Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara (Study)
by Debabrata Barai | 2014 | 105,667 words
This page relates ‘Rajashekhara’s Race and Caste’ of the study on the Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara: a poetical encyclopedia from the 9th century dealing with the ancient Indian science of poetics and rhetoric (also know as alankara-shastra). The Kavya-mimamsa is written in eighteen chapters representing an educational framework for the poet (kavi) and instructs him in the science of applied poetics for the sake of making literature and poetry (kavya).
Part 4 - Rājaśekhara’s Race and Caste
Rājaśekhara calls himself as Yāyāvarīya[1] in the Kāvyamīmāṃsā. Because he was born in Yāyāvara family and he was the better known as Yāyāvara to his successor.
“The name rājaśekhara (rājā candraḥ śekhara yasya) means śiva (candraśekhara being given by Amara as a synonym of śiva)”[2].
In the introductory verses of Tilakamañjarī, Dhanapāla refers to his as an Yāyāvara Kavi.
“samādhiguṇaśālinyaḥ prasannaparipakrimāḥ |
yāyāvarakavervāco munīnāmiva vṛttayaḥ || ”
- Tilakamañjarī of Dhanapāla: 33
And Soṭṭala [Soḍḍhala], the author of Udayasundarī notice him as a simply Yāyāvara and praises him for his dramatic skill.
“yāyāvaraḥ prañjāvaro guṇañjairāśaṃsitaḥ sūrisamājavayaiḥ |”
nṛtyatyudāraṃ bhaṇiterguṇasthā naṭīva yasyoṭharasā padaśrī ||
- Udayasundarī of Soṭṭala [Soḍḍhala]: VIII
Rājaśekhara was very proud for him and his family literary forefathers.
However he belonged to the Yāyāvara family but it is not clear that he was a Brāhmaṇa or Kṣatriya. According to Nārāyaṇa Dikṣita Yāyāvara means a kind of gṛhastha[3]. C.f.
“dvividho goṣṭho yāyāvarīyaḥ śālīnaḥ ca |”
- Yājñavalkasmṛti (Mitakṣarā comm.): I/ 12
Means there are two kinds of gṛahastha: The Yāyāvara and the Śālīna, but probably Yāyāvara is the name of the Brāhmaṇa family. Apte remarks[4], Rājaśekhara must also be presumed to have been a Brāhmaṇa, because he was not becoming guru or upādhyāya of Mahendrapāla and Mahipāla[5] and also he is said to be an incarnation of Bhavabhūti.
On the other hand, Rājaśekhara’s wife Avantīsundarī was the Cauhāna Kṣatriya family, so he may be Kṣariya. But when Rājaśekhara was belong, those times anuloma marriage was accepted in society. In the Manusaṃhitā says:
“śūdraiva bhāryā śūdrasya sā ca svā ca viśaḥ smṛtaḥ |
te ca svā caiva rāñjaḥ syustāśca svā cāgrajanmanaḥ || ”
- Manusaṃhitā: III/ 13
And the Yājñavalkasmṛti also says about the anuloma marriage as:
“tisro varṇānupūrveṇa dve tathaikā yathākramam |
vrāhmaṇakṣatriyaviśāṃ bhāryā svā śūdrajanmanaḥ || ”
- Yājñavalkasmṛti: I/3/ 53
So it seems that Rājaśekhara’s was born in a Brāhmaṇa family.
Brāhmaṇa,
Śālīna,
Yāyāvarīya > Aklājalada > Mahārāṣṭra Cūrāmaṇi > Surānanda > Tarala > Kavirāja,
Śīlāvatī > Durduka,
Avantīsundarī > Rājaśekhara
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
“yāyāvarīyaḥ saṅkṣipya munīnāṃ matavistaram |” K.M: Ch- 1, Pp-2
[3]:
Viddhaśālabhañjikā. Commentary on -I/ 5
[4]:
Rājaśekhara’s life and writing. Harvard Oriental Series, Cambridge, Vol-IV,1901, Pp-180
[5]:
“raghuku latilako mahendrapālaḥ sakalakalānilayaḥ sa yasya śiṣyaḥ |” — Viddhaśālabhañjikā: I/ 6,
“devo yasya mahendrapālanṛpatiḥ śiṣyaḥ raghusāmagrīḥ |” — Bāla-bhārata: I/ 11.
“tena mahīpāladevena ca raghuvaṃśamuku ṭamaṇinā āryāvartamahārājāghirājena śrīnirbhayanare ndranandanenārādhitāḥ sabhāsadaḥ |” — Bāla-bhārata: I/ 7