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Jivanandana of Anandaraya Makhin (Study)

by G. D. Jayalakshmi | 2019 | 58,344 words

This page relates ‘Act VI (Summary)� of the study on the Jivanandana (in English) which is a dramatic play written by Anadaraya Makhin in the 18th century. The Jivanandana praises the excellence of Advaita Vedanta, Ayurveda (medical science) and Dramatic literature as the triple agency for obtaining everlasting bliss.

Dramatis Personae.

ī–T king
վñԲ Ś–MԾٱ
ʲś–Lǰ Ś
ʲśī–Gǻ ī
–Behind the curtain.

Scene: ī’s Palace

In this final Act, after the enemies are destroyed, the happy and satisfied hero is seen conversing with his ministers about the war and the various medicines, with which the entire -army of diseases was destroyed.�

After giving a detailed account of the war, the able minister adds that since Matsara was giving advice into the ears of ۲ṣm in the battle-field, there should be some more powerful incurable diseases with ۲ṣm which he would be using to attack ī's team. Hence, he advises king ī that he should sincerely retain goddess Bhakti in his inner-most part of the heart, and pray to her to grace him with the vision of lord Ś now. Then only it would be possible to eradicate the warriors of the inimical team who are very difficult to conquer.

The king readily agrees to follow this advice and meditates upon lord Ś with deep concentration. Immediately, վñԲ Ś is able to perceive the external symptoms of the Lord’s manifestation. He sees that the world is surrounded by the ʰٳ-ṇa and infers the arrival of lord Ś on that spot. Having come out of his deep meditation, the king listens to the hailing sounds of the Pramatha-ṇa with their drum-beats. վñԲ Ś notices that ī has come out of his trance; he informs him of the presence of lord Ś on the earth.

Note 1: Through this speech, the author describes the arrival of lord Ś with all his paraphernalia and also his retinue.

Note 2: Through the dialogues of ī and վñԲ Ś the play-wright narrates the different ī of the Lord as told by the Epics and ʳܰṇaArjuna procuring śܱ貹ٲ weapon; king 󲹲īٳ bringing the celestial river to the earth; the episode of ٲṣaⲹñ and so on.

That great Lord is now descending with goddess ī and all their retinue to bestow his grace on king ī. He is seen in the sky engaged in conversation with ī. As the Lord approaches, both the king and the minister pay obeisance to him with prayers. Ś is extolled as the Supreme and as the personification sat-cit-sukha; When the Lord blesses ī saying that all his desires may fructify, the king extols the Lord by enumerating the various exploits of the Lord.

The king also prays to the goddess who is ever compassionate towards her devotees.

Hearing 's heartfelt prayers, the goddess requests the Lord to fulfill his wish to which the Lord replies that 's greatest desire of winning over ۲ṣm is already partly fulfilled. However, as ۲ṣm is preparing for the final attack, Lord Ś feels that he should enlighten ī with the Yogic practice, by which he would reach the Brahmarandhra from wherein he would obtain the nectar that would always keep him healthy; he would also realise the impermanency of worldly pleasures and thus enjoy the Supreme Bliss of a fully enlightened soul.

Note: From now onwards the conversation is carried out by four persons–lord Ś, goddess ī, king ī and the minister. The author through the mouth of lord Ś, the ۴Dzś, explains the Philosophy of Yoga.

Yoga is the complete control of the mental attitude. The inner mind is known as citta; through the sense organs (karmendriyas), the mind obtains knowledge of the external world. The citta through ñԱԻⲹ involves in internal activities. The total control over all these internal and external activities of the mind, leads to ٳٲṛtپ nirodha. That can be obtained only by very firm, determined and constant practice.

The mental state where the meditated matter would be present alive before the eyes of the person, who practices this Yoga, is known as siddhi.

Now, the minister places a request before the Lord saying that such a siddhi would need a long period of perfect and systematic observation of Yogic practice. But, since ۲ṣm must be conquered immediately, the ultimate success in this Yogic practice may be bestowed on ī by the Lord's grace. ī also prays to the Lord to bless him with Ultimate success.

The merciful Goddess, also recommends to the Lord to grace the hero immediately to beget the benefits of Yogic power. Accordingly, the Lord grants complete Yogic power to ī. King ī experiences the enlightenment known as Ṛt󲹰-ñԲ.

On witnessing this Grace of the Lord on ī, վñԲ Ś feels that they have indeed been highly blessed in every way, as ī has now received the entire Yogic powers.

When the hero receives this highest level of happiness, he declares that in this Yogic fire, which is full of strong and deep meditation, ignited by the Lord's unlimited mercy, all his worldly activities have been poured into as oblations. Hence, ī is now a really satisfied person and has become filled with the highest Bliss.

The Lord acknowledges to his ٱī that from that moment when ī received His Grace, he would stay away from all the worldly activities and the dawn of the highest stage of deep meditation has set in him. The Lord also advises ī about his two powerful allies, in the form of his ministers, Jñāna and վñԲ. Both are important for ī and he cannot have either of them separately. While վñԲ is essential for obtaining the worldly desires, Jñāna is imperative for guiding ī in obtaining liberation. He advises ī to have them both with him and treat them alike. This would enable ī to have enjoyment in this world and liberation from this world.

At this moment a voice behind the curtain, identified as that of , is heard declaring that when king ī obtained the benefits of all Yogic powers bestowed upon him by lord Ś, the sinful Rajayakṣmā, his wife վṣūc and his invincible soldiers (diseases) like Gada and others have perished.

The voice also states that by the desire of lord ĪśԲ, and with steadfast ś󲹰پ all the four ܰṣārٳ󲹲 have been obtained by ī.

On hearing these words, ī exclaims that, he has definitely been enlightened by the grace of the Lord.

վñԲ Ś prays to the Lord that ī by the grace of the Almighty, be free from all of the diseases and sufferings and be with the detached mental attitude.

Lord Ś and goddess ī together grant this request. ī, extremely happy being, thanks his minister վñԲ Ś saying that the birth of a human being, itself is a fault; that even if it is full of mental and physical diseases, there will be more agony which again is a greater sin. But the care and the highest intellectual guidance, shown by վñԲ Ś had helped him (ī) to cross the hurdles. Similarly the grace received from goddess Śbhakti has enabled him to visualize the Universal parents in person.

Lord ʲś further asks the hero, ī, if there are any more wishes to be fulfilled.

Rejoicing, king īrāja humbly tells the Lord that by the grace of the Lord, all his enemies have been quelled; his city (body) has become very healthy; he has had the 岹śԲ of the Lord with the ٱī. He has had the fortune to be taught the Yogic lessons personally by the Lord Himself because of which he has now become a fully liberated Soul. He does not need anything further.

The play-wright now concludes the play traditionally with the 󲹰ٲⲹ uttered by the hero with the prayer that the clouds should shower on time; mother earth should bear fruits as desired; the kings should rule their kingdoms on the proper advice of efficient ministers; the poets, shall say only the best and play-wright (Ānandarāya Makhin) shall have long and healthy life with dedicated devotion of lord Ś.

Note: This final Act has a total of 38 verses.

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