Powerful Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Sathakam to destroy enemies || Recited by Sri Akkiraju Sundara Ramakrishna || Episode 53
Satakas are unique to Telugu and Sanskrit literatures. Many poets of yesteryears presented value education and Bhakti literature through Satakas. We are posting few important and popular Satakas. These Satakas are useful to people of all ages.
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Satakam is a compilation of 100 poems by Dharmapuri Seshappa Kavi. They are primary based on devotion and morality and set in simple language. Compilation of this complete work is in Telugu recited in different ragas by Sri Akkiraju Sundara Ramakrishna.
The narasimha Satakam has some very popular devotional poems in telugu. Until recently, many village households had these poems recited (or sung) at dusk just as the oil wick lamps were being lit by the lady of the house. The belief being that dusk is the time of awakening of demons from their sleep and that Narasimha's praise at that time would keep them in check. Apart from beliefs of this kind, the poems have a beautiful flow and convey a variety of morals to young children gathered around their mother as dusk turns to the darkness of night. Many a Telugu person would remember with fondness, his/her mother singing "lakshAdhikAraina lavaNamannamegAni - merugu baMgAraMbu mriMgabODu."
The Satakam does not hold many clues about the author. But we can guess that the poet lived in the rAyalaseema region from several expressions that he used, e.g., "cayyananu mOkshamimmu," "kakkasaMbulu palki," etc. He repeatedly used the word "daMDi" in several combinations. There is a uniquely rAyalaseema expression "KhanDitamuga" which is pronounced as "kacchitamugA" in other places. He talked about writing books or vrAta pustakamulu. These vrAta pustakamulu were not ancient phenomena in Telugu Nadu. That may say something about his period. He also referred to naMbi (meaning loyal/believer, a variation of nammi as in nammina banTu). In modern times, this word is mostly used in Tamil and its use in Telugu is almost non-existent. So, the native place of the poet reduces to finding a dharmapuri in rAyalaseema with narasiMha temple. The most famous Dharmapuri of all is in Anantapuram Dt. (Dharmavaram). It is a probable place but has no major narasiMha Temple at the present time. The nearest major narasiMha kshEtraM is at kadiri, a short drive from dharmavaraM. There is another Dharmapuri in Karimnagar Dt., another one in Nizamabad Dt., and yet another one in Prakasam Dt. But we don't have any clues about the poet hailing from there, nor is there an ancient narasiMha temple in those places. Another remote possibility is the Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu.
Apparently, some people had interpreted the naMbi word in the Satakam as naMdi and drew some conclusions about his caste affiliation. Deplorable as it may be, such preoccupation with the affiliation of an author was a factor in the old days in determining his/her popularity and literary status.
Fortunately, in spite of such interpretations, the Satakam survived in the popular lore. Its popularity all over the telugu nADu can be gauged from the fact that the incomparable pOliseTTi in kanyASulkaM (Act V, Scene II) readily quotes from the Satakam, "narasiMvva, nee divve nAma maMtaramu SAta! narasiMvva nee divve--." Of course, pOliseTTi was not concerned with washing off sinful "durita jAlamulu." He was only trying to ward off bad cards as siddhAnti was dealing them in a card game! Contrast this with siddhAnti's expression ("mRttikAcamE?") after looking at his own cards and realizing that they were not good either!
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