Sisupalavadha Of Magha (Cantos 1-4)

Description

Sisupalavadha Of Magha Cantos 1-4 The Sisupálavadha, or as it is better known, the Magha. kávya, after the name of its author, is one of the master- pieces of Sanskrit literature. It is included among the five great classicai poems in Sanskrit, known as the महाकाव्य, and thus takes its rank with the works of Kalidata and Bharavi. It has enjoyed a very high reputation as a Kavya for over eleven centuries and has been so immensely popular with our Pandits as to be ranked by them even above the immortal productions of Kalidasa. As the saying current among them goes, the Magha (i. e., the Sisupalavadba) is the best among Kavyas, aud Kalidien is the best among poets’ (काव्येषु माघः, राजछ रामः, नगरीषु लंका, पुरुषेषु विष्णुः, कविषु कालिदासः). That the Pandits assigned to Magha the highest place among poets is also seen from a verse that is frequently quoted, viz., उपमा कालिदासस्य भारवेरर्थगौरवम् । नैषधे पदलालित्यं माघे सन्ति त्रयो गुणाः ॥. Though this lavish praiso bestowed upon the poem may, to our modern taste, appear rather extravagant, still it must be admitted that the masterly execution of the design, the vast array of poetic beauties and striking thoughts, and the supreme command over the Sanskrit langusge evident in every stanza of the poem, entitle it to a very high place in the Sanskrit poetical literature.