Some legends credit Nannaya with writing
Andhra-shabda-chintamani ("Magic Jewel of Telugu Words"), a
Sanskrit-language work that was the first treatise on
Telugu grammar. This
lost work is said to have contained five chapters with 82 verses in the
Arya metre. Nannaya is said to have written this text with help of his friend Narayana Bhatta. Nannaya's grammar is said to have been divided into five chapters, covering samjnā,
sandhi, ajanta,
halanta and
kriya. Yelakuchi Bala-sarasvati wrote a Telugu gloss (commentary) on this work, and his
Bala-sarasvatiyamu refers to this legend in brief. A more elaborate version of the legend appears in
Appa-kavi's
Appakavīyamu (1656). According to this version,
Bhimana, who was jealous of Nannaya, stole and destroyed
Andhra-shabda-chintamani by throwing it in the
Godavari River. Unknown to others, King
Rajaraja-narendra's son Saranga-dhara, an immortal
siddha, had memorised Nannaya's grammar. He gave a written copy of Nannaya's work to Bala-sarasvati near Matanga Hill (at
Vijayanagara), and Bala-sarasvati wrote a Telugu gloss (commentary) on the work. With help of the god
Vishnu, Appa-kavi received a copy of Nannaya's work, and wrote
Appakavīyamu as a commentary on this text.
Ahobala-panditiya (also known as
Kavi-siro-bhushana), a Sanskrit commentary on
Andhra-shabda-chintamani, also retells this story. Although Appa-kavi describes his work as a commentary, it is really an original work. ==See also==