Environmentalism In Nagnamuni's koyyagurraM #1
PALANA (nparinand@cas.org)
Mon, 27 Apr 1998 01:20:32 -0400
Yes! I call the philosophical basis of this bunch of poems by "nagnamuni"
(kESavarao) "The Environmentalism". It may be pertinent to the social realm,
political gimmickry, or cultural anarchy - the word environmentalism fits
attaining the shape of the hole.
Nagnamuni had written his "koyyagurraM" in 1977, after the Novemebr 19th tidal
wave disaster - "This establishment (the government) is compassionate and
leading into the era where one can get a square meal a day and a piece of
cloth to cover the body." That was the strong belief of the innocent people.
Those innocent souls used to worship this wooden horse and unfortunately got
squeezed under the wooden horse's iron hooves as slaves but were destined to
fall a prey to the water-sword raised by the roaring sea. To those unlucky
innocent individuals ............(this piece of poetry was dedicated).
Nikita Gurov (sp), who was teaching then Telugu at the then Leningrad
University wrote his words of opinion on Nagnamuni's koyyagurraM (The poetic
vision of Nagnamuni). Chekuri Ramarao (then the professor at the Osmania
University) was responsible to get the opinions of Nikita Gurov (in his own
handwriting). Gurov says "Nagnamuni's poetry is not like fresh milk but is
occassionally bitter just like that medicine prescribed by the physician."
Chekuri Ramarao wrote the preface, which is more analytical than a simple
declaration of the greatness of the poet and poetry. No one can forget the
horrible aftermath of the 1977 tidal wave but what the more horrifying was the
autrocities committed by the inefficient rulers, who were probably the real
murderers (not the nature).
The most deplorable event was that the poets, in addition to writing poems
filled with flattery praising the rulers and lords, had conducted poetry
conferences at Divi Sima - which is more tragic than the real tragedy. This
government was called "koyyagurraM", the "Wooden Horse" with a "Wooden
Heart" by Nagnamuni.
Of course, Gaddar then wrote a song entitled "varada pATa" (The Flood Song)
and according to Chekuri Ramarao, this song only contains Gaddar's grief and
pain at the calamity but not his anger:
tallulu cUDaMgA bAbu
pillalu munigAru bAbu
pillalu EDvaMga bAbu
tallulu minigAru bAbu
While mothers were witnessing
Children were drowned
WHile children were crying
Mothers were drowned.
According to Gurov, Chekuri, and Vegunta Mohanprasad Nagnamuni's koyya gurraM
is a masterpiece of Telugu poetry.
Apart from sentimentalism, radical philosphizing in a radical path, and
creating poetry with anguish and anger, there is a neat side to this
Nagnamuni's koyyagurraM.
koyyagurraM - by nagnamuni
--------------------------
jIvitaM midhya anaDaM abaddhaM
eMgili metukulErukuni elekTrik tIgala mIdA
iLLa kappula mIdA jaMtu kaLEbarAla mIdA
alagAjanaM puLLa mIdA
poDucuku tinaDAniki cErE kAkulu mAtramE
midhya gUrci kAvumaMTU pravaciMcagalavu.
[The symbiotic (rather parasitic) thought in the ecological
interdependence for the survival was brought here. In nature,
the kAki (crow) is a scavenger but here this kAki, the man,
is a facultative parasite on a fellow man. But this kAki of
the human ecosystem can only speak philosophy conveniently
unlike the real crow.]
mAnavatvaM batiki vuMdanaDaM abaddhaM
kappukOvaDAniki mEka carmAla kOsaM tirigE
mekAlu mAtramE nIti vAkyAlu vEdikala nuMci
upanyasiMcagalavu.
[Ecological adaptation. Animals and other life form adapt to
environmental changes suiting themselves to the harsh changes
in the ecosystems. These changes are for coexistence and
interdependence. Mimicry and camouflage are good examples
which involve color changes, appearance changes, and
voice/call pattern changes. But man is far capable of
exhibiting social mimicry patterns and one such is the "mEka
tOlu kappukOvaDaM". This is a cultural camouflage in my
opinion. This may be a sociological adaptation in the human
society which is quite far from altruistic dwelling. But,
remember, this "mEka tOlu kappukOvaDaM" is a distinguishing
feature of sociobiological phenomenon.]
jIvitaM sAMkEtikamaina ~nAna nEtraM terustuMdanaDaM
abaddhaM.
manishi SatAbdAlu gaDicEkoddI nAgarIkuDautADanaDaM
abaddhaM.
