Indian epic poetry

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Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called Kavya (or Kāvya; Sanskrit: काव्य, IAST: kāvyá). The Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which were originally composed in Sanskrit and later translated into many other Indian languages, and the Five Great Epics of Tamil literature and Sangam literature are some of the oldest surviving epic poems ever written.[1]

List of longest epics

Image(s) Length (lines) Original title(s) Romanization Literal meaning(s) Original language(s) Place(s) of origin Author Genre Note(s)
1,00,000 couplets (2,00,000 lines) महाभारतम्
Mahabharatam
 The Great Bharatam Sanskrit Indian subcontinent Vyasa Sanskrit literature, Hinduism [2]
Fresco depicting the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, meeting his sister.
 51,820 lines (60,000 including Nanak Prakash) ਗੁਰਪ੍ਰਤਾਪ ਸੂਰਜ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ Gur Pratap Suraj Granth The Sun-like eminence of the glory of the Guru Braj Bhasha The Sikh kingdom of Kaithal Mahakavi Santokh Singh
Sikh literature
24,000 couplets (48,000 lines) रामायणम्
Ramayanam
 Rama’s Journey or Rama's progress Sanskrit Indian subcontinent Valmiki Sanskrit literature, Hinduism [3]
39,000 lines ꯈꯝꯕ ꯊꯣꯏꯕꯤ ꯁꯩꯔꯦꯡ Khamba Thoibi Sheireng Poem on Khamba and Thoibi
Manipuri
")
Manipur Kingdom
 Hijam Anganghal
Epic cycles of incarnations in Moirang, Meitei literature
 [4][5][6]
21,507 ఆంధ్ర మహాభారతం Andhra Mahabharatam The Telugu Great Bharatam Telugu language Eastern Chalukyas Kavitrayam Telugu literature, Hinduism
5,730 சிலப்பதிகாரம் Cilappatikaram The Tale of an Anklet Tamil language Tamilakam Ilango Adigal Sangam literature
4,861 மணிமேகலை Manimekalai Jewelled Belt, Girdle of Gems Tamil language Tamilakam Chithalai Chathanar Sangam literature, Buddhism
3,145 சீவக சிந்தாமணி Cīvaka Cintāmaṇi Jivaka, the Fabulous Gem Tamil language Tamilakam Tiruttakkatēvar Sangam literature, Jainism

Hindi epics

In modern Hindi literature,

Ida
, who represents rationality. Some critics surmise that the three lead characters of Kamayani symbolize a synthesis of knowledge, action and desires in human life. It inspires humans to live a life based on "karm" and not on fortunes.

Apart from Kamayani,

Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' have attained the status of epic poetry
.

Likewise Lalita Ke Aansoo[7] by Krant M. L. Verma (1978)[8] narrates the tragic story about the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri through his wife Lalita Shastri.[9]

Kannada epics

Main article: Kannada literature

Kannada language. His Vikramarjuna Vijaya (also called the Pampabharatha) is hailed as a classic even to this day. With this and his other important work Ādi purāṇa he set a trend of poetic excellence for the Kannada poets of the future. The former work is an adaptation of the celebrated Mahabharata, and is the first such adaptation in Kannada. Noted for the strong human bent and the dignified style in his writing, Pampa has been one of the most influential writers in Kannada. He is identified as Adikavi "first poet". It is only in Kannada that we have a Ramayana
and a Mahabharata based on the Jain tradition in addition to those based on Brahmanical tradition.

Sri Ponna (939-966 CE) is also an important writer from the same period, with Shanti Purana as his magnum opus. Another major writer of the period is Ranna (949-? CE). His most famous works are the Jain religious work Ajita Tirthankara Purana and the Gada Yuddha, a birds' eye view of the Mahabharata set in the last day of the battle of Kurukshetra
and relating the story of the Mahabharata through a series of flashbacks. Structurally, the poetry in this period is in the Champu style, essentially poetry interspersed with lyrical prose.

