A teenager took part in a
socio-cultural conference – the All India Veera Saiva Mahasabha, Srisailam – in
1963 and he extemporised a metrical poem in Telugu on its chief guest. Impressed
by the boy’s poetic prowess, the VVIP chief guest hugged him and gave him the
epithet ‘Bala Kavi’ (Lad Poet). That dignitary was the then President of India, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. The boy began writing metrical poetry right from when
he was in his 9th class in the high school.
Coming from a lower-middle
class family, the boy, despite his forte in Telugu and other subjects, failed
in English in his Pre-University Course. Living in a shelter home at Anantapur,
he began learning typewriting. Spotting the literary spark in him, Bhogisetti
Joogappa, a retired district collector, engaged his services to type letters
for him and also go through and correct the articles received for a journal Srisaila
Jyoti, and paid him ₹ 60 a month. Retaining just ₹ 20 for his college and
other expenses, the boy was remitting the remaining ₹ 40 to his father, an
elementary school teacher with a very moderate means.
Even when he was in his
undergraduate studies, ‘Asadi’ Prakasa Rao, was performing Ashtavadhanams.
Wowed by his poetic and literary dexterity, the then Telugu professor Dr
Nanduri Ramakrishnamacharya advised the boy to change his surname as ‘Asavadi’
(optimist). From then on, the new surname has stuck to him and his family. And he was the most favourite student of his
teachers.
Asavadi later on worked as a
Telugu teacher in the Zilla Parishat high schools at various places before doing
MA (Telugu) in the SVU PG Centre, Anantapur. All along, he had been active in
the literary field as a poet, writer and speaker.
Even as being a well-known
poet, writer and speaker, Asavadi became a lecturer in Telugu and taught in the
government degree colleges and served as principal for six years before
retiring. His literary distinction won
him an honorary D Litt from the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University when he was
fifty-six. He is the only one to
receive such an honour while being in government service.
An expert in Ashtavadhanam,
he gave as many as 171 performances not only in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
but also in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and New Delhi. He is the only Avadhani from the SC community in the
entire country.
WHAT IS
ASHTAVADHANAM
Avadhanam is a comprehensive
and astounding literary acrobatic demanding a high order of erudition both classical/
traditional and modern with a grip over current affairs, simultaneous undivided
multi-focus, extemporisation of metrical poetry and its orderly recital with a photographic
memory with no aid of pen or paper, extraordinary common-sense, and a keen wit
& repartee. Avadhanam literally means undivided attention, and the one who
performs it is called Avadhani. Ashtavadhani is one who is engaged or
challenged by eight learned scholars simultaneously, and one of them constantly
butts in to disturb and detract the Avadhani’s attention. Likewise, there are
Avadhanams wherein an Avadhani is engaged by 100 or even 1,000 scholars
simultaneously and they are called Satavadhanam and Sahasravadhanam.
Not being content with being
an Avadhani himself, he encouraged and trained many a talented youth to
practise this amazing literary activity.
FAMILY BACKGROUND
Born on 02 August 1944 in
a poor Scheduled Caste (Madiga) family in a remote Peravali village in the
Singanamala Mandal of Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh and settled down in
the Penukonda town of the same district, Dr Asavadi Prakasa Rao, by dint of his
qualities of head and heart, overcame the disadvantages of his origin, and rose
to admirable heights in the realms of literature, education and social service
with a positive, eclectic, and harmonising attitude. Not one to believe in
confrontation or negative rebelliousness, Dr Asavadi has imbibed the age-old
and time-tested quintessential Indian cultural ethos aiming at universal peace
and harmony. Refusing to be lured away from his original Hindu faith, he
continues to propagate and live the Bharatiya Sanskara (Indic culture) through
his multifarious activities for over five decades.
Given to a life of simplicity,
austerity and humility, he has been utilising his hard earned income and
savings to propagate and rejuvenate Telugu and Sanskrit literatures, and
popularise classical poetry for a healthy blend of tradition and modernity.
One who believes that
literature has a social role to play, Dr Asavadi has been into social service
with stress on empathy and harmony in various ways, as under –
He has been extending a
helping hand to needy cum meritorious students.
Founding, and helping found,
literary associations at a number of places since 1970.
