Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study)
by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah | 2014 | 67,792 words
This page relates 鈥業mpact of Environment on Human Mind and Body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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
2. Impact of Environment on Human Mind and Body
Health and hygiene always depend on the environment. We have found that the references to environmental thoughts are to be found in various literatures and several ancient works. References to the ancient literature tells that the people were highly conscious of their surrounding, and the fundamentals of environment such as earth, air, water, wind, every plant and tree etc. were objects of their veneration. In Yajurveda, there is a prayer[1] that all the creatures may be in peace forever. In 7th century A.D. people worshiped the trees of their veneration. 叠腻峁嘺 describes that queen 痴颈濒腻蝉补惫补迟墨[2] had offered worship and saluted to the great trees such as鈥�补艣惫补迟迟丑补 i.e., the holy tree.
Again, they paid great attention to develop their physical and mental health which is co-related to environment. The social environment has already discussed in chapter-6 (Social Aspects). So, this chapter includes on natural environment only. Nature serves as a link in the story of 叠腻峁嘺bha峁弓a. When he gives the description of 艢谤墨办补峁囜弓丑补 janapada, he presents lifelike picture of the rice crops,[3] singing herdsmen mounted on buffaloes,[4] groups of camels[5] etc. Man plays a vital role in the natural environment system. The people had assigned religious and respectable status to innumerable animals and birds during the time of 叠腻峁嘺bha峁弓a. The writer himself mentions that he saluted to an auspicious cow (苍补颈肠颈办墨) when he was starting for a journey.[6] According to the 础尘补谤补办辞峁, among the cows, the best type of cow is naiciki.[7] In these circumstances, reference may be made to a vivid picture when 贬补谤峁惫补谤诲丑补苍补 had entered the forest Vindhy膩ra峁噛a, where the journeys of the travelers had been hindered by huge buffaloes.[8] Again, various animals like 艣腻谤补, gaja, 尘补丑颈峁, 尘峁沢补 etc. were too and fro around them and gazing without any hesitation in Vindhya forest.[9] The mountain, forests, rivers etc. are the gift of nature creating recourses for the substance of living beings. 叠腻峁嘺 mentions that during that time the forest was covered with huge plantain trees and it looked like a forest of kalpav峁沘k峁s. The umbrellas of peacock鈥檚 feather looked like a forest of ruby trees.[10]
It has been found in the 痴补谤腻丑补辫耻谤腻峁嘺[11] that plants and trees offered protection to animals and insects as well as to the human beings with abundant supply of wood. A description is found, when Div膩karamitra was giving lessons to his pupils, a small tiger was sitting by his side, and a deer was licking his feet, and a pigeon (kapota) bird was taking the 苍墨产腻谤补 (one type of rice) from his right hand.[12] In these circumstances, a reference is to be made in the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补[13] which depict the feeling of gratitude towards the dumb animals for their service to mankind. The impact of all surrounding environment is felt on human mind and body. 叠腻峁嘺bha峁弓a has not only observed the mind of the natural things such as birds, an animal etc., but also describes the impact of nature in human mind. For example, psychology of teenager, which we know from the conversation between 惭腻濒补迟墨 and 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨, that all surrounding atmosphere such as the Sun, the Moon etc had impact over their mind.[14] Therefore, Div膩karamitra established his hermitage (腻艣谤补尘补) in the Vindhy膩ra峁噛a, which had been far away from all noises, and, also, he taught his students in a natural atmosphere.[15]
Again, in 7th century A.D., people had paid great attention towards development of their physical and mental health. Div膩karamitra was a vegetarian; he lived on fruits only. Consequently his breath became fragrant[16] and he also told that fruits and roots were common with the entire forester; there was nothing in that forest that he (Div膩karamitra) could make all his own. So Div膩karamitra could not offer anything special for 贬补谤峁.[17] In this context, it is also found in the Atharvaveda[18] that the land which is full of trees can afford food and nourishment to all the people of the world.
叠腻峁嘺bha峁弓a has observed very carefully all natural atmospheres where he lived. He has not only observed the feeling of people, but the mind set of animals also. The author mentions that on seeing the cloud in the sky, the birds like 尘补测奴谤补, 肠腻迟补办补 and the elephant screamed joyfully and the Peacocks danced when it turned to thunder.[19]
P. V. Kane also remarks鈥�
鈥淭he peacock is in its glory before the advent of the rains and its feathers begin to drop after the rains.鈥�[20]
In the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 also it is mentioned that the animals and plants have the feeling of joy and sorrow and, hence, it is said that hurting of plants and killing them indiscriminately is a sin-
sukhadukh岣yo艣ca grahanacchinnasya ca virohan膩t |
箩墨惫补峁� pa艣y膩mi v峁沰峁Ｄ佱箛amacaitanya峁� na vidyate ||[21]
When R膩jya艣r墨 entered the forest Vindhy膩ra峁噛a, it was covered with 艣腻谤补 grass; her eyes became contracted by the sharp points of long 艣腻谤补 grass that had entered her eyes and, the flowers of 办耻艣补 grass struck her eyes, which became red and swollen.[22] Again, her feet could not be moved owing to the swelling caused by the fatigue of the journey.[23] At that moment, for quick heel of R膩jya艣r墨, the foresters applied different medicinal herbs, like red arsenic to the swollen eyes.[24] The 础峁ａ弓腻峁単补丑峁沝补测补蝉补峁僩谤补丑补 also prescribes it.[25]
叠腻峁嘺 gives the description of human physic with the natural colours. Queen Ya艣omat墨鈥檚 feet were radiant in her pregnancy so it is compared with the lotus flowers.[26] In the description of Vindhya forest, he compares dark shades of the trees with the collyrium and with the darkness of the hell (辫腻迟腻濒补).[27] Again the colour of 顿丑腻迟补办墨 flower is compared with the blood; therefore, the young lions licked that flower in their greed for blood.[28]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[3]:
办峁泃补尘补诲丑耻办补谤补办辞濒腻丑补濒补颈谤丑补濒补颈谤耻濒颈办丑测补尘腻苍补办峁迟谤补岣�, 贬补谤峁carita,III,p.42
[4]:
尘补丑颈峁p峁涐梗峁環aprati峁ａ弓hitag膩yadgop膩lap膩litai艣ca, Ibid.
