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CHAPTER EIGHT. Pothana’s Personality
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CHAPTER EIGHT
Pothana’s Personality
It is possible to gather some idea about the character and personality of Pothana from his own works and from the legends current in the Telugu country about him. It has already been stated that though Pothana was born in a family of Shaivites and has been a votary of Shaivism during his early life, he developed devotion to Vishnu later and wrote the Bhagavatha. In spite of his strong leaning towards Vaishnavism, he never showed any disregard for Shaivism. Though he might have been immersed in mundane affairs in his youth he lived a life of contentment and resignation as he developed deeper devotion towards Vishnu. In his early life he might have sought the favour of some wealthy persons of Orugallu or Sarvagna Singabhupala of Rachakonda. During that period, he must have written the Bhogini Dandaka at the request of Singabhupala. In his life, a transition from Shaivism to Vaishnavism and from pleasure-seeking to resignation is clearly seen.
Pothana did give up his family responsibilities even during the period when he was engaged in composing the Bhagavatha. The traditional belief that he and his son turned tillers of the land in order to maintain the family, need not be doubted. Offering a Kavya and accepting its dedication were common occurrences in those days. Moreover, people used to believe that accepting the dedication of Kavya was one of the seven meritorious acts which led to the fulfilment of the highest end of life. Having seen Pothana suffering from poverty and toiling in the fields to maintain his family, and having come to know that he was engaged in composing a great Kavya like the Bhagavatha, some friends or relatives or well-wishers of his might have advised Pothana to earn money and live happily by dedicating the work to some king. It is also quite likely that Sarvagna Singabhupala himself, having come to know of this requested Pothana to favour him with the dedication of Bhagavatha. There is popular anecdote which says that Shrinatha was the brother-in-law of Pothana and that it was Shrinatha who persuaded the latter to dedicate the Bhagavatha to some wealthy person. Another story goes on to say that after Pothana categorically refused to dedicate the Bhagavatha to any human being. Shrinatha came to see Pothana and mockingly enquired about the welfare of the cultivator (Pothana). To this enquiry, Pothana replied as follows:
What if good poets become cultivators or diggers of roots and tubers in the interiors of the jungles in order to feed their wives and children, instead of eating the sinful food earned by selling the kavyakanya, delicate like the new leaf of a young mango sapling, as a prostitute to a worthless man of wealth.
This verse occurs in the Keyurabahu Charitra of Manchana who flourished earlier than Pothana. Pothana’s authorship of this verse is, therefore, doubtful. In reply to Shrinatha or someone else, Pothana might have quoted this verse of Manchana which he liked much and knew by heart. This shows that Pothana was totally averse to dedicating his work to any man and that he was content to maintain his family by self-effort. The following verse also appears in the printed texts of the Bhagavatha, though scholars regard it as an interpolation:
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Instead of suffering the hammer-strokes of Yama after dying with intoxication by dedicating his work to the wretched kings and receiving villages, carriages and some other riches, this once, Bammera Potharaja, composed the Bhagavatha and dedicated it whole-heartedly to Shri Hari for the good of the world.
This verse clearly brings out Pothana’s aversion to dedicating his Kavya to kings who indulge in earthly pleasures and receive from them favours like gold, clothes and estates, and his belief that such dedication leads one to infernal agonies. No wonder that Pothana entertained such ideas, having seen the circumstances and modes of living of the kings. Yet another story tells us that, fearing that Pothana might agree to dedicate the Bhagavatha to someone yielding to the stress of stark penury or the persuasive pressure of friends, Goddess Sarasvati appeared before him shedding tears, and that Pothana thereupon consoled the Goddess in the following verse:
With tears rolling from your dark eyes down your breasts, why do you weep, O my mother, the beloved daughter-in-law of Lord Vishnu, the destroyer of the demon Kaitabha and the queen of Lord Brahma (the gold-belled)? Believe me, in thought, word and deed, O Bharati, I shall never sell you on account of hunger to those cruel traders of Karnataka.
