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342
TILAKAMAÑJARĪ OF DHANAPĀLA
fourteen branches of knowledge along with their accessories well within the span of ten years. He learnt the arts in their entirety but specialised in painting and lute-playing. This covers within its fold the Vedārambha including four Vedic vratas such as Mahānāmnī, Mahāvratam, Upanişad and Godāna etc., which actually became a formality losing all importance in later times and paved the way for the proper study of the different subjects of study or branches of knowledge which grew into separate treatises having evolved from the Vedas themselves. Of the four Vratas only Keśānta the fourth one survived in later period assuming a separate entity as Saṁskāra.' The Samăvarttana or Snāna (The end of Studentship)
This has been illustrated by Dhanapāla in the following lines wherein it is described that Harivāhana was brought back to the palace by his sire, the king quite with pomp and dignity. He had prowess of arms outlying that of the gods as well as demons and had his physique robust innately like that of a lion's cub. All the scriptures finding maturation in him all the lores on weapons becoming seasoned in him, the sayings of the suave coming close to him, the flushing youth overpowering him, his limbs finding the glamour of radiance, his home return having been approved by his preceptors, when he had gone past the age of sixteen, the king immensely jubilant brought him back to his palace with full pomp being followed as he was by the chief functionaries sprucely attired and bearing dignifying looks, despatched by him in order to call him (back).
According to Dr. Pandey -
“This Samskāra' was performed at the close of the Brahmacarya period and it marked the termination of the student life. Samāvartana means"returning home from the house of the Guru"
1. कुमारोऽपि सतताभियुक्ततया गुरूणां नियन्त्रणपरतया पितुरविद्यमानतया दुर्विनीतसंनिधेः स्वाधीनतया
सर्वगमोपनिबन्धानां कुशाग्रीयतया च निजबढेरल्पेनैव कालेन तेषामभ्यन्तरोऽभवत् अमुक्ताभियोगश्च दशभिरब्दैश्चतुर्दशापि विद्यास्थानानि सह सर्वाभिरुपविद्याभिर्विदाञ्चकार। कलाशास्त्रं च निरवशेष विवेद,
fast afatifu aturarà a veturat 979 TM Vol. II pp. 188-189. 2. Hindu Samskāras pp. 141-145. 3. Ibid. p. 143. 4. भुजबलं चास्य विस्मापितसुरासुरं केसरिकिशोरस्येव सहजं शारीरमभवत् आरब्धकार्यस्य
त्रिभुवनेऽप्यशक्यमविजेयमसाध्यं च किमपि न प्रायेणाभूत्। एवं च परिणताशेषशास्त्रमासादितसकलास्त्रविद्यापारमुपलब्धसर्वबुधजनसाधुवादमारूढनवतारुण्यलक्ष्मीलब्धपरिपूर्णसर्वावयवशोभमनुमोदितविद्यागुरुजनेन हरिवाहनमतिक्रान्ते षोडशे वर्षे हर्षनिर्भरो राजा विसर्जितैराकारणाय सादरमुदाराकारवेषैः
प्रधानपुरुषैरनुगम्यमानमतिभूयसा विभवेन स्वभवनमानिनाय। TM Vol. II p. 189. 5. Hindu Saṁskāras p. 146.
