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Hanuman Nataka (critical study)

by Nurima Yeasmin | 2015 | 41,386 words

This page relates ‘Abstract� of the English study on the Hanuman-nataka written by Shri Damodara Mishra in the 11th century. The Hanumannataka is a Mahanataka—a fourteen-act Sanskrit drama dealing with the story of Rama and Hanumat (Hanuman) and presents the events in the lifes of Rama, Sita, Ravana and Hanuman (the son of Anjana and Vayu—the God of the Winds) based on the Ramayana story.

Sanskrit 屹ⲹ is divided into various classes from different points of view. According to վśٳ , there are two groups of 屹ⲹ. These are ṛśy屹ⲹ and Śⲹ屹ⲹ. ṛśy屹ⲹs are those known as dramas. The ṛśy屹ⲹ includes both ū貹첹 and 貹ū貹첹. ū貹첹 are ten in number while 貹ū貹첹 have eighteen varieties. The first variety of ū貹첹 is ṭa첹. Various theories on the origin of drama, its development, forms and features and many other aspects related to it are found elaborated by the theorists, right from Bharata to վśٳ Ჹ. The imitation of the activities viz., physical and mental condition of the gods, sages, kings and other personages, by the actors and actresses, is called a drama, according to almost all the rhetoricians. A Ѳṭa첹 is also like a ṭa첹 but it is different from ٲ첹 only in its volume or size. The drama wherein there exist all the four 貹ٳԲ and there are Acts more than ten, is called a Ѳṭa첹. վśٳ Ჹ has given the definition viz. �etadeva yadā sarvai� patākāthānakairyutam aṅkaiścha daśabhirdhīra mahānāṭakamūchire� of Ѳṭa첹 in the 6th chapter of his 󾱳ٲⲹ岹貹ṇa.

ᲹԳܳԲṭa첹 of Śrī 峾ǻ岹 Ѿś

As is the case with most of the Sanskrit writers, there is very little information regarding the life of the author of the ᲹԳܳԲṭa첹. The complete biographical or autobiographical note of Śrī 峾ǻ岹 Ѿś is not available. However, some writers like Dr. Wilson have considered him as mentioned in the Ჹ𱹲ṃg, that he is same with Maithila 峾ǻ岹, the author of Ծūṣaṇa. Lakṣminātha, the great composer of the commentary of ʰṛt ʾṅg has also treated him as belonging to the 16th century Dr. Wilson acknowledged Śrī 峾ǻ岹 Ѿś as a contemporary of Bhoja or of the 11th century. This opinion is supported by the Bhojaprabandha and ᲹԳܳԲṭa첹 commentator Mohanadāsa also.

Śāradātanaya who wrote the 屹첹ś in 12-13th century A.D. instances Ѳṭa첹 as a drama of ṃg type. Therefore it can be said that the composition of the play got completed during the reign of Bhoja i.e.11th century.

Having seen the writing skill and style of this ᲹԳܳԲṭa첹, Dr. Susil Kumar De and Dr. Keith held that the main composition of this ᲹԳܳԲṭa첹 is prior to the 9th century, but its present edition came into surface about the 11th century and there were made some changes till the 14th century.

The ᲹԳܳԲṭa첹 otherwise known as the Ѳṭa첹, occupies a unique position in Sanskrit dramatic literature. The Ѳṭa첹 has come down to us in different recensions. The West Indian recension adopted by Śrī 峾ǻ岹 Ѿś has 548 verses in 14 Acts and is styled the ᲹԳܳԲṭa첹, while the East Indian or rather the Bengal recension arranged by Madhusudana Ѿś has 720 verses in 9 Acts and is named the Ѳṭa첹. Both the recensions agree in taking the mythical Hanumat as the original author. In a sense, however, the work may be taken to be anonymous, for both are clearly descriptive. Hanumat, as the ally and servant of , is a legendary figure to whom it was probably found convenient to ascribe a traditional work of unknown or forgotten authorship; while the title Ѳṭa첹 is apparently not a designation but a description, it being the later dramaturgic technical term which, like that term 첹ṇa, indicates a type of play containing all the episodes and possessing a large number of acts.

Methodology

Descriptive as well as Analytical Methodologies have been followed in preparing the dissertation.

Chapter Division

In the present dissertation the topic are discussed in seven chapters. The 1st chapter deals with a discussion on Sanskrit 屹ⲹ, ṛśy屹ⲹ, Śⲹ屹ⲹ, varieties of ṛśy屹ⲹ, specialities of ṭa첹 and there is a brief discussion of sixteen prominent ṛśy屹ⲹs based on the 峾ⲹṇa. The 2nd chapter deals with Śrī 峾ǻ岹 Ѿś the author and there is mentioned about another work of the author, i.e. Ծūṣaṇa. The 3rd chapter deals with the title of the Mahantaka, the summary of the content of the ᲹԳܳԲṭa첹, the source of the ṭa첹, deviations and innovations etc. In the 4th chapter, a literary assessment of the ᲹԳܳԲṭa첹 is placed. The topics discussed are: īپ, ҳṇa, Figures of speech, various Rasas delineated, principal sentiment, metres employed, Kavisamayas, ʲ岹ٲⲹ, characterization, supernatural elements, use of ʰṛt, examination of various elements of dramaturgy in the ᲹԳܳԲṭa첹, discussion on the prose portion etc. The 5th chapter deals with the philosophical elements, religious elements in the play, habit and custom, social order depicted information of various flora and fauna, geographical information etc. In the 6th chapter, there we discussed the influence of Śrī 峾ǻ岹 Ѿś on other poets, influence of other poets upon Śrī 峾ǻ岹 Ѿś, examination of the language from literary perspectives. The 7th chapter is the concluding chapter with recapitulations of the previous chapters which are discussed thoroughly.

It is found that the ᲹԳܳԲṭa첹 (ᲹԳܳԲṭa첹) is occupying a significant position among the 峾ⲹṇa-based plays in Sanskrit. The dramatist possesses genuine literary skill and the play becomes an interesting one with the admixture of poetic talent and scholarship. The present dissertation has attempted to deal with some of the important aspects of this drama. It is hoped that this dissertation will be of some use for some more research works on the ᲹԳܳԲṭa첹 and its brilliant author.

Signature of the Guide
(Professor Dipak Kumar Sharma)

Signature of the Candidate
(Nurima Yeasmin)

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