This verse clearly shows that dedicating a Kavya means selling the Goddess of learning and that such an act causes displeasure to her. It also shows that Pothana was firmly determined never to dedicate the Bhagavatha to any human being, however trying his own circumstances might be. It was with this determination that he ultimately dedicated his Bhagavatha to Lord Shri Rama. It was Shri Rama who prompted Pothana to compose the Bhagavatha, when he was immersed in deep meditation on a day of lunar eclipse. Pothana believed that the same Shri Rama was making him compose the Bhagavatha. At the beginning and ending of every canto, Pothana was addressing Shri Rama alone. In the ‘Shashtyantas’, however, he described Krishna, the wanderer among the cattle of Nanda. There is no contradiction in this. In his heart filled with pure devotion, there is no difference between Shri Rama and Shri Krishna. It was his firm faith that both of them were the incarnations of Shrimannarayana. That is why, in the ninth skandha, Pothana described Shri Rama as “the dark one possessing lotus-like eyes”, etc. and in the tenth skandha he described Shri Krishna almost in a similar verse.
Though he was oppressed by terrible poverty and though there is every possibility of acquiring wealth and thereby enjoying all worldy pleasures by just dedicating his Kavya to some king, Pothana dedicated his Bhagavatha to Shri Rama only and this testifies 10 his strength of will and sincerity of devotion. He considered only devotion to Vishnu as an invaluable treasure. That is why he described Prahlada as frisking with jubilation, saying that he discovered the treasure called Nalinaksha, i. e., Vishnu. That Pothana regarded poverty not as a curse but as a boon from the Lord, is evident: from the following words in Kuchelopakhayana:
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The Lord who dispels the worries of his votaries and who is an ocean of kindness would have loaded me with all desirable things had it not been for his opinion that a poor man, if intoxicated by wealth, will not be able to see and approach Him.
He has expatiated on the same idea while explaining the greatness of: service to Vishnu to Parikshit in the later part of the tenth skandha (X. 1234).
Bhakti is the first and foremost virtue of Pothana. He has described the power of Bhakti with ecstasy on many occasions. The speech of Prahlada on Bhakti crowns all of them. He holds that the limbs which do not serve Hari are no limbs, and that the life which is devoid of the thought of Hari is no life at all. He believes that except the service, glorification and contemplation of Vishnu, there is no other means for a man to get away from the troubles, worries, dangers and evils of life and to secure Moksha. Time and again he declares that the lives of those who are devoid of devotion to Hari are empty and worthless. The views contained in the speech of Prahlada are not his alone. They are Pothana’s as well. Similarly, in all situations where the devotees praise the glories of God, Pothana appears to be identifying himself with them. Pothana, indeed, expressed his own feelings through Dhruva, Ambarisha, Gajendra, Bhishma, Akrura and other devotees. Pothana believes in the identity of Shiva and Keshava. When he was immersed in contemplating Maheshvara on the day of the eclipse, Shri Rama appeared before him. At the commencement of the Bhagavatha he has expressly stated:
If one does not worship Shiva with outstretched hands, if he does not praise the glory of Hari till his mouth aches, and if he does not think of virtues like kindness-and truthfulness, then whit is the use of his birth except defiling the mother’s womb?
It was his ardent prayer that Lord Vishnu should grant him service of His lotus-feet, friendship with his devotees and endless love towards all creatures. This very idea he has expressed in the tenth skandha through the mouth of Sudama, the garland-maker. Balarama and Krishna put up in the house of Sudama, their devotee, when they went to Mathura to kill Kamsa. Overwhelmed with this privilege, Sudama entertained them befittingly and presented them with garlands of fragrant flowers. His only prayer to Krishna was:
O Lord, the griver of boons to the ascetics, kindly grant me service of thy lotus-feet, friendship with thy devotees and everlasting kindness to all creatures.
