Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study)
by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah | 2014 | 67,792 words
This page relates ‘Similarities (10): Flora and Fauna’ 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.
1. Similarities (10): Flora and Fauna
[Full title: Similarities between the Two Societies of the Kādambarī and the Harṣacarita (10): Flora and Fauna]
In both the kāvyas, the author Bāṇabhaṭṭa has given the description of the great forest Vindhyāraṇya.[1] Here various flora and fauna are very common in the Harṣacarita and the Kādambarī. The people of that time are found showing great interest in flora and fauna, and they brought them up as their own child. It is described in the Kādambarī that Lopāmudrā,[2] the wife of sage Agastya brought up the trees exactly like her sons. Descriptions of aṣṭapuṣpikā[3] (i.e., bunch of eight flowers) and vandanamālā[4] (i.e., a garland suspended across a gate way) are found in the both kāvyas.
In the Harṣacarita also, the writer describes about different types of the birds and animals, which lived in the royal palace; and the queen Yaśomatī, brought them up as her own child and loved them very-much.[5] The birds like Parrot (śuka) and Maina (sārikā) etc. were tamed and they sang[6] sweet and auspicious songs. It is described that, in the houses of the brāhmaṇas, the birds could correctly imitate the recitation of Vedic mantras. The students could take lessons in leisure time from trained birds, instead of teachers. Those birds also helped the ṛtvijas[7] to give leisure during sacrifices (yāga). Again Kālindī,[8] the sārikā bird of princess Kādambarī, and other birds[9] of rājakula could talk like human. Therefore, people were very fond of these two kinds of birds to tame them. The people also knew the art of training[10] elephants and horses as well.
It should be noted that the writer mentions about śarabha[11] as a kind of deer in the Harṣacarita and as a ferocious animal of great strength in the Kādambarī.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[a] asti…..pādapairupaśobhitā, madakalakurarakuladaśyamānamaricapallavā, ……… śukakuladalitadāḍimīphala….latāmaṇḍapaiḥ, …śaśopagatā ca, …parimitabahulapatrasañcayāpi saptaparnabhūṣitā…..pavitrā vindhyāṭavī nāma, Kādambarī,p.36-40 [b] ….vindhyavanamidam, ….agaṇitagajakulakalitam, aparimitamṛgapatiśarabhabhayam, ….…..avaṭaśataviṣamamaviśat, Harṣacarita,VIII.p.130
[2]:
…..mahāmuneragastyasya bharyayā lopāmudrayā svayamuparacitālavālakaiḥ karapuṭasalilasekasaṃvardhitaiḥ sutainirviśeṣairupaśobhitāṃ pādapaistatputreṇa ca…. Kādambarī,p.41-42
[3]:
[a] Harṣacarita,p.8 [b] Kādambarī,p.339
[4]:
[a] Harṣacarita,p.111 [b] Kādambarī,p.322
[5]:
[a] bhrātaḥ pañjaraśuka, yathā na vismarati māma…, Harṣacarita,V.p.83 [b] śārike, svapne naḥ samāgamaḥ…, Ibid.
[c] ….kasya sampayāmi gṛhamayūrakam, Ibid.
[d] amba, sutavallālanīyamidaṃ haṃsamithunaṃ…, Ibid.
[e] mātṛvatsale……gṛhahariṇike…., Ibid.
[f] …kim kimiti pṛcchamāneva …..bhavanahaṃsībhiḥ, Ibid.,V.p.82
[g]. …..samupadiśyamāna…gṛhasārasībhiḥ…, Ibid.
[6]:
…..paṭhataḥ pañjarabhājaḥ śukasārikāsamūha….prabhātamaṅgalagītayaḥ, Kādambarī,p.91
[7]:
śukasārikavyadhyayanādiyamānopādhyāyaviśrāntisukhāni, Harṣacarita,I.p.21
[8]:
…..kusumamayīmāgatya sārikā sakrodhamavādit ……eṣā …..kādamaryāḥ kālindīti nāmnā sārikā, Kādambarī,p.294
[9]:
ālapyamānaśukasārikam, Ibid.,p.144
[10]:
[a] candrāpīḍo ……hastiśikṣāyāṃ turagavayojñāne…kauśalamavāpa, Ibid.,p.126 [b] Harṣacarita,p.29, 31
[11]:
[a] Ibid.,p.66, 74
[b] Kādambarī,p.213