Nannayya
Nannayya | |
|---|---|
Rajamundry, Andhra Pradesh, India) | |
| Died | 11th century |
| Occupation | Poet, writer |
| Period | 11th century |
| Genre | Poet |
| Literary movement | Bhakti movement |
| Notable works | Andhra Mahabharatam |
Nannayya Bhattaraka or Nannayya Bhattopadhyaya (sometimes spelled Nannaya; c. 11th century) was a Telugu poet and the author of Andhra Mahabharatam, a Telugu retelling of the Sanskrit-language Mahabharata. Nannaya is generally considered the first poet (Adi Kavi) of Telugu language.[2][3][4][1] He was patronized by Rajaraja Narendra of Rajamahendravaram.[5][1][3] Rajaraja Narendra was an admirer of Mahabharata and wanted the message of the Sanskrit epic to reach the Telugu masses in their own language and idiom.[6] He commissioned Nannaya, a scholar well versed in Vedas, Puranas, and Itihasas for the task. Nannaya began his work in c. 1025 CE[7] and wrote Adi Parvam, Sabaparvam, and a part of Aranyaparvam.[6]
Nannaya is the first of the three Telugu poets, called the Kavitrayam ("trinity of poets"), who wrote Andhra Mahabharatam. His work, which is rendered in the Champu style, is chaste and polished and of a high literary merit. The advanced and well-developed language used by Nannaya suggests that prior Telugu literature other than royal grants and decrees must have existed before him. However, these presumed works are now lost. Legends also credit him with writing the Sanskrit-language Andhra-sabda-chintamani, said to be the first work on Telugu grammar.
Early life
Nannaya was born in a Telugu Brahmin family.[8] He resided in Rajamahendravaram under the patronage of Eastern Chalukya king Rajaraja Narendra.[1][6]
Andhra Mahabharatam
Rajaraja Narendra was an admirer of
Grammar
Some legends credit Nannaya with writing Andhra-sabda-chintamani ("Magic Jewel of Telugu Words"), a
Yelakuchi Bala-sarasvati wrote a Telugu gloss (commentary) on this work, and his Bala-sarasvatiyamu refers to this legend in brief. A more elaborate version of the legend appears in Appa-kavi's Appakavīyamu (1656). According to this version, Bhimana, who was jealous of Nannaya, stole and destroyed Andhra-shabda-chintamani by throwing it in the Godavari River. Unknown to others, King Rajaraja-narendra's son Saranga-dhara, an immortal siddha, had memorized Nannaya's grammar. He gave a written copy of Nannaya's work to Bala-sarasvati near Matanga Hill (at Vijayanagara), and Bala-sarasvati wrote a Telugu gloss (commentary) on the work. With help of the god Vishnu, Appa-kavi received a copy of Nannaya's work, and wrote Appakavīyamu as a commentary on this text. Ahobala-panditiya (also known as Kavi-siro-bhushana), a Sanskrit commentary on Andhra-sabda-chintamani, also retells this story.[10]
While some of the grammatical sutras in Appa-kavi's work may be from Nannaya's time, Andhra-sabda-chintamani is an imaginary work,[10] and was probably fabricated by Bala-sarasvati himself.[13] Although Appa-kavi describes his work as a commentary, it is really an original work.[10]
See also
- Telugu Literature
- Kavitrayam
- Adikavi Nannaya University
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-939768-6.
- ISBN 978-1-108-49457-1.
- ^ ISBN 978-81-260-2171-0.
- ^ Rao, Sonti Venkata Suryanarayana (1999). Vignettes of Telugu Literature: A Concise History of Classical Telugu Literature. Jyeshtha Literary Trust. p. 57.
- ISBN 978-81-260-1803-1.
- ^ ISBN 978-81-260-1803-1.
- ISBN 978-0-19-861025-0.
- ^ Social Scientist Volume 23. Indian School of Social Sciences. 1995.
The genre and style created by Nannayya became the standard for marga poets. Nannayya was a Brahmin and a respected Sanskrit scholar of his time in the court of King Rājarājanarendra who ruled the central Andhra deltaic region.
- ISBN 978-0-520-22821-4.
- ^ ISBN 9780520344525.
- ISBN 978-81-260-0365-5.
- ^ Gopavaram, Padmapriya; Subrahmanyam, Korada (2011). "1". A Comparative Study Of Andhrasabdachintamani And Balavyakaranam. Hyderabad: University of Hyderabad.
- OCLC 49701372.
- Sources
- History and Culture of Andhra Pradesh, P. R. Rao
- Andhrula Saanghika Charitra, Pratapareddy Suravaram
- Andhra Vagmaya Charitramu, Dr. Venkatavadhani Divakarla
- Andhra Pradesh Darshini, Parts 1 and 2, Chief Editor Y. V. Krishnarao
External links
| International | |
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| National | |
