 A Poet with a Purpose
Unlike many poets of his time who wrote about romance or devotion, Tripuraneni’s poetry had a purpose — to challenge, provoke, and transform.
His most famous work, “Kuppuswamy Satakam”, was revolutionary. Through sharp satire and simple, powerful verses, he exposed the hypocrisy of blind faith and religious exploitation. The common man could understand his words — and feel the sting of truth in them.
Another masterpiece, “Sambhuka Vadha”, retold a story from the Ramayana but turned it into a social critique. By questioning why Sambhuka, a Shudra saint, was punished for performing penance, Ramaswamy boldly attacked caste-based discrimination.
In a time when questioning tradition was seen as rebellion, he was unafraid to raise his voice. And that courage made him one of the first rationalist reformers in South India.
