The name of the state that was referred to as the ‘Mysuru Rajya’ was later changed to Karnataka on November 1, 1973 while Devaraj Urs was the CM, almost two decades after the state had come together on the same day in 1956. In simple terms, the name Karnataka was considered to be a lot more inclusive than the name ‘Mysuru Rajya’ which denoted the province and the regions that came under that.
Coming to the etymology of Karnataka, though there are many stories about why the word or the name was chosen for the nomenclature of a state, there isn’t one solid version that could hold the absolute truth. One version is that Karnataka or Karu Nadu as it is called today, stands for an ‘elevated land’ since the rivers in this state flow eastwards to join Bay of Bengal on that side. Hence the name was decided on.
Devaraj Urs; Image Source: The Hindu
However, this does not hold the entire truth. The old Tamil scripture Shilappadigaram has references to ‘Karunaadaar’ for people of this region. Most celebrated poet of Kannada, Da Ra Bendre was of the opinion that the word is a Sanskritised version of Kannadar, the name of two tribes Kanna and Nadar that lived in the area.
Scriptures also have references to Karnata Desa as a region that existed here that may have inspired the name the state got finally. The early references to this name are also referred to in Sambhava Parva and Bhishma Parva of Mahabharata.
Bhagavata Purana also has references to this coinage such as Karnataka, while mentioning the life of Vrishabha Deva, stating the divinity of Bhagavata in Vrishabha Deva’s form ended his avatara on Kutachala, in Karnata Desa.
Scholar Panini makes his references to Karnataka in his most famous work Mricchakatika. This in its form is also the oldest surviving play written in Sanskrit. Since then, the play has been performed many times over and again in new contemporary forms.
Scholar Panini; Image Source: Pinterest
In a more palpable version, the name Karnataka could have been derived for reasons that Kannada was being spoken here in majority of the population though in different dialects. There is also another version that says Karu Nadu indicated the rich black soil that covered the area, making it conducive to grow cotton which is the main crop in the vast arid regions of the state or Kappu Nadu. The term Karnata also refers to the region between rivers Godavari and Cauvery, in the 9th century’s work Kavirajamarga.
While we are at this, it is also important to note the recorded history of Karnataka goes back to two millennia, even with reference to the scriptures and evidences available in archeological sites and tablets. Scholar Dr S Srikanta Shastry has presented the most significant paper on the history of Karnataka, stating the region was part of the Gondavana region which had spread across South Africa and Australia, which were among the early civilizations.
About the author: Preethi Nagaraj
Preethi Nagaraj is a journalist with experience in both print and electronic media. She has been engaged with journalism and related fields for the last two decades. A native of Davanagere in Karnataka, she has worked with The New Indian Express, CNBC-TV18, Intel India Pvt Ltd and Deccan Herald. She holds an MA in Journalism and Mass Communication, and an MSc in Psychology. A theatre buff and a keen political analyst, she has written for the Hindustan Times, The News Minute, and Scroll. She is a bi-lingual writer/journalist and is a columnist with Prajavani, the highest circulated Kannada daily. Her collection of column writings ‘Mirchi Mandakki’ was published by Prajavani Publications.
Her first book on third-generation theatre person B Jayashree, who was also a Rajyasabha MP, was recently selected for the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Book Prize. B Jayashree is a fiery singer, theatre doyen and an NSD graduate who is the theatre contemporary of India’s fine actors Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri. The book chronicles the journey of B Jayashree through her own life, and through that, the journey of Kannada and Indian theatre.
