ಕುಮಾರವ್ಯಸ – ಕರ್ಣಾಟ ಭಾರತ ಕಥಾಮಂಜರಿ (ಆದಿಪರ್ವ, ಪೀಠಿಕಾ ಸಂಧಿ)
Posted by Prashant - 22/07/10 at 07:07:18 pmIt was through the lectures of G. B. Harish at the kannada club of my work place that I first started reading Karnata Bharatha Kathamanjari by Kumaravyasa. I was not prepared for the way this work would jolt me. Its sheer quality of the work combined with the amazing oratory of Harish that got me hooked into reading this.
Unfortunately Harish quit our organization and the reading of Karnata Bharatha Kathamanjari at our Kannada club stopped with that. But great works like these are an addiction. There is always an unknown force that pulls you towards it. So an idea of exploring this work on my own sprouted and led me to purchase this book edited by Shri Kuvempu and Masti Venkatesh Iyengar. It was not easy at all to begin with. I could hardly understand the poetry and most of the words sounded alien. I could not break the sentence in to words which made it impossible to understand. This is when I bought another book which was an English translation by D Sheshagiri Rao. With the english translation in place, I now understood the overall meaning but then it was not the same as reading the original poetry. It was like something was missing. So I thought of giving it another shot, this time with an Kannada-Kannada dictionary. It took time to understand where to break the sentence and then understand the meaning of it. But in spite of being time consuming, when you still put that effort, you actually get to realize why it is a classic. The magic unfolds itself and engulfs you.
Last week one of my colleague emailed me this link where few people have taken time out to make this great work available online. You can see their effort here. It is indeed laudable effort. Now the whole world has access to enjoy it. But it has only poetry and there is no translation. So if you are new to this and have limited Kannada vocabulary (shame, considering its my mother-tongue) like me, you will have to go through the same learning curve as I did which could be a bit frustrating to start with. This is when I thought why not publish my notes so that you get a head start and hence this and several of the upcoming posts.
Note:
All English translations are not by me but have been taken from Book by D. Seshagiri Rao. If there is anything extra which I know, I have tried to make it part of the translation.
Kumaravyasa’s – Karnata Bharatha Kathamanjari, Aadi Parva, Peetika Sandhi
ಶ್ರೀವನಿತೆಯರಸನೆ ವಿಮಲ ರಾ
ಜೀವ ಪೀಠನ ಪಿತನೆ ಜಗಕತಿ
ಪಾವನನೆ ಸನಕಾದಿ ಸಜ್ಜನನಿಕರ ದಾತಾರ
ರಾವಣಾಸುರ ಮಥನ ಶ್ರವಣ ಸು
ಧಾ ವಿನೂತನ ಕಥನ ಕಾರಣ
ಕಾವುದಾನತ ಜನವ ಗದುಗಿನ ವೀರನಾರಾಯಣ ………………………………… ೧
ಶ್ರೀ ವನಿತೆಯ ಅರಸನೆ, ವಿಮಲ ರಾಜೀವ ಪೀಠನ ಪಿತನೆ, ಜಗಕೆ ಅತಿಪಾವನನೆ, ಸನಕಾದಿ ಸಜ್ಜನ ನಿಕರ ದಾತಾರ, ರಾವಣ ಅಸುರ ಮಥನ, ಶ್ರವಣ ಸುಧಾ ವಿನೂತನ ಕಥನ ಕಾರಣ, ಕಾವುದ ಆನತ ಗದುಗಿನ ವೀರನಾರಾಯಣ
ವನಿತೆಯ = ವನಿತ in general refers to a women but here it mean Goddess Lakshmi
ವಿಮಲ = ಪವಿತ್ರವಾದ, ನಿಷ್ಕಳಂಕ
ರಾಜೀವ = Many meaning to this word, but here it mean Lotus as the context refers to Lord Brahma
ಪಾವನ = When taken as a verb means to clean up, to purify or to sanctify
ಸನಕಾದಿ = Sanaka was one among the four ‘Jeevan Muktha’ ( One who has attained enlightenment ), Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanatkumara. Brahma before starting to create the universe wished for four people who would be the embodiments of pure qualities. Out of this wish were these four born.
