This "strIla vrata kadhalu" was written by Sri Marisetti Nageswara Rao and
there are 101 stories in Telugu. The stories are: (1) pUrNAdivArpu kadha;
(2) taraganAdivAramula nOmu kadha; (3) bAlAdivAramula nOmu kadha; (4)
BAgyAdivAramula nOmu kadha; (5) annamu muTTani AdivAramu kadha; (6)
mAGapAdivArapu kadha; (7) ApadalEni AdivAram kadha; (8) SokamulEni
sOmavAramu kadha; (9) amAvAsyA sOmavAram kadha; (10) SrAvaNa mamgaLavAram
kadha; (11) caddi kUTi mamgaLavAram kadha; (12) mArgaSira lakshmivArapu
kadha; (13) vAvili lakhmivArapu kadha; (14) sampada SukravArapu kadha;
(15) SrAvaNa SukravAram kadha (varalakshmi vrata kadha); (16) pOlAlamAvAsya
kadha; (17) kumdETi amAvAsya kadha; (18) muppadi mUDu punnamula kadha;
(19) pOli svargamunaku veLLu kadha; (20) padahAru kuDumula tadde kadha;
(21) umDrALLa tadde kadha; (22) aTlatadde kadha; (23) BAgyatadiya kadha;
(24) vishNutadiya nOmu kadha; (25) nelasamkramaNa dIpAla kadha; (26) gUna
dIpAlu - bAna dIpAlu kadha; (27) dIpadAnamu kadha; (28) kArtIka calimiLLa
kadha; (29) pedda samkramaNa dIpAla kadha; (30) navagraha dIpAla kadha;
(31) bAravattulu - mUravattulu kadha; (32) kRttika dIpAla kadha;
(33) limga dAnapu kadha -- now the interesting vrata kadhalu for me
are ----
Just identify the plants in these vrata stories:
(34) pasupu gauri nOmu kadha; (35) kumkuma gauri nOmu kadha; (36) kATuka
gauri kadha (kATuka is made from plant source mainly); (37) mUla gauri
kadha; (38) mulaga gauri kadha ; (39) kamda gauri kadha; (40) gummaDi
gauri kadha; (41) velaga gauri kadha; (42) rEgula gauri kadha; (43)
cikkuLLa gauri nOmu kadha; (44) karaLLu gauri kadha; (45) tavuDu gauri
kadha; (46) poTTakadalani gauri kadha (kaDupu kadalani gauri nOmu);
(47) baccala gauri kadha; (48) kanne tulasamma kadha; (49) vishNu
kAmta kadha; (50) pemDli gummaDi gauri kadha; (51) laksha pasupu
kadha; (52) sahasra PalAla kadha; (53) mArEDu daLa vrata kadha; (54)
nitya tAmbUlamu kadha; (55) puvvula tAmbUlamu kadha; (56) pasupu
tAmbUlamu kadha; (57) pamDu tAmbUlamu kadha; (58) dampatula
tAmbUlamu kadha; (59) padamUDu puvvula kadha; (60) aTlamIda
Avapuvvu kadha; (61) akshaya bomDAla kadha; (62) padahAru Palamula
kadha; (63) sUrya padmamu kadha; (64) grAma kumkuma kadha; (65)
udaya kumkuma kadha; (66) mogga dOsiLLa kadha; and
34 other stories (not listed here). I don't know anybody ever
attempted to translate these into English but most of them are
very interesting stories with a final twist aimed at the God or
the Godess. The author (who compiled these in his own words),
presented some pieces of songs (gEyalu) intermixed with the story
(some stories selected). These songs sound like those Janapada
gEyAlu.
