111-633: Bharavi ( Bhāravi ) was a 6th century Indian poet known for his epic poem Kirātārjunīya , one of the six mahakavyas in classical Sanskrit . According to multiple grant inscriptions of the Ganga dynasty , such as the Gummareddipura inscription, the Ganga king Durvinita wrote a Kannada -language commentary on the Canto 15 of Bharavi's Kirātārjunīya . The date of the Gummareddipura inscription
222-568: A Hindu belief that killing of a brahmin ( Bramhatya ) was a sin, capital punishment was not applicable to them. Upper caste kshatriyas ( satkshatriya ) were also exempt from capital punishment due to their higher position in the caste system. Severe crimes committed were punishable by the severing of a foot or hand. Contemporary literary sources reveal up to ten castes in the Hindu caste system ; three among kshatriya, three among brahmin, two among vaishya and two among shudras . Family laws permitted
333-399: A century earlier by Jinasena and Gunabhadra during the rule of Rashtrakuta Amoghavarsha I . The prose, composed in lucid Kannada, was mainly meant for the common man and avoided any reference to complicated elements of Jain doctrines and philosophy. His writings seem to be influenced by the writings of his predecessor Adikavi Pampa and contemporary Ranna . The work narrates the legends of
444-514: A century. King Shivamara II is mostly known for his wars with the Rashtrakuta Dhruva Dharavarsha , his subsequent defeat and imprisonment, his release from prison and eventually his death on the battle field. The Ganga resistance continued through the reign of Rashtrakuta Govinda III and by 819, a Ganga resurgence gained them partial control over Gangavadi under King Rachamalla. Seeing the futility of waging war with
555-508: A conventional lion at the base and a circular shaft of the pillar on its head, the stepped Vimana of the shrine with horizontal mouldings and square pillars were features inherited from the Pallavas. These features are also found in structures built by their subordinates, the Banas and Nolambas . The monolith of Gomateshwara commissioned by Chavundaraya is considered the high point of
666-404: A gift instead of winning it in war, but Yudhiṣṭhira refuses, with a longer speech. Meanwhile, the sage Vyasa arrives. III. Vyasa points out that the enemy is stronger, and they must use their time taking actions that would help them win a war, if one were to occur at the end of their exile. He instructs Arjuna to practise ascetism ( tapasya ) and propitiate Indra to acquire divine weapons for
777-528: A groom from among many aspirants) were all in vogue. Memorials containing hero stones ( Viragallu ) were erected for fallen heroes and the concerned family received monetary aid for maintenance of the memorial. The presence of numerous Mahasatikals (or Mastikal – hero stones for a woman who accepted ritual death upon the demise of her husband) indicates the popularity of Sati among royalty. Ritual death by sallekhana and by jalasamadhi (drowning in water) were also practiced. Popular clothing among men
888-416: A hunting excursion, read the verse and impressed, invited Bharavi to the royal palace. However, when Bharavi arrived at the palace, a royal employee turned him away, disgusted by his poor appearance. Meanwhile, the king had inscribed the verse in gold in his bedroom. One day, he found his queen laying in the bed with a young man. He became enraged and was about to kill the two, when he saw the verse inscribed on
999-558: A low profile and not many inscriptions describe grants towards its cause. Some Vaishnava temples were built by the Gangas such as the Narayanaswami temples at Nanjangud , Sattur and Hangala in modern Mysore district. The deity Vishnu was depicted with four arms holding a conch ( sanka ), discus ( cakra ), mace ( gada ) and lotus ( padma ). From the beginning of the 8th century, patronage to Shaivism increased in every section of
1110-570: A narration of the stories of Rama and the Pandavas simultaneously through puns. Gayachintamani and Kshatrachudamini which were based on poet Bana's work Kadambari were written by Hemasena's pupil Vadeebhasimha in prose style. and Chavundaraya wrote Charitarasara . The Western Ganga style of architecture was influenced by the Pallava and Badami Chalukya architectural features, in addition to indigenous Jain features. The Ganga pillars with
1221-609: A nose jewel ( bottu ), nose ring ( mugutti ), bangles ( bale or kankana ) and various types of necklaces ( honna gante sara and kati sutra ). During leisure, men amused themselves with horse riding, watching wrestling bouts, cock fights and ram fights. There existed a large and well organised network of schools for imparting higher education and these schools were known by various names such as agraharas , ghatikas , brahmapura or matha . Inscriptions mention schools of higher education at Salotgi, Balligavi , Talagunda , Aihole , Arasikere and other places. The Western Ganga rule
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#17327808915711332-738: A percentage of the produce and was collected for constructing irrigation tanks. The Western Gangas gave patronage to all the major religions of the time; Jainism and the Hindu sects of Shaivism , Vedic Brahmanism and Vaishnavism . However scholars have argued that not all Gangas kings may have given equal priority to all the faiths. Some historians believe that the Gangas were ardent Jains. However, inscriptions contradict this by providing references to kalamukhas (staunch Shaiva ascetics), pasupatas and lokayatas (followers of Pasupatha doctrine) who flourished in Gangavadi, indicating that Shaivism
1443-437: A pilgrimage, during which he entered the court of the Ganga king Durvinita . On hearing this account, King Simha-vishnu invited the poet to his court. The poet, who was around 20 years old at the time, responded after several invitations. The king treated him like a son, and he lived in the company of prince Mahendra-vikrama . The poet had three sons, and his second son Manoratha had four sons. Manoratha's youngest son Viradatta
1554-592: A sage, praises Arjuna's asceticism, but criticises him for seeking victory and wealth instead of liberation — the goddess of Fortune is fickle and indiscriminate. Arjuna stands his ground, explaining his situation and pointing out that conciliation with evil people would lead one into doing wrong actions oneself. He gives a further long speech that forms the heart of the epic, on right conduct, self-respect, resoluteness, dignity, and wisdom. Pleased, Indra reveals himself to his son, and asks him to worship Shiva . XII. Arjuna begins severe austerities, and, on being implored by
