INTRODUCTION

Chapter Three will carefully look into the compositions of BSna and

Dandin in Sanskirit prose {gadjhd) literature as contributions to the field of

plant-life. Bana's Harsacarita and Kadambari, and Dandin's Dhasakumracarita

will be the focus of research attention in this Chapter. Major literary

enterprises by these two significant Sanskrit writers - their conception of

forest, floral elements, utility of jungles as well as both these writers'

erudition on the sophistication and delicacies of nature, and related issues

will be considered for a considered look. While the literary works will be

followed up in their sequential order, the intention not being the story, only

those portions that shed light on the research topic will be presented and

discussed.

The researcher has already alluded succinctly to the nature and

features of STU cpioy {prose) and mi ^IC2T {poetry) as they are traditionally

understood in the classical Sanskritic tradition. It is said by the rhetoricians

that prose was the touchstone of literature and poets '. This model of

literary expression (sm) becomes highly useful and functional as it has the

luxury and convenience of lengthy expression through prolonged sentences

and phrases.

BANA AND HIS WORKS

About the personal history or biography of Sanskrit authors and

especially poets, our knowledge is generally meagre and ambiguous. In the

case of a number of Sanskrit poets, we know so little except their names or

pen-names. There are just a few Sanskrit writers who left to posterity a

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reasonably good account of themselves in their literary pieces. Bana

perhaps stands at the top of such Sanskrit authors. To his Kadambari brief

account of his family is a prefixed. In his Harsacarita , we find a much

saturated account of his ancestors as well as himself. The first two

Uchchhvaasas (Chapters) of the Harsacarita deal with the history of his

forefathers and himself Emperor Harsha, the patron and mentor of Bana, is

said to have reigned from 606 A.D. to 648 A.D. Therefore it is safe to

assume that Bana must have flourished towards the end of the 6*' and in the

first half of the ?"' century AD.

Bana's Harshacarita (gtf-dftd) and the Kadambari (cfcic J-siil) are

well-known as literary works of high quality. Both compositions are written

in the same decorated and complex style. Bana is held as one of the

brightest stars in the galaxy of Sanskrit poets. Ancient Sanskrit writers as

well as modern literary critics are together in bestowing on Bana an

unstinted weight of adulation. His compositions were considered by

Sanskrit critics as the finest specimens of the Panchali (m riic-fl) style of

composition, in which both the word and sense are equally balanced . He is

easily the first among the gadhya (^m) writers of classical Sanskrit

literature. He exhibits great skill and discrimination in characterisation.

'Banochchistam jagath sarvam' ( Mfrf JTsgoPTcXTf )- ''The entire world of

poetry is what has remained after Bana has relished and tasted" is an adage

that has assumed almost a proverbial status.

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FLORA IN BANA'S HARSCARITA

Harsacarita, a prose work containing some autobiographical matter

about Bana, the author, and some account of Harasha's reign. This work

has eight ajsm^r (Uchchvasa) or Chapters and introduced with the narration

of the remote ancestors of Harsha and also acquaints king Harsha, the great

conqueror and ruler of India and also an author of considerable scholarship

as well as distinction in classic Sanskrit literature^.

The n«OT ajs^m (PRATHAMA UCHCHHVASA) or the first Chapter

gives the legendary annals of Sana's family until we come to his own birth

and education. The author starts his ancestral history with the story of

events in vanguard of Brahma who was seated in his fully bloomed lotus

chair. The poet imagines that lotus fibres were stuck to Brahma's physique

when he sprang from the louts. The rays of the emerald resembled green

blades of kusha ( 2T) grass. Goddess Saraswathi's left hand looked like a

bud of flowers; her eyebrow was like a creeper, ear-ornament was white

fiill-blown sinduvara (7ft§^ ) flower which was compared to her smile; her

lips were naturally red like the alakatha (3id*cii) dye. Goddess Saavitri

wore a habiliment of silken bark of the tree in the paradise. A gabardine of

lotus filament was tied. The perspiration of four Vedas is compared to

somarasa ( zftTRTT) - the spiritual drink from vegetable roots. They had a

chowrie i"^) of kusha ( 3T) grass and bark garment. The Kamandalu

(qDJHscj) was compared to the white lotus bud. Putting it succinctly, the

writer Bana portrays Brahma's place as full of charm akin to floral

beautification of a superior order.

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Saraswathi and Saavitri came down to the world of mortals, due to

Durvasa ( ^ ^ ) ' s curse and this incidence is compared to the situation when

lotuses had sealed their petals and day looked murky as they did so. In the

next instance, the poet construes the evening in Dandaka (^5^) forest in a

magnificent manner . There and then, the sky gifted a roseate colour as if it

were smudged with alaktaka (3id*ri*i) dye. The red sandal juice is

imagined to be the perspiration of the evening. When the delicate evening

breeze, resembling the sigh of the dusk, started blowing, it made the

Mandakini (JT rfesft) river grey with the pollen of flowers of creepers

growing on the banks, and bearing the perfiime of the jasmine (Tf^^T)

flowers. These flowers expanded in the evening in the strings of the

matrous (^eft) of the city of Siddhas {%^). Stacks of kutaja (^^^), tala

(CTTH) fruits and campaka {^m^) flowers are utilised by the poet here to

describe the night fall. The white Ganges water looked like the malathi

(JTTcTcft) flower wreath with sandal. Poet familiarises the reader with the

information that people there worshipped God Shiva with flowers,

refreshed their bodies with roots and fruits, made the settee of blossoms and

slept on the stone floor of the creeper arbour.

