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Magha (poet)

November 24, 2023

Magha (c. 7th century) (Sanskrit: माघ, Māgha) was a Sanskrit poet at King Varmalata's court at Shrimala, the then-capital of Gujarat (presently in Rajasthan state). Magha was born in a Shrimali Brahmin family. He was the son of Dattaka Sarvacharya and the grandson of Suprabhadeva.[1] His epic poem (mahākāvya) Shishupala Vadha, in 20 sargas (cantos), is based on the Mahabharata episode in which Krishna uses his chakra (disc) to behead the defiant king Shishupala.[2] He is thought to have been inspired by, and is often compared with, Bharavi.[3]

Mahakavi

Magha
Poet Magha
Bornc. 7th century
Shrimal (present-day Bhinmal)
OccupationPoet

Life and work edit

Māgha's fame rests entirely on the Shishupala Vadha. Vallabhadeva and Kshemendra quote some verses that are not found in the Shishupala Vadha as that of Māgha, so it is believed that Māgha wrote some other works that are now lost.

Unlike most Indian poets who give no autobiographical details or allude to any contemporary events, Māgha gives some autobiographical details in the concluding five verses of the work (known as the Praśasti).[4] The verses inform that his father was Dattaka and his grandfather was Suprabhadeva, a minister at the court of a king whose name is mentioned in different editions as Varmalāta, Dharmanābha, Dharmanātha, Varmalākhya, etc. These verses are therefore called the nija-vaṃśa-varṇana or kavi-vaṃśa-varṇana by commentators.[5]

According to tradition, Māgha was a native of Gujarat, being born in Shrimal Nagar[6] Present Bhinmal district Jalore in Rajasthan.[7]

By his own accounts and that of others, he was born wealthy and lived a carefree life,[8]: 53  although according to one legend, he died in poverty.[9]

Date edit

Māgha is quoted by Anandavardhana, Bhoja, and in the Kavirajamarga, thus putting him no later than the 8th century. Pathak notes that he alludes to the Kāśikāvṛtti and its commentary Nyāsa, the latter of which is not mentioned by I-Tsing and thus must have been written after his departure from India in 695 CE. Thus, Pathak puts Māgha in the second half of the 8th century.[4] Hermann Jacobi puts him in the 6th century.[4] Lorenz Franz Kielhorn[10] and others put him in the second half of the 7th century based on a written record from the present-day Rajasthan region. This record estimates King Varmalāta, whom Magha's grandfather served, as reigning the region in 625 A.D. [11]

Appraisal edit

Main article: Shishupala Vadha

Māgha is highly popular with Sanskrit critics and is extensively quoted by them. His Shishupala Vadha seems to have been inspired by the Kirātārjunīya of Bharavi, and intended to emulate and even surpass it. Like Bharavi, he displays rhetorical and metrical skill more than the growth of the plot,[3] and is noted for his intricate wordplay, textual complexity, and verbal ingenuity. He also uses a rich vocabulary, so much so that the claim has been made that his work contains every word in the Sanskrit language.[12] Whereas Bhāravi glorifies Shiva, Māgha glorifies Krishna; while Bhāravi uses 19 metres Māgha uses 23, like Bhāravi's 15th canto full of contrived verses Māgha introduces even more complicated verses in his 19th.[8]

A popular Sanskrit verse about Māgha (and hence about this poem, as it his only known work and the one his reputation rests on) says:

उपमा कालिदासस्य भारवेरर्थगौरवं|
दण्डिनः पदलालित्यं माघे सन्ति त्रयो गुणः||
upamā kālidāsasya, bhāraver arthagauravaṃ,
daṇḍinaḥ padalālityaṃ — māghe santi trayo guṇaḥ
"The similes of Kalidasa, Bharavi's depth of meaning, Daṇḍin's wordplay — in Māgha all three qualities are found."

Thus, Māgha's attempt to surpass Bharavi appears to have been successful; even his name seems to be derived from this feat: another Sanskrit saying goes tāvat bhā bhāraveḥ bhāti yāvat māghasya nodayaḥ, which can mean "the lustre of the sun lasts until the advent of Maagha (the coldest month)", but also "the lustre of Bharavi lasts until the advent of Māgha".[13] However, Māgha follows Bhāravi's structure too closely, and the long-windedness of his descriptions loses the gravity and "weight of meaning" found in Bhāravi's poem. Consequently, Māgha is more admired as a poet than the work is as a whole, and the sections of the work that may be considered digressions from the story have the nature of an anthology and are more popular.[14]

Māgha influenced Ratnākara's Haravijaya,[6] an epic in 50 cantos that suggests a thorough study of the Shishupalavadha.[8] The Dharmashramabhyudaya, a Sanskrit poem by Hari[s]chandra in 21 cantos on Dharmanatha the 15th tirthankara, is modeled on the Shishupalavadha.[15]

References edit

  1. ^ Keith, Arthur Berriedale (1993). A History of Sanskrit Literature, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1100-3, p.124
  2. ^ Bhattacharji Sukumari, History of Classical Sanskrit Literature, Sangam Books, London, 1993, ISBN 0-86311-242-0, p.148.
  3. ^ a b Sisir Kumar Das; Sahitya Akademi (2006), A history of Indian literature, 500-1399: from courtly to the popular, Sahitya Akademi, p. 74, ISBN 978-81-260-2171-0
  4. ^ a b c K B Pathak (1902), "On the date of the poet Mâgha", Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Volume 20, p. 303
  5. ^ Chandrabhāl Tripāṭhī; Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire de Strasbourg (1975), Catalogue of the Jaina manuscripts at Strasbourg, Brill Archive, p. 42, ISBN 978-90-04-04300-8
  6. ^ a b Hermann Jacobi (1890), "Ānandavardhana and the date of Māgha", Vienna Oriental Journal, 4: 240
  7. ^ Satya Prakash; Vijai Shankar Śrivastava (1981), Cultural contours of India: Dr. Satya Prakash felicitation volume, Abhinav Publications, p. 53, ISBN 978-0-391-02358-1
  8. ^ a b c Moriz Winternitz; Subhadra Jha (transl.) (1985), History of Indian literature, Motilal Banarsidass Publ., pp. 72–77, ISBN 978-81-208-0056-4
  9. ^ T. R. S. Sharma; C. K. Seshadri; June Gaur, eds. (2000), Ancient Indian literature: an anthology, Volume 1, Sahitya Akademi, p. 444, ISBN 978-81-260-0794-3
  10. ^ F. Kielhorn (1908), Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, Part 1, p. 499
  11. ^ George Cardona (1998), Pāṇini: a survey of research, Motilal Banarsidass Publ., p. 359, ISBN 978-81-208-1494-3
  12. ^ Merriam-Webster's encyclopedia of literature, Merriam-Webster, 1995, p. 712, ISBN 978-0-87779-042-6
  13. ^ D. D. (Dhruv Dev). Sharma (2005), Panorama of Indian anthroponomy, Mittal Publications, p. 117, ISBN 978-81-8324-078-9
  14. ^ A. K. Warder (1994), Indian kāvya literature: The ways of originality (Bāna to Dāmodaragupta), vol. 4 (reprint ed.), Motilal Banarsidass Publ., pp. 133–144, ISBN 978-81-208-0449-4
  15. ^ Sujit Mukherjee (1999), A Dictionary of Indian Literature: Beginnings-1850, Orient Blackswan, p. 95, ISBN 978-81-250-1453-9

