D. L. Narasimhachar
Kannada linguist (b. 1906, d. 1971)
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Through Linguistics and Epigraphy
Early life and education
D. L. Narasimhachar's younger years were spread out across the district of Tumkur in the southern state of Karnataka - in towns like Pavagada, Madhugiri and Sira. Hailing from a Brahminical family, D. L. N. was trained in chaste Sanskrit from a Pandit. Narasimhachar's writing began at an early stage with recurrent contributions to the local school magazine "School Folk". For his Bachelor's degree (1927), he sought admission to the Central College at Bangalore. There he had taken Kannada as an optional subject (in addition to his primary subjects - Physics and Chemistry). Incidentally, his score in the optional subject was his highest, this eventually steered him to complete his Master's degree in Kannada at the Maharaja College, Mysore (1929). His contemporaries at Maharaja College, Mysore were future literary names like K. V. Puttappa, K. V. Raghavachar, Anantharangachar and K. Venkataramappa. The faculty at Maharaja College, Mysore included B. M. Srikantaiah, Rallapalli Anantha Krishna Sharma, V. Seetharamaiah, C. R. Narasimha Sastry, T. S. Venkannaiah Archived 29 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine and A. R. Krishna Shastry. During his free time, he would frequent Oriental Research Library to peruse old Kannada manuscripts. The H. V. Nanjundaiah Gold Medal set aside for outstanding Master's student was awarded to D. L. Narasimhachar in 1929.
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Academician
D. L. Narasimhachar began his career as a research assistant at the Oriental Research Library, Mysore. He simultaneously held the position of a part-time lecturer in Kannada at the Maharaja College Kannada Department. An ongoing research project dedicated to the 'timing' of the earliest Veerashaiva literature caught his attention. He became the first recipient of the research grant set aside for this scholarly endeavour. After his departure from the Oriental Research Library, he was appointed a full time lecturer at the college in 1932 and continued in the same post till 1939. For a brief tenure of two years, he taught at present-day Yuvaraja College, Mysore before coming back to his parent department, where he taught till the end of the Second World War.
In late 1945, he received a promotion to the post of Assistant Professor and was transferred to Central College, Bangalore. By the end of the decade, he was back in Mysore as Associate Professor in the department where he started his career. In 1954, he was appointed Chief Editor of the ‘Kannada-Kannada’ Dictionary Project . D. L. Narasimhachar spent the remainder of his years till retirement in 1962 serving at Mysore in the capacity of Professor of Kannada Language Studies. His career spanned thirty years from 1932 - 1962.
The University Grants Commission (U. G. C.) extended a Post-Doctoral Fellowship to D. L. N. from 1962 onwards for the next six years.
Literary contributions
D. L. Narasimhachar's scholarship was along two lines - "Textual Criticism" and "Independent Research". His involvement in the "Kannada - Kannada' Dictionary project saw him bring out the first edition of the dictionary during those years. He succeeded T. N. Srikantaiah in this project after his demise. D. L. N.'s guide to Editorship titled "Kannada Grantha Sampadane" is among his remembered works. Between 1959 - 63, he was the Editor of the University of Mysore's Journal "Prabuddha Karnataka". His introductions to K. S. Narasimha Swamy's "Shilalathe", "Vaddaradhane", "Pampa Ramayana Sangraha" and "Sukumara Charitam" brought him much note. Narasimhachar was involved in Epigraphical Studies across the state. His knowledge of Halegannada helped him decipher much of these inscriptions. He delivered numerous lectures on the Mysore Akashvani (later All India Radio). His publication titled "Pīṭhikegaḷu, lēkhanagaḷu" was a compendium of his earlier essays and lectures spanning three decades.
Recognition
D. L. Narasimhachar authored number of books and essays across three decades. Some of his notable students include - G. Venkatasubbiah and T. V. Venkatachala Sastry. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat conferred on him Sahitya Akademi Award. He presided over the forty first instalment of their annual congregation held at Bidar in 1960. Two Festschrift Volumes were dedicated by contemporary scholars titled “Jnanopasaka” (1960) and “Upayana” (1967). A commemoration volume was brought forth in 2005 by Hampi University titled "ಡಿ. ಎಲ್. ನರಸಿಂಹಾಚಾರ್ ಶತಮಾನ ಸ್ಮರಣೆ". His student and Kannada litterateur T. V. Venkatachala Sastry authored a memoir on his former teacher and mentor titled "ಪ್ರೊಫೆಸರ್ ಡಿ. ಎಲ್. ನರಸಿಂಹಾಚಾರ್ಯರ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಬರಹಗಳು" in 2008. The Government of Mysore awarded the Kannada Rajyotsava Award. In recognition of a lifetime dedicated to the world of Kannada studies, his alma mater - University of Mysore bestowed on him an honorary D. Litt in 1969. Following his retirement in 1962, he was appointed (University Grants Commission) U. G. C. Research Fellow for the next six years. He died on 7 May 1971 at the age of 65 years.