Jain Journal 1986 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 13

JAIN JOURNAL
on one's own flesh.: A fair policy of taxation, on the other hand, ensures fiscal security without impairing the happiness of the subjects.10 Hostility of one's kinsmen is as harmful as excessive oppression of the people to which unwise taxation invariably leads. To Nayacandra, the two are like the opposite grinding stones which reduce the state to dust.11
Politics as envisaged and formulated by Nayacandra is summed up in the following verse :
parābhavan dvisaccakram prabhavan nyayayrddhaye saukhyam cānubhavan sphitam sa prajāpatisuramanvasat12
Besides, being a political scientist Nayacandra was a gifted historian. In obedience to the tradition he has undoubtedly presented history with attractive poetic trappings but his narrative, for the most part is authentic, well-connected and devoid of supernatural elements that besmirch poems of this genre and thereby serve to frustrate attempts at separating chaff from the grain. Like a true historian, Nayacandra seems to have undertaken his task after subjecting the available sources to searching scrutiny, dropping in the process what turned out to be untrustworthy. The earlier part of the poem that serves as a prologue to the main narrative doubtless suffers from certain egregious errors. However, Nayacandra's account of Hammira and his encounters with the Khalji hordes including the final battle, stands on firm historical footing and is happily upheld by contemporary Muslim historians.13
Not a poetician, Nayacandra has en passent expressed his views on certain retorical precepts as well. He seems to have been a stout champion of the rasa-school of poetry to the extent that to him rasa is but another name of kāvya. True poetry aims at imparting undiluted pleasure (mud). Only lesser poets seek to conceal their lack of feelings by having recourse to verbal jugglary.14 Nayacandra has religiously translated the
Ibid., IX. 170. 10 Ibid., IV.1. 11 Ibid., VIII. 91.
Ibid., IV. 31. 11 For a detailed evaluation of the historical narrative of HM, see my paper
'Hammira Mahakavya : A Unique Source of the History of Ranthambour',
Avagahana (Sirdarsahar), II. 1, p. 41-46. 14 HM, XIV. 35.