POETIC LETTER OF
SAVITA DEVI
( Part 4,Page no. 180
In Kaunasri Sahityam-1)
Hallo, poet? How do
you do?
Are you safe? What
are you writing now?
This is a letter from
your Savita
Time and again I
read your poetry in magazines.
I used to praise you
and your poetry
And pen letters of
praise.
I can no longer
appreciate your poesy
I can no more express
my thanks.
They are filling up
pages many
Raining the market with new goods from brain
Giving up poetry,
they are penning poetry on poetry
Forgetting humanity and
intoxicated by novelty.
They are arranging
lines perfectly symmetrical
Detaining ideas in words by force
Poem’s back is
bending from burden useless
Selfishness is
swallowing salvation .
Preaching and
lectures are not poetry
It’s not rationalisms or theory
It’s akin to innocent rustic lass
But lecturing from stage wearing spectacles.
Poet! You are turning
into a prophet divine
Boycotting beauty in emotional messages
Searching for beauty
in lines irregular
Hating beauty before
you for no reason.
Without feeling or
tenderness
Without moving
and melting into ideas
Why write poems on
Rama
Aren’t you listening
to kind harp of poetic bird?
Isn’t cry of the bird
heard in your heart?
Isn’t that sound the
beating of Adi kavi’s heart?
Focusing on the
hunter
Forgotten the bird
shaken by tragedy?
A sharp arrow of a cruel
hunter flew swiftly
Gave a great epic to cosmos
Common man is born
and dead repeatedly
But the poet remains
immortal eternally.
Don’t be afraid on
seeing form of emaciated hunter
Don’t turn away from
creativity of Universal merit
No fleeing from
eternal stream of Rasa.
Who’s that guilty
hunter?
Isn’t he the former
form of Adi Kavi?
The bard became angry
over killing of a bird
Stood before him his
past form.
Expel the hideous past form from you
Its cruel teeth would
pain you a lot
Coveting the titles of ‘gentleman’ or ‘good man’
Do you desert
poetry compassionate?
Listen poet! Woman is prop for poetry
She blooms out of
natural prosperity
Oh! Poet, listen! Earth is mother of poetry
Waiting for
seeds of wellbeing universal.
Giving due respect to
poetry adds dignity to a poet
Poetry is truth age-old and novelty perpetual
New or old, poetry is
poetry
Stop preaching !
Write noble poetry!
Finishing this
letter- a few words more –
Dear poet, listen
to this warning-
Getting drowned in
the sea like a drop of water-
Rising like the
moon out of the sea of milk-
Think and do good!
Grasp deeply thing
told in brief!
Poetry is conscious waters of the Ganges!
Himalayan peak is experience of its speed.
A dry man’s
voice without tenderness is
A beautiful bride of an old man
Write good poetry
And end speeches.
SONG OF LIFE
( Part 4,Page no. 209
In Kaunasri Sahityam-1)
Life is poison born
out of the sea of milk
It’s Hara’s throat hiding Halahalam
Warm tears of Rishi
Kanva giving send off
to his daughter
Flooding waters
thundering day and night.
Life is a smile on
the face of Christ on the cross
It’s lotus
crest-fallen on the morning
A test paper given to man by the Almighty
A village inn where light burns day and night.
Life’s an offering on the platter in hands of a
sister devotee
An old poem on a school- boy’s slate
Taking hand of
future revengeful
A half- eclipse of the moon .
Life’s an ache of a
mother swinging empty cradle
A pitiful look of
Ahalya accursed and deformed
Agony of Kunti
throwing baby into water
A sad and tender tale of a blade of grass on the shore.
Life is a fortune of a bride entering her
mother-in-law’s house
A mysterious desire
of a dumb man’s travails to utter
Ugadi chutney sour, sweet
and bitter
A puzzle unsolved for umpteen ages.
Every one’s life is a
strange tale out of tune
A difficult path of
ups and downs
It’s Sita ready to
enter fire
A scar of a knife on
the head of past and future.
Brother! Victory is
yours! Don’t lose confidence
Trust in God above, proceed without fear
Your hope of fire
will blaze- your practice persists
Your tapas will bear
fruit –truth will truly win.
