- Kesiraja
Kēśirāja, also spelled Keshiraja, ( _kn. ಕೇಶಿರಾಜ) was a 13th century Kannada grammarian and a poet. He is particularly known for authoring "
Shabdamanidarpana ", an authoritative work on Kannada grammar. Because of this work, he is considered to be the "greatest theorist of Kannada grammar".cite book |author=Sheldon Pollock |title=Literary cultures in history: reconstructions from South Asia |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley |year=2003 |pages=364 |isbn=0-520-22821-9] He was also a scholar in Sanskrit and a court poet ("Aasthaana kavi") at theHoysala Court.Early life
Kesiraja was born in a literary family, comprising several, well-known Kannada writers. His father, Mallikarjuna (C. 1245 CE), was a
Kannada poet and brother-in-law ofJanna .E.P. Rice (1982), pp. 44–45] Kesiraja is also the grandson on his mother's side of another poet, Śankara (Sumanōbana), who was priest of the Yadava capital and poet laureate to KingNarasimha I . In some of his works, Kesiraja has called himself "Kesava".clarifyme [cite web|title="Chapter 6: Chalukyas of Badami"|url=http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/pdf/gazeetter_reprint/History-I/chapter_6.pdf]habdamanidarpana
"
Shabdamanidarpana " ( _kn. ಶಬ್ದಮಣಿದರ್ಪಣ), ("Jewel-mirror of Grammar") was authored by Kesiraja in 1260 CE. This work remains a comprehensive, authoritative work on Kannada grammar.cite web |url=http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/kar/literature/history3.htm |title=History of the Kannada Literature -III |work= Dr. Jyotsna Kamat|accessdate=2008-05-01] E.P. Ricendash pp 111] The rules mentioned therein were penned in "kanda" metre and followed a "vrutti" style (illustrative commentary by the author himself).Sastri (1955), p359] And though Kesiraja followed the model of Sanskrit grammar of the Katantra school and that of earlier writings on Kannada grammar, his work has an originality of its own.Sahitya Akademi (1988), p. 1476]The text of "Shabdamanidarpana" begins with poetry of earlier generations who are cited by Kesiraja as authoritative examples:
Quote|The expert way (sumārgam) of Gajaga, Gunanandi, Manasija, Asaga, Candrabhatta, Gunavarma, Srivijaya, Honna (Ponna), Hampa (Pampa), Sujanōttamsandash these provide the illustrative instances (lakshya) in this work. In "Shabdamanidarpana", about twenty poets and 30 different works are cited, and almost every rule is explained with quotations. This work points out the Kannada language development through the preceding three centuries.|Kesiraja (translated)
An attempt at vocabulary building is provided in several parts of the work. There is a list of verbal roots and words containing ḷ and ḹ sounds. There is also a chapter called "PrayŌgasāra" where Kesiraja has quoted a number of rare words along with their meanings.Lexicography in India : Proceedings of the First National Conference on Dictionary Making in Indian Languages, By Bal Govind Misra, page 82]
Passion for grammar
Kesiraja had an interest in grammar, which is evident from his writings through his grammar work "
Shabdamanidarpana ".Literary works
Apart from his major grammar work "Shabdamanidarpana", Kesiraja has authored several other works in Kannada:
* Prabodhachandra (ಪ್ರಬೋಧಚಂದ್ರ)
* Chorapalaka Charitam (ಚೋರಪಾಲಕ ಚರಿತ)
* Kiratam (or Kiratarjuniyam) (ಕಿರಾತ)
* Shubhadraharana (ಸುಭದ್ರಾ ಹರಣ)
* Sri Chitramale (ಶ್ರೀ ಚಿತ್ರಮಾಲೆ)However, no copy of these books exist.
Notes
References
*cite book |last= Rice|first=E.P. |title=Kannada Literature|origyear=1921|year=1982|publisher=Asian Educational Services|location=New Delhi|isbn= 8120600630
*cite book |last= Various|first= |title= Encyclopaedia of Indian literature - vol 2|origyear=1988|year=1988|publisher= Sahitya Akademi|location= |isbn=8126011947
*cite book |last=Sastri|first= Nilakanta K.A.|title= A history of South India from prehistoric times to the fall of Vijayanagar|origyear=1955|year=2002|publisher= Indian Branch, Oxford University Press|location= New Delhi|isbn= 0-19-560686-8
*cite book |author=Ferdinand Kittel |title=A grammar of the Kannada language in English : comprising the three dialects of the language (ancient, mediæval and modern) |publisher=Basel Mission Book and Tract Depository |location=Mangalore|year=1903|reprint=1985 |pages= |isbn=3764808985
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