The Impact of Indian Renaissance

on Modern T elugu Literature

“AMARENDRA”

The Indian Renaissance came like a fresh breeze into the suffocating atmosphere of the conventional literature of Andhra in the later half of the nineteenth century. The Prabandha tradition became petrified by stale imitations which failed to capture the freshness and imagination found in the earlier works like Manucharitra and Vasucharitra. Erotic element, bordering on obscenity, dominated poetry which primarily catered to the pleasures of the rulers. It did not reflect the contemporary life and its problems. Prose was highly Sanskritised, pedantic and stiff, unsuitable for communication of common feelings and day-to-day experiences. It mostly consisted of paraphrases of classics in poetry like Bharatam, Bhagavatam and Ramayanam. They were as difficult, if not more; the diction was equally bombastic and the sentences ran for pages without any punctuation. Commentaries written in such prose rendered no help to the reader in understanding the spirit of the classics. The characters depicted by writers, in verse as well as prose, bore no resemblance to living men and women. They were like “dolls of wood” devoid of any warmth of feeling.

The literature of the half of the nineteenth century was as conventional as the social structure of the period. Society became stagnant as it was hidebound by rules and taboos. Real spirit of religion was stifled by rituals and superstitions as “the clear stream of reason lost its way in the dreary, desert sand of dead habit.” Moral values were at a low ebb. Caste-system became so rigid that society got divided into water-tight compartments. The plight of the untouchable became dismal and deplorable. The stranglehold of orthodoxy curbed all tendencies for change. Prostitution was recognised and given shelter even in temples.

Into that benighted world of the nineteenth century the influence of the Renaissance came like a ray of light and hope. The establishment of the University in Madras and the dissemination of new values through the study of English literature marked the beginning of a new stir of intellectual awakening. It happily synchronised with the Reformist Movement, originating in Bengal and sweeping the educated classes in Andhra. The British pattern of education proved a blessing, as it infused a spirit of revolt against many social evils, rituals and superstitions which undermined the true basis of religion.

Into such vitiated atmosphere came the first glimmers of the Renaissance Movement. In the cultural history of Andhra, Renaissance and Reformation worked hand in hand exerting a liberalising influence on life and literature. This was the first wave of the Renaissance and the second wave came in the ’Twenties when the Romantic Movement swept the literary world.

The torch-bearer of Renaissance in modern Telugu literature was Kandukuri Veeresalingam. Inspired by the theistic idealism and the reformistic zeal of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the father of Indian Renaissance. Veeresalingam wielded his gifted pen as a mighty weapon. He fearlessly fought against age-old superstition, exposed corruption in high places and the moral turpitude of the aristocracy. He gave a new impetus to prose literature by introducing many literary forms from English literature. He made a rational approach to social and religious problems of his day. The emergence of modern Telugu prose is a valuable gift of the Renaissance. It shed stiffness and pedantry acquiring ease, force, clarity and simplicity. Even though Veeresalingam followed the rules of Grammar, he imparted to prose directness and vigour necessary to expound and propagate his reformistic views, moral values and theistic doctrines. He earned the epithet “Gadya Tikkana” (A writer of epic dimension in prose) for employing powerful prose in forms like essay, novel, literary criticism and diaries, besides journalistic writings and farces. In the first phase of the Renaissance in Telugu literature many classics were translated and adapted. A contemporary of Veeresalingam, Vavilala Vasudeva Sastry translated Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Veeresalingam translated Twelfth Night and The Merchant of Venice, adapting them to suit Indian setting and atmosphere. The beginnings of drama in Telugu prose stemmed from the influence of Shakespeare’s plays. Inspired by Shakespeare’s historical dramas Panuganti Lakshminarasimha Rao wrote a cycle of plays based on the theme of Ramayana. His social plays like Kanthaabharanam and Kokila owed much to the Shakespearean comedy. He wrote periodical essays entitled Sakshi under the inspiration of the spectator essays of Addison and Steele, on a rich variety of topics with his characteristic humour and satire. The credit goes to Veeresalingam for writing the first novel, “Rajasekhara Charitra” (1880) inspired by The Vicar of Wakefield, the first autobiography and the first authentic biographies of ancient poets. His works in prose and verse displayed a severe moral tone and high seriousness of purpose.

