Śiśupālavadha is an epic

“Mahākāvya is a poetical work of sizeable length written mainly in narrative style. Epic poetry, as distinguished from lyrical is characterized by the fact that it confines itself more to external action than to internal feelings.

Poetry in verse follows generally the manner of the Rāmāyaṇ a. Kāvya is three-fold viz. pravandha, muktaka, campu. Among these pravandha Kāvya is two fold viz. Mahākāvya and Khaṇḍakāvya. Several works on classical Sanskrit poetics have given some gross definition focusing the general characteristics of a Mahākāvya (the epic). The different Sanskrit scholars have discussed the form of Sanskrit Mahākāvya (the epic) in their own texts. Some of them are sage Vedavyāsa, Hemacandra, Bhāmaha, viśvanātha, Daṇḍin, vāmana, Ānandavar-dhana, kuntaka, Mammaṭa etc.

Vedavyāsa has discussed in detail the characteristies of the Mahākāvya (the epic) in the Agnipurāṇa as follows:

sargabandho mahākāvyamārabdhaṃ saṃskṛtena yat |
tādātmyamajahattatra tatsamaṃ nātiduṣyati ||
itihāsa kathodbhūtam itaradvā sadāśrayam ||
mantradūta prayāṇāni niyataṃ nāti vistaram ||
śakvaryā'tijagatya'tiśakvaryā triṣṭhubhā tathā ||
puṣpitāgrādibhirvāktrābhijanaiścārubhiḥ samaiḥ |
muktā tu bhinnavṛtāntānātisaṃkṣipta sargakam ||
atiśakvarikāṣṭibhyāmekasaṃkīrṇakaiḥ paraḥ |
mātrāyā'pyaparaḥ sarga prāśastyeṣu ca paścimaḥ ||
kallo'ti ninditaḥ tasminviśeṣādaraḥ satām |
nagarārṇavaśailartucandrārkāśramapādapaiḥ ||
udyānasalilakrīḍā madhupāna ratotsavaiḥ |
dūtī vacana vinyāsairasatī caritādbhutaiḥ ||
tamasā marutā'pyanyairvibhāvairati nirbharaḥ |
sarva vṛttipravṛttañca sarvabhāvaprabhāvitam ||
sarvarīti rasaiḥ spṛṣṭaṃ puṣṭaṃ guṇa vibhūṣaṇaiḥ |
ataeva mahākāvyaṃ tatkarttā ca mahākaviḥ ||
vāgvaidagdhaya pradhāne'pi rasa evātra jīvitam |
pṛthak prayatnaṃ nirvartyaṃ vāgvikrimṇirasādvapuḥ ||
caturvargaphalaṃ viśvavyākhyātāṃ nāyakākhyayā |
samānavṛttinivyūḍhaḥ kauśikī vṛttikomalaḥ || 24-34 ||^[1]

A Mahākāvya (the epic) is usually divided into cantos (sargas). It is to be written in pure Sanskrit and in no other dialect. Some historical incidents or some characters of celebrity should form the theme of a Mahākāvya(epic) or some supernatural events might be as well immortalized in its pages. Such political incidents, as councils of state, sending of embassies, as well as the marching out of soldiers in battle army, should be taken not to encumber its majesty with a dull monotony of detailed descriptions. The metres, to be used in its composition are the śakvarī, the Ati-Jagatī, the Atiśakvarī, the triṣṭup and the puṣpitāgrā. The cantos shall deal with different incidents of the same story and they should not be too short or succinct. Over and above these, it shall contain glowing and graphic descriptions of cities. oceans, mountains, seasons, the sun, the moon and the hermitage. The forest, the garden, the sporting with maidens in water, the drinking assembly, the festivities of love, the conduct of wanton girls, the emissaries of love, should be all described and inserted therein. All sentiments with their accessories should be touched upon, and all styles of composition and rhetoric should enter into the making of an epic poem. An epic possesses the above-said characteristics and the composer of a Mahākāvya (the epic) is called a Mahākāvi (a poet). One predominant sentiment should run through the entire length of the poem, even in the midst of such a diversity of topics discussed therein. It is the sentiment that forms the soul of an epic; the different topics only serve to bring it out to a greater prominence. The poet, in the character of his hero, unrolls the whole universe as it were with its four-fold knowledge to the vision of his readers.^[2]

Among early writers on poetics Bhāmaha never even struck upon anything like a conception of the soul of poetry. In his work, Kāvyālaṃ kāra saṅgraha he only stresses from and matter well-matched in order to make poetry effective.

