Tilakamanjari of Dhanapala (study)
by Shri N. M. Kansara | 1970 | 228,453 words
This is an English study of the Tilakamanjari of Dhanapala, a Sanskrit poem written in the 11th century. Technically, the Tilaka-manjari is classified as a Gadyakavya (鈥減rose-romance鈥�). The author, Dhanapala was a court poet to the Paramara king Munja, who ruled the Kingdom of Malwa in ancient west-central India. Alternative titles: Dhanap膩la Tila...
3. Blending of the narratives
The two plots run along indepenent lines interlocking at the following points: (i) The friendship of the previous birth between Jvalanaprabha and Sumali survives and brings them together in their human birth as Harivahana and Samaraketu respectively. Their beloveds, viz., Tilakamanjari and Malayasundari respectively are likewise friends in their previous celestial birth as Priyangusundari and Priyamvada respectively.
3 288 (ii) The divine Balaruna ring presented by the goddess sri to King Meghavahana, attracts the heart of Samaraketu towards the king and unites him with Harivahana in friendship. (iii) The strange incident of the flying elephant takes Harivahana to the Vidyadhara region of the Vaitadhya mountain where he is coronated as the emperor of the Vidyadharas. It also leads Samaraketu there in his search. The attainment of Vidyadharahood on the part of Harivahana brings in its turn the help of divine agency at the hands of Tilakamanjari and brings about the otherwise difficult union between the unlucky and miserable pair of Samaraketu and Malayasundari. (iv) The Maharsi appears at the beginning of the novel in the form of the Vidyadhara Muni and at the end he provides the missing link of the identity of the two pairs of lovers in their previous births.