Distributing his own books
free among interested with a view to inculcating the reading habit.
Encouraging and honing the
literary skills of budding enthusiasts.
Helping old and unrecognised
talented scholars get institutional pension or aid.
Publishing, and helping to
publish, the books of talented but unrecognised writers by recommending
institutional or philanthropic aid to them. Organising book launches for them.
Conducting unique literary
plays like Bhuvana Vijayam, a unique and interactive poetic feat
inspired by Sri Krishnadeva Raya, the Vijayanagara emperor cum patron of
culture.
Through the literary endowment
of his family set up in 2009, he has been conferring awards to traditional and
modern poets, women writers, and spiritualists irrespective of their caste or
creed. (The writer of this article, Atreya Sarma also has contributed his
humble mite to it, and he wants to continue it as per the demands of Dr
Asavadi.)
As Principal of the government
colleges, he implemented the government schemes concerned, in letter and
spirit. And organised meetings to create awareness among the students about
them.
Erected the statue of Padma Shri recipient Puttaparti Narayanacharya,
and helped install statues of Sri Krishnadeva Raya and Ambedkar.
Set up a library at his home with free board and lodge
for researchers.
Addressed hundreds of important events like
Independence Day, Republic Day, Teachers Day, AP Formation Day, Commemorations
of preeminent personalities.
Actively took part in social service programmes and
created awareness on various fronts like Atmospheric Pollution, Free Homoeo
Treatment Camps, Service to Old Age Homes, Welfare of Differently Abled, Awakening
Women on their Issues, Communal Harmony,
AIDS, Protection of Forests and Wild Life, Temple Culture, Visit to
Hostels and Interaction with the Resident Students, Conducting Educational and
Scientific Tours, Water Management, Child Labour, Prohibition of Alcoholic
Drinks, Family Welfare, Elimination of Untouchability, Savings Habit, Ban of
Cow Slaughter, Personality Development.
Scripted and exhibited a play Ananda Jyoti,
with inter-caste marriages as theme, winning a district level award.
As a social figure with goodwill, he has performed
social marriages as a conflict resolution measure.
Mediated and resolved personal and domestic conflicts
of many individuals in the society.
Striven for social harmony with a focus on Hindu
Dalits and other downtrodden as State level office-bearer of Samajika
Samarasata Foundation.
ARTICLE IN SETU
For an idea of Dr Asavadi’s perspective on social
harmony, visit his article “The How of
Social Harmony: A Dalit’s Viewpoint” in the Feature ‘India @ 70’ (Setu, Aug
2017). Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16A7GEyh9oce66cFEcT15CW1-A8NUwFL2/view
FINALLY, THE DUE RECOGNITION – PADMA SHRI
I happened to meet Dr Asavadi Prakasa Rao about six
years ago, though I had known about his activities much earlier, and my
respectful friendship with him has continued ever since. As his sincere & humble fan, I have been
helping him by nominating him in his as well as my name every year for the
honour of Padma Shri ever since 2017, and finally, it has fructified now. Earlier, the AP government had recommended his name
for Padma Shri in 2012, 2014 and 2015. This is in no way to claim any credit for myself,
for my role is only drafting, formatting, uploading, etc. Seeing that despite
his literary and other distinctions, he was not being selected, some good souls
must have duly put in a word about him to the selection committee. Also, the
Narendra Modi-led government of India deserves applause for having made the
nomination process online and amenable to the commoners. The conferment of Padma
Shri for the year 2021 on Dr Prakasa Rao Asavadi in the field of Literature
& Education is
certainly a befitting honour to a really deserving person.
Dr Asavadi dedicates the
honour to the glory and beauty of Telugu language and the exquisite creativity
of its metrical poetry. His book Telugu Padya
Kavita Prasthanam on poetic craft published by Telugu Akademi for 4th World
Telugu Conference in 2012 is a standard tome on the subject.
