Jivanandana of Anandaraya Makhin (Study)
by G. D. Jayalakshmi | 2019 | 58,344 words
This page relates ‘Analysis of Matsara’ 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 Matsara
Matsara's first appears in the fifth Act; he is again seen with Yakṣmā at the end of the sixth Act, and he perishes along with them.
Being one of the six in-born enemies, sent by Pāṇḍu to disturb the samādhi of king Jīva, Matsara alone returns alive to his camp. Having dispensed with all the others, Vijñāna Śarmā makes Matsara see all his preparations against Yakṣmā and his diseases and sends him back to Yakṣmā to inform him of all that he had seen in Jīva’s city.
This is in keeping with the nature of Matsara, as he is always jealous of other’s prosperity–
matsaro ānyaśubhadveṣaḥ |
In the Śuddha-viṣkambhaka scene of the fifth Act, Matsara, in a long conversation with Kuṣṭha, narrates all that had happened to him and his friends in Jīva’s city till his return to Yakṣmā’s camp. His life had been spared by the enemeies in order to let Yakṣmā know all the preparation in Jīva’s city.
Vijñāna Śarmā turns him into a messenger from himself to Yakṣmā, advising him to return to his master and minister with no fear and report all; Vijñāna even makes Matsara know the names of his commenders (V.18):
upajapto'pi bahudhā tairasmākaṃ sa kevalam |
sauhārdamanurundhānaḥ śastraghātaṃ hato'jani ||
He is seen again at the end of the fifth Act, reporting about all that he had observed in Jīva’s place to Yakṣmā and Pāṇḍu. Since, he is Matsara, his innate nature has made him remember all details. Accordingly, the poet here allots nine verses to Matsara to describe–the undisturbed samādhi of Jīva with Praṇas to protect him (vv.28-30) and all the important śastras and yantras kept in readiness in the city of Jīva (31-36). This information provided by Matsara makes Pāṇḍu and Yakṣmā prepare for similar powerful retaliation from their side.
He remains loyal to Yakṣmā till the end. After their exit in the sixth Act with plans to attack again, there is no mention of Matsara in the seventh Act. When Kāla declares that Yakṣmā and Viṣūcī along with all their invincible subordinates have been vanquished, it is understood that Matsara too is destroyed.