Lilavai

SR No.: 002796
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: A N Upadhye
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Publication Year: 1966
Total Pages: 500
Language: Sanskrit, Hindi, English
Classification: Book_Devnagari & Literature
File Size: 15 MB

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LILĀVAI
sometimes called Pați Lilavati possibly to distinguish it from an earlier work of the title Lilavati and to indicate that the problems were worked on păți or the slate.1 So many commentaries are written on it. It has no relation, excepting the common title, with our Präkrit poem.
Lilavati of Nemicandra
There is a Kanņada Campū, the Lilavati or Lilavati-prabandha of Nemicandra" who is also known by another name Kavirajakuñjara which was possibly one of his many honorific titles like Kavidhavala etc. Nemicandra flourished about 1170 A. D. He 'was eminent at the court of Vira Ballāļa and at that of Lakṣmaṇarāja, the Silāhāra ruler of Kolhapur'. His Neminathapurana, which he left incomplete, he wrote at the suggestion of Vira Ballala's minister, Sejjevalla Padmanabha. His Lilavati is 'The earliest known specimen of the novel, or genuine work of fiction, in the Kanarese language'. It is a Campu written in a pleasing style. On account of its predominant erotic flavour, it is styled as Srigara-kāvya; and some Kannada authors have compared it with the Kadambari of Bāņa. It is divided into 14 Aśvāsas, full of elegant prose and poetry. Here and there we have some Prakrit and Sanskrit verses. Nemicandra has a remarkable mastery over Kannada language, and he studiously follows classical Sanskrit models with which he shows close acquaintance. Very often his prose shows a rhyming ring and his Ragale lines remind us of Apabhramsa metres. A short summary of the story is given below.
The prince Kandarpadeva was the son of king Cūdāmaņi and his queen Padmavati. He had a friend and companion in Makaranda, the son of
1 Keith: Classical Sanskrit Literature (1923), p. 30; A History of Sanskrit Literature (Oxford 1928), pp. 523 ff.
2
Aufrecht: Catalogus Catalogorum, I, p. 545.
3
Ed. in the Karnataka Kāvyamañjarī, Mysore 1898.
4
R. Narasimhacharya: Karnataka Kavicarite, Vol. 1, 3rd ed., pp. 255 ff. Bangalore 1924; E. P. Rice: Kanarese Literature, p. 43, Oxford 1921.
5 I quote here the two Prakrit verses found in this work with minor corrections. 1) पणमह महिंद्रचळणे महाणिज्ना कोडद्दल्लेण । अणं तिहुषणमज्जे सतो सो वो मुहं सज्झ ॥ 4. 91, p. 95; 2 ) आगासेदिमाहिंदास [ र ?] विससियर्ण मरणोपायरंभं । किमेदं बंधकं पसवास हियए राहुणो हो सिदको || एक्कहि सो जसेहिं णयवयणसुता[ हा ? ] सच्छम [ मे ं ]हिं गुणेहिं । झीणं जाये पि जाए जयइ जगइ वं [ से ?] णेमिचंदो कविंदो " 9. 8, p. 71. This second verse is very corrupt and baffles interpretation.
6 I thank my friends Professor K. G. Kundangar, Kolhapur and Professor D. L. Narasimhachar, Bangalore, who kindly placed the analysis of the poem at my disposal.