INTERESTING BHAGAVATHA POEMS
SaRaDa
Some Interesting Poems
----------------------
This is a literary/mythological stuff. If you can not read such topics, you can
just ignore. Well, as one reads through the Bhagavata, one gets a feeling that
the effortless writings of Pothana can not be mortal efforts after all. And
the stories confirm that the poem 'ala vaikuntha purambulo ...' was indeed
completed by Vishnu Himself. It is a wonder how Pothana could twist just one
word into the entire poem with different meanings. I am not sure whether
even an 'asukavi' could have done that but for some reasons, I strongly
believe, such spontaneity can not be just possible for human beings. The
example is the 'vachana' part of 'gangaavatarana' as said in one of my
earlier posts. It runs to about 150 lines in print and is just one sentence,
linking one word to the other like a dynamic memory that finally does *not*
crash the computer but remains sane despite making us wonder
what could have prompted Pothana to have taken up such an interesting
translation as the Bhagavata to show his eloquence on Telugu language. Also
there are some people who say that Pothana wrote some poems like 'paru joochun
varu joochu ..' that describes Satyabhama, after reading Nachana. While the
topic is debatable, I believe that Pothana is the greatest Telugu writer that
AP has ever produced. Let us see the 4-line type of poems now. Please note that
my knowledge is limited to the books I use and therefore is more prone to
mistakes and errors. Correct me and flame me as usual. People who *hate* to
refer to my name, who have some murky feelings, need not reply me if their minds
say no but if there is something I should learn, please post it on the net
at least, as was done earlier. Thanks in advance.
---------------------------------------
The first poem any one could recall easily is the fight of kari and makari.
Kari Diguchu makari sarasiki
kari darikini makari diguchu kari kari beriyan
kariki makari makariki kari
bharamanuchunu athala kuthla bhatuladuruvadan
While adding just a letter, the above makes a different meaning, the following
two too have a similar effect.
Hari Choosina Siri Choodadu
siri choochina hariyu chooda siggunu pondun
hariyunu siriyunu thamalo
sarijoopula chooda marudu sandadi sesan
Hari hari hari siri yuramuna gala hari
hari hayu koraku danuju nadugan janiyen
parahitharatha mathiyuthulagu
doralaku adugutayu nodili thodavagu pudamin
Notice that the first line has a different meaning philosophically. (If you
have the blessings of Hari, then you remain poor :))). It is interesting to
see how one small twist to a single letter can do miracles as in
Veda veda nadakalu naduchuchu
edaneda adugidaga adagi ila ditubadaga
budi budi noduvulu noduchuchu
chidimudi thadabadaga vadugu cheren rajun.
Pothana describes here the way of Vamana walking to reach Bali at the
place of Yagna. And the funny one of rotating Mount Mandara
Edama kudi munupu diruguchu
kudi edamanu venuka dirugu kulagiri kadalin
kada vedala suralu asurulu
dodi dodi phani phanamu modalu thudiyunu diguvan
Here is the superior sacrifice done by Siva, but the fame goes to Parvati :))
because she okayed the swallowing of Halahala. (Oh, it happens all the time
with these ladies - the claiming of fame)
Mringedu vaadu vibhundani
Mringedidi garalamani meelani prajakun
Mringumane sarva mangala
mangala soothramu nentha madi namminado
The superior confidence that nothing would happen if such a sacrifice is made,
is an extraordinary quality, the poem says indirectly.
Sometimes a pat comes on the back for mortals like us that education is after
all an important stuff in the life. This seems to be in the veins of Indians
ever since they existed. The following is an example - coming from the mouth
of Hiranyakasipu. What if he is a demon ? But then how the majority of Indians
is illiterate ? I never knew why.
Chadavani vaadajnundagu
chadivina sadanad viveka chaturatha kalugun
chaduvaga valayunu janulaku
chadivincheda aaryulodda chaduvumu thandri
And Prahlada replies after he has been brought back to his dad.
chadivinchiri nanu guruvulu
chadivithi dharmaardha mukhya saastrambulu nE
chadivinavi kalavu pekkulu
chaduvulalo marmamella chadiviti tandri
After some fight with ego, here is a challenge to Prahlada by his dad that
the former has to after all seek his dad alone for help.
dikkula gelichithi nanniyu
dikkavvedodi neeku devandradul
dikkula raajulu veroka
dikkerugaka koluthurithade dikkani nannun
But Prahlada did not think so. He had different ideas of whom to ask for help.
He tells his dad now to have a better look of life around him not only in
him and in his son but find the reason for one's very existence.
