Kumara Vyasa is one of the most famous poets in the Kannada language, spoken in the state of Karnataka, India. Kumara Vyasa's original name was Naranappa, and Kumara Vyasa is really his penname. The name is meaningful, since his magnum opus is a translation of the Sanskrit Mahabharata, written by the famous poet Vyasa. Kumara Vyasa literally means Little Vyasa or Son of Vyasa.

A statue of Kumara Vyasa in Gadag

Place and Time

The period of Kumara Vyasa's life has not been accurately determined. The opinions of historians vary from the 12th century to the 16th century. However, recent consensus is that he lived sometime around the late 14th and early 15th centuries. His magnum opus was probably completed in 1430. This dating is based on the fact that other poets in the 15th century, such as Kanaka Dasa and Timmanna Kavi, seem to have referred to Kumara Vyasa's works.

Kumara Vyasa's hometown is Gadag, in North Karnataka. Even now, there is a pillar in one of the temples of Gadag, where Kumara Vyasa is said to have composed and sung his works. This pillar is commonly called Kumara Vyasa's pillar.

Works

Kumara Vyasa's most famous work is the Karnata Bharata KathaManjari. His lifetime work, the Karnata Bharata KathaManjari is a sublime adaptation of the first ten Parvas (chapters) of the Mahabharata. A devotee of Krishna, Kumara Vyasa ends his epic with the passing of Krishna in the tenth chapter of the Mahabharata. The work is easily the most celebrated in Kannada literature. Its fame arises out of the fact that it has appealed to people of all strata of education and intellect right up to the present day. The work is entirely composed in the Bhamini Shatpadi meter, a form of six lined stanza. The range of human emotions that Kumara Vyasa explores and the versatility of his vocabulary are extensive. The work is particularly known for its use of sophisticated metaphors, earning Kumara Vyasa the title Rupaka Samrajya Chakravarti (Emperor of the Land of Metaphors).

Kumara Vyasa is also known for his ability to depict human characters in crystal-clear clarity. Every one of his characters seem to have his/her own way to speak, to curse, to laugh and even to cry.

Another of Kumara Vyasa's works is Airavata, which is not as famous as Karnata Bharata KathaManjari.

Influence

Kumara Vyasa has been highly influential in the further development of Kannada literature. His magnum opus is still widely read, and a unique style of singing it, known as Gamaka, is quite famous to this day.

See Also

Kannada literature

Kannada

External Links

Kumara Vyasa (Kannada page) (http://www.ourkarnataka.com/Articles/literature/writers/kumaravyasa.htm)