Jivanandana of Anandaraya Makhin (Study)
by G. D. Jayalakshmi | 2019 | 58,344 words
This page relates ‘Analysis of Nirvahana Sandhi’ of the study on the Jivanandana (in English) which is a dramatic play written by Anadaraya Makhin in the 18th century. The Jivanandana praises the excellence of Advaita Vedanta, Ayurveda (medical science) and Dramatic literature as the triple agency for obtaining everlasting bliss.
Analysis of Nirvahaṇa Sandhi
[Note: There is no Vimarśa sandhi found in this drama.]
The seventh and last Act of the play forms the Nirvahaṇa Sandhi. In this Act the entire problem is going to be solved and Jīva is going to obtain both physical and spiritual welfare by the grace of the Supreme.Thus in this sandhi, the bīja laid in the beginning of the play, gets fructified with all the impediments in the way are removed[1].
As the Act opens, the hero and his minister Vijñāna Śarmā enter the stage. The king is pleased and is assured about the final result of success on his side in the war on the basis of what had taken place in the earlier Act.
Now the war is described step by step, where for every attack of the enemy team, the soldiers of Jīva’s team aptly give a counter attack. As the war continues endlessly, Jīva by the grace of the Lord, gets into Nirbīja Samādhi whereby he gets all powers to vanquish the enemies. At oncea voice behind the curtain is heard announcing the end of the war and total success of the side of the hero.
Just before the announcement from behind the curtain, lord Śiva blesses Jīva, and advises him to always consider both Jñāna and Vijñāna as equally indispensable allies. The former leads Jīva to mokṣa while the latter deals with trivarga (dharma, artha and kāma) paving thus the way for mokṣa[2].
This part of Nirvahaṇa Sandhi imbued with aścarya is called Upagūhana[3] (com. p.475):
evam āścaryakarāṇāṃ bhagavadanugrahopātta-paramaśreyasāṃ pratīteḥ upagūhanaṃ nāma nirvahaṇa-sandhyaṅgamuktam ||
That part of the Nirvahaṇa Sandhi, where the play gets to a close with blessings from the Lord by way of varapradāna is Kāvyasaṃhāra.[4]
Accordingly in this play, lord Śiva enquires Jīva as to what else he desires from Himself; this forms the aṅga known as Kāvyasaṃhāra (com.p.481):
ānyat priyaṃ kiṃ kurmaḥ na kimapyataḥ paraṃ śreyo vidyate'vaśiṣṭamityarthaṃḥ | ānena ca “varapradānasaṃprāptiḥ kāvyasaṃhāra ucyate” iti kāvyasaṃhāralakṣaṇamaṅgamihopakṣiptam |
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
NŚ. 21.42:
samānayanamarthānāṃ mukhādyānāṃ sabījinām |
phalopasaṅgatānāṣca jṣeyaṃ nirvahaṇaṃ tu tat ||
[2]:
[3]:
Sāhityadarpaṇa, VI.112 d-113a:
... tadbhavedupagūhanam ||
yat syādadbhutasamprāptiḥ... |
[4]:
ibid., VI.114 ab:
varapradānasaṃprāptiḥ kāvyasaṃhāra iṣyate |