Shri Krishna granted all these to Sudama. Nay, to Pothana too, He granted all these. Every Andhra, who is literate, recites this verse without knowing the context in which it occurs.
The sentiments expressed by the devotees in Bhagavatha while they sing of the glories of God may rightly belong to the devotees themselves. But the poet who delineates such situation cannot do so without himself getting into a devotional mood. Strangely, Pothana does not cease displaying his devotion to Vishnu, though indirectly, even while the enemies of Vishnu denounce Him. In such situations he adopts the mode of vyajastuti or veiled praise. While the characters denounce the Lord, Pothana pretends turning a deaf ear to them and feels contented by praising Him indirectly. When Krishna was about to run away taking Rukmini with him, Rukmini, the brother of Rukmini, attacks him with his army and says in a taunting manner:
Are you our equal to take away our child? What is your worth? Which is your family? Where were you born? Where were you brought up? What is your conduct? Who knows you? You have no prestige, no manners. You do not come out without resorting to Maya.
Rukmi indeed meant to reprimand Krishna in these words. But Pothana, the devotee, can never reconcile his mind to denouncing Krishna. So he cleverly composed the verse in such a way that it conveyed another meaning, suggesting that the Supreme Being is without a beginning, middle or ending, unknowable, immeasurable and above Maya. In this way, whenever the enemies of Vishnu denounce Him, Pothana adopts the mode of veiled praise, vyajastuti, and composes verses in such a way that they express abuse on the part of the characters and praise on his own part. When Shukra advised him not to grant the three feet of land to Vamana, Bali said to him:
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Strange indeed, this one never goes to beg another (the enemy), is all alone, without parents or brothers, and is an intelligent dwarf who knows the secret that lies at the root of all branches of knowledge. When such a one stands here holding out his hands, my mind does not like to refuse.
Outwardly these words depict the miserable condition of Vamana, but on careful observation they reveal the secret of his being the Supreme Being. The heart of Pothana is a repository of such deep and pure devotion that does not allow even a bitter enemy to utter words of plain abuse against Vishnu.
Pothana described Prahlada as one who adopts the same benevolent attitude to himself and all other creatures, who, on seeing the elders, approaches and salutes them like a servant, who, on seeing other women regards them as his own mother and turns away, who alway, thinks of protecting the poor with a feeling of parental affection, who treats his friends as his own brothers, who adores his Gurus as gods and who never tells lies even in sports. It need not be doubted that all the attributes mentioned in the above verse apply to Pothana also. In the same way Pothana’s personality may be seen reflected in all the devotees described in the Bhagavatha.
In the story of Gajendra Moksha, Pothana stated that on hearing the appeal of the Gajendra, Shri Hari immediately set out for the purpose of protecting the elephant without telling Shridevi, without holding the shankha and chakra in his hands, without summoning any retinue, without preparing Garuda for the journey, and without even leaving the fringe of the mantle snatched from the breasts of Lakshmi in the course of an altercation. It is said that on hearing this verse, Shrinatha ridiculed Pothana and asked him if Lord Vishnu who wanted to protect His devotees set out even without taking the weapons to witness the farce going on there. Pothana wanted to reply to Shrinatha not directly, but through a practical joke. One day, at meal time, Pothana rose a little earlier, went out, threw a large stone in the well and returned with a hue and cry that Shrinatha’s son had fallen in the well. Shrinatha at once rose and dashed towards the well even without washing his hands. Then Pothana calmly asked Shrinatha, “Dear brother-in-law, hearing that your son has fallen into the well, why have you come running with this unclean hand and without any implements? Is it to save your child or to witness a farce? ” Shrinatha felt disgraced when he realised that it was a trick played by Pothana as a practical reply to his criticism. As a matter of fact Shrinatha might not have criticised the verse that way. But there is a possibility of immature persons doubting why Pothana has described the incident in that way. Pothana’s intention seems to be to show that Lord Vishnu behaved that way in his anxiety to protect the devotee. He knows that God protects those who surrender themselves to Him in devotion. With this confidence he spent his life unswervingly, devoting himself to the service of the lotus-feet of Lord Vishnu.
