Literature

At his residence, Yaugandharāyaṇa invited a brahma-rākṣasa by name Yogeśvara. He instructed him, ‘Keep an eye on the activities of Kaliṅgasenā. Vidyādharas also usually have an eye on her. If you see her in the company of a siddha or a vidyādhara, it is good for us!’ The brahma-rākṣasa asked, ‘Why shouldn’t I abuse her or kill her?’ The minister replied, ‘That is great adharma; if we work such that dharma is not violated, that will in itself help us.

DVG’s assessment of the social milieu in South India before the fourteenth century ce requires mention:

5.

ಭವಭೂತಿ “ಉತ್ತರರಾಮಚರಿತ”ದ ಕಡೆಯ ಅಂಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಗರ್ಭಾಂಕತಂತ್ರವನ್ನು ಬಳಸಿ ಸೀತಾ-ರಾಮರ ಪುನರ್ಮೇಲನವನ್ನು ಸಾಧಿಸಿದ್ದಾನೆ. ಇದನ್ನು ವಾಲ್ಮೀಕಿಮುನಿಗಳ ರಾಮಾಯಣದ ಕಡೆಯ ಭಾಗವೆಂಬಂತೆಯೂ ಕಲ್ಪಿಸಿದ್ದಾನೆ. ಅವನ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಶ್ರವ್ಯಕಾವ್ಯವಾದ ರಾಮಾಯಣದ ಮುಗಿತಾಯವು ದೃಶ್ಯಕಾವ್ಯದ ಮೂಲಕ ಆಗಬೇಕೆಂದು ವಾಲ್ಮೀಕಿಯದೇ ಸಂಕಲ್ಪ. ಆದುದರಿಂದಲೇ ಕಡೆಯ ಭಾಗವನ್ನು ರಂಗಕ್ಕೆ ತರಲು ಭರತಮುನಿಯ ನೆರವನ್ನು ಕೋರಿ ಅವನಿಗೆ ಹಸ್ತಪ್ರತಿಯನ್ನೂ ಕೊಡಲಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಹೀಗೆ ಸಜ್ಜುಗೊಂಡ ರೂಪಕವು ರಾಮನ ಸಾನ್ನಿಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ, ಅಶೇಷ ಕೋಸಲಪ್ರಜೆಗಳ ಸಮಕ್ಷದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಯುಕ್ತವಾಯಿತು. ಈ ರೂಪಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಸೀತೆಯ ಪಾತ್ರವನ್ನು ಆಕೆಯೇ ನಿರ್ವಹಿಸಿದ್ದಲ್ಲದೆ ಗಂಗೆ-ಭೂದೇವಿಯರೂ ತಮ್ಮವೇ ಭೂಮಿಕೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುತ್ತಾರೆ.

4. As Kaliṅgasenā stood on her balcony watching Somaprabhā fly away, a vidyādhara called Madanavega saw her and was awestruck by her beauty. But he thought it was not appropriate for him to be smitten by a mortal woman. He remembered Prajnapti, the goddess of intellect who appeared before him and told him that she was an apsaras born on the earth due to a curse. While this made him happy, no matter how much he wanted, he couldn’t just carry her away by force, for he carried a curse that would strike him dead if he were to force any woman.

ಭವಭೂತಿ

ಮಹಾಕವಿ ಭವಭೂತಿಯ ರೂಪಕಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಆತನ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವ ಮತ್ತು ಕೃತಿತ್ವಗಳಲ್ಲದೆ ಕಾವ್ಯಮೀಮಾಂಸೆಯ ಸೂಚನೆಗಳೂ ಗಣ್ಯವಾಗಿವೆ. ಅವುಗಳನ್ನು ಪರಾಮರ್ಶಿಸಬಹುದು. “ಮಾಲತೀಮಾಧವ”ದ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾವನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ತನ್ನೀ ರೂಪಕದ ವೈಶಿಷ್ಟ್ಯವನ್ನು ಹೀಗೆ ಹೇಳಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾನೆ:

ಭೂಮ್ನಾ ರಸಾನಾಂ ಗಹನಪ್ರಯೋಗಾಃ

            ಸೌಹಾರ್ದಹೃದ್ಯಾನಿ ವಿಚೇಷ್ಟಿತಾನಿ |

ಔದ್ಧತ್ಯಮಾಯೋಜಿತಕಾಮಸೂತ್ರಂ

Kaliṅgasenā who was pleased looking at the dolls forgot her hunger. She refused to eat anything that was offered to her. Her worried mother thought that she must have developed some kind of disease in her body and took her to the doctor. Upon looking at her, he said – ‘She has become like this because of extreme joy. Look at her eyes! They have blossomed so well! Look at her face! She seems to be laughing!’ When the mother asked her the reason for her happiness, Kaliṅgasenā told her the story of her dear friend. She then ate whatever she could.

Volume Three (1923–1927)

               DVG congratulated the Hindu Mahasabha on its attempt to consolidate our community. He explained the salience of the endeavour and the perils of neglecting it:

Kaliṅgasenā grew up. Once while she was playing on the terrace, Somaprabhā, the daughter of Mayāsura saw her and thought, ‘Who is this girl who is radiant like the Moon? I think we were friends in our past lives; or else why would I feel so much affection towards her!’ She came down and became friends with her. Then she said, “Living with princes is an ordeal; they are quickly angered from even trivial mistakes; I’ll narrate you the story of the prince and the sons of the merchant. —