A history of Telugu literature; - Cristo Raul

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64 A HISTORY OF TELUGU LITERATURE Snnatha dedicated every one of his poems to a king or a rich man Potana ; spurned to wed the damsel of poesy to wretched kings for money ; Srmatha was a courtier, Potana a devotee. Many stories are told of Srinatha'a attempts to induce Potana to befriend the mammon of unrighteousness, but he preferred to live and die a poor man, and disdained to bow the knee to kings while he had Siva to worship and Krishna to celebrate. Potana was a self-made and self-taught man. He appears to have had no formal schooling. This is why some defects, counted as such by pandits, are found in his style. It is a signal proof of the devastating influence of criticism on literature that his Bhagavala should not have been regarded by some as a standard work, notwithstanding its bewitching beauty of style and sentiment. It is said that while grazing cattle the poet met a yogi called Jitananda, by whose blessing he obtained his intellectual awakening and the gift of poetry. In his early days, Potana was a gay young man, a favourite in the court of Rao Singhama, in praise of whose courtesan he composed a rhapsody called Bhoginl Dandaka. This was the work of Potana before his conversion. After conversion, he began the translation of Bhagavata. We have already said that the Bhdgavata deals with Krishna. In narrating the incident of Dhaksha Yaga it was necessary to relate the Rakshasas' enmity to Siva and the words of contumely used by him. As a staunch Saivite, Potana felt this very much, and by way of atonement is said to have written Vlrabhadra Vijaya in praise of Siva. Potana 's life was devoted to the translation of the Bhagavata, which he dedicated to Rama. Rao Singhama wished that the book should be dedicated to him, but it is said that Potana, in spite of the persecutions to which he was subjected, would not consent to dedicate his poem to a mere man, though a king. The Telugu BJuigavata, unlike the Telugu Rdmayana and Bharata, is much bigger than the original ; and, unlike them also, portions of it are very popular even among the illiterate. Gajendra Moksha and Rukmam Kalyana are perhaps the most widely read and recited portions in Telugu literature. The style of
THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 65 Potana is full of Sanskritisms but, for all that, rich in topical interest and local colour. As an inspirational poet he is not excelled by any other, and his Bhdgavata is regarded and utilised as a standard tion. manual of devo- It would appear that Potana did not publish the Bhdgavata in his life-time. He was disgusted with the worldliness of his day and concluded that the public of the time were unworthy to hear his poem. He left it as a heritage to his son, Mallana, with instructions that he should give it the Pearl of Great Price to a pure man who had devotion in his heart. Potana's son did not open the box in which the manuscript was deposited, but bequeathed Veligandala Narayya, who discovered that portions it to his friend, of it were destroyed by Bana worms. The portions so destroyed were completed by Erchuri Sirhganna and Veligandala Narayya. Later, Haribhat (1660) translated portions of the Bhdgavata. We have also the Bdla-Bhdgavata by Koneru Kavi. Apart from the Vishnu Bhdgavata, we have another Bhdgavata called Devi Bhdgavata, which was translated by an early poet, Dammanadora, and later by Srirama Pantulu and Mulugu Papayya. Tirupati Venkatesvara Kavulu has also recently published a translation of this work. Among the contemporaries of Srinatha and Potana, the following may be mentioned : 1. Jakkanna (A.D. 1410- ). Translated or composed Vikramarka Charitra, celebrating the victories of Vikramarka, the King of Ujjain, a patron of Sanskrit literature and a hero much celebrated in history and song. 2. Madiki Sirhganna (A.D. 1420- ). Translated the Padma Pttrana, and Vasishta Ramdyana, the tenth canto of Bhagavata and a treatise on politics, called Sakdla Nlti Sammatamu. 3. Nissenka Kommanna (A.D. 1430- ). Wrote Sivallla Vilasa and Viramahesvara. 4. Anantamatya (A.D. 1434- ), author of Rasabharana, Bhoja Rajlya, a book of wonder tales, Ananta Chandas, a book on prosody. 5. Gouranna Mantri, a minister who composed Harichandropakyana, the story of the prince who never spoke a lie and who, for the sake of truth, lost his throne, wife and liberty ; and Navanatha Charitra, remarkable as an early instance of the short story. Both of these are in Dvipada.
