Jivanandana of Anandaraya Makhin (Study)
by G. D. Jayalakshmi | 2019 | 58,344 words
This page relates ‘Nandi and Prastavana� 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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Իī and ʰ屹
Իī 1
The protecting forces of the ⲹ첹's team and the attacking forces of the ʰپⲹ첹's team are referred to in the first Իī[1] verse by alluding to the churning of the milky ocean by Devas and Բ respectively. Their repeated efforts (ṛdś) resultin Dhanvantari[2] rising up from the Milky Ocean with the ṛt첹 in his hand; this indicates the ultimate aim of obtaining Bliss.
Obtaining goddess ṣmī, the moon, the wish-yielding tree indicates indirectly the fortune of the ⲹ첹's team. The phrase ԲԻ岹ٳܲ samam, used by the author, aptly fits with the ultimate success of this process, directly of the Devas but, indirectly of the ⲹ첹's team.
As the play develops, the play-wright has many occasions to bring in various situations for the multipoint attacks of the inimical forces and also the team of hero making sincere efforts to eradicate every attack in the form of diseases completely with the help of the two basic chemicals, Rasa and Gandhaka.
Իī 2
For obtaining the ultimate aim of Eternal Bliss, the good health of the human body is the basic requirement. Hence, the second Իī[3] is a prayer to lord Ś, the lord of all living beings, to bestow upon all human beings the desired complete health.
This verse also emphasises the famous statement of �
ʰ屹
After the recital of these two Իī verses, the stage-manager enters the stage with his associate actor. In accordance with the dramatic tradition, the author brings in two suitable verses (I.3,4) through the stage-manager. These two verses are composed by the author in such a way that while they describe the Ś season, they also provide a different meaning pertaining to the theme of the play.
The first verse (I. 3) describes the Ś season brightened by the delightful full moon�ūṇa-Իǻ岹ⲹ, which destroys the darkness of the night; it also indicates that the easy method of eradicating the various diseases is the intake of the medicine ūṇa-candrodaya-rasa:
īپ� ܰ貹岹Բ śī vijṛmbhate |
ūṇacandrodayaścāya� nihanti dhvāntamāmayam ||
It is further stated (I.4) that during the Ś, when the clouds become pure white in colour, the blemish of the water also gets subdued (that is water becomes pure).
It indirectly refers to the medical fact that when the body is healthy, diseases cannot attack it:
kramamāṇeṣu digantān jaladharajāleṣu śaṅkhadhavaleṣu |
śԳپܱ貹پ ṣy岹ś ṛśa� payasām ||
The cue for the main act to begin is pronounced by the ūٰ, when he boasts that his brother-in-law who is to act as Ჹⲹṣm, the ʰپⲹ첹 of the play, cannot act better then himself (ūٰ) who is to don the character of king ī (I.15):
ābhinayavidyāviṣaye durahaṅkārākulīkṛto 첹ṭa� |
sa naṭavaṭurmā� vāṣchatyabhibhavitu� jīvamiva ⲹṣm ||
Repeating the last quarter of the same verse, վñԲ Ś, the minister of king ī enters the stage declaring that while he is alive, Ჹⲹṣm cannot overpower ī[4]. Thus, the author introduces the subject highlighting the climax also, where ī becomes the winner.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
See Appendix for details about Dhanvantari.
[3]: