Naishadhiyacharitam is one of the five mahakavyas or great epics of the classical Samskrita literature and it is considered to be one of the Bruhattrayi. Naishadhiyacharitam is the masterpiece of Sriharsha. It is rightly said as “नैषधं विद्वदौषधम्” i.e. Naishadha kavya is like a medicine for the scholars.
This kavya depicts the love story of King Nala and Queen Damayanti in 22 cantos. Story line is taken from the Mahabharata’s Vana Parva’s Nalopakhyanam. But the poet does not narrate the complete story of Nala and Damayanti.
There is a famous verse which upholds the greatness of Naishadhiyacharitam – “तावद्भा भारवेर्भाति यावन्माघस्य नोदयः । उदिते नैषधे भानौ क्व माघः क्व च भारविः”. Though it is said that Shriharsha has also written many Kavyas, this is the only Kavya which is available. He has also written a Vedanta Grantha, namely ‘खण्डनखण्डखाद्यम्’.
The first sarga of Naishadhiyacharita is prescribed for study as a part of different syllabi. In the first canto, the poet describes Nala and Damayanti’s virtues, her second to none beauty, through 145 verses.
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