Hanuman Nataka (critical study)
by Nurima Yeasmin | 2015 | 41,386 words
This page relates ‘Geographical Information 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.
8.1. Geographical Information in the Hanumannāṭaka
From the Hanumannāṭaka, there can be had of an idea of certain places, i.e. rivers, hills, hermitages etc. of ancient India. These are not lacking in importance from the geographical point of view. A brief discussion on these geographical data from the Hanumannāṭaka is presented below.
Mithilā:
There is reference in the Hanumannāṭaka, to the place Mithilā.[1] Mithilā was a city in ancient India, the capital of Videha kingdom. The name Mithilā is also commonly used to refer to the Videha kingdom itself, as well as to the modern day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha. The Mithilā city has been identified as modern day Janakapur in Dhanusa district of Nepal.[2] Sītā is known as Vaidehī as she is a girl belonging to Videha. According to Ancient Geography of India, on the north-east of Vaiśālī, lay the kingdom of Videha with its capital Mithilā.[3] Janakpur in Nepal north of Madhuvānī is still identified as Mithilā, the capital of Janakpur with all its ancient associations. Videha, therefore, must have comprised, besides a portion of Nepal, all these places or in other words the northern part of the old district of Trihut and the north-western portion of the district of Champaran. The people of Videha must have formerly traded a good deal, as Vaidehaka or resident of Videha is given by Amara as a synonym of merchant.[4]
Laṅkā:
The city Laṅkā[5] is found to be mentioned many times in the Hanumannāṭaka It is said to be the name of the country as well as the capital of Rāvaṇa. It is said that Laṅkā was much larger than the present island of Śrī Laṅkā.[6] The older name of Laṅkā was Siṃhala.
The word ‘Laṅkā’ meaning ‘island’, is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the legendary king Rāvaṇa in the great Hindu epics, the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata. The fortress was situated on a plateau between three mountain peaks known as the Trikūṭa Mountains. The ancient capital Laṅkā is thought to have been burnt down by Hanumān. This island would lie more than a hundred miles South-West of present day country of Śrī Laṅkā.[7]
Ayodhyā:
Ayodhyā[8] is found to be mentioned in the Hanumannāṭaka of Śrī Dāmodara Miśra. Ayodhyā was the capital of Kośala, which was situated along the banks of the Sarayū[9] (Gogra). Ayodhyā was extended 48 miles in length and 12 miles in breadth.It was also called Sāketa.[10] and one of its principal suburbs was Nandigrāma; where Bharata governed the kingdom during the absence of Rāma.
Alakā:
In the Hanumannāṭaka there is found the mentioning of the country called Alakā.[11] It was the capital of Kubera, the lord of the Yakṣaṣ. According to Kathāsarit-sāgara, Alakā was the capital of Niṣadha.[12] According to Kathāsarit-sāgara, the good king Nala was the ruler of Niṣadha[13] and from his directions to his wife Damayantī after he lost his kingdom[14], it can be rightly assumed that it was in northern India.
