Madhav & Kama Read online

  About the book

  This is the story of Madhavanala and Kamakandala. Madhav, a handsome and accomplished young man, is asked to leave his city of Pushpavati: his looks and singing so distract women that they neglect their work, and cityfolk create an uproar about it. Exiled, Madhav reaches the court of King Kama Sena, the ruler of Kamavati, where he meets the bewitching courtesan Kama. The two fall in love but royal ire ensures that the lovers part. A heartbroken Madhav takes shelter in a temple at Ujjain, the city of King Vikramaditya. What can the great ruler do to assuage Madhav’s pain? Can he reunite the lovers?

  This lively and colourful tale has startling metaphors, a candid narration of love and an ending that matches its evocative language. In circulation since the twelfth century AD, Madhav and Kama has been translated from the original Sanskrit text for readers in English for the first time.

  About the Author

  Aditya Narayan Dhairyasheel Haksar was born in Gwalior and educated at the Doon School and the universities of Allahabad and Oxford. A well-known translator of Sanskrit classics, he has also had a distinguished career as a diplomat, serving as Indian High Commissioner to Kenya and the Seychelles, Minister to the United States, and Ambassador to Portugal and Yugoslavia.

  His translations from the Sanskrit include the Hitopadesa and Simhásana Dvátrimshiká, both published as Penguin classics, and the Jatakamala published by HarperCollins India with a foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama. He has also compiled a Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry, which was commi-ssioned by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

  Madhav & Kama

  ROLI BOOKS

  This digital edition published in 2014

  First published in 2006 by

  IndiaInk

  An Imprint of Roli Books Pvt. Ltd

  M-75, Greater Kailash- II Market

  New Delhi 110 048

  Phone: ++91 (011) 40682000

  Email: [email protected]

  Website: www.rolibooks.com

  Copyright © A.N.D. Haksar, 2006

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, print reproduction, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of Roli Books. Any unauthorized distribution of this e-book may be considered a direct infringement of copyright and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  eISBN: 978-93-5194-060-9

  Cover Design: Arati Subramanyam

  All rights reserved.

  This e-book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form or cover other than that in which it is published.

  P.M.S.

  In Remembrance

  Vaman Shirodkar

  E.P. Bharata Pisharodi

  M.S. Padmanabha Sharma

  my Sanskrit teachers at different times

  Contents

  INTRODUCTION

  Prologue

  The Ladies of Pushpávati

  Mádhavánala

  The Test in the Assembly

  Kámakandalá

  The First Meeting

  The Banishment

  Madhav and Kama

  Love in Union

  The Parting

  Love in Separation

  Vikramaditya

  Epistles of Love

  The Temple of Mahákála

  Madhav Meets the King

  The King’s Decision

  Diplomacy and War

  The Lovers Reunited

  Epilogue

  The Afterstory

  ENDNOTES

  LIST OF VERSE RENDITIONS AND SOURCES

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Introduction

  The tale of Madhav and Kama, or Mádhavánala and Kámakandalá to give the protagonists their full names, is an ancient Indian love story. It was probably in oral circulation well before the written form. The Sanskrit text, presented here in translation, is notable for its simple yet evocative language, its dramatic setting of scenes and its candid portrayal of both the physical and the emotional aspects of attraction between people in love. It was current till about a century ago, but then seems to have faded, becoming virtually unknown to modern readers.

  The story’s oldest recorded manuscript is dated Samvat 542 which, if taken to be the Nepali era, would correspond to AD 1422 though its language may suggest a somewhat earlier date. Titled Mádhavánala Kathá, it was located in the Durbar Library of Nepal. A scholarly study1 lists forty three other Sanskrit manuscripts of this tale. Dating from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, they lie at places as far apart as Thanjavur and Varanasi, Pune and Kolkata, Gujarat and Kashmir, besides copies which have found their way to collections in Britain, Italy and Russia.

