Sambodhi 1979 Vol 08

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 89

Biswanath Bhattacharya
.
by some dissident sections of the Buddhistic missionaries. His choice for giving an alluring kavya-garb to religious discourses sounds as an apology for uomonkish secularism.
Being a Brāhmaṇa-śramana he is well versed in the Vedic literature along with the Vedāngas, the two Great National Epics, viz., the Rāmayana and the Maha-Bhārata, some Purāņas, the philosophical systems like Sāṁkhya-Yoga and Pūrva-mïmāmsā, Dharma-śāstra, Artha-śāstra, Kama-śāstra, some early classical canons of peotics and dramaturgy, Vajdyaka, different arts like music, architecture, sculpture, etc.
His vivid depiction of the society about the Buddha with the roles like the harlots, ha igers-on, villains and hermits of different orders is influenced obviously by the realistic background of his own time.
This vyutpatti (erudition) and presumably abhyāsa (practice) roused his bhāvayitri pratibhā (assimilative talent), the veritable kavitva-bīja. The harmonious combination of pratibhā, vyutpatti and abhyāsa constitutes his kavi-Geist.
With these preliminary remarks regarding the kavi-Geist of Asvaghoşa we might now be permitted to pass on to consider his close acquaintance with the two Great National Epics, viz., the Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki and the Maha-Bhārata of Bādarāyaṇa Vyāsa, and take into account the extent of the abiding influences these Epics exercise on the form, manner and spirit of his kāvyas.
Thus there are profuse references to the names of Vālmīki and Vyāsa, and the different characters appearing in the diverse episodes in the two Epics, We might elaborate the points with some excerpts from Ašvaghoşa's kāvyas in the following :
Vālmikir ādau ca sas irja padyam jagrantha yan na Cyavano maharsih /
[Buddha-carita, 1/43 ab ] sa (= Kapilah ) teşām Gautamaś cakre sva-vamsa-sadrśīḥ kriyāḥ
Vālmikir iva dhimāṁś ca dhimator Maithileyayoḥ //
[Saundar-Nanda, 1/25ab & 26cd ] Parāśaraḥ śāpa-śaras tatharşih Kālim sişe ve jhașa-garbha-yonim / suto 'sya yasyām susuve mahātmā Dvaipāyano Veda-vibhāga-kartā //
[ Saundara-Nanda, 7/29 ] Vyāsas tatbainam ( = Vedam ) bahudhā cakāra na yam Vasişthaḥ kṣtavān aśaktiḥ //
{ Buddhacarita, 1/42cd]