Indian Antiquary Vol 47

SR No.: 032539
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 386
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 264

248
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[OCTOBEE, 1918
Subandhu's Vasavadattd is a wellknown work. It seems to have served as a model to Bâna who much improved upon his model in his great work Kadambari. Subandhu's work contains unmistakable references to certain episodes and incidents in the Raghuvansa and the Sakuntala. These references occur in three passages. In two of them, the story of Dilipa as given in the Raghuva.iya is referred to, while in the third are referred to the incident of the curse of Durvâsas which plays such an important part in the Sakuntala and the Svayamvara of Aja and Indumati described in the Raghuvainsa. Let me quote the passages:
(a) दिलीप इव सुदक्षिणानुरक्तो रक्षितगुश्च . . . (राज्ञाश्चन्तामणेः) तनयः कन्तकेतुर्नाम
pp. 16-17."
(2) किं नोपासिता वयः किमधिक्षिमा भूनेवाः किं न प्रदक्षिणोकृताः सुरभयः किं न कृतं शरणेष्वभयमिति
बहुविधं विलपन् &c. p. 134. (3) अहो प्रजापते रूपनिर्माणकौशलम् | . . . . येव दमयन्ती नलस्व कृते वनवासवेशसमवाप
मुधैवेन्दुमती महिष्याप्यजानुरागिणो बभूव । अफलमेव दुष्यन्तस्य कृते शकुन्तला
दुर्वाससः शापमनुबभूव । p. 80. In (1) the name of Dilipa's wife occurs, and it is given only by Kalidasa. What is more important is the word that therein we see the reference to the episode so heautifully described in Canto II of the Raghuvania. The reference in (2) will be understood from the following verses which occur in Canto I of the same epic. The context is that Vasishtha is explaining to Dilîpa the reason why Dilipa was without a son :
पुरा शकमुपस्थाय तवा पति यास्यतः। भासीकल्पतरुच्छायामाश्रिता सुरभिः पथि ॥७॥ धर्मलोपभयाद्राज्ञीमृनुस्नातामिमां स्मरन् । प्रदाक्षिणकियाहीतां तस्वां त्वं साधु नाचरः ॥ ६॥ अवजानासि मां बस्माइतस्ते न भविष्यति ।
मत्पमतिमनाराध्य प्रजेति स्वां शशाप सा ।। ७७॥ It is olear that this part of the story is refered to in (2). In (3), the allusions are to two incidents, one in the Raghuva isa and the other in the Sakuntala. The first is to Indumati's choice of Aja which is the subject matter of Canto VI. The second is to the incident of the curse of Durvâsas on which hinges the plot of the Sakuntala.
In some plases, Subandhu uses words and phrases which may point to his acquaintance with some of Kalidasa's works. A few such cases may be illustrated.
(4) When describing the morning time he says आसन्नमरणास्वित्र जीवितेशपुराभिमुखीपु...
कामिनीषु (p. 28). The idea here, and especially the word जीवितेशपुराभिमुखी' at once puts us in mind of the following verse :
राममन्मथशरेण ताडिता दुःसहेन हदवेन निशाचरी। गन्धवद्रुधिरचन्दनोक्षिता जीवितशवसर्ति जगाम सा ||
Raghu. XI. 20. (5) Again, see
नृत्यस्कबन्धे सुरसुन्दरीसमागमोरमुकचारुभटाहकारभीपणे समरसागरे . . . . (कन्दर्पकतोः) खड्गी रराज| p.24.
. The references to pages are from the edition of Vasavadaká by Jivananda Vidyasagar.