Essay name: Sankalpa Suryodaya of Venkatanatha (Critical Study)
Author:
R. Laxmi
Affiliation: Karnatak University / Department of Sanskrit
This is an English study of the Sankalpa Suryodaya鈥攁n allegorical Sanskrit drama by Venkatanatha, a distinguished philosopher-poet and dramatist of the Vishishtadvaita Vedanta tradition. This work of Venkata-natha (or, Vedanta Deshika). stands out for integrating allegory to convey moral and philosophical truths. The thesis examines its place in Sanskrit literature.
Chapter 2 - Introduction
3 (of 17)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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According to the Reader's Encyclopedia "Allegory is
"Allegory is
a systematic
symbolism by which abstractions are represented as accurately as possible by
concrete characters, plots and situations often with identifying tag names".
III. ORIGIN OF ALLEGORIES IN SANSKRIT LITERATURE
The origin of allegorical dramas in Sanskrit literature can be traced in the
Vedic literature. Some hymns from Rgveda are the earliest examples of allegoric
representation, where the seer supplies the personifications and figurative
descriptions of the natural phenomena. The transformations of the natural
phenomena into Gods and Goddesses such as S奴rya (Sun), Soma (Moon), Agni
(Fire) etc. are seen in the Rgveda. Various passions like Moha, Krodha, M膩tsarya,
K膩ma, Mada and Lobha are represented as animals like pig, wolf, dog, wild-lizard,
Garu岣峚 and vulture respectively. In another hymn, the individual soul (Jiva) and
the Supreme soul (Brahman) are described as two birds, one representing the
Jiv膩tman and the other the Paramatman. 10 In the Yajurveda, the manas is
personified and its various powers are explained equal to that of a human being."
11 In the Samaveda, there is a reference, in which a thoughtful preceptor is
said to be the father and faith as the mother of the worshipper. 12
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Bennet William Rose, The Reader's Encyclopedia, Thomas, Y.Growell Company, New
York, 1951, p.24.
啶夃げ啷傕啶ぞ啶む啶� 啶多啶多啶侧啶曕く啶距い啷佮 啶溹す啶苦ざ啷嵿さ啶ぞ啶む啶啶� 啶曕啶曕く啶距い啷佮ぎ啷� 啷�
啶膏啶ぐ啷嵿ぃ啶ぞ啶む啶啶� 啶椸啶о啶班く啶距い啷佮 啶︵啶粪う啷囙さ 啶啶� 啶啶� 啶班啷嵿し 啶囙え啷嵿う啷嵿ぐ | [ul奴kay膩tu峁� 艣u艣ul奴kay膩tu峁� jahi艣vay膩tumuta kokay膩tum |
supar峁嘺y膩tumuta g峁沝hray膩tu峁� d峁涐梗adeva pra m峁涐箛a rak峁 indra | ] VII. 104.22
峁歡veda Sa峁僪it膩, Volume 1, Maxmuller; The Honourable the East India Company, London,
1849, p.280.
啶︵啶掂ぞ啶膏啶ぐ啷嵿ぃ啶� 啶膏く啷佮啶� 啶膏啶距く 啶膏ぎ啶距え啶� 啶掂啶曕啶粪 啶ぐ啶苦し啶膏啶掂啶距い啷� 啷�
啶むく啷嬥ぐ啶ㄠ啶 啶た啶啶げ啶� 啶膏啶掂ぞ啶︵啶掂い啷嵿い啷嵿く啶ㄠざ啷嵿え啶ㄠ啶ㄠえ啷嵿く啷嬥そ啶た啶氞ぞ啶曕ざ啷�啶むた 啷� [dv膩supar峁嚹� sayuj膩 sakh膩ya sam膩na峁� v峁沰峁峁� pari峁svaj膩te |
tayoranya岣� pippala峁� sv膩dvattyana艣nannanyo'bhic膩ka艣墨ti || ] 1.164.20 (R.V.)
Ibid, p.261; Mun岣峚kopani峁t III.1.1.
啶膏啶粪ぞ啶班ぅ啶苦ぐ啶多啶掂ぞ啶ㄠた啶� 啶え啷嵿ぎ啶ㄠ啶粪啶ぞ啶ㄠ啶ㄠ 啶ㄠ啶い啷囙そ啶 啶多啶た啶班啶掂ぞ啶溹た啶� 啷�
啶灌啶む啶啶班い啶苦し啷嵿啶� 啶う啶距啶苦ぐ啶� 啶溹さ啶灌た啶� 啶むえ啷嵿ぎ啷� 啶え啶� 啶囙さ 啷� 啶多た啶掂じ啶傕啶侧啶ぎ啶膏啶む 啷�
[su峁Ｄ乺athira艣v膩niva yanmanu峁膩nne n墨yate'bh墨 艣umirv膩jina |
h峁泃prati峁ａ弓a峁� yad膩jira峁� javahi峁� tanme mana岣� iva | 艣ivasa峁僰alpamastu ||
] 艢ukla-Yajurveda (with San膩tana Bh膩峁a) Sadguru Gangeshwara International Veda
Mission, Bombay, XXXIV.6 p.397.
啶た啶むぞ 啶い啷嵿啶多啶お啶膏啶ぞ啶椸啶ㄠた啶� 啶多啶班う啷嵿ぇ啶� 啶ぞ啶むぞ啶え啷佮啶掂た 啷�
[pit膩 yatka艣yapasy膩gni岣� 艣raddh膩 m膩t膩manukavi ||
] Ed. S.V.Ganapati, Samaveda, 膧gneya K膩峁囜笉a - IV, 10, Motilal Banarasidass, New Delhi, 1982, p.21.
