Kristubhagavatam
Encyclopedia
Kristubhagavatam: A Mahakavya in Sanskrit based on the life of Jesus Christ is a Sanskrit
epic poem on the life of Jesus Christ composed by P. C. Devassia
(1906–2006), a Sanskrit scholar and poet from Kerala
, India. For composing the Kristubhagavatam, Devassia won several awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit (1980).
Composed in 1976 and first published in 1977, the poem consists of 33 cantos and over 1600 verses. As a mahakavya
, it represents the most prestigious genre of Sanskrit epic poetry, characterized by ornate and elaborate descriptions.
The 1977 published version of the Kristubhagavatam contains over 1600 Sanskrit verses divided into 33 cantos, perhaps corresponding to the number of years lived by Jesus. Each Sanskrit verse is accompanied by an English translation. The poem and the translation comprise 434 pages. Titles of selected cantos, in both English and Sanskrit, are listed in the table at right.
In the Encyclopaedic dictionary of Sanskrit literature, Bhattacharya and Sarka wrote that the poem
The published poem contains a 3-page preface by the author, in which he described the process by which he composed the poem over approximately 5 years. He wrote that "I had to face a difficult problem":
The author
, a devout Christian, also stated that
Selected Sanskrit verses, along with the author's English translations, are shown at right.
(1979), and the Catholic Laity Association Award (1981). The published poem also contained commentaries by V. Raghavan
(Foreword), K. Kunjunni Raja (Introduction), Joseph Cardinal Parecattil (Appreciation), S. Venkitasubramonia Iyer (Appreciation), M. H. Sastri (Appreciation), K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar
(Appreciation), and Charudeva Shastri (Appreciation).
In his foreword, V. Raghavan
wrote that the first efforts of the Christian missionaries to produce Christian literature in Sanskrit resulted in "translations of the Bible, which were all miserable." In contrast the Kristubhagavatam is the first major Sanskrit poem on the "whole life of Christ," and Devassia "follows all the norms and practices of the Mahakavya
, but does not indulge in too many figures or descriptions.... The style is simple and clear, endowed as it is with the Gunas of 'Prasada' and 'Saukumarya.' Furthermore,
Raghavan
added that in Devassia's state of Kerala
, "where Sanskrit and Malayalam have blended into a homogeneous amalagam, the community of Sanskritists is a commonwealth of Hindus, Christians
and Muslims.... one finds here an Indian approach and an Indian presentation of the life of Christ."
Mar Joseph Parecattil, Archbishop of Ernakulum and a Catholic cardinal (in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
, a church in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church
), and recent President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
, wrote in his Appreciation that...
K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar
wrote that "The Gospel-story
is retained in essentials, but...
In summary, K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar
concluded that the Kristubhagavatam is...
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
epic poem on the life of Jesus Christ composed by P. C. Devassia
P. C. Devassia
Plakil Chacko Devassia, often known as P. C. Devassia , was a Sanskrit scholar and poet from Kerala, India. In 1980 he won the Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit for his poem Kristubhagavatam.-Notes:...
(1906–2006), a Sanskrit scholar and poet from Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India. For composing the Kristubhagavatam, Devassia won several awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit (1980).
Composed in 1976 and first published in 1977, the poem consists of 33 cantos and over 1600 verses. As a mahakavya
Mahakavya
Mahākāvya , also known as sargabandha, is a genre of Indian epic poetry in classical Sanskrit literature. The genre is characterised by ornate and elaborate descriptions of scenery, love, battles and so on — in short, everything that tests a poet's skill at description...
, it represents the most prestigious genre of Sanskrit epic poetry, characterized by ornate and elaborate descriptions.
