Vasudevavijaya of Vasudeva (Study)
by Sajitha. A | 2018 | 50,171 words
This page relates ‘Poetic charm in Vasudevavijaya� 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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Poetic charm in ܻ𱹲vijaya
Sanskrit rhetoricians have discussed in detail the poetic figures which enhance the charm of the poetry. Bharata, 峾, 峾Բ, Ānandavarddhana, Kuntaka etc. are the famous rhetoricians who abundantly contributed their theories to the literary world. Rasa, ṅk, ҳṇa, īپ, Dhvani, ԳܳԲ, Vakrokti and Aucitya are considered as the literary theories in Sanskrit.
Since ܻ𱹲vijaya comes under the category of Vyākaraṇaśāstrakāvyas, the author gives too much attention to the grammatical perspective. However, the skilfulness of ܻ𱹲vijaya in Sanskrit language paves the way to the decoration of this poem with some poetic figures. In ܻ𱹲vijaya, there is ample scope for Śṅk. Repetition in letters, words etc. can found easily in this poem. At the same time it deals with ٳṅk 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 ܻ𱹲vijaya is a Śٰ屹ⲹ 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 ܻ𱹲 can be scattered in the poem. These sporadic references are beautifully depicted by him. Some verses which excel in poetic beauty from ܻ𱹲vijaya are as follows.
At the time of birth of ṛṣṇa, the divine beings showered flowers in him to show their happiness and respect.
This incident is beautifully depicted in ܻ𱹲vijaya as:�
nārāyaṇe rātrimaṭāṅganānamasātayetatra janiṣyamāṇe |
ܰٲ� surair첹nagaūԲ� papātanakṣatrapathādanalpam || (ܻ𱹲vijaya 3.1)
Here ܻ𱹲 tries to enhance the beauty of the verse through certain awesome usages. The employment of the compound 첹ԲūԲ which means ٲ flower uplifts the charm of the verse. The word is used in the sense of ٲ the heavenly flower. Here the word 첹 means heaven, naga means tree and ūԲ� is flower. Here in spite of using the word ٲ, the usage of the compound word makes the verse more elegant. Simultaneously, the negation in the Բ貹� 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 ⲹṇe-ᲹԾṣyṇe and 첹-naga are also adds the beauty to this verse.
In another context, ܻ𱹲 elucidates the bliss of the couple (ٱ𱹲ī and Vasudeva) caused by the birth of ṛṣṇa in an attractive style.
kalānidhe� santamasasya hantu� patyu� satāmāttarateranante |
samudriyātprādita modamābhyā� vidhorbhavantī ٲԻ sā || (ܻ𱹲vijaya 3.10)
The meaning of the verse can be interpreted in two ways. The primary meaning apt to this context is the smile of ṛṣṇa provides pleasure to the parents. The epithets used in the verse is applicable not only to ṛṣṇa but also the moon. The moonlight gives joy to the couples. Here the word vidhu is meant for the moon and վṣṇ. 첹Ծ� means the treasury of fourteenvidyas when it belongs to
վṣṇ. It is meant for the treasury of sixteen faces of the moon. Likewise in the epithet santamasasya hantu�, the word tamasis used in the sense of both the ignorance and darkness. Thus վṣṇ is the destroyer of the ignorance and moon is the destroyer of the darkness. The portion satā� patyu� is meant for both Lord of noble men and the lord of stars. The word Ananta is used for space and Śṣa. վṣṇ lies on Śṣanāga and the moon lies on the space.
Thus the sense of the poem is applicable for both Lord Kṛṇa and the moon. ܻ𱹲 beautifully fuses these meanings in the verse through Śṣa. The word ٲԻ means the smile of Lord ṛṣṇa as according to the moon shines.
Here in the suggested sense of the verse might be on ṅk, as it attributes the smile of ṛṣṇa to the moon shine. It can be included in the category of ṅkdhvani.
At the time of depicting the beauty of ٱ𱹲ī, ܻ𱹲 exaggeratedly states that she excels Śī, ʲī, ṣmī etc. and looks like the co-wife of 鲹ī, the wife of 峾.
pūtakratāyī� ca Գ� ca Բī� ṛṣ첹ī� ca kariṣyatī پ� |
ullālasāmāsa guṇairakṛtrimairate� sapatnīva sutāsya devakī || (ܻ𱹲vijaya 1.6)
ūٲī means the wife of Indraie. Śīdevī, manu meant for wife of Manu and Բī for the daughter of Manu. ṛṣ첹ī is the wife of ṛṣ첹辱 which is used for Hara and վṣṇ. Thus the word implies both goddess ī and ṣmī. Thus the beauty of ٱ𱹲ī excels all these goddesses. Here ܻ𱹲 exaggeratedly depicts the beauty of ٱ𱹲ī. Besides, he compares ٱ𱹲ī as the co-wife of Rati.
Here, in spite of mentioning ٱ𱹲ī as the daughter of Devaka, ܻ𱹲 employs some exaggerations and comparison. This makes the verse more attractive.
ܻ𱹲 composes many verses in this manner, and hence the literary appreciation of the poem is not much interrupted. The abundance of the usage of Śṅk is also increase the charm of the poem. The hemstitches like ṣāc � sa 첹ṃs� |[2] is a fine example for rhyming. The same pattern is used in another verse as māmabhidruhattvā� sa 첹ṃs� |[3].Simultaneously, the usages like Ծ첹ṣṇ-ṅkṣṇ[4] in the Ჹī-Ჹ-Ჹ[5], Ჹū⾱-첹ⲹñ[6], ṣāt-ṇaٱ[7] etc. found in ܻ𱹲vijaya 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, ܻ𱹲vijaya has an additional objective i.e. the grammatical illustration. Thus the quality of the poem is not diminished, but excels.
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
[3]:
nādeyatoyāgamadurnivāra� paurastyapākāhatidṛṣṭakarmā |
ܻⲹԲԲ屹辱 ٳ sadbhyo mābhidruhattvā� sa 첹ṃs� || Prof.Vijayapal Sastri.op.cit.v.3.32.
[4]:
ᲹپԳܲṅgܳ� 첹ṣa� kāśipurī nirākariṣṇu� |
ajaniṣṭatarāṃtadātato'pi vrajabhū� sā bhuvanānyalaṃkariṣṇu� || Prof.Vijayapal Sastri.op.cit.v.4.15.
[5]:
[6]:
rājasūyike pākayajñike ṣātvaṇatvike pāśuketathā |
saupataiṅakārtaiṣṭhikārcikacchāndasāṃgavidyādike'pi ca || Prof.Vijayapal Sastri.op.cit.v.4.65.
[7]:
idem.