26/12/2018
మన ఊరి మహా పుఠలు
Vavilikolanu S***a Rao' or Andhra Valmiki or Vaasu Daasa Swami (23 January 1863 - 1 August 1939) was a Sanskrit scholar and a Telugu poet, often known by the epithet Andhra Valmiki.
He was first Telugu scholar to translate Sanskrit version of Valmiki Ramayana into Telugu.[1][2] His translation of Sanskrit version of Valmiki Ramayana into Telugu was entitled as "Mandaram".
Early life
Vavilikolanu S***arao born on January 23, 1863 at Jammalamadugu, Kadapa in Andhra pradesh. His parents were Ramachandrarao and Kanakamamba. He married Ranganayakamma. They belonged to Golconda vyapari sect of Brahmins.[3]
He joined the revenue department as a revenue inspector and later got promotion as acting Tehsildar during 1883 to 1900.[3] However, during his service in revenue department, he contracted tuberculosis and resigned from job.[3]
Between 1900 and 1904, S***a Rao stayed at Nellore. From here he has published a small magazine called Bharati.
In 1904 he joined Madras Presidency College as Lecturer or Pandit in Telugu for teaching Telugu literature.
Language Movements
Vavilikolanu S***a Rao also regularly participated in Avadhanaprogrammes.
He had written a Telugu grammar book- Vyakarana Sarvaswam in three volumes.[4] He had also written Bhagavad Gita in Dwipada verse for easy and better understanding of laymen as well as students. He also wrote a series of books--Baalahita Charya, Kumarahita Charya, Patihita Charya, Kumarihita Charya, Satihita Charya, Garbhinihita Charya as a commentary on the morality and ethics of the-then society and contained his suggested improvements.[5]
Ramayanam
Vavilikolanu S***a Rao has commenced translating the ValmikiRamayana in 1902 and completed it by 1908. He intended to dedicate his translation of Valmiki Ramayana to Lord Rama of Vontimitta temple.
Narayana Rao says that Andhra Valmiki's Ramayana (Mandaram) was a verse to verse true translation of Valmiki Ramayana in Sanskrit. In the words of Vavilikolanu S***a Rao, it is a yadha--valmika--ramayanamu—a Ramayana strictly according to Valmiki. Narayana Rao further says that in keeping with the popular belief that Valmiki's text of Ramayana has powerful mantric syllables embedded in it, S***a Rao attempted to bring similar mantric syllables into his Telugu text.[2] Mettapalli Sitapati Dasudu's statement in Sri Vasudasadesika Vaibhavamu supports this view. Sitapati Dasudu has also mentioned that it was at the instance of Kottapalli Padmanabha Sastri that S***a Rao set off on the course of rendering a true translation, verse by verse, of Sanskrit Ramayana written by Valmiki.[4]S***a Rao supplemented his translation with an elaborate multi-volume commentary.[2] Mandaram has become an important literary magnum opus in the history of Telugu literature..