  The titles differ. A common variation is Mádhavánala Kámakandalá Kathá. In some texts the word kathá is substituted by ákhyánam, upákhyánam or kathánaka, which also mean a tale, or by kávya, a poetic composition. In some others, interestingly, the word used is nátaka or nátaka kathá, which indicates that the narrative was also used as a play. But the storyline, style and literary structure are broadly the same in all cases, pointing to an underlying unity in what may be different recensions of the same material.

  From the number, geographic distribution and differing dates of these manuscripts, it would appear that the story was current over a large area for a long period of time. This is also borne out by its retellings in other Indian languages, specially in the north and the west of the country. Texts of these versions exist in old Gujarati, Rajasthani, Marathi, Hindi and Urdu, the last being a translation from Braj Bhasha by Mazhar Ali Willa under the title Quissa-i-Madhunal.

  One version occurs in the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh’s Dasam Granth2 which, together with another verse retelling in Sanskrit dedicated to the Mughal emperor Akbar, formed the basis of the long narrative poem Mádhavánala in seventeenth century Hindi by the Muslim poet Alam. From such data it would seem that the original’s appeal had also transcended sectarian and cultural divides. Such plurality in its currency is not surprising, given the universal nature of the story’s theme – the joys and sorrows of true love, and the vicissitudes of two young lovers amidst their romantic meeting, sad separation and final reunion.

  The Madhav-Kama story forms part of the kathá literature of classical Sanskrit. This comprises a variety of narratives, sometimes in verse, but more often in prose interspersed with gnomic and descriptive stanzas. The famous Sanskritist Winternitz3 divided them into four groups: popular tales of oral origin; fables and stories intended for inculcating worldly wisdom; others compiled for religious propagation; and those meant essentially for entertainment. These were composed in relatively direct and easy to understand language, in contrast to the more cultivated and ornate kávya style of a fifth group of narratives which include celebrated works like Dasha Kumára Charitam of Dandin and Bána’s Kádambari4. The kávyas were written mainly for cultured and sophisticated audiences. The simpler kathás, on the other hand, catered to a wider cross-section of society. The tale presented here has elements of all the four groups outlined by Winternitz; but though it includes sage precepts and pious passages, it is primarily a romance, meant more to entertain rather than edify its readers.

  This story is also a part of the considerable Sanskrit literature about the exploits of Vikramaditya, the famous king and hero of Indian folklore. The best-known and already translated works from this group are Vetála Panchavimshatiká or Twenty-five Tales of the Vampire and Simhásana Dvátrimshiká or Thirty-two Tales of the Throne.5 Others include Sháliváhana Kathá and Vira Charitra, which are about
Vikramaditya and his successors; Vikramodaya, in which he appears in the guise of a wise parrot; and Panchadanda Chhatra Prabandha, in which he is a mighty magician.6 In the romance of Madhav and Kama, the king features as the third principal character, through whose extraordinary efforts the two lovers are eventually reunited.

  Not much can be said about the author of this work. Of the forty four existing manuscripts, only fourteen cite one by name. In three it is given respectively as Vidyápati, Kavishvara and Kanakasundara. The first two of these, it has been surmised, could also be honorifics. The remaining eleven manuscripts name the author as Ananda or Ananda Dhara, and five of these further describe him as the pupil of Bhatta Vidyá Dhara7. Modern scholarship has, as such, generally ascribed the work to Ananda, a disciple of Bhatta Vidyá Dhara8.

  Unfortunately, in common with many other Sanskrit authors of antiquity, nothing is known beyond the name in this case. One historian9 of Sanskrit literature noted at least ten writers called Ananda, and speculated that the author of this work might be the same as a commentator styled Ananda Rájánaka. This title, referring to a government functionary, was used in Kashmir where the title Bhatta, or the learned, was also prevalent. The detail could have helped to place the author geographically if the identification was conclusive. At present, however, apart from the author’s name, we have only the story attributed to him. The story in brief follows:

  Mádhavánala is a well-born, musically talented and very handsome young man in the city of Pushpávati. People complain that he is turning the heads of all the women in the town, who are getting infatuated by his beauty. The king summons him to the court for a musical test, and banishes him on discovering that the queen herself and her ladies are no less affected by his charms.

