Mahākāvyās on Great heroes of Independence struggle

Bhaktasiṃhacarita is a biographical Mahākāvya written by Svayam Prakash Sharma^[1]. It contains seven cantos and 411 verses. It deals with the biography of Bhagat Singh. He is one of the important fighters of independence struggle. We can see an uninterrupted flow of patriotism and devotion throughout the poem.

Bhāratendu of C.V. Vasudeva Bhattatiri is a biographical Mahākāvya dealing with the life history of Mahathma Gandhi^[2]. It contains twelve cantos and 784 verses. It deals Mahathma Gandhi’s social, political, historical and philosophical aspects.

Gāndhibāndhava of Jayarama Sastri is a Mahākavya that contains 22 cantos^[3]. It deals with the activities of Mahathma Gandhi and other national leaders Indian freedom movement and describes its impact on the international scenario.

Gāndhigādha written by Ācārya Madhukara Sastri is a prominent Mahākāvya which portrays the biography of Mahathma Gandhi^[4]. This Mahākāvya has two parts and contains about 350 verses. The first part deals the childhood of Mahathma Gandhi, the role of Mahathma Gandhi as a political leader in Indian freedom movement. The second part highlights the immortality of Gandhian thoughts.

Gāndhigaurava of Śiva Govind Tripati contains 680 verses in eight cantos^[5]. This describes the biography of Mahathma Gandhi. The author tells the discussion of patriotic devotion and national unity.

Bhāratiyasvātantrodaya of Visvanatha Kesavachatre is a Mahākāvya in six cantos and it contains 403 verses.^[6] The name of each cantos reveals the subject described in it. The important events in the history of India’s freedom movement beginning from the years 1857 to 1948 are beautifully depicted in the Mahākāvya.

Javaharcintana of Sri Rama Velankar is divided in to two parts, namely Pūrva Jawahar and Uttara Jawahar^[7]. It deals with the life history and political activities of Jawaharlal Nehru in a beautiful style.

Javaharjyoti Mahākāvya of Raghunatha Prasad Caturvedi reveals the life history of Jawaharlal Nehru in 21 cantos^[8]. A complete account of the life of Nehru from the date of his birth till death is described in this Mahākāvya.

Javaharvāsantasāmrajaya of Prof. Jayarama Sastri is a Mahākāvya that contains seven cantos and 400 verses^[9]. It deals with the valuable sacrifices and contribution of our great freedom fighters.

Jhāṃsīśvarīcarita of Subodha Chandra Panth is a Mahākāvya in 22 cantos containing 1477 verses^[10]. The story of Jhansi Rani is described in the Mahākāvya in a touching manner. The poet describes Jhansi Rani as goddess Durga who incarnated to lead the sacred political fights against the inhuman tyranny of the British men.

Keralodaya of Dr. K.N. Ezhuthacchan is a Mahākāvya in twenty one cantos with nearly 2500 verses^[11]. It deals with the entire history of Kerala, political, social and cultural against the background of South Indian history.

Mahātmagāndhicarita of Swami Bhagavatacarya is a Mahākāvya containing seventy five cantos 5511 verses^[12]. It is divided in to three parts. The poet personal acquaintance with Mahathma Gandhi slowly ripened to a comradeship and he became a devotee of Gandhiji. This comradeship is the inspiration for the composition of this Mahākāvya.

Navabhārata of Muthukulam Sreedhar is a biographical Mahākāvya in eighteen cantos and 1300 verses^[13]. It deals with the biography of Jawaharlal Nehru against the background of Indian freedom struggle.

Satyāgrahagīta of Paṇḍita Kshama Rao who wrote the popular Mahākāvya Svarājyavijaya contains 669 verses in eighteen chapters^[14]. It deals a true picture of Satyagraha oriented agitations practiced and followed by Mahāthma Gandhi.

Subhāṣacarita of Visvanatha Kesava Chatre is a Mahākāvya containing ten cantos^[15]. This kāvya is based on the true life story of Nethaji Subhash Chandra Boss, who was the forefront fighter of the India freedom struggle.

Svarājyavijaya of Dvijendranatha Sastri is a Mahākāvya it contains twenty cantos which detail the complete picturization of India^[16]. The author expresses his mark of respect and gratitude towards the martyrs who sacrificed their life for nations independence and does not hesitate to essert that they are immortals.

Svarājyavijaya of Paṇḍita Kshama Rao is Mahākāvya in fifty four cantos^[17]. The theme of the Mahākāvya is the freedom movement in India under the leadership of Mahāthma Gandhi.

Tilakayaśorṇava of Madhava Srihari Ane is a Mahākāvya in eighty five cantos and 10712 verses^[18]. The author deals the fame of Balagangadhara Thilak, one of the glittering star of the independence struggle.

Uttarasatyāgrahagīta of Paṇḍita Kshama Rao contains 1999 verses in forty seven chapters^[19]. It is considered as the continuation of Satyāgrahagīta written by the same poet.

Viśālabhārata of Syamavarna Dvivedi is a Mahākāvya in ten cantos. It is a biographical Mahākāvya dealing with the life history of Jawaharlal Nehru^[20].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Shyam Prakash Sharma, Bhaktasiṃhacarita, Delhi: Ministry of Education, 1978.

[2]:

C.V. Vasudeva Bhattatiri, Bhāratendu, Kochi: Sri books,1990.

[3]:

Vide Harinarayana Dikshit, Saṃskṛta Sahitya Rastriya Bhavana, Delhi: Devavani Parishad, 1992, p.216.

[4]:

Acharya Madhukara Sastri, Gāndigātha, Udayampur: Rajasthan Academy, 1973.

[5]:

Sivagovind Tripati, Gāndhigaurava, Jaipur: 1963.

[6]:

Visvanatha Keshava Chathre, Bhāratīyasvātantrodaya, Jaipur: 1950.

[7]:

Rama Velankar, Javaharcintana, Bhopal:Surabharati,1966.

[8]:

Raghunatha Prasad Chaturvedi, Jawaharjyoti, Madhura:1977.

[9]:

Vide Harinarayana Dikshit, Saṃskṛta Sahitya Rashtriya Bhavana, Delhi: Devavani Parishad,1992, p.216

[10]:

Ibid

[11]:

K. N. Ezhuthacchan, Keralodaya, Ottappalam: Bharat Printers, 1977.

[12]:

Vide Harinarayana Dikshit, Saṃskṛta Sahitya Rashtriya Bhavana, Gandhicarita, Delhi: Devavani Parishad, p.217

[13]:

Muthukulam Sridhar, Navabhārata, Haripad: Minarva press,1978.

[14]:

Paṇḍita Kshama Rao, Satyāgrahagīta, Paris: 1932.

[15]:

Visvanatha Kesava Chatre, Subhāṣacarita, Ministry of Education,1963.

[16]:

Dvijendranatha Sastri, Svarājyavijaya, Meerut:1971.

[17]:

Paṇḍita Kshama Rao, Svarājyavijaya, Mumbai: Karnataka Mudralaya, 1962.

[18]:

Vide Raghunathacarya, Modern Sanskrit Literature, Delhi: Sahitya Academy, 2002, p.118.

[19]:

Paṇḍita Kshama Rao, Uttarasatyāgrahagīta, Bombay: 1949.

[20]:

Vide S.B. Raghunathacarya, Modern Sanskrit Literature, Delhi: Sahitya Academy, 2002, p.118.