Tenali Ramakrishna | |
---|---|
Born | Garlapati Ramakrishna 22 September 1480 Tenali, Vijayanagara Empire |
Died | 5 August 1528 47) Tenali, Vijayanagara Empire | (aged
Spouse | Sharada Devi |
Issue | Bhaskaraysharma (Bhaskar) (son), Amrutadevi (Amruta) (daughter) |
Father | Garlapati Ramayya |
Mother | Lakshmamma |
Religion | Shrouta Shaivam |
Occupation | Telugu Poet (Main advisor and one of the Ashtadiggajas in the Vijayanagara court of King Krishnadevaraya) |
Tenali Ramakrishna (born Garlapati Ramakrishna; also known as Tenali Ramalinga, and Tenali Rama; 22 September 1480–5 August 1528) (Telugu : తెనాలి రామకృష్ణుడు) was an Indian poet, scholar, thinker and a special advisor in the court of the Vijayanagara king Krishnadevaraya, who ruled from 1509 to 1529 CE. [1] He hailed from the village of Tenali and wrote poems in Telugu. He is generally known for the folk tales which focus on his wit. [2] He was one of the Ashtadiggajas (The Eight 'world-rulers'), the eight poets, at the court of Krishnadevaraya.
His father died when he was a child.[ clarification needed ] To overcome the depression that Rama faced, his mother Lakshmamma took him to Vijayanagara where he became an advisor to Krishnadevaraya. He was a great scholar and poet of Telugu language. Tenali Ramakrishna was also a minister of the court.
Tenali Rama was born in a Telugu speaking Niyogi Brahmin family [3] as Garlapati Ramakrishna, in a village called Thumuluru or Tenali (currently a part of Tenali Maṇḍalam) during the later part of the fifteenth century. His father was Garlapati Rama, who served as a priest in the Ramalingesvara in Santharavuru.
Garlapati Rama died when Ramakrishna was young. His mother Lakshmamma returned to her native place in Tenāli to live with her brother. Ramakrishna grew up in his uncle's town and so came to be known as Tenali Ramakrishna. [4]
Tenali Ramakrishna did not receive any formal education during his childhood, but became a great scholar, due to his thirst for knowledge. As per a well-known tale, the Vaishnava (devotees of Vishnu) scholars rejected [ clarification needed ]him as a disciple, as he was a Shaiva. Ramakrishna was still determined to get educated so he went to many pandits and begged them to accept him as a disciple but they called him names and threw him out. Later while roaming aimlessly, he met a sage, who advised him to worship the Goddess Kali. He did and invoked the Goddess with his devotion. Legends say that Mother Kali appeared before him and admired his sense of humour and blessed him that one day, he would be acclaimed as a great poet in the imperial court of emperor Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara. [5] The Goddess also gave him the title "Vikaṭakavi", impressed by his wit and humour.
Ramakrishna held an important position in Krishnadevaraya's court. He was one of the Ashtadiggajas and chief adviser appointed by the emperor.
A year before the death of Krishnadevaraya, in 1528 Tenali Ramakrishna died from a snakebite. [6] Historical records state that Ramakrishna was instrumental in protecting the emperor many times, coming to his rescue in critical situations, doing court cases, and he was Krishnadevaraya's best friend.
Tenali Rama was noted for his brilliance and wit. [7] Tenali Ramakrishna's great work Panduranga Mahatmyam is a Kāvya of high merit, remarkable for its sonorous dignity of phrasing, and is counted as one of the Pañcha Mahā Kāvyas (the Five Great Kavyas) of Telugu literature. [8] It contains a legendary account of a shrine of Vishnu as Panduranga, at Pandharpur consecrated by the ministration of Saint Pundarika. A brahmin named Nigama Sharma, who wasted his life in dissipation and debauchery, died in Pandharpur. A controversy ensues between servants of Yama and servants of Vishnu. The former were anxious to carry him to hell as he lived a wicked life and the latter claimed him for heaven, as he died in a sacred place. Indeed, the verdict is in favour of the servants of Vishnu. [8] Tenali took the theme for Panduranga Mahatmyam from the Skanda Purana and enhanced it with many stories about the devotees of Panduranga. An imaginary character named 'Nigama Sarma Akka' was created by Tenali Ramakrishna and he built a story around her without giving her a name. He also composed many extempore poems called 'Chaatuvu'. [9]
Tenali Ramakrishna attained the status of a folk hero when he was the court poet of Krishnadevaraya, but at the same time, he composed serious works on religion. Three of his narrative poems are available today. His first poem, Udbhataradhya Charitamu, about the Shaiva teacher Udbhata, is based on Palakuriki Somanatha's Basava Puranam. Udbhataradhya Charitamu also deals with the sanctity of Varanasi. Because of Tenali Ramakrishna's affinity towards Shaivite religion, he was also known as Tenali Ramalinga Kavi. [2] [10]
Tenali Rama was called a Vikata Kavi [11] (a palindrome in Telugu script: వికటకవి) means clown-jester-poet. He was also entitled "Kumara Bharathi", for his works.
