Mulaghatika Ketana (Telugu: మూలఘటిక కేతన, c. 1220–1260)[1] was a Telugu language poet and writer from southern India. He was a disciple of the poet Tikkana, and wrote multiple works under Tikkana's sponsorship.[2]

Works

edit

Ketana wrote the following works:

  • Dasha-kumara-charitamu is a Telugu translation of Dandin's Dasha-kumara-charita.[3][2] Ketana assumed the title Abhinava Dandi ("the New Dandi"), and dedicated his work to Tikkana.[1]
  • Vijnaneshvaramu or Vijnaneshvariyamu is a legal dharmashastra text based on Mitakshara, Vijnaneshvara's commentary on Yajnavalkya Smrti. Like the other dharmashastra texts, Ketana adheres to the varna system, treating Brahmins and men favourably. He highlights the importance of Brahmins in governance, and recommends that the rulers follow the advice of the Brahmins knowledgeable about the shastras.[4][5]
  • Andhra-bhasha-bhushanamu ("Ornament of the Andhra Language") is a work on grammar. This was likely the earliest Telugu grammar.[6] Andhra-shabda-chintamani, purported to be an earlier work attributed to Nannaya, is a fictitious work, and the sutras attributed to Nannaya in this work are likely from a later period, with their final version dating to the 17th century.[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b G. V. Sitapati (1968). History of Telugu Literature. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. p. 16. OCLC 1208069.
  2. ^ a b c Velcheru Narayana Rao; David Shulman, eds. (2002). Classical Telugu Poetry: An Anthology. University of California Press. pp. 14, 230–238. ISBN 9780520344525.
  3. ^ M. Srinivasachariar (1989). History of Classical Sanskrit Literature. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 463. ISBN 9788120802841.
  4. ^ K. Srinivasulu (2021). "Kingship in Medieval South India". In Himanshu Roy (ed.). Political Thought in Indic Civilization. SAGE. p. 133. ISBN 9789354791598.
  5. ^ Velcheru Narayana Rao; Sanjay Subrahmanyam (2013). "Notes on Political Thought in Medieval and Early Modern South India". In Richard M. Eaton; Munis D. Faruqui; David Gilmartin; Sunil Kumar (eds.). Expanding Frontiers in South Asian and World History: Essays in Honour of John F. Richards. Cambridge University Press. pp. 176–182. ISBN 9781107034280.
  6. ^ Andrew Ollett (2017). Language of the Snakes: Prakrit, Sanskrit, and the Language Order of Premodern India. University of California Press. p. 165. ISBN 9780520968813.
edit