Rajasekhara

Not to be confused with Rajashekhara Varman.

Rajashekhara (Sanskrit: राजशेखर, Rājaśekhara) was an eminent Sanskrit poet, dramatist and critic. He was court poet of the Gurjara Pratiharas.[1] He wrote Kavyamimamsa between 880 and 920 CE. The work is essentially a practical guide for poets that explains the elements and composition of a good poem.[2] The fame of Rajashekhara rests firmly on his play Karpuramanjari, written in Sauraseni Prakrit. Rajashekhara wrote the play to please his wife, Avantisundari, a woman of taste and accomplishment. He is perhaps the only ancient Indian poet to acknowledge a woman for her contributions to his literary career.[3]

Life

In his Bālarāmāyaṇa and Kāvyamimāṃsa, Rajashekhara referred himself by his family name Yāyāvara or Yāyāvarīya. In Bālarāmāyaṇa, he mentioned that his great grandfather Akalajalada belonged to Maharashtra. In the same work, he described his father Durduka as a Mahamantrin (minister) without providing any details. He mentioned in his works that his wife Avantisundari belonged to the Cahamana (Chauhan) family. In his works, he described himself as the teacher of the Gurjara-Pratihara king Mahendrapala I.[4]

Works

The works attributed to poet Rajshekhara include:

See also

References

  1. ↑ Satish Chandra (1978). Medieval India: a textbook for classes XI-XII, Part 1. National Council of Educational Research and Training (India). p. 10.
  2. ↑ "Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara". Retrieved 2007-01-21.
  3. ↑ Sisir Kumar Das, Sahitya Akademi (2006). A history of Indian literature, 500-1399: from courtly to the popular. Sahitya Akademi. p. 60. ISBN 9788126021710.
  4. ↑ Warder, A. K. (1988). Indian Kāvya Literature. Vol. V. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 413–€“4. ISBN 81-208-0450-3.
  5. ↑ Rama Shankar Tripathi (1989). History of Kanauj: To the Moslem Conquest. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 224. ISBN 978-81-208-0404-3. ISBN 812080404X, ISBN 978-81-208-0404-3.