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Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study)

by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah | 2014 | 67,792 words

This page relates ‘Part 4(a): Banabhatta: His time, Date and His Works� of the English study on the Harshacharita: A Sanskrit (poetical work) which can be studied as a Historical book of Indian society during the 7th century. It was originally written by Banabhatta who based his Harsacarita on the life of the Gupta emperor Harshavardhana. This study researches the religion, philosophy, flora and fauna and society of ancient India as reflected in the Harsha-Charita.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Part 4(a): ṇabhaṭṭa: His time, Date and His Works

[Full title: Position of Ჹṣaٲ Among the Gadya屹ⲹs in Sanskrit Literature]

ṇabhaṭṭa acquires the topmost position among all the prose-writers in Sanskrit literature due to his excellent poetic merits. Although, Subandhu was predecessor of ṇa, the latter got a higher position than him for careful avoidance of all the faults of the former. But ṇa was greatly influenced by Subandhu, and therefore, he praises him in his Ჹṣaٲ.[1] ٲṇḍ, however, had shown new style in the prose-屹ⲹ by using simple elocution in his ٲśܳٲ. But, he (ٲṇḍ) too even couldn’t acquire ṇa’s standard, although he[2] had flourished later than ṇa.

The date of ṇabhaṭṭa is very important for the chronology of Sanskrit writers. His date can easily be fixed from the autobiographical accounts given by himself in his famous 屹ⲹ in Ჹṣaٲ. In this , it is mentioned[3] that he had been patronized by the emperor Ჹṣa󲹲Բ, and, he based his Ჹṣaٲ on the life and reign of king Ჹṣa󲹲Բ of Northern India. The lifeevents of Ჹṣa󲹲Բ and his reign are found in various reliable sources such as—the writing of Chinese traveler Hiouen Thsang[4] who wrote in detail about the king Ś徱ٲⲹ of Kanauja, the emperor of Northern India. A comparative study of both ṇa and Hiouen Thsang proves that the description of Ś徱ٲⲹ by Hiouen Thsang is identical to king Ჹṣa, the great patron of ṇa. Hiouen Thsang visited India during 629-645 A.D., and on the basis of his writing the historian[5] has concluded that Ჹṣa reigned from 606 A.D. to 647 A.D. Again, the Madhuban[6] copper plate and Banskhera[7] copper plate inscriptions of king Ჹṣa are also reliable sources of the time of king Ჹṣa.

Other various external evidences are also thrown light on ṇa. 峾Բ, who flourished in 750-800 A.D. refers to some words from 岹ī in his 屹ⲹṅkūٰṛtپ.[8] 岹ī and Ჹṣaٲ are mentioned as specimens of the two types of prose composition by Namisādhu, the commentator of ܻṭa’s 屹ṅk,[9] who appeared in 1069 A.D. Again, ٳ󲹲ԲñᲹⲹ who flourished in 1000 A.D. and was patronized by king ѳñᲹ, mentions ṇa’s name in his ٲśū貹.[10] In ī첹ṇṭ󲹰ṇa[11] of Bhoja (1025 A.D.), it is found that ṇa was not an expert in poetry as he was in prose compositions. The names Ჹṣaٲ and 岹ī are mentioned many a times by Anandavardhana in his ٳ󲹲Բǰ첹[12] (850 A. D.).

Again, in the beginning of his Ჹṣaٲ, ṇa mentions a number of Sanskrit authors and Sanskrit works viz., ղ,[13] 岹ٳ,[14] 󲹳ٳ󲹰Ի,[15] ٲ󲹲Բ,[16] Pavarasena,[17] ,[18] ,[19] ṛhٲ첹ٳ[20] and Ādhyarāja.[21] These references prove that ṇabhaṭṭa flourished in the first half of the 7th century A. D.

Although, it is very rare to find out personal history of Sanskrit poets, ṇabhaṭṭa reveals his personal life in both his gadya屹ⲹs. He reveals that he was born in a highly learned 󳾲ṇa family of the Vātsāyana[22] race. A detailed description of his family back-ground has been given in the first three chapters of the Ჹṣaٲ. His forefather lived in Prītikūṭa,[23] on the western bank of the river ᾱṇy,[24] in the ԲⲹܲᲹ region known also as Śṇa. The village Prītikūṭa was the resort of the learned 󳾲ṇas, which is mentioned by ṇa as 󳾲ṇād󾱱.[25] In the Ჹṣaٲ details of his family starts with the description of Vatsa,[26] and that after many years Kubera[27] was born in that family. In the 岹ī mention of Kubera[28] starts with the information that he was experienced in Vedic rituals and pleased many Gupta kings. śܱ貹ٲ[29] was one of the four sons of Kubera. śܱ貹ٲ’s son was Arthapati, who has been mentioned in the 岹ī.[30]

