Tikkana was a 13th century versatile Telugu
literary figure. He was a poet, scholar and translator. That an age in Telugu
literature has been named after Tikkana is proof of his greatness as a poet. As
the pioneering trendsetter of a particular type of poetry, he has been hailed
as yugakarta (yuga – age, karta – creator).
Tikkana was born to Kommana and Annama, who belonged to a
family of poets and scholars. His grandfather, Bhaskara, was a minister in the
court of the king of Guntur.
Tikkana worked as a minister in the court of Manumasiddhi,
the ruler of Nellore kingdom, and soon became the poet-laureate. By virtue of
his ministerial capabilities and poetic prowess, he was even able to help the
king regain his lost kingdom. He performed Soma Yajna, a Vedic ritual, and
thereafter was known as Tikkana Somayaji.
He was against religious rivalry within the Hindu fold. He
dedicated his Mahabharata to Hari Haranatha, a deity combining Shiva and
Vishnu. He always adhered to the philosophy of tolerance.
Literary Works of Tikkana
Some of the important works of Tikkan are:
- Vijasenam
- Krishnasatakam
- Kavi Vagbandhanam (books on prosody)
- Nirvacanottara Ramayana
- Mahabharata
Vijasenam and Krishnasatakam are not available.
Kavi Vagbandhanam is not considered as the work of Tikkana
by researchers. So only Nirvacanottara Ramayana and the Mahabharata are
available in the name of Tikkana.
Nirvacanottara Ramayana was Tikkana’s first work, wherein he
translated the Uttara Kanda of Ramayana in 10 chapters. It was written in
poetic form and therefore the name Nirvacanottara, meaning “without prose”, and
is dedicated to his beloved king, Manumasiddi.
Tikkana is one of the three very important poets of early
Telugu literature, the other two being Nannya and Errana. He translated the
Mahabharata from Sanskrit to Telugu, and he was the second to one in poetic
style. Many titles are conferred on him, including Kavibrahma (Brahma among
poets) and Ubhaya Kavi Mitra (friend of both classes of poets), one believing
in the predominant usage of Telugu in their works, the other emphasizing use of
Sanskrit.