Though Sir Raghupati Venkataratnam Naidu wrote and delivered sermons in English, he exerted deep influence as a powerful moral force. He worked for the abolition of nautch parties in marriages and social functions. He strove for the amelioration of women who were branded as Devadasis giving them the due place of honour and dignity in society. Long before the advent of Gandhi he started schools and hostels for the untouchables and struggled hard to wipe out the stigma of centuries. With his exalted spiritual vision he laid bare the “wrongs of man and pleaded for the rights of women.” His teachings transcended narrow religious barriers and propounded universal spiritual ideals. Like Veeresalingam, he also stressed the underlying unity of all religions and strove to popularise the worship of the absolute God who has no name or form and whose boundless grace embraced the entire cosmos. Under the leadership of Veeresalingam and Venkataratnam, Brahma Samaj gained momentum. The gifted lyricist. Devulapalli Krishna Sastry became its literary exponent.

The devotional songs and poems of Devulapalli Krishna Sastry gave expression to the alternating moods of despair and rapture, to the adoration of the Lord of the Universe whose beauty is marvellous and love boundless. The twin-poets Venkata Paarvatiswara Kavulu excelled themselves in their moving poem Ekaanta Seva which takes us through all the phases of love of the human soul for the divine, who is a shining embodiment of love. The agony of separation, the pining for communion and the rapture of union are described with rare intensity of feeling, delicacy of touch and sweetness of diction. They used a folk form of verse, Manjari Dwipada, a complete form, investing it with grace, charm and dignity.

The nationalist ideals and aesthetic values of Indian Renaissance were ably expounded by Sri Mutnuri Krishna Rao in the pages of his famous weekly Krishna Patrika. The fervour of his nationalism mingled with the artistic appreciation of the glory of ancient India. The lofty idealism of Rabindranath Tagore, the artistic revival and innovations made by Abanindranath and Nandalal Bose were brought within the range of comprehension of the common reader, by him in his weekly. He was more than a mere journalist because he embodied in his noble life and writings the true spirit of the Indian Renaissance. His participation in the anti-partition movement in Bengal helped him to visualise India as a mighty mother. He was inspired by Bankim chandra who installed the idol of Mother India on the pedestal of a million hearts. His writings emphasized the hidden principle of unity behind the baffling diversity of languages and religions. He held before the readers the ideal of synthesis found in Tagore, Sri Aurobindo and Gandhi, the modern Trinity, which seeks to reconcile the apparent contradictions in life. His sublime prose style aptly suits the noble thoughts and high values which he expressed in his impassioned writings.

Honourable mention shall be made of Sri K. Ramakotiswara Rau whose motto was to popularise the ideals of the Indian Renaissance. He started a quarterly magazine in English entitled Triveni and devoted his entire life for the spread of the message of the Renaissance which he envisaged as a confluence of the three streams of Love, Wisdom and Power. Even during the pre-independence period, he strove to bring about a cultural integration by encouraging translations into English some of the masterpieces of different languages of India. He served as a precursor of the Central Sahitya Akademi by emphasising the principle of unity underlying the diversities of language and region. He dedicated his noble life to the cause of the Renaissance idealism sacrificing all that he had at the altar of national resurgence.

