Telugu literature
Encyclopedia
The Telugu literature or Telugu Sahityam
is one of the most precious possessions of the literary products of India. Telugu
literature is rich reserve of poems, stories, dramas and puranas
. It flowered in the early 16th century under the Vijayanagar empire, of which Telugu was one of the court languages. Consequently, owing to the Kannada lineage of Vijayanagar empire and Chalukya empire, that had ruled Andhra region earlier, Telugu language, script and literature were heavily influenced by already mature Kannada. That gave Telugu a unique character that made it one of the prominent languages on Indian literary scene, which was praised by a figure no less than Rabindranath Tagore
himself.
Telugu separated from proto-dravidian around 1 BCE along with parji, kolami, nayaki and gadaba languages. Even though it still retains some of the primitive Dravidian characters, it is heavily influenced by Sanskrit
and Prakrit
. Another school of thought is that Telugu is Vikriti, that is a language formed by modification of Sanskrit
and Prakrit
. Apparently Andhras adopted a form of Prakrit which, in course of development, became the immediate ancestor of Telugu literature. Literary texts in Telugu may be lexically Sanskrit
or Sanskritized to an enormous extent, perhaps seventy percent or more and every Telugu grammatical rule is laboriously deduced from a Sanskrit canon. Hence Sanskrit and its vocabulary influenced Telugu literature a great deal. Sanskrit and Telugu alphabets are similar and exhibit one-one correspondence. Best Sanskrit pronunciation can be heard from scholars residing in the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh as a result of huge influx of Sanskrit in language and literature and is quite evident in Carnatic music compositions of Telugu
songs .
There is no available literature before the eleventh century CE. All the inscriptions before this period are either sanskrit
or prakrit
.
Literary Telugu has complete set of letters which follows scientific system to express sounds. It is highly conducive for Phonetics. It has more letters than any Indian language. Some of them are introduced to express fine shades of difference in sounds.
Telugu has full-Zero or anusvāra
( ం ), half-zero or arthanusvāra or Chandrabindu
(ఁ) and Visarga
to convey various shades of nasal sounds. la and La, ra and Ra are differentiated.
Telugu has CH and JH which are not represented in Sanskrit, and S, SH, and KSH which are not found in Tamil.
Telugu script can reproduce the full range of Sanskrit phonetics without losing any of the text's originality. Telugu has made its letters expressive of all the sounds and hence it has to deal with significant borrowings from Sanskrit
, Tamil
and Hindustani
.
literature is predominantly religious. Poets and scholars drew most of their material from epics such as Ramayana
, Mahabharata
, Bhagavata
and Puranas
which are considered as storehouse for Indian culture.
Scholars spent most of their time and effort on translation of epics.
From sixteenth century onwards, rarely known episodes from puranas
are made basis for kavyas. Literary works drawn from episodes of puranas
under the name Akhyana or Khanda became popular along with fortunes of single hero under the title of Charitra, Vijaya, Vilasa and Abhyudaya became most common subject matter of poetry.
In eighteenth century, marriages of heroes under the title Parinaya, Kalyana and Vivāha became popular.
Religious literature consisted of biographies of the founders of religion, their teachings (Sara) and commentaries(bhashya
).
The sciences such as astrology, law, grammar, ballets, moral aphorisms, devotional psalms
are characteristics of most popular literature.
A Prabhandam can be of three types, viz., Prakhyatam, Utpadyam, Misramam (famous story, purely fictional story, mixed story). Astadiggajas
have written in all the three genres during the Prabhanda yugam.
Telugu literature uses a unique expression in verse called Champu
. Champu
is mixture of prose
and poetry
. On a contrary Tikkana composed Uttara Ramayana completely in verse eliminating prose altogether. However, Champu continued to be dominant literary form.
Since Champu
Kavyas/Prabhandas were beyond the comprehension of masses, the new vehicles for dissemination
of knowledge among the people were found in Dvipada and Shataka literature styles. Dvipada means two feet(Couplet
) and Shataka means hundred(a cento
of verses). (Popular shatakas: Sarveshvara shataka, Kalahastishvara shataka , Dasarathi Shataka)
There are some Shatakas which are divided in to ten groups of ten verses called Dasaka which is adopted from Prakrit
.
Avadhanam is a literary performance popular from the very ancient days in Sanskrit and more so in Telugu (అవధానం)and Kannada languages. It requires immense memory power and tests a person's capability of performing multiple tasks simultaneously. All the tasks are memory intensive and demand an in depth knowledge of literature, and prosody. The number of Prucchakas can be 8 (ashtavadhanam) or 100 (shathavadhanam) or even 1000 (sahasravadhanam)! A person who has successfully performed Ashtavadhanam is called as Ashtavadhani, a shatavadhanam is called a Shatavadhani and sahasravadhanam is called Sahasravadhani.
1) Saili (Style) The words chosen neither soft nor very musical but dignified(Gambhira), Sweetness(Madhurya), Grace and Delicacy (Sukumara), Fragrance (Saurabhya) and Symphony. In choice of vocabulary, Vulgar language(Gramya) is avoided.
2) Ṕaka (Mould) Paka
refers to encasement of idea in language, and nature and texture of the language employed. There are 3 types of pakas namely Draksha(wine or grape): Draksha is a crystal clear style where everything is seen through a transparent medium. Mostly Nanniah uses this mould. Kadali (Plantain): Kadali is complex paka because the soft skin has to peeled in order to reach the core of the subject. Mostly Tikkana
uses this mould.Narikela (coconut): Narikela is the most difficult mould to employ because one has to break the rind
to understand the idea. Vishnu Chittiyam or Krishnadevaraya
are cast in this paka.
3) Rasa (Sentiment) Rasa is heart and soul of any Telugu poetry which follows rule (Sutra
), "Vakyam Rasathmakam Kavyam". There are 9 Rasas called Nava Rasas namely a)śṛṅgāra
(love), b)Hāsya
(Comic), c)Karuṇā
(Sympathy), d)Raudram (Horror), e)Bhayānaka
(Fear), f)Bībhatsa(Disgust), g)Vīra
(Heroic), h)Adbhuta (wonder), i)Shantam
(Peace). A perfect kavya
employs all 9 Rasas.
4) Alamkara (Ornamentation) There are Sabdhalamkaras(Ornaments of Sound) and Arthalamkaras (ornaments of Thoughts).Slsha(double entendre
) and Yamaka
(alliteration
) are Sabdhalamkaras. Upamana
(smile) Utpreksha(Hyperbole) are Arthalamkaras. We find usage of Alamkaras in description of events, places and proceedings etc..
's compositions.
’s Andhra Mahabharatamu, produced around the 11th century, is commonly referred to as the first Telugu literary composition (aadi kaavyam). Although there is evidence of Telugu literature before Nannaya, he retains the epithet Aadi Kavi (or, "the first poet"), because he was the first poet to establish a formal grammar of written Telugu. Nannaya meticulously laid down the "ground rules" and semantics of writing in Telugu, by both borrowing from Sanskrit
grammar as well as inventing original rules. Telugu literature, until then, was Prakrit
-based and without any grammar. Nannaya was only able to finish the first two chapters and a part of the third chapter of the Mahabharata
. This work, which is rendered in the Champu
style, is so chaste and polished and of such a high literary merit.
It is a myth that the pre-Nannaya literature (probably Jain) was deliberately destroyed by the Bramhical movement called Vaidiki Movement. This argument that the Jain literature was destroyed by Brahminical jealousy doesn't have historical confirmation. Even if true, it is not enough to explain the disappearance of an extensive literature without leaving any traces behind. In the period 500-1100 CE, Telugu was confined to the poetic works and flourished in the courts of kings and among scholars. This period also saw the translation of Ganitasara, a mathematical treatise of Mahivaracharya, into Telugu by Pavuluri Mallana. The real development of Telugu began during the period 1100—1600 CE when the language got stylized and rigid.
Andhra Mahabharatamu was later continued by Tikanna Somayaji
(1205–1288) who wrote all the remaining chapters (4 - 18) where Nannaaya left. Yerrapragada
(fourteenth century) finished the epic by completing the remaining part of the third chapter. He masterfully mimics Nannaya's style in the beginning, slowly changes tempo and finishes the chapter in the writing style of Tikkana. Nannaya, Tikanna and Yerrapragada are known as the Kavitraya (or, 'Three Great Poets') of Telugu for this mammoth effort. Other such translations like Marana
’s Markandeya Puranam, Ketana’s Dasakumara Charita, Yerrapragada
’s Harivamsam followed. Many scientific works, like Ganitasarasangrahamu by Pavuluri Mallana and Prakirnaganitamu by Eluganti Peddana, were written in the 12th century.
Sumati Shatakam (Telugu
: సుమతీ శతకము) is one of the most famous Telugu Shatakam. It is a neeti (moral) Shatakam. Shatakam is composed of more than a 100 poems(padyalu). According to many literary critics Sumati Shatakam was reputedly composed by Baddena Bhupaludu (CE 1220-1280). He was also known as Bhadra Bhupala. He was a Chola prince and was a Vassal under the Kakatiya
empress Rani Rudrama Devi
during the thirteenth century. He was a pupil of Tikkana
, the greatest writer in Telugu. If we assume that the Sumati Shatakam was indeed written by Baddena, it would rank as one of the earliest Shatakams in Telugu along with Vrushadhipa Satakam of Palkuriki Somanatha
and Sarveswara Satakam by Yathavakkula Annamayya. The Sumatee Shatakam is also one of the earliest Telugu works to be translated in to European languages. C. P. Brown rendered it in English in the 1840s.
Srinadha (1365–1441) was a well known 15th century Telugu
poet
who popularised the Prabandha style of composition. Sirnatha worked as a minister in the court of Pedakomati Vemareddy of Kondaveedu. Srinatha wrote Salivahana Saptasati, Panditaaradhyacharita, Sivaratri Mahatyam, Harivilasa, Bhimakanda, Kashikhandam, Shringara Naishadham, Palanati Veeracharitra, Dhananjaya Vijayam
, Sringaradipika and Kridabhiramam over the subjects of history
and mythology
.
Prabandha can be described as a story in verse form with a tight metrical structure. Srinatha's Srungara Naishadhamu is a well-known example of the form. Srinatha was widely regarded as the Kavi Sarvabhowma (The emperor among poets).
Bammera Potanaamatya (1450–1510) was an India
n Telugu
poet
best known for his translation of the Bhagavata Purana
from Sanskrit
to Telugu. He was a Telugu and Sanskrit Scholar. His work, Andhra Maha Bhagavatamu, is popularly called as Pothana Bhagavatham in Telugu
. Bammera Potanamatya was born into a Niyogi Brahmin family in Bammera Village. He was considered to be a natural Poet (sahaja Kavi), needing no teacher. At an early age he wrote Bhogini Dandakam a poem wrote in praise of king Sri Singa Bhoopala’s concubine Bhogini. This was his first poetic venture which had the seeds of his great poetic talents. Bhogini Dandakam is the earliest available Dhandaka (rhapsody which uses the same gana or foot all through) in Telugu. His second work was Virabhadra Vijayamu which describes the adventures of Lord Virabhadhra, son of Lord Shiva. The main theme was the destruction of a yagna performed in absence of Lord Shiva by Daksha Prajapati. As a young man, he was a devotee of Lord Shiva. Later, Potana became a devotee of Lord Rama and more interested in salvation. His conversion from Shaivism to Vaishnavism was triggered by an incident. One early morning during a lunar eclipse, on the banks of river Godavari, Potana was meditating on Lord Shiva. At that auspicious moment, Lord Rama appeared dressed like a king and requested Potana to translate Bhagavatam into Telugu and dedicate it to Him. This inspired him to translate Vyasa’s Sanskrit.
Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya
(Telugu: శ్రీ తాళ్ళపాక అన్నమాచార్య) (or Annamayya) (May 9, 1408 – February 23, 1503). He is widely regarded as the Pada-kavita Pitaamaha of the Telugu language. He is born in Vaidiki Velanadu
Brahmin family. Annamayya's compositions are considered to have dominated and influenced the structure of Carnatic music
compositions. Annamacharya is said to have composed as many as 32,000 sankeertanas (songs) on Bhagwaan Govinda Venkateswara, of which only about 12,000 are available today. His keertana compositions are based on the Vishishtadvaita
school of thought. Annamayya was educated in this system of Ramanuja
by Sri Sathagopa Yateendra of the Ahobila matham.
Annamacharya's wife, Tallapaka Tirumalamma or Thimmakka
(Telugu: తాళ్ళపాక తిరుమలమ్మ) (15th Century), had written Subhadra Kalyanam, and is considered the first female poet in Telugu literature. Timmakka's main work, Subhadra Kalyanam with 1170 poems, is about the marriage of Arjuna
and Subhadra
, characters in Hindu
epic Mahabharata
. She presented the Telugu nativity and culture in the story taken from Sanskrit
epic.