The

Kannada numerals.[12] The Saangathya metre of Kannada poetry is employed in the work. It uses numerals 1 through 64 and employs various patterns or bandhas in a frame of 729 (27×27) squares to represent letters in nearly 18 scripts and over 700 languages.[13]
Some of the patterns used include the Chakrabandha, Hamsabandha, Varapadmabandha, Sagarabandha, Sarasabandha, Kruanchabandha, Mayurabandha, Ramapadabandha, and Nakhabandha. As each of these patterns are identified and decoded, the contents can be read. The work is said to have around 600,000 verses, nearly six times as big as the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata.

The Prabhulingaleele, Basava purana, Channabasavapurana and Basavarajavijaya are a few of the Lingayat epics.

Meitei epics

Main articles:
Meitei Mahabharata, and Meitei literature
The Capture of the wild
Epic cycles of incarnations
.

PuYas, the Meitei texts.[14]

The sagas of the seven

Loktak lake in Manipur. Their stories were composed in both prose and poetry, among which the ballad versions were usually sung by the minstrels, playing Pena (musical instrument) since ancient times.[15]

The

Thoibi, the then princess of Moirang. Though the legend existed in the immortal songs of the Meitei balladeers, it was composed in a proper poetic version by Hijam Anganghal in 1940.[18]

The Numit Kappa, a Classical Meitei epic text written during the 1st century, based on ancient Meitei mythology and religion (Sanamahism)

The Numit Kappa, literally meaning "Shooting at the Sun" in Meitei, is a 1st-century BC Meitei epic, based on the story of a hero named Khwai Nungjeng Piba, who shoots one of the two shining suns in the sky, to create the night.[19]

The Ougri is the collection of musical epic poetries, associated with religious themes, originated during the reign of King

Nongda Lairen Pakhangba in 33 AD.[20]
Other epics include Shingel Indu by Hijam Anganghal, Khongjom Tirtha by Nilabir Sharma, Chingoi Baruni by Gokul Shastri, Kansa Vadha by A. Dorendrajit, and Vasudeva Mahakavya by Chingangbam Kalachand. However, the Sanskrit epics such as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana were also translated into Meitei language in the medieval times. Other translated epic works include the Meghnad Badh Kavya, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Ashtakam.

Assamese epics

Main article: Assamese literature

In 14th century Madhav Kandali dubbed the epic Ramayana as

Awadhi, 16th century), Balaram Das' (Oriya) etc. Thus it becomes the first rendition of the Ramayana into an Indo-Aryan language in the Indian subcontinent.[21]

Sanskrit epics

The ancient Sanskrit epics the

Atharva Veda[22] and referred to as the fourth Veda.[23]

The language of these texts, termed Epic Sanskrit, constitutes the earliest phase of

Shrauta Sutras. The Suparṇākhyāna, a late Vedic poem considered to be among the "earliest traces of epic poetry in India," is an older, shorter precursor to the expanded legend of Garuda that is included within the Mahābhārata.[24][25]

The Buddhist kavi Aśvaghoṣa wrote two epics and one drama. He lived in the 1st-2nd century. He wrote a biography of the Buddha, titled Buddhacarita. His second epic is called Saundarananda and tells the story of the conversion of Nanda, the younger brother of the Buddha. The play he wrote is called Śariputraprakaraṇa, but of this play only a few fragments remained.

The famous poet and playwright

Bhaṭṭi
.

Tamil epics

Main article: Five Great Epics

The post-

Civaka Cintamani, Valayapathi and Kundalakesi. Out of the five, Manimegalai and Kundalakesi are Buddhist religious works, Civaka Cintamani and Valayapathi are Tamil Jain works and Silappatikaram has a neutral religious view. They were written over a period of 1st century CE to 10th century CE and act as the historical evidence of social, religious, cultural and academic life of people during the era they were created. Civaka Cintamani introduced long verses called virutha pa in Tamil literature,[26]
while Silappatikaram used akaval meter (monologue), a style adopted from Sangam literature.

