Andhra Valmiki Ramayana ....Poetic depiction with fidelity to the original : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Andhra Valmiki Ramayana

Poetic depiction with fidelity to the original

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

The Pioneer, Hyderabad (28-02-2020)

         Andhra Valmiki, Kavi Sarvabhouma, late Vavilikolanu Subba Rau, also known as Vasudasa Swamy, is perhaps the only writer who has translated all Kandas of Sanskrit Valmiki Ramayana in to chaste Telugu with fidelity to the original work. His magnum opus Sri Madandhra Valmiki Ramayana, adorned with Mandara, has been well known across the Telugu speaking areas seven-eight decades ago itself.

            Ramayana is beautiful and reciting the name of Rama is ennobling and always welcome. Any many times one reads Ramayana, still the thrust to read again persists. The Great Sage Valmiki bequeathed to us the wonderful story of Rama-the role model human, in the form of a literary elucidation called Ramayana. If Ramayana of Valmiki resembles a milky juice mixed with sugar, then, the Sri Madandhra Valmiki Ramayana of Vasudasa Swamy in the form of Mandara is certainly more refined and sweeter.

‘Andhra Valmiki’ Vasudasa Swamy on studying profoundly the Sanskrit version of Sage Valmiki Ramayana brought out it’s grammatical but lucid Telugu version which touched the very hearts of each and every Telugu speaking person of his times and later days. Thus, Vasudasa Swamy became the first person to have translated Valmiki Ramayana and became a torchbearer for stimulating Telugu people to read the great epic literally converting the Telugu land into the kingdom of Rama devoutness. Vasudasa Swamy himself was a great disciple of Rama.     

            A great devotee of Rama, Vavilikolanu Subba Rau toiled for more than eight years to translate the entire Valmiki Ramayana consisting of seven parts, known as Kandas, into Telugu. He did this into chaste poetic form consisting of beautiful stanzas, without single prose sentence in it and dedicated to Lord Kodanda Rama of Vontimitta in Kadapa district of present Andhra Pradesh State. The pure poetic version was published four-five times during his lifetime. He later thought that it would be better if his poems-based version of Ramayana has commentary in prose so that everyone can understand it easily. This resulted in yet another great commentary-based “Sri Madandhra Valmiki Ramayana Mandara”. That was a great ecstasy. The more and more one goes into the depth of it and as the pranks go on number of divine elements emerge out of it. The writer suggested the future generation to endeavor for it.   

        

            Vasudasa Swamy wrote about 14000 stanzas-poems each consisting of lines ranging from 4 to 8. The original Sanskrit Ramayana of Valmiki has 24000 Shlokas. Vasudasa Swamy wrote either a Poem for a Shloka or clubbed more than one Shloka in a poem and thus it was a letter-perfect. In his later script he provided meaning for each and every word besides the gist of entire poem. He gave detailed interpretation, clarification and the idea behind every sentence of him. Wherever required the author also provided English commentary. For those who have a quest for knowledge Vasudasa Swamy’s commentary is an encyclopedia. Deviating from orthodox Telugu literary poetic forms of Champaka, Utpala, Seesa etc. he used a variety of new forms that are abundant in Telugu grammar. His experiments with Telugu Chandassu are worth reading by anyone.

            Each Kanda of Vasudasa Andhra Valmiki Ramayana has its own importance. Each one of them is an encyclopedia in itself. In every kanda in addition to the story narration pertaining to that particular part, one can witness a combination and confluence of all the sciences. Every kanda is a righteous science, a political science, a geography, an astronomy, a social science, an economics, moral science, astrology, sex science, dream science, an archeology and so on. If only there are true and loyal researchers, then, if at all they undertake research on any kanda, not one but hundreds of Doctorates may be got. In addition to doctorate brilliant mysteries could be known. For instance, secret as to how gold can be made from out of mercury will be known.      

            Vavilikolanu Subba Rau was born in Jammal Madugu of Kadapa district in 1863 and passed away in the year 1939. After completion of FA he joined as a small employee in Poddutooru Taluk revenue department and elevated to the position of a Revenue Inspector. Between 1893 and 1904 for 11 years he worked in revenue department. Later he succeeded Kandukuri Veereshalingam Pantulu as Telugu Pandit in Madras (present Chennai) Presidency College and worked there between 1904 and 1920. After the demise of his wife he took to atonement and became a Yogi. Between 1900 and 1908 he wrote Andhra Valmiki Ramayana for about eight years.

The Gayatri Hymn and also the seven lettered Rama Hymn were woven into the Telugu version of Vasudasa Swamy precisely like in the original Sanskrit Script. All the seed syllables that were integral part of Sanskrit Valmiki Ramayana were incorporated into the Telugu version in a similar fashio. Thus, the Andhra Valmiki Ramayana became a transcreation becoming almost an original work in all respects of the author.

            Several prose and poetry Ramayanas that were written much-much later than Andhra Valmiki Ramayana somehow got enormous publicity. However, His Ramayana despite being the first of its kind could not get its due publicity and encouragement. The reason is not known. Nannaya who translated Vyasa Mahabharata from Sanskrit to Telugu was called as Adi-Kavi, meaning the first Telugu Poet. Why not Vasudasa Swamy who was first to translate Valmiki Sanskrit Ramayana in to Telugu also be not called as Adi-Kavi. Both of them are equal in their own way. If only there was a suitable sponsor or patron available then to encourage him, his Andhra Valmiki Ramayana would have received a Nobel Prize for literature or a Jnanpith Award.

            Vasudasa Swamy became famous and popular as Andhra Valmiki. Times are fast moving and changing. For the generations that came after him as well as future generations it may be very difficult to remember him and his writings. He is a great person to remember for ever and ever.

            (With a view that the Andhra Valmiki Ramayana Mandaram which is in grammatical Telugu and difficult to understand, I have re-told and re-written all Kandas in simple spoken form Telugu prose for which I spent 16 years. Now all the Kandas are published and ready for reading. If anyone is interested in them, they may take from me free of cost any day in the morning hours from my residence in Srinagar Colony {Flat Number 502, Vasavi Bhuvana Apartments} Hyderabad).