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VISWANATHAA Literary Legend

Edited and Compiled by

Dr. Kondal Rao Velchala

Sister Nivedita FoundationsVISWANATHA SAHITYA PEETAM

11-4-654/3, Red Hills, Lakadi-ka-pul, Hyderabad - 500 004.Ph: 040-23396358

VISWANATHAA Literary Legend

(A Birds Eye View of Viswanatha Satyanarayana and His works)

Edited and Compiled byDr. Kondal Rao Velchala

Published : June, 2012Price: 400/-

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Sister Nivedita FoundationsVISWANATHA SAHITYA PEETAM

11-4-654/3, Red Hills, Lakadi-ka-pul, Hyderabad - 500 004.Ph: 040-23396358

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DEDICATEDt o

The Dearest Devotee of ViswanathaSri Juvvadi Gowtham Rao of Karimnagar

A sensitive critic in fact israrely born in the world

There may perhaps be one inten thousand

His face lights up when hemeets a work of art.

One such is Gowtham Rao ofJuvvadi family

A poet gets a friend like him

For he has been his friendthrough previous births.

-Viswanatha Sathyanarayana

INDEX

1. A word about the need of this Book (Dr. Kondal Rao Velchala 9

2. Introduction - Dr. Kondal Rao Velchala, Prof. C. Subbarao 11

1. Viswanatha - The Man and the Genius

3. The living legend in Indian literature - Seshendra Sharma 21

4. Genius of a rare breed - Bh. Krishnamurti 24

5. Viswanatha - Velcheru Narayana Rao 28

6. Dr. Viswanatha's literary eminence - Dr. Diwakarla Venkatavadhani 31

7. The man is greater than his works - Prof. I.V.Chalapati Rao 34

8. 'Kavisamrat' Viswanatha - Dr. B. Rama Raju 36

9. 'Kavisamrat' - Viswanatha as I know him - Justice P. Kodanda Ramayya 43

10. An epic personality - Dr. I. Panduranga Rao 51

11. A great poet - philosopher - Amarendra Dasari 57

12. 'Kavisamrat' - Sri Viswanatha - S. Janakirama Sastry 60

13. Jnanpith awardee - P. Ramachandraiah 6214. Viswanatha's works do not age - Dr. Tripuraneni Hanuman Chowdary 6715. Viswanatha - multifaceted genius - S. Laxmana Murthy 70

