CHAPTER ID

MAHAKAVYAS
Introduction of Mahakavya 96 - 99
YrnJhisthiravijaya 99 - 103
Tripuradahana 103 - 104
Saurikathodaya 105 - 105
Nalodaya 105 - 106
Vasudevavijaya 106 - 110
Baludbhava 110 - 111
I -
Sriramacarita 111 - 113
Mahodayapuresacarita 113 - 114
,
Sriramacaritapiirana 114 - 117
Uttararamacarita 117 - 118
-
119 - 120
I
Sriramavarmakavya
PaJ.Jdavacarita 120 - 122
Raghaviya 122 - 128

..
Visnuvilasa 128 - 130
Uttaranaiadhaiyacarita 130 - 134
I . 134 - 134
Sriramavarmavijaya
Reference 135 - 136
 MAHAKAVYAS
Sanskrit Kavyas are either long or short and accordingly called

Mahakavyas or Laghukavyas. 1 The Laghukavyas became more

popular because they require a short compass and comparatively

less time and energy on the part of both the poets and the aesthetes.

The number of extant Mahakavyas, which requires more effort on

the part of the poet and the reader, therefore, is not very large. The

term 'Mahakavya' is derived from the combination of two words.

Viz., Mahat (big) and Kavya (poetry). Thus the word Mahakavya

stands for a big poem. The Mahakavya as an extensive and an elevated

poetic endeavour, probably came to be regarded as the highest type

of composition and as the indispensable list of a poet2 . The word

'Mahakavya' is synonymous with 'Sargabandha'. Almost all the

rhetoricians have accepted the term Sargabandha in their definitions

of the Mahakavyas. It is a verse composition of considerable length,

elaborate description and broad construction, unfolding a narrative

theological, biographical, historical or scientific divided into sargas

or cantos for convenience of plot division. 3

 97

Bhamaha, is the first Indian rhetorician to define the

Mahakavya. In his Kavyalankara, he describes the characteristics of

a Mahakavya as follows;

"sargabandho mahakavyam mahatamca mahaccayat

a gramya ,,sabdamartham ca salamkaram sadasrayam

mantradutaprayar:iajinayakabhyudayaisca yat

panacabhit:i santibhiryuktam natiyakhyeyamrdhimat

Caturvargabhidhanepi bhuyasarthopadesakrt

yuktam lokasvabhavena rasaisca sakalait:iprthak

nayakam pragupanayasya vamsaviryasrutadibhit:i

natasyaiva vadham bruyadanyot karabhidhitaya

yadi kavya' sarirasya na sa vyapitayesyate

na. cabhyudayabhaktasya mudhadaugrahanamstave"

[Kavyalankara I, 18-23]

Almost all the later rhetoricians have adopted the above

definition with minute variations and improvements. The

 98

Agl}.ipurana, the Kavyadarsa of Dandin (6 th century A. D.) the

Kavyanusasana of Hemachandra (12 th century A. D.),
Prataparudraysobhul?ana of Vidyanatha (14th century A. D.) and
the Sahityadarpat).a of Visvanatha (14th century A. D.) virtually
follow the same definition. According to Bhamaha, the hero of a
Mahakavya should be prosperous and dignified, He should figure as
the main character throughout the Mahakavya. The delineation of
sentiment is an essential characteristic of poetry, according to all
rhetoricians. Mahakavyas are to be characterised by sentiment in
general. One predominant sentiment should run through the entire
length of the poem. The story of a Mahakavya should give the account
of some noble man. The narration should consist of the descriptions

of state councils, messengers, travels, war and the victory of the

hero. Such a story, relating to war, should consist of five sandhis.

While describing the four fold aim of human existence, it should

depict chiefly the acquisition of wealth.

Kerala has contributed a wide range of Mahakavya of varying

length to Sanskrit literature. They can be classified as literary

Mahakavyas, Vyakarana Mahakavyas, Yamaka Mahakavyas, and
 99

Historical Mahakavyas according to their subject matter. Sanskrit

literature of Kerala was patronised by the Kings of Travancore,
Cochin and Kozhikode. The scholars and poets of the court of
Kutunnallur Cochin royal family were patronised and encouraged
liberally by the rulers . Though the main output of Kerala was in the
Malayalam language, there were a considerable number of literary
works in Sanskrit by the poets.

Yudhilhiravijaya

The 'Yamaka' poem Yudhi!hiravijaya was written by

Vasudevabhattatiri. He is also credited with the authorship of
Tripuradahana, Saurikathodaya, Vasudevavijaya and Nolodaya.

The poem narrates the victory of Yudhisthira over the

Kaurava, in the famous battle of Kuruksetra. So it is called
Yudhi91thiravijaya. It contains 934 stanzas and narrates the main
story of Mahabharata. The author got the inspiration to write this
Mahakavya from his preceptor, Mahabharatabhatteri, who was an
exponent of the Mahabharata and the Puranas. His preceptor had the
appellation Bharataguru because of his proficiency in the Epic. 4 The
 100

characters of the poem are the same as those depicted in the

Mahabharata. Yushi!hira, the hero of the poem, is pictured as an
unhappy victor. He is a self-hater and abode of a sensitive conscience.
He is the embodiment of all virtues and he remains most generous.
Full descriptions of scenes and situations are found in proper places,
and the main sentiment vira is kept prominent throughout, and kindled
by other emotions which act in a subsidiary manner. 5

Contents of the Poem

Yudhihiravijaya consists of eight cantos called Asvasas or

Uccvasas. The first canto narrates the death of Pai;idu by the curse of
a sage, the birth of Pai;iqavas and the marriage of Draupadi. The
second and third cantos deal with Yudhithira crowned as the King
of half of the Hastinapura, the birth of Abhimanyu, Yudhisn1ira's
Rajasiiya sacrifice, the game of gambling and abandonment of
Hastinapura. . .
The arrival of the Pandavas in the Dvaita forest,
I f

Arjuna's worship of Lord Siva his fight with Siva and his acceptance
of the pasupata are depicted in the fourth canto. The fifth canto
explains the search of Saugandhika flower, conversation between
Yudhi!hira and Dharmaraja, arrival of Pa9davas in the palace of
 101

Viraa and the Kicakavada. The Sixth canto explains the king of Viraa

who gave the hand of his daughter to Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna.