Further he deems ornate writing alone as the most essential part of poetry.

sargabandho mahākāvyaṃ mahatāṃ ca mahacca yat |
agrāmyaśabdamarthyaṃ ca sālaṅkāraṃ sadāśrayam ||
mantradūtaprayāṇāji nāyakābhyudayaiśca yat |
pañcabhiḥ sandhibhiryuktaṃ nātivyākhyeyamṛddhimat ||
caturvargābhidhāne'pi bhuyasārthopadeśakṛt |
yuktaṃ lokasvabhāvena rasaiśca sakalaiḥ pṛthak ||
nāyakaṃ prāgupanyasya vaṃśavīryaśrutādibhiḥ |
na tasyaiva vadhaṃ bruyādanyotkarṣābhidhitsyā |
yadi kāvya śarīrasya na sa vyāpitayeṣyate |
na cābhyudayabhāktasya na mudhādau grahaṇastave || 1.19-23 ||^[3]

It is a work of sizeable length written mainly in narrative style. It is divided into cantos. The diction is ornate and urbane. It depicts various aspects of human life. The plot is dramatically structured. It is devoid of unnecessary details, is well-knit and impressive. The epic hero is either a god or a prince gifted with a noble and magnanimous character. The epic aims at the attainment of the four objectives of the viz, virtue (dharma), wealth, (artha), desire (kāma) and salvation (mokṣa).

The great Sanskrit scholar Daṇḍin in his Kāvyādarśa gives the characteristics of Mahākāvya (epic) as follows:

sargabandho mahākāvyamucyate tasya lakṣaṇam |
āśīrnamaskriyāvastunirdeśo vāpi tanmukham ||
itihāsakathodbhūtamitaradvā sadāśrayam |
caturvargaphalopetaṃ caturodāttanāyakam ||
nagarārṇavaśailartucandrārkodayavarṇanaiḥ |
udyānasalilakrīḍāmadhupānaratotsavaiḥ ||
vipralambhairvivāhaiśca kumārodayavarṇarneḥ |
mantradūtaprayāṇājināyakābhyudayairapi ||
alaṃkṛtamasaṃkṣiptaṃ rasabhāvanirantaram |
sargairanativistīrṇaiḥ śravyavṛtaiḥ susandhibhiḥ ||
sarvatrabhinnavṛttāntairupetaṃ lokarañjakam |
kāvyaṃ kalpāntarasthayi jāyeta sadalaṃkṛti ||
nyūnamapyatra yaiḥ keścidaṃgaiḥ kāvya na duṣyati |
yadyupātteṣusampattirārādhayati tad vidaḥ ||
guṇataḥ prāgupanyasya nāyakaṃ tena vidviṣām |
nirākaraṇamityeṣa mārgaḥ prakṛtisundaraḥ ||
vaṃśavīryaśrutādini varṇayitvā riporapi |
tajjayānnākotkarṣaṇavarṇanañca dhinoti naḥ || (1.14.22)87

