Kamayani

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Kamayani
Front Cover
AuthorJaishankar Prasad
Original titleकामायनी
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
GenreEpic poetry
Publication date
1936
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Preceded byLehar 
Original text
कामायनी at Hindi Wikisource

Kamayani (Hindi : कामायनी) (1936) is a Hindi epic poem (Mahakavya) by Jaishankar Prasad (1889–1937). It is considered one of the greatest literary works written in modern times in Hindi literature. It also signifies the epitome of Chhayavadi school of Hindi poetry which gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. [1]

Theme[edit]

Kamayani explores the complex interplay between human emotions, thoughts, and actions through symbolic figures drawn from ancient Indian texts. Kamayani has personalities like Manu, Ida and Śraddhā who are mentioned in the Vedic literature. The great deluge described in the poem has its origin in Satapatha Brahmana. Explaining his metaphorical presentation of Vedic characters, the poet said:[2]

Ida was the sister of the gods, giving consciousness to the entire mankind. For this reason, there is an Ida Karma in the Yagnas. This erudition of Ida created a rift between Shraddha and Manu. Then with the progressive intelligence searching for unbridled pleasures, the impasse was inevitable. This story is so very ancient that metaphor has wonderfully mingled with history. Therefore Manu, Shraddha, and Ida while maintaining their historical importance may also express the symbolic import. Manu represents the mind with its faculties of the head and heart and these are again symbolized as Faith (Shraddha) and Intelligence (Ida) respectively. On this data is based the story of Kamayani.

Structure[edit]

The storyline originates from the Vedic tale of Manu Manu, the lone survivor post the deluge, initially devoid of emotions. As the narrative unfolds, he becomes entangled in a spectrum of emotions, thoughts, and actions, each chapter named after these elements. Shraddha, Ida, Kilaat, and other characters sequentially contribute to this portrayal. Some scholars interpret the chapter sequence as reflective of the development of a person's emotions through different stages of mortal life. [3] Following is the sequence:

Canto Title Context Verses
1 Chinta Anxiety 80
2 Asha Hope 80
3 Shraddha Faith, Reverential belief 63
4 Kama Eros 67
5 Vasana Passion for materialism 53
6 Lajja Shyness 47
7 Karma Action 128
8 Irshya Jealousy 71
9 Ida Intellect 31
10 Swapna Dream 55
11 Sangharsh Conflict, Struggle 122
12 Nirved Renunciation 103
13 Darshan Philosophy, Vision of Shiva 44
14 Rahasya Mystique, Secret 77
15 Anand Bliss, Self-realization 80
Total 1101

Adaptations[edit]

  • Tumul kolahal kalah me, an excerpt from the 12th canto 'Nirved' (निर्वेद) was set to tune by the music composer Jaidev and sung by Asha Bhosle. It was released by The Gramophone Company of India in 1971 under the title 'An Unforgettable Treat Asha Bhosle'.
  • In 1999, the Films Division produced a short biographical film on Jaishankar Prasad. The film depicted his literary works as a novelist, story writer, poet, and essay writer. A Kathak musical of some verses from Kamayani was the highlight of the film. It was choreographed by the famous exponent of Kathak Uma Dogra, who also portrayed the role of Shraddha in it. [4]
  • Doordarshan, the national broadcaster of India produced a six-part musical on Kamayani.
  • Shakuntala Shukla and Vyomesh Shukla adapted Kamayani into a musical play. It was produced under the banner of Roopvani, Varanasi.[5]

Translations[edit]

Kamayani has been translated into various languages. There exists a number of English translations of the book. Other languages into which it has been translated include Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, and Tamil. [6] Some specific cantos of Kamayani have been translated into English and Russian as well.[7]

Language Translator Publication Year Publisher Note(s)
Bengali Nachiketa Bhardwaj 1996 Rabindra Bharti Society
English BL Sahney 1956 (Serialised), 1971 (Book) Yugbodh Prakashan Free verses
Jagat Bhardwaj 1974 Jagat Jagrit Kendra Rhymed verses, Titled as Cupid-Maid
Jai Kishan Das Sadani 1975 Rupa and Co. Free verses
Manohar Bandhopadyay 1978 Ankur Publishing House Rhymed verses
Harichand Bansal 1987 Saraswati House Educational Publishers Rhymed verses
Parmanand Sharma National Publishing House Free verses
Pratibha Vinod Kumar 2013 Pratham Manjari Books Pte. Ltd. Free verses
Ratan Chouhan 2016 Bodhi Prakashan
Mohammed Mazhar 2022 Sahitya Sarovar
French Jagbans Kishore Balbir 1997 L'Asiathèque Free verses
Kumaoni Mohan Chandra Joshi 2014 Gyanarjan Printers and Publishers Rhymed verses
Marathi Vishwanath Vithal Patwardhan 2005 Sahitya Akademi
Meitei Laishram Kamal 2022 Manipuri Literary Society
Malayalam TM Sreedhara Paniker 1968
Nepali Dhundiraj Bhandari 2003 and 2011 Nagari Pracharini Sabha Varanasi and Sahitya Akademi Printed by two publishing houses
Odiya Minati Patnaik Kavyalok Publications
Sanskrit Bhagwan Dutta Shastri 'Rakesh' 1950s Jan Vani Printers and Publishers Preface by Rahul Sankrityayan

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kumar, Ashish (2022). "Myth, Mystery and Metaphor: An Allegorical Anatomisation of Jaishankar Prasad's Kamayani" (PDF). International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts. 10 (8): 975–978. JSTOR 23330218.
  2. ^ "Kamayani (कामायनी)". Hindi Pocket Books. p. 12. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  3. ^ "Devendra Kumar Gupta 'Jaishankar Prasad Krit Kamayani: Socio-Cultural Vision' International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-6" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Jaishankar Prasad".
  5. ^ "'Our Dreams Like Trees': Vyomesh Shukla And The Possibilities Of Expression".
  6. ^ "Selections from Kamayani". JSTOR 40872265.
  7. ^ Sharma, V. P. (1981). "Translations of Kamayani". Indian Literature. 24 (4): 140–144. JSTOR 23330218.

External links[edit]

Further reading[edit]

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