36. Krishna Kavi, the Author of Ishvaravilasa Kavya

36. Krsna Kavi, the Author of Isvaravilasa Kavya—His Works and Descendants, Between A. D. 1669 A. D. 1669 and 1760* In my papers on the Asvamedha performed by Maharaja Sevai Jaising of Amber I have made use of a contemporary kavya called the Isvaravilasakavya composed by Krsnakavi, a courtpoet of Sevai Jaising, by the order of Isvarasing about A. D. 1744 . Copies of my papers in question were sent to the late Rai Bahadur Dayaram Sahani, Director of Archaeological Researches at Jaipur and to Pandit Hari Narayan Purohit³ of Jaipur as both these scholars were keenly interested in these papers and made proper use of them. Sahani made use of my papers in identifying a sacrificial post at Jaipur which he has proved to be the relic of the Asvamedha referred to above. Pandit Hari Narayan put me in touch with an illustrious descendant of Krishna Kavi, the author of no other than the Isvaravilasa Kavya. This descendant is Bhatta Mathuranatha, the author of several Sanskrit and Hindi works and now working as Professor of Sanskrit and Hindi in the Maharaja College at Jaipur. On the title-page of his Sahityavaibhavam Bhatta Mathuranatha describes himself as "tailanganvavayasudha- sagarasamutthasrilasrikrsnabhidhana kavikalanidhi vamsajena (krtam sahityavaibhavam )" and then in an Appendix to this work called the afer pp. 525 to 648) he records every possible information regarding the his- * Bharata Itihasa Samsodhaka Mandal Quarterly, Vol. XXI, pp. 15-23. 1. Vide the Poona Orientalist, Vol. II, pp. 166-180; the Journal of Indian History (Madras), Vol. XV pp. 364-367; the Mimamsa Prakasa, (Poona), Vol. II, pp. 43-46. 2. Represented by a single copy in Aufrecht's Catalogus Catalogorum (=MS No. 273 of 1884-86 at the B. O. R. Institute). 3. Author of Sundara Granthavali (2 vols.), 1937. 4. Vide Archaeological Report of Jaipur State for 1936-37 and 1937-38, pp. 4-5, and Plate XVII (C) which is a photo of the "Yajna-Stambha of Maharaja Sewai Jaisingji." 5. His Sahitya-Vaibhavam (1930, pp. 648) is an exquisite collection of Sanskrit Poems, very highly spoken of by Dr. Ganganatha Jha, Principal Gopinath Kaviraja and other Sanskritists. (279)

tory of his family in detail. This history is divided into two parts : - ( 1 ) a metrical account of his family called kulaprabamdha in 132 stanzas composed by one of his ancestors viz. hariharabhatta ' who is referred to by Krsna Kavi in Ishvaravilasa kavya and (2) vamsaparicaya in Sanskrit prepared by Bhatta Mathuranatha himself on the basis of sources for the history of his family available with him. The Kulaprabandha is very important as it gives us the history of this Tailanga Brahmin family upto A. D. 1700 or so. Harihara's father Ramakrsna was in favour of Raja Ramsing 2 and was the guru³ of Krsna Sinha. Ramakrsna was the son of a and brother of narayana, who was a pupil of Jagannatha Panditaraya but unfortunately his life was a short-lived one. The family of Krsnakavi belonged to a gotra³ according to the Kulaprabandha ( = KP). The original ancestor of the family was one bavijidiksita ' who migrated to Kasi or Benares from 1. On p. 563 of the Sahityavaibhavam we find the verse referring to hariharabhattah- 66 ajnatah srisavaimsvaradharanipateh praptabhuripramodah samprapyotsahaka srihariharasukaveh sammatam samsayaghnam | kavyam navyam bhavyam bhuvi racayati yah pritaye panditanam soyam sri krsnasarma krtamati namati sriguroranghripadmam || 8 || (hariharasukaveh 'kulaprabamdha ' nirmatuh srihariharabhattasya ) 2. Son of Mirza Raja Jayasing ( died 1667 ); verse 112 of srikulaprabamdha refers to ramakrsna 's association with Ramsing :- 65 sriramasimha stanayastadiyah | sriramakrsnam ramayambabhuva || 112 || " 3. Verse 114 of kulaprabamdha states :- 66 guruvat krsnasimhena ramakrsnotha manitah " Harihara refers to his father ramakrsna in verse 123 of kulaprabamdha as follows:- harihara iti namna ramakrsnatmajoyam vyaracayadathavamsajnanasiddhyai prabandham " But for Harihara's c the history of this illustrious family would have remained a sealed book to us. 4. Verse 77 of kulaprabamdhah- " labdhva vidya nikhilah panditaraja jagannathat narayanastu daivadalpayuh svapurimagamat || 77 || " 5. KP. verse 7 :- " tamopahanta khalu gautamobhut | 6. KP. 36 :- " bavinama samabhavadalam ... diksitam namadheyam || 36 || " • "