Duryodana was not willing to give back the Kingdom to PaJ?.avas,

the Pai:i1avas sent Kr9r:ia to Hastinapura as a messenger of peace and

the Pai:iavas became unhappy and made arrangements for the

unavoidable war. The last two cantos are devoted to the description

of the war. Thus the poem ends with the description of the glorious

reign of Yudhihira.

The main sentiment (rasa) of the poem is vfra (heroism). The

poet carefully picks up almost all the incidents which are directly

connected with the heroic deeds of the Par:ic;Javas. The poem concludes

with the narration of the glorious reign of Yudhi9thira after the heroic

battle of Kuruk9etra. The poet also exposes the sentiment of Karu9a

(pathos) in describing the sorrowful condition of Arjuna on hearing

the tragic death of his son Abhimanyu. 'S rn gara (love) bhakti

(devotion) etc. are the other subordinate sentiments delineated in

the poem.
 102

Peculiarity of the poem

Yudhi.Jfhiravijaya of Vasudeva is held to be the best yamaka

poem in Sanskrit. Being it a yamaka poem, naturally great importance
is provided to 'Sabdalankara like yamaka, anupra-._a, etc. Still the
poet also uses arthiilarikara which enhances the beauty of the poem.
He employs figures of speech like upama, Utprekd, arthiintaranydsa
etc. In the second asviisa, while describing the six seasons, he uses
a large number of figures of speech. The poet seems to be more
interested in using the figures of speech utprekii or poetic fancy.
The closing of the lotus at sunset is fancied by the poet as follows:-

bimbam pdtarigamayam na diniinto

hinastu patam gamayan
iti na/ini jalimanam dathativa
ca kiira korakanjalimanam
The author employs thearya metre in most of the stanzas and
it enhances the beauty of the yamaka poem.

Commentaries

The Yudhihiravijaya has been very popular in India and it

has several commentaries. They are Padarthacintana by Raghava,
 103

disciple o(Srilcal).ha. Raghava is supposed to have been a member

of the Variyar community. Balavyutpattikarini of Cokkanatha is an
elaborate commentary. He was the son of Acciyamba and
Sudarsanabha!a of the Bharadvajagotra and was an ardent follower
of Samaveda. /Silyahita by Rajanaka Ratnakargha of Kashmir is the
most popular commentary. He was the son of Sankarakar.iha.
1

Prakasita by Dharmaraja who belonged to the community of temple

priests called Gurukkal. Vijayadarsika by Acyuta is another
commentary on the poem. He must have been a native of Kerala, for
he says that Vasudeva's patron Kulasekhara had his capital at
Mahodayapuram Ratnapradtpika by 1Sivadasa is similar to the
Vijayadarsika. Kavika,:zthabhararza by Sdkanha, description of
1

another "Sdka:r:iha, is also a unique work. Padabhedini of unknown

authorship and Padiirthadipika of by a disciple ofSrikai:itha are other
commentaries of the work.

Tripuradahana

The Tripuradahana is a Yamaka poem ofVasudeva. It consists

of three cantos called asvasas containing about two hundred verses
in total. It describes the destruction of three cites by God Siva and
 104

so it is called Tripuradahana. The author was the son of Ravi, a

Nampiitiri Brahmin of the Pa!attu family. In the introductory verse
of Tripuradahana, which is attributed to him, the poet himself says
that the poem was composed by the son of Ravi:

nijaya tamii netrapramodanam prajinam vitanvanetra

matibalama sadya mitam puradahanam ravibhuva sama sa dyamitam6

In his poem Vasudeva refers to his patron as Kulasekhara.

The same patron is again referred to as Kamavarma, Rajasekhara
and Rajaditya. In the introductory verse of Tripuradahana, it is said
that the poem was composed during the reign of King Rama.

ramasamatvadeva's ra9 ta
ramakhyamakrtamatvadeva

Commentaries

1. Pad a rthaci/pini, by a son of Nityapriya who was a native of

Gokarna. Its data is not known.
2. H rdayagrahini by Pankajaksa is published along with the text in
the TSS. This Pankajaksa may be identical with the teacher of
Manavikrama of Calicut.
 105

3. Arthaprk as ik a of Nilakai;itha, a Namputiri Brahmin belonging

to Mukkola (Muktisthala) in south Malabar. This was written when
king Raja.raja of Cochin was ruling over the country with the help
of Ramavarman.

'Saurikathodaya

The 'saurikathodaya is also a Yamaka poem of Vasudeva. It

contains six cantos depicting the story of Krr:ia as described in the
tenth Skandha of the Bhagavata Purar:ia. There are two commentaries
on the poem. The Tattvaprakasika by N1lakanha and the other is
Anvayabodhika of Nityamrtayati.

Nalodaya

Nalodaya is yet another yamaka poem attributed to Vasudeva.

