Great Epics of India
Nagraja : A Great Modern Epic of the World
( Review of Nagaraja an epic by Kanhayalal Dandriyal )
Bhishma Kukreti
Wikipedia defines the epic as “ An Epic (from the Ancient Greek adjective ἐπικός (epikos), from ἔπος (epos) "word, story, poem is a lengthy narrative, storyline poetry ordinarily dealing a serious subject having details of heroic acts and activities and events significant to a culture, region, people or nation. Oral poem may be eligible as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milma Parry have discussed that the classical epics were essentially an oral poetic form. Even so , epics have been written down at least since the literary works of Virgil Dante Alighieri, and John Milton”
The scholars divided epics according to time, subjects, nations, regions or languages . The classification of epics when they were created is better classification as it is easy to find out reasoning of creation and effects of one philosophy to another one of that time or other time.
There are hundreds of epics created all over . However, the following epics are famous epics.
1- Epics of before 8 th century B C
The scholars claim that the initial epics in the civilized world were Epic of Gilgamesh (Mesopotamian mythology0, Atrahasis (Mesopotamian mythology) ,Enuma Elish (Babylonian mythology) created 20th to 10th century B.C .
2-The Famous Epics from 8th to 1st Century BC are Iliad, (Homer ,Greek mythology),Odyssey, ( Homer Greek mythology)Works and Days ( Hesiod ,Greek mythology); Theogony,( Hesiod ,Greek mythology); Catalogue of Women ( Hesiod , Greek mythology) The Shield of Heracles ( Hesiod ,Greek mythology); Mahābhārata ( Vyasa, Hindu mythology) Ramayana ( Valmiki Hindu mythology); Argonautica ( Apollonius of Rhodes ); Annales ( Quintus Ennius , Roman History); Aeneid ( Virgil ; Latin mythology); and De rerum natura ( Lucretius Latin )
The details of epics of this era shows that India, Greece and Italy were the centers of education, literature, religion, spirituality, policy thinkers and philosophy. The philosophy and social disciplines were major issues before philosophers. The epics were very much becoming the source of preaching about different policies and code of conducts to the common men
3- Notable Epics of Various Languages or Regions from 1st AD to fifth Century are Metamorphoses ( Ovid ,Latin mythology) ; Pharsalia (y Lucan Roman history) ;Punica ( Silius Italicus , Roman history) ;Argonautica ( Gaius Valerius Flaccus a Roman poet, Greek mythology) ;Thebaid and Achilleid (Statius a Roman poet, Greek mythology) ;Buddhacarita ( Aśvaghoṣa, Indian epic poetry) ;Saundaranandakavya ( Aśvaghoṣa,Indian epic poetry) ;Silappadikaram ( Prince Ilango Adigal ,Tamil, India) ;Manimekalai Seethalai Saathanar , ,Tamil, India); Civaka Cintamani ( Tirutakakatevar , ,Tamil, India); Kundalakesi (Buddhist Poet ,India); Valayapati ( Jaina poet , India); Posthomerica ( Quintus of Smyrna ); Evangeliorum libri ( Juvencus ); Kumārasambhava ( Kālidāsa , Sanskrit, India) ;Raghuvaṃśa ( Kālidāsa, Sanskrit, (India) ;De Raptu Proserpinae ( Claudian );Argonautica Orphica and Dionysiaca ( Nonnus ),
The period and epic history witness again that India , Rome , Greece and nearby parts of Italy were governing literature, philosophy , political awareness and spiritual thinking . In india, the epic creation was spreading in other languages than Sanskrit and Jain or Buddhists priests also started to create . now , the epics were coming out from preaching to other raptures and other aspects of literature too. It may be called that epic in this era started expanding from one point focus to other important aspects of literature too. Definitely, kings and religious inspiration was main point of creating epics.
China, Japan and Korea regions definitely created folk literature or stories but from Epic point of view , German philosopher Hegel states that since, the way of thinking and observing of Chinese people (hence, Japanese and Korean as well) was prose like that there was no epic creation till late or till mid evil era.
Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and other Pacific Asian countries were under Indian control or influence and could be said that their epics are same as of India in this period.
3-The Epics from 500to 1500 Ad are Táin Bó Cúailnge ( Irish- Old ) Bhaṭṭikāvya, (Sanskrit , India ),Kiratarjuniya ( Bharavi, Sanskrit , India ), Shishupala Vadha ( Magha, Sanskrit, India ) ;Beowulf (Old English language) ;Waldere ( Old English); David of Sasun (Armenian) ; Bhagavata Purana (Vyas, Sanskrit, India,) Shahnameh (Persian languagr from Persia) );Waltharius ( Ekkehard of St. Gall , Latin) ;Taghribat Bani Hilal (Arabic) ; Harshcharitam ( Vanbhatt, Sanskrit, India ) ; Ruodlieb ( A German author in Latin Language) ; Digenis Akritas (Greek) ; Epic of King Gesar (Tibet) ; Chanson de Roland (Old French, France) ;The Knight in the Panther Skin ( Shota Rustaveli ) ;Alexandreis ( Walter of Châtillon, Latin) ;De bello Troiano and the lost Antiocheis ( Joseph of Exeter ) Carmen de Prodicione Guenonis, (in Latin ); Architrenius ( John of Hauville, Latin ) ;Liber ad honorem Augusti ( Peter of Eboli, Latin) ; The Tale of Igor's Campaign and Bylinas ;Nibelungenlied ( German) ; Parzival ( Wolfram von Eschenbach, German) ; Brut (Layamon in Early Middle English language) ;Chanson de la Croisade Albigeoise (Occitan) ;Antar (Arabic language) ; Sirat al-Zahir Baibars (Arabic) ; Epic of Sundiata and El Cantar de Mio Cid (Spanish in Old Spanish language) ;De triumphis ecclesiae ( Johannes de Garlandia ,Latin language) ;Gesta Regum Britanniae ( William of Rennes, in Latin language ) ;Jewang ungi by Yi Seung-hyu ( Korea) ; Gadobhavo ( Vakapatiraja, Prakrit- Marathi, India) ; Kumarpalcharitr ( hemchandra Suri, Prakrit-Marathi, India ) Decameron ( Giovanni Boccaccio ); Confessio Amantis ( John Gower ) ;Cursor Mundi (An Anonymous Cleric ) ;Divina Commedia -The Divine Comedy ( Dante Alighieri, Italian language ) ;Africa ( Petrarch, in Latin) ; The Tale of the Heike (Japanese ) ; Alliterative Morte Arthure (Middle English language) ;Orlando innamorato ( Matteo Maria Boiardo ) ;Shmuel-Bukh (Old Yiddish Chivalry ); Mlokhim-Bukh (Old Yiddish ) Book of Dede Korkut ; Kamban Ramayan (Tamil, India) , Kotha Ramayan ( Madhva Kandali Asamese, India) ; Kritvasi Ramayan ( Kritbas Ojha , Bengali, India) ; Yogeshwara Ramayan ( javanese Language); Ramker ( Cambodia, Khmer Language) , Mahabasma (Pali language, Sri Lanka) ; Mahabharat (Telugu version of Mahabharata – Three poets- Nannayya, Tikkana, Errana, India) ; Vardhman Charitr ( Asaga, Knnada, India) ; Adipuran (Kannada, India); Epic in Oriya language by Sarala Das .
The period is very long to get exact similar characteristics from epics of all countries and areas. However, there is a very specific characteristic of this era is that Sanskrit in Jamboodweep (Old India) started to get less importance from court and literature creators and Latin too started to get lesser importance in court and people as well. In Middle east initially Arabic creators got inspiration from Sanskrit classics and they transformed story telling methodology to new height but due to new religious, social and political changes in the area stopped further development in mythological story telling methodology.