Southern India.' His native village was devarsi . 2 The genealogy of this family as revealed by the KP has been given in a table by Bhatta Mathuranatha. It shows that Krsna Kavi and Harihara the author of the KP were contemporary cousins. In fact as Krsna Kavi refers to Harihara, his cousin, in the beginning of the Isvaravilasa we find Harihara referring to Krsna Kavi in the KP with admiration for the latter's poetic abilities and wishes him long life and prosperity. Ramakrsna, the father of Harihara, enjoyed royal 1. KP. verse 37 :-" sa daksino daksinadigvibhagatkasipuri dhanarddhiyuktah || " 2. KP. 67 :- " devarsinamni ... nijapattanesmin || 67 || " ,, prapa 3. I give below a fragment of this genealogy to enable us to understand the relation of Krsna Kavi to Harihara the author of the KP :- bavi ( diksita = D) | harihara limgoji (D) visvanatha (D) mamdala (D) madhava ( " akabaranrpateh avapya manam " KP.70 ) vamsidhara muralidhara giridhara etc. ramakrsna narayana (pupil of laksmana gokulotsava etc. jagannatha pamditaraya ) madhava gamgadhara harihara ( author of kulaprabamdha ) 4. Sahityavaibhavam, p. 546 ff. 66 ( srikrsna sarma or krsna kavi KP. 99) ( Court-poet of King budhasimha of Bundi ). Composed isvaravilasakavya about A. D. 1744. srikrsnasarma tanayastadanim srilaksmanadahitalaksano bhut | ( Continued on next page )

patronage and was much respected by his numerous illustrious pupils.' Bhatta Mathuranatha gives us a list of Hindi and Sanskrit works of Krsna Kavi as follows:- 66 - vrajabhasayam - (1) alankarakalanidhi, (2) sambhara yuddha, ( 3 ) jajau yuddha, (4) bahadura vijaya, (5) gamgararasamadhuri, (6) vidagdhamadhavamadhuri, (7) taittiriyadyupanisadam pracina himdibhasayamanuvadah, (8) jayasimha gunasarita, ( 9 ) rama- candrodaya, ( 10 ) ramarasa, ( 11 ) vrttacandrika, ( 12 ) nakhasikhavarnanam, (13) durga- bhaktitarangini and others. ' - " samskrte - ( 1 ) isvaravilasamahakavyam (2) padyamuktavalih " sundari- stavarajah, ( 3 ) vedantapancavimsatih . " (Continued from previous page) vamsikrto yena gunairudarai bundipati sri budhasimharupah || 99 || mimamsaparisilane patumatih samkhyabdhiparamgamo nyayanargalavakprapancacaturo vedantasiddhantadhih | kavyavyakrtivrttakosa kusalo'lankarasarvasvavi- cchrikrsnah kavipandito vijayate vanivilasalayah || 100 || harihara iva kavirajo dhanayasasam mandalesa iva kosah | srikrsnabhatta esa hi ciramurvi mandale jivyat || 101 || 1. KP. 102. - " tesu sriramakrsnah prakatitavibhavo rajarajorjitasrih | daridryadravi vidya vasitanrpajanah sanmanah samsrito'bhut yasyavasyayasubhrabhramitasitayasobhasito bhumibhagah sisyanamapyameya'ganita gunaganairgaunabhuto ganesah || 102 || " 2. Bhatta Mathuranatha appears to have MSS of many of them :- " labdhanyapi pustakani prayo jirnani apurnani ca santi " (S. Vaibhavam, p. 568). 3. Vide Aufrecht CCI, 61 -- "Peters. 3-393 " - No. 273 of 1884-86 in the Government MS Library at the B. O. R. Institute. Bhatta Mathuranatha appears to have a copy of this kavya (Vide p. 568 of Sahityavaibhava). - - 4. Vide Aufrecht CC I, 324 - "padyamuktavali, erotic verses quoted and perhaps composed by ghasirama in rasacandra . " On p. : 494 (CC I ) Aufrecht states that ghasirama composed rasacandra (alamk.) in A.D. 1696. 5. Vide Aufrecht CC III, 150 "sundaristavaraja - ( Continued on the next page ) -by krsnabhatta

