Studies in Jain Literature

SR No.: 001868
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre
Publication Year: 2001
Total Pages: 114
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Literature, & Story
File Size: 14 MB

Page 328

310 STUDIES IN JAIN LITERATURE (Satyabhama). Besides the valuable information collected above from the clearly identifiable skandhakas as Sarvasena's from his Harivijaya, Bhoja? and, following him, Hemacandra8 gives us a good deal of information about the contents of Sarvasena's Harivijaya : It was marked by the word 'Utsaha' (energy) occurring at the end of each asvasaka (chapter) and indicating the intention of the author (svabhipraya). It contained description of a city, seasons, the sunset, the hero, his mount (garutmat-Garuda), his envoy to Indra (Satyaka), Satyaki's visit to Indra (for securing the Parijata tree peacefullly), his march against Indra for carrying off the Parijata tree, his victory over his enemy (Indra, the king of the gods) who is forced to surrender after a great fight, a drinking party (madhupana) in a literary club (gosthi-gsha), the removal of Satyabhama's jealous anger (by securing for her the Parijata tree from the Nandana garden after defeating Indra in the fierce fight.) Its Structure or Technique : From the point of view of form, Sarvasena's epic is written throughout in one metre called skandhaka consisting of two equal halves of thirty-two(32) (12+20) matras. Its older name is aryagiti. The work is divided into asvasakas (and not into sargas as in the Sanskrit Mahakavya). Its Language : According to Bhoja, the Setubandha etc. are composed in pure Prakrit. Hemacandra follows Bhoja : the Setubandha, etc., are composed in Prakrit. This Prakrit bhasa is later known as Maharastri. Its Style : Kuntaka, the author of the Vakroktijivita chooses Sarvasena along with Kalidasa, as representative of the Sukumara marga (delicate style). which is natural, fresh, simple in its scantily adorned beauty, dominated by emotion, and spontaneously lyrical. This Sukumara marga is nothing but the old Vaidarbhi style. Its literary evaluation : From discussions by the critics, Anandavardhana (and Abhinavagupta), Kuntaka, Bhoja and Hemacandra, we see that Sarvasena's Harivijaya was an epoch-making work. As a classical Prakrit (Maharastri mahakavya) it was long famous. As Kalidasa's plays eclipsed Bhasa's plays, even so, it would seem, Pravarasena's Setubandha eclipsed Sarvasena's Harivijaya. Hemacandra criticises Sarvasena for inserting a disproportionated lengthy description of the ocean out of his inordinate love for composing alliterative (galitaka) verses, and that too in a situation of Vipralambha Srngara---when