16. The Kavisamrat - Kapila Kasipati 72

17. Viswanatha's contribution to literature - C. Subba Rao 78

18. Viswanatha's retrograde policy - V.R. Narla 81

19. Charting a new course - V. Mandeswara Rao 84

20. A literary colossus - News Item 88

21. Obituary - News Item 91

2. Viswanatha - The Poet

22. Poetic Identity and the crisis of vocation - Prof. C. Subba Rao 95

23. A poet's voyage through poverty - Kotha Venkateswara Rao 99

24. Inherent beauty of his poetry - Sarabheswara Sarma 101

25. English versions of some Viswanatha's poem s - Velcheru Narayana Rao 107

26. English versions of some Viswanatha's poems - B.V.L. Narayana Rao 116

27. English versions of Viswanatha's poems - Dr. V. Kondal Rao & others 119

3. Viswanatha - The Lircist

28. The lyrical phase of 'Kavisamrat' - Dr. C. Narasimha Sastri 125

29. Lyrical poems of Viswanatha - Prof. K. Malayavasini 128

30. Kinnera's melodies - B.V.L. Narayanarao 135

31. Viswanatha's Kinnera - Prof. J.V. Raghavendra Rao 143

32. A poet who never pandered to popular taste - Velcheru Narayana Rao 150

33. 'Atmiyata' in Viswanatha's poetry - Bommakanti Srinivasacharyulu 154

4. Viswanatha's Epic Ramayana Kalpavruksha

34. Valmiki -Viswanatha - Dr. D. Venkata Avadhani 163

35. The beautiful and the bountiful in Viswanatha's ramayana - R.M. Challa 170

36. Viswanatha's srimad ramayana kalpavriksham - Prof. K. Viswanatham 173

37. Viswanatha kavita vaibhavam - J. Gowthama Rao 180

38. The transformatory touch of Viswanatha - Dr. Prema Nanda Kumar 204

39. The domestic felicity of Sita and Rama - Dr. Prema Nanda Kumar 213(English Version of J. Venkateswara Rao's Book)

40. Kamba Ramayanam & Viswanatha Ramayanam - Prof. C.R. Sarma 307

41. Viswanatha's Ramayana-Kuvempu's Ramayana - Prof. T.V. Subba Rao 313

42. Anasuya's Wrath (Yuddhakanda Upasamharana) - Prof. K. Viswanatham 316

5. Viswanatha - The Novelist

43. Sri Viswanatha Satyanarayana - Sri. P.V. Narasimha Rao 321

44. Valladu the hero - Translated by Velcheru Narayan Rao 328

45. What Viswanatha's Veyipadagaru Means to me - Dr. Kondal Rao Velchala 366

46. Ekaveera - a story of love or friendship? - Dr. Kondal Rao Velchala 374

47. Ekaveera - a story of spontaneous or duty bound love - Dr. B. Narender 378

48. Viswanatha: the novelist - T. Ramalingeswara Rao 381

49. Women characters in his novels - Dr. P. Kusuma Kumari 385

50. In search of democracy in the novel Veyipadagalu - Jwala Mukhi 394

51. HA HA HU HU 'Critic' from the journal - Lekhane Kaveri 399

52. Vishnu Sarma's English Education - G. Ramanujacharya 403

53. The Novels of Viswanatha-their uniqueness - J.Gowtham Rao 407

6. Viswanatha - Tha Playwright

54. Dramas of Viswanatha - a bird's eye view - Chatla Sree Ramulu 425

55. Plays of Viswanatha - Dr. Gandra Laxmana Rao 432

56. Viswanatha's Playlets: A Delightful Treat to the Readers - C.S. Rao 441

7. Viswanatha - The Story Teller

57. Poignant vignetter of cultural matrix - Dr. S.S. Prabhakar Rao 449

58. Sri Viswanatha - a short-story writer - C. Subba Rao 453

59. What connection (english version) - K. Viswanatham 462

60. Three beggars (english version) - Dr. C.Vijaya Sree 468

61. Execution (uri) (english version) - Dr.Vaidehi Sesidhar 485

62. I am quits with you (english version) - L.S.R. Krishna Sastry 488

63. Kapardhi (english version) - Ms. Yoga Mulukutla 497

8. How Critics look at Viswanatha the Critic

64. Viswanatha Satyanarayana - A critic par excellence - Dr. K. Aruna Vyas 505

65. 'The narrator' in Viswanatha's novels - Dr. C. Mrunalini 511

66. Search for the roots - Prof. K. Suprasannacharya 517

67. Guiding star of telugu letters - Prof. Mudigonnda Veera Bhadraiah 522

68. Viswanatha's prose style - Dr. Anumandla Bhoomaiah 526

69. Which is poetry? - Prof. Mudigonda Veerabhadraiah 529(english version by U. Atreya Sarma)

70. Viswanatha Satyanarayana: An estimate- Salva Krishnamurthi 537

8 Kavisamraat Viswanatha

71. Dr. Viswanatha - A critical appreciation - Andavalli Satyanarayana 543

72. Concept of 'Jeevuni Vedana' - Prof. Kovela Sampath Kumaracharya 547

73. "High scientific modernism, ramdom reflections- Prof. M. Sivarama Krishna 551

9. Viswanatha - The Good Humoured

74. Viswanatha, a man of subtle humour - Prof. Veludanda Nityananda Rao 555

(english version by Dr. Elanaga)

