The Transfigured Pain Of Jayasi, One-Eyed Poet

Having praised God, the Prophet of ­Isl­am­ and his companions, and then the ruler of the times, followed by his own spiritual preceptor바카라�Sheikh Mahadi바카라�Jayasi comes to himself before embarking upon the story of Padmini of Simhal. Thro­u­ghout Padmavat, the poet describes everything (from culinary feasts to horses) in great detail, in long shots as well as in close-ups, as if insistently saying that even if he has been deprived of sight in one eye, his 바카라�eye for detail바카라� and 바카라�vision바카라�바카라�in other words, his ability to put details in ­perspective바카라�more than make up for his physical handicap.

The poet goes on to compare himself with other great achievers who, with their 바카라�deformities바카라�, have made a unique place for themselves. In this stanza, the audience gets an early hint of his vast knowledge of systematic, academic knowledge (Shastras) as well as folk wisdom: 바카라�[The] moon has been created by the Creator with its spots,바카라� says the poet, 바카라�and it gives pleasing light to the world.바카라� Further, 바카라�So what, if I am one-eyed? There is after all only one brightest star바카라�Venus바카라�in the firmament바카라�. Mount Sumeru was hit by Lord Shiva바카라�s trident before it turned golden and touched the sky. Unless passed through fire, gold is not purified.바카라�

Jayasi concludes with words of supreme self-confidence: 바카라�The poet바카라�s single eye is like a mirror (darpan) and his poetic emotion is free of any ill will, all the beautiful and handsome ones fall at his feet and look forward to words emanating from his mouth.바카라�

In the next stanza, he introduces his Padmavat. The introduction begins with Jayas: 바카라�I composed this in the pious city of Jayas. I beseech scholars to ignore my mistakes바카라�. My tongue sings the praises of Ratan and the 바카라�matter바카라� (Padmavati; he uses 바카라�padarth바카라�, literally 바카라�matter바카라�); and thus causes the flow of sweet nectar. One whose words ,carry the heart-pangs of separation is bound to forget everything바카라�hunger, shelter and all. He turns into a mendicant; he lives like a ruby in dust.바카라�

The metaphor conveys Jayasi바카라�s familiarity with folk wisdom, in which the ruby (lal or manikya) is valued even more than a diamond in certain contexts. A worthy man is the 바카라�lal바카라� of the family or community; a mother calls her beloved son or daughter, 바카라�My lal바카라�. By comparing himself to a ruby and hinting at his own 바카라�heart-pangs of separation바카라�, Jayasi underlines his own sense of self-worth. It is due to the mix of pain and pleasure of personal memories that Jayas바카라�the first garden (바카라�aadi udyaanu바카라�) of his first work, Aakhiri Kalaam바카라�has become a holy place, a pious city. He concludes with moving words about carrying the pain of bodily deformities along with self-confidence, quite suitable for a ruby in dust: 바카라�Muhammad바카라�poet of love, ugly and frail, causes laughters and jeers/ But hearing his verses, nobody can hold back tears.바카라�

Who/What is Padmini?

Padmini바카라�in the Indian thinking on Kama, erotic desire바카라�is the name given to the ultimate ideal of feminine beauty. Padmini is, in fact, an actualisation of the ultimate male fantasy of feminine beauty and grace. Incidentally, not all are female, there are male prototypes too in Kama literature. Padmini could be a name given to a particular person, but in most of the cases, 바카라�Padmini바카라� is a generic term which can refer to any woman who meets the criteria. In many folk tales of north India, not only blue-blooded royals, but even ordinary young men sometimes undertake the adventure of looking for 바카라�a바카라� Padmini for themselves.

Just as Padmini represents the ideal of feminine beauty, grace and charm, Simhal Dweep (the island of Simhal) is the ideal of natural beauty and civic life. There is no ugliness of any kind there. All women and men are beautiful not only in bodily appearance but also in mind and soul. Jayasi yearned for beauty and serenity in real life, which was difficult to attain. We can understand his choice of Simhal바카라�the ultimate manifestation of serene beauty바카라�as the place wherefrom his story was to begin.

