Kshetrayya

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Kshetrayya (17th Century A.D) - born Varadayya, was a prolific Telugu poet and composer who wrote with Sringara as a main theme in expressing Madhurabhakti (devotion to the supreme). Sringara is a motif where the mundane sexual relationship between a man and a woman is used to express a connection with the divine. In most of his compositions, Kshetrayya has used the signature "MuvvaGopala" as a reference to himself, which is also a name for the Lord Krishna in Kshetrayya's village Muvva.

Kshetrayya's work has played a major role in influencing poetry, dance, music of the South Indian tradition. Kshetrayya was intimately connected with the devadasi women of the temples of south India, who were the subject of many of his compositions. The devadasi's were traditionally in possession of the musical/poetic interpretations of his work for a long period of time till the devadasi system was abolished and the compositions became more accepted in the musical community as valuable works of art. The musical community also owes a lot to Veena Dhanammal and T. Brinda, who popularized Kshetrayya's songs with their beautiful musical interpretation.

Kshetrayya's padams now form an integral part of the dance and musical traditions of South India, where his songs are rendered purely as musical works or as accompaniments to dance.

Here is one of the translations of Kshetrayya's many poems.

Dancing-Girl's Song

My heart's friend, will you tell me who this mischievous 
youngster is?
As I lay in bed he came to me, and with his bow shot me with a
          shower of softest flowers,
And so the unrest in my heart!
The young fellow boldly crashed into my house in daylight,
Held me very tight for a moment only,
Bit my lip, and ran off with the speed of an arrow.

My heart's friend, does he think I am his for life?
He came and I could not resist his great commanding Voice---
He set my heart floating on the honey stream of his words,
With his amorous kiss he burnt my lips,
And left me utterly alone, and unfulfilled.
Is it nothing more than his butter-stealing boyishness?
Or does he think I'm like those easy shepherdesses he ill-uses to his
         heart's content?

He came to me as if he had bought me for a wife,
Forced the clothing off my breasts,
And held them, O so tight, in great hands
And told me not to be annoyed,
And then without pity, slipped away.
O my heart's own friend, this is not a place for poor young 
girls
          like me;
The old and young look on alike, and will not stop his tricks.
There is no one in this wide world to whom I can by right
          complain.
The playful youngster with cloud-blue skin and garment of yellow
          silk,
Boasted to me he rules the hearts of sixteen thousand
shepherdesses,
And walked proudly away,
Leaving me in a daze of shameless desire.

-Translated from the Telugu, Credit A. K. Ramanujan: "When God is a Customer"