I Bumipai niraMtaraM jIvana GOshatO
rODla prakkana paDi mUlugutU dorlutunna
kona vUpiri nijaM
mRtyuvu nijaM
maunAnni migilci veLipOyina SavaM nijaM
daridraM nijaM
daridraM cimmE cIkaTi nijaM
samsta lOkAlnI batikiMcE saMpada sRshTiMcEvADi raktaM
viluvalEni KanijaM
[The laws of the nature will never change. The principles of
nature will never change. Ecological sciences have taught us
that the modern means of living towards modern living
(cultured lifestyles) is far from the real truth. Energy
subsidies have established the fact that the more modern
types of farming demand more energy subsidies even though one
gets high crop yields. In order to get high crop yields, some
where the energy has to be spent. Did man change in the
modern times? No! His weapons have become more sophisticated
and his crooked ways of dealing with his fellow humans have
become more sophisticated. The author, Nagnamuni concentrates
on the real ecological truth - the suffering, death, poverty
(hunger<), and the driving energetics.]
manishilO anni aMgAlU
jaMtuvulugA mAraDAnikE
jIvitAMtaM prayatnistAyi
prakRtilO anni grahAlU
BUmini praBAvitaM ceyyaDAnikE
giragirA tirugutAyi
[Man is an animal. No one can deny this fact. But what makes
a man different from the animal in the animal kingdom is
known to all the educated. For an ecologist or a human
ecologist, man is just one of the species in the ecosystem
probably at the top of the food chain. See! Man is now linked
with food and in other words "hunger".
All the organs in a man
Throughout his life span
Try to tranform him into a beast!
Every organ in the human body has its own hunger - that
hunger is different from organ to organ. When it comes to the
hunger, man is not different from the beast.]
All the planets in the universe
To affect the planet earth
Revolve!
[Planets affect the mother earth; which includes that the
life on earth is affected by the planetary movements. Man is
a part of this system and sure is affected.]
poddu tananu poDavaka muMdE
bakkaTeddulu veMTarAgA
nAgali bujAna vEsukoni
polaM veLLE prati raitU nAku
Siluva mOstunna jIsaslA kanipistADu
[This piece is very dear to me. I like this the most. What an
analogy! This piece is very self-descriptive. It has thousand
meanings in it. This is very heart-moving and
nerve-wrenching.
Every farmer who carries the plough on his shoulder
Appears as Jesus carrying the cross!
haMtakulevarO nAku telusu
nepaM kAsEpu samudraM mIdaki tOstAnu
kElaMDarki rakta mAMsAluMDavu
kEvalaM kAlaM kukka nOTilOni emukamukka
gODaku ballilA karucukupOyina vutti
kAgitaM mukka
tArIkulu muddAyillA bOnullO nilucuMTAyi
adi E tArIkannA kAvoccu
adi navaMbar 19 kAvaDaM yAdRccikaM kAvoccu
[Time is not made up of flesh and blood. Did you recall the
Blind Watch Maker? When did time origin first? This poet
expains the truth here. This calender is a piece of bone in
the dog's mouth. The dog finally chews it, breaks it, and
eats it. ]
praLayAlu parihAsAlU tappa kElaMDarlO
kannITi gurtuluMDavu
vArAlu rOgullA musugudanni paDukunuMTAyi
msugu kappina mUlugulapai vella vEsE tellakAgitaM
kAlAnni dinAlugA vArAlugA mukkalu cEstE
kArutunna tellaTi raktaM
tellani raktaM venuka musugu tIsi mUlugu vinagaligitE
adi E dinamannA kAvoccu E vAramannA kAvoccu
kAlanEtraM mAtraM SanivAraM gAlAniki tagili
tannukuMTU AgipOyiMdi
[Time is an independent variable in ecological sciences. Time
is just arbitrary. That is where history comes into picture.
