Andhra Mahabharatam: Nannaya, Tikkana and Errana

Quick answer: The Andhra Mahabharatam is the Telugu retelling of the Mahabharata, written over about three centuries by three poets known together as the Kavitrayam, the "poet trinity". Nannaya began it in the 11th century and wrote the Adi and Sabha Parvas and part of the Aranya Parva. Tikkana, in the 13th century, wrote the fifteen parvas from Virata to Svargarohana. Errana, in the 14th century, completed the unfinished Aranya Parva.

It is the founding classic of Telugu literature, and Nannaya is honoured as the adi kavi, the first poet, of Telugu. This page explains who wrote which part, how the work relates to Vyasa's Sanskrit text, and how it is read today.

Nannaya: the beginning

Nannaya was the court poet of the Eastern Chalukya king Rajaraja Narendra, whose capital was Rajamahendravaram (Rajahmundry), in the 11th century. At the king's request he began a Telugu Mahabharata. He completed the Adi Parva and the Sabha Parva and part of the Aranya Parva before his work stopped; tradition holds that he died while composing it.

Nannaya is called the adi kavi of Telugu because his work is the earliest surviving literary text in the language. He shaped a Telugu literary style rich in Sanskrit vocabulary, and many of the conventions of later Telugu poetry go back to him.

Tikkana: the fifteen parvas

About two centuries later, Tikkana Somayaji, a poet and minister at the court of Manumasiddhi at Nellore, took up the work in the 13th century. He did not continue Nannaya's unfinished Aranya Parva. Instead he began with the Virata Parva and completed all fifteen remaining books, through the war and to the Svargarohana Parva. Tradition gives various reasons why he left the Aranya Parva aside, among them respect for the unfinished work of his great predecessor; none of them is certain.

Tikkana's Telugu is closer to everyday speech than Nannaya's, and he is especially admired for his dramatic dialogue and his portraits of character. He dedicated the work to Harihara, Vishnu and Shiva as one.

Errana: completing the Aranya Parva

In the 14th century Errana (Errapragada), a poet at the court of the Reddi king Prolaya Vema Reddi, completed the part of the Aranya Parva that Nannaya had left unfinished. He wrote the opening of his portion in a style close to Nannaya's and the rest in a style close to Tikkana's, so that the join between the two earlier poets would be seamless. With his work, the Telugu Mahabharata was complete. Errana also wrote a Telugu Harivamsha.

How it relates to Vyasa's Mahabharata

The Kavitrayam did not translate the Sanskrit verse by verse. They retold the story in Telugu poetry, abridging some passages, expanding others, and shaping the work for Telugu listeners. Long teaching sections such as the Shanti Parva are much shortened, and the Bhagavad Gita is treated briefly rather than in its full 700 verses. When you quote the Telugu Mahabharata, name it as such; when you quote Vyasa, use a Sanskrit edition.

How it is read today

Verses (padyams) from the Andhra Mahabharatam are learned in school, quoted in speeches and recited by Telugu families. Its stories are performed in harikatha and in the Telugu drama tradition. Many printed editions exist, with prose meanings for modern readers.

Frequently asked questions

Who are the Kavitrayam?

Nannaya, Tikkana and Errana, the three poets who wrote the Telugu Mahabharata between about the 11th and 14th centuries.

Who is called the first poet of Telugu?

Nannaya, whose part of the Andhra Mahabharatam is the earliest surviving work of Telugu literature.

How many parvas did Tikkana write?

Fifteen, from the Virata Parva to the Svargarohana Parva.

Why did Errana write only part of the Aranya Parva?

Because Nannaya had begun it and Tikkana had passed over it. Errana completed it, which made the Telugu Mahabharata whole.

Is the Andhra Mahabharatam a translation?

It is a free poetic retelling in Telugu, not a verse-by-verse translation of the Sanskrit.

Related reading

• Mahabharata: The Complete Guide
• Mahabharata story summary
• Mahabharata FAQ
• Ramayana: The Complete Guide

Sources

1. Sahitya Akademi, Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature, entries on Nannaya, Tikkana and Errana.
2. Velcheru Narayana Rao and David Shulman (trans. and eds.), Classical Telugu Poetry: An Anthology (University of California Press, 2002), introduction and selections from the Kavitrayam.

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.