ನಿಕರ = Group
ದಾತಾರ = Master,Lord
ಮಥನ = Put to death, generally in a war
ಸುಧಾ = Honey
ವಿನೂತನ = Something that is praised by all
ಕಾವುದ = Protect
ಆನತ = to Prostrate or one who prostrates
It is a common practice for authors to begin any literary work with a praise for lord and seek his blessings. In this case Naranappa a.k.a. Kumara vyasa, praises his beloved Veera Narayana of Gadag for being that creative inspiration that will allow him to complete this work.
Consort of the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi. Father of Brahma, who is seated on the chaste lotus. Hallowed by all the worlds. One who nourishes the righteous like Sage Sanaka. Destroyer of demon King Ravana. One who is the source of many auspicious tales which are ambrosial to the ear. Oh Shri Veeranarayana of Gadag, enfold them who prostrates before you in protective embrace.
There is a legend which says Brahma is self-born (without mother) in the lotus flower which grew from the navel of Vishnu at the beginning of the universe and hence Kumaravyasa refers to Veeranarayana as father of Brahma.
There is a reference to sage Sanaka, who was one among the four ‘Jeevan Muktha’ ( One who has attained enlightenment ), Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanatkumara. Brahma before starting to create the universe wished for four people who would be the embodiments of pure qualities and would help him build the universe. Out of this wish were these four born. But going against the expectations of Brahma, they refused to get married and help Brahma to create the world instead they remained unmarried and roamed the universe spreading the message of Lord Vishnu.
ಶರಣಸಂಗವ್ಯಸನ ಭುಜಗಾ
ಭರಣನಮರ ಕಿರೀಟ ಮಂಡಿತ
ಚರಣ ಚಾರುಚರಿತ್ರ ನಿರುಪಮ ಭಾಳಶಿಕಿನೇತ್ರ
ಕರಣನಿರ್ಮಲ ಭಜಕರಘ ಸಂ
ಹರಣ ದಂತಿ ಚಮೂರು ಚರ್ಮಾಂ
ಬರನೆ ಸಲಹುಗೆ ಭಕುತ ಜನರನು ಪಾರ್ವತೀರಮಣ………………………………… ೨
ಶರಣ ಸಂಗ ವ್ಯಸನ. ಭುಜ ಆಭರಣ. ಅಮರ ಕಿರೀಟ ಮಂಡಿತ ಚರಣ. ಚಾರು ಚರಿತ್ರ. ನಿರುಪಮ ಭಾಳ ಶಿಕಿ ನೇತ್ರ. ಕರಣ ನಿರ್ಮಲ ಭಜಕರ ಅಘ ಸಂಹರಣ, ದಂತಿ ಚಮೂರು ಚರ್ಮ ಅಂಬರನೆ. ಸಲಹುಗೆ ಭಕುತ ಜನರನು ಪಾರ್ವತೀ ರಮಣ
ವ್ಯಸನ = It is generally used in a negative sense to speak of some kind of addiction to bad habits, but here it should be used as a person who revels
ಅಮರ = It has many meanings but here it takes a meaning of a king (heading a 1000 foot-soldier army)
ಚಾರು = Pleasant, ಮನೋಹರ
ಚರಿತ್ರ = Personality
ನಿರುಪಮ = Without parallel, ಹೋಲಿಕೆ ಇಲ್ಲದ
ಭಾಳ = Forehead, ಹಣೆ
ಶಿಕಿ = Fire
ಕರಣ = ಇಂದ್ರಿಯ
ನಿರ್ಮಲ = cleanse
ಭಜಕರ = One who prays, ಪೂಜಿಸುವವನು
ಅಘ = ಪಾಪ
ಸಂಹರಣ = Remove
ದಂತಿ = Elephant
ಚಮೂರು = Tiger
ಸಲಹು = Protect,ಕಾಪಾಡು
Who Revels in the company of the godly, wears serpents for ornament, whose feet are adorned with the diadem of gods, has charming life, with blemish less eye on the forehead, washes away the sins of those who come baser instincts cleansed, is draped in the skins of elephant and tiger, thus reveled may Parvati’s consort protect devotees
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