According to some scholars, the poem was composed by Ravi, the
father of Vasudeva. 7 Further enquiries on the subject have definitely
established that Vasudeva himself was the author of the poem once
attributed to Kalidasa by orientalists because of its wondeul diction
and poetic ingenuity. The poem deals with the well known episode
of the Mbh describing the story of Nala and Damayanti. The most
 106

noteworthy feature of the work is the introduction of rhyme which is

employed not only at the end, but with middle of metrical lines.
There are several commentaries on the Nalodaya.

Vasudevavijaya

Vasudevavijaya is a grammatical poem ofV asudeva. It is an

incomplete Mahakavya dealing with the story of 'Srikf$() a based on
the tenth Skandha of the BhZigavatha. The poet narrates the victory
of Srikrsna over demons. It contains 657 verses classified into seven
cantos. It illustrates the sutras of the Afiidhyiiyi of Pai;iini and so it
is called a grammatical poem. The particular synonym of the god as
Vasudeva seems to have been deliberately chosen by the author to
name his work since it coincides with his own name. 8 There are
several poets by the nameVasudeva.

The identity of the author of Vasudevavijaya is a matter of

controversy among scholars. Scholars like Ullur andVatakkumkur
attribute its authorship to the Yamaka poet Vasudeva. 9 But there is
no doubt about the name of the author of the poem or of the commentary
since the name of Vasudeva is given in the Colophon of both the
 107

works. 10 Dhiitukavya of Melputtlir Narayai::i.abhaqa refers to one

Vasudeva in his Dhatukavya must be the author of the grammatical
poem Vasudevavijayam. Dhatukiivya as a supplement to the
Vasudevavijaya, deals with the story of Krr:ia and illustrates at the

same time all verbal roots given in Bhimasena's Dhiitupatha and

explained in Madhava's Dhatuv!tti 11 .From the commentary on the
Dhatu kavya it is known that Vasudeva, belonged to the village of
Perumanam. It is possible that Vasudeva, a native of Perumanam
went to the court of King Ravivarma of Va!! attunad 12
Venkitasubrahmanya Iyer differs with this view and states: the
observation is mainly based on the occurrance of a sloka in the
beginning of the Padacandrika commentary as well as Govindacarita
and Sanksepabhiirata.
.
But the King Ravivarman of Vettattunad
''
of
these poems is not mentioned in Vasudevavijaya. It is quite possible
that the author of Vasudevavijaya is different from both the author of
Yudhihiravijaya and the authors of the minor kavyas. According to
Raja if compares the beginning of the Padacandrika with that of the
minor poems Govindacarita; Sank1epabhiirata and Gejendramoka,
it would be found that there are some common features among these
works. All these facts show that the common authorship of these
 108

works rests on Vasudeva of Peruvana who might have migrated to

Vettattunad. The absence of any reference to the patron, Ravivarma
in Viisudevavijaya is also explained by Kunnu00i Raja as apparently
due to the author's migration to the court of the patron after the
composition of the work. 13 Regarding the date of the poet that he
flourished after 1250 A. D, the date of Bopadeva and before 1560
A. D., the date of Narayana bhatta.

Contents of the poem

Vasudevavijaya is a grammatical poem contains seven cantos

and it illustrates the sutras of the A!adhyayi of Panini. The first
canto narrates how Brahma consoled the goddess of the Earth. He
said that the Almighty God would incarnate himself as the son of
Vasudeva and Devaki. Then follows the procession in connection
with the marriage ceremony of Devaki and Vasudeva. The second
canto deals with the cruel deeds of Kamsa and the entry of Visnu's
Yogamaya, into the womb of Devaki. The birth of Srikrsna is the

subject matter of the third canto. The fourth and fifth cantos explain
the festivals that took place in the Gokula and the childhood sports
of Lord Krsna. Krsna's life in Vmdiivana is described in the sixth
 109

. . . lifting up of the Govardhana

canto. The seventh canto narrates krsna's

mountain, release of Nanda frmn the captivity ofVaruna the rasalila

of krsna etc. The poem comes to an end with an eulogy of Krsna by

Narada after the destruction of the demon kesin.

Peculiarity of the poem

Kpr:ia shows his valour in killing the demons, Kamsa and

others. Though the main sentiment of the poem is heroism the poet

also stresses the devotional aspects in praise to LordVisnu, Brahma

and Indra. The more figures of speech used by the poet are upama,

utpreka, riipaka, etc. The comparison of the couple Devaki and

Vasudeva to a pair of partridges occurring in the first canto is a

typical example of upama. Sabdalankara in the form of anuprcisa

and yamaka can also be found in the poem. The poet used several

metres in his compositions Vasudeva may be considered equal to

the poet Bhatti, and his poem stands on account with Bhat,tikiivya. 14

Every stanza of the poem is indicative of the purpose of the poet to

illustrate words of grammatical significance.

 110

Commentaries

Among the commentaries on Vasudevavijaya, Padacandrika

of the author 15 is the most important one. It is available almost upto
the end of the seventh canto. The first three cantos with the
commentary have been published in the Kavyarm"/a series. This gives
an idea of the nature of the poem as a Kavyasa stra.

Kaisavi is the other commentary on Vasudevavijaya and it is

by Ramaprapanna sastri . At the end of the commentary on each

canto he gives a summary of the incidents narrated in the canto.

