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Jivanandana of Anandaraya Makhin (Study)

by G. D. Jayalakshmi | 2019 | 58,344 words

This page relates ‘Analysis of Vijnana Sharma (Trivarga-sadhaka-mantri)� of the study on the Jivanandana (in English) which is a dramatic play written by Anadaraya Makhin in the 18th century. The Jivanandana praises the excellence of Advaita Vedanta, Ayurveda (medical science) and Dramatic literature as the triple agency for obtaining everlasting bliss.

Analysis of վñԲ Ś (Trivarga-sādhaka-mantrī)

Knowledge�, an abstract concept, has been personified as two characters�վñԲ Ś and ñԲ Ś, distinguishing them as Trivarga ѲԳٰī and Apavarga ѲԳٰī, respectively.

The first character to appear on the stage, as the play opens is վñԲ Ś, the Trivarga ѲԳٰī. His role is in fact the back-bone of the entire play. He is praised, censured and admired by all other major characters.

վñԲ Ś is presented as a minister with special knowledge with regard to the statecraft and warcraft, and also has philosophical knowledge and a complete knowledge in the Āܰ岹 Śٰ.

As he enters the stage, վñԲ Ś announces that while he is alive none can defeat ī, the king. On his way to the palace, he meets ٳṇ�, friend and personal assistant of queen Buddhi, who had been sent to enemy camp in the guise of a mendicant.

In a lighter vein this clever minister corners her by talking about the power of meditation, thereby letting her know that he knows her true identity. Further, the way he talks, gives her the confidence to provide him with all the information she had gathered in the enemy camp.The responsible minister’s superior quality and ability are thus introduced by the play-wright.

Coming to know from ٳṇ� that only the application of Rasa and Gandhaka would eradicate the attacks of the diseases headed by ۲ṣm, վñԲ Ś takes a strong and purposeful step in advising the king to perform ܱ of lord ʲś, by entering the ʳṇḍī첹ܰ through the �Դǻ屹� with the help of Ś󲹰پ.

վñԲ Ś proves himself an able minister in the absence of the king. He has given strict orders to fortify the city on all sides and also around king ī who is in deep Բ. ṇaū, the spy sent by ṇḍ, brings out this fact clearly in his report to ṇḍ (II.25-30):

The people of the city grouped into three being led by ٲ, Pitta and Kapha, have complete faith in the minister and follow his orders implicitly.

The mind of ī also follows the advice of վñԲ Ś in all matters and acts as directed by him (II.36):

uddāmabuddhivibhavena manastu tatravijṣānaśarmasacivena vaśīkṛta� sat |
kārye mahatyadhikṛta� hitakāri rājṣa� sarvātmanāpyanusaratyadhunā tameva ||

That the minister is engrossed in doing all that is necessary to ensure the welfare of ī is reported by the spy ṇaū (II.37/38):

evaṃvidhavividhavicitracaritravismāpitasakalalokasya svāmihitakaraṇaikatānasya tasya mantriṇa� pāre khalu vāṅmanasayoścaritādbhutāni |

Also, he had employed վ as the police-guard, who enquires into details of any alien visiting the place (Act III, Śܻ-ṣk󲹰첹) As վñԲ Ś himself declares, he, by his sharp intellect (ś岵ܻ), after deep thought and consideration takes necessary actions as is suitable to the occasion and the problem concerned.

He is always alert and enthusiastic in the service of the king (III.11):

kāryeṣūkneṣu rājṣ� katicidapi 󾱳Բ𱹲 ū�
  sādhiṣyante parastāt katicana katiciccāpi sādhyanta eva |
쾱ṣcԳܰٱṣu ⲹ� kimapi kila ś岵īⲹٳīⲹܻ
  paryālocyaiva tattatsamayasamucita� kartumutkaṇṭhito'smi ||

վñԲ Ś‘s ability as an able administrator is lauded by king ī on his return with success from ʳṇḍī첹ܰ. The minister had made the city festive to receive the king and queen.

