Vinayaka Krishna Gokak was the fifth author to be awarded the Jnanpith Award, which he received in 1990 for his epic 'Bharatha Sindhu Rashmi'.
Bharatha Sindhu Rashmi is regarded as the longest epic narrative composed in the 20th century in any language. It explores the Vedic age, its philosophy, and spiritual vision. K. Krishnamoorthy describes the work as: "In respect of literary form, it is an epic; in its size, it is encyclopedic; and in regard to the thread of unity underlying the poem as a whole, it is a mystic vision of the spiritual destiny of Man."
Gokak was also honored with the Padma Shri and Kendra Sahitya Academy awards for his contributions to literature.