10. Some reminiscences and anecdotes

75. My reminiscences of Viswanatha - Dr. C. Narayana Reddy 563

76. My father - Viswanatha Achyuta Devarayalu 565

77. The humane character of my father - Viswanatha Pavani Sastry 569

78. Viswanatha : my grand father - Viswanatha Satyanarayana 573

79. Reminiscences of Gandham Nageswararao - C. Subba Rao 578

80. Reminiscences of Suprasannacharya - Prof. S. Laxmana Murthy 589

81. More than the brothers though not the brothers - Nayani Krishna Kumari 591

82. The sitter, the portraitor - A. Koteswara Rao 597

10. Viswanatha - The Translator

83. Viswanatha's translation of Vivekananda's SONG OF SANYASIN 603

11. Viswanatha - In his own English

84. Myself my work, an interview conducted -by A.S.Raman 613

85. Speech of Dr. Viswanatha Satyanarayana, recipient of Jnanpeet award 631

86. What is Ramayana to me 637

87. X-Rays into truth 718

88. Horizon - ends 724

89. Preface to arya vignan 727

90. A profile of Sachi Raut Roy 731

91. Poems of Viswanatha composed for Nayani Subbarao's Marriage

and the painting of Adavi Bapiraju 741

92. Viswanatha Handwriting 743

12. Literature and Culture

93. Traditional Values - 747

94. Culture Revealed Through Literature - 752

Kavisamraat Viswanatha 9

A WORD ABOUT THE NEED OF THIS BOOKIt is almost a decade since we started Sri Viswanatha Sahithya

Peetham and the literary and cultural bilingual journal ‘Jayanthi’. Wehave had the good fortune of having a band of very learned writers ardentlyinterested in Sri Viswanatha and his literature like Late KovelaSampathkumaracharyas, Kovela Suprasanna Charya, TummapudiKoteswara Rao, C. Subba Rao, Cheekolu Sundaraiah and many othersassisting me in every possible way.

We have sincerely worked since the inception of the SahithyaPeetham to publish perceptive articles on Viswanatha's writings andpopularize them. We have tried our best to dispel some of themisconceptions about Sri Viswanatha and his writings, for this purpose.We have published some articles and extracts from his writings and alsosome interesting anecdotes from his personal life under the series ‘MudduVaddanalu’ ‘Sahitya Dhara’ and the like. Though we have started theorganization as Viswanatha Sahithi Peetham. I should say in this connectionthat our efforts are not exclusively directed to Viswanatha and his literaturealone. We have tried to highlight the literary eminence of many otherwriters and brought out books and special issues of ‘Jayanthi’ onViswanatha Satyanarayana, Ismail, Neruda, P.V. Narasimha Rao,Seshendra Sarma, Boyi Bheemanna, J.Goutham Rao, Pattabhi,Sampathkumaracharya, Sadasiva .

We have very great pleasure in bringing out this monumentalvolume on Viswanatha in English covering all the aspects of his genius forthe benefit of readers whose mother tongue is not Telugu and also for thebenefit of those whose mother tongue is Telugu but who are not so muchin touch with it.

We have worked tirelessly for this volume for more than a year tosecure articles from eminent men of letters, critics and profound scholars.Some of the articles in the volume are also obtained from different sourceswherever they were published earlier. Besides these, we have a few of thegreat man’s own writings in English, and also translations of his worksdone by others.

As far as I know, on no other writer of Andhra Pradesh such acomprehensive and thought provoking volume has ever been so farpublished in English.

I thank every writer and translator who has co-operated with me tobring out this volume in the manner in which it has been brought out.

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the whole-heartedcooperation extended to me by Sri C.Subba Rao and to my colleagues inmaking this book acquire this character and charm. They have been ofconstant support for me in bringing out this book to the best of mysatisfaction.

- Dr. V. Kondal Rao,Hon. Chairman,

Viswanatha Sahitya Peetam


We profusely thank Sri Sadguru Kandukuri Sivananda Murthy garu for his blessings& support in bringing out this book.