But the Ჹṣaٲ[31] mentions that Arthapati was the only son of śܱ貹ٲ. Arthapati had many sons, and 侱ٰԳ[32] was one of them. 侱ٰԳ and Rājadevī’s son was ṇa.[33] ṇa lost his mother in his childhood,[34] and after that his father brought him up.[35] But when ṇa was only 14 years old, his father too, died[36] after performing his religious ceremonies (i.e., upanayana etc.). After he lost his father,[37] ṇa lived an unsteady life for sometimes due to his boyish curiosity. Then, he set out from his home[38] with curiosity to see various lands, and to earn wealth and knowledge. A large group of friends accompanied him,[39] who were engaged in various professions such as-bhāṣākavi, varṇakabi, barks, snake doctor, goldsmith, painter, singer, gambler, dancing girl etc. After he had visited many royal courts and several universities, participated in debates with learned men, he again returned[40] to his native place Prītikūṭa. There, he received a message from ṛṣṇa[41] a cousin of king Ჹṣa, that on the basis of some wicked person’s information,[42] the king had formed a wrong impression about him. So, ṛṣṇa summoned[43] him to the court as early as possible. At that moment, he had felt hesitation because; neither he nor his family had ever been to the royal court.[44] But at last, he decided to go.[45] Next day, after performing some auspicious rites which were followed by an orthodox 󳾲ṇa, ṇa went out for the journey.[46] On the third day, he reached the camp of king Ჹṣa󲹲Բ,[47] near the town of Maṇitārā, on the bank of Ajiravatī. When ṇa had reached the court, at first, king Ჹṣa treated him with negligence and called him a wanton.[48] ṇa replied[49] him with a wounded pride and calm dignity. Then, king Ჹṣa was impressed with him and later, he became a great favourite to king and got the royal favour.[50] After receiving the highest regard from king Ჹṣa,[51] ṇa returned home,[52] and his friends and family warmly welcome him at home. To welcome him, his friends recited[53] various verses from different books. One of them, the bard Sūcibāṇa recited two verses in metre[54] on the life of king Ჹṣa. Hearing his verses, Ś峾, ṇa’s cousin, requested[55] him to narrate the life story of Ჹṣa’s life from the beginning. Then ṇa promised[56] to narrate a part of it, which related the Ჹṣaٲ.[57] With this description, ṇa’s autobiography is closed here. His life history is not found elsewhere in Sanskrit literature.

The Ჹṣaٲ and 岹ī are two gadya屹ⲹs, for which ṇa is able to get the position of the master of Sanskrit prose-romance. He has clearly mentioned that these two 屹ⲹs[58] are the and 첹ٳ respectively.

Besides these two gadya屹ⲹs, he composed�

[a] the 䲹ṇḍīśٲ첹, a work containing a hundred verses, concerning goddess 䲹ṇḍī, a form of Dūrgā,

[b] the Śśٲ첹, containing a hundred verses to praise lord Ś,

[c] the ī貹ṇaⲹ, a drama ascribed to ṇa. (But, some scholars do not accept that it is ṇa’s work),

[d] the ѳܰṭa徱ٲ첹, a drama written by ṇa, from which հṭṭ[59] quoted a verse in his Nalacampu,

and [e] the Ś岹Ի is a play, the plot related to 䲹Իīḍa.[60]

There are other various 屹ⲹs such as ٲśū貹ka, ʲⲹ岹ī, Sarvacaritanāṭaka attributed to ṇabhaṭṭa, but nothing is known about the reliable sources of it, which can be proved.

About his works, Prof. S. V. Dixit[61] details that ṇa had written 9 books viz.,

  1. Ჹṣaٲ,
  2. 岹ī,
  3. 䲹ṇḍīśٲ첹,
  4. Śśٲ첹,
  5. ѳܰṭaḍiٲ첹,
  6. ٲṭa첹,
  7. Ś岹Ի,
  8. ʲⲹ岹ī and
  9. ī貹ṇaⲹ.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

첹ī峾岹 ūԲ� vāsavadattayā | śaktyeva pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ gatayā karṇagocaram || Ჹṣaٲ,I. intro.v.11

[2]:

󾱲ԲԲīṣṇܰ辱 ٰ� bānena nirvyrtha�, Avantīsundarī첹ٳ, v.19

[3]:

[a] atidakṣiṇa� khalu devo harṣo yadevam�.Բ srihyatyeva mayi, Ჹṣaٲ,II.p.37 [b] svalpaireva cāhobhi� paramaprītena prasādajanmano Բⲹ premṇo vibhrambhasya draviṇasya narmaṇa� prabhāvasya ca 貹� kotimānīyat narendreṇeti, Ibid.