1665-450: A social hierarchy based on this. Inscriptions mention cattle raids attesting to the importance of the pastoral economy, destructive raids, assaults on women ( pendir-udeyulcal ), abduction of women by bedas (hunter tribes); all of which indicate the existing militarism of the age. Lands that were exempt from taxes were called manya and sometimes consisted of several villages. They were granted by local chieftains without any reference to
1776-453: A strategic one with the intention of containing the growing Kadamba power. By 430 they had consolidated their eastern territories comprising modern Bangalore, Kolar and Tumkur districts and by 470 they had gained control over Kongu region in modern Tamil Nadu, Sendraka (modern Chikkamagaluru and Belur ), Punnata and Pannada regions (comprising modern Heggadadevanakote and Nanjangud ) in modern Karnataka. In 529, King Durvinita ascended
1887-644: A total of 63 Jain proponents including twenty-four Jain Tirthankar , twelve Chakravartis , nine Balabhadras , nine Narayanas and nine Pratinarayanas . The earliest postulated Kannada writer from this dynasty is King Durvinita of the 6th century. Kavirajamarga of 850 CE, refers to a Durvinita as an early writer of Kannada prose . Around 900 CE, Gunavarma I authored the Kannada works, Shudraka and Harivamsha . His writings are considered extinct but references to these writings are found in later years. He
1998-423: A wife or daughter or surviving relatives of a deceased person to claim properties such as his home, land, grain, money etc. if there were no male heirs. If no claimants to the property existed, the state took possession of these properties as Dharmadeya (charitable asset). Intercaste marriage, child marriage, marriage of a boy to maternal uncles daughter, Svayamvara marriage (where the bride garlands her choice of
2109-554: Is Kirātārjunīya , an eighteen canto epic poem, the story for which comes from the Mahābhārata . Kirātārjunīya "is regarded to be the most powerful poem in the Sanskrit language". A. K. Warder considers it the "most perfect epic available to us", over Aśvaghoṣa 's Buddhacharita , noting his greater force of expression, with more concentration and polish in every detail. Despite using extremely difficult language and rejoicing in
2220-480: Is an important work in Kannada prose. Many classics were written on various subjects ranging from religion to elephant management. Multiple theories have been proposed regarding the ancestry of the founders of the Western Ganga dynasty (prior to the 4th century). Some mythical accounts point to a northern origin, while theories based on epigraphy suggest a southern origin. According to some records,
2331-516: Is debated among scholars, but the end of Durvinita's reign is dated to c. 580 CE, which means that Bharavi lived around or before this time. Avanti-sundara-katha of Dandin (7th-8th century) suggests that Bharavi was a contemporary of the kings Simha-vishnu, Vishnu-vardhana, and Durvinita; he was also a contemporary of Dandin's fourth-generation ancestor Damodara (see Biography below). Based on this account, Sanskrit scholar G. Harihara Sastri theorizes prince Kubja Vishnuvardhana of Chalukya family
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#17327808915712442-619: Is evident from the construction of the Gommateshwara monolith. Jains worshipped the twenty four tirthankars ( Jinas ) whose images were consecrated in their temples. The worship of the footprint of spiritual leaders such as those of Bhadrabahu in Shravanabelagola from the 10th century is considered a parallel to Buddhism . Some brahminical influences are seen in the consecration of the Gomateshwara monolith which
2553-697: Is found in Avanti-sundari-katha and its metrical summary, the Avanti-sundari-katha-sara , both of which are attributed to the 7th-century poet Dandin . According to a manuscript of Avanti-sundari-katha from the Madras Oriental Manuscripts Library, a Gandharva visitor to the court of the Pallava king Simha-vishnu narrates a Sanskrit verse to the king. The king is impressed and asks about
2664-467: Is known to have been patronised by King Ereganga Neetimarga II. In Shudraka , he has favourably compared his patron to King Shudraka of ancient times. The great Kannada poet Ranna was patronised by Chavundaraya in his early literary days. Ranna's classic Parashurama charite is considered a eulogy of his patron who held such titles as Samara Parashurama . Nagavarma I , a brahmin scholar who came from Vengi in modern Andhra Pradesh (late 10th century)
2775-403: Is not a man ( na nā ) who is defeated by an inferior ( ūna-nunno ), and that man is no man ( nā-anā ) who persecutes one weaker than himself ( nunnono ). He whose leader is not defeated ( na-nunneno ) though overcome is not vanquished ( nunno'nunno ); he who persecutes the completely vanquished ( nunna-nunna-nut ) is not without sin ( nānenā )." The 25th verse from the same canto is an example of
2886-431: Is popular among critics. Gajashtaka (hundred verses on elephants), a rare Kannada work on elephant management was written by King Shivamara II around 800 CE but this work is now considered extinct. Other writers such as Manasiga and Chandrabhatta were known to be popular in the 10th century. In an age of classical Sanskrit literature, Madhava II (brother of King Vishnugopa) wrote a treatise Dattaka Sutravritti which
2997-458: Is that Bharavi was a Shaivite, a great poet, and a courtier of Vishnu-vardhana; and that he introduced another poet named Damodara to Vishnu-vardhana. According to one legend, Bharavi was a poor poet. After his wife rebuked him for not making money, he decided to seek royal patronage. During his journey to the royal capital, he stopped by a lake and wrote a verse encouraging the reader to not perform any act rashly. The king, who had come there during
3108-441: Is that battlefield which excites even the gods, where the battle is not of words. Here people fight and stake their lives not for themselves but for others. This field is full of herds of maddened elephants. Here those who are eager for battle and even those who are not very eager, have to fight." Similarly, the 23rd verse of the fifteenth canto is the same as the 22nd verse read backwards, syllable for syllable. The 52nd verse of