A Sarga-bandha (svarga vangha) is a Mahākāvya (the epic). Its characteristics are told here. Its beginning is either a blessing or a dedication or an indication of the contents. It has its source either in a story told in the Itihāsa or other good material. It deals with the fruit (goal) of the four kinds (Dharma, Artha, Kāma and Mokṣa). It has a great and generous person as the hero. It is embellished with descriptions of cities, oceans, hills, the season, the moonrise, the sunrise, of sport in the garden and of the sport in the waters of drinking scenes. of festivals of enjoyment (love). of separation (of lovers), of (their) marriage and (their) nuptials and birth of princess, likewise of consultation with the ministers of sending messengers or ambassadors of journeys (royal progress), of war and the hero’s victories: dealing with these at length and being full of Rasa (sentiment) and bhāva (suggestion): with sargas (svarga') which are not very lengthy and which are well-formed with verse measures pleasing to the ear; everywhere dealing with a variety of topics (in each case ending each chapter in a different metre). Such a poem being well-embellished will be pleasing to the world at large and will survive several epochs (Kalpas). A poem does not become unacceptable even when some of these parts are wanting if the poem is pleasing to those who know how to judge. At first describing the hero by his good qualities and by that very description despising his enemies is naturally a beautiful method. After deseribing the lineage, prowess and scholarship etc. of even the enemy depiction of the excellences of the hero by his victory over such an enemy is in our opinion also pleasing.^[4]

The composer of the Kāvyālaṅkarasūtra-vṛtti Vāmana has stressed importance to the Alaṅkāras by stating that poetry becomes acceptable because of Alaṅkāra.

Further he says that it is possible for the poet to have Kāvya by avoiding doṣa (defects) and adopting guṇas (qualities) and alaṅkāras (figures of speech).

kāvyaṃ grāhmamalaṃkārāt | (1.1.1)^[5]

sa doṣaguṇālaṃkārahānādānābhyām | (1.1.3)^[6]

According to Ānandavardhana poetry is but that whose body is constituted by sound and meaning.

śabdārthaśarīraṃ tāvatkāvyam |^[7]

Kuntaka in his work the Vakroktijīvitam gives the following verse as the definition of Kāvya. (the epic):

śabdāthauṃ sahitau vakrakavivyāpāraśalinī |
bandhe vyavasthitau kāvyaṃ tadvidāhmādakāriṇī || (1.7)92

The contribution of kuntaka in this regard deserves special mention. He has concentrated mainly on the structure of the plot. The relationship between the main theme and the subsidiary episodes according to him ought to be organic as between the limbs and the body. The various part of the plot should be connected in a proper sequence. It can be clearly deduced from kuntaka’s analysis that the epic was a work of art with vast dimensions and a complex plot–structure. He also emphasizes the desirability of incorporating the various elements of drama in the development of the plot.

Mammaṭa in his work says that poetry consists in word and sense—without faults and with merits and excellences of style which may at times be without figures of speech.

tadadoṣau śabdārthau saguṇāvanalaṃkṛtī punaḥ kvāpi |” (1.4)^[8]

Hemacandrācārya defines Mahākāvya (the epic) as follows:

padyaṃ prāyaḥ saṃskṛtaprākṛtāpabhraṃśagrāmyabhāṣānibaddhabhinnāntyavṛttasargāśvāsasaṃdhyavaskaṃ—dhabaṃdha—satsaṃdhi śabdārthavaicitryāpetaṃ mahākāvyam (18.6)^[9]

In the 14^th century Viśvanātha kavirāja tried to determine the signs of the Mahākāvya (the epic) in his Sāhityadarpaṇa depending on the definition given by Daṇḍin in his Kāvyādarśa Viśvanātha in his “Sāhityadarpaṇa’ gives the characteristics of a Mahākāvya (the epic) thus—