November 24, 2023
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Magha c 7th century Sanskrit म घ Magha was a Sanskrit poet at King Varmalata s court at Shrimala the then capital of Gujarat presently in Rajasthan state Magha was born in a Shrimali Brahmin family He was the son of Dattaka Sarvacharya and the grandson of Suprabhadeva 1 His epic poem mahakavya Shishupala Vadha in 20 sargas cantos is based on the Mahabharata episode in which Krishna uses his chakra disc to behead the defiant king Shishupala 2 He is thought to have been inspired by and is often compared with Bharavi 3 MahakaviMaghaPoet MaghaBornc 7th centuryShrimal present day Bhinmal OccupationPoet Contents 1 Life and work 2 Date 3 Appraisal 4 ReferencesLife and work editMagha s fame rests entirely on the Shishupala Vadha Vallabhadeva and Kshemendra quote some verses that are not found in the Shishupala Vadha as that of Magha so it is believed that Magha wrote some other works that are now lost Unlike most Indian poets who give no autobiographical details or allude to any contemporary events Magha gives some autobiographical details in the concluding five verses of the work known as the Prasasti 4 The verses inform that his father was Dattaka and his grandfather was Suprabhadeva a minister at the court of a king whose name is mentioned in different editions as Varmalata Dharmanabha Dharmanatha Varmalakhya etc These verses are therefore called the nija vaṃsa varṇana or kavi vaṃsa varṇana by commentators 5 According to tradition Magha was a native of Gujarat being born in Shrimal Nagar 6 Present Bhinmal district Jalore in Rajasthan 7 By his own accounts and that of others he was born wealthy and lived a carefree life 8 53 although according to one legend he died in poverty 9 Date editMagha is quoted by Anandavardhana Bhoja and in the Kavirajamarga thus putting him no later than the 8th century Pathak notes that he alludes to the Kasikavṛtti and its commentary Nyasa the latter of which is not mentioned by I Tsing and thus must have been written after his departure from India in 695 CE Thus Pathak puts Magha in the second half of the 8th century 4 Hermann Jacobi puts him in the 6th century 4 Lorenz Franz Kielhorn 10 and others put him in the second half of the 7th century based on a written record from the present day Rajasthan region This record estimates King Varmalata whom Magha s grandfather served as reigning the region in 625 A D 11 Appraisal editMain article Shishupala Vadha Magha is highly popular with Sanskrit critics and is extensively quoted by them His Shishupala Vadha seems to have been inspired by the Kiratarjuniya of Bharavi and intended to emulate and even surpass it Like Bharavi he displays rhetorical and metrical skill more than the growth of the plot 3 and is noted for his intricate wordplay textual complexity and verbal ingenuity He also uses a rich vocabulary so much so that the claim has been made that his work contains every word in the Sanskrit language 12 Whereas Bharavi glorifies Shiva Magha glorifies Krishna while Bharavi uses 19 metres Magha uses 23 like Bharavi s 15th canto full of contrived verses Magha introduces even more complicated verses in his 19th 8 A popular Sanskrit verse about Magha and hence about this poem as it his only known work and the one his reputation rests on says उपम क ल द सस य भ रव रर थग रव दण ड न पदल ल त य म घ सन त त रय ग ण upama kalidasasya bharaver arthagauravaṃ daṇḍinaḥ padalalityaṃ maghe santi trayo guṇaḥ The similes of Kalidasa Bharavi s depth of meaning Daṇḍin s wordplay in Magha all three qualities are found Thus Magha s attempt to surpass Bharavi appears to have been successful even his name seems to be derived from this feat another Sanskrit saying goes tavat bha bharaveḥ bhati yavat maghasya nodayaḥ which can mean the lustre of the sun lasts until the advent of Maagha the coldest month but also the lustre of Bharavi lasts until the advent of Magha 13 However Magha follows Bharavi s structure too closely and the long windedness of his descriptions loses the gravity and weight of meaning found in Bharavi s poem Consequently Magha is more admired as a poet than the work is as a whole and the sections of the work that may be considered digressions from the story have the nature of an anthology and are more popular 14 Magha influenced Ratnakara s Haravijaya 6 an epic in 50 cantos that suggests a thorough study of the Shishupalavadha 8 The Dharmashramabhyudaya a Sanskrit poem by Hari s chandra in 21 cantos on Dharmanatha the 15th tirthankara is modeled on the Shishupalavadha 15 References edit Keith Arthur Berriedale 1993 A History of Sanskrit Literature Delhi Motilal Banarsidass ISBN 81 208 1100 3 p 124 Bhattacharji Sukumari History of Classical Sanskrit Literature Sangam Books London 1993 ISBN 0 86311 242 0 p 148 a b Sisir Kumar Das Sahitya Akademi 2006 A history of Indian literature 500 1399 from courtly to the popular Sahitya Akademi p 74 ISBN 978 81 260 2171 0 a b c K B Pathak 1902 On the date of the poet Magha Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society Volume 20 p 303 Chandrabhal Tripaṭhi Bibliotheque nationale et universitaire de Strasbourg 1975 Catalogue of the Jaina manuscripts at Strasbourg Brill Archive p 42 ISBN 978 90 04 04300 8 a b Hermann Jacobi 1890 Anandavardhana and the date of Magha Vienna Oriental Journal 4 240 Satya Prakash Vijai Shankar Srivastava 1981 Cultural contours of India Dr Satya Prakash felicitation volume Abhinav Publications p 53 ISBN 978 0 391 02358 1 a b c Moriz Winternitz Subhadra Jha transl 1985 History of Indian literature Motilal Banarsidass Publ pp 72 77 ISBN 978 81 208 0056 4 T R S Sharma C K Seshadri June Gaur eds 2000 Ancient Indian literature an anthology Volume 1 Sahitya Akademi p 444 ISBN 978 81 260 0794 3 F Kielhorn 1908 Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain amp Ireland Part 1 p 499 George Cardona 1998 Paṇini a survey of research Motilal Banarsidass Publ p 359 ISBN 978 81 208 1494 3 Merriam Webster s encyclopedia of literature Merriam Webster 1995 p 712 ISBN 978 0 87779 042 6 D D Dhruv Dev Sharma 2005 Panorama of Indian anthroponomy Mittal Publications p 117 ISBN 978 81 8324 078 9 A K Warder 1994 Indian kavya literature The ways of originality Bana to Damodaragupta vol 4 reprint ed Motilal Banarsidass Publ pp 133 144 ISBN 978 81 208 0449 4 Sujit Mukherjee 1999 A Dictionary of Indian Literature Beginnings 1850 Orient Blackswan p 95 ISBN 978 81 250 1453 9 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Magha poet amp oldid 1185810039, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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