We thank Sri C. Ananda Rao garu for his good gesture in supporting our effort inbringing out this book.

We thank Sri K. Sagar Rao garu for his good gesture in supporting our effort inbringing out this book.

We thank Dr. J. Raghunatha Rao garu for his good gesture in supporting our effortin bringing out this book.

We thank Dr. P. Sudhakar Rao garu for his good gesture in supporting our effort inbringing out this book.

WE THANK


Literature is one of the greatest creations of mankind. It shows notmerely the individual talent of the authors from whose works it resultsbut also reflects the racial and national psyche, the collective conscious ofthe cultural group of a particular geographical segment besides what CarlJung, the famous psychologist, calls “the collective unconscious” of thewhole of mankind. If this is the background against which characters inliterary works are drawn, the characters themselves, when they happento be those created by great masters, are as much types as individuals,and consequently they have distinct personality of their own besideshaving a universal connectivity or common human quality. So tounderstand the people of a country one should read their literature as itsurely reveals their cultural proclivities, their literary sensibilities, theirpatterns of responses to external circumstances and their value systems.

If the nature of literature is creative, its primary function is to affordits readers aesthetic pleasure “Kavyarasananda”. In the hands of a greatwriter this aesthetic pleasure carries in a most imperceptibly artisticmanner a system of values by which the readers are influenced in spiteof themselves and without being consciously aware of the process. That’sgreat literature unlike the one with blatant propagandism on purpose.

Sri Viswanatha is matchless in many respects. We wonder whetherwe have ever heard of such a literary writer in India or elsewhere who hasdisplayed his outstanding skills in writing in almost all genres of literature.Is there anyone else in world literature of any age who has written sovoluminously with such exquisite beauty from lyric to epic poetry, fromshort story to voluminous novel, from play-let to full length play, from ashort perceptive preface to profound, scholarly critical studies? Viswanathacan write with the same felicity and captivating effect a highly abstrusephilosophical disquisition as he does a simple narrative paragraph inaccordance with the artistic requirements of the work he is writing whetherit is in prose or poetry. Have we ever heard of anyone else who has simply

Dr. V. Kondal RaoFormer Director, Telugu AcademyHon. Chairman Viswanatha Sahitya Peetham

C. Subba RaoFormer Head, Dept. of English

SVRM College, Nagaram.

INTRODUCTION


dictated his massive writings in prose or verse extempore with such felicity,fluency and beauty? We wonder whether there has been anybody elsewho has swum with such courage and conviction against the current ofpopular ideas or beliefs, and asserted with an irrefutable argumentcharacterized by a devastating logical force his own points of view ofthings or practices commonly disapproved and deprecated. Have we everheard of a literary genius who has touched and enriched every genre ofliterature and whose writings in total have run to more than thirtythousand pages in print? And all these Sri Viswanatha has done living inutter poverty except during the last two decades of his long life, bravingspiteful criticism organized in nature! He is undoubtedly the rarest ofmultifaceted geniuses the world has ever known. Literature has possessedhim as he has possessed genius for it in abundance, and he has writtennonstop with deep passion, tremendous talent and tenacity. The meditativeinvolvement which is total and complete in the creative process of hiswriting is what makes Viswanatha great and unique.

It is our privilege to write introduction to this book composed ofscholarly articles on Viswanatha’s life and works contributed by brilliantwriters of the top order. As it is so truly put by an anonymous writer inhis article “A Literary Colossus” published in Deccan Chronicle “in thecase of Viswanatha superlatives cease to be superlatives. Even anexaggeration becomes an understatement”. That is because of his vastcreative fecundity and exalted intellectual eminence. The article is vibrantwith the writer’s boundless admiration for Viswanatha and it resoundswith the loud universal acclaim that he has received from people withright sense, fine sensibility, unprejudiced nature and unerring judgment.It seems as if he speaks for multitudes of the mighty man’s admirersfathoming their deep and fervent feelings.