On being asked by the Queen about any able person who could use the Rasa and Gandhaka properly for eradicating the enemies, the king declares վñԲ Ś is the only person who knows how to use them (III.22):

§ṣireva vijānāti dravyasaṃyogaja� guṇam |
vijṣānaśarmaṇa� ko'nya� sarvajṣānanidhistvṛṣi� ||

ī considers him as ṛh貹پ himself (III.26/27):

Գٰṛh貹پ� ṃpٲ� |

Further, ī declares that վñԲ Ś had taken the responsibilities of the kingdom in his hand and had been working indefatigably, day and night in eradicating the enemy's power; the minister also had been regularly informing king ī of what he had been doing everyday as he also directs ī to carry out various duties day by day according to their importance and necessity.

He also has foresight and has planned for future too (III.27):

kartavyo vidhiritthamitthamiti māmuktvā jigīṣurdviṣa�
  svasyaivopari rājyatantramakhila� draṣṭavyamāsajya ca |
ādyeda� kriyate kariṣyata ida� paścādakāri tvida�
  prāgeveti durantayā kṛśatanu� paśyāmyamu� cintayā ||

The dramatist thus presents the minister’s versatile talents in statecraft, in crisis management, in medical science and also portrays him through this speech of the hero as a loyal person.

When a team of the kings from neighbouring countries visit and greet the hero with their offerings, the minister introduces each of them to the king and describes their offerings. This presentation highlights the minister's dedication towards the hero.

Again, the leisurely time spent in the royal garden provides the minister with an occasion to explain in detail about, the six seasons, the seasonal vegetations and also diseases. This establishes the deep knowledge the minister has in Āyruveda.

վñԲ Ś’s speciality in statecraft is again brought to the lime light in managing the spies sent by the enemy king. The six in-born enemies get in to the capital city. The able minister handles this crisis also successfully through his men. After silencing and Lobha by meditation, turning Krodha against his own people, killing Dambha and imprisoning Mada, Matsara alone has been sent free to the enemy camp to inform them of all he had seen. ۲ṣm and ṇḍ are thus made to understand the powerful mind of վñԲ Ś.

They vow to do away with ī which would lead to վñԲ Ś’s destruction since he considers the life of ī as more valuable than his own (V.41):

śٲⲹ ya� satatamutpatasi smayena nirvāpayāmi tamaha� sahasaiva jīvam |
paścādvinaḍkṣyati bhavānapi cāśrayasyanāśānna sidhyati kimāśrayiṇo'pi ś� ||

վñԲ Ś receives such censures from various characters including people from the hero's team like ñԲ Ś. ñԲ Ś refers to վñԲ Ś as ñԲś-hataka and kumantri and his advice as 貹īٲ ṛtپ.

In the sixth Act, by the advice of ñԲ Ś, ī gets confused and վñԲ Ś is able to understand the change in the mood of ī correctly as the influence of ñԲ.

ī now hesitates to fight the diseases; but վñԲ, assures him that the city is under their complete control; and ī may know within a very short time that victory would be his (VI.23):

‘svāyatte nagare tasmin svāmipādaprasādata� |
jayaśriya� hastagatā� jānātu ca bhavān kṣaṇāt ||�

The minister puts forth his sincere effort in managing the attack of the rival team with his own team of soldiers in the suitable forms of medicinal preparations. Every minute step is well depicted by the dramatist here.

When all the enemy army including their king ۲ṣm is completely destroyed by the powerful soldiers of the king in the form of various medicines, the minister is at last relieved by the fact he had restored the normal health of the hero (VII. 32/33; p.479):

evamevāya� jīvo bhagavato� prasādānnīrogo nityamukto nirābādho bahukāla� jīyāditi prārthaye |

վñԲ Ś, though cautious about ñԲ Ś is not inimical towards him. He believes that the advice of ñԲ Ś for final emancipation would become futile, if the body of ī is not taken care of. Hence his primary concern is to assume proper health of the body.

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