sargabandho mahākāvyaṃ tatraiko nāyakasuraḥ |
sadvaṃśaḥ kṣatriyo vāpi dhīrodāttaguṇānvitaḥ ||
ekavaṃśabhavā bhūpāḥ kulajā bahavo'pi vā |
śṛṅgāravīraśāntānāmeko'ṅgī rasa īṣyate ||
aṅgāni sarveṃ'pi rasāḥ sarve nāṭakasaṃdhayaḥ |
itihāsodbhavaṃ vṛttamanyadvā sajjanāśrayam ||
catvārastasya vargāḥ syusteṣvekaṃ ca phalaṃ bhavet |
ādau namaskriyāśīrvā vastunirdeśa eva vā ||
kvacinnindā khalādīnāṃ satāṃ ca guṇakīrtanam |
ekavṛttamayaiḥ padyairavasāne'nyavṛttakaiḥ ||
nātisvalpāḥ nātidīrghāḥ sargā aṣṭādhikā iha |
nānāvṛttamayaḥ kvāpi sargaḥ kaścana dṛśyate |
sargānte bhāvisargasya kathāyāḥ sūcanaṃ bhavet |
saṃdhyāsūryendurajanīpradoṣadhvāntavāsarāḥ ||
prātarmadhyāhnamṛgayāśaulartuvanasāgarāḥ ||
sambhogavipralambhau ca munisvargapurādhvarāḥ ||
raṇaprayāṇopayamamantrī putrodayādayaḥ |
varṇanīyā yathāyogaṃ sāṅgopāṅgā amī iha ||
kavervṛttasya vā nāmnā nāyakasyetarasya vā |
nāmāsya sargopādeyakathayā sarganāma tu |” (6.315-324)^[10]

By analysing this definition we find the following characterstics of a epic

1. The epic will be formed by sargas (svarga'). Here the divisions are named as sarga (svarga) in place of ucchvāsa, adhyāya and pariccheda.

2. The hero of the epic will be a king or many kings, or a person who posseses the divine quality and a kṣtriya or of a noble birth other than kṣtriya.

3. There must be a principle rasa (sentiment) in the epic, will be either śṛṅgāra or the vīra or śānta. Other rasa will be secondary.

4. The subject matter of the epic will be historical fact or non-historical fact based on noble man or the fact imagined by a poet.

5. Dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa these four vargas will be depicted in a epic. One of the four vargas should be made successful.

6. At the begining of a epic there will be worship of God blessings or indication of subject matter. In some of the epics the noble persons are praised and the villains are denounced.

7. The cantos of the epic is written in almost in the same poetical metre. But at the end of the canto metre should be different.

8. In an epic there must be more than eight cantos and less than thirty contos.

9. Their will be a hint of the subject matter of the very next canto at the end of the preceding one.

10. There will be a detailed description of evening sun, night, moon, down, day, morning, hunting, noon, hill, season, forest, ocean, union, city, heaven, fighting, sacrificial ceremony, marriage, consultation, kings minister general.

11. The nomenclature of an epic is done depending upon the described matter, according to the name of the hero or on the basis of the name of any secondary person.

12. Every canto of an epic will be named after main subject of that canto.

13. The sandhis will be clearly described as much as possible. The five sandhis are mukha, pratimukha, garbha, vimarṣa (bimarṣa), and upasaṃhṛti accordingly.

In other words when relishable matter commences at the very opening of the story then the act must commence at the very beginning introduced by the Induction. The death of the principal personage or hero is not to be declared even by the means of the viṣkambhaka (viṣkambhaka) nor should any of the two flavour (sentiments) and matter (incidents) cover over or out balance the other. The vīja (germ), the bindu (secondary germ), the patākā (collateral action), the prakarī (episode) and the kārya (deed) are the five sources of the end or the grand object–which are to be known and employed according to the rule. That which is the first cause of gaining the end is but slightly intimated and expands itself in various ways is dominated vīja. When the course of the business of the dharma (dharma) seems to be interrupted, the cause of its being developed again is called vindu (vindu).

Apart from these in the development of the plot which goes through five stages known as kāryāvasthās ārambha, yatna, prāptāśā, niyatāpti and phalāgama the five elements (i.e. arthaprakṛti, vīja, vindu, prakarī and Kārya as well as in the characterisation etc. we can easily observe the kind of change accepted by the modern Sanskrit poeticians.

However the noticeable epic approved by the Indian alaṃkāra seriptures are—

1. The Rāmāyaṇ a composed by Vālmīki.
2. The Mahābhārata composed by vyāsa.
3. The Raghuvaṃśa composed by Kālidāsa.
4. The Kirātārjunīya composed by Bhāravi.
5. The Naiṣadhacarita composed by Śriharṣa.
6. The Śiśupālavadha composed by Māgha.