  The young man finds his way to the city of Kámávati where the lovely dancing girl Kámakandalá happens to be performing before Kama Sena, the ruler. He impresses the latter with his knowledge of music and dance, and is honoured with a special gift. But the ruler feels affronted when Mádhavánala publicly presents that gift to the dancing girl for her virtuosity, and she in turn praises him lavishly for his judgement and generosity. The king then angrily orders the youth to leave his kingdom.

  On his way out of the royal court, Mádhavánala meets Kámakandalá who, too, has been smitten by him. She takes him to her house where the two engage in banter, fall in love and spend the night together. They play literary games, cap verses, solve riddles, and impress each other with their skills. They are distraught when Mádhavánala is obliged to leave the next morning amidst emotional farewells.

  Both are lovelorn in their separation and exchange long messages as Mádhavánala wanders from place to place. Eventually, he arrives in Ujjayini and takes shelter in the temple of Shiva, Mahákála, there. Pining all the while for Kámakandalá, Mádhavánala expresses his anguish in some verses he writes on the wall of the temple.

  The writings stir the curiosity of King Vikramaditya of Ujjayini, who is famous as the Dispeller of Others’ Sorrows. A courtesam helps him locate Mádhavánala and the king questions him about his problem. Unable to persuade him to forget and give up Kámakandalá, the king realizes that the young man is truly in love, and decides to unite him with his beloved. To this end he proceeds with Mádhavánala to the city of Kámávati.

  In order to test Kámakandalá’s love for Mádhavánala, King Vikramaditya first meets her secretly. He propositions her and, on being spurned, tells her that the man she loves is dead. The dancing girl collapses and dies on getting this news. When her death is reported to Mádhavánala, he too follows suit. Stricken with remorse, the king is set on suicide, but his familiar spirit, the vetála saves the day by fetching the nectar of immortality with which the two lovers are brought back to life.

  Thereafter, Vikramaditya negotiates with King Kama Sena of Kámávati through an emissary for the release of Kámakandalá, and finally forces it after a battle. He then reunites the two lovers who return with him and live happily ever after.

  The story also sheds light on contemporary social conditions. Some are well known, for example, feudal kingship and caste hierarchies. The existence of highly cultured and economically independent courtesans is also found in other works: Kámakandalá has been compared to the high-minded Vasantasená in the classic Sanskrit play Mrchhakatika. A feature of the present tale is its description of a music concert and a dance performance. It also describes samasyá vinoda, a literary pastime deserving some mention.

  Samasyá Vinoda consisted of setting propositions or riddles for explanation or solution by the other party, often in improvised verses. The praheliká or riddle was a recognized part of literature: sixteen varieties have been listed in Kávyádarsha, a well-known seventh century work on poetics by Dandin10. The hero and the heroine give several examples of these in their exchanges during their first meeting.

  Of the locations mentioned in this tale, Ujjayini is readily identifiable with the present city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. Still held in tradition as the old capital of Vikramaditya, it is also the site of the famous Mahákála temple, last rebuilt in the eighteenth century. Kámávati is harder to locate in the absence of any evidence. But some data which may be relevant to Pushpávati is deserving of notice here.

