Tikkana Somayaji
The Diplomat‑Poet Who Completed the Telugu Mahabharata
Tikkana Somayaji (also known simply as Tikkana) stands as one of the three jewels – the Kavitrayam (Trinity of Poets) – of Telugu literature, alongside Nannaya and Yerrapragada. While Nannaya began the monumental task of translating the Sanskrit Mahabharata into Telugu, it was Tikkana who, two centuries later, revived the project and translated fifteen of the eighteen parvas (books), giving the Telugu people their beloved Andhra Mahabharatam. But Tikkana was not merely a poet; he was also a statesman, a minister, and a diplomat who wielded considerable political power in the court of the Telugu‑Choda king Manmasiddhi of Nellore, and who successfully negotiated with the mighty Kakatiya emperor Ganapatideva to restore his sovereign to the throne. This article explores the life, literary genius, and political acumen of Tikkana Somayaji – a man who bridged the worlds of poetry and power.
Tikkana was born into a Telugu‑speaking Brahmana family, likely in the Nellore region. His father’s name was Koyyamma, and his mother’s name was Mallamma. He was a devotee of Śiva, as indicated by his titles and the invocatory verses in his works. He performed the Somayaga (Vedic soma sacrifice), earning him the epithet Somayaji or Somayajin. His education was thorough, encompassing the Vedas, Sanskrit poetics, grammar, and the great epics.
Before Tikkana, the great poet Nannaya had begun the Telugu translation of the Mahabharata in the 11th century, but he had only completed the first two and a half parvas (Adi, Sabha, and part of Aranya) before abandoning the project. For nearly two centuries, the Telugu Mahabharata remained incomplete. Tikkana took up the challenge, but with a remarkable innovation: he did not attempt to retranslate what Nannaya had already done. Instead, he picked up the narrative from the middle of the Aranya Parva and continued through the remaining fifteen parvas, finishing the entire epic except for the three parvas that were later translated by Yerrapragada.
His translation was not a literal rendering; it was a creative adaptation that captured the spirit of the original while making it accessible and enjoyable to Telugu audiences. He simplified complex philosophical passages, added lyrical descriptions of nature, and infused the narrative with the cultural sensibilities of the Telugu people.
Tikkana is known for his elegant and flowing prose (vachana kavya) and his mastery of the kanda and sisa metres. His verses are celebrated for their emotional depth (rasa), particularly in portraying heroic sentiments (vira rasa) and pathos (karuna rasa). The dialogue between Kunti and Karna in the Udyoga Parva is often cited as one of the finest passages in Telugu literature.
While Tikkana’s literary fame is undisputed, his role as a diplomat is equally fascinating. He served as a minister (mantri) and trusted advisor to the Telugu‑Choda king Manmasiddhi of Nellore. However, Manmasiddhi’s kingdom was usurped by his cousins/rivals, Akkana and Bayyana (referred to in some sources as Tikkana and Bayyana – a different Tikkana). Manmasiddhi was driven into exile and desperately needed military aid to regain his throne.
At that time, the most powerful ruler in the Telugu region was Ganapatideva (r. 1199–1262 CE), the greatest monarch of the Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal. Ganapatideva had expanded Kakatiya authority over much of the Telugu‑speaking lands, including parts of the Nellore region. Manmasiddhi sent his minister, Tikkana Somayaji, as an emissary to the Kakatiya court to seek help.
According to traditional accounts and inscriptions, Tikkana delivered a stirring speech to Ganapatideva, appealing to the king’s sense of dharma (righteousness). He argued that it was the duty of a powerful monarch to restore a deposed king to his ancestral throne and to punish the usurpers. He described the usurpers as “enemies of the land” and implored Ganapatideva to “chastise them and restore Nelluru back to my sovereign.”
“O Lord of Warangal, the sun of the Kakatiya race, a king’s fame rests on protecting the helpless. Here stands the exiled Manmasiddhi, a king without a kingdom. Uphold dharma; crush the usurpers; restore the throne of Nellore to its rightful heir. Let history remember that you were not only a conqueror but a restorer of justice.”
Ganapatideva was convinced. He launched a military campaign to the south, first destroying Velanadu, a rival power, and then advancing on Nellore. The Kakatiya army defeated the usurpers Akkana and Bayyana, and Manmasiddhi was restored to the throne of Nellore as a feudatory of the Kakatiya empire.
This historical event is corroborated by inscriptions. The Srirangam inscription, for example, refers to the heads of “Bayyana and Tikkana” being used as balls in a victory celebration, commemorating the restoration of the Nellore ruler. This grisly metaphor indicates that the usurpers were executed, and their defeat was celebrated as a major political and military triumph.
