Essay name: Tilakamanjari of Dhanapala (study)
Author:
Shri N. M. Kansara
Affiliation: Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda / Department of Sanskrit Pali and Prakrit
This is an English study of the Tilakamanjari of Dhanapala, a Sanskrit poem written in the 11th century. Technically, the Tilaka-manjari is classified as a Gadyakavya (“prose-romance�). The author, Dhanapala was a court poet to the Paramara king Munja, who ruled the Kingdom of Malwa in ancient west-central India.
Chapter 16 - The Tilakamanjari as a Sanskrit novel
107 (of 138)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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987
A series of feminine foot-prints are beautifully de-
picted in a realistic manner, as in :
उपरिपतितेन पादपप्रसवरेणुन� परामृष्टपूर्वदृष्टसकलावयवशोभां
क्वचित्सत्� � क्वचित्सविलम्बां क्वाप्यपथगां क्वचिन्मार्गलग्नां सरला�
संकतेष�, कुंचित� कुशस्तम्बेषु, खण्डितां खण्डशैलेषु, वलितां वृक्�-
मूलेषु, कुटिला� पंकपटलेष�, विरल� बालवानदी वेणिको पर� णु, स्पष्टामुष-
रेणु नष्टां शिलाफलकेषु
( [uparipatitena pādapaprasavareṇunā parāmṛṣṭapūrvadṛṣṭasakalāvayavaśobhā�
kvacitsatva � kvacitsavilambā� kvāpyapathagā� kvacinmārgalagnā� saralā�
saṃkateṣu, kuṃcitā kuśastambeṣu, khaṇḍitā� khaṇḍaśaileṣu, valitā� vṛkṣa-
mūleṣu, kuṭilā� paṃkapaṭaleṣu, viralā bālavānadī veṇiko pare ṇu, spaṣṭāmuṣa-
reṇu naṣṭā� śilāphalakeṣu
(] 254,lff.).
पदाि� ---|
[padāिma ---|
] A suggestive glance of an emperor emerges in :
युगपन्न्यंचिता� भयभूसंज्ञय�
पुरुषम� प्तमाजुहाव
( [yugapannyaṃcitā� bhayabhūsaṃjñayā
puruṣamā ptamājuhāva
(] 274,15ff.).
The realistic touch is conspicuous in the description
of bashful Malayasundari slowly getting up from the lap of
her lover as she regains consciousness, as in:
--- शनैः शनैरुत्थाय कृतशिरोवगुण्ठन� तस्य नृपकुमार यांकपर्यंकादेक-
देशे कमलिनी पलाशशयनस्योपाविश� |
( [śanai� śanairutthāya kṛtaśirovaguṇṭhanā tasya nṛpakumāra yāṃkaparyaṃkādeka-
deśe kamalinī palāśaśayanasyopāviśama |
(] 313,17ff.).
The circular halo of the rays of the Candrātapa neck-
lace worn by Tilakamanjarī is represented beautifully, as in:
--- सर्व्वतञ्चन्द्रिकापटलस� न्द्रस्तदंशु निचयैर्मुहूर्तमै कथवल� विश्वमाश्विनी�
जलदोदर प्रविष्टहरिणांकमण्डल� राकारजनिरजनिष्� �
( [sarvvatañcandrikāpaṭalasā ndrastadaṃśu nicayairmuhūrtamai kathavala� viśvamāśvinīva
jaladodara praviṣṭahariṇāṃkamaṇḍalā rākārajanirajaniṣṭa |
(] b) Picturesque :
(405,6ff.).
The element of picturesqueness is prominent inth
the following specimens :
A picture of the villagers anxiously awaiting the arri-
val of a royal procession emerges in :
अवकर कूटकेष्वधिरूढस्तडागपालीषु पुंजितैर्देवकुलवरण्डकेषु कृतावस्थान�
[avakara kūṭakeṣvadhirūḍhastaḍāgapālīṣu puṃjitairdevakulavaraṇḍakeṣu kṛtāvasthāna�
]
