Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study)
by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah | 2014 | 67,792 words
This page relates ‘Dissimilarities (4): Festivals’ 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 (4): Festivals
[Full title: Differences Between the two Societies of the Kādambarī and the Harṣacarita (4): Festivals]
In the Harṣacarita, it is found that so many festivals were celebrated at that time. They were such as at the birth of a prince, the people celebrated putrajanmotsava,[1] for one month as mahotsava. The writer mentions about pusyābhiṣeka[2] which suggests the day the king took ceremonial bath. The king took ceremonial bath in that day, the Moon being in the puṣya asterism. The writer mentions that this festival was very charming with banner-cloths, sharp drums, conches, cowries and unguents.[3] Bāṇa describes about mahānavamī,[4] in which buffaloes were sacrificed to Dūrgā. The marriage ceremony of princess Rājyaśrī, infect, was performed as a great festival of the country.[5] In that time, all the city palaces, streets, buildings etc. were decorated with various fabulous things.[6]
It is found that, the people enjoyed the princess marriage in a very happy mood.[7] In the Kādambarī, it is informed that in yuvarājābhiṣeka,[8] the citizen enjoyed a lot in that great day.
To summarize, as both the Harṣacarita and the Kādambarī was written by one author, there is no doubt that some mode of writing style, description of contemporary society, political scenario of the society, customs, rituals, sacraments etc. are common between the two societies. But it will be worth to mention that, the Harṣacarita may be treated as historical document in contrast to the Kādambarī which is mainly an imaginary literary adventure.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
Ibid.,II.p.26
[3]:
ekīkṛtairdhvajapaṭapaṭupaṭahasaṅkhacāmaraṅgarāgaramaṇīyaiḥ pusyāpbhiṣekadivasairiva kalpitairvāraṇendraiḥ śyāmāyamānam, Ibid.
[4]:
mahānavamīmahaṃ mahiṣamaṇḍālanām, Ibid.,VIII.p.126
[5]:
[a].….mahotsave ekaki vahudha…., Ibid.,IV.p.70 [b].….vijṛmbhamāne mahotsave ……vivāhadivasaḥ, Ibid.
[6]:
Ibid.,IV.p.68-70
[7]:
Ibid.