Balyu9bhava

Balyuc;Jbhava 16 also called Mahendravijaya is a Mahakavya

written by Godavarmayuvaraja of Kotunnallur royal family. He was

born in 1800 A. D . Ilamkurissi Madrdattan N ampOtiri and the

scholarly women, Kunnikkutti Tampuratti were his parents. Among

his teachers Vattapalli Asan, Desamangalam varier and Madhavan

Atittiri were Prominent. He was a great scholar in all the sastras

1

such as tarkka vyakararza sahitya, 'silpa, na.tya vaidya etc. and most
 111

of them were mastered by his own effort. He was a great devotee of

the Bhagavati of Ko!unnalliir. The famous scholars like

Kumbhakonam Krsna'sastri and Vaikkom Paccumuttatu are the

prominent disciples of Godavarmayuvaraja. He was a great friend

of Svati Tirunal Maharaja of Travancore. The poet wrote several

works both in Sanskrit and Malayalam. Balyudbhava is a literary

Mahakavya.
, -
Sri ramacarita

sriramacarita is a Mahakavya composed partly by Vidvan

Godavarmayuvaraja of Koruiuiallii.t'foyal family and completed by
his nephew Ramavarma Koccm;u:ii Tampuran. The poem contains the
story of Rama in forty cantos. The Mahakavya is divided into three
parts. The first part is written by Godavarma. It is an incomplete
work since the poet was able to write only twelve canots and 31st
verse of the 13th canto. He passed away before finishing the work.
This canto deals with SitapaharaJ).a. The second part was later
completed by Ramavarman Koccur:ir:ii Tampuran of the same family
provides a short biography of Godavarma, entitled
Vidvadyuvarajacarita and completes the second part of the work
 112

with nineteen cantos. The last part called Uttararamacarita contains

eight cantos. Though the subject matter continues to be the same the
first part of Ramacarita contains the story of the Ramayar:ia up to the

arrival of Ravar:ia in the hermitage of Sita. The remaining portion of

the story explains in Arar:iyakanda, Ki9kindakar:ic;fa, Sundaraar:i9a and

Yuddhakar:i9a are dealt with in the second part. The last section
Uttararamacarita, closely follows unarakar:i9a. Ramacarita is a

Mahakavya in 1172 verses based on the Ramayar:ia of Valm!ki. This

poem was also considered as literary Mahakavya.

Contents of the Poem

The poem opens with a beautiful description of Lord Narayana

in the milky ocean. The first and second cantos describe the
incarnation of Vi9 r:iu as Rama upto his marriage with Sita. The next
cantos describe the amorous sports of the newly wedded couple,
Rama and Sita. However, the fourth and fifth cantos are mainly set
apart for the description of the seasons and gardens.

The next two cantos provide a long and beautiful description

of Sandhya, the rising of the moon and the coming of morning. The
eightth canto of the poen1 summarises the events described in the
 113

Ayodhyakar:i9a. The interruption of the preparations for the coronation

of Rama, his banishment to the forest, the death of Dasaratha etc. are
the incidents treated in that canto. The canto comes to an end with
the description of Rama at Citrakua. The next five cantos narrate
the Mount Citrakuta, the arrival of Rama at the hermitage of
Sarbhanga, the appearance of Surpaaka in the scene, her enjoyment
of the beauty of Rama, the slaying of Khara, and the S1tapaharar:ia by
Ravar:ia.

Mahodayapuresacarita

The earliest historical Kavyas of Kerala 1s

Mahodayapuresacarita of Tolan. He was the court poet of King
Kulasekhara. Though the name, Tolan, seems to be a tadbhava of
Atula, he is not to be identified with the author of Muikavarilsa,
which must have been written in the beginning of the 12th century A.
D. 17 The work begins with a description of Mahodayapura, or
Tiruvancikkulam, the modern Cranganore. Kulasekhara is the hero
of the kavya. The poem is said to be a Mahakavya in simple style
strictly keeping the normal syntax of the language. The work is not
extant; only two verses, supposed to be from that, have been handed
 114

to us through traditions. 18 As the name suggests it is a historical

poem giving an account of ancient Kerala. He was also a great art
critic.

srlramacarita Purana

Ramavarma Koccur:ir:ii Tampuran populary known as Ceriya

koccur:ir:ii Ta!Ilpuran, of the Kotuririallur royal family was a profound
scholar and poetic genius. 19 He was the author of the second and
third parts of Ramacarita. He was born in 185 8 as the son of Puratattu
Sankaran Namputiri and Ikkavu Tampuratti. He had his early
education under Valappil U99i Asan. The author has greatly
contributed to literature, both Malayalam and Sanskirt. He was a
Sanskrit poet and encouraged by Vel).mal)i Acchan and Mahan
Namputiri. He wrote its Malayalam version also. The transition in
the literature of Kerala from Mal)ipravalam to pure Malayalam was
effected by the Ver:imanis. But it was completed in the works of
Koccur:ir:ii Tampuran.

Content of the poem

The thirteenth canto narrates the death of Jatayu and the atten1pts
of Ravan a to te1npt Sita. The next two cantos deal with the wrath of
 115

Rama, Lakeymana's words of consolation to him etc. The description

of the river Pampa, the forest on its banks, Rama's friendship with
Sugriva, the conversation between Tara and Balin etc. find substantial
place in the 16th and 17th cantos. The next contains descriptions of
the seasons of spring and autumn.and in the further two cantos
Sugriva's description of various places to be travelled by the
monkeys, the conversation between Rama and Hanuman, Rama's
message to Sita etc. are included. These two cantos are more or less
of the nature of Sandesakavyas.
There is a search conducted by the monkeys to find out Sita,
the meeting of the monkeys and Sampati, and the arrival of the monkeys
at the coast of the Southern ocean are dealt with in the 21st canto.
Cantos 22-27 of the poem narrate mainly the incidents dealt with in
the Sundarakfi nda of the Ramayana. The city of Lanka, the crossing
of the ocean by Hanu1nan the personality of Ravana, the place of
Lanka, Ravar:ia's entreaties to Sita in the Asoka garden, the rejection
ofRavana and the wrath of Ravana are vividly narrated. The cantos
up to 32, deal with the arrival of Rama in Lanka, the fierce battle
that ensued, the end of Ravar:ia, and the coronation of Vibhi$ana,
Sita's fire-ordeal, the return of Rama to Ayodhya and his reign are
related subsequently.
 116

Sentiment of the Poem

Ramacarita describes the prosperous reign of Rama after

regaining Sita. The main sentiment delineated in the poem is heroism.

