Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study)
by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah | 2014 | 67,792 words
This page relates ‘Dissimilarities (1): Life of the People:’ 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.
2. Dissimilarities (1): Life of the People:
[Full title: Differences Between the two Societies of the Kādambarī and the Harṣacarita (1): Life of the People]
In the Harṣacarita, there are much fuller account of the writer Bāṇa’s[1] own ancestors and his genealogical descriptions of his family. But, the introductory verses of the Kādambarī, give his genealogy[2] only. The plot of the Kādambarī appears very complicated due to the description of most of the characters representing the second and third birth. It is, such as, at first Vaiśampāyana[3] was born as the son of Śūkanāsa,[4] the minister of king Tārāpīḍa. In second birth, he was born as ṛṣi kumāra Puṇḍarīka,[5] and then, due to curse, he was born as a parrot[6] (śūka bird). At last, he got his life as Vaiśampāyana, the son of Śūkanāsa. But in the Harṣacarita,[7] the author describes the life and period of the hero based on real king Harṣavardhana of 7th century A. D. The Harṣacarita contains the glorious carrier of conquest of king Harṣa, which has a historical value, but there is no description of king Candrāpīḍa of the Kādambarī in Indian History. It is seen that the entire theme of the Kādambarī as well as the descriptions therein contain fullness of imaginations. Most of the characters of this kāvya are in their second or third birth, which shows unreal character of the work itself. But in the Harṣacarita, the hero is a famous historic figure. In the Kādambarī curses and counter curses are described which are unbelievable to the reader. The whole story is described through the mouth of a parrot which also poses additional drawbacks.
The law always helps in the development of the individual and of the society as well. In the Harṣacarita, Bāṇabhaṭṭa states that the society was governed by the laws of Manu.[8] But the people in the Kādambarī gave importance to the words of the great epic Mahābhārata.[9] The society of the Kādambarī[10] believed in rebirth which depends on karma, and followed the trisatya[11] the triple oath of truthfulness i.e., observed by means of body, speech and mind. Sage Jāvāli followed the vow of truth.[12]
The Kādambarī, describes only about royal[13] life and life of hermits.[14] In the Harṣacarita, Bāṇa describes three types of societies, viz., city life, hermitage life and village life. The village life[15] is described very vividly in the Harṣacarita, which is not found in the Kādambarī. It is found in the Harṣacarita, the villagers were mainly depended on forest and they collected all the essential things like the fuel-wood, honey, fruits, etc. from the forest.[16] They sold these in the nearer villages.[17] It is found in the Harṣacarita that the people rendered dirt due to the dust on the unpleasant village roads.[18] Water reservoirs beside the roads were used for the travelers outside the city.[19]
Again, in the Kādambarī, Bāṇabhaṭṭa depicts the romance of hero Candrāpīḍa and heroine Kādambarī. All the characters of the Kādambarī are gentle, youthful and trustable; holy in minds etc., but in the Harṣacarita, the writer depicts the coarse conduct of the wicked characters also. Again, the description of demigods’ such as gandharva, kinnara[20] are found in the Kādambarī, unlike in the Harṣacarita.
In the society of the Kādambarī, people had given more importance to boys than girls. In the society of the Kādambarī shows the son got more importance than the daughter. The people gave importance to the words of the great epic Mahābhārata at that time. Therefore, hearing the words of the great epic Mahābhārata[21] which declares that there is no heaven for the childless and that, a son alone can save the soul from hell, the mind of childless queen Vilāsavatī[22] was very deeply strucked and she refused to take food, and to drink. In the Harṣacarita, from the version of king Prabhākaravardhana, it is known that people had given equal importance to their daughter, with their sons.[23] Women too occupied a respectable position in the Harṣacarita of Bāṇabhaṭṭa. Although, the author does not give the name of women kings,[24] but he mentions that the women also ruled capitals in the time of Harṣa.
In the Harṣacarita, it is noted that women were engaged in various professions. But the description of female fortune-teller[25] found in only the Kādambarī. It is noted that queen Vilāsavatī got depressed by the prophetic words of female fortune-tellers.[26]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[a] Harṣacarita, I,p.17-20
[b] Ibid., II.p.21-36
[2]:
Kādambarī,v.10-20
[3]:
Ibid.,p.125
[4]:
Ibid.,p.123
[5]:
Ibid.,p.231
[6]:
Ibid.,p.49
[7]:
[9]:
Kādambarī,p.104
[10]:
janmāntarakṛtaṃ hi karma phalamupanayati puruṣasyeha janmani. na hi śakyaṃ daivamanyathākartumabhiyuktenāpi, Ibid.,p.105
[11]:
Ibid.,p.65
[12]:
satyavrata, Ibid.,p.76
[13]:
[14]:
Ibid.,p.208-215
[15]:
Harṣacarita, VII. p.108-110
[16]:
kāṣṭhasaṃgrahārthamaṭavīṃ praviśatā…..bhārāṃśca madhuno…vividhavanaphalapurita….., Ibid.,p.123
[17]:
…bhārākāna lokenādāya vrjatā…… vikrayacintāvyagrabhigrāmeyakabhivyāptadigantaram, Ibid.,p.124
[18]:
[a] …..uddhuyamānadhūlipaṭalam, Ibid.,VII.113
[b] utsarpibhiḥ …..mārgareṇuparuṣavapuṣam, Ibid.,I.p.9
[19]:
[a] kaṇṭakitakarkarīcakrākrāntakāṣṭhamañcikāmuṣitatṛṣām… śītalasikatilakalaśīśamitaśramāṇām…, Ibid.,VII.123
[b] biśrāmyatkārpaṭika……….pīyamānapayasāmaṭavīpraveśaprapānām…, Ibid.
[c] aṭavīsulabha…navakhāṭakūpikopakaṇṭhapratiṣṭhita….kuṭīrakāṇām, Ibid.
[20]:
Kādambarī,p.313
[21]:
Ibid.,p.104
[22]:
[23]:
[24]:
…sarbhābhyo digbhyaḥ strīrājyānīvāvarjitāni, Ibid.,IV.p.62
[25]:
Kādambarī,p.109