Jivanandana of Anandaraya Makhin (Study)
by G. D. Jayalakshmi | 2019 | 58,344 words
This page relates 鈥楢nalysis of Shanta-rasa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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Analysis of 艢腻苍迟补-rasa
[Section C: Rasas and 础濒补峁僰腻谤补蝉]:鈥擜s already shown, while enlisting the 狈腻峁璦办补濒补办峁峁嘺蝉, 狈腻峁璦办补 should involve various rasas, and 产丑腻惫补蝉 that reflect psychological undertones of the plot. In accordance with this, 膧nandar膩ya Makhin has implemented all the rasas in this play. Sanskrit dramas in general adopt any one of the three major sentiments, namely, 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补, 痴墨谤补, and 碍补谤耻峁嘺 as the main Rasa鈥�础峁単墨谤补蝉补; the others fall in line as 补峁単补谤补蝉补蝉 nourshing the play.
The 膧惫别诲补苍补 by 艢r墨hari艣膩str墨 顿腻诲丑墨肠补 for the Khurja edition of J墨v膩nandana 狈腻峁璦办补, considers 痴墨谤补rasa as the 础峁単墨谤补蝉补 of this play, since the fight between 闯墨惫补 and diseases is the main theme. But falling in line with M. Duraiswamy Aiyengar, it is felt that since the final goal of the play is to achieve 尘辞办峁 and attain 闯墨惫补nmukti, 艢腻苍迟补 should be the 础峁単墨谤补蝉补 of this play.
The entire play has as its ultimate aim, the achievement of the fourth 笔耻谤耻峁Ｄ乺迟丑补, namely 惭辞办峁. Only with this as his final goal, 闯墨惫补 fights with the diseases led by 搁腻箩补测补办峁腻, since a healthy body is necessary to undertake his journey towards attaining liberation. Hence the play is full of such conversations between various characters illustrative of the fact that the 补峁単墨谤补蝉补 of the play is 艢腻苍迟补rasa. All the other rasas including 痴墨谤补 and Raudra which dominate the scenes of fights between the two sides, are only 补峁単补谤补蝉补蝉.
The depiction by 艢腻苍迟补rasa starts even at the introduction of the character 顿丑腻谤补峁嚹�. 顿丑腻谤补峁嚹� (retentiveness) is one of the eight limbs of Yoga. Sitting in 蝉惫补蝉迟颈办腻蝉补苍补, performing 笔谤腻峁嚹乱腻尘补 and internalising the mind is 顿丑腻谤补峁嚹�.[1] 顿丑腻谤补峁嚹�, 顿丑测腻苍补 and 厂补尘腻诲丑颈 together help one to reach the ultimate goal of liberation. With the introduction of 顿丑腻谤补峁嚹� who helps Buddhi and 闯墨惫补 to obtain all necessary knowledge for liberation, the playwright lays the foundation for developing 艢补苍迟补谤补蝉补.
As the next step, the dramatist makes 闯墨惫补 and Buddhi to stabilise their minds in the 丑峁泃辫耻峁囜笉补谤颈办补 through 尘补苍辞诲惫腻谤补 with the help of Bhakti.[2] Through steadfast bhakti to the Supreme, the 闯墨惫补 at the first instance attains the desired tools (Rasa and Gandhaka) essential for healthy life. In that process, as 闯墨惫补 shares his experiences, he wonders at the efficacy of the statements of Vedas and 厂尘峁泃颈蝉 with which his internal purity is obtained; thus testified of his purity, Bhakti helps him to achieve the vision of the Universal Parents and their grace.[3]
As he obtains the vision of the Supreme, when in meditation with deep concentration in a transcendental level, 闯墨惫补鈥檚 body undergoes various changes like eyes getting filled with tears and body experiencing horripilation,[4] which are symptoms of experiencing 艢腻苍迟补.
In the fourth Act, there is good scope for the author to continue his employment of 艢腻苍迟补rasa as 闯墨惫补, 厂尘峁泃颈, 艢谤补诲诲丑腻 and 艢颈惫补产丑补办迟颈 come together. Due to the extraordinary powers possessed by her, 艢颈惫补产丑补办迟颈 could realise 闯墨惫补鈥檚 mentality and voluntarily visit him.
Overwhelmed with joy, 闯墨惫补, now filled with only sattva gu峁嘺 recollects the experience of the realised souls; he requests Bhakti to shower her grace upon him (IV.22):
pravahant墨 tu 诲补测腻 tava parih峁泃an墨coccavastuvai峁my膩 |
patanu mayi sphu峁璦madhun膩 pa峁単orupar墨va gaganaga峁単ormi岣� ||
As Bhakti occupies his mind, there is the assurance felt that Bhakti would lead 闯墨惫补 to acquire the 辫补谤补尘腻苍补苍诲补 (IV.24):
nirjitanikhilavipak峁峁� n墨rujapurasusthamapagat膩ta峁卥am |
膩ham膩gatya vidh膩sye param膩nand膩bdhim膩ptak膩ma峁� tv膩m ||
Again the description of the 痴腻苍补辫谤补蝉迟丑补蝉, living quietly on the banks of rivers amidst sylvan surroundings, collecting twigs and preparing them for their homas, is a fine instance of 艢腻苍迟补 (V.3):
膩艣r膩ntapravahattu峁Ｄ乺ata峁璱n墨艣墨t膩lu艣膩todar墨-sa峁単h膩y膩sag峁沨墨ta艣o峁tasamitsa峁僾ardhit膩gnitray膩岣� |
pr膩ley膩calak膩nano峁璦jagat膩 vipr膩st峁泃墨y膩艣rame sthitv膩pu岣� kati v膩峁hit膩ni tapas膩m膩艣caryay膩 caryay膩 ||
In the sixth Act, the conversation between 闯墨惫补 and 闯帽腻苍补 艢补谤尘腻 gives ample scope for the playwright to build 艢腻苍迟补rasa. 闯帽腻苍补 艢补谤尘腻鈥檚 statements to the king regarding鈥�(i) the perishability of one鈥檚 body which is an abode of all sorrows[5] and (ii) the non-perishability, and limitlessness of the Supreme Being who is Sat, Cit and Sukha[6]鈥攁re fine example of verses immersed with various features of 艢腻苍迟补rasa.
