Showing kind-heartedness…

Treating all human beings and non-human beings, living and non-living things with equal measure of kindness is called ‘భూతదయ‘ ie showing compassion towards all.

Erraya Kavi, in his work ‘Sakala nītikathānidānamu‘ brought out the good effects of having this humane quality in a person in the poem given below:

pātakamula naNagiMchunu
khyātulu dikkula ghaTiMchi kāmita phalamul
chētiki lōnagu narunaku
bhūtadayaM bōlagalade puNyamu dharaNin.
(Erraya kavi, Sakala nītikathānidānamu)

కం. పాతకముల నణగించును
ఖ్యాతులు దిక్కుల ఘటించి కామిత ఫలముల్
చేతికి లోనగు నరునకు
భూతదయం బోలగలదె పుణ్యము ధరణిన్.
(ఎర్రయకవి, సకల నీతికథానిదానము, ప్రథమాశ్వాసం, 250)

Effects of all sins would disappear till then committed;
Fame spreads to all directions; results in the way desired
Would appear before the person having kind-heartedness;
Nothing gives more virtuous merit than kind-heartedness.

Many victories they gain…

The great quality that is known as ‘kindness’ in a man’s heart makes him liked, loved and revered by the persons living with him. Not only that, the greatness of his nature and his name would travel to far away places and remain noticed and remembered for a long time after his death.

Even the Gods and Goddesses would be pleased and ready to present many more boons and shower riches…said Erraya kavi in one of the poems in his work ‘sakala nītikathānidānamu‘ which is given below:

vēlupulu varamulitturu
lōlākshulu tamaku dāra lōnagudurami
trāli bhayamaMdu vijaya
Srīlabbu nudāra guNamuchē manujulakun.
(Errana Kavi’s ‘sakala nītikathānidānamu)

కం. వేలుపులు వరములిత్తురు
లోలాక్షులు తమకు దార లోనగుదురమి
త్రాలిభయమందు విజయ
శ్రీలబ్బు నుదారగుణముచే మనుజులకున్.
(సకలనీతికథానిదానము, ప్రథమాశ్వాసం, 142)

Gods and Goddesses grant favourable boons galore;
Women with enticing eyes on their own come near;
Persons unfriendly become fearful; many victories
they gain whose hearts are filled with great kindness.

Value of the person in possession of gold…

Gold has been considered the most precious of valuable metals. People accumulate gold in the form of adorning articles. Wealth thus goes on adding to the family’s property with each of such ornament occassionally purchased. There is no other thing of value that can give security to the family’s well being than the accumulated gold in the form of jewelry and ornaments. When family is in distress situation and in need of money to tide over the situation, it is always the accumulated gold that comes to the rescue of the family, which could be used as a security to raise the required money.

Highlighting the advantage the asset of gold gives to the family, Erraya Kavi, who lived in the 16th century AD, in his work ‘Sakala nītikathānidānamu‘ told the following poem which praised the person’s position in society when he is known to have good quantity of gold in his possession.

pasiDi galuguvāni palukuku palukulu
pasiDi galuguvāni balimi balimi
pasiDi galuguvāni balagaMbu balagaMbu
pasiDi lēni guMiyu bāpiyataDu.
(Erraya Kavi, sakala nītikathānidānamu)

ఆ. పసిఁడి గలుగువాని పలుకులు పలుకులు
పసిఁడి గలుగువాని బలిమి బలిమి
పసిఁడి గలుగువాని బలగంబు బలగంబు
పసిఁడి లేని గుణియు బాపియతఁడు.
(సకలనీతికథానిదానము, ప్రథమాశ్వాసము, 80)

Words of a person in possesion of gold sound sweet;
Influence of a person in possession of gold carries weight;
Supporters of a person who possessed gold gain respect;
Though good, a person without gold is a sinner in the lot.

