mADugula vAri kavitA camatkRtulu (Sataavadhaanam -1/3)

Nasy Sankagiri (narayans@dunx1.ocs.drexel.edu)
Tue, 10 Sep 1996 09:20:12 -0400 (EDT) 

namastE,

I have so much to say about this event, I decided to split it into three
parts. This first post features glimpses of the poetic extravaganza; the
two subsequent posts will carry some personal impressions.

This was a samskRta_Andhra Sataavadhaanam, featuring 108 questions in all.
There were 15 dattapadulu (to write a poem with four words given by
pRCCaka, subject to additional constraints on the meter, subject, use of
words, etc.), 15 samasyalu (fitting the first three lines given the fourth
line of a poem), 15 varNanalu, 30 aaSuvulu (extempore poem on any topic
under the Sun), 10 vyastAksharulu (a famous line is given with letters in
random order - avadhaani has to give the full line), 10 paaTalu (a new item
introduced by Sree Sarma), and 13 odd questions (aprastuta prasangam,
etc.). Of these, the first three are dhAraNa items, ie., they are recounted
at a stretch at the end. About 10% of all poems rendered were in samskRtam,
mostly in the dhAraNa items. Of all the poems (and songs) composed in this
event, IMHO, about 50% were distinguished for their poetic beauty, wit,
language, figures of speech, and imagery. This, I think, is quite high a
percentage for any avadhaanam. Among this 50%, about 10-20 poems were truly
exceptional.

Some of our friends have already posted a few selections. I shall present
my choice selections in the rest of this post, with some attempt at
projecting the ambience as necessary.

seesamlO viGnESwara prArthanatO prArambhicAru avadhAni gAru. dInni
rAmaBadrulu intakumundE mI mundu uncAru. I padyam tikkana gAru draupaditO
palikincina dharmajuni kIrti viSEshAnni talapuku teccindi. pimmaTa ishTa
daivamaina caNDini prArdhinci, mOhana rAgamlO oka cinna gItitO sthalapUja
gAvinci avadhAnAniki upakramincAru. mundu varusagA 15 dattapadulakoo
reNDEsi pAdAlu ceppukoccAru. prati aidu padyAlakI madhya oka pATa, oka
vyastAkshari. indulOnci konni:

dattapadulu:
1) amerikA, japAnu, laNDanu, iTalI - varUdhinI pravarula sambhAshaNa
(modaTi reNDu pAdAlu varUdhini ceppagA, migatAvi reNDU pravaruni samAdhAnam)

ma. alarunjAru jigin bigin hoyala DAlaNDan pisALincu
    I lalitan bondina puNyamE amari kaLyANambulE galgu, nO
    lalanA, nEnu japAnu raktuDa, kathA lAvaNyamai gEhaman-
    dalaGu SSrI tritayAgni velgeniTa lIlAlApamul dharmamE!

(reNDO pAdam civara, varUdhini tannu cEkommani kOrinanduku, pravaruni mATa
modalavutunTE, "'no' lalanA" ani inglIshulO SlEshincAru - pravaruni
mAtallO, atani karmadIksha, AdhyAtmika cintana prati phalistAyi)

2) DAlaru, kAlaru, pIlaru, kUlaru - bhArata swAtantrya samara yOdhulapai utpala
u. DAlarudai taLAttaLala DAsina kattula kArucicculO
   kAlaru, bhAratI sutulu, kArmika dhArmika divya Sakti rE-
   pIlaru sarvaSakti mahitEDhyata ADhya dhnADhya mUrtulai
   kUlaru, dharma sangatini kUlina SatR gaNAdula mundaTan.
(note the given words occurring in the same order at the beginning of each
line: also the use of extensive Sabda-alankAramulu - gives you a sense of
the intensity & spirit of the fight)

3) DAlaru, kAlaru, jailaru, Tailaru - amerikA prajA jIvitampai
kan. Dalaru siritO tUgucu
     kAlaru paiketti yetti, kaDu darpapu jai-
     jai larudai saundaryapu
     TailarunE talaci talaci DhI konu vAral.
(Converting Tailaru into Elizabeth Tailor was fantastic).

