Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study)
by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah | 2014 | 67,792 words
This page relates 鈥楧issimilarities (1): Life of the People: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. Dissimilarities (1): Life of the People:
[Full title: Differences Between the two Societies of the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨 and the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补 (1): Life of the People]
In the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补, there are much fuller account of the writer 叠腻峁嘺鈥檚[1] own ancestors and his genealogical descriptions of his family. But, the introductory verses of the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨, give his genealogy[2] only. The plot of the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨 appears very complicated due to the description of most of the characters representing the second and third birth. It is, such as, at first 痴补颈艣补尘辫腻测补苍补[3] was born as the son of 艢奴kan膩sa,[4] the minister of king 罢腻谤腻辫墨岣峚. In second birth, he was born as 峁涐梗颈 办耻尘腻谤补 笔耻峁囜笉补谤墨办补,[5] and then, due to curse, he was born as a parrot[6] (艣奴办补 bird). At last, he got his life as 痴补颈艣补尘辫腻测补苍补, the son of 艢奴kan膩sa. But in the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补,[7] the author describes the life and period of the hero based on real king 贬补谤峁惫补谤诲丑补苍补 of 7th century A. D. The 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补 contains the glorious carrier of conquest of king 贬补谤峁, which has a historical value, but there is no description of king 颁补苍诲谤腻辫墨岣峚 of the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨 in Indian History. It is seen that the entire theme of the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨 as well as the descriptions therein contain fullness of imaginations. Most of the characters of this 办腻惫测补 are in their second or third birth, which shows unreal character of the work itself. But in the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补, the hero is a famous historic figure. In the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨 curses and counter curses are described which are unbelievable to the reader. The whole story is described through the mouth of a parrot which also poses additional drawbacks.
The law always helps in the development of the individual and of the society as well. In the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补, 叠腻峁嘺bha峁弓a states that the society was governed by the laws of Manu.[8] But the people in the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨 gave importance to the words of the great epic 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补.[9] The society of the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨[10] believed in rebirth which depends on karma, and followed the trisatya[11] the triple oath of truthfulness i.e., observed by means of body, speech and mind. Sage J膩v膩li followed the vow of truth.[12]
The 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨, describes only about royal[13] life and life of hermits.[14] In the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补, 叠腻峁嘺 describes three types of societies, viz., city life, hermitage life and village life. The village life[15] is described very vividly in the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补, which is not found in the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨. It is found in the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补, the villagers were mainly depended on forest and they collected all the essential things like the fuel-wood, honey, fruits, etc. from the forest.[16] They sold these in the nearer villages.[17] It is found in the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补 that the people rendered dirt due to the dust on the unpleasant village roads.[18] Water reservoirs beside the roads were used for the travelers outside the city.[19]
Again, in the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨, 叠腻峁嘺bha峁弓a depicts the romance of hero 颁补苍诲谤腻辫墨岣峚 and heroine 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨. All the characters of the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨 are gentle, youthful and trustable; holy in minds etc., but in the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补, the writer depicts the coarse conduct of the wicked characters also. Again, the description of demigods鈥� such as gandharva, kinnara[20] are found in the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨, unlike in the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补.
In the society of the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨, people had given more importance to boys than girls. In the society of the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨 shows the son got more importance than the daughter. The people gave importance to the words of the great epic 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 at that time. Therefore, hearing the words of the great epic 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补[21] which declares that there is no heaven for the childless and that, a son alone can save the soul from hell, the mind of childless queen 痴颈濒腻蝉补惫补迟墨[22] was very deeply strucked and she refused to take food, and to drink. In the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补, from the version of king Prabh膩karavardhana, it is known that people had given equal importance to their daughter, with their sons.[23] Women too occupied a respectable position in the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补 of 叠腻峁嘺bha峁弓a. Although, the author does not give the name of women kings,[24] but he mentions that the women also ruled capitals in the time of 贬补谤峁.
In the 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补, it is noted that women were engaged in various professions. But the description of female fortune-teller[25] found in only the 碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨. It is noted that queen 痴颈濒腻蝉补惫补迟墨 got depressed by the prophetic words of female fortune-tellers.[26]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[a] 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补, I,p.17-20
[b] Ibid., II.p.21-36
[2]:
碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨,v.10-20
[3]:
Ibid.,p.125
[4]:
Ibid.,p.123
[5]:
Ibid.,p.231
[6]:
Ibid.,p.49
[7]:
办补岣� khalu puru峁Ｄ亂u峁艣aten膩pi 艣aknuy膩davikalamasya 肠补谤颈迟补峁� var峁嘺yitum. ekade艣e tu yadi 办耻迟奴丑补濒补峁� va岣�, sajj膩 vayam 鈥ar峁嘺te har峁caritam, 贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补,III.p.41
[9]:
碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨,p.104
[10]:
janm膩ntarak峁泃a峁� hi karma phalamupanayati puru峁syeha janmani. na hi 艣补办测补峁� 诲补颈惫补尘补苍测补迟丑腻办补谤迟耻尘补产丑颈测耻办迟别苍腻辫颈, Ibid.,p.105
[11]:
Ibid.,p.65
[12]:
satyavrata, Ibid.,p.76
[13]:
[14]:
Ibid.,p.208-215
[15]:
贬补谤峁肠补谤颈迟补, VII. p.108-110
[16]:
k膩峁ａ弓hasa峁僩rah膩rthama峁璦v墨峁� pravi艣at膩鈥�..bh膩r膩峁兣沜a madhuno鈥ividhavanaphalapurita鈥�.., Ibid.,p.123
[17]:
鈥h膩r膩k膩na loken膩d膩ya vrjat膩鈥︹赌� vikrayacint膩vyagrabhigr膩meyakabhivy膩ptadigantaram, Ibid.,p.124
[18]:
[a] 鈥�..uddhuyam膩nadh奴lipa峁璦lam, Ibid.,VII.113
[b] utsarpibhi岣� 鈥�..m膩rgare峁噓paru峁vapu峁m, Ibid.,I.p.9
[19]:
[a] ka峁囜弓akitakarkar墨cakr膩kr膩ntak膩峁ａ弓hama帽cik膩mu峁tat峁涐梗膩m鈥� 艣墨talasikatilakala艣墨艣amita艣ram膩峁嚹乵鈥�, Ibid.,VII.123
[b] bi艣r膩myatk膩rpa峁璱ka鈥︹赌︹��.p墨yam膩napayas膩ma峁璦v墨prave艣aprap膩n膩m鈥�, Ibid.
[c] a峁璦v墨sulabha鈥avakh膩峁璦k奴pikopaka峁囜弓haprati峁ａ弓hita鈥�.ku峁玶ak膩峁嚹乵, Ibid.
[20]:
碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨,p.313
[21]:
Ibid.,p.104
[22]:
[23]:
[24]:
鈥arbh膩bhyo digbhya岣� str墨r膩jy膩n墨v膩varjit膩ni, Ibid.,IV.p.62
[25]:
碍腻诲补尘产补谤墨,p.109