Jivanandana of Anandaraya Makhin (Study)

by G. D. Jayalakshmi | 2019 | 58,344 words

This page relates ‘Analysis of Vijnana Sharma (Trivarga-sadhaka-mantri)’ 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 Vijñāna Śarmā (Trivarga-sādhaka-mantrī)

Knowledge’, an abstract concept, has been personified as two characters–Vijñāna Śarmā and Jñāna Śarmā, distinguishing them as Trivarga Mantrī and Apavarga Mantrī, respectively.

The first character to appear on the stage, as the play opens is Vijñāna Śarmā, the Trivarga Mantrī. His role is in fact the back-bone of the entire play. He is praised, censured and admired by all other major characters.

Vijñāna Śarmā is presented as a minister with special knowledge with regard to the statecraft and warcraft, and also has philosophical knowledge and a complete knowledge in the Āyurveda Śāstra.

As he enters the stage, Vijñāna Śarmā announces that while he is alive none can defeat Jīva, the king. On his way to the palace, he meets Dhāraṇā, friend and personal assistant of queen Buddhi, who had been sent to enemy camp in the guise of a mendicant.

In a lighter vein this clever minister corners her by talking about the power of meditation, thereby letting her know that he knows her true identity. Further, the way he talks, gives her the confidence to provide him with all the information she had gathered in the enemy camp.The responsible minister’s superior quality and ability are thus introduced by the play-wright.

Coming to know from Dhāraṇā that only the application of Rasa and Gandhaka would eradicate the attacks of the diseases headed by Yakṣmā, Vijñāna Śarmā takes a strong and purposeful step in advising the king to perform upāsanā of lord Parameśvara, by entering the Puṇḍarīkapura through the ‘manodvāra’ with the help of Śivabhakti.

Vijñāna Śarmā proves himself an able minister in the absence of the king. He has given strict orders to fortify the city on all sides and also around king Jīva who is in deep dhyāna. Karṇamūla, the spy sent by Pāṇḍu, brings out this fact clearly in his report to Pāṇḍu (II.25-30):

The people of the city grouped into three being led by Vāta, Pitta and Kapha, have complete faith in the minister and follow his orders implicitly.

The mind of Jīva also follows the advice of Vijñāna Śarmā in all matters and acts as directed by him (II.36):

uddāmabuddhivibhavena manastu tatravijṣānaśarmasacivena vaśīkṛtaṃ sat |
kārye mahatyadhikṛtaṃ hitakāri rājṣaḥ sarvātmanāpyanusaratyadhunā tameva ||

That the minister is engrossed in doing all that is necessary to ensure the welfare of Jīva is reported by the spy Karṇamūla (II.37/38):

evaṃvidhavividhavicitracaritravismāpitasakalalokasya svāmihitakaraṇaikatānasya tasya mantriṇaḥ pāre khalu vāṅmanasayoścaritādbhutāni |

Also, he had employed Vicāra as the police-guard, who enquires into details of any alien visiting the place (Act III, Śuddha-viṣkambhaka) As Vijñāna Śarmā himself declares, he, by his sharp intellect (kuśāgrabuddhi), after deep thought and consideration takes necessary actions as is suitable to the occasion and the problem concerned.

He is always alert and enthusiastic in the service of the king (III.11):

kāryeṣūkneṣu rājṣā katicidapi mayā sādhitānyeva pūrvaṃ
  sādhiṣyante parastāt katicana katiciccāpi sādhyanta eva |
kiṣcānukteṣu sadyaḥ kimapi kila kuśāgrīyayātmīyabuddhyā
  paryālocyaiva tattatsamayasamucitaṃ kartumutkaṇṭhito'smi ||

Vijñāna Śarmā‘s ability as an able administrator is lauded by king Jīva on his return with success from Puṇḍarīkapura. The minister had made the city festive to receive the king and queen.