Yes, superlatives cease to be superlatives; when Dr. C. NarayanaReddy says not only in the resemblance of his grey hair but even in thebrilliance of his poetic erudition he is like Mt. Kailash. Seshendra Sarmain his article “Viswanatha, The Living Legend in Indian Literature”observes , “Perhaps, after Tikkana of the thirteen century and Srinadha ofthe fifteenth century Viswanatha is the only creative genius in Teluguliterature of that outstanding stature, in a certain way, even surpassingthem”. Prof. Bh. Krishnamurthy declares “…..that there has been no oneindividual with such multifaceted creativity and prolific output asViswanatha”. The article is incisively analytical besides being veryinformative. Viswanatha is quoted as saying that “My mind and emotionmove so fast that I cannot stop to choose the right word to express my


experience”. We very much appreciate the commendable courage andpersonal honesty in admitting his “alleged deficiency” but we doubtwhether he has ever used inappropriate words in expressing an experience.The alleged lack of synchronization between emotion and expression isillusory or exaggerated.

It is very refreshing to read Prof.B.V.L.Narayana Row’s “KinneraMelodies” and prof J. Raghavender Rao, article elucidating the authorsobjective in writing ‘The only book of that nature’. They have beautifullybrought out in charming English the artistically moulded sentiments ofpathos of the tragic love story of Kinnera and her husband. In his article“Viswanatha’s Works Do Not Age” Dr.Hanuman Chowdary speaks ofhis sincere and ardent admiration for Sri Viswanatha’s poetry and he ablytransmits his deeply felt pleasure to us. Though the article “Kavi SamratSri Viswanatha Satyanarayana as I know him” written by JusticeP.Kodandaramayya pleasantly strikes a personal note, it is difficult tounderstand why Sri Viswanatha has heaped such superlative praise onSri Sri by calling him “Yugapurusha”. The comment only shows themagnanimity of his soul, and the overflowing generosity of his heart. Bysaying this, we are not at all casting any aspersion on Sri Viswanatha’scapacity for judging people and their worth. The title “The Man is Greaterthan His Works” that Prof.I.V.Chalapathi Rao has beautifully chosen forhis article which at once brings into our experience the genius of the literarycolossus striking at the same time a personal note, subtly suggests in asurprising way that his works are as great as the man ,or even greater.Prof.S.S.Prabhakar Rao skillfully brings out the great contribution madeby Viswanatha to Telugu short story by his insightful observation that“his stories succeed in holding mirror to a cultural matrix of the society inAndhra during the early decades of the last century and, added by hisabundant skill in presentation, leave memorable vignettes in the minds ofreaders”. “A Great Poet-Philosopher” by Dr.Amarendra is a captivatingpen portrait of the poet’s poet of the 20th century. The beautiful translationof the story “Three Beggars” by Mrs.Vijaya Sree sounds as if it had beenoriginally written by the great master himself.

Dr.I.Pandurangarao in his article “An Epic Personality” makes anobservation full of adoration for Sri Viswanatha : “It was a feast to hearhim reciting his poems in a captivating sonorous voice with an articulationthat springs from his heart. But, it was a treat to see him spraying his epicgrandeur through his books”. He goes on to say that “The audience couldvisualize in him the poetic excellence that Telugu language had acquiredduring the past one thousand years”. And this is not a small praise but a


very well deserved one. When Congress President Sri D.Sanjeevayyaobserved in a rapturous note that Sri Viswanatha had excelled Valmikihimself, Sri Viswanatha, with utter humility and honest conviction andwith an almost worshipful adoration for Valmiki, didn’t receive thecompliment by saying that no one could excel Valmiki. It is a differentmatter that he had made some alterations while writing his Ramayanadeviating from Valmiki. How beautiful it is that Sri Viswanatha “visualizes‘Rama’ as the word or primordial sound to save the world from verbaldestitution”. From Sri Bommakanti Sreenivasacharyulu’s article we learnthat his generosity is not tainted even by a trace of jealousy. He paysglowing compliments to the sweetness of his onetime pair-poet KodaliAnjaneyulu’s poetry. Viswanatha has a very compassionate nature, anemotional attachment to people which Sri Bommakanti chooses to call“aatmeeyata’. It is a very endearing quality in him as a man, and it getsexpressed in his works quite often.

