15. The style of Costumes

Through the description of the style of costumes, one can imagine the standards of living of the people in that particular society. Therefore, Bāṇa gives very important statements about dresses through the version of Skaṇḍagupta^[1] that the dresses were different in different states. The Harṣacarita informs us about description of various dresses. The writer mentions the word veśa^[2] and vastra^[3] to imply costumes.

According to the Saṅketa Commentary—

vastaṃ suvarṇapaṭṭikākatisūtram.^[4]

The author Bāṇa describes that the city people^[5] wore fine and respectable dresses, but the foresters, however, wore rosary of beads and husk valkala.^[6] In the Harṣacarita, Bāṇa clearly informs that the royal families’ dresses^[7] were made of fine cloth and that they wore the torn by the ends golden armlets. In Rājyaśrī’s marriage time, the women^[8] came to the palace with fine dresses. The Harṣacarita refers that silken^[9] and other best garments were produced by the expert artisans for princess Rājyaśrī, in which were added charming pearls.^[10]

The author gives the names of some particular materials, which were used to make the garments, such as—

1. netra (silk garments,p.69),
2. kṣauma (linen garments,p.69),
3. bādara (cotton garments,p.69)
4. dukūla (bark-silk garments, p.69) etc.

Descriptions of other various types of costumes are—

Uttarīya: The word uttarīya is mentioned many times in the Harṣacarita. It is an upper garment. The author Bāṇa describes that it was wrapped in the upper part of the body.^[11]

According to Amarakoṣa—

saṃvyānamuttarīyam.^[12]

It is also mentioned as uttarāṅga.^[13]

According to the Amarakoṣa—

uttare urdhāṅge āsajyate uttarāsaṅgaḥ.^[14]

It was worn by all irrespective of men^[15] and women.^[16] Sometimes the uttarīya was made of flax or linen (i.e., kṣauma)^[17] and sometimes made of cotton (i.e., bādara^[18]).

Dukūla: It is a silken-garment. The writer mentions it was worn by king Harṣa^[19] and king Śūdraka^[20] as well. It is also found that sometimes it was made from the bark^[21] of the tree.

Aṃśuka: It is a silk cloths and it is found that the people^[22] used this type of cloths very much in the 7^th century A.D. It is also known as netra.^[23] To indicate the fine silk-cloth, the writer has used the word netrapaṭā.^[24] The king also worn the turban^[25] made of the aṃśuka-cloth. Generally, the aṃśuka were of red,^[26] blue or black,^[27] and white^[28] colours. In this context, it should be mentioned that the cīnāṃśuka^[29] (i.e., china-made-silk) and chinācolaka^[30] (i.e., china-made shawls); were accepted as the best silken garments, which were used by the people at that time. So, it suggests that in that time also India imported cloths like these from China.

Pauṇḍra: it is a silken^[31] cloth imported from pauṇḍra Country. The author^[32] has himself put-on this cloth.

Caṇḍātaka: It is an under-garment of the ladies, spreading out in a circular fashion.^[33] According to P. V. Kane-“it is petticoat.”^[34] According to Saṅketa commentary-caṇḍātakamadhorukam.^[35]

Kañcuka: The writer denotes the tunic with the words kañcuka,^[36] mecakañcuka^[37] and vārabāṇa.^[38] Saṅketa commentary mentions-vārabāṇaḥ kañcukaḥ.^[39] P. V. Kane comments-“it is a coat-mail, jacket.”^[40] The writer mentions that the ladies of the Sthāṇvīśvara^[41] wore the kañcukina in their bodies.

According to P. V. Kane—

“kañcukinaḥ also means libidinous.”^[42]

This type of coat covered the whole body.^[43] Sometimes, it was made with silk.^[44]

Jātīpaṭṭikā: It is a loin-cloth which is very smooth to touch.^[45] According to the Saṅketa commentary-jātīpaṭṭikāḥ śreṣṭhāni jaghanagranthanāni.^[46]

Description of other cloths are also found in the Harṣacarita as—

1. kuthā (Blankets,p.114),
2. kambala (woolen blankets,p.46),
3. paṭṭopadhāna (silkcuison,p.110).

Nicolaka: It is a bed-cover made of white-silk.^[47] nicolaḥ pracchadapaṭaḥ.^[48]

According to the Saṅketa commentary—

nicolakādācchādanaprasevakāt.^[49]

Upadhāna (pillow): Generally, it is made of cotton. But the author mentions that one type of pillow^[50] was made of feathers of various birds which were presented to king Harṣa by Bhāskaravarman, king of Kāmarupa.

Kaupīna: It is a loin-cloth. It was worn by sage Bhairavacārya^[51] and his disciples^[52] also.

According to Amarakoṣa—

akāryaguhye kaupīnam.^[53]

The author Bāṇa mentions that sometimes it was made of kṣauma^[54] (i.e. bark-silk). Amarakoṣa also supports it.^[55] Description is found that kṣauma was gifted to emperor Harṣa by kumāra Bhāskaravarman.^[56]

In the Harṣacarita is described those other types of garments, which were worn by the ascetics or foresters.