Kumaragiri Vema Reddy popularly known as Vemana was a 14th century Telugu
poet. His poems were written in the popular vernacular of Telugu, and are known for their use of simple language and native idioms. His poems discuss the subjects of Yoga
, wisdom and morality. He is popularly called Yogi Vemana, in recognition of his success in the path of Yoga. There is no consensus among scholars about the period in which Vemana lived. C.P. Brown
, known for his research on Vemana, estimates the year of birth to be the year 1352 based on some of his verses. Vemana composed numerous poems in the vernacular of Telugu. His poems are four lines in length. The fourth line is, in majority of the cases, the chorus Viswadabhirama Vinura Vema - he thus conveyed his message with three small lines written in a simple vernacular. He traveled widely across south India, acquiring popularity as a poet and Yogi. People really took to Vemana's poems owing to their simple language and sweet message. So high was the regard for Vemana that a popular Telugu saying goes 'Vemana's word is the word of the Vedas
'. He is celebrated for his style of Chaatu padyam, a poem with a hidden meaning. Many lines of Vemana's poems are now colloquial phrases of the Telugu language. They end with the signature line Viswadhaabhi Raama, Vinura Vema, literally Beloved of Vishwadha, listen Vema. There are many interpretations of what the last line signifies.
Allasani Peddana (15th and 16th centuries CE
) was a famous Telugu
poet
and was ranked as the foremost of the Astadiggajalu the title for the group of eight poets in the court
of King Krishnadevaraya
, a ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire
. Peddana was a native of Somandepalli near Anantapur.
Allasani Peddana wrote the first major Prabandha, a form of fictional poetry in Telugu, and for this reason, he is revered as Andhra Kavita Pitamaha (literally the grand father of Telugu poetry). It is believed that he was also a minister in the king's court and is hence sometimes referred as Peddanaamaatya (Etymology: Peddana + Amaatya = Peddana, the minister). His famous work was Swaarochisha Manu Sambhavam (also known as Manu Charitra). This work is the development of an episode in Markandeya
Puranam relating to the birth of Svarochishamanu, who
is one of the fourteen Manu
s. Pravarakyudu is a pious Brahmin
youth who goes to Himalayas
for Tapasya. In Himalayas Varudhini, a Gandarava girl falls in love with him, but Pravarakyudu rejects her love. Knowing this a Gandarava youth who was earlier rejected by Varudhini assumes the form of Pravarakyudu and succeeds to win her love. To them is born Svarochisha, the father of Svarochishamanu. The theme for his Manu Charitra is a short story from Markandeya Purana
. It is about second Manu of fourteen manus (fathers of mankind societies according to Hindu
mythology), translated into Telugu from Sanskrit by Marana (1291–1323), disciple of Tikkana
. The original story was around 150 poems and Peddana extended into six chapters with 600 poems by adding fiction and descriptions.
His work was treated as one of the Pancha Kavyas
, the five best works in Telugu. Some of his other famous works such as Harikathaasaaramu are untraceable now.
) was a Telugu
poet
in the court
of the king
Krishnadevaraya
and was one of the astadiggajalu. He was born to Singamma and Narayana in Sri Kalahasti and was the grandson of Jakkayya. He was a great devotee of lord Shiva
, also known as Kalahasteeshwara. His works are to the praise of the God Shiva
. His famous works include Sri Kalahasteeshwara Mahatyam (The grace/miracles of lord Shiva) and Sri Kalahasteeshwara Shatakam (100+ poems in the praise of lord Shiva). He was known as Pedda Dhurjati (Elder in Telugu) Dhurjati as there were four other people from the same family line who went by the name of Dhurjati during the same period and after him. His grandson Venkataraya Dhurjati wrote Indumati Parinayam(marriage of Indumati), a story from Kalidasa
's Raghuvamsam. Like other contemporaries during Prabhanda period, he has taken themes from Puranas and added local stories and myths in his work. Unlike his contemporaries like Peddana and Mallana, who have chosen the stories of kings for their works, he choose devotion as the theme of his fiction. Krishnadevaraya
has praised Dhurjati in the following way "Sthuthimathi yaina Andhrakavi Dhurjati palkulakelagalgeno yethulitha madhuri mahima...." (How is Dhurjati's poetry so immeasurably beautiful)
Similarly Nandi Thimmana
, Madayyagari Mallana
and Ayyalaraju Ramabhadrudu
rendered great literary works during this period.
Literary activities flourished during the rule of the Vijayanagara dynasty. Krishnadevaraya
’ s time (sixteenth century ) is considered the golden age of Telugu literature. King Krishnadevaraya, a poet himself, introduced the Prabandha (a kind of love poetry) in Telugu literature. Amukta Malyada. Sri Krishna Deva Raya wrote the book Amuktamalyada in Telugu, beautifully describing the pangs of separation suffered by Sri Andal (incarnation of Mother Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi venerated as Sri Bhoomi Devi, the Goddess of Earth and the divine consort of Almighty Sriman Narayana)Andal
(one of the twelve bhakti
-era alwars) for her lover Lord Vishnu. He describes Andal’s physical beauty in thirty verses; using descriptions of the spring and the monsoon as metaphors. As elsewhere in Indian poetry - see Sringara
- the sensual pleasure of union extends beyond the physical level and becomes a path to, and a metaphor for, spirituality and ultimate union with the divine.His court had the Ashtadiggajas (lit. "eight elephants"), who were known to be the greatest of poets of that time. Some critics dismiss the following period, dominated by prabandhas, as a decadent age. Of the dozens of works of the eighteenth- to mid-nineteenth century, Kankanti Paparaju’s Uttara Ramayana in campu style, and the play Vishnumayavilasa stand out. Other genres bloomed at the same time. Yakshagana
s, indigenous dramas of song and prose, were also produced.
Garlapati Tenali Ramakrishna, popularly known as Tenali Rama and Vikata Kavi, was a court-poet
of the Vijayanagara Empire
in the 16th century . He was one of the Ashtadiggajas who belonged to the court of Krishnadevaraya in Vijayanagar.His family had originally hailed from Tumuluru near Tenali
in Guntur District
.Scholars treat his famous work Panduranga Mahatyamu as one among the Pancha Kavyas
. He has dedicated Panduranga Mahatyam to Viruri Vedadri. This book is about the Pundarika Kshetram on the banks of river Bhaimi and its legend. He also composed Udbhataradhya Charitram on the story of Udbhata, a monk, as well as Ghatikachala Mahatyam about Ghatikachala
m, a place of worship for God Narasimha
near Vellore
. He followed the Prabhanda style. He took the theme for Panduranga Mahatyam from the Skanda Purana
and enhanced it with many stories about the devotees of God Vitthala (Panduranga). He is noted for brilliance and wit and for mocking other poets and great personalities. He created a celebrated character called Nigama Sarma akka (sister of Nigama Sarma) and a story around her without giving her a name. He also had written many Chatuvu (extempore poems).
Kshetrayya
or Kshetragna was a prolific Telugu
poet and composer of Carnatic music
. He lived in the area of Andhra Pradesh
in India
. He composed a number of padams and keertanas, the prevalent formats of his time. He is credited with more than 4000 compositions, although only a handful have survived. He composed his songs on his favourite deity Krishna
(Gopala) in Telugu
.He perfected the padam format that is still being used today. His padams are sung in dance (Bharatanatyam
and Kuchipudi
) and music recitals. A unique feature of his padams is the practice of singing the anupallavi
first then the pallavi
(second verse followed by first verse). Most of the padams are of the theme of longing for the coming of the lord Krishna
. He wrote with Sringara
as a main theme in expressing madhurabhakti (devotion to the supreme). Sringara is a motif where the mundane sexual relationship between a Nayaki (woman) and a Nayaka (man) is used as a metaphor, denoting the yearning of jeeva
(usually depicted as the Nayaki) to unite with the divine (usually depicted as the man). In most of his compositions, Kshetrayya has used the mudra
(signature) "Muvva Gopala" as a reference to himself, which is also a name for the Lord Krishna
in Kshetrayya's village Muvva, now called as Movva
. Kshetrayya's work has played a major role in influencing poetry, dance, music of the South Indian tradition. Kshetrayya was intimately connected with the devadasi
women of the temples of south India, who were the subject of many of his compositions. The devadasis were traditionally in possession of the musical/poetic interpretations of his work for a long period of time till the devadasi system was abolished and the compositions became more accepted in the musical community as valuable works of art. The musical community also owes a lot to Veena Dhanammal
and T. Brinda
, who popularized Kshetrayya's songs with their beautiful musical interpretation.Kshetrayya's padams now form an integral part of the dance and musical traditions of South India, where his songs are rendered purely as musical works or as accompaniments to dance.
Kancherla Gopanna (c 1620 - 1680 CE), popularly known as Bhadradri Ramadasu or Bhadrachala Ramadasu, was a 17th century India
n devotee of Rama
and a composer of Carnatic music
. He is one among the famous vaggeyakaras (same person being the writer and composer of a song) in the Telugu language. His devotional lyrics to Rama
are famous in South Indian classical music as Ramadaasu Keertanalu. Even the doyen of South Indian classical music Saint Thyagaraja learned and later improved the style now considered standard krithi form of music composition.He also written Dasarathi Shatakamu a collection of nearly 100 poems dedicated to the son of Dasaratha (Lord Rama
).
Tyagaraja
(1767–1847) of Tanjore composed devotional songs in Telugu, which form a big part of the repertoire of Carnatic music
.In addition to nearly 600 compositions (kritis), Tyagaraja composed two musical plays in Telugu, the Prahalada Bhakti Vijayam and the Nauka Charitam. Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam is in five acts with 45 kriti
s set in 28 raga
s and 138 verses, in different metres in Telugu. Nauka Charitam is a shorter play in one act with 21 kritis set in 13 ragas and 43 verses. The latter is the most popular of Tyagaraja's operas, and is a creation of the composer's own imagination and has no basis in the Bhagavata Purana
. Often overlooked is the fact that Tyagaraja's works are some of the best and most beautiful literary expressions in Telugu language
. Valmiki composed the Ramayana
, the story of Rama, with 24,000 verses and incidentally Tyagaraja also composed 24,000 kritis in praise of the lord.
Charles Philip Brown
(1798–1884), was an employee of the East India Company
who, in a quest to understand the basic structure of the Telugu language, embarked upon an exhaustive study of Telugu literature. His pursuit is said to be responsible for bringing to attention what are now considered popular works of Telugu literature but were, until then, neglected. The first book in Telugu was printed in 1796, well before the modern period in Telugu literature. Young Telugu speakers of the time, acquainted with English literature and influenced by Shelley
, Keats and Wordsworth, would produce a new type of romantic poetry called the Bhavakavithwam.
Paravasthu Chinnayasuri(1807–1861) wrote Baala Vyaakaranamu in a new style after doing extensive research on Andhra Grammar which is his greatest gift to Telugu people. Other notable works of Chinnayasuri include Neeti Chandrika, Sootandhra Vyaakaranamu, Andhra Dhatumoola and Neeti Sangrahamu. Chinnayasuri translated Mitra Labham and Mitra Bhedam from the Sanskrit
Panchatantra
as Neeti Chandrika. Kandukuri Veeresalingam
and Kokkonda Venkataratnam followed his style of prose writing and wrote Vigrahamu and Sandhi in a different pattern.
. He was born in an orthodox Andhra Brahmin family. He is widely considered as the man who first brought about a renaissance in Telugu people
and Telugu
literature. He was influenced by the ideals of Brahmo Samaj
particularly those of Keshub Chunder Sen. Veeresalingam panthulu is popularly called Gadhya Thikkana. He wrote about 100 books between 1869 and 1919 and introduced the essay, biography, autobiography and the novel into Telugu literature His Satyavathi Charitam was the first social novel in Telugu. He wrote Rajasekhara Charitamu inspired by Oliver Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefied. To him literature was an instrument to fight social evils.
Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna (born July 6, 1930) is a Carnatic
vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and a playback singer. He is also acclaimed as a poet, composer and respected for his knowledge of Carnatic Music. Balamuralikrishna was born in Sankaraguptam, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh
state. Dr Balamuralikrishna has composed over 400 compositions in various languages like Telugu
and Sanskrit
. His compositions ranges from Devotional to Varnams, Kirthis, Javalis and Thillans. His greatest achievement are the compositions in all the fundamental 72 melakartha ragas.
Aacharya Aatreya or Kilambi Venkata Narasimhacharyulu (7 May 1921 - 13 September 1989) was a playwright
, lyrics and story writer of the Telugu
film industry. He was born as Kilambi Venkata Narasimhacharyulu on 7 May 1921 in the Mangalampadu village of Sullurpeta
Mandalam in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh
. His pen name is based on their family Gothra. Known for his poetry on the human soul
and heart, he was given the title 'Manasu Kavi'(Poet of Heart). His poetry is philosophical and intellectually satisfying. Such can be seen in Aathreya's lyrics has they made people weep due to the deep meaning in his lyrics.