As the narration in the kavya (*icii) advances, the reader is treated

with affluent description of floral wealth. The mass of dust grey (of the

horse) was similar to the inner leaves of the blossoming ketaki {^P^^)

flower. Dadhicha ( eftw), the esteem of the Brugu (K^) race, who was

decked with a wreath of malathi (^idcfl) flowers and vakula buds on his

head set his foot in to the forest. His wide eyes looked like two ponds of

blooming white, blue and red lotuses. His mouth breathed the aroma of

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mangoes, kakkola-fnxits, cloves, and parijatha. Reverberating with the hum

of bees, the forest looked like bringing together the Nandanavana and

Vasnath Rutu. The intent of the poet here is that Dadhicha made vasantha

to descend on the earth together with Nandanavana. His ear ornaments

were as big as kadamba buds and emitted a glaze which suggested a

pendant of green kunda leaves with their flowers. (It may be noted that often

in Sanskrit kavyas there is an imagination that kunda flowers, being white in

complexion, are like pearls and the green leaves are like emeralds.) Sandal

paste enlarged his splendour. He was mounted on a grand steed in colour

like a dark sindhuvara flower. His entourage girt with perftimed jerkins

speckled with powder of black aloe wood paste. They were brimming with

numerous wild flowers, fruits, roots, and leaves for the purpose of worship.

Both Savitri and Saraswathi greeted them with their usual hospitality of

forest life, commencing with the seat of twigs and ending with presents of

fruits with flowers "*. Saraswathi's face looked like a lotus (^.u^^*); her

smile was comparable to the night-lotus, arms were as soft as day-lotuses,

her heart followed Dadheecha like a new shower upon a young wood-

creeper (3lv3llild g oicjMp cj ^ Mldc|eriddlill: l) and she descended on her

couch of young arms with her exhausted limbs. She recollected

Dadheecha's appearance as buds of expanding lotuses - white, blue, and

red; his lips were remembered by her like the bloomed bandhuka flowers.

She shrouded her heart in the mantle of woven bark as if the buds of her

love were bursting forth. (Har.Uch.I).

V ^ The second verse of DWIT^YA UCHCH^VASA or Second

Chapter deliberates on the meeting of Bana and Harsha, the hero of the

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kavya, with the help of Krishna (emperor Harsha's brother). \\9\9\ ^ffc[o\

cfS^fl^ QCI HI forsrmf fe^^ vciu^ l' that is, 'the day has planted the red

beauty in the lotus that is due to the sun'. The time of the day, as

distinguished from the night, is the 'counsel' between the lotus and the sun,

like Krisna, between Bana and Sri Harsa. The young students gathered to see

the sacrificial rituals. In that place, the porches in front of the houses were

covered by the small beds of green Soma plants which were fresh due to

being recently watered. The place was naturally splendid where the girls

offered neevara grains to the birds and their pets. In that pretty location

green kusha grass and leaves were collected for sacrifice, the sacred

boundaries were purified by agglomeration of udumbara branches; the trees

around there were grey with the fumes of the sacred offerings.

Bana describes the advent of summer in breathtaking scenic

expressions. The resounding laughter of Shiva is white like the mallika

flower, which is the flower of hot season; the women, themselves grey with

sandal-wood applications, sleep away during the day like the night lotuses

which are incapable of enduring the sight of the sun. In the frightening

heat of the Summer, people became so desperate to drink water perfumed

with the strong scent of the patala flower that it looked as if they were

longing to drink up the very breeze. Summer season's horizon borders

appear as if they are painted red with the reddening mandara flowers. To

the poet's imagination, it meant that the boundaries of the vicinity looked

crimson, giving an impression as though smudged with vermilion by the

mandara flowers. For an insightful reader, the intent of the poet becomes

clear: that is, that mandara trees were planted on the village boundaries.

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The leaves being parched because of the hot sun, the creepers groaned and

moaned. Troops of ospreys {kuraraha) in the arjuna trees floated in the air

on the banks of pools. The muchukunda trees were smashed down by the

ponderous storm, the gusty winds that hit with great pace crossing the

desert tracks effortlessly, whooping with dry shami trees. They hauled and

drove away clusters of the clattering dry seeds of old karanja trees. These

trees themselves were covered with dry leaves as with a persisting

explosion, bearing the long lines of grass like a sick man's exposed veins,

shaking the points of the barley as if they were whiskers, frightening the

three worlds by the penetrating vibration of rattling the dry bamboo-

thickets. The horrifying forest fire appeared on every side. Harsa's message

to Bana through Krishna was that somehow he should meet king Harsa. The

message read thus: 'that the tree without fruit is not liked by anyone in the

world'. The latent intent of the king here was that instead of being under the

shade of other ordinary trees (relatives), Bana can reach and be beneath

king Harsa so as to bear fruit and be fruitful.

