Srngaramanjari Katha

Author(s): Bhojdev, Kalpalata K Munshi
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 33

10
ŚRNGARAMANJARIKATHA
country flocked to his court, and we read how Bilhana regretted his not having attended Bhoja's court. 10 Bhoja with the help of his court poets and panditas brought the studies of Šāstras up-to-date. He systematized and standardized the study of all branches of knowledge. The temple of Sarasvatī, known as 'Bhojaśālā', was verily a University, and it was a meeting place of great poets, scholars, critics and accomplished men. 11
We are told that the court of Cālukya Jayasimha of Gujarāta was modelled on Bhoja's court. The Prabhāvakacarita records an interesting episode that when Siddharāja Jayasimha triumphantly entered the city of Ujjayini, he found all the students studying Bhoja's Grammar and other works day and night, and the libraries were full of Bhoja's works. 12
In later days his courts passed into legends and were the objects of fancy for later writers like Ballāla who, for instance, in the exuberance of his admiration for Bhoja defied history and gathered Kālidāsa, Bāna, Bhavabhūti and Māgha at Bhoja's court.
Secondly he was a great builder. Of his magnificent monuments--cities, temples and lakes, we have traces even today. And his two bulky volumes of Samarānganasūtradhāra, dealing with various aspects of town-planning and architecture, prove his interest in the subject.
Lastly, he was a great military leader, always busy conquering, making alliances, forming confederacies and building up a great Empire. During one period of his life, when his political power was supreme he had under his sway a considerable part of India, for Indraratha of the Kesari dynasty of Orissa, and the Western Cālukyas of Kalyāni were defeated by him. In the South he had extended his hands of friendship to the Cola kings and had conquered Karņāțaka and Konkana. He had also helped the other Hindu kings in driving back Mahmūd of Ghaznā.13
10. Vikramānkadevacarita, XVIII, 96. 11. Munshi, op. cit, p. 146. 12, Prabhācandrācārya, pp. 156, 157, 185:
तत्र व्याकरणं श्रीमद्भोजराजविनिर्मितम् । तच्च विद्यामठे छात्रः पठयतेऽहर्निशं भृशम्।। सूराचार्यस्ततः प्राह ग्रन्थः कोऽत्र प्रवाच्यते। कृतिः श्री भोजराजस्य शब्दशास्त्रं स चावदत् ॥
अन्यदाऽवन्तिकोशीयपुस्तकेषु नियुक्तकैः । दृश्यमानेषु भूपेन प्रैक्षि लक्षणपुस्तकम् ।। किमेतदिति पप्रच्छ स्वामी तेऽपि व्यजिज्ञपन्। भोजव्याकरणं ह्येतच्छन्दशास्त्रं प्रवर्तते ॥ असौ हि मालवाधीशो विद्वच्चक्रशिरोमणिः। शब्दालङकारदैवज्ञतर्कशास्त्राणि निर्ममे ॥ चिकित्सा-राज-सिद्धान्त-रस-वास्तूदयानि च। अङक-शाकुनकाध्यात्म-स्वप्न
THEFFAT ग्रन्थान् निमित्तव्याख्यान-प्रश्नचूडामणीनिह। विवृत्तिं चाथ सद्भावेऽर्घकाण्डं मेघमालया। 13. Munshi, op. cit, pp. 131-146.