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The backdrop of the Srikanthacarita and the Mankhakosa

by Dhrubajit Sarma | 2015 | 94,519 words

This page relates “Flora and fauna (found in the Shrikanthacarita)� as it appears in the case study regarding the Srikanthacarita and the Mankhakosa. The Shrikanthacarita was composed by Mankhaka, sometimes during A.D. 1136-1142. The Mankhakosa or the Anekarthakosa is a kosa text of homonymous words, composed by the same author.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Part 7 - Flora and fauna (found in the Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ)

The term ‘flora�[1] is used to mean the assemblage of vegetable species of a region or age, whereas ‘fauna�[2] denotes the assemblage of animals of a region or period. A thorough study of the Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ provides us information, relating to the flora and fauna of Ѳṅk󲹰첹’s time. Ѳṅk󲹰첹 mentions various types of flowers, plants, birds and animals in many contexts.

Some of them are as follows�

Flora:

Ѳṅk󲹰첹 refers to 岵ṅg i.e. orange in the verse, kva bhānti yasminmadhupānabhūmayo[3] …�. Here Ѳṅk󲹰첹 asks, in that country, where do there not appear in the cold season, 岵ṅg, in the wine yards of the pleasure-seekers and thereby mentions the oranges of Kāśmīrapradeśa. He also refers to the oranges in ye nāgaraṅgaphalakhaṇḍapuṭairapīpya[4] …�.. The Gujrāṭ� word for it is ṅgī and it is a masculine (m) word. Again, ҲԻ󲹲 (masculine), meaning sandal has been mentioned in the verse, Ի󲹲ṛg󾱱貹ṅk� ṅk�[5] �..., ṅkܳ meaning saffron has been referred in many times, in different occasions such as in sthalādhidevīkuruvindaśekharaprabhāṅkurai� kuṅkumagarbhakesarai�[6]...., itastata� kuṅkumareṇughoraṇīrviyoginī[7] …�, also in some other verses.[8] Another term for saffron i.e. Ghusṛṇa, a word in neuter (n) gender, has also been used in several places such as in Dzṛldz󾱳ٲṃv岵ԳԴDz󲹱[9] …�, vighaṭaya ghusṛṇe’dhunādhikāra�[10] …�.

Ѳṅk󲹰첹, in sthalādhidevīkuruvindaśekharaprabhāṅkurai� kuṅkumagarbhakesarai�[11] �.., states that the land of which (country) makes the mark on the forehead of the woman-kind of all the three worlds, live long with the saffron fibres, which are like the rays of the rubies in the crown of the presiding deity of the earth. Again, in the verse, Dzṛldz󾱳ٲṃv岵ԳԴDz󲹱[12] �.., the poet writes that with the saffron fibres acting as the messengers in all the quarters like the (kind of implements) of 峾𱹲 (Cupid), which equally divide, as it were, the blood of the hearts of the separated, whose (of the region) fame increases.

Ѳṅk󲹰첹 uses some more synonymous words for sandal such as:�

ٳī� as in malayajarajasā hṛtāvakāśa�[13] �..,
Pītana in 󲹲Բ岹īṇa첹ṇa[14] …�,
Ghanasāra in īdz󲹻岵󲹲Բ[15] �.,
ī첹 in ٰ岹ś vibhakttamapi[16] …�,
Candana in Գܲūٴṣṇū󲹲ⲹ[17] �..�,
Malayaja in dzٲ󾱲󲹲[18] �...,
Malayaruha in vighaṭaya ghysṛṇe’dhunādhikāra�[19] �..,
Malayavīrudha in 岹貹ٳٰṇo Ჹṇḍ[20]�..,
Śīṇḍ in saṃpādayenduvadane tvamakāṇḍa[21] �....

Moreover, Ѳṅk󲹰첹 refers to the wine, prepared from grapes, that was known as Mārdvīka in the verse, cakre gatau ca giri ca[22]�.., which gives a veiled reference of production of grapes in Kashmir. There is the allusion of one kind of red sugar-cane, śṇa by name in the verse, yo’ntarnyastānavadhinidhika� klṛptavānbhūtadhātryā�[23]…�.

