Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Bhavabhuti included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).
Story of ūپ
A Sanskrit poet who lived in the 7th century A.D. His important works are the three dramas, ī, Ѳ屹īٲ and ٳٲ峾ٲ. ūپ was a brahmin of the Kaśyapagotra. He was the son of one ī첹ṇṭ and one ٳܰ첹ṇ�. He was a great devotee of Ś and he got his name ūپ later because of this. His original name was ī첹ṇṭ. ūپ was born in Padmapura in the state of Vidarbha. But ūپ spent most of his life in the palace of Yaśodharmā, king of Kannauj.
ūپ’s first drama is believed to be Ѳ屹īٲ. There are seven acts in this. The theme is based on the story of Śrī 峾. But there are some variations from the original 峾ⲹṇa in this drama. ūپ states that even at the time of the ⲹṃv of ī, 屹ṇa was a suitor. There is an opinion among certain critics that ūپ did write only up to the 46th verse in the fourth act and the rest was written by another poet named ܲṇy.
ī is a drama of ten acts. It is a love-story of ī and . ī was the daughter of the minister of Ჹ⾱ī and Madhava was the son of the minister of Vidarbha. It was while was having his education in Ჹ⾱ī that he came to love ī. It was Kāmandakī who was a classmate of both the ministers and who became a sannyāsinī later who pulls the strings of this love story. The king of Ჹ⾱ī wanted ī to marry Nandana, a friend of his. But ī did not love him. Yet afraid of getting the displeasure of the King, ī’s father decided to give her in marriage to Nandana. In despair was about to commit suicide when from the temple nearby heard an agonised weeping. He rushed to the site of the sound and found to his bewilderment the gruesome sight of ī being dragged for sacrifice by a sorceress named Kapālakuṇḍalā helped by her guru Aghoraghaṇṭa. killed Aghoraghaṇṭa and saved ī. Disappointed Kapālakuṇḍalā swore that she would seek revenge on and disappeared. ī went back to her palace. At this time Madayantikā, sister of Nandana and Makaranda, a friend of became lovers. Once Madayantikā was attacked by a tiger in a Ś temple and Makaranda saved her from the wild beast, and they became lovers thereafter. The proposal to give ī in marriage to Nandana was still pending then. The marriage day was fixed and a day before that by a clever ruse played by the keenwitted Kāmandakī ī and eloped together. Makaranda, friend of , was disguised and dressed in bridal robes and Nandana little suspecting the trick played on him married the substitute. Before they went to the bridal chamber for the night Nandana’s sister came to see her new sister-in-law and the moment she put her eyes on her she understood who it was and that night they also eloped. Thus poor Nandana was left alone.
Kapālakuṇḍalā by her sorcery separated ī from but luckily ܻ峾ī a disciple of Kāmantakī saved her from Kapālakuṇḍalā. Later ī married with the permission of the King. This is the story of ī-.
ٳٲ峾ٲ is a play of seven acts. The theme is the story of 峾 after his return to ǻ after the exile. It begins with the renouncement of ī by 峾 and ends with the vanishing of ī.
All these three dramas used to be enacted during the festival of 'Kālapriyanātha' at Ჹ⾱ī. The predominant emotion in Ѳ屹īٲ is 'ī', in ī-, 'Sṛṅgāra' and in ٳٲ峾ٲ 'ṇa'. In expressing and elaborating the emotion of 'ṇa' ūپ excels . The one draw-back which keeps him second to is his lack of humour and wit. The sanskrit poet Dhanapāla in his book' 'Tilakamañjari' speaks about ūپ thus:
"spaṣṭabhāvarasā citrai� padanyāsai� pravarttitā / nāṭakeṣu naṭastrīva ī bhavabhūtinā //"