LYRICS /MINOR POEMS/EROTIC POEMS OR ‘KHANDAKAVYAS'

           

Lyrics are short and sweet poems with an intensely emotional appeal having very slender or no bearing on any narrative theme. Erotic poems dealing with the sentiment of love and devotional poems expressive of author’s outburst of ‘Bai>’ (Bhakti) belong to this variety. These are classified in Sanskrit as ‘KNDkavya’ (Khandakavyas). The lyrical element is abundantly found in all the branches of Sanskrit literature, particularly in drama. Yet the lyrics, as a distinct type of literature, have not been seen in the early days. But still the elements which led to the growth of this form can be traced to a very ancient age. The hymns of Rig Veda are devotional lyrics addressed to the Gods. Though these lyrics called ‘saU>’s (Suktas) are meant for ceremonial rites we do find a lot of literary merit in them. The great epics ‘ramaayaNama\’ and ‘mahaBaartma\’ contain many passages of lyrical elements. These mark the beginning of lyrical literature in Sanskrit.

THE EROTIC LITERATURE OR LOVE LYRICS OF KALIDASA

          The first writer of lyrics as a distinct form of poetry is Kalidasa. The ‘?tusaMharma\’ (Ritu Samhara) and ‘maoGadUtma\’ (Meghadoota) of Kalidasa are two of the greatest lyrics known in Sanskrit literature.

1. The ‘?tusaMharma\’ (Ritu Samhara) 

‘?tusaMharma\’ is a lyric consisting of 144 stanzas in various metres. It is divided into 6 sections, each section being devoted to the description of 6 seasons in the Indian calendar. The 6 seasons are: ‘homant?tu’ (Hemanta ritu), ‘iSaiSar?tu’ (Shishira ritu), ‘vasant?tu’ (Vasanta ritu), ‘ga`IYma?tu’ (Greeshma ritu), ‘vaYa-?tu’ (Varsha ritu) and ‘Sard\?tu’ (Sharad ritu).

       All the aspects of these 6 seasons that appeal to the poetic sense are described in detail. The influence of the season on a lover either by the way of accelerating his emotion or by the way of depressing it, is described fully. Thus the poet’s is enviable skill in blending man and nature is evident in this poem.     

            It has been for long argued that ‘?tusaMharma\’ is not a genuine work of Kalidasa on the ground of aesthetic perfection which is characteristic of his later works. But the recent researches have established beyond doubt that the poem was written by Kalidasa. The descriptive power, the felicity of style, the apt similes and phrases of Kalidasa can be seen in this poem. The deficiencies seen in this poem only indicate that it is an immature work and certainly the maiden attempt of Kalidasa.                                 2. Meghadoota or Meghasandesha

           This is a very popular lyric of Kalidasa with a very thin line of story. A certain ‘yaxa:’ (Yaksha) cursed by his master ‘kubaor:’ (Kubera); for his negligence of duty is doomed to live as an exile in ‘ramaigair’ (Ramagiri) away from his beloved for one year. After spending 8 months on that mountain the ‘yaxa:’ sees the first cloud of rainy season and implores it to convey his love message to his beloved who is passing her equally miserable days in the city of Alaka.

            In the first half of the lyric the poet describes the paths to be taken by the cloud. Here with great power and beauty the poet describes the various scenes of the forests and cities, mountains and rivers that lie on the northward path of the cloud. In the second half, the poet describes the city Alaka, the Yaksha’s dwelling place, his careworn wife and her occupations and ends with the message of love and hope which is meant to sustain her during the remaining 4 months of her destined separation. The whole poem is composed in ‘mandaËanta’ (Mandakrantha) metre. Though the form and plan of the lyric are entirely original, Kalidasa seems to have taken the clue from Valmiki’s Ramayanam where Hanuman is sent with the message to be delivered to Sita. The popularity of the poem and its enchanting melody has so much influenced the successors of Kalidasa that many imitations of the poem have been attempted. These imitations are so numerous that the ‘sandoSakavyama\’ (Sandeshakavya) has become a separate branch of lyric itself.

