Jain Journal 2004 10

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

Page 16

SATYA RANJAN BANERJEE: POLITICAL AND SOCIAL THOUGHTS
with four pillars and jewelled floor. Here the king should have his seat. On its northern side should be seated Sanskrit poets and behind them Vaidikās, logicians (prāmānikās), Paurāņikās, Smārtās, physicians (Bhisajas), astrologers (Mauhurttikās) and such others; on the eastern side the Prakrit poets (prākrtā kavavah), and behind them actors (nata), dancers (narttana), singers (gāvana), musicians (vādaka), bards and such others, on the Western side the vernacular poets (apabiranisin kavayah) and behind them painters (citralepyakytah), jewel-setters (manikyabandhakal), jewellers (vaikatikāh), goldsmiths (svarnakārāh), carpenters (vardhakilohakārāh) and blacksmiths and such others; and on the southern side Paisacha poets (bhūtabhāsākavayah), and behind them, paramours, courtezans, rope-dancers, jugglers, wrestlers and professional soldiers". (Introduction p. xxxvi - vii).
Whether this was the prevalent practice of the king or not, was not clear from Rājasekhara, but it was a picture of how a king in the mediaeval India used to organise a poetic assembly in his kingdom. And we can gauge at the moment that that was the practice of the Indians at that time and this picture was reflected by Rājasekhara in his Kāvyamīmāṁsā.
From the Kumārapālacarita, we can also infer that Hemacandra says that the kings must be religious-minded and he must go to pilgrimages after defeating his enemies (V. 132). In their old age, the kings should live in pilgrimages by observing asceticism (VIII. 15).
II. Social Thoughts of Hemacandra As I have said in my earlier part of this article that it was difficult for me to elicit the political thoughts of Hemacandra from his works, so also in the case of social thoughts, it is equally difficult to find out the social gleanings of Hemacandra from his writings. We must remember that Hemacandra has not written any book on social order of the country, but from some of the words used by him relating to social structure, we can build the edifice of sociology to some extent at the time of Hemacandra counterchecked by contemporary evidence. We must also know at the same time that the sources for studying the social history of the time are indeed very meagre. Yet we will have to collect some valuable information from his writings as well as from the accounts of the contemporary authors.
Structure of Society :
From Hemacandra's Kumārapālacarita it appears that society looked like a feudal organisation with the king at its head. The other officials were next in rank to the king. These noble officials used to