Essay name: Sankalpa Suryodaya of Venkatanatha (Critical Study)
Author:
R. Laxmi
Affiliation: Karnatak University / Department of Sanskrit
This is an English study of the Sankalpa Suryodaya鈥攁n allegorical Sanskrit drama by Venkatanatha, a distinguished philosopher-poet and dramatist of the Vishishtadvaita Vedanta tradition. This work of Venkata-natha (or, Vedanta Deshika). stands out for integrating allegory to convey moral and philosophical truths. The thesis examines its place in Sanskrit literature.
Chapter 1 - Date, life and works of Venkatanatha
18 (of 26)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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18
Sankalpasuryodaya. A Sanskrit commentary viz., Ranape峁璱k膩 by 艢r墨niv膩sa, is
available.
IV. LITERARY WORKS OF EPIC, DRAMA AND LYRIC TYPE
1. Y膩dav膩bhyudaya
15 This is a Mah膩k膩vya describing the Yadu race, K峁涐梗峁嘺's birth, his childhood
and the Govardhana episode, R膩salila of K峁涐梗峁嘺. Further, the scene of
Ka峁僺avadha, K峁涐梗峁嘺's marriage with Rukmi峁噄, Syamantakama峁噄 story, his
marriage with Satyabh膩ma, 艢i艣up膩lavadha, Narak膩suravadha, description of
Nandana, K峁涐梗峁嘺's aerial journey to Dv膩rak膩, marriage of Aniruddha with U峁 and
K峁涐梗峁嘺's conquest of Sonitapura, the incident of Gita and K峁涐梗峁嘺's harem scene -
these details are well described in a variety of metres suggestive of a variety of
ideas and imageries and emotions. This Mah膩k膩vya is otherwise called
Yaduva峁僺a or K峁涐梗峁嚹乥hyudaya. From the introductory verses of Appayya Dik峁ta's
excellent commentary (16th century A.D.) on the Yadav膩bhyudaya, readers come
to know that, it was acclaimed as a Mah膩k膩vya 16 even in the life time of the poet.
A perusal of the 24 cantos of the Mah膩k膩vya makes it emphatic that the
Bh膩gavatapur膩峁嘺 was the source of inspiration for Ved膩nta Desika.
2. Sankalpas奴ryodaya :
It is an allegorical play dramatising the Visi峁ａ弓膩dvaita philosophy and the
艢r墨vai峁ａ箛ava religion. It runs into ten long acts which are more poetic than
15.
啶膏ぞ啶灌た啶む啶啷嬥し啷嵿啷�啶� 啶膏ぐ啶膏ぞ啶ぞ啶むた啶粪啶犩え啷嵿え啶ぎ啷囙啶︵ぞ |
[s膩hityago峁ａ弓墨峁� saras膩m膩ti峁ａ弓hannayamekad膩 |
] 16.
啶ぞ啶︵さ啶距き啷嵿く啷佮う啶 啶曕ぞ啶掂啶ぎ啶多啶班啶粪啶︵ 啶掂た啶︵啶粪ぞ啶� 啶啶栢ぞ啶む 啷�
啶呧さ啷嵿く啶距啷嵿く啶距い啶むく啶� 啶啶班啶掂啶班え啶た啶掂啶啷嵿い啶ぞ啶掂啶 啷�
啶呧う啷冟し啷嵿啶ぞ啶� 啶多た啶侧啶啷嵿啷堗ぐ啶た啶溹ぞ啶む 啶灌ぐ啶苦え啷嵿ぎ啶｀た啶 ||
[y膩dav膩bhyudaya峁� k膩vyama艣rau峁Ｄ玠 vidu峁Ｄ佱箖 mukh膩t |
avy膩khy膩tatay膩 p奴rvairanabhivyaktabh膩vakam |
ad峁涐梗峁璦bh膩va 艣ilpaj帽airabhij膩ta峁� harinma峁噄m ||
] D. Krishna lyangar : 艢ri Ved膩nta De艣ikaru (Kannada), Bangalore, 1964, p.127.
啶むう啶距啶班啶｀い啶� 啶膏ぎ啷嵿く啶曕 啶膏ぎ啷佮う啶炧啶氞い啷嵿啷佮い啷傕す啶侧 啶掂た啶︵啶粪ぞ啶� 啶啶班い啶膏啶むじ啷嵿く 啶掂た啶掂啶む 啶ぞ啶� 啶ㄠ啶く啷傕く啷佮啶む 啷�
[tad膩kar峁嘺ta岣� samyak samuda帽catkut奴hala岣� vidu峁Ｄ佱箖 puratastasya viv峁泃au m膩峁� nyay奴yujat ||
] Yadav膩bhyudaya Ed. by Veera Raghavacarya, Ubhaya Vedanta Granthamala, Madras,
1969, p.1.
