- Sri Sri (Srirangam Srinivasa Rao).

Srirangam Srinivasa Rao or Sri Sri as he is better known,

was born in 1910 in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. He is one of the greatest

Telugu poets to have been born and was one of the first to write
about contemporary issues affecting the average man of the day. He wrote
visionary poems in a style and metre not used before in telugu classical poetry.
He moved poetry forward from traditional mythological themes to reflect more
contemporary issues.

His major work - `MAHAPRASTHANAM' was an anthology of poetry which

began with the poem `Mahaprasthanam'. We would like to share the pleasure
we had in reading this poem with all other existing annd potential fans of
Sri Sri with a transliteraion of one of his most famous poems: 'Mahaprasthanam'.

MAHAPRASTHANAM

Maro prapancham,

Maro prapancham,

Maro prapancham pilichindi!

padanDi munduku,

padanDi trosuku,

podaam, podaam, pai paiki!

kadam trokkutu,

padam paaDutu,

hrudamtaraalam Garjistu-

padanDi podaam,

vinabaDaleda

maro prapanchapu jalapaatam ?

daaripoDugunaa GumDe Netturulu,

tarpaNa chestu padanDi munduku!

baatalu naDichi,

peTalu gaDichi,

koTalanniTini daatanDi!

nadi nadaalu,

aDavulu KonDalu,

eDarulaa manakaDDamki?

padanDi munduku!

padanDi trosuku!

podaam, podaam pai paiki!

emukulu kruLLina,

vayasu maLLina,

somarulaara chaavanDi!

NetturumanDe,

Saktulu ninDe,

Sainukulaara! raranDi!

"harom harom hara!

hara! hara! hara! hara!

Harom hara" anikadalamDi!

maro prapancham,

mahaa prapancham,

dharitrininDa ninDimDi!

padanDi munduku!

padanDi trosuku!
prabhanjanam vale horettindi!

bhaavavegumuna prasaarinchanDi!

varshakabhramula praLayaghoshavale

PheLa PheLa PheLa PheLa viruchuku padanDi!

padanDi,

padanDi,

padanDi munduku!

kanapaDaleda maro prapanchapu

kanakana manDe tretaagni ?

egiri egiri egiri paDutunnaayi,

enabhai lakshala meruvulu!

tirigi tirigi tirigi samudraala,

jalapraLaya naaTyam chestunnaayi!

sala sala kraage chamura kaadidi,

ushna rakta kaasaaram!

sivasamudramu,

nayagaravale,

urakamDi! urakamDi munduku!

padanDi munduku!

padanDi trosuku!

maro prapanchapu kamchu nagaaraa.

viraamameruguka mrogindi!

Traachulavalenu,
rechulavalenu,

dhananjayunila saaganDi.

kanabaDaleda maroprapanchapu

agnikiriiTapu dhagadhagalu,

errabavuTa niganigalu,

homajvaalala bhugabhugalu ?