Krishnadevaraya was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire reigning from 1509 to 1529. He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered to be one of the greatest rulers in Indian history. He ruled the largest empire in India after the fall of the Islamic Delhi Sultanate. Presiding over the empire at its zenith, he is regarded as an icon by many Indians. Krishnadevaraya earned the titles Andhra Bhoja, Karnatakaratna Simhasanadeeshwara, Yavana Rajya Pratistapanacharya, Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana, Gaubrahmana Pratipalaka and Mooru Rayara Ganda. He became the dominant ruler of the peninsula by defeating the sultans of Bijapur, Golconda, the Bahmani Sultanate and the Gajapatis of Odisha, and was one of the most powerful Hindu rulers in India.
Telugu literature is the body of works written in the Telugu language. It consists of poems, short stories, novels, plays, and song lyrics, among others. There is some indication that Telugu literature dates at least to the middle of the first millennium, the first extant works are from the 11th century when the Mahabharata was first translated to Telugu from Sanskrit by Nannaya. The language has experienced a golden age under the patronage of the Vijayanagara Emperor-Poet Krishnadevaraya.
Mahakavi Allasani Peddana was a prominent Telugu poet and the foremost Ashtadiggaja in the imperial court of Emperor Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara.
Ashtadiggajas is the collective title given to the eight great Telugu scholars and poets in the court of Emperor Krishnadevaraya, who ruled the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 until his death in 1529. During his reign, Telugu literature and culture reached its zenith. In his imperial court, these eight poets were regarded as the eight pillars of his literary assembly. The age of Ashtadiggajas is called the Prabandha Age. Each Ashtadiggaja had composed at least one Prabandha Kavyamu, and it was the Ashtadiggajas who gave Prabandha its present form. Most Ashtadiggajas were from Rayalaseema. The Ashtadiggajas Allasani Peddana, Dhurjati, Nandi Thimmana, Madayyagari Mallana and Ayyalaraju Ramabhadrudu were from Rayalaseema. Pandit Ramakrishna hailed from Tenali in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. Ramarajabhushanudu and Pingali Surana were the other two Ashtadiggajas.
Vithoba, also known as Vitthala, and Panduranga, is a Hindu god predominantly worshipped in the Indian state of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He is a form of the god Vishnu in his avatar: Krishna. Vithoba is often depicted as a dark young boy, standing arms akimbo on a brick, sometimes accompanied by his consort Rakhumai.
Vijayanagara literature was produced in the Vijayanagara Empire during a golden age of literature in South India in general. The rulers patronised Kannada, Telugu, Sanskrit and Tamil scholars who wrote in the Jain, Virashaiva and Vaishnava traditions. The period produced hundreds of works on all aspects of Indian culture, religion, biographies, prabhandas (stories), music, grammar, poetics and medicine. An attempt is made in this section to list the various poets and saints and their most famous works.
Ramakrishna (1836–1886) or Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was an Indian Hindu religious teacher.
Pemmasani Ramalinga Nayudu was an army commander of a Vijayanagara military unit. An inscription dated to 1544 CE, which was found in Tallaproddatu, states that Pemmasani Ramalinga enjoyed the nayankara of the village. Phillip B. Wagoner who analysed 17th century Telugu text Rayavachakamu noted that it is not known whether Ramalinga Nayudu served Krishnadeva Raya or some later ruler.
The following are the Telugu Pancha Kaavyas, the five great books of Telugu literature.
Tenali Ramakrishna is a 1956 Indian Telugu-language political drama film produced and directed by B. S. Ranga based on Ch. Venkataramaiah's stage play of the same name. Produced for the banner Vikram Productions, it stars NTR, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, V. Nagayya, Bhanumathi Ramakrishna, and Jamuna in key roles. Ranga handled the cinematography with his brother-in-law B. N. Haridas while P. G. Mohan edited the film. Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy composed the soundtrack and background score.
Mahamantri Timmarusu is a 1962 Indian Telugu-language historical drama film directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Devika, Gummadi with music composed by Pendyala Nageswara Rao. The film was produced by N. Ramabrahmam, A. Pundarikakshayya under the Gowtami Productions banner. The film won the President's silver medal for Best Feature Film in Telugu at the 10th National Film Awards.
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Tenaliraman may refer to:
Tenali is a city in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India.
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Tenali Raman is a 1956 Indian Tamil-language historical drama film produced and directed by B. S. Ranga based on Ch. Venkataramaiah's stage play Tenali Ramakrishna. Produced for the banner Vikram Productions, the film stars Sivaji Ganesan, V. Nagayya, P. Bhanumathi and Jamuna. Ranga also handled the cinematography while P. G. Mohan edited the film. Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy composed the soundtrack and background score.
Tenali Rama is an Indian Hindi-language historical comedy drama based on the life of the legendary Telugu poet Tenali Ramakrishna, one of the Ashtadiggajas at the court of Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya, who is often cited as the greatest Vijayanagara emperor. The series premiered on Sony SAB on 11 July 2017 and went off-air on 13 November 2020.
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