According to Bhatta Mathuranatha Krsna Kavi was born in Samvat 1725 = A. D. 1669 and died after Samvat 1800 = A. D. 1744. If these dates are correct Krsna Kavi was about 75 years old in A. D. 17+4; but as he was patronized by Isvara Sing and Madho Sing he may have reached a fair old age. Madho Sing came to the throne of Jaipur about A. D. 1751 after the struggle for the throne lasting for 5-6 years and after the suicide under tragic circumstances by Isvara Sing. The B. O. R. I. copy of the work Sundaristavaraja is dated Samvat 1816 i.e. A.D. 1769. If Krsna Kavi died after A. D. 1744-45, the above copy was made about 15 years after this date in A. D. 1760 when the age of Krsna Kavi would have been 91 years. Perhaps he died a little earlier than A. D. 1760, the date of the B. O. R. I. MS of the Sundaristavaraja in which he is called "kavikovidakalanidhi . Bhatta Mathuranatha states on the authority of a Hindi work' that the title was conferred on Krsna Kavi by Sevai Jaising. ,, An account of the Hindi works of Krsna Kavi may have already been given in the histories of Hindi literature but as I am not conversant with them I would like to note here only some MSS of AK 597." (Continued from the previous page) " - 66 This MS is the same as No. 597 of 1891-95 at the B. O. R. sivah suddhobuddhah samita Institute. It consists of 17 folios. It begins :- gunavrmdavyatikarah | etc. " and ends as follows : - " iti sri || 108 || sridevarsi paramaguru sri krsnabhatta kavikovidakalanidhiviracitah sundaristavarajah samaptimagat || || samvat 1816 || varse margasirsa suklapakse || 13 || sampurnah || srimatripurasumdaricarana kamalabhyam namah || 6 || " Bhatta Mathuranatha quotes some verses of this work on pp. 572 to 575. These verses are found in the above MS. 1. Vide p. 562 of Sahityavaibhavam 66 " - ravalacaritrakavye ". dvijakulakavisrikrsnabhayapamcadravida tailamga ramayana jinane kiyo ramarasa parasamga || vidvatkule mukutamani, 'kavyakalanidhi ' daccha diya kitaba jayasahane saba bhuvimem parataccha || " 2. Vide p. 407 of Report on Hindi MSS by S. B. Misra. Allahabad (1914), where a MS of Krsna Kavi's icg is described, - (MS sukavikala No. 301). In the first two lines of the MS the words " g- (Continued on the next page)