Sri Sarabhesvara Sarma is right when he says in his article “InherentBeauty of His Writing” that “all the poetic beauty that has spread overTelugu and Sanskrit literature is found harvested in the Ramayana,” andadds, His ‘Jeevuni Vedana’ (Soul’s Agony) has evolved into Jeevarasa inthe Ramayana. That Jeevarasa has spread from the roots to the topmostbranches of Ramayana Kalpavriksham”.

Prof.Kovela Sampatkumaracharya in his brilliant article goes deeperinto this concept of ‘Jeevuni Vedana’ (Anguish of Human Soul) andattempts a scholarly analysis by saying that Viswanatha’s outlook of life“emerged from a socio-intellectual and psycho-spiritual background,”and pays handsome compliments to him for having adapted a newapproach in literary criticism. He observes that “he made an attempt tolead literary criticism from its formalistic preoccupations to grapple withwider implications making use of insights on non-literary disciplines likehistory, sociology, psychology and metaphysics”.

Such an eminent scholar and critic as Prof..DiwakarlaVenkatavadhani, well-known for his critical literary evaluation paysglowing compliments to the multifaceted genius of Sri Viswanatha byobserving that “We find in him a rare combination of sound scholarship,poetic excellence and incessant practice. He is a first rate poet, a greatnovelist, a well known short story writer, a popular lyricist, a famousplaywright, a scholarly critic and a fine orator. He can compose poetry inSanskrit with the same felicity as in Telugu and he can talk with authorityon any famous English writer”. In the same tone and tenorProf.T.Ramachandrayya offers us a very scholarly and comprehensive


estimate of Sri Viswanatha’s personality and achievement. He makes avery significant observation regarding his critical skills when he says that“Like T.S.Eliot, he, too, distrusts historical and romantic approach tocriticism. And it is he who, for the first time in Telugu criticism, attemptedsuccessfully to examine the structure of a work of art in terms of itsimagistic patterns as seen in his studies of Kalidasa’s Sakuntalam”. In“Kavisamrat Sri Viswanatha” S.Janaki Rama Sastry says with anoverwhelming joy that “in a way he dominated the entire Telugu literaryfield during the last three decades and he is still a force and an institutionby himself, “and adds that” he became well known to the Telugu peopleas a poet of the first order”. We have for comic relief a beautifully givensummary of the novel “Vishnusarma’s English Education” by SriRamanujacharya. Sr i Acharya is able to retain the tickling humourcontained in the satire on the irregularities of the English language aswell as the sectarian and sub-sectarian prejudices of the people, evenamongst the learned. As we go through the summary we find SriViswanatha with an impish twinkle in his eyes sitting in his armchairrelaxed and contented.

The comparative study of Sri Viswanatha’s “Ramayana KalpaVriksham and the Kamba Ramayanam by Prof.C.R.Sarma,”A CriticalAppreciation by Sr i Andavilli Satyanarayana and “Lyric poems ofViswanatha” by Prof.Malayavasini are as informative as they areperceptive in their evaluation. Prof. C.Subbarao rightly observes that eventhough there is surely “a touch of awe and veneration for the old masters,Viswanatha engages them in a long drawn out epic duel in the Ramayanaobserving the rules of the game”. Referring to the changing modernisttrends in Telugu poetry with the advent of Sri Sri he makes a very balancedobservation regarding “the problematic relationship between tradition andtransition— a self -conscious awareness of the burden of the past leadingto the preoccupation with transition”. Prof.M.Sivaramakrishna makes asignificant point with his observation that what Viswanatha foresaw inVeyipadagalu “is a reality now”. He is actually referring to the paradoxesand imbalances that our modern civilization has generated for which it isdifficult to find satisfactory solutions. It is easy and has become fashionableto dismiss Viswanatha as a conservative or even an obscurantist, but it issurely difficult to answer the questions he raises .We cannot ignore hisinfallible prophetic vision. Prof.Sivarama Krishna rightly says thatViswanatha “had sage – like power of seeing far into the future”.

