Studies In Sanskrit Sahitya Shastra

SR No.: 007023
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: V M Kulkarni
Publisher: B L Institute of Indology
Publication Year: 1983
Total Pages: 216
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 22 MB

Page 191

Sanskrit Sahityaśāstra
179
It is this episode of Hari's conquest of (Indra and his) Pārijāta tree which accounts for the title Harivijaya of the present epic. The statement of the Dhvanikära that if in a story adopted from a well-known source, the poet is faced with situations conflicting with the intended aesthetic emotion (rasa), he should leave out those situations, inventing in their place even imaginary ones, in conformity with the intended (rasa)-as done by Sarvasena in Harivijaya, and Abhinavagupta's comment on it in his Locana indicate that the main story of the epic was something different and the conquest of the Pārijāta tree from Indra's custody formed only one episode in it. The available citations from HV do not throw any light on the principal story but from the references of Bhoja and Hemacandra we may conjecture that it was mainly descriptive and not narrative. As regards its extent, we might further hazard a guess that it contained as many Aśyāsakas as are found in SB which is modelled on it. . From the citations we find that HV was composed in a graceful style. Its language and style are, compared to SB, more easy and less involved.
Like Pravarasena, Sarvasena too shows the use of long compounds and poetic figures of speech. Kuntaka's praise for his graceful style and Dhvanikāra's compliment for imaginative handling of the Pārijāta episode and Bhoja's appreciation of his work (by profusely quoting from it) Sarvasena very well deserves.
Rāvana-vijaya and Hari- vijaya are both composed in the skandhaka metre and Vākpati's Madhumatha-vijaya is composed in the Gathā metre. This series of poems of conquest is no longer extant. It is indeed an irreparable loss to the students of Mahārāştri language and literature.?
6. Vākpati himself has referred to this work in his Gaudavaho. He suggests that it was composed in robust or flowery language. Abhinavagupta (Locana p. 346, Banares edition, 1940) cites a verse from this work. For its correct text vide KS (p. 79). It is in the găthā metre. From Vākpati's statement we learn that he considered his earlier work as superior to Gaūdavaho :
महमह-विअअ-पउत्ता वाआ कह णाम मउलउ इमम्मि ।
पढम-कुसुमाहि तलिणं पच्छा-कुसुमं वणलआण । [मधुमथ-विजय प्रयुक्ता वाकू कथं नाम मुकुलयत्वस्मिन् ।
9945eniafcsi q en JASA1914 11 ] -v. 69 7. I gratefully ackowledge my thanks to Prof. M.V. Patwardhan and Dr. H. C. Bhayani for going through the restored verses and for suggesting improved readings in some cases.