6:2 



Essay on Tel ugu Literatim 



[Oct. 



are every where popular : though despised, as illiterate, by professed 

 scholars. The name Yaxa-gdnam, or " melodies" is appropriated to the 

 Sangitamulu first mentioned : and discriminates them from the Cathas ; 

 which run in one uniform metre with a chorus constantly reiterated. 



66. A superstitious monotony, far from pleasing, and imitated from 

 the Puranas occurs in the commencement of every (padva-eavyam) poem. 

 The Jangama books alone deviate from this routine, and are for this 

 particular reason much disliked by bramins.* The preface first extols 

 Vishnu or Siva under some attributes that designate the poet's creed. 

 Then the author extols the patron and himself in no measured terms, 

 specifying the respective genealogies. Yet he rarely mentions the 

 date when the poem was composed. Then follows a request made by 

 his patron that he will undertake this tale. Thus far is called the Ava- 

 tarica or preface. He now commences by describing the Naimisha 

 forest (the Academus of India) with the hermits (muni), or philosophers 

 who there vegetate. These commence an enquiry regarding the hero; 

 and resort to some mighty teacher (yogi) usually Suca (the parrot), or 

 Naracla (Mercury) who consents to gratify their curiosity. He begins 

 with the birth of the hero, and this terminates the first (asvasam) can- 

 to which is denominated the Cath'arambham or introduction. The 

 story commences from the second book. And each canto opens and 

 closes (asvasa garbham) with high flown panegyrics on the munificent 

 patron. 



67. The following list comprizes all the most popular poems with 

 the names of the authors. The more celebrated compositions are mark- 

 ed in capital letters. The (t) is used to denote that the text has in 

 the last few years been completed and corrected by the aid of various 

 manuscripts. In this operation fifteen copies were compared for the 

 Dwipada Ramayan, twelve for the Mahabharat, eleven for the Bhaga- 

 vat, and smaller numbers for poems less corrupted by time. 



Such as are marked (c) have, besides a corrected text, a commentary 

 written in familiar Telugu which explains every word The learned men 

 whom I employed to frame these commentaries were required to give 

 a literal rendering : but the art of criticism is yet in its infancy among 

 the Hindus, and much remains to be effected, both in abridging and 

 amplifying these scholia. 



68. The first poet to be mentioned is Bhattumurti, in whom his 

 countrymen delight as greatly as the English admire JVIil tun. His most 

 celebrated poem is the Vasu charitra : which is now issuing from the 

 press with an ample commentary. The poet's name was Rama Razu : 



* The Jangamas refuse even to wiite Sri Rama at the commencement of books and 

 letters. Indeed they discountenance every one of the braminical superstitions. 