In India after eighteen Purans, the Sanskrit epic creation got almost total setback.
Dan Ben-Amos the famous critic reviewing the remarkable book “ Oral Epics from Africa: Vibrant Voices from a Vast Continent. Edited by John William Johnson, Thomas A. Hale, and Stephen Belcher” quoted the theory of writers as, “ Epics were uncommon in Africa, or so it was consideration. Back in the thirties H. Monro and Nora K. Chadwick stated n their research The Growth of Literature (1932-1940) that the researchers duo could not found any trace of developed narrative poetry in Africa. Monro and Chadwick attributed this lack of material not only to the state of the record but, more significantly, to the lack of "prolonged efforts on the part of the African composer or recite." Twenty years and a war later, C. M. Bowra, a distinguished scholar, stated unequivocally that African tribes have in general no daring, gallant or heroic poetry, characteristic this require to the failure of the oral poet outlook which is "limited to the actual present, and this failure to conceive great events in objective setting." By that time pragmatic or empirical evidence began to mount and refute any preconceived notions about the creative incapacity of poets and dramatists or performers in Africa. In 1967 Jan Knappert researched the publication of epics of the Ankole, Bushong, Fulani, Hoausa, Luba, Malinke-Soninke, Nkundó, Rwanda, Songai (Songhay) and Swahili, but three years later Ruth Finnegan chose to ignore these texts, and adhering to a strict criteria of length and verse, argued again that -Eepic hardly seems to occur in sub-Saharan Africa.”. The opening statement of the book review byf Dan Ben Amos clarifies for non creation epics in earlier period in Africa.
This era witnessed epic creation in Japan and Korea too .Yiddish, the language of migrated Jews of Europe also started flourished by means of epics. Old French old English and old German or Italian languages started to get more prominence in their particular region as far as literature creation is concerned.
The period studied in context of epics, also suggest that Greece stopped influencing the heroic, philosophical and spiritual writings.
Due to Islamic rulers, Sanskrit was losing its high position as it had in past in India and local language creators started creating Khand Kavy or long poems and Mahakvya or epic in their languages . however, it is witnessed that the subjects of local language epics in India had been from ramaya, Mahbharat of Purans with liitle exception that local heroes were made deity or supernatural human beings.
4- Epics from 1500 till Date are Orlando furioso ( Ludovico Ariosto ) ; Os Lusíadas ( Luís de Camões )La Araucana ( Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga ) ; La Gerusalemme liberata (Torquato Tasso )Ramacharitamanasa (Goswami Tulsidas , Awadhi language, India) Lepanto by King James VI of Scotland (1591) Matilda ( Michael Drayton )The Faerie Queene ( Edmund Spenser )DandiRamayan ( Balram Das, Oriya language, India ); Setubandh ( Prakrit language, India) , Ramchandrika ( Keshav Das, Braj, India ) ; Veersinghcharit ( Keshav Das, Braj, India) ;The Barons' Wars ( Michael Drayton );The Purple Island ( Phineas Fletcher ) ; Szigeti veszedelem,(Known under the Latin title Obsidionis Szigetianae, a Hungarian epic by Miklós Zrínyi ) ; Davideis ( Abraham Cowley ) ; Paradise Lost by John Milton (1667) ;Paradise Regained by John Milton (1671) ;Wojna chocimska ( Wacław Potocki ) ; Prince Arthur (Richard Blackmore); King Arthur ( Richard Blackmore (1697) ; Chhatraprakash ( Gorelal, Khadi Boli , India) ; Raj Vilas ( Man, Old Hindi); Eliza ( Richard Blackmore ); Columbus ( Ubertino Carrara );Redemption ( Richard Blackmore ); Henriade ( Voltaire ); La Pucelle d'Orléans ( Voltaire ); Alfred ( Richard Blackmore ); Utendi wa Tambuka( Bwana Mwengo ) ;Leonidas ( Richard Glover ); Epigoniad ( William Wilkie ); The Highlander ( James Macpherson ) ;The Works of Ossian ( James MacPherson) ;O Uraguai ( Basílio da Gama ); Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire** ( Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill ); Der Messias ( Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock ) ; Rossiada by Mikhail Matveyevich Kheraskov ) ; a An epic by Mikhail Matveyevich Kheraskov ;Athenaid ( Richard Glover _Joan of Arc ( Robert Southey); Hermann and Dorothea by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1797) ; Hmairraso (Jodhraj, Old Hindi local dialect, India) ; sujancharit ( Sudan, Hindi old version, India) ; Mahabharat ( Sabal Singh, Old Hindi-local regional dialect, India); Braj Vilas ( Brajwasi Das , Local Hindi, India) ; rameshwamedh ( Madhusudan Das, regional Hindi, India); Krishn Chandrika ( Guman Mishra, Regional Hindi, India) ; The Conquest of Canaan ( Timothy Dwight ) ;Ramakein ( Thailand) ;Mahabharat ( Moropant, Marathi Mhabharat, India) Mahbharat (unknown poet, Kashmiri language, India) ; Ramayana (unknown Poet, Kashmiri Language, India) ;Narsimha Puran ( Pitambar das, Oriya Language, India) ;Harivansham ( Achyutanand Das , Oriya, India); Markandey puran and Vishnukeshari puran ( both by Mahadev das Oriya, India) ; Vishnugarv puran ( Chaitanydas, Oriya, India) ; Naga ( Thai version of Indian Sheshnag ); Mhayatri ( Radhnath, Oriya, India) ; Pannyatsachadok or Thai version of Sanskrit Jatak Kathayen commonly known or referred as Tales of Prince Samuttakote; The Tale of Kiều ( Nguyễn Du); Thalaba the Destroyer ( Robert Southey ); The Lay of the Last Minstrel ( Walter Scott); Madoc ( Robert Southey ) Faust part one and two ( Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ) ;Columbiad ( Joel Barlow ) ;Milton: a Poem by William Blake ) ;Marmion (poem) (Walter Scott ) , Epic poem ( Walter Scott ); The Vision of Don Roderink (Walter Scott ); The Curse of Kehama ( Robert Southey ); Rokeby and The Bridal of Triermain ( Walter Scott ) ; An Epic by Shelly ; Roderick, the Last of the Goths ( Robert Southey ) ; The Lord of the Isles ( Walter Scott ); Alastor, or The Spirit of Solitude ( Percy Bysshe Shelley ); Revolt Islam (Percy Bysshe Shelley ) ; Harold the Dauntless ( Walter Scott ); Endymion, ( John Keats ) ;The Battle of Marathon ( Elizabeth Barrett Browning ) ;Hyperion, (1818), and The Fall of Hyperion (John Keats ) ; L'Orléanide, Poème national en vingt-huit chants ( Philippe-Alexandre Le Brun de Charmettes ) ; Phra Aphai Mani ( Sunthorn Phu ) ;Promessi Sposi ( Alessandro Manzoni ); Don Juan by Lord Byron (1824) ;Prometheus Bound ( Elizabeth Barrett Browning ) ;Pan Tadeusz ( Adam Mickiewicz ) ; Krst pri Savici ( France Prešeren ) ; The Seraphim ( Elizabeth Barrett Browning ); Smrt Smail-age Čengića ( Ivan Mažuranić ) ; Evangeline ( Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ) ;Gorski Vijenac ( Petar Petovity Njegosh ); Kalevala ( Elias Lönnrot , Finnish mythology) ;Kalevipoeg ( Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald , Estonian mythology) ;The Prelude ( William Wordsworth ); Song of Myself ( Walt Whitman ) ;The Song of Hiawatha ( Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ) ; La Fin de Satan ( Victor Hugo ) ;La Légende des Siècles - The Legend of the Centuries ( Victor Hugo ); The Anarchiad ( David Humphreys, Joel Barlow, John Trumbull, and Lemuel Hopkins );The Anathemata ( David Jones ) ;The Adagios Quartet ( Judith Fitzgerald ) ,Canto general (Pablo Neruda ); Parsifal ( Richard Wagner ); Fredy Neptune ( Les Murray );The Ring and the Book ( Robert Browning ) ; Martín Fierro ( José Hernández ); Idylls of the King ( Alfred Lord Tennyson) ;Clarel by Herman Melville ) ; Krishngatha ( Mlayalam language, India); Shrikrishncharitam manipravalam ( Kunchan Nambiar, Malayalam language, India) ; L'Atlàntida ( Jacint Verdaguer ) ;The City of Dreadful Night ( James Thomson ) ; Eros and Psyche ( Robert Bridges ) ; Four Quartets ( T. S. Eliot ); Canigó ( Jacint Verdaguer ) ;Lāčplēsis (' Andrejs Pumpurs , Latvian Mythology) ; The Wanderings of Oisin (William Butler Yeats ) ;Lahuta e Malcís ( Gjergj Fishta ) ; Drake: An English Epic,; , The Torch-Bearers ( Alfred Noyes ); The Ballad of the White Horse ( G. K. Chesterton ) ; Mensagem ( Fernando Pessoa) ; The Cantos ( Ezra Pound ) ;The Hashish-Eater; Or, The Apocalypse of Evil ( Clark Ashton Smith ) ;The Bridge ( Hart Crane ) ;Ramvatar Charitra (Prakash Ram, Kashmiri language, India) ;Jangikhaveer, (Ali Shah Haril, Kashmiri, India);Jangital (Ali Shah Haril, Kashmri, India) ; Jangi jaakoom (Ali Shah Haril, Kashmiri, India) ; Jangi Amiri hamja ( Ghulam Mohmad Hanfi, Kashmiri , India); Samnama ( Bulbul, Kashmiri, India); Kurukshetra ,, Rashmirathi ), Urvashi ), Hunkar by Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' in Hindi, India; Savitri ( Aurobindo Ghose ) ; The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel ( Nikos Kazantzakis ) ;Dymer ( C. S. Lewis) ;A Cycle of the West ( John Neihardt ) ;"A" ( Louis Zukofsky ) ;Paterson ( William Carlos Williams ) ;Victory for the Slain ( Hugh John Lofting ) ; The Maximus Poems ( Charles Olson ) ;Libretto for the Republic of Liberia ( Melvin B. Tolson ) ;Aniara ( Harry Martinson ) ;Mountains and Rivers Without End ( Gary Snyder ) ;Helen in Egypt (Hilda Doolittle ) ;The Changing Light at Sandover ( James Merrill ) ;The Battlefield Where the Moon Says I Love Youby Frank Stanford ) ;The Legend of Te Tuna ( Richard Adams ) ;Genesis: An Epic Poem ( Frederick Turner ) ;Omeros by Derek Walcott ) ;The Levant ( Mircea Cărtărescu ) ;Astronautilía Hvězdoplavba ( Jan Křesadlo); The Descent of Alette ( Alice Notley ) ;Cheikh Anta Diop: Poem for the Living ( Mwatabu S. Okantah ) ; Portvcale ( Tiago Lameiras ) ; Ramchandravilasam ( Azakath Padmanabha Kurup, Malayalam Language, India );Rukmanigadacharitam (Pandalam verma, Malayalam , India ) ;Five epics Pandavodayam, Savitrimahatyam, Goshrisadityacharitam, Vanchisavamsham and Mallayamkolam ( Kodungallar Kochuni , Mlayalam, India ); Shriyashuvijayam (Kattakayam Cheriyan, Malayalam, India); Keshaviyam ( K.C Keshva , Malayalam) Umakeralam ( Ullur, Malayalam, India) ; Chitrayogam ( Vallathol, Malayalam, India) Three epics or Mahakavya – Raghuveercharitam ,Raghavabhyudayam and Uttarabharatam ( Vatakkuma Raja Raja Verma , Malayalam , India) ; Arymritam ( Madhom Parmeshwaran Namburi , Malayalam , india); Chitrodayam ( Govind Pillai) Isharyelvamsham ( Devassya, Malayalam, India) Shrikrishnaabhyudayam ( T N Nair, Malayalam, India) ; Vishvdipam ( Putthankavu Mathan Tharakan, Malyalam , India) ; Madhvante Mahakavyam ( M.madhva, Malayalam, India); Urmila ( K K. Kurup, Malayalam, India) ; Mhaprashthanam ( Devassya, Malayalam , India) , Marthoma Vijayam ( Maris Raninjaa, Malayalam, India) ; Mahamadam ( Syed Mohammad , Malayalam, India) ; Khamba Thoribi Sheireng ( Hijam Anganghal Singh, Manipuri Language, India); Basudev Mahakavya ( Chngangbam Kalachand Singh, Manipuri, India) Mhakavy based on story of Panipat by Veer Savarkar ( Marathi Language, India) , Bhanubhakta ki ramayan ( Nepali languge , Nepal); Shakuntal ( Laxmiprasad Deokota, Nepalese , Nepal) ; Kavita Gucchchhar ( Devidatta Parajuli, Nepalese, Nepal); Four epics Sulochana , Bankusum, mahrana Pratap, and Pramithas (Dekota Nepalese, Nepal) ; Adarsh Raghava ( Somnath Sigdel), Nepalese language, Nepal) ; Tarun tapsi ( Lekhat Paudyal, Nepalese); Cheeso Chuhlo (Balkrishn Shma Nepalese, Nepal) ; Mahamanav ( Modnath Prashrit, Nepalese, Nepal); Davala (Bikram Pyas, Nepalese, Nepal) Teelu Rautela ( Roop Saklani, Garhwali, India) Bhumyal ( Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna , Garhwali language, India), Uttarayan ( Prem Lal Bhatt, Garhwali, India) Nagraja part -1 ( Kanhayalal Dandriyal, Garhwali, India) , Nagraja Part -2 ( Kanhayalal Dandriyal, Garhwali, India ) Nagraja – part 3 and 4 ( Kanhayalal Dandriyal, Garhwali, India) ; Rana Surat Singhi (Bhai Veer Singh, Punjabi, India) Gurudev ( Surendra Singh Kohli, Punjabi, India) ; Three epics Mard Agmara, Vishva Noor, and Mohan Bali ( Avtar Singh azad, Punjabi, India) ; Malvendra ( Sant Indar Singh Chakravarti, Punjabi language, India) nanakayam (Mohan Singh, Punjabi, India) Pasram Purukh ( Indrajeet Singh Tulsi, Punjabi, India) Mat Ganga toi Gujari Mat (Niranjan Avtar, Punjabi, India) , Narmad ( A Gujrati language epic, India ) ;Exact Epitome of the Four Monarchies ( Anne Bradstreet ).
In Bengali, Meghnad Vadh ( by Madhusudan), Viritra Samhar ( hemchandra Benreji) , Raibatak Kurukshetra ( Navinchandra Sen) are major epics. In Assamese, Abhimanybadh ( by Ramaknat Chaudhary), Shitaharan (by Bholanath das), Leela Kvya (By Padmnath g Barua), Kamtaput Dhwanskavya and Tirotan Atmauday ( by hiteshwar Barburua), are major works of epic
The significant characteristics of this era especially in India is that small population language creators also started creating epics in their own local languages. The subjects, in nineteenth and twentieth century are in varied nature. The epic subject and narration started expanding from religious heroes to realistic heroes or it may be said that contemporariness of the present society has also seen in many epics. Sanskrit and Latin were no more the languages of epics. In Arabic countries, due to social changes , the epic creation came at halt. Countries as in South America or Australia –New Zealand , the epics creation depended on the stories of native lands from where the migrants migrated .
