paThaabhi - aatmakatha
V. Chowdary Jampala (cjampala@dayton.net)
Fri, 21 Mar 1997 07:47:30 -0500 (EST)
Several months ago, maadhav turumeLLa made a reference
to paThaabhi's famous threat to break the backs of padyaalu. More
recently pillalamarri raamakRUshNa alluded to it. I had been
looking for the original source since maadhav reminded me of this
verse. Recently, I acquired a copy of 'paThaabhi pEl`china firan`gulu',
collected works of paThaabhi, published on the occasion of his 75th
birthday. paThabhi (real name: tikkavarapu paTTaabhirami reDDi)
studied for a time at SantinikEtan and Columbia University. A disciple
of SreeSree and mallavarapu viSvESvara raavu, he published his
iconoclastic and controversial poetic anthology 'fiDElu raagaala dajen'
in 1939. SreeSree wrote an equally provocative 'intrO' for this book.
Needless to say, this collection aroused (and continues to arouse)
a lot of passion.
paThaabhi's other poetic volume 'kayita naa dayita'
contains several works which demonstrate his pioneering skill at
end rhymes (antya_praasa). Arudra unabashedly agrees that it was
paTTaabhi's influence that took him in that direction. paThaabhi's
other famous work in Telugu is his 'pun'chaangam', a collection
of puns, published first in aanandavaaNi and later in the monthly
jyOti.
paThaabhi married snEhalata Powell and settled in Bangalore.
He became one of the foremost masters of the Indian (and kannaDa)
parallel cinema. The first film he directed was 'sanskaara' with
snEhalata as the heroine, and gireesh karnaaD as the hero. The film
won the President's Gold Medal as well as several other national
and international honors. His wife, snEhalata, an active socialist,
was jailed during the emergency and died shortly after her release
from jail.
The verse presented here is the first verse in the fiDElu
raagala dajen. The poet is introducing himself to the world.
aatma katha
----------
evarnani yanukonTirO meeru nannu?
Enu paThaabhini ......
kaangrEsu raashTrapati sthaanaani_kOsam
baaboo subhaasu_bOsutO pOTeejEsi
ODipOyina DaakTar paTTabhini
gaannEnu, marO paThabhini;
ayitE atagaaDi_kunnanta
upaJna naakun lEdani talampakanDee,
gaandheeTopee jahvarujaakeT
meesaalu lEkunnanta maatraana!
payijammaalu vEstaanu kaabaTTi
nannu meru shOdaayani soshalisTani
tiTTabOkanDi, prakhyaatam_gaanunna
kavinnEnu;
naaku vichitrambagu bhaavaalu kalavu
naa kannulanduna TeliskOpulu
mayikraaskOpulunnavi.
naa ee vachana padyaalanE duDDukarraltO
padyaala naDumul virugadantaanu;
chinnay`soori baalavyaakaraNaanni
chaala danDistaanu;
ingleeshu bhaashaa_bhaanDaaramlO nundi
bandipOTum jEsi kaavalsina
maaTalnu dOstaanu.
naayishTam vaccinaTlu jEstaanu
anusaristaanu naveena panthaa; kaanee
bhaavakavi nmaatramu kannE, nE
nahambhaava kavini.
--- paThaabhi (1939?)
Regards --- V. Chowdary Jampala
PS: A bonus from paThaabhi pan'chaangam:
sinimaa vyaapaaram brahmaanDamaina laaTaree.
adRUshTam unnavaaDu vaasan
lEnivaaDu upavaasan - paThaabhi