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Satirical works of Kshemendra (study)

by Arpana Devi | 2017 | 60,954 words

This page relates ‘Chronological Order of the Works� part of the study on the Satirical works of Kshemendra: an 11th century poet from Kashmir, who composed three satirical works. Kshemendra himself says that in composing the satirical works his only motive is to reform the mindset of the people.—He exposes all the vices and follies prevailing in the society with the intention to reform it.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

11. Chronological Order of the Works

It is not easy to arrange the works of ṣeԻ in a chronological order. Different scholars have divergence of opinion in this regard. The poet himself gave the chronological order of some of his works. ṣeԻ composed the ṛhٰ첹ٳ峾ñᲹī in 1037 A.D., the ⲹṛk in 1050 A.D., the ܻ屹Բ첹貹 in 1052 A.D., the ܳٲⲹ in 1059A.D. and the ٲś屹ٲ in 1066A.D.

Pādatāḍitaka M.S.Kaul Shastri[1], the editor of The ٱśDZ貹ś and of ṣeԻ has arranged the works (both known and unknown) of ṣeԻ in the following order�

a. ṛhٰ첹ٳ峾ñᲹī,
ٲñᲹī,
峾ⲹṇañᲹī

b. ʲԲ貹ñś,
ܱṛtٲپ첹

c. վԲⲹī,
屹ṇyī,
ѳܲԾٲīṃs,
īپ,
ܻ屹Բ첹貹,
,
ٲٲԲ,
ѳܰ屹ī屹ⲹ
ٲⲹԲūٰ
,
ܳٲⲹ

d. ʲⲹ岹ī,
Śśṃśa,
ٱśDZ貹ś,
,
侱ٰٲ,
Բ첹Բī,
ṛtٲṅg,
䲹ٳܰṅg,
첹ṇṭ󲹰ṇa

e. Darpadalana,
,
ⲹṛk,
𱹲ⲹ𱹲DZ貹ś

f. ٲś屹ٲ,
ܳ

In the group ‘a� he keeps the 峾ⲹṇañᲹī later than ٲñᲹī The 峾ⲹṇañᲹī must have been composed before ٲñᲹī, because in the ٲñᲹī ṣeԻ is mentioned as Vyāsadāsa while in the 峾ⲹṇañᲹī he is not mentioned as Vyāsadāsa. But taking this point only one cannot say that 峾ⲹṇañᲹī is the earlier composition than ٲñᲹī as in the 첹ṇṭ󲹰ṇa also the title Vyāsadāsa is not available. However, the writing style of 첹ṇṭ󲹰ṇa indicates that it is a matured composition of ṣeԻ. The 侱ٰٲ and the 䲹ٳܰṃg is placed in the group‘d�, while these two works are composed before the ܳٲⲹ, which is placed in the group‘c�. Earlier it is mentioned that ⲹṛk is composed in 1050 A.D., the ܻ屹Բ첹貹 is composed in 1052 A.D. and the ܳٲⲹ is composed in the 1059 A.D. It is clear that ܱṛtٲپ첹 is composed first, but Pādatāḍitaka Kaul has placed it in the group ‘e�. ܱṛtٲپ첹 is placed in the group ‘b�, but the style and the language of the work indicates that it is a later composition of ṣeԻ. In the list, the ǰ첹ś and the NK is absent.

V.P Mahajan[2] has given the chronological order of ṣeԻ’s works as follows�

1st ǻ�
ṛhٰ첹ٳ峾ñᲹī,
峾ⲹṇañᲹī,
ٲñᲹī,
ʲⲹ岹ī.

2nd ǻ�
ٱśDZ貹ś,
,
īپ,
ܱṛtٲپ첹,
屹ṇyī,
ѳܲԾٲīṃs,
,
ٲٲԲ,
ѳܰ屹ī

3rd ǻ�
ṛp屹ī,
ǰ첹ś,
īپ첹貹ٲ,
첹ṇṭ󲹰ṇa,
ⲹṛk,
Բ첹Բī,
ܻ屹Բ첹貹

4th ǻ�
ܳٲⲹ,
䲹ٳܰṃg,
𱹲ⲹ𱹲DZ貹ś

5th ǻ�
,
ܳ,
Darpadalana,
ٲś屹ٲ

In the above mentioned list the ṛtٲṅg, the 侱ٰٲ and the Śś is not mentioned. In the 3rd period Բ첹Բī is placed after 첹ṇṭ󲹰ṇa, but Բ첹Բī must have been written earlier than 첹ṇṭ󲹰ṇa as 첹ṇṭ󲹰ṇa mentions the work Բ첹Բī Again the work 𱹲ⲹ𱹲DZ貹ś is placed in 4th period after the work ܳٲⲹ, while the work is quoted in the work ܳٲⲹ and also in the 첹ṇṭ󲹰ṇa On the other hand, ܳٲⲹ is kept in the 4th period, while this work is composed earlier than the 첹ṇṭ󲹰ṇa, which is placed in the 3rd period.[3]

