Essay name: Tilakamanjari of Dhanapala (study)
Author:
Shri N. M. Kansara
Affiliation: Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda / Department of Sanskrit Pali and Prakrit
This is an English study of the Tilakamanjari of Dhanapala, a Sanskrit poem written in the 11th century. Technically, the Tilaka-manjari is classified as a Gadyakavya (“prose-romance�). The author, Dhanapala was a court poet to the Paramara king Munja, who ruled the Kingdom of Malwa in ancient west-central India.
Chapter 17 - Bana and Dhanapala—A study in contrast
18 (of 22)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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1036
Dhanapāla's puns and allusions are never too long-drawn,
nor exasperating, inspite of the fact that he has proved
himself capable of composing more elaborate and longer des-
criptions consisting of longer single sentences, as compared
to corresponding ones of Bāṇa in similar situations; as for
instance, the description of Ayodhyā as compared to that of
Ჹ⾱ī.
When Bāṇa gives a wealth of mythological, historical,
geographical, philosophic, Sastric or literary allusions,
one is bewildred by their brilliance, plenty and variety;
he uses all the paths of Vakrokti of sound and sense in the
35 flow of his descriptions.
Dhanapala is too conscious a literary artist to be left
behind, or proved inferior to, Bāna in all thses respects.
And he has an additional advantage of utilizing Jain mytho-
logy over and above the Brahmanical one. He has got a match-
ing resorcefulness in brilliantly marshalling his knowledge
of the prevalent historical, philosophic, artistic and scie-
ntific lores in bringing out various facets of the picture
of his character, and in depicting various details of the
place sought to be described. But in the artistic exhibition
of his brilliance and wealth of allusions and imageries he
is never led astray from the meticulously maintained under-
lying order in the description.
35. BHLL,p.102.