Contents
| : Canto Titles (selected) | ||
| English | Sanskrit | |
| 1. | The sage meets the Virgin | |
| 2. | The betrothal Marriage of the Virgin The Marriage of the Virgin is the subject in Christian art depicting the marriage of the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The marriage is not mentioned in the canonical Gospels but is covered in several apocryphal sources, and later redactions, notably the 14th century compilation the Golden Legend... |
|
| 3. | The vision of Zacharias Zacharias In the Bible, Zechariah , is the father of John the Baptist, a priest of the sons of Aaron, a prophet in , and the husband of Elisabeth who is the cousin of Mary the mother of Jesus.In the Qur'an, Zechariah plays a similar role as the father of John the Baptist and ranks him as a prophet alongside... |
|
| 4. | The Annunciation Annunciation The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her... |
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| 5. | The Visitation | |
| 6. | A journey to Bethlehem Bethlehem Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism... |
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| 7. | The birth of Jesus Jesus Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity... |
|
| 8. | The Presentation in the Temple Presentation of Jesus at the Temple The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, which falls on 2 February, celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus. In the Eastern Orthodox Church and some Eastern Catholic Churches, it is one of the twelve Great Feasts, and is sometimes called Hypapante... |
|
| 9. | The arrival of the Magi Magi Magi is a term, used since at least the 4th century BC, to denote a follower of Zoroaster, or rather, a follower of what the Hellenistic world associated Zoroaster with, which... , The slaughter of the Innocents Massacre of the Innocents The Massacre of the Innocents is an episode of infanticide by the King of Judea, Herod the Great. According to the Gospel of Matthew Herod orders the execution of all young male children in the village of Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of the Jews whose birth... |
|
| 10. | The childhood of Jesus | |
| 17. | The Sermon on the Mount Sermon on the Mount The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew... – I |
– I |
| 18. | The Sermon on the Mount Sermon on the Mount The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew... – II |
– II |
| 32. | The Resurrection of Jesus Resurrection of Jesus The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"... |
|
| 33. | The Ascension | |
The 1977 published version of the Kristubhagavatam contains over 1600 Sanskrit verses divided into 33 cantos, perhaps corresponding to the number of years lived by Jesus. Each Sanskrit verse is accompanied by an English translation. The poem and the translation comprise 434 pages. Titles of selected cantos, in both English and Sanskrit, are listed in the table at right.
In the Encyclopaedic dictionary of Sanskrit literature, Bhattacharya and Sarka wrote that the poem
uses striking parallels skillfully drawn from Indian mythology. The man born blind, who gains his eyesight after bathing in the pool of SilohPool of SiloamPool of Siloam is a rock-cut pool on the southern slope of the City of David, the original site of Jerusalem, located outside the walls of the Old City to the southeast. The pool was fed by the waters of the Gihon Spring, carried there by two aqueducts.-History:The Pool of Siloam is mentioned...
[sic] as commanded by Jesus is compared to the sage AshtavakraAshtavakraAshtavakra is a sage mentioned in Hindu scriptures. He is described as one born with deformities in eight limbs of the body . In Sanskrit, Ashtavakra means "one having eight bends". Ashta means eight, while Vakra means bend or deformity...
, whose body became straight after a bath in the Samanga river as directed by his father. Similarly, while speaking about JudasJudas IscariotJudas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
selling his master for some pieces of silver, the Vedic narrative of Ajigarta who sold his child Sunasepha for 100 cows, comes to the mind of the poet. Even the golden image of a vine, the symbol of Israel, on the facade of the Temple of JerusalemSecond TempleThe Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
, is aptly compared to the Kaustubha jewelKaustubhaKaustubh is a divine jewel - the most valuable stone "Mani" is in the possession of lord Vishnu who lives in the Ksheer Sagar - "the ocean of milk".-In History :...
on the chest of VishnuVishnuVishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
.
The published poem contains a 3-page preface by the author, in which he described the process by which he composed the poem over approximately 5 years. He wrote that "I had to face a difficult problem":
On the one hand, Christ is a historical figure, and I must narrate his life objectively; on the other hand, a Sanskrit MahakavyaMahakavyaMahākāvya , also known as sargabandha, is a genre of Indian epic poetry in classical Sanskrit literature. The genre is characterised by ornate and elaborate descriptions of scenery, love, battles and so on — in short, everything that tests a poet's skill at description...
must conform to certain norms laid down by Sanskrit rhetoricians. These norms require free play of the imagination. This is often incompatible with objective narrative. I did not fancy the idea of translating the Bible into Sanskrit. I wanted my work to be really a MahakavyaMahakavyaMahākāvya , also known as sargabandha, is a genre of Indian epic poetry in classical Sanskrit literature. The genre is characterised by ornate and elaborate descriptions of scenery, love, battles and so on — in short, everything that tests a poet's skill at description...
, a literary piece, which anyone conversant with SanskritSanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
language should be able to read and enjoy. I have taken as my guide Fulton OurslerFulton OurslerCharles Fulton Oursler was an American journalist, playwright, editor and writer. Writing as Anthony Abbot, he was an notable author of mysteries and detective fiction.-Life:...
