The Epic Hero in Campu Kavya (A Study of The Campuramayana)

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The Present book THE EPIC HERO IN CAMPUKAVYA is a critical study of the Campuramayana of Bhoja and Laksmanasuri. It is an extensive and exhaustive work on the Campukavya. It contains seven chapters.

• Introduction.

• Campu Kavya: Its characteristics: Origin and Development.

• The Ramayana of Valmiki and the Campuramayana study.

• Literary studies in the Campuramayana.

• India as Known to the authors of the Campuramayana.

• Allusions.

• Conclusion.

Dr. Indira Saikia M.A.,B.T.,Ph.D. is a Lecturer in Sanskrit Pragjyotish College, Guwahati (Assam). Dr. Saikia is an eminent scholar and a researchers .She took her M.A. Degree in Sanskrit from Gauhati University with first class. She was awarded the Ph.D Degree in Gauhati University in 1993 for her thesis."The Campuramayana –A Study" Dr. Saikia had presented a research paper in the First International conference seminar on Ramayana and Mahabharata at Malay University. Kualalumpur, Malayasia in the year 1999 where she had been honoured as a chairperson.

I consider it my privilege to forward Dr. Indira Saikia's Epic Hero in Campukavya: a critical assessment of the Campuramanaya to the literary circle. Campu is a mixed literary composition in which prose and verse are blended for a single purpose. The art was cultured by Indians since very ancient times. It been clearly noticed in the Adiparvan of the Mahabharata itself in the beginning of classical Sanskrit literature. Campu, however, emerged as a distinct class of ornamental literature since the 10th century A.D. when Trivikramabhatta wrote his famous Nalacampu on the love story of Nala and Damayanti of the Mahabharata: As centuries rolled on, Campu writers employed many new techniques in their writing in order to impart novelty to the particular type of Kavya literature. Dr. Indira Saikia has discussed these features appropriately in the introduction to her book.

King Bhoja of Dhara, the author of his single Campukavya, was a prolific writer and a profound scholar. He was a master in almost all branches of Sanskrit literature right from poetics to vastusatra, horse-lore, veterinary science. Lexicography, grammar, astrology and the Saiva philosophy.

Dr. Saikia has rendered a very useful service to the academic circle by writing an eleborate and exhaustive critical work on the Campuramayana. Which will immensely benefit the common readers and scholars alike. She has not only adequately discussed the poetic merits of the Campuramayana but also has put forth an excellent- introduction to the extensive literary activities of Bhoja. The introduction displays the great scholarship and critical insight of the author. The Epic Hero in the Campukavya is truly relishable to the connoisseurs of poetry.

This book is based on a part of my thesis entitled "The Campuramayana - A study" which was presented and approved for the Degree of Doctor of philosophy in the University of Gauhati in 1993. A few amendments have been made in it. The importance of the Campuramayana lies in the fact that it was responsible for changing the sentimental appeal of the mixed Kavya to that of the intellectual and hence began a new approach in the history of sanskrit literature. Embellished expressions are not rare in sanskrit literature from the very remote period.

I always found a deep interest in the study of the Campu literature which by itself is a distinct class of poetic composition. Though some Campu Kavyas are greatly mechanical and cumberous, I was attracted by the style of writing and the other literary beauties of the Campuramayana.

I had an opportunity of studing the Campuramayana of Bhoja and Laksmansuri in M.A. class in sanskrit in Gauhati University. The melodious tunes of its poems, the diversity of the style, effective characterization and the set of images presented the book are always the source of delight for readers. This is one reason for which I decided to publish the Ph.D. thesis in the form of a book in the interest of the academic circle. Though the Campuramayana is a popular work, I have found that no adequate, critical work on the book has been published so far. Therefore, I have considered it proper to published the present book, which, I hope, will render some service to scholars and researchers.

I have no words to express my deep gratitude to my revered teacher Dr. Apurba Chandra Borthakuria M.A. Ph.D. (Cal) veda Sahitya-Sastri, formerly Professor and Head of the Department of Sanskrit, Gauhati University, for his valuable guidance, inspiration and kind help rendered to me in accomplishment of my task and I am highly grateful to him, who was kind enough to write a foreword.

I can not forget the useful advices and love received from all the honourable teachers of the Sanskrit Department of Gauhati University who constantly advised me to publish the present work. I express my sincere gratitude to them all.

I am also grateful to the staff of the National Library Calcutta, the staff of the Oriental Research Institute of Mysore, the Govt. Oriental Manuscript Library of Madras and the staff of the Gauhati University Library, Librarian and Staff of Darrang College, Tezpur, for their kind cooperation and immense help which were rendered to me in different ways for collection of materials for publishing this book and I expresses my deep gratitude to Sri P.K. Bhattacharya of Punthi-Pustak for his kind consent to publish this book from his farm.

At this occasion, I express my deepest sense of gratitude towards my brother-in-law late revered Ghana Kanta Bora B.E., who left us, for his word of affection and inspiration still ring in my ears as an evergreen memory. As a token of affection and admiration this minor work is dedicated to him.

In the end, I express my heartful gratitude to my husband Sri Tapan Kr. Bora who helped me and co-operated with me with his heart and soul in accomplishing the present task.