In "annamu muTTani AdivAramula nOmu kadha":
Song: kailAsa giri mIda kAmtuni gUDi
SailAtimauBavA SradhdhatO niTu
mAsAni kokasAri maguvalamdarunu
dOsamoyyadijEsi dUramai patula
namTa kumDuTa vaccenadi telupavale
namcu nokka dinamu namdu gOre
In "mAGapAdivArapu nOmu kadha":
I biDDa imcuka yEDvakumDAnu
pADamDi pATalu pakshulArA
UpamDi Uyala vRkshajAlamulArA
nIDalanu nosaguDu nIlamEGamulArA
kanna talliki nEDu gaTTipani vumdi
pemcina talliyu puramEgutumdi
In "vAvili lakhmivArapu nOmu kadha"
"vAvili ceTTu" or "vAvili komma" is the most essential
item in this nOmu. This vAvili is called the "Five Leaved
Chaste Tree" - Vitis negundo. It is also called "SEPAlika
or nirgumDi or nalla vAvili. There are different varieties
in this vAvili e.g. komDavAvili etc. This belongs to the Teak
family (Verbenaceae).
In "pOlAlamAvAsya kadha":
"rice plant" (Oryza sativa) or the kamda plant (corm or
the sacred lily of the East - Amophophallus campanulatus (family
Araceae - cEma etc) is worshiped.
In "nela samkramaNa dIpAla nOmu kadha":
nela samkramaNa nOmu nOcina nelataku
jIvitambagAnu jyOtulu velugulu
pADi pamTalatOnu paccani pairulu
cakkani biDDalu sauBAgyadinamulu
callani cUpulu svargambu bratukulu
samprAptamagunimka sadgatulu kalugu
In "pasupu gauri nOmu kadha":
nUru pasupu tODa nOcina kAmtaku
aidavatana memca naiduvElEmDlu
koTTu pasupu nOmu gumkamutO jEyu
kOgina pasupumDu kOTivElEmDlu
Actually pasupu is "Curcuma longa", a plant belonging to the
allam family (Zinziberaceae). In Sanskrit, turmeric (pasupu),
is called "Haridra".
In "dhairya gauri nOmu kadha":
gaDapa gauri nOmu nOcina paDatiki
gaDuvarAnaTTi gamDamulumDavu
paDayagalEnaTTi BAgyamulumDavu
In "mUlagauri nOmu kadha":
doDDavAragu yamadUtalArA tolagipomDi
pati sauKyamu nilupukonuTaku pasupu vAyanamiccEnu
muttaiduga nilucuTaku mutyAlu vAyanamiccEnu
BAgyAlu nilupukonuTaku mutyAlu vAyanamiccEnu
iluvAkiLLakoraku tella cIra vAyanamiccEnu
tOTala koraku bATala koraku tOpu cIra vAyanamiccEnu
biDDala samtati kOrucu bIrakAyalu vAyanamiccEnu
(bIrakAya - Luffa acutangulis- Cucumber or Cucurbitaceae
family)
kaDupu caluva koraku kamDa cakkera vAyanamiccEnu
(kamDa cakkera pAnakam really does good for stomach problems)
cinna manumala suKamu koraku ceruku gaDalu vAyanamiccEnu
(ceruku or ceRaku - Saccharum officinarum - Rice Family -
Gramineae)
pasipApala OlalADavalenani pasi nimmapaLLu vAyanamiccEnu
(nimma - Citrus medica - Orange Family)
alluLLu samtOshamamdavalenani ariselu vAyanamiccEnu
kUtuLLu sirisampadalu gOri kuDumulu vAyanamiccEnu
bamdhuvula bAgu kOri bamti puvvula vAyanamiccEnu
(bamti - Tagetes erecta - Sunflower Family - Compositae)
poruguvAri bAsanemci pogaDapuvvulu vAyanamiccEnu
(pogaDa - vakuLa vRkshamu - vakuLamu - Mimusops elangi;
Sanskrit : Bakula - Sapota Family (Sapotaceae)
prajalamtA pempomduTakai vajrAlanu vAyanamiccEnu
pADipamTala vRddhikai pAyasamu vAyanamiccEnu
SAmti dESamlO nilucuTakai callapunukulu vAyanamiccEnu
amdarilOnu Adhikyatakai addAlanu vAyanamiccEnu
pEru pratishThalu pempunamdagA gArelu vAyanamiccEnu
puNyalOkamulu pomduTakai bUrelu vAyanamiccEnu
svargalOkamu namduTakai svarNa rASini vAyanamiccEnu
prANaBayamulu lEkumDuTakai pAyasamu vAyanamiccEnu
kOrikalannI tIruTakai kobbarikAyalu vAyanamiccEnu
(Kobbari - coconut - Cocos nucifera - Palm Family)
akAlamaraNamulu lEkumDuTakai araTipamDlu vAyanamiccEnu
(araTi - banana - Musa sapientum - Musaceae - Banana Family)
paTTalEru mIrevvaru nA Barta prANAlanu
doDDavAralagu yamadUtalArA tolagipomDu!
