Kavijanasrayam

Refuge of poets is one of the earliest possible,now dated between 940-950 AD,^[1] Telugu works on prosody(Chandassu).^[2] This was earlier dated between 10th and 11th century.^[2]

Kendra Sahitya Academy^[3] and majority scholars including but not limited to Charles Phillip Brown,Nidadavolu Venkat Rao,^[1] Arudra,S.V.Rama Rao,^[4] Dr.Malaya Sri,Veturi Prabhakara Sastry,^[5]P. V. Parabrahma Sastry ^[6] using irrefutable evidences suggest that the work is written by Malliya Rechana and not Vemulawada Bheemakavi^[7][8] as presented in Indian Antiquary Journal of 1902^[7] and the works of Jayanthi Ramayya Panthulu published in 1917 by Andhra Sahitya Parishath.^[9]

"For the well being of the stainless rules of (Peosy) the sweet poet Mallia Recan(Worthy of the favour of bolds) hath composed in the Telugu language this admirable prosody entitled the Refuge Of Poets -" Charles Phillip Brown ^[10]

However, Jayanthi Ramayya Panthulu makes a careful and sensible acknowledgement that he is open to correct his views on further evidences.

"I hold,therefore,subject to future correction that Vemulavada Bheemakavi was the author of the book.-" J. Ramayya Pantulu,1917^[11]

Jain Origins

All sources unanimously agree that the book is modelled after some earlier Jain works

"A perusal of the text will show that the book is modelled after some of the Canarese classics such as Kavirajamarga, Chandombuddi and Sabdamanidarpa." -J. Ramayya Pantulu

That the author was a Jain is shown below.

జిననుతడర్మ మహింసయ^[12] యను మతమున వితతముగ గ-జాసురు బాపం బని చంపదయ్యె నీశ్వరు దన నిది యాగమ విరోధ - మనిరి కవీంద్రుల్

Dating

1980 discoveries of Kurkayala inscriptions^[13] of Karimnagar, have helped in dating the work to 940-950 AD by P. V. Parabrahma Sastry and others and thus becomes the earliest Telugu literary work.This is asserted by Kendra Sahitya Academy in Encyclopaedia of Indian literature ^[14]

"Nannaya’s Mahabharata shows highly developed technique of Telugu. It presupposes fairly long period of development.Even earlier to Rannaya there may have been Telugu works but which are not extant today. Very recently,P.V.P. Sastry J is of the opinion that Malliya Rechana's Kavi Janasrayamu now dated to 12th Gent. A.D. shows archaic Telugu language and it must be dated to Ce.950-980 A.D. He points out that Malliya Rechana in the work refers to one Vachakabharana who helped him to write the work. Vachakabharana as pointed by P.V.P.Sastry is none other than Jinavallabha, brother of Pampa, of Kurikyala inscription datable to C.950 A.D. Hence, in his opinion Malliya Rechana' s Kavi Janasrayamu is datable to G.950 A.d. not to 13th Cent. A.D. If his suggestion is accepted, then it is likely that Telugu literary activities also started simultaneously with Kannada literature."^[15]

Authorship Debate

The most antique reference to Malliya Rechana and Kavijanasrayam is 11th century Tamil literature 'Yaappirungulam Kaarikai' mentioning the Kavi 'Renchi kouyaaruseyida vaduga chandamu'

^[16]

Vavilla Ramaswamy Sastrulu and Sons and Nidudavolu Venkat Rao in the above book^[9] have clearly clarified(pages 3–22) that the book is written by Malliya Rechana and not Vemulawada Bhimakavi.^[8][7][17] He also mentioned why other books published in 1917^[18] were mistaken because of unnecessary additions to the original work by Appa Kavi,who was responsible for lot of controversies in Telugu literature.

"I hold,therefore,subject to future correction that Vemulavada Bheemakavi was the author of the book.-" J. Ramayya Pantulu acknowledged that he is open to correcting his views on futuristic evidences ^[11]

Rechana refers to "Madanavilasa", "Vachakabharana","Jinendra" which are all associated to the inscriptions of Vemulawada,Telangana^[13]

మదనవిలసితవృత్తాం మదనవిలసితం బుదిత ననగలన్

జిననుతడర్మ మహింసయ యను మతమున వితతముగ గ-జాసురు బాపం బని చంపదయ్యె నీశ్వరు దన నిది యాగమ విరోధ - మనిరి కవీంద్రుల్

గురుయతి గణముల పాదాం బురహంబుల కెఋఅగి సుకవి -బుధ జనముల నా దరమున దలచి తదాఙం బరహితచరితుదు జినేంద్ర- పద భక్తి మెయిన్

Authorship ^[9] అనవద్య కావ్య లక్షణ మొనరంగ గవిజనాశ్ర- యుడు మల్లియ రే చన సుకవి కవిజనాశ్రయ మను ఛందము తెనుగు బాస- నరుదుగ జెప్పెన్

Friendship ^[9]

అసమాన దాన రవి తన

య సమానతుండు యాచకాభరనుణ్డు ప్రా

ణ సమాన మిత్రుండికృతి

కి సహాయుండుగా నుదాతా కీర్తి ప్రీతిన్

Rechana mentions that Jina Vallabha (Pampa's brother) is his dearest friend and also helped him in this work. Kurkyala inscriptions talk about Vachakaabharanundu as above.^[13]

It is based on Jayadeva Chandassu which was the base for Kannada literature as well.

Notes