Harṣavardhana has made a mark in the annals of Sanskrit literature with his three plays: Priyadarśikā, Ratnāvalī and Nāgānanda. Interestingly, the prologues of these plays are largely similar. Although there is no discussion here significant to literary aesthetics, we do find a verse that lays down certain fundamental tenets:
श्रीहर्षो निपुणः कविः परिषदप्येषा गुणग्राहिणी
Rāvaṇa said to the rākṣasa Mārīca, “My dear friend, hear me. I am in immense distress and you are my sole means of solace. You know Janasthāna, where once dwelt my powerful brothers Khara, Dūṣaṇa, and Triśiras as well as my sister Śūrpaṇakhā. As per my orders, they lived there with several other rākṣasas and constantly troubled the dhārmic munis. The brothers along with fourteen thousand rākṣasas have been slain by Rāma, who, although in rage, did not utter a single harsh word.
Whatever comes next is the crux of the kaṭhopaniṣat. This is where Naciketas asked Yama to answer his question. His question surprised Yama. Not willing to answer that, he tried to convince Naciketas to ask something else as vara. He tries to entice him with different gifts. Naciketas doesn’t budge, he adamantly states that if he wants to give a vara he should answer his question. He ties up Yama with his own words and makes him give away the answer. The conversation between them is intriguing.
śraddhèyoḻamirpudu trai-
vidhyaṃ prakṛtijaguṇatrayāgatamadariṃ |
buddhi samaṃtoṃtatsad-
baddhamiral śraddhèyaduve saṃsiddhikaram ||
There are three kinds of śraddhā,
arising from the guṇa-triad born of prakṛti.
When buddhi is completely restrained by
Om, Tat, Sat, śraddhā gives rise to perfection.
{ಮಂಜುಭಾಷಿಣಿ} ರಥೋದ್ಧತಾವೃತ್ತದ ಪ್ರತಿ ಪಾದದ ಮೊದಲಿಗೆ ಎರಡು ಲಘುಗಳನ್ನು ಬೆಸೆದರೆ ‘ಮಂಜುಭಾಷಿಣಿ’ ಸಿದ್ಧವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ:
ರಥೋದ್ಧತಾ
– u – u u u – u – u –
ಮಂಜುಭಾಷಿಣಿ
[u u] – u – u u u – u – u –
ಇದು ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ತಕ್ಕಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ನೆಲೆಗೊಂಡಿದೆ. ಮಾಘನೇ ಮೊದಲಾದ ಕವಿಗಳು ಇದನ್ನು ಕಥನಕ್ಕೆ ಕೂಡ ಬಳಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಒಂದೆರಡು ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗಳನ್ನೀಗ ಕಾಣೋಣ:
ಬೆಲೆಚೀಟಿ ನಿನ್ನ ಬೆಲೆಯಂ ಪೊಗಳ್ವುದೇಂ
ತಲೆಮಾಸಿಕೊಂಡ ಬಳಿಕಲ್ತೆ ಸಲ್ವೆಯಯ್ |
As Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa sat along with Sītā in leaf hut engrossed in conversation, a rākṣasī named Śūrpaṇakhā, the sister of the ten-headed rākṣasa Rāvaṇa happened to come there. As soon as the rākṣasī saw Rāma, she grew infatuated with him. While Rāma was handsome, she was ugly; he was slim and she had a huge tummy; he had wide eyes, and her eyes were crooked; his voice was sweet and hers struck terror. He was young, noble, and well mannered, while she was old, repulsive, and ill mannered.
Therefore, it does not mean that belief in śāstra means that the buddhi is going to stop working. In the sixth chapter, Bhagavān himself has explained how important the buddhi is.
buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam ॥
The nature of the ātmā is beyond the senses and the manas. The Upaniṣat says —
yanmanasā na manute yenāhur-mano matam ॥
Kenopaniṣat
{ಸ್ವಾಗತಾ} ರಥೋದ್ಧತಾವೃತ್ತಕ್ಕಿರುವ ಚತುರಸ್ರಶೋಭಿಯಾದ ಗತಿಸೌಂದರ್ಯ ಎಂಥದ್ದೆಂದು ಮನಗಾಣಲು ವ್ಯತಿರೇಕರೂಪದ ಉದಾಹರಣೆಯೆಂಬಂತೆ ಸ್ವಾಗತಾ ಎಂಬ ವೃತ್ತವನ್ನು ನಾವು ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ಅದರ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾರ ಮತ್ತು ಕೆಲವೊಂದು ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗಳು ಹೀಗಿವೆ:
– u – u u u – u u – –
(೫+೩+೪+೪) – u – | u u u | – u u | – –
(೩+೫+೪+೪) – u | – u u u | – u u | – –
ಕೆಮ್ಮನುಮ್ಮಳಿಸಿ ಕೋಪಿಸದಿರ್ಮಾಣ್
ನಿಮ್ಮನುಜ್ಞೆ ದೊರೆಕೊಂಡೊಡೆ ಸಾಲ್ಗುಂ |
ನಿಮ್ಮ ನಚ್ಚಿನ ತಪೋಧನನಂ ತಂ-
Many sages gathered around Rāma once Śarabhaṅga had ascended to svarga. They told him their plight of being tormented by rākṣasas along River Pampā, Mandākinī, and the Citrakūṭa Mountain. Rāma promised them protection and proceeded to the āśrama of Sutīkṣṇa along with Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā.
