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TILAKAMANJARI OF DHANAPĀLA
fails to celebrate the festival according to the rites described above, the king must award him physical punishment."
378
Madanatrayodasi yātrā, Madanotsava, Madanayātrā, Yātrā and Caitriyătră are all more or less synonymous terms illustrating the festival of Kama mostly in the month of Caitra (Spring season).
According to Monier Williams
Madanatrayodasi is the name of a festival in honour of Kamadeva on the 13th day in the light half of the month caitra. Madanotsava is again the Kamadeva festival (Madanamaha), the holl or vernal' festival. Yatra means a procession or a festival. Caitriyäträ therefore means the festival or procession in the month of Caitra (in honour of Kamadeva). It may refer to modern festival of Holi which is celebrated likewise as a festival of Kama in the spring season. According to Dr. Pratipāla Bhatia "We have reference to the Yatra mahotsava of Madana in the Smgaramañjarīkatha' of Bhojadeva. This festival according to Dr. Bhatia fell on the 14th day of the bright half of Chaitra and was celebrated with dancing songs and merry making. In continuation of this festival observed in Malva, was the Vasantotsava, which fell in the full moon day of the month of Caitra. Harșa in his Ratnavalı' referring to Vasantotsava according to Profs. Devadhara and Suru refers to the festivities that hailed the advent of spring that were formerly celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Caitra but now take place on the full moon day of Phalguna and are identified with the Holi celebration." Kalidasa in his Mālavikāgnimitram" mentions the fresh vernal festival (Vasantotsava) wherein the flowers of ruddy Aśoka tree marking the advent of early spring are sent as gifts to the loved beings and men and women (i.c. husbands and wives) take to the sport of riding the swing. In Abhijnānaśākuntalam Kalidasa has referred to the term 'Rtütsava' in
1. Paramāras pp 291-292.
2. Skt. Eng. Dict. under Madanatrayadas1.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid. p. 849.
5. Paramaras p. 290.
6. पौरलोकपरितोषहेतोश्च वसन्तादिषु सविशेषप्रवृत्तोत्सवां निर्गत्य नगरीमपश्यत् ।
7. सूत्रधारः । • अलमतिविस्तरेण । अद्याहं वसन्तोत्सवे । सबहुमानमाहूय नानादिग्देशागतेन राज्ञः श्रीहर्षदेवस्य mevery-ffären vany: Ratnavali C. R. Devadhar an N. G. Suru p. 4.
8. Notes to Ratn. p. 10.
9. नन्वचैव प्रथमं वसन्तावतारसूचकनि रक्ताशोककुसुमान्युपायनं प्रेष्य नववसन्तोत्सवापदेशेन इरावत्या निपुणिकामुखेन प्रार्थितो भवानिच्छाभ्यार्यपुत्रेण सह दोलाधिरोहणमनुभवितुमिति | Mali v. Act. III p. 70M. R. Kale.