Ѳṅk󲹰첹 refers to Vicakila, a kind of Jasmine in the verse, 岹ԲṇaٳԱ ⲹ貹ñ[24]�... Again, Ketaka, a kind of flower, which is called ٲī in Assamese, has been referred to in svapne tatra dadarśa sa svapitara�[25]�... śǰ첹 has been mentioned in cāpamāpa karapaṅkaruhāṅka�[26]�...., Kaṅkellivalli or the śǰ첹 creeper has been alluded in ⲹٳԲDZṛtⲹⲹ[27]…�, ṭa or trumpet flower has been mentioned in 貹ٳ󾱰첹ܱپ� ṛtṣe[28]�... Again ṭa has been cited in ᲹԳṣīcܰśٳ󾱱[29]…�, also in 峾ṃtپṛdԳٲԳٲ岵[30] �.... Moreover, ʲś, a kind of flower also known as ṃśu첹, has been mentioned in ܰٱ貹śṣṭṭo viloladvirepha[31] …� ṃśu첹 has also been mentioned.[32] Again, there are references of fragrance of Elā, a product of Malaya mountain of south India in 岹󲹳Ի󲹲Ծܳٲ貹[33] …�. Here in this verse, it is stated that the wind from the Malaya Mountain, which overpowers the scent of Elā (cardamom) by the fragrance, similar to that of the rut of an elephant, arouses passion in the worlds. This verse, thus indicates that, on that mountain, there were the plants of cardamom or Elā. References of Bakula has been found in 岹Բܳٲ’d󱹲dzٱ貹ṣījԲṛdܳپ[34] �.. Ѳṅk󲹰첹 mentions about Իܱ in manasi dhṛtilatā� vibādhamāno[35] �.., also in teṣāṃ dairghyaprasarasuhṛdo rejire[36] …� Again, ղ or betel-nut has been referred in ԲⲹٲٳܱٲᲹś ⲹ�[37] �.., synonymous word for ղ i.e. [38] has also been used. The mango tree has been referred to by the term ūٲ in ܻⲹDz󾱰󲹲Բ貹ٰśDz󲹾[39] …� Ѳṅk󲹰첹 mentions synonymous word for ūٲ i. e. 󲹰 in ܰܳٲṅgԾīԲԾԲṅg[40] …�

Besides, Nārikelī i.e. coconut, a product of ṇāṭ첹, which is found in almost every nook and corner of India, mostly in the seashore, that has been referred to in rohatkandukakeleyastaralitairye[41]…� Campaka has been referred to in ṣp屹ṛtṅg Ծḍāl岹�[42] �.. ٲī, a kind of flower has been mentioned in ṇḍ󾱰貹󲹲پٲ[43] �... Again Irā, a type of flower has been mentioned in 첹ṛtṇḍśī yo[44] �.. There also references of ṣa in yā kvāpyudāttataradakṣakula[45] �.., ѲԻ[46], a flower of coral tree, ٲ[47], a heveanly flower, Գپ meaning Mādhavya[48] ṇi in vivṛṇvatā saurabharoradoṣa�[49] …�. It may be mentioned here that Ѳṅk󲹰첹 has been bestowed with title of 첹ṇiṅk for composing this verse, which is similar to ’s getting the title of ī貹ś�, ’s 󲹳ٰ�, ’s ṇṭ峾岵�, 鲹ٲ첹’s ٲ첹�, հṭṭ’s ⲹٰܲ�.[50] There are references of ṇi in some other verses also.[51] There are the references of Tilaka plant in ԾṣpԲԲṣpپٳ󾱲󾱰屹󲹾ܱⲹԲپ첹[52] �.., Kuraba or Kurabaka, a species of amaranth has been mentioned in rarāja mūrtyā kurabo navodyatpuṣpopahūtai[53] …�. Again Kanakaketakī[54] has also been mentioned.

There are references of Kunda[55], ī[56] Kokanada[57] i.e. red lotus, 岹ī[58] i.e. banana, Mecakotpala[59] or īdzٱ貹[60], Ś[61] i.e. night Jasmine, ū[62], Tumbīphala[63], a gourd, Aguru.[64] Again, there is the reference of Kairava, meaning lotus in the verse, pānata� kharamayūkharociṣāmāttatāpamiva[65] …� Ѳī(-ka), a particular kind of the flower Jasmine, is referred to in ⲹٰ첹ṅd貹ⲹśDzԳܱ岹ṣāṃ ī岹�[66] �... Again, Իī, a blue lotus has been mentioned in 󲹲Բ岹īṇa첹ṇapraṇayīndīvara[67] …�.. Atimukta, a kind of flower has been mentioned in sa surapramadājanastadānī�[68] …�. The flower Tagara has also been referred in ٰǰDZ貹śdzٲ󲹳ٳⲹ�[69] …�. Kuvalaya, also, has been referred.[70] There are references of Kumuda[71], Utpala[72] a blue lotus, Saṅtānaka, a kind of creeper in Գٲḥśa峦ܳٲ󾱱貹峾ԻԳܲṅd�[73] �..., ī in adhikuntala� tilakita�[74] …�, Nāsīra[75] etc. Thus, it has been noticed that Ѳṅk󲹰첹 mentions various kinds of flowers, among which lotus predominates. Again, he uses the words Utpala, Mecakotpala, īdzٱ貹, Իī etc. to denote blue lotus. Kairava means a white lotus. Again, Kumuda, meaning white water-lily said to open at moon-rise. Kuvalaya denotes a blue water-lily, Kokanada is taken to mean red lotus.

