SHATAKA SAHITYA
Shataka (ಶತಕ) is a literary genre in Kannada. Shataka
means hundred and any composition containing one hundred stanzas is given the name
shataka. These poems could be in any prosodic form
such as Vrutta, Kanda padya,
Shatpadi, Sangatya etc.
Occasionally the number of stanzas exceeds one hundred and in Kannada it has gone
up to 228. A shataka is essentially an outpouring of
the emotions or thoughts of the narrator and they do not have a story line. In that
sense, shatakas are subjective and some of them have
a lyrical strain. Most of them have ethical, religious and philosophical overtones.
Of course, some of them have themes that are less lofty and deal with amorous matters.
Obviously shatakas in Kannada are inspired by their
counterparts in Sanskrit penned by poets such as Bhartruhari
and Amaruka. Some of the originals are available in
Kannada translation.
Chandrachudamani
Shataka by Nagavrmacharya
(1071 A.D.) is the first shataka in Kannada and it is
devoted to the theme of renunciation. Shadakshara Kanda
by Kondaguli Keshiraja (1160
A.D.) and Stanashataka (1200) by Kavi
Kama (Not found) are next in the lineage
Harihara, Puligereya
Somanatha and Ratnakaravarni
are the major poets who have written shatakas and elevated
it to poetic heights. Harihara has written Raksha
Shataka and Pampaa Shataka. Both of them are filled with devotion (Bhakti)
and remorse (Pashattaapa). They do not indulge in praising
the Lord in a verbose manner. The narrator takes a look at the experiential spectrum
of his own life and feels sad for his weakness and follies. These poems read as
though the poet is talking to himself and repenting for his misdeeds. These poems
were rendered to music by Siddarama
Jambaladinni in an exemplary manner.
Puligereya Somanatha of the sixteenth century
is the author of Someshvara Shataka.
A preaching of the moral and ethical precepts has not made this work insipid and
monotonous because the poet has made use of wonderful and vibrant similes. Most
of them are plucked from every day experience and retain their freshness even to
this day. They have been a part of the school curriculum for decades. Many of his
sayings have acquired the status of idioms in Kannada.
Ratnakaravarni another poet belonging to
the 16th century has written three shatakas.
They are Aparajiteshvara Shataka,
Ratnakara Shataka and
Triloka Shataka. Ratnakaradheeshvara Shataka
does not contain one hundred poems as the name implies. Actually it is a collection
228 poems. These are essentially philosophical, veering towards a renunciation of
worldly pleasures. Its as though the poet is making amends for his earlier indulgences
both as a poet and an individual. The poems are lyrical because they contain more
of personal agony than theological musings. The protagonist is aware of the difficulty
in reining in ones senses and a sense of melancholy prevails all through. Aparajita Shataka is a collection
of 128 poems and it is complementary to the other shataka.
These two shatakas delineate the growth of a soul towards
mellowness by an act of intense introspection. They transcend the boundaries of
religion and document universal themes. Triloka Shataka is rather
insipid in when compared to its companions. It contains 129 kanda
padyas which delineate the salient features of the
external world according to the Jaina world view.
Haribhaktisaara
by Kanakadasa is another important
shataka. This is composed in Bhamini
Shatpadi. Chikkupadhyaya has written
his Shrungara Shataka
and Rangadhama Shataka
in the Sangatya meter. Haradaneeti
by Hulugereya Simharaja
contains 110 Kandapadyas. Moggeya
Mayideva who lived in the fifteenth century has composed
three shatakas all of them in different
vruttas. B.Shivamurthyshastry has edited
five shatakas all of them pertaining to the
Veerashaiva religion.
The total number
of shatakas in Kannada exceeds six hundred.
The introduction written by G.A.Shivalingaiah to his
work Shataka Samputa contains
a detailed history of this genre. He provides a list of 637
shatakas as an appendix to his work. He has included twenty
shatakas in this work some new and some already edited by others.
However not many of them have acquired the status of literature because they belong
to the realm of religion.
References: 1.
Encyclopaedia of Indian literature vol. 1 -
Google Books Result
2. KANNADADALLI SHATAKA
SAHITYA: A. Srikrishna Bhat;
Pub. by Sri Bhagavatpada
Prakashana, Sri Sonda Swarnavalli
Maha Samsthana, Post
Mathadevala, Sirsi Taluk, North Kanara District.