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{{Infobox person<br />
| occupation = poet<br />
| works = ''[[Kirātārjunīya]]''<br />
}}<br />
'''Bharavi''' ([[IAST]]: Bhāravi, {{lang-sa|भारवि}}) ({{circa}} 6th century CE) was a [[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]] poet known for his epic poem ''[[Kirātārjunīya]]'' (Arjuna and the hunter - ''kirāta'' in Sanskrit), one of the six [[Mahakavya|mahakavyas]] in [[Classical Sanskrit]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=C. Kunhan Raja|first=|url=http://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.36442|title=Survey of Sanskrit literature|date=1962|publisher=|year=|isbn=|location=|pages=136}}</ref><br />
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==Time and place==<br />
As with most Sanskrit poets, very few concrete details are available about Bharavi's life, and inferences must be made from references to him. His name, along with great poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language [[Kālidāsa]]'s name, is mentioned in a [[Chalukya]] stone inscription dated 634 C.E. found at [[Aihole]], located in present day [[Karnataka]].<ref>{{harvnb|Gaurīnātha Śāstrī|1987|p=80}}<!--A Concise History of Classical Sanskrit Literature--></ref> In another inscription, the king [[Durvinita]] of the [[Western Ganga Dynasty]] mentions having written a commentary on the fifteenth canto of Bharavi's Kirātārjunīya. The Western Ganga Dynasty ruled from about the middle of the fourth century, and Durvinita is usually believed to have lived in the later half of the sixth century.<br />
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The poet [[Daṇḍin]], who was born during the seventh century, reports that his great-grandfather was a friend of Bharavi and was introduced by him to a king Viṣṇuvardhana, before receiving patronage from Durvinita and King [[Simhavishnu]] of the [[Pallava dynasty]]. This is unlikely to be [[Vishnuvardhana II]] (673–682 CE) and is more likely to be [[Yasodharman|Yasodharman Vishnuvardhana]], placing Bharavi's floruit in {{circa|lk=no|530–550 CE}}.<ref name=warder>{{citation | year=2004 | title = Indian Kāvya literature, Part 1 | author1=A. K. Warder | publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. | isbn=978-81-208-0445-6 | pages=198–233 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jTlLXw46g-cC&pg=PA198}}</ref><br />
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Bharavi probably belonged to Southern India.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9095188/Bharavi Encyclopædia Britannica]</ref> "Bharavi" means "lustre of the sun". It is reported that his original name was Dāmodara,<ref>{{citation | year=2005 | title = Panorama of Indian anthroponomy | author1=D. D. (Dhruv Dev). Sharma | publisher=Mittal Publications | isbn=978-81-8324-078-9 | page=117 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a4rccspy46sC&pg=PA117&dq=shishupalavadha}}</ref> although this may have been an error.<br />
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==Work==<br />
{{main|Kirātārjunīya}}<br />
The [[Kirātārjunīya]], an epic poem in eighteen cantos, is his only known work. It "is regarded to be the most powerful poem in the Sanskrit language".<ref>{{citation | year=2002 | title = Encyclopaedia of teaching history | author1=M.P. Singh | publisher=Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd. | isbn=978-81-261-1243-2 | page=297 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Td-hg719PNUC&pg=PA297&dq=kiratarjunia}}<br />
</ref> [[A. K. Warder]] considers it the "most perfect epic available to us", over [[Aśvaghoṣa]]'s [[Buddhacarita]], noting his greater force of expression, with more concentration and polish in every detail. Despite using extremely difficult language and rejoicing in the finer points of [[Sanskrit grammar]], he achieves conciseness and directness. His alliteration, "crisp texture of sound", and choice of [[Sanskrit metre|metre]] closely correspond to the narrative.<ref name=warder/><br />
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His poetry is characterised by its intricate styles and ethereal expressions. Like [[Kalidasa]] for his similes (''upamā'') and [[Daṇḍin]] for his wordplay (''padalālityam''), Bharavi is known for his "weight of meaning" (''arthagauravam''). He influenced the 8th century CE poet [[Magha (poet)|Magha]].<br />
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==Notes==<br />
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[[Category:Indian male poets]]<br />
[[Category:Sanskrit poets]]<br />
[[Category:6th-century Indian poets]]<br />
[[Category:6th-century Indian writers]]</div>>Srijesha