Fauna

Among animals, Kaṇṭhīrava[76] i.e. lion has been mentioned in palāśaraktārdranetre vasantakaṇṭhīrave[77] �... Lion has been mentioned by the very word ṃh in ṅkDZԲԲ󲹲ǰṃkṛtṃh󾱰ūḍh[78] �.., ʲñⲹ[79] also refers to a lion. There is the allusion of Gandhasindhura, a kind of elephant, whose strong aroma defeats the opposite elephants in a battlefield[80], Gandhagaja[81] ҲԻ󲹻岹ԳīԻ.[82] The bull has been referred to by the word ṛṣ[83] and by Sairibha.[84] The cow has been referred by the word Gau.[85] To denote a dog, the poet uses the terms Śva[86], .[87] The monkeys are referred, by the term ʱṅg in the verse, dṛḍhaprarūḍhā śatapatrayone� kiyatyaho[88] …�.There is reference of spotted antelope by the name Kṛṣṇsāra in the verse, ܰ󾱳Գܲṛhṇa devi ṛtⲹԳܰ첹[89] �.., the black antelope has been referred by another synonymous word Eṇa in sakṛdeva vilocanadvayīya� kṛtavatyeṇa[90] …�. The very word ṛg has been used to denote deer.[91] Again, the word Kamala has also been employed to mean a deer in ⲹñᲹԲԲūḍhܻ岹 첹�[92] �... Even the fishes cannot escape the eyes of the poet, as he uses the term Śafara in udapaśyadāśu kutukena gaṇaśaśi[93] …� and Timi[94], meaning whale.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Chamber’s Twentieth Century Dictionary, page 500

[2]:

Ibid., page 477

[3]:

kva bhānti yasminmadhupānabhūmayo na nāgaraṅgai� śiśire vilāsinā�/
śanairmano bhaṅkttumupoḍhadhanvana� smarasya śoṇāśmabṛhadgulairiva//
Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ., III. 5

[4]:

Ibid., XIV. 65

[5]:

Ibid., X. 36

[6]:

Ibid., III. 6

[7]:

Ibid., III. 26

[8]:

madhuśriⲹ� kuṅkumapatrabhaṅgānadhyāvasatkiṃśukakuḍmalāni/
alistadīyaiśca ghanai rajobhi� prāṇāgnihotrakramamanvatiṣṭhat//
Ibid., VI. 52, page 85; also, cf. VIII. 28; IX. 44; X. 24; XXIII. 34 etc.

[9]:

Ibid., III. 17

[10]:

vighaṭaya ghusṛṇe’dhunādhikāra� racaya ca sūtritasaṅgamaṅgamaṅga�/
malayaruharasai� smarapratāpajvalanavilīnaśaśiprabhāsapatnai�// Ibid., VII. 15; also, cf. VII. 47; IX. 7, 32, 40; XI. 43; XII. 57;XIII. 2; XXII. 14, 16; XXIII. 52 etc.

[11]:

Ibid. III. 6

[12]:

Ibid. III. 17

[13]:

Ibid., VII. 16

[14]:

Ibid., VIII. 2; also cf. IX. 33, 34; XVIII. 35 etc.

[15]:

Ibid., XII. 53

[16]:

Ibid., XVI. 36; also, cf. XVII. 2; XXII. 56

[17]:

Գܲūٴṣṇū󲹲ⲹpravṛddhatāpaglapanecchayeva/
digdakṣiṇ� candanasaurabhārdramaruttaraṅgapraṇaya� pupoṣa//
Ibid., VI. 6; also, cf. VI. 42; VII. 47

[18]:

Ibid., XI. 33; also, VII. 16, XII. 69

[19]:

Ibid., VII. 15

[20]:

Ibid., VI. 67

[21]:

saṃpādayenduvadane tvamakāṇḍa eva śrīkhaṇḍakāṇḍarasapaṅkilamaṅgamaṅga�/
yenātra ketakaśaro vicaranpadāni noddhartumarhati javena ratidvitīⲹ�//
Ibid., XI. 35; also in VI. 68; X. 43, 44

[22]:

