Rajashekhara (Sanskrit poet)

2021-10-18T15:17:48Z

2409:4043:4E01:B541:44C1:F6FF:FE77:78BB:

{{Short description|10th century poet writing in Sanskrit}}{{distinguish|text=Rājaśekhara Sūri, the Jain Sanskrit author ({{flourished|{{circa|1350}}}})}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rajashekhara
| image =
| caption = Sanskrit Poet in mediaeval period
| image_size = 220px
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| occupation = Poet, dramatist and critic
| spouse = Avantisundari
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'''Rajashekhara''' ({{IAST3|Rājaśekhara}}; {{flourished|10th century}}<ref name="Das" />) was an eminent [[Sanskrit]] poet, dramatist and critic. He was the [[court poet]] of the [[Gurjara Pratihara]]s.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tHVDAAAAYAAJ&q=rajshekhar+pratihara |title=Medieval India: a textbook for classes XI-XII, Part 1 |last=Chandra |first=Satish |publisher=National Council of Educational Research and Training (India) |year=1978 |page=10 |author-link=Satish Chandra}}</ref>

Rajashekhara wrote the ''Kavyamimamsa'' between 880 and 920 CE. The work is essentially a practical guide for poets that explains the elements and composition of a good poem.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sundeepbooks.com/servlet/sugetbiblio?bno=002917 |title=Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara |access-date=2007-01-21}}</ref> He is most noted for the ''Karpuramanjari'', a play written in [[Sauraseni]] [[Prakrit]]. Rajashekhara wrote the play to please his wife, Avantisundari, a woman of taste and accomplishment. Rajashekhara is perhaps the only ancient Indian poet to acknowledge a woman for her contributions to his literary career.<ref name="Das">{{cite book |title=A history of Indian literature, 500-1399: from courtly to the popular |author=Sisir Kumar Das, Sahitya Akademi |page=60 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BC3l1AbPM8sC&q=Karpura-Manjari&pg=PA60
|year=2006 |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |isbn=9788126021710 }}</ref>

==Life==
In his ''Bālarāmāyaṇa'' and ''Kāvyamimāṃsa'', Rajashekhara referred himself by his family name ''Yāyāvara'' or ''Yāyāvarīya''. In ''Bālarāmāyaṇa'', he mentioned that his great grandfather [[Akalajalada]] belonged to [[Maharashtra]]. In the same work, he described his father Durduka as a ''Mahamantrin'' (minister) without providing any details. He mentioned in his works that his wife Avantisundari belonged to the Chahamana ([[Chauhan]]) family. In his works, he described himself as the teacher of the [[Gurjara-Pratihara]] king [[Mahendrapala I]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Warder|first=A. K. |title=Indian Kāvya Literature |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kKD-v7tPc8EC&q=Rajasekhara+son+of+Durduka&pg=PA413|volume=V|year=1988|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|location=Delhi|isbn=81-208-0450-3|pages=413–414}}</ref>

==Works==
The works attributed to poet Rajshekhara include:
* ''Viddhaśālabhañjikā''
* ''Bālabhārata''<ref>{{cite book|title=History of Kanauj: To the Moslem Conquest|author=Rama Shankar Tripathi|year=1989|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Tnh2QjGhMQC&pg=PA224|page=224 | isbn=978-81-208-0404-3 | publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ.}}</ref>
* ''Karpūramañjarī''
* ''Bālarāmāyaṇa''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rajasekhara |editor1-last=Jivanand Vidyasagara |title=Balaramayana, a drama by Rajasekhara |date=1884 |location=Calcutta |url=https://archive.org/details/balaramayanarajashekaracommentaryofjivanandvidyasagar1884_116_i/mode/2up |access-date=23 June 2020 |language=sa}}</ref>
* ''Kavyamimamsa''

==References==
{{reflist}}

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[[Category:History of Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:9th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:10th-century Indian poets]]

{{Hindu-bio-stub}}

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Rajashekhara (Sanskrit poet)