GAJASHTAKA
‘Gajashtaka’ (gajASTaka) (ಗಜಾಷ್ಟಕ) is very short work, known for its historical and
prosodic importance rather than its subject matter. Gaja Shastra is the art and
craft of maintaining and treating elephants. ‘Gajashtaka’ is a set of eight poems
which describes this craft. This work is purportedly written by Shivamara-2, a
king belonging to the Western Ganga dynasty that ruled in South Karnataka. He
was in power during the ninth century. (830 A.D.) He was a scholar in many
branches of knowledge such as ethics, archery, grammar, poetry and the art of
looking after horses and elephants. This fact is documented in an inscription
found at Nelamangala in Bangalore district. Another inscription found in Humacha,
(Panchabasti Shilashasana) tells us that the ‘Gajashtaka’ written by Shivamara,
was as popular as ‘OnakevADu’ and ‘Ovanige’. Obviously these two are popular
song forms of that period. With all this, ‘Gajashtaka’ is yet to be traced.
Shivamara is supposed to have written ‘Gajamatha Kalpana’ in Sanskrit and
‘Sethubandha’ in Prakrit. Even they are not found.
‘Gajashtaka’
is perhaps the first written work in Kannada making use of Tripadi meter. This is
also the first ‘Ashtaka’ kavya in Kannada. The reference to ‘Ovanige’ and
‘onakevADu’ in the context of ‘Gajashtaka’ makes them at least as ancient as
‘Gajashtaka’. This gives us some gleanings about the folk meters of that
period.