There are various incidents, in the poem where the heroic sentiment

is delineated. Ravar:ia's fight with Jatayu, and the battle between the

army of monkeys and the demons etc are examples of it ( cantos 28-

32). The sentiment of srngara is delineated in cantos 3-7 cantos where

the amorous sport of Rama and Sita is described. The lamentation of

Rama in the 15th canto delineates the sentiment of pathos well.

Srngara and KarU(I a find only a subordinate place.

Peculiarity of the Poem

Peculiarity of the poem is that both the authors are

influenced by Kalidasa. The style of Godavarma is chaste and

dignified. The qualities of diction in Godavarmayuvaraja, are the

elegance consisting of alliteration, modernity in ideas, easy

intelligibility and delightfulness. The description of the entry of

Ravana into the hermitage of Sita serves as an example of his elegant

way of writing. 20 According to Ramavarma Koccur:ir:ii Tampuran the
 117

first part of Ramacarita is not worthy in this context: "The poet has

written his work in verses of pleasing characters.

The use of appropriate words, clarity of meaning and firmness

of sound in the work reveal that the poet Koccunni Tampuran has

adopted vaidarbhi for his composition. The description of the pitful

condition of Rama separated from Sita is an illustration of his chaste

and beautiful style. 21 The cantos 19 and 20 are written on the model

of a Sandes aka.vya. This is a novelty that the poet has introduced in

the field of Mahakavyas.

Uttararamacarita
..

U.tJararamacarita of Kocul)l)i Tampuran is written as a sequal

to the Ramacarita. 22 It has eight cantos and narrates the story of the
Uttarakary;f a of the Ramayal)a of Valmiki. The poet considers it as a
separate Mahakavya though it continues the story dealt with in
Ramacarita. The statement at the end of the every canto "ittyuttara'
Srim macarita male ka vye prathamah sargah" etc bears testimony to it.
 118

Contents of the poem

The first canto describes the meeting of sages Kar:iva and

.
Agastya with Srframa. Then the origin of Raksasas, the valour of
lndrajit and the story of Kartavirya and valin. The next canto deals
with Rama's conversation with King Janaka, Kekaya and others and
their journey back to their native countries. The third canto is devoted
to the descriptions of the spring season and sport in water. The fourth
canto begins with a pleasant description of evening and it closes
with a beautiful description of sunrise.

The fifth canto deals with the pregnancy of Sita, the news of
the public scandal, the determination of Rama to banish Sita to the
forest, her exile, her lamentation, her arrival at the hemitage ofValm1ki
and her life three are the main topics. The sixth and the seventh
cantos deal with the slaying of Lavanasura and Sambuka respectively.
The performance of the A:svamedha sacrifice and the Svargdroha,:,,a
of Rama are described in the last canto. Koccui;ii Tampuran's style
is marked by the absence of long compounds. Intelligibility, sweetness
of sound and perspicuity are the characteristic features of

Uttararamacarita.
 119

Sriramavarmakavya

S ririimavarma kavya is a historical Mahakavya of Kochupqi

Tampuran of Kotunnaltiir in praise of king Rama Vafl!la of Cochin
who abdicated. 23 This work contains nine cantos in 1912 by the author.
The first sarga of the work deals with the childhood, education and

upbringing of the virtuous prince, the hero of the work. The second

sarga deals with the accession of Ramavarma to the throne of Cochin

and the first death anniversary of V irakerala varmam, his
predecessor. The third and fourth sargas narrate the royal journey of
the king to attend the Durbar held at Delhi in connection with the
coronation of prince Edward as the monarch of the British Empire.
The fifth sarga narrates the return journey of the king from Delhi and
his visit to the famous temple cities of South India. The great reforms

of the king are narrated in the sixth sarga. The seventh sarga describes
the second tour of Ratnavarma to Delhi to see George V. the new

Emperor of Britain. The eight sarga narrates the stately reception

extended to the king on his return to his country from Delhi. The
ninth sarga describes the 60th birthday celebrations, and in many of

the verses the munificence of king Ramavarma are extolled. The

 120

poem ends with an account of hero's visit to the famous temple at

Tiruvaficikkulam.

Pandavacarita

PJry;iavacarita is a literary Mahakavya written in a simple style.

The poem contains sixteen cantos, nd deals with the story of
Par:iavas based on theMbh. The poem does not contain the name of
the author. Neither the name of the author nor his date is known.
Simple metres like the anutup are generally used. It is said in the
poem that it was composed when King Rajaraja was ruling the
country. It is not possible to identify the Rajaraja. But there is no
definite indication about the King under whose reign the poem was
written. In the beginning of the poem the author praises the Yamaka
poet Vasudeva. It is traditionally ascribed to one Kali Varasyar of
Tiruvellakkavu and it is said that she became a poet by eating the
rind of the plantain fruit thrown away be the yamaka poet Vasudeva.
Scholars like Ullur and Kunnur:n:ii Raja's opinion that this story is
baseless and need not be taken seriously. They remark that it is to
show only that the author of the poem was much influenced by
Vasudeva.
 121

Contents of the Poem

The story of the Pal).9avas up to the choice of the bride Pancali

is nanated in the first and second cantos. The carnation of Yudhithira

as the heir-apparent, sage Narada's narration of the story of Sunda

and Upasunda, Arjuna's pilgrimage to the sacred- fords etc., are

narrated in the next canto. The burning of the Khandava forest and

Yudhisthira's performance of the rajasiJya sacrifice, his defeat in the

game of gambling, the Pal)dava's retirement to the forest etc are the

subject mater of the fourth and fifth cantos. The penance of Arjuna to

obtain Pas upatastra, his fight with Siva disguised as a hunter, Siva's

blessing of Arjuna, the story of Bhima fetching the Saugandhika

flower and the re-union of Arjuna with his brothers etc are narrated

in canto six to nine.

