Essay name: Bhasa (critical and historical study)
Author: A. D. Pusalker
This book studies Bhasa, the author of thirteen plays ascribed found in the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series. These works largely adhere to the rules of traditional Indian theatrics known as Natya-Shastra.
Page 452 of: Bhasa (critical and historical study)
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432
incarnation of Visnu, and the devotion of Krsna is the
basic principle of the PaƱcarÄtra system. Vasudeva is
supposed to be beyond the twentyfour principles,
permanent, unborn, everlasting. He is all-pervading and
the inner soul of all. He is the prime creator.
Sankarį¹£aį¹a, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are but his
different forms. At the time of the deluge the earth
dissolves in water, the latter in fire, the fire in wind, the
wind in ether, and the ether in the unmanifest Prakį¹ti,
which in its turn dissolves in the Purusa, which is none
else but Vasudeva. Thus he alone remains after the
deluge. In the next creation, human bodies are born of
five elements and Vasudeva enters them in the invisible
atomic form. This jiva form is known as Sankarį¹£aį¹a.
Mind, which is born of this Sankarį¹£aį¹a (jiva) is known
by the name Pradyumna. The AhamkÄra or egoism that
comes through mind is termed Aniruddha. The idea of
ten incarnations of Visį¹u as stated in the Mahabharata
appears to have been started before Buddhism rose into
prominence, as it does not include Buddha as an
incarnation. Hamsa is said to be the first incarnation
but no information is supplied about the same. The
PaƱcarÄtra system fully obeys the authority of the Vedas
and the Vedic sacrifices, but does not favour slaughter
of animals even in sacrifices. It is also known as the
SÄtvatadharma as it was current among the Vrsnis.
Devotion of Visnu, practice of tapas, acceptance of the
infallibility of the Vedas and Aranyakas and the principle
of non-killing are the main characteristics of the
PaƱcarÄtra system. It has a long history of its own being
in vogue at least since the time of PÄnini.
In our plays we find references to some of the
incarnations of Visį¹u. BalarÄma, who is a great
personality in the PaƱcarÄtra system, is praised in a
benedictory stanza in one of our plays. "One of the plays,
again, goes under the name PaƱcaratra. Glorification of
Vasudeva Kį¹į¹£į¹a is to be met with at many places in these
plays.
1 Cf. MahÄbhÄrata, XII. 339. 103-104:
ą¤¹ą¤ą¤øą¤ ą¤ą„ą¤°ą„ą¤®ą¤¶ą„ą¤ ą¤®ą¤¤ą„ą¤øą„ą¤Æą¤¶ą„ą¤� ą¤Ŗą„ą¤°ą¤¾ą¤¦ą„ą¤°ą„ą¤ą¤¾ą¤µą¤¾ą¤¦ą„ą¤µą¤æą¤ą„ą¤¤ą„ą¤¤ą¤® ą„�
वराहą„� ą¤Øą¤¾ą¤°ą¤øą¤æą¤ą¤¹ą¤¶ą„ठवामनą„� राą¤� ą¤ą¤µ ą¤� ą„�
ą¤°ą¤¾ą¤®ą„ ą¤¦ą¤¾ą¤¶ą¤°ą¤„ą¤æą¤ą„ą¤� ą¤øą¤¾ą¤¤ą„ą¤µą¤¤ą„� ą¤ą¤²ą„ą¤ą¤æą¤°ą„व ą¤� ą„¤ą„¤
[haį¹saįø� kÅ«rmaÅca matsyaÅca prÄdurbhÄvÄdvijottama |
varÄho nÄrasiį¹haÅca vÄmano rÄma eva ca |
rÄmo dÄÅarathicaiva sÄtvato kalkireva ca ||
]