3219-524: Is that the Western Gangas began their rule during a time when multiple native clans asserted their freedom due to the weakening of the Pallava empire in South India , a geo-political event sometimes attributed to the southern conquests of Samudra Gupta . The Western Ganga sovereignty lasted from about 350 to 550 CE, initially ruling from Kolar and later, moving their capital to Talakadu on
3330-493: Is the seated Brahma and the base of the pillar normally has engravings of important Jain personalities and inscriptions. Other important contributions are the Jain basadis' whose towers have gradually receding stories ( talas ) ornamented with small models of temples. These tiny shrines have in them engravings of tirthankars (Jain saints). Semicircular windows connect the shrines and decorative Kirtimukha (demon faces) are used at
3441-443: Is the statue of Bahubali , the son of Tirthankar Adinatha (just as Hindus worshipped the sons of Shiva). The worship of subordinate deities such as yaksa and yaksi , earlier considered as mere attendants of the tirthankars was seen from the 7th century to the 12th century. Vedic Brahminism was popular in the 6th and 7th centuries when inscriptions refer to grants made to Srotriya Brahmins. These inscriptions also describe
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3552-480: Is thought that Bharavi's Kiratarjuniya influenced the 8th century CE poet Magha 's Shishupala Vadha. Kir%C4%81t%C4%81rjun%C4%ABya Kirātārjunīya ( Sanskrit : किरातार्जुनीय , Of Arjuna and the kirata ) is an epic poem by Bhāravi , written in Sanskrit . Believed to have been composed in the 6th century or earlier, it consists of eighteen cantos describing the combat between Arjuna and Shiva (in
3663-655: The Chola Dynasty of Tanjavur . In the late 10th century, north of Tungabhadra river, the Rashtrakutas were replaced by the emerging Western Chalukya Empire and the Chola Dynasty saw renewed power south of the Kaveri river. The defeat of the Western Gangas by Cholas around 1000 resulted in the end of the Ganga influence over the region. Though territorially a small kingdom, the Western Ganga contribution to
3774-560: The Doddahundi hero stone ). The Western Gangas used Kannada and Sanskrit extensively as their language of administration. Some of their inscriptions are also bilingual in these languages. In bilingual inscriptions the formulaic passages stating origin myths, genealogies, titles of Kings and benedictions tended to be in Sanskrit, while the actual terms of the grant such as information on the land or village granted, its boundaries, participation of local authorities, rights and obligations of
3885-945: The Kannada term Nadu . Examples of this change are Sindanadu-8000 and Punnadu-6000, with scholars differing about the significance of the numerical suffix. They opine that it was either the revenue yield of the division computed in cash terms or the number of fighting men in that division or the number of revenue paying hamlets in that division or the number of villages included in that territory. Inscriptions have revealed several important administrative designations such as prime minister ( sarvadhikari ), treasurer ( shribhandari ), foreign minister ( sandhivirgrahi ) and chief minister ( mahapradhana ). All of these positions came with an additional title of commander ( dandanayaka ). Other designations were royal steward ( manevergade ), master of robes ( mahapasayita ), commander of elephant corps ( gajasahani ), commander of cavalry ( thuragasahani ) etc. In
3996-693: The Paramara kings of Malwa in Central India . Chavundaraya , a minister in the Western Ganga court was a valiant commander, able administrator and an accomplished poet in Kannada and Sanskrit. He served King Marasimha II and his successors ably and helped King Rachamalla IV suppress a civil war in 975. Towards the end of the 10th century, the Rashtrakutas had been supplanted by the Western Chalukya Empire in Manyakheta . In
4107-409: The gotra (lineage) affiliation to royal families and their adherence of such Vedic rituals as asvamedha (horse sacrifice) and hiranyagarbha . Brahmins and kings enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship; rituals performed by the brahmins gave legitimacy to kings and the land grants made by kings to brahmins elevated them in society to the level of wealthy landowners. Vaishnavism however maintained
4218-732: The mantapa (hall) along with saptamatrika carvings (seven heavenly mothers). Some well known examples are the Arakeshvara Temple at Hole Alur, Kapileswara temple at Manne, Kolaramma temple at Kolar, Rameshvara temple at Narasamangala , Nagareshvara temple at Begur and the Kallesvara temple at Aralaguppe. At Talakad they built the Maralesvara temple, the Arakesvara temple and the Patalesvara temple. Unlike
4329-458: The 15th canto is an example of Mahāyamaka , or the great Yamaka , where all four feet of the verse are the same, but each foot has a different meaning. Devanagari विकाशमीयुर्जगतीशमार्गणा विकाशमीयुर्जगतीशमार्गणाः । विकाशमीयुर्जगतीशमार्गणा विकाशमीयुर्जगतीशमार्गणाः ॥ IAST vikāśamīyurjagatīśamārgaṇā vikāśamīyurjagatīśamārgaṇāḥ | vikāśamīyurjagatīśamārgaṇā vikāśamīyurjagatīśamārgaṇāḥ ॥ Translation : "The arrows ( mārgaṇāḥ ), of
4440-438: The 6th century onwards, the inscriptions refer to feudal lords by the title arasa . The arasas were either brahmins or from tribal background who controlled hereditary territories paying periodic tribute to the king. The velavali who were loyal bodyguards of the royalty were fierce warriors under oath ( vele ). They moved with the royal family and were expected to fight for the master and be willing to lay down their lives in
4551-420: The 6th century rule of King Avinita) and Andhra Pradesh (Ananthpur region starting from the middle of the 5th century). The founding king of the dynasty was Konganivarma Madhava who made Kolar his capital around 350 and ruled for about twenty years. By the time of Harivarma in 390, the Gangas had consolidated their kingdom with Talakad as their capital. Their move from the early capital Kolar may have been
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4662-660: The Chalukyas. This is attested by inscriptions which describe their joint campaigns against their arch enemy, the Pallavas of Kanchi. From the year 725 onwards, the Gangavadi territories came to be called as the "Gangavadi-96000" ( Shannavati Sahasra Vishaya ) comprising the eastern and western provinces of modern south Karnataka. King Sripurusha fought the Pallava King Nandivarman Pallavamalla successfully, bringing Penkulikottai in north Arcot under his control temporarily for which he earned
