Viswanatha Satyanarayana
Encyclopedia
Viswanatha Satyanarayana (10 September 1895 – 18 October 1976), popularly known as the Kavi Samraat (Emperor of Poetry), was a modern Telugu
poet.
He was a disciple of the Tirupati Venkata Kavulu
duo. Viswanatha's style of poetry was classical in nature and his popular works include Ramayana Kalpa Vrikshamu (A resourceful tree called Ramayana
), Kinnersani patalu (Mermaid
songs) and Veyipadagalu (The Thousand Hoods).
He was awarded the Jnanpith Award
and Padma Bhushan
in 1970.
The parallel "free-verse" movement in easy prose of Telugu literature criticized him as a bigot who hung onto the strict rules of prosody such as Yati, Prasa (rhyme) and Chandassu (meter).
family. He had an elder sister and two younger brothers.
His father was a philanthropist and a devotee of Lord Shiva. In 1902, he brought an idol of Shiva Linga from Benares and built a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in Nandamuru. Thus, Lord Sri Visweswara became their family Deity.
After his schooling in the village, Satyanarayana had his early education at the National College, Machilipatnam
. He obtained the masters degree in Sanskrit
from the University of Madras
in 1929. During his stay at Machilipatam, he came under the influence of Chellapilla Venkata Sastry
, Pingali Lakshmikantam
, Kota Venkata Chelam and Katuri Venkateswara Rao.
He began writing at the age of 14.
, Hindi
, Tamil
, Malayalam, Urdu
and Sanskrit
.
Veyipadagalu was later translated into Hindi
by former Prime Minister
PV Narasimha Rao as Sahasraphan.
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
poet.
He was a disciple of the Tirupati Venkata Kavulu
Tirupati Venkata Kavulu
Tirupati Venkata Kavulu refers to the Telugu poet duo Divakarla Tirupati Sastry and Chellapilla Venkata Sastry . This twin poets are acclaimed as harbingers of modern poetry in Telugu. They have dramatized several of the Hindu epics into dramas and plays consisting of singable verses set to...
duo. Viswanatha's style of poetry was classical in nature and his popular works include Ramayana Kalpa Vrikshamu (A resourceful tree called Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
), Kinnersani patalu (Mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
songs) and Veyipadagalu (The Thousand Hoods).
He was awarded the Jnanpith Award
Jnanpith Award
The Jnanpith Award is a literary award in India. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country...
and Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 1970.
The parallel "free-verse" movement in easy prose of Telugu literature criticized him as a bigot who hung onto the strict rules of prosody such as Yati, Prasa (rhyme) and Chandassu (meter).
Early life
Satyanarayana was born to Shobhanadri and Parvati Devi, an affluent Velanadu Vaidiki BrahminBrahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
family. He had an elder sister and two younger brothers.
His father was a philanthropist and a devotee of Lord Shiva. In 1902, he brought an idol of Shiva Linga from Benares and built a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in Nandamuru. Thus, Lord Sri Visweswara became their family Deity.
After his schooling in the village, Satyanarayana had his early education at the National College, Machilipatnam
Machilipatnam
Machilipatnam is a city and a special grade municipality in the Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located south east of state capital, Hyderabad.-History:...
. He obtained the masters degree in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
from the University of Madras
University of Madras
The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...
in 1929. During his stay at Machilipatam, he came under the influence of Chellapilla Venkata Sastry
Chellapilla Venkata Sastry
Chellapilla Venkata Sastry was a Telugu language poet laureate and scholar. He was one of the two poets known as Tirupati Venkata Kavulu and other being Divakarla Tirupati Sastry.-Early life:...
, Pingali Lakshmikantam
Pingali Lakshmikantam
Pingali Lakshmikantam was an Indian poet and writer.-Early life:...
, Kota Venkata Chelam and Katuri Venkateswara Rao.
He began writing at the age of 14.
Early career
Satyanarayana taught in various colleges in Guntur, Vijayawada, Machilipatnam and Karimnagar. In 1961, he retired as principal of Government College in Karimnagar and devoted his time wholly to writing. Even while working as a teacher, he used to engage himself in creative writing of a very serious nature.Literary career
Viswanatha's literary works includes 30 poems, 20 plays, 60 novels, 10 critical estimates, 200 Khand kavyas, 35 short stories, three playlets, 70 essays, 50 radio plays, 10 essays in English, 10 works is Sanskrit, three translations, 100 introductions and forewords as well as radio talks. Some of his poems and novels have been translated into EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, Malayalam, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
.
Veyipadagalu was later translated into Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
by former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
PV Narasimha Rao as Sahasraphan.
- Aaru nadulu
- Amrita Sharmisthan
- Anarkali
- Andhraprasasti
- Beddanna Senani
- Bhramara vaasini
- Bhrashta Yogi
- Chandra guptuni swapnam
- Cheliyali Katta
- Chitlee Chitlani Gaajulu
- Dhanya kailaasam (a drama)
- Dhooma Rekha
- EkaveeraEkaveeraEkaveera is an Indian novel written by Kavi Samrat Viswanatha Satyanarayana in Telugu language. It was penned between 1925–29 and was published in Bharathi magazine in 1935. Originally written in Telugu, it has since been translated into various Indian languages. In 1969, a film version was...
- Girikumarini Prema Geetalu
- Kadimi Chettu
- Kasmira rajatarangini
- Kinnerasani Patalu
- Ma Babu
- Mihirakuludu
- Nartanasala
- Purana vaira grandha mala
- Sasidutam
- Sri Krishna Sangeetamu
- Srimad Ramayana Kalpa Vrukshamu
- Sringara Veedhi
- Swarganiki Nicchenalu
- Trisulam
- Varalakshmi Trisati
- Vishnu Sarma Englishu Chaduvu
- Visweswara Satakam
- Veyipadagalu
Awards and recognitions
- Kala Prapoorna by Andhra UniversityAndhra UniversityAndhra University or Andhra Viswa Kala Parishad , located in Visakhapatnam, north east coastal Andhra Pradesh, is one of the older premier universities in India with a broad focus...
- Jnanpith award by Government of India. He is one of only two Telugu persons who have received that award, the other being C. NarayanareddyC. NarayanareddyDr. Cingireddy Narayana Reddy is an Indian poet and writer. He is a winner of the Jnanpith Award in 1988 for his contribution to Telugu literature. He is considered a foremost authority on Telugu Literature...
External links
- http://www.vepachedu.org/viswanadha.html
- Viswanatha Sahitya Peetham