Telegu: Jeevinchu - Nerchuko - Andinchu
English: Live, Learn Share

Forward to the above book.

From Buddha to Confucius, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Vyasa, and Valmiki — they all explained life and its subjects from countless angles. Even today, their sayings are published as subhashitas in daily, weekly, and monthly journals. They are immensely useful in understanding life, in learning, in living meaningfully, and in helping others make their lives meaningful. The subhashitas written by Sri Tummeti Raghotham Reddy will similarly be of great use to today’s society and to the younger generation.

The book ‘Definition’ published from Soviet Russia is a great work on definitions. Tummeti Raghotham Reddy did not enter into those debates. He did not think about them. While quietly observing life, events, personalities, temperaments, and society in solitude, something began to strike him as a new truth. He started jotting them down on his palm and later recording them on paper. Thus, from one and two, it went on to hundreds and thousands — statements and definitions that took shape on the canvas of his mind and found expression in words. This is the third book in that series.

Tummeti Raghotham Reddy is a well-known short story writer In Telugu. He did not stop with writing stories. He distilled his life experience and understanding into short aphorisms, sayings, and statements, compiled them in alphabetical order, and shaped them into a book. There was much deliberation about which literary genre this book should be placed in.

Before the invention of the printing press, oral literature was transmitted from one person to another, from one generation to the next, through shatakas, proverbs, idioms, and subhashitas — more than through written literature. From Akkamahadevi of the 10th century in Kannada, many wrote vachanas. Deevi Subba Rao translated them into Telugu and published them.

Recently, genres like nanis and haiku have gained popularity. Arudra experimented with Koonallamma Padalu and left it at that. In matra chcandas, with four lines of 3+4+3, 6+6, 5+5 matras, he expressed many aphorisms, social commentaries, analyses, and life experiences. shatakas have codified many aphorisms, dharmas, and social issues — Sumati Shatakam, Vemana’s poems, Dhoorjati’s poems, Dasharadhi Shatakam, Kumari Shatakam, and the Shatakam addressed to Dharma Puri Narasimha Swamy, among many others.

Even today, many are composing hundreds of shatakas in matra and desi chhandas, filled with aphorisms, morals, satire, and irony.

Now, where does Tummeti Raghotham Reddy’s work in prose fit? When I thought about it, it felt like a ‘Book of Definitions’. In the past there were works like Nirvachanottara Ramayanam — meaning a poetic work without prose. But this is a book of definitions that defines the essence of life, experiences, philosophy, and worldview in one sentence at a time. Such books may have appeared in other languages too. Philosophical and logical texts have discussed in detail the method of formulating definitions.

J. Krishnamurti gave hundreds of discourses discussing and analyzing words like Love, Fear, Joy, Truth, Walking, Knowledge, Ignorance, Information, Thought, etc. His effort lay in discussing those words, their meanings, and offering deeper, newer meanings and analyses. That is one genre.

Yandamuri Veerendranath compiled the best lines from his writings and published them as books. That is another genre.

G.Y. Giri of Janagam in Warangal district is yet another. Like Tummeti Raghotham Reddy, the famous poet late G.Y. Giri wrote some statements and subhashitas on cleanliness, health, superstitions, environmental protection, bathing, and daily routines, printed them as pamphlets and distributed them to the people.

Vemana’s poems, Sumati’s poems, and nanis have given us life truths by defining and philosophizing many subjects. Tummeti’s collection of prose statements falls in the same category. In the definitions by J. Krishnamurti, Bertrand Russell, and Tripuraneni Gopichand, in shatakas, poems, and the vachanas of devotional poets, there is something present in this book that is not found in them.

Many books have compiled proverbs, idioms, and phrases. The compilers of those books are known, but not the original authors. For the verses in Halludu’s Gathasaptashati, some sources of authorship have been found.

This is a book where a single author has compiled proverbs, idioms, subhashitas, phrases, definitions, commentaries on life, analyses, and the essence of life truths — all in a single sentence, in a single statement. Hence, like nanis in recent times, this is a new genre.

