Sri Kandukuri Viresalingam Pantulugaru was born in 1848 in Rajamahendravaram (Rajahmundry). He was a scholar and a versatile genius. His command over Telugu, English, and Sanskrit were extraordinary and there is no one parallel to him in this. Sri Viresalingam worked as a Telugu pandit (lecturer) in the Rajahmundry college. He concentrated all his efforts and enerrgies on the social reforms viz. widow marriages and abolition of child marriages. He was a strong advocate of women education which was forbidden those days. Sri Viresalingam used his intellectual treasure as the weapon and battled for women's equal rights. He was instrumental for a number of widow (re)marriages. Sri Viresalingam was a social reformer and above all was a leader.
Sri Viresalingam strongly believed that the existence of castes in the Hindu society degraded the social infrastructure and he launched the anti-caste movement. He criticized misconceptions, religious misbeliefs, and orthodoxy in his writings. He was the founder of the BRAHMA SAMAJ in Andhra (reformed form of Hinduism).
Sri Viresalingam criticized and opposed the itching palms and bribery among the Government employees and was responsible in getting some of those parasites prosecuted and punished. He also opposed prostitution.
For all his efforts in bringing out social reformism, Sri Viresalingam used the Telugu language as an effective weapon. He was the author of over 100 volumes in Telugu such as plays, novels, scientific writings, and history. He is called the "GADYA TIKKANA" of the ANDHRA DESA. In his last days he admired the vernacular Telugu (Vyavahara Bhasha) and the then independence movement organized by the Congress. He published the "ANDHRA KAVULA CHARITRA" (History of Andhra Poets), which is the basis for the history of Andhra and Andhra Literature.
He dedicated his entire life to social service, social reforms, and the advancement (progress) of Telugu language. The money (1 lakh rupees) that he earned by writing books was donated by him to the "HITAKARANI SAMAJAMU", a social welfare establishment (He actually donated his estate. That was the greatest sacrifice no one can make - unforgettable!
kandam :
tana dEhamu tana gEhamu
tana ka'lamu tana dhanambu tana vidya jaga
jjanulakai viniyOgincina
Ganu Dii viirEsalingakavi janula'ra'!
That was the respect he commanded! He is regarded as the FATHER OF THE MODERN ANDHRA SOCIETY.
Sri Viresalingam started the revolution to reform the then existing Telugu language usage which led to the birth of "Vyavaharaika Bhasha". This revolution was later successfully handled by Sri Gidugu Ramamurty of Parlakimedi and Sri Gurajada Apparao of Vizianagaram. Every common and ordinary Telugite should be grateful to Sri Kandukuri Viresalingam, Sri Gidugu Ramamurty, and Sri Gurajada Apparao for the fruits of their indifatiguable battle - the culture and creation of "Vyavaharika Telugu".
Another bright star in the Galaxy of Geniuses of Andhra Desa - Sri Kandukuri Viresalingam.
----Telugu from "Andhrula Sankshipta Charitra" by Sri Etukuru Balarama Murty
-------English version by PALANA
The following is a gEyam by Dr. J. Bapureddi on Sri Kandukuri Viresalingam. This was borrowed from Dr. Bapureddi's book, "manacEtullOnE undi", published in 1974. Bapureddi's "manacEtullOnE undi" is a collection of poems on various subjects which are of very high intellectual quality. For that matter Dr. Bapureddi is rated as one of the greatest modern Telugu writers and poets.
Dr. Bapureddi was born in 1936 in Sirikonda of the Karimnagar Dist., AP. He received his masters degree (MA) in Economics from the Osmania University. Above all, he is a responsible IAS officer. He travelled the entire world and respected for his intellectual stature. He received several honors. In 1974 he received the AP Sahitya Academy Award for Modern Telugu Poetry. In 1984 he was awarded the honorary doctorate by the prapanca kaLa' samskrutula academy. Other books written by Dr. Bapureddi are "Srikara Sikharam", "Premaramam", and "Na Desam Navvutoondi".
In his book " manacEtullOnE undi", the poem on Kandukuri gives the reader the entire picture of Kandukuri's life, philosophy, reformism, and patriotism. This book should be read by every Telugu. The stylistic elegance of Bapureddi's language can be enjoyed without a break. Another Sri Sri is visualized in Bapureddi's poetry. What a literary treasure is this genius, Dr. Bapureddi who carved Sri Kandukuri with his pen.
