The Distinctive Compositions of Sreenadha, Sovereign of Poetic Excellence,

This poet lived between 1365-1441. Among his numerous compositions Chatuvuus - sweet and alluring as well as secretive in poetic form are one. Early this year a poetic connoisseur – professionally, a doctor, Dr. Koduru Prabhakara Reddy published a book on the great poet Sreenadha’s Chatuvuus. The reading of these poetic compositions may give the idea voluptuousness or concupiscence of the poet. First and foremost, we must know that the poet has no hatred on any caste, He is very enthusiastic about the impressiveness of all the women of all castes. Traditionally there are four forward castes in the poet’s time. Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vysya and Sudra. The poet visited to the temple of Sri Ranganatha in Srirangam. A Vaisnavite woman described her thus. She braided her with flowers which were falling owing to her brisk walk after being tired with her lover’s act the previous night. Her teeth had a glint, and her walk was unsteady. Her breasts appeared crushed her forehead and cheeks seemed to have been crushed by her lover. The damsel appeared like one walking in a trance.

On another occasion the poet saw a dignified looking woman with a golden hued body. Her forehead is smeared with sindhur. Clad in a red-coloured saree and blouse with her eyes fascinating. The poet was fired by feelings of burning desire looking at her breast, seeing even her ornaments which contributed to the aphrodisiac effect.

While describing another brahmin damsel, the poet’s feelings are different, but equally fascinating. Large breasts, sweet speech, large hair hanging down, with the forehead with fore locks, but she looked not desirous of a sexual union, not even having such a pssion, idea or feeling.

Once the poet is impressed at a bathing ghat in the evening at the time of worshipping god. The daughter-in-law of a pujari. She tripped and fell with a thud, dropping the large bronze vase she was carrying, even the water drenched saree end broke into a loud laugh. Not only describing their bodies the poet went further talking about the way Niyogi ladies dressed up. Here he describes their breasts and complexion as golden hued as their extensive gold coloured sarees.

In the four layered caste system the second is Kshatriya. Being very beautiful, they are humorous, tactful, flattering. In lovemaking they are very efficient. The poet says they are angelic, blemish less without equals in other castes. The poet puts them on the highest pedestal.

Next, come Vaisyas. The poet has his own reason for the prejudice we see in his describing their ladies. They have evil minds as dirty as their sarees, false in judgement, and despicable in clothing. They are guilty and faulty in giving praise. The reason for the poet’s hatred is unimaginable. Their appearance too is hateful to the poet. They are hateful – eyes deep and small, buttocks low, and in copulation they display urgency. We wonder how the poet comes to that conclusion.

Vyapaarees, businesspersons, are set in another section. They are either Madhvas or Golconda Vyapaarees. Madhvas are Vaisnavite. For the poet, a woman appeared thus: the radiance of the saree, glinting on the toe rings, radiant breasts, pearl chains ridiculing the cheeks, the sandal fragrance, walking like an arrow of the love god.

With radiance flashing von her necklace, a diamond nose stud, breasts firm as if ready to break the cotton blouse, her plaited chains of hair line dancing on her back, with flowers on her hair bun, thighs tight, big buttocks a Vyapaaree woman is seen by the poet.

There is a composition on a Nambi woman. Nambi’s are worshippers of Lord Shiva. He describes that woman’s thighs as glowing and one see his reflection on them. This woman, the poets says, is to be thoroughly enjoyed. The poet asks us to greet a Nambi woman as a monkey on the temple, the daughter-in-law the Nambi and the prostitute living in the Adigoppula Street. This reveals that he lives in that village, Adigoppula. The poet is not one who is voluptuous or concupiscent. But he enjoys describing women as dolls to be appreciated. He describes an Oriya woman who is clad in a saree showing her innards mischievously. The bronze ornaments she wears made her glimmer. The poet is not immoral. But he is a lover of beauty. The poet expressed his ideas on different women of different areas of our land. He described women of all castes, Kancharas who make bronze articles and women of all professions. He is a rasika, a connoisseur of beauty and appearance of women, no matter, of what caste or trade to earn a living. The acts, kissing, squeezing, sucking while satisfying his taste.

It is noticeable that the poet is appreciated by C P Brown for the dignity which a woman displayed while carrying a pitcher of water slipped and fell. The bindi she wore on her brow with a special is fascinating. The women who wore the ‘cloth’ with the hair of lambs and sheep. The poet described women of professions like oil crushing on a gaanuga. He describes Bangle sellers and even people of other states like Orissa. He describes a washerwoman in his characteristic w ay. (Puttaparti Narayanacharya, a renowned poet, describing a woman of that profession walking on the banks of the river Godavari, is said to influenced by the woman) Among Brahmins Telagaanyulu are distinct. There is a woman in the list not a beauty. Clad in in a fine thin saree as if displaying her breasts walks in a wonderful way to fetch water from the river. The poet describes a Daasari woman with wide eyes and beauteous breasts and purposefully shows her secret parts which capture men for dallliance.

The poet personally is not a lecher. He looks at women of all castes He thinks of Veena, a musical instrument, while thinking of the man and woman and feels the ‘act’ is musical. He describes a cotton clean - mattress maker’s instrument producing a sound to attract customers to get beds made.

These poems are very well-known and give enjoyable feelings for the readers. The paediatric specialist deserves all praise for reminding us of the poet sovereign, Kavisaarvabhauma, Sreenadha,