Veturi Sundararama Murthy , popularly known as Veturi, was a Telugu
writer mostly popular for his film songs. His career in the Telugu film industry spanned more than four decades. Veturi was born in his mother's hometown, Kolluru
, near Tenali
of Guntur
district, in an orthodox Telugu Brahmin's family on 29 January 1936. His native place is Pedakallepalli
near Mopidevi
, in Diviseema
of Krishna district
, Andhra Pradesh
. His knowledge in classical Telugu poetry
is evident from the figures of speech
(alankaaraalu). In his songs, it can be observed that the same word is juxtaposed with different meanings. This is a figure of speech in Telugu
known as yamakam ). He was known to use a lot of classical objects in fresh similes. Objects like ponnacheTTu , tyaagaraaja keertana (Tyagaraja
's song), Rutuvulu (seasons), raagaalu (raaga-s) have all been used extensively in his songs.
Chembolu SeetaRama Sastry (born 20 May 1955) (popularly known as Sirivennela) is a Telugu
poet, very popular for his film songs. He penned thousands of songs in Telugu language
and still is a leading lyricist in the Telugu
Films. He wrote a variety of songs ranging from classic poetry to the folk, he is famous for writing lyrics which are easy to understand/sing. He got several awards for his inspirational lyrics, most notable ones being Andhra Pradesh State Award for Best Lyrics six times.
Dr. Medasani Mohan performed many Astavadhanams, Satavadhanams, a Sahasravadhanam and a Panchasaharsravadhanam (i.e. answering five thousand Prucchakas). Besides being Avadhani he also heads the Annamacharya Project involved in uncovering, compiling, classifying and popularising Annamayya works at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.
Telugu journalism began with mainly religious, cultural and literary journals. The first Telugu journal was Satyodaya (Dawn of Truth) published in Madras by the Christian Association of Bellary. The early Telugu journals were in Sanskritised, highbrow literary Telugu. Some of them like Tatvabodhini, were started by the Ved Samaj to counteract missionary propaganda. Tatwabodhini became immensely popular after it serialized the Rig Veda. Other journals of this era are Ravi, Shriyakshi, Dina Vartamani and Purusharda Pradayani.
Rai Bahadur K. Veeresalingam Pantulu began the first modern journal in Telugu- Vivekavardhini- dedicated to social and language reform. Pantulu was a prominent social reformer who advocated ending of child marriage, casteism, prostitution. He also propagated rehabilitation of fallen women. Pantulu’s journals are credited with the development of popular Telugu prose. Pantulu also founded 3 journals for women- Sahitabodhini (Women’s Advocate), Haasyavardhini (Promoter of Laughter) and Satyavaadini (Advocate of Truth). Pantulu is considered to be the father of the Renaissance movement of Andhra.
Rajamundry, Cocanada, Bezawada, Machilipatnam, Amalapuram, Narasapuram became centers of journalism. Another early paper was Andhrabhasha Sanjivani, edited by Venkataram Pantulu, another social and religious reformer. The first news weekly in Telugu was Andhra Prakasika, published from Madras by A.P. Parthasarati Naidu. It supported the Congress Party.
Devagupta Seshachalrao started Deshabhimani- first as a fortnightly, then weekly, then bi-weekly and finally it became the first Telugu daily.
With this, foundations for the social and political leadership of delta area and dominance of coastal Telugu were laid. By early twentieth century every caste tried to reform its group by spreading progressive and rational ideas through caste journals. In the process, several caste groups got consolidated across the regions.
In the rise of consciousness of a separate Telugu identity and the demand for a separate Andhra State, Telugu press played a crucial role. Rising education brought about a new interest in modern Telugu literature and culture, which Telugus felt, was being suppressed by Tamilians. Therefore Andhra Brahmans and non-Brahmans together formed a sub-national movement to demand a separate State in which Andhra interests could be expressed.The organization of people on caste lines was also a new phenomenon and print was one of the factors which made it is possible. Thus the print, in the form of Journalism played an enormous role in the construction of identities on the basis of language, region, religion, and caste.
Sahityam
Sahityam literally means literature.It is also used to refer to the lyrics of a Carnatic music composition or lyrics of any song.-External links:* * Telugu Sahityam...
is one of the most precious possessions of the literary products of India. Telugu
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...
literature is rich reserve of poems, stories, dramas and puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
. It flowered in the early 16th century under the Vijayanagar empire, of which Telugu was one of the court languages. Consequently, owing to the Kannada lineage of Vijayanagar empire and Chalukya empire, that had ruled Andhra region earlier, Telugu language, script and literature were heavily influenced by already mature Kannada. That gave Telugu a unique character that made it one of the prominent languages on Indian literary scene, which was praised by a figure no less than Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
himself.
Telugu separated from proto-dravidian around 1 BCE along with parji, kolami, nayaki and gadaba languages. Even though it still retains some of the primitive Dravidian characters, it is heavily influenced by 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...
and Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
. Another school of thought is that Telugu is Vikriti, that is a language formed by modification of 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...
and Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
. Apparently Andhras adopted a form of Prakrit which, in course of development, became the immediate ancestor of Telugu literature. Literary texts in Telugu may be lexically 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...
or Sanskritized to an enormous extent, perhaps seventy percent or more and every Telugu grammatical rule is laboriously deduced from a Sanskrit canon. Hence Sanskrit and its vocabulary influenced Telugu literature a great deal. Sanskrit and Telugu alphabets are similar and exhibit one-one correspondence. Best Sanskrit pronunciation can be heard from scholars residing in the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh as a result of huge influx of Sanskrit in language and literature and is quite evident in Carnatic music compositions of Telugu
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...
songs .
There is no available literature before the eleventh century CE. All the inscriptions before this period are either 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...
or prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
.
Alphabets
All the Telugu alphabets are carved out of a circle.Literary Telugu has complete set of letters which follows scientific system to express sounds. It is highly conducive for Phonetics. It has more letters than any Indian language. Some of them are introduced to express fine shades of difference in sounds.
Telugu has full-Zero or anusvāra
Anusvara
Anusvara is the diacritic used to mark a type of nasalization used in a number of Indic languages. Depending on the location of the anusvara in the word and the language within which it is used, its exact pronunciation can vary greatly....
( ం ), half-zero or arthanusvāra or Chandrabindu
Chandrabindu
Chandrabindu is a diacritic sign having the form of a dot inside the lower half of a circle. It is used in the Devanagari , Bengali , Gujarati , Oriya and Telugu scripts.It usually means that the previous vowel is nasalized...
(ఁ) and Visarga
Visarga
Visarga is a Sanskrit word meaning "sending forth, discharge". In Sanskrit phonology , is the name of a phone, , written as IAST , Harvard-Kyoto , Devanagari . Visarga is an allophone of and in pausa...
to convey various shades of nasal sounds. la and La, ra and Ra are differentiated.
Telugu has CH and JH which are not represented in Sanskrit, and S, SH, and KSH which are not found in Tamil.
Telugu script can reproduce the full range of Sanskrit phonetics without losing any of the text's originality. Telugu has made its letters expressive of all the sounds and hence it has to deal with significant borrowings from 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...
, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
and Hindustani
Hindustani language
Hindi-Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language and the lingua franca of North India and Pakistan. It is also known as Hindustani , and historically, as Hindavi or Rekhta...
.
Poem Prologue
Telugu follows sanskrit model here. It is customary for Telugu poets to give brief description of writer, history of the king to whom the book is dedicated, names of the books he published in a chronological order. This gives valuable historic information.Inscriptions
From the inscriptions, we can draw detailed information about history and chronology of the events referred in the poems.Grammars and Anthologies
There are several grammars, treatises and anthologies which give illustrative stanzas from those poets.Lives of poets
We can also get great deal of historic information from lives of poets and the traditions that they followed.The Material of the Literature
The substance of TeluguTelugu 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...
literature is predominantly religious. Poets and scholars drew most of their material from epics such as 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...
, Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, Bhagavata
Bhagavata
Bhagavata signifies in the context of Hinduism. In this context bhakti has the primary meaning of 'adoration', while Bhagavat means 'the Adorable One', and Bhagavata is a worshiper of the Adorable One...
and Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
which are considered as storehouse for Indian culture.
Scholars spent most of their time and effort on translation of epics.
From sixteenth century onwards, rarely known episodes from puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
are made basis for kavyas. Literary works drawn from episodes of puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
under the name Akhyana or Khanda became popular along with fortunes of single hero under the title of Charitra, Vijaya, Vilasa and Abhyudaya became most common subject matter of poetry.
In eighteenth century, marriages of heroes under the title Parinaya, Kalyana and Vivāha became popular.
Religious literature consisted of biographies of the founders of religion, their teachings (Sara) and commentaries(bhashya
Bhashya
Bhashya - It is especially used with reference to a text or religious work.A typical Bhashya would be an interpretation of a Sutra or other classical work...
).
The sciences such as astrology, law, grammar, ballets, moral aphorisms, devotional psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
are characteristics of most popular literature.
Forms of literature
Below are various forms of literature- Prabandham
- Prakhyatam
- Utpadyam
- Misramam
- ChampuChampuChampu or Champu-Kavya is a genre in Sanskrit literature. It consists of a mixture of prose and poetry passages , with verses interspersed among prose sections...
- KavyaKavyaKavya refers to the Sanskrit literary style used by Indian court poets flourishing from the first half of the seventh century AD. This literary style is characterised by abundant usage of figures of speech, metaphors, similes, and hyperbole to create its emotional effects...
m- Padya kāvyam
- Gadya kāvyam
- Kanda Kavyam (short poems)
- KavitaKavita*Kavita Rodgers, came in first place in Thomas Kinderwater's Poker Tournament Oct. 21 in Denver, CO and beat out her boyfriend.*Kavita Kaushik, Indian actress*Kavita Subramaniam, Indian playback singer*Kavita Lankesh, movie maker and director in Kannada language...
- Śhatakam (AnthologyAnthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
) - Dasaka (AnthologyAnthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
) - AvadhanamAvadhanamAvadhana is a literary performance popular from the very ancient days in India, cultivated by the Telugu speaking community. It involves the partial improvisation of poems using specific themes, metres, forms, or words....
- NavalaNovelA novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
- KathaKathaKatha may refer to:* The Sanskrit for "speech, narration, story, fable", see Katha * The Kaṭha or Caraka-Katha school of the Black Yajurveda** Katha Upanishad, a Hindu text associated with the Katha school...
- Nātakam
A Prabhandam can be of three types, viz., Prakhyatam, Utpadyam, Misramam (famous story, purely fictional story, mixed story). Astadiggajas
Astadiggajas
Astadiggajas is the collective title given to the eight Telugu poets in the court of the emperor Sri Krishna Deva Raya who ruled the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 until his death in 1529. During his reign, Telugu literature and culture reached its zenith. In his court, eight poets were regarded...
have written in all the three genres during the Prabhanda yugam.
Telugu literature uses a unique expression in verse called Champu
Champu
Champu or Champu-Kavya is a genre in Sanskrit literature. It consists of a mixture of prose and poetry passages , with verses interspersed among prose sections...
. Champu
Champu
Champu or Champu-Kavya is a genre in Sanskrit literature. It consists of a mixture of prose and poetry passages , with verses interspersed among prose sections...
is mixture of prose
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
and poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. On a contrary Tikkana composed Uttara Ramayana completely in verse eliminating prose altogether. However, Champu continued to be dominant literary form.
Since Champu
Champu
Champu or Champu-Kavya is a genre in Sanskrit literature. It consists of a mixture of prose and poetry passages , with verses interspersed among prose sections...
Kavyas/Prabhandas were beyond the comprehension of masses, the new vehicles for dissemination
Dissemination
To disseminate , in terms of the field of communication, means to broadcast a message to the public without direct feedback from the audience. Dissemination takes on the theory of the traditional view of communication, which involves a sender and receiver...
of knowledge among the people were found in Dvipada and Shataka literature styles. Dvipada means two feet(Couplet
Couplet
A couplet is a pair of lines of meter in poetry. It usually consists of two lines that rhyme and have the same meter.While traditionally couplets rhyme, not all do. A poem may use white space to mark out couplets if they do not rhyme. Couplets with a meter of iambic pentameter are called heroic...
) and Shataka means hundred(a cento
Cento
Cento is a city and comune in the province of Ferrara, part of the region Emilia-Romagna . In Italian "cento" means 100.-History:The name Cento is a reference to the centuriation of the Po Valley...
of verses). (Popular shatakas: Sarveshvara shataka, Kalahastishvara shataka , Dasarathi Shataka)
There are some Shatakas which are divided in to ten groups of ten verses called Dasaka which is adopted from Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
.
Avadhanam is a literary performance popular from the very ancient days in Sanskrit and more so in Telugu (అవధానం)and Kannada languages. It requires immense memory power and tests a person's capability of performing multiple tasks simultaneously. All the tasks are memory intensive and demand an in depth knowledge of literature, and prosody. The number of Prucchakas can be 8 (ashtavadhanam) or 100 (shathavadhanam) or even 1000 (sahasravadhanam)! A person who has successfully performed Ashtavadhanam is called as Ashtavadhani, a shatavadhanam is called a Shatavadhani and sahasravadhanam is called Sahasravadhani.
