Modern Odisha, representing the ancient Udra visa, Kalinga, Utkal and Kosala is rich and highly cultured land which has been the focal point of attention of many noted saints, writers, historians and visitors from times immemorial for its richness of art and architecture.
The Odishan art is reflected not only in the temple walls, rocks or caves but in the fabulous Sanskrit Writings, the repository of the age-old glory of this land. The genius of this soil could produce a number of artistic and skillful Sanskrit writings. The Poems of puns (slesa kavya s) having the same set of words, giving more than one meaning in the verses throughout the composition are specimens of rare talent. A single verse gives two different meanings, thus narrating two different themes (dvisandhana kavya s) at a time and verses having different varieties of chimes throughout (Yamaka kavya s) are quite remarkable. These are the hidden treasure of this fertile soil, lying unnoticed in the galleries of State Museum, Odisha, Parija Library of Utkal University and in other manuscript libraries of Odisha and other places.
The present text Yamaka Bhagavata of Purusottama Misra is not an exception. The work deals with the sports (lila) of Krsna in chiming verses throughout. The present work is a critical study and edition of the text written by Purusottama Misra (17th CAD), an Odishan Poet. The interesting features of the text, apart from its literary form are its linguistic peculiarities and the fact that it reflects a variety of Krsna traditions. Purusottama Misra selects his episode from the tenth skandha of the Bhagavata Purana, one of the accepted traditional Hindu texts and summerises it within 501 verses in eight cantos.
Composed in Yamaka alamkara throughout, the Yamaka Bhagavata draws the attention of the scholars at the first sight as Yamakakavya. Yamaka poems has not yet been studied and edited in Odisha and even this section of literature has not received the same treatment from the scholars like other poems. If I am not wrong, mine may be the maiden venture in Odisha to study and edit a Yamaka Kāvya. After consulting different catalogues and voluminous works on the History of Sanskrit literature, I was appalled to know that contribution of Odisha to Sanskrit Literature has not been properly highlighted. Poet Purusottama Misra was known as a famous commentator only by a few Odishan scholars. This is timely attempt to bring one of the innumerable manuscripts, lying unused and unattended in the libraries and remote localities, to lime light and establish the author with appropriate position in the galaxy of Sanskrit authors.
My purpose is to bring out a correct reading of this work, to assess its literary value and to focus on the contribution of Odisha to Sanskrit literature specially to the tradition of Odishan citra kavya s. The text is supplemented with a commentary. The problem of present study does not include the critical edition of the commentary. As the text consulted are in damaged condition on the other hand if justice is not given to the commentary in the present context, I apprehend, the commentary may not come to light in future. Therefore, the commentary with corrected readings has been added so that a proper and comprehensive study can be made on it in future.
For the critical edition of the Yamaka Bhagavata I have taken three manuscripts, available so far. Different dictionaries, catalogues, printed books and libraries are also used for the purpose. The details are discussed in 'Introduction' under 'Critical Edition'.
A number of scholars have visited, now are visiting and will do the same in future the Parija library (PL) of Utkal University (UU), Bhubaneswar (BBSR), Odisha. The manuscript (MS) section of this library has been the source of many edited Sanskrit texts. But the text the Yamaka-Bhagavata (YB) of Purusottama Misra (PM) has been lying there unexplored since 1967 as per the version of the authorities. It may be due to the reasons that the difficulty of the text, bad condition of the MS and non-availability of copies for which such a rare specimen of precious Sanskrit literature could not see the light till date. The condition of the MS has been going from bad to worse day by day. It has been used as delicious edibles by the insects. The literary world could not come to know the significance of such a rare Odishan contribution to the field of Citra Kavya (CK) written in the style of Yamaka Alamkra (YA) throughout. If it is not brought to lime light, how such a great work would occupy its position in the appreciative mind of vast literary world. This has become deep concern for taking up the present problem. The condition of the MS preserved here is very deplorable and such a rare contribution would be carried away by the tide of time. Inspite of trial and various communications, the editor could not find more than three Manuscripts (MSS) of the text.
The editor took a vow of now or never and tried to bring such a fine specimen of Classical literature; so that the future generation would be delighted to see such a rare combination of scholarship and literary genius through the present study.
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