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
73 (of 134)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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been thrown into fill it up my dear Tṛṣṇ�, the slenderness of your stomach shows no
swelling at all" 2
"It is surprising that the beauty of your beloved surpasses that of all other
beautiful women? However, you have to make, from all the gems to be found in the
houses of all the gods and the Asuras, necklaces, armlets, girdles and anklets
worthy of my loveliness." 3 True to the letter, the following verse graphically
describes the nature of Lobha :
"What you have asked for is a very small matter. The gods, the Asuras, the
Kinnaras, the Kimpuruṣas, the Vidhyādharas, sages, men and beasts, all these
have been overcome by me. They themselves kill one another looking upon even a
piece of chaff, as it were the mountain Meru. Listen to the condition to which,
Kubera, the friend of Śiva, renowned as the bearer of the title Dhanada, has been
reduced by me."
"Kubera, who is called the king of kings, never parts with what he has, nor
does he enjoy his wealth, with a bewildered mind, he craves for more and more
wealth; he never enjoys good sleep and is merely watching over his treasures like
an evil spirit." 4
His reply to Krodha as revealed in the following verses, shows what he really is :
"Kings get excited and confounded with the desire for a small particle of the
earth's dust. The leaders of the gods tremble with fear at the thought that some one
may be performing austerities somewhere for winning the position now occupied by
2.
कनककलधौतशैलप्रभृतिभिरप� हन्त पूरणैः क्षिप्तै� |
तृष्णे भजति समृद्धिं भूयो भूयस्तवोदर� कार्श्यम� ||
[kanakakaladhautaśailaprabhṛtibhirapi hanta pūraṇai� kṣiptai� |
tṛṣṇe bhajati samṛddhi� bhūyo bhūyastavodare kārśyam ||
] 3.
4.
S.S. IV - 49, p.434
आर्यपुत्� तव वल्लभाया मम रमणीयत्व� सर्वरमणीसमभ्यधिकमिति किनाश्चर्यम् तथाप�
देवासुरगृहगतसकलरत्नोपहारेण मम सौभाग्यसदृक्षाणि हारकेयूरमेखलानूपुराण� त्वय� करणीयानि � [āryaputra tava vallabhāyā mama ramaṇīyatva� sarvaramaṇīsamabhyadhikamiti kināścaryam tathāpi
devāsuragṛhagatasakalaratnopahāreṇa mama saubhāgyasadṛkṣāṇi hārakeyūramekhalānūpurāṇi tvayā karaṇīyāni | ] S.S. IV - p.435
प्रिये, ईषत्करमिदमभ्यर्थयस� � निर्जिता� खल� मय� देवासुरकिंनरकिंपुरुष वेद्याधरमुनिमनुष्यतिर्यञ्च�, यथ� परस्परमे� व्यतिहन्यन्त�,
यथ� वा तुषकणमपि मेरु� मन्यन्ते � तत्र तावद्धनदबिरुदविख्यातस्� त्र्यम्बकसखस्य मत्कृतामवस्थामाकर्णय लब्ध� � मुञ्चत�
विलक्षमतिर्न भुङ्क्ते धत्त� पुनः पुनरसौ महती� धनायाम� � निद्ररसं � लभते महता� निधीना� रक्षापिशाच इव संप्रत�
राजराज� ||
[priye, īṣatkaramidamabhyarthayase | nirjitā� khalu mayā devāsurakiṃnarakiṃpuruṣa vedyādharamunimanuṣyatiryañca�, yathā parasparameva vyatihanyante,
yathā vā tuṣakaṇamapi meru� manyante | tatra tāvaddhanadabirudavikhyātasya tryambakasakhasya matkṛtāmavasthāmākarṇaya labdha� na muñcati
vilakṣamatirna bhuṅkte dhatte puna� punarasau mahatī� dhanāyām | nidrarasa� na labhate mahatā� nidhīnā� rakṣāpiśāca iva saṃprati
rājarāja� ||
] S.S. IV 50, p.435
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