Haravijaya () is a Sanskrit mahÃÂkÃÂvya written by RatnÃÂkara. The poem narrates à Âiva's victory over Andhaka. It also describes à Âiva's iconographic features and gives an exposition of à Âaiva philosophy. Haravijaya is the longest extant Sanskrit mahÃÂkÃÂvya, containing a total of 4351 verses in fifty sargas (cantos).
In the praà Âasti of Haravijaya, RatnÃÂkara, its author, speaks of himself as the son of Amá¹ÂtabhÃÂnu, a descendant of Durgadatta from GangÃÂhrada. According to Kalhaá¹Âa's RÃÂjataraá¹ giá¹Âë, he gained fame during the reign of Avantivarman (), but the colophons of Haravijaya suggest it was composed during the reign of Cippaá¹Âa JayÃÂpëá¸Âa, between 826 and 838 CE. From the theme of his poem, it can be assumed that he was a practitioner of Kashmiri à Âaivism; Alexis Sanderson states that the poem's hymns to à Âiva and PÃÂrvatë in canto 6 and 47 respectively are the earliest dateable evidence of the presence of MantramÃÂrgic à Âaivism in Kashmir. He also authored the VakroktipañcÃÂà ÂikÃÂ, containing fifty verses of dialogue between à Âiva and PÃÂrvatë, employing the device of vakrokti ("punning conversation"); this is possibly his only other preserved work.
Haravijaya is the longest extant Sanskrit mahÃÂkÃÂvya, containing a total of 4351 verses in fifty sargas (cantos). The poem narrates à Âiva's victory over Andhaka. In accordance with mahÃÂkÃÂvya convention, the poem explores many aspects of life, including nature, seasons, love, and a battle. It also describes à Âiva's iconographic features and gives an exposition of à Âaiva philosophy in canto six. The poem belongs to a later phase of kÃÂvya development, emphasising display of knowledge and command of poetical devices. The poet liberally uses concepts and technical terms from various à ÂÃÂstras on the fields described in the poem.
Haravijaya has been praised in many Sanskrit anthologies and works on rhetorics and is also held in high esteem by modern Indian Sanskrit scholars. RÃÂjaà Âekhara complemented RatnÃÂkara with the following verse:
Durgaprasad and Parab cite a contemporary opinion in their 1890 edition of the Haravijaya:
Peter Pasedach lists three commentaries on the poem: Viá¹£amapadoddyotàby Alaka, Laghupañcikàby Ratnakaá¹Âá¹Âha, and HaravijayasÃÂravivaraá¹Âa by Utpala.
An edition of the work was published in 1890, prepared by Pandit Durgaprasad and Kasinath Pandurang Parab for the KÃÂvyamÃÂlÃÂ series. It contains Alaka's commentary up to canto 46. Another edition of the text, from 1982, was prepared by Dr. Goparaju Rama for the Ganganatha Jha Kendriya Sanskrit Vidyapitha Text Series and published in two volumes. It is a critical edition based on six manuscripts without any serious variation, and only contains RatnÃÂkara's verses, without any commentary.