Palli-panchasika of Manmohan Acharya:

A Literary analysis

Review: Prof. Manisa Das

Palli-panchasika is a Khandakavya, written by Acharya Manmohan

published in the year 1987. Sri Acharya , a young Sanskrit poet born
inmodern Jagatsinghpur district of Orissa successfully added a new
kavya of Panchasika type to the treasury of Sanskrit literature. This
work basically describes the external nature of pallis, the villages and
the internal natural expression of a son towards his mother, who lives
abroad.
Plot :- The natural phenomenon of rustic beauty is described from the
verse.1 to verse.39 of pallipanchasika. From the small window of the
hostel-room, Poet witnessed the morning on the urban-pitch road.
Chhatreikachitra-nilaye prathama-triyama
Niryapita kathamapi pramadabhirama
Samlaksita vasumati sumatirprabhati
Vatayananta-nayanayana-samvibhanti .3, Pallipanchasika
His eyes concentrated there, but the mind ran to the village beauty.
The poetic vision moved around the rustic beauty. From sunrise to
sunset, every aspects are touched. Poet described the beautiful
ponds, roads and greeneries in an artistic way.
Pratarbhanuh prkrti-saralah kamra-palli-vilolah
Ynrtarame nagara-charne kastadayi-prachandah
Poura-suryo dahati bhuvanm gramasuryah dayardrah
Gramah sakshyat surapati-puram medina yatrarmya .V.9.P.P
Here the village is compared with the heaven in the kavya for the
ecological balance. The environmental sanctity is also found
explained in verse.15 of the kavya.
Mrd-gomayadiparilepanaputagatram
Mandara-chanpaka-palasa-vikas-ramyam
Lakhmi-padankanasitarpita-bhitti-chitram
Vrndavaticharana-charchita-charu-vaktram. V.15.P.P
From verse 40 to 50 poet expresses his feeling towards his mother
where we found the pain of the inner-heart of a mother and the
sacrifice of the mother for his child is depicted in a lucid way.
Janani karunamayi sada
smudara nija-samtatim prati
Bhava-tapa-visham nipiya sa
tanayebhyah madhuvari simchati. V.48.P.P.
In this context, the changed psycho-social picture in townships is
spontaneously expressed.
Literary analysis :- This Panchasika is composed in traditional
chhandah-style.It starts from Vasantatilaka and ends with Viyogini.
Out of total five types of metres used in the Khanda-kavya , other
three are Upajati, Indravajra and Mandakranta.Vasantatilaka plays
prominence in the work.
The sentiment in normally shanta. In the last part of this Khanda-
kavya the feeling of Vatsalya is found.
Urvi-durvadala-nava-tanu-syamale nila-lole
Mukta-khanda-vyatikara-sita-svachha-harah tusarah
Suryaloka-sphurana-balitadipta-kalah pravalah
Gramam gramam vidadhati nava-prana-kallola-dharah.V.11. P.P.
In the context of the description of life style of both rustic and civic
citizens, the vitality and importance of the pallis are suggests by
means of Dhvani. The same style of suggestive meaning is found
expressed through negation in v.25. Again v.30 the young poet
searches the village-beauty in the dry townships by means of dhvani.
Palli-sukantiratula nagare na bhati
No bhati kaka-pika-ramya-kalo viravah
Dhavanti neha sishavah kapivarga-prsthe
Naivasti melanamiha vratacharininam. V.30.P.P
In the description from v.42 to v.47 the hidden symptom of dhvani
proves the work as a Dhvanikavya.
Chittam vyapnoti yah kshipram suskendhanamivanalah.
Sahityadarpana. The simple and sweet way of the description by the
poet shows the prasadata of the Khandakavya. Nowhere in
Pallipanchasika we trace out any symptom of ojoguna.
Svargapavarga-phala-samchaya-rupa-tulyam
Matastvadiya-karuna-kanamatra-mulyam
Pratyarpanaya sukhade ! na kada kshyamoham
Tasmat kshyamasva tanayam janani yatastvam. V.3.P.P
Here we see the simplicity of expression and the description of
Pallipanchasika flows by this way. Riti is obviously vaidarvi. The
Alankaras both sabda and artha are found in each verse. In v.1 we
see the characteristics of shrutyanuprasa i.e Chandre gatepi hasati
nabhaso nahamsah. In v.2. there is vrttyanuprasa i.e. chapekshate
surasirah purapuspavall. In v.3. the composition like –
Chhatreika-chitra-nilaye prathama triyama
Niryapita kathamapi pramadabhirama
Samlakshita vasumati sumatih prabhati
Vatayananta-nayana-yana-samvibhanti .
Shows the inclusion of Antyanuprasa. The most vital feature of this
khanda kavya is the antyanuprasa and yatipata in most of the verses.
(v.2., v.5.,v.6.,v.8., v.9., v.12., v.17.,v.20., v.21.,v.22.,v.23., v.28.,
v.34.etc.). Yamaka alankara also plays very important role in the
work. One of the examples of verse with adya-yamaka is –
Pratah surarchana-sugeetamudatta-mantram
Tatakrtam suchiyutam srti-geeti-putam
Bhatam cha purva-purusahuta-tarpanam yat
Matastadevanilayam salayam smarami . v18.
A sloka with pranta yamaka is –
Sopyeva dirgha-saranih namaniya-bhamgah
Palli-vilasi-ramani-ramaniya-samgah
Sammarjani-vyatikararpita-punya-ramgah
Dhuli-taramga-paripurita-chanchalamgah.v.23.
There is a beautiful sloka in this Khandakavya, which can be cited as
an example of adyapranta-yamaka –
Palli-nivasi-jana-ranjana-charuvala-
Vala-pramoda-parisanga-vilasa-lilah-
Lila-pradhavana-sugopana-netra-bandha-
Bandha-prasada-rachanollasita-prabandhah. V.22.
Besides the above alankaras, the upama in v.6,8 ; svabhavokti in
v.15,16, 20 and visesokti in v.5 are also significant. In verse 11 of
P.P. the description of village beauty is really heart-touching with
samsrsti-alankara through dhvani. Rightly Pdt. Govinda Mishra says
in the preface that “ Ityatra anuprasa-svabhavoktyoh samsrstih
dhvnina cha gramaprasastih hrdya.”
The style of description is natural and lucid. The spontaneous
expression of the poet about the attachment of every mother towards
her son is very much attractive.
Janani karunamayi sada
Samudara nija-samtatimprati
Bhavatapa-visham nipiya sa
Tanayebhyah madhuvari simchati . v. 48.
In the verse last but one the thought of imagination of young poet is
interesting one.
Kavita yadi kalpanayate, tava kalyani supuspita stuteh .
Nahi paramaho samesyati gunaraseh satatm pativrate ! v.49
In conclusion, the opinion of Late K.C.Panigrahi, a legend of Oriya
poetry about this work can be quoted . “Bhasa sarala, bhavah
akrtrimah, ataeva ativa sundari, svabhava-manorama
manomohanasya kavya-kamini . Asya sarasvatam mulyam
asadharanam asti .”