MADANATILAKA

 

  1. Madanatilaka (ªÀÄzÀ£Àw®PÀ)
  2. madanatilaka
  3. Chandraraja
  4. 11th Century, 1025 A.D.(Approx.)
  5. Erotica (Prosody)
  6. Madanatilakam Ed. R.S.Panchamukhi, Kannada Research Institute, Dharwar, 1953
  7. ‘Madanatilaka’ is a work on erotica which is better known for the variety and craftsmanship of the metrical forms that are used by him. Recha Nrupa a chieftain under Jayasimha a king belonging to the dynasty of Kalyani Chalukyas was the patron of Chandraraja the author of this book. Chandraraja makes it explicit that the ‘erotica’ part of the work is a poetic rendering of the advice given by a king Recha Nrupa to his wife. Chandraraja elaborates on the theme and uses the occasion to exhibit his mastery over prosody and the acrobatics of versification. He is unique because he uses the indigenous meters as also those borrowed from Sanskrit. He is justified when he calls his work verily a great ocean of prosody.                                                                                                  Apparently Madanatilaka in its entirety is not yet traced. It contains eleven chapters (adhikaraNa) consisting of 397 items in either poetry or prose. But Chandraraja declares that his work contains eighteen chapters with 500 items. Even this text is rather corrupted and contains a number of errors.  The metrical forms contained in Madanatilaka are essentially of native origin. Forms such as Tripadi, Shatpadi, and Piriyakkara abound in his work. He does not give their features but uses them extensively. All of them spring from ‘Amshagana Chandassu’ which is the basis from for the Dravidian prosody. Chandraraja uses many proverbs that were prevalent during his times.                                    

Another reason for which Madanatilaka deserves a detailed study is the extensive usage of ‘Chitrkavitva’. Chitrakavitva which is very common in Telugu is a clever use of graphic, lexical and morphological devices to make a poem interesting and entertaining. Chandraraja uses devices such as chakra, muraja, gOmUtrike, paNava etc.                                                                                                              Hence ‘Madanatilaka’ is an important source of information about Kannada language and prosody.

  1. A vermillon dot on the forehead of Cupid
  2. References:

            a. Madanatilakam       T.V.Venkatachala Shastry, Kannada Sahitya Parishath Patrike, Vol. 46-1, 2, 1961.

            b. Chandrarajana Madanatilaka G.G.Manjunathan, 1976, Kannada sahitya Charitre, Vol. 3, Institute Of Kannada Studies, Mysore University, Mysore.

            c. Kannada Chitra Kavya, by T.V.Venkatachala Shastry, 1987, Institute of Kannada Studies, Mysore University, Mysore

 

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