Subhadrāharaṇa of Brahmadatta Nārāyaṇa

[Full title: Kerala Contribition to Śāstrakāvya Tradition (1): Subhadrāharaṇa of Brahmadatta Nārāyaṇa]

The Śāstrakāvya tradition was well developed in Kerala. It is considered as a peculiar branch of Knowledge in the field of study of Śāstras. Kerala has contributed immensely to the Śāstrakāvya literature. Subhadrāharaṇa, Vāsudevavijaya, Dhātukāvya, Pāṇinīyasūtrodāharaṇakāvya, Śrīcihnakāvya, Rāmavarmamahārājacaritra, Surūparāghava, Sugaḷārthamālā etc. are some of the prominent Śāstrakāvyas from Kerala, which were written to illustrate the grammatical rules.

Subhadrāharaṇa of Brahmadatta Nārāyaṇa is the most prominent Vyākaraṇaśāstrakāvya of Kerala. This is a Mahākāvya in twenty cantos composed on the model of Bhaṭṭikāvya. The theme of the poem is the story of Arjuna’s exile and marriage with Subhadrā. Through this story the author tries to illustrate the grammatical rules of Pāṇini. The main aim of the poem is tohelp the students of Sanskrit with a new method of studying grammar.

The whole first canto and the latter half of the second canto is known as Prakīrṇakāṇḍa as it does not comprise any grammatical aspects. The first half of the second canto deals with Sannanta roots. Third, fourth, fifth and sixth cantos aredevoted to various Kṛtpratyayas and illustrate sarvakālika, kālaviśeṣāśraya, Bhāvakartṛkāraka and Avyayakṛts respectively. Cantos VII, VIII and IX deal with the illustrations of Taddhitapratyayas in detail. Samāsas are described in the tenth canto. Cantos from eleven to sixteen discuss the lakāras in Sanskrit. The last four cantos do not form illustrations of any particular section of grammar and hence they are termed as Prasannakāṇḍas.

The verse illustrating the Sannanta roots as follows:

ajugupsata pāpebhyo nāghe'lpe'pyatitikṣata |
so'cikitsadaghavyādhīn prajānāṃ daṇḍanauṣadhaiḥ ||^[1]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The Subhadrāharaṇa of Nārāyaṇa, Prof. M.Sreedhara Menon, v.II.1