Srngaramanjari Katha

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

Page 95

72
SMK puts it similarly that though the man is destroyed in a hundred ways he does not give up his raga, just as a cloth dyed in indigo does not lose its colour even when washed by soda and the like in many ways. The example is Ravidatta of the first tale. He is versed in all the śastras and arts but does not know how to make practical use of them. He has no sense of discrimination. Unwittingly he gets caught in the snares laid out by the courtesan Vinayavati and does not even understand her pretext in driving him out. Foolishly he waits for her and his tāmasika deep attachment does not leave him till he dies. SKA says: 47 fa faशोभते । 49 and gives Rama's love for Sitā, making a golden statue of hers after driving her out, as an example. Sahityadarpana also follows it and says: यथा श्रीरामसीतयो । 50 Samayamitrkā says: नीलो देहक्षयस्थायी वार्यमाणोऽपिनिश्चलः । 15 The lexicographers put it uniformly (to mean) that the hero is steady in love.52
ŚṚNGARAMANJARIKATHA
Now a point may be noted. It has already been pointed out above that instances in the SP and SMK may differ because in one it may be from a general point of view, while in SMK it is only from the point of view of the courtesan's gains and approaches. Nilīrāga therefore would be a plague to the courtesan's life, and therefore it is called Tāmasa. SP also says तदतितामसस्य । In view of this it is surprising how SKA. gives Rāma as a nayaka of Tamasa nature.
In this context we may refer again to the Riti-rāga. In SP it is described as belonging to the Mahā-sättvika-nāyaka, and the example there given is similar to the one in the SKA, namely, Rama's love for Sītā. Therefore is would be more appropriate to take Rama's love for Sītā as an example of Riti-rāga.
This is how the different ragas are explained and illustrated. Generally speaking it can be said that the divisions are made according to colours, and their qualities of fastness etc. are taken into consideration. The Samayamātṛkā has also a colour division but the "erotic classification of different types of men after different kinds of birds and beasts" is not very happy. Bhoja derives the word from rañj, to colour, and the sattva, rajas and tamas elements are usually associated with brightness, redness, and darkness and the materials associated with them have shades of these three
49. V, p. 609.
50. III, 196.
51. V, 22.
52. Yadavaprakāśa, Vaijayanti, I, V, 4, 26.
Halayudha, II, 219 b.
Hemacandra, III, 476.