Bhartrhari

(5th c. C.E.) Sanskrit poet-philosopher
who authored the Shatakatrayam
(“Three Hundred”), a three-part collection of poems on political life, love, and
renunciation. According to legend,
Bhartrhari was born the son of the brahmin Vidyasagara and his shudra wife,
Mandakini. Vidyasagara was the adviser
to the king of Kalinga and was given the
kingdom upon the ruler’s death; after
Vidyasagara’s death Bhartrhari’s brothers
designated him as king. Bhartrhari was
very happy until he realized that his wife
was being unfaithful to him. When her
secret was discovered she tried to poison him. Completely disillusioned,
Bhartrhari renounced the world to live
as an ascetic, during which time he
reputedly composed his poetry.
Although this is a good story, since
many of these poems stress the degradation inherent in courtly life,
Bhartrhari was most likely a courtier. His
poetry treats all of the conventional purposes of life. The first two sections are
about power (artha), sensual desire
(kama), and righteous action (dharma),
whereas the final section is concerned
with the ultimate end, or liberation of
the soul (moksha). For further information see Barbara Stoller Miller (trans.),
The Hermit and the Love-Thief, 1978.