Q: Exact Kavya Condensations?

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3/18/96


           Query: Exact Kavya Condensations in Sankrit
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                and other Indian language?
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takkai rAmAyaNam (1580 A.D, tamil) follows Kampan's story from 
beginning to end. takkai R.  has been sung in a way so that it 
can be used for oral performances,  set to "tALam" of takkai, a small drum.

takkai rAmAyaNam is a beautiful, simple, lucid work. (eLimai, teLivu, curukkam)
and follows Kampan (9th century.) poem by poem. Almost like a commentary 
for Kampan. Depending on the place, takkai R. condenses three or two or one 
poem(s) of Kampan into one song showing the essence of Kampan's genius.

Even though there are about 10-15 Ramayanas in Tamil, including a Jain one,
none follows Kampan literally like takkai R. A. K. Ramanujan wrote a classic
paper on 300 versions of ramayana in India. He was planning an english
book on Kampan along with D. Shulman. Now that AKR is gone to meet
Kampan himself in heaven. however, it is a loss down here on earth for 
South Indian studies. There are other condensations in tamil, usually 
they turn out to be "harder" than even the originals and they are no longer
good poetry where as takkai r. succeeds in its intent to a large extent.

My question:
In Sanskrit, are there any (good) kavya sangrahas? Are they popular
and well-known? What are the originals and the redactions? I need
the authors/titles of these pairs? What about other Indic lanuages?
Any reasearch papers in this area?

Thanks,
N. Ganesan
nas_ng at lms461.jsc.nasa.gov

More on takkai ramayanam:
Kampan's 10500 classic viruttam poems of high Tamil were condensed 
into 3250  easy-to-follow songs by Emperuman. 
This is the greatest tribute that Tamils have ever paid to Kampan. 

Kampan praises his patron, Cataiyappa Vallal 
in about ten places in his Ramayanam as part of thanksgiving.
There is a nice story of how it came to be ten. Originally when 
Kampan introduced his masterpiece to his peers in Srirangam, he 
has praised his protector once in 100 poems. The Srirangam pundits protested 
this narastuti saying they have no place in God's story.
Kampan would not agree. Finally, a compromise was reached so that
Kampan can sing about Cataiyappan in 10 places in his 10000-piece
Ramayana. Kampan said, "Ah! My Cataiyan is indeed rare. He is one
among thousand, not one in hundred."

What is interesting about takkai Ramayanam is that at the same 
places of the Kampa Ramayanam where Cataiyan is eulogized, Emperuman
praises Morur Nallathampi, a local chieftain given to literary taste
and the one who commissioned takkai ramayanam.

takkai R. is an aesthetic retelling of Kampan in a different metre. 
About 1/3rd of Kampan. takkai rAmAyaNam helps in understanding 
which are true kampan's poems and about interpolations.
Because it is about 400 years-old and a tribute to Kampan, we can confidantly
say that one particular poem is by kampan  if it is redone by emperumAn 
of takkai rAmAyaNam and not a "mikaip pATal" by someone else. There are lot of
of examples. In addition to comparing various manuscripts from
different places of different periods, takkai R. serves as an aid to get at
the Ur-text of Kampan.

takkai ramayanam was written around 1580 A.D. by Emperuman
Kavirayar of tiruchengode. Only the first five Kandams have come out.
(k. aruNAcala kavuNTar, emperumAn kavirAyar pATiya
takkai irAmAyaNam, 2v., first five cantos, 1983, Dept. 
of Archaeology, Madras). Yuddha Kantam is being readied for publication.

A poem from takkai R. and kampa R.

vaaraNam  porutha  maarpum,  varaiyinai  eTuththa  thOLum,
n^aaratha  munivaRku  ERpa  n^ayampaTa  uraiththa  n^aavum,
thaaraNi  mavuli  paththum,  changkaran  koTuththa  vaaLum,
vIramum  kaLaththE  pOTTu  veRungkaiyE  mINTu  pOnaan.
                                         --  kampan


vEza  maruppu  aRRa  maarpuramum
     veLLimalai  koNTa  thOLmiTukkum
vaaza  varamtharum  n^aaratharmun
     maRaiaayiram  chonna  vaayvaliyum
IzamaNi  minnum  makuTam  paththum
     Ichan  aruLiya  kathirvaaLum
thaaza  vIramum  thiRaikoTuththuth
     thaniyE  veRungkaiyaan  n^aTan^thu  chenRaan.
                                         --  emperumaan


Emperuman flatters Kampan by artful imitation!