Yerrana
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Yarrapragada or Erranna was a
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
poet in the court of King Prolaya Vema Reddy (1325–1353). The surname of Erranna was Yerrapragada or Yerrana, which are epithets of the fair-skinned Lord Skanda in the
Telugu language Telugu (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken by Telugu people predominantly living in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. It is the most widely spoken member of the Dravidian language fam ...
, but became attached to his paternal family due its having notable members with fair or red-skinned complexions. He was honoured with the title ''Prabandha-paramēśvara'' ("Master of historical anecdotes") and ''Śambhudāsuḍu'' ("Servant of Lord Śiva").


Birth and Ancestors

Errapragada Erranna was born in the village of Gudlur, located in Pakanadu (presently Prakasam district), and lived in Chadalawada, Prakasam district. He belonged to the Śrīvatsa-gotra and Āpastamba-sūtra of the Niyogī Brahma-bandhu caste. His father was Errapragada Suranna and mother was Errapragada Potamma. His grandfather was Errapragada Errapotanna whose name was given to him and his grandmother was Errapragada Peramma. His great-grandparents were Errapragada Bolanna and Errapragada Polamma and his great-great-grandfather was Errapragada Bhimanna. His family followed the Smārta tradition of the Vedic religion. Although Erranna was a devotee of Lord
Śiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
, he also worshipped the Supreme Personality of Godhead.


Contributions

The
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
was translated into
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
over a period of several centuries (from the 11th to 14th centuries CE). Erranna was one of the ''
kavitrayam Kavitrayam ( Telugu: కవిత్రయం) is a Telugu expression for trinity of poets. Kavitrayam popularly refers to the poets who translated the great epic Mahabharata into Telugu. The group/trinity consists of Nannayya, Tikkana and Yerra ...
'' ("Trinity of Poets") who rendered the Mahabharatam from Sanskrit into Telugu. The other two poets were
Nannaya Nannaya ''Bhattaraka'' (sometimes spelled Nannayya or Nannaiah; ca. 11th century) was a Telugu poet and the author of the first '' Andhra Mahabharatam'', a Telugu retelling of the Sanskrit-language ''Mahabharata''. This work, which is rendere ...
and
Tikkana Tikkana (or Tikkana Somayaji) (1205–1288) was a 13th century Telugu poet. Born into a Telugu-speaking Niyogi Brahmin family during the golden age of the Kakatiya dynasty, he was the second poet of the "Trinity of Poets (Kavi Trayam)" that tra ...
of the '' Andhra Mahabharatam'' ("Andhra Mahabharat"). Tikkana translated the remaining books starting from the 4th, leaving the third book titled the ''Aranya Parvamu'' ("Book of the Forest") half-finished, for Erranna to complete.
Tikkana Tikkana (or Tikkana Somayaji) (1205–1288) was a 13th century Telugu poet. Born into a Telugu-speaking Niyogi Brahmin family during the golden age of the Kakatiya dynasty, he was the second poet of the "Trinity of Poets (Kavi Trayam)" that tra ...
did not touch this part because it was considered to be inauspicious to translate this book, which was left half-finished by
Nannaya Nannaya ''Bhattaraka'' (sometimes spelled Nannayya or Nannaiah; ca. 11th century) was a Telugu poet and the author of the first '' Andhra Mahabharatam'', a Telugu retelling of the Sanskrit-language ''Mahabharata''. This work, which is rendere ...
. Erranna started the remaining half of the ''Aranya Parvamu'' with the style of Nannaya and ended it with the style of Tikkana as a bridge between the parts translated by Nannaya and Tikkana. Just like Nannaya and Tikkanna, he used half
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
and half
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
in his Telugu translation of the Sanskrit Mahabharata. He translated the ''Harivamsamu'' and ''Ramayanamu'' from Sanskrit, dedicating both works to the founder of the Reddy Dynasty, King Prolaya Vemareddy. ''Nrusimhapuranamu'' was his own independent work. Erranna received his inspiration for the Nrusimhapuranam from his grandfather Errapotanna. According to tradition, one day when Erranna was meditating, his grandfather appeared and advised him to write the ''Narisimhapuranamu''. This work was based on the ''Brahmandapuranamu'' and the ''Vishnupuranamu''. According to the ''Viṣṇu Purāṇa'', King Hiraṇyakaśipu was the powerful demonic sovereign of the Earth millions of year ago at the beginning of the ''
Yuga Cycle A ''Yuga'' Cycle ( ''chatur yuga'', ''maha yuga'', etc.) is a cyclic age (epoch) in Hindu cosmology. Each cycle lasts for 4,320,000 years (12,000 divine years) and repeats four ''yugas'' (world ages): '' Krita (Satya) Yuga'', ''Treta Yuga'', ''D ...
''. The subjects of the Earth were described as ''Manavas'' ("descendants of Manu"; "humans"). The subjects of King Indra were described as ''Devatas''. King Hiraṇyakaśipu fought a war with King Indra and, having emerged victorious, took over the heavenly planets. Under the rule of King Hiraṇyakaśipu, most of the Devatas either "converted to" or disguised themselves as Manavas for the fear of King Hiraṇyakaśipu. Another contemporary of King Hiraṇyakaśipu was also gate keeper of Śvetadvīpa, the Vaikuṇṭha planet in this universe, in a previous life, Śrī-hari who ruled in the '' Kṣīra-sāgara'' (the "Sea of Milk").


References


See also

*
Reddy dynasty The Reddi kingdom or Kondavidu Reddi kingdom (1325–1448 CE) was established in southern India by Prolaya Vema Reddi. Most of the region that was ruled by the Reddi dynasty is now part of modern-day coastal and central Andhra Pradesh. Orig ...
*
Telugu literature Telugu literature is the body of works written in the Telugu language. It consists of poems, short stories, novels, plays, and song lyrics, among others. There is some indication that Telugu literature dates at least to the middle of the first ...
*
Kavitrayam Kavitrayam ( Telugu: కవిత్రయం) is a Telugu expression for trinity of poets. Kavitrayam popularly refers to the poets who translated the great epic Mahabharata into Telugu. The group/trinity consists of Nannayya, Tikkana and Yerra ...
{{authority control Telugu poets Telugu writers People from Prakasam district Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown Poets from Andhra Pradesh 14th-century Indian poets 14th-century Indian translators Sanskrit–Telugu translators