On being asked by the Queen about any able person who could use the Rasa and Gandhaka properly for eradicating the enemies, the king declares Vijñāna Śarmā is the only person who knows how to use them (III.22):

§ṣireva vijānāti dravyasaṃyogajaṃ guṇam |
vijṣānaśarmaṇaḥ ko'nyaḥ sarvajṣānanidhistvṛṣiḥ ||

Jīva considers him as Bṛhaspati himself (III.26/27):

mantribṛhaspatiḥ saṃprāptaḥ |

Further, Jīva declares that Vijñāna Śarmā had taken the responsibilities of the kingdom in his hand and had been working indefatigably, day and night in eradicating the enemy's power; the minister also had been regularly informing king Jīva of what he had been doing everyday as he also directs Jīva to carry out various duties day by day according to their importance and necessity.

He also has foresight and has planned for future too (III.27):

kartavyo vidhiritthamitthamiti māmuktvā jigīṣurdviṣaṃ
  svasyaivopari rājyatantramakhilaṃ draṣṭavyamāsajya ca |
ādyedaṃ kriyate kariṣyata idaṃ paścādakāri tvidaṃ
  prāgeveti durantayā kṛśatanuṃ paśyāmyamuṃ cintayā ||

The dramatist thus presents the minister’s versatile talents in statecraft, in crisis management, in medical science and also portrays him through this speech of the hero as a loyal person.

When a team of the kings from neighbouring countries visit and greet the hero with their offerings, the minister introduces each of them to the king and describes their offerings. This presentation highlights the minister's dedication towards the hero.

Again, the leisurely time spent in the royal garden provides the minister with an occasion to explain in detail about, the six seasons, the seasonal vegetations and also diseases. This establishes the deep knowledge the minister has in Āyruveda.

Vijñāna Śarmā’s speciality in statecraft is again brought to the lime light in managing the spies sent by the enemy king. The six in-born enemies get in to the capital city. The able minister handles this crisis also successfully through his men. After silencing Kāma and Lobha by meditation, turning Krodha against his own people, killing Dambha and imprisoning Mada, Matsara alone has been sent free to the enemy camp to inform them of all he had seen. Yakṣmā and Pāṇḍu are thus made to understand the powerful mind of Vijñāna Śarmā.

They vow to do away with Jīva which would lead to Vijñāna Śarmā’s destruction since he considers the life of Jīva as more valuable than his own (V.41):

āśritya yaṃ satatamutpatasi smayena nirvāpayāmi tamahaṃ sahasaiva jīvam |
paścādvinaḍkṣyati bhavānapi cāśrayasyanāśānna sidhyati kimāśrayiṇo'pi nāśaḥ ||

Vijñāna Śarmā receives such censures from various characters including people from the hero's team like Jñāna Śarmā. Jñāna Śarmā refers to Vijñāna Śarmā as vijñānaśarmā-hataka and kumantri and his advice as viparīta vṛttis.

In the sixth Act, by the advice of Jñāna Śarmā, Jīva gets confused and Vijñāna Śarmā is able to understand the change in the mood of Jīva correctly as the influence of Jñāna.

Jīva now hesitates to fight the diseases; but Vijñāna, assures him that the city is under their complete control; and Jīva may know within a very short time that victory would be his (VI.23):

‘svāyatte nagare tasmin svāmipādaprasādataḥ |
jayaśriyaṃ hastagatāṃ jānātu ca bhavān kṣaṇāt ||’

The minister puts forth his sincere effort in managing the attack of the rival team with his own team of soldiers in the suitable forms of medicinal preparations. Every minute step is well depicted by the dramatist here.

When all the enemy army including their king Yakṣmā is completely destroyed by the powerful soldiers of the king in the form of various medicines, the minister is at last relieved by the fact he had restored the normal health of the hero (VII. 32/33; p.479):

evamevāyaṃ jīvo rājā bhagavatoḥ prasādānnīrogo nityamukto nirābādho bahukālaṃ jīyāditi prārthaye |

Vijñāna Śarmā, though cautious about Jñāna Śarmā is not inimical towards him. He believes that the advice of Jñāna Śarmā for final emancipation would become futile, if the body of Jīva is not taken care of. Hence his primary concern is to assume proper health of the body.

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