Love
of the Motherland and pride in her glory are prominent in Telugu poetry. During
periods of domination by foreigners, the yearning for freedom becomes an additional
theme. Nannaya, who composed the Telugu Mahabharata in the 11th century, gave a
glowing description of the Vengi country ruled by Raja Raja Chalukya, and, in
particular, of the Parishats or gatherings of scholars where all literary and
artistic work was appraised. The fertile plains watered by the
The
patriotism of the Telugu poets is not just local; their vision comprises the
entire Indian continent. A phrase we frequently come across in the poetry of
the Vijayanagara period is ‘Setu-seetanaga-madhyorvi’–the land between Rama’s
bridge to Lanka in the South, and the cold mountain
The
spread of British rule resulted in an eclipse of indigenous culture,
though the people were thankful for peace and orderly administration. Towards
the middle of the last century, the establishment of Colleges and Universities
led to a fruitful contact with a different type of culture. The literature and
science of the West brought a new vision to the intellectuals of
Andhra, as it did to all Indian peoples. After the first shock of this
impact, Telugu scholars and poets, brought up in the new
atmosphere, enriched the literature of the mother-tongue. The English were a
freedom loving people; Shakespeare, Milton and Shelley wafted
the breath of freedom. So, the feeling grew that we could attain freedom under
the aegis of
“The
while
the Indians are crying for sustenance, the White
men,
like astute shepherds, are making the cow, after
forcibly
closing the mouths of tender calves.”
This
stanza rang like a battle-cry. Chilakamarti also praised the heroes who
suffered imprisonment in the freedom struggle. “To them,” says the Poet, “the
prison is a palace of marble, and the handcuffs are transformed into garlands
of flowers.”
The
decay of Indian culture, and the utter dependence on the foreigner even in the
economic sphere, were described vividly and with remarkable literary grace by Chennapragada
Bhanumurti in his Bharata Dharma Darsanam. To the Telugus of that generation,
But
then, Andhra was only a child of Bharat; Vanga,
But,
inevitably, part of this literature is mere propaganda; it does not rise beyond
the level of dull monotonous verse. There are, however, some gifted singers
whose work is of enduring value, and deserves to rank with the noblest poetry
of other lands. The late Gurazada Appa Rao was definitely a pioneer. “Love the
country, O! Brother,” sings Gurazada, “but the country is not just the soil;
the country is the men who dwell in it.” According to him, this love must lead
to service of fellowmen in the present. And again, the love must not be tinged
with hatred. “Do not look down on the Muslim as an intruder; why, if the
British came yesterday, and the Muslims the day before, you came only the day
before that.” The country belongs to all its children, whatever the time of our
ancestors’ migration to it. Rayaprolu Subba Rao is a harbinger of the new age
of Romantic Telugu Poetry. But he is also great as a poet of patriotism. “To whichever
Country you go, and wheresoever your feet might tread, love the
Viswanatha
Satyanatayana comes a little later? In his ‘Andhra Paurusham’ he narrates the
heroic deeds of the Andhras of previous ages. This book of verse brought him
immediate recognition as a poet of the front rank. But he rises to greater
heights in his ‘Andhra Prasasti’. The lyrical element is more pronounced here.
The poet seizes on important moments and invests them with the halo of
permanence. King Dipakarni of Srikakulam,1 forerunner of the
Satavahanas, discovers a boy riding a lion on the banks of the
Very close to Satyanarayana was young Kodali Subba Rao, cut off, alas! in the heyday of his success. Subba Rao’s ‘Hampi Kshetram’ is a series of cameos of life in Vijayanagara–the Court, the monarchs and marshals, the poets and artists. The memory of Vijayanagara under Krishna Raya and Timmarasu is enshrined by Subba Rao in poetry that will live as long as Telugu lives.
The
‘Rashtra Ganamu’ of Tummala Sitaramamurti Chowdari is a beautiful epitome of
the patriotic feelings of the Andhras and of their dreams for the future.
The
coming of Gandhi was a great event in Andhra’s cultural life. His message of
truth and non-violence altered her outlook. His personality captured the
imagination of her poets. The late Basavaraju Appa Rao refers to him as ‘our
Gandhi’ and asks in a tone of intense affection, “What if he is clad in a
loin-cloth? What if he is born as a
The
‘Soundara Nandam’ of Pingali Lakshmi Kantam and Katuri Venkateswara Rao is an
entrancing picture of the age of the Buddha. But it is
obvious that the poets owed their inspiration to the life and teaching of the
Mahatma. The description of the Buddha and his disciples as they
sit under the shade of trees in peace-filled ashramas, or as they wander
about the cities and villages of the land bringing succor to the distressed,
remind us powerfully of Sabarmati and Sevagram, and of the Mahatma’s march to
Dandi or Naokhali. In his ‘Gudi-Gantalu’ (
But
alongside of this type of poetry charged with peace and compassion, there is
the other type–aggressive, strident, and urging the people to
disobedience of the foreigner. For full quarter of a century, the land was
plunged in what was a war of liberation, though the war was a non-violent one.
Lathi-charges, shooting, imprisonment of thousands of patriots, were common
occurrences. Khaddar-clad men and women marched in battle array, and sang
patriotic songs as they marched. This provided occasion for poets and
song-writers to improvise verse and song. Hence, it was not literary charm that
counted, but vigour of expression and the ability to rouse emotion. One Telugu
song by Garimella Satyanarayana–“We do not want this White Government”–rendered
the poet famous overnight, and it came to be sung from one end of Andhradesa to
the other. In prison camps, the non-Telugus learnt the song and carried it to
their respective homelands. Then there were songs glorifying the national flag
which, according to the composer, would fly over all the continents and bring
everlasting fame to
Now
that freedom has been won, the emphasis shifts. The younger Telugu poets dream
of a brave new world where inequalities between man and man shall not exist,
and the peasants and the workers will, at long last, come into their own. Srirangam
Srinivasa Rao is the leader of this school. In form as well as in content, his
verse marks a revolution in present day writing. He is not an avowed Marxist,
though Marxism has influenced him. There is widespread discontent, political,
social, and economic. Freedom has not solved all our problems, and it has
raised new ones. A nation emerging into the dazzling light of freedom takes
time to adjust itself to the new conditions. The administration of a modern
State, in the complex situation created by internal rivalries, will tax the
energies of the mighty among us. If poets, in common with the rest of
Indian citizens give expression to the feeling of discontent and
disillusionment, they are but giving literary shape to the prevailing mood.
After the inevitable period of transition, a correct perspective will be
reached. Then will the poetry of Andhra become the vehicle of new hope and
aspiration. The poetry of the future will mirror the achievement of peace
under difficult conditions, and the consolidation of national freedom in body,
mind and spirit, as an integral factor of universal freedom. A great epic of
the Gandhian era has not yet emerged in any Indian language. Andhra is rich in
patriotic fervour and poetic inspiration, and may it be given to some rising
poet to chronicle in noble verse the saga of Indian Freedom, recapturing the
stately diction of Nannaya and the tense drama of Tikkana!
(From
the Silver Jubilee Number of the
1 A
village in the present Krishna District, near Masulipatam.
2
Vaisya