MODERN FREE VERSE
Yet, he is not opposed to the
modern free verse. He is, in fact, equally comfortable in writing modern non-metrical
free verse. His Antaranga Tarangalu (Waves of Soul) is a collection of
free verse, and two critiquing works have come out on it. It has been
translated into English by Dr Chintalapudi Venkateswarlu, Ph.D. (Telugu), an
enthusiast cum fan of Dr Asavadi. The foreword to the book is by Atreya Sarma
U, the writer of this article, and it observes –
“Dr Asavadi’s poetry resonates with weight of
meaning, intensity of feeling, richness of imagination, novelty and felicity of
expression, and euphony of the word. A striking example is his Antaranga Tarangalu, a collection of
free verse on a cross-section of contemporary issues that have actively churned
and stirred his soul. His poems are marked by righteous anger and angst,
leading him not to a counterproductive revolt or undoing anarchy but to a sense
of responsibility and optimism. Anyone who reads through the 72 soul-stirring
poems embodying this collection, would certainly find their own souls astir.”
Here is a representative free
verse full of angst and poignant imagery. The poet Prakasa Rao takes a dig at the
hypocrisy and the disparities weakening our social fabric, as under –
Already reserved…
Friend, it’s full of famine here…
There is no kerosene to light the lantern –
The mother-in-law has already reserved it
To dispatch the daughter-in-law to another world
For she had come unaccompanied
by any dowry.
There is no diesel to run the engine to water the
fields –
The arsonists have already reserved it
To inflame the deadly communal
holocausts.
There is no candle to kindle
At least until I nibble a few handfuls –
The well-off have already reserved them
To celebrate their birthdays
in pomp and luxury.
When does this plague of reservations come to an end?
When will the really needy receive the succour?
When will merit pure and
simple be recognised?
The Telugu title of the poem is “eppuDu?”
(When?).
(Translated into English by Atreya Sarma U, and published
in The Hans India daily, 26 Jun 2015)
A TEACHER WITH A
BIG FAN FOLLOWING
Dr Asavadi influenced his
students in an affectionate and positive manner which is why his disciples of
various batches come together periodically and organise meetings about his life
and oeuvre and offer their rich tributes to him. One such happened on 29
January 2017 at Guntakal town where to commemorate his 70th birth
anniversary, his disciples brought out a festschrift, Prakasa Pradeepanam.
And I was privileged to chair its launching session. A magnanimous personality,
he dedicated his poetry collection Samayikam
(2020) to Atreya Sarma, the writer of this article. This collection won the Sri
Katragadda Foundation Award (Pedapadu, West Godavari District, AP).
And below are the remaining
essential details, mutatis mutandis, of Dr Asavadi Prakasa Rao, as per the nomination
submitted on the Padma Awards website.
CITATION
His literary output comprises
60 books across various genres, Poetry, Extempore Poetry, Collection of
Literary Essays, Translations, Monographs, Collection of Reviews (of 126 books),
Biographies, Emendations, Commentaries, Anthologies, Collection of Forewords,
Miscellaneous.
Out of the above oeuvre, 6
deserve a special mention, 3 out of which have been published by the TTD
(Tiruamala Tirupati Devasthanam) which engaged him for the purpose.
1. Under the Bhagavatam
Project, he rendered the 3rd Canto of Potana Bhagavatam into lucid
prose. Published in 1986, it ran into
several reprints.
2. Emendation of the
unpublished palm script Chellapillaraya Charitram, originally written by
Tallapaka Annaya. It is the tale of Lord Balaji marrying Bibi Nanchari, with
communal harmony as the message. Published in 1982, reprinted in 2009.
3. In 2016 under Brahmam
Okkate series, he wrote Mala Dasari with commentary, the story of a
pariah devotee of Lord Vishnu.
4. Desa Hitam Kosam
Samaikyata Swaram, Tune of Unity for National Weal, published by Samajika Samarasata
Vedika, Vijayawada (2017).
5. Life History of Dr B R
Ambedkar published by Mahabodhi Sahitya Vedika, Anantapur (2018).
6. Viveka
Puneeta Nivedita, Poetic work on Sister Nivedita. published
by Gowtharaju Sahitee Samiti, Hyderabad (2019).
7. His prolific work coupled with social service has
won him the Prestigious National Level Pragna Puraskar 2019 from Pragna
Bharati, Hyderabad, a Forum of Nationalist Thinkers.
8. Being into academic,
literary, social and spiritual service, he has delivered a host of talks,
including 73 for AIR and Doordarshan with a thrust on traditional Indian
culture and human values.
