50 



Essay on Telugu Literature. 



[July 



25. Next in popularity is the Telugu version of the Bhagavat-.* of 

 which the tenth book (Dusamam) describing the life of Krishna, is 

 eagerly perused ; yet even in this their knowledge is very slight. Two 

 or three favourite legends (as the Rucmini Calyanam and Gajendra 

 Moxam) with the (J alacrida or Krishna Lila), sports of Krishna with 

 the naiads, are in general use — other parts of the Bhagavat that teach a 

 mysterious and incomprehensible sort of philosophy are likewise 

 popular: but we rarely find any Telugu who pretends to understand 

 what he so devoutly reads. 



26. We may here remark that the Telugu translators take liberties 

 (more than poetical) with their originals, for they consider a general 

 outline quite sufficient to form a copy: thus they omit, transpose and in- 

 sert, whatever they please. In the life of Krishna, not only has the 

 translator (Bammera Potu Raz) amplified the passages regarding love 

 andbeauty, but has omitted and transposed, what he pleased. He has even 

 gone further and changed the story in some places, giving statements 

 which are not found in the Sanscrit original. Besides (possibly wishing 

 to conceal these deviations), the Telugu translators in all books set aside 

 the numerical order of the Sanscrit, melting down ten or twelve 

 (adhyava) chapters into one (asvasa) book or canto. Thus it is not easy 

 to trace in the original any passage regarding which comparison may be 

 required. 



27. The Padma Puranf has been translated into beautiful Telugu 

 verse by Vennelacanti Surapa Raz : he also translated the Vishnu Puran; 

 wherein the seventh (aswasam) book describing the life of Krishna, cer- 

 tainly has much merit though it repeatedly exhibits passages stolen 

 from the poet who wrote the Telugu Bhagavat, just as that poet evi- 

 dently had stolen much from the Prabhu Linga Lila. 



28. We scarcely need stop to mention the other works of this nature, 

 which are little read ; such as the Curma Puran, the Marcandeya Pu- 



* The word Bhagavat has led to errors : used in various combinations it denotes va- 

 rious volumes. The Bhagavad Gita is a portion, as has now been noticed, of the 

 Mahabharat. The history of Krishna is usually denominated Sri Bhagavat, to discri- 

 minate it from the Devi Bhagavat, a separate and heretical work, wherein Radha (an 

 apocryphal goddess) is exalted into the supreme power as the Bona Dea. And in its 

 fourth sense the word denotes a comedy, regarding the deeds of Krishna ; being found- 

 ed on the tales recorded in the Sri Bhagavat. Thus the Gita is on divinity ; the next is 

 the legend of Krishna or Apollo : the third is the fable of Radha or Venus, and the 

 fourth is a miscellaneous entertainment. 



+ PurSnam, or chronicle denotes a fable, or poem like Ovid's Metamorphoses : de- 

 scribing the four ages of the world, called Crita, Tieta, Dwapara and Cali ; or, gold, sil- 

 ver, brazen, and iron. * 



