great sayings on GREAT TELUGU POETRY - 6

PALANA (nparinand@cas.org)
Mon, 2 Jun 1997 17:51:24 -0400 

 Old habits die hard. Old notes die hard too. I used to take notes in my
 literature classes until I was kicked out by my teacher, Prof. Nagumotu Venkata
 Krishna Rao (NVKRao for short) from my chosen English Literature major. I have
 been posting some of those poets' opinions (English Poets) on poetry. Unlike
 Telugu literature, in English literature, the poets' minds are well-preserved.
 We can know what did the poet think about poetry especially in English poetry.
 In Telugu poetry, we seldom hear what did the poet think about poetry other
 than a couple of poems why he had chosen that topic or to whom he dedicated his
 work. Of course, the present day investigators, do come out with their
 extrapolations about the poets' intentions on their poetry. That is ok to hear
 and debate on. The firsthand opinion/impression of the Telugu poet on his
 poetry or other's poetry is worth-looking. Sri Veturi did that upto some
 extent. Modern poets, e.g. Sri Sri and Arudra, conducted various debates on
 Telugu poetry. There are many more like that (of course in Telusa we see
 several of those opinions). Above all, the interesting ones are those expressed
 by the poets (Telugu or English or whatever language you choose). Poetry is
 poetry, whether it is English or Telugu.

 I will be presenting some of those Great Sayings on Telugu Poetry by Great
 Telugu Poets.
 --------------------------------------------

 "prauDha dIrGasamAsa padamulu gUrci SrInAdhuMDu kUlArce naishadhaMbu
  dAni talliga nallasAni peddana telpe mudimadi dappi yAmuktamAlya nUhiMci
  teliyarAkuMDa sUraparAju BramagaLA pUrNOdayamu raciMce nati SlEsha
  SabdavAgADaMbaraMboppa pasaGaTiMcenu mUrti vasucaritra.
  niTTi kavulaku nEnu vAkaTTu koRaku jeppinADa madIya vaicitri meRaya
  bAMDuraMga vijayamunu baTimadanara vishNuvardhishNuDanu rAmakRshNakavini."

					 --tenAli rAmakRshNakavi.
----------------------------------------------

 "nIkuMgAni kavitva mevvariki nE nI naMcu mIdettitin
  jE koMTin birudaMbu kaMkaNamu muMjE gaTTitiM baTTitin
  lOkul mecca vrataMbu nA tanupu kIlun nErpuluM gAvu cI
  cI kAlaMbula rIti dappeDu jumI SrI kALahastISvarA."

					  --dhUrjaTi.
------------------------------------------------
 "paricita baMdhanaipuNi napAra kaLAnuBava prasakti nA
  dara savivEka saMpada sadASuka vAkya sudhAnuBUti mO
  hara hitavRtti brasPuradanaMga rahasya vicArabuddhi na
  ppuramuna gAminI janulu polturu yOgijanaMbu pOlikan."

					  --dhUrjaTi.
-------------------------------------------------
 "ii rAjanyuni mIda nEgavita sAhitya sPuranmAdhurI
  cAru prauDima jeppipaMpa vini mAtsaryaMbu vATimcina na
  tkIruM DUrake tappu vaTTenaTa yEdI lakshaNaMbO? yalaM
  kAraMbO? padabaMdhaMbO? rasamo? cakkaM jeppaDA tappanan."

					  --dhUrjaTi.
--------------------------------------------------
 "jalakaMbulrasamulprasUnamulu vAcAbaMdhamu lvAdyamu
  llala Sabdadhvanu laMcitAMbara malaMkAraMbu dIptalmeRuM
  gulu naivEdyamu mAdhurImahimagA goltunninuM BaktiraM
  jila divyArcana gUrci nErcina kriyan SrIkALahastISvarA."

					   --dhUrjaTi.
---------------------------------------------------

 "taga saMskRtamu denuguga jEya denugu saMskRtamuga yEyaMga jaturamativi
  naludeRaMgula nennagala kAvyadhArala GanuDa vASuvunaMdu garamu mETi
  vaKila BUmipAlakAsthAna kamalAkarOdaya taruNa sUryOdayuDavu
  SaivavaishNava purANAvaLI nAnArdhamulu nIku garatalAmalaka niBamu
  laMdhra BUmIkucagrahArABamaina SrI tenAlyagrahAra nirNEvagra
  SAKikA kOkilama vIvu sarasakavivi ramyaguNa kRshNarAmaya rAmakRshNa."

			     --(pAMDuraMgamahAtyamu - tenAli rAmakRshNa)
-----------------------------------------------------

  In his pAMDuraMgamAhAtyaM, Tenali Ramakrishna, carved two masterpieces:
  (1) daSAvatAra varNana in Telugu (one by famous Annamacharya - this one by
  Tenali is not that popular at all); and (2) Praising the Telugu Script.
  This is a side track. But, for information sake, I would like to present here
  what the poet thinks about his own mother tongue, Telugu Scipt:

  "paTTe vaTruvayunu baripushTi talakaTTu guDisunna kiyyayu suDiyu muDiyu
   naitvaMbu nEtvaMbu naMdaMbu gilakayu baMtulu nilupu polupu
   nayamu nissaMdEhatayu noppu muruvunu draccivEsina yaTla tanaruTayunu
   shaDvarga Suddhiyu jAtiyOgyatayunu vRddhi priyatvaMbu viSada gatiyu
   gIlukona rAyasaMbula vrAlu vrAyu goMku gonarunu jEtappu gonakayuMDa
   lalita muktAPalAkAra vilasamuna matimarunmaMtri vEdAdri maMtri."

			     --(pAMDuraMgamahAtyamu - tenAli rAmakRshNa)
 ------------------------------------------------------

 Now look at what the above poets had to say about their language and poetry.

 regards

 --pAlana.