Odia Books

Loknath Vidyadhar born in 1657 he is the celebrated poet of the medieval period, was born at Banapur. His father served as one of the ministers (Patra) of the Gajpati king of Orissa whose capital during that time was at Khurdha. The poet in his works has not mentioned the profession in which he was engaged during his lifetime. It seems he spent a few years of his life at Puri, the seat of Lord Jagannath. From his writings it is evident that he was adept in Sanskrit ‘Kavya’ and rhetoric.

His poetical works include Padmabatiparinaya, Sarbanga Sundari, Rasakala, Brundaban vihar, Neeladri
mahotshaba, Ba-chautisa and Chitrakala. All his poetical compositions, except Neeladri mahotshaba and Ba-chautisa, are fictional poems, centering round the love episode of a prince and a princess. Besides, they exhibit the poet’s high imaginative and descriptive qualities and excellence in the use of the figures of speech. All his works are composed on the models of Sanskrit rhetoric.

Sarbanga Sundari is considered to be his earliest composition (1692-93),comprising fifteen cantos. The work deals with the love between Abanitilak, the prince of Ratnamala Katak, and the princess Sarbanga Sundari, the daughter of the king of Rasataranga. A swan sent by Krishna played a vital role in uniting Abanitilak and Sarbanga Sundari, who was ignorant of Abanitilak, and allured her to marry him.

During the time of ‘Swayambar’ arranged to select the suitable bridegroom for her, she selected
Abanitilak for her husband. Their marriage was performed ceremoniously, and Abanitilak returned to his country with his newly married wife. They subsequently lived a happy conjugal life.

The poem exhibits the poet’s strong power of creativity and faithful imitation of Sanskrit poetic style. His romantic poem,Padmabati parinaya, comprising eighteen cantos, deals with the happy union of Padmabati, the daughter of king Dharmadhwaja, with Makaradhwaja, the prince of Chandraprabhapur. From the colophon to this kavya it is learnt that this work was completed in 1698. Rasakala, another romantic poem of the poet with a similar theme, consisting of forty cantos, was completed in 1715.

The poet composed Neeladri mahotshab, a poem in twentysix cantos, in 1698. The work deals with the
twelve important festivals held at the famous temple of Jagannath situated in Puri. It is described in a poetic manner filled with different sentiments and exhibiting the rhetoric skill of the poet.

Chitrakala is considered to be his best poetical composition. In respect of the theme it has similarity with Sarbanga Sundari. Both the kavyas comprise fifteen cantos and are named after the heroines of the kavyas. Chitrakala got the favour of Maharsi Narada, who kindly sent a swan to help her in winning the love of Sudarsan, the prince of Krushnabeni.

During the swyambar she selected Sudarsan as her husband. After their marriage was performed, Sudarsan returned to his country with his wife and lived a happy conjugal life. The poet has shown his excellence in describing the beauty of external nature and the beauty of woman with apt similes and metaphors.

The only small piece of poetical composition of the poet is Ba-Chautisa. The chautisa is a popular lyricalform in the ancient and medieval Oriya literature. It consists of thirty-four couplets and the first word at the beginning of each couplet is written according to the alphabetic sequence beginning with ‘Ka’ and ending with ‘Ha’ the last consonant.

Ba-chautisa is so named, as the epithet Ba is used at the end of each couplet of the poem. It is surmised that the poet was much concerned with the prevailing political instability and social confusion due to the Muslim rule in the later part of the 17th century and wrote this poem as a warning to his people. In this Chautisa are described the changes that will take place in future during the Kaliyuga.

Brundaban vihar, consisting of five cantos, seems to be his last composition. It deals with the traditionallove episode of Radha and Krishna and is composed in the usual ornamental and rhetorical style of the poet.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: M. Mansingh, History of Oriya Literature (New Delhi, 1962); S. Acharya, Oriya kavya
kousala (Berhampur, 1983); S.N. Dash, Oriya sahityara itihas. Vol. II. (Cuttack, 1965)

Odia Books By Loknath Vidyadhar

Padmabatiparinaya
Sarbanga Sundari
Rasakala
Neeladri Mahotshaba
Brundaban Vihar
Chitrakala