As we have already seen, from Chittor till Odisha, a traveller to Simhal is journeying within India바카라�s 바카라�real바카라� geography (with towns that still exist, and Jharkhand and Telangana coming in for a mention), but beyond Odisha, the movement is through mythical and imagined seas and towards a fabulous utopia바카라�.

Such a narrative does not exhaust the possibility of other visions. Somebody can plan to travel to Simhal not to get a Padmini, but with the hope of finding perfection in the form of Ram Himself. And to such a person, Kabir바카라�the master of spirituality beyond religion, who teaches the technique of finding Ram within바카라�has some advice to offer: 바카라�If only you strive to know and feel, He resides within, there is no need to head towards Sinhala dweep in search of Ram.바카라�

There are many folk tales in which a young man (generally a prince, but not always) is challenged (usually by a careless sister-in-law or stepmother) to go and get the padmini nari i.e. ideal woman from Simhal island if he is not satisfied with the quality or quantity of meal provided to him (just like in Padmavat). Note the importance of the quality of the meal as a cause of discord. A padmini woman is supposed to be the epitome of perfection in that department as well. The male fantasy of her perfection is not confined to expertise in erotica; it values good food as well. Jayasi seems to have been a food enthusiast himself바카라�he tends to give long-winded descriptions of feasts, exhibiting his knowledge of food culture. He particularly spends a lot of time describing the variety of cuisines at the feast organised by Ratansen for Alauddin.

Jayasi describes Simhal with great passion. At the outset, he hints at a twilight zone of 바카라�rea­lity바카라� and fantasy. Simhal, according to Jayasi, is 바카라�indescribable, as it is like a mirror which shows you only what you actually look like바카라�. It is also incomparable with any known island or continent, including Jambudweep i.e. the Indian subcontinent. As if anticipating that some rea­ders might confuse his Simhal with Sri Lanka, he says with a touch of derision, 바카라�Lanka is not even close to its shadow바카라�.

Then they met바카라�

The couple has been deep in love and has suffered a lot for each other; now is the moment of consummation. The description of this 바카라�moment바카라� and its aftermath runs into forty-two stanzas and is a mini masterpiece in itself....

Jayasi handles Eros (Kama) in a holistic way, with great sensitivity to both its physical and emotional aspects. He is clear that competence in erotic matters is a precondition for conjugal bliss and cannot be divorced from the emotional aspect. Before proceeding to describe the consummation of the marriage, he once again underlines Padmavati바카라�s intellect through a sweet, suggestive exchange of witty remarks ­between her and her man. For the first time, we come to know that Ratansen, besides perseverance, possesses immense wit as well. There are remarks from Padmavati asking him to prove his worth and dependability; with inbuilt hints at events waiting in the wing바카라�바카라�One should fall in love only with someone consistent and belonging to one바카라�s own place. There is no point in being intimate with a yogi, a bumblebee and a foreigner바카라�. To this, Ratansen responds with confidence, 바카라�Listen, the truth is, I belong to you forever. I am one yogi who has already reached his destination. Borax once mixed with gold cannot be separated. The same is the case with us.바카라� The lover succeeds in convincing his beloved. One may add here that the poet succeeds in reiterating the couple바카라�s made-for-each-other status. The most moving, however, is the fact, that even in this intimate moment, Padmavati does not forget her debt to Hiraman the parrot. 바카라�It was he who brought your message to me,바카라� she fondly recalls. It is only now that Jayasi proceeds to describing the actual erotic act; and that too, with great psychological insights. In his uninhibited rapturous description, Padmavati, even though knowledgeable of and competent in the erotic arts, is still apprehensive. She is willing, but ­cautious and shy. Ratansen바카라�the lover who has been waiting for so long바카라�is excited yet patient, forceful yet considerate.