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Chitra Shukla
His serpents, ashes, bull and queer appearance. This incident is very humourous, aod yet, nowhere is Lord Siva deprived of dignity and greatness ! In Gauridigambara, Lord Siva's impatience, his flatterings and requests to Maipaka make him the object of laugbter and create an impression of farce. Though all sorts of impropriety and exaggeration #e: allowed in Prabasanas, the strange innovation of turning a God into a farcical hero certainly hurts our aesthetic sense.
The love depicted in the Prahasanas is of a very low type:s because neither the hero por the heroine, is serious in love.. In Latakamelaka, for example, ascetice of different sects try to win the love of the young and be&utiful courtesan Madagamañjarr. le Dhurtasamagama, the preceptor Visvalagata and his disciple Dūrācāra try fo wir ithe love of Anangaseda and when they go to the court, the judge Asajjāti and his disciple also try to win the love of Anangasena. The frail, physical love becomes the cause of Laughter in - Prahasanas. In other words, Syngāra becomes subordinate to Hāsya. The love of Siva and Pārvall can never be compared with the cheap love depicted in the Prabasanas ! In * spite of all protests from all sides, Gaurt ramains firm 'in her love for Lord Siva. The pious and firm love of Gaur! inspireradmiration and devotion, and not laughter. Sșngāra here fails as a subordinate Rasa, because it cannot effectively lead us to Hasya,
Mattavilasa and Bhagavadajjuka, the earliest of the known Prabasanas, depict the sentiment of Hāsya in a very digoified way. - The weakness of the ascetics of different sects are sarcastically, and yet, decently presented in these · Prahasadas. Tbis dignity is not maintained by the fucceeding Prabasanas like Lalaka nelaka, Hasyārnava or Hasyacudāmaņi where the hypocracy and ignorance of the Preceptors ard Pb ysicions are laughed at and where an old barlot is shown murrying a young disciple.
Though lacking in dignity,' thiese Prabasanas have reflected religion, reliigfoos sects and contemporary society. Still móto realistic irre the Prabasanas
of 18th and 19th centuries. Prahasanas like BDānuprabandha Unmatta - kavikalasa, Candanuranjada reflect the differences and prejudices of different sects of religions and tend to be vulgar and indecent, when they depict the malpractices prevalent among the Preceptors. All these Prabasanas presented a real picture of the society, and saved Sanskrit literature from being too much artificiaal and unreal. The Gauridigambara lacks in this important trait. Its hero and heroine are divine. They therefore do not represent a class, and fail to project the weakness of a class or society. The Gauridigambara lacks in the dignity of the earliest. Prabasanas for this very reason. The characters are divine beings and not types. This Prabasana therefore, fails to reflect reality. In spite of the elements of farce,
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