9. Conferred with D Litt
Honoris Causa in 2000, when he was 56 years old, by the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu
University, Hyderabad in recognition of his overall eminence and attainments.
10. Set up a home library with
books on various subjects, for the benefit of researchers, with a round the
clock access, free board and lodge.
11. Installed and helped
install statues as part of his commitment to immortalise the memory of great
litterateurs. Of Sri Krishna Deva Raya. Of Puttaparti Narayanacharya, Padma
Shri recipient and great polyglot litterateur. And of Dr BR Ambedkar.
All this he has done without
pomp and glitter, but with simplicity and focus on the core of the missions
undertaken. His above virtues are a rare combination found in a person from a
downtrodden community.
SIGNIFICANT
CONTRIBUTION/ ACHIEVEMENT
His most significant contribution toward social
harmony is as Vice President, AP, Samajika Samarasata Foundation, a Forum for
Social Harmony with a special focus on Hindu SCs.
One of his numerous literary works merits a special
mention. It is an exegesis on Vairagya Sataka by Bhartrihari, which has
received wide applause from scholars.
Besides the above, his academic services continue to
be used by AP and Karnataka governments, TTD and IIIT.
AS EDUCATIONIST
During 2011 to 2015 he was editor, subject expert,
book or lesson writer of Telugu texts for Classes V, VIII, X for AP Government
SCERT. Lesson writer for Class X of Karnataka Government. For TTDs Sanatana
Dharmika Vignana Exams. For the Optional subject of Andhra History for 4th Year
Engineering Students, Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies, IIIT
Idupulapaya.
By virtue of his varied services, competence,
simplicity and integrity, he was nominated as member of Executive Council and
Senate of SK University. Invited for American Telugu Association Conference
1996, and World Telugu Conference in Mauritius 2012, but could not attend.
Shortlisted by AP government for high level appointments including Vice
Chancellor in 1997, Chairman, AP Official Language Commission in 2002.
STATE-LEVEL RECOGNITION/ FELICITATIONS
Dr Asavadi has received a
bonanza of awards, and here is a list 23 more prestigious ones.
1. Telugu Velugu Award, AP
Social Welfare Dept, 1976.
2. AP Sahitya Akademi Silver
Jubilee Felicitation, 1982.
3. Best Literary Treatise
Award, Errana Peetham, Ongole, 1987.
4. Distinguished Teacher
Award, AP Higher Education Dept, 1992.
5. Pratibha Puraskar, Potti
Sreeramulu Telugu University, Hyderabad, 1995.
6. Sankranti Puraskar,
Pushpagiri Maha Sansthanam Trust, Kadapa, 1999.
7. D Litt Honoris Causa, Potti
Sreeramulu Telugu University, 2000.
8. Bhashabhigna Puraskar, AP
Official Language Commission, 2001.
9. Gandhian Poet Award, AP
Harijan Sevak Sangh, 2005.
10. Avadhana Shiromani Award,
Lok Nayak Foundation, Visakhapatnam, 2007.
11. Kalaratna Award for
Eminence from AP Culture Dept, 2012.
12. Sri Rama Navami Pratibha
Puraskar, Sanatana Charitable Trust, presented by its founder Sadguru Kandukuri
Sivananda Murty, Secunderabad, 2013.
13. Distinguished Litterateur
Award, Andhra Saraswata Parishat, Hyderabad, 2013.
14. Jashuva Best Poetry Award
with a purse of Rs one lakh, Telugu Akademi, Hyderabad, 2013.
15. Kalaprapoorna Dr Paidi
Lakshmaiah Memorial Literary Award by Rasamayi organisation, Hyderabad, 2014.
16. Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi
Utsava felicitation by Jeer Integrated Vedic Academy, Hyderabad, 2016.
17. ‘Padma Shri’ Dr Jnananda
Kavi Memorial Literary Award by Jyotsna Kalapeetham, Hyderabad, 2017.
18. Vilambi Ugadi Puraskaram
by Sahitee Samakhya, Guntur, 2018.
19. Feted With Silver Crown by
Srava Kavya Prachuranalu, Dhone, 2018.