, who, in his "The Greatest Story Ever ToldThe Greatest Story Ever ToldThe Greatest Story Ever Told is a 1965 American epic film produced and directed by George Stevens and distributed by United Artists. It is a retelling of the story of Jesus Christ, from the Nativity through the Resurrection. This film is notable for its large ensemble cast and for being the last...
", tells the story of Christ and fills in the details left out in the gospels by means of his fertile imagination.
| Selected Verses, with Translation: Canto I: The Sage meets the Virgin Canto XII: The Temptation |
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English translation (by author)
|
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| १ | १ | ३ | |
P. C. Devassia
Plakil Chacko Devassia, often known as P. C. Devassia , was a Sanskrit scholar and poet from Kerala, India. In 1980 he won the Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit for his poem Kristubhagavatam.-Notes:...
, a devout Christian, also stated that
I grew up in an atmosphere of Sanskrit literature and I have been dealing with the Sanskrit classics in and outside the classroom either as a student, or a teacher for the last sixty years. Naturally some of that cultural heritage cannot but appear even in a work on Christ. Moreover, I believe our task today is to underscore the similarities and the points in common between different cultures and religions rather than emphasise the differences.
Selected Sanskrit verses, along with the author's English translations, are shown at right.
Reception & commentary
For composing the Kristubhagavatam, Devassia won several awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit (1980), the Maharani Sethu Parvati Bayi PrizeTravancore Royal Family
The Travancore Royal Family descended from the Venad line of the Cheras and ruled over the Indian state of Travancore until 1947.The Royal family, alternatively known as the Kupaka Royal Family, Thripappur Swaroopam, Venad Swaroopam, Vanchi Swaroopam etc., has its seat today at Trivandrum in...
(1979), and the Catholic Laity Association Award (1981). The published poem also contained commentaries by V. Raghavan
V. Raghavan
Venkataraman Raghavan was a Sanskrit scholar and musicologist. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Padma Bhushan and the Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit, and authored over 120 books and 1200 articles.-Sanskrit:...
(Foreword), K. Kunjunni Raja (Introduction), Joseph Cardinal Parecattil (Appreciation), S. Venkitasubramonia Iyer (Appreciation), M. H. Sastri (Appreciation), K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar
K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar
Kodaganallur Ramaswami Srinivasa Iyengar popularly known as K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar M.A., D.Litt. was Indian writer in English, former Vice Chancellor of Andhra University. He was a multifaceted literary genius with Aurobindian knowledge and ideas of Indian culture and renaissance...
(Appreciation), and Charudeva Shastri (Appreciation).
In his foreword, V. Raghavan
V. Raghavan
Venkataraman Raghavan was a Sanskrit scholar and musicologist. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Padma Bhushan and the Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit, and authored over 120 books and 1200 articles.-Sanskrit:...
wrote that the first efforts of the Christian missionaries to produce Christian literature in Sanskrit resulted in "translations of the Bible, which were all miserable." In contrast the Kristubhagavatam is the first major Sanskrit poem on the "whole life of Christ," and Devassia "follows all the norms and practices of the Mahakavya
Mahakavya
Mahākāvya , also known as sargabandha, is a genre of Indian epic poetry in classical Sanskrit literature. The genre is characterised by ornate and elaborate descriptions of scenery, love, battles and so on — in short, everything that tests a poet's skill at description...
, but does not indulge in too many figures or descriptions.... The style is simple and clear, endowed as it is with the Gunas of 'Prasada' and 'Saukumarya.' Furthermore,
Not only the incidents, the miracles, etc. are faithfully given, but also the famous sayings of Christ... are incorporated in appropriate terms. [There is also] inclusion of apt analogies and comparisons with personalities and situations in the two Sanskrit Epics, the RamayanaRamayanaThe Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and the MahabharataMahabharataThe Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, as also in the PuranasPuranasThe Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
, and occasionally with some well-known happenings in modern India, like the killing of Gandhiji.... No effort is spent to make the poem over-coloured or loaded with displays of learning or skill: it is always simple and straightforward, in the much valued 'Vaidarbhi' style.
Raghavan
V. Raghavan
Venkataraman Raghavan was a Sanskrit scholar and musicologist. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Padma Bhushan and the Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit, and authored over 120 books and 1200 articles.-Sanskrit:...
added that in Devassia's state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, "where Sanskrit and Malayalam have blended into a homogeneous amalagam, the community of Sanskritists is a commonwealth of Hindus, Christians
Christianity in Kerala
Christianity is the third-most practiced religion in Kerala with 19% of the population according to the Indian census. Although a minority, Christians represent a much larger percentage of the population of Kerala than of India considered as a whole...
and Muslims.... one finds here an Indian approach and an Indian presentation of the life of Christ."