Sri Kotha Venkateswara Rao’s article “A Poet’s Voyage ThroughPoverty” strikes a deep compassionate chord in us. It shows the


tremendous strength of mind of Sri Viswanatha in being able to continuehis writings as a divinely ordained mission in life undeterred by povertyand the innumerable problems that arise from it. It also shows Sri Rao’stenderness of heart and an all-out preparedness to do his best for bringingout Sri Viswanatha’s book in print. The reciprocative gesture in presentingthe first copy of the book with Sri Rao’s name thereon written along withheart-felt best wishes by Sri Viswanatha is really touching.

In his article “Search for the Roots” Prof. K. Suprasannaacharyarightly observes that “In his search for peace, Viswanatha has soughtharmony between the individual and the self, the individual and thesociety, the individual and the nature and the individual and the Divine”.We feel it is, indeed, a magnificent search: it is the search for all –comprehensive harmony. The death of Pasirika in “Veyipadagalu” due toecological imbalance is lamentable. It is symbolic of the destructive effectsof the thoughtless urbanization and industrialization leading to alienationof man from nature in its pure form.

We have from each contributor an eloquent compliment to one facetof his genius or the other. As they pay compliments, they lose themselvesin an ecstatic rapture that has no degrees. We doubt whether any otherliterary artist has ever been so enthusiastically eulogized in one voice bysuch eminent men of letters. There may be veterans like Narla who arenot quite happy with the value system to which Sri Viswanatha subscribes,but even then they have nothing but very high praise for his creative andcritical talents. We don’t mean to suggest that views or value system thatthe writer presents in his works are not important but they are not to betaken as deciding factors in evaluating the worth of a literary artist. Thereis a school of literary criticism,”textualist” in nature which insists that itis only the text that matters, and one should not go beyond the text. Weare not saying that this is the only valid critical approach to be taken inliterary judgment but we don’t hesitate to say that there is considerabletruth in this school of criticism.

It took some time to collect and include an additional bunch of veryvaluable articles, and translations of some other poems and short storiesand a fragment of his great novel “Veyipadagalu” by such eminentliteratteurs as Sri Adivi Bapiraju, Prof. K. Viswanatham, J. Venkateswarlu,Dr. Premananda Kumar, Prof. J. Raghavendra Rao, Dr. Aruna Vyas, SriM. Veerabhadraiah, Prof. Velcheru Narayana Rao, Dr. Mrinalini Prof.L.S.R.Krishna Satry, Prof. Salva Krishna Murthy, Dr. J.S. Venkateswarlu,


Dr. Sankara Sri Ramarao, Sri M. Visweshwara Rao, Sri. M. PrabhakaraRao and Dr. Vaidehi Sashidar.

Also included in this book are a few poems of his, translatedbeautifully with the native feeling and fervour preserved with a highdegree of expertise by Dr.V.Kondala Rao (Telugu Language) andProf.B.V.L.Narayana Row (First Verses from the Ramayana and OtherPoems). A good translation is one which does not read like a translationat all. Translations by them sound as if they were originally written incrisp evocative English idiom.

