Introduction (Novelty of the Jīvānandana)

Of all the above listed allegorical plays, the Jīvānandana Nāṭaka, is unique in the sense that it deals not only with illustrating Advaitic principles but also presents the science of Āyurveda. Ānandarāya Makhin has brought out in this drama, the principles of Indian medical science which makes medical men as well as those who have literary taster, understand the fundamantals of Āyurveda and its application. Ānandarāya Makhin seems to have chosen the mode of drama to propagate Āyurveda even to common man. This is a pioneer attempt with no precedence, made by the poet in dramatising the fundamentals of medicine. By this ingenious way he has tried to create interest in non-medical scholars, through his literary skill.

The poet himself is sure of the novelty of his play that he declares through the mouth of the Sūtradhāra in the Prastāvanā, that his style of writing and the matter taken up for presentation would surely be removing the darkness of fatigue caused in the audience by listening to the works of earlier writers (I.11):

kavīnāṃ pūrveṣāṃ kathamapi ca cittairavahitaiḥ gṛhītā yā nāsīt sarasakavitāsārapadavī |
āsau tāmākrāman harati narasihmādhvarikulapradīpaḥ sūrīṇāṃ śravaṇayugajāḍyāndhatamasam ||

Not only that; he reposes great confidence in the audience of his time. When the assistant doubts whether such a drama as Jīvānandana would be appreciated by the audience since it deals with difficult subject-matter as Āyurveda combined with Advaita, the

Sūtradhāra is made to declare that those who have congregated to see the play being highly intellectual, it gives impetus to the dramatist to display his erudition and scholarship, and to produce satisfaction to the audience and thus win over the critiques (I.14):

jāḍyaṃ bhinatti janayatyadhikaṃ paṭutvaṃ sārvajṣamāvahati saṃmadamātanoti |
vidveṣivargavijayāya dhṛtiṃ vidhatte kiṃ kiṃ karoti na mahadbhajanaṃ janasya ||

Such a confident author deserves the attention of the world of scholars. The, Jīvānandana Nāṭaka also deserves to be studied in depth to bring out its salient features as an allegorical play dealing with Āyurveda and Advaita at the same time in the mode of a nāṭaka.