Pothana was highly philosophical by temperament. As he put it in the mouth of Bali, he knew that kingdoms are not permanent and that the bodies are not deathless. Never begging others for any favour and feeling contented with what little he had, even in proverty he lived happily. In fact, happiness and contentment are the products of the mind and not of any particular object or objects. It was his belief that “even Indra perishes if he is not contented”. Shringi said while cursing Parikshit.
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We never go to accept gifts of gold, nor do we acquire riches through deception, nor do we come to worry people with our blessings either. (1. 468).
The mind of Pothana is peeping through these words, similarly the words which Shuka spoke while teaching the path of Moksha to Parikshit in the second skandha are also noteworthy.
When there are beautiful plots of ground, why these cotton beds for lying down? When there are the natural palms, why this collection of cating plates? When there are barks, hides and grass mats, why these bales of cloth for wearing? When there are caves to live in, what for are these lots of mansions and places? Don’t the trees shower fruit juice? Don’t the rivers have sweet waters? Don’t the virtuous ladies offer enough food? What for, then, should the ascetics serve those blind with the intoxication of wealth?
These words clearly record the views of Pothana about life.
While describing the genealogy of his family, Pothana spoke of his father, mother and elder brother with a feeling of veneration. He found his vocabulary inadequate to describe the virtues of his mother. About himself he used only one expression meaning that he was gentle and disciplined. Needless to say that he was the very embodiment of gentleness, discipline and obedience. As a matter of fact, there is nothing wrong in saying that few others have such capacity and qualification as Pothana had, to compose a Mahakavya like the Bhagavatha, filled with Bhakti Rasa. The reason for this is that deep devotion and perfect tranquility have become part of his nature. Yet, in the introductory part he prayed to Sarasvati as follows:
I was not born in an ant-hill or a heap of reeds or a ferry on the waters. I did not worship Kali. Yet, I have set out to write a Purana. O Mother, kindly give the clue as to how and in what manner I should proceed, and do not withdraw your benevolent support. Surely I rely on you, O Brahmi, the ocean of kindness.
These words bear testimony to his boundless meekness. He has stated that he began composing the Bhagavatha depending entirely on the support of Sarasvati but not on his own genius and scholarship. He also stated that it was Ramabhadra that was making him speak (write) the Bhagavatha. This too shows his unassuming and self-effacing nature. There are anecdotes current among the people which go even to the extent of saying that, in the absence of Pothana, the Lord himself composed certain verses and lines in certain Situations.
It is not possible even for Shiva and Brahma to understand and explain the Bhagavatha. I shall try to present clearly what all I could hear, see and understand from learned men.
This verse too clearly shows his unassuming disposition. The saying that “the learned are to be tested in the Bhagavatha suggest what a tough work is the Bhagavatha. In olden days, it appears that scholars were required to explain the syntactical order of the words in certain verses of Bhagavatha as proof of the soundness of their scholarship. In the Sanskrit language there is a lot of difference between the style of the Bhagavatha and that of the other Puranas. It is composed in the ornate and mature style of the Kavyas and not in the simple epic style. Moreover, as the theme is pregnant with philosophical ideas, it is particularly tough and incomprehensible in certain portions. That is why Pothana has said that it was difficult even for Shiva and Brahma to understand and explain the Bhagavatha. He felt diffident and hesitant to lay his hands on the Bhagavatha because he was only a self-taught lay scholar. But having made up his mind to translate the Bhagavatha, he must have tried to understand its intricacies with the help of commentaries and the learned men of his times. His own philosophical insight and devotional moods might have guided him on some occasions. Even then Pothana does not claim to have mastered the Bhagavatha. He modestly confessed that he would try to present as much as he could grasp.
