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
39 (of 134)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
167
Prakriti (rajas and tamas) who were sent by Mahamoha, and are as powerful as the
demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, wanted to kill me because I was the friend of Sattva.
In the lives of men, negligence, indeed, lends a helping hand to their enemies. I was
soon awakened from sleep by Sahajadriṣṭi and Sādrśadṛṣṭi, two handmaids of
queen sumati, who had been directed to do so by the mercy of the Supreme Deity.
The enemies having fled in different directions for want of a resting place, His
Majesty, King Viveka, is desirous, for some reason or other, to see the picture of the
universe, and has communicated his orders to me through his commander-in-chief,
Vyavasaya. Thus commanded, I have done his bidding. Only if officers
act according to the needs of the occasion, can they hold their office
permanently." Therefore
"I have, by my skill, turned the mind of the man who pursues Brahma Vidya
into a wall, and painted theron the whole Universe which can be divided into two
kinds, the pure and the impure".
Samskāra appears on the stage in the seventh Act. The forms of Brahma,
Śiva and others who are subject to karma, are not fit to be meditated upon and only
the divinely pure forms of Lord Visṇu in his varicus Avatāras are viewed as most
appropriate. As such, Viveka and Sumati together with Vyavasaya visit a
picture-gallery to see diferent forms of Lord visṇu painted by Samskāra with his
imaginative skill.
Saṃskāra has full confidence in Viveka, that he would certainly appreciate
the pictures drawn by him. Saṃskāra says that, his paintings are superior to that of
Viśvakarma, and that the picture-gallery would be an ornament even to the Lord
who dwells within the heart.
At the close of the sixth Act, Tarka informs viveka that they should create in
Puruṣa a clear realisation of the steps to the fulfilment of meditation, such as
Dhāraṇa by arriving at a decision about the holy object of meditation. Concurrently,
when King viveka looks at the paintings drawr on the walls of imagination. The first
picture that is seen too Viveka is of the supreme Viṣṇu called Daharākāśa.
