great sayings on GREAT TELUGU POETRY - 8

PALANA (nparinand@cas.org)
Wed, 4 Jun 1997 17:34:23 -0400 

	 jAnu tenugu ***** (attention)

	 "E natipApaBavamunu neggu dalaMpaka yuMDunaTlugA
	  nAnatavairi nI yaDugu laMTaga nOpudu naTTidaina na
	  nnI nalinAptu DI yanalu DI mRgalAMCanu DI surOttamul
	  jAnu seDAMga nI kshaNama caMpare kOpaparItacittulai."

				       (nannaya)

	  In the above poem, "jAnu seDAMga = jAnu ceDuTa = oppu ceDuTa =
	  tappaguTa". The word "jAnu" means "oppu".

	  With the same meaning, Palkuriki Somanadha, used the word "jAnu" in
	  several places among his poems:

	  "prANadAnamu sEya barula vaSaMbe?
	   yENAMkadharunaku nila narudanna
	   jAnoMdaga musiDi cauDayya vrANa
	   dAnaMbu sEne jitramu sitra manucu

				       (Somanadha, basava purANam)

	   This word "jAna" was used in many places by Palkuriki Somanadha in
	   his Panditaradhya Caritra:

	   (1) jAnomda matkRtisvAmi gAviMci
	   (2) jAnomda gAviMcu jaMgamArcanayu
	   (3) jAnomda SivuDanu SaSi dOcugAka
	   (4) jAnomda griyalamai jariyiMpaDEni
	   (5) jAnomda navali paMcadrAviLamula

	   In the above context, "jAnoMda" means "oppunu poMda". Nannaya also
	   used "jAnu" for "oppu". Now it comes as a prefix for Telugu as
	   "jAnutenugu". "jAnutenugu" means "oppunaTTi tenugu".

	   The same Palkuriki Somanadha, who used the word "jAnu" separately in
	   different contexts, used to emphasize his Telugu and used the word
	   "jAnutenugu" very liberally in Basava Puranam, vRshAdhipaSatakam, and
	   pamDitAradhya caritra:

	   (1) in Basava Puranam:

	       "UrutaragadyapadOktulakaMTe
		sarasamaina paragina jAnudenuMgu
		carciMpagA sarvasAmAnyamaguTa
		gUrceda dvipadalu gOrkidaivARa."

		Note: What a stanza! The poet speaks the truth here.
		      "sarasamaina paragina jAnudenuMgu"-
		      "sarvasAmAnyamu"- this usage is unpoetic for classical
		      poets in this context. Probably Somanadha broke some
		      conservative poeticizing rules those days.

	   (2) in vRshAdhipaSatakam:

	       "palupoDa tOlucIrayu bApasarul gilupAru ve
		nnela tala cEdukuttakayu niMDina vElupuTERu pallupU
		salu gala REni lEmkavani jAnudenuMguna vinnaviMcedan
		valapu madin dalirpa basavA basavA vRshAdhipA"

		Note: Look at his usage of words - Except "vinnaviMcedan",
		"madin", and "vRshaadhipaa" - rest of them are all Telugu words,
		the Janatelugu words. In fact, according to Dr. Korlapati,
		"vinnaviMcedan valapu madiM dalirpa" is also a jAnatenugu
		usage.

	   (3) in pamDitArAdhya caritra:

		"oppadu dvipada kAvyOkti nA valava
		 dArUDhagadyapadyAdiprabaMdha
		 pUrita saMskRtaBUyishTha racana
		 mAnugA sarvasAmAnyaMbu gAmi
		 jAnutenugu viSEshamu prasannataku."

		 In the above piece, Somanadha says that jAnatenugu is
		 understood by all but not the Sanskrit-filled/derived language.

	   The same "jAnatelugu" word was used by Nannechoda in his
	   kumArasaMBavam:

	   "saraLamu gAga BAvamulu jAnu denuMguna niMpu peMputO
	    birigona varNanal PaNiti pErkona nardhamu lottagilla baM
	    dhuramuga brANamul madhumRdutvarasaMbuna gaMdaLiMpa na
	    ksharamulu sUktu lAryulaku garNasAyanalIla grAlagAn."

	    Nannecoda's "jAnadenuMgu" is probably similar to that of Nannaya's
	    and Somanadha's.

	    But on the flipside, Palkuriki Somanadha said:

	    "tETatenuMguna dvipada raciMtu"

	    Now we have 3 different forms of Telugu:

	    (1) accatenugu
	    (2) jAnatenugu
	    (3) tETatenugu

	    Scholars don't agree that Somanadha's Janatenugu is equal to
	    accatelugu. It is understood that his telugu is tETatenugu.
	    Therefore what is accatenugu? Does "jAnatenugu" mean that it is
	    "janAla tenugu" or "janapada tenugu"? or Did the word originate from
	    the Kannada word "jANNuDi"? jAnu in Telugu means "beautiful" or
	    "pretty". Is it also implied that tETatelugu means "spotless"
	    telugu? What are these three forms? Is there another Telugu called
	    "prauDhatenugu"?

	    ---pAlana