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THE HERITAGE OF INDIA SERIES Planne
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EDITORIAL PREFACE Finally, brethren
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ftS& m I'
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FOREWORD I HAVE cursorily glanced t
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FOREWORD 7 with Telugu literature.
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PREFACE THIS volume is the first at
Page 21 and 22: I INTRODUCTORY TELUGU is one of the
Page 23 and 24: INTRODUCTORY 15 the Krishna,which w
Page 25 and 26: INTRODUCTORY 17 ruled practically t
Page 27 and 28: INTRODUCTORY 19 been recovered from
Page 29 and 30: HISTORICAL AND RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND
Page 37 and 38: Ill THE LIFE OF A POET THE poet in
Page 39 and 40: THE LIFE OF A POET 31 life that the
Page 41 and 42: IV LITERARY MODES AND FORMS The Sub
Page 43 and 44: LITERARY MODES AND FORMS 35 is the
Page 45 and 46: AT the outset of Telugu literature,
Page 47 and 48: EARLY BEGINNINGS, THE DEI AND MARGI
Page 49 and 50: VI PURANA YUGA, OR THE AGE OF TRANS
Page 51 and 52: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 43 labour of
Page 53 and 54: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 45 forward t
Page 55 and 56: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 47 Many inte
Page 57 and 58: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 49 Errapraga
Page 59 and 60: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 51 and the t
Page 61 and 62: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 53 has insta
Page 63 and 64: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 55 Though as
Page 65 and 66: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 57 Sataka, s
Page 67 and 68: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 59* Bhima Ka
Page 69 and 70: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 61 light run
Page 71: lopment of Telugu literature in the
Page 75 and 76: THE AGE OF TRANSLATION 67 whose fav
Page 77 and 78: VII THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS (A
Page 79 and 80: THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS 71 enc
Page 81 and 82: hava. A pious Brahmin of Arunaspada
Page 83 and 84: THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS 75 wro
Page 85 and 86: THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS 77 emp
Page 87 and 88: THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS 79 rea
Page 89 and 90: THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS 81 bey
Page 91 and 92: THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS 83 Ram
Page 93 and 94: THE PERIOD OF THE PRABANDHAS 85 The
Page 95 and 96: THE PERIOD OF STAGNATION 87 2. The
Page 97 and 98: THE PERIOD OF STAGNATION 89 This ty
Page 99 and 100: THE PERIOD OF STAGNATION 91 2. Shis
Page 101 and 102: THE PERIOD OF STAGNATION 93 Purdna
Page 103 and 104: THE PERIOD OF STAGNATION 95 social
Page 105 and 106: IX POPULAR LITERATURE THE impulse f
Page 107 and 108: POPULAR LITERATURE 99 or two sataka
Page 109 and 110: POPULAR LITERATURE 101 the prayers
Page 111 and 112: WOMEN POETS 103 not get the right l
Page 113 and 114: XI CHRISTIAN AND MUHAMMADAN POETS C
Page 115 and 116: CHRISTIAN AND MUHAMMADAN POETS 107
Page 117 and 118: THE MODERN PERIOD 109 CRITICAL ACTI
Page 119 and 120: THE MODERN PERIOD 111 Folklore is b
Page 121 and 122: THE MODERN PERIOD 113 unchanged thr
Page 123 and 124:
THE MODERN PERIOD 115 Social Satire
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the * high prose ' THE MODERN PERIO
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THE MODERN PERIOD 119 Magazines and
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RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT 121 poets a
Page 131 and 132:
RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT 123 life, t
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A BBANAMATYA, Kanuparti, f* 90 Abhi
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Fifteenth Century Poets, 62 ff. Fol
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Nalacharitra, 89 Nallanna (= Atharv
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Satya Vadhu Prenanamu, 71 Sdvitrl C
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to CO H o 4 01 *_: ^^ M* rt tj i cd
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A history of Telugu literature; - Cristo Raul

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