NEMICHANDRA

  1. Nemichandra (ನೇಮಿಚಂದ್ರæ)
  2. nEmicandra
  3. 12th Century
  4. Hoysala Kingdom
  5. Jaina
  6. Lakshmanaraja(Ratta dynasty), Veeraballala and Sejjeval Padmanabha (Hoysala dynasty)
  7. Sahitya Vidyadhara, Kavirajakunjara etc
  8. Nemichandra is one of the few poets who persisted with the Champu tradition even after the advent of medieval Kannada and a prosodic system based on Matrgana. He has composed two Champu works. ‘Neminathapurana’(Ardha Nemi Purana) delineates the story of Neminatha the twenty second Teerthankara in conjunction with the story of Harivamsha and Kuruvamsha. It contains eight chapters. This is an interesting combination catering both to his priorities as well as the preferences of his patron. This work was inspired by ‘Chavundarayapurana’ by Chavundaraya and Neminathapurana by Karnaparya. He has given greater importance to the story of Krishna relative to that of Neminatha. Traditional details such as ‘Bhavavali’ are given a short shrift in this work. Nemichandra has prefers the descriptive mode and meanders giving profuse details. There is an unfinished look to this work. All the three stories that the poet sets out to narrate remain incomplete. Probably this is the reason for the nomenclature ‘Ardha Nemipurana

Leelavathy is a combination of themes selected from folklore as also many works in Sanskrit belonging to the category of prose romances. He is greatly indebted to the Sanskrit work ‘Vasavadattaa’ by Subandhu. Scholars have contended that other Sanskrit works such as ‘Svpana Vasavadattaa’, ‘Kadamabari’ and ‘Vikramaorvasheeya’ have had their own influences on ‘Leelavathy’. This is the story of Kandarpadeva and Leelavathy, who visualize one another in their respective dreams and set out to realize the dreams. The work is composed around their search, meeting, wedding and the aftermath. Nemichandra is very fond of ‘Shringara rasa’ and gives many erotic details with out any compunction. Unfortunately the story is not illuminated by any vision or an intellectual strength. The mastery of the poet over Sanskrit, Prakrit and Kannada has not succeeded in bringing about a fusion of those languages.

Nemichandra thus belongs to the galaxy of minor poets in Kannada.

  1. ‘Neminathapurana’(ardha nemipurana), ‘Leelavatiprabandha’

Neminathpurana :( nEminAthapurANa): 1. 1914, M.A. Ramanuja Iyyangar, Karnataka Kavyakalanidhi Maale. Mysore 2. 1961, B.S. Sannaiah, Sadhana Sahityamandira, Mysore 3. 1968, B.S. Kulakarni, Dharawar.

‘Leelavathy prabandha’: (lIlAvatIprabandha): 1. First six chapters published in Karnataka Kavyamanjari in 1898 and the remaining chapters in 1908 by Ramanuja Iyyangar in Mysore . 2. Two chapters edited and published by K.G.Kundanagar in 1935. 3. 1936, complete work edited by K.Venkataramappa and De, Javaregowda, 4. 1981, P.V.Chandrashekhara Rao, (Not revised)

  1. References:
    1. ‘Kannada Neminathapuranagal Taulanika Adhyayana, T.V.Venkatachala ShastrI, 1973, Mysore University , Mysore
    2. ‘Nemichadra’, 1959, N. Anantharangachar, Mysore University , Mysore
    3. ‘Nemichandrana Leelavathy Prabndham’ (Kavi-Kavya Vimarshe),

K. Venkataramappa and De. Javaregowda, 1966.

 

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