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Nandi Timmana

Telugu poet of Krishnadeva Raya's court and one of the Ashtadiggajas (the eight great poets), popularly called Mukku Timmana. He was a Niyogi Brahman and a Saiva, and a nephew of the poet Malayamaruta. He wrote the Parijatapaharanamu, dedicated to the king, the story of Krishna bringing the parijata tree from heaven for Satyabhama. Its introduction is a source for the careers of Narasa Nayaka and Krishnadeva Raya. Tradition says it was written to reconcile the king with a queen.

Nandi Timmana, popularly known as Mukku Timmana, was a poet at the court of Krishnadeva Raya.12 In the words of P. Chenchiah and Raja M. Bhujanga Rao, he was “the second great poet of the royal court”.12 He was one of the Ashtadiggajas (the eight great poets of the court).12 His one great work is the Parijatapaharanamu, which he dedicated to the king.2 See Krishnadeva Raya and Vijayanagara.

Life

Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao describe him as a Niyogi Brahman of the Aruvela sect and “a staunch Saivite by faith”.2 The poet speaks of himself in the fifth canto of the Parijatapaharanamu, as Krishnaswami Aiyangar summarised it.3 He says he was the son of Nandi Singamatya and Timmamba and the nephew of the poet Malayamaruta.3 He also says that Krishnadeva Raya gave him an agrahara (a village granted to Brahmans) for his skill at dice.3

G. R. Subramiah Pantulu, writing in 1898, added more details.4 He said that Timmana was of the Kausika gotra (family line), a disciple of Aghoraguru, and a native of a village called Gannavara.4 He also said that the uncle, Malayamaruta, was the author of the Varaha Purana.4

The Telugu Rayavachakamu names “Mukku Timmanna” among the poets with the king on his campaign against the sultans.5 It names Allasani Peddana and Madayagari Mallana with him.5 It gives the substance of a verse he made on the victory.5 The enemy fled at the king’s name, and their elephants fled seeing in him Vishnu, “the rescuer of the lord of elephants”.5

The Parijatapaharanamu

The poem tells how Krishna gave the flower of the heavenly parijata tree to his wife Rukmini.2 His other wife, Satyabhama, in her anger spurned him with her foot.2 Krishna fought the gods and brought the tree itself to her palace.2 Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao called it “a rare prabandha, full of honeyed words, sweet sentiments and delicate and polished imagery”.6

Subramiah Pantulu dated the poem to the interval between the king’s eastern campaign and his war with Bijapur, between 1516 and 1520.78 He noted that in its fourth canto the poet praises the king himself as a poet.78

The introduction is also a historical source. Krishnaswami Aiyangar wrote that one passage “makes the relation clear between the rebellion of Ganga Raja of Ummattur and the capture of Sivasamudram”.9

The introduction tells how the king’s grandfather Isvara made the blood of the Bidar cavalry flow at Kandukur.10 It says that his father Narasa took the capital “when the lord of the Kuntala … country was in trouble”.10 Narasa also killed the Muslim ruler at Manavadurga and captured Madura.10 It names Narasa’s two wives, Tippamba and Nagamba, as the mothers of Vira Narasimha and Krishnaraya.10

Of Krishnadeva Raya’s eastern war, it says that he captured the son of Prataparudra near Kondavidu and spared his life.3 It lists among his conquests Udayagiri, Vinukonda, Kondavidu, Bellamkonda, Jallipalli, Anantagiri and Kambammet.3 See Kondavidu, Udayagiri and Saluva Narasimha.

The story of the poem

A well-known story says why the poem was written. The king quarrelled with his queen.6411 In Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao’s telling, she was found sleeping with her feet towards his portrait.6 In Subramiah Pantulu’s telling, her feet were touching his head.411

The poet had come to court with the queen from her father’s household.6411 He wrote the poem to show the king “that great freedom is permitted between lovers”.6411 When it was read before him, the king remembered his quarrel and was reconciled.6411

Both Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao and Subramiah Pantulu give it as a story told about the poem, not as a fact recorded in it.24

Footnotes

  1. P. Chenchiah and Raja M. Bhujanga Rao, A History of Telugu Literature (1928), p. 72 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao, A History of Telugu Literature (1928), p. 74 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  3. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919), pp. 138–139, extract 41, the Parijatapaharanamu (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  4. Subramiah Pantulu, Indian Antiquary XXVII (1898), p. 303 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  5. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919), p. 113, extract 38, the Rayavachakamu (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  6. Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao, A History of Telugu Literature (1928), p. 75 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  7. G. R. Subramiah Pantulu, “Discursive Remarks on the Augustan Age of Telugu Literature”, Indian Antiquary XXVII (1898), p. 296 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  8. Subramiah Pantulu, Indian Antiquary XXVII (1898), p. 298 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  9. S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar (ed.), Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919), introduction, p. 11 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  10. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919), p. 106, extract 35, the Parijatapaharanamu (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  11. Subramiah Pantulu, Indian Antiquary XXVII (1898), p. 304 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

References

Sources (3)
  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. 72–75. [Public domain]
  2. Indian Antiquary, The Indian Antiquary, Vol. XXVII (1898) (opens in a new tab), Education Society's Press, Byculla, Bombay, 1898, pp. 296, 298, 303–304. G. R. Subramiah Pantulu, 'Discursive Remarks on the Augustan Age of Telugu Literature'. [Public domain]
  3. S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Sources of Vijayanagar History (opens in a new tab), University of Madras, 1919, pp. 11, 106–107, 113, 138–139. [Public domain]

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