Andhra Maha Bharatam poetic rendering

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SRI MAATRE NAMAHA

 

The Andhra Maha Bharatam holds an exalted place in Telugu

literature. It is produced without any damage to the main story, while

the unessential anecdotes are omitted. It is compleat, with the story

of eighteen 'parvas'. Though it is translation of the Sanskrit

Mahabharata it is in fact an adaptation. It has acquired the status of

'Kavya', with all its basic essentials and refinement.

It is the good fortune of the Telugus, that three first rate

poets undertook the great work. Nannaya under the inspiriration of

King Rajarajannarendra, is the path-setter. He set some rules of

prosody and grammar in his work and they hold good for all the

succeeding poets. His pattern is the model for these long period. But

he could only translate two and half parvas and he left the scene. For

two centuries after him, nobody could come forward to complete the

work. Then Tikkana, a great artist in the art and craft of poetry

began with Virata Parva and completed the rest of Maha Bharata. He

brought in it a number of Telugu words and idioms as against Nannaya's

sanskrit words or thir equivalants. His dramatic style of narration in

unique and proved effective.

but Aranaya Parva remained half finished till Errapragada, half

a century later completed Aranya Parva. All the three poets are graded

first rate. Thus Andhra Mahabharatam occupies a high place in telugu

literarute. Ido not think any other Indian Language can boast of such

adaptation of Mahabharata complete as well as superb.

Prof.Gurram V.Subbaramayya who was retired as a college principal

and a native of Nellore (Distirct) the birth place of Tikkana in

Andhra Pradesh was facinated by the Andhra Mahabharatam and desired to

render it into English. He adopted the blank verse form, enriched by

great masters of English Literature. Blan verse form is powerful and

effective and prof.Subbaramayya ded achieve that excelence in his

Englidh translation.

Let us taste the wonderful work from Virata Prava rendered by the

above great person.

 

FIRST CANTO

 

Him,manifeted as HARIHARA

To please His consort Sri and Gouri named,

Who doth respond o devotees' Vedic call

Invoking God Vishnu as God Siva,

That transcendetal ONE I pray for Grace

So prayin, I with a heart brimful of blise

Of poesy granted by the Muse divine,

Betthought my self one day in soemn mood

 

Maharshi Vyasa, sage ad seer supreme,

Whose poetic inspiration hath evoked,

The highest praise of sccholars competent,

Devoted to the unversal good,

To propagate pure Dhrma's pristine state,

Composed the written Veda, " Bharatam "

The illustrator of all scriptural lore,

te'illuminator of the four-folded life.

 

As it extended in eithteen 'Pravas',

of integrated, fine diversity,

of measures,modes and meanings intricate,

Great Nannaya, the sovereign Andhra Poet

Render'd with mastery unmatchable

In native speech, the earliest three 'parvas'

 

Heart-stiring is the fourth 'Virat Parva',

With story fine and diverse sentiments,

That and 'UDYOG'and all the rest, fifteen

'parvas' might well in Telugu be done,

So that the learned ones o' erflow with joy

 

 

LORD KRISHNA MAY SHOWER HIS BLESSINGS ON ALL OF US

 

DR.G.S.SUBRAMANYA SASTRY

 

drgsssastry

 

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