368 M. M. Cliakravarti —Language and literature of Orissa. [No. 4, 
bilasa on the career of Rama up to Uttarakanda; 1 second Labanyabati, 
narrating the story of the princess Labanyabati and the prince Cand- 
rabhanu; third K5tibrahmandasundari, a romance with the princess of 
the above name as heroine; and fourth Rasapancaka, illustrating by 
Oriya songs the rhetorical rules about Nayakas, Nayikas and their 
loves, and following mainly the corresponding text of the Bengali 
alamhara , Sahitya Darpan. A passage from Baidehisabilasa is extracted 
lower down, but no single passage can give any reliable idea of the 
many-sided talents of this poet. 
Bisvanatha Khunti-a. 
• • 
Such a talented poet as Upendra must influence later poetry. On 
the religions side his Baidehisabilasa found an imitator in the Bicitra 
Ramayana of Bisvanatha Khunti-a. This author appears to have been 
a resident of Puri. His surname Khunti-a is applied to a special 
class of sebakas in the Jagannatha temple, and the poem begins with 
a brief description of Jagannatha’s festivals. His date is not precisely 
known. In his introduction he refers to the king Divyasimha, who 
reigned from 1692-93 to 1719-20 A.D. 2 He also refers to Upendra 
Bhaiija’s Caupadibhusana, 3 which is probably among Bhanja’s earliest 
works. Approximately therefore the date of Bicitra Ramayana may be 
put in the decade 1710-20 A.D. 
The poem, as its name implies, is an adaptation of the Sanskrit 
Ramayana, and differs from Baidehisabilasa in adding the Uttarakanda 
and in following more closely the story of the Sanskrit original. It 
is divided into generally very short cantos, and is therefore well adapted 
for singing. It is largely sung by dancing boys, and in old days was 
generally sung in the festival of Qrirama navami, which occurs in 
1 Upendra Bhanja did not poetise the Uttarakanda, because according to rules 
a poem should end happily and not in grief or death. 
fkvi? to sftfcro srfvrf% i 
*tf%*f*r ii ai \\ 
Baid. Bil., 52nd Ch., p. 535. 
« 
“ I have not described this (Uttara-kanda), because then the enjoyment of 
the rasas will be broken. The learned have said that this is a fault in chdnda 
poetry.” 
2 “ ft Jrsrefa fterJTsTTw ftrot vf 55 “ i pay my obeisance to 
(^n-Divyasimha Gajapati and to the auspicious feet of Qri- Jagannatha.” Ch. I, 1. 5, 
Adikanda. For Dibya simha’s reign, see App. IV, “ The later kings of Khorda.” 
3 “ TTJI ^r?T?t I if^r?t €% I ” Bic - flam. Aranyaka, 
Kanda, Chanda 2nd’s tune. 