Realising the importance of money…

The importance of money, and the need to have a constant supply of money required for the well being and upkeep of all the family members, has always been emphasized by elders so that young and middle aged persons in households recognise the importance and do all that is needed to ensure constant supply of money into the household.

Poets belonging to different periods, as and when a situation created opportunity to emphasize the importance of protecting one’s riches and also constantly endeavour to earn money, had also incorporated poems that told the importance of money and the big role it plays in the lives of men in their works.

The following poem, taken from the work ‘Sakala nītikathānidānamu‘ written by Erraya kavi belonging to the period 16th century AD.

dhanamu galavāDe puNyuDu
dhanamē soubhāgyakaramu dharmasthitikin
dhanamē mūlamu gāvina
dhanahīnuDe mrutuDu prāNatanuDai yunnan.
(Erraya kavi, sakalanītikathānidānamu)

కం. ధనము గలవాఁడె పుణ్యుఁడు
ధనమే సౌభాగ్యకరము ధర్మస్థితికిన్
ధనమే మూలము గావున
ధనహీనుఁడె మృతుఁడు ప్రాణతనుఁడై యున్నన్.
(సకలనీతికథానిదానము, ప్రథమాశ్వాసం, 79)

A person having good riches is always a blessed one;
wealth gives great comfort; since it paves
the way to the state of pious virtuousness
a man with no riches is equal to a walking dead man.

Great truths in less words…

It requires a lot of life experience to say things that are applicable to all human beings. It requires even more capabilities to express the applicable truth in the form of a ‘saying’…which can be defined as a formation with the barest minimum of words expressing at the same time great truth.

The following poem which was taken from the Telugu book ‘panchatantram‘ authored by Dubagunta Nārāyanakavi is one of the best of such poems.

ati samarthula kila nasādhyaMbu lēdu
pōla nudyōgikini dūra bhūmi lēdu
vidyagalavāni keMdunu viMta lēdu
vralu priyavādikini SātravaMbu lēdu.

గీ. అతి సమర్థుల కిల నసాధ్యంబు లేదు
    పోల నుద్యోగికిని దూరభూమి లేదు
    విద్యగలవాని కెందును వింత లేదు
    వఱలు ప్రియవాదికిని శాత్రవంబు లేదు.

Nothing in this world is unachievable for an able performer
No place is far-away for him who lives by rendering services
Nothing makes a person fully educated to fall into wonder
No person is an enemy to him who speaks in friendly terms.

Poems from ErrāpregaDa’s works:1

Signs of wisdom should appear at three itself…

toluta ‘mūDēMDla lēni sadbuddhi muppa
dēMDla lē’ danu nānuDi yiTTidanaga
danare brahlådunaku brouDhamunulu gōru
hitavivēka pākaMbu mūDēMDla nāDe.
        (ErrāpregaDa’s ‘Sri NRsimha purāNamu)

తే. తొలుత ‘మూఁడేండ్లలేని సద్బుద్ధి ముప్ప
     దేండ్ల లే’ దను నానుడి యిట్టిదనఁగఁ
     దనరెఁ బ్రహ్లాదునకుఁ బ్రౌఢమునులు గోరు
     హితవివేక పాకంబు మూఁడేండ్లనాఁడె.
(ఎఱ్ఱాప్రెగడ రచించిన ‘శ్రీ నృసింహపురాణము’, తృతీయాశ్వాసము, 151వ పద్యం)

As a living example to the saying that ‘first signs of
wisdom that do not appear at the tender age of three,
should not be expected to be seen at the age of thirty’
Prahlada learnt all his teachers wished at three itself!