Author's craft
Praudha Prabandha or Maha Kavya is considered as highest form of verse. The essentials of such a composition according to the Telugu poetic theory are1) Saili (Style) The words chosen neither soft nor very musical but dignified(Gambhira), Sweetness(Madhurya), Grace and Delicacy (Sukumara), Fragrance (Saurabhya) and Symphony. In choice of vocabulary, Vulgar language(Gramya) is avoided.
2) Ṕaka (Mould) Paka
Paka
Paka is a coastal town facing the South China Sea in the state of Terengganu in Malaysia. Paka is now a busy town thriving on oil and gas activity near Kerteh. Paka is more popularly known as the home for the largest power station in Malaysia run by the national power company, Tenaga Nasional...
refers to encasement of idea in language, and nature and texture of the language employed. There are 3 types of pakas namely Draksha(wine or grape): Draksha is a crystal clear style where everything is seen through a transparent medium. Mostly Nanniah uses this mould. Kadali (Plantain): Kadali is complex paka because the soft skin has to peeled in order to reach the core of the subject. Mostly 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...
uses this mould.Narikela (coconut): Narikela is the most difficult mould to employ because one has to break the rind
Rind
Rind may refer to:*Peel *Pork rind*Rind , a giantess in Norse mythology*Rind, Armenia, also Rrind*Rind et al. controversy, about a study on child sexual abuse*Rind , a tribe in Baluchistan...
to understand the idea. Vishnu Chittiyam or 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...
are cast in this paka.
3) Rasa (Sentiment) Rasa is heart and soul of any Telugu poetry which follows rule (Sutra
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
), "Vakyam Rasathmakam Kavyam". There are 9 Rasas called Nava Rasas namely a)śṛṅgāra
Sringara
Sringara is one of the nine rasas, usually translated as erotic love, romantic love, or as attraction or beauty. Rasa means "flavour", and the theory of rasa is the primary concept behind classical Indian arts including theatre, music, dance, poetry, and even sculpture. Much of the content of...
(love), b)Hāsya
Hāsya
Hāsya is one of the nine rasas, usually translated as humor or comedy. Rasa means "flavour", and the theory of rasa is the primary concept behind classical Indian arts, including theatre, music, dance, poetry, and even sculpture....
(Comic), c)Karuṇā
Karuna
Karuā is generally translated as "compassion" or "pity". It is part of the spiritual path of both Buddhism and Jainism.-Buddhism:...
(Sympathy), d)Raudram (Horror), e)Bhayānaka
Bhayānaka
Bhayānaka is one of the nine rasas, usually translated as fear. Rasa means "flavour", and the theory of rasa is the primary concept behind classical Indian arts, including theatre, music, dance, poetry, and even sculpture....
(Fear), f)Bībhatsa(Disgust), g)Vīra
Vira
Vira may refer to:* Virus — plural of virus in some Latin pluralizations** Phylum vira, part of the LHT Virus classification scheme* Vira , a municipality in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland...
(Heroic), h)Adbhuta (wonder), i)Shantam
Shanti
Shanti, Santhi or Shanthi means peace, rest, calmness, tranquility, or bliss.The poet T.S. Eliot, in his poem The Waste Land translated it as "The Peace which passeth understanding."...
(Peace). A perfect kavya
Kavya
Kavya refers to the Sanskrit literary style used by Indian court poets flourishing from the first half of the seventh century AD. This literary style is characterised by abundant usage of figures of speech, metaphors, similes, and hyperbole to create its emotional effects...
employs all 9 Rasas.
4) Alamkara (Ornamentation) There are Sabdhalamkaras(Ornaments of Sound) and Arthalamkaras (ornaments of Thoughts).Slsha(double entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
) and Yamaka
Yamaka
The Yamaka is part of the Pali Canon, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. It is included in the Abhidhamma Pitaka, which according to the scriptures themselves was taught by the Buddha himself...
(alliteration
Alliteration
In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of Three or more words or phrases. Alliteration has historically developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to...
) are Sabdhalamkaras. Upamana
Upamana
Upamana , in Hinduism, is a pramana, or means of having knowledge of something. Observance of similarities provides knowledge of the relationship between the two....
(smile) Utpreksha(Hyperbole) are Arthalamkaras. We find usage of Alamkaras in description of events, places and proceedings etc..
General Form of Kavya
Telugu poets begin the poem with short prayer called Prarthana containing initial auspicious letter "Shri" which invokes the blessings of the god. The occasion and circumstances under which the work is undertaken is next stated. This Practice is quite evident in TikkanaTikkana
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...
's compositions.
Early
Nannaya BhattarakuduNannayya
Nannaya Bhattaraka is the earliest known Telugu author, and the author of the first third of the Andhra Mahabharatamu, a Telugu retelling of the Mahabharata. Nannaya is held in high regard as the person who revived the Telugu language...
’s Andhra Mahabharatamu, produced around the 11th century, is commonly referred to as the first Telugu literary composition (aadi kaavyam). Although there is evidence of Telugu literature before Nannaya, he retains the epithet Aadi Kavi (or, "the first poet"), because he was the first poet to establish a formal grammar of written Telugu. Nannaya meticulously laid down the "ground rules" and semantics of writing in Telugu, by both borrowing from 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...
grammar as well as inventing original rules. Telugu literature, until then, was Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
-based and without any grammar. Nannaya was only able to finish the first two chapters and a part of the third chapter of the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
. This work, which is rendered in the Champu
Champu
Champu or Champu-Kavya is a genre in Sanskrit literature. It consists of a mixture of prose and poetry passages , with verses interspersed among prose sections...
style, is so chaste and polished and of such a high literary merit.
It is a myth that the pre-Nannaya literature (probably Jain) was deliberately destroyed by the Bramhical movement called Vaidiki Movement. This argument that the Jain literature was destroyed by Brahminical jealousy doesn't have historical confirmation. Even if true, it is not enough to explain the disappearance of an extensive literature without leaving any traces behind. In the period 500-1100 CE, Telugu was confined to the poetic works and flourished in the courts of kings and among scholars. This period also saw the translation of Ganitasara, a mathematical treatise of Mahivaracharya, into Telugu by Pavuluri Mallana. The real development of Telugu began during the period 1100—1600 CE when the language got stylized and rigid.
Andhra Mahabharatamu was later continued by Tikanna Somayaji
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...
(1205–1288) who wrote all the remaining chapters (4 - 18) where Nannaaya left. Yerrapragada
Yerrapragada
Errana was a great Telugu poet in the court of Prolaya Vemareddy , the founder of Reddy dynasty of Kondaveedu, who ruled Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, and Kurnool districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh. Errana was also known as Yellapregada or Errapregada...
(fourteenth century) finished the epic by completing the remaining part of the third chapter. He masterfully mimics Nannaya's style in the beginning, slowly changes tempo and finishes the chapter in the writing style of Tikkana. Nannaya, Tikanna and Yerrapragada are known as the Kavitraya (or, 'Three Great Poets') of Telugu for this mammoth effort. Other such translations like Marana
Maraña
Maraña is a small village in Spain in the province of León, in the Picos de Europa, close to Asturias.The major festival is August 15, the Festival of Our Lady of Riosol-External links:*Location of Maraña...
’s Markandeya Puranam, Ketana’s Dasakumara Charita, Yerrapragada
Yerrapragada
Errana was a great Telugu poet in the court of Prolaya Vemareddy , the founder of Reddy dynasty of Kondaveedu, who ruled Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, and Kurnool districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh. Errana was also known as Yellapregada or Errapregada...
’s Harivamsam followed. Many scientific works, like Ganitasarasangrahamu by Pavuluri Mallana and Prakirnaganitamu by Eluganti Peddana, were written in the 12th century.
Sumati Shatakam (Telugu
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...
: సుమతీ శతకము) is one of the most famous Telugu Shatakam. It is a neeti (moral) Shatakam. Shatakam is composed of more than a 100 poems(padyalu). According to many literary critics Sumati Shatakam was reputedly composed by Baddena Bhupaludu (CE 1220-1280). He was also known as Bhadra Bhupala. He was a Chola prince and was a Vassal under the Kakatiya
Kakatiya
The Kakatiya dynasty was an Indian dynasty that ruled most parts of what is now Andhra Pradesh, India from 1083 CE to 1323 CE, with Orugallu , now Warangal , as its capital. Orugallu is also called 'Eka Sila Nagaram'...
empress Rani Rudrama Devi
Rani Rudrama Devi
Rani Rudrama Devi was one of the most prominent rulers of the Kakatiya dynasty on the Deccan Plateau, being one of the few ruling queens in Indian history. She was born, as Rudramba, to King Ganapathideva...
during the thirteenth century. He was a pupil of 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...
, the greatest writer in Telugu. If we assume that the Sumati Shatakam was indeed written by Baddena, it would rank as one of the earliest Shatakams in Telugu along with Vrushadhipa Satakam of Palkuriki Somanatha
Palkuriki Somanatha
Palkurthy Somanatha was one of the most noted Telugu language writers of the 12th or 13th century. He was also an accomplished writer in the Kannada and Sanskrit languages and penned several classics in them...
and Sarveswara Satakam by Yathavakkula Annamayya. The Sumatee Shatakam is also one of the earliest Telugu works to be translated in to European languages. C. P. Brown rendered it in English in the 1840s.
Srinadha (1365–1441) was a well known 15th century Telugu
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...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
who popularised the Prabandha style of composition. Sirnatha worked as a minister in the court of Pedakomati Vemareddy of Kondaveedu. Srinatha wrote Salivahana Saptasati, Panditaaradhyacharita, Sivaratri Mahatyam, Harivilasa, Bhimakanda, Kashikhandam, Shringara Naishadham, Palanati Veeracharitra, Dhananjaya Vijayam
Kota Vamsa
Kota Vamsa in Telugu means Fort Dynasty and is used to refer to the medieval dynasty which ruled over a small region of Andhra Pradesh with Dharanikota as their capital from around 8th century AD to the mid 12th century AD...
, Sringaradipika and Kridabhiramam over the subjects of history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
.
Prabandha can be described as a story in verse form with a tight metrical structure. Srinatha's Srungara Naishadhamu is a well-known example of the form. Srinatha was widely regarded as the Kavi Sarvabhowma (The emperor among poets).
Bammera Potanaamatya (1450–1510) was an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Telugu
Telugu people
The Telugu people or Telugu Prajalu are an ethnic group of India. They are the native speakers of the Telugu language, the most commonly spoken language in India after Hindi and Bengali...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
best known for his translation of the 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...
from 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...
to Telugu. He was a Telugu and Sanskrit Scholar. His work, Andhra Maha Bhagavatamu, is popularly called as Pothana Bhagavatham in Telugu
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...
. Bammera Potanamatya was born into a Niyogi Brahmin family in Bammera Village. He was considered to be a natural Poet (sahaja Kavi), needing no teacher. At an early age he wrote Bhogini Dandakam a poem wrote in praise of king Sri Singa Bhoopala’s concubine Bhogini. This was his first poetic venture which had the seeds of his great poetic talents. Bhogini Dandakam is the earliest available Dhandaka (rhapsody which uses the same gana or foot all through) in Telugu. His second work was Virabhadra Vijayamu which describes the adventures of Lord Virabhadhra, son of Lord Shiva. The main theme was the destruction of a yagna performed in absence of Lord Shiva by Daksha Prajapati. As a young man, he was a devotee of Lord Shiva. Later, Potana became a devotee of Lord Rama and more interested in salvation. His conversion from Shaivism to Vaishnavism was triggered by an incident. One early morning during a lunar eclipse, on the banks of river Godavari, Potana was meditating on Lord Shiva. At that auspicious moment, Lord Rama appeared dressed like a king and requested Potana to translate Bhagavatam into Telugu and dedicate it to Him. This inspired him to translate Vyasa’s Sanskrit.
Sri Tallapaka 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...
(Telugu: శ్రీ తాళ్ళపాక అన్నమాచార్య) (or Annamayya) (May 9, 1408 – February 23, 1503). He is widely regarded as the Pada-kavita Pitaamaha of the Telugu language. He is born in Vaidiki Velanadu
Vaidiki Brahmins
Vaidiki Brahmins are a sect of Telugu speaking Smartha Brahmins. They are predominantly followers of Adi Shankaracharya. The term Vaidika derives itself from the term Vedas. Vaidikis are people who mastered Vedas, also called Ghanaapaathi...
Brahmin family. Annamayya's compositions are considered to have dominated and influenced the structure of Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
compositions. Annamacharya is said to have composed as many as 32,000 sankeertanas (songs) on Bhagwaan Govinda Venkateswara, of which only about 12,000 are available today. His keertana compositions are based on the Vishishtadvaita
Vishishtadvaita
Vishishtadvaita Vedanta is a sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy, the other major sub-schools of Vedānta being Advaita, Dvaita, and Achintya-Bheda-Abheda. VishishtAdvaita is a non-dualistic school of Vedanta philosophy...
school of thought. Annamayya was educated in this system of Ramanuja
Ramanuja
Ramanuja ; traditionally 1017–1137, also known as Ramanujacharya, Ethirajar , Emperumannar, Lakshmana Muni, was a theologian, philosopher, and scriptural exegete...
by Sri Sathagopa Yateendra of the Ahobila matham.