3. ‘paSva-aByaudya’ (Parsvabhyudaya) 

            A Jain author by name ‘ijanasaona:’ (Jinasena) used this ‘maoGasandoSa’ (Meghasandesha) in composing his ‘paSva-aByaudya’ (Parsvabhyudaya) an account of the saint ‘paSva-naaqa:’ (Parsvanatha). He has introduced one or two lines of every sloka of ‘maoGadUtma\’ in strictly successive order into the sloka’s of his own poem. This helps in dating the nature of the text ‘maoGadUtma\’ in 8^th century AD. According to this evidence of ‘maoGadUtma\’ known to ‘ijanasaona:’ contained 120 stanzas. A similar ‘sandoSakavyama\’ called ‘naoimadUtma\’ (Nemidutham) of unknown date reveals the versions of ‘maoGadUtma\’ as containing 125 verses. The two commentaries of this lyric ‘vallaBadova:’ and ‘maillanaaqa:’ of the 12^th and 14^th centuries respectively recognised only 111 and 125 stanzas as genuine.

4. Bhartruhari's ‘EaR=\gaarSatkma\’ (Sringarasatakam)

          ‘Bat-Rhir:’ lived in the first half of the 7^th century. The Chinese traveller I’tsing has recorded his death as having occurred in 651AD. ‘Bat-Rhir:’ was a versatile writer who had contributed to a very large variety of subjects like grammar, philosophy, ethics and poetic art. The tradition called ‘Bat-Rhir:’, a king who doted very much on his wife and later regretted after learning the infidelity of his wife. He has written 3 lyrics all consisting of 100 verses. They are: 1) ‘naIitSatkma\’ (Neetisatakam), 2) ‘EaR=\gaarSatkma\’ (Sringarasatakam), 3) ‘vaOragyaSatkma\’ (Vairagyasatakam).

The ‘EaR=gaarSatkma\’ is an erotic lyric in 100 stanzas. The verses do not constitute one coherent theme, but contain several detached descriptions of scenes of love. His descriptions of the characteristics, feeling and the diversions of lovers are attractive and graceful. The fact that he talks enthusiastically about feminine charms in this ‘Satkma\’ makes one extremely surprised at his having written the ‘vaOragyaSatkma\’ which condemns the very charms applauded in this lyric. The explanation lies in the fact that the erotic lyric depicts the emotions of the writer in his youth whereas the other gives expressions to the feelings of resignation of his mature years. The ‘EaR=gaarSatkma\’ on the whole has been generally popular as love lyric and the stanzas from it have been cited in later works.

5. Amaruka's ‘AmaÉSatkma\’ (Amaru satakam) 

The ‘AmaÉSatkma\’ (Amaru satakam) is a collection of 100 verses from the pen of ‘AmaÉk:’. There is an incredible tradition that the great philosopher Shankaracharya transmigrated voluntarily into the dead body of ‘AmaÉk:’, the king of Kashmir. Having enjoyed the pleasures of his harem he set forth his sensuous experiences in this work to prove the versatility of his genius during a competition with Sarasavani-the wife of another great scholar Mandana Mishra. The delightful poem describes the varied moods of lovers and gives us beautiful pen pictures of several attractive scenes. It also describes the experiences of lovers, the bliss and dejection, estrangement and reconciliation. This is praised by the famous literary critic ‘AanandvaQa-na:’ (Anandavardhana) in the following terms:  ‘AmaÉkkvao: ek: Slaaok: p`banQaSatayato’ A verse of ‘AmaÉk:’ equals 100 lengthy compositions.

6. Bilhana's ‘caaOrpHcaiSaka’ (Chaurapanchasika)

            ‘ibalhNa:’ of Kashmir, the author of ‘ivaËmaa=\kdovacairtma\’ (Vikramankadeva charitham) has written a love lyric in 50 stanzas called ‘caaOrpHcaiSaka’ (Chaurapanchasika). There is an attractive tradition associated with this title. The author is said to have enjoyed stealthily the love of the princess of Kashmir and when condemned to death by the king on discovery he composed many verses recalling the pleasant time he had spent with the princess. He composed these stanzas as the last recollection of his love with the princess. The stanzas enchanted so much the king that gave the poet his daughter whom he loved, as a reward for the verses. This tradition is more fanciful and less authentic. But the stanzas have a clear melody of their own and the scenes of love recounted are fairly interesting though in some cases it is merely conventional. The poet belongs to the latter half of the 11^th century AD.