DHARMASHREE

Composed in the early phase of Dr. S L Bhyrappa’s literary career, Dharmashree (1961) deals with the evils of religious conversion and the trauma it causes—at the levels of the individual, family, and society. The subtle and nefarious attempts of Christian missionaries and their relentless attempts at undermining Hinduism for the sake of proselytization are vividly brought out in this novel. Dharmashree depicts the episodes in the life of Satyanarayana, a staunch adherent of Sanātana-dharma, who ends up falling in love with a Christian girl, Lily. Initially a harsh critic of Hinduism, Lily is deeply influenced by Hindu ideals as she wades past discussions and arguments with Satya. Lily’s father would never marry her off to a non-Christian, so what does Satya do? The issues that Bhyrappa raises in this work—authored over sixty years ago—continues to be relevant because even today, thousands of Hindus are getting converted to other religions, creating a rift in their families and the society. The English translation of Dharmashree has been undertaken by Prof. L. V. Shanthakumari, a renowned scholar, literary critic, creative writer, and translator.