Annamacharya's wife, Tallapaka Tirumalamma or Thimmakka
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:...
(Telugu: తాళ్ళపాక తిరుమలమ్మ) (15th Century), had written Subhadra Kalyanam, and is considered the first female poet in Telugu literature. Timmakka's main work, Subhadra Kalyanam with 1170 poems, is about the marriage of Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
and Subhadra
Subhadra
Image:Jagannath, Baladev and Subadra in Radhadesh.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=|Subhadra, flanked by her brothers Balarama and Jagannatha . Deities of the Radhadesh temple in Belgium...
, characters in Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
epic Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
. She presented the Telugu nativity and culture in the story taken from 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...
epic.
Kumaragiri Vema Reddy popularly known as Vemana was a 14th century Telugu
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...
poet. His poems were written in the popular vernacular of Telugu, and are known for their use of simple language and native idioms. His poems discuss the subjects of Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, wisdom and morality. He is popularly called Yogi Vemana, in recognition of his success in the path of Yoga. There is no consensus among scholars about the period in which Vemana lived. C.P. Brown
Charles Philip Brown
C. P. Brown was a Telugu writer and an Englishman by descent. He worked as official in Cuddapah and Rajahmundry during the British rule in India...
, known for his research on Vemana, estimates the year of birth to be the year 1352 based on some of his verses. Vemana composed numerous poems in the vernacular of Telugu. His poems are four lines in length. The fourth line is, in majority of the cases, the chorus Viswadabhirama Vinura Vema - he thus conveyed his message with three small lines written in a simple vernacular. He traveled widely across south India, acquiring popularity as a poet and Yogi. People really took to Vemana's poems owing to their simple language and sweet message. So high was the regard for Vemana that a popular Telugu saying goes 'Vemana's word is the word of the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
'. He is celebrated for his style of Chaatu padyam, a poem with a hidden meaning. Many lines of Vemana's poems are now colloquial phrases of the Telugu language. They end with the signature line Viswadhaabhi Raama, Vinura Vema, literally Beloved of Vishwadha, listen Vema. There are many interpretations of what the last line signifies.
Allasani Peddana (15th and 16th centuries CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
) was a famous Telugu
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...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and was ranked as the foremost of the Astadiggajalu the title for the group of eight poets in the court
Noble court
The court of a monarch, or at some periods an important nobleman, is a term for the extended household and all those who regularly attended on the ruler or central figure...
of King 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...
, a ruler 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...
. Peddana was a native of Somandepalli near Anantapur.
Allasani Peddana wrote the first major Prabandha, a form of fictional poetry in Telugu, and for this reason, he is revered as Andhra Kavita Pitamaha (literally the grand father of Telugu poetry). It is believed that he was also a minister in the king's court and is hence sometimes referred as Peddanaamaatya (Etymology: Peddana + Amaatya = Peddana, the minister). His famous work was Swaarochisha Manu Sambhavam (also known as Manu Charitra). This work is the development of an episode in Markandeya
Markandeya
Markandeya is an ancient rishi from the Hindu tradition, born in the clan of Bhrigu Rishi. He is celebrated as a devotee of both Shiva and Vishnu and is mentioned in a number of stories from the Puranas...
Puranam relating to the birth of Svarochishamanu, who
is one of the fourteen Manu
Manu (Hinduism)
In various Hindu traditions, Manu is a title accorded to the progenitor of mankind, and also the very first brahman king to rule this earth, who saved mankind from the universal flood. He was absolutely honest which was why he was initially known as "Satyavrata"...
s. Pravarakyudu is a pious Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
youth who goes to Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
for Tapasya. In Himalayas Varudhini, a Gandarava girl falls in love with him, but Pravarakyudu rejects her love. Knowing this a Gandarava youth who was earlier rejected by Varudhini assumes the form of Pravarakyudu and succeeds to win her love. To them is born Svarochisha, the father of Svarochishamanu. The theme for his Manu Charitra is a short story from Markandeya Purana
Markandeya Purana
The Markandeya Purana is one of the major eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of Hindu religious texts. It is written in the style of a dialogue between the ancient sage Markandeya and Jaimini, a disciple of Vyasa.-Contents:...
. It is about second Manu of fourteen manus (fathers of mankind societies according to Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
mythology), translated into Telugu from Sanskrit by Marana (1291–1323), disciple of 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...
. The original story was around 150 poems and Peddana extended into six chapters with 600 poems by adding fiction and descriptions.
His work was treated as one of the Pancha Kavyas
Pancha Kavyas
The following are the Telugu Pancha Kavyas, the five great books of Telugu Literature.* Manu Charitha - Allasani Peddana* Panduranga Mahatyam - Tenali Ramakrishna* Amuktyamalyada - Sri Krishnadevaraya...
, the five best works in Telugu. Some of his other famous works such as Harikathaasaaramu are untraceable now.
Middle
Dhurjati or Dhoorjati (15th and 16th centuries, CECommon Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
) was a Telugu
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...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
in the court
Noble court
The court of a monarch, or at some periods an important nobleman, is a term for the extended household and all those who regularly attended on the ruler or central figure...
of the king
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
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 was one of the astadiggajalu. He was born to Singamma and Narayana in Sri Kalahasti and was the grandson of Jakkayya. He was a great devotee of lord 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...
, also known as Kalahasteeshwara. His works are to the praise of the God 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...
. His famous works include Sri Kalahasteeshwara Mahatyam (The grace/miracles of lord Shiva) and Sri Kalahasteeshwara Shatakam (100+ poems in the praise of lord Shiva). He was known as Pedda Dhurjati (Elder in Telugu) Dhurjati as there were four other people from the same family line who went by the name of Dhurjati during the same period and after him. His grandson Venkataraya Dhurjati wrote Indumati Parinayam(marriage of Indumati), a story from Kalidasa
Kalidasa
Kālidāsa was a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language...
's Raghuvamsam. Like other contemporaries during Prabhanda period, he has taken themes from Puranas and added local stories and myths in his work. Unlike his contemporaries like Peddana and Mallana, who have chosen the stories of kings for their works, he choose devotion as the theme of his fiction. 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...
has praised Dhurjati in the following way "Sthuthimathi yaina Andhrakavi Dhurjati palkulakelagalgeno yethulitha madhuri mahima...." (How is Dhurjati's poetry so immeasurably beautiful)
Similarly Nandi Thimmana
Nandi Thimmana
Nandi Thimmana was a Telugu poet and one of the Astadiggajas in the court of the king Krishnadevaraya.-Biography:...
, Madayyagari Mallana
Madayyagari Mallana
Mallana was a Telugu poet and one of the Astadiggajas in the court of the king Krishnadevaraya.-Biography:...
and Ayyalaraju Ramabhadrudu
Ayyalaraju Ramabhadrudu
Ayyalaraju Ramabhadrudu was a famous Telugu poet and was one among the Astadiggajas, which was the title of the group of eight poets in the court of King Krishnadevaraya, a ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire.-Biography:...
rendered great literary works during this period.
Literary activities flourished during the rule of the Vijayanagara dynasty. 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...
’ s time (sixteenth century ) is considered the golden age of Telugu literature. King Krishnadevaraya, a poet himself, introduced the Prabandha (a kind of love poetry) in Telugu literature. Amukta Malyada. Sri Krishna Deva Raya wrote the book Amuktamalyada in Telugu, beautifully describing the pangs of separation suffered by Sri Andal (incarnation of Mother Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi venerated as Sri Bhoomi Devi, the Goddess of Earth and the divine consort of Almighty Sriman Narayana)Andal
Andal
Andal is the the only female Alvar of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. She is credited with the great Tamil works of Thirupavai and Nachiar Tirumozhi that are still recited by devotees during the Winter festival season of...
(one of the twelve bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
-era alwars) for her lover Lord Vishnu. He describes Andal’s physical beauty in thirty verses; using descriptions of the spring and the monsoon as metaphors. As elsewhere in Indian poetry - see Sringara
Sringara
Sringara is one of the nine rasas, usually translated as erotic love, romantic love, or as attraction or beauty. Rasa means "flavour", and the theory of rasa is the primary concept behind classical Indian arts including theatre, music, dance, poetry, and even sculpture. Much of the content of...
- the sensual pleasure of union extends beyond the physical level and becomes a path to, and a metaphor for, spirituality and ultimate union with the divine.His court had the Ashtadiggajas (lit. "eight elephants"), who were known to be the greatest of poets of that time. Some critics dismiss the following period, dominated by prabandhas, as a decadent age. Of the dozens of works of the eighteenth- to mid-nineteenth century, Kankanti Paparaju’s Uttara Ramayana in campu style, and the play Vishnumayavilasa stand out. Other genres bloomed at the same time. Yakshagana
Yakshagana
Yakshagana is a musical theater popular in the coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka, India. Yakshagana is the recent scholastic name for what are known as kēḷike, āṭa, bayalāṭa, bayalāṭa, daśāvatāra . It is believed to have evolved from pre-classical music and theatre during Bhakti movement...
s, indigenous dramas of song and prose, were also produced.
Garlapati Tenali Ramakrishna, popularly known as Tenali Rama and Vikata Kavi, was a court-poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
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...
in the 16th century . He was one of the Ashtadiggajas who belonged to the court of Krishnadevaraya in Vijayanagar.His family had originally hailed from Tumuluru near Tenali
Tenali
Tenali , is a town and a mandal in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh, South India. It has a population of 149,839 . It is located 16 miles east of Guntur City. Three canals of the Krishna River flow through Tenali making it a part of the rice bowl of Andhra Pradesh. One of the canals is...
in Guntur District
Guntur district
Guntur district is located in Andhra Pradesh along the east coast of Bay of Bengal. The district has a coastline of around 100 kilometers. Guntur City is the largest city in the district and administrative center of Guntur District. The district is a major center for learning.-Etymology:There are...
.Scholars treat his famous work Panduranga Mahatyamu as one among the Pancha Kavyas
Pancha Kavyas
The following are the Telugu Pancha Kavyas, the five great books of Telugu Literature.* Manu Charitha - Allasani Peddana* Panduranga Mahatyam - Tenali Ramakrishna* Amuktyamalyada - Sri Krishnadevaraya...
. He has dedicated Panduranga Mahatyam to Viruri Vedadri. This book is about the Pundarika Kshetram on the banks of river Bhaimi and its legend. He also composed Udbhataradhya Charitram on the story of Udbhata, a monk, as well as Ghatikachala Mahatyam about Ghatikachala
Ghatikachala
Gatikachala is a hill near Sholingur in the Vellore district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is a Hindu piligrimage center and the site of an ancient temple dedicated to the God Narasimha.Narasimha is the fourth incarnation of the God Vishnu....
m, a place of worship for God Narasimha
Narasimha
Narasimha or Nrusimha , also spelt as Narasingh and Narasingha, whose name literally translates from Sanskrit as "Man-lion", is an avatar of Vishnu described in the Puranas, Upanishads and other ancient religious texts of Hinduism...
near Vellore
Vellore
Vellore It is considered one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai and Bangalore and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati...
. He followed the Prabhanda style. He took the theme for Panduranga Mahatyam from the Skanda Purana
Skanda Purana
The Skanda Purana is the largest Mahapurana, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text is devoted mainly to the lilas of Kartikeya , a son of Shiva and Parvati. It also contains a number of legends about Shiva, and the holy places associated with him...
and enhanced it with many stories about the devotees of God Vitthala (Panduranga). He is noted for brilliance and wit and for mocking other poets and great personalities. He created a celebrated character called Nigama Sarma akka (sister of Nigama Sarma) and a story around her without giving her a name. He also had written many Chatuvu (extempore poems).
Kshetrayya
Kshetrayya
Kshetrayya was a prolific Telugu poet and composer of Carnatic music. He lived in the area of Andhra Pradesh in South India. He composed a number of padams and keertanas, the prevalent formats of his time. He is credited with more than 4000 compositions, although only a handful have survived...
or Kshetragna was a prolific Telugu
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...
poet and composer of Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
. He lived in the area of 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...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He composed a number of padams and keertanas, the prevalent formats of his time. He is credited with more than 4000 compositions, although only a handful have survived. He composed his songs on his favourite deity Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
(Gopala) in Telugu
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...
.He perfected the padam format that is still being used today. His padams are sung in dance (Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
and Kuchipudi
Kuchipudi
Kuchipudi is a Classical Indian dance form Andhra Pradesh, India. It is also popular all over South India. Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the Divi Taluka of Krishna district that borders the Bay of Bengal and with resident Brahmins practicing this traditional dance form, it acquired the...
