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166
N. M. KANSARA
SAMBODHI
from Vedic and astronomical texts, on the effects on human life of the actual occurrence of the eclipse in its various stages. N.M.K. PALĀNDU MAŅDANA PRAHASANA OF HARIJĪVANA MIŚRA, Text Critically edited by Dr. V. Raghavan, Golden Jubilee Publication, The Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute, Madras, 1996, pp. xi + 69, Rs. 70/-. This monograph of an edition with critical study (by Dr. George T. Artola of the University of Hawaii, pp. 1-27) and English translation of a little known unique farce, the Palandu-mandana (PM) of Harijīvana Miśra, a poet scholat who lived in Jaipur in the 17th century A. D.) is brought out to mark the Valedictory function of the Golden Jubilee (on 10th July, 1996) of the K.P.S. Research Institute, Madras. Both the PM and its author deserve a special place in the history of the Prahasanas. Harijīvana Miśra is the only writer who has composed as many as six Prahasanas concluding the PM, each of which is endowed with some feature not usually found in the Prahasanas. They form a substantial contribution to the comic theatre of India and among them the PM is on all accounts the master-piece of the author. An edited version of the PM as from mss. was also successfully staged on 12th May, 1966 at Madras as directed by Dr. Raghavan with the assistance of Dr. C. S. Sundaram and S. S. Janaki; a couple of photographs from this presentation as from the Samskrit Ranga photo album are included in the present edition of the PM. S. S. Janaki has contributed the Preface (pp. i-x) in this book.
The main thrust of the play is the funny situations set up by the author in depicting the consumption of prohibited vegitables, specially onions, mushroom, and garlic by the so-called orthodox priests, openly and stealthily. These vegitables are used to spice the various food preparations at the ritual function. Harijīvana Miśra criticizes the nature of the brahmins adequately in simple and appropriate similes and metaphors, saying that without small onions "dishes will be tasteless like the grassy food of mammals", that "the bulbous root of garlic is like the moon while the onins are like fire-flies, that a "good collection of big onion shines like the multitude of stars." It is noteworthy that not only human beings including the priestly class, enjoy eating food dishes seasoned by onions and garlic but also the divinities, gods and demons. In the Nandi verse itself Śiva is described as "enjoying all kinds of food and drinks" and "delighting in varied tastes". The funniest part is at the end of the play when the author effectively describes a brawl arising from the mutual criticism of the orthodox Southern and Bengali priests and pandits. The Southerners are not able to put
