Anecdotes from the Life of Puttaparthi

Dr. Y. HARE RAMA MURTHY

Padmasri, Saraswatiputra, Dr. Puttaparthi Narayanacharyulu was a veteran literary giant for all times. A poet par excellence who composed poetry in half-a-dozen languages, with intimacy over more than half-a-dozen languages – some of them, of course, being obsolete. To his disciples and followers he had been a mobile lexicon and an encyclopaedia. Sundry thoughts, imagery, stylistics culled from various classics of South Indian languages were quoted by him often from the storehouse of his memory to people around him to enthuse them to a study of the translations at least. A knowledge of several languages, the subtleties and beauties of each, made him a great lover of languages with a wider outlook, a broader prospect and a catholicity of tastes and interests. To Puttaparthi, languages are like the offsprings of a single Motter, India. Hence language fanaticism had never flashed in his mind or heart. He had been an evergrowing student in pursuit of perennial knowledge. There has been throbbing of joy for him in learning things new from various languages, Indian and foreign.

I had an occasion to speak to Sriman Puttaparthi on the memorable events of his life, his indomitable will and courage, tireless perseverance and diligence which led him to heights of eminence unattainable to the contemporary poets. He was tuned to a mood to narrate the indelible, remarkable impressions and incidents and the following were some, of them to reckon with. Dr. Puttaparthi remembered with maudlin tears his better-half Smt. Kanakamma (by herself a poetess in four languages) who had rendered yeoman service as a scribe to his extempore poetic utterances. After the demise of his wife, he was at a loss for a scribe.

Dr. Puttaparthi opined that his liking for scholarship was greater than that for versification. He disliked exhibitionism, he was averse to “poetastry”. At times he was constrained to show his mettle as a poet.

Before reaching his teenage Dr. Puttaparthi as a boy-prodigy had produced “Penugonda Lakshmi”, a bonanza poem. When he was sixteen he attended an interview seeking admission to S. V. Oriental College, Tirupati. Kapisthalam Krishnamacharyulu, Principal of the College, refused Puttaparthi admission, for the latter had no certificate testifying his schooling. Disappointed Puttaparthi had uttered five or six Slokas offhand in chaste Sanskrit and walked out of the Principal’s chamber. Highly impressed by the poetic flow and accurate diction, the Principal called him back and listened to the Slokas again with rapt attention and was pleased to have such a prestigeous scholar in his institution. The Principal gave option for him to join in any course he desired. It was an irony that he had to study one of his own poems of his own works, “Penugonda Lakshmi” for his Vidwan Examination. It was, of course, a rare instance.

While in Tirupati prosecuting his studies in Vyakarana, Dr. Puttaparthi had a unique opportunity of meeting Sri Sri Sri Kamakoti Mutt Acharya during his visit. Dr Puttaparthi had performed Ashtavadhana in Sanskrit and was blessed by the Swamiji. After 30 years again Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Swamiji had an occasion to bless Dr. Puttaparthi in Proddatur.

In his nineteenth year Puttaparthi wrote a critical essay on Sri Viwanatha Satyanarayana’s felicity of phrase. His statement that Sri Viswanatha could use Sanskrit phraseology with greater facility and not so much so in Telugu, raised a great controversy in Dharmavaram scholarly circles. On four days, mornings were engaged in arguments contradicting Putaparthi’s point of view and evenings were spent in establishing his standpoint. To justify his statements Puttaparthi had cited certain aspects from Prakrit languages. Viswanatha pleaded his lack of knowledge of Prakrit languages. In fine, Mrs. Kanakamma concluded the discussion declaring both of them equally great.

During his twentieth year Dr. Puttaparthi attended a literary meet which was conducted on a very grand scale with programmes spreading for five days in Alampur on the banks of the Krishna near Kurnool. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan presided over the five days meet. Dr. Puttaparthi wanted to present a special dissertation on “The Influence of Kannada poet Pampa on Nannaya”. His poetic rivals scented this and tried by all means to deprive him of a chance to read his article as he would eclipse all other earlier scholars. This they could succeed partially and Puttaparthi was allowed at about 1-30 P. M. to read one or two pages only before lunch-break. He started reading the article; after completing two pages, he abruptly stopped reading as per the instructions given earlier by the President of the conference. The information in the few pages was so fascinating that it created a furore in the audience. Uproarious insistence on further continuation and completion, made the President permit him to resume his reading which lasted till 4-30 P. M. on that day. The audience was thrilled and spell-bound by the excellence of the information and the literary treatment.