Ibid., XIV. 55

[23]:

 yo’ntarnyastānavadhinidhika� klṛptavānbhūtadhātryā� kroḍa� krīḍāviharaṇacaṇa� śṇapādāṃśupuñjai�/
rakṣāhetoriva racayati nyastasindūramudra� sa drāgrudrāvanatavadanastvā� kubera� stavīti// Ibid., XVI. 40

[24]:

Ibid., VI. 70, also in VII. 4, 23; XII. 97

[25]:

Ibid., III. 73; also in VII. 10, 45; XI. 57

[26]:

cāpamāpa karapaṅkaruhāṅka� pāṭala� daladaśokakulena/
sarvata� pariṇatādhararāga� cumbanādiva jagajjayalakṣmyā�// Ibid., XII. 4; VI. 17, 18, 30, 31, 1, 61; also, VII. 16, 41, VIII. 22, 23, 24; 26, 27, 28, 31, 42; IX. 19

[27]:

Ibid., VI. 15; also, VII. 49

[28]:

Ibid., VII. 17

[29]:

Ibid., IX. 32

[30]:

峾ṃtپṛdԳٲԳٲ岵laharīsamarīti�/
pāṭalāpaṭalamayyudagacchadvīrapaṭṭaghaṭanādhilalāṭa�// Ibid., XII. 2

[31]:

ܰٱ貹śṣṭṭo viloladvirephamālātaralīkṛtabhrū�/
phullābjaniḥspandadṛgāsta nūna� śṛṅgārakāvyonmukhadhīrvasanta�//
Ibid., VI. 5; also VI. 8, 19; VII. 20

[32]:

Ibid., VI. 52; VIII. 35

[33]:

Ibid., VII. 21

[34]:

岹Բܳٲ’d󱹲dzٱ貹ṣījԲṛdܳپdānadīkṣitasya/
alitatiriyamājyadhūmarāji� surabhimunerbakuloṭajādudeti//
Ibid., VII. 25; also,VIII. 20, 25, 44

[35]:

Ibid., VII. 37

[36]:

Ibid., XXIV. 27; also, VII. 49; VIII. 37; XII. 64; XIII. 10

[37]:

Ibid., IV. 58; also, VII. 41; X. 54

[38]:

Ibid., III. 73

[39]:

ܻⲹDz󾱰󲹲Բ貹ٰśDz󲹾 rundhadbhirāśā� parapuṣṭanādai�/
adhvanyaloka� surabherbibhāya kaṅdarpasainyairiva bālacūtai�//
Ibid., VI. 11; also, VI. 25, 45, 49; VII. 42, 50; VIII. 8, 56

[40]:

Ibid., VI. 55; VI. 58;VIII. 30, 46; also, ākulānkalakalānanubadhnannagrata� paravṛto’jani bandī/
ⲹ� pṛṣatkasahakāraparāgairapyanīyata para� paritoṣa�// Ibid., XII. 9, page 163

[41]:

Ibid., VI. 62; also, XXIII. 48

[42]:

ṣp屹ṛtṅg Ծḍāl岹� kelīvaneṣunnatacampako’bhūt/
caitraśriyo nūpuraniḥsvanāṅko nṛttodyatāyā iva daṇḍapāda�//
Ibid., VI. 27; also, VI. 43, 48, 51, 52; VIII. 32, 33, 56

[43]:

Ibid., VII. 52

[44]:

Ibid., IV. 32

[45]:

Ibid., IV. 54; also, XIX. 42

[46]:

Ibid., IV. 59

[47]:

Ibid., V. 1

[48]:

Ibid., VI. 12, 62; XIII. 49; also, ithya� tatkṣaṇakalpyamānavividhākalpāñcitairaṅgakai� kāñcīkaṅkaṇanūpurādiraṇitānyeṇīdṛśastenire/
tatkolāhalamākilatvamanayannādo’linā� cādhika-krīḍāsaṃbhramalolakuntalavasadvāsantikāvandinā�// Ibid., XIII. 44

[49]:

vivṛṇvatā saurabharoradoṣa� bandivrata� varṇaguṇai� spṛśantyā�/
vikasvare kasya na karṇikāre ghrāṇena dṛṣṭervavṛdhe vivāda�// Ibid., VI. 13

[50]:

cf. Jonarāja’s vṛtti-karṇikārasya varṇasaubhāgya� saugandhyābhāvaśca kavinā yuktyā pratipādita iti 첹ṇiṅk iti prasiddhi�/

also cf. fn—etacchlokanirmāṇādeva maṅkhasya ‘첹ṇiṅkḥ� iti nāma jāta�,
evameva tattadapūrvakalpanāyuktaślokanirmāṇāt ī貹ś�,
󲹳ٰ�, ṇṭ峾岵�, ٲ첹�,
ⲹٰܲ� ityādiviśiṣṭanāmāni kavīnā� jātānīti jñeya�//
     Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ., VI. 13, page 77