From the vachanas of Bhakti poets of Basava’s Veerashaivism and Vaishnava poets, to shataka poets, Vemana’s poems, matra chandas, Koonallamma Padalu, and Prapancha Padalu — through the evolution of many genres, the genre of ‘nanis’ emerged and stabilized. Over 250 books of nanis have been published. Dr. N. Gopi’s experiment attracted hundreds of poets — not as a meter, but as a genre to express definitions, shatakas, Vemana-style wisdom, idioms, and many other things. When an experiment is followed by others, it becomes a tradition, a culture, a genre. Tummeti Raghotham Reddy has now begun this experiment. He has published three books.

Looking at the index of subjects in this book, one cannot immediately decide if this is a dictionary? Or a philosophical book that adds new meanings and life truths to those words? In one sense it is an annotated dictionary. In another sense it is a philosophical book that philosophizes life experience and perspective.

Earlier, a book titled ‘Dictionary of Philosophy’ was published as a Soviet Russian publication in English. Books like ‘Dictionary of Philosophy’ and ‘Sahitya Pada Nighantuvu’ have come out in English. If this book is expanded, it will take the form of a ‘Dictionary of Lifology’. In Telugu we can call it ‘Jeevana Tatva Nighantuvu’. D.M. Raviprasad has published a fine book on Lifology. Besides these three books, Tummeti already has about ten thousand more such statements, sayings, and life truths ready. Therefore, when all of them are compiled into one book.

(Note: Three volumes were published by Raghotham Reddy and another friend. To those quotations, Emesco Books added more quotations and published a total of ten thousand quotations in a single volume)

Even after that, his power of observation continues to flow. His aphorisms have now crossed 20,000. This is a world record. If even some of these are brought out in other languages, their value and reach will increase. Then they will become a book worthy of translation into world languages, like Vemana’s poems or Shakespeare’s subhashitas.

It is not possible to say everything in a single genre. Since everything could not be said only in poetry, prose was also used in between. That was called Champu Kavya. A poetic work without prose was called Nirvachana Kavya.

It is not possible to say everything in a song, free verse, story, novel, play, cinema, or TV serial within a single genre. Hence many genres evolved — chatuvu, speech, dialogue, training classes, textbooks, aphorisms, editorials, essays, satire, cartoons, etc. Similarly, all these statements, which do not fit into any genre and remain as direct, clear subhashitas in prose, represent a new genre.

Let me touch upon a few examples.

Under ‘Agni / Fire’: “It was only after bringing fire under control that light began in human civilization. Thought is like fire — the result depends on how it is used.”

Tummeti may not have read the Vedas. But the first verse of the Vedas also begins with a discussion of fire: ‘Agnimile purohitam’. Tummeti’s beginning with fire is not accidental. He begins with the turning point that fire brought to human society.

Similarly on ‘Ignorance’: “There is more passion in the arguments of the ignorant.”
“It is easy for anyone to talk about the ignorance of others.”

On ‘Suppression’: “Governments that do not fulfill people’s aspirations try to suppress people’s movements.”

On ‘To Obstruct’: “If you do not obstruct evil, it will surely obstruct you.”

On ‘Excess’: “Those who react excessively will not last till the end.” — This is a great statement.

On ‘Guest’: “If one stays more than a day, hospitality begins to feel like a burden.” — This is what many people feel in their hearts.

On ‘Pride’: “No one else can stand near those who have pride.”

On ‘Luck’: In a startling way he says, “For those who wait for luck, misfortune waits.”
Because, in his words, “Those who rose through self-effort do not talk about luck.”
“All those who refuse to admit their mistakes keep chanting about misfortune.”

On ‘Earning’: “Excessive earning also brings misfortune.”

On ‘Injustice’ under the heading ‘Majority’: “Just because the majority argues for it does not make injustice justice.” “Even the majority can commit injustice.”

On ‘Authority’ he makes a sharp remark: “The wise do not enter authority. There is no wisdom in authority.” Those in authority have the right to oppose this statement. Because they wield authority even over wisdom, they think their own wisdom is supreme. But not all may be like that. “After coming to power, women are no less than men in acquiring vices.”

On ‘Following’: “Without followers, leaders cannot achieve anything.” “Great leaders have great followers.” Which means: “Those without great followers are not great leaders.”

On ‘Debt’: “There is no greater financial principle than living without debt.” — This is the understanding of crores of people for generations. He also says a beautiful thing: “Among blood relatives, all debts are considered a right to consume, not requiring repayment.”

Had I read this 30 years ago, I would have avoided the plight of lending lakhs of rupees and then losing even the relationship by asking for it back. Like this, these statements guide and warn us on so many subjects.

