“Tvadīyaṁ vastu Govinda tubhyam eva samarpaye” — O Govinda, I offer back to You what is Yours. With this spirit of complete surrender, Annamacharya (Annamayya) transformed the intellect, scholarship and talent granted by the Supreme into 32,000 devotional compositions, offering them entirely at the feet of the Lord rather than using them for personal gain. It is for this reason that Annamayya became eternal as the “Padakavita Pitamaha”, the grandfather of devotional lyric poetry, said Dr. L.V. Gangadhara Sastry, renowned Gita singer, preacher and propagator, and founder chairman of Bhagavadgita Foundation.
Dr. Sastry observed that the Telugu language expressed through the lyrical beauty of Annamayya’s compositions is unparalleled. His compositions are deeply thoughtful, rooted in Dharma, committed to the welfare of society and filled with devotion to Lord Sri Venkateswara. He described Annamayya as a selfless Karma Yogi who was born to proclaim the glory of Lord Sri Venkateswara to the world.
He also recalled the contribution of the great musician Padma Shri Garimella Balakrishna Prasad, who rendered Annamayya’s compositions with profound devotion and dedication. Through his extraordinary singing, he fulfilled his life’s purpose by carrying the spiritual and musical richness of Annamayya’s keertanas to generations of listeners.
Dr. L.V. Gangadhara Sastry spoke as the chief guest at the program titled “Nritya Harati to Annamayya Kavita Bharati”, held at the SMILES old-age home in Hyderabad. The program featured a dance offering by renowned Kuchipudi dancer and guru Smt. Kranti Narayan, a disciple of Padma Shri Shobha Naidu, along with her troupe.
On the occasion, Dr. Gangadhara Sastry explained the distinction between religion and Dharma. He said that religion is generally associated with a particular group, whereas Dharma is universal in nature. He emphasized that the true form of the Dharma followed in our tradition is Sanatana Dharma.
Dr. Sastry rendered select verses from the Bhagavadgita and explained their deeper meaning and how they can be understood and practiced in daily life. He also captivated the audience by singing the Vishwaroopa Darshana Yoga episode with its meaning, vividly presenting the vision of the cosmic form and creating a deeply moving experience for the audience.
He praised Sri Gauraprasad, founder of SMILES, for dedicating his life to the service of the elderly and making his life meaningful through selfless service.
Dr. Gangadhara Sastry congratulated and honored Smt. Kranti Narayan and her troupe for their deeply moving and extraordinary presentation, which brought out the inner essence and devotional spirit of Annamayya’s compositions through the art of Kuchipudi dance.
