Adikavi Nannaya

November 1, 2017

A commemorative postage stamp on Telugu author, Nannaiah, court poet of Rajaraja Narendra, Eastern Chalukya Dynasty :

Issued by India

Issued on Nov 1, 2017

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to issue three Commemorative Postage Stamps on Kavi Muddana, Adikavi Nannaya & Draksharamam Bhimeswara Temple.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Brochure : Sh. Kamleshwar Singh
Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Nenu Gupta

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 500000

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Nannaya Bhattaraka

About :

Vaalmiki is the first poet and his great epic the Ramayana is the first epic in Sanskrit. In Telugu the first poet is Nannaya and the first epic poem is the Mahabharatam in Telugu transcreation. Andhras most affectionately and reverently call Nannaya “Nannaya Bhattaraka”.
Nannaya was the court poet of Raja Narendra (1019-1061 AD) who ruled Vengi kingdom in Andhra Desa prosperously from his capital city Rajamahendravaram (modern Rajamundry) in East Godavari district besides – Nannaya was his family priest too. He was the first among the ten court dignitaries. Further it says that ‘Purodhasa’ is well-versed in Mantra Sastra (Mystical incantations). He is Jitendriya (who conquers his senses), Krodha, Lobha varjia (rancourless and self-less) Neeti-vida (moralist), Sastrastra Chana (adept in martial arts), Vyuhabhyasakusala (master of war-science), Sapanugraha Samartha (competent to bless and curse) and so on. He is mightily enough to make the King even afraid of his wrath and competent to replace the king if he goes amoral and undemocratic by another from the King’s family. We need know that he is like Vasishta to Dasaratha in the Ramayana. He was personification of all righteous effulgence and repertory of all good and noble qualities. In the exordium of the Telugu Mahabharata we find many personal qualities of Nannaya but not even a fragment of information about his ancestry. But historians could some how excavate some details. Nannaya was the son of Bheemana Bhatta and Bheemana Bhatta was the family priest of Vimaladitya. Raja Raja succeeded Vimaladitya to the throne, and Nannaya succeeded to the priesthood. Nannaya was an unrivalled scholar in Vedas and Vedangas (prosody and grammar etc.). He was also a great scholar poet in eight languages. Nannaya made a deep study of inscriptional style of poetry and prose as well. With this rich background Nannaya with the help of Naryanabhatta pioneered his transcreation of the Mahabharata in Telugu. The great light that Nannaya lighted has been diffusing splendid brilliance in every house, nook and corner of Andhra Desa and it will continue to enlighten it for all time to come.
Nannaya was a sage. He with his heart and soul wished all progress, awareness and enlightenment for his people. He was courageous and fully confident of his powers to bring the Mahabharata, known as the fifth Veda, into his people’s language without any reservations misconceptions and whims of any kind. His language is superbly, chaste and pleasant.
Text : Based on the material received from proponent.