The Ramyana in Telugu.

 The Ramyana in Telugu.

The very hearing of the word Rama and also his story always makes my mind & heart blossom with ecstasy. A small write up attempted, some time back,on various Ramayanas in Telugu out of this feeling is preferred to be repeated in this context with an intention of sharing the pleasure with my friends: 

Besides,the well known" Ranganaatha Ramayana","Bhaskara

Ramayana","Molla Ramayana","Gopinatha Ramayana" & "SrimadraamayanaKalpa Vruksham",we have also:

1)"Ramaabhyudayam"written by "Ayyalaraju Raamabhadrudu",one of the"Ashtadiggajaas" of Krishnadevaraaya's "Bhuvanavijayam"

2)"Kattavaradaraaja Raamaayanam"by Varadaraaja who was a Raaja Kaviborn in" Kshathriya" family

3)"Raghunaatha Raamaayana"-by "Ragunaatha Bhupala";unfortunately,only"Balakaanda"is available,I learnt.

4)"AcchaTenugu Raamaayana" by" KoochimanchiThimmana"who had similartitle of "Kavisaarvabhowma"as "Srinaatha" & had also done other famousliterary works like "Rukmini Parinayam",Raajasekhara Vilaasamu"&"Neelaasundari Parinayamu"

5)"Andhra Vaalmeeki Ramaayanamu" by "Vaavikolanu Subba Rao" gaaruwhich is exactly on the lines of "Vaalmiki's original Sanskrit Raamaayana

6)"Andhra Sreemadraamayanamu" by Sri "Janamanchi Sheshendra Sharma"gaaru who was conferred with the title of "Abhinavaandhra Vaalmiki"

7) "Dharmasaara Raamaayanamu" by the same Janamanchi SheshendraSharma.It is said that this is a great literary work detailingvarious" Dharmas" of a man as a brother,friend,son, master,husband,servant etc..in a lucid way.

"Srikrishna Raamaayanamu" by "Sreepaada Krishna Murthy" gaaru

9)"Govinda Raamaayanamu"by "Aathmakoori Govindaachaaryulu" gaaru

""10)"Subhadraa Raamaayanamu" by Srimathi "Seeram Subhadrayaamba" garu

11)"Saraswathee Raamaayanamu" by "Srimathi Chebrolu Saraswathee Devi" gaaru

12)"Maanikonda Raamaayanamu"by Sri "Maanikonda Satyanaaraayana Saastry "gaaru who named his work as "Telugu Valmeekam"

13) "Yogaanandaandhra Raamaayanamu" by Sri Chillarige Yoagaanandaiah Panthulu"gaaru

14)" Daasaradhi Vilaasamu" by Sri "Kotthapalli Acchaiah" gaaru;this was dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara

15) "Raamoadayamu" by Sri "Rangaya Kavi" garu

16) "Mallemaala Raamaayanamu" by Cine poet Sri "Mallemaala Sundara Rami" Reddy" garu

17) "Janapriya Raamaayana" by Sri "Puttaparthi Naaraayanaacharyulu" garu

18) "Dhanakudhara Raamaayanamu" by Sri "Dhanakudharam Venkataacharyulu" garu

I also understand that,Sri "Gadiyaaram Venkata Shesha Sastry" gaarualso was writing a "Raamaayana".I do not know at what stage he left it& how it was named as.It is also said tha "Thirupathi Venkata Kavulu"too had written Raamaayanam up to "Sundara Kaanda"& one Sri Kopalle Siva Kameshwara Rao too was writing a Raamaayana.

And as most of us know,there are two noted "Uttara Raamaayanas-one""by Sri "Thikkana Somayaagi"garu "with the title "Nirvachanoatthara Raamaayanamu" and the other by Sri" Kankanti Paapa Raaju"garu.There was also one Sri "Ghattu Venkata Raama Krishna Kavi"who authored the

story of "Uttara Raamaayana & titled it as "Pattabhiraamaayanam

On the other side,we have "Upaakhyaana Raamaayanas" also, contained inAranya Parva part of "Andhramahaabhaarathaa" authored by"Yerrapragada" as a narration by Naarada to Dharmaraaja AND the otherin ninth skandha of "Andhra Bhagavatham" written by "Pothana",with a

subtitle as "Sreeraama Katha"These apart,we have the story of

"Uttararaamaayana "contained in "Jaimini Bhaaratham"of"PillalamarriPina Veerabhadra Kavi".The episode of capturing the" AhwamethaHayam"by"Lava & Kusha" is described beautifully in this.

Coming to tranlslations into Telugu,the "Champoo Raamaayana" writtenby "Bhoja Deva"was translated nicely by poets like "AllamaraajuRangasaayi",Bulusu Seethaaraama Kavi",Poosapaati

Ranganaayakaamaathyudu","Buddhavarapu Mahaadevudu" &"Jayanthi RaamayyaPanthulu"."Ananda Raamaayana",the Sanskrit Raamaayana famous for its episode descriptions was translated into Telugu poetry by Sri "Gundu

Lakshmana Kavi" while the translation as prose of the same was done bySri "Noothalapaati Pera Raju" garu

The "Aaddhyaathma Raamaayana" written in Sanskrit as narration by Lord"Siva" to his consort "Paarvathi" was translated into Teluguindependently by as many as 16 poets of whom S/Sri " Kaanaadam PeddanaSomayaaji","Kancharla Sharabha Kavi" & "Maamidanna Subhadraamba" are notable.One Mr "Munipalli Subrahmanya Kavi gaaru" translated it intoTelugu as "Keerthanaas" also;these are the popular Raamaayana

Keerthanaas.

