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Secondary Tales of the iwo Great Epics
corroborates our remark about the Indra-fertility-linga-Sankara connection made above in the context of the probable lines of the study of the traditional names of Nāga-chiefs.187
It is worthwhile to note here that Prin. J. T. Parikh has made a comprehensive study of the references to Indra-dhvaja festival and prepared a bypothesis188 that the festival could after all be the origin of the Sanskrit drama. Nātyaśāstra of Bharata itself declares in its opening chapter that the first drama had adopted the beautiful Kaisiki vịtti from the dancing Nīlakantha189 and it was performed on the occassion of the Indra-dhvaja festival. 190 The erotic element in a fertility festival is too obvious to need to be stressed. The relation of the erotic and the comic is also apparent in our everyday life. Our private jokes, or the permisiveness that prevails at the Holi-festival are the evidences in point. The relation is acknowledged in Nātyaśāstra also. Śrngära (>'śråga'-phallic symbol !) is said to be the origin of Hāsya.191 Imitation of Śrngāra is said to be Hāsya.192 The relation of the erotic and the comic is also reflected in the characters of many a classical Sanskrit play in which the hero is normally occupied with amorous endeavours and is always accompanied by the traditional comic character of Vidūšaka. We may add a supporting evidence. Nātyaśāstra mentions Vişņu as the deity of śrngära and Pramathas as the deities of Hāsya,193 Vişnu is only another aspect of the Vedic Indra and later on called Upa-Indra. Pramathas are the attendants of Siva. The relation of Indra and Sankara bas originated in the symbol of linga, is reflected in the erotic and comic aspects of the Indra-dhvaja festival and is continued in the traditional theory and practice of the Sanskrit drama. A closer examination of Prin. Parikh's hypothesis may perhaps be very highly rewarding.
Prin. D. S. Phatak 194 "bas collected some data regarding the festival but he hardly does anything beyond it. In the final paragraph, he says : “... Indra was not
nly the god of rain in Vedic literature. He was equally a god of Agriculture". 195 As if the two aspects were different from each other ! Then though on a scanty and unimportant data and rather hastily, he draws an important and plausible conclusion: “Indra had already become the god of harvest and Indra-mahotsava was, thus, a harvest festival."195
187 Above Section i of this chapter. 188 Vide his article: 'Rise and Growth of the Vidūşaka, BCGVB, Surat, No. 22-23, 1978-79.
pp. 1-41, particularly sections 12, 13-14 of the article. 189 Nayaśāstra, (Vol.I, GOS Second ed., 1956). 1.45 190 ibid. 1.54-55--56. 191 ibid. 6.39. Cf. śrngärād dhi bhaved dhāsyo. 192 ibid. 6.40 Sțngarānukstir yā tu sa häsyas tu prakirtitaḥ / 193 ibid. 6 44. Cf. śçõgäro Vişnudevatyo hāsyaḥ pramatha-daivataḥ 194 'Indra-Mahotsav'. Journal of the S. N. D. T. Women's University, Bombay, Vol. IV, 1973,
pp. 1-6. 195 ibid. p. 6.
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