Introduction (The Concept of Mahākāvya in Sanskrit)

The word Mahākāvya is formed by compounding the two words ‘Mahat’ and ‘Kāvya’ as such the term stands for a big poem. All that is the work of a poet can be termed a kāvya. In a narrow sense, kāvya denotes metrical poetry. Kāvya are of two types, dṛśya or visible and śravya or audible. They are respectively plays and poems. Some critics call the kāvyas artificial epics. In ‘Sahityadarpaṇa’ the characteristics of a Mahākāvya are thus described:^[1]

Composition in sarga or cānto is a long poem (Mahākāvya) and its definition is being given. Its opening is a benediction, a situation or a norming of the principle theme, it springs from a historical incident or is otherwise based upon some fact, it turns upon the fruition of the four fold ends and its hero is clever and noble, by description of cities, oceans, mountains, seasons and the rising of the moon or the sun, through sportings in garden or water and festivities of drinking and love through marriage, by description of the birth and rise of princes and likewise through state council embracing advance, battle and the hero’s triumph embellished: not to condensed and pervaded all through with poetic sentiments and emotions, with cāntos none too lengthy and having agreeable metres and well formed and in each case with an ending in a different metre, furnished, such a poem possessing good figures of speech wins the people’s hearts and endures longer than a kalpa. The word Mahākāvya is synonyms with sargabaṇḍa. In most of the definition the word sargabaṇḍa is employed.

A Mahākāvya has for its theme the worldly or spiritual achievements of a hero. The worldly acions usually culminate in a love or war. In a mahākāvya war may be waged by the hero for the relief of the people or for the God’s or for both. For example the war in Kumārasaṃbhava is for the benefit of the Gods. In Raghuvaṃśa there are many wars. Sometimes, the hero fights for his own benefits. For example Aja fights with his competitors while he is taking away Indumati. The mahākāvya of the classical and post classical periods derive their materials from the tales of old gods and heroes. For instance Kālidāsa, in his Raghuvaṃśa tells the story of the dynasty of Raghu, while Kumārasaṃbhava tells the Puranic tale of the birth of the war God Kumāra.

The character in a Mahākāvya are not exclusively human beings, demons and animals also figure in them. Like that, the human characters possess super human power, as do Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, the incarnations of Viṣṇu. Thus the Mahākāvya is a composition of considerable length, varying descriptions, and elaborates constructions, embodying a narrative with theological and historical theme and is divided in to sargas for convenient division of the plot. A poem that falls short off the several particulars that are required to make up a mahākāvya is called a ‘Laghukāvya’ or a minor poem. Above the objectives of the poetry there are variety of views, usually great aims at unfolding the fourfold puruṣārthās, or goals of human existence, Dharma or righteousness, Artha or acquisition of wealth, Kāma or fulfilment of desires and mokṣa or final emancipation.

Bhāgavatpādābhyudaya

Bhāgavatpādāvhyudaya is the important poetic work of Lakṣmaṇa Sūrin. It gives an account of the life of Adi Śaṅkarācārya. It may be regarded as one of the standard works on the life of the great Ācārya. The hero of the poem is the master-mind of the world of men, and the author of the poem is a master poet in Sanskrit. The poet has divided the work in two viz, life and philosophy. The whole text contains nine chapters the abiding beauty and varied excellences of which surely form its secure basis of self justification. The verses flow smooth and harmonious and the poem has a depth of meaning commensurate with the limpidity and lucidity of the verses.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Viśvanāthakavirāja, Sāhityadarpaṇa, Vol. VI, Varanasi: Bharatiya Vidya Sansthan, 2014, pp.315 -324.