As the day began folding up, it appeared as though it was drunk by

the cavities {samputahd) of the closing red lotuses. Bana performed some

obligatory rites before embarking his expedition to Harsa. He worshipped

Lord Shiva with luscious flowers, sandal paste and incense sticks.

Girikarnika flowers (a kind of white flower) adorned his ears that were

interwoven with the stubs of auspicious durva grass smeared with the

rochana. The auspicious water jar's neck was encircled by a garland of

white flowers, the mouth of the jar was encircled customarily with a

mango-spray {it may be pointed out that as a symbol of sacred duration,

tender mango stems {aamrapallavd) are placed in the mouth of water jars as

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auspicious even today}. Bana arrived at the sacred grove oiCandika which

was displeasing with leafless trees; with the figures of Goddess carved on

the tree trunks, though parched, yet appeared to be flourishing with

thousands of red tongues, thick with hundreds of new shoots of stout

asparagus which had sprung up succulently from the scorched soil. Poet's

intention here seems to be that generally after the forests get inflamed in the

summer, timberland plants whose seeds are lying dormant spring up).

Bana reached the king Harsa's royal camp which was pitched near

Manjathara along the Ajiravathi river, and he noticed different colours in

different directions of the camp. Red chowries tied as decoration to the ears

of camels looked like red rice fields covered with red lotuses. These

chowries gave an impression as if they were groves of old karanja (ct>^*j|)

trees with hundreds of dry jackets of seeds clattering on them. In the other

direction, the white cowries were looking like the white lotus-fibres in the

expanse of the heavens.

The doorkeeper of the king, who himself looked like a karnikara (

ct)|Lir<±>k) flower because he was fair in complexion, greeted Bana from a

long distance, with his broad eye as if they were a garland of full-

blossomed lotuses secured for an offering. The elephant livery was teeming

with the nostrils of ichor like that of bakula ( ^ ^ ) flower and hinterland

was circumvented by plantain groves. Elephants were hustling up with

refreshing juicy shoots , creepers, lotus fibres and piece of plantain covered

with leaves. Harsha's two thighs looked like two sandal-trees. With his

lovely smile it looked as if he was despatching full-blown lotuses. His

bright teeth were like the bed of lotuses, perfumed by the parijatha flower

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and the fragrance exhaled from his mouth. His nose appeared like a bud of

his handsome face akin to expanded lotus.

THRUTHEEYA UCHCHHVASA or the Third Chapter commences

with the portrayal of autumn season {Shishira Rutu). Bana compares this

term to the prosperous times of Puspabhuti, the founder of Harsha's family.

nipa ('nimeelannipe') (a type of kadamba tree which carries flowers

during the rainy season) ^ and kutaja trees had dried up with no flower on

them in the autumn (Pi^^xlj,^ 1^^) and the plantain became blossom-less

(Pti| dct)o-<^c^). Bana stupefies his readers by recapitulating the deep

human attributes in the flowers around that area in a regal style. As he

signifies it, delicate is the soft red lotus (Komala kamale), the blue lotus

secretes honey, the water-lily is a delight (cjD^ i|,iQafl) to watch, the nights

are cool with the shephalika flower (shephalikasheetalikruta nishi), the

jasmine flower matures itself into fragrance ( jfi!ict>41f ofl).

The beauty is that the description is succinct and at the same time

incarcerates the specialities of each of these things of joy for ever. In

addition to these gracefulness, the entire region is all on fire of excitement

with the opening of white night lotuses (^1<i^l^: ^ ^ : ) ; the movement of

air has gone grey with sapthacchada pollen (sapthachchadha dhulidhoosara

samire); The evening has received an unexpected glow due to the lovely

clustering bandhukas, the wild rice is parched to ripeness, the pollen is

moulded in the priyangu blossoms, the cucumber's skin is no longer soft,

and the reed grass smiles with blooms.

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At this juncture, the reader is treated with a lovely description of the

region of king Srikanta. Continuous rows of pundra sugar-cane yards give

the onlooker an impression of their being submerged with the clouds. On

every side of its course, com heaps are laden like spread out highlands. The

entire area is embellished with rice output which spreads out beyond the

plot, where the land whiskers with cumin stretches sprinkled by the

containers of the 'Jala Yantra Chakra'. The majestic hinterland consists of

wheat crops dappled with rajamasa shreds fully ripe and yellow with split

bean pods. The sector, doughy with the dust of ketaki patches emitting

white pollen, flash like the access to the city of Shiva. Pot-herbs and

plantains with their greenery have darkened the earth around the rural sites.

The pathways look lovely because of the vine-bowers and pomegranate

orchards; arbours, ablaze with pilu sprays which are besmeared with the

juice of hand-pressed citron leaves, containing flower bunches shaped of

unexpectedly assembled saffron filaments. Travellers happily sleep after

drinking fresh fruit juice from the orchards, where the fruits ripe to

bursting. The flowers are tinkle by the cheeks of climbing tribal band.