4) cirAku, parAku, rAku, kOku - kRshNa rAyabAram pai utpala
(as avdhAni contemplated the question, Sree ciTTenrAju was about to
interrupt with his delightful 'aprastuta prasangam' - avdhAni foiled his
attempt with the opening of the poem, thus:)
u. rAkika, lEci rAku, kuru rADvara, dharmamu nA parAku, mI
   rAkula pATunan 'bahu parAku'le nityamaTancu nenci cI-
   kAkula kAki kUtalaku gAsili mrAnpaDavOku, nEDu nI
   kOkuTilambe pADiyanukOku, vRdhA samarambu bhUvarA
(also note the use of Sabda-alankAramulu & the authoritative tone of kRshNa)

samasyalu:
(This is where most of our telusAers were present in great strength; most
of us neglected the prepared samasyalu & posed our own; we were not
disappointed).

1) mine. (samasya vinagAnE, avadhAnigAri vyAKya: 'anduku sandEhamEmundi?')
kan. E dEva dEvi karuNA
     prAdur_bhUtaika nitya bahu sampanna
     SSrI dAnambagunO, yA
     SrI dEvini cEtabaTTa cintalu dIrun
My own pale pUraNam: vEdamu jadivina jAlune, 'mAdA kavaLam' baTancu mannaga
tagunE? vEdOddharu priya nAyaki, Sri dEvini...)

2) Ram Dokka
kan. vividhAdhvara bahu vidyA
     savanambuna yatta yanna sal-lakshmi yagun
     suvidhin SrOtaye yalluDu
     avadhAnamu nandu yallu Dattanu bogiDen.

3) (I think this is one of the pre-selected ones. However, the poem is
truly exceptional. ahalya talking to rAma:)
        tRLLina kOrketO, vayasu tondaratO gatince, nA
        tRllina jIvitambu bhavadIya pAdambadi sOkagA, prabhU,
        BhaLLuna tella vArinadi, pApamu SApamu vOye, rAma nI
        kALLaku kaLLu vacce nanagA mari rAtiki kALLu vacceDin.

4) kO sau dagdhah giriSa vibhunA, mAnasasyA parOrdhah
   tIra SSyaivam vacan madhakim pumsi kO sau SivArih
   kah karNArih, katha matha harih gOkula SSrI nivAsE
   lakshmI nAthah katha matha harih, mAsatI mAna cOrah
(samskRtamani arthamayyE vunTundi. samsyagA iccindi civari pAdamlO reNDO
sagam mAtramE. IndulO unna camatkAram (kavi gAru vivaristE gAnI manaki -
anTE nAku - artham kAlEdanukONDi!- taruvAyi pOsTulO)

5) (idI samskRtamE - I praSna vEstU pRCCakulu avadhAnitO, idi telugO,
samskRtamO mIrE nirNayincukoni pUrinca mannAru.)
        dushTam dushTam durita bharitam dussasEnam hi hatvA
        krUram GOram Gana kurupatE_rOru bhangamca kRtvA
        bhImO bhImah vijaya ninada statsatI mEtya tasmin
        rAvE rAvE rasamaya kaLA, rAgadE ramya kRshNA!
(pratijna cellincu kOTAniki duryOdhana duSSAsanulni campina bhIkarAkaramtO,
vijayOtsAhamtO bhImuDu, draupadini ilA cEra vaccADu. I SlOkamlO viSEshAlu
kUDA taruvAyi sancikalO)

6) kan. SankAtankamu lElA
        sankalpita rIta dhanuvu SatadhA virigen
        swAnkitu rAmuni lOka va-
        Sankaruni varince sIta janakuni yeduTan
('SatadhA' anna prayOgam gamanincaNDi).

7)      kavitvAKyE mahAraNyE, mRga praSnaika sangatE
        bhOjanAyatu vELAsIt, mRgAt simha palAyatE
(sarigA I praSna vaccE sariki 'lunch' Taimu ayindi. 'avdhAna mahAraNyamlO
praSnalE mRgAlu - bhOjana vEla ayindi ganuka simham mRgAlni tinEnduku
parugettindi' - indulO mATalni viravaDamlO unna camtkAramtO bATu, 'mI
praSnalanE mRugAlni nA kavitA mEdha anE simham bhakshincaDAniki siddhamgA
undi' anna Atma viSvAsam gamaninca galaru).

idi ippaTikE cAlA poDugayindi. ayinA idi oka asAdhAraNa sanghaTana kAbaTTi
kshaminca galaru. mari konni padyAlU, muccaTlU occE sancikalO.

bhavadIyuDu
nArAyaNaswAmi