The Birth of Kavi Samrat

A great writer can come from anywhere. The extent of greatness is often exaggerated, and after a point, it starts fading away. But some people create legacies, and their greatness is nothing short of extraordinary. Viswanatha Satyanarayana was one such fine littérateur whose literary career is a tribute to Indian culture and tradition. His writings were diverse and had narratives spun with such conviction that they captivated the reader instantly.

Kavi Samrat Viswanatha Satyanarayana's 125th Birthday celebrations. Image source: The Hindu

Born in Nandamuru, Unguturu Mandal, Krishna District on 10th September 1895, to Shobhanadri, a Brahmin landlord, and Parvathi, Viswanatha Satyanarayana went on to become the greatest Telugu writer.

Satyanarayana's father was a philanthropist and almost lost his entire wealth due to his charitable nature. Viswanatha attended Veedhi Badi (street school), quite common in the 19th-20th centuries. He was born into humble dwellings, and village life left an indelible mark on him. He was influenced and taught by the street performers who kept the tradition of street folk art alive. These art forms, raw and authentic in every way, reflect in his writings.

Satyanarayana completed his early education at the National College in Machilipatnam. He went on study at the University of Madras and graduated with a master's degree in 1929

Making the best use of his education and taught at various colleges in Machilipatnam, Guntur, Vijaywada, and Karimnagar- he pursued writing seriously. After retiring as principal of Government College in Karimnagar in 1961, he devoted all his time to writing.

As he was deeply influenced by his life in the village, his writings flowed with remarkable descriptions of social conditions. There perhaps does not remain a subject or issue he did not address. He effortlessly analyses human relations, psyche, consciousness, and culture.

Like almost every notable historian, he believed that history was a narrative that was to be understood as a whole of society, polity, culture, science, religion, and aesthetics in the lives of human beings and their evolution.

Purana Vaira Granthamala, Nepala Rajavamsa Charitra, and Kashmira Rajavamsa Charitra are the three series of novels depicting history in the aforementioned style written by him.

Credited with having written poems, plays, novels, critical estimates, Khand kavyas, short stories, playlets, essays, radio plays, essays in English, literature in Sanskrit, translations, including the hundreds of forewords, introductions, and, radio talk- some of his works were translated to Hindi, English, Tamil, Malayalam, Urdu, and Sanskrit to make his writings accessible to more readers. The epic Telugu novel Veyi Padagalu was translated into Hindi by former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao as Sahasraphan.

Viswanatha is remembered fondly by all those who are familiar with his work. The Andhra Viswa Kala Parishat honoured him by conferring the title of Kalaprapoorna on him in 1964. As Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Viswanatha Satyanarayana's 125th birthday, and it remains undeniable, Viswanatha Satyanarayana was, and will remain the first writer to impart a true essence of Telugu to the Ramayana. He became the first Telugu writer to receive the Jnanpith award in 1970 for his seminal work, Ramayana Kalpavriksham. In 1971, he received the Padma Bhushan.

Satyanarayana's works are bold, captivating, culturally rich, and embody the spirit of the Telugu language. Even though he is criticised by some people, it remains true that no other contemporary in Telugu literature could match his depth of subject as Satyanarayana so effortlessly portrayed in his literature.