The life of the Par:i9avas incognito in the Virata country, the

slaying of Kkaka, the cattle robbery of the Kurus etc. are described

in the next two cantos. Kri:ia's role as messenger is the main theme

of the twelfth canto. The last four cantos are devoted to narrate the

preparations for the Kuruks.etra war and the various stages of it .

 122

The author has carefully picked up almost all the incidents

which are directly connected with the heroic deeds of the Pat:1Qavas,

from the first canto onwards. Therefore the sentiments vira and raudra

have been delineated obviously in almost all cantos of this work.

The sentiment of heroism can be found in the descriptions of Arjuna's

fight with the hunter and the Kuruksetra war. S ringa ru and bhakti

are subordinate sentiments. The poem is written in a simple and

lived style.

Raghaviya

Raghaviya of Ramapanivada is a literary Mahakavya. It consists

of twenty cantos and divided into two sections, viz., Purvardha and
Uttarardha, each contains ten cantos. The theme of the Kavya is taken
from the story of RamayaQa up to the coronation of Rama on his
return from the destruction of Ravana. The poem contains 1572
verses. It is written in an easy and elegant style. The author produced
this work to serve as a text book for advanced kavya students. 24 This

Mahnkavya gets its tittle from the subject matter deals with the
important incidents in the life of Raghava (Rama).
 123

raghavasya idam r aghaviyam' i.e. Something related to

Raghava.
R aghaviya is written in the model of Reghuvamsa of
Kalidasa. Though this kavya reveals the high degree of scholarship
that the author had in grammar and the sweetness of the Kavya.
Ramapai;iivada himself wrote a commentary on this Kavya known as
Balapathya to exemplify the grammatical peculiarities. From the
dedicatory verses it can be inferred that the poem must have

composed and dedicated to king Devanarayai;ia of Cempakasseri.

Contents of the Poem

The poem begins with the description of the

circumstances that led to Vil)U' s incarnation as Rama. Dasaratha,

the ruler of the prosperous Kingdom of Ayodhya, had a daughter

named Santha. He gave his only daughter to Romapada, the King of

Ariga, who earnestly desired to adopt her. Later Dasaratha remained

without children and he longed for a child. He conducted a sacrifice

with the help of Ryasrriga as instructed by Vasita. At that time

finding it difficult to control demons, Brahma along with other gods

. . and informed him of their misery. Viru promised

approached Visnu
 124

them that he would incarnate himself as a son of Da'saratha for the

destruction of demons. The birth of Rama, Bharata, Lakmaa and

Satrughana, according to the request of Da'saratha to send his sons

Rama and Lakhman to protect the sacrifice that was to be performed

by him etc. are described in these cantos. Rama and Lakmana

defeated the demons and thus protected the sacrifice. The next cantos

narrates the visit of Gautama's hermitage and restored his wife,

Ahalya to her original form from that of a stone to which she had

been turned by her husband's curse.

The fourth and fifth canto deal mainly with the marriage of
Rama and Sita. Bharata and Satrughna were also present at the
ceremony. They too chose their spouses from Mithila. Lakmana
married Urmila, Bharata Mandavi and Satrughna 'Stutakriti.
Parasurama's arrival, arrangement of Rama's coronation ceremony,
impediment of coronation, the death of Da'saratha, Bharata's worship
of the sandals of Rama are the main incidents described in the sixth
canto. Rama left Citraku!a and proceeded to Daak forest with Sita
and Lakmana. While they were living there a de1non called Vini!a
approached then1 and began to disturb Sita. From then Rama went
over to Paficavati .
. with sita and Laksmana ar e described in the seventh
 125

canto. Arrival of Surpaq.aka, sister of the Khara, the fight between

Khara and Rama and the death of Khara are described in the eighth

. and led to
canto. In the ninth canto, the abduction of Sita by Ravana
the incidents are well described.

The next four cantos describe the searching of Sita, Rama

and Lakma9a met with Jatayu, who had resisted Rava-ga's taking
away off Sita. They performed the funeral rites of Jatayu and went
to yamuka as Kabandha insisted, and made friends with sugriva.

..
On their way to Rsyamuka, they visited the hermitage of Sabari and
blessed her. Reaching the yamuka mountain they entered into an
- -
agreement with Sugriva. Supported by Rama, Sugriva went to
Kikindha and in the battle that ensued Bali was stain by Rama.
Sugriva sent monkeys in the four directions in order to search for
Sita. Hanuman went to the south with his companions. They met
Sampati, the elder brother of Jaayu. As suggested by Sampati,
Hanuman crossed the sea and reached Larika. There in the Asoka
garden, he met Sita. He conveyed the message of Rama after handing
over the ring entrusted to him by Rama. Hanuman received back a
crest - jewel to be presented to Rama. The fourteenth canto deals
with the burning of Lari.ka by Hanuman, and his return to Rama. The
 126

march of Rama's army of monkeys to Lanka, Ravai:ia's discussion

with the fellow demons, Vibh1ai;ia's request to Ravaa to employ

passive means and its rejection , Vibhiai:ia joining Rama are

described in that cantos. In the next two cantos, the construction of

bridge across the sea to Lanka, the preparations for the war, the

fierce battle between the two armies, the binding of Rama and

Lakma1.1a with Nagastra, their release by Garuc;ia, the death of

Prahasta are successively narrated.