We have a few writings of Sri Viswanatha himself in this book.“WHAT IS RAMAYANA TO ME” by him stands out with its at-once-striking paramountcy. There are a few generous but brilliant prefaceswritten for the books of some outstanding literary men by the Master,and speeches delivered by him on receiving awards, and also excerptsfrom an interview he gave to Sri A.S.Raman,Editor, ‘Illustrated Weekly’,on such occasions. In his preface to Hareendranath Chattopadhyaa’s book“Horizon-Ends” written in chaste and fluent English we find SriViswanatha’s bountiful magnanimity as well as his analytical ability. Theymay write in different languages. But, Viswanatha says, “We are childrenof the same soil, inheritors of the same culture and tradition andphilosophy. Hence in our mental and spiritual make-up, even in ourthought processes, there is bound to be more of identity than otherwise”.How beautiful is this preface, how perceptive in analysis, how balancedin its structure and shape, how scholarly in content, how fluent in style,how chaste in language, how generous in appreciation, how harmoniousin its organization, how fresh in its appeal, how terse in expression, howtotally it absorbs our attention, how sincere, how honest and how truthfulit sounds in tone! The greatest thing about the preface is that it effortlesslyconceals his (Sri Viswanatha’s) greatness behind not so transparent a veilrevealing only the poet’s eminence brightly focused. How gentlemanly itis! If Viswanatha is gone, if gone at all, when comes another like him?

In the preface he has written to Sri Kota Venkatachalam’s researchbook on Indian History, we find Sri Viswanatha’s pleasure, pride andpatriotic fervor when he tells us of how Sri Venkatachalam “has ransackedthe indigenous literature dealing with our history as also the great bulk ofthe eastern and western books ….and has refuted the illogical argumentsof the western historians and established the truth of the correctness ofthe historical data detailed in our puranas”. In his speech delivered atCentral Sahitya Academy, New Delhi, Sri Viswanatha says brilliantly that


“Metaphor is a basic unit of the poem”. We are reminded of whatMiddleton Murry says of it: “It is the very mode of apprehension”.Viswanatha proudly declares that dialectics of poetry flourished evenvery long long back in India. He says, “Literature and art are never rootedin religion or philosophy. Their main import is to the artistic minds”. Howbrilliant in perception of the nature of the art and how modern and secular!

But when it comes to speak of himself he speaks without falsehumility or irritating arrogance. He says of his poetry:”I am a master of astyle which is even by moderns acclaimed to be individualistic. There arenot more than six or seven old authors who are known for this distinction.I am a conscious artist. My book, if read with no prejudice and a deepinsight into things reveals the modernism, the high scientific modernism.At least two or three decades must pass after I pass away to estimate mypoetry”.

In the speech he made when Jnanapith Award was conferred onhim, Sri Viswanatha says, “Not to utter false hood is Tapas, to part withmoney to the poor and the needy is Tapas, mastery over the internalpassions is Tapas”. He continues, “If you read between the lines of mywritings, you can see that I want the type of government which now peopleare having in Russia, but at the same time, too, I don’t want to do awaywith our metaphysics, our mysticism, our spiritualism, our music, ourculture, our fine arts, our philosophy of life and so on which are timetested”. In an interview with A.S.Raman with the caption “My self-MyWork” Sri Viswanatha says “I may defend lost causes. I don’t want themrevived”. How can we call this gentleman who holds on to these liberalviews a conservative or an obscurantist?

The book is quite fittingly rounded off with the last two articles whichare scintilatingly brilliant both in point of content as well as style by SriA.S. Raman, Former Editor of Illustrated Weekly and another whose nameis unfortunately not mentioned to give a lead to understand andappreciated literature in general and modern literature in particular.

The book is a humble but a fervent attempt to present themultifaceted splendour of the genius of Sri Viswanatha who has alreadyelevated himself to the level of the greatest master writers of India.

One can say without fearing any controversy that his literary geniusis such that we cannot find the like of which in anybody else in point of itsquality, quantity and diversity. It takes ages to have such a genius onceagain. Perhaps one appears, as we have said elsewhere while writing abouthim, “after we are tired and tired of waiting for him”!


Viswanatha - The Man and the Genius

Viswanatha's First Wife and Children

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