MAHAKAVYAS (MAJOR COURT EPICS) IN SANSKRIT PART I

Dandin defines Mahakavya in the following manner: ‘saga-banQaao mahakavyaM ]cyato tsya laxaNama\’ "Sargabandho mahaakaavyam Uchyathe thasya Lakshanam".  Any poetical composition which is well knit in chapters is called a MahaKavya. The plot of Mahakavyas can be taken from Puranas and other good sources. It can also be based on the political and social problems. It should have the description of the cities, mountains, rivers, the sunrise, moonrise, sunset, moonset, the seasons, playing in the parks, water sports, drinking bouts, sexual dalliance, kidnapping, rescuing, war, battlefield etc. In Sanskrit there are numerous Mahakavyas, some of which have been published and many still lay in the form of manuscripts. Among the popular ones are the Five Mahakavyas which are traditionally studied. They are Kalidasa’s ‘rGauvaMSama\’ (Raghuvamsam) and ‘kumaarsaMBavama\’ (Kumarasambhavam), Bharavi’s ‘ikratajau-naIyama\’ (Kiratarjuniyam), Magha’s ‘iSaSaupalavaQama\’ (Sishupalavadham) and Sri Harsha’s ‘naOYaQaIyacairtma\’  (Naishadhiyacaritam).

            Kalidasa’s lyrics ‘?tusaMharma\’ (Ritusamharam) and ‘maoGasandoSama\’ (Meghasandesam), two Mahakavyas ‘rGauvaMSama\’ (Raghuvamsam) and ‘kumaarsaMBavama\’ (Kumarasambhavam) and three plays ‘maalaivakaignaima~ma\’ (Malavikagnimitram), ‘ivaËmaaova-SaIyama\’ (Vikramorvasiyam) and ‘AiBa&anaSaakuntlama\’ (Abhij`nanasakuntalam) constitute the authentic works of Kalidasa. There are others which are spurious but attributed to Kalidasa.

‘kumaarsaMBavama\’  (Kumarasambhavam):

            ‘kumaarsaMBavama\’ is a Mahakavyam which describes the birth of Kartikeya and the preceding events that led to it. The poem is available now in 17 cantos. But only the first 8 cantos are recognised as genuine. The rest of the poem is held to be post-Kalidasa. The reason for the abrupt ending of the commentary of Mallinatha at the completion of the 8^th canto is given as the poet’s violation in describing the sexual dalliance of Parvati and Shiva. This noted commentator hence felt that the latter 9 cantos had not been described as the title proposes. It stops with the description of the wedding and the joy of the divine couple. The style, the language and the use of similes for which Kalidasa is well known, talk in favour of Kalidasa with respect to the latter 9 cantos. The importance of the poem lies in the aesthetical values of description and in the depth of sensuous emotions. The description of the mount Himalayas, the description of the spring season, the lamentation of Rati, custom and practices with regard to a Hindu marriage and the philosophical expositions found in the 2^nd and the 7^th cantos are the fine specimens for the poet’s knowledge and imagination.

‘rGauvaMSama\’ (Raghuvamsam)

            Raghuvamsam is said to be the most perfect work of Kalidasa. the poem is now available in19 cantos. Kalidasa has tried in this the description of the glories of the Kings of Solar Race. It is not a continuous account of all Kings of this race. The poet confines himself to some Kings like ‘idlaIp:’ ‘rGau:’ ‘Aja:’ ‘dSarqa:’ ‘rama:’ and some of his successors. Lamentation over the death of Aja’s wife Indumati in the 8^th canto has become a classic of its own. This in a way is complementary to the lamentation of Rati ³ritivalaap´ of Kumarasambhavam. Here he devotes more number of cantos to the description of Rama’s story. This has become a beautiful abridgement of Ramayana. After describing the successor of Rama the 19^th canto ends abruptly with the death of Agnivarna ³AignavaNa-:´. The style of Raghuvamsa is dignified. Kalidasa shows in this work the mastery over the art of writing similes. This work of Kalidasa has apt and striking similes and has been rightly considered as the best Mahakavya.

