Historically, the Telugu poet Srinatha is recognized as Kavi Sarvabhauma, linked to Deva Raya II's patronage after defeating the court poet, Arunagirinatha Dindima.
MEANWHILE, A DISCUSSION AROSE regarding the Dharma Shastra: if the winner himself rejects the object (prize) won in a debate, what should the defeated person do with it? Such an object is considered a thousand times more inauspicious; no one else can accept it. Therefore, it was decided that it must be destroyed, and Arunagirinatha’s bronze drum had to be broken.
Then Srinatha said, "I saw Dindima’s procession as soon as I arrived in this town. I felt respect for Arunagirinatha as a great scholar. But flaunting this bronze drum and acting as if he were superior to everyone else felt quite unbearable to me. Therefore, the purpose of this debate was to remove his arrogance of being the only poet and to end the humiliation caused to other poets."
Then the Maharaja said, "You have indeed won this debate. However, your victory now is only due to the cleverness of your arguments. This poetry is nothing extraordinary. Therefore, to truly prove your scholarship and poetic talent, you must perform a Shatavadhana."
Srinatha accepted the challenge and performed the Shatavadhana. Praudhadevaraya, who was immensely pleased and impressed by it, asked Srinatha what his heart's desire was.
To this, Srinatha said, "My speech has been defiled by praising unworthy kings; to cleanse this impurity, perform a Kanakabhisheka for me.” Praudhadevaraya, happily agreeing to this, not only performed the Kanakabhisheka but also honoured him with the title Kavi Sarvabhauma (Emperor among Poets).
In this context, an important point of history must be mentioned.
There is no record anywhere in history of Srinatha having performed Shatavadhana either in the court of Praudadevaraya or anywhere else. Not only that, there is no evidence to suggest that he was an Avadhani. Both he and his brother-in-law Duggana have described his capabilities quite extensively in their respective works. However, there is no mention of Srinatha's Avadhana skills anywhere there. Thus, it can be said unequivocally that there is no basis for this imagination made by Nori Narasimha Sastri in this novel.
Earlier—when Srinatha had set out from Kondaveedu to Vijayanagara in great pomp —the officials at the empire's border stopped him and inquired about his titles and honours. Srinatha stated that he held the title of Kavi Sarvabhauma. To this, they replied, "All these titles of yours are not valid in our Vijayanagara. Therefore, you must enter like an ordinary Brahmin, known simply as 'Srinatha Bhatta'."
Later, when Mummakavi asked him the same question, Srinatha replied, "I too possess titles. Just as Arjuna tied his Gandiva bow to the Shami tree according to Dharmaraja's command, I have left my titles behind at your border. When I return to my motherland, I shall take all those titles back with me in grand splendour."
Now, the fact that he received the same title of Kavi Sarvabhauma in Vijayanagara itself is an artistic composition shaped against the backdrop of true historical facts. Thus, Srinatha, after being honored by Praudhadevaraya, returned to his hometown.
By the time he reached Kondaveedu, his patron, King Vema Reddy had died fighting his kinsmen. His son, who was his successor, did not possess the same literary taste as his father. In fact, he was resentful, believing that his father had emptied the treasury to patronize poets and scholars. Consequently, he neglected the great poet Srinatha.
The ruler of Rachakonda, who had emerged victorious, had seized a dagger named Nandikanta Potaraju, a sacred heirloom belonging to the royal family of Kondaveedu. It is profoundly ironic that the new King of Kondaveedu, while feeling humiliated by this, lacked the strength to protect or reclaim it.
Srinatha, knowing the King’s inability to wage war or avenge his father's death, went to Rachakonda on his own. There, he displayed his scholarship before King Sarvajna Singhabhupala, a connoisseur of arts, and pleased him with his Chaatu (impromptu witty) poems. As a reward, he obtained the dagger and returned it to Kondaveedu.
However, the foolish King of Kondaveedu failed to perceive this act appropriately. Instead, he grew angry, claiming it was "alms" obtained by Srinatha by praising an enemy, which he felt was an insult. Disheartened and unwilling to remain in his hometown any longer, Srinatha went to Kanchipuram to seek refuge with his childhood friend, Avachi Tippayya Shetty, an expert in overseas trade.
This is the broad outline of the novel's story. Hereafter, let us delve into some interesting aspects of some episodes of Kavisarvabhaumudu.
To be continued
The Dharma Dispatch is now available on Telegram! For original and insightful narratives on Indian Culture and History, subscribe to us on Telegram.