|
|
|
| Free E-magazine |
| Subscribe to our Free E-Magazine on Literature. |
| Learn More |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Home > Regional Literature > Telugu Literature > The Great Works of Telgu Literature
| |
| | The Great Works of Telgu Literature
| |
| |
Most literatures began with translations from Sanskrit. So did Telugu with Nannayabhatta (1020AD), the adikavi or `first poet` of Telugutranslating the Mahabharata.
It was a unusual translation, with lots of clever innovations but no deviations from the story. But Nannayabhatta couldn`t complete the job. Tikanna came along sometime in the 13th century and furthered it.
However, it was Yerrapragada (14th century) was finally able to clinch it. Nannaya, Tikanna and Yerrapragada are known as the kavitraya or `the three great poets` of Telugufor this mammoth effort. Other such translations followed, like Marana`s Markandeya Purana, Ketana`s Dasakumara Charita, Yerrana`s Harivamsa and others. Shaivite (in praise of Shiva) works like Sivatattwa Sara, Basavapurana and Panditaradhya Charitra were a part of this initial stash too.
By the time the Telugupoets wrote down some original stuff along with translations, it was almost the end of the 14th century. Slowly but steadily they picked up, some landmarks being Srinatha`s Sringara Naishadha, Potana`s Dasamaskandha, Jakkana`s Vikramarka Charitra and Talapaka Himmakka`s Subhadra Kalyana. Literary activities flourished, especially during the mighty Vijayanagara emperors.
The 16th century was the golden age in the history of Tamil literature, thanks to the king Krishna Deva Raya.The raja, a poet himself, introduced the prabandha (a kind of love poetry) in Teluguliterature in his Amukta Malyada. He had in his court the Ashtadiggajas (literal: eight elephants) who were the greatest of poets of the times.
Original verse compositions and stories were written in a new zeal. of those eight, Allasani Peddana (1510-1575AD) is known as andhra Kavita Pitamahudu or `Grandfather of andhra Poetry`.In the following years, poets still wrote their prabandhas, but kind of overdid on the love bit which make some critics dismiss it as `a decadent age`.
Of the dozens of poets of the 18th to mid 19th century, the only bright spot was Kankanti Paparaju whose Uttara Ramayana in campu style and the play Vishnumayavilasa were admirable. But other genres bloomed. Innumerable Yakshagansa or indigenous dramas of song and prose works were also produced.
Tyagaraya of Tanjore (19th century) composed devotional songs in Telugu which form the repertoire of the classical ragas of South India.
| |
| |
|
