Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study)
by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah | 2014 | 67,792 words
This page relates 鈥楥ultural Aspects (Introdcution)鈥� 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.
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Cultural Aspects (Introdcution)
叠腻峁嘺产丑补峁弓补鈥檚 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补 is not only considered as one of the greatest of prose literatures in Sanskrit but it is more important as a source of history. The autobiographical account in the beginning of the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补 reveals that the writer was patronized by king 贬补谤峁惫补谤诲丑补苍补 (606-648 A.D).[1] Therefore, he has seen king 贬补谤峁鈥檚 royal life from very close vicinity and thus depicted king 贬补谤峁惫补谤诲丑补苍补鈥檚 reign revealing lots of socio-cultural information of that contemporary society. In the mean time, he not only furnishes the picture of social life of 7th century Indian, but depicts their festivals, various customs and Vedic rituals, their dresses, ornaments, their occupation etc., which were relevant at that time and many other cultural aspects of that society also. Therefore, the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补 is a storehouse of information of the social, cultural and religious life of the period of the 7th century A.D.
The author was not only a close-observer of courts and kings, but even of the din and simple aspects of human life, so in the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补 we find the description of court and life in the cities,[2] the village life[3] and as well as life in a hermitage,[4] which are given below-
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
svalpaireva c膩hobhi岣� paramapr墨tena pras膩dajanmano 尘腻苍补蝉测补 prem峁噊 鈥�..ko峁璱m膩n墨yat narendre峁噀ti, 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补,II.p.37
[2]:
Ibid., III. p.42-43
[3]:
Ibid.,VII. p.108-110
[4]:
[a] Ibid.,I.p. 5-6 [b] Ibid.,VIII.p.128-129