The calender doesn't bear the traces of evidences for tears.
The only thing marked down in a calender is the event - a
historical check mark. The white blood doesn't depict either
the uglyness or horror presented by the real blood. Behind
the white blood lies the truth just like things behind a
white curtain. The white blood is probably a curtain or
coating of lies.]
prakRtilO gAni vikRtilOgAni
dAnavatvapu aMdhakAramE niraMtaraM
manushulni pAliMcE nijaM
mAnavatvaM mAtraM prati rOjU kshaNaM puTTi caccE
velugu kiraNaM
[The cruel is the strongest and the ultimate ruler. Is that
the wild justice? Is that a salient feature of the nature?
But in unnatural settings, that is true. Humanism is never
ending. Humanism is born and dies again and again. This
humanism is a close entity of selfishness, cruelty and above
all altruism. This is rather genetic. Humanism aspect is an
inseparable domain of sociobiological realm. Only the humans
can experience and express it. Humanism has to be bred and
should be passed on from one generation to the other.
Sometimes, humanism dies with the individual(s) but again is
reborn. Though an abstract form, humanism is very biological.
Can it be taught?]
jenIvAlO SAMti mahAsaBalu jarugutAyi
dEvAlayAllO arcanalu jarugutAyi
satrAlalO annadAnAlu jarugutAyi
masIdullO prArdhanalu jarugutAyi
deyyAlu anni bhAshallOni vEdAlu
rakarAla goMtullO vallistAyi
Conferences for peace are conducted in Geneva
Worships are carried out in Temples
Food is given to poor in soup kitchens
Prayers are conducted in the Mosques
Devils in all languges
Render Vedas with different tones.
[This is an example of religious socioecology.]
Akali tiragabaDitE adupulO peTTaDamelAgO
Akali tIrina vADiki telusu
guri pElcE guMDu E guMDenu cIlcanuMdO
Trigar nokkE vEliki telusu
haMtakulevarO nAku telusu
kavigA mOsagADigA nepaM kAsEpu
kAlaM mIdaki neTTEstAnu
One who satisfies his hunger
Knows how to restrain revolting hunger
The exploding bullet that pieces through which heart
Is known to the guy who pulls the trigger
I know who are the murderers
As a poet and crook
For a brief time
Am blaming the time.
[Remember! Time is not a living object; has neither the
biological fluids nor the living tissues. Therefore, it is
blame the "time". Time is independent of evidences of
events.]
okappuDu ikkaDO Uru uMDEdi
okappuDu ikkaDa gAli niMDA nEla niMDA
AkASaM niMDA manushula pATalu mATalu
Urpulu OdArpulu navvulu niTTUrpulu
kalakalaM kalagAnaM kanapaDEdi vinabaDEdi
ceTla Akulu paccagA gAlilO IdEvi
pakshula bArulu koMTegA paLLu koriki
gusagusalu pOyEvi
okappuDu ikkaDa baMgAraM baruvuki oMgi
polAlu hoyalu hoyalugA nRtyaM cEsEvi
kAlAniki siggulEdu
caritraku siggulEdu
sRshTiki siggulEdu
balahInuDu saMpada sRshTistADu
balavaMtuDu saMpada miMgi daridraM paMcutADu
caritra niMDA daridrula SavAla guTTalE!
[A wonderful description of the ecosystem - the nature of
Divi Sima. Agricultural Ecosystem where culture and humanism
have evolved for the humanity.]
Time doesn't feel shy
History does't feel shy
Creation does't feel shy!
[In human ecological realm, this triad of Time, History, and
Creation constitute a complex cascade of sociological and
sociobiological enigma. On one side of the coin each one is
an independent entity and on the other side all are
interdependent. The most puzzling one is the man-made concept
of Time from the absolute Time. I leave it here...]
[conclusions in the following part.]
---pAlana
PS: Any mistakes may be forgiven.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed above are mine only.
The book was published by the Srushti Pracaruna, Hyderabad.
These poems were broadcast on AIR, Hyderabad and published in
Prajatamtra in 1977.