40-633: 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
80-404: 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
120-416: 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
160-437: 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
200-592: 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
240-554: 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
280-516: 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
320-697: 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
360-403: 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
400-458: 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
440-441: 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
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#1732783373634480-480: 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
520-458: 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
560-533: 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
600-583: 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
640-597: 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
680-505: 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 )
720-681: 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
760-487: 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
800-518: 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
840-494: 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
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#1732783373634880-486: 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 ,
920-401: 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
960-421: 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
1000-445: 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
1040-455: 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
1080-528: 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
1120-593: 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
1160-430: 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
1200-399: 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
1240-442: 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
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1280-796: 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
1320-503: 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
1360-424: 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
1400-430: 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
1440-494: 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
1480-664: 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
1520-660: 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,
1560-536: 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
1600-435: 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
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