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{{Short description|Indian book}}
{{Infobox book
| name = Sri Ramayanamu
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| author = [[Katta Varadaraju]]
| published = 1950-53
| publisher = [[Government Oriental Manuscripts Library]], [[Madras]]
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| country = [[India]]
| language = [[Telugu language|Telugu]]
| series =
| subject = [[Valmiki Ramayana]]
| genre =
| media_type = Print
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'''Sri Ramayanamu''' ([[Telugu language|Telugu]]: శ్రీ రామాయణము) is the magnum opus work by Katta Varadaraju in Telugu based on the Hindu epic [[Ramayana]]. This Ramayana presented to the Telugu public for the first time is a unique production of Dwipada [[Kavya]], which belongs to [[Desi]] or indigenous literary compositions.

==The author==
The author Katta Varadaraju is a 16th-century poet and also a ruler after the Vijayanagara period. He is already known to the literary world through the publication of his Prabandha ''Srirangamāhātmyam'' in 1921.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Katta Varadaraju |editor1-last=Chelikani Latcharao |title=Srirangamahatmyamu |date=1921 |publisher=Amudritandhra Granthamala |location=Chitrada |url=https://archive.org/details/srirangamahatyam023623mbp/mode/2up |access-date=10 January 2021 |language=Telugu}}</ref> He is a [[Kshatriya]] of the solar race and a descendant of the famous [[Karikala Chola]],<ref>
*{{cite book |editor1-last= M. Kulasekhara Rao |title=A History of Telugu Literature |author2= |publisher=For copies, M. Indira Devi |year=1988 |volume= |page=258 |quote=Katta Varadaraju, the writer of one of the Ramayanas in Telugu, was not a king himself, but belonged to an illustrious royal family of famous Kari Kala Chola, who constructed an anicut across river Kaveri, besides ruling vast empire of Chola. Because of the Kaveri anicut, this family was called Katta ( dam ) thereafter. Varada raju's forefathers were related to the family of Vijayanagar kings. Historians feel, according to the available sources, that this poet lived in the seventeenth century A.D around 1660.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GpAOAAAAYAAJ}}
*{{cite book |editor1-last= Challa Radhakrishna Sarma |title=Ramblings in Telugu Literature |author2= |publisher=Lakshminarayana Granthamala |year=1978 |volume= |page=14 |quote=Katta Varadaraju who is said to have lived during 1600-1650 has written a Ramayana in dvipada metre . In the introduction , he said that he acquired his surname ' Katta ' as he was born in the family of Karikala Chola who constructed banks ( katta ) on Kaveri .|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nk3vAAAAIAAJ}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Amaresh Datta |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: A to Devo |author2= |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |year=1987 |isbn=9780836422832 |volume=1 |page=69 |quote=Katta Varadaraja Ramayana : Varadaraja is a ' solar ' kshatriya of Cuddapah region.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WqERAQAAMAAJ}}
</ref> who constructed the anicut (Kattu in Telugu) on the river Kaveri, from which his house or family name Katta is derived. He is the son of Haridasaraju and his grandfather was Rangappa Raju, an ally of [[Rama Deva Raya|Ramadevarayulu]] of the [[Aravidu dynasty]]. The latter ruled at [[Chandragiri]] from 1614 to 1632 and is a cousin of our Varadaraju. An inscription states that Varadarāja's father was living in 1637 A.D. and hence it can be said that Varadaraju was living in about 1650 A.D. The last Telugu poet whom Varadaraju mentions is [[Allasani Peddana]], the poet laureate in the time of Krishna Devaraya (1509–30). Varadaraju is a staunch vaishnavite and a disciple of one Etirājācharya. He is a sincere devotee of God Sri Venkateswara of Tirupati,

His other available works are ''Srirangamāhātmyamu'' and ''Paramabhāgavatacharitra''. The former work is a translation of Satādhyāyi from [[Garuda Purana]] describing the greatness of the shrine at [[Srirangam]]. It is in ten cantos and written in classical prabandha style. The latter work is also a Prabantha in 8 cantoes and deals with the lives of the 14 devotees (Parama Bhakthas, i.e. Prahlada, Nārada, Parašara, Pundarika, Vyasa, Ambarisa, Śuka, Saunaka, Bhisma, Dalbhya, Rukmangada, Arjuna, Vaśīstha, and Vibhāşana). Unfortunately the whole work is not available.

==Publication==
The Government Oriental Manuscripts Library, Madras published this work in four volumes. The first volume consists of [[Balakanda]] and Ayodhya Kandas,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Katta Varadaraju |editor1-last=N. Venkata Rao |title=Sri Ramayanamu (Bala and Ayodhya Kandas) |date=1950 |publisher=Government Oriental Manuscripts Library |location=Madras |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.329382/mode/2up |access-date=9 January 2021}}</ref> second volume consists of Aranya and Kishkindha Kandas,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Katta Varadaraju |editor1-last=N. Venkata Rao |title=Sri Ramayanamu (Aranya and Kishkindha Kandas) |date=1952 |publisher=Government Oriental Manuscripts Library |location=Madras |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.371617 |access-date=9 January 2021}}</ref> third volume consists of [[Sundara Kanda]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Katta Varadaraju |editor1-last=N. Venkata Rao |title=Sri Ramayanamu (Sundara Kanda) |date=1952 |publisher=Government Oriental Manuscripts Library |location=Madras |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.373297/mode/2up |access-date=9 January 2021}}</ref> and the fourth volume consists of Yuddha kanda.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Katta Varadaraju |editor1-last=N. Venkata Rao |title=Sri Ramayanamu (Yuddha Kanda) |date=1953 |publisher=Government Oriental Manuscripts Library |location=Madras |url=https://archive.org/details/SriRamayanamuYuddakandaKattaVaradaraju1953616P2030020024696/mode/2up |access-date=9 January 2021}}</ref>

The only manuscript copy of this work is preserved in the [[Thanjavur Maharaja Serfojis Sarawswathi Mahal Library]]. This great work is published by the authorities of the Tanjore Palace Library under the patronage of the Madras Government. All the volumes are critically edited with detailed introduction written by [[Nidudavolu Venkatarao|N. Venkata Rao]], senior lecturer and Head of the Telugu department, Madras University.

==Legacy==
Kadiyana Venkataramana has done critical analysis of Sri Ramayanamu of Katta Varadaraju in 1986, as a part of thesis work under the guidance of K. J. Krishna Murthy. It was published by [[Sri Venkateswara University]], Tirupati with a title ''Katta Varadarajakavi Dwipada Ramayanamu – Oka Pariseelana'' in 1998.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kadiyala Venkataramana |title=Katta Varadaraaja Kavi Dwipada Ramayanamu - Oka Pariseelana |date=1998 |publisher=Sri Venkateswara University |location=Tirupati |url=https://archive.org/details/KattaVaradaraajaKaviDweepadaOkhaPariseelana/mode/2up |access-date=10 January 2021 |language=Telugu}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Ramayana}}

[[Category:Works based on the Ramayana]]
[[Category:Telugu-language literature]]

Sri Ramayanamu - Revision history

Abhinavsinghshiva: made the details needs work - done