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Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study)

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

This page relates ‘Part 5(b): Kadambari—the other Gadyakavya of Banabhatta� 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 5(b): 岹ī—the other Gadyakāvya of ṇabhaṭṭa

ṇa’s 岹ī is a 첹ٳ. The writer himself has stated in the last introductory verse of the 岹ī[1] that this book is to be accepted as 첹ٳ. The subject matter is not based upon historical facts, but seems to be an invention. Love is the pre-dominant sentiment and the narrative ends in the winning of a girl. The definition of 첹ٳ given by is followed in the 岹ī, which shows that it neither contains verses in vaktra and aparavaktra metres, nor a division into ܳ.

The story is divided into two halves ū and ܳٳٳٲ. In ū, the story of the 岹ī is narrated by a parrot, ղśⲹԲ, to king Śū첹, who was the king of the capital վ徱ś.[2] The parrot is presented to king Śū첹 by a ṇḍ첹Բ,[3] that parrot had great power of speech and he praised[4] the king. Therefore, king requested ղśⲹԲ with curiosity to tell where he was born; who were his parents, from where he had come, how he had became a parrot and had fallen in the hands of ṇḍ etc. Then, ղśⲹԲ narrates his birth in great Vindhya forest, his nest on the top of Śīṛkṣa, the marching of ś army in that forest, how he could survive and had come to 屹ś, jāvāli’s attention towards him and his remembrance of his past life and the remark that he (ղśⲹԲ) was reaping the fruit of his folly of previous life. The parrot’s story is a very long tale, and therefore, he would tell the sages often. When the night fell, the sages gathered together, Jāvāli began his narrative story as follows. Here ends the 첹ٳmukha.

In ܳٳٳٲ, the descriptions of īḍa, the king of Ჹ⾱ī and his wife Vilāsavatī, their son 䲹Իīḍa’s love story with 岹ī, a gandharva princess are found. The love story of 岹ī’s friend Ѳś and ʳṇḍī첹 is also interwoven in it. Due to curse, their love story was very heart breaking, but, at the end, they met again. The plot of the 岹ī appears very complicated due to the description of most of the characters that represent the second and the third birth. It is, such as, at first ղśⲹԲ[5] was born as ṛṣܳ ʳṇḍī첹.[6] In second birth, was born as the son of Śܰ첹,[7] the minister of king īḍa. And then, due to curse, he was born as a parrot[8] (śū첹 bird). At last, he got his life as ղśⲹԲ, the son of Śܰ첹.

Although, it is a 첹ٳ, some special social conditions are reflected in it, such as, untouchability of the ṇḍ[9] which is emphasized in it. Queen Vilāsavatī performed some rites to beget a son.[10] The people believed in good and bad omens and in dreams[11] etc. In the 岹ī, information regarding various knowledge[12] acquired by the people of 7th century A.D. also can be found.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

�..nibaddheyamatidvayī 첹ٳ, 岹ī, v.20

[2]:

ī岹�. śū . �..tasya ca rājña� …�.vidiśābhidhānā Բī ᲹԲī, 岹ī,pp.8-14

[3]:

�..vaiśampāyano 峾 śܰ첹��..𱹲岹ū�., Ibid.,p.26

[4]:

…vihaṅgarājo bhimukho ūٱ…spaṣṭavarṇasvarasaṃskārayā …papāṭha, Ibid.

[5]:

Ibid.,p.125

[6]:

Ibid.,p.231

[7]:

Ibid.,p.123

[8]:

Ibid.,p.49

[9]:

[a] mātaṅgajātisparśadoṣa�, Ibid.,p.25 [b] mātaṅgakuladūṣitām.., Ibid.,p.24

[10]:

Ibid., pp.108-109

[11]:

�.śukanāsāya ta� svapnamakathayat, Ibid.,p.110

[12]:

tathā hi pade vākye pramāṇe dharmaśāstre�..sarvalipiṣu sarvabhāṣāsu ....sarvaśilpeṣu..kalāviśeṣeṣu 貹� 첹ś, Ibid.,p.126

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