Poet Gurazada Appa Rao played a great role in the spread of Renaissance ideal by revolting against the traditional patterns of verse and employing the colloquial prose in his drama Kanyaasulkam. Deriving inspiration from the simple folk melodies, he popularised “Mutyaalasaram” (a wreath of pearls). He employed this new measure to describe the ecstasies and agonies of common people. His poems dealt with the lives of humble folk – the daughter of a priest, Poornamma, the daughter of a trader, Kanyaka, and an untouchable girl in Lavana Raju. They are creatures of flesh and blood but not figments of imagination like the characters in the Prabandhas. Though he was modern, he made a plea for a happy blending of the old and the new because he did not ignore the heritage of the past. He advocated a practical, dynamic spirit of patriotism which actively sought to better the lot of the common man. He held that the welfare of the country meant the uplift of the people. His comedy of manners Kanyaasulkam exposed many social evils with an inimitable touch of humour and wit reminding us of Congreve, Sheridan and Goldsmith. His reformist zeal was matched by his artistic sense that his works never appear as bare propaganda. Though the problem of child-marriage does not exist today, the play has not become dated because of the life-like characters and refreshing humour. His play illustrates the second phase of the impact of the Renaissance.

Revival of India’s ancient glory was one of the aims set forth by the Indian Renaissance. Chilakamarti Lakshmi Narasimham roused patriotism through his moving poems, novels and spirited translation of Todd’s Tales of Rajasthan. To cite an example, his memorable poem described the plight of India thus:

“Bharat is a fine milch-cow

While Indians wail like duped calves

The whitemen, like subtle cowherds, muzzle the calf

And milk her dry.”

Rayaprolu Subba Rao, the oldest among the living poets, distinguished himself by composing memorable poems on the glory of India, on the great heroes of history and the glory of Andhra. His speciality lies in harmonising the love of Andhra glory with the unified vision of Indian culture. He became the leader of the Romantic Movement which came as an offshoot of the Indian Renaissance. The second wave of the Renaissance came in the ’Twenties when the romantic poets broke new ground. Rayaprolu Subba Rao regarded love as the greatest motive force in life. He exalted love in his poems and achieved great distinction by elevating it to a sublime level. His theort of “Amalina Sringaara” has inspired many romantic poets to deal with the theme of love in an exalted manner. Woman is given a high place of honour in life and the poet never described the physical features in the erotic and provoking style of the decadent poets. She is portrayed as an uplifting and sanctifying force in the human life. Poets like Devulapalli Krishna Sastri, Viswanatha Satyanarayana, Vedula Satyanarayana Sastry, Basavaraju Appa Rao, Adivi Bapiraju, Nanduri Subba Rao and Nayani Subba Rao offer idealised pictures of woman’s beauty, and the exalting influence of love in their inspired lyrics and poems like Krishnapaksham, Kinnerasaanipaatalu, Yenkipaatalu, Shashikala and Dipavali. Pining for the beloved became a recurring theme. Universal love inspired the poets to soar to lofty altitudes of imaginative splendour. Intense personal note was struck by these poets who were encouraged by Sivasankara Sastry. His poem “Hridayeswari” portrayed the longings of unrequited love and set the beloved on the altar of adoration. He started the trend of poems on love which were in vogue for two decades, from the ‘Twenties of this century until the outbreak of the Second World War.

While the other poets expressed themselves in lyrical fragments, Professor Pingali lakshmikantam and Katuri Venkateswara Rao composed a narrative poem “Soundaranandam” dealing with the story of Nanda, the step-brother of Buddha. The poem is unique because it unfolds the story of Nanda’s passionate love for his beautiful wife Sundari. They could not bear a moment’s separation from each other because of fond attachment. When the Buddha knocks at their door for alms the call goes unheeded. The Buddha causes separation between Nanda and Sundari and enables him to perceive the spectacle of sorrow which cries for redress. “The stream of love surging from the heart shall inundate the entire universe without confining itself to a mere embodiment of feminine charm” exhorts the Buddha and thus opens the eyes of Nanda. The poem traces the stages through which erotic infatuation is finally transmuted into universal compassion which seeks to wipe the tears of the orphan the bereaved and the helpless. In range and depth Soundaranandam occupies a special place among poems on love because the action is set against the background of the Buddhistic period and also reflects the essence of Gandhian thought.

