Molla (poetess)
Encyclopedia
Atukuri Molla was a famous Telugu
poetess who authored the Telugu-language Ramayana
. She was popularly known as Molla or Mollamamba.
. She is the second female Telugu poet of note, after Tallapaka Timmakka
, wife of Annamacharya
. She translated the Sanskrit
Ramayana
into Telugu.
Her father Kesana was a potter of Gopavaram, a village in Kovur
Mandal, a few miles north of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh
state. He was a Saivaite and devotee of Srikantha Malleswara (an incarnation of Shiva
) in Srisailam
. He gave her daughter the name Molla, meaning "Jasmine
", a favourite flower to the god, and also nicknamed her Basavi in respect to Basaveswara (another incarnation of Shiva).
Molla claimed Lord Shiva as Guru. It is believed that she had inspiration from Potana, who wrote Bhagavata Purana
in Telugu. Like him, she was Shivite, but wrote the story of Rama
(an incarnation of Vishnu
) and also refused to dedicate her Ramayan to any king according to general practice for poets.
According to Varadarajn's book, "Study of Vaishnav Literature", as her popularity spread, she was invited to Royal court and got an opportunity to recite Ramayana in front of Krishnadevaraya
and his poets. She spent her old age at Srisailam
in the presence of Lord Srikantha Malleswara.
She primarily used simple Telugu and only used Sanskrit words very rarely. Poets that had written earlier than her like Tikkana
and Potana used Sanskrit words freely in their works.
She was humble and paid tribute to the earlier scholars who had written the Ramayana in her book. The opening poem says - "Ramayana had been written many times. Does someone stop taking food because it has been taken every day? So is the story of Rama and one can write, read and love it as many number of times as possible."
She added fictional accounts to original stories and in some instances, removed some portions from the original story. Sanskrit-to-Telugu translation works from earlier poets like Tikkana
followed the exact story sequences in the original work. She was contemporary to Srinatha
and poets of the Vijayanagara Empire
, who created Prabhandas which are known for adding fictions.
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
poetess who authored the Telugu-language Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
. She was popularly known as Molla or Mollamamba.
Biography
She was born in a potters' family in NelloreNellore district
Sri Amarajeevi Potti Sri Ramulu Nellore District is one of the 23 districts of Andhra Pradesh. Nellore is famous for high paddy field, and so it got its name from "Nelli". The population of the district was 2,966,082 of which 22.45% were urban as of 2011....
. She is the second female Telugu poet of note, after Tallapaka Timmakka
Timmakka
Tallapaka Tirumalamma or Thimmakka was a famous Telugu poet who wrote Subhadra Kalyanam in Telugu. She was wife of famous singer-poet Annamacharya and was popularly known as Timmakka.-Early life:...
, wife of Annamacharya
Annamacharya
Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya was the official songmaster of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, and a Telugu composer who composed around 36000 keertana songs, many of which were in praise of Venkateswara, the presiding deity of the temple...
. She translated the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
into Telugu.
Her father Kesana was a potter of Gopavaram, a village in Kovur
Kovur
Kovur is a census town and Mandal headquarters in Nellore district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.-Geography:Kovur is located at . It has an average elevation of 15 meters .-Demographics:...
Mandal, a few miles north of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
state. He was a Saivaite and devotee of Srikantha Malleswara (an incarnation of Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
) in Srisailam
Srisailam
Srisailam is a holy town and mandal, situated in Nallamala Hills of Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located on the banks of River Krishna, about 232 km south of Hyderabad....
. He gave her daughter the name Molla, meaning "Jasmine
Jasmine
Jasminum , commonly known as jasmines, is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family . It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World...
", a favourite flower to the god, and also nicknamed her Basavi in respect to Basaveswara (another incarnation of Shiva).
Molla claimed Lord Shiva as Guru. It is believed that she had inspiration from Potana, who wrote Bhagavata Purana
Bhagavata purana
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
in Telugu. Like him, she was Shivite, but wrote the story of Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
(an incarnation of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
) and also refused to dedicate her Ramayan to any king according to general practice for poets.
