This speech, delivered by Kuvempu first in 1944, is often remembered, even to this day, as a cultural landmark that serves as an ideological bridge between the more conservative Navodaya generation and its rebellious successors - the Dalit-Bandaya movement of the seventies would take much inspiration from the ideas espoused herein. Kuvempu was the first notable non-Brahmin personality in the Kannada literary scene of the twentieth century - the poet with the grandest imagination, preferring simplicity over complexity in ideas, and historically perhaps the most revered of them all. One senses a bit of both Tagore and Gandhi in his outlook and personality, patrician in one sense and spiritually-rooted in the other.

The primary theme of this speech-essay is Kuvempu’s concern about the rise of sectarianism and the destructive elements of ignorance that run with it. He asserts the supremacy of the scientific mind over the ignorance of blind faith, but keeps his feet firmly planted in the traditional tongue - he meets modernity somewhat gingerly, offering one hand for a firm handshake while safely tucking the other away. In many ways, his views may be seen as being in concert with the legacy bequeathed by that great tradition of freethinkers in the history of Karnataka - from Allama Prabhu to Sarvajna - who advocated a religious spirit divorced from ritualistic orthodoxy, stressing the idea of a personalised god and abhorring the monstrosities of fanaticism and material accumulation. Even as he argues in this tenor, Kuvempu speaks in a tone that very much belongs to the world he is interrogating - he quotes from the Gita and other Sanskrit texts, and often takes recourse to motifs from the myths. He lectures paternalistically, almost as if addressing a wayward child, seeking earnestly to separate the wheat from the chaff of spiritual discourse. His audience is the masses, and his chosen approach is appropriate - decidedly down-to-earth and polite, for this is a speech and not a literary outpouring. 

He addresses it to young men in particular, and employs a meandering voice that keeps returning to his primary concern - the establishment of what he calls the nirankuṡamati - an ideal and unhindered intellect that is free of biases. He cajoles and coaxes and rambles, often repeating already expressed ideas for reinforcement, like an earworm readying itself for inception. It is testament to Kuvempu’s vision of society that his views resonate just as much today as they did more than three quarters of a century earlier - perhaps even more so. 

Friends, I must thank you all for allowing me to stand here and speak freely. 

My thoughts may be disliked by some, and some might even find it revolutionary. But hurting anyone's sentiments is the last thing on my mind. My views have not been born out of insufficient thinking, muddled thoughts, or a sense of vengefulness; they are a product of a long period of mental churning, a calm mind, constructive anger stemming from the observation of gross injustices, and a humble desire that our country, our land, and our culture may rise and shine. Hence, please listen patiently, examine my words wisely, accept what you find reasonable, and correct my unintended errors for yourself. 

I am not here in a guru’s capacity; and neither are you sitting here as my students. I am not delivering a lecture - I am simply entreating you. Many others like myself might have ignited your minds already. In that case, our views will gently resonate with each other. For others, this is a chance to do so. Please do not gulp my words without chewing them well, do not accept them without the complete approval of your intellect, but listen to them without any bias already in your head. 

The youth of today must become unrestrained intellectual beings - nirankushamatis. What I mean by nirankushamati is not authoritarian rule, as it usually connotes (in Kannada). What I mean is the comprehensive and unhindered use of one’s mind. 

The intellect is man’s most formidable weapon. It is what shows us the light in times of darkness. It is what separates humans from beasts. Only this may show us the path from humanity to divinity. Intellect is man’s foremost right - therefore, let it become your guiding light. 

Everyone possesses an intellect, in some measure or another. But what has happened to it now? It has become devoid of all goodness, thanks to ignorance, religion-mongering, societal panic, fear of the state, and the trappings of heaven, hell, and deities; it has lost its radiance. What must rightly sit on the throne like a king has been made to pathetically press someone else’s feet. Chains on the mind have made life itself lacklustre. Dear friends, please rescue this freefalling intellect and elevate it to its proper stature. 

I shall describe some of these tight constraints on the intellect - kindly listen with patience. 

Religion has become a heavy burden, like a mortar tied to the neck of the country. Religion is essentially mankind’s effort to attain the ever-tranquil, ever-calm state of being which we call God. But what we call religion these days has become merely the trappings of social constructs and diktats. People not touching one another; not even seeing one another; not partaking of meals with one another; wearing namas on foreheads; wearing vibhutis, branding ourselves, wearing crosses, preventing certain people from accessing well-water or entering temples - it is hundreds of these kind of useless practices and traditions that define religion these days. The eternal words of the Upanishads, Bhagavat Gita, and the Mahavibhutis have now become lost in a veritable forest fire. 