) and music recitals. A unique feature of his padams is the practice of singing the anupallavi
Anupallavi
In Carnatic music, the anupallavi comes after the pallavi and is usually the second section of any composition. It is then followed by one or more charanams. The anupallavi is optional. In such compositions pallavi is followed by one or more charanams....
first then the pallavi
Pallavi
In Carnatic music pallavi is the thematic line of a song. It is usually one cycle long and repeated twice in order to give the percussionist the idea of the chosen taalam...
(second verse followed by first verse). Most of the padams are of the theme of longing for the coming of the lord Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
. He wrote with Sringara
Sringara
Sringara is one of the nine rasas, usually translated as erotic love, romantic love, or as attraction or beauty. Rasa means "flavour", and the theory of rasa is the primary concept behind classical Indian arts including theatre, music, dance, poetry, and even sculpture. Much of the content of...
as a main theme in expressing madhurabhakti (devotion to the supreme). Sringara is a motif where the mundane sexual relationship between a Nayaki (woman) and a Nayaka (man) is used as a metaphor, denoting the yearning of jeeva
Jeeva
Jeeva may refer to:* Jeeva, P. Jeevanandham , Indian politician* Jeeva , Tamil Movie Director* Jeeva , Indian* Jeeva , Indian Tamil actor* Jeeva, Lollu Sabha actor...
(usually depicted as the Nayaki) to unite with the divine (usually depicted as the man). In most of his compositions, Kshetrayya has used the mudra
Mudra (music)
Mudra is the unique signature of a Carnatic music composer, which is woven into some or all of their respective compositions. Not all composers have mudras, and they do not necessarily relate to the composer's name....
(signature) "Muvva Gopala" as a reference to himself, which is also a name for the Lord Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
in Kshetrayya's village Muvva, now called as Movva
Movva
Movva is a village and Mandal in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, India. The place of temples. This is the birth place of the great lyricist "Kshetrayya" also known as "varadayya" who has written many songs on "lord Krishna". This is the education center of diviseema. 30% of the villagers are...
. Kshetrayya's work has played a major role in influencing poetry, dance, music of the South Indian tradition. Kshetrayya was intimately connected with the devadasi
Devadasi
In Hinduism, the devadasi tradition is a religious tradition in which girls are "married" and dedicated to a deity or to a temple and includes performance aspects such as those that take place in the temple as well as in the courtly and mujuvani [telegu] or home context. Dance and music were...
women of the temples of south India, who were the subject of many of his compositions. The devadasis were traditionally in possession of the musical/poetic interpretations of his work for a long period of time till the devadasi system was abolished and the compositions became more accepted in the musical community as valuable works of art. The musical community also owes a lot to Veena Dhanammal
Veena Dhanammal
Veenai Dhanammal was a highly accomplished Carnatic musician, and the torchbearer of the school of Carnatic music that goes by her name. She was both a vocalist and a performer on the veena...
and T. Brinda
T. Brinda
Thanjavur Brinda was one of the representatives of the Veenai Dhanammal school of Carnatic Music. She was primarily a vocalist, although she also played the Veenai. She is affectionately referred to as 'Brindamma', by her fans....
, who popularized Kshetrayya's songs with their beautiful musical interpretation.Kshetrayya's padams now form an integral part of the dance and musical traditions of South India, where his songs are rendered purely as musical works or as accompaniments to dance.
Kancherla Gopanna (c 1620 - 1680 CE), popularly known as Bhadradri Ramadasu or Bhadrachala Ramadasu, was a 17th century India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n devotee 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...
and a composer of Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
. He is one among the famous vaggeyakaras (same person being the writer and composer of a song) in the Telugu language. His devotional lyrics to 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...
are famous in South Indian classical music as Ramadaasu Keertanalu. Even the doyen of South Indian classical music Saint Thyagaraja learned and later improved the style now considered standard krithi form of music composition.He also written Dasarathi Shatakamu a collection of nearly 100 poems dedicated to the son of Dasaratha (Lord 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...
).
Tyagaraja
Tyagaraja
Kakarla Tyagabrahmam , colloquially known as Tyāgarājar and Tyagayya was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music or classical South Indian music. He, along with his contemporaries Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastry, forms the Trinity of Carnatic music...
(1767–1847) of Tanjore composed devotional songs in Telugu, which form a big part of the repertoire of Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
.In addition to nearly 600 compositions (kritis), Tyagaraja composed two musical plays in Telugu, the Prahalada Bhakti Vijayam and the Nauka Charitam. Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam is in five acts with 45 kriti
Kriti
-Structure:Kritis typically contain three parts#Pallavi. This is the equivalent of a refrain in Western music.#Anupallavi. The second verse, which is sometimes optional....
s set in 28 raga
Raga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
s and 138 verses, in different metres in Telugu. Nauka Charitam is a shorter play in one act with 21 kritis set in 13 ragas and 43 verses. The latter is the most popular of Tyagaraja's operas, and is a creation of the composer's own imagination and has no basis in the 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...
. Often overlooked is the fact that Tyagaraja's works are some of the best and most beautiful literary expressions in Telugu language
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...
. Valmiki composed the 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...
, the story of Rama, with 24,000 verses and incidentally Tyagaraja also composed 24,000 kritis in praise of the lord.
Charles Philip Brown
Charles Philip Brown
C. P. Brown was a Telugu writer and an Englishman by descent. He worked as official in Cuddapah and Rajahmundry during the British rule in India...
(1798–1884), was an employee of the East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
who, in a quest to understand the basic structure of the Telugu language, embarked upon an exhaustive study of Telugu literature. His pursuit is said to be responsible for bringing to attention what are now considered popular works of Telugu literature but were, until then, neglected. The first book in Telugu was printed in 1796, well before the modern period in Telugu literature. Young Telugu speakers of the time, acquainted with English literature and influenced by Shelley
Shelley
-Meaning:In many baby name books, Shelley is listed as meaning "From the meadow on the ledge" or "clearing on a bank". It is Old English in origin. As with many other names , Shelley is today a name given almost exclusively to girls after historically being male...
, Keats and Wordsworth, would produce a new type of romantic poetry called the Bhavakavithwam.
Paravasthu Chinnayasuri(1807–1861) wrote Baala Vyaakaranamu in a new style after doing extensive research on Andhra Grammar which is his greatest gift to Telugu people. Other notable works of Chinnayasuri include Neeti Chandrika, Sootandhra Vyaakaranamu, Andhra Dhatumoola and Neeti Sangrahamu. Chinnayasuri translated Mitra Labham and Mitra Bhedam from 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...
Panchatantra
Panchatantra
The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian inter-related collection of animal fables in verse and prose, in a frame story format. The original Sanskrit work, which some scholars believe was composed in the 3rd century BCE, is attributed to Vishnu Sharma...
as Neeti Chandrika. Kandukuri Veeresalingam
Kandukuri Veeresalingam
Rao Bahadur Kandukuri Veeresalingam , also known as Kandukuri Veeresalingham Pantulu , was a social reformer of Andhra Pradesh. He was born in an orthodox Niyogi Telugu Brahmin family...
and Kokkonda Venkataratnam followed his style of prose writing and wrote Vigrahamu and Sandhi in a different pattern.
Modern or Adhunika Sahityam
Kandukuri Veeresalingam (Telugu: కందుకూరి వీరేశలింగం) (also known as Kandukuri Veeresalingham Pantulu (Telugu: కందుకూరి వీరేశలింగం పంతులు)), (16 April 1848 - 27 May 1919) was a social reformer of Andhra PradeshAndhra 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...
. He was born in an orthodox Andhra Brahmin family. He is widely considered as the man who first brought about a renaissance in Telugu people
Telugu people
The Telugu people or Telugu Prajalu are an ethnic group of India. They are the native speakers of the Telugu language, the most commonly spoken language in India after Hindi and Bengali...
and Telugu
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...
literature. He was influenced by the ideals of Brahmo Samaj
Brahmo Samaj
Brahmo Samaj is the societal component of the Brahmo religion which is mainly practiced today as the Adi Dharm after its eclipse in Bengal consequent to the exit of the Tattwabodini Sabha from its ranks in 1859. It was one of the most influential religious movements responsible for the making of...
particularly those of Keshub Chunder Sen. Veeresalingam panthulu is popularly called Gadhya Thikkana. He wrote about 100 books between 1869 and 1919 and introduced the essay, biography, autobiography and the novel into Telugu literature His Satyavathi Charitam was the first social novel in Telugu. He wrote Rajasekhara Charitamu inspired by Oliver Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefied. To him literature was an instrument to fight social evils.
Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna (born July 6, 1930) is a Carnatic
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and a playback singer. He is also acclaimed as a poet, composer and respected for his knowledge of Carnatic Music. Balamuralikrishna was born in Sankaraguptam, East Godavari District, 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. Dr Balamuralikrishna has composed over 400 compositions in various languages like Telugu
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...
and 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...
. His compositions ranges from Devotional to Varnams, Kirthis, Javalis and Thillans. His greatest achievement are the compositions in all the fundamental 72 melakartha ragas.
Aacharya Aatreya or Kilambi Venkata Narasimhacharyulu (7 May 1921 - 13 September 1989) was a playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, lyrics and story writer of the Telugu
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...
film industry. He was born as Kilambi Venkata Narasimhacharyulu on 7 May 1921 in the Mangalampadu village of Sullurpeta
Sullurpeta
Sullurupeta is a town in Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh state, India. It is the mandal headquarters for sullurupeta mandal. It is the gateway of SHAR, Shriharikota Rocket Launching Station and often called as Rocket Town. Other names used Sullurupet....
Mandalam in the Nellore district of 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...
. His pen name is based on their family Gothra. Known for his poetry on the human soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
and heart, he was given the title 'Manasu Kavi'(Poet of Heart). His poetry is philosophical and intellectually satisfying. Such can be seen in Aathreya's lyrics has they made people weep due to the deep meaning in his lyrics.
Veturi Sundararama Murthy , popularly known as Veturi, was a Telugu
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...
writer mostly popular for his film songs. His career in the Telugu film industry spanned more than four decades. Veturi was born in his mother's hometown, Kolluru
Kollur, Guntur district
Kollur/ Kolluru is a village and a Mandal in Guntur district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. - Geography :Kollur is the mandal headquarter of kolluru mandal located at the bank of krishna river, in the Guntur district, is located at .....
, near Tenali
Tenali
Tenali , is a town and a mandal in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh, South India. It has a population of 149,839 . It is located 16 miles east of Guntur City. Three canals of the Krishna River flow through Tenali making it a part of the rice bowl of Andhra Pradesh. One of the canals is...
of Guntur
Guntur
Guntur , is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located to the north and west of the Bay of Bengal. It is approximately to the south of the national capital, New Delhi and south east of state capital, Hyderabad. Guntur is the fourth largest city in Andhra...
district, in an orthodox Telugu Brahmin's family on 29 January 1936. His native place is Pedakallepalli
Pedakallepalli
Pedakallēpalli is a village in Mopidevi mandal, in Diviseema taluk, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Pedakallepalli is also known as Dakshina Kasi...
near Mopidevi
Mopidevi
Mopidevi is a village and mandal in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, India.A famous temple dedicated to Sri Subramanyeswara Swamy is located here.Mopidevi is located at a distance of around 80 km from Vijayawada and 30 km from Machilipatnam....
, in Diviseema
Diviseema
Diviseema is a small and fertile island in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, India.-Geography:Diviseema is located in the delta area formed at Puligadda , where the Krishna River is divided into two before merging into the Bay of Bengal...
of Krishna district
Krishna district
Krishna District is a district of India's Andhra Pradesh state. It is named after the Krishna River, the third longest river that flows within India, flows through the district and joins Bay of Bengal here in this district. It has a population of 4,529,009 of which 32.08% is urban as of...
, 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...
. His knowledge in classical Telugu poetry
Telugu poetry
Telugu poetry is verse originating in the southern provinces of India, predominantly from modern Andhra Pradesh and some corners of Tamilnadu and Karnataka.- Origins :...
is evident from the figures of speech
Figures of Speech
Figures of Speech is a hip hop group consisting of MCs Eve and Jyant. They performed at the Good Life Cafe in the early 1990s and were featured on the Project Blowed compilation....
(alankaaraalu). In his songs, it can be observed that the same word is juxtaposed with different meanings. This is a figure of speech in Telugu
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...
known as yamakam ). He was known to use a lot of classical objects in fresh similes. Objects like ponnacheTTu , tyaagaraaja keertana (Tyagaraja
Tyagaraja
Kakarla Tyagabrahmam , colloquially known as Tyāgarājar and Tyagayya was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music or classical South Indian music. He, along with his contemporaries Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastry, forms the Trinity of Carnatic music...
's song), Rutuvulu (seasons), raagaalu (raaga-s) have all been used extensively in his songs.
Chembolu SeetaRama Sastry (born 20 May 1955) (popularly known as Sirivennela) is a Telugu
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...
poet, very popular for his film songs. He penned thousands of songs in Telugu language
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...
and still is a leading lyricist in the Telugu
Films. He wrote a variety of songs ranging from classic poetry to the folk, he is famous for writing lyrics which are easy to understand/sing. He got several awards for his inspirational lyrics, most notable ones being Andhra Pradesh State Award for Best Lyrics six times.
