Nannaya's Mahabharatam - Reasons to Read
sarvajnAni_...@zippo.com
nannaya mahABAram - reasons to read
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sAramatim gavImdrulu prasanna kadhA kalitArdhayuktilO
nArasi mElunA nitaru lakshara ramyata nAdarimpa nA
nArucirArdha sUkti nidhi nannayaBaTTu tenungunan mahA
BArata samhitA racana bamdhuruDayye jagaddhitambugan
The poem clearly tells 3 salient features of Nannaya's Mahabharam which
make his poetry really special apart from it being the first known Telugu
writing (came into existence about 1000 years ago).
In the above poem, Nannya, indicated 3 main characteristics of his poetry which
attract 3 categories of people (say readers/poets/admirers or others).
1) The Great Poets (sAramatim gavImdrulu) are the only ones who can extract
the the greatness (talent) in Nannaya's poetry (say poetic story-telling) and
analyze that poetry and say "Hats off to Nannaya".
basis: prasannakadhA kali(vi)tArdhayukti
Kvisamrat Sri Visvanadha Satyannarayana did fascinating research on
Nannaya's talent in poetry writing,
2) Others, those who aren't Great Poets (sAramatulaina kavImdrulu kAnivAru),
can enjoy the "akshara ramyata" (the wordsmith's word-making wizardry)
basis: akshara ramyata
VVL Narasimharao did exceptional work on Nannaya's Akshara Ramyata.
3) There is something else in his poetry which is seldom seen by either
Great Poets (category 1) and others (category 2).
This is the "nAnArucirArdha sUkti nidhitvam" -
Unfortunately Nannaya's equals could only see his mastery (talent) over
his poetry-writing and his word-making wizardry but could never identify
the third salient feature of his poetry, the "nAnArucirardha sUkti nidhitvam."
That is the reason why Nannaya himself had to say loudly in the above poem
that his poetry contains another characteristic element that Great Poets
and others seldom see.
The credit goes to Sri Khandavalli Lakshmiranjanam, who was the pioneer,
to first identify Nannaya's nAnArucirArdha sUkti nidhitvam and published
an essay.
The actual meaning of "nAnArucirArdha sUkti nidhitvam":
nAnA = several (anEkamulaina)
rucirArdha = tasty-meaningful (rucikaramaina ardhamulugala)
sUkti = words of wisdom (morals/whatever you may call)
nidhi = gani vamTivADu (Treasure).
According to Gangappa, ruci here means pleasant to all or the one which
makes everyone feel happy.
Why do I tell all these Aravinda and Ram Dokka?
I belong to the category i.e. Nannaya's category unlike to the categories 1 & 2
to which Great Poets (sAramatulaina kavImdrulu) and others belong. I see the
words of wisdom in his Mahabharatam. Those are the words that reach the bottom of
my heart. Those are aimed at the life-styles of ordinary people.
I do read Mahabharatam for a different purpose. I like to see novelity. I like
to see where it stands in the modern day world. I like to see how Nannaya's
poetry fits in the world of today. Nannayas tasty-meaningful words of wisdom
attract me.
Nannaya's Mahabharatam, for that matter, is a treasure of words of wisdom
with a variety of tasty-meaningful words and word combinations. If one wears a
pair of Wisdom-searching Glasses, he/she can see wisdom in Nannaya's words,
word combinations, verbs, and finally sentences.
EXAMPLES of Nannaya's Tasty-Meaningful Words of Wisdom:
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(1)
The word "karkOTakuDu" was used by Nannaya for the first time. Eversince,
Nannaya started using this, the word has been very popular in Andhra. This
karkOTaka is one of the 100 sons of kadruva.
(2)
vinanga naBIshThamu
This is still used. The meaning of this word : curiosity to listen.
Nannaya used this for the first time.
himakarudoTTi pUruBaratESa kurupraBu pAmDuBupatul
kramamuna vamSa kartalanagA mahi noppina yasmadIya vam
Samuna brasiddhulai vimala sadguNa SOBitulaina pAmDavO
ttamula caritra nAku satatambu vinanga naBIshTamimmeyin
(3)
vidhAtRna kainanu nErabOlunE : vidhAtaku saitam sAdhyamavunA?
amalina tArakA samudayambula nennanu sarvavEda SA
stramula yaSEshasAramu mudambunabomdanu buddhibAhu vi
kramamuna durgamArdha jala gaurava BArata BArati samu
dramudaRiyamga nIdanu vidhAtRna kainanu nErabOlunE
(4) tana yeRigina yardham boru
DanaGA yidi yeTlu seppumani yaDigina je
ppani vADunu satyamu se
ppani vADunu GOra naraka pamkamu baDun
(5) tagili jaraya rujaya daiva vaSambuna
nayyenEni vAni nanuBavimtru
gAka yeRigi kaDagi yA remTi jE
komdurayya yeTTi kumatulaina
Any one will accept the fortune's bad strokes.