Nagraja – Part 1
Though great poet ( Mahakavi) Kanhaya Lal Dandriyal started writing epic Nagraja from November 1965 and completed by May 1966. However, the fist part of Nagraja epic was published in 1993 due to economical problems as in Garhwali literature, the writer has to publish and distribute himself. By then Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna published ‘Bhumyal’ epic and Prem lal Bhatt published ‘Uttarayan’. All three epics are different in subject and poetic treatments with keeping characteristics of epic intact.
In Garhwal and in Garhwali language, the Jagar are the oral source of religious history / Jagar are narrated at the time og Ghadela or Pando ritual performances. In one Ghadela, the Jagari ( the narrator and musical instrument player) . The Jagri narrates one story and depending upon time and the worshiper’s demand , Jagari narrates many stories with main religious theme . All stories are interrelated with each other because deities and goddesses of one theme are definitely related to deities and goddesses of other theme.
In Nagraja (Part 1 to 4 ) , many stories of deities and goddesses are narrated in the style of Mahabharata wherein one story is related to other stories by many means. Nagraja (1 to 4) is Mahbharata of Garhwali language in terms of many stories woven by the creator of epic.
The first part of epic Nagraja is all about lord Shiv Jee There are following parts in fist episode (part -1) of Garhwali epic Nagraja
Khand – 1
Ganesh Pooja
Brahma Vandana
Srijan
Tam Shrishthi
Sat shrishthi
Lokantar
Kal gati
Daksh Kal
Kashyap yug
Marudgan
Khand -2
Shiv Sumiran
Shiv Uptpati
Daksh Tap
Sati Gatha
Vinti
Bardan
Shiv Sati Sanjog
Prayag Raj
Daksh Yagy
Uttarakhand
Sati Ko lakshy
Rees
Vinash
Karm fal
Shiv Bilap
Khand – 3, Part - 3
Divy Bardan
Gauri Ko janm
Tap ko bato
Tadasur Prakaran
Kamdevai bhumika
Madan vinas
Rati Vilap
Gauri Viyog
Tap sankalp
Gauri ko tap
Kalyan Karm ko agrah
Pariksha
Adhirata
Divy baman
Sapraunu
Shiv swaroop
Shiv darshan
Gauri ki Prarthana
Parvati ko Gharbaud
Utsav
Natraj
Shiv se Dyabton prarthana
Vaishanav Baman
Sapt rishi
Mangder
Samjhaun
Vakdan
Shiv kee mangan
Himavan ki Taiyari
Barat
Syapata
Virdosh
Maina Tain samjan
Parvati prarthana
Divy Barat
Vedi
Sasu Bhet
Nyuter
Vidai ki taiyari
Karm siksha
Kailash Dham
Skandh janm v tadasur Prasang
Veerbhadr tadsur Khirtu
Tadasur Vishnu Yudh
Tadasur skandh sangram
Tadsur Man
Ganesh Prasang
Ganesh Utthan
Ganesh Vivah
Kartikey Bairgya
Shubhkamna
The story of this epic is about the life and struggle of Lord Shiva. Great Poet Kanhayalal Dandriyal showed lord Shiva as a person looks after caws and bulls in forest (Gwer) who nourishes caws and bulls in the jungle . This personification of lord Shiva as Gwala makes this epic great epic. Great Epic creator Kanhayalal Dandriyal takes readers to show many facets of life of lord Shiva . In showing the life of lord Shiva , Dandriyal narrates many known mythological stories at India level, many stories related to lord Shiva known in Garhwal and many more which were uncommon either at India level or at Garhwal region.
The surprising important aspect of Nagraja part -1 is that Kanhaya Lal Dandriyal did show various customs of Garhwal while narrating the stories of lord Shiva and this aspect makes this epic more relevant for Indian people as Shiva looks like a great common man than deity with lot of inborn power. Here in Nagraja, Shiva struggles as common man and readers relate the struggle of Shiva with his own struggle and by this way readers become part of Nagraja epic.