4773-405: The Ganga records held responsibilities similar to those of the village elders ( gramavriddhas ) mentioned by Kautilya . Succession to the throne was hereditary but there were instances when this was overlooked. The kingdom was divided into Rashtra (district) and further into Visaya (consisting of possibly 1000 villages) and Desa . From the 8th century, the Sanskrit term Visaya was replaced by
4884-452: The Ganga sculptural contribution in ancient Karnataka. Carved from fine-grained white granite, the image stands on a lotus. It has no support up to the thighs and is 60 feet (18 m) tall with the face measuring 6.5 feet (2.0 m). With the serene expression on the face of the image, its curled hair with graceful locks, its proportional anatomy, the monolith size, and the combination of its artistry and craftsmanship have led it to be called
4995-441: The Jain temples where floral frieze decoration is common, Hindu temples were distinguished by friezes (slab of stone with decorative sculptures) illustrating episodes from the epics and puranas . Another unique legacy of the Gangas are the number of Viragallu (hero stones) they have left behind; memorials containing sculptural details in relief of war scenes, Hindu deities, saptamatrikas , Jain tirthankars and ritual death (such as
5106-533: The Muse, allied himself by ties of friendship with the prince Viṣṇuvardhana". Dandin states that Damodara wrote the Gandha-madana and a treatise on poetics (in Sanskrit and Prakrit) under the patronage of king Simha-vishnu. However, Bharavi is known to have composed only Kiratarjuniya , which further suggests that Damodara and Bharavi were two different persons. Thus, all that can be inferred from Dandin's text
5217-428: The Pallavas successfully. Considered the most successful of the Ganga kings, Durvinita was well versed in arts such as music, dance, ayurveda and taming wild elephants. Some inscriptions sing paeans to him by comparing him to Yudhishthira and Manu – figures from Hindu mythology known for their wisdom and fairness. Politically, the Gangas were feudatories and close allies who also shared matrimonial relations with
5328-629: The Rashtrakutas win decisive victories in Tamilakam in the battle of Takkolam against the Chola Dynasty . With this victory, the Rashtrakutas took control of modern northern Tamil Nadu. In return for their valour, the Gangas were awarded extensive territories in the Tungabhadra river valley. King Marasimha II who came to power in 963 aided the Rashtrakutas in victories against the Gurjara Pratihara King Lalla and
5439-583: The Sahya mountains (the Western Ghats ) in southern India is vivid and more realistic than his rather fanciful description of the Himalayas in northern India. Mahamahopadhyay Durgaprasada dismisses this argument, pointing out that Ratnakara - a Kashmiri poet from northern India - has described several rivers and mountains of southern India. Gangopadhyaya similarly argues that Bharavi may have simply visited
5550-597: The Sahya mountains at some point in his life. Critics of this theory also point out that Bharavi mentions the Sahya mountains only once, but he has devoted around 52 verses to the Himalayas. As with most ancient Sanskrit poets, very few concrete details are available about Bharavi's life. He does not provide any personal information in his only extant work, the Kiratarjuniya . Much of the information about his life comes from legends and stories that are of doubtful historicity. A historically plausible account of Bharavi
5661-505: The Sanskrit language. Notably, its fifteenth canto contains chitrakavya , decorative composition, including the fifteenth verse with "elaborate rhythmic consonance" noted for consisting of just one consonant: Devanagari न नोननुन्नो नुन्नोनो नाना नानानना ननु । नुन्नोऽनुन्नो ननुन्नेनो नानेना नुन्ननुन्ननुत् ॥ IAST na nonanunno nunnono nānā nānānanā nanu । nunno'nunno nanunneno nānenā nunnanunnanut ॥ Translation : "О ye many-faced ones ( nānānanā ), he indeed ( nanu )
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#17327808915715772-813: The Sinda-8000 territory and to red soil ( Kebbayya mannu ) Cultivated land was of three types; wet land, dry land and to a lesser extent garden land with paddy being the dominant crop of the region. Wet lands were called kalani , galde , nir mannu or nir panya and was specifically used to denote paddy land requiring standing water. The fact that pastoral economies were spread throughout Gangavadi region comes from references to cowherds in many inscriptions. The terms gosahasra (a thousand cows), gasara (owner of cows), gosasi (donor of cows), goyiti (cowherdess), gosasa (protector of cows) attest to this. Inscriptions indicate ownership of cows may have been as important as cultivable land and that there may have existed
5883-517: The Western Ganga, Rashtrakuta Amoghavarsha I gave his daughter Chandrabbalabbe in marriage to Ganga prince Butuga I, son of King Ereganga Neetimarga. The Gangas thereafter became staunch allies of the Rashtrakutas, a position they maintained till the end of the Rashtrakuta dynasty of Manyakheta. After an uneventful period, Butuga II ascended the throne in 938 with the help of Rashtrakuta Amoghavarsha III (whose daughter he married). He helped
5994-640: The Western Gangas were of the Kanvayana gotra and traced their lineage to the Ikshvakus of the solar dynasty . Historians who propose the southern origin have further debated whether the early petty chieftains of the clan (prior to their rise to power) were natives of the southern districts of modern Karnataka, the Kongu Nadu region in modern Tamil Nadu or of the southern districts of modern Andhra Pradesh . These regions encompass an area of
6105-484: The backbone of medieval polity of the southern Karnataka region. They were landlords and local elite whom the state utilized their services to collect taxes, maintain records of landownership, bear witness to grants and transactions and even raise militia when required. Inscriptions that specify land grants, rights and ownership were descriptive of the boundaries of demarcation using natural features such as rivers, streams, water channels, hillocks, large boulders, layout of