Poems from less known Telugu kavyās: 1

Like flashes of lighting riches come and go …

tolakari merupuMdīvala
vale galumuli nimusamuna vaccuMbōvuM
jelikaaDa! vānidiramani
talachuTakannanu veDaMgudanamunnadiyē!
(*Jayanthi Bhavanarayana’s ‘kaLāvati pariNayamu#)

కం. తొలకరిమెఱుపుందీవల
      వలెఁగలుములు నిముసమున వచ్చుంబోవుం
      జెలికాడ! వానిఁదిరమని
      తలఁచుటకన్నను వెడంగుఁదనమన్నదియే!
(జయంతి భావనారాయణ, కళావతి పరిణయము, ప్రథమాశ్వాసం, 152)

Like the season-first flashes of lightning that come and go
in an instant, riches in good quantity come now and go
in another minute, O friend! there is no greater foolishness
than thinking them as assets that remain permanent with us!

[*] Not much is known about this writer except that he worked as Telugu pundit, in a School in Cocanada (now Kakinada) during the last decade of 19th century and first decade of 29th century.
[#] This is an incomplete work, but a popular work, the third edition of which was published in 1907. As per the note on the cover pager of the book, the long poem is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s story “Cymbaline” but contained only first two acts.

Poems from Andhra mahābhāratamu – ādi parvam: 1

Unexpected miseries and fears would occur…

tagu nidu tagadani yedalō
vagavaka, sādhulaku pēdavārala keggul
mogi jēyu durvinītula
kagu nanimittāgamaMbu layina bhayaMbul.
(Andhra mahābhāratamu, ādiparvaM)

కం. తగు నిది తగ దని యెదలో
      వగవక, సాధులకు పేదవారల కెగ్గుల్
      మొగి జేయు దుర్వినీతుల
      కగు ననిమిత్తాగమంబు లయిన భయంబుల్.
           (ఆది-ప్రథమ-85 వ పద్యం)

To the immoral persons who harm the pious
and the poor men without remorse in heart
whether it is fit to be done to them or not,
would occur unexpected fears and miseries.

Poems from Andhra mahābhāratam – Sānthi parvam : 1

iMdriyaMbulu dama yicca niTTunaTTu
dirige nēniyu duhkhamul deccu naviya
kaTTuvaDi sukha monarimchu gāna yaatma
gaava valayu niMdriya choragaNamu valana
(Andhra Mahabharatam, Santhi parvam)

తే. ఇంద్రియంబులు దమ యిచ్చ నిట్టునట్టుఁ
     దిరిగె నేనియు దుఃఖముల్ దెచ్చు నవియ
     కట్టువడి సుఖ మొనరించుఁ గాన యాత్మఁ
     గావ వలయు నింద్రియచోరగణము వలన.
(ఆంధ్ర మహాభారతము, శాంతి పర్వం, చతుర్థాశ్వాసం, 186)

Senses allowed to behave freely bring upon sorrows
uncountable; When in full control they give calmness;
Man has to protect his inner-self from the bad effects
of the senses that are thought to be a batch of thieves.

Time has flown away like air…

gālinē pōya galakālamu
tālimiki gomtayu boddu lēdu

aDusu choranē paTTe naTuniTu gāLLu
gaDugukonanē paTTe galakālamu
oDaliki jīvuni koDayuDaina hari
daDavagā goMtayu boddu lēdu.
       (Annamyya-ādhyātma kīrtanalu)

గాలినే పోయఁ గలకాలము
తాలిమికిఁ గొంతయుఁ బొద్దు లేదు.  

అడుసు చొరనే పట్టె నటునిటుఁ గాళ్ళు
గడుగు కొననే పట్టెఁ గలకాలము
ఒడలికి జీవుని కొడయుఁడైన హరిఁ
దడవఁగాఁ గొంతయుఁ బొద్దు లేదు.

(అన్నమయ్య-ఆధ్యాత్మ కీర్తనలు-1వ సంపుటం -14వ కీర్తనలో భాగం)

Time has flown away like air in the empty space
No time was left for forgiveness or showing patience

All the life was spent to step into the mud-pit
And then to wash away the dirt that stuck to the feet
Not a moment time left to even think of the Sri Hari
The God who gave life and breath to the whole body.