Poetic charm in Vāsudevavijaya

Sanskrit rhetoricians have discussed in detail the poetic figures which enhance the charm of the poetry. Bharata, Bhāmaha, Vāmana, Ānandavarddhana, Kuntaka etc. are the famous rhetoricians who abundantly contributed their theories to the literary world. Rasa, Alaṅkāra, Guṇa, Rīti, Dhvani, Anumāna, Vakrokti and Aucitya are considered as the literary theories in Sanskrit.

Since Vāsudevavijaya comes under the category of Vyākaraṇaśāstrakāvyas, the author gives too much attention to the grammatical perspective. However, the skilfulness of Vāsudevavijaya in Sanskrit language paves the way to the decoration of this poem with some poetic figures. In Vāsudevavijaya, there is ample scope for Śabdālaṅkāras. Repetition in letters, words etc. can found easily in this poem. At the same time it deals with Arthālaṅkāras also, but in fact the usage of them found rare. Sometimes it feels as the author has made a strenuous effort to incorporate them in the poem.

Apart from these, the other poetic elements like Dhvani, Vakrokti etc. are to be found here, but rarely. The main intention of the author is not to compose a poetically well-versed poem, but to teach grammar through illustrations. Generally the rhetoricians have accepted the purpose of poetry as appreciation.^[1] But, here Vāsudevavijaya is a Śāstrakāvya and therefore the purpose of poetry cannot be limited within the frame of enjoyment but his ultimate aim will be there i.e. learning of grammar.

As it is the case, the poetic excellence of Vāsudeva can be scattered in the poem. These sporadic references are beautifully depicted by him. Some verses which excel in poetic beauty from Vāsudevavijaya are as follows.

At the time of birth of Kṛṣṇa, the divine beings showered flowers in him to show their happiness and respect.

This incident is beautifully depicted in Vāsudevavijaya as:—

nārāyaṇe rātrimaṭāṅganānamasātayetatra janiṣyamāṇe |
muktaṃ surairnākanagaprasūnaṃ papātanakṣatrapathādanalpam || (Vāsudevavijaya 3.1)

Here Vāsudeva tries to enhance the beauty of the verse through certain awesome usages. The employment of the compound nākanagaprasūnam which means pārijāta flower uplifts the charm of the verse. The word is used in the sense of pārijāta the heavenly flower. Here the word nāka means heaven, naga means tree and prasūnaṃ is flower. Here in spite of using the word pārijāta, the usage of the compound word makes the verse more elegant. Simultaneously, the negation in the analpaṃ which means plentiful is also gives too much charm to the poem. Apart from these, the repetition of words is also causes its beauty. The rhyming words nārāyaṇe-janiṣyamāṇe and nāka-naga are also adds the beauty to this verse.

In another context, Vāsudeva elucidates the bliss of the couple (Devakī and Vasudeva) caused by the birth of Kṛṣṇa in an attractive style.

kalānidheḥ santamasasya hantuḥ patyuḥ satāmāttarateranante |
samudriyātprādita modamābhyāṃ vidhorbhavantī smitacandrikā sā || (Vāsudevavijaya 3.10)

The meaning of the verse can be interpreted in two ways. The primary meaning apt to this context is the smile of Kṛṣṇa provides pleasure to the parents. The epithets used in the verse is applicable not only to Kṛṣṇa but also the moon. The moonlight gives joy to the couples. Here the word vidhu is meant for the moon and Viṣṇu. kalānidhiḥ means the treasury of fourteenvidyas when it belongs to

Viṣṇu. It is meant for the treasury of sixteen faces of the moon. Likewise in the epithet santamasasya hantuḥ, the word tamasis used in the sense of both the ignorance and darkness. Thus Viṣṇu is the destroyer of the ignorance and moon is the destroyer of the darkness. The portion satāṃ patyuḥ is meant for both Lord of noble men and the lord of stars. The word Ananta is used for space and Śeṣa. Viṣṇu lies on Śeṣanāga and the moon lies on the space.

Thus the sense of the poem is applicable for both Lord Kṛṇa and the moon. Vāsudeva beautifully fuses these meanings in the verse through Śleṣa. The word smitacandrikā means the smile of Lord Kṛṣṇa as according to the moon shines.

