Srinatha: The Poet Who Made Gods and Kings

by Velcheru Narayana Rao, David Dean Shulman

This groundbreaking cultural biography of Srinatha, arguably the most creative figure in the thousand-year history of Telugu literature., shows how the fourteenth- and fifteenth-century poet revolutionized the classical tradition and effectively created the classical genre of sustained, thematically focused, coherent large-scale compositions. Some of his works are self-consciously fictional, focused on the development of characters, and endowed with compelling, fast-paced plots. Though entirely rooted in the cultural world of medieval south India, Srinatha is a poet of universal resonance and relevance. Narayana Rao and Shulman provide extended translations of Srinatha's major works and show how the poet bridged gaps between oral (improvised) poetry and fixed literary works; between Telugu and the classical, pan-Indian language of Sanskrit; and between local and trans-local cultural contexts. This wide-ranging and perceptive study reveals Srinatha place in a great classical tradition in a moment of profound cultural transformation.

217 pages, ebook

First published February 10, 2012

About the author

Velcheru Narayana Rao is Visiting Distinguished Professor of South Asian Studies at Emory University.

Reviews

[Vinay · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A blind indiscriminate admiration of Shakespeare had exposed the British nation to the ridicule of foreigners." - Dr. Johnson

Dr. Johnson says that blind praise causes more harm to an author's reputation than expected. Velcheru Narayana Rao & David Shulman try to revamp Srinatha's reputation with the Telugu audience while introducing him to Western academics. They achieve this by describing in detail the achievements of his major works and de-mythologizing his legacy. The works discussed are the translation process of SriHarsa's Naishadham, myth-building of Bhimesvara Puranamu, double-edged Siva Ratri Mahatyamu, and experimentation of Kasi-Khandamu.

They locate Srinatha's place & era and expand on the politics of his time. Right after the collapse of the Kakatiya dynasty, the Velamas in Telangana and the Reddis in Andhra rose to prominence. It was after the establishment of Reddi Kings that Srinatha enters the poetry scene. With haughtiness and ambition to set up his Empire of Telugu Poets.

"Actually, medieval Sanskrit Puranas tend to be highly dynamic textual arenas for the normative assimilation and re-conceptualization of local materials"-Velcheru Narayana Rao & David Shulman

This is where the authors lost me, what were they trying to convey? Do Puranas have the capacity to adapt to time & location? At least for me, this book was dense(as much as Srinatha is for a modern Telugu audience). In another instance, they claim that Srinatha's translation of SriHarsa's Naishadham sheds new light on the original. Isn't that the case with every translation? Don't each translator bring their own interpretation of the text? I've seen a similar argument about translation from them in the book: "Classical Telugu Poetry". They refer to the process of translation from Sanskrit to Telugu to be similar to Pierre Menard's Quixote.

"If the Catu Srinatha is an elegant libertine, Potana must have been a simple devotee"

"Parody always has a double-layering in values: one level admires what the second level ridicules." -Velcheru Narayana Rao & David Shulman

If you get past the dense text, they tell a fascinating story, the one involving fictitious relationships with Potana & his poetics, urban legends, and intricate parodies.

"The goddess’s gift comes with a grammar. Thanks to her, the poet controls language, unlike other people, who are controlled by language."-Velcheru Narayana Rao & David Shulman

[Revanth Ukkalam · Rating 5 out of 5]

వెస వసుధా స్థలంబున కవీంద్రులు కొందరు శేముషీ మషీ
రసము మనః కటాహ కుహరంబుల నించి కలంచి జిహ్వికా
కిసలయ తూలికం కొని లిఖింతురు కబ్బంబుల్ ఎన్నగ మహా
వ్యాసనముతొ నిజానన వియత్ తల తాళ పలాశ రేఖలన్