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Raghunatha Nayaka of Thanjavur

Telugu Nayaka ruler of Thanjavur (then Tanjore) in the early 17th century, himself a poet in Telugu and Sanskrit and a writer on music. His court began the 'Southern school' of Telugu literature: his own Valmiki Charitramu was an early Telugu prose work, and Chemakura Venkatakavi wrote the Vijayavilasamu there. Poems by his son, his minister and a woman poet of his court describe his wars for the Vijayanagara throne.

Raghunatha Nayaka ruled Thanjavur (then Tanjore) in the early 17th century.12 His family were governors first appointed under Vijayanagara.3 He was a poet in Telugu and Sanskrit, and a writer on music.45 P. Chenchiah and Raja M. Bhujanga Rao saw his court as the place where the Telugu literature of the south first flowered.3

Family and reign

Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao, in their history of Telugu literature (1928), write that Krishnadeva Raya made Chevva Raju chief of Tanjore.3 Chevva’s son Achyuta Nayaka had a learned Telugu minister, Govinda Dikshita.3 Raghunatha was Achyuta’s son.3

His son Vijayaraghava wrote a Telugu play about him, the Raghunathabhyudayamu (the rise of Raghunatha).6 S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar printed parts of it in his Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919).6 In his summary, the play says that Raghunatha:728

  • defeated the Nayaka of Gingee and killed the rebel Jagga Raya
  • placed the young Rama Deva Raya firmly on the Vijayanagara throne at Penukonda
  • married Kalavati, the mother of Vijayaraghava
  • after the battle, married a daughter of the Nayaka of Madurai and held court at Thanjavur728

A report in the play dates the battle against Jagga Raya to the cyclic year Nala, which Krishnaswami Aiyangar put in 1617–18.2 See Venkatapati II for the war of succession.

Poet and patron

Govinda Dikshita, his minister, wrote that Raghunatha was a great scholar of music and of literature.4 He was “a good poet in Sanskrit as well as the vernacular (bhasha, Telugu)”.4 Govinda Dikshita lists his works:4

  • Parijataharanamu
  • Valmiki Charitramu
  • Achyutendrabhyudayamu
  • Gajendramokshamu
  • Nalacharitramu
  • a yakshaganam (sung village drama) on the marriage of Rukmini and Krishna4

A Sanskrit poem by the minister’s son says that the young prince dictated the Parijataharanamu in six hours.59 It also claims a very large number of works for him.9 Krishnaswami Aiyangar doubted this, and noted that “about a dozen of his works in Sanskrit and Telugu have come down to us”.9

Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao called the Valmiki Charitramu “a prose kavya”.3 P. T. Raju, in 1944, called it “the first important prose work” in Telugu.10 At his court Chemakura Venkatakavi wrote the Sarangadhara Charitramu and the Vijayavilasamu.3

Women poets also wrote at his court.111 Ramabhadramba wrote a Sanskrit Raghunathabhyudayamu, a life of the king.11 Krishnaswami Aiyangar found its manuscript in November 1916.11 K. Sitaramaiya, in 1943, adds that Madhuravani put Raghunatha’s Ramayana into Sanskrit.1

Music

Raghunatha’s own book on music, the Sanskrit Sangita Sudha, makes large claims for him.5 In Krishnaswami Aiyangar’s summary, it says he invented new ragas and a new tala (rhythm), Ramananda.5 It says he taught the vina to many musicians.5 It also says he made a new mela (scale) named after himself, on which any raga could be played.5 Sitaramaiya repeated these claims.1213

Where the sources disagree

  • His dates. Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao date Raghunatha to 1630–40.3 Sitaramaiya gives his reign as 1613–1633.1 The report in his son’s play puts his victory over Jagga Raya in 1617–18.2
  • The new vina. The Sangita Sudha gives Raghunatha the credit for a fixed arrangement of the vina’s frets, on which any raga could be played.14 Krishnaswami Aiyangar noted that popular belief gave the credit to Venkatesa Makhi, son of Govinda Dikshita.14 He suggested that “possibly the Raja made the suggestion and the Pandit worked it up”.14

Footnotes

  1. Sitaramaiya, A Hand Book of Telugu Literature (1943), p. 57 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  2. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919), p. 259, extract 86 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  3. P. Chenchiah and Raja M. Bhujanga Rao, A History of Telugu Literature (1928), p. 91 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  4. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919), p. 267, extract 88, the Sahitya Sudha of Govinda Dikshita (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  5. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919), p. 269, extracts 89–90, the Sangita Sudha and the Sahityaratnakara (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  6. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919), p. 254, extract 85, the Raghunathabhyudayamu of Vijayaraghava Nayaka (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  7. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919), p. 255 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  8. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919), p. 260 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  9. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919), p. 270 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  10. P. T. Raju, Telugu Literature (1944), p. 48 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩

  11. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919), p. 284, extract 91, the Raghunathabhyudayamu of Ramabhadramba (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  12. Sitaramaiya, A Hand Book of Telugu Literature (1943), p. 55 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩

  13. Sitaramaiya, A Hand Book of Telugu Literature (1943), p. 56 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). Cite-only; paraphrased. ↩

  14. S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar (ed.), Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919), addenda, pp. viii–ix (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

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. 91–92. [Public domain]
  2. S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Sources of Vijayanagar History (opens in a new tab), University of Madras, 1919, viii–ix, 254–255, 259–260, 267, 269–270, 284. Extracts 85–91: Raghunathabhyudayamu of Vijayaraghava, Sahitya Sudha, Sangita Sudha, Sahityaratnakara, Raghunathabhyudayamu of Ramabhadramba. [Public domain]
  3. K. Sitaramaiya, A Hand Book of Telugu Literature (opens in a new tab), Hyderabad Telugu Academy, Hyderabad (Deccan), 1943, pp. 55–57. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]
  4. 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. 48. Cite-only; paraphrased. [All rights reserved (cited, not reproduced)]

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