Beautiful groves in the are attract wood rangers to taste the cocoa-nut juice

and touring folk plunder the date-trees. The tribal herds lick sweet-scented

date juice, and partridges tear the arka to pieces with their beaks. Encircled

with tracks of tall arjuna trees and obscured by the channel edges descent

of herds of kine, the sylvan hollows of fertile forest pools shelter

innumerable tourists. Roving gangs of mares, smudged with the sap of

crushed saffron beds are found everywhere. The eyes of the women of that

zone look like the natural mundamala wreath and this makes their* lotus-

leaf garland a sheer load, thamala shoots are a superfluity. Here Bana

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thrills the reader by explaining that women here possessed things of beauty

so natural and god given that what they added by way of decoration were

really redundant. The poet says that their very eyes were a natural wreath for

the head and therefore, the garlands of lotus petals are a mere burden. Their

eyes were raven than the blue kuvalaya. The delicate foliage of the tamala

placed on their ears as ornaments was also excessive. Their locks of hair

were also darker and more shiny than tamala leaves. The ruby colour of

these women's lips surpassed that of saffron's colour. Their arms were

attractive and slim like cane. Their feet paralleled red lotuses. One gets the

impression that during Sana's time, offering fruits as gifts and present was

in popular vogue because the writer makes a reference to such acts more

than once. Associated with this practice of using fruits in an intimate and

respectful way, human limbs are also compared to forest products often.

Practically every limb (for instance, 'hands like red lotuses', 'eyes like

lotuses', 'lotus bed', 'louts like hand' etc.) is likened to plant products,

demonstrating an integral way of floral life with community living of that

time.

Cj[^AT^URTHA UCHCHVASA (Fourth Chapter) presents another

feast of very fine stretch of imagination concerning the resemblance

between human physiology and the floral reserves. This Chapter deals with

the narration of Harsa's ancestry engaging in comparison with the plant

kingdom. The king Srikanta's victorious armies advanced in different

directions and consequently passages had to be readied for them or roads

were created automatically because of marching of the army in large

numbers. Levelling on every side of its march the hills and hollows, clumps

and forests, trees and grass, thickets and anthills, the broad paths of king's

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armed force seemed to divide out the entire earth to support his dependants.

Chunks of trees and grass, and mountains and groves these looked like the

boundaries to demarcate one province from another ruled by him. It was the

broad roads that separated the several provinces which the king distributed

among his own attendants. The expansion of Prabhakara Vardhana's race

was fostered like a bamboo, by the water of the sword's edge. The sonnet

chorused by the military officers from the stable yard of the horses affirmed

the first pregnancy of Yasomati, Harsa's mother .

Due to pregnancy inconveniences during the first conception, the

queen became pale like the trunks of trees; her feet became resplendent like

lotuses. In the second conception, she carried Harsha, the hero of the kavya,

who was bom in the month of plantain (that is Shravana). This season has

the bud in the kadamba tree, the barley blades growing in clusters and the

red-lotus standing erect in the ponds. The poet's conception looks majestic

in associating something very natural to make it look very special. For

instance, the plantain {kand^alini) plants generally grow up spontaneously

in the rainy season, the kadamba tree is said to put forth buds at the advent

of thunder and rain, etc. But for the poet, this all is special owing to the

birth of Harsha, or Marsha's birth was on such an auspicious month . The

poet provides the reader a gorgeous recital of the festival season in

Prabhakaravardhana's empire. People from neighbouring countries began

approaching the king's castle, carrying wreaths of flowers (sumanas) filled

in large bamboo boxes (karanda), ivory boxes uneven with columns of

arecanuts white like sandalwood and tufted with masses of small khadhira Q

fibres soaked in mango-oil . One may not fail to notice the keen

observation by the poet of the properties of floral possessions. Look at this

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example, of 'white' arecanut which, when dry and the upper coating peeled

off, is pure white. The solid extract of khadhira called khadhirasaara

(catechu) is being used for thambula (giving the reader an impression that

tender and small fibres of khadjiira tree were used as mouth-freshners and

munching things during Bana's time). Parijatha perfumes, betel trees with m

bundles of nuts hanging from the young slips, etc. are also witnessed. The

festival displays headland of flower heaps. King Rajavardhana wore a

mustard amulet upon his head, his appearance was soiled yellow with the

application of gorochana . The third delivery of the queen (during the

pregnancy of princess Rajyasri) has been compared by the writer to the pond

of lotuses with long red stalks and roots.

During the sacrifice after the child-birth, the amlathaka and malathi

flowers as well as Durva grass were used. During the marriage of Rajyasjiiri

the clay figures of plantain and betel trees were made by the workers. The

wedding scaffolds were decorated by tying tender mango and asoka leaves,

and the pillars were red with the alaktaka dye put on them. This is of

interest to note that even today, hanging up mango leaves in front of houses

is considered auspicious and beautiful and Bana reported this beautification

quite long time ago. Kakkola fruits and bananas were used in plenty during

the marriage. Bride's body was white due to sandal application, as though

borne of a white lotus beds. Fragrance of flowers breathed about her

presence, and it looked as though she came forth from the heart of Spring.

Her ear rings were made by white sinduvaara flowers. Close to the marriage

fire, unsoiled green kusha grass was set, parched grain was mixed with the

dark sami leaves. The bride and bride-groom looked to the poet like the

God of flowery bow (Manmatha) coming with his wife (Rathi) to the red

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asoka, whose hand bore auspicious fruits. Sacred kalashas were complete

with barley blades. The dry grain was being used for oblation. The teeth of

the bride was compared by the poet here to the white laajaa grains

(Har.IV).

