MALAYALAM CHAMPU POEMS

MALAYALAM CHAMPU POEMS

മലയാളം ചമ്പു 

     Champu-Kavya is a genre  in Indian literature in  originated from Sanskrit  . It consists of a mixture of prose (Gadya-Kavya) and poetry passages (Padya-Kavya), with verses interspersed among prose sections. The three  Pracheena poems are Unniyachi Charitham, Unniyadi Charitham and Unni Chiruthevi Charitham.Champu poems can be classified into two types, being Pracheena Manipravala Champukkal and Madhyakala Champukkal. Ramayanam Champu, Bharatham Champu, Naishadham Champu, Rajaratnavaleeyam Champu, Kodiyam Viraham Champu, Kamadahanam Champu, Chellur Nadhodayam Champu, Narayaneeyam Champu and Thenkaila Nadhodayam Champu are the main Madhyakala Champu poems.

 Most of the Manipravaalam works extolled the beauty of the woman. This trait can be observed in the champu poems of which the first appeared in the 14th century. Unniyachi Charitam the first Champu poem is the first kaavya or narrative composition in the language. Following this model, similar works like Unnichirutevi Charitam, and Unniyaati Charitam appeared. Unnichirutevi Charitam, cannot be called a champu, because its narration is wholly in prose. Generally, the prose in Malayalam Champus is poetical. It has got a definite meter. All these works as reffered to earlier have a predominating sensuous import. In the beginning of the 14th century, there appeared a work called Anantapura Varnanam (Description of Trivandrum). It takes us right into the markets of Trivandrum, describing vividly the sights normally seen there The message poems following Kalidasa's Cloud Messenger, that appeared in Kerala are Unnuneeli Sandesam, and Kooka sandesam. They depict the agonies of a lover separated from his beloved. Another important work which is a great contribution to literature is Chandrotsavam (Festival of the Moon) that appeared around 1500A.D. This work is exceptionally brilliant in composition and texture. Most of the earlier Champus dealt with eroticism.

  The later Champus switched over to puranic themes. Of these, the Raamayana Champu, the Champu written in Malayalam, deserves mention. It consists of two thousand stanzas dealing with the story of Rama and Sita. The work has in it the main theme, interspersed with humorous descriptions. The Bhaarata Champu, is another puranic composition. Another exquiste Champu, of the sixteenth century depicts the story of Nala and Damayanti in a moving manner. Kaama-Dahanam is yet another work which deals with a puranic theme.

                                                                   Prof John Kurakar