Dr. Medasani Mohan performed many Astavadhanams, Satavadhanams, a Sahasravadhanam and a Panchasaharsravadhanam (i.e. answering five thousand Prucchakas). Besides being Avadhani he also heads the Annamacharya Project involved in uncovering, compiling, classifying and popularising Annamayya works at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.
Popular authors and works
- Arudra (ఆరుద్ర) - Samagraandhra Saahithyamu (సమగ్రాంధ్ర సాహిత్యము) (The Complete Telugu Literature)
- Abburi Varada Rajeswara Rao (1923–1993) - Varadakaalam
- Adavi BaapirajuAdavi BaapirajuAdavi Baapiraju is famous Telugu novelist, poet, playwright, painter and art director. He was born on October 8, 1895 at Sarepalle near Bheemavaram in West Godavari district of Andhra. He is known for his works like Gonaganna Reddy, Narayanarao, Himabindu etc.-Life and Times:Baapiraju was raised...
- Gona Gannareddy, Naarayanarao, Thuphaanu (The storm), Amshumathi - Alakki Bhaskarudu - " Bhaskara Satakamu"
- AjantaPenumarti Viswanatha SastryPenumarti Viswanatha Sastry was a famous Telugu writer and editor. His pen name is "Ajantha".He was born in Kesanakurru village in West Godavari district. After primary education at Narsapuram, he graduated and worked in different magazines in Hyderabad and Chennai...
- Penumarti Viswanatha Sastry (born 1922) - Allasani PeddanaAllasani PeddanaAllasani Peddana was a famous Telugu poet and was ranked as the foremost of the Astadiggajalu the title for the group of eight poets in the court of King Krishnadevaraya, a ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire.-Biography:...
- Manu charithra (The History of Swarochisha Manu) - AathreyaAathreyaAacharya Aathreya born Kilambi Venkata Narasimhacharyulu was a versatile playwright, lyric writer and story writer in Telugu cinema.-Life:...
- NGO, Kappalu - Adrusta Deepak - agni, adavi(2008), deepaka ragam(2010-2008), pranam(1978),kokilamma padalu(1972), samara sankam(1977), aasayala pandirilo(2010),
- Bhimasankaram, V.L.S - "Rasasruvu" (Chando Vividhya Padya Kaavyam); "Sivaananda Mandahaasam" (about 4000 Dwipadas- all with 'la'kara Praasa, Anthya Praasa for each Dwipada and Seesa bandham in all the Dwipadas); "Dakshaaraama Bhimeswara Sathakamu" (138 Matthebha/Saardoola Vrittamulu); Sri Raama Nee Naama memi Ruchira!" (A social Padya Kaavya with a fictitious theme)(born 1931)
- Atukuri MollaMolla (poetess)Atukuri Molla was a famous Telugu poetess who authored the Telugu-language Ramayana. She was popularly known as Molla or Mollamamba.-Biography:...
- Molla Ramayanam - Bammera PothanaPothanaBammera Potana was an Indian Telugu poet best known for his translation of the Bhagavata Purana from Sanskrit to Telugu. He was a Telugu and Sanskrit Scholar. His work, Andhra Maha Bhaagavathamu, is popularly called as Pothana Bhagavatham in Telugu.-Early life:Bammera Potanamatyulu was born into...
- Bhagavatha Purana - BuchchibabuBuchchibabuButchi Babu was the pen name of an eminent Telugu short story writer, novelist and painter. His real name was Sivaraju Venkata Subbarao.-Early life:...
- Chivaraku migiledi (What is Left at the End) - Balivada Kantha RaoBalivada Kantha RaoBalivada Kantha Rao was a noted Telugu novelist and playwright.He was born in Madapam village in Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh, he worked in various capacities as civilian officer in the Indian Navy. He has to his credit 38 major and minor novels, 400 short stories, 5 major plays, host of...
(1927–2000) - Balivada Kantha Rao Kathalu (Winner of the Kendriya Sahitya Academy Award) - Bhagyalakshmi. J - Work and Contribution of Dr. J. Bhagyalakshmi
- Boyi BhimannaBoyi BhimannaDr. Boyi Bhimanna , also transliterated as Bheemanna, Bheemana and in other ways, was a famous Telugu poet.- Early life :...
- Gudiselu Kaalipothunnaayi - C. NarayanareddyC. NarayanareddyDr. Cingireddy Narayana Reddy is an Indian poet and writer. He is a winner of the Jnanpith Award in 1988 for his contribution to Telugu literature. He is considered a foremost authority on Telugu Literature...
- Vishwambhara - Bhamidipati RamaGopalam - Aarama Gopalam
- BHAVASHRI(W.RAMA RAO)
- Cha SoChaganti SomayajuluChaganti Somayajulu , also known as ChaasO, was one of the popular Telugu story writers.He was born at Srikakulam to Kanukolanu Lakshminarayana and Thulasamma. He was adopted by Chaganti Bapiraju and Thulasamma and came to Vizianagaram...
(1915–1993) - Chemakura Venkata Kavi Vijaya Vilaasamu
- Duggirala Balarama Krishnayya - Buddha Puranam, Manava Jivitam, and many others.
- ChalamGudipati VenkatachalamGudipati Venkatachalam aka Chalam , a Telugu writer and philosopher, was one of the most influential personalities in the modern Telugu literature...
- Chithraangi, Maidhaanam, Saavithri, Janaki, Ameena, Brahmaneekam, Musings - Chilakamarti Lakshmi Narasimham - Gayopaakhyaanam, Prahasanamulu
- Daasaradhi KrishnamacharyuluDaasaradhi KrishnamacharyuluDaasaradhi Krishnamacharyulu was a popular Telangana Poet and Writer. Daasarathi holds the titles Abhyudhaya Kavi and Kalaprapurna. He was also the recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award for his poetic work book Thimiramtho Samaram in 1974...
- Timiramutho samaramu (Fighting against the darkness) - Daasaradhi Rangacharyulu - Chillara Devullu, Tirumalakonda Pada Chitralu
- Devarakonda Balagangadhara TilakDevarakonda Balagangadhara TilakDevarakonda Balagangadhara Tilak was an influential Telugu poet, novelist and short story writer.Initially his poetry, as in his first anthology, Prabhatamu-Sandhya , was written in the romantic vein popular in Indian poetry of the early and mid-20th century...
- Tilak Kathalu, Amrutam Kurisina Raatri - DhurjatiDhurjatiDhurjati was a Telugu poet in the court of the king Krishnadevaraya and was one of the astadiggajalu there.-Biography:...
- Srikaalahasteesvara Satakam - Duvvoori RamireddyDuvvoori RamireddyDuvvoori Ramireddy was an eminent Telugu poet. He was born in a farmers family in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. He won many laurels including the title Kavikokila in 1929 by the Andhra Maha Parishad, Vijayawada. RamiReddy wrote prabandhas, Kandakavyas and also translated romantic poetry from...
- Paanasaala, Krusheevaludu - Devulapalli KrishnasastriDevulapalli KrishnasastriDevulapalli Venkata Krishnasastri was a Telugu poet, playwright and translator. He is famously known as Andhra Shelley.-Early life:Krishnasastri was born in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India...
- Krishna pakshamu (The Brightening Fortnight) - Gadiyaaram Venkataseshasastri - Sivabhaaratham
- Gona Buddhareddy - Ranganaatha Raamaayanamu
- Gurajada Apparao - Kanyaasulkamu
- Gurram JashuvaGurram JashuvaGurram Jashuva was a popular Telugu poet. He belonged to a Yadav family but was also part Madiga and so he was discriminated against as an untouchable in school, college and professional life.-Early life:Jashuva was born into a poor yaadava caste family in Vinukonda, Guntur district, Andhra...
- Gabbilamu (The batBatBats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
), Phiradousi - J Bhagyalakshmi - Work and Contribution of Dr. J. Bhagyalakshmi
- Kaethana - Dasakumaara charithra
- KalojiKalojiKaloji Narayana Rao more popularly known as Kaloji or Kalanna is a well known Indian freedom fighter and a political activist of Telangana. He is noted for his contributions in the social and literary fields...
- "Naa Godava", "Idee Naa Godava"-autobiography - Kandukuri VeeresalingamKandukuri VeeresalingamRao Bahadur Kandukuri Veeresalingam , also known as Kandukuri Veeresalingham Pantulu , was a social reformer of Andhra Pradesh. He was born in an orthodox Niyogi Telugu Brahmin family...
- Andhrakavula Charithra (The history of Andhra Poets), Raajasekhara Charithra (The history of RajasekharaRajasekharaRajashekhara was an eminent Sanskrit poet, dramatist and critic. He was court poet of the Gurjara Pratiharas.He wrote Kavyamimamsa between 880 and 920 CE. The work is essentially a practical guide for poets that explains the elements and composition of a good poem. The fame of Rajashekhara...
), Prahasanamulu - Kasula Purushottama KaviKasula Purushottama KaviKaasula Purushottama kavi lived during the late 18th century . His parents were Kaasula Appalaraju and Ramanamma. He hailed from the Diviseema area in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh. He was a Bhattu kavi with the feudal Zamindar of Challapalli. He composed Apart Andhra Nayaka Satakam on...
- Andhranayaka Satakamu - KavitrayamKavitrayamKavitrayam is a Telugu expression for trinity of poets. Kavitrayam popularly refers to the poets who translated the great epic Mahabharata into Telugu. The trinity consists of Nannayya, Tikkana and Yerrapragada.-Nannayya:...
(Nannayya, Tikkana, Yerrapragada) - Andhra Mahaabhaarathamu (The great Mahabharatha in Telugu) - Kethu Viswanathareddy - Kethu Viswanathareddy Kathalu
- Ko KuKodavatiganti KutumbaraoKodavatiganti Kutumba Rao B.Sc. , also known as Ko Ku, was an exponent of the Telugu literature in the 20th century...
- Chaduvu - Kotha Satyanarayana Chowdary - Dharma Saastram, Vaidika Vaagmaya Charitra, Maaswami, Kalpavruksha khandanam, kulapati, Kaviraju, Chinnaya, Kalipuranam, Maayaabhikshuvu, Manjari, Saahiti, Kaamasaastram, Vasantasena
- Kondaviti Venkata Kavi - Nehru Charitra
- Kotikalapudi Seetamma - Ahalyabai, Sadhuraksha Satakamu, Bhaktimargamu, Satidharmamu
- Koochimanchi Timmana - Rukmini parinayamu (RukminiRukminiIn Hinduism, Rukmini is the principal wife and queen of Krishna at his city of Dwarka. Krishna heroically kidnaps her from an un-wanted marriage at her request . Of Krishna's 16,108 queens, Rukmini is the first and most prominent...
's wedding) - Korlapati Sriraamamurthy - Sreenaadhudu (The poet Srinadha)
- Leelavati - Leelavati Ganithamu
- Maarana - Maarkandaeya puraanamu
- Madhurantakam RajaramMadhurantakam RajaramMadhurantakam Rajaram is considered one of the foremost of modern Telugu short story writers. He is the winner of Sahitya Akademi Award of 1993 and Katha prize for short stories for the years 1991 and 1993.-Early Life and Literary Career:Rajaram was born in Damalcheruvu village of Chittoor...
- Halikulu Kushalama - Mohammad Khadeer Babu - Dargamitta Kathalu, Zameen
- Mokkapati Narasimha SastryMokkapati Narasimha SastryMokkapati Narasimha Sastry was an Indian, Telugu language novelist.His major work was the humorous novel, Barrister Parvateesam.- References :...
- Barrister ParvateesamBarrister ParvateesamBarrister Parvateesam is a Telugu language humorous novel written by Mokkapati Narasimha Sastry in 1924. It was printed in 3 parts.-First Novel:... - MuddupalaniMuddupalaniMuddupalani was a Telugu speaking poet and devadasi attached to the court of Pratap Singh, the Maratha king of Tanjore. Muddupalani was well versed in both Telugu and Sanskrit literature, and came from a devadasi family; her mother and grandmother were also both devadasis and poets.Her best known...
- Radhika Santvanamu - Mullapudi Venkata RamanaMullapudi Venkata RamanaMullapudi Venkata Ramana was a Telugu story writer. He was especially known for his hilarious style of writing. He also created a child character called Budugu...
- Budugu, Girisam malli puttadu - Muppala RanganayakammaMuppala RanganayakammaMuppala Ranganayakamma mononymously known as Ranganayakamma is a leading Telugu Feminist-Marxist writer and critic.Ranganayakamma was born in Bommidi village near Tadepalli in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh....
- Raamayana vishavŕksham, Krishnaveni, sweet homeSweet Home-Places in the United States:* Sweet Home, Arkansas* Sweet Home Central School District in Amherst and Tonawanda, New York* Sweet Home High School * Sweet Home High School * Sweet Home Mine in Colorado* Sweet Home, Oregon...
