Dvipada Bharatamu in Telugu is a rendering of the Mahabharata in a dvipada or couplet meter. It is the reproduction of the famous Kavitraya Bhartamu or Kavithrayam of the poet trinity of Nannaya, Tikkana and Erana by Battepati Timmaya (1500-1600 CE), Bala Saraswati (1500-1600 CE), and Atukuri Somana (1600-1650 CE).
Dvipada is an indigenous meter in couplet form. The poet trio belonged to the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.
Timmaya has reproduced six chapters or parvas of the epic: Adi Parva to Drona Parva. Bala Saraswati has authored Sabha Parva only. The third poet Somana completed the rest of the other parvas adding some more stories. Interestingly, he has attributed this parva to Timmaya. By and large, the poet trio followed Kavitraya Bharatamu.
Among them Timmaya occupies a prominent place and describes many interesting incidents in a conversational style. Belonging to Prabandha period, he has given importance to descriptions. The narration of the prayer of the kiratas (the people who live in the forest) and descriptions of hunting are included.
The style of Dvipada Bharatamu is lucid and simple. Many episodes found in the Mahabharata are dropped and some of them modified. The adoption of the dvipada meter gives the rendering a colloquial flavor. Of the three poets, Somana has contributed the most by translating eleven chapters and repeating one which has already been done by the other two poets.
Source - Encylopedia of Hinduism Volume III page 570 - 71 - Rupa - IHRF - 2011