Literature

Candrasvāmin met Siṃhadaṃṣṭra, a śabara chief and asked him for a water source nearby, he called his men and said, ‘Show him water!’ They took him to their village and tied him up. He understood he had been deceived. Thinking about his children’s future if he is killed and offered as a bali he started worshipping Sūrya. A voice from the sky told him, ‘Candrasvāmin, you won’t be killed; you’ll reunite with your children!’ The children meanwhile waiting for their father, afraid, started crying.

Languages and meters

While nothing of value is added by mentioning what has been discussed by both Dr N P Unni and Dr S Ramaratnam, just for the sake of completion, here is the list of meters and languages used. Even in a small work the author has shown versatility in usage of languages and meters which can be gathered by a cursory glance of the lists below.

Metres: Anuṣṭup, Āryā, Indravajra, Rucirā, Mālinī, Vaṃśasthā, Vasantatilakā, Śārdūlavikrīḍitā, Sragdharā.

Art appreciation begins with learned connoisseurs. Gaining breadth and vision with time, it develops into a well-structured system of aesthetics. Poets and artists often find it hard to explain the aspects of appeal inherent in the form and substance of their compositions. They have neither the bent of mind nor the competence to subject their work’s appeal to a logical analysis. Only a handful of artists can tell us what goes into the making of a charming composition and unravel the secret of its attraction.

Ciradātṛ-rāja

There lived a king named Ciradātā in a city called Cirapura. Though the king was a nice person by his nature, he was surrounded by evil men. Prasaṅga and his friends who had come to the service of the king from a distant land did not get any remuneration, though they served him for five long years. Even if they wanted to see the king, they never got a chance to do so.

ಕನ್ನಡರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಬಂದೊಡನೆಯೇ ಕನ್ನಡವನ್ನು ಕುರಿತ ಚಿಂತನೆ ನಮ್ಮೆಲ್ಲರ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನ ಮೇಲ್ಪದರಕ್ಕೆ ಬರುವುದು ಅಚ್ಚರಿಯೇನಲ್ಲ. ಈ ಮೂಲಕ ಮೈದೋರುವ ವಿಚಾರ ಸಾರ್ವಕಾಲಿಕವಾದರೆ ಅದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಸಂಗತಿ ಮತ್ತಾವುದು? ಸದ್ಯದ ಈ ಬರೆಹ ಇಂಥ ಒಂದು ಮೂಲಭೂತಚಿಂತನೆಯನ್ನು ಆಸಕ್ತರೊಡನೆ ಹಂಚಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಹವಣು.

The author

Another day, when Naravāhanadatta was in the court, a prince by name Samaratuṅga came to him and said, ‘O lord! My cousin Saṅgrāmavarṣa and his four sons are jointly destroying the country. I will go and arrest them!’ Knowing well that Samaratuṅga had but a small army, Naravāhanadatta offered to send his army along. However, without seeking the support of the king's army he waged a war and arrested all five of them.

The Mahābhārata is no different though the episodes related to Hāsya are few and far. Bhima’s childhood antics are sure to invoke some laughs, so does Uttarakumāra’s boasting in Virāṭa Parva followed by Bṛhannalā’s antics (Mahābhārata Virāṭa Parva Critical Text BORI, sargas 34-36) which has been utilized well by the later poets like Kumāravyāsa, who wrote in Kannada.

Vīravara’s son woke up and quickly understood the situation and said, “Father! I am indeed fortunate to be of service for our master’s wellbeing! We owe him our daily bread - hence it is only fit that I serve him in his time of need! Take me along, by all means!”. Vīravara happily said “Truly you take after me, my son!”. The king who had followed Vīravara overheard all this and felt amazed at their courage. Vīravara took his son on his shoulders and his wife Dharmavatī took her daughter up her arms.

Introduction