KRISTHUBHAGAVATAM –

SYNOPSIS

Sanskrit literature is a vast and ancient body of literary works

composed in the Sanskrit language. It encompasses a wide
range of texts, including religious scriptures, epic poetry,
philosophical treatises, plays and more. Some of the most
famous works in Sanskrit literature include Vedas, the
Upanishads, the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the puranas and
the works pf classical Sanskrit playwrights like Kalidasa.
Early works of Sanskrit literature were transmitted through an
oral tradition for centuries before they were written down in
manuscript form.
Kavya refers to the Sanskrit literary style used by Indian court
poets flourishing between c. 200 BCE and 1200 CE. Historical
kavya often refers to as kavya literature is a genre of classical
Sanskrit poetry and literary compositions that flourished in
ancient India. Kavyas are not only valued for their content but
also for their artistic presentation.
Plakkiyil Chacko Devassia, often known as Mahakavi P.C
Devassia (24 March 1906 – 10 October 2006), was a Sanskrit
scholar and poet from Kerala, India. In 190 he won the Sahithya
Akademi Award for Sanskrit for his Mahakavyam
Kristhubhagavatam. He has also received the Kerala Sahithya
Akademy Award for his contributions to Malayalam literature.
Kristhubhagavatam a mahakavya in Sanskrit based on the life
Jesus Christ. The 1977 published version of the
Kristhubhagavatam contains over 1600 Sanskrit verses divided
into 33 cantos, perhaps corresponding to the number of years
lived by Jesus. Each Sanskrit verse is accompanied by and
English translation. The poem and the translation comprise 434
pages.
In this Mahakavya, based on the life of Christ, the reader will
come across many allusions to and illustrations from Hindu
puranas and epics.