Here in the suggested sense of the verse might be on Alaṅkāra, as it attributes the smile of Kṛṣṇa to the moon shine. It can be included in the category of Alaṅkāradhvani.

At the time of depicting the beauty of Devakī, Vāsudeva exaggeratedly states that she excels Śacī, Parvatī, Lakṣmī etc. and looks like the co-wife of Ratī, the wife of Kāma.

pūtakratāyīṃ ca manuṃ ca mānavīṃ vṛṣākapāyīṃ ca kariṣyatī tiraḥ |
ullālasāmāsa guṇairakṛtrimairateḥ sapatnīva sutāsya devakī || (Vāsudevavijaya 1.6)

Pūtakratāyī means the wife of Indraie. Śacīdevī, manu meant for wife of Manu and mānavī for the daughter of Manu. vṛṣākapāyī is the wife of vṛṣākapi which is used for Hara and Viṣṇu. Thus the word implies both goddess Pārvatī and Lakṣmī. Thus the beauty of Devakī excels all these goddesses. Here Vāsudeva exaggeratedly depicts the beauty of Devakī. Besides, he compares Devakī as the co-wife of Rati.

Here, in spite of mentioning Devakī as the daughter of Devaka, Vāsudeva employs some exaggerations and comparison. This makes the verse more attractive.

Vāsudeva composes many verses in this manner, and hence the literary appreciation of the poem is not much interrupted. The abundance of the usage of Śabdālaṅkāras is also increase the charm of the poem. The hemstitches like sākṣāccakāra sahasā sahasāṃ sa kaṃsaḥ |^[2] is a fine example for rhyming. The same pattern is used in another verse as māmabhidruhattvāṃ sahasā sa kaṃsaḥ |^[3].Simultaneously, the usages like nirākariṣṇu-alaṅkariṣṇu^[4] in the vijahīhi-jahāhi-jahihi^[5], rājasūyike-pākayajñike^[6], ṣātva-ṇatvike^[7] etc. found in Vāsudevavijaya raise the beauty of the poem.

Even though the poem primarily aims at the grammatical perspective, the literary merit of the poem is not affected. The usage of appropriate metres, figures of speech and beautiful dictions makes the poem very attractive. Along with the purpose of poetry described by the rhetoricians, Vāsudevavijaya has an additional objective i.e. the grammatical illustration. Thus the quality of the poem is not diminished, but excels.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Kāvyaprakaśa of Mammaṭa, v.I.2, p.2

[2]:

abhretato nijacikīrṣitamālunānāṃ sabrahmacārimahasaṃ navameghabhāyāḥ |
tāṃ brahmavādivimalātmaguhaikasiṃhīṃ sākṣāccakāra sahasā saha tāṃ sa kaṃsaḥ || Prof.Vijayapal Sastri.op.cit.v.3.50.

[3]:

nādeyatoyāgamadurnivāraḥ paurastyapākāhatidṛṣṭakarmā |
krudhyannahetāvapi nātha sadbhyo mābhidruhattvāṃ sahasā sa kaṃsaḥ || Prof.Vijayapal Sastri.op.cit.v.3.32.

[4]:

abhirājaticānugaṅgamuccaiḥ kaluṣaṃ kāśipurī nirākariṣṇuḥ |
ajaniṣṭatarāṃtadātato'pi vrajabhūḥ sā bhuvanānyalaṃkariṣṇuḥ || Prof.Vijayapal Sastri.op.cit.v.4.15.

[5]:

vijahīhi śucaṃ jahāhi mohaṃ jahihi kranditamāśravaṃ vijahyāḥ |
nanu nemitha daivatāni dehi stanamityaśudaduśca taṃ jananyai || Prof.Vijayapal Sastri.op.cit.v.4.33.

[6]:

rājasūyike pākayajñike ṣātvaṇatvike pāśuketathā |
saupataiṅakārtaiṣṭhikārcikacchāndasāṃgavidyādike'pi ca || Prof.Vijayapal Sastri.op.cit.v.4.65.

[7]:

idem.