Hanuman Nataka (critical study)

by Nurima Yeasmin | 2015 | 41,386 words

This page relates ‘Habit and Custom in the Hanumannataka’ 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.

3. Habit and Custom in the Hanumannāṭaka

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The Hanumannāṭaka provides an idea of the habits and customs of the people of the age of Śri Dāmodara Miśra. The elder and learned persons were honoured by the younger in that time. This respect for elders is a part and parcel of the custom or duty for everyone. In the 3^rd Act of the Hanumannāṭaka, when Rāma was ready to go to the forest, Sītā went to her mother in-law Kauśalya and Sumitrā and offered her respect towards them and towards the Raghu dynasty.^[1]

In the 3^rd Act, it is found that Rāma was ready to go to the forest to carry out his father’s order.^[2] To carry out the order of the elders is considered a duty. At that time the songs of gandharva and women are also heard.^[3] This is also mentioned in the Hanumannāṭaka Hearing the Vedavānī is also mentioned in the Hanumannāṭaka^[4] Śrāddhakarma is a ritual mentioned in the Hanumannāṭaka When king Daśaratha died, Bharata performed the Śrāddhakarma.^[5] Another custom is mentioned in Act XIV of the Hanumannāṭaka, namely the ‘rājyābhiṣeka’.^[6] Abhiṣeka (connection) is a custom or ceremony wherein a son as installed as the Yuvarāja (heir apparent). Normally the eldest son is installed as the Yuvarāja.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

gurvājñāparipālanāya ca vanaṃ saṃprasthitaṃ rāghavaṃ dṛṣṭvāsau tvaritā videhatanayā śvaśrūjanaṃ pṛcchati/
natvā kosalakanyakāṅghriyugalaṃ paścātsumitrāṃ puna rdṛṣṭvā hā śukasārikāpikakulaṃ rāmānugā prasthita// ibid., III.10

[2]:

gurorgirā rājyamapāsya tūrṇaṃ vanaṃ jagāgomātha raghupravīraḥ/
nisaṅgapṛṣṭhaḥ śaracāpahastastaṃ lakṣmaṇo gāmiva bālavatsaḥ// ibid., III.9

[3]:

nidrāṃ tathāpi na jahau yadi kumbhakarṇaḥ śrīkaṇṭhalabdhavarakinnarakāminīnām/
gandharvapakṣasurasiddhavarāṅganānā mākarṇya gītamamṛtaṃ paramaṃ binidraḥ// ibid.,XI.15

[4]:

dṛṣṭvā māyājanakatanayākhaṇḍanaṃ rāmacandro gurvīmurvītalamupagato dīrghamāsādya mūrcchām/
tatpādāgre punaranujaniścetanāṃ prāpya rāmaṃ kṛtvotsaṅge smarasi na giraṃ vyāharanityarodīt// ibid.,XII. 15

[5]:

rāme prāpte vanāntaṃ kathamapi bharataścetanāṃ prāpya tataṃ nītvā devendralokaṃ munijanavacanādūrdvadehakriyābhiḥ/
bhrātuḥ śokājjatāvānajinavṛtatanuḥ pālayāmāsa nandigrāme tiṣṭhannayodhyāṃ raghupatipunarāgāmibhogāya vīraḥ// ibid., III. 11

[6]:

jagāma rāmaḥ saha sītayā svāṃ purīmayodhyāṃ saha vānarendraiḥ/ pratyāgataistairbharatādibhiśca rājyebhiṣikto munibhiścirāya// ibid., XIV.70

Last Updated: 01 July, 2023