They are such as—

1. karpaṭa (ragged garment,p.46),
2. yogapaṭṭaka (p.3),
3. cīvara (ragged garment,p.34,287),
4. mekhalā (a griddle made of grass,p.18),
5. kāṣāyavastra (the forester used this dress,p.139),
6. valkalavasta (belt of the kakala or valkala,p.18) etc.

According to the Saṅketa commentary vṛakṣatvanirmitaṃ vastaṃ kalkalaṃ samudāhṛtam.^[57]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

idṛśāḥ khalu lokasvabhāvāḥ pratigrāmaṃ …….ca bhinnā veśāścāraśca…janapadānām, Ibid.,VI.p.105

[2]:

suveśābhiḥ…, Ibid.,IV. p.69

[3]:

Ibid.

[4]:

Ibid.,II.p.105

[5]:

vinītamāryaṃ ca veṣaṃ dadhānaḥ, Ibid.,III.p.39

[6]:

..kalpadrumadukūlavalkalaṃ vasānā.., Ibid.,I.p.3

[7]:

….kanakakeyūrakoṭi……paṭṭāṃśukottaraṅgā…., Ibid.,IV.p.64

[8]:

..praviṣṭābhiḥ satībhiḥ subhagābhiḥ surupābhiḥ suveśābhiḥ…, Ibid.,IV.p.69

[9]:

….rajakararajyamānai ……kutilakramarupakriyamāna…. uttarīyaiḥ kṣaumaiśca bādaraiśca dukūlaiśca lālatantujairaṃśukaiśca netraiśca …..garbhakomalairniḥśvāsahāyaiḥ spaśānumeyairvasobhiḥ ….., Ibid.,IV.p.69

[10]:

…tārāmuktāphalopacīyamānaiśca kañcukaiḥ…, Ibid.

[11]:

..…hṛdayamūttarīyadukūlavalkalaikadeśena sañcādayantī…, Ibid.,I.p.15

[12]:

Amarakoṣa,II.6.118

[13]:

Harṣacarita,IV.p.64

[14]:

Amarakoṣa,II.6.117

[15]:

Harṣacarita, p.108

[16]:

….hṛdayamūttarīyadukūlavalkalaikadeśena sañchādayantī, Ibid.,I.p.15

[17]:

Ibid.,IV.p.69

[18]:

Ibid.

[19]:

paridhāya… dukūle, Ibid.,p.108

[20]:

amṛtaphenadhavale ….dukūlevasānam, Kādambarī,p.19

[21]:

..kalpadrumadukūlavalkalaṃ vasānā.., Harṣacarita,I.p.3

[22]:

mandākinipravāhāyamāṇamaṃśukaiḥ, Ibid.,II.p.27

[23]:

syājjaṭāṃśukayornetram, Amarakoṣa,III.3.180

[24]:

Harṣacarita,IV.p.69

[25]:

aṃśukoṣṇīṣapaṭṭikā….nṛpasya, Ibid.,I.p.8

[26]:

[a] raktāṃśukaḥ, Ibid.,p.70 [b] raktāṃśukasukumāravapuṣi….., Ibid.,IVp.71

[27]:

nīlāṃśukaracita…., Kādambarī,p.252,282

[28]:

śvetāṃśukaracitottamāṅga…, Ibid.,p.287

[29]:

[a]....upacitachīnacolakaiśca…, Harṣacarita,VII.p.110 [b].….kenacicchīnāṃśuka…, Ibid.,VIII.p.131

[30]:

Ibid.,p.110

[31]:

Ibid.,III.p.39

[32]:

Ibid.

[33]:

Ibid.,I.p.14

[34]:

Ibid.,p.210

[35]:

Ibid.,p.56

[36]:

[a] kañcukairanekopayogapāṭhyamāna…, Ibid.,p.69 [b] navanetranirmitena….. kañcukena, Ibid.,p.111

[37]:

Ibid., p.110

[38]:

dhavalavārabāṇadhariṇam, Ibid.,I.p.10

[39]:

Ibid.,p.43

[40]:

Ibid.,p.197

[41]:

Ibid.,p.44

[42]:

Ibid.,p.334

[43]:

vīdhrakañchukācchannavapuṣā, Ibid.,II.p.34

[44]:

dhautadhavalanetranirmitena…… kañcukena…., Ibid.,I.p.14

[45]:

..komalā sparśavatī jātīpaṭṭikāh, Ibid.,VII.p.116

[46]:

Ibid.,p.387

[47]:

[a] ujjalaniculakavaguṇṭhamānā….śayanīyai.., Ibid.,IV.p.69 [b] Ibid.,VII.p.115

[48]:

Amarakoṣa,II.6.116

[49]:

Harṣacarita,p.384

[50]:

citrapaṭānāṃ ca mradīyasāṃ samūrukopadhānadīnvikārān, Ibid.,p.116

[51]:

pāṇḍurapavitrakṣaumavṛtakaupīnam, Ibid.,p.47

[52]:

kaupīnasanāthaśikhareṇa.., Ibid.,III.p.46

[53]:

Amarakoṣa,III.3.122

[54]:

Ibid.,III.p.47

[55]:

vālkaṃ kṣaumādi, Ibid.,II.6.111

[56]:

…. kṣaumāṇi kuśalaśilpilokollikhitānāṃ…, Harṣacarita,VII.p.116

[57]:

Ibid.,p.68