A History of Indian Literature v3.c35.s8.173

v3.c35.s8.173

One of the oldest poem of this type is the Caṇḍīśataka¹, "Hundred stanzas dedicated to Caṇḍī", by the poet Bāṇa. In 102 stanzas (almost all in the Sragdharā metre) the consort of Śiva, with her different names, one of which is Caṇḍī, and particularly her foot, with which she killed the demon, Mahiṣa, having the form of a buffalo, is praised and glorified. In each of the verses occurs at the end the benedictory formula "may she protect you", *sāvatādambikā vaḥ*. Famous is also the Sūryaśataka², "Hundred Strophes dedicated to the Sun-god" by Mayūra, a contemporary of Bāṇa³, written likewise in the Sragdharā metre and in the same ornate style as the Caṇḍīśataka. In the poem, the rays, the horses, the charioteer, the chariot and the orb of the sun are praised one after another. The rays of the sun are the "ships by which man crosses the terrible ocean of rebirths, the origin of prolonged pains," the orb of the sun is the door of freedom, and the sun himself is the supporter of men and gods and upholder of the entire world-order, and is one with Brahman, Viṣṇu and Śiva (verses 9, 73, 87, 99). In verse 50 Aruṇa, the charioteer of Sūrya, is compared to a stage-manager, who recites the prologue at the time of performance of a show. From the citations in manuals of poetics and in anthologies it is concluded that the Sūryaśataka is held in a higher esteem than the Caṇḍīśataka¹.