The PANCHAMA UCHCHVASA contains the descriptions of the

plants and plant consummations related to the menu and diet of the king

(Harsha's father) during his illness as well as the last word (closing bid)

uttered by the queen before entering into the funeral pyre {sathi) of her

husband. The head cook in the palace was firm on the preparation of the diet

ordered by the physicians worried about king's health. Water trickled from

soft bundles of fibres covered with delicate lotus leaves on the ground at

King's place where cups of drinking water lay as bunches of blue lotuses

with their stalks. The intention of keeping lotus leaves, fibres and flowers

was to keep the room cool. The diet consisted of varied floral items

including a barley meal, a paste of flour, distillation of cooling herbs, heap

of myrobalan, citrons, grapes, pomegranates and the like.

The hands of the attendants were busy in continuously smearing the

king with sandal paste and sandal ointment to keep the body cool. Petals of

red, white, and blue lotuses were ceaselessly applied which gave an

appearance as though to intermit the stroke of the doom on him. It was seen

at that moment that the warden of the palace lotus pools (3ra^ cji lclcrfl

mcT:|) was engaged in consoling a ruddy-goose (kokam) : 'Invigorate, O

bird, your heart; relinquish grief, follow the path of selection; With the

beauty of the red-lotus pools the sun goes himself to Summer's peak'. The

reader of the kavya at this turning point is gift with a magnificent feast of

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colourful fantasy. It may be recalled that Harsha summoned the physicians

in the evening to treat his father. The chakravaka bird was separated from

its mate partner. The sun set in the eminence of beds of lotuses. The verse is

an indication of the king's last journey to Meru, that is, to the heaven, with

his wife.

As the custom goes the queen is also readying her self for leaving the

earth. She bids her last words to her beloved garden which is a lucid

evidence of Bana's immense affection towards the plants and creepers. She

says: "Dearest Mango, realise that your mother is soliciting another home. I

am going, darling jasmine cluster, bid me farewell. Without me by the

house, sister pomegranate, you are now to be unguarded, I know. Pardon,

red asoka, my blow with the foot {dljlohada) and sins in plucking your

sprays for ear-ornaments. My farewell to you, dear Bakula, stray child as

you are, to become through those mouthfiils of wine. Embrace me firm, my

dear Priyangu creeper; I am vanishing beyond your range. Companion

Mango at the porch, you must render me the funeral libation of water (the

jalanjali offered at the funeral) since you are my child' '°. The conception of

the writer in the elegant phrases of queen's bidding good bye is heart-

rendering as well as a bestowal of the love toward flora through the

remarks of this character. This may not be an exaggeration to feel that poets

of that time lived with the plants and loved them so much that conceiving

life without plants was unrealisable for them.

The SI^ASTHA UCHCHVASA (the Sixth Chapter) leads the reader

to the shock and grief of the citizens as well as the nature around caused by

the demise of the king and the queen. The bee on the red lotus ponds

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buzzed in distress at the closing of the calyx. The sun's sphere now tinted

like a blooming Banduka. Later king Rajavardhana decided to go for

Vanaprastha even at his young age assigning his responsibility to his

younger brother Harsha but Harsha was reluctant to accept his advice and

expressed his anxiety over the issue of his brother considering to abandon

Rajyalaxmi) disguised as old age, like a forest deer, with so much of tatters

to hide her bosom, and brimming with bundles of Kusha grass, and flowers,

bequeaths?

In the The SAPTHAMA UCHCHVASA (the Seventh Chapter) the

poet narrates the conqquest (Digvijaya) of Harsha and the tasteful

description of floral gifts. Harsha wore a chaplet of white flower as his

head-gear, kept green Durva on the ear as an ornament. People from

divergent directions converged to meet him with flowers in baskets,

requesting for the protection of crops. The presentations received from

other kings were exhibited by his attendants which consisted of various

floral beauties. The editions of refined writing on pages made by aloe bark

and the shade of the ripe pink cucumber, cane furniture, deliciously sap

betel nut fruits, thick bamboo conduits containing mango juice and black

aloes oil, fenced round with sheaths of kapothika leaves, bunches of clove

flowers, nutmeg clusters, various ripe fruits, cups of uUaka (understood as a

kind of fragrant fruit juice or a kind of decoction), diffusing the aroma of

sweetest wine. Soon after the King's arrival, the place became so cool that

it granted a sensation of the shower of Harichandana juice to sprinkle

without a break. King was encompassed by floral assets even in his gifts and

presentations.

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The ASTAMA UCHCHVASA (the Eighth Chapter) embodies the

pretty portrait of Vindyatavi and the Asjfirama of Divakara Mishra. King

went into the Vindhya forest and there he met a youthful mountaineer who

had fastened a band as 'dark as lampblack' Shyalmala creeper into a crest

above his forehead. The Nirghata, the Shabara, knew every leaf in that

Vindhya forest with a thicket of trees growing at the foot of the mountain ".