When Prahasta was killed, Rava1,1a appeared on the scene of

war. However, he chose to send his brother Kumbhakar!la to combat

with Rama. The assassination of Meghanatha by Laksmana

' .
is also

described in the eighteenth canto. The nineteenth canto deals mainly

with the terrible fight between Rama andRavm:ta, the-death ofRava9-a,

the coronation of Vibhisana as the King of Lanka and the ceremony

- -

of the purification of Sita in the fire. Rama received Sita in the

presence of gods and went to Bharata who was anxiously waiting

for his arrival. The poem is concluded with the description of the

coronation of Raina as the King of Ayodhya.

 127

Sentiment

All through the poem, emphasis is given to the heroic activities

of Rama, the hero of the poem. So the main sentiment of the poem is
heroism ( Virarasa). The best instances of the sentiment of heroism
occur in the context of Rama's fight with the demons like Khara,
Dusana and Ravana. The figures of speech used in Raghaviya are
apt and pleasing.
The following stanza is a good example for the poet's skill in
using poetic fancy.
atha sa tena drsadhigato girih
'sikharamiilavilambibhirambudaih
krtapatatrataya kulisam hareh
parihasanniva nirjjharavaribhih. 25

Pecul.iarity of the Poem

The style of the poem is simple and delightful. Though he

follows classical conventions in the main, he is independent and
original in his presentation. Ramapanivada is more indebted to
Raghuvanisa of Kalidasa than to any other works, In the Raghaviya,
various points of historical and cultural interest are found. The
 128

society was divided into four varies i.e. Brahmans, Ksatriyas, Vaisyas
'
and Sudras.

Viuvilasa

Vii:iuvilasa is the other literary Mahakavya of Ramapanivada.

The poem contains eight cantos and dealing with the first nine

incarnations of Lord V iu on the Bhagavata. It was written at the

instance of the Paliyat Acchan named Ramakubera. 26 The family

residence of the Paliyat Acchan is Cendamatlgalan in Cochin. The

poem begins with an invocation to God Narasimha, the deity of the

temple at Cendamarigalam. 27 The main purpose of the poem is to

narrate the purana story in a literary style so as to appeal to the

devotees and scholars. Figures of speech and alliterations were

abundantly used in this poem. It expounds the doctrine of Vedanta in

simple terms using Advaita principles. The poem has a commentary

called Vi1Jupriya perhaps written by the author himself. The

commentary seems to have been written at AmpalappuAa in praise of

Krsna there.
 129

Contents of the Poem

The poem Vi,:iuvildsa is so called as it deals with the glories

of Lord Vii:-iu. The poem contains eight cantos and it begins with the

description of the circumstances which led to Viu's incarnation as

a fish. The second canto deals with the incarnation as a tortoise, and

the third as the incarnation of Visnu as Vara.ha. The fourth and fifth
cantos deal with the incarnation of Visnu
. . as Narasimha and Yamana
respectively. The next canto narrates the incarnation as Para:'surama.

The seventh canto deals with Visnu's incarnation as Rama for the
destruction of the demon Ravana and the important incidents in the

life of Rama. The Visnu' s incarnations as Balarama and Srikrsna to

1

reduce the excessive burden of the earth by demons. The birth and

heroic exploits of I<!!la are also vividly narrated in the canto.

Sentiment

The poem abounds in the heroic exploits of Lord Vii:iu assuming

various forms. So the main sentiment of the poem is Vira (heroisn1).

While introducing the eulogy of Lord Vi!}U by Prahlada and others

he depicts the sentiment of Bhakti (devotion) as subordinate to it.
 130

The work is ornamented with various figures of speech. Mostly he

uses upama and utpreka. The poet uses different metres in his
Mahakavya and thechange of metre from canto to canto can be seen.
In keeping with the convention he uses a single metre upto the last
part of the canto and the change of metres occurs only in the last few
stanzas

. Uttaranaiadh1yacarita or Uttaranaiadha

Arilr Madhavan Atitiri (1765.:1838) is the author of

Uttaranaiadhiyacarita, Ariir family in the village of Perumana near
Trichur. The poem has sixteen cantos describing the life of Nala and
Damayanti after their marriage. The book is a supplement to
Snharsa's .
. Naisadh1yacarita 28

The source of this poem is the Nala episode of the Mb h story.

Though there are some reference to the story of Nala in earlier works
like the Ramayai:ia, (Brhatkatha, Vajasaneyisamhita), etc., it is in the
Mahabharata that the complete story with all the details is
incorporated for the first time. A thorough study of the Naiadha of
Sr1hara inspires the poet to continue the story of Nala and thus he
 131

-Selects the subject for his Mahakavya. This also reveals that its author
was influenced by Kalidasa and Harsa. The poem was completed in
1830 A. D. The poet wrote his Mahakavya as instructed by his
preceptor sastri and with the encouragement of the King
Virakeralavarman who died in 1836 A. D. From these evidences
it can be assumed that he had lived in the early half of the 19 1h
century A.D.

