Jivanandana of Anandaraya Makhin (Study)
by G. D. Jayalakshmi | 2019 | 58,344 words
This page relates 鈥楢dvaitic Allegory: Nandi and Prastavana鈥� 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.
An Advaitic Allegory: 狈腻苍诲墨 and 笔谤补蝉迟腻惫补苍腻
狈腻苍诲墨
膧nandar膩ya Makhin in this allegorical play opens this Advaitic aspect of the drama in the second 狈腻苍诲墨 verse.
The complete and normal health throughout the life of every human being is the first and foremost requirement not only for mundane day to day life, but also, for spiritual practice. Begetting a human body, and a healthy one itself is due to the meritorious deeds of yester births of the soul.
Therefore, protecting the physical health is the first and foremost concern of the human being; through a prayer to lord 艢颈惫补 the author establishes these ideas successfully thus (I.2):
辫谤腻驳箩补苍尘墨测补迟补辫补岣� 辫丑补濒补峁� tanubh峁泃膩 pr膩pyeta m膩nu峁aka峁� tacca pr膩ptavat膩 kimanyaducita峁� pr膩ptu峁� 迟谤颈惫补谤驳补峁� 惫颈苍腻 |
迟补迟辫谤腻辫迟别谤补辫颈 蝉腻诲丑补苍补峁� prathamato deho ruj膩varjitasten膩rogyamabh墨psita峁� di艣atu vo devo pa艣奴n膩峁� 辫补迟颈岣� ||
笔谤补蝉迟腻惫补苍腻
Following the second 狈腻苍诲墨, in the 笔谤补蝉迟腻惫补苍腻 portion, during the course of conversation, a few basic requisites of understanding Advaita philosophy are given when the stage-manager extols the qualities of the learned audience who were to witness the play with such a unique theme.
The stage-manager declares that association with great people eradicates completely the ignorance from the mind and knowledge of ordinary men. As a result the mind gains multi-faceted intelligence by which happiness is automatically obtained by ordinary people.
By this mental strength people gain courage to withstand any untoward situation like the severe attacks in the form for various powerful diseases (I.14):
箩腻岣峺补峁� bhinatti janayatyadhika峁� pa峁璾tva峁� s膩rvaj峁m膩vahati sa峁僲adam膩tanoti |
惫颈诲惫别峁惫补谤驳补惫颈箩补测腻测补 诲丑峁泃颈峁� vidhatte ki峁� ki峁� karoti na mahadbhajana峁� janasya ||
The body gets cleared of the diseases and becomes healthy. As the body becomes healthy, the mind is free to involve deeply towards the goal of total liberation for the soul which is mentioned here as happiness鈥斺��Bliss鈥�.
To bring out successfully the Advaitic philosophy dealing with eternal Bliss/liberation, 膧nandar膩ya Makhin aptly chooses the various concepts of Advaita as characters:鈥�
(1) The kingdom is the human body; the hero, the king is 闯墨惫补 搁腻箩腻 (箩墨惫腻迟尘腻); his consort is queen-Buddhi (intellect of man); her attendant is 顿丑腻谤补峁嚹� (one of the eight 补峁単补蝉 of yoga);
(2) The two ministers are 痴颈箩帽腻苍补 艢补谤尘补 (scientific knowledge)and 闯帽腻苍补 艢补谤尘补 (the Eternal knowledge);
(3) 痴颈诲奴峁办补 the hero鈥檚 friend is personification of ignorance;
(4) 笔谤腻峁嘺 (Vital Air) is the door keeper of the hero鈥檚 palace, i.e. heart; (5) 痴颈肠腻谤补 the analytical mind is the city (body) police man;
(6) 艢颈惫补bhakti鈥揹evotion to the Lord鈥�(psychological oriented dedicated feeling of divine affection) is the helper to 闯墨惫补 to rise himself up from 蝉补峁僺腻谤补 towards 尘辞办峁;
(7) 艢谤补诲诲丑腻 (faith) and 艢m峁泃i (remembrance) are her (艢颈惫补bhakti鈥檚) companions assisting her in the efforts in uplifting the 闯墨惫补;
(8) 碍腻濒补 and Karma (Time and Action), important Advaitc concepts are witnesses;
(9) Finally 笔补谤补尘别艣惫补谤补 and 笔补谤补尘别艣惫补谤墨, the Divine Couple who are the bestowers of Eternal Bliss.