As Harsha moved on into the forest, he could behold all breeds of

wood, some brimming with fruits, Kamikaras in full bloom, Champakas in

plenty, enormous Phalegrahis, Namerus curved down because of fruits,

palms and Naladas with dark green foliage, Sarala pines and the yellow

Nagakesaras, rows of Kuruvakas thick with their breaching buds. All

routes were painted with the splendour of the shoots of red Asoka, while a

beautiful grey tinge was painted over them by the pollens of the blossoming

Kesaras. The Tilakas hid their faces covered with their own pollen as with

sand, while asafoetida expanded everywhere. Betel nuts abounded on all

sides. The Priyangus turned brown with heavy load of flowers; One could

witness the pleasant murmur of the bees gathered on the sprays which were

red with pollen everywhere. The tell-tale trunks of Mucukunda trees which

were stained by the dark ichor, exposed the tranquil rubbing of elephant's

cheeks. The grassy glades were all glistening with the youthful antelopes

loping about without apprehension, while the Tamala trees darker than

midnight obstructed the sunlight; with their clusters of flowers, Deodars

were festooned, while the lines of rose-apples and Jambhiras were studded

with patches of flickering betel-vines; clumps of Dhulikadamba trees, white

with the powder of their flowers kissed the air; the hollow trunks of the

Kutujas were occuped by the wild hens with their new progeny. Even

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lizards rolled about securely in the roots of the Shephalika water-plants; the

mandibles of the young boars were coloured yellow with the freshly pierced

juice of the Pitadru trees, polecats were busy producing a low noise in the

Gunja shrubs.

Harsacarita of Bana presents a wonderful description of the woodland

as reflecting in the major realm of civic life of his time. For Bana, the

garden, the wood land, the mountainous forests and the floral tributes are

incorporated into the majestic life of his literary characters because these

were all considered concerted parts of the collective whole called society.

The intention of the kavya is not to describe or to narrate the trees, creepers,

shrubs, weeds, crops or other floral life-forms and their outgrowth, but they

are so comprehensively woven together that the purpose is brightened up

with these larger than life' descriptions. The poet's intense love and liking

toward the plants around him also are indicated by the profound and in-

depth observations made all through the writing in terms of not only their

variety and heterogeneity but also in their imagined nature and constitution.

FLORA IN BANA'S KADAMBARI

Kadambari by Bana is one of the most well-known Sanskrit prose

compositions and few creative writing in Sanskrit literature have surpassed

its popularity and repute either in style or in romantic account. In linguistic

as well as literary brilliance, Bana's Kadambari is near perfect and has little

comparison. Kadmabari - a romantic story - contains anecdotes of three

lives in the instance of certain characters as they are reborn again and again.

The famous saying 'people do not enjoy any other food when they have

Kadambari for themselves' ('Kadambari rasajnaanaam aahaaropi na

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rochathe' ) aptly summarises its reputation. The very title of the work -

Kadambari - is characteristically witty. It has a double meaning in itself,

meaning both an alcoholic beverage as well as the literary piece composed

by Bana. Kadambari, unfortunately, was left unfinished and incomplete

because of Bana's untimely demise and his son Bhusana completed the

remaining segment of the work. That is why the reader of 'Kadambari' is

gifted with two distinct parts of the work, namely, Purvabhaga (written by

Bana) and Uttarabhaga (completed by Bhusana).

A parrot named Vaishampayana was gifted by the Chandala maiden

to king Sudhraka. That bird accepted the hospitality of the king in the

palace and consumed pink and blue Jambu fruit-juice ( siT PcT JTr). crushed

the pomegranate seeds (dhadima beeja), freely cracked the rnatured

myrobalans (aiii-ddsB ^Pcf), as green as the lotus leaves and as sweet as the

grapes in the palace. Like a human being, the bird then started describing

his birth story to the king which included a detail portrayal of the forest

ambience. Vyashampayana's provided to the king a detailed account of the

timberland of Vindhya, the celebrated hermitage of sage Agastya, lovely

representation of the silk-cotton tree (siir^cfl), description of forest by

Shabara army, and the description of lake Pamba (^^^rff^^). All these are

phrased in a very refined language couched with a picturesque style unique

to Bana himself.

The Vindhya forest where the parrot was born, is stretched with

beautiful trees and clusters of amply uncovered white flowers appearing like

bunches of stars adhering to their crests owing to the immense tallness of

the trees there. Throngs of Kurara birds beaked the sprouts of the pepper

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plants continuously. The odour of the tender leaves of Tamala trees,

smashed by the trunks of young elephants, filled the entire forest. Surface of

the whole regions was dampened by the juice of the pomegranate seeds

which were cut open by numerous parrots and that was charming to look at.

Due to the intemperate thumping by the jittery monkeys, multi-coloured

leaves and fruits had fallen from the ankola trees making the surface of the

earth even more beautiful. The pollen of flowers continuously trickling

down made the region dusty and there were couches of clove-leaves which

were changed into bed by the tourists travelling around. The boundaries

were covered by fully mature coconut trees; the parameters of the.forest

also consisted of Ketaki and Karira plants as well as the Kesara trees along

with chunks of arecanut trees encompassed by betel-leaf creepers. Bowers

of different creepers which appeared like dwelling palace of Vanalakshmi

(forest deity) adorned the great Vindhya.