VOICE FROM THE SKY
( Part 4,Page no. 176
In Kaunasri Sahityam-1)
It’s night of phalguna
Bahula Ekadasi
On the face of damsel of
sky
Shines the moon like
bridal tilak.
The clock has just
struck three
Something has struck my heart
Entered the room
slowly and switched on light
Looked at the letter
on the table time and again.
Have to send a poem
for Ugadi tomorrow
Felt like moving
upstairs once
Began Climbing steps
one by one
Watched by
small mango tree well- bent .
Sat and stared at the
sky in loneliness
Searched the star-studded skies above
The winged heart is
soaring high and high
Mingling with shock
in strange surprise.
White stars
Dazzling bright
Pearls thrown helter-skelter
On beds of black silk
Mukhamal.
It’s like sandalwood
putting on leaves
Blooming of a garden
The sky is radiating beauty
A Big blue bird of melody.
Serene silent music
heard from the sky
Pure beauty appears
In trance dances calm morning
Vast sky has begun to
speak.
“I have stood before you after a long time
I have been waiting
for you for ages
Exploring contents in
cosmic epic everlasting
Awaiting patiently
with eyes of myriad stars.
Radiating light
For ages umpteen
Shining brightly
Since worlds unborn.
Seen the churning of sea of milk by angels and
demons
Seen the slaying of
Mahishasura by Maha Kali
Seen Cupid aiming his
arrow at Shiva
Seen Vamana
sending Bali to the abyss.
Known Agastya
drinking the sea in a gulp
Known Devendra
cutting the wings of hills
Known Hiranyaksha
folding up land like a mat
Known Anasuya feeding
the Trimurtis.
Before Badarayana
Rishi wrote the Brahmasutras
Before the marriage
of Adam and Eve bore biter fruits
Before the birth of
Harappa and Mohenjadaro
Before the rise of
Himalayas out of the sea
I have been since
beginning
Remained intact then
and now.”
I am listening in
wonder
While Blue Sky is
speaking.
“Alexanders , Asokas ,
Abraham Lincolns
Socrateses, Platos ,Sohrab and Rustums
Ceasars , Napoleons, Chenghiz Khans
Kings, Emperors ,Orators and Prophets
Heroes,
intellectuals, Conquerors and National Netas
Countless people gone
before my eyes
None could swim
against the tide of Time
Found their rest in the tomb of Time.
Kings empires thrones
studded with gems
Palaces crowns veils
of silk and gold
Melted in the fires of deadly times
Morphed into earthen
layers losing their shapes.
Time doesn’t wait for
a second- nonnegotiable
It’s a vast ocean without boundaries
Wheel of time turns
under winks of my eye
Planetary world moves
in my house.
Seconds days months
years
Ages and aeons
Moving fast and
orbiting and orbiting
Time invincible and insuperable.”
I am sitting and listening in shock
Celestial voice has
begun again
Time is a fine horse
Poet’s voice bridles
it.
Tie up the time to
poetry
Adorn the neck
with garland of time
Balance world with progress
Blend poetry with novelty in humanity.
Shine like the Sun in
me
Guide like the polar
star in me
Rain slowly like
cloud in me
Touch coolly like the
Moon in me.
The sun and Moon
won’t miss their routine in my realm
Women of stars won’t
deviate in my domain
They gift paths of
light to cosmos
Achieve balance
through coexistence.
March ahead in my
foot prints
Make your Journey in
my light and shades
Fill the truth with
beauty!
Harvest harmony universal in your words!!!
‘KARUNASRI’
JANDHYALA PAPAYYA SASTRY (1912-1992)
Udayasri was
the heart of Karuna Sri. Vijayasri was his head. Karunasri was his
life-- This was life of my father in
a few words! He wrote till his last
breath and lasted as long as he could write.
He felt happy that
his poetry became people’s poetry when he found a cobbler singing his poems
with rhythm. He was so tender that he refused to get into a rickshaw drawn by a
man before the appearance of cycle rickshaws. He corrected the poems of one
Mahabub Bhasha, fed him and blessed him.
Karuna Sri worked as a teacher in Ramakrishna high
school and as a Telugu lecturer for twenty two years in A.C. College, Guntur.
