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Ashtadiggajas () is the collective title given to the eight great
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
scholars and poets in the
court A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...
of Emperor Krishnadevaraya, who ruled the
Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...
from 1509 until his death in 1529. During his reign,
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
literature and culture reached its zenith. In his imperial court, these eight poets were regarded as the eight pillars of his literary assembly. The age of Ashtadiggajas is called the '' Prabandha Age'' (1540 CE to 1600 CE). Each Ashtadiggaja had composed at least one ''Prabandha Kavyamu'', and it was the Ashtadiggajas who gave Prabandha its present form. Most Ashtadiggajas were from
Rayalaseema Rayalaseema (IAST: ''Rāyalasīma'') is a geographic region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It comprises four southern districts of the State, from prior to the districts reorganisation in 2022, namely Kurnool, Anantapur, Kadapa, and ...
. The Ashtadiggajas
Allasani Peddana Mahakavi Allasani Peddana ( Telugu: అల్లసాని పెద్దన; c. 15th and 16th centuries CE) was a prominent Telugu poet and the foremost '' Ashtadiggaja'' in the imperial court of Emperor Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara ...
,
Dhurjati Mahakavi Dhurjati ( Telugu: దూర్జటి; c. 15th and 16th centuries CE) was a Telugu poet and an Ashtadiggaja in the imperial court of the Emperor Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara. Biography Dhurjati was born in Srikalahasti. In ...
,
Nandi Thimmana Mahakavi Nandi Thimmana ( Telugu: నంది తిమ్మన; c. 15th and 16th centuries CE) was a Telugu poet and an Ashtadiggaja in the imperial court of Emperor Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara. He is often called Mukku Thimmana () ...
,
Madayyagari Mallana Mallana (15th century) was a Telugu poet and one of the '' Astadiggajas'' (literally means eight elephants) in the court of the king Krishnadevaraya. Biography He said that his birthplace was part of Rayalaseema (means land ruled by Rayas, Vijay ...
and
Ayyalaraju Ramabhadrudu Ayyalaraju Ramabhadrudu :(Telugu: అయ్యలరాజు రామభద్రుడు), shortly Ramabhadra (16th century, CE) was a famous Telugu poet and was one among the '' Astadiggajas'', which was the title of the group of eight po ...
were from
Rayalaseema Rayalaseema (IAST: ''Rāyalasīma'') is a geographic region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It comprises four southern districts of the State, from prior to the districts reorganisation in 2022, namely Kurnool, Anantapur, Kadapa, and ...
. Pandit Ramakrishna hailed from
Tenali Tenali is a city in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality, and the headquarters of Tenali mandal and Tenali revenue division. The city is renowned for art, culture, drama, and hence, it is called "Andhra ...
in the
Guntur district Guntur district is one of the twenty six districts in the Coastal Andhra region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The administrative seat of the district is located at Guntur, the List of urban agglom ...
of
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
.
Ramarajabhushanudu Ramarajabhushanudu (born Bhattu Murthi, ) was a Telugu language, Telugu poet and a notable musician. He is considered to be one of the Ashtadiggajas. He was a poet in the court of Rama Raya (statesman), Rama Raya, the son-in-law of emperor Krishn ...
and
Pingali Surana Pingali Suranna ( Telugu: పింగళి సూరన్న) (16th century CE) was a Telugu poet and was one of the '' Astadiggajas''. Early life Suranna's exact birthplace is uncertain. He lived in Kanala village near Nandyala. Suranna ...
were the other two Ashtadiggajas.


Etymology

The title ''
Ashtadiggajas Ashtadiggajas () is the collective title given to the eight great Telugu scholars and poets in the court of Emperor Krishnadevaraya, who ruled the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 until his death in 1529. During his reign, Telugu literature and ...
'' (Ashta + dik + gaja) means ''elephants in eight directions''. It refers to the old
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
belief that eight elephants hold the earth in eight directions which are namely Airaavata, Pundareeka, Vamana, Kumuda, Anjana, Pushpadanta, Sarvabhauma, Suprateeka, whose wives are Abhra, Kapila, Pingala, Anupama, Taamraparni, Subhradanti, Angana, Anjanaavati. The court of poets were also called ''Bhuvana Vijayam'' (Conquest of the World).