6216-740: The banks of the Kaveri River in modern Mysore district . After the rise of the imperial Chalukyas of Badami , the Gangas accepted Chalukya overlordship and fought for the cause of their overlords against the Pallavas of Kanchi . The Chalukyas were replaced by the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta in 753 CE as the dominant power in the Deccan . After a century of struggle for autonomy, the Western Gangas finally accepted Rashtrakuta overlordship and successfully fought alongside them against their foes,
6327-681: The beginning of the 6th century". The Aihole inscription (634 CE) of the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II (a brother of Kubja Vishnuvardhana) states that its composer Ravikirti "attained the fame of Kalidasa and Bharavi". Thus, by 634 CE, Bharavi was acknolwedged as a great poet comparable to the famous Kalidasa. Majority of scholars theorize that Bharavi was from the southern region of India. The inscriptions that mention him are from western Deccan region. R.R. Bhagawat Sastri, who first suggested that Bharavi from southern India, argues that his description of
6438-434: The chief of shepherds. Bhaga meant a portion or share of the produce from land or the land area itself. Minor taxes such as Kirudere (due to the landlords) and samathadere (raised by the army officers or samantha ) are mentioned. In addition to taxes for maintenance of the local officer's retinue, villages were obligated to feed armies on the march to and from battles. Bittuvatta or niravari taxes comprised usually of
6549-487: The composer of the verse, and the visitor provides the following information: the poet Damodara was the son of Narayana-svami, a Brahmin of Kaushika gotra . His ancestors had migrated from Anandapura in the north-west to Achalapura in Nasikya . The poet was a vegetarian, and considered meat-eating a sin, but had to eat meat during a hunting expedition of his friend prince Vishnu-vardhana. To expiate this sin, he set on
6660-485: The culture and literature of the modern south Karnataka region is considered important. The Western Ganga kings showed benevolent tolerance to all faiths but are most famous for their patronage toward Jainism resulting in the construction of monuments in places such as Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli . The kings of this dynasty encouraged the fine arts due to which literature in Kannada and Sanskrit flourished. Chavundaraya 's writing, Chavundaraya Purana of 978 CE,
6771-518: The eventual war. Arjuna departs, after being reminded by Draupadi of the humiliation she has suffered. V. Arjuna is led by a yaksha to the Indrakila mountain, which is described in great detail. Arjuna begins his intense austerities, the severity of which causes disturbance among the gods. VI. Meanwhile, a celestial army of nymphs ( apsaras ) sets out from heaven, in order to eventually distract Arjuna. VII. Description of their passage through
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#17327808915716882-494: The exiled king Yudhishthira arrives and informs him of the activities of the Kauravas . Yudhiṣṭhira informs the other Pandavas , and his wife Draupadi attempts to incite him to declare war, upbraiding him for stupidly accepting the exile rather than breaking the agreement and declaring war to regain what is rightfully theirs. II. Bhima supports Draupadi, pointing out that it would be shameful to receive their kingdom back as
6993-452: The feudal queen Parabbaya-arasi of Kundattur and the queens of King Sripurusha, Butuga II and feudal king Permadi. Inheritance of fiscal and administrative responsibility by the son-in-law, the wife or by the daughter is evident. The position of prime minister of King Ereganga II and position of nalgavunda (local landlord) bestowed upon Jakkiabbe, the wife of a fallen hero are examples. When Jakkiabbe took to asceticism, her daughter inherited
7104-486: The fifth canto ( utphulla sthalanalini... ) is noted for its imagery, and has given Bharavi the sobriquet of "Chhatra Bharavi", as he describes the pollen of the lotus flowers being blown by the wind into a golden umbrella ( Chhatra ) in the sky. Thus, for having verses that are pleasing to lay people as well as clever verses appreciated by scholars, the work is considered to have 'harmony' or 'appropriateness' at all levels, and has been said to possess samastalokarañjakatva ,
7215-401: The finer points of Sanskrit grammar , Bharavi achieves conciseness and directness. His alliteration, "crisp texture of sound", and choice of metre closely correspond to the narrative. The work is known for its brevity, depth ( arthagauravam ), and verbal complexity. At times, the narrative is secondary to the interlaced descriptions, elaborate metaphors and similes, and display of mastery in
7326-421: The finer points of Sanskrit grammar , he achieves conciseness and directness. His alliteration, "crisp texture of sound", and choice of metre closely correspond to the narrative. His poetry is characterised by its intricate styles and ethereal expressions. Like Kalidasa for his similes ( upamā ) and Daṇḍin for his wordplay ( padalālityam ), Bharavi is known for his "weight of meaning" ( arthagauravam ). It
7437-445: The forest. Pleased by his austerities, Shiva decides to reward him. When a demon named Muka , the form of a wild boar, charges toward Arjuna, Shiva appears in the form of a kirata, a wild mountaineer. Arjuna and the kirata simultaneously shoot an arrow at the boar, and kill it. They argue over who shot first, and a battle ensues. They fight for a long time, and Arjuna is shocked that he cannot conquer this kirata. Finally, he recognises
7548-455: The form of verse that the Sanskrit aestheticians call sarvatobhadra , "good from every direction": each line ( pada ) of it is a palindrome , and the verse is unchanged when read vertically down or up as well: देवाकानिनि कावादे वाहिकास्वस्वकाहि वा । काकारेभभरे का का निस्वभव्यव्यभस्वनि ॥ devākānini kāvāde vāhikāsvasvakāhi vā । kākārebhabhare kā kā nisvabhavyavyabhasvani ॥ Translation : "O man who desires war! This
7659-528: The god, and surrenders to him. Shiva, pleased with his bravery, gives him the powerful weapon, the Pashupatastra . Apart from Arjuna, no one possessed Pashupatastra in the Mahabharata . The following canto-by-canto description of the work is from A. K. Warder . Bharavi's work begins with the word śrī (fortune), and the last verse of every canto contains the synonym Lakshmi . I. A spy of