Deep concern for the lot of the common man may also be considered one of the aspects of the Renaissance. The glory of empires is transitory but the life of the common man with its round of simple joys and sorrows flows on. Poets like Jashuva and Duvvuri Rami Reddi portrayed the lives of the peasants and the downtrodden with great warmth and tenderness. Rami Reddi’s Krishivaludu portrays the life of the peasant which is marked by grinding poverty, unremitting toil and contentment. In his poem “Gabbilamu” (The Bat) Jashuva presents pictures of ancient glory which contrast with the present degradation. He chooses the bat which strays into the dark and dismal hut of a Harijan as his messenger and makes a fervent plea for the uplift of the downtrodden in order to establish the equality of all men recognising human dignity. The emphasis was shifted from Royal personages to the ordinary men and women struggling against social injustice, poverty and misery. The ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity ring through their poetic utterances when they sing of a world free from class-hatred and inequality and when they assert the greatness of human personality breaking through the trammels of caste and creed.

Special mention shall be made of Tripuraneni Ramaswamy Chowdary who inherited in full measure the rationalistic approach of Raja Ram Mohan Roy. With remarkable literary skill he exploded many myths by examining them in the clear light of reason. His humanistic and rationalistic approach to life and its problems has won for him a distinguished place among modern writers. His Suuta Puraanam stands as a literary monument of rationalistic thought in modern Telugu literature and deals a strong blow to the myth of Brahmin superiority and ritualism, dogma and superstition.

Many poets were inspired by the great heroes of history. Sivabhaaratam by Gadiyaram Venkata Sesha Sastry, Raanaaprataapa Charitra by Rajasekhara Sataavadhaani, Andhra Puraanam by Madhunapantula Satyanarayana Sastry, Potanacharitra by Vaanamaamalai Varadacharyulu, Bapuji ,by Jashuva and, Karunasri by Jandhyaala Paapayya Sastry were motivated by the noble spirit of hero-worship. As remarked by Carlyle, the history of a nation is a collection of the biographies of its great men and women. Sivaji, Ranapratap, Potana, Bapuji, Goutama Buddha and Sri Krishna Devaraya inspired our poets to trace their shining footprints on the sands of time. In this context we shall mention Hampi Kshetram by Kodali Venkata Subba Rao, who recapitulates the vanished glory of the unforgettable Vijayanagar Empire. It is a masterpiece which evokes visions of the splendour of the great empire that was consumed by relentless Time, but which lingers on in the memories of the Andhra race as a glorious epoch in their history.

Love of beauty as manifested in nature and enshrined in works of art is one of the finest features of the Renaissance Movement. The romantic poets, unlike the poets of the former ages, observed Nature in all her moods and offered delicate pictures of scenic beauty. The lyrics of Krishna Sastri, the poems of Kavikondala Venkata Rao, and the songs of Yenki by Nanduri Subba Rao abound in pictures of natural beauty which are fresh and fascinating. They represent accurate first-hand observation and sensitive presentation of the beauties of Nature. Jashuva’s Mumtaj Mahal depicts the glory of art which conquers time. The poem is a tribute to love which knows no death and which has inspired the building of the Taj that shines in the moonlight like a, “teardrop in marble” on the cheeks of eternity.

Contribution of Dr. C. R. Reddi to the field of literary criticism is noteworthy. Though he made his debut a poet with his Musalamma Maranamu, a narrative poem which extols the immolation of a young lady for the welfare of her community, he made his mark as a literary critic with the publication of Kavitva Tatva Vichaaramu. Before he entered the field, literary criticism was a dull and drab affair concerning itself primarily with dates and amendations. Under the influence of English critics like Matthew Arnold, C. R. Reddi introduced impressionistic comparative methods of criticism and rendered great service by interpreting the spirit of the classics. He was the first critic who pointed out the action and inter-action between society and literature. He applied to Telugu literature the critical canons which he derived from the study of English literature, during the first phase of the Indian Renaissance. Though he wrote traditional literary prose, he welcomed innovations in the sphere of poetry.

