Biographical Sketches of Dekkan Poets/Tikkana Somayagi
TEKKANA SOMAYAGI.
This was a famous Historian and Poet, and a native of a village, called Petture in the Nellore district, he flourished in the twelfth century of Salivahana. When he was very young, he studied Sanscrit and Telugu under Kavi Rakshasa, and in a short time made very rapid pro- gress in those languages. At the desire of Mania Sidharajee, he undertook to translate the Mahabarut into Telugu, and completed fifteen volumes in a comparatively short space of time, he was possessed of a quick genius and a ready talent at versification, in addition to a critical knowledge of the Sanscrit language. For this performance, he obtained the grant of an extensive tract of land from the king, the greater part of the produce of which he expended in sacrifices, these religious acts procured for him the appellation of Tekkana Somayogi—this poet died universally lamented.