According to Varadarajn's book, "Study of Vaishnav Literature", as her popularity spread, she was invited to Royal court and got an opportunity to recite Ramayana in front of Krishnadevaraya
Krishnadevaraya
Śrī Kriṣhṇa Devarāya , , , and also known as Krishna Devarayulu in some inscriptions was the famed Emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire who reigned from 1509–1529 CE.He is the third ruler of the Tuluva Dynasty. Presiding over the empire at its zenith, he is regarded as an icon by many Indians...
and his poets. She spent her old age at Srisailam
Srisailam
Srisailam is a holy town and mandal, situated in Nallamala Hills of Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located on the banks of River Krishna, about 232 km south of Hyderabad....
in the presence of Lord Srikantha Malleswara.
Works and style
Her work is known as Molla Ramayana and is still one of the simplest of many Ramayans written in Telugu.She primarily used simple Telugu and only used Sanskrit words very rarely. Poets that had written earlier than her like Tikkana
Tikkana
Tikkana was born into a family of Shaivite family during the Golden Age of the Kakatiya dynasty. He was the second poet of the "Trinity of Poets " that translated Mahabharatamu into Telugu over a period of centuries. Nannaya Bhattaraka was the first, though he translated only two and a half...
and Potana used Sanskrit words freely in their works.
She was humble and paid tribute to the earlier scholars who had written the Ramayana in her book. The opening poem says - "Ramayana had been written many times. Does someone stop taking food because it has been taken every day? So is the story of Rama and one can write, read and love it as many number of times as possible."
She added fictional accounts to original stories and in some instances, removed some portions from the original story. Sanskrit-to-Telugu translation works from earlier poets like Tikkana
Tikkana
Tikkana was born into a family of Shaivite family during the Golden Age of the Kakatiya dynasty. He was the second poet of the "Trinity of Poets " that translated Mahabharatamu into Telugu over a period of centuries. Nannaya Bhattaraka was the first, though he translated only two and a half...
followed the exact story sequences in the original work. She was contemporary to Srinatha
Srinatha
Srinatha was a well-known 15th-century Telugu poet who popularised the Prabandha style of composition.-Biography:Srinatha was born to Bhimamba and Marayya in 1370....
and poets of the Vijayanagara Empire
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
, who created Prabhandas which are known for adding fictions.
Awards and honors
- Andhra Pradesh government erected a statue of her on the tankbund in Hyderabad along with few other Great Telugu personalities.
- She was used as a symbol of women's advancement by women's associations. On one recent occasion a women's rights protest began at her statue in Hyderabad, in 2006.
- A movie Kathanayika MollaKathanayika MollaKathanayika Molla is a 1970 Telugu film produced and directed by famous comedian B. Padmanabham. The film base on the life of Telugu poetess Molla. Vanisree played the title role. Jagame Ramamayam and Manishini Brahmayya Mattito Chesenaya are memorable songs in this film. It has got the Nandi...
was made about her, with VanisriVanisriVanisri or Ratna Kumari , also known as Vanisree or Vanishree, is a popular Telugu actress in the mid 1960s to the late 1970s. Her portfolio also includes Kannada and Tamil films.-Early life:...
playing the lead role.
See also
- Kathanayika MollaKathanayika MollaKathanayika Molla is a 1970 Telugu film produced and directed by famous comedian B. Padmanabham. The film base on the life of Telugu poetess Molla. Vanisree played the title role. Jagame Ramamayam and Manishini Brahmayya Mattito Chesenaya are memorable songs in this film. It has got the Nandi...
, a 1970 Telugu film produced and directed by B. PadmanabhamB. PadmanabhamBasavaraju Venkata Padmanabha Rao , popularly known as Padmanabham, was a Tollywood actor known for his comedian roles...
. - Potana, another poet and devotee who translated Bhagavata PuranaBhagavata puranaThe Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
. - TikkanaTikkanaTikkana was born into a family of Shaivite family during the Golden Age of the Kakatiya dynasty. He was the second poet of the "Trinity of Poets " that translated Mahabharatamu into Telugu over a period of centuries. Nannaya Bhattaraka was the first, though he translated only two and a half...
, another ancient poet from NelloreNelloreNellore , is a city and headquarters of Potti Sri Ramulu Nellore District, formerly Nellore district.And in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Ancient name of Nellore was "Vikrama Simhapuri"....
. - TimmakkaTimmakkaTallapaka Tirumalamma or Thimmakka was a famous Telugu poet who wrote Subhadra Kalyanam in Telugu. She was wife of famous singer-poet Annamacharya and was popularly known as Timmakka.-Early life:...
, another ancient women poet in Telugu.