jugalbaMdI - a remarkable poem
Ramarao, Ram (Ram_Ramarao@tri.sbc.com)
Tue, 5 May 1998 14:45:33 -0500
Recently I spent some time on the telugu feminist poetry: nIlimEGAlu
saMkalanaM, naDicE gAyAlu (book) by koMDEpUDi nirmala, kavitA O kavitA
saMkalanaM, yaSOdharA vagapeMdukE and ikkaDa kurisina varshaM ekkaDi
mEGAnidi (books) by jayapraBa, and cErA's commentary on some of them in
cErAtalu (book). While I found the woks of koMDEpUDi nirmala the most
poetic in general, the one piece that absolutely impressed me is jugal
baMdI by GaMTasAla nirmala. It is remarkable not only for the poetic
qualities but also unequivocally presenting the principle of "gender
equality" (which I believe is the ultimate goal of the feminist
literature - though I haven't seen any of the other works in these
collections explicitly saying so) in the most intimate and traditionally
gender-inequal interaction.
I do not recall any discussion here on this kavita before. If I missed
it, please bear with me. I'm not going to bore you with my commentary.
You enjoy it yourself. All I want to say is, in all of Telugu literature
I'm aware of, I haven't seen a more delicate, realistic, and beautiful
expression of this subject.
jugal baMdI (GaMTasAla nirmala)
rAtri dIpaM rahistuMdi
masaka cIkaTi maMtraBasmamai kalala pogalu poTamaristAyi
EkaMtadhvAMtAna mohamATAla moggalu vippAri
svAgata sauraBAlu erupukosala agarutIgalautAyi
pagalaMtA samasyala pacci gAyAlu rEgi digulu sraviMcina kaLLu
niSAlEpanaM pulumukuni lEvennela bayaLLavutAyi
dainika maryAdala nirjala dhAralalO
taDisi mOpeDaina saByatAvastrAlu vidilci
vAMCAsnAnAniki udyamiMci
Atmalu reMDu
niluvettu nissigguki nirvacanaBaMgimalautAyi
.............
dEhaM mahatipai sparSApavanAlu taragaletti
magata navvula nikvANAlatO mOhaM mEGamalhAramautuMdi
cIkaTi nadilO anAdi kAMkshAkiraNaM sOki
vippArina irukalHArAlu paravaSAla parimaLAlu paikegarEstAyi
vAMCOdhRtiki vaNikipaDE oLLU
rahasyAlni vaDikE vELLU
eppaTikI tegani cikkumuDini vippEMduku palakAbalapAlavutAyi
UruvulU niTTUrupulU
mAnasAnni mAdhuryamaMDalAniki mOsukeLLE pUlatALLavutAyi
paraspara gAtrasahakAraMtO
jugal baMdI tArAsthAyini cErutuMdi
netturaMtA nishA poMgi
agAdha rahasyAlu cerisagamai AvishkariMcAka
cemariMcina nosaTa tRpti vajraM taLukumaMTuMdi
..........
DOlika Agaka tappadu
iMtA jarigi pOyAka hAyi vUyala Agaka tappadu
cAlI cAlani suKaM duppaTi bAhyAMtara nagnatanu pUrtigA kappadu
haTHAttugA pUcina parimaLAlu aMtalOnE AviravutAyi
oDupu telIka cEjArcina kalala paTTu dArAla kOsaM
kaLLu vekkiLLu peDatAyi
rUpAlnI lOpAlanI sutAraM cEsi cUpina
vennela veMDi addaM vela vela pOtuMdi
yadArthAla yAMTIklayimAks eppaTilA edurostuMdi
samasyalu rEgina vraNAllA salaparistAyi
nijAlu nippukaNAllAgE nigAristAyi
praSnala punarjvalanaMtO aMtarAtmala kamurukaMpuku
agaru kosana vElADE bUDida tIga AKari prEkshaka nEtramautuMdi
kshaNaM kritaM garvapaDDa hRdayaM gAyamai pagulutuMdi
mAdhurya mANikyamai BAsiMciMdi maTTimuddayi migulutuMdi
nallani callani rAtri gaccu mIda
tolikiraNaM turAyi mullayi guccutuMdi
K.V.S. Ramarao, Ph.D.
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ramarao@tri.sbc.com