Setubandha

SR No.: 001384
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Krishnakant Handiqui
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1976
Total Pages: 812
Language: English, Sanskrit
Classification: Book_English & Literature
File Size: 14 MB

Page 82

INTRODUCTION
fighting, and gain control over their own forces before vanquishing the enemy (3.40). Bravery in war is here conceived as an aspect of goodness; and the idea behind Pravarasena's statement seems to be that the good man is proved in war. It may be noted that the idea of affinity of bravery to goodness appears even more explicitly in the evolution of ethical thought in Greek literature.
There is a number of verses in Canto 13 in which Pravarasena speaks of the ideals and aspirations that inspire the warrior on the battlefield. Such verses are not usual in the description of battle scenes in the Sanskrit Mahākāvyas. The warrior, for instance, preserves his māna like a flower (v. 44), and his abhimāna at the cost of his life (v. 35). Both the words are used in the sense of honour as in Bhāravi's Kirātārjunīya?. Bhāravi uses them also in the sense of self-conceit with which Pravarasena is not concerned. The latter refers to māna in another connection in Setu 4.62 when he speaks of persons of character that take their stand upon family tradition and self-respect4. Further, he tells us in Setu 13.16 that the warriors remembered shame (lajjā) even in face of danger. Lajju means here shame in a good sense, which makes a man shun disgraceful deeds, i, e., honour. This use of the word is exactly like that of Greek aischunë shame, dishonour; also,
1 Words like arete goodness,virtue. areiony better and aristós best come from the
same root as Arcs, the god of war, 'the first notion of goodness being that of manhood, bravery in war'. Liddell and Scott, Greek-English Lexicon under Arës. Abridged ed., Oxford, 1963. Similarly, aga thos good means also brave, valiant in
the Iliad and Herodotus. Liddell and Scott, new ed. by Jones sub voce. 2 11.59,61; 2-13,19. Abhimana is rendered as 'self-respect by Stein in his trans. of
Rājatarangini 1.226. 3 2.48,49. 4 Cf. BTTSTEDET
So's a a Mycchakarika 10.50. NS ed. 1922. Pravarasena says 3-A1-aaral... ggfTet.