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________________ HARIVIJAYA OF SARVASENA 365 known;... But nothing seems to be known about the extent and structure of the poem. Hemacandra refers to it in connection with the various descriptions found in the different mahakavyas, and mentions several topics described in Sarvasena's work; but he criticizes the author for inserting in his poem an irrelevant description of the ocean, "a superfluous excresence', as he calls it. The subject of the poem is the forcible removal of the Parijata tree from heaven by Krsna. Anandavardhana praises Sarvasena for introducing an element of rasa into the insipid mythological theme by representing Krsna's action as motivated by a desire to appease his wife Satyabhama. But, in the absence of the text, it is difficult to determine how far Krsna's action in going to war with Indra for the purpose of placating his wife's jealousy lent dignity to the subject or contributed to the success of the poem as a work of art. Sarvasena is also praised by Kuntaka for following the sukumaramarga corresponding to the old Vaidarbhi style; but to judge from Hemacandra's criticism, it may be doubted if the Harivijaya was a mature effort in the field of the Mahakavya, comparable to the Setubandha. In any case it failed to maintain its popularity as a major work of the early Kavya literature." In view of Sarvasena's appreciation by top ranking alamkarikas like Anandavardhana, Abhinavagupta, Kuntaka and Bhoja it would seem Handiqui's criticism : "it may be doubted if the Harivijaya was a mature effort..." is rather harsh and unfair to Sarvasena. As Kalidasa's plays eclipsed Bhasa's plays, Pravarasena's Setubandha might have eclipsed Sarvasena's Harivijaya. But it does not necessarily follow that Sarvaseria's work was not 'a mature effort. We get the following information about the contents of the Harivijaya from Bhoja's SP and Hemacandra's KAS : It was asvasabandha' (composed in asvasakas and not in sargas-cantos). Its prevailing metre was skandhaka. It contained some galitakas which according to some critics were interpolations, but according to Hemacandra were genuine parts of Sarvasena's own original work. It was marked by the word utsaha in the concluding verse of each asvasaka. It contained descriptions of city (nagara), mountain (saila), seasons (sarad-vasanta-grisma varsadi), the sunset (arkastamayavarnanam-mentioned by Hemacandra but through oversight dropped in the printed Mysore edition of SP), the hero (tatra nayakavarnanam yatha Harivijaya...) his vehicle-Garutmat, his duta, dutah nis [rstarthah... Harivijaye va Satyakah (Satyakih) his (nayaka's-Hari's) march against Indra with a view to securing the desired object--the Parijata tree, the rise of the hero in the form of the conquest of the enemy who himself surrenders, drink-party and the removal of Satyabhama's jealous anger by effort (by Hari by For Private & Personal Use Only Jain Education International www.jainelibrary.org
| SR No. | 001868 |
| Book Title | Studies in Jain Literature |
| 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 |