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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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452 (of 564)


External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)


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432
incarnation of Visnu, and the devotion of Krsna is the
basic principle of the PaƱcarātra 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£aṇa, 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 Prakį¹›ti,
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£aṇa.
Mind, which is born of this Sankarį¹£aṇa (jiva) is known
by the name Pradyumna. The Ahamkāra or egoism that
comes through mind is termed Aniruddha. The idea of
ten incarnations of Visṇu 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
PaƱcarātra 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
Sātvatadharma 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
PaƱcarātra system. It has a long history of its own being
in vogue at least since the time of Pānini.
In our plays we find references to some of the
incarnations of Visṇu. Balarāma, who is a great
personality in the PaƱcarātra 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 Kṛṣṇa is to be met with at many places in these
plays.
1 Cf. Mahābhārata, XII. 339. 103-104:
ą¤¹ą¤‚ą¤øą¤ƒ ą¤•ą„‚ą¤°ą„ą¤®ą¤¶ą„ą¤š 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¤œą„‹ą¤¤ą„ą¤¤ą¤® ą„�
वराहą„� ą¤Øą¤¾ą¤°ą¤øą¤æą¤‚ą¤¹ą¤¶ą„ą¤š वामनą„� राą¤� ą¤ą¤µ ą¤� ą„�
ą¤°ą¤¾ą¤®ą„‹ ą¤¦ą¤¾ą¤¶ą¤°ą¤„ą¤æą¤šą„ˆą¤� ą¤øą¤¾ą¤¤ą„ą¤µą¤¤ą„� ą¤•ą¤²ą„ą¤•ą¤æą¤°ą„‡ą¤µ ą¤� ą„¤ą„¤
[haṃsaįø� kÅ«rmaśca matsyaśca prādurbhāvādvijottama |
varāho nārasiṃhaśca vāmano rāma eva ca |
rāmo dāśarathicaiva sātvato kalkireva ca ||
]

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