Later, during the

Kamba Ramayanam of Kamban, based on the Valmiki Ramayana. The Thiruthondat Puranam (or Periya Puranam
) of Chekkizhar is the great Tamil epic of the Shaiva Bhakti saints and is part of the religious scripture of Tamil Nadu's majority Shaivites.

Telugu epics

Most of the Telugu epics are about Hinduism.

The first known Telugu epic was the Andhra Mahabharatam written by the Kavitrayam (11th-14th centuries)

Other main Telugu epics are the

Basava Purana, and the Amuktamalyada

Notes

  1. ISBN 9788126011940
    . Retrieved 10 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Mahabharata | Definition, Story, History, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Ramayana | Summary, Characters, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-81-7201-798-9
    . His epic Singel Indu was published in 1938 which was followed by his magnum opus Khamba Thoibi Sheireng (1940), a poem of 39000 lines, considered to be the 'national' epic of the Manipuris, written in the Pena Saisak style of folk ballads.
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-81-260-1194-0
    . His best work, Khamba Thoibi sheireng, in 39,000 lines on the story of 'Khamba and Thoibi' was started in 1939 and the composition was completed in 1940.
  6. ^ a b Delhi, All India Radio (AIR), New (31 August 1975). AKASHVANI: Vol. XL. No. 35 ( 31 AUGUST, 1975 ). All India Radio (AIR),New Delhi. p. 1582.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ * Book:Lalita Ke Ansoo on worldcat
  8. ^ Hindustan (Hindi daily) New Delhi 12 January 1978 (ललिता के आँसू का विमोचन)
  9. Panchjanya (newspaper)
    A literary review 24 February 1980
  10. ISBN 81-208-0805-3
    .
  11. ISBN 81-208-0805-3
    .
  12. ^ "Introduction to Siribhoovalaya, from Deccan Herald". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
  13. ^ "Usage of Saangathya and frame of 729, from The Hindu newspaper". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
  14. ISBN 978-81-260-0086-9
    .
  15. ISBN 978-0-429-95320-0
    . The epics of the seven incarnations Apart from several other works based on the theme of love, mention may be made of the literature coming from the Moirang region of Manipur. A civilization situated on the magnificent Loktak Lake, the culture of the Moirang clan has been noted. Numerous manuscripts of the Moirang region dwell on the theme of love. One of the most popular stories refers to the seven pairs of lovers who are regarded as incarnations of the same souls in different generations or ages. The seven cycles are Akongjamba (hero) and Phouoibi (heroine): Henjunaha (hero) and Leima Lairuklembi (heroine); Khuyol Haoba (hero) and Yaithing Konu (heroine); Kadeng Thangjahanba (hero) and Tonu Laijinglembi (heroine); Ura Naha Khongjomba (hero) and Pidonnu (heroine); Wanglen Pungdingheiba (hero) and Sappa Chanu Silheibi (heroine); Khamba (hero) and Thoibi (heroine).
  16. ISBN 978-81-7201-324-0
    . H. Anganghal Singh's Khamba Thoibi Sheireng (Poem on Khamba Thoibi, 1940) is a national epic of the Manipuris based on the story of Khamba and Thoibi of Moirang. The poet composes the whole epic in the Pena Saisak style of folk ballads sung by minstrels or bards popular in Manipur.
  17. ISBN 978-81-260-1194-0
    .
  18. ISBN 978-81-260-0086-9
    .
  19. ISBN 978-81-260-0086-9
    .
  20. ISBN 978-81-260-0086-9
    .
  21. ISBN 817018858X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link
    )
  22. ^ Atharva Veda 11.7.24, 15.6.4
  23. ^ Chāndogya Upaniṣad 7.1.2,4
  24. ISBN 978-81-208-0264-3
    .
  25. ISBN 978-81-206-1071-2
    .
  26. ^ Datta 2004, p. 720

References

  • Arthur Anthony Macdonell (1900). "The epics" . A History of Sanskrit Literature. New York: D. Appleton and company.
  • Oliver Fallon (2009). "Introduction". Bhatti's Poem: The Death of Rávana (Bhaṭṭikāvya). New York: New York University Press, Clay Sanskrit Library.

External links

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