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Malatimadhava (study)

by Jintu Moni Dutta | 2017 | 52,468 words | ISBN-10: 8120813057 | ISBN-13: 9788120813052

This page relates ‘Works of Bhavabhuti� from the English study on the Malatimadhava of Bhavabhuti:—A Prakarana type of Drama in ten acts revolving around the love-story of Malati (from ʲ峾屹ī) and Madhava (from Vidarbha). This study discusses the history of its author and the literary, social, religious, historical and cultural aspects of the Malatimadhava.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Part 1c - The Works of 󲹱ūپ

In the Sanskrit literature, there are three compositions which are ascribed to 󲹱ūپ namely:

  1. the Ѳ屹īٲ,
  2. the ī󲹱 and
  3. the ٳٲ峾ٲ.

A brief discussion of these works has been given below.

(a) The Ѳ屹īٲ:

󲹱ūپ has culled the theme of this work from the 峾ⲹṇa with slight variation. It aimed at depicting ’s adventures.This work consists of seven acts and here the life of 峾 is found up to his accession to throne of ǻ. 峾 the hero of this play is an ideal man. He is depicted as the personification of god. He is magnanimous and valiant. He has high regard for the qualities of 峾岹Բⲹ, and 屹ṇa and concern for the common man. Here, 󲹱ūپ has shown his skill in depicting ī as a modest, virtuous and loving woman. A cursory glance on the play suggests that the dramatist has achieved a fair success in characterisation. The predominant sentiment in the Ѳ屹īٲ is Heroic (ī) sentiment. Literally, this work has considerable merits. It is a treasure house of idioms of Sanskrit language. The geographical and historical accounts that reflect in the play deserve special attention.

(b) The ī󲹱:

The ī󲹱 is a ʰ첹ṇa type of ū貹첹 in ten acts. The subjectmatter of this ʰ첹ṇa is the love-story of ī, the daughter of ū, a minister of ʲ峾屹ī and 󲹱 a young man studying in the city and son of ٱ𱹲ٲ, minister of the king of Vidarbha. With this main love story, the love story of Makaranda and Madayantikā is also skillfully portrayed. ī and 󲹱 meet and fall in love, but the king has determined that ī will marry his favourite, whom she detaste. The plan has been made vain by Makaranda, who personates ī to go through wedding ceremony with the bride-groom. Two Buddhist nuns help in uniting the hero and heroine. Here the predominant sentiment is Śṛṅ or Erotic.

(c) The ٳٲ峾ٲ:

The ٳٲ峾ٲ is 󲹱ūپ’s third play. In the ٳٲ峾ٲ, 󲹱ūپ is found at his best. It is said uttare rāmacarite bhavabhūtirviśiṣyate.

Here, 󲹱ūپ describes himself as:

śabdabrahmavida� kave� pariṇataprājñasya vāṇīmimām.[1]

The ٳٲ峾ٲ consists of seven acts. It is the poet’s master piece. This drama describes the story of the ٳٲṇḍ of 峾ⲹṇa that is abandonment of , her residence at the hermitage of ī쾱, the birth of ś and Lava and the union of 峾 and at last. Here, the predominant sentiment is ṇa. In this drama 󲹱ūپ holds a high place by the expression of genuine pathos in the world of literature.

In the 14th century, Govardhanācārya, in his Āٲśī wrote-cf.,

bhavabhūte� samvandhādbhūdhareva ī پ/
etatkṛtakārūṇye kimanyathā roditi //

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[1]:

ٳٲ峾ٲ,VII.20

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