Raghavanka
Raghavanka | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Late 12th century |
| Died | Early 13th century |
| Occupation(s) | Poet, writer |
| Works | Harishchandra Kavya (magnum opus) |
Raghavanka (
Kannada language. He was a nephew and protégé of the noted Early 12-century Kannada poet Harihara.[2][3] Although the shatpadi metre tradition existed in Kannada literature prior to Raghavanka, Raghavanka inspired the usage of the flexible metre for generations of poets, both Shaiva (devotees of God Shiva) and Vaishnava (devotees of God Vishnu) to come.[4]
Epic Writings
- Harishchandra Kavya
- Siddharama charitra
- Somanatha charitra
- Viresvara charita
- Hariharamahatva
- Sarabha charitra
Although Harishchandra Kavya (c. 1200 or c. 1225) is Raghavanka's magnum opus, it was rejected by his guru, poet Harihara (or Harisvara). In some ways, Raghavanka's writing surpasses his guru's talent, especially in describing characters in his story.Jain girl, and his achievement of successfully converting a Jain temple into a Shiva temple; the Viresvara charita, a dramatic story of the blind wrath of a Shaiva warrior Virabhadra; the Hariharamahatva, a eulogy of Harisvara of Hampi, and Sarabha charitra, the last two works now considered lost.[1][5]
Magnum opus
In the Harishchandra Kavya, Raghavanka brings out the clash of personalities with lively dialogues; between sage
Vashishta, between Harishchandra and Vishvamitra and between Harishchandra and the "unreal" girls ("dancing girls"). Also narrated is Harishchandra's fidelity to truth against all odds and the redemption of Harishchandra after being rescued by an untouchable he had once rejected.[5] According to professor L. S. Sheshagiri Rao of the Sahitya Akademi, in no other language has the story of King Harishchandra been dealt with this interpretation. The writing is original both in tradition and inspiration fully utilizing the potential of the shatpadi metre.[8] One piece of elegiac verse, written in the mandanila ragele metre (rhymed couplets) is the mourning of Chandramati over the death of her young son Lohitashva from snake bite, while gathering firewood for his Brahmin taskmaster.[9] The poem has remained popular for centuries and is recited by Gamakis (narration of story accompanied by music).[9]
Notes
- ^ a b Sastri (1955), p. 362
- ^ Narasimhacharya (1988), p. 20
- ^ Kamath (2001), p. 134
- ^ Shiva Prakash in K. Ayyappapanicker (1997), p. 208
- ^ a b c Shiva Prakash (1997), p. 207
- ^ Shiva Prakash (1997), p. 206
- ^ Nagaraj in Pollock (2003), p. 364
- ^ a b Rao in Datta, Sahitya Akademi (1988), pp. 1181
- ^ a b Sahitya Akademi (1988), p. 1149
References
- Sastri, K.A. Nilakanta (2002) [1955]. A history of South India from prehistoric times to the fall of Vijayanagar. New Delhi: Indian Branch, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-560686-8.
- Shiva Prakash, H.S. (1997). "Kannada". In Ayyappapanicker (ed.). Medieval Indian Literature:An Anthology. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 81-260-0365-0.
- Various (1988) [1988]. Encyclopaedia of Indian literature - vol 2. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 81-260-1194-7.
- Nagaraj, D.R. (2003) [2003]. "Critical Tensions in the History of Kannada Literary Culture". In Sheldon I. Pollock (ed.). Literary Cultures in History: Reconstructions from South Asia. Berkeley and London: University of California Press. Pp. 1066. pp. 323–383. ISBN 0-520-22821-9.
- Kamath, Suryanath U. (2001) [1980]. A concise history of Karnataka : from pre-historic times to the present. Bangalore: Jupiter books. OCLC 7796041.
- Shanthaveeraiah, Hi.Chi. (2009). Siddarama Charithre. Bangalore: Sachin Publishers.