The forest was darkened by the under growth of cardamom creepers

and Tamala trees. Bilva and Asvatha trees adorned that forest and the

region was deluged with Durva grass. It was also covered by Shala trees

with offshoot cracked by monkeys. The place looked as though a wedding

had taken place just then because the entire area was full of green Kusa

grass, flowers, and palasa twigs. In a few places, palm-leaves had been

fallen being dropped down from the trees, manifesting a picture of a widow

who discards all her jewellery and talapatra (didM?i). Some places gave the

notion of the battle-field covered with uncountable number of arrows

because hundreds of reeds were over-grown and looked like the body of

Indra with thousand eyes. In some places, the forest was fully covered by

thousands of beautiful netra trees. These trees, were deep dark like the body

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of Narayana, and dark like tamala grove. The forest was inaccessible due to

hundreds of cane-plants growing there, giving an impression of a king's

court-yard with hundreds of cane-staff wielders, who make it extremely

difficult for the onlookers.

The forest which was, in some places, overgrown with hundreds of

bamboo looked like the city of Virata, full of Keechaka-like warriors. The

Chira and Kusha grass, fibrous roots and barks spread over certain parts (in

the midst of the beautiful forest) gave the image of an illusory woman who

had taken the vow of ascetic life with Kusha grass, bark garment. While the

forest had boundless and innumerable dark leaves to boast, it was

especially adorned with Seven Leaves (?TH^^) ' ' .

The sacred hermitage of celebrated sage Agastya was within the

limits of the Dandaka forest. The place itself is so lovely that it was

adorned with trees which were trenched round personally by Lopamudra,

wife of the sage. These trees within the vicinity of the hermitage were

reared by the sprinkling of water by her own hands and to her, they were

not different from her own children (^^dPfsHl jq-sfrfi m ^ : i). Lopamudra

clad her son in patches made out of Kusa grass; the child's waist was tied

with a belt made of Munja grass, and he held a basin made of green leaves.

Groves of parrot-green plantain trees rendered the sage-shelter dark in all

directions. The parrot recollects to king Sudraka that it was the same forest

where Sita plucked the flowers in order to worship gods during her

Vanavasa. The redness glittering on the tender leaves of these creepers gave

an impression that it had been transferred to them from the palms of Sita

(cTTSTt ^ ^ft3TcmT3RTT^^3TRft^[;).

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The story of the parrot now shifted to Tampa Sarovara', the lotus-

lake, which was full of varieties of fully blossomed lotuses titled Kumuda,

Kuvalaya and Kalhara. Saugandika lotuses in that lake were rendered dark

on account of swarms of bees. The surrounding area was pungent because

of the fragrance of the flowers adorning the tresses of the sylvan deities.

Kadambaka birds moved in the midst of the rows of fiiUy blossomed

lotuses. The waves of Pampa lake were formed white because of the sandal

dust in the forest; the bank of the lake was built out of the dense pollen dust

of the Ketaki flowers swelling on its boundaries. The female swans in the

Pampa Lake were intoxicated by consuming the honey of the lotuses; The

shores of the lake were thickly covered by columns of trees and forests

which were brimming with flowers, serviceable in divine adoration. The

peacocks, which transmitted the aroma of various flowers, danced under the

shade of the creeper-bowers.

On the western bank of that lotus lake Pampa Sarovara and in the

proximity of the ancient jungle of Tala trees, there stood a massive, elderly

Salmali tree, which looked as though it was fortified around, because its

roots were always encircled by an aged serpent, which resembled the long

trunk of a Diggaja. This grand old tree appeared as though boasting to have

put an upper garment in view, due to the serpents hanging from its lofty

branches. Its innumerable branches had extended in all directions, as if to

measure the dimension. Being old and being entwined on all sides by the

creepers spreading out to an enormous elevation, the tree gave an

appearance of having innumerable veins that were conspicuously

perceptible. The trunk of this tree was braced with thorns which surfaced

like moles on the body of an aged person. The top portion of the tree was

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not visible even to the mass of clouds which, like the birds, rose to the sky

from various quarters. On account of its great height, it appeared like

attempting to gaze at the beauty of Nandana gardem of Indra. Its branches at

the top were whitened due to accumulation of cotton (grown on it) which

were confused for flakes of froth trickling down from the comers of the

mouths of the horses. Its roots were expected to remain firm and last till a

Kalpa. In essence, it looked like the monarch of the entire Dandaka forest,

the commander of all trees, intimate companion of the Vindya mountain.

This tree stood there as though embracing Vindya forest with its arms in the

form of its innumerable branches. On account of expanse of the tree and

because it was arduous task for any one to climb it, a number of families of

parrot birds lived on this tree. With all trust and confidence, these parrot

families built thousands of nests on the top of the tree branches, in the

interior of the tree cavities, in the interstices of the leaves and at the barks.

Even though there was deficiency of leaves due to its aged constitution, the

tree still appeared dark with a relatively dense growth of leaves ' .

The parrot Vaishampayana, who was outlining the tale to king

Shudraka, was born and lived with his father in a void of this particular tree.

