Humour, baroque and nature: the image of the dawn in the Somavallīyogānandaprahasana

The Somavallīyogānanda of Aruṇagirinātha Diṇḍima is one of the many unpublished prahasanas, dated approximately to the 15th century CE. Although it cannot be considered a dignified example of the comic genre compared to the first testimonies, this work presents many elements of lively interest. After an examination of the details connected with Diṇḍima, an almost unknown author of theatre and poetry, the paper will offer first impressions after a preliminary reading of some verses. The few examined portions concern the representation of the dawn at the beginning of the farce; an analysis of several natural images will be presented, their contents and structure, from which some considerations about Aruṇagirinātha’s poetry and his descriptive skills will be offered.