According to Dr. Suryakanta[4], ṣeԻ’s works may be arranged in chronological order in the following way-

1st ǻ�
峾ⲹṇañᲹī,
ٲñᲹī,
ղṣṭ첹,
ṛhٰ첹ٳ峾ñᲹī,
ٲⲹԲūٰ,
ʲⲹ岹ī

2nd ǻ�
ٱśDZ貹ś,
,
ʲԲ貹ñś,
ܱṛtٲپ첹
īپ첹貹ٲ
,
屹Բⲹī,
ѳܲԾٲīṃs,
īپ,
,
ٲٲԲ,
ѳܰ屹ī,

ⲹṛk
,
ܻ屹Բ첹貹,
ܳٲⲹ

3th period
śśṃśa屹ⲹ
,
侱ٰٲ,
Բ첹Բī,
ṛtٲṅg,
䲹ٳܰṃg,
첹ṇṭ󲹰ṇa

4th ǻ�
ǰ첹ś,
ṛp屹ī,

5thǻ�
Darpadalana,
𱹲ⲹ𱹲DZ貹ś,
ܳ,
ٲś屹ٲ

In the above mentioned chronological arrangement ṛhٰ첹ٳ峾ñᲹī is kept after 峾ⲹṇañᲹī and ٲñᲹī. ṛhٰ첹ٳ峾ñᲹī is the first composition (1037A.D.) of ṣeԻ. Generally, a writer first starts his career by translating a work. ṣeԻ also might have started his career by composing ṛhٰ첹ٳ峾ñᲹī in Sanskrit which is the translation of Guṇādhya’s ṛhٰ첹ٳ, written in ʲś峦ī Prākrit. After composing this work, ṣeԻ must have composed the epitomes like 峾ⲹṇañᲹī and ٲñᲹī. Moreover, in the list the 侱ٰٲ and the 䲹ٳܰṃg are kept after the ܳٲⲹ, but these two works must have been composed before the ܳٲⲹ, because ܳٲⲹ quotes verses from these unknown works.

Thus, it is seen that scholars are not unanimous regarding the chronological order of ṣeԻ’s works. It seems that in the first period, ṣeԻ wrote mostly the poetical works and in the later period some of his didactic and satiric poems. Between the works of these two periods, it is impossible to fix the chronological order of ṣeԻ’s works.[5] The satirical works of ṣeԻ namely the , the ٱśDZ貹ś and the bear no date of composition. Due to non-availability of such a date, the chronological order of the satirical works of ṣeԻ is also difficult to determine. ‘is perhaps one of ṣeԻ’s earliest works�, though ‘on vague stylistic grounds it is usually supposed that ٱśDZ貹ś is earlier�.[6] On the other hand, Pādatāḍitaka M.K. Shastri, places the ٱśDZ貹ś and the in the same period. According to Dr. Suryakanta, the ٱśDZ貹ś and the were two of ṣeԻ’s earliest works (cf. p.87 of the dissertation).

In this context, it can be noted that in the ٱśDZ貹ś, ṣeԻ himself says that he does not have expertise in satirizing.[7] It gives an impression that he was lacking in self confidence while composing this satire. As such it can be assumed that of the three satirical works, the ٱśDZ貹ś would have been his first satirical work.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Shastri, Pt. M.S. Kaul, The ٱśDZ貹ś and of ṣeԻ, p.25

[2]:

īپ첹貹ٲ, Introduction, p.v

[3]:

Suryakanta, Dr., K ṣemendra Studies, p.27

[4]:

ibid.pp.27-28

[5]:

Sternbach, Ledwik, Unknown Verses Attributed to ṣeԻ, p.1

[6]:

Warder, A.K., Indian 屹ⲹ Literature, 6:4876, 6:4973

[7]:

ityuddeśanidarśanena vividha� yat kiṅcidukta� tat sarva� smitakāraṇa� sahṛdayā� śṛṇvantu Գٲ� ṣaṇa�/
ṣeԻ� praṇati� karoti na paṭurlokopahāseṣvala� kintveṣa vyapadeśata� پ貹岹� śDZ貹ś� ṛt�// ٱśDZ貹ś VIII.52

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