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 (鈥減rose-romance鈥�). 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
45 (of 138)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
.925 prototype of the historical C艒la Emperor R膩jar膩ja of K膩帽ci, 158 since the epithet 'Asesa-daksi峁嚹乸atha-k峁峁噄p膩la', fits
both of them perfectly. He was born in the line of the Yadus
and he had established his sway over the kings of the region
between the Mahendra and Malaya mountains, and is rightly
called 'Dravi岣峚-ma峁囜笉ala-adhipati. 159 He used to forfeit the
treasures of his inimical rivals.
-160
But Dhanap膩la has portrayed him both as an astute sta-
tesman and as an affectionate father.
His statesmanship is revealed when against the superior
forces of Vajr膩yudha he prefers to shut himself inside the
invincible fort of Ka帽ci and prolong the war in a bid to st-
161 eal time to get assistance from the neighbouring kings, and
he seems to have been quite successful in his strategy. Being
conscious of his responsibility as a king, he at last accepts
the advice of his ministers and resolves to sacrifice his
fatherly affection for his only daughter Malayasundari on
162 the alter of his kingly duty to his subjects.
W
But when he comes to knor of the intense plight of his
daughter Malayasundari as expressed in her attempt at suici茅
de, his statesmanship gives way to his filial affection, and
he decides to back out of the politico-military bargain and
158. TM(N),p.379(9ff.); 338(12ff.); 343(10ff.).
159. ibid., p.321(15)..
161. ibid., p.82(12ff.).
/ 160. ibid., p.267(1-4).
/ 162. ibid., p.327(12-20).
