted Pustakalokana, a book review program on All India Radio.

Seetharamaiah set up the B. M. Shri. Pratisthana, a research organization focused on advancing Kannada language literary studies and research, in Bangalore in 1979. The organization was named after his teacher B. M. Srikantaiah. As of 2009, the organization had developed into a research center and had partnered with Hampi University and offered M. Phil and PhD degrees. The center now houses a postgraduate research center named after Seetharamaiah.

Select works
Source(s):


 * Udayadityalankaram (1970)
 * Pracheena Kannada Vyakaranagalu (1980)
 * Bharateeya Kavyameemamsege Kannada Kavigala Koduge (1970)
 * Shastra Sahitya (1975)
 * Samanyanige Sahityacharitre Male (1975)
 * Srivijaya Kruta Kavirajamarga (1968)
 * Kannada Sahityadalli Shantharasa (1970)
 * Dheemanta: Biography of D. V. Gundappa (1988)
 * Archana
 * Sri Krishna Leelamruta
 * Keertana Kusumanjali

Personal life
In addition to writing, Seetharamaiah was also trained in the fine arts playing the Mridangam, the Indian percussion instrument played in Carnatic music, and also painted. Seetharamaiah died in Bangalore on March 12, 1990. He was aged 80. He suffered from arthritis and asthma prior to his death.