Kuvalayamala Part 2

SR No.: 002778
Original Sutra Author: Udyotansuri
Author: A N Upadhye
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Publication Year: 1970
Total Pages: 368
Language: Sanskrit, English
Classification: Book_Devnagari & Literature
File Size: 12 MB

Page 154

A CULTURAL NOTE
115
On page 7, $ 13, we find an exhaustive description of the Madhyadesa which closely follows in spirit and word the description given in the Mūlasarvāstivāda-vinaya of Sanskrit Buddhism. A bunch of architectural terms is available (7. $ 14): tumga-bhavaņa, maņi-torana, dhavala-dhaya, mani-sihara in the description of the city Viņīyā. There were usually eightyfour market places in a medieval town of which a list is given in the Prthvīcandracarita (Sam. 1161 [?]; but here ($ 15] some names of shops according to articles displayed in them is given, i.e., 1) kumkuma-kappūra-agaru-mayaņa-abhivāsa-padavāsa ; 2) elā-lavamga-kakkolaya; 3) mattāhala-suvanna-rayaņa; 4) netta-juyala; 5) vasaņa (= cloth); 6) vidāo: 7) samkha-valaya-kāya-maņiya; 8) sara-sarāsaņa; 9) samkhacamara-ghamtā; 10) viviha-osahio; 11) siņeha-ņiramtara-bahu-khajja-pejja; 12) haliddī: 13) surā-mahu-māsāo. Thus Uddyotana has in his view a complete form of a medieval market place with the number of lines full of different commodities on the basis of which was compiled later on a list of 84 caiihattas.
There is (9. $ 20 a reference to abbhamtarovatthāņa-mamdava, Hall of Private Audience, corresponding to bhuktāsthāna-maņdapa of Bāņa, or Darwār khāsa of Mugal architecture. There (9.20) is a reference to vettalayā padihārī which throws light on the Mathurā railing figure (No. 2) in the Mathura Museum showing that such attendants actually existed in royal palaces. Later (11.15), there is a reference to bāhirovatthāņa-mamdava, the Hall of Public Audience, to which all people were admitted and which was known as Darwāre Am in Mugal times. That was also known as savvāvasara (= sarvāvasara) in Apabhramsa texts. On page 11.21 there is a clear statement that the king, after dismissing the public Durbar, entered the private apartment of his palace known as vāsa-bhavana. At 12.1 there is a reference to kovahara (= kopa-grha). On page 12, line 11, there is a reference to suvannaddha-sahassam, five hundred of Suvarna. At 12.27 there is a reference of Mahākāla Siva of Ujjain which had a crowd of joya-joyanīsiddha and of those who were proficient in Tantras and Mantras. This is a welcome reference to Mahākāla about a century and half later after Bāņa's Kādambarī. The description given by Uddyotanasūri is much more detailed about the bloody offering and sacrifices and use of wine and the skull of human beings and Vetāla-sādhanā carried on in the temple.
On page 14. $ 34, there is repetition of gods mentioned at 2.23. At 14.13-7, there is a Stotra of Rāyasirī Bhagavai describing her beauty and ornamental glory. On p. 15.18 there is again a reference to bhoyaņa-mamdava and abbhamtarovatthāna-mamdava; and further at 16.18, there is again a reference to bāhirovatthāņa-bhūmi which are already mentioned. There is also a reference to rayana-vinimmaviya-mahariha-sīhāsana, i.e., the simhāsana of the king, also called Indrāsana. On the same page a graphic account is given of Rājasabhā which included Mamtiņo, Mahāņarimdā, Mahāvīrā, Mahāvejjā, Mahābambhaņā, Mahākaiņo, Mahāseņāvaiņo, Mahāpurohiyā, Vāravilāsiņio and authorities on different subjects of learning of which the list is given. At 17.24 there is a description of festivities; and at 18.26-8 there is a reference to cast fabrics and coins. At 20.28 there is a reference to āvāņaya-bhūmī and again to bhoyanatthāņamamdava and atthāņa-mamdava.
An important topic during early medieval times was the education of