on "seasonal" poems
Ramakrishna S. Pillalamarri (pkrishna@ARL.MIL)
Mon, 28 Apr 97 23:30:49 EDT
As long as we are splitting hairs, and determining how many variations
could this tiny kanda panda padyam can accommodate, my speculations:
the difference between "ayyenu" in first line and and "ayye" in the
second line, for metrical considerations are IMO, very minute. That
kind of latitude is seen many times. (Having said that, it would be
nice if I do back it up with another well-known poem, or a poem by
a well-known poet.)
about the phrase "deergha-tara-layye niSal". I am afraid I am not
finding a problem here that TSR does. "deergha-tara-maina-niSa"-ku
"deergha-tara" anna "noun"-nu vADitE, aa taravAta "aa niSalu deergha
taralu ayyAyi", ani anakUDadA! "deergha-tarAlu" ani anaTam "vyAvahArika"
usage lAgA anipincadU!
The comment about the third line departing from the flow of the first
two lines is well-taken, but is that such an unusual occurrence?
The last line probably should be "yani vaNake" instead of "yana vaNake".
So it seems. But is "yana vaNake" grammatically incorrect? jagamulu
"yuhuhU" ani annaTTugA vaNakutunnAyi, ani ardham rAdA!
Everything above is "loud thinking" not backed up by any examples. I
wish I could cite some. If I come across any, I will.
While I remember this poem, I did not know it was by aDidam sUrana.
(at press time, adiyan is not able to refer to the first two posts in
this thread). What work is this poem from?
We find poems of this kind, those that describe the seasons, in most of
our "kAvyamulu". Because of the many ingredients that go into the definition
of a kAvyam, Rtu-varNana is one.
I am looking at Andhra bhAgavatam. While it doesn't fit the mold of a
prabandha-kAvyam, it has some amount of Rtu-varNana. But only four of the
six Rtuvus! It skips vasanta (of all!) and SiSira Rtuvus. But perhaps
to make it up for it (or perhaps it also is prescribed) it has descriptions
of sunset/moonrise/and sunrise.
(All of these occur in the pUrva-bhAgam of daSama skandham)
I will cite a few of the poems here.
varsha Rtuvu:
pUrva-vAyuvulu prabhUtambulai veece, paDamaTa nindra cApambu tOce
parivEsha-yuktamai bhAnu-manDala-moppe, merapu luttara diSa merava doDage
dakshiNa gAmulai tanare mEghambulu, jala-carAneekambu santasince
jAtakambula pipAsalu kaDapala jEre, kAntAra-vahnula garwa maDage
nija karALi valana neeraja bandhunDu
tolli puccu-konna tOya mella
marala niccu-cunDe mahi karsha-kAnanda
kandamaina vAna kanduva nogi
parivEshamu: sUrya candrula cuTTU ErpaDE guDi; prabHutamu: adhikamu
jala-carAneekambu: life in the waters;
jAtakamu (cAtakamu): vAna kOsam eduru cUsE oka pakshi! pipAsa: thirst
kAntAra-vahni: forest fire; nija-karALi-valana: by his rays
karsha-kAnandakamu: that which pleases the farmers;
vAna-kanduva: rainy season
celuvuDu(1) prAvRTkAluDu(2)
polasina pulakincu bhUmi pulakamu lanagA
molaci tala letti nikkucu
salalita gati jAluvAre sasyamu(3) ladhipA!
(1)-friend, (2)-(personified) rainy season, (3)-plants
At the risk offending the cognoscenti, and making a faux pas or two
in the process, let me elaborate.
The poet is comparing the new shoots of the (rice) plants, to "goose-bumps'
on Earth, seeing her friend, varshaRtuvu. (I think I should shut up)
SaradRtuvu:
jompamulu(1) goniye vanamulu,
rompu(2) ligire; nemali gamula roda luDige; nadul
pempulaku bAse; nurumula
Sampala sampadalu mAne SArada vELan
(1)-Akula guburulu, (2)-buradalu
cEga gala ceraku vinTanu
bAguga neelOtpalambu bANambuga sam-
yOgambu sEsi madanuDu
vEgambuna virahi janula vETADe nogin
The meaning is obvious even to me. One point. Newly weds, or for that matter
even those of older persuasion often found theselves separated during the
rainy season, as many modes of travel became impossible. So the beginning
of the Sarad-Rtuvu is welcomed by such folk.
hEmanta Rtuvu:
uttarapu gAli visare; vi-
yattalamuna tuhina kiraNu DahitunDayyen
pottu jarige mithunamulaku;
nettammulu tarige; himamu nelakoniye nRpA!
Now you HAVE to believe me. Suddenly I find this poem here! In this version
that I have (1962, Ravindra Publishing House), THE poem is listed as:
ahamulu sannamu layyenu;
dahanamu hita mayye; deergha daSalayye niSal;
bahu-SeetO-pEtambayi
yuhuhU yani vaDake lOka murvee-nAthA! (X-pUrva, #800)
sUryAstamaya-candrOdaya varNana:
taruNuDagu Seeta karunin
maragi viyallakshmi dannu mAni mudukaDUn
khara-karuDu nanucu drobbina
karaNin ravi paScimAdri kaDa grunke nRpA!
The sky-maiden, looking at the young (at the onset) moon, considered
the Sun as old, and sharp-rayed. Feeling that, the Sun "set" himself
by the westward mountain.
kaLalu galugu gAka! kamala tODagu gAka!
Sivuni mouLi meeda cEru gAka!
nanyu nolla, tapanu Daina matpati yani
sAdhwi bhangi kamala jAti mogiDe
What if he has several kaLas (phases)! What if he is the brother of
(by both having been born out of the ksheera sAgara mathanamu) Lakshmi!
What if he adorns Siva's hair! With my friend/husband Sun setting, I can't
bear to see this moon. Thus the Lotuses withdrew unto themselves.
prAcee diSAnganA phAla talambuna deepincu sindoora tilaka managa
darpinci virahula dhairya vallulu drempa darpakun Dettina dAtra managa
naligi kAla-kirAtu DandhakAra mRgambu khanDimpa merayincu khaDga managa
gagana tamAla vRkshnamu toorpu kommanu lalitamai merayu pallava mananga
togalu santasilla, dongalu bheetilla
kaDali minnu muTTi kaDalu konaga
poDice SeetakaruDu bhUri cakOraka
preeti-karuDu, jAra-bheeta-karuDu
darpakuDu-manmathuDu, dAtramu-koDavali (villu?), togalu-kaluvalu
sUryOdayamu:
aruNa-hari-nakhara-vidaLita
guru-timir-EbhEndra-kumbha-kUTa-vinirmuk-
ta-rudhira-mouktikamula-kriya
surapati-diSa kempu tODa cukkalu merasen
vaccen callani gADpulu;
viccen kamalamulu; tamamu virisi bilambul
coccen; padma-marandamu
meccen, tummedalu grOli! mihiruDu voDaman
Well, more to follow. Is that a promise or a threat! Depends on your POV.
Ramakrishna