‘Baariva:’ (Bharavi):

         Bharavi’s name is mentioned along with the name of Kalidasa in the Aihole ³eohaolao´ inscription dated 634 A.D. Hence Bharavi’s date cannot be brought down below this date. Bharavi’s poem ‘ikrataja-naIyama\’ (Kiratarjuniyam) is a Mahakavya in 18 cantos. The name Bharavi is not real name of the poet. This must have been a title given to him by his patron King. But unfortunately we do not have any information about his life except an incredible story.

            Kiratarjuniyam describes the story of Arjuna’s acquiring Pashupatastra - ‘paSauptas~’ from Lord Shiva, who coming in the disguise of a hunter - ‘ikrat:’ tested the strength and ability of Arjuna in an encounter. This incident is briefly narrated in Vana Parva of Mahabharatam. Bharavi has transformed it into a beautiful Mahakavya by graphic and elaborate descriptions on statecraft and politics in a vigorous style quite appropriate to the heroic sentiment of the Kavyam.

            From Bharavi onwards the style of Mahakavyam became more elaborate and artificial. The natural and simple style of Kalidasa and other early poets gave way to verbal tricks and subtle expressions. Bharavi is famous for his dignified thought expressed in crisp and vigorous style - ‘Baarvao: Aqa-gaaOrvama\’. The famous example of ‘Aqa-gaaOrvama\’ can be found in the following verse:

‘sahsaa ivadQaIt na iËyaaM Aivavaok: prmaapdaM pdma\.

   vaRNauto ih ivamaRSyakairNaM gauNalaubQaa: svayamaova saMpd:..’

 ‘maaGa:’ (Magha):

‘maaGa:’ is the son of ‘d<ak:’ (Dattaka). He is the author of the Mahakavya called ‘iSaSaupalavaQama\’ (Sishupalavadham) consisting of 20 cantos. It describes the killing of iSaSaupala by Lord Krishna. Magha belongs to the beginning of 8^th century A.D. A simple incident from the Mahabharatam where Lord Krishna kills iSaSaupala: at Yudhishthira’s Rajasuya sacrifice has been taken by Magha and developed into a great epic like Bharavi. Magha also introduced a discussion on the state policy in the second canto. Dandin’s definition of Mahakavyam strictly applies to this work. Magha excels Bharavi in the artificiality of his time. He imitates Bharavi in many respects and he is admired for his delightful style, profound thoughts and beautiful similes.      

‘]pmaa kailadasasya Baarvao: Aqa-gaaOrvama\.diNDna: pdlaaila%yaM maaGao saint ~yaao gauNaa:..’

‘Kalidasa excels in his similes, Bharavi excels in depth of ideas, Dandin excels in his lucidity of words and Magha excels in all the three qualities’.

            Magha’s vocabulary is very vast and his knowledge in grammar is deep. It is said if any one studies 9 cantos of Magha there will be no words new to him ‘navasaga-gato maaGao navaSabdao na ivaVto’. The toughness of his style can be inferred from the following remarks made by the great commentator Mallinatha. ‘maaGao maoGao gatM vaya:’ - One may have to spend one’s life time to understand Magha’s ‘iSaSaupalavaQama\’ (Sishupalavadham) and Kalidasa’s Meghadutam.

 ‘EaIhYa-: (Sri Harsha):

‘EaIhYa-:, the son of Heera and Mamalladeva, is the author of the Mahakavyam ‘naOYaQaIyacairtma\’  (Naishadhiyacaritam). Sri Harsha was patronised by Vijayachandra and Jayachandra of Kanauj in the latter half of the 12^th C.A.D. ‘naOYaQaIyacairtma\’  (Naishadhiyacaritam) is said to have been written in 60 cantos, but only 22 cantos are now available. The story of this Mahakavya is taken from Nalopakhyanam of Mahabharatam. In the original the story is narrated in a simple and beautiful style. Sri Harsha has developed it into a great epic in a rough style which requires the help of commentators to understand the meaning. Being a scholar of various Sastras, Sri Harsha has embellished his works by drawing similes and topics from various Satras on different terms of philosophy. Hence his work is considered to be a feast for scholars. It is a brain tonic for a learner and a touchstone for scholars in Sanskrit ‘naOYaQaM ivaWdaOYaQama\’.