One more Stab at guruvaa - laghuvaa !
Rao Veluri (rveluri@smtpgate.anl.gov)
Thu, 27 Feb 97 11:27:01 CST
Friends:
The only part of telugu mahaabhaaratamu I know almost
by heart is from viraaTa parvamu; in particular where
uttara kumaara and bRihannala go to get the stolen cows
back. And, of course, a little bit from draupadi -
keecaka dialogue too! There is a family reason for these
literary inadequacies of mine.
My maternal uncle (who died last December at the age
of 86) used to nag me and make fun of me as uttara kumaara,
since I used to write lots and lots of long letters
(uttaraalu!);-- hence uttara kumaara!
(And, of course, now friends call me the same for lots
and lots of long talks too!!)
As children, my first cousin and I were forced by my uncle
to read a poem a day from viraaTa parvamu and recite it back
to him by evening! A formidable punishment, in deed!
In this on going, interestingly elitist guru-laghu debate,
I feel exactly like uttara kumaara among the chandO
stalwarts;- the same feelings he had as he approached the
mighty kauravaas for the first time!
Saa: bheeshma drONa kRipaadi dhanvi nikaraa bheelambu duryOdhana
greeshmaaditya paTuprataapa visaraa keerNambu Sastraastra jaa
lOshma sphaara cturvidhOjvalabalaa tyugrambu dagradhvajaa
rcishmatvaa kalitambu sainyamidiyE jEramga saktumDanE.
Some answers for the guru-laghu questions can be found above!
Otherwise,
ca: asadRiSaleela bolcurathikaavali meeda janamga ver"r"inE
......... etc.,
might shed some light!
Or how about this:
Saa: durvaarOdyama baahuvikrama rasaa stOka prataapa sphura
dgarvaamdtha prativeeranirmathana vidyaa paaragul matpatu
lgeervaaNaakRitu lEvu ripDu ninu dOrleelan vesamgiTTi gam
dharvul maanamu braaNamum gonuTa tathyambemmaim geecakaa.
Well! I could go on and on and on .... but,.... I know
what you are going to say!
Begin Side Bar:
In the verse above, sairamdhri(draupadi) describes in
a threatening way, to the love-lorn keecaka, how great her
five hubbies are and what would happen to him if he
continues to persist in nagging!
Later, darupadi narrates to valala(bheema) her plight and
repeats the same verse, believe me, literally the same verse!!
I was shocked and surprised! tikkana did not describe the
panDavaas in a diferent verse; at least a different vRittam
would have been better!
Is this the only repetitive verse ( makkeeki makki,
in acca telugu!) in the entire telugu mahaa bhaarata or,
or there any more such instances?
Inquiring minds want to know!
End Side Bar.
Regards.
vElUri veMkaTESwara rAvu vraalu.
ps: I am positively certain, the 'vu' in
raavu as it stands is a laghuvu! I quit being
a guruvu, oh... seventeen years ago!