Book Title: Bhadram te and Bhadant Author(s): H C Bhayani Publisher: ZZ_Anusandhan Catalog link: https://jainqq.org/explore/269114/1 JAIN EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL FOR PRIVATE AND PERSONAL USE ONLYPage #1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________ bhadram te and bhadanta (1) In Valmikis Ramayana the expression bhadram te occurs as a formula of blessing, of sverting evil or of formal greeting inserted in the midst of a sentence in the speech of a character, breaking the syntactical order-without any connection with the preceding or succceding portion of the sentence-i.c. as an asyndoton. The following few occurrences from the first and the second Kanda would illustrate this peculiar usage: tATakA nAma bhadraM te bhAryA sundrasya dhImataH | (1 23 25a) evaM bhavatu bhadraM te ikSvAku kula-vardhana / (141 21) H. C. Bhayani imau kumArau bhadraM te deva-tulya - parAkramau / kathaM padbhyAmiha prAptau kimarthaM kasya vA mune / / (1 47 2) imau kumArau bhadraM te deva-tulya - parAkramI / gaja-siMha-gatI vIrau zArdUla-vRSabhopamau / / (I 49 17) saupAdhyAyo mahArAja purohita - puraskRtaH / zIghramAgaccha bhadraM te dRSTumarhasi rAghavau || (167 11) lakSmaNAgaccha bhadraM te UrmilAmudyatAM mayA / pratIccha pANiM gRhNISva mA bhUt kAlasya paryayaH // ( 1 71 18) satvA pazyatu bhadraM te rAmaH satyaparAkramaH / sarvAn suhRda ApRchya tvAmidAnIM didRkSate (11 31 4) zatrughnotiSTha kiM zeSe niSAdAdhipatiM gRham / zIghramAnaya bhadraM te tArayiSyati vAhinIm // ( 1183 2) It is to be noted that the formula is used in a fixed metrical position as the last two words in the first or the third of the Anustubh. Page #2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________ 105 (2) bhadanta is quite well-known in Pali as a terni of respectable address or adjective with respect to Buddhist mendicant, monk etc. Its contracted form bhamte (for bhadamte) is fregnerily used similarly in the Jain Agamas. (Pischcl $S 165, 349, 366 0, 417, 463, 465). The root bhand is given in the Dhatupatha (2, 11) with the meanings kalyana, sukha-. bhadanta- derived from it is noted in the Unadi-sotra-vrtti (3, 130) according to Monier Williams dictionary. Semantically, bhadanta can be possibly explained as meaning kalyanakaraka. But its very frequent use in spccches as a respectful term of address leads nie to suspect that it may have been also influenced by the MIA. form of the traditional blessing formula bhadram tc > bhaddani te > bhadante). The addresser thereby expresses his or her reverence and good wishes "Bless you !' 'Let no evil visit you'. This is comparable to the utterances jaya, jiva, nanda, vardhasva shouted as blessing for a great person on a festive occasion. A parallcd case is that of Sk. jiva 'long live, Ap. jiu, jiul, occuring in various NIA. languages as jiu ! jyu, ji etc. as a particle of assent or respect and also as an honorific particle added to names (Turner, 5240). From the respectful terny of address bladarte was created the address bhadanta which later became specialized as applying to the Buddhest monks and mendicants.