Tenali Ramakrishna
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Tenali Ramakrishna (Telugu:తెనాలి రామకృష్ణుడు), popularly known as Tenali Rama and Vikata Kavi, was a court-poet of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 16th century CE. He one of the Ashtadiggajas who were patrons of Krishnadeva Raya and is also referred to as Tenali Raman in some parts of South India.
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[edit] Biography
His family had originally hailed from Tumuluru near Tenali in Guntur District. He was also known as Tenali Ramalinga, a Shaiva name. It is believed that he later converted to Vaishnavism.
Some scholars dispute whether that he was a contemporary of Krishnadeva Raya. Tenali Ramakrishna's most famous work, Panduranga Mahatyam, is dedicated to Krishnadeva Raya's grandson; it is therefore possible that he was only a boy poet during the reign of Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1529). He was known for wit and a large volume of poetry written in the Telugu language.
[edit] His works
Scholars treat his famous work Panduranga Mahatyam as one among the Pancha Kavyas, the five great books of Telugu Literature. He has dedicated Panduranga Mahatyam to Viruri Vedadri. [1] This book is about the Pundarika Shetram on the banks of river Bhaimi and its legend. He also composed Udbhataradhya Charitram on the story of Udbhata, a monk, as well as Ghatikachala Mahatyam about Ghatikachalam, a place of worship for God Narasimha near Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
[edit] Style
He followed the Prabhanda style. He took the theme for Panduranga Mahatyam from the Skanda Purana and enhanced it with many stories about the devotees of God Vittala.
He is noted for brilliance and wit and for mocking other poets and great personalities. He created a celebrated character called Nigama Sarma akka(sister of Nigama Sarma) and a story around her without giving her a name. He also had written many Chatuvu(extempore poems).
[edit] Titles
- He was called a vikata kavi (a palindrome in Telugu script) means clown-jester-poet.
- Kumara Bharathi [2]
[edit] References
- Tenali Ramakrishna
- K.A. Nilakanta Sastry, History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, 1955, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002) ISBN 0-19-560686-8
- Golden age of Telugu Literature
- Literary activity in Vijayanagara Empire
- Tenali Ramakrishna's entry into Bhuvana Vijayam
[edit] External links
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