Vasudevavijaya of Vasudeva (Study)
by Sajitha. A | 2018 | 50,171 words
This page relates ‘Illustration through Krishna story’ of the study on the Vasudevavijaya of Vasudeva from the 11th century A.D. The Vasudevavijayam is an educational poem belonging to the Shastra-Kavya category of technical Sanskrit literature. The Vasudevavijayam depicts in 657 verses the story of Lord Krishna while also elucidates the grammatical rules of the Ashtadhyayi of Panini (teaching the science of grammar). The subject-content of the poem was taken from the tenth Skandha of the Bhagavatapurana.
Illustration through Kṛṣṇa story
[Full title: Importance of Vāsudevavijaya among Keralite Vyākaraṇaśāstrakāvyas (1): Illustration through Kṛṣṇa story]
It is already discussed in detail about the contributions made by Kerala to the field of Śāstrakāvya literature. These contributions have prominent place in the study of grammar. Subhadrāharaṇa, Vāsudevavijaya, Dhātukāvya, Pāṇinīyasūtrodāharaṇakāvya, Śrīcihnakāvya, Rāmavarmamahārājacaritra, Surūparāghava, Sugalārthamālā etc. are prominent Śāstrakāvyas from Kerala. All these works are highly significant.
Though all of these works occupy their own significant place, the prominence of Vāsudevavijaya among them is noteworthy. Hence this section attempts to discuss the importance of Vāsudevavijaya among the Keralite Śāstrakāvyas. There are some peculiarities to this poem which can be divided under several heads.
Vāsudevavijaya teaches the Paninian rules of grammar through the story of lord Kṛṣṇa. In Kerala it is the only complete work in this field which makes the illustration through Kṛṣṇa’s story. Learning such a difficult science like grammar through the medium of the story of Kṛṣṇa increases the student’s interest in that subject. Generally the stories regarding epics and purāṇas are familiar and popular among people. Vāsudevavijaya is a poem with the theme of Bhāgavatapurāṇa. Especially in Kerala the story of Kṛṣṇa is too much popular than any other story and this helps to seek reader’s interest. Though the poems Dhātukāvya and Pāṇinīyasūtrodāharaṇakāvya are dealt within the story of Kṛṣṇa, they are illustrating only a part of Aṣṭādhyāyī. Thus it can be said that one of the reasons for the prominence of Vāsudevavijaya in Kerala is the selection of such a popular theme.