On ‘Practice’: “If practice stops, learning perishes.”

And also: “Those who remain immersed only in practice cannot discover new things.”

On ‘Life’: “If we do not give life a meaning, life itself will feel meaningless.”

Thus, under just the letter ‘A’ — from Agni, Ignorance, Suppression, Humility, Atom, Obstruct, to Impossible, Jealousy, Ego — there are 57 headings.

Under ‘Aa’ — from Hunger, Attraction, to Property, Food, Joy, Modernity, Danger, Struggle, Delay, Desire, Shelter — many subjects are included.

Under ‘I’ — Trouble, Neighbors, Preference, Senses.

Under ‘U’ — The Excellent, Letters, Production, Enthusiasm, Morning, to Speech, Utility, Teachers — and many more.

Like this, in alphabetical order, like a dictionary, under hundreds of headings he has placed life truths and understanding: Marriage, Love, Affection, Equality, Problem, Romance, Character, Heaven and Hell, Women, Egalitarian Society, Transaction, Obsession, Newspapers, Rain, Class, Criticism, Cooperation, Contradiction, Intoxication, Alcohol, Middle Class, Death, Writing, Politics, Taste, Form, Old Age, Peace, Comparison, Quarrel, Police, Sorrow, God, Patriotism, Meditation, Civilization, Sleep, Decision, Fame, Son, Daughter, Caste, Discipline, House, History, Effort, Jail, Astrology, Path, Married Life, Inflation, City, Walking, Conduct, River, Faith, Novelty, Laughter, Civilization, Waiting, Crime, Court, Determination, Work, Taxes, Mountain — thousands of statements and subhashitas under hundreds of headings.

At least one sentence in this will be useful to everyone. It will move a person. For students and youth, this book will serve as a daily scripture. The Bhagavad Gita may not be easily understood. In this book there is nothing that cannot be understood. Everything is as clear as a peeled banana.

One can take everything in this literally. Or, when you read it, if new meanings occur to you, you can write them down in your own notebook. Together they may reveal new life truths. By reading this, you yourself can write on each of these headings according to your experience, study, and perspective. By writing, you can enhance your own understanding.

The headings and the subhashitas in them will greatly please you. They will inspire you. They will motivate you. They will move you. You will feel satisfied at having learned so many life truths.

When we read about philosophers, their books, and their ideas, we feel indescribable joy and satisfaction. This can also be called transcendental joy.

This book gave me great inspiration. For so long I wanted to say many things but could not place them under any heading or genre of me. I only said them in conversations, conflicts, and on various occasions. Thousands of such things remained.

In the past, things that did not fit into any kavya were called chatuvu. Similarly, in modern times, things that remain unrecorded under any heading or genre can be recorded through this process — Tummeti Raghotham Reddy has shown us that path.

By starting this process to express our thoughts and experiences, to share them with others, and to ensure they do not perish with us, Tummeti Raghotham Reddy has stood as a new pathfinder. After reading this, I too felt like saying many things through this process. I will write soon.

Earlier, seeing the definitions given by J. Krishnamurti, I wanted to write my own understanding. But since they were explanatory, I could not write in such detail. Now Tummeti’s experiment seemed very useful to me too.

After reading this book — or even without reading inside, just by reading the headings and writing your own sentence under each heading — that becomes your own understanding.

To accept so many meanings for so many headings, to create them yourself, to know yourself, to know what you know and what you do not know — this experiment is very necessary.

We feel as if we know everything. When we read, it does not feel new. But until we read it here, we do not even remember it. What we do not remember has not become part of our nature, knowledge, or practice. Therefore, while reading this, writers, artists, litterateurs, philosophers, social scientists, women, and students must create their own meanings and sentences. Through that, they will gain more clarity and comprehensive understanding. As a result, maturity and growth will come into their writings and genres.

Hence this will be immensely useful not only to common readers, but also to writers, artists, litterateurs, philosophers, social scientists, teachers, advocates, speakers, judges, political leaders, panchayat elders, and counselors.

To convey in just 200 pages, with small words and sentences, the understanding and knowledge that otherwise requires reading thousands of pages — this is the great achievement of Tummeti.

This book has created a history in Telugu. It will inspire many more such books.
Heartfelt congratulations to my friend Tummeti Raghotham Reddy, who has initiated and is continuing a new genre.