[4]:

[a] Buddhist Record of Western World, vol. I.p.209 [b] On Yuan Chwang’s Travels In India, p.343-345

[5]:

Early History of India, p.348

[6]:

Epigraphica Indica, Vol. I, p.208

[7]:

Ibid., Vol. IV, p.67

[8]:

anukarotibhagavato nārāyaṇasya�, 屹ṅksūtravṛtti,v.2.44

[9]:

屹ṅk of ܻṭa, XVI. 22,26

[10]:

yathā hi mahāśvetāvarṇanāvasare bhaṭṭabāṇasya, ٲśū貹,II.35

[11]:

ṛgⲹ󲹳 ṇa� padyavandhe na tādṛśa�, ī첹ṇṭ󲹰ṇa,p.52

[12]:

[a] yathā harṣacarite iva.., ٳ󲹲Բǰ첹,p.101 [b] yathā kādambaryā� kādambarīdarśanāvasare, Ibid.,p.87

[13]:

Ჹṣaٲ,I.v.3

[14]:

Ibid.,I.v.11

[15]:

Ibid.,I.v.12

[16]:

Ibid.,I.v.13

[17]:

Ibid.,I.v.14

[18]:

Ibid.,I.v.15

[19]:

Ibid.,I.v.16

[20]:

Ibid., I.v.17

[21]:

Ibid., I.v.18

[22]:

[a] brahmaṇo’smi ٲ� somapāyinā� vaṃśe vātsāyanānām, Ჹṣaٲ,II.p.36 [b] babhūva vātsāyanavaṃśasambhavo dvijo jagadgītaguṇo’graṇīḥ satām | anekaguptārcitapādapaṅkaja� kuberanāmāṃśa iva ⲹܱ� || 岹ī, v.10

[23]:

..tasmineva pradeśe prītikūṭanāmāna� nivāsam, Ჹṣaٲ,I.p.19

[24]:

�.pitāmahasyāpatyā� hiraṇyabāhunāmāna� mahānadam, ya� Ჹ� śoṇa iti kathayanti, Ibid.,I.p.8

[25]:

vātsāyanavaṃśāśrayāmātmano janmabhuva� 󳾲ṇād󾱱magamat, Ibid.,p.20

[26]:

..vatse ṅmⲹ� samastameva sañcārayāmāsa, Ibid.,I.p.18

[27]:

…vahatsu vatsareṣu,�.atikrāmati ca , ……bātsāyanakule, krameṇa kuberanāmā ……dvijo janma lebhe, Ibid.

[28]:

anekaguptārcitapādapaṅkaja� kuberanāmāṃśa iva ⲹṃbܱ�, 岹ī, 10

[29]:

tasmābhavannacchyut iśāno 󲹰� pāśupataśceti catvāro yugārambhā iva ٲԲ�, Ჹṣaٲ,I.p.18

[30]:

dvijajanmanārthapati� patistata�, 岹ī, v.13

[31]:

tatra pāśupatasyaika evābhavadbhūbhāra iva� arthapatiriti nāmnā�.ūԳ�, Ჹṣaٲ,I.p.18

[32]:

’jԲⲹṛg� ṃs� śܳ��.ٰԳ�…ĦpٰԱٰܳ, Ibid.,I.p.18-19

[33]:

alabhat ca citrabhānusteṣāṃ madhye rājadevyābhidhānāyā� brāhmaṇyā� bāṇamātmajam, Ibid.

[34]:

ca eva vidherbalavato vaśādupasampannayā vyayujyat jananyā, Ibid.

[35]:

�.pitaivācya mātṛtāmakarot, Ibid,I.p.19

[36]:

kṛtopanayanādikriyākalāpasya�..caturdaśavarṣadeśīyasya…pitāpi� nādaśamīstha evāstamagāt, Ibid.

[37]:

gate ca viralatā� śoke śԲ� śanairavinayanidānatayā svātantyrasya, kutūhalabahalatayā ca bhāvasya, �.śaiśavocitānyanekāni cāpalānyācarannitvaro babhūva, Ibid.

[38]:

sa �..tayā nighnatāmupagato deśāntarālokanakautukākṣiptahṛdaya� �..󳾲ṇajanociteṣu vibhaveṣu sati cāvacchinne vidyāprasaṅge gṛhānniragāt, Ibid.

[39]:

abhavaṃścāsya vayasā …� bhāṣākavirīśāna�,.. varṇakabirveṇībhārata�,� bandinā…jāṅguliko…bhiṣakaputro…citrakṛda..lāsakayuvā.. ٳܱ岹..ܰ.. 峾ūḍa�, Ibid.