The above song looks like a peace chant in Telugu - sarvE janAh
suKinOBavantu.
In "mulaga gauri nOmu kadha":
mulaga pErettarAdu
mulaganu cUpimcarAdu
mulaga nIDa niluvarAdu
mulaganu amTarAdu
mulaganu nOTabeTTarAdu
(mulaga : Tamil - murungai - drumstick - Family Moringaceae;
Sanskrit - shobhanjana)
In "kamda gauri nOmu"
(kamda = Amorphophallus campanulatus; Araceae - corm)
In "gummaDi gauri nOmu"
(gummaDi - pumpkin; Cucurbita maxima; Cucumber Family
Cucurbitaceae)
In "rEgu gauri nOmu kadha":
(rEgu = gamgarEgu; Zizyphus juguba; Rhamnaceae;
Sanskrit = badari
In "velaga gauri nOmu kadha":
velaga velaga anarAdu
velaga pamDu tinarAdu
velaga nIDa niluvarAdu
velaganu vrEla cUparAdu
(velaga : Feronia limonia; Rutaceae family)
In "baccali nOmu kadha":
(baccali = Indian Spinach; Basella alba; Basellaceae Family
Sanskrit : Potaki or Putika)
In "calla citta nOmu kadha":
calla citta nOmu cittamAraga jEsi
illuvAkiLLatO ISvaracimtatO
calla bratukutO sauBAgyalakshmitO
vulasambulatO vumDavE tallI!
In "pemDli gummaDi gauri nOmu kadha":
pemDli gummaDi pErakka nOcimdi
goDlamamdatOTi goppa pamTalatOTi
biDDa ATalatOTi pedda dikkulatOTi
vaDla gariselatOTi varakAryamulatOTi
nitya kaLyANAla segaDamducumDenu
In "ciTTa boTTu nOmu kadha":
ciTTi boTTanu nOcavale
SrImamtula biDDayi puTTavale
tODabuTTulatO tulatUgavale
doDDamaganiki duhita kAvale
In "laksha pasupu nOmu kadha":
laksha pasupu nOmu paTTavE talli
lakshaNamuga sauBAgyamamdavE talli
akshaya sauBAgyamula namdavE talli
laksha vElEmDlanu rANimcavE talli
In "amga rAgAla nOmu kadha":
amga rAgAla nOmu nOcina ativalaku anamta sampadalu
amitAnamdAlu adhika gauravAlu anurAga dAmpatyAlu
anukunna samtatulu akshaya lOkAlu prAptimcu
There is a variety of plants encountered in these vrata kadhalu and
the accompanying songs. The bits and pieces of songs in these songs
caught my attention. I have a significant collection of Janapada
Literature. I started digginig out for the complete songs with the
bits I found in these stories. No luck. Somewhere, someone might
have memorized/written down the complete songs (at least some of those).
The long one I posted was presented by Sri Birudaraju Ramaraju after
slicing in his Telangana Palle Patala book. Some of these plants mentioned
either in the vrata kadhalu or the songs have a significant role in
folk medicine. Next time I will talk about Folk Medicine in Telugu
Folk Songs and Literature.
I am thrilled to see such a pleasing treasure in our Janapada
Sahityam. After all, the Telugu Janapada Sahityam, like other
Janapada Literature, emerged out from the tongues of common folks.
Great people they are who made it so easy and so sweet that can live
for ever.
-----pAlana
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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed above are not those of the CAS.
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