Kumaradasa

Kumaradasa was a king of Sri Lanka who was highly influenced by Kalidasa. The Janakiharana suffers from the commonplace theme. However Kumaradasa handles the story very well and he uses effectively the innumerable opportunities for description which the theme presents. There are poetic pictures of King Dasaratha, his wives and Ayodhya, Brihaspati in appealing to Lord Vishnu for help and the exploits of Ravana. The poet describes the sports in the water, the king illustrates the sunset and then night and morning are sketched. Thereafter the birth of Dasaratha`s sons to the slaying of the Raksasi has been narrated.

Thereafter it shifts to Mithila where Vishwamitra and Janak exchange greetings. Kalidasa has influenced Kumaradasa in style immensely. He adopts the Vidarbha form and develops a marked degree. Alliteration has been used abundantly though it is not carried to the point of affectation.

Kumaradasa was a keen student of grammar. His love of periphrasis is extraordinary. He uses the metre skilfully and follows the main manner of Kalidasa without seeking the elaboration of the use of many shifting metres. The ‡ioka is dominant in some Cantos; Drutavilambita, Prami taksara; Upajati of Indravajra type, Vancastha; Vaitallya and Rathoddhata have been used. The minor metres used are cardulavikriditi, cikharini, Sragdhara, Puspitagra, Praharsini, Vasantatilaka, Avitatha, Mandakranta, and Malini.

Janakiharana is basically an outline of the Ramayana epic. However he is quite original in theme presentation, in descriptions of nature and in the demarcation of the mental and emotional states of his characters. His scholarship is evident in this epic. The original poem Janakiharana has been recovered from South Indian manuscripts.

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