Chebolu Seshagiri Rao

Hindi Astavadhani Dr. Chebolu Seshagiri Rao (b: Feb 10, 1943 - d: April 9, 2015) was a Hindi scholar from South India in recent times. He lived in Rajamahendravaram in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh of South India. His magnum opus was Hindi Astavadhanam. He was awarded Padmabhushan Dr. Moturi Satyanarayan Award by AP Hindi Academy, ‘Visista Hindi SeviPurskar’ from DBHP Sabha, Chennai Andhra Pradesh Hindi Academy Award for his contributions to Hindi Language and literature.
Life and career
Chebolu Seshagiri Rao was a Hindi Scholar from Rajamahendravaram, a town located in the banks of river Godavari in Andhra Pradesh. He was born to Chebolu Venkata Ramanaiah and Smt. Kamaraju. He had to discontinue his school studies on health grounds. During his free time, apart from maintaining the family business of ‘Imperial Press’ at Rajamahendravaram, he commenced Hindi learning Journey at ‘Saraswati Hindi Vidyalaya’. He dedicated his life to learning, experimenting and spreading the Hindi language in the region, where its prominence is hardly felt due to its third language status. After pursuing ‘Hindi Sikshana Parangata’ at Kendriya Hindi Samstan, Agra, he completed Sahitya Ratna, B.A. and M.A. in Hindi from Andhra University Visakhapatnam through distance education. His teaching career started at Hindi Premi Mandali, Rajamahendravaram. Consequently, he served as Senior Hindi Pandit, Junior College Lecturer, Degree College Lecturer and finally Reader and Head of the Department of Hindi at Sri Kandukuri Veerasalingam Educational Institutions.
He pioneered the art of Ashtavadhanam in Hindi, a unique and tough literary technique which exists and is practiced by Telugu Scholars only. His prowess on Hindi language was demonstrated through the execution of ‘Hindi Ashtavadhanam’ for more than 100 times with finesse and receiving accolades at every event by one and all. ‘Andhra Kalhana’ Madhupantula Satyanarayana Sastry, ‘Ashu Kavita Chakravarthi’ Bulusu Venkata Rammurty and Prof. Karna Raja Seshagiri Rao were his gurus.
By actively participating in various literary and social organizations he has also satisfied the philanthropist in him. His relentless and uncompromising passion towards Hindi and Astavadhanam has culminated in many forms right from founding (starting the institution called ‘Akhil Bharat Hindi Prachar Sangh’ to popularize the Hindi Astavadhanam art and also serving the historical institution ‘Hindi Premi Mandali’ on many capacities for more than three decades. The notable services under his leadership include ‘Hindi Varotsav’, which is a Hindi feast among school children of Rajamahendravaram with huge participation being conducted for more than twenty five years, Hindi Grammar classes to all the Hindi teachers of East Godavari District etc. He started a monthly Hindi Literary magazine ‘DharaDharana’, which was well appreciated by critics.
Andhra University had conferred Doctorate to Sri Chebolu Seshagiri Rao for his work on ‘Telugu-Hindi Prosodic Systems: A Comprehensive analysis”, for proving that it is the only syntax that differs from language to language but when it comes to semantics and expression there is no barrier in Indian languages. The command and passion for the language can be seen in his literary works like “Mothinath”, “Sunder Sapna”, "Abhishek", “Avadhana Ratna”, “Madhu Chakra”, “Navyandhra Kavya Nandan”, “Kalapani”, “Hindi Seekhen Aasani se”, “Balaji Chalisa”, “Sai Chalisa” and “Suprabhatam” etc.
His simplicity, selflessness and intuition to work made him excel in all his endeavors and won awards like ‘Padma Bhushan’ MoturiSatyanarayana Award-2010 by AP Hindi Academy, ‘Visista Hindi SeviPurskar’ from DBHP Sabha, Chennai, AmarajeeviPrathibhaPurskar, ‘Acharya’ awarde from Jaimini Hindi Academy, MadhurkaviNalam Krishna Rao Award, Dr. AB Nageswara Rao Award, Loknayak Foundation Award, Visakhapatnam etc. The knowledge journey of Dr. CheboluSeshagiri Rao was resplendid and relentless with unequivocal vision. He died on 9th April 2015 at Hyderabad. He is survived with wife Smt. VenkataRamanaKumari along with son and daughter families. He is quiet spiritual in true sense and during his last days, despite being seriously ill, he wrote Sri Rama Kalyan Katha Kavya as part of ‘SundarSapna -Bhag2’.
Hindi Astavadhanam
Ashtavadhanam - Avadhanam, is an intellectual discipline of highest order. It is an exercise of the mind, which demands simultaneously, range and focus. It subjects the avadhani’s awareness; concentration, poetic excellence, retentive and analytical powers to the severest of tests. The avadhani has to acquire the capacity to let his mind dwell on a variety of challenging and creative tasks set by Pruchchakas (Questioners), whose assigned role is to elevate the exercise to its highest potential.
The framework within which astavadhanam is performed is well known. Astavadhanam means simultaneous completion of eight intellectual and literary tasks set by eight Pruchchakas. Astavadhanam, which is essentially an exercise in Telugu, assumes a different format in Hindi. It is performed by an erudite scholar in the presence of learned audience. Various tasks of the Hindi Astavadhan are as follows.
*Dattapadi : It is composition of a poem incorporating four words and the meaning or idea prescribed by the Pruchchaka.
*Nishiddhakshari : This task aims to beset with complications at every stage. The Pruchchaka is at liberty to restrict the use of certain letters of his choice in the task of poetic composition for the avadhani.
*Chitrakshari : It consists of the composition of a poem of two lines of eight letters each on given subject. The avadhani is expected to furnish the letters one by one usually demanded in an irregular order.
*Vyasthakshari: The Pruchchaka corresponding to this category furnishes eight letters of a word or pharase of his choice in an irregular order at irregular intervals. The avadhani is required to remember the letters and present them in their normal (meaningful) order at the end of the avadhanam.
*Varnana: It is composition of a four line stanza on a subject prescribed by Pruchchaka.
*Pushpa Ganana: It is furnishing the count of flowers presented at different levels.
*Vaara Ganana : It is the identification of days for certain dates, when month and year of that date are furnished to the avadhani.
*Sarasa Samlap: It is involvement of avadhani in medley jovial yet scholarly conversation.
The astavadhanam is deemed to have been completed successfully when the avadhani recounts correctly all the solutions in a final summation, which is termed ‘Uttar Bhag’.

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