[40]:

. …rājakulāni vīkṣamāṇa�, niravadyavidyāvidyotitāni ca gurukulāni sevamāna�, mahārhālāpagambhīraguṇavadgoṣṭhiścopatiṣṭhamāna�,……punarapi�. janmabhūva� 󳾲ṇād󾱱magamat, Ibid.,I.p.19-20

[41]:

…śrīharṣadevasya bhrātrā kṛṣṇanāmnā bhavatāmantika�..…prahito.., Ibid.,I.p.23

[42]:

śiśucāpalaparācīnacetovṛttitayā ca bhavata� kenacidasahiṣṇunā yatkiñcidasadṛśamudīritamitaro lokastathaiva tadgṛhnāti vakti ca, Ibid.,I.p.24

[43]:

ato bhavatā rājakulamakṛtakālakṣepamāgantavyam, Ibid.

[44]:

atigambhīra� mahadrājakulam. na ca tatra me purvajapravatitā īپ�, na kulakramāgatā پ��, Ibid.,II.p.25

[45]:

ٳ 󲹲Բ�.. sāṃpratamācariṣyati, ityavadhārya gamanāya matimakarot, Ibid.

[46]:

athānyasminnahanyutthāya, prātareva ٱ,�..prathamacalitadakṣiṇacaraṇa�, prītikūṭānniragāt, Ibid.,p.25-26

[47]:

anyasmindivase skandhāvāramupamaṇitāramanvajiravati�..atiṣṭhacca nātidūre rājabhavanasya, Ibid.,p.26

[48]:

tu tacchrutvā ṛṣṭv ca taṃ�..apṛcchat-‘eṣa sa ṇaḥ� iti. �.tiryaṅanīladhavalāṃśukaśārā� tiraskariṇīmiva�.kathayat-�Բⲹ� Ჹṅg�� iti, Ibid.,II.p.36

[49]:

Ibid.

[50]:

bhūpatirapi ‘evamasmābhi� śrutam’�..snehagarbheṇa dṛṣṭipātamātreṇāntargatā� prītimakathayat, Ibid.

[51]:

[a] atidakṣiṇa� khalu devo harṣo yadevam�.Բ srihyatyeva mayi, Ibid.,II.p.37 [b] svalpaireva cāhobhi� paramaprītena prasādajanmano Բⲹ premṇo vistrambhasya draviṇasya narmaṇa� prabhāvasya ca 貹� kotimānīyat narendreṇeti, Ibid.

[52]:

…rājño samīpādbāṇo bandhūndraṣṭu� punarapi ta� 󳾲ṇād󾱱magāt, Ibid.,III.p.38

[53]:

ٰԳٲ�ܲٲ첹峦첹� sudṛṣṭirājagām. �.pavamānaprokta� ܰṇa� 貹ṻ, Ibid.,III.p.39

[54]:

Իī sūcībāṇa�.yugalamapaṭhat-…śrīkaṇṭhaviniryāta� gītamida� harṣarājyamiva, Ibid.

[55]:

tacchrutvā� śyāmalo bāṇasya preyānprāṇā峾pi �.babhāṣe-�ٲ bāṇa, …ato’sya sugṛhītanāmna� puṇyarāśe� pūrvapuruṣavaṃśānukrameṇādita� ṛt caritamicchāma� śrotum.�..bhavedasya carite kutūhalam. …bhavatu…rājarṣicaritaśravaṇena ܳٲ� ܳٲ�, Ibid.,III.p.41

[56]:

ka� khalu puruṣāyuṣaśatenāpi saknuyādavikalamasya ٲ� varṇayitum. ekadeśe tu yadi ܳū󲹱� va�, sajjā vayam, Ibid.

[57]:

…v徱󾱱ⲹٱṣāṃ puro harṣaٲ� 첹ٳ󲹲⾱ٳܳ�., Ibid.,III.p.42

[58]:

[a] tathāpi nṛpaterbhaktyābhīto nirvahaṇākula� | karomy⾱mbhodhau jihvāplavanacāpalam || Ibid.,I.intro.v.19 [b] dvijena tenākṣatakaṇṭhakauṇṭhyayā mahāmanomohamalīmasāndhayā | alabdhavaidagdhyavilāsamugdhayā dhiyā nibandheyamatidvayī 첹ٳ || 岹ī, intro.v.20

[59]:

yadāha mukuṭatāḍitakanāṭake ṇa�-‘āśāḥ proṣitadiggajā iva�.| kurupaterdevasya śūṇyā� || as quoted by P. V. Kane, Ჹṣaٲ, Intro. p.xxvi

[60]:

Իīḍaⲹ ṇa� pratujjīvananvitam | 첹辱ٲ� bhaṭṭabāṇena yathā śāradacandrikā || History of Classical Sanskrit Literature, M.Krishnamachariar, p.451-52

[61]:

ṇabhaṭṭa: his life and literature, p.36-38

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