An army of composers and poets with the gift of exquisite vision and unflinching devotion to the chosen deity have infused aesthetic flavour into compositions that have remained in the popular imagination of devout Indians for centuries. A unifying principle of devotion ignited their creative spark – in fact, it was unique to ancient Indian poets. Few poets, it is said, have been able to remain as relevant as Kshetrayya. Even fewer poets have captured the waxing and waning shades of romantic love between a man and a woman in such a candid, open manner.
A poet fond of wanderlust; a prodigious writer of love songs; a friend and confidant of courtesans and devadasis; a lifelong devotee of the charming, flute-playing cowherd god Muvva Gopala – these are some of the well-known facets of the 17th-century Telugu poet-adventurer Kshetrayya.
His life was apparently full and rich, evidenced by the more than 4,000 Shringar padams he wrote, which form a large part of his works. Steeped in sweet devotion, traversing a full range of Shringar bhaavs depicting a range of heroes and heroines, and containing various shades of human emotions – almost all the padas always ended at the feet of Gopal of Muvva.
Book Kshetrayya Padam Written by Kanakam Devaguptapu, this book covers 35 padmas, each with detailed translation and transliteration, along with a key for difficult and archaic words. | Photo Courtesy: Special Arrangement
Musician, scholar and writer Kanakam Devaguptapu recently released a book Kshetrayya PadamNot only is this a commendable effort by Prof. Veturi Anandamurthy to translate the original ‘Kshetrajyulu’ into English, but it is also complemented with information that makes it a valuable resource for dancers. Kanakam’s work consists of 35 positions, for each of which detailed translation and transliteration is provided, along with a key for difficult and archaic terms. All these positions are notated, making it easier for dancers to adapt them for performance. In addition, the book also provides a quick explanation of the concepts of Nayaka, Nayika and Sakhi distinctions, Nayika avastha and so on which may be useful for a novice dancer.
Much more than a manual
There is a serious dearth of dance-related material that is both comprehensive and understandable. Dancers often have difficulty finding suitable works with reliable translations or commentary, which help them deal with the intricacies of poetic compositions. This is particularly true for padams, which deal with a spectrum of subtle emotions in the murky realm of male-female relationships. Kanakam Devaguptapu’s book fills this gap. Several fascinating sections in this book elevate it above a mere manual. It begins with a short biographical essay on the life of Kshetrayya, highlighting the charismatic nature of his name, for example.
There are many theories on why Varadayya eventually became Kshetrayya. Some scholars suggested that his prolific visits to various temples across the country are one of the reasons he got this catchy title. Here is a more profound and less prosaic statement. ‘One who knows this body as a means to enjoy pleasures is a Kshetrajna.’ Once enjoying the company of devadasis and once being a worldly man, he transformed into a man driven only by his love for Muvva Gopala. Thus, he became Kshetrayya, ‘one who understands that this body, Kshetra, is perishable.’
From Varadayya to Kshetrayya
Scholars believe that Kshetrayya visited various temples or kshetras across the country, which earned him the title of Kshetrayya. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The book also mentions Mohanangi, the devadasi with whom he had a lifelong relationship. An aimless village idiot in his early years, it was Mohanangi, herself an ardent devotee of Muvva Gopala, who taught him music and dance. As the story goes, it was from Muvva Gopala that Kshetrayya received the life-changing ‘Gopala Mantra’. And it is said that overnight Varadayya transformed into lyricist Kshetrayya.
Dancer-choreographer Divya Devguptapu is best known for her performances of Kshetriya Padams. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Whatever the case may be, a new breed of scholars claim that Kshetraya may be a figment of imagination. Kanakam Devaguptagu’s book dismisses these claims, noting that there are more facts and figures pointing to the existence of Kshetraya.
As far as the padams are concerned, Veturi Anandamurthy had originally included 33 poems in his original work in Telugu. Kanakam has included two more poems in his translation: ‘Chinna Dana’ and ‘Nenu Manchidana’. Some of the padams had already been noted by stalwarts like Ranga Ramanuja Iyengar, Sripada Pinakapani, Subbarama Dikshitar and Manchala Jagannatha Rao. The remaining 16 padams have been composed specifically for the purpose of this book by composers Malladi Suribabu, Neela Ramgopal and Pantula Rama. Another special feature of this book is the inclusion of the biographical musical play ‘Varadaya’ written by Sri Anandamurthy in 1959.
myriad topics
At the launch of Kanakam Devaguptapu’s book Kshetrayya Padams. Carnatic musicians S. Sowmya, Malladi Suribabu and musician Rita Rajan with the author. | Photo courtesy: Special arrangement
There is a lot to choose from in the range of padams included in this collection: a variety of themes, emotions, heroine and hero distinctions, sancharis, ragas and talas find their place here. For instance, the first padam ‘Inni Vidhamul’ is male-dominated, where the hero is not Muvvagopala but Kshetrayya himself. It is a male viraha composition – a rare theme in the world of shringara padams. Another unique padam, ‘Aaligi Yella’ depicts the hero’s anxiety over a sad heroine. The book also includes ‘Vadarka Popov’, a padam that Kshetrayya left incomplete before his journey and then returned to complete it as no one was able to do so in his absence.
Kanakam Devaguptapu writes, “The richness of raga bhaava that his music imparts and the rasanubhaava that can be experienced in the rendition of his padas make Kshetrayya timeless and unique.”
In fact, a dancer looking for expressive acting to perform need not look anywhere else.