Students used to be enchanted by his lectures and students of Hindu college
used to attend his lectures at A.C. College. He used to advise young lecturers
to recite poems in a melodious manner. My mother Anasuyamma was very helpful to
him and their intimacy had to be seen to be believed. He has two sons and one
daughter.
My father wrote
nearly seventy six works including small and lengthy works. He also brought out
Kalyana Kalpavalli , an anthology of gems of telugu poets. Umarkhayam is his another famous work. He also wrote Telugu
Bala for children.
Once he sent this
work to a boy who could not get it in his place.
In spite of many works of his, he found a place in the hearts of
readers as the poet of UDAYASRI, PUSHPA VILAPAM, and KUNTI KUMARI.
He felt happy when
a great
actor Gummadi named his daughters as Udayasri and Vijayasri.
In these days when a reprint is rare, Udayasri was reprinted more than fifty times.
When this fact was related by the poet in a meeting in Varanasi,
a Hindi poet who had earlier talked
about ten reprints of his work got
stunned.
Ghantasala’s voice and Karunasri’s lyrics complemented each other.
His Pushpavilapam was born out
of his anger towards a visitor who
began eating the petals of a rose from the flower vase on the table while the
poet had been in his prayer room..
He was modest when
Akkineni Nageawar Rao’s praised his Pushpa Vilapam as a means of peace in
mental distress.
Karuansri was stoical, compassionate and brave and never craved for any
awards.
To him , his readers were equal to Padmasri, Padmaa
Bhushana or Kala Prapoorna.
Karunasri was born out of his stream of his thoughts when he
visited rare Buddhist sculpture, Maha Chaitya and pillars at Amaravati.
He wrote PAKI
PILLA ( a scavenger Girl) when he was sixteen years
old. “Every mother was a scavenger when one was a child.”
He donned the roles
of Radha and as Chandra Gupta on the stage a few times. He also participated
as the poet Mukku Timmana without make-up in a number of “Bhuvana Vijayam”
events.
Many people took
‘Sri’ as pseudonym after Karuna Sri.
He inaugurated
“Morning hour”, a book of poetry by
a fourteen- year old girl Srikalyani and blessed her.
He felt the same elation to receive the degree of
Rashtra Bhasha Visarada from the hands of Mahatma Gandhi and a when a trader offered to sell his
own work to him for fifteen paise.
My father who wrote naturally like the blooming of lotus, the cool blowing
of light winds, nodding of creepers, stretching of baby’s hands, birth of first
love was a precious stone among the
world of poets.
-Translation of article by J.J.
BAPUJI from “ MY FATHER
( Ed Dr. Dwa.Na. Sastry)
AMRAPALI’S SELF-SURRENDER --
KARUNASRI
( Part 3,Page no. 134 In Kaunasri Sahityam-1)
( Budddha , along with his disciples visited the city of Vaisali. Royal
dancer Amrapali welcomed the teacher of
the world in supreme joy. In that mood, love and devotion rose and flowed like waves in her heart.)
Why this morning spouted so sweetly
Why my heart sighed so quietly
The deer are leaping in joy boundless
My heart flooded with fuzzy
waves.
In the supreme garden of Lumbini
The queen Mayadevi of Sakya realm
Gave birth to crop of harmony
He would step in to dwelling of dancer of Vaisali.
The sea of mercy whose smile bloomed a thousand parijatas
Kin of the mercy seekers whose steps hidden heavens a crore
Arriving today the remover of dangers
Visiting today the founder of the wheel of Dharma.
The infinite crop of mercy
Who would cajole and care for
The swan fallen hit by tough and
nasty arrow
Would step into dwelling of dancer of Vaisali.
My lord my god of mercy obliged me
Listened to my prayer, accepted my invitation
Millionaires many invited him to
their palaces
Rejecting all, the lord blessed
me Amrapali alone.
Sacrificing kingdom and realm of
love
Leaving the darling son of shining cheeks
Moved away the crop of universal
compassion
To step into the abode of Vaisali dancer.
Blossoming sweetly sweetly mango grove
Sprinkling nectar today the path
of Jasmine
New shoots are rising arc-like on each branch
Singing tunes the cuckoos loudly
and blissfully.