-----------PALANA
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andarilO kandukoori - by ba'pureddi
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sa'ydha viplava'lalO sa'dhincalEni
sanGa samskaraNanu
sa'hitii souraBa'lalO
sa'dhincina kiirti Srungam
kandukoori virESalingam!
andukO ma' jOha'rulu
gOda'varii sarittula'ga
gunDenu ponginca'vu
a'darSa'la, a'caraNa tiira'lu
a'varinci pravahinca'vu
sva'rdha'la moorKatva'la
sanGa jiivita saikata'lalO
krotta viluvalu panDinca'vu
krushii panDituDiga' jiivinca'vu!
kshiiNa sa'hitya kshataga'tra yaina
va'Ni, na'raduniki vinipincina
vEdana' sandESam vinna'vu
mooDa'ca'ra nakra vakra damshTra krakaca'lalO
cikkukunna sama'ja gajEndrunni
dESama'tanu, Ba'shama'tanu
diikshatO, viira'vESamtO
rakshincina viirESalingam pantuloo!
mElukO andari Denda'lalO
mEGa'vruta maha'bila nEtra'lalO!
1887, DiSambaru okaTavana'Du
taratara'lu ana'dhalanu
kara kara korukkutinna
vaidhavya piSa'ca'niki
vajraGa'tam kalpinca'vu
vEdamantrayuktamga'
toli vitantuvu viva'ham jaripinca'vu
SiSiram cindulu trokkE
jiivita sa'mra'jya'lanu
vasantuDavai yElukunna'vu
ra'jamahEndravara'nni ra'jadha'ni cEsukunna'vu
prapradhama vacana prabandham
prapradhama prakruti Sa'stra grandham
prapradhama na'Taka'nuva'dam
prapradhama prahasana nirma'Nam
cEsinaTTi, telugu kavula caritra
vra'sinaTTi srashTapu
caritranu nirmincukunna drashTavu
apoorva vijayadhvajaSOBita'
andukO ma' kruta~nata' guCCa'lu-
ciraka'la da'sya SrunKalalu trenci
striilu vidya nErcukOva'lani
aka'la mrutyuvuku baliyaina
vitantuvulu viva'ham cEsukOva'lani
dura'ca'ra ta'Ta'kulanu tegaTa'rci
dharatala'nni suralOkam cEya'lani
pantuloo niivu marii marii ceppina
paTha'lanu mEm maracipOlEdu
aitE, telugudESamlO
niivu na'Tina velugutOTalu
niiru lEka, pempucEsEva'ru lEka
vela vela bOtunna'yi
dura'ca'ra'la, dushkruta'la SiSiraGa'ta'laku
vila vila la'Dutunna'yi-
manishilO da'giunna
sva'rdham, sankucitatvam, dvEsham
ma'ru vEsha'lu vEstunna'yE ga'ni
ma'raTam lEdu
enni samskaraNalu cEsina'
ii ja'ti ma'raTam lEdu
maTTi diipa'laku badulu
vidyuddiipa'lu veligincukunTunna'm
ka'nii manassullOni tamassulanu
veligincalEkapOtunna'm
nalla baja'rlalO dharmadiipam nilapalEkapOtunna'm
velugulOkanna' ciikaTilOnE mEmu
viira viha'ram cEstunna'm-
svECCa ka'va'lanna'vu niivu striiki
iccESa'm bOleDanta svECCa a'meku
EmiTa' svECCa anTunna'va'
svECCa lEdu ani ceppE svECCa
svECCa ka'va'lani svECCaga' aricE svECCa
iccESa'm bOleDanta svECCa-----
ba'la vitantuvula peLLiLLu cEyamanna'vu
cEsESa'm
aitE, peLLE vaddani koorcunna
pedda ba'lalu taya'rayya'rippuDu
samskarta'! viiLLa sangatEmiTi---
kanya'Sulkam vaddanna'vu niivu
varaSulka'lu vacci koorcunna'yippuDu
viiTinEmi cEyamanTa'vu?
a'Dava'LLanu cadivincamanna'vu
cadivinca'm
udyOga'lu ra'vaTamlEdu sarikada'
va'LLaku peLLiLLu ka'vaTamlEdu
ippuDu viiLLanEm cEyamanTa'vu?
parishka'ra'lu samasyalaipOtunnavi
samskaraNalanu sva'rdha'lu ka'TEstunnavi
andukE O kandukoori!
andari Denda'lalO unDipommanTunna'nu
asuratva'niki cOTu lEkunDa'
antaTa' niivE ninDi pommanTunna'nu
------ J. Bapureddi, 1974