But we cannot hope to be blind to these words for too long. If that is so, it will be the death knell for us and our culture. The youth of today must proceed with a broadminded vision and a large heart, come to terms with their souls and help themselves, and this country, prosper. 

A pure-hearted and gregarious religion is greater than every other religion that exists. Whatever the gurus, acharyas, Dharmashastras, or the Manusmriti might say - we possess the right to examine, scrutinise, and evaluate it. The divine exists in us as well. The radiant light of divinity shines in us too. It is this light that is called the intellect. Rejecting this light is tantamount to rejecting the divine itself. One who does this is, in fact, the real atheist. Ignorance is the real denunciation of God. The one who worships ignorance, in whatever measure, preaches it, and remains calm while profiting from the endeavour is the real heretic. 

Even if the four-headed Brahma appears before you directly, like how I am standing today, and claims that he taught the Vedas to the ancient rishis, do not believe him blindly. Don’t hang your head submissively if he asserts that the codes written by Manu for some ancient society and age should be followed even today. If the Manu of those times was sacred, is not the Gandhi of today sacred too? Do not mistake a belief to be true just because it is ancient. If new discoveries can obliterate earlier beliefs in the scientific world, why cannot the same happen in the religious sphere? If the Vedas are truly without origin, then are they not without an end as well? The Vedas are not a finished text; its chapters have not been completed yet. They are in the process of completion, as we speak, today and tomorrow as well. In the same way, we have not exhausted our wise rishis - they will keep coming. Listen to them with keen attention. Keep away from narrow thinking. Let your heart not be contaminated with old water; may fresh, pristine waves wash over you. 

Respected audience, my speech will prove to be more clear if I take up some more examples. It is more fruitful to speak directly and specifically than through indirect and impersonal routes. 

The history of Chiristianity in the western world supplies us with enough stories to demonstrate how fanaticism and ignorance can impede scientific growth. One of these is that of Galileo. The Bible is to Christians what the Vedas are to Hindus. Hence, those who believed in the absolutism of the Bible rejected any idea that clashed with it, and would burn to death anyone who claimed otherwise. Many great individuals, geniuses, and worshippers of truth have met fiery graves for their contributions to astronomy, life sciences, and physiology thanks to the blind anger of the orthodoxy. 

Using a telescope, Galileo conclusively proved that the Earth and other planets revolve around the sun. However, in Christian tradition, the earth was the center of the universe - the sun and the stars revolve around it. This is why Galileo was branded a heretic and immediately brought into interrogation. These fools got together and said this to the scientific genius: ‘Our sacred scriptures assert that the earth is the center of the universe - the sun and the moon and the stars have been placed around it by the benevolent lord for the benefit of his children. They rotate around the earth. By stating that the sun is bigger than the earth and that the earth rotates around the sun, you have caused blasphemy to the lord and to his numerous devotees. What you say is false because the Bible says otherwise. Retract your words respectfully, else we shall burn you alive, and make an example out of you. What is your choice?’ Galileo knew perfectly well that his theory was correct, and that they would not hesitate to burn him alive if he stuck to it. So he retracted his theory, and reflected, as he was walking away - ‘I might have walked away in fear but it changes nothing. The earth still does spin around the sun.’  Thus, unintellectual and blind thinking can place obstacles to progress, and one can find examples for this in numerous historical incidents, and one will continue to do so. 

A few months ago, there was a story in the newspaper about how a deity appeared in the middle of a farm somewhere, and issued a command directing the village to celebrate Ugadi within a certain date, or it would take one life from every household as punishment. The deity also had specific instructions for the various entreaties and offerings that the ritual would involve. Several members hurriedly celebrated the festival and ate their fill. There is no harm in premature celebration. But isn’t there harm in the propagation of such primitive thinking? In villages, newspapers are considered no less than the Vedas, and if the Vedas say so, they will not hesitate to believe the correctness of any deed, however vile it may be! They revere the printed text. What do these poor villagers know of how anybody with money can print anything?

And so too, the incident of how rain was ushered in by performing parjanya japa. How many people have thought about this in an unbiased, rational manner? Will the Sahara desert become inundated if some priests go and perform parjanya japa there? Unless this can be proved, isn’t any belief in it completely blind? Can mere prayer change the natural laws of the world? And even if it does, does the act of paying money and organising a japa have any more effect than a poor farmer’s family silently pleading to God in their house to grant them a harvest this year? Today’s youth should boldly ask these questions, and find bold answers to them too. 