Mathurā:
Mathurā or Madhurā as it is sometimes spelt,[15] is said to have been built by Śatrughna, brother of Rāma, on the fall of the demon Lavaṇa, son of Madhu.[16] The district was afterwards called Śūrasenas from Śūrasena, one of the ancestors of Kṛṣṇā.[17] The history of king Kaṃsa who was murdered by Kṛṣṇā and the consequent seige of Mathurā by Jarāsandha, form important chapters in the great work Harivavṃśa. The modern town is situated on the elevated right bank of the Yamunā in the form of crescent. “The old city”, says General Cunningham, “is said to have extended from the Nobi Masque and fort of Rājā Kaṃsa on the north to the mounds called Tila Kaṃsa and Tilā Satrekh on the south”. Mathurā was deserted by Kṛṣṇā just before it was invaded by KālaYavana.[18] But it seems to have remained dependent on him as among the present persons at the marriage of Subhadrā, which took place long after this, there is found ten thousand milch cows of the district of Mathurā.[19] It was a very flourishing town when visited by Hiuen Tsang in the 8th century A.D. It ruthless plunder by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1017 A.D. is a dark chapter of Indian History. The early youth of Kṛṣṇā was passed at some distance from Mathurā at Gokula which was called Vraja.[20]
Daṇḍaka:
Daṇḍaka is also mentioned in the Hanumannāṭaka.[21] The whole country from the borders of Bundelkhand to the banks of the river Kṛṣṇā appears to have been a vast forest known by the general name of Daṇḍaka.[22] Rāma entered into it after leaving Chitrakuṭa and the hermitage of Atri.[23] It was here he crossed the torrent river near a great mountain.[24] This evidently refers to the Narmadā. It was in this forest that he came to a tank called Panchāpsarā or five nymphs.[25] It was in this forest that he passed sometime at Pañcavatī near the Godāvarī and mount Prasravaṇa.[26] This part of Daṇḍaka was known as Janasthāna (Human Habitation). It is impossible to identify Pañcavatī and Prasravaṇa. Daṇḍaka appears among later writers as the name of a people apparently on the south of Vidarbha proper, i.e. on the south of the Kṛṣṇā.
Janasthāna:
Janasthāna, is a part of the great Daṇḍaka forest which stood in the vicinity of the mountain called Prasravaṇa. The celebrated Pañcavati (identified by local tradition with the place of the same name situated about two miles from the present Nasik) stands in this tract. In the Hanumannāṭaka there is found reference to Janasthāna[27] in Act X.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
www. en wikipedia.org.
[3]:
sumarāvidahmi mithilaṃ mahānagarim … darśaya sītayai janakasya rājadhānīṃ/ Ancient Geography of India, p.62
[5]:
[7]:
en.wikipedia.org.
[8]:
[9]:
[10]:
janasya sāketanivāsinastau Raghuvaṃśa, V. 31 Alakā
[11]:
[12]:
[13]:
[15]:
The form Mathurā occurs in the Bombay Edition of the Rāmāyaṇa. Daśakumāra-carita, VI. Ucchvāsa Wilson observes “it is rather remarkable that all the copies read Madhurā instead of Mathurā
[16]:
(i) punaśca madhusañjena daityenādhiṣṭhitaṃ yataḥ/
tato madhuvanaṃ nāmnā khyātamatra mahitale//
hatvā ca lavaṇaṃ rakṣī madhuputraṃ mahāvalam//
śatrughno madhurāṃ nāma purī yatra cakāra vai// Viṣṇupurāṇa, I.12.2-3
(ii) upakulañca kālindyāḥ purīṃ pauruṣabhūṣaṇaḥ/
nirmame nirmamo’rtheṣu muthurāṃ madhurakṛtiḥ// Raghuvaṃśa XV.28
[17]:
[18]:
viṣṇu purāṇa, V. 23
[19]:
pradadau kṛṣṇo gavāmayutameva ca/
śrīmanmāthuradeśyānāṃ dogdhriṇāṃ puṇyavarcasām// Ādi Parva. 219.46
[20]:
[21]:
kutrā’yodhyā? kva rāmo? daśarathavacanāddaṇḍakāraṇyamāgat? ko’sau mārīcanāmā kanakamayamṛgaḥ? kutra sītāpahāraḥ?
sugrīve rāmamaitrī kva? janakatanayā’nveṣaṇe preṣito’haṃ? yo’rtho’sambhāvanīyastamapi ghatayati krūrakarmā vidhātā// Hanumannāṭaka,VI. 37
[22]:
it is also written Daṇḍaka, but Bhavabhuti has unequivocally preferred the other reading “vanaṃ daṇḍakaṃ tasyāṃ…”, “ye daṇḍakāyāṃ vane”. Mahaviracarita IV. 41, 38
[23]:
araṇyakāṇḍa, Ch. VI.
[24]:
[25]:
Ancient Geography of India, p.84
[26]:
ibid.,, p. 84