A typical product of the Renaissance in the field of criticism is S. Sanjiva Dev. As an art-critic he stands unique because of his interpretation of the soul of Indian painting and sculpture. His portraits of famous artists help the reader to appreciate the distinct qualities of different schools; animated by a rare creative urge, his literary criticism reveals depth of penetration and breadth of outlook.

It sounds paradoxical that radical social reformers like Veeresalingam and Raghupati Venkataratnam were reactionaries in politics who considered the British rule an act of Providence. So they could not keep step with the changing times when Gandhian call for direct action roused the nation. Gradually Gandhian thought added a new dimension to the Indian Renaissance. Struggle for freedom became a mass movement under Gandhi’s leadership which brought the common man to the forefront and stressed the need for purity of means to achieve noble ends. Garimella Satyanarayana’s song “Enough of this whiteman’s rule” was on the lips of all who fought for liberation from the foreign yoke. Tummala Sitaramamurti translated Gandhi’s autobiography (Aaatmakatha) into verse and was rightly hailed as the poet-laureate of Gandhism. The historic Dandi March during the Salt Satyagraha Movement inspired Basavaraju Appa Rao to compose his spirited lyrics on Gandhi as the liberator and the spinner of India’s destiny. The impact of Gandhi on the fabric of social and political life of Andhra was powerfully delineated by Unnava Lakshminarayana in his novel Maalapalli which was written by the author when be was imprisoned for participating in the struggle for freedom. In the pages of the novel the writer presents an attractive panorama of life in all its aspects. As a product of the Indian Renaissance the author upholds Truth, Beauty, Goodness and Love as the abiding values which enhance the significance of life. Adivi Bapiraju’s novel “Narayanarao” breathes the spirit of the Indian Renaissance and pays tributes to the creditable achievement of music, poetry, art, dance and philosophy. The novel describes the tensions in the mind of an idealist, a votary of beauty and love who struggles hard to come to terms with the realities of life. We find in its pages an open-minded approach to the winds of change blowing from all directions. The novel is totally free from jingo patriotism, narrow chauvinism and unhealthy obscurantism. But on the other hand Viswanatha Satyanarayana’s novel, Veyi Padagalu (Thousand hoods) represents the revivalist aspect of the Indian Renaissance. We find a nostalgia for the past which has vanished beyond recall. The author firmly sets his face against Western culture in a mood of total repudiation of all that is modern. Distrust of the present and despair about the future peeps through every line, of this bulky novel.

In rousing patriotism, an essential feature of Indian Renaissance, the contribution of Venkataparvatiswara Kavulu is considerable. They translated Bengali novels like Ananda Math, Durgesanandini, Kapala Kundala and others. In addition to translations they wrote original novels like Matru Mandiram making a plea for the regeneration of India. Chilakamarti Lakshminarasimham’s novel Ahalyaabai won a large circle of readers because of the author’s skill in reconstructing the past and the latent message to revive the great traditions of the past. On the occasion of the Gandhi, Centenary Mahidhara Ramamohan Rao published a good novel Kollaayi Gattitenemi? (What if he wore a loin cloth?) which faithfully traces the influence of Gandhian movements on the pattern of rural life in Andhra during the three generations of time in his own village.