Śiśupālavadha, kumārasambhava, Raghuvaṃśa, Kirātārjuniya, and Naiṣadhacarita, are designated as the Pañcamahākāvya. Again the Raghuvaṃśa, the Kirātārjunīya and the Śiśupālavadha are included as the largest three epic (Bṛhattrayī)”.

Now following the definition of the Sāhityadarpaṇ a. Let us Judge whether the Śiśupālavadha is an apic or not.

lakṣalakṣaṇa samvandhaḥ

1. The hero of the Śiśupālavadha is God Kṛṣṇa, bestowed with magnanimous quality and born of Kṣtriya family. This very Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the incarnation of Viṣṇu. In this epic the heroic side of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s life is fully illustrated. It is necessary to know the meaning of dhīrodātta (dhīrodātta) properly. It is formarly said that a person who is not self applauding, not confused in joy or in sorrow, and who overshadows pride by modesty is called dhīrodātta (dhīrodātta). As for example Rāmacandra and Yudhiṣṭhira.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the Śiśupālavadha himself possesses this quality.

2. In the Śiśupālavadha the vīra rasa is principle rasa. Śṛṃgāra, , hāsya, rudra etc. the other rasas are present as secondary.

In the Śiśupālavadha pañcasandhi (pañcasandhi) is—

i. In the first canto where Nārada insists Śrī Kṛṣṇa to fight against Śiśupāla or the news of Indra etc. is mukhasandhi..

ii. The description of the misdeeds of Śiśupāla by the politicians is pratimukha sandhi..

iii. Śiśupāla was very angry as Śrī Kṛṣṇa was shown honour at first in “rājasūya sacrificial ceremony” because Śiśupāla was the enemy of Kṛṣṇa. This part bears the characteristic of garbhasandhi.

iv. The insulting behaviour of Śiśupāla towards Kṛṣṇa and others can be taken as the avamarṣasandhi

v. The great fighting between soldiers of both side, abusive language between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śiśupāla snatching of sword, the death of Śiśupāla by Kṛṣṇa etc. are the example of nirvahaṇa..

3. Four vargas are delineated in the Śiśupālavadha with predominance of dharma. This is a characteristic feature of an epic. The story of the epic Śiśupālavadha is taken from sabhāparvan of the Mahābhārata. The great poet Māgha has composed his epic the Śiśupālavadha in twenty (20) cantos. Nārada was sent by Indra to ŚrīKṛṣṇa with a massage to kill Śiśupāla, who was the enemy of Indra and ŚrīKṛṣṇa. In the council chamber Balarāma adviced to ŚrīKṛṣṇa to kill Śiśupāla and Uddhava adviced to attain the sacrificial ceremony of Yudhiṣṭhira, ŚrīKṛṣṇa went out to Indraprastha with his army force. On the way to Indraprastha ŚrīKṛiṣṇa’s chariot driver Dvāruka was describing the mountain Raivataka. After the sunset the army force had prepared tent for themselves to take shelter in it. The Yādava’s were engaged with there wives for bathing, for amusement and for roving in forest. The next day after the sunrise Śrīkṛṣṇa reached Indraprastha with his army force crossing the Yamunā river.

At the moment for honouring Bhīṣma proposed to give worship to Śrī kṛṣṇa firstly and accepting the proposal of Bhiṣma Yudhiṣṭhira had completed that task. After then gathering his army force with great anger Śiśupāla delivered insulting speeches. He sent his own ambassador with arrogance which causes of fighting. Then the two party of army force started fighting with each other.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa separated the head of Śiśupāla from his body throwing his Sudarśanacakrae and defeated his pride.

This story of the Mahābhārata was taken by Māgha in his epic. In the epic the positive and negative activities will be present. The main purpose of the epic will be to establish the positive activities. The establishment of dharmārtha etc. caturvarga (caturvarga) will be present here.