On an unfortunate day, the entire forest was disordered from all sides by

Sahara army which invaded. One among them mounted up that huge and tall

tree which was loftier than many sala ( TTCT) trees put together (that is, put

one above the other) and whose end points of the branches were cloud-

licking. This man took out the young parrots from the hollows one after

another, as though they were mere fruits, and the spaces between the

branches of the trees and threw them down to the ground after depriving

each of these parrot kids of their lives. Some of these birds created the

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impression of the blossoms of the salmali trees with their pink colour on the

body whereas some other parrots resembled the soft tender leaves of the

lotuses, as their wings were just maturing. Soldiers of the Shabara army

described the forest in their own manner and style. 'Here is the lotus-beds

crushed by the elephant, here is the sweet smell of the juice of Bhadramusta

(^c^^wi) grass chewed by hogs, here is the fragrant smell of the juice of

sallaki plants broken by young elephant, here is the rustle of the fallen dried

leave, etc ''*.' Although picked up by the Sahara commandos, the young

parrot Vy^ampayana (who narrated the story to the king) accidentally

somehow fell on a heap of dry leaves and therefore could escape from the

cruel hands of Sahara hunters. A hermit boy named Harita who was the son

of the praiseworthy sage Jabaali took pity on the parrot, and placed the

frightened parrot in the moist and cool shade of the leaf of a lotus-plant in

the vicinity of the hermitage. The sacred sanctuary of Jabali was encircled in

every direction with brimming woods which were voluminous. Sage Jabali

was seated beneath a fine red Asoka tree, with flowers and fruits ever

present in them, which were always pouring forth very white heaps of wind-

shaken flowers.

The author, at this juncture, engages in a detailed description,

outlining the white complexion of Vilasavathi, the mother of Chandrapida ,

the hero of this beautiful work. Vilasavathi, due to the pregnancy, looked as

though sprinkling the Kethaki pollen all over her body. The new bom baby

- chandrapida - looked delicate like the fresh new blossom of Kalpavr*ksha

(cjDrMd; Tp5^), and like the red-lotus'^. As he grew older, he was advised

by the ministers on how to lead and rule the Kingdom. The minister said:

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It is not possible to say that the person from the good family will not fall in

the bad way (durmarga). Does the fire from the Sandal tree not bum?'^.

The tale progresses expeditiously. At the time of his conquest

(Digvijaya), Chandrapida followed the swans and arrived at an unknown

forest and finds the famous 'achoda lake' (Sfcst^TR:) which was encircled

by Tamala trees and was full of lotuses, stalks of which were broken by

elephants, the grass and bunches of flowers; The bamboo shrubs and the

cane(bettha) (%cR - ^ ) produced a melodious sound; pashanabhedi

creepers (Miyiuia cj* T I ^ ^ ) spread over different types of stones there.

Chandrapida tied his horse to a tree and fed him with some tender grass. He

slept for a while on the bed of the lotus leaves in the creeper shrubs (Lata

Mantapa). Later, following the sonorous sound, he reached the Shula Pani

temple, which was dark due to the dense Tamala trees around and had

bowers of creepers brimming with blossomed flowers, situated in the centre

of the forest stretched with Karpura and Agaru trees(*i| i<ik<>). As he

reached there, his body was etiolated by flower pollens from the insides of

the Ketaki flowers.

Chandrapida met Mahasvetha (JT^S^CH) here and the trail of a new

tale begins. She looked like the grandeur of the blossoming of the Kasa

flowers awaiting the autumn, decked with the brilliance of Kutaja, Knda,

and Sinduvara flowers (^SoT^W^f^ T7 g im^f^:) . She offered him water

from the rivulet in a leafy cup (Mufi oi) meant for supplicating the guest. As

she wandered under the trees close by the temple, Mahashwetha gathered

fruits that fell down of their own accord and requested Chandrapida to

accept them. She narrated her story to Chandrapida, As she unfolds her tale,

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it was the time when fresh youth set in her body like the month of chaitra

in the vernal season, as fresh sprouts originate, as flowers in fresh sprouts

come out and as bees track in flowers. Once, in the day of vernal season,

when the clusters of fresh lotus flowers blossomed up, when the mango

blossoms were still raw producing urge of belonging in the minds of lovers,

when the bakula trees bloomed, when the kalakeya flower buds became

dark by the smudge in the cast of a swarm of bees, fragrance of blossoming

buds surface of the earth was white by the sandy bank by the dense pollen

dust of flowers, Mahasweta went to Achchodha lake to take bath.

The beauty of the Achchodha lake, which contained blooming fresh

nalina, kumuda, kuvalaya and kalhara lotuses in it, was augmented by the

chaitra month. It was the creeper shelter that rendered fascination by the

heaps of flowers; the thickly grown mango trees with beautiful flowers

displayed their beauty. The swing of creepers was unsteady in its movement

because of the sylvan deities, as betoken by the fall of full blown flowers

beneath. Mahaswetha at once smelt some aroma of flowers floated by the

gentle breeze overwhelming the fragrance of all other fully blossomed

flowers in the forest.

This was the flower which was expressly granted by Nandana Devi to

Pundarika that helped his union with Mahasveta. Kapinjala, friend of

Pndarika, roamed an extended spread in search of his friend, exploring the

thickets of trees and creepers, the creeper-bowers under the sandal avenue

' . He found him inside an underbrush of creepers near a lake, which was

very beautiful and which looked as if made wholly of flowers, due to its

imminent development. Kapinjala recapitulates the topmost confines of the

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control of Passion on Pundarika in the following words of a long passage:

'he had the fibre of the flowers of the nearby creepers quiver by his moan,

he carried on his fore-head the effect by his palm which looked like the