Tirupati Venkata Kavulu

Literary works

The duo produced a wide range of literary works spanning several decades. Their early collaborative effort, Dhatu Ratnakara Campu (1889–1893), is a campu cavya with the story of Ramayana illustrating the use of verbal forms for the roots given by Pāṇini, the Sanskrit grammarian. They wrote Sringara Sringataka (1891), a small playlet called Veedhi with predominantly erotic sentiment, and Kali Sahasram (1891–1894), an incomplete work (300 slokas) modelled on Lakshmi Sahasram in Sanskrit.

Mula Sthaneswara Stuti (1893–1894) was composed in Arya vrittas on Mulasthaneswara, local deity of Nellore. Suka-Rambha Samvadam (1893–1894) is an argumentation between Śuka, the sage and Rambha, the danseuse. Śuka interprets Ananda, the Supreme Bliss, in terms of Vedantic Truth and Rambha interprets it in terms of erotic experience. They also produced devotional works such as Namassivaya Stotram (1914–1915), Kshampanam (1914–1915), Pishtapeshanam (1914–1915), and Salabhalabhanam (1914–1915).

Other works include translations from Sanskrit to Telugu: Devi Bhagavatamu (1896), Siva Leelalu (1896), Purana Gadhalu (1896), Vrata Kathalu (1896), Srinivasa Vilasamu (1896–1897), Rasikanandamu (1893–1894), and a Telugu translation of their own Sanskrit work Suka-Rambha Samvadamu (1893–1894). They translated Buddha Caritramu (1899–1900), Vairagya Sataka of Appaya Dikshita (1899–1900), Bala Ramayana of Rajasekhara (1901–1912), Mudra Rakshasa of Vishakhadatta (1901–1912), Mrichchakatika of Shudraka (1901–1912), Vikramankadeva Caritra of Bilhana (1901–1912), Candraprabha Caritra of Veera Nandi (1901–1912), Harsha Caritra of Bana (1901–1912), and Stories of Rabindranath Tagore from English to Telugu.

Additional works include Sravananandam (1893–1897; 1897–1898), Panigrihita, Lakshana Parinayamu (1897–1901), Ela Mahatmyamu (1898–1900), Jataka Carya (1899–1930) and Iteevali Carya (1930–1950) by Venkata Sastry alone, Divakarastamayamu (1920), George V Pattabhisheka Padyalu (1912), Bobbili Pattabhisheka Kavyamu (1929), Kameswari Satakamu (1901), Arogya Kameswari Stuti (1922), Arogya Bhaskara Stavamu (1929–1930), Mrtyunjaya Stavamu, Saubhagya Kameshwari Stavamu (1938–1941), Sita Stavamu, and Siva Bhakti.

Did You Know?

• Chellapilla Venkata Sastry was conferred Kala Prapoorna by Andhra University in 1938.
• Venkata Sastry's Jataka Carya (1899–1930) and Iteevali Carya (1930–1950) are autobiographical works based on jyotishaphala, recording his life in verse form.
• Divakarastamayamu (1920) is an elegy by Venkata Sastry on the demise of his lifelong partner, Tirupati Sastry.