Potana

పోతన క్రీస్తు శకము ౧౩౭౮ (1378) నుండి ౧౪౬౦ (1460) కాలము వాడని పలువురు సాహితీ వేత్తల అభిప్రాయము.
Many literary experts opine that Potana belonged to the period 1378 - 1460 A.D. His work on Bhagavatam had influenced many of his successors of Bhakti Vedanta Tatvam. The different versions of Bhagavatam in other Indian languages came out subsequent to Potana's in Telugu. In Tamil -Ariyappapulavar (1700 A.D.), in Kannada - Vittalnatha (1530 A.D.), in Marati - Ekanatha (1580A.D.), in Oria - JagannathaDas (15th Century A.D.), in Malayalam - Vijutachchan (15th Century A.D.), in Bangla - MaladharaDas (16th Century A.D.), in Assamese - SankaraDeva (1449-1568 A.D.) translated Bhagavatam.

The great devotee Thyagaraja was influenced by Potana Bhagavatam and he used to regularly read Potana Bhagavatamu as a part of his daily worship. Bhakti is the quickest path for Mukti. Potana Bhagavatam contains stanzas that make one feel immersed in the ocean of Bhakti. Potana is a great analyst and staunch believer in human values. He didn't want to budge an inch on his values in spite of his poverty stricken farmer's state. He was proud that he earned his livelihood as a farmer than as a poet. He felt that the knowledge of poetry is God given for a Divine purpose and one should submit it to God with all humility and should never sell it off to any king.
He was of the opinion that if one sells the great literary work to get some earthly benefits he may have to face the hammerings of Lord Yama after his death.
He puts very poetically:
ఉ. immanujeShwraaDhamaula kicchi purmbulu vaahanambulun
sommulu konni pucchukoni, chokki, Sareeramu vaasi, kaaluchE
sammeta vrEtulam baDaka sammati tO harikicchi cheppe nI
bammera pOtaraajokaDu bHagavatambu jagaddhitambugan.


ఉ. ఇమ్మనుజేశ్వరాధముల కిచ్చి పురంబులు వాహనంబులున్
సొమ్ములు కొన్ని పుచ్చుకొని, చొక్కి, శరీరము వాసి, కాలుచే
సమ్మెట వ్రేటులం బడక సమ్మతి తో హరికిచ్చి చెప్పే నీ
బమ్మెర పోతరాజొకడు భాగవతంబు జగద్ధితంబుగన్.


He submitted his great work as a present to Lord SriHari.


Potana translated (nay, created in his own Bhakti Paravasyam, taking Vyasa Bhagavatam as a general guide line - as much as TulasiDas did his translation of Ramayana) into Telugu as inspired by Lord Rama in his Divine Vision, as Potana says in his introduction. His purpose was to get Mukti (liberation) by translating into Telugu.

He explicitly express his desire in writing Bhagavatam in Telugu is only for attaining Moksha in the opening stanza:

Sree kaiavlya padambu chErutakunai chintinchedan..


Potana was a great Karma Yogi. He so expresses :" It seems, The one that speaks is Bhagavatam and the one who makes it speak is Ramabhadra ( Lord Rama ) , by uttering it one gets out of the birth and death cycle, so I shall utter Bhagavatam only ( why tell any other story?)".



One should not only read but study Potana and Bhakti through Potana Bhagavatam.
You are invited to comment.

Thanks.

nvkrao

18.06.08