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Essay name: Bhasa (critical and historical study)

Author: A. D. Pusalker

This book studies Bhasa, the author of thirteen plays ascribed found in the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series. These works largely adhere to the rules of traditional Indian theatrics known as Natya-Shastra.

Page 189 of: Bhasa (critical and historical study)

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189 (of 564)


External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)


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169
when Buddhism had deteriorated. Admitting this for a
moment, how can Mr. Sankar explain the same derogatory
remarks about the Buddhist monks in the PratijÃ±Ä and
Avi, which he has assigned to the author of the Má¹›cch ?2
It is on the other hand a well-known fact that a new
religion is generally looked down upon in its infancy, and
gradually increases in its following. Dr. Winternitz
surmises that Śūdraka was really a Sudra who found
better treatment from Buddhism than from the orthodox
religion; but this is not borne out by the internal evidence
since the author praises BrÄhmaṇa-bhojana,
Mr. Padhye, a well-known Buddhist scholar, has also
shown that the religious atmosphere as portrayed in
BhÄsa, Śūdraka and KÄlidÄsa places SÅ«draka later
than the Car, and KÄlidÄsa the last of the three."
etc.
6. The science of thieving as propounded by
Sajjalaka in the Car (p. 75) and Sarvilaka in the Má¹›cch
(p. 57) tells the
tells the
same story. Åšarvilaka mentions
Kartikeya as the patron deity and Kanakaśakti,
Devavrata, Bhaskaranandin and YogÄcÄrya as masters in
the art. Sajjalaka, on the other hand, invokes the aid
of Kharapata. As the name occurs in a later work from
the South, viz., the MattavilÄsa, it is contended that
the Car got it from the Southern tradition and hence it
is an adaptation of the Má¹›cch. Now, it should be noted
that the Kauá¹­iliya ArthaÅ›Ästra also mentions Kharapata,
stating that the details as to the particular implements of
torture to be used in the particular case, measure of
punishment, etc., should be learnt from Kharapata. This
shows that before Kautilya, the treatise by Kharapata
was well known. It is only in later literature, that a
confusion is made between Kharapata and Müladeva,
and hence it is useless to infer from the identity stated
in later literature, that Kharapata is the same as Mūladeva,
and that the works mentioning Kharapata are later than
Mūladeva, the hero of Sūdraka's Padmaprabhṛtaka.
Hence, the mention of Kharapata in Kautilya's
1 AMV, 2. pp. 57-58. Cf. PratijñÄ, pp. 43-45 : अघà¤� बहà¥à¤®à¤£à¤­à¤¾à¤µà¤� à¥� ईहामतà¥à¤¤à¤à¤�
समणà¤à¤� अभयं दीअदà¤� à¥� [aghaá¹� bahmaṇabhÄvaá¹� | Ä«hÄmattaeṇa
samaṇaeṇa abhaya� dīadi |
]
etc. Avi, p. 72 : किणà¥à¤£à¥à¤–ॠजीवदà¤� णगà¥à¤—नà¥à¤§à¤°à¤¸à¤®à¤£à¤¿à¤� à¥� [kiṇṇukhu jÄ«vadi ṇaggandharasamaṇiÄ | ] Mr. Sankar
enumerates these two viz, PratijÃ±Ä and Avi among the works of Śūdraka,
AMV, 2, p. 64. 3 Geschichte der indischen Lit, III, pp. 205 ff. 4 OC, VII,
Summaries, pp. 168-170; also, IC, 1937, pp. 61-72 5 Kaut. Arth., IV, 8 p. 221:
तसà¥à¤¯à¥‹à¤ªà¤•रणं पà¥à¤°à¤®à¤¾à¤£à¤� पà¥à¤°à¤¹à¤°à¤£à¤� पà¥à¤°à¤§à¤¾à¤°à¤£à¤®à¤µà¤§à¤¾à¤°à¤£à¤‚ à¤� खरपटà¥à¤Ÿà¤¾à¤¦à¤¾à¤—मयेतà¥� à¥� [tasyopakaraṇaá¹� pramÄṇaá¹� praharaṇaá¹� pradhÄraṇamavadhÄraṇaá¹� ca kharapaá¹­á¹­ÄdÄgamayet | ] 6 Sankar, AMV, 2, p. 56,

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