Maasti was born in 1891 at Hungenahalli in Kolar district of Karnataka in a Tamil speaking Sri Vaishnavaite Iyengar Brahmin family.

After 26 years of service, he resigned in 1943, as a protest when he did not get the post equivalent to a Minister, which he felt that he deserved, and a junior was promoted ahead of him.

[5] Kelavu Sanna Kathegalu (Some Short Stories) was his first notable work in modern Kannada literature.

[7] His house, located in Maasti village, Maluru Taluk (Kolar District) has been converted into a library and maintained by the Government of Karnataka.

[9] Epics Novels Stories and Anthologies Plays Autobiography Other Quotations related to Masti Venkatesha Iyengar at Wikiquote