7770-433: The grantee, taxes and dues and other local concerns were in the local language. The usage of these two languages showed important changes over the centuries. During the first phase (350–725), Sanskrit copper plates dominated, indicating the initial ascendancy of the local language as a language of administration and the fact that majority of the records from this phase were brahmadeya grants (grants to Brahmin temples). In
7881-593: The guise of a kirata , or "mountain-dwelling hunter"). Along with the Naiṣadhacarita and the Shishupala Vadha , it is one of the larger three of the six Sanskrit mahakavyas , or great epics. It is noted among Sanskrit critics both for its gravity or depth of meaning, and for its forceful and sometimes playful expression. This includes a canto set aside for demonstrating linguistic feats, similar to constrained writing . Later works of epic poetry followed
7992-751: The harem of the kings and chieftains were well respected, examples being Nandavva at whose instance a local chief made land grant to a Jain temple. Education in the royal family was closely supervised and included such subjects as political science, elephant and horse riding, archery, medicine, poetry, grammar, drama, literature, dance, singing and use of musical instruments. Brahmins enjoyed an influential position in society and were exempt from certain taxes and customs due on land. In turn they managed public affairs such as teaching, local judiciary, functioned as trustees and bankers, managed schools, temples, irrigation tanks, rest houses, collected taxes due from villages and raised money from public subscriptions. By virtue of
8103-430: The heavens. VIII. The nymphs enjoy themselves on the mountain. IX. Description of the night, with celebrations of drinking and lovemaking. X. The nymphs attempt to distract Arjuna, accompanied by musicians and making the best features of all six seasons appear simultaneously. However, they fail, as instead of Arjuna falling in love with them, they fall in love with Arjuna instead. XI. Finally, Indra arrives as
8214-399: The identification of Bharavi with Damodara, stating that Kavi's interpretation is based on a misreading of the verse, and that the metrical version was apparently written by a later writer. Based on an analysis of palm-leaf manuscript of the Avanti-sundari-katha , Sastri concludes that Dandin's text states that "Damodara, associating himself with Bharavi, the great Śaivite and the fountain of
8325-442: The king ( jagatīśa ) Arjuna spread out ( vikāśam īyuḥ ). The arrows ( mārgaṇāḥ ), of the lord of the earth ( jagatīśa ) [i.e. Śiva], spread out ( vikāśam īyuḥ ). The Gaṇa s (gaṇāḥ) who are the slayers of demons ( jagatīśamār ) rejoiced ( vikāśam īyuḥ ). The seekers ( mārgaṇāḥ ) of Śiva ( jagatīśa ) [i.e. the deities and sages], reached ( īyuḥ ) the sky ( vikāśam ) [to watch the battle]. " The earliest commentary of Kiratarjuniya
8436-434: The life of King Chandragupta Maurya are known to be his creation. The Panchakuta Basadi at Kambadahalli (five towered Jan temple) of about 900 with a Brahmadeva pillar is an excellent example of Dravidian art. The wall niches here are surmounted by torana ( lintel ) with carvings of floral motifs, flying divine creatures ( gandharva ) and imaginary monsters ( makara ) ridden by Yaksas (attendants of saints) while
8547-470: The mightiest achievement in sculptural art in medieval Karnataka. It is the largest monolithic statue in the world. Their free standing pillars called Mahasthambha or Bhrahmasthambha are also considered unique, examples of which are the Brahmadeva pillar and Tyagada Brahmadeva Pillar . At the top of the pillar whose shaft (cylindrical or octagonal) is decorated with creepers and other floral motifs
8658-741: The model of the Kirātārjunīya . The Kirātārjunīya predominantly features the Vīra rasa , or the mood of valour. It expands upon a minor episode in the Vana Parva ("Book of the Forest") of the Mahabharata : While the Pandavas are exiled in the forest, Draupadi and Bhima incite Yudhishthira to declare war with the Kauravas , while he does not relent. Finally, Arjuna, at the instruction of Indra , appeases Shiva with penance ( tapasya ) in
8769-654: The niches are occupied by images of tirthankars themselves. Other notable constructions were the Vallimalai Jain caves and the Seeyamangalam Jain temple during the reign of Rachamalla II , and the 5th or 6th century Parshvanatha temple at the Kanakagiri Jain tirth . The Gangas built many Hindu temples with impressive Dravidian gopuras containing stucco figures from the Hindu pantheon, decorated pierced screen windows which are featured in
8880-503: The other ascetics, Shiva takes the form of a kirata and arrives to meet Arjuna. XIII. Both Arjuna and the kirata shoot the boar. Arjuna goes to retrieve his arrow, and one of the kirata s quarrels with him. XIV-XVIII. Arjuna and Shiva fight. Arjuna fails and finally realizes whom he is facing, and surrenders to Shiva and wins his benediction. The work was popular among critics, with more than 42 commentaries written on it. The style of his work, with cantos 4 to 9 having no relation to
8991-500: The overlord, indicating a de-centralised economy. These lands, often given to heroes who perished in the line of duty were called bilavritti or kalnad . When such a grant was made for the maintenance of temples at the time of consecration, it was called Talavritti . Some types of taxes on income were kara or anthakara (internal taxes), utkota (gifts due to the king), hiranya (cash payments) and sulika (tolls and duties on imported items). Taxes were collected from those who held
9102-424: The plot but instead being merely an excuse for beautiful descriptive poetry, was influential on all later Sanskrit epic poetry, in which the action was often ignored entirely. Over a tenth of the verses from this work are quoted in various anthologies and works on poetics. The most popular verse is the 37th from the eighth canto, which describes nymphs bathing in a river, and is noted for its beauty. Another verse from
9213-704: The poem was by Carl Cappeller into German, published by the Harvard Oriental Series in 1912. There have since been six or more partial translations into English. Western Ganga dynasty Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 999 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga (modern Odisha and Northern Andhra Pradesh ). The general belief
9324-426: The position. The devadasi system ( sule or courtesan) in temples was prevalent and was modelled after the structures in the royal palace. Contemporaneous literature such a Vaddaradhane makes a mention of the chief queen ( Dharani Mahadevi ) accompanied by lower ranking queens ( arasiyargal ) and courtesans of the women's royal quarter ( pendarasada suleyargal ). Some of the courtesans and concubines employed in
9435-474: The process. If the king died, the velavali were required to self immolate on the funeral pyre of the master. The Gangavadi region consisted of the malnad region, the plains ( Bayaluseemae ) and the semi-malnad with lower elevation and rolling hills. The main crops of the malnad region were paddy, betel leaves, cardamom and pepper and the semi-malnad region with its lower altitude produced rice , millets such as ragi and corn , pulses, oilseeds and it
9546-430: The quality of delighting all the people. The Kirātārjunīya is the only known work of Bharavi and "is regarded to be the most powerful poem in the Sanskrit language". A. K. Warder considers it the "most perfect epic available to us", over Aśvaghoṣa 's Buddhacarita , noting its greater force of expression, with more concentration and polish in every detail. Despite using extremely difficult language and rejoicing in
9657-401: The right to cultivate land; even if the land was not actually cultivated. Siddhaya was a local tax levied on agriculture and pottondi was a tax levied on merchandise by the local feudal ruler. Based on context, pottondi also meant 1/10, aydalavi meant 1/5 and elalavi meant 1/7. Mannadare literally meant land tax and was levied together with shepherds tax ( Kurimbadere ) payable to
9768-482: The royal house, Niyogis oversaw palace administration, royal clothing and jewellery etc. and the Padiyara were responsible for court ceremonies including door keeping and protocol. Officials at the local level were the pergade , nadabova , nalagamiga , prabhu and gavunda . The pergades were superintendents from all social classes such as artisans, gold smiths, black smiths etc. The pergades dealing with
9879-562: The royal household were called manepergade (house superintendent) and those who collected tolls were called Sunka vergades . The nadabovas were accountants and tax collectors at the Nadu level and sometimes functioned as scribes. The nalagamigas were officers who organized and maintained defence at the Nadu level. The prabhu constituted a group of elite people drawn together to witness land grants and demarcation of land boundaries. The gavundas who appear most often in inscriptions were
9990-575: The sanctum. The linga was man made and in some cases had etchings of Ganapati (son of Shiva) and Parvati (consort and wife of Shiva) on it. Due to the vigorous efforts of priests and ascetics, Shaiva monastic orders flourished in many places such as Nandi Hills , Avani and Hebbata in modern Kolar district. The Western Ganga society in many ways reflected the emerging religious, political and cultural developments of those times. Women became active in local administration because Ganga kings distributed territorial responsibility to their queens such as
10101-433: The second phase (725–1000), lithic inscriptions in Kannada outnumbered Sanskrit copper plates, consistent with the patronage Kannada received from rich and literate Jains who used Kannada as their medium to spread the Jain faith. Recent excavations at Tumbula near Mysore have revealed a set of early copper plate bilingual inscriptions dated 444. The genealogy of the kings of the dynasty is described in Sanskrit while Kannada
10212-465: The society; the landed elite, landlords, assemblies ( samaya ), schools of learning ( aghraharas ) and minor ruling families such as the Bana , Nolamba and Chalukya clans. The Shaiva temples contained a Shiva linga in the sanctum sanctorum along with images of the mother goddess, Surya (Sun god) and Nandi (a bull and attendant of Shiva) which was normally enshrined in a separate pavilion facing
10323-421: The south, the Chola Dynasty who were seeing a resurgence of power under Rajaraja Chola I conquered Gangavadi around the year 1000, bringing the Western Ganga dynasty to an end. Thereafter, large areas of south Karnataka region came under Chola control for about a century. The Western Ganga administration was influenced by principles stated in the ancient text arthashastra . The praje gavundas mentioned in
10434-628: The southern Deccan where the three modern states merge geographically. It is theorised that the Gangas may have taken advantage of the confusion caused by the invasion of southern India by the northern king Samudra Gupta prior to 350, and carved out a kingdom for themselves. The area they controlled was called Gangavadi and included regions of the modern districts of Mysore , Hassan Chamarajanagar , Tumkur , Kolar , Mandya and Bangalore in Karnataka state. At times, they also controlled some areas in modern Tamil Nadu (Kongu region starting from
10545-623: The throne after waging a war with his younger brother who was favoured by his father, King Avinita . Some accounts suggest that in this power struggle, the Pallavas of Kanchi supported Avinita's choice of heir and the Badami Chalukya King Vijayaditya supported his father-in-law, Durvinita. From the inscriptions it is known that these battles were fought in Tondaimandalam and Kongu regions (northern Tamil Nadu) prompting historians to suggest that Durvinita fought
10656-583: The title Permanadi . A contest with the Pandyas of Madurai over control of Kongu region ended in a Ganga defeat, but a matrimony between a Ganga princess and Rajasimha Pandya's son brought peace helping the Gangas retain control over the contested region. In 753, when the Rashtrakutas replaced the Badami Chalukyas as the dominant force in the Deccan, the Gangas offered stiff resistance for about
10767-463: The top. The Chavundaraya basadi built in the 10th or 11th century, Chandragupta basadi built in the 6th century and the monolithic of Gomateshwara of 982 are the most important monuments at Shravanabelagola . Some features were added to the Chandragupta basadi by famous Hoysala sculptor Dasoja in the 12th century. The decorative doorjambs and perforated screen windows which depict scenes from
