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Telugu Historyతెలుగు చరిత్ర

Kokkonda Venkataratnam

Telugu scholar, poet and journalist of the 19th century, a defender of the classical literary style. P. T. Raju wrote that his Narakasura Vijaya Vyayogamu was the first Telugu translation of a Sanskrit play to be printed. He ran the journal Andhra Bhasha Sanjivani, quarrelled in print with Kandukuri Veeresalingam, and later opposed Gidugu Ramamurti's spoken-Telugu movement.

Kokkonda Venkataratnam was a Telugu scholar, poet and journalist.12 He belonged to the old school of Telugu letters, which held to the classical literary style.13 P. T. Raju wrote that his Narakasura Vijaya Vyayogamu was the first Telugu translation of a Sanskrit play to appear in print.4 He took part in the main literary quarrels of his time.56

Translator and poet

P. Chenchiah and Raja M. Bhujanga Rao, in their history of Telugu literature (1928), name him among the leading translators of Sanskrit plays.7 His play was the Narakasura Vijaya (the defeat of Narakasura).7 Raju, in 1944, describes how Telugu drama began.4 Touring companies had staged plays in Hindi, and Sanskrit plays were then put into Telugu.4 The first of these translations to be printed, he wrote, was Kokkonda’s Narakasura Vijaya Vyayogamu.4

Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao also listed him among the poets of the traditional school who still wrote long poems in the old manner.1 K. Sitaramaiya, writing in Hyderabad in 1943, named him with the scholars who still wrote prabandhas (long narrative poems) at the start of the 20th century.8

Journalist

Sitaramaiya lists the Telugu journals of the 19th century that gave much space to literature.2 Among them was the Andhra Bhasha Sanjivani of “Kokkomda V. Pantulu”.2 In his view these journals followed old-fashioned methods.2

D. Anjaneyulu, in his life of Veeresalingam (1976), adds more.9 Kokkonda edited the Telugu periodical Andhra Bhasha Sanjivani while he was Senior Telugu Pandit at the Presidency College, Madras.9 The first issues of Veeresalingam’s paper Vivekavardhini were printed at the Sanjivani press.9

Quarrels over literature and language

Raju wrote that Kandukuri Veeresalingam “entered into literary controversy with Pandit Kokkonda Venkata Ratnam and Mahamahopadhyaya Vedam Venkataraya Sastri”.5 “Their triangular fight”, he added, “was a literary treat for the educated of the time”.5

Anjaneyulu explains the quarrel.910 The two men held opposite views on the education of women and the age of marriage.9 Kokkonda upheld the old social customs, while Veeresalingam questioned them.910 When Kokkonda started a humorous paper, Hasya Vardhani, Veeresalingam replied in July 1876 with Hasya Sanjivani.10 He answered Kokkonda’s arguments against educating women with mock arguments against educating men.10 See Vedam Venkataraya Sastri.

In the 20th century he opposed the movement to write books in spoken Telugu.6 Raju names him, with Vedam and Jayanti Ramayya, among the great scholars who opposed Gidugu Ramamurti.6 Sitaramaiya wrote that Ramamurti pointed out errors in the writings of Kokkonda and others, judged by their own rules of grammar.11

Footnotes

  1. Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao, A History of Telugu Literature (1928), p. 118 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. Sitaramaiya, A Hand Book of Telugu Literature (1943), pp. 85–86 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  3. Raju, Telugu Literature (1944), p. 79 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩

  4. Raju, Telugu Literature (1944), p. 71 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  5. P. T. Raju, Telugu Literature (1944), p. 57 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  6. Raju, Telugu Literature (1944), p. 80 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  7. P. Chenchiah and Raja M. Bhujanga Rao, A History of Telugu Literature (1928), p. 114 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  8. K. Sitaramaiya, A Hand Book of Telugu Literature (1943), p. 65, note 1 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩

  9. D. Anjaneyulu, Kandukuri Veeresalingam (1976), p. 16 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  10. Anjaneyulu, Kandukuri Veeresalingam (1976), p. 17 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  11. Sitaramaiya, A Hand Book of Telugu Literature (1943), p. 88 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩

References

Sources (4)
  1. P. Chenchiah and Raja M. Bhujanga Rao, A History of Telugu Literature (The Heritage of India Series) (opens in a new tab), Association Press (Y.M.C.A.), Calcutta / Oxford University Press, London, 1928, pp. 114, 118. [Public domain]
  2. K. Sitaramaiya, A Hand Book of Telugu Literature (opens in a new tab), Hyderabad Telugu Academy, Hyderabad (Deccan), 1943, pp. 65, 85, 88. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  3. P. T. Raju, Telugu Literature (Andhra Literature) (The P. E. N. Books, The Indian Literatures, No. XV) (opens in a new tab), International Book House, Bombay, for the P. E. N. All-India Centre, 1944, pp. 57, 71, 79–80. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  4. D. Anjaneyulu, Kandukuri Veeresalingam (opens in a new tab), Publications Division, Government of India, 1976, pp. 16–17. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]

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