Pothana’s devotion and respect for the poets of old are indeed extraordinary. The Mahabharata, the fifth Veda, was translated by Nannaya, Tikkana and Errana, the Markandeya Purana by Marana and the Ramayana by Bhaskara and his team long before Pothana was born. In fact, had any one of them thought of translating the Bhagavatha they would have done it so very efficiently. But they have not done that, and Pothana regarded it as a piece of his own good fortune. He ex pressed this idea in the following verse:
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Great, indeed, should be the merit of my past deeds, because, poets like Nannaya and Tikkana who had translated a number of Puranas into Telugu, did not attempt to translate the Bhagavatha. It shall therefore translate this Bhagavatha so that this life of mine shall be fruitful and there shall be no more re-births for me.
It was not, in fact, the good fortune of Pothana but it was the good fortune of the Andhras. Because other poets of old might have possessed greater scholarship and poetic skill than Pothana, but certainly they were not greater devotees. So the Bhagavatha would not have attained this state of maturity in their hands.
Pothana composed the Bhagavatha neither to show off his scholarship nor to acquire fame as a great poet, much less to obtain estates and the like. He accomplished this great task hoping that it would fulfil his life, free him from re-birth and do immense good to the world. Through his good offices, even those who are unlettered in Sanskrit got an opportunity to drink the nectar of the Bhagavatha to the full and experience delight. For generations, the Andhras stand irredeemably indebted to him.
While the Bharata and other Puranas preach the path of Karma and the Upanishads preach the path of Jnana, the Bhagavatha preaches the path of Bhakti, which is more acceptable to the lay people. The spontaneous and fluent verse of Pothana and the unmixed sweetness of his style contributed in no mean measure to the popularity of the Bhagavatha and the path of Bhakti. Moreover, many verses composed by Pothana in many situations in the Bhagavatha, are so appealing that they come in handy in many situations in the lives of men and serve as sources of consolation. Once a certain pandit who was suffering from utter poverty, appealed to C. P. Brown for help, including in the application the following verse from Gajendra Moksha to suggest his miserable condition:
My strength is gone, my courage is shaking, my vital airs have lost their holds, a swoon overtakes me, my body is tired, and I am exhausted. I know none else but thee. Thou shalt pardon this wretch. Kindly come and save me, O Lord. Protect me, Thou Benevolence incarnate.
Brown, it appears, sent him some money along with the following verse from the Bhagavatha.
Abandon this great fear that you will die. Death is inevitable to the multitudes of human beings that have taken birth. Therefore think of Hari and you shall have no more births on this earth, And O king, you shall attain the happiness of dwelling in the world of Madhava.
In this way, there are numerous verses in the Bhagavatha which are applicable to many situations in human life. The Bhagavatha is «a Mahakavya which is capable of giving aesthetic pleasure in this life and the bliss of Moksha in the higher life. That is why Bhagavan Vyasa compared it to a fruit of the Kalpa tree called Veda, which slipped down from the mouth of Shuka (parrot), and Pothana compared it to the Kalpa tree itself.
The Kalpa tree known as Bhagavatha, with delicate branches (cantos), black roots (Krishna as the root), delightful with the words of the parrots (sage Shuka), adorned by fine creepers (softness), easily recognizable by the bright coloured flowers (understandable to scholars of high birth}, having a beautiful circumference (a beautiful and brilliant theme), having large fruits (having Moksha as its objective) and having a bed of good diameter (having the holy Vyasa as its source) is famous in this world as the benefactor of good birds (Brahmins).
O ye men of the earth, endowed with imagination! Drink again and again till the very end this sweet nectar-like juice of the fruit called Bhagavatha produced by the Kalpa tree called the Vedas and dropped down from the mouth of the parrot called sage Shuka.
Ye lovers of poetic beauty! Rise to the position of enjoying the juice of the fruit called the Bhagavata Purana, which has dropped from the Kalpa tree called the Vedas and which has been rendered more delicious by the admixture of the sweet juice from the mouth of the parrot called sage Shuka.
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