This idea is once again brought to the fore by 闯墨惫补,when he declares that it is useless to have faith in the perishable body and that one should resort to the Supreme through concentrated bhakti (IV.70):
tvadupade艣ava艣a峁僾adacetas膩 vapu峁 na艣varake 尘补尘补迟腻峁� 惫峁泃丑腻 |
vidadhat膩 艣颈惫补bhaktiras膩yana峁� 艣颈惫补 艣iv膩ntarita峁� param膩rthadam ||
The sincere worship of 闯墨惫补 with deep devotion makes the Univeral Parents appear before him. On the request of 闯墨惫补, lord 笔补谤补尘别艣惫补谤补 imparts the complete knowledge of Yoga to him. As soon as 闯墨惫补 had completed the 蝉补峁卥补濒辫补, automatically every aspect of the Yogic experiences get transferred to the hero and thus he now becomes a fully enlightened personality.
Then 闯墨惫补 realises that he had been blessed by the Lord with Supreme knowledge which could be achieved only by controlling the sense organs absolutely by Yogic practice. In the process it nullifies the knowledge about the mundane pleasures that bind the 闯墨惫补 to the world. The evolved 闯墨惫补 could visualise all these changes with the special knowledge acquired by him.[7]
When, in the Yogic fire, 闯墨惫补鈥檚 worldly activities are poured as oblation, 闯墨惫补 becomes a really satisfied person enjoying the highest Bliss (VII.27cd)鈥�
parm膩nanda ghano鈥檚mi nityat峁漰ta岣�.
At such a stage he feels that he is akin to the Lord since his 蝉补丑补蝉谤腻谤补 padma is filled with the 补尘峁泃补 of Bliss with all the 腻惫补谤补峁嘺蝉, created by 尘腻测腻 , having been removed (VII.32):
m奴rdhanyama峁囜笉alaniketasudh膩峁兣泆bimbani岣メ梗yanda艣墨talasudh膩plutinirv峁泃膩峁単a岣� |
尘别驳丑腻惫峁泃颈惫测补辫补驳补尘别 驳补驳补苍补峁� yath膩ccha峁� caitanyam膩vara峁嘺varjitamasmi tadvat ||
There are a number of other passages and verses which can be quoted as illustrations of the fact that this play is based on the sentiment of rasa of 艢腻苍迟补rasa. Though the hero with the help of his skillful minister, had tried all possible ways to prevent affliction like diseases and to preserve perfect health of the material body, his ultimate aim is to attain the supreme life of Jivan-Mukti during the present life through Bhakti-yoga. Hence 艢腻苍迟补rasa is the 补峁単补谤补蝉补 in this play.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
[3]:
III. 21/22; p.159:
腻丑辞 艣谤耻迟颈-蝉尘峁泃颈惫颈丑颈迟腻苍腻峁� 办补谤尘补峁嚹佱箖 辫谤补产丑腻惫补岣� | y膩ni 尘补测腻 samaye峁 samanu峁ａ弓hit膩ni mad墨yam 膩nta岣ara峁嘺ma艣odhayan | 艣odhite ca tasmin bhagavadbhaktirn膩ma 办腻辫颈 办补濒辫补濒补迟腻 prathamama峁卥urit膩 | pa艣c膩dupacita-paricay膩 ca s膩 mama h峁浕宀共饽錸ura峁an墨 krame峁嘺 bhagavantau parame艣varau 蝉腻办峁Ｄ乼 dar艣itavat墨 |
[4]:
III. 28:
艣uddh膩nta岣ara峁噀na santataparidhy膩t膩rkako峁璱prabhapr膩leyadyutiko峁璱艣墨tala艣iv膩r奴岣峢膩峁卥aga峁単膩dhara岣� |
s膩nand膩艣ruka峁噊 d峁浥沷岣� sapulako g膩tre峁 sapra艣rayastutyuktirvadane k峁泃膩峁alipu峁璷 m奴rdhanyabh奴va峁� ciram ||
[5]:
VI.13:
艣a艣vanna艣varameva vi艣vavidita峁� p膩paprarohasthala峁� medomajjavas膩sthim膩峁僺arudhiratvagromar奴pa峁� 惫补辫耻岣� |
etasminmalam奴trabh膩峁囜笉akuhare heye man墨峁Ｄ乿at膩峁� du岣he ny膩yavido vimohamiha ke tanvanti nanvantime ||
[6]:
VI. 14:
箩补驳补迟辫谤辞迟补峁� yasmin vividha iva s奴tre 尘补峁噄驳补峁嘺岣� 蝉补尘补蝉迟补峁� yadbh膩s膩 tadapi ca vibh膩ti sphu峁璦midam |
膩kha峁囜笉膩nanda峁� yanniravadhikasaccitsukhamaya峁� 苍颈谤腻办腻谤补峁� yattattvamasi 辫补谤补尘补峁� brahma na 辫补谤补岣� ||