10878-448: The village, location of forts ( kote ) if any in the proximity, irrigation canals, temples, tanks and even shrubs and large trees. Also included was the type of soil, the crops meant to be grown and tanks or wells to be excavated for irrigation. Inscriptions mention wet land, cultivable land, forest and waste land. There are numerous references to hamlets ( palli ) belonging to the hunter communities who resided in them ( bedapalli ). From
10989-494: The wall, and stopped. The queen then introduced the young man as their long lost son. The king was happy to find an heir to the throne; he found the poet and rewarded him lavishly. Yet another legend describes Bharavi as a contemporary of Kalidasa and Dandin, stating that all three poets enjoyed the patronage of king Vikrama in Kanchi . Gangopadhyaya describes both these legends as "absurd and useless". Bharavi's only known work
11100-664: Was a patron of Bharavi, before he became the Eastern Chalukya king around c. 615 CE. Sastri thus places Bharavi around the beginning of the 7th century. According to Indologist A. K. Warder , the Vishnu-vardhana of Dandin's account is more likely to be the 6th-century Aulikara ruler Yashodharman Vishnu-vardhana , which places Bharavi's floruit in c. 530–550 CE . Sanskrit professor M.K. Gangopadhyaya similarly places Bharavi around 500-550 CE. According to historian B. Muddachari, Bharavi lived "on either side of
11211-417: Was a period of brisk literary activity in Sanskrit and Kannada, though many of the writings are now considered extinct and are known only from references made to them. Chavundaraya's writing, Chavundaraya Purana (or Trishashtilakshana mahapurana ) of 978 CE, is an early existing work in prose style in Kannada and contains a summary of the Sanskrit writings, Adipurana and Uttarapurana which were written
11322-409: Was also patronised by Chavundaraya. He wrote Chandombudhi (ocean of prosody) addressed to his wife. This is considered the earliest available Kannada writing in prosody . He also wrote one of the earliest available romance classics in Kannada called Karnataka Kadambari in sweet and flowing champu (mixed verse and prose) style. It is based on an earlier romantic work in Sanskrit by poet Bana and
11433-512: Was also popular. King Madhava and Harivarma were devoted to cows and brahmins, King Vishnugopa was a devout Vaishnava , Madhava III's and Avinita's inscriptions describe lavish endowments to Jain orders and temples and King Durvinita performed Vedic sacrifices prompting historians to claim he was a Hindu . Jainism became popular in the dynasty in the 8th century when the ruler King Shivamara I constructed numerous Jain basadis . King Butuga II and minister Chavundaraya were staunch Jains which
11544-594: Was also the base for cattle farming. The plains to the east were the flat lands fed by Kaveri , Tungabhadra and Vedavati rivers where cultivations of sugarcane , paddy, coconut , areca nut ( adeka totta ), betel leaves, plantain and flowers ( vara vana ) were common. Sources of irrigation were excavated tanks, wells, natural ponds and water bodies in the catchment area of dams ( Katta ). Inscriptions attesting to irrigation of previously uncultivated lands seem to indicate an expanding agrarian community. Soil types mentioned in records are black soil ( Karimaniya ) in
11655-506: Was based on an earlier work on erotics by a writer called Dattaka. A Sanskrit version of Vaddakatha , a commentary on Pāṇini 's grammar called Sabdavathara and a commentary on the 15th chapter of a Sanskrit work called Kiratarjunneya by poet Bharavi (who was in Durvinita's court) are ascribed to Durvinita. King Shivamara II is known to have written Gajamata Kalpana . Hemasena, also known as Vidya Dhananjaya authored Raghavapandaviya ,
11766-605: Was likely on Canto 15, by Western ganga king Durvinita in Kannada, however, this work isn't extant. Bharavi's "power of description and dignity of style" were an inspiration for Māgha 's Shishupala Vadha , which is modelled after the Kirātārjunīya and seeks to surpass it. While Bharavi uses 19 different types of metres , Māgha uses 23; while Bharavi praises Shiva, Māgha extols Vishnu ; and he has his own instances of one-consonant ( dādadoduddaduddādī… ) and sarvatobhadra palindromic verses. A vyayoga (a kind of play), also named Kirātārjunīya and based on Bharavi's work,
11877-536: Was produced by the Sanskrit dramatist Vatsaraja in the 12th or 13th century. The authoritative commentary on the Kirātārjunīya , as on the other five mahakayva s, is by Mallinātha ( c. 1500 CE ). His commentary on the Kirātārjunīya is known as the Ghaṇṭāpatha ( the Bell-Road ) and explains the multiple layers of compounds and figures of speech present in the verses. The first Western translation of
11988-435: Was the father of Dandin. Avanti-sundari-katha , the original prose is available only in fragments, and various scholars have filled the lacunas in its manuscript using their own judgment. Sanskrit scholar M. Ramakrishna Kavi theorized that Damodara was an alias of Bharavi, based on a verse in the metrical version Avanti-sundari-katha-sara . This claim has been repeated by later writers as well. G. Harihara Sastri dismisses
12099-481: Was the image of an elephant on the obverse and floral petal symbols on the reverse. The Kannada legend Bhadr , a royal umbrella or a conch shell appeared on top of the elephant image. The denominations are the pagoda (weighing 52 grains), the fanam weighting one tenth or one half of the pagoda and the quarter fanams . The template below shows the Timeline of Karnataka. Note the extent of time (around 700 years)
12210-477: Was the use of two unrestricted garments, a Dhoti as a lower garment and a plain cloth as upper garment while women wore Saris with stitched petticoats. Turbans were popular with men of higher standing and people used umbrellas made with bamboo or reeds. Ornaments were popular among men and women and even elephants and horses were decorated. Men wore finger rings, necklaces ( honnasara and honnagala sara ), bracelets ( Kaduga ) and wristlets ( Kaftkina ). Women wore
12321-483: Was used to describe the boundary of the village. An interesting inscription discovered at Beguru near modern Bangalore that deserves mention is the epigraph dated 890 that refers to a Bengaluru war. This is in Hale Kannada (old Kannada) language and is the earliest mention of the name of Bangalore city. The Western Gangas minted coins with Kannada and Nagari legends, the most common feature on their coins
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