As Himasnhu Sharma explains that many contemporary Garhwali customs, jewelries, dressings , farming techniques, the aspects of Shiva as Gwer/ Charwaha (who takes domestic animals to forest for grazing) , the daily life of Shiva as a Gwer , the fun aspects in marriage process and marriage ceremony make the epic a realistic poetry book too. The important attraction of epic is that while the aspects of customs and daily life matches with a common Garhwali of nineteenth century , Kanhayalal Dandriyal narrates the stories of Shiva in old Sanskrit Purans and folk stories prevailing in Garhwal. Kanhayalal shows his mastery over blending realism and mythology in this epic. Blending of philosophy with realism is the key central aspect of Nagraja – partas ---
Jeeja Sali ka Majak Prasang ( Funny Moments between Sister in Law and Brother in Law) in Nagraja :
It is common everywhere that at the time of marriage ceremony , sister in laws do fun with dulha (Groom) . In nagraja when lord Shiva got married and the Barat was returning or doing see off . At that time , his sister in laws or sisters of Gauri from her village do fun with jeeja or brother in law (lord Shiva) . The fun is marvelous and the readers will smile. There is indication of an old custom of Negi Chari when the bride family used to offer maid servants as Dehej ( dowry) to groom family. This is the characteristics of great poet (Mahakavi) Kanhayalal Dandriyal to narrate the serious story with local atmosphere and custom. The Nagraja is all about philosophy and mythology related to marriage of Lord Shiva with Sati but Dandriyal did not make it serious but made it as part of Garhwali society of nineties. No body can challenge the art, capacity and capability of great poet (MahakavI) Kanhayalal Dandriyal for fine blending and mixing realism with philosophical and religious subject
Kanhayalal Dandriyal showed various images of present Garhwal in terms of geography and society. At the same time, Dandriyal also showed more than fifty emotions in this epic too.
The style of poems is conventional
The story telling style of the epic is similar to Jagar style of Kumaun, Garhwal and Nepal . the Jagar style makes the philosophical narration easy to audience to relate them with story and audience feel involved themselves into the subject. Kanhayalal is expert of using correct and simple phrases of the language but extremely related to the time, place and class of characters of the story . that is the reason that Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, Arabian and Persian words used in the epic seems as if they were Garhwali words. Kanhayalal is the master of choosing relevant words and phrase.
Dandriyal is also authority on raptures and emotions of poetry. Dandriyal successfully used relevant emotions to create specific rapture and also shows that the poet also has the mastery over dissolution of rapture and creation another rapture immediately .
According to Answer.com, there are following 9 key characteristics of an Epic Poem:
1- The epic opens in the midst of the story (medas res)
2- The setting of an epic poem is vast and it covers many nations, the world and the universe.
3- The epic poetry usually, starts with an chant to ponder.
4-The epic long verse starts with a statement of the theme.
5 There is use of Epithets in epic poetry.
6- The epic includes long lists.
7- The epic poem features long and formal speeches.
8- In most cases, the epic shows divine intervention on human affairs.
9- The main performers or Heroes of epic symbolize the values of civilization.
Kanhayalal Dandriyal’s Nagraja Part -1 fulfils all the above criteria for being one of the greatest and remarkable epics in the world history
The epic shows that Kanhayalal Dandriyal has the power of creating best poetry and the epic proves the reason behind Dandriyal as one of the greatest poet among 200 greatest poets of this earth ever born.
The contribution of Kanhayalal Dandriyal for world class literature is immutable. Whenever there will be talk of memorable epics in the world literature forum, the name of Kanhayalal Dandriyal will become essential.
Nagraja Part -1
Epoic Creator: Great Poet ( Mahakavi) : Kanhyalal dandriyal
Published by : Garhwali Sahity Parishad , Kanpur
Available at
Dandriyal prakashan, B Block 5236, Gali no. 115/2 , Sant Nagar , Buradi, Delhi, 110084
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