[51]:

Ibid., VIII. 19; IX. 3

[52]:

Ibid., VI. 28; also, VIII. 21

[53]:

rarāja mūrtyā kurabo navodyatpuṣpopahūtairvṛtayālijālai�/
sadyo’ṅganāliṅganata� prasaktakucāgrakastūrikapaṅkayeva// Ibid., VI. 53

[54]:

Jonarāja comments–vasante suvarṇaketakyo bhavantīti �../
Ibid., VI. 67, page 90

[55]:

Ibid., VI. 71

[56]:

Ibid., VIII. 49

[57]:

Ibid., XIII. 1

[58]:

Ibid., XII. 1

[59]:

Ibid., XIV. 43

[60]:

Ibid., XV. 41

[61]:

Ibid., XI. 36

[62]:

Ibid., XII. 62

[63]:

Ibid., XIV. 60

[64]:

Ibid., XIII. 6

[65]:

Ibid., X. 31; also, X. 32, 42, 43; XI. 8, 68; XII. 66

[66]:

Ibid., VI. 72; also, VIII. 47

[67]:

󲹲Բ岹īṇa첹ṇapraṇayīndīvarareṇusīkareṣu/
hṛtapītanagharmabinduvṛndairadhigaṇḍasthali bubruḍe mṛḍānyā�//
Ibid., VIII. 2; also, XXI. 48

[68]:

sa surapramadājanastadānī� vanaparyantapathaprarohabhāji/
karajakṣatakarmaṇ� vikārānatimukte sumanasyapi vyadhatta//
Ibid., VIII. 29; also VIII. 43, 56; XIII. 11

[69]:

Ibid., XXIV. 30; also, VIII. 34; XII. 56

[70]:

Ibid., X. 60, XIV. 45, 64

[71]:

Ibid., XI. 12, 74; XII. 67, 69; XVI. 15

[72]:

Ibid., XI. 27; XIV. 26; XV. 8

[73]:

Գٲḥśa峦ܳٲ󾱱貹峾ԻԳܲṅd� divi tanvatīṣu/
saṃtyajya saṅtānakavīrudho’pi vīcīṣu nākabhramarā niṣedu�//
Ibid., XII. 41; also, XVII. 64

[74]:

Ibid., XIV. 30; XIV. 34, 38, 41

[75]:

Ibid., XV. 5; XVIII. 35

[76]:

Jonarāja comments–vasanta eva kaṇṭhīrava� siṃha�/ Ibid., VI. 8, page 76

[77]:

palāśaraktārdranakhe vasantakaṇṭhīrave mānagajo’ṅganābhⲹ�/
bhīto yayau sāñjanabāṣpapaṅkticchalādvimuktāyasaśṛṅkhalāli�//
Ibid., VI. 8

[78]:

Ibid., I. 47

[79]:

Ibid., I. 18

[80]:

Ի󲹲Իܰśīܳپܳٲūپܱḍh/
itarā taruṇyakṛta pāṇḍurita� ghanasārareṇuvisareṇa vapu�//
Ibid., XIII. 4; also, XIV. 22

[81]:

Ibid., XV. 23

[82]:

Ibid., XVIII. 38

[83]:

siṣeca puṇyadrumakānanāni ⲹ� samagramakṣālayadāntara� raja�/
ṛṣǻśܲԲ󲹰󾱰屹پ󲹲辱ٲ岹ṣiṇāmܲ�//
Ibid., III. 33, page 36

[84]:

Ibid., II. 10

[85]:

Ibid., II. 28

[86]:

Ibid., II. 14

[87]:

Ibid., II. 22

[88]:

Ibid., II. 17; herein (page 18), the commentator calls the wicked persons as khalaplavaṅga and writes–vānarasya ca pakṣ� yadi syustadā viśvasyopadrava� kuryāt/

[89]:

Ibid., VII. 10

[90]:

Ibid., XI. 26

[91]:

vāhasthapañcāsyabhayādivārādadattajhampo mṛgaśāvakena/
devyā� sa vo’vyādvadanendubimbo yaścandrikā� dantarucā cinoti//
     Ibid., I. 18, page 5

[92]:

Ibid., XVI. 7

[93]:

Ibid., IX. 9

[94]:

Ibid., IX. 20; XII. 11

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