7. Influences and Adaptations

This drama reflects some ideas from the ancient Sanskrit literature. It shows the gleanings from Mahabharata, Raghuvamsha and Narayaniya.

1. Mahabharata

Sanskrit has an abundant collection of independent works based on epic Mahabharata. Among them, the theme of the Annadatricarita was depended on Mahabharata. Apart from this, it also influenced by the epic in the portrayal of several concepts in this drama. The concept of Dharma and king as an embodiment of Dharma can connect with the concept of Mahabharata itself. The Mahabharataproclaims that, ‘where the virtue there is the success’ (yato dharmastato jayaḥ). The same concept can identify in the Annadatricarita also.

[...]^[1]

Where is virtue the success is also there.

Moreover, the arrival of Duryodhana and Arjuna into Dvaraka, seeking help of Krishna in the upcoming war is an interesting scene from the epic. When they arrived there, Krishna was in sleep. So, Duryodhana sat in a chair at the head of Krishna and Arjuna stood on foot. Afterthe sleep Krishna first saw Arjuna and talked to him. At that time, Duryodhana said that he came first, so he had the right to first ask help from Krishna. Similarly, in Annadatricarita, both the envoys of Duryodhana and Yudhishthira were simultaneously reached Vanci kingdom. Hence, the king Vancishvara fell in a dilemma to obey the rule of preference for the first person and finally he decided to help both kings without any partiality.

2. Raghuvamsha

Annadatricarita conveys some points about a king and Kingship and it might be the influence of Kalidasa or Raghuvamsha. The Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa is a popular work based on the lineage of Raghu. Even though, this work is about the fame and sagas of Dilipa, his son Raghu and their successors, it shares some notable political and social aspects as well its literary amusement. Kalidasa portrayed the kings of Surya clan such as Dilipa, Raghu, Ramaas a replicaof an ideal king. When Kalidasa generally introduces the Suryavamsha kings in the first sarga, he depicted them as follows:

[...]^[2]

The kings of Raghuvamsha were properly did the rites of sacrifices in the fire, properly donated to the aspirant, punished the deserved people, properly aware about the activities according to time, they collected wealth for sacrifice and they were became laconic for truth.

In the second Act of Annadatricarita, when Virabhadra, the envoy of Duryodhana had first his first meeting with Vancishvara, he admired the king as similar to the above mentioned verse of Raghuvamsha.

[...]^[3]

With the symptoms apt to a great personality he spreads noble attitudes, there is a great power flaming in this king. He carries the designation of Rajarshi by punishing those who deserve it and performs penance for the virtue.

Raghuvamsha portrayed Dilipa as a most pure person who had his birth in such a pure clan.

[...]^[4]

In that pure clan, the purest king Dilipa was born similar to the birth of moon from the ocean of milk.[...]

Likewise king Vancishvara also portrayed as a person with extreme pious and due to this devout of the king, the land of Vanci also became more pious.

[...]^[5]

This Vanci domain also became virtuous for the people by the birth of this great personality who born with the merits of all three worlds. [...]

Moreover, Kalidasa introduced the Dilipa himself exposed as the Kshatra Dharma’ (the courage).

[...]^[6]

(This king Dilipa) who had a ample chest, a shoulder like an ox and long hands similar to the sala trees, was an embodiment of the personification of the power and bravery of kshatra dharma.

In the same way, Prof. K. Balarama Panicker portrayed Vancishvara as a form of Kshatradharma.

[...]^[7]

He, who is an embodiment of Kshatra dharma, is also an idol of noble merits.

In the first sarga of Raghuvamsha, Kalidasa depicts the King Dilipa as a father-like person to each people of the country.

[...]^[8]

The king fulfilled the responsibility of fostering, protection and governance of each and every people in the country. These are the responsibilities of a father to his children and here the king fulfilled it without any fail. Consequently, people gave the equal respect to the king like their own father. The real fathers were just became a reason for their birth.

The third Act of Annadatricarita contains the same concept that, the king Udayavarmakulashekhara was also had the father like love and care towards his people. The navy commander of Vancishvara praised the king’s paternal care for his people.

[...]

There may hundreds of kings in the earth, it didn’t. When the king looks after his people like his own child, then the earth feels that there is a ‘king.’ If the king always protect them and enable them to achieve the purusharthas, the people will devote him as their protector and give respect similar to a father.

3. Narayaniya

Narayaniya of Melputtur Narayana Bhattapada is a popular Sanskrit Stotrakavyafrom Kerala which narrates the stories ofKrishna, based on BhagavataPurana. The work contains ten ‘Skandhas’ (chapters) and again it was separated into ‘Dashakas’ (combination of ten verses). Each and every verses in Narayaniya has a unique poetic charm and sweetness in its composition. Consequently, this poetic beauty influenced many later Sanskrit writers. The praising verses of Annadatricarita also bear a resemblance to the composition of the Narayaniya and here also the deity is Krishna.

In the 100^th, the final Dashaka of Narayaniya, Melpputtur Narayana Bhatta also praised Krishna as the supreme deity. For instance, the first shloka of this dashaka is given below:

[...]^[9]

I see a blue colour glory in front of me which is like a dense row of memecylon; I am absorbed in bliss. Afterwards, a figure of boy is appearing inside that glory. He is surrounded the saints like Narada and beautiful Upanishad ladies who are in bliss.

Similarly, in the fifth Act of Annadatricarita, when Vancishvara entered the assembly of Yudhishthira, at first he saw Krishna and praised him with the following verses:

[...]

I see the heartthrob of Gopikas who, covered his cloud colour body with yellow clothes, the husband of Rema (Lakshmi) who is situated in the lotus inside the hearts of scholars, always engaged in the fulfilling of devotees wishes, who himself a devotee of devotees.

[...]

I see the one, who is admirable by the gods like Brahma-ShivaVaruna and Indra; make visible to the sages performs long time penance, who is the cause of beginning, visibility, happiness and sorrows, everlasting, blissful and the ultimate figure of purity.

[...]

I see the lotus eyed god who is the base of blissful greatness, the moon of the heart of Lakshmi, always admirable by me and my great ancestors, the figure of virtue, the pedestal of all merits of the dependants.

Here, Vancishvara did his admiration in front of the Krishna and praised him as supreme deity of the universe. Similarly, it is believed that Melppattur Narayanabhatta did his admirationby reciting Narayaniya in front of the deity Krishna at Guruvayur temple.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Prof. K. Balarama Panicker, Annadatricarita, (Thiruvananthapuram: Published by the author),10.

[2]:

Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa with the commentary of Mallinatha, Edited by Gopal Raghunath Nandargikar, (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1971, Fourth Edition), 4

[3]:

Prof. K. Balarama Panicker, Annadatricarita, (Thiruvananthapuram: Published by the author), 16.

[4]:

Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa with the commentary of Mallinatha, Ed. Pandit P. Shankar, (Bombay: Government Central Book Depot), 6.

[5]:

Prof. K. Balarama Panicker, Annadatricarita, (Thiruvananthapuram: Published by the author), 15.

[6]:

Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa with the commentary of Mallinatha, Ed. Pandit P. Shankar, (Bombay: Government Central Book Depot),7.

[7]:

Prof. K. Balarama Panicker, Annadatricarita, (Thiruvananthapuram: Published by the author), 15

[8]:

Ibid.,24.

[9]:

Ramaswamy Iyer M,N, Srimannarayaniyam (Bhashavyakhyanasahitam), Palghat: Ramayana Publishing House, 1956. 409