After killing Śiśupāla we get the result of caturvarga (catuvarga). So, the subject matter of the epic will be the historical facts and caturvarga. It is observed in the Śiśupālavadha which is uncompareable. The main theme of this epic is killing of Śiśupāla |

4. The Śiśupālavadha starts with the auspicious word “Śrī, Śriyaḥ, patiḥ, Śrīmati’, (śrī, śriyaḥ patiḥ, śrīmati). At the beginning of the commentary of the Śiśupālavadha commentator Mallinātha said—

“kāvyaphalaṃ śiśupālavadhavījabhūtaṃ bhagavataḥ śrīkṛṣṇasya nāradadarśanarūpaṃ vastu ādau śrī śavdaprayogapurvakaṃ nirdiśana kathāmupakṣipati” |

The blame of evil and description of the honest will be there as the subject matter of an epic. Poet Māgha at the beginning of his Śiśupālavadha did realistic prologue by using the word Śrī. If we analyse the epic Śiśupālavadha there we see the blame of the evils and prays of the honest.

5. There are twenty (20) cantos in the Śiśupālavadha. There are not less than fifty (50) or more than one hundred fifty (150) verses in every canto. In the fourth canto there are sixty eight (68) verses. The most number of verses are seen in 19^th canto. There are one hundred and twenty verses in it. The Śiśupālavadha composed of 1645 verses. Māgha used separate metre for every canto except 4^th canto and changed metre at the end of canto. Poet Māgha applied Vaṃśasthavila metre in first canto and at the end of the canto puṣ pitāgrā metre and in another śārdulavikridīta. The poet used 22 kinds of metre in 4^th canto. As for vasantatilaka, Mālinī, Indravajrā etc. He applied totally 45 types of metre. Beside this at the end of every canto there is resounding of the subject matter of the very next canto. As for example Śrī Kṛiṣṇa would engage in his task i.e killing of Śiśupāla in consultation with his elders. This fact is seen at the end of the first canto and in next canto. This matter will be clearly understood by analyzing every canto.

6. The epic Śiśupālavadha contains the description of Dvārakāpurī in the third canto, Raivataka mountain in the 4^th canto, the tent of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the 5^th canto, the six seasons in the 7^th canto, the garden house, watersports, roving in forest etc. in the 8^th canto, the sunset and moonrise in the 9^th canto. Sexual intercourse in the 10^th canto, the morning in the 11^th canto, the marching of soldiers and the river named Yamunā in the 12^th canto and every thing else which an epic requires to contain according to the traditional view.

7. The epic Śiśupālavadha is named after the main focus theme of the text.

Some person called the Śiśupālavadha as an epic. We find the characteristic feature of the epic in the Śiśupālavadha through out the definition of epic and its analysis. So, it is doubtless that Śiśupālavadha is an invaluable complete epic, because Śiśupālavadha is properly followed the definition of the epic.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Panchanana Tarkaratna, (Ed.): Agnipurāṇa, p. 630.

[2]:

K.L. Joshi, (Ed.): Agnipurāṇa, vol. II, pp. 337-338.

[3]:

Raman Sharma, (Ed.): Kāvyālaṃkāra, p. 45.

[4]:

R. K. Panda, (Ed.): Kāvyādarśa, (Tr. in Eng. by V.V Sastrulu), pp. 8-12.

[5]:

Srikrishna suri, (Ed.): Kāvyālaṅkarasūtra-vṛtti, p.4.

[6]:

ibid., p.9.

[7]:

Subodh Sengupta / Kalipada Bhattacharya, (Ed.): Dhvanyāloka, p. 5.

[8]:

Sumita Basu, (Ed.): Kāvyaprakāśa, p. 44.

[9]:

Rasiklal. C. Parikh, (Ed.): Kāvyānuśasāna, p. 449.

[10]:

Bimalakanta Mukhopadhayaya, (Ed.): Sāhityadarpaṇa, p. 475.