  This is a reference in the old Central Provinces Gazetteer of the then Jubblepore district, pertaining to a place known as Bilahri in Murwara Tehsil near Katni in modern Madhya Pradesh. It notes that, according to tradition, Bilahri was a flourishing city in the distant past, and was then known as Pushpávati. It was found by the colonial recordist to contain many old structures and remnants, among them a ruined temple known as the palace of Kámakandalá. ‘Local tradition,’ he wrote, ‘avers that Mádhavánala, the hero of the well-known drama, was resident of Bilahri. He was a great vocalist, but he displeased the king and was banished. He thereupon went to the court of Kama Sena, who had a dancing girl named Kámakandalá. They married and returned to Bilahri with the assistance of another king and constructed the building which goes after his wife’s name.’11

  It may be inferred from the note cited here that the locale of our story lay probably in an area of modern Madhya Pradesh, where it was still known in tradition when the gazetteer reference was compiled in colonial times. According to separate reference, from the Archaeological Survey of India report for 1924-25, Bilahri may have been the capital of the Kalachuri kings in twelfth century AD. The historical basis, if any, of the tale of Mádhavánala and Kámakandalá is obviously a subject for further academic research, as indeed is the gamut of its various literary aspects.

  Available records show that this research has received comparatively little attention so far. The Sanskrit text of the tale has been published only on two occasions. The first was in Italy nearly one hundred years ago.12 The second was in India three decades later, but merely as an appendix to the text of a popular Gujarati retelling, and without any translation or further comment. The sources were described in some detail in another study of a later Sanskrit retelling13, but the text of the original has remained largely unexamined. Standard histories of Sanskrit literature, when they mention the tale of Mádhavánala and Kámakandalá, do so very briefly. As far as it was possible to ascertain, it has never been translated into English.

  The present translation is intended to bring this once popular and still charming love story before the English reading public of today. The text I have used is entitled Mádhvánalákhyánam and reproduced, as mentioned above, in the appendix to the Gujarati Mádhavánala-Kámakandalá-Prabandha, edited by M.R. Majumdar and published in Baroda in 1942 as the Gaekwar Oriental Series No. 93 .14 Majumdar ascribes it to Ananda, though the appended text itself does not name any author.

  This Sanskrit text, which I have translated completely, is written in Champu styles, which mixes prose with verse. Mainly in the former, it is interspersed with 233 verses, of which sixty nine are in Prakrit or Apabhramsha. Some are quotations from other classics while others may be originals
composed for the story. Most have been rendered in prose to maintain cohesion and continuity in the translation of the narrative. Nearly half, however, have been presented, where it seemed suitable, in free verse form for closer correspondence with the original and to convey some of its flavour. In such cases they have been marked serially, and the original stanza numbers from the Baroda (or Ananda) text have been listed in the endnotes to facilitate further reference.

  The translation has been supplemented with extracts from some retellings which provide further details of the story absent in the Baroda text. Three retellings have been utilized for this purpose: one in Sanskrit and the other two in old Rajasthani. The material taken from them has been identified in the endnotes. Whether it is derived from some contemporary oral tradition, or is the reteller’s own embellishment, remains an open question.

  The Sanskrit retelling is titled Mádhavánala-Kámakandalá-Carita. Ascribed to Jodh Kavi, a court poet of Akbar, it has a dedicatory shloka to the emperor and another dating it, unusually, to a year in the Hijri era corresponding to AD 1583. It was edited in 1953 with a learned introduction and annotations by Dr Balbir Singh who has pointed out that its text is distinct from the Baroda text in that it is entirely in verse and has significant omissions and additions. The extracts I have incorporated in the present translation appear as the second prefatory verse, some descriptions of the hero and the heroine and their dialogues with Vikramaditya, and the account of the royal envoy Shripati who is not mentioned in the Baroda text at all.

  The two vernacular retellings are taken from the appendix of the Majumdar edition already mentioned. Both are in verse. The first is Mádhavánala Kámakandalá Chaupai by Váchaka Kushala Lábha. Completed in Jaisalmer in AD 1623, it consists of 662 verses, including forty one in Sanskrit. The other is Mádhavánala Kathá by Kavi Damodara, written in Vadanagar, AD 1681. This contains 793 verses, including thirty in Sanskrit.