Balayuthulaku durbalulaku
balamevvadu neeku naaku brahmadulakun
balamevvadu pranulakunu
balamevvadanti vibhudu balamasurendra
Out comes Vishnu as the appointed time of Hiranyakasipu has arrived. Was it
human or animal ? Neither - but looks like Hari in original.
naramoorthiyu gaadu kevala
harimoorthiyu gaadu maanavaakaaramu ke
sari yaakaaramu nunnadi
hari maayarachitamagu yadardhamu choodan
.... A different context and a different scene, but the language goes on..
As Vishnu ran along to save the life of Gajendra, people ran behind Him
without knowing where they headed to. Lakshmi wanted to ask her husband, but
should she ask ? In that mixed feelings of to ask or not to ask, Pothana
describes the state of mind of the Goddess in a lovely verse.
adigedanani kadu padijanu
adigina thanu maguda nudavadani nadayadugun
veda veda chidimudi thadabada
adugidu adugidadu jadima nidigidu nedalan
Yet another different scene and different situation but the 'prasa'...
Durvaasa has the worst temper one can hear about in the Puranas and Itihasas.
What sort of guy was he ? He could curse anybody, God of human. So here is
the arrival of Durvasa at the door of Ambarish just before the later wanted
to break his fast of Dwadasi (12th day of the Lunar fortnight).
bhaasura nigama padopa
nyaasudu suthasopa vilasu danupama yogaa
bhyasudu ravibhasudu Du
rvyaasudethenche thannivaasambunakun
Coming to the most recent times :) a few eons further into the time...
The ocean, after pleading by Rama, did not give way to Him to reach Lanka.
So Rama could not tolerate this and when His temper reached its peak, He
started destroying the ocean with his archery. Here comes the Ocean God and
with an advice to Rama with the help of former.
kattumu sethuvu lankan
juttumu nee baanavahni suravairi thalal
gottumu nelambada che
pattumu nee abala adhikha bhaagya prabhalan
After He got Sita back, he came and ruled Ayodhya justly. How people felt his
rule ? Here is how. And is not God our father ? Then why do we need our
mortal fathers ? says Pothana.
thandri kriya raamachandrundu
thandrula marapinchi prajala thaa rakshimpan
thandrula nandaru marichiri
thandri gadaa raamachandra dharanipu danuchun
A single step backwards in time now to teach us of the morals..
One should keep his tempers down all the time. Even in the utmost
circumstances. If not, it would result in harm to everyone. Well, stress and
anger will cause heart attack, stroke etc., is the modern science. Therefore
as Agnihotravadhanlu said, "ivaanni mana vedaallo unnaayisha !" :))
Here is the advice of Jamadagni to his son parasurama after the later slew
Kartya Veeryaarjuna for dragging the Kaamadhenu out of his dad's ashram.
kshma kaligina siri kalugunu
kshma kaligini vaani kalugu soura prabhayun
kshma kaluguthona kalugunu
kshma kaligina mechchu souri sadayudu thandri
Now we are in the leela maanusha vigraha's time. It is interesting to see
how Pothana projected the cows and how they were protected by Krishna.
ichcho pachchika mesina
vichcho thraalinavi thoyamulu egina vichcho
ichchota mandagonnavi
ichcho baasinavi jaada ide ide yanuchun
This about the bulding of city Dwaraka to keep the inhibitants free from
Kala yavana and Jarasandha
sri karamulu janahridaya va
sri karamulu mandapavana seersha mahancha
sri karamulu hansa viham
gaa karamulu kuvala yaabjaa karamul
The following two too demonstrate a nicer version of telugu poetry.
bhooshanamulu sevulaku budha
thoshanamulu laneka janma duthougha vini
ssoshanamulu mangala thara
ghoshanamulu garuda gamanu guna bhaashanamul
tharunambulu bhavajaladhiki
haranambulu durithalathala kaagamamula kaa
bharanambhu dhoortha janulaku
saranambulu needu divya charanamu lilalone
------
Finally let me tell you something. The likes of Raju Kalidindi might say
that some telugu poetry and the tougher versions are not easy to understand
but Pothana writes Drakshapakam. If one reads the works of Erra Pragada, one
may get that nauseating feeling but Pothana must be digestable unless (s)he
is against reading the 'after all' telugu literature. So most of the stuff
written here is drakshapakam (including my high school hinglish, ha). Enjoy.
----
If I want to be a robber, I rob the King's treasury and if I want to be
a hunter, I hunt the rhino. What is the use of hunting ants and robbiing
beggars ? So, if you want to love, love God - Swami Vivekananda