The drama in Telugu literature started with translations and adaptations of classics in Sanskrit and English: It developed a distinct identity much later when Gurazada Appa Rao wrote his Kanyaasulkam and Vedam Venkataraya Sastry his Prataaparudriyam. The former is a social comedy, while the latter is a historical drama with a patriotic appeal. While Kanyaasulkam was written in vivacious and virile prose style, the pedantic Venkataraya Sastry employed colloquial prose for low and minor characters in the play. The movement initiated by Gidugu Ramamurty to shake off the fetters of grammatical rules and to bridge the gulf between the written and the spoken word may be deemed as an expression of the desire for freedom from tyranny and domination which was generated by the Renaissance Gurazada Appa Rao with his progressive vision readily responded to it. Though the prose style was classical in the dramas of D. L. Roy which were translated into Telugu, they had a great impact on the audience. Dramas like Mewadpatan, Roshanara and others kindled the spark of patriotism in a thousand hearts. During the struggle for freedom Damaraju Pundarikakshudu wrote and produced dramas like Gandhi Vijayam and Ramarajyam wherein the politicians of the time figured as characters. The dramas played a creditable role in bringing about national awakening and instilling the desires for freedom from British domination.

Besides Krishna Patrika and Triveni mentioned earlier, the Telugu daily Andhra Patrika and the monthly magazine Sharada and Bharati exerted strong influence on the readers by popularising the ideals of the Renaissance as well as creating a burning desire for freedom. Under the editorship of Kowta Sriramasastry Sharada, a monthly magazine, held aloft the banner of Renaissance idealism by publishing valuable articles on painting, sculpture, art, music and literature. After its publication ceased, Bharati under the editorship of Kasinadhuni Nageswara Rao made its appearance. To this day Bharati continues to be a powerful vehicle of culture and literature, upholding traditions of liberalism and good taste. During the hey-day of the Romantic Movement, Sahiti Samiti under the presidentship of Sivasankara Sastry brought out a monthly magazine Sahiti. It gave a fillip to young writers and encouraged new excursions into the fields of short-story, novel, diary and letters. Later, Navya Sahuya Parishat overshadowed Sahiti Samiti by adopting a more radical and tolerant attitude. Its official organ was a quarterly named Pratibha edited by Telikicherla Venkataratnam. It became the nucleus of modern writing which began to seek fresh woods and pastures new. All the experimental writings of Sri Sri were first published in Pratibha.

The Renaissance gave an impetus to historians and scholars to delve into the treasures of the past. Apart from the scholarly historians there was a poet who was lured away by history. Mallampalli Somasekhara Sarma started as a poet and then turned to historical research. His literary touch enlivened the historical writings which are totally different from the dull chronicles which present dates of wars without any redeeming feature. Somasekhara Sarma holds a distinct place among our historians because of his creative insight which penetrates into the past and brings alive the whole scene.

With the rise of the progressive movement in the ’Forties, Romantic School of literature received a setback. Under the strong impact of Marxist ideology the idealism of the Renaissance slowly receded into the background. The dream of the ideal world of the Renaissance governed by Truth, Beauty and Goodness began to fade away. Purposiveness and social awareness became the watchwords of the Progressive School which debunked the past, with the promise of a rosy millennium. Sri Sri became the herald of a new era, swearing by dialectic materialism and viewing with contempt the products of tradition. He carried the banner of revolt into the citadels of literary convention and breaking the barriers between prose and verse. He ushered in a new idiom which was entirely different from the lyrical outpourings of the Romantics. The second wave of the Indian Renaissance which touched Telugu literature in the ’Twenties began to ebb in the early ’Forties (1924.1943). “Another race hath come and other palms are won.” The New dawn to which we all look forward along with the progressives has yet to break on the horizon. Democratic ideology and scientific temper will have to be cultivated in order to prepare us to greet the dawn of another Renascence which makes all the dreams of the present the accomplished facts of tomorrow. In Shelley’s words let us “Hope till hope creates of its own wreck the thing it contemplates.”

But as a consequence of the Indian Renaissance patterns of literary expression and traditional lines of thinking were gradually replaced by idealistic and visionary outlook on the problems of human life. New modes of expression came into vogue to articulate new urges. It is no exaggeration to say that the Renaissance has given a new Earth and a new Heaven to the writers and poets of Andhra who enriched literature during the first half of our century. Let us not harp upon the vanished glories of the past but anticipate with hope the unknown splendours of the unborn tomorrow. “The Best is yet to be!”

Back