Component-I (A) – Personal Details
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Component-I (A) – Personal details: Prof. P. Bhaskar Reddy Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati Prof. R. Thiagarajan Presidency College, Chennai. Prof. R. Thiagarajan Presidency College, Chennai. Prof. N. Veezhinathan University of Madras, Chennai 1 Component-I (B) – Description of module: Subject Name Indian Culture Paper Name Indian Aesthetics and Fine Arts Module Name/Title Types of Literature – Prose and Campu Kavyas Module Id I C / IAFA / 12 Pre requisites Knowledge in Ancient Indian Literature, Prose, Style and Composition To know the Prose and Historical Kavyas, Objectives To know about Campu kavyas , To know about the works of Bana, Subhandu, Kalhana, Bilhana & other prose writers, To know about the Campu Kavyas of Trivikrama, Anantabhatta, Bhoja, Cidambarakavi and others Keywords Indian Literature / Prose / Gadya Kavya / Campu Kavyas / Bana / Bilhana E-Text (Quadrant-1) Prose Prose works are called Gadya kavyas in Sanskrit. They come under Sravya class of the Kavyas. Dandin defines a prose as that kavya which is free from metrical lines. In the Vedic literature several Brahmanas and Upanishads are written in prose. In Puranic literature also there are some narrations that are carried on in prose. The Mahabharata preserves a few ancient stories narrated in a simple and beautiful prose style. But during the later ages prose work was used only as medium of commentary on works of philosophy and grammar. Patanjali's Mahabhasya on the grammatical sutras of Panini, Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhva's commentary on the Brahma sutras of Vyasa are all in prose. The Mahabhashya of Patanjali in particular is considered the best specimen of prose during the earlier period. Patanjali has referred to three prose works by name Vasavadatta, Sumanottara and Bhaimarathi but he has not the mentioned the name of authors. Vararuchi is said to have written a prose work called Charumathi and Jalhana refers to Ramila and Somila as the authors of the Prose work Sudrakakatha Prose works- Gadya Kavyas It is said that writing prose requires great skill and ability on the part of the author to embellish the style with figures of speech of sound and sense. Only efficient poets can write prose works of a high literary standard. In the beginning of the classical period there was a paucity of prose works. Verses or Padya kavyas were found easy to remember and prose was not. Therefore prose was not recognised to be the vehicle for the thoughts of the poets. Moreover extra-ordinary talents needed to compose prose as preponderance of compounds with epithets piled upon one another has been spoken as -the very life of prose. Little narration and more of description are considered as the characteristics of prose. It was therefore more hard for a poet to compose prose than verse and hence the saying “ Gadyam Kaveenam Nikasham Vadanti”-People say that the prose is the touch stone for Poets. Bana in his Harsacarita praises the Akhyayika and mentions one Bhattara 2 Hariscandra without mentioning his prose. It is clear that prose was already in use, but the earliest prose, written purely with literary purpose, now available to us, belongs to 6th and 7th century A.D. Development of Prose Literary prose style began to develop from about the second century A.D. It was employed in popular tales, fables and romances. Even in romances the prose style is sometimes artificial. It is in fables and tales that we find a prose style that is simple and natural. The Inscriptions of Harisena and Rudradaman of the 2nd century A.D contain a few prose passages written in an ornate style which resembles the style of the later classical prose works of Bana and Dandin. Katha and Akhyayika According to earlier scholars like Bhamaha, prose works are divided into two classes called Kalha and Akhyayika. In Akhyayika, according to Bhamaha. The subject matter is the actual experience of the writer, the narrator being the hero himself, the story is told in pleasing style divided into chapters called Ucchvasas and containing verses in Vaktra or Aparavaktra metres. The story must indicate a future happening. scope may be allowed to poetic invention and the theme may also embrace subjects like abduction of a maiden, fighting, separation and the final triumph of the hero. This must be completely in Sanskrit Subject of Katha In Katha, the subject is generally an invented story, the narrator being someone other than the hero. There is no divisions called Ucchvasas, no Vaktra or Aparavaktra metres. Slokas may be composed in Arya metres. The language may be either Sanskrit or Apabhramsa Criticism of Dandin Dandin the author of Kavyadarsa criticises these divisions of prose into Katha and Akhyayika and considers these requirements not as essential but more or less formal. The prose works of Bana, Dandin and Subandhu are considered