Krsna Kavi's Hindi works' as found recorded in the Catalogues of Hindi MSS available to me. (1) -MS No. 301 in Misra's Report 1914, referred to above. (2) -MS 179 (a) in Misra's Report on Hindi MSS, 1924, p. 226-" Sri Krsna Bhatta was a poet in the Jaipur Darbar but he seems to have subsequently shifted to the Bundi Darbar where he composed his srmgararasamadhuri in 1712 A. D. under the patronage of Maharao Raja Budhsimha who sat on the gadi in 1707 A. D.-MS is dated 1868 A. D.-The colophon reads:- " iti srimanmaharaja sribhogilalabhupalavacanajnaptakavikovidacudamani srikrsnabhattakavilalakalanidhiviracite alamkarakalanidhau etc. (3) nakhasikha MS No. 179(b) (215 slokas). Begins: - " atha sri krsnabhattakrta nasasesalisyate " (4)³-MS No. 179 (c) Date of Composition 1712 A. D.-Ends as follows:- (Continued from the previous page) " fafa" with reference to the author are used by himself. Again the Colophon reads :-" iti sri kabikalanidhi srikrsnabhattaviracitam sambhari juddha- . Sri Krsna Bhatta, the author of the "Sambhara Juddha or the account of the battle of Sambhara between the Saiyad Brothers (king-makers) of Delhi and Sewai Jaya Singh II (1699-1743) of Jaipur. He attended the Jaipur Court and flourished early in the 18 th Century. by - kavi- 1. Report on Hindi MSS by Rai Bahadur Hiralal, Allahabad, 1929, p. 279, describes a MS of a work " dharma samvada " by krsnakavi composed in Samvat 1775-A. D. 1718. Then again a MS of fag 6 is described on p. 187 of Shyam Sunder Das: Report on Hindi MSS (1912). I cannot say if these authors have any connection with krsnakavi of Jaipur. 2. Vide p, 313 of Cata. of Indic MSS in U. S. A. and Canada by H. Poleman, 1938. MSS No. 6004-by, 5 folios. Sam. 1910- A. D. 1854 copied by Gangadhara. "An account of the battle of Sambhara between the Saiyad Brothers of Delhi and Sewai Jai Singh II (1699- 1743) of Jaipur. H. 360. " 3. Ibid MS No. 6003-by 91 folios. Samvat 1842, A. D. 1786. Copied by a. H. 1330.

" iti srimanmaharajadhirajaravarajendra sribuddhasimhaji devajnapravartakavikovida- cudamanisakalakalanidhi srikrsnabhattadevarsiviracitayam srmgararasamadhuryam soda- sosvadah || " Krsna Kavi makes a reference to his deceased father in the following extract of his Padyamuktavali :- (Sahityavaibhavam p. 557) - 88 sahaiva sarvavidyabhih sahaiva srutibhusanaih sahaiva sakalaih sastraih laksmanakhyo divamgatah || 2 || gachatyanviksikiyam ksayamathavisativyakrtirvahnimadhye mimamsamurchitabhudanisamupanisatkhedita vedanabhih | manasa kapili girguruvirahagata yogagibhamgnayoga yate nirvanamate jitasukrtaphale srigurau laksmanakhye || 3 || " Besides the title " kavikalanidhi " conferred on Krsna Kavi by Sevai Jai sing he also obtained the title from this King in appreciation of the poet's work " ramarasa ." Madhosing gave Krsna Kavi one village' ( 1 ) karmapura and ( 2 ) in hatharohi village, land measuring 100 bighas. In the gat Krsna Kavi expresses padyamuktavali his gratitude to Madhosing in the following verse:- (Sahityavaibhavam, p. 564 ) - 88 srimadrajadhiraje satisamupakrtam bhari ramayanena prarabdha |disvare'bhutkavivibudhagunagrahitaivopakartri | bhati proccairara rati prakaraharakarah kovidanam kavinam bhagyaih srimadhavakhyo narapatiraghunanakari kenopakarah " Krsna Kavi appears to have wandered in different parts of India. His contact with Malwa is echoed in some parts of his Padyamuktavali.2 In his poem Isvaravilasa he describes the foundation of Brahmapuri by Sevai Jai sing and the god Ganesa at Ganesagadh in Brahmapuri. He also refers to the foundation 1. In the Isvaravilasa Kavya Krsna Kavi refers to the grant of a village to him by Isvara Sing as a reward for the composition of this Kavya at the time of his coronation. 2. This collection of verses contains verses devoted to a description of Malwa ladies, God Maha Kala, river Narmada etc. (S. Vaibhava, p. 565). 3. Ibid p. 566 - yena brahmapuri krta'tidhavalaih etc. and " sriyam dhatte yasyamadhi . girisira sri ganapateh "