Once an All India Oriental Conference was conducted in Cuddapah for three days. Dr. Puttaparthi could not attend the conference on the first two days. And the jealous lot took this opportunity to traduce his name alleging that he knew nothing of Kannada, nor of Malayalam, nor even of Telugu and propagated that Dr. Puttaparthi had disappeared at the crucial time to avoid humiliation. Just then Dr. Puttaparthi returned home from Kadiri town after a felicitation programme there. No sooner did he reach his house than he was surrounded by his zealots. They, in one voice entreated him to put an end to the opponents’ gossip by a fitting rejoinder from the platform. For the third day conference Dr. Puttaparthi prepared that night a special article entitled “Egoism in literature”. His lecture illustrated the part played by the obdurate pride of poets in different literatures. Later in concluding his lecture he threw an open challenge trenchantly that anyone could test his knowledge in any of the 14 languages he had mastered. And no one ventured to come forward. After the meeting those that criticized him vehemently went to him declaring that all their comments were for fun and merely to spur his admirers to irritation. They tried to please and appease him with the flattering words. “Swami, can anyone dare say you don’t know other languages?” That was the public trend, commented Dr. Puttaparthi.

As Dr. Puttaparthi had made an indepth study of the Vedas and Sastras, I queried whether anyone tested him in those philosophic classics. With a beaming smile Dr. Puttaparthi narrated that Sringeri Mutt Swamiji had once visited Cuddapah. No one introduced Puttaparthi to the Swamiji as the Brahmins around were austere and felt Puttaparthi unorthodox in style and appearance without a tuft and proper dressing. But the Correspondent of his school who was nearby introduced him to the Swamiji. On the spur of the moment Dr. Puttaparthi uttered 15 to 20 Slokas extempore. Then the Swamiji invited him to the place of his stay and had discussion on the first Brahmasutra “Athaato Brahma Jijnasa”. Dr. Puttaparthi harangued for two hours in Sanskrit. And the Swamiji who was highly impressed honoured him with a Zari-bordered Shawl. Dr. Puttaparthi expressed his disillusionment on a few occasions for his not experiencing the beatitude in spite of his everlasting chanting and Sadhana on Lord Krishna.

I was eager to know how the title “Saraswatiputra” was conferred on Dr. Puttaparthi. Dr. Puttaparti said that once he was confronted with several problems, domestic and spiritual. He ran away to Benares. There he participated in a meeting presided over by Govinda Malavya, son of Pandit Madanmohan Malavya. They received him very well for his scholarship in Sanskrit. Then he marched to Haridwar and Rishikesh. On the way between the banks of the Ganges and the foot of the Himalayas there was a long path whereon he found Swami Sivananda’s Ashram. The Swamiji was just then awake from his trance. He invited Dr. Puttaparthi into the hermitage. For a few months Puttaparthi stayed there. Finally the Swamiji tested him in all Sastras and endearingly called him “Saraswatiputra” with all his blessings. The Swamiji also gave a few rare books to the Saraswatiputra.

On several occasions the Saraswatiputra had to mingle with scholars, academicians, educationists and so on. The authorities of Travancore Lexicon Office were seeking for a polyglot, well-versed in the Dravidian languages to carryon research work. All the South Indian universities recommended unanimously the Saraswatiputra as the fittest scholar for that onerous duty. He served that institution for three years.

Later Sri Krishna Kripalani, a multilingual scholar, the husband of Rabindranath Tagore’s grand-daughter, invited the Saraswatiputra to be Chief Librarian for a 19-language library. There the famous Malayalam poet Pandit Suranand Kunhan Pillai, an authority on ancient Malayalam literature and on Sanskrit, met the Saraswatiputra and spoke intimately stating that the Malayalees had recognized his greatness and worth. Sri Pillai had quoted that a diamond does not go seeking the buyer; only buyers who know the value go in search of precious diamonds – that way Dr. Puttaparthi was sought by Travancore Lexicon Office. And this comment moved Dr. Puttaparthi to joyous tears.

On another occasion Dr. Puttaparthi was introduced to Sri C. D. Deshmukh by the famous Hindi poet, Dinakar. During the conversation Sri C. D. Deshmukh recited a Hindi poem and asked him to translate it into Sanskrit which the Saraswatiputra had done instantly. And C. D. Deshmukh was highly elated by the translation piece.

Once the Saraswatiputra stayed in the Aurobindo Ashram and had learnt French, Greek and Latin languages. He also translated Aurobindo’s writings into Telugu. He had written in every literary form and completed more than one hundred books. Of them Sivataandavam, Penugondalakshmi, Pandaribhagavatam and Janapriya Ramayanam stand apart as masterpieces.

On several occasions Dr. Puttaparthi was suggesting to the Pandits, scholars and authorities that a very great deal of service was still to be done to Telugu and other Dravidian languages. He was of the firm conviction that without some study and familiarity of the Dravidian languages total mastery of Telugu would be incomplete as the people, languages and cultures of these neighbouring States were interlinked in the Inner rhythm of their lives. He emphasized the need of prolific translation of all classics of the other Dravidian languages. While commenting on the neglect of Telugu by the authorities, he grieved over the prevailing plight as the Andhras had not even translated the renowned Caldwell’s History of Philology (a book on South Indian languages). The Saraswatiputra always felt that the Government should regard poets on a par with the scientists. And Dr. Puttaparthi Narayanacharyulu remains as one of the brightest stars on the Andhra literary horizon.

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