Classical Telugu Poetry

The classical tradition in Telugu, the mellifluous language of Andhra Pradesh in southern India, is one of the richest yet least explored of all South Asian literatures. In this volume, Velcheru Narayana Rao and David Shulman have brought together mythological, religious, and secular texts by twenty major poets who wrote between the eleventh and nineteenth centuries, providing an authoritative volume overview of one of the world's most creative poetic traditions. An informative, engaging introduction fleshes out the history of Telugu literature, situating its poets in relation to significant literary themes and historical developments and discussing the relationship between Telugu and the classical literature and poetry of Sanskrit.

Velcheru Narayana Rao is Professor Emeritus at Emory University, where he was the first person to hold the Visweswara Rao and Sita Koppaka Professorship in Telugu Culture, Literature, and History. 

David Shulman is Renee Lang Professor of Humanistic Studies at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 

Acknowledgments
Note on Pronunciation

Introduction

1. Nannaya
Entering the Mahabharata
Udanka and the Snakes

2. Nannecoda
On Poetry in Telugu
How to Make God Fall in Love

3. Palkuriki Somanatha
The Brahmin Widow and the Untouchable God

4. Tikkana
The Slaying of Kicaka

5. Mañcana
The Brahmin Who Kept His Wife in the Basement
Quick Wit
The Obliging Husband

6. Errapragada
Vena and Prthu

7. Nacana Somanatha
Naraka and Urvasi

8. Srinatha
A Definition of Poetry
Burning the Three Cities
The Birth of Sukumara

9. Bammera Potana
Visnu the Dwarf
The Rescue of Gajendra

10. Annamayya
Songs for the Lord of the Hills

11. Allasani Peddana
The Brahmin Meets the Courtesan
Sanskrit and Telugu

12. Krsnadevaraya
The King’s Dream
Visnu-citta of Villiputtur

13. Nandi Timmanna
Satyabhama Kicks Krsna

14. Dhurjati
The Story of Natkira

15. Tenali Ramakrsna
On Becoming a Frog

16. Nutana-kavi Suranna
Beauty or Wealth?

17. Pingali Suranna
Beauty Unadorned

18. Appakavi
On Poetry and Grammar
On Good Books

19. Ksetrayya
Courtesan Songs

20. Satakas
Dhurjati. Kalahastisvara-satakamu
Kañcarla Gopanna [Ramadasu]. Dasarathi satakamu
Kasula Purusottamakavi. Andhra-nayaka-satakamu

21. Catu Verses

22. Sahaji
Take My Wife

23. Samukhamu Venkatakrsnappa Nayaka
The Love of Indra and Ahalya

24. Muddupalani
How to Read a Book
Radha Instructs Ila, Krsna’s New Bride, in the Arts of Love

25. Tyagaraja
I Can’t See You Smile
Take Me for Your Guard
What Did You Give Them?
Reach Him Through Music
Won’t You Remove the Screen?

Bibliography
Index