Nannayya

Nannayya Bhattaraka (also spelled Nannaya) was an 11th-century Telugu poet, considered the Adi Kavi or "first poet" of the Telugu language. He is primarily known for beginning the translation of the Mahabharata into Telugu, a work that had a profound impact on the development of the Telugu literary tradition.

Nannayya was the court poet of the Eastern Chalukya king Raja Raja Narendra of Rajahmundry (present-day Andhra Pradesh, India). He translated the first two and a half parvas (books) of the Mahabharata into Telugu in the champu style, a blend of verse and prose. This work, known as Andhra Mahabharatam, is not a literal translation, but rather an adaptation that incorporates local customs, traditions, and philosophies.

Nannayya's writing established a standardized literary Telugu and set the grammatical and stylistic conventions for subsequent Telugu poets. His work is highly regarded for its clarity, grace, and poetic beauty. The portion of the Mahabharata he translated is still studied and revered as a foundational text of Telugu literature. His successors, Tikkana and Yerrapragada, completed the translation of the epic.