Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study)
by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah | 2014 | 67,792 words
This page relates ‘Various Types of Profession’ of the English study on the Harshacharita: A Sanskrit (poetical work) which can be studied as a Historical book of Indian society during the 7th century. It was originally written by Banabhatta who based his Harsacarita on the life of the Gupta emperor Harshavardhana. This study researches the religion, philosophy, flora and fauna and society of ancient India as reflected in the Harsha-Charita.
13. Various Types of Profession
The writer Bāṇabhaṭṭa had all types of friends and companies in his lifetime, who were engaged in various types of occupations such as—
- varṇakavi (panegyrist),
- prākṛtkulaputra (prākṛt poets),
- bhiṣaka (physician),
- citrakāra (painter),
- kalāda (goldsmith),
- vāṃśika (a flute player),
- kitaba (a gambler),
- gāyana (a singer) etc.[1]
Other various professions are—
- sūtradhāra (carpenter,p.69),
- hemakāra, kalāda (goldsmiths,p.69,19),
- hairika (supervisor of goldsmith,p.19),
- lepyakāra (clayworkers, p.69),
- citrakāra (painter,p.69),
- pustakṛta (a model-maker, a manufacture of dolls, p.19),
- śilpi, vijñānībhi (artesian, p.68, 43),
- varṇakavi (bard, panegyrist,p.19),
- bandina (court poets,p.77),
- dhātuvādavida (alchemist,p.19),
- vaidya, bhīṣaka (physician,p.76,19),
- mauhūrtika (astrologer,p.108),
- yamapaṭṭika (p.76),
- cāraṇa (a wandering actor, court-singer,p.15),
- maṅkhā (bards,p.106),
- vyādha (hunter,p.123),
- pāṭīpati (superintendent of barracks,p.109),
- jāṅgulika (snake-doctor,p.19),
- sairandhrī (not a regular servant, but skilled in decoration of the hair or beautician,p.19),
- vāṃśika (flute player or piper,p.19) ,
- mārdaṅgika (drumplayer,p.19),
- gāyana (singer,p.19),
- lāsaka (dancer,p.19),
- śailālī (actor,p.19),
- dārdurika (potter,p.19),
- saṃvāhikā (shampooer,p.19),
- tāṇḍavika (one type of dancer,p.19),
- kitava (gambler,p.19),
- ākṣika (dice-player,p.19),
- kathaka (storyteller,p.19),
- mantrasādhaka (magician,p.19),
- asuravivaravyacanī (treasure-seeker,p.19),
- eindrajālika (juggler,p.19),
- vatsapālaka (cowherds,p.21),
- Yāmaceṭī (a female watchman,p.109),
- ceṭaka (soldier,p.110),
- ghāsika (one who is in-charge of the food of the horses,p.110),
- meṇṭḥa (elephant keeper,p.110),
- dhīvari (fishwomen,p.112),
- vāhīka (barbarians,p.113),
- leśika (elephant-riders,p.113),
- bhārika (porters,p.113),
- nālīvāhikā (elephant attendants,p.110),
- rajaka (washermen,p.69) etc.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
abhavaṃścāsya vayasā samānāḥ suhṛdaḥ sahāyaśca. tathā ca bhrātārau pārāśavau…. vidyāṃso… varṇakaviḥ,…., prākṛtakṛtkulaputraḥ ….. kātyāyanikā …. bhiṣakaputraḥ …citrakaraḥ…, kalāda..,.., vāṃśikau.., kitabo…maskari ….., Ibid.,II.p.19