Manmasiddhi’s restoration occurred around the middle of the 13th century. Inscriptions indicate that he was still in power as late as 1257–58 CE, supported by the Kakatiyas until subsequent invasions by the Pandyas under Jatavarman Sundara‑Pandya I forced a realignment of powers in the far south. Nevertheless, Tikkana’s diplomatic mission had achieved its immediate objective: the return of his king to the throne.
The Srirangam inscription (13th century) records: “The heads of Bayyana and Tikkana were kicked as footballs by the victorious soldiers of Ganapatideva.” This confirms the violent end of the usurpers and the Kakatiya role in the Nellore restoration.
Apart from his magnum opus, the Andhra Mahabharatam, Tikkana also authored the Nirvachanottara‑Ramayanamu (also called the Uttara Ramayanamu). This work is a Telugu translation of the Uttara Kanda (the later book) of the Ramayana, which deals with the events after the war: Sita’s exile, the birth of Lava and Kusha, and Rama’s eventual departure from the world. Tikkana’s version is admired for its pathos and its sensitive portrayal of Sita’s suffering and Rama’s inner conflict.
While the Andhra Mahabharatam is written in the kanda metre (with some sisa and prose passages), the Nirvachanottara‑Ramayanamu is entirely in kanda verse. It was a popular work in the medieval period and is still studied as an example of Tikkana’s lyrical skill.
“ధారణిదేవతాత్మజుఁ డనంగను నిర్మలకీర్తి వెలింగెడు నిక్కన సోమయాజి సృజించిన కృతి”
(“This composition was created by Tikkana Somayaji, whose spotless fame shone brightly, born of the earth‑goddess.”)
Tikkana’s presence at the Kakatiya court and his interactions with Ganapatideva provide a valuable historical synchronism that helps date the poet. Based on the known reign of Ganapatideva (1199–1262 CE) and the subsequent restoration of Manmasiddhi (c. 1240s–1250s CE), scholars place Tikkana’s active period in the mid‑13th century, roughly 1205–1288 CE. This aligns with internal references in his works.
Tikkana’s diplomatic role also illustrates the close relationship between political power and literary patronage during the Kakatiya zenith. The Kakatiyas were great patrons of Telugu literature; Ganapatideva and his successor Rudramadevi supported poets and scholars. Tikkana’s success at the Kakatiya court was not accidental: it reflected the cultural prestige of Telugu poetry as well as the political utility of well‑spoken ministers.
In literary history, Tikkana is revered as the poet who gave the Telugu language its classical status. The Andhra Mahabharatam became a model for all subsequent Telugu literary works, influencing not only poets but also playwrights, filmmakers, and musicians. Even today, Tikkana’s verses are recited in villages and cities, and his characters – Karna, Arjuna, Draupadi, and Bhima – live on in the Telugu cultural imagination.
The Telugu literary tradition reveres three poets who collectively translated the Mahabharata:
➡️ Nannaya (11th century) – began the work.
➡️ Tikkana (13th century) – continued and completed all but three parvas.
➡️ Yerrapragada (14th century) – translated the remaining three parvas.
Together, they are the Kavitrayam, and their work is known as the Andhra Mahabharatam.
Tikkana Somayaji left an indelible mark on Telugu language and culture:
- Linguistic Standard: His translation of the Mahabharata helped standardize literary Telugu, establishing norms of grammar, metre, and style that were followed for centuries.
- Literary Influence: Nearly every Telugu poet after Tikkana acknowledged his influence. His portrayal of heroic characters became the template for Telugu epic poetry.
- Popular Culture: Verses from his Mahabharata are taught in schools, quoted in speeches, and adapted in films and television serials. The famous “Tikkana’s Kunti‑Karna dialogue” is considered one of the greatest dramatic passages in Telugu literature.
- Political Relevance: Tikkana’s life demonstrates that a poet can also be a man of action. His diplomatic mission to Warangal is a reminder that literature and statecraft were intertwined in medieval Andhra.
- Commemoration: The Telangana government and Andhra Pradesh government have instituted awards and memorial lectures in Tikkana’s name. His birth anniversary is celebrated by Telugu literary organizations.
“Not by the high seat, not by the crown, not by the army, is a king judged. He is judged by his righteousness, by his compassion, and by his fidelity to the word given.”
– Tikkana, on the duties of a king.
📚 References & Further Reading
- Tikkana Somayaji, Andhra Mahabharatam (various editions – Telugu).
- Tikkana Somayaji, Nirvachanottara‑Ramayanamu (Telugu).
- N. Venkataramanayya, The Kakatiyas of Warangal (1953) – for the historical context of Ganapatideva.
- B. N. Sastry, Tikkana: A Study (Telugu Academy, 1985).
- Srirangam inscription – published in Epigraphia Indica, Vol. VI (for the reference to Bayyana and Tikkana).
- P. T. Raju, Telugu Literature: Its History and Heritage (1990).
- Wikipedia: Tikkana.
© For scholarly and educational purposes only. All rights belong to respective sources.
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