Yet another form of a translated Raamaayana is "Yatthashloka

Thaathparya Raamaayanam" which was got done around 1798 by the provincial ruler of Gadwal-called "Somabhoopaala"by six different poets of his court-one each for all the six Kaandaas of Raamaayana.

"Maalikaa Raamaayanam" is another garland of stories of Raama

beautifully made up with one" Vruttha" & one "Praasa" for each of thesix "Kaandaas" by six poets-S/Shri" Aaukundi Venkata

Shastry","Panthula Lakshmi NaaraayanaShastry",Devagupthaapu VenkataKavi Raaju","Chinthalpoodi Sanyaasi Rao","Moolaa Peranna Shastry" and"Ufmaaka Naaraayana Moorthy".

There is yet another dimension of Raamaayana writing i.e.translation from other languages.Prominent among these are of :

a) Tulasidaas's "Sriraamacharith Maanas" by "Shri BhaagavathulaNarasimha Sharma" and Shri "Mylavarapu Sooryanaaraayana Moorthy"in poetic forms & by S/Shri "Yeluripaati Laksmi Saraswathi","Nelanoothala Paarvathee Krishna Moorthy" & Shri "Sreenivaasa Sharma"

in prose forms.Shir "Keshavatheertha Swaamy"& Shri "Paateelu ThimmaaReddy" had jointly authored the same naming it as "ShreeraamachaithaMaanasamu" in "Dwipada" form.

b) Siddhendra Yogi's "Vichithra Raamaayanam" had wrtiten in Utkal(Oriya),by Shri "Donkaa Gopinaatha Kavi" in prose form around 1670;inacoordance with thatS/Shri "Tumuraada Paapa Kavi","NarasimhadevaraVenkata Shaastry","Kommaajee Somanaatha Shilpaachaaryudu",& "Velpoori Venkata Kavi"authored poetic forms.

c) "Kambaa's Tamil Raamaayan-"Kamba Raamaayan" by Shri Poothalapattu Sreeraamulu Reddy garu in poetic form dedicated to the Lord Sreeraama Himself.And this Kamba,the author of Tamil Raamaayan was the great grandson of Raajraaja Narendra.The peculiarity of Kamba Raamayan isthat it included certain new items-say like love between Seethaa &Raama even before their marriage,Ravanaa's eloping Seetha by uprooting

the "Parnashaala" ,Sugreeva's treating "Thaara" as mother NOT as wife-which were not in" Vaalmiki Raamaayana"

Apart from the above known poetic forms,there are several proseversions of Raamaayana in Telugu. Prominent among these are those by

S/Shri Vaavilla Raamaswaamy Saastry gaaru ,"Devaraajasudhee

garu","Nori Gurulinga Shastry" gaaru,"Dodda Venkata Raami

Reddy"gaaru,"Saraswathula Subba Raama Saastry"gaaru,"ModeparthyGunnaiah" gaaru etc who wrote in pure grammatic but easy style AND by"Sri Srinivaasa Shiromani" gaaru,"Sreepaada Subrahmanya Shaastry"gaaru & "Ushasree"gaaru in beautiful spoken language(Shishta

Vyaavahaareekam).Addition to these in the recent past is "Anudina Raamaayanam"authored by Shri "Yilapaavuloori Paandu Rangaa Rao" gaaru who is none other than father of our state election commissioner I V Subba Rao gaaru.It is a wonderful literary piece.

Every Hindu admits that Raamaayana is the most respectable epic &"Seethaaraamulu " the most adorable & ideal couple for Telugu people who do not start any writing even,without coiling the word "Sreeraama"The banks of Godavary in AP are blessed & sanctified with the holy touch of the feet of "Seethaaraamaa" Perhaps,that is the reason as to why Lord Rama is embedded so deep in the hearts of Telugu people.It may not be exaggeration if I say that there is no single village in AP without the temple of Lord Raamaa & there are not so many "Raamaayanas'in any other Indian languages than in Telugu.When I was a child,almost all the Telangana villages were agog with the

echoes of the songs of what were known in those days "Chiruthala Raamaayanam"during the nights.

I am sure that there would be many more Raamaayanas written by several people.The light of "Raamaayana",thus gets spread to all the four sides & to all the Indian languages.It has intruded into all the continents & subcontinents of the world going spree all around.After all,the utterance of the Creator-Lord "Brahma"-

"Yaavath Stthaasyanthi Girayah,Sarithascha Maheeyase

Thaavad Raamaayana Kattha,Lokeshu Pracharishyathi"

(That as long as mountains exist,rivers flow,the story of Raama

continues to flourish in this great universe is undeniable).

My salutations to Lord Raamaa & prostrations to HIS lotus feet.

"Sreeraamachandra Charanau Sharanam Prapathye"!!!