Members

These poets were: *
Allasani Peddana Mahakavi Allasani Peddana ( Telugu: అల్లసాని పెద్దన; c. 15th and 16th centuries CE) was a prominent Telugu poet and the foremost '' Ashtadiggaja'' in the imperial court of Emperor Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara ...
*
Nandi Thimmana Mahakavi Nandi Thimmana ( Telugu: నంది తిమ్మన; c. 15th and 16th centuries CE) was a Telugu poet and an Ashtadiggaja in the imperial court of Emperor Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara. He is often called Mukku Thimmana () ...
*
Madayyagari Mallana Mallana (15th century) was a Telugu poet and one of the '' Astadiggajas'' (literally means eight elephants) in the court of the king Krishnadevaraya. Biography He said that his birthplace was part of Rayalaseema (means land ruled by Rayas, Vijay ...
*
Dhurjati Mahakavi Dhurjati ( Telugu: దూర్జటి; c. 15th and 16th centuries CE) was a Telugu poet and an Ashtadiggaja in the imperial court of the Emperor Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara. Biography Dhurjati was born in Srikalahasti. In ...
* Ayyalaraju Ramambhadrudu *
Pingali Surana Pingali Suranna ( Telugu: పింగళి సూరన్న) (16th century CE) was a Telugu poet and was one of the '' Astadiggajas''. Early life Suranna's exact birthplace is uncertain. He lived in Kanala village near Nandyala. Suranna ...
*
Ramarajabhushanudu Ramarajabhushanudu (born Bhattu Murthi, ) was a Telugu language, Telugu poet and a notable musician. He is considered to be one of the Ashtadiggajas. He was a poet in the court of Rama Raya (statesman), Rama Raya, the son-in-law of emperor Krishn ...
*
Tenali Ramakrishna Tenali Ramakrishna (born Garlapati Ramakrishna; 22 September 1480 – 5 August 1528), also known as Tenali Ramalinga and Tenali Rama, was a telugu poet, scholar, and advisor in the court of Sri Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire. Hail ...


More Details

Though the above listed eight poets are widely regarded as the Ashtadiggajas, there are some differences of opinion as to who exactly constituted the Ashtadiggajas and if the composition of this body changed over time. Some literary works mention the name of ''Bhattu-Murti'' in place of
Ramarajabhushanudu Ramarajabhushanudu (born Bhattu Murthi, ) was a Telugu language, Telugu poet and a notable musician. He is considered to be one of the Ashtadiggajas. He was a poet in the court of Rama Raya (statesman), Rama Raya, the son-in-law of emperor Krishn ...
and some accounts mention
Pingali Surana Pingali Suranna ( Telugu: పింగళి సూరన్న) (16th century CE) was a Telugu poet and was one of the '' Astadiggajas''. Early life Suranna's exact birthplace is uncertain. He lived in Kanala village near Nandyala. Suranna ...
and
Tenali Ramakrishna Tenali Ramakrishna (born Garlapati Ramakrishna; 22 September 1480 – 5 August 1528), also known as Tenali Ramalinga and Tenali Rama, was a telugu poet, scholar, and advisor in the court of Sri Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire. Hail ...
also as members of the later emperors. From the stone inscriptions of that time, it has been inferred that the village of Thippalur in the present-day
Cuddapah Kadapa is a city in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located in the Rayalaseema region, and is the district headquarters of YSR Kadapa district. It is located south of the Penna River. The city is surrounded on three sides b ...
district was given to the Ashtadiggajas by the emperor. Tenali Ramakrishna (also known as Pandit Ramakrishna and Tenali Rama) was a poet, scholar, thinker and a Special Advisor in the court of
Krishnadevaraya Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 to 1529 and the third ruler of the Tuluva dynasty. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rulers in Indian history, he presided over t ...
. He was a
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
poet who hailed from what is now the
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
region, generally known for his wit and humour. He was one of the Ashtadiggajas or the eight poets at the court of
Krishnadevaraya Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 to 1529 and the third ruler of the Tuluva dynasty. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rulers in Indian history, he presided over t ...
, the
Vijayanagara emperor The Vijayanagara Empire (1336–1646) was the most prominent medieval Hindu empire of southern India. It was established on the banks of Tungabhadra River in present-day Karnataka and consisted of parts or all of the modern states of Karnataka ...
. When he was a child, his father was led to death. So, to overcome the depression that Rama faced, his mother Lakshamma took him to Vijayanagara where he was an advisor and was also a great scholar of Telugu and Sanskrit. He was an advisor in court of
Krishnadevaraya Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 to 1529 and the third ruler of the Tuluva dynasty. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rulers in Indian history, he presided over t ...
.