of modern Jaipur by Sevai Jai sing in A. D. 1728' in his Padyamuktavali, which appears to have been composed after A. D. 1751, when Madho Sing came to the throne. Krsna Kavi's work Durgabhakatitarangini may have been composed at Bharatpur before his contact with King Budha Simha of Bundi, who came to the throne in A. D. 1707. An echo of this contact of our poet with Bharatpur is found in the Padyamuktavali² which refers to king Suryamalla of Bharatpur. One Audumbarabhatta was a rival of Krsna Kavi as we find from a contemptuous reference to him in one of his verses.3 Elsewhere we find a reflection of our poet's sense of self-confidence and self-respect, which was characteristic of the poet Bhavabhuti of old. In fact the poet was determined to pass his last days at Vrndavana after the tragic suicide of Isvara Sing in A. D. 1751 but on account of the pressing request of Madho Sing he remained at the Jaipur Court.5 1. Ibid, p. 566- " jagratkamadhirajya jayati jayapurakhya nava rajadhani . " 2. - Ibid p. 568 - There is a reference to King suryamala of Bharatapur in the following verse of Padyamuktavali. " " ito haindavim srstimanandayan svai gunaughaistato yavanim srstimucaih | mahendraspade sriyutah suryamalla - statadvandvasamyattarangasamudrah || " - udyan dosakarasyapyatha nijacaranekasrayasya prabhava tanvanah kimkaranam kimuta gunavatam rajyatamambujanam | bhati khyataprabhatodayagirigatitoddamavidyotarasmi - prodancanmandalagrapracuratararucih sriyutah suryamallah || " In view of the reference to the contemporary life and events in the Padyamuktavali, this collection of verses by Krsna Kavi deserves publication. 3. S. Vaibh. p. 567 - " gugavadganitoguginam srnuyadevaisa sumadhura vacah || - yadyasya karnalagno nasyadaudumbaro masakah || " 4. S. Vaibh. -567- Padyamuktavali has the following verse:- 65 - jvalatu jaladhikrodakridatkrpitabhavaprabha - pratibhatapatujvalamalakulojatharanalah | trnamapi vayam sayam samphulamalimatilaka parimalamuca vaca yacamahe na mahesvaran || " 5. S. Vaibh. p. 567- • Padyamuktavali. 66 kalinditatanikatasphutakutajakutinivasa saukhyaya | vyaraci mrtrabhasanamapi, na tadajani hrdi mahatkastam | (Continued on the next page)

An accurate estimate' of our poet's learning and poetic abilities has already been given by Bhatta Mathuranatha who is himself a Sanskrit poet of no mean order and hence I need not enter into this aspect of my study, which is merely confined to Krsna Kavi's life and works as disclosed by his own works and contemporary history. So far I have dealt with the ancestry of our poet as rocorded in the Kulaprabandha of Harihara Kavi, a cousin of the poet. Bhatta Mathuranatha has given us the genealogy of Krsna Kavi's descendants and their lives in the Vamsavithi which closes with an account of his own life up to date. We need not, therefore, deal with it here. (Continued from the previous page) rajnam sadassu gamanam kavitakaranam mrsa sskalanam | vrndavanavasartham vyaraci vidhe kim na tadapi sampannam | mithyakathanaduratyaya nrpavarakrta raksanatryathadustah | ha vrmdavana bhavata samprati duradvimukto'smi | " 1. S. Vaibh. pp. 569-581. - 2. Vide pp. 582 to 648 of the Sahityavaibhavam. I note below a fragment of the genealogy which links up Krsna Kavi to Bhatta Mathuranatha :- kavivaramamdana laksmana bhatta sundaralala * 1 - (1) Between A. D. 1659 and 1760. dvarakanatha ( bharati ) Contemporary of Madho Sing of Jaipur. vrajapalabhatta (cunnilala ) Contemporary of Pratapsing (A. D. 1788-1803.) vasudeva kavi Contemporary of Jaising III (1819-1835 ) and Sevai Ramsing (1835-1883) laksminatha dvarakanatha ( mathuranatha ) = adopted (Bhatta Mathuranatha, the author of Sahityavaibhavam) adpoted by sundaralala . *