great sayings on TELUGU POETRY -11

PALANA (nparinand@cas.org)
Fri, 6 Jun 1997 00:31:18 -0400


 My SUMMER has started now.
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 "Bhattumurthi" alias Ramarajabhushana was a lAkshaNika, a scholar-poet, a
 literary lover, and an artist-musician. He lived during 1510-1580. He was in
 the court of Aliya Ramaraju (son-in-law of Krishnadevaraya) and was given the
 title "rAmarAjaBUshaNa". sarasaBUpAlIyamu is one of his highly
 (self)proclaimed and acclaimed works. rArABushaNa was a clever poet and the
 following piece from his narasaBUpAlIyamu illustrates his self-dramatizing
 exhibitionist nature:

 "SatalEKinI padyasaMdhAnadhaurEyu GaTikASatagraMdha karaNadhuryu
  nASuprabaMdha baMdhABi~nunOshThyanirOshThyanacalajihvOktinipuNu
  datsamaBAshA vitAna~nubahupadyasAdhita nyastAksharIdhurINu
  nEka saMdhOditaSlOka BAshAkRtya caturu nOShThyanirOshThyasaMkara~nu
  namitayamakASudhI prabaMdhAMka."

  --a scholar of both Telugu and Sanskrit
  --a talented extempore poet
  --a master of poeticising
  --a great avadhAni.

  rAmarAjaBUshana was also called the "saMgItarahasya kaLAnidhi". Probably that
  musical expertise was the most essential requirement/ingredient for a
  lAkshaNika. That is why he could create such masterpieces like the vasucaritra
  and hariscaMdranalOpAKyAnamu. (Side track: What happened to the musical
  background of many of the present day chandO poets? Oops! Too much Gaussian
  Noise.)

  A couple of examples of Ramarajabhushana's wordsmith art:

  "BOgAMbuvAha vAhaviBAgEhABAvukAMga BAvaBavamahA
   BAga mahIbAgamahA BOgAvahabAhu BOgipuMgava BOgA."

  "hArahIrasArasArihAraSailavAsa vOrvIruhAhihAravEshaSEshahAsalAlasa
   SrarasOruyUSa SAMSuSIla vairivIra saMhArasAra SauryasUrya harya vArya
   sAhasA."

   Both the above pieces are from narasaBUpAlIyam.

   Certainly, one gets a lot of pleasure reading those two. NO Tongue Twisters!
   A lot of meaning!
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Is it Poetry or pure Gaussian Noise amidst Bandwidth Noise?
   Is it "accatenugu" or "tETatenugu" or "jAnutenugu" or "pruDhatenugu"?
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   --pAlana

   Disclaimer: Opinions expressed above are not those of my employer.