, Janaki Vimukthi, Ammaki Adivaram Leda - Nandoori Subbarao - Yenki paatalu
- Nanne Choadudu - Kumaara Sambhavamu
- Nayani KrishnakumariNayani KrishnakumariNayani Krishnakumari was born to Nayani Subba Rao and Hanumayamma on March 14, 1930 in Guntur, a town in Andhra Pradesh, India. She is married to Canakapalli Madhusudana Rao, a lawyer and a distant relative in 1954...
- Telugu geya vanjmayam, Agniputri, Kashmira deepakalika - Palagummi PadmarajuPalagummi PadmarajuPalagummi Padmaraju, shortly P. Padmaraju is famous Telugu writer and winner of Sahitya Akademi Award. He is very good at delineating the psychological aspects of different kinds of people....
- Bathikina collegee - Palkuriki Somanaathudu - Basava puraanamu
- Panuganti Lakshmi Narasimham - Saakshi (The witness)
- Papineni Sivasankar - Sthabdhata-Chalanam, Oka Saaraamsam Kosam, Aakupacchani Lokamlo, Oka Khadgam Oka Pushpam, Matti Gunde, Sagam Terichina Talupu, Sahityam-Moulika Bhavanalu, Nisanta
- Paravasthu Chinnayasuri - Baalavyaakaranamu, neethi chandrika
- Pingali Soorana - Kalaa poornodhayamu
- Patanjali K.N.Y - Kakhivanam, Gopathrudu, Oka dayyam aathma katha, Patanjali Bhashyam, Veerabobbili, Rajula Logillu, Pilakatirugudu Puvvu, Appanna Sardar, Nuvve Kadhu, Choopunna Pata, Veta Kathalu, Adarra Banti, Raju Goru, Dikkumalina College, Gelupu Sare Batakadam Ela?, Impish Chronicles and Doggish Dabbler (www.knypatanjali.com)
- Rachakonda Viswanathasastri - Alpajeevi (The miserable)
- Ramaraaja Bhooshanudu - Vasu charithra
- Sudheer Vemuru - The Greatest Man on the Planet
- Rallapalli Anantha Krishna SharmaRallapalli Anantha Krishna SharmaSangita Kalanidhi Rallapalli Anantha Krishna Sharma was a noted composer of Carnatic music, singer as well as a writer.-Life:...
- Meerabai ( 1913 ) , Taradevi ( 1911 ) ( both Khanda Kavya’s ),Natakopanyasamulu , Vemana (1928–29 ) , Saraswatalokamu ( 1954 ) ( critical review articles ),Shalivahana Gathasaptashathi Saramu ( translation of the Prakrit work into Telugu) ( 1932 ),Chayapa Senaniya , Nrita Ratnavali ( Translation into Telugu ) 1969 ,Arya ( Translation of Sundara Pandya’s Sanskrit work in Telugu ) 1970. - Rangajamma - Mannaru Dasavilasamau
- Ravuri Bharadwaja - Paakudu raallu
- Raayaprolu Subbarao - Jada kuchchulu, Ramyaaloakam
- Sankaramanchi Satyam - Amaravati KathaluAmaravati KathaluAmaravati Kathalu is a collection of Telugu short stories written by Satyam Sankaramanchi.The stories are about the people of the village of Amaravati and were first published in the AandhraJoyti newspaper. The series ran for two years...
(The stories from Amaravati) - Sri Krishna Deva RayaKrishnadevarayaŚrī 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...
- Aamukta Maalyadha - Sri Siddappa Varakavi
- Sripaada Subrahmanyasastri - Anubhavaalu J~naapakaalu
- Sri SriSrirangam SrinivasaraoSrirangam Srinivasarao , often called Sri Sri , was a popular modern Telugu poet and lyricist. Sri Sri was given the title Mahakavi .-Early life:...
- Mahaaprasthaanamu - Sri K SabhaSri K SabhaSri Sabha was a renowned writer from the Rayalaseema region of Andhra with literary works covering short stories, novels and poetry. His major contribution was the children's literature thus filling the void during that period. His novels like, Mogili, Suryam, Chandram represent the optimistic...
- "Vishwarupa Sandarsanam, Vedabhoomi, Mogili, Pathalaganga" - SrinathaSrinathaSrinatha 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....
- Haravilaasamu, Kaasikhandamu, Bhimakhandamu, Palnaati veeracharithra, Sŕngaara naishadhamu - Suravaram Pratapareddy - Aandhrula Saanghika Charithra
- Tallapaka Annamacharya (1424?-1503) - Annamacharya keertanalu
- Thapi dharma Rao 'Vidhi Vilasam', 'Devala paina bootu bommalu, Pelli- Dani Puttupurvotharalu, and film script Rojulu marayi
- Tallapaka 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:...
- Subhadrakalyanam - Tarigonda Venkamamba - Venkatachala Mahatmyamu, Vasista Ramamyanamu, Rajayogasaramu, Bhagavatamu, Krishnamanjari
- Tenali RamakrishnaTenali RamakrishnaGarlapati Tenali Ramakrishna , popularly known as Tenali Rama and Vikata Kavi, was a court-poet of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 16th century. He was one of the Ashtadiggajas who belonged to the court of Krishnadevaraya in Vijayanagar....
- Paanduranga maahaatmyamu - Tenneti HemalataTenneti HemalataTenneti Hemalata, , better known as Lata, is a Telugu writer from Andhra Pradesh, India. She is best known for writing about prostitution in India, from the perspective of the prostitutes, and her books created heated discussion in literary circles in the late 70s and 80s.-Biography:Lata was born...
= Raktapankam, 'Mohanavamsi, Omar Khayyam - Thummala Seetaraamamoorthy - Aathmakadha, Mahatma Katha, Rashtra gaanamu
- 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...
- Nirvachanoththara Raamayanamu - - Timmana - Paarijaathaapaharanamu
- Tirumala Ramachandra - Hampi nunchi Harrapa dhaka
- Tirupati Venkata KavuluTirupati Venkata KavuluTirupati Venkata Kavulu refers to the Telugu poet duo Divakarla Tirupati Sastry and Chellapilla Venkata Sastry . This twin poets are acclaimed as harbingers of modern poetry in Telugu. They have dramatized several of the Hindu epics into dramas and plays consisting of singable verses set to...
- Paandavodyoga vijayamulu, Devi bhaagavatham - TirumalambaTirumalambaTirumalamba, a poet of the Vijayanagara Empire , wrote "Varadambica Parinayam", the story of marriage of King Achyuta Deva Raya, in Sanskrit....
- Varadambica parinayamu - Tripuranaeni Gopichand - Merupula Marakalu
- Tripuraneni Ramaswamy Choudhury - Suthapuranamu, Karempudi kadanam, Kurukshetra sangramam, Kuppuswamy satakam, Sambhukavadha, Suthashrama geethalu', Dhoorta manava, Khooni, Bhagavadgita, Rana Pratap, Kondaveeti pathanam
- Turaga Krishna Mohan Rao - Pendli Pareeksha, Maata Kacheri
- Turaga Janaki Rani - Erragulabeelu, Janki Rani Kathalu, Maa Taatayya Chalam, Navvani Puvvu, Ee Desam Oka Himalayam, Veyabovani Talupu, Snagharshana, Cheta Kaani Nati, Nee Jeevitam Naaku Kaavali
- UshasriUshasriUshasri is a radio and literary personality in Telugu. The original name of Ushasri is Puranapanda Dikshithulu. He is from Andhra Pradesh in South India. He lived between 1928 and 1990. He was very famous for his radio programmes broadcast from Vijayawada All India Radio Station...
- Sundarakanda - Unnava Lakshminaarayana - Maala pilla
- Vattikota Alwaru Swami - Prajala Manishi, Gangu
- Viswanatha SatyanarayanaViswanatha SatyanarayanaViswanatha Satyanarayana , popularly known as the Kavi Samraat , was a modern Telugu poet.He was a disciple of the Tirupati Venkata Kavulu duo...
- Cheliyalikatta, Kalpavrukshamu, Kinnerasaani Paatalu, Srimadraamaayana kalpavŕkshamu Swargaaniki Nichchenalu, Vaeyipadagalu, EkaveeraEkaveeraEkaveera is an Indian novel written by Kavi Samrat Viswanatha Satyanarayana in Telugu language. It was penned between 1925–29 and was published in Bharathi magazine in 1935. Originally written in Telugu, it has since been translated into various Indian languages. In 1969, a film version was...
, naa ramudu, nepala rajavamsa kadhalu - VemanaVemanaKumaragiri Vema Reddy popularly known as Vemana was a 14th century Telugu poet. His poems were written in the popular vernacular of Telugu, and are known for their use of simple language and native idioms. His poems discuss the subjects of Yoga, wisdom and morality...
- Vemana Satakam - Dr.vempalli gangadhar, molakalapunnami, devarasila, hiranya rajyam, pune prayanam. www.vempalligangadhar.com
- Yandamuri VeerendranathYandamuri VeerendranathYandamuri Veerendranath , is a renowned Telugu novelist. Hailing from Andhra Pradesh state in India, he influenced younger generations with his socially relevant writings. In his writings he addresses many of the important social problems in India like poverty, prejudices, and superstitions, and...
- Vennello aadapilla, Marana Mrudangam, Aanando Brahma, Tulasi dalam, Ashta Vakra, Prarthana , Swara Bethalam, PremaPremaPrema may refer to:*Prema – actress in the Kannada Film Industry*Prema – 1952 Telugu film*Prema – Telugu film starring Venkatesh and Revathi*Prema – British recording artiste...
, Rendu gundela chappudu, graphlogy, popular rachanalu cheyadam ela?, Mimmalni mee pillalu preminchalante? - YerrapragadaYerrapragadaErrana was a great Telugu poet in the court of Prolaya Vemareddy , the founder of Reddy dynasty of Kondaveedu, who ruled Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, and Kurnool districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh. Errana was also known as Yellapregada or Errapregada...
- Harivansamu, Nrusimhapuranam, half of the Aranya Parva of Maha Bharat - Yetukuri Venkata Narasayya - Maguva Maanchaala
Telugu Journalism
The general economic prosperity of the delta region afforded the establishment of schools and colleges, resulted in the spread of education and produced a western educated middle class. This was also coincided with the founding of various socio-religious organizations in the region like Veda Samaj, Deva Samaj, Hindu Sreyobhivardini Sabha and Arsha Mata Sabha (the influence of ongoing socio-religious reform movements in Bengal and Maharastra and the tours of these reformers to South India can be seen in this development). Madras centered Telugu press (originated in 1830s) began to shift to the delta region as the founders of these organizations (most of them were from western educated middle class, who were also founders of socio-religious organizations) attempted to spread the reformist ideas through the press. (Absence of these factors attests the very slow development of press in the dry zone). Thus there was a steady growth of journalism in the deltas from 1858 onwards.Telugu journalism began with mainly religious, cultural and literary journals. The first Telugu journal was Satyodaya (Dawn of Truth) published in Madras by the Christian Association of Bellary. The early Telugu journals were in Sanskritised, highbrow literary Telugu. Some of them like Tatvabodhini, were started by the Ved Samaj to counteract missionary propaganda. Tatwabodhini became immensely popular after it serialized the Rig Veda. Other journals of this era are Ravi, Shriyakshi, Dina Vartamani and Purusharda Pradayani.
Rai Bahadur K. Veeresalingam Pantulu began the first modern journal in Telugu- Vivekavardhini- dedicated to social and language reform. Pantulu was a prominent social reformer who advocated ending of child marriage, casteism, prostitution. He also propagated rehabilitation of fallen women. Pantulu’s journals are credited with the development of popular Telugu prose. Pantulu also founded 3 journals for women- Sahitabodhini (Women’s Advocate), Haasyavardhini (Promoter of Laughter) and Satyavaadini (Advocate of Truth). Pantulu is considered to be the father of the Renaissance movement of Andhra.
Rajamundry, Cocanada, Bezawada, Machilipatnam, Amalapuram, Narasapuram became centers of journalism. Another early paper was Andhrabhasha Sanjivani, edited by Venkataram Pantulu, another social and religious reformer. The first news weekly in Telugu was Andhra Prakasika, published from Madras by A.P. Parthasarati Naidu. It supported the Congress Party.
Devagupta Seshachalrao started Deshabhimani- first as a fortnightly, then weekly, then bi-weekly and finally it became the first Telugu daily.
With this, foundations for the social and political leadership of delta area and dominance of coastal Telugu were laid. By early twentieth century every caste tried to reform its group by spreading progressive and rational ideas through caste journals. In the process, several caste groups got consolidated across the regions.
In the rise of consciousness of a separate Telugu identity and the demand for a separate Andhra State, Telugu press played a crucial role. Rising education brought about a new interest in modern Telugu literature and culture, which Telugus felt, was being suppressed by Tamilians. Therefore Andhra Brahmans and non-Brahmans together formed a sub-national movement to demand a separate State in which Andhra interests could be expressed.The organization of people on caste lines was also a new phenomenon and print was one of the factors which made it is possible. Thus the print, in the form of Journalism played an enormous role in the construction of identities on the basis of language, region, religion, and caste.