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{{Short description|Genre of Indian literature}}
{{Indian literature}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}

'''Champu''' or '''Chapu-Kavya''' ([[Devanagari]]: चम्पू-काव्य) is a genre of literary composition in [[Indian literature]]. The word 'Champu' means a combination of [[poetry]] and [[prose]]. A ''champu-kavya'' consists of a mixture of prose (Gadya-Kavya) and poetry passages (Padya-Kavya), with verses interspersed among prose sections.

We can see champu-kavya right from the Vedic period. Ithareya [[Brahman]]s [[Harishchandropakyana]] is the main example, that it is originated from Vedic period. Also Champu-kavya
is seen 2nd century BC, in [[Rudradamana Girinar]]s inscription on rocks. It is also seen in [[Ramayana]], [[Mahabharata]], [[Puranas]], and the other [[Mahakavya]]s and was a later development in the style of writing.

==Works in Champu style==
===Telugu===
[[Telugu language|Telugu]] poets have used the champu way of rendering poetry. Krishnamaacharya carried this tradition of ''Champu Marga'' step further by putting his writings mainly in devotional prose called ''Vachana''.<ref name="Poet Saints Of India">{{cite book|title=Poet Saints of India|author=Roy, S.|date=1996|publisher=Sterling Publishers Private Limited|isbn=9788120718838|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zMvlDsnEgRoC&pg=PA139|page=139|access-date=2015-07-19}}</ref>

In [[Telugu literature]], the most acclaimed Champu work is [[Nannayya|Nannaya Bhattarakudu]]'s ''Andhra Mahabharatam'', produced around the 11th century, which is rendered in the Champu style, is so chaste and polished and of such a high literary merit.<ref>{{cite book |title= A History of Telugu Literature |last= Chenchiah |first= P. |author2=Rao, Raja Bhujanga |year= 1988 |publisher= Asian Educational Services |isbn= 81-206-0313-3}}</ref>

===Odia===
[[Odia literature]] is also replete with the champu style poetry. [[Baladev Rath]], [[Banamali Dasa]], [[Dinakrushna Das]] are some of the most famous poets who wrote Champu.

In [[Odia literature]] too, there are numerous works in this genre. There is an added feature though- a Champu in Odia usually has 34 songs, one for each consonant of the alphabet. This rule, though absent in Sanskrit definitions is followed in most of the creations of the Champu genre in Odia. All lines of a song start with its assigned letter. The most famous work is 18th century poet ''Kabisurjya'' [[Baladev Rath]]'s ''Kishorachandrananda Champu'', often shortened to simply ''Kishori Champu''. It narrates the tale of Radha and Krishna's romance in 34 songs.<ref>''Kabisurjya Granthabali o Jibana Charita'' (Odia) - Pt. Kulamani Dash, Dharmagrantha Store, 8th edition, 1987.</ref>

===Kannada===
[[Adikavi Pampa]], the ''Adikavi'', one of the greatest Kannada poets of all time and one among the ''ratnatrayaru'', pioneered this style when he wrote his classical works, ''[[Vikramarjuna Vijaya]]'' (Pampa Bharata) and ''[[Adipurana]]'' in it, around 940 CE, and which served as the model for all future works in Kannada.<ref>{{cite book |title=Merriam-Webster's encyclopedia of literature |publisher=Merriam-Webster|year=1995|isbn=0-87779-042-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/merriamwebsters00merr/page/853 853] |url=https://archive.org/details/merriamwebsters00merr|url-access=registration }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Students' Britannica India, Volumes 1-5|year=2000 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |isbn=0-85229-760-2 |page=78 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AE_LIg9G5CgC&q=Adikavi+Pampa&pg=PA78 }}</ref>

There is evidence to believe Gunavarma I ,the poet who flourished at the court of King Ereyappa (864-913 C.E),was the first poet to compose Kannada Champu Kavyas. His work includes Harivamsha and Shudraka.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/16957285|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian literature|origyear=1987|year=1994|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|others=Amaresh Datta, Sahitya Akademi|isbn=0-8364-2283-X|location=New Delhi|oclc=16957285}}</ref>

In [[Kannada literature]],<ref name=":0">R. S. Mugali
</ref> this metre was popularised by the [[Chalukya]] court poets, like [[Adikavi Pampa]] (902 CE -975 CE), who wrote his [[Adipurana]] in Champu style popularizing it. Also known as ''champu-kavya'') was the most popular written form from the 9th century onwards, although it started to fall into disuse in the 12th century. When people moved towards other Sanskritic metres like ''[[tripadi]]'' (three line verse), the ''[[saptapadi]]'' (seven line verse), the ''ashtaka'' (eight line verse), the ''shataka'' (hundred-line verse), hadugabba (song-poem) and free verse metres.

Other works in [[Hoysala literature]] period were also in this style.

===Sanskrit===
''[[Prahlādacharita]]'' a Sanskrit work written by [[Rama Varma Parikshith Thampuran]], former [[Maharaja of Cochin]] is in Champu style.

Sri Gopala Champu of Jiva Gosvami is in champu style.

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110316153820/http://samskrutam.com/samskrit/literature/literature-text-classification.aspx Sanskrit Literature Classification]

[[Category:Sanskrit literature]]
[[Category:Kannada literature]]
[[Category:Sanskrit poetry]]
[[Category:Literary genres]]
[[Category:Medieval Indian literature]]

Champu - Revision history

>Lancepark at 12:12, 14 August 2021