A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c19.s1.13

c19.s1.13

Kulaśekhara, one of the later ālvārs, and a ruler of Kerala, probably in the ninth century, produced a splendid devotional lyric in the Mukunda-mālā which has retained a wide popularity to this day. Kulaśekhara is believed to have been the patron of Vāsudeva, author of the four Yamaka Kāvyas, *Yudhishṭhira Vijaya*, *Tripuradahana*, *Śaurikathā* and *Nalodaya*. Though Yamaka (sound jingle) often leads to queer expressions and forced constructions, Vāsudeva must be deemed to have succeeded in a remarkable measure in escaping the defects of the method. The *Yudhishṭhira Vijaya* was commented on by Rājānaka Ratnākara of Kashmir. Vāsudeva also wrote the *Vāsudeva Vijaya*, a Kāvya in five cantos on the model of the *Bhaṭṭikāvya*, illustrating the rules of Sanskrit grammar laid down by Pāṇini. The *Āścarya-cūḍāmaṇi* of Śaktibhadra claims to be the first full-blown drama (*nāṭaka*) to be produced in the southern country; its theme is the perennial Rāma story, and some of the author's innovations are real improvements. The poetry and prose are alike of high quality, and the work has always been very popular among the actors of Malabar. Another play by the same author, *Unmādavāsavadattā*, is no longer extant. He is reputed to have been a pupil of Śankara and may be assigned to the early ninth century.