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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—an 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 4a - Characterisation of the play

Page:

29 (of 134)


External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)


Download the PDF file of the original publication


Warning! Page nr. 29 has not been proofread.

157
"With the help of the Lord's divine Compassion, I will prompt Sankalpa surya
(the Lord's resolve or Will) to take the necessary action for the salvation of Puruṣa,
for He is always beneficient and disposed to grant my desires." 4 Because she is
everything when joined by Sankalpa while she is effete in His absence.
The following verse is an evidence to this aspect of Sankalpa.
"I am the Lord's Sankalpasuryodaya (the Sunrise of His resolve to save man).
When there is the slightest manifestation of me, whose glory is of astonishing
greatness, this world, pure and impure, attains, all at once, Mokṣa and Svarga. All
sentient beings are in sound slumber in the grea: night of Māyā (Prakṛti) and are in
such a state that they can be said merely to exist, and this night of Māyā is not like
the night which comes at the end of the day, for it is continuous and has no break or
interval and it is I who am capable of waking them up from that (death - like) sleep."
"5
Sankalpa is secured as a result of pure meditation of the Supreme Being. In
support of this aspect of sankalpa, the prose portion is worth citing here:
"By the Goddess Lord's compassion, whose favour was won by the practice
of pure meditation of the Supreme Being who is pleased to reward Puruṣa and who
is attended upon by other noble qualities, I have been ordered: Puruṣa has now
become glorious as a result of the endeavours of Viveka, the conqueror of Moha
and others, whose activities receive their guidance from me."6
The prowess of Sankalpa is remarkable. Among many
many
of
of
his
accomplishments, mention may be made of vanguishing Madhu and Kaitabha, and
वैकुण्ठकृपया देव्या मदभीष्टे व्यवस्थितम� �
[vaikuṇṭhakṛpayā devyā madabhīṣṭe vyavasthitam |
]
4.
प्राध्वं संकल्पमार्ताण्डं प्रवर्तयितुमुत्सहे �
[prādhva� saṃkalpamārtāṇḍa� pravartayitumutsahe ||
]
5.
6.
S.S. X-12, p.805
यस्मिन्विरमयनीयभूमनि मनागुन्मीलिते नैकध� सिध्यन्त्यस्� सितासितस्य जगतः स्वर्गापवर्गादयः �
ऐश� सोऽहमवासरात्ययभवन्मायामहायामिनीसत्ताशेषसुषुप्� बोधनपटुः संकल्पसूर्योदय� � [yasminviramayanīyabhūmani manāgunmīlite naikadhā sidhyantyasya sitāsitasya jagata� svargāpavargādaya� |
aiśa� so'hamavāsarātyayabhavanmāyāmahāyāminīsattāśeṣasuṣupta bodhanapaṭu� saṃkalpasūryodaya� ||
]
S.S. X-20, p.813
आदिष्ट� सोऽहमिदानीमनघपरविद्याप्रसादितय� प्रदित्सितपारितोषिका सकलगुणसेव्यय� देव्या भगवदनुकम्पया � यथ� -
मदधीनवृत्तिन� मोहादिविजयिन� विवेके� जनितभूमा विनिष्पन्नसमाधिः पुरुषस्त्वयै� मोचनी� इत� � अह� � सर्वथा
निखिलजगदम्बायास्तदनुकम्पायाः प्रियमाचरामि � � � मय� तदनुरोधिपरित्राण� तद्विरोधिनिरसन� � दुष्कर� किंचित� �
[ādiṣṭa� so'hamidānīmanaghaparavidyāprasāditayā praditsitapāritoṣikā sakalaguṇasevyayā devyā bhagavadanukampayā | yathā -
madadhīnavṛttinā mohādivijayinā vivekena janitabhūmā viniṣpannasamādhi� puruṣastvayaiva mocanīya iti | aha� ca sarvathā
nikhilajagadambāyāstadanukampāyā� priyamācarāmi | na ca mayā tadanurodhiparitrāṇe tadvirodhinirasane ca duṣkara� kiṃcit ||
]
S.S. X, p.814

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