పోతన భాగవత మకరందాలు

శా. కారే రాజులు రాజ్యముల్ గలుగవే గర్వోన్నతిం బొందరే
వారేరీ సిరి మూటగట్టుకొని పోవంజాలిరే భూమిపైఁ
బేరైనం గలదే శిబిప్రముఖులుం బ్రీతిన్ యశఃకాములై
యీరే కోర్కులు వారలన్ మఱచిరే యిక్కాలమున్ భార్గవా!

shA. kArE rAjulu rAjyamul galugavE garvOnnathiM boMdharE
vArEree siri mootagattukoni pOvaMjAlirE bhoomipaiAO
bErainM galadhE shibipramukhuluM breethin yashaHkAmulai
yeerE kOrkulu vAralan maRachirE yikkAlamun bhArgavA!

Context:
This is a poem in the “ashtama skandam” of the Pothana’s Bhagavatham, where in the story of the Maha Vishnu in His “Vamana” avatara is told. Vamana goes to the great demon king Bali and asks him for three feet of space, as Bali is doing a great penance and is giving alms/charity to those who seek. Then, the intelligent guru of Bali, Shukracharya, warns Bali not to promise anything to this young Brahmin Vamana, as “He is none other than the great Vishnu, and He will destroy you if you give Him whatever He asks”. In reply, Bali, who is known for his great charitable nature, says to his Guru, the following words, making his intentions clear that he will give alms to Vamana, no matter what.

Meaning:
“Acharya!! There were innumerable Kings, and innumerable Empires before. There were innumerable Great Emperors, who were proud of being themselves and their wealth! So, also, there will be many more rulers, with their kingdoms and their pride of being the powerful and wealthy!! But do they take all their wealth with them, when they leave this corporeal world? Are all of them remembered after they are gone, like the great emperor Shibhi (and the likes) are remembered? Certainly not. Whilst Shibhi and the like are still alive in wearing the "glorious fame" as their bodies (known for keeping up to their promises), the others who were always selfish about their kingdoms and their progeny are now dead long back and no one remembers them now!”

This shows the magnanimous nature of Bali and his sanskara of keeping up to his words, no matter what! And through Pothana’s poem, the Chakravarthi Bali is immortal again!!
Look at the Shardoolam, with the beautiful shabdhalankarams!!!
When you sing this in the poetic rhythm and metre, it mesmerizes the audience!!
Perhaps words like are testimonial when the language “Telugu” was compared to “Honey”, by the early Westerners, even though they do not understand the complex grammar we have!!!

Pamulaparty Siddartha

Apr 2, 2008.