Mar Joseph Parecattil, Archbishop of Ernakulum and a Catholic cardinal (in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in India is an East Syrian Rite, Major Archiepiscopal Church in full communion with the Catholic Church. It is one of the 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in the Catholic Church. It is the largest of the Saint Thomas Christian denominations with more than 3.6...
, a church in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
), and recent President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India is the episcopal conference of the Catholic bishops of India. It was first convened in September 1944, in Madras . Currently the CBCI has 212 members and 38 honorary members, and is headquartered in New Delhi, the capital of India...
, wrote in his Appreciation that...
I have no hesitation in saying that this "magnum opus" of prof. P. C. Devassia will certainly throw open the doors for those SanyasinsSannyasaSannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...
and other Sanskrit scholars, who usually do not go in for the life of Christ written in western languages, to have access to Christ in the idioms and expressions of a language with which they are familiar
K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar
K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar
Kodaganallur Ramaswami Srinivasa Iyengar popularly known as K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar M.A., D.Litt. was Indian writer in English, former Vice Chancellor of Andhra University. He was a multifaceted literary genius with Aurobindian knowledge and ideas of Indian culture and renaissance...
wrote that "The Gospel-story
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
is retained in essentials, but...
...the sonority of SanskritSanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
gives a fresh morning splendour and resonance to Jesus' divine ministry. Mary held Joseph's hand as ArundhatiArundhatiArundhati may refer to:* Arundhati , the Hindu goddess of the sky, stars and night time-Literature and Arts:* Arundhati , a 1994 Hindi epic poem* Arundhati , a 2009 Telugu film directed by Kodi Ramakrishna...
did Vasishtha's; Just as VasudevaVasudevaIn Hindu itihasa , Vasudeva is the father of Krishna, the son of Shoorsen, of the Yadu and Vrishni dynasties. His sister Kunti was married to Pandu. He was a partial incarnation of Rishi Kashyap....
hid his son KrishnaKrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
in NandaNandaNanda is a surname of Punjabis . Nanda is a Tarkhan , Ahluwalia and Kamboj surname. All the clans of Tarkhan , Lohar, Gujjar, Kamboj, Ahluwalia tribes have a close genetic and ancestral relationship with each other, and together they form the Khatri/Rajput caste.-Among Kamboj people:*Nanda is a...
's house, so did JosephSaint JosephSaint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
take Jesus to EgyptFlight into EgyptThe flight into Egypt is a biblical event described in the Gospel of Matthew , in which Joseph fled to Egypt with his wife Mary and infant son Jesus after a visit by Magi because they learn that King Herod intends to kill the infants of that area...
for his safety; LazarusLazarus of BethanyLazarus of Bethany, also known as Saint Lazarus or Lazarus of the Four Days, is the subject of a prominent miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death...
' sisters embraced him as he emerged out of his tomb, even as DevayaniDevayaniDevayani is an Indian film actress. She starred in numerous Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, along with a few Hindi films and one Bengali film. She received the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for her performances in the films Kadhal Kottai and Surya Vamsam...
embraced KachaKachaKacha may refer to:*Kacha , an urban-type settlement in Crimea, Ukraine*Kacha , a mythological sage in Hinduism*Kacha Bira, one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia...
as he revived after death.... in betraying Jesus with a kiss, wasn't JudasJudas IscariotJudas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
anticipating Godse who was to kill the Mahatma after first saluting him? The similes come naturally, and rather bring out the basic unity of texture that binds all human history.
In summary, K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar
K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar
Kodaganallur Ramaswami Srinivasa Iyengar popularly known as K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar M.A., D.Litt. was Indian writer in English, former Vice Chancellor of Andhra University. He was a multifaceted literary genius with Aurobindian knowledge and ideas of Indian culture and renaissance...
concluded that the Kristubhagavatam is...
...a double demonstration, firstly that Sanskrit is by no means a 'dead languageSanskrit revivalSanskrit revival is the accumulation of attempts at reviving the Sanskrit language that have been undertaken.-History:In 1891 there was organized activity among the Theosophists in India promoting and participating in the revival of Sanskrit...
' but is very much and gloriously alive; and secondly, that Jesus is not the Christians' Messiah alone, but one of the pathfinders, one of the redeemers, of humanity as a whole. His message of Love has a permanent and potent significance for all mankind.