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 4a - Characterisation of the play
49 (of 134)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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hero. He is proud of his valour, sufficiently envious, adept in deceipt, self-conceited,
unsteady, wrathful and self-boasting.
Earlier, Mah膩moha is introduced in the first Act by Sutradh膩ra, indicating the
final sequel of the duel between himself and Viveka. Next in the same Act, the
purpose of king Mah膩moha is declared by Vasanta. Such references to Mah膩moha
have been made by Rati, Vasanta and K膩ma, and others.
Then Mah膩moha is brought on the stage in the fifth Act. The very nature of
king Mah膩moha is aptly pointed out by Viveka: 鈥淢ah膩moha by his very nature,
holds fast to his view like the deadbody holding its fight tight." 2 In effect this nature
of Mah膩moha is found amplified in his own words, in the following lines:
"My love, I have vowed to destroy that daring enemy of his own race, Viveka,
and I sent K膩ma, Krodha and others together for mutual protection as in the case of
the lion and the forest, to bring about confusion in the mind of purusa, who is now
eager to meditate on Brahm盲n. Being overwhelmed with fear at that time, their
battle array was broken and they began a retreat. Now being ashamed to look at my
face, they have taken a vow to fast unto death. Therefore you should now go to their
wives, Rati, Jigh膩峁僺盲 and T峁涐梗峁嚹� and send them to their husbands to comfort
them.3
He has his spouse Durmati, his right hand who closely follows Mah膩moha's
words. As per the will of Mah膩moha she sends Rati, Jigh膩峁僺a and T峁涐梗峁嚹� to
misguide the persons and take them all to their side.
1.
啶︵ぐ啷嵿お啶ぞ啶む啶膏ぐ啷嵿く啶啶た啶粪啶犩 啶ぞ啶ぞ啶涏う啷嵿ぎ啶ぐ啶距く啶｀ 啷�
啶о啶班啶︵啶оい啶膏啶む啶掂す啶權啶曕ぞ啶班 啶氞げ啶多啶氞ぃ啷嵿ぁ啷� 啶掂た啶曕い啷嵿ぅ啶ㄠ 啷�
[darpam膩tsaryabh奴yi峁ａ弓ho m膩y膩chadmapar膩ya峁嘺岣� |
dh墨roddhatastvaha峁卥膩r墨 cala艣ca峁囜笉o vikatthana岣� ||
] 2.
Dhananjaya, Da艣ar奴paka峁�, Motilal Banarasidass, Delhi 1979, II-5, p.142
啶膏啶掂き啶距さ啷嵿く啶啶� 啶多さ啶啶粪啶熰た啶掂う啷� 啶椸啶灌啶む啷嵿ぐ啶灌た啶むぞ 啶す啶距ぎ啷嬥す啶膏啶� ||
[svabh膩vyameva 艣avamu峁ａ弓ivad g峁沨墨tagrahit膩 mah膩mohasya ||
] S.S. III, p.385
3.
啶啶班た啶 [priye ] ! 啶す啶距じ啶距す啶膏た啶曕じ啷嵿く 啶曕啶侧啷嵿え啶膏啶� 啶掂た啶掂啶曕じ啷嵿く 啶掂た啶о啶掂啶膏え啶距く 啶曕啶� 啶啶班い啶苦啷嵿啷囙え 啶く啶� 啶膏ぎ啶距ぇ啶苦じ啶距啶距啷嵿啷嵿し啶啶班啶� 啶膏啶曕啶粪啶ぃ啶距く 啶啶班啶粪た啶むぞ啶� 啷�
啶膏た啶傕す啶掂え啶椸啶啶むた啶ㄠ啶ぞ啶啶� 啶ぐ啶膏啶ぐ啶距き啶苦ぐ啶曕啶粪た啶むぞ啶多啶� 啶曕ぞ啶啷嵿ぐ啷嬥ぇ啶距う啶 啶曕ぞ啶侧啶お啶ㄠ啶� 啶曕ぞ啶班啶啶侧啶粪た啶むぞ啶� 啶膏啶曕い 啶膏啶むさ啷� 啶囙さ 啶啷嵿え啶掂啶啶灌ぞ啶� 啶啶班い啶苦え啶苦さ啷冟い啷嵿く
啶曕ぅ啶お啷嵿く啶膏啶え啷嵿ぎ啷佮啶さ啶侧啶曕く啶苦い啷佮ぎ啶曕啶粪ぎ啶距 啶啶班い啶苦う啶苦ざ啶� 啶啶班じ啷嵿ぅ啶距く 啶啶班ぞ啶ぎ啶距じ啷嵿ぅ啶苦い啶� 啶囙い啷嵿く啷佮お啶多啶班啶むぎ啶膏啶ぞ啶た啶� 啷� 啶むう啶苦す 啶さ啶む啶ぞ 啶むい啷嵿お啷嵿ぐ啷囙く啶膏
啶班い啶苦啶苦ぇ啶距啶膏ぞ啶む啶粪啶｀ぞ啶膏啶むい啷嵿じ啶曕ぞ啶多 啶椸ぎ啶た啶む啶掂ぞ 啶ぞ啶啶距じ啷嵿い啷� 啶え啷嵿い啷嵿ぐ啶苦ぃ啶� 啶膏ぎ啶距ざ啷嵿さ啶距じ啶た啶むさ啷嵿く啶距 ||
[mah膩s膩hasikasya kulaghnasya vivekasya vidhva峁僺an膩ya k峁泃a pratij帽ena may膩 sam膩dhis膩k膩峁卥峁puru峁 sa峁僰峁bha峁嚹亂a pre峁t膩岣� |
si峁僪avanaguptiny膩yena paraspar膩bhirak峁t膩艣ca k膩makrodh膩daya岣� k膩lopapanna k膩ryakalu峁t膩岣� saikata setave iva bhagnavy奴h膩岣� pratiniv峁泃ya
kathamapyasmanmukhamavalokayitumak峁m膩岣� pratidi艣a峁� prasth膩ya pr膩yam膩sthit膩 ityupa艣rutamasm膩bhi岣� | tadiha bhavaty膩 tatpreyas墨
ratijidh膩峁僺膩t峁涐梗峁嚹乻tatsak膩艣a峁� gamayitv膩 m膩mak膩ste mantri峁嘺岣� sam膩艣v膩sayitavy膩岣� ||
] S.S. V, p.499