[5]:
鈥ahasrasa峁僰hyai岣� k峁涐梗峁嘺艣腻谤补i 艣膩r墨k峁泃odde艣a岣�, Ibid.
[6]:
pradak峁峁嚹玨峁泃va鈥�. 苍补颈肠颈办墨m, 贬补谤峁carita, II.p.25
[7]:
syaduttam膩 gau峁 苍补颈肠颈办墨, 础尘补谤补办辞峁,II.9.66
[8]:
尘补丑颈峁i岣� mu峁tam pa峁環ik膩gamanam, 贬补谤峁carita,VIII.p.130
[9]:
vindhyavanamidam鈥�.., aga峁噄tagajakulakalitam, aparimita尘峁沢补pati艣arabhabhayam, uru尘补丑颈峁mu峁tapa峁環ik膩gamanam, atini艣ita艣ara办耻艣补paru峁m, ava峁璦艣atavi峁mamavi艣at, Ibid.
[10]:
kalpalat膩van膩yam膩na峁� kadalik膩bhi岣�, m膩峁噄kyav峁沰峁avan膩yam膩na峁� mayur膩tapatrai岣�, Ibid.,II.p.27
[11]:
痴补谤腻丑补辫耻谤腻峁嘺,170.40
[12]:
[a] 膩sanop膩ntopavi峁ａ弓avisrabdhanekakesari艣膩vakatay膩鈥�, 贬补谤峁carita,VIII.p.128 [b] pibadbhirvanahari峁嘺irjihv膩lat膩bhi鈥�, Ibid. [c] v膩makaratalanibi峁ａ弓ena n墨v膩rama艣nat膩p膩ravatapotena鈥�., Ibid.
[13]:
g膩艣ca sa峁僰墨rtayennitya峁� n膩vamanyeta t膩stath膩| 补苍颈峁ａ弓补峁� svapnam膩lak峁a g膩m nara岣amprak墨rtayet|| 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补, anu艣膩sanaparvan, 78.18
[14]:
devi, j膩n膩syeva 尘腻诲丑耻谤测补峁� vi峁y膩n膩m, lolupat膩峁� sendriyagr膩masya, unm膩dit膩峁� ca navayauvanasya, pariplavat膩峁� ca 尘补苍补蝉补岣�. prakhy膩taiva manmathasya durniv膩rat膩, 贬补谤峁carita, I.p.16
[15]:
Ibid.,VIII.p.128
[16]:
m奴laphal膩bhyavah膩rasambhavamudvamanniva ca parimalasubhaga峁� vikasakusumapa峁璦lap膩峁囜笉ura峁� lat膩vanam, Ibid.,VIII.p.129
[17]:
sakalavanasaras膩rthas膩dh膩ra峁嘺sya kandam奴laphalasya girisari峁璦mbhaso va ke vayam, Ibid.,VIII.p.130
[18]:
Atharvaveda,XII.1.127
[19]:
[a] meghamay膩 iva k峁泃a艣ikha峁囜笉ikulakol膩hal膩岣�, 贬补谤峁carita,VIII.p.127 [b]...箩补濒补诲丑补谤补峁� garjit膩岣峚mbara峁嚹乵, darpa艣膩tamapa艣yat, Ibid.,II.p.31
[20]:
Ibid.,p. 562
[21]:
惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补, 艢腻苍迟颈辫补谤惫补苍, Mok峁dharmaparvan, 184.17
[22]:
鈥�.p膩r峁ａ箛ipravi峁ａ弓a艣ara艣al膩k膩艣alya艣奴lasa峁卥ocitacak峁峁Ｄ佲�︹��. 办耻艣补kusum膩hatilohit膩n膩峁� 艣vayat膩mak峁ａ箛膩峁冣�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹��, 贬补谤峁carita,VIII.p.131
[23]:
..肠腻诲丑惫补苍墨苍补艣谤补尘补艣惫补测补迟丑耻苍颈艣肠补濒补肠补谤补峁噀苍补鈥︹赌︹赌︹赌�., Ibid.
[24]:
lep墨k峁泃amana岣ヅ沬lena ca鈥︹�︹��, Ibid.
[25]:
[26]:
kamalalobhanil墨nairalibhiriva 鈥︹�ara峁嘺u, 贬补谤峁carita, IV.p.59
[27]:
[a] a帽janacal膩 iva pallavit膩, Ibid.,VIII.p.127 [b] 辫腻迟腻濒补ndhak膩rar膩艣aya iva鈥�.., Ibid.
[28]:
rudhir膩hutibhiriva p膩ribhadradruma鈥︹��.vibh膩vasan, Ibid.,II.p.23