Works

Allasani Peddana Mahakavi Allasani Peddana ( Telugu: అల్లసాని పెద్దన; c. 15th and 16th centuries CE) was a prominent Telugu poet and the foremost '' Ashtadiggaja'' in the imperial court of Emperor Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara ...
wrote ''Swaarochisha Manu Sambhavam,'' dedicated to the Emperor
Krishna Deva Raya Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 to 1529 and the third ruler of the Tuluva dynasty. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rulers in Indian history, he presided over t ...
.
Nandi Thimmana Mahakavi Nandi Thimmana ( Telugu: నంది తిమ్మన; c. 15th and 16th centuries CE) was a Telugu poet and an Ashtadiggaja in the imperial court of Emperor Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara. He is often called Mukku Thimmana () ...
wrote ''Parijataapaharanam'' and dedicated it to the emperor as well.
Madayyagari Mallana Mallana (15th century) was a Telugu poet and one of the '' Astadiggajas'' (literally means eight elephants) in the court of the king Krishnadevaraya. Biography He said that his birthplace was part of Rayalaseema (means land ruled by Rayas, Vijay ...
wrote ''Rajasekhara Charitramu''.
Dhurjati Mahakavi Dhurjati ( Telugu: దూర్జటి; c. 15th and 16th centuries CE) was a Telugu poet and an Ashtadiggaja in the imperial court of the Emperor Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara. Biography Dhurjati was born in Srikalahasti. In ...
wrote ''Kalahasti Mahatyamu''.
Ayyalaraju Ramabhadrudu Ayyalaraju Ramabhadrudu :(Telugu: అయ్యలరాజు రామభద్రుడు), shortly Ramabhadra (16th century, CE) was a famous Telugu poet and was one among the '' Astadiggajas'', which was the title of the group of eight po ...
wrote ''Ramaabhyudayamu''. Pingali Surana wrote ''Raghavapandaveeyamu'', a dual work that describes both
Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...
and
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
.
Ramarajabhushanudu Ramarajabhushanudu (born Bhattu Murthi, ) was a Telugu language, Telugu poet and a notable musician. He is considered to be one of the Ashtadiggajas. He was a poet in the court of Rama Raya (statesman), Rama Raya, the son-in-law of emperor Krishn ...
wrote ''Kavyalankarasangrahamu'', ''Vasucharitramu'' and ''Harischandranalopakhyanamu''.
Tenali Ramakrishna Tenali Ramakrishna (born Garlapati Ramakrishna; 22 September 1480 – 5 August 1528), also known as Tenali Ramalinga and Tenali Rama, was a telugu poet, scholar, and advisor in the court of Sri Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire. Hail ...
wrote ''Udbhataradhya Charitramu'', ''Panduranga Mahatmyamu,'' and Ghatikachala Mahatmyamu.


Literary style

Telugu literature reached its peak during their period. A new style called ''
prabandha Prabandha is a literary genre of medieval Indian Sanskrit literature. The ''prabandha''s contain semi-historical anecdotes about the lives of famous persons. They were written primarily by Jain scholars of western India (Gujarat and Malwa) from 1 ...
'' with added fiction and few omissions from the original stories followed during this period. Poets in earlier century like
Tikkana Tikkana (1205–1288), also known as Tikkana Somayaji, was a 13th century Telugu poet. Born into a Telugu-speaking Niyogi Brahmin family . He was the second poet of the "Trinity of Poets ( Kavi Trayam)" that translated ''Mahabharata'' into T ...
and
Potana Bammera Pothana (1450–1510) was a Telugu poet best known for his translation of the Srimad Bhaagavatam from Sanskrit to Telugu. He was a Telugu and Sanskrit Scholar. His work, Srimad Bhagavatamu, is popularly called as Pothana Bhagavatam in ...
translated the
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
books and epics without changing the stories from the original. Ashtadiggajas usually took small, sometimes obscure, stories from s and used them as plots for writing major
Kāvya Kāvya (Devanagari: :wikt:काव्य#Devanagari, काव्य, IAST: ''kāvyá'') refers to the Sanskrit literary style used by Kingdoms of Ancient India, Indian court poets flourishing between c. 200 BCE and 1200 CE. This literary styl ...
s. A ''Prabandham'' can be of three types, viz., Prakhyatam, Utpadyam, Misramam (famous story, purely fictional story, mixed story). Ashtadiggajas have written in all the three genres during the ''Prabandha Yugam''. There are also at least two dual meaning works during this time. ''Raghavapandaveeyam'' by Pingali Surana simultaneously runs the stories of
Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...
and
Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabhara ...
. ''Harischandranalopakhyanamu'' by Bhattumurthy also simultaneously tells the stories of the emperors
Harischandra Harishchandra () is a legendary king of the Solar dynasty, who appears in several legends in texts such as the '' Aitareya Brahmana'', ''Mahabharata'', the ''Markandeya Purana'', and the ''Devi Bhagavata Purana''. The most famous of these stori ...
and
Nala Nala () is a legendary king of ancient Nishadha kingdom and the central protagonist of the '' Nalopakhyana'', a sub-narrative within the Indian epic '' Mahabharata'', found in its third book, '' Vana Parva'' (Book of the Forest). He is renown ...
.


See also

*
Navaratnas Navaratnāḥ (Sanskrit dvigu ''nava-ratna'', , ) refers to a distinguished assembly of nine learned and virtuous individuals who adorned the royal sabhā (court) of certain illustrious List of Indian monarchs, bhūpati-s (kings) in History of ...
, the label given to the court of the emperors
Vikramaditya Vikramaditya (Sanskrit: विक्रमादित्य IAST: ') was a legendary king as mentioned in ancient Indian literature, featuring in traditional stories including those in ''Baital Pachisi, Vetala Panchavimshati'' and ''Singhasan ...
and
Akbar Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...
.


References


Further reading

* K.A. Nilakanta Sastry, History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, 1955, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ashtadiggajas * Telugu-language literature Art and culture of the Vijayanagara Empire Cultural history of India tenali Rama