to be the most important prose works in Sanskrit. Dasakumaracarita of Dandin Dandin, the great grandson of Bharavi, has been credited with the work namely Dasakumaracarita a prose romance. Dasakumaracarita, as the title itself suggests, deals with the adventure often young men of whom three were princes and seven were the sons of ministers. This prose, as it is available to us now, consists of three parts, Purvapithika, Dasakumaracarita proper, and Uttarapithika. The Purvapithika in 5 ucchvasas deals with the birth of the ten boys and their coming under the care and protection King Rajahamsa, and the adventures of two young men. The proper Dasakumaracarita deals with the story of eight other young men. The Uttarapithika, a short chapter, contains the story of the last young man left unfinished in the Dasakumaracarita proper. Dandin the master of Prose Dandin is unquestionably a master in his use of language. He is perfectly capable of using simple and easy narrations. There is a saying “Dandinah Padalalityam” He is beyond doubt a master of prose style and it is a pity that his model was not taken by the later writers who chose the complicated style of Bana and Subandhu. He is assigned to later half of 6th century A.D. 3 Subandhu's Vasavadatta The next important prose work is Subandhu's Vasavadatta. As he has been praised by Bana of 7th century A.D., in his Harsacarita. He is generally assigned to first half of 7th century A.D. His prose romance Vasavadatta describes the story of Udayana legend made famous by number of Sanskrit poets. The general theme appears to be falling in love of a passionate hero with a heroin and their final reunion after a series of romantic adventures in which dream vision, talking parrots, magic steed, voice from the heaven are all introduced though his descriptive power is appreciated by all his constant search for poetic conceits, puns and apparent incongruity makes his work more tiresome. Subandhu claims that ever letter is punning in his work. “Pratyakshara sleshamayam kavyam” Banabhatta's Kadambari In his prose Harsacarita, Bana gives an account of himself and his family. He was patronised by the great king Sriharsa of 7th century A.D. In his court he wrote his great prose romance Kadambari. He has also written a historical prose Harsacarita. In literary merit Kadambari is supreme Kadambari means liquor. If liquor makes one forgets himself so does the romance Kadambari. There is a saying “Kadambari Rasajnanam Aahaaropi na rochate.” This work is rhythmical; his long compounds are clearly built All the native critics praise his gadya kavya while he is criticised by the westerners for his style. Bhushana Bana completed the second part of Kadambari. Harshacarita The first important of decidedly historical nature is the Harshacarita of Banabhatta belonging to 7th century A.D. Bana begins his narrative in 5 ucchvasa, but it is left unfinished. However his descriptions are elaborate and ornate and one can say that he has left no subject untouched. Hence the adage “Banocchishtam jagatsarvam” Bana gives about himself and his family in this work Vikramankadevacarita Towards the beginning of 11th century A.D. in the court of King Chalukya Vikramaditya. a poet by name Bilhana. patronised by the king wrote his historical kavya. Vikramankadevacarita. This poem describes the history of King Vikramankadeva. in 17 cantos. It begins with an account of some of the predecessors of Chalukya dynasty and then narrates the story of Vikrama. In Vikramankadevacharita the historical matter occupies only a minor portion. The poet mingles much of the imaginary with real. The supernatural element plays an important part in the story and the intervention of Lord Siva in the affairs of the hero is of frequent occurrences. Inspite of all these Bilhana's Vikramankadevacarita is considered as one of the most important historical kavyas. He has also written an erotic lyric Caurapancasika and a drama by name Karnasundari. Rajatarangini Kalhana is the only great poet who is wholly historical in outlook. He lived in Kashmir and has recorded that he lived during the reign of Jayasimha of Kashmir between 1127 and 1159 A.D. Kalhana wrote his great work Rajatarangini describing completely the history of from the period of Asoka, till his own time. It is said Klahana took his source from the Nilamatapurana which is considered early chronicle of Kashmirian history. Even in Rajatarangini, there are some marvelous episodes which are not believable under ordinary circumstances. With all these defects Rajatarangini remains to this day the most important historical kavya in Sanskrit literature. 4 Somapalavilasa In the same 12th century A.D another poet of Kashmir by name Jalhana wrote his historical kavya, Somapalavilasa, describing the history of the king Somapala who ruled Rajapuri in the neighbourhood of Kashmir. Vemabhupalacarita Following the examples of Bana, Vamanabatta Bana of 15th century A.D.