20. Life Time Achievement
Award, by Christian Sahitya Academy, Vijayawada, 2018.
21. ‘Padma Bhushan’ Gurram
Jashuva Award by AP Govt, 2018.
22. Kopparapu Brothers
Avadhana Award 2019.
23. Sri Katragadda Foundation Award (Pedapadu, West
Godavari District, AP) for the poetry collection Samayikam, 2020.
24. Rachana Sahitya Vedika (Kadapa) Gadiyaram Venkata
Sesha Sastry Memorial Award for the Best Poetry Book Viveka Puneeta Nivedita,
2020.
UNIQUE TRADITIONAL FELICITATIONS
In
2008 at Penukonda (the summer residence of Sri Krishna Deva Raya), Dr Asavadi
was honoured with Ganda Penderam (a golden anklet), a rare traditional honour
accorded to literary legends. In 2014, he was feted with Kanakabhishekam
(sprinkling with golden flowers) – another rare traditional recognition – by
the Ksheera Sagara Sahiti Samiti (Hyderabad).
NATIONAL LEVEL RECOGNITIONS/ FELICITATIONS
1. Feted as Balakavi, Teenage Poet, by Dr
Radhakrishnan, the then President of India, at All India Veera Saiva Mahasabha,
Srisailam, 1963.
2. Pragna Puraskar 2019 by Pragna Bharati, Hyderabad,
a forum of nationalist thinkers, for decades long distinguished contribution of
a high order to Telugu literature covering various social, historical and
literary subjects.
3. Dr Ambedkar Distinguished Service National Award
2018 by Bharatiya Dalit Sahitya Akademi.
4. Felicitated by All India Telugu Conference, Akhila
Bharata Telugu Mahasabhalu, Berhampore, Orissa, 2011.
5. Smt Subhadra Kumari Chouhan Centenary Puraskar,
Panipat, 2004.
6. Kota Punnaiah Memorial Gurram Jashuva Endowment
Award by Bangalore University, 1996.
7. National Level Seminar held on Complete Works of
Asavadi by KVR Govt Women’s College, Kurnool, Feb 9 and 10, 2017 where over 40
papers were presented.
8. Papers presented at Andhra Samskritika Samiti,
Hosur, Tamil Nadu on 22 Feb 1981 and on 17 Nov 2012, and at Authors Guild of
India, Madras Chapter on 11 Sep 1986.
9. Out of the total of 171 Avadhanams, he performed 12
outside AP and Telangana in 1977 and 1988 – 2 in New Delhi, 5 in Tamil Nadu (Hosur,
Tiruttani, Arakkonam, Pallipattu), 5 in Karnataka (Bellary, Bengaluru,
Donimalai, Tung Bhadra Dam) and was feted at those places.
10. Included in Authors Guild of India, New Delhi,
1982, and in Who is Who Directory, Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, 1996.
11. Took part as invitee in Poets Evening, Wold Book
Fair, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on 19 Feb 1986, and in National level
programme at New Delhi on Planning and Management of Colleges by HRD, GOI in
Sep 1980.
INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
RECOGNITIONS/ FELICITATIONS
1. Reference Asia, Volume 2,
Who is Who, 1976
2. Included in the Who is Who
Directory, Biography International, 2000
3. Mahavadhani Puraskar from
World Telugu Conference, Tirupati, 2012
OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS
TO THE LITERARY FIELD
1. His life and work has influenced many literati to
publish 20 books and 60 articles on him, including a doctoral thesis, and 14
books dedicated to him.
2. Conferred with 13 titles by various organisations.
3. Served on the editorial board of many magazines and journals like Srisaila Jyoti, Gautama
Prabha, Jagriti, Padya Varadhi.
4. Penned Forewords
to 150 books of other writers, and presented 49 Research Papers.
OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS
TO THE SOCIAL & CULTURAL FIELD
Directed 3 dramas, one of them bagging 4 prizes at
Railway Divisional level.
CONCLUSION
May the life and work of Dr Asavadi Prakasa Rao
inspire each and every one to have a noble mission and vision in life, to
strive for it, and contribute to the harmony of the society by duly blending
the best of the past and the present so that our country, India, can play a
vital role in the evolution of universal cum ecological harmony!