No one will accept "old age" for whatever reason it may be.
(Devayani's sons tell Yayati, their dad, these words.)
kumati = kubuddhi = buddhihInulu = buddhilEnivAru
(6) tagunidi tagadani yedalO
vagavaka sAdhulaku bEda keggul
mogijEyu durvinItula
kagunani mittAgamanambu bayina Bayambul
Janamejaya's brothers had beaten up Sarameya for no reason.
Sarama, father of Sarameya, was complaining it to Janamejaya.
Nannaya had nicely put here that "For no reason if one punishes
nice people, there will be a retribution for that."
Nannaya had expressed his compassionate mind here.
Nannaya had shown his poetic distinction between Good and Evil in
this poem.
(7) Sukra telling against alcohol drinking:
modali pekku janmamula buNyakarmamul
paraga bekku sEsi paDayabaDina
yaTTi yeRuka janula kAkshaNa mAtrana
ceRacu madya sEva sEyanagune
(8) kacuDu telling dEvayAni:
gurulaku Sishyulu putrulu
paramArdhamu lOkadharma padhamidi dInim
barikimpaka yI palukulu
taruNI guruputrI nIku dagunE palukul
gurulaku Sishyulu putrulu = Students are sons of teachers.
That was the student-teacher relationship.
(9) kaNva advising Sakumtala:
yeTTi sAdhvulanu buTTina yimDlanu
beddakAlamuniki tadda tagadu
patula kaDana yuniki satulaku dharmuvu
satula kEDugaDayu batula cUve.
patula kaDana yuniki satulaku dharmuvu
(10) Nannaya's Philosophy:
mati dalapaga samsAram
bati camcala memDamAvulaTTuTa sampa
tpratatu latikshaNikambulu
gatakAlamu mElu vaccu kAlamu kamTen
After the death of Pandu, Vyasa offering these words to Satyavati.
Samsara and wealth are transitory and value-less.
"gata kAlamu mElu vaccu kAlamu kamTen" - Has become a proverb.
(11) nalasAramu samsAra ma
Kila duKAvahamu BayanikEtana mati cam
calamu parAdhInam bim
dula jIvanamEla nammuduru tattvavidul
samsAra is nissAra (not fertile).
Bhaya (fear) which causes all the sorrows and sadness is always on the
run and can not be tamed
(12) canubomkaga brAnAtyaya
muna sarvadhanApaharaNamuna vadhagA va
ccina viprArdhamuna vadhU
jana samgamamuna vivAha samayamulamdun
When there is a threat to life, when one is losing wealth,
while cutting jokes on another, and during alliance-making (marriage
negotiations), it is allowed to lie.
There are several of these "nAnArucirArdha sUktis" (tasty-meaningful
words of wisdom) in Nannayas Adiparvam. Nannayas Mahabharatam is
a real treasure for these. One has to dig out and analyse it with
reference to context with the story and try to see how it applies in
today's world. Nannaya's Mahabharatam is not full of classical
meter and ornamental vocabulary, but also contains several jewels
of wisdom. Above all, Nannaya's Mahabharatam may be Sanskrit-coated
but he also used excellent Telugu. Interestingly, he joined Telugu
words with Sanskrit/derived words and coined new words. Especially
while stating the words of wisdom, Nannaya probably borrowed
the then existing proverbs.
I feel that it is high time to cut short discussions on Candassu
etc and try to find out new and novel things in Telugu Classics.
Not much work has been done on Nannaya's "nAnArucirArdha sUktis"
(tasty-meaningful words of wisdom in Nannaya's Mahabharatam).
His poems with those words of expression of wisdom will indicate the
society then. Once you know that, you can make extrapolations to
the society now.
Thanks Aravinda for asking such a nice question.
sarvajnAni_sadA ajnAni