Contents of the poem

.
Uttaranaisadhiyacarita . is a poem in
by Madhavan Atitiri
sixteen cantos. It deals with the story of Nala after his marriage with
Damayanti. The first canto narrates how king Nala administers his
country efficiently. A picture of the marital bliss he enjoys with
Damayanti and a description of the seasons are also included in this
canto. The palace garden sporting in water and the vernal season,
conducting with the arrival of the swan who brought about this union
etc. the subject matter of the second canto. The third one contains a
beautiful description of evening in all its glory and of indulgence in
intoxicating drinks. In the fourth canto, Nala and Dan1ayanti along
with the swan visit various places. Describing the visit to
 132

Sthanvasrama the poet makes a passing mention of Kamadahana and

the Svayamvara of Parvati. Detailed descriptions of the glorious
city of Nala and the ocean can be seen in the fifth canto.

The pregnancy of Damayanti, her giving birth to a son and a

daughter and their playful pranks and education etc are the subject
matter of the next canto. The seventh canto opens with a description
of Damayanti Kali who was also a contender for Damayanti's hand
wants to retaliate against Nala. With this intention he along with
Dvapara approaches Puskara. Puskara invites Nala to a game of
dice. Inspite of the pleading of Damayanti, Nala accepts the
invitation. Due to the evil influence of Kali, Nala loses the game
again and again. These incidents are successively dealt with in the
seventh and eighth cantos.

Nala who loses his kingd01n is forced to leave the country

with his wifeand children. Damayanti follows her husband to the
forest after leaving the children with her father. Nala, tired of hunger,
tries to catch some birds for food and in this attempt he loses his
garments. The ninth canto c01nes to an end with Nala's desertion of
Damayanti in the forest. The tenth canto opens with Damayanti
 133

walking upto find herself all alone in the middle of the forest. The

lamenting Damayanti falls into the grip of a serpent. A forester who

came to her rescue, later tries to make love to her. But he is reduced

into ashes by her virtue. Later she joins a group of merchants and

reaches the country, Nala who has been roaming about in the forest,

saves the serpent Karko!aka from a forest conflagration. Karko!aka

bites Nala and thus changes his original form. Damayanti sends

Sudeva to him \Vith the message that her marriage is fixed for the

very next day. She knows that only Nala can cover that much distance

within a short tin1e. As suspected by Damayanti, Rrupuraa and

Bahika reach the city of the Bhima at the right time or their way they

exchange their kno,:vledge of Akfill!daya and Nsvadaya and they

are incited in the eleventh and twelfth cantos. The thirteenth canto

ends with the happy re-union of Nala and Damayanti. In the fourteenth

canto they share their suffering after their separation and resume

their happy life. In the next canto, Nala regains his country by

defeating Pukara in the game of dice. The last canto ends ,vith the

delineation of the pl1easures enjoyed by the royal couple.

 134

Peculiarity of the poem

1
The sentiment of S!ngara is the predominant one delineated
with Uttaranaiadhiyacarita. But the sentiment of pathos can be found
in the description of the lamentation of Damayanti on being deserted
1
by Nala. By using apt and pleasing Sabdalailkaras and Arthalankaras,
the author shows his skill in the Alankaraprayoga Atitiri has employed
more than eighteen metres in writing his Mahakavya.

srl ramavarmavijaya
1Srhamavarmavijaya was written by KuFiFian Variyar. It has
ten cantos dealing with the life of Rajarsi Ramavarman of Cochin.
The first canto called Rajyalabha begins with the description of the
town Tripunithura The important works of KuFiFian Variyar are
Sriramavarmavijaya Mahakavya1 Rajyalabha, Devotsava, Masavilasa,
1

Vividakualolsaha, Sastipurtti
. .. etc.
 Reference

1. Kri$hnamachariya , M, HCSL p. 79.

2. Dasgupta, S.N., AHSL , vol. I p. 317.

3. HCSL, p. 81.

4. "vedanamadhyayi bharatagururabhavadatina madhyayi," I - 6.

5. CKSL, p. 25.

6. TSS No 81, Tvm, 1957, p 10

7. KSC, Vol. I, p. 117, KSSC , Vol. I, p.175

8. Syamala Devi , P., 'Vasudevavijaya', Jo urnal of K erala Studi es, Vol. III,

pp.320-21.

9. KSC, Vol. I, p. 137, KSSC, Vol. III, p.176

10. Kavyamala, Bombay, Part X, p.76

11. S ee t h e introductory v erse: Udahradarn Paninisutramandalam

Pragrasudevena tadurdhvatogparah Udaharatyadya Vrkodaroditan dhatun

Kramenaiva hi Madhavasrayat.

12. CKSL, p.124

13. CKSL, p. 124.

14. KSSC. II. p. 75

 136

15. kavyam maya vasudevavijayakhyamakari yat

vyakhyapi tasytanv1yam kriyate padacandrika

16. CKSL, p 248, Ullur, KSC, IV, p. 37, KSLB, p.324

17. Narayan P illaia, P.K. Sanskrit equivalents of some Malayalam proper

nouns, TVM, p.18, 'atulah tolanum tatha'

18. K.S.S.C., Vol I, p. 15 9; KSC, Vol. I, p. 158; CKSL, p.19.

19. KSC. Vol. IV, p.356ff; CKSL, pp.24 9-50

20. Ramacarita, XII, 13

21. ibid, XIX.p.63

22. KSC Vol. IV, p 248; KSSC, Vol. V pp.293ff; CKSL, p 248

23. ibid, p.361;

24. Ravivarma, L.A ( ed), Raghaviya, Colophon, TSS, No.146

ramenapanivadena racitam hi yathanati I

raghaviyam mahakavyam balvyutpattilabdhaye II

25. Raghaviya, V I-I

26. CKSL, pl91

27. ck asti curno saritastale subhe niketanam yasyaJayantamangalam I

sanatanascetasi nah P rakasastam sa narasimhatn vap urasthito harb II

28. CKSL, p. 165