Moving on Great path of search
Eating the milky food of rustic lass Sujata
The fruit of Bodhi tree that
yielded Buddhatva
Would step into home of dancer of Vaisali.
My heart is turning into Manasarovar
My thought is floating up like a
thousand-petalled flower
My affection is blowing all corners like tender fragrance
My joy is flowing over banks
like sweet honey.
Cleansing the world of pollution in tears
Giving wings of light to swans of peace
overcoming ignorance, the
harvest of Knowledge
Would arrive at the abode of
dancer of Vaisali.
Tathagata would grace my house
The moon would visit this Lotus
My life is dancing like a wild
peacock with new joy
My youth would recognize afresh
its holy duty
The fountain of kindness changed
Bandits who draw rough blades
and chop the necks
And who drink people’s blood
He would step into dwelling of dancer of Vaisali.
Sarat wore silver wings like a fine swan
Marut sprays fine pollen of nectar
Rivulet enchanted comes running
brimming over
Sky stands and stares without winking forever.
Releasing the dumb creatures from bondage
Showering nectarine words at places of yagas
Giver of all, crop of goodness
Would grace the home of dancer
of Vaisali.
Would arrive at my house today the giver of universal peace
Would give light to my eye the
bringer of victorious goodness
My dame of fortune would wear the anklets to dance today
Love would surrender to peace today.
That Lord’s glance would relieve
me of petty yearnings
His word is a bundle of harmony
All secure crop of peace and nonviolence
Would step into the dwelling of dancer of Vaisali
Today court dancer would welcome
the world teacher
Today practice of many births would be meaningful
Would the sky shower rain
of flowers and earth enraptured
Lord of mine would receive my
worship “Buddham Saranam Gacchami.”
Remover of worldly sorrows, bright light off consciousness
Adornments of goddess of peace, spouts of prosperity and equity
The Sun rays overcoming
darkness of ignorance
The blissful feet of Sakya prince
my refuge eternal.
Make the arrow shot at your heart
by
Mischevous creator as your pen to write an epic
Allow the warm tears at edges of eyes of
Your daughter of kindness
To soak with Rasa
To Yield piles of golden crop
Create new India, o poet!
Holding the pain that
wrenches your heart
Hiding the forest fire in your
heart beneath a smile
Feeling public weal as fruit of
your scholarship
Deliver pots of Rasa and pieces of art
As the faces of ages dazzle.
Universal love!
Owing to which love this wheel
of earth
revolves without axis
Owing to which love stars all would
remain intact in the sky
Owing to which love varuna would
fold his legs without falling on
the earth
Owing to which love Vayu would
go around worlds seven
That great love-eternal love
Miraculous inseparable latent love-
permeates entire universe
my love!
KARUNA KUMARI
( Dame of Mercy)
( Part 1,Page no. 5
In Kaunasri Sahityam-1)
She is a world beauty, amritamayi,
Mover in infinite universe, form of peace
The holiest woman, a matchless beauty
In the entire cosmos.
Amidst the lake of her heart
Floats up this world entire like
a lotus
In her sigh melt like atoms
Meru mountains countless.
At edge of her eye lives forever
Gangabhavani from the heaven
In the shining of her smile
bloomed gardens a hundred.
The rising sun would apply pasupu parani
With his hands golden
In the dame of mercy’s cosmic shire
Every step equal to heavens a crore.
Tenderness, nonviolence, spitelessness
her sisters- in-law
She is a girl of eternal bliss
Before the delicate feet of this
Empress
Bows even Brahma.
Her passionate embrace an offering
Of Lakshmi to life mine
Her feeling a soothing cold breeze
To my life turned barren.
With pollen from her flowery feet
I fill up to the brim
Of my life crushed
Under the wheel of cruel time.
The ultimate meaning of life mine
Dedicated at her feet
Empty would be my life
Without merging my heart with hers.
In tears of joy of Mother Inida
Under the bright light of full moon
On stage of bliss of universal
man
Took place our love marriage.
For the sake of my goddess of adoration
For her only this tapas of mine
Darling daughter of the Lord Buddha
Tender girl , ‘Sri Karuna Kumari”
