> "Why are these called cATuvulu?"
> "Are all cATuvulu vulgar?" (I don't think so). "Are not they witty?"
> "If they are pleasant for entertainment - Why cATugA ceppukOvaDam,
> pamDitulu siggupaDaDam?"
I don't exactly know the "definition" of the word 'chaaTuvu`, but most
of them are witty and only few are vulgar/abusive/...... ( Well,
its basically a matter of taste!!). The 'standard' books on chaaTuvulu
by vEToori prabhaakara Saastri and deepaala picchayya Saastri list "mostly"
'good' ones; e.g. those "attributed" to Tenali Ramakrishna, Sreenaatha,
aDidam soorakavi ....etc.. I have posted TRK's chaaTuvulu quite a few
times on SCIT before (for those interested: all are available on Web
now !!) and always used the word "attributed", and not authored. Its
widely believed that most of these were written by some aspiring poets
experimenting with Chandassu and to popularise them.
Then there was the 'one and only' chauDappa, whose chaaTuvulu fall
under 'extreme' category (you know what I mean !). vEToori was fair (?)
enough to introduce one of chauDappa's chaaTuvus also in his book.
Telugu has plenty of "tiTTu kawitwam" too. Perhaps some SCIT-anons
may like to read those works and enhance their vocabulary :-) (Achtung:
thats all highly prosodical stuff!!) instead of using the same, old stuff.
Regards,
Sreenivas