Oriya Literature - Age of Sarala Das

Age of Sarala Das

In the 15th century Sanskrit was the lingua franca for literature in Odisha and Oriya was often considered the language of the shudras (Untouchables). Oriya was at that time the language of backward castes used to communicate, having no access to Sanskrit education. The first great poet of Odisha is the famous Sarala-Das, who translated the Mahabharata. This was not an exact translation from the Sanskrit original, but rather an imitation; for all practical purposes it can be seen as an original piece of work. Sarala-Das was given the title Shudramuni, or seer from a backward class. He had no formal education and did not know Sanskrit.

This translation has since provided subsequent poets with the necessary foundation for a national literature, providing a fairly accurate idea of the Oriya culture at the time. Sarala-Das, born in the 15th century Odisha of Kapilendra Dev, was acclaimed as the “Adikabi” or first poet. It is believed that his poetic gift came from the goddess Sarala (Sarasswati), and that Sarala-Das wrote the Mahabharata as she dictated it. Though he wrote many poems and epics, he is best remembered for the Mahabharata. His other most known works are Chandi Purana and the Vilanka Ramayana.

Arjuna Das, a contemporary of Sarala-Das, wrote Rama-Bibha, which is a significant long poem in Oriya.