Because the doers of parjanya japa today might tomorrow try to ward off the plague by a similar method, without taking any medical assistance! We can see such destruction being caused by primitive thinking these days. However praiseworthy the intentions might be, it can be dangerous if it is not backed by knowledge. Once, smallpox had taken hold of a village and its occupants were dying en masse. A prominent Father in the village had gathered people into a church and organised a prayer to address the epidemic. However, since there were many in this gathering who had contracted the virus, it had begun spreading through them even as they prayed for it to be vanquished. Hence, even if the Father’s intentions were good, the ignorance with respect to the virus would prove to be deadly. To help the masses avoid such scenarios, they must be handed the lamp of intellect. Upon them must be bestowed the courage to introspect and the intelligence to examine things. 

Similarly, the question of temple-entry: it must be subjected to the mortar that is the intellect. I read in the newspapers recently, that a respected individual, after visiting a temple, was forced to pay up for the ‘samprokshanam’ of the temple, as he was from an ‘untouchable’ caste. But, when upper caste people far more ignorant, corrupt, and ignoble than him enter the temple, its dignity is not besmirched apparently. ‘Touchable’ youth must take this dishonour done to their brother as a personal affront, stop going to temples, and build their own sanctum sanctorums in the lap of nature, in the splendour of the rising sun, in literature, in culture, while ridding themselves of the uncharitableness of sects and creeds. For the ‘untouchable’ youth, I have a suggestion. What will happen if you stop going to temples and getting insulted in the process? Why persist with the illusion that God exists in a stone? Allama Prabhu, in his Prabhulinga Leele, says this about Siddarama, who was once constructing a temple, forsaking the pursuit of truth for the gains of glory and worship -

Why must we perform these loutish tasks? Can we not stay away from the silliness of sects and the extortions of priests, and worship the Lord who is present in our hearts with greater devotion? Be sure that the argument for untouchables to enter temples is being made only for cleansing the consciences of the upper castes, and not for the liberation of the untouchables. The beautiful landscape of nature, the rich pastures of the inner self, and the great thoughts in the works of great writers - let these become our temples, the objects of our worship, our mantras - there is no doubt that this ‘darshana’ will visit upon those who seek it ardently. Until this is achieved, there is no liberation for us or our country, nor is there any joy or peace, or release from bondage. 

Hence, my youthful friends, do not fall into the embarrassments of any orthodoxy. Do not fall into the conundrums of any caste or creed. We must grasp the compassionate essence of all religions, and live with this ‘darshana’ in our minds. We must bathe in the pristine waters of the thoughts of great individuals, that have been untouched by the discriminations of caste, creed, and nation, and aspire to live a full and richer life. 

Such a ‘darshana’ is not too hard to earn. After avoiding the pitfalls of fanaticism, and holding on to the lamp of intellect in our hands, it becomes an easy task indeed. After achieving such a ‘darshana’, we may have no need for temples at all. The universe itself becomes a large temple, housing the almighty. It will help us avoid a situation where one must pay for the sin of having visited a temple just to showcase one’s bhakti.

It is this courage for seeking this divine ‘darshana’ that I have called the nirankushamati. Every youth looking to foster goodness and wellbeing must seek out this nirankushamati. 

For this to happen, slavishness must die; for slavishness to die, one must strive to live individually and independently; one must not spread their hands in front of someone to survive. To be clear and sure, one needs money, and one needs a job. Friends, I will accept that this has indeed become a conundrum. It is to solve this very issue that the leaders of this country are working so hard. We must join them in this endeavour with hope in our hearts, and proceed with optimism. The depth of this problem only shows us how much courage we have to summon in the days to come. 

However, it is possible to offer some suggestions in this regard. While it may be impossible to direct one to do such and such things specifically, one may however point out what might happen when certain things are not done. 

Convinced by the progress of urban growth, youth are increasingly getting drawn to cities. Here too, their vocations are usually not those that create wealth, but those that accumulate it. Some might find this comforting and contributing to peace. But how long can you go on accumulating wealth for yourself without ever creating any? This is why intelligent youth must eschew the allure of urbanisation and stay back in villages to address the ignorance and primitive thinking of the illiterate masses. 

One must divert the wealth proliferating in the name of villages, in the name of traditional constructs, and in the name of planets and demons, towards more fruitful and constructive endeavours. 

If youth stay away from glamorous and fashionable lifestyles, a lot of wealth may be saved. It will also stop them from spending on expensive weddings, and emptying the coffers of their in-laws. 

When a man marries before he is capable of earning a livelihood, his independent thought and nirankushamati are both compromised. By placing cupped hands before others for money and falling prey to moneylenders, his divine self becomes sullied and undignified. His youth fades away under the duress of domestic life. His sphere of generosity becomes smaller and smaller, until it only includes his wife and his children. He will not hesitate to do anything for their sake. Such men become impediments to the growth of the country. Hence, young men, before you are capable of standing on your own two feet, do not get married; do not bring dishonour to your soul, trouble to your peace of mind, and harm to this country. 

Instead, until you are capable of fending for yourself, you can remain a brahmachari and work for the country. The great Bheeshma was also a brahmachari. So was Hanuman. They accomplished great deeds. Today’s science of the mind also suggests that bachelorhood imparts strength of character to one’s mental make-up.  

These are times when a massive upheaval is taking hold of our country. Workers are needed in every corner of our nation. Be it through an organisation or in a personal capacity - everyone must become busy with work. It is impossible to delineate the nature of this work - everyone must find suitable work in tandem with their talents, experience, and motivations in life. The nature of work that Mysore demands of its residents might not be in keeping with what Srirangapatna demands, and what Srirangapatna demands might be quite distanced from what its neighbouring villages require. 

While villages need hygiene awareness programs, the need of the hour in cities is to combat unbridled religious fanaticism. Hence, friends, in the construction of a new India, all of us have respectful tasks to accomplish and everyone’s courage may find a space to be expressed. 

However, I must add a note of caution before proceeding further. Many among us are susceptible to immediate gratification. They have neither the patience nor the conviction for sustained effort. They do not possess the belief that good deeds beget good fruits. In the Gita, Krishna says -

For great fruits, time and effort are required in great quantities. Hence, we must find the courage to forge ahead without becoming distraught in the short run. Our enthusiasm should not become a flame on a blade of grass - it should become like the latent energy of coal. 

The temptations of glory and lust may cause even greater damage than succumbing to immediate gratifications. There is a popular saying - ‘ Glory is the last weakness of great personalities.’ If the great can fall into this trap, what hope remains for the ordinary? But there is no rule that the ordinary must glorify the great. Indeed, it may be because of this bestowed glory that great individuals find it hard to escape its pitfalls. The very lack of such glory makes it easier for us to avoid its temptations. One who is not taken in by applause, praise in newspapers, or grandiloquent titles, and continues to do good work silently is the real karmayogi. Swami Vivekanada once said something to this effect: when thousands of people surround you with applauding hands, cheer you on with magnificent war cries, and when you realise that thousands of stupas and hagiographies will celebrate and remember you, what sissy will not be able to enter the battlefield and die a glorious death? What worm cannot become a warrior? However, when not a single ray of glory shines, and when there exists nobody to praise and sing paeans, and one works in deep and silent diligence, with gritted teeth and untiring effort, climbing the mountain of karma with the divine in his heart - that is the mark of a great tapaswi who becomes foremost in the eyes of Iswara.

Thus, one must bear in mind the fruit of long labours, and enter the fray with diligence and patience. One must not begin by imagining that the world will change for good immediately, or that one’s self will be the central hub around which the world will revolve, or dream about an imminent Nobel Prize, and build castles in the air. 

I will speak about a couple of matters close to my heart before I conclude this speech. I have no doubt that these are matters deeply relevant to all of us. 

Among the endeavours to be undertaken by the youth of today, the prosperity of languages, as well as the creation and dissemination of literature are noteworthy ones. I am not talking about Hindi, Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, or Telugu : I am talking about the Kannada language, and Kannada literature. Our mother tongue and its literature!

Literature possesses the strength to describe the current state of life affairs, and decide the scenarios of the future. Accomplished youth must write about their dreams and aspirations, reiterate it again and again, and ignite sparks in people’s hearts. Even as we speak, the life of our land is burning brightly and resplendently. Karnataka Sanghas are sprouting up everywhere, and many well-endowed individuals are diverting resources towards good deeds; the Sahitya Parishat is doing the best it can; the education sector is preparing to start teaching in Kannada; and the University is publishing many new texts and contributing fuel to this fire in a significant way as well. If we don’t join in this veritable deepotsava, this only shows the lack of feeling in our own hearts. I trust that nobody assembled here feels such a lack of sentiment. 

Respected listeners, I shall repeat myself again. If we are to conduct ourselves as I have spoken about, we need a large treasure of courage in our hearts, our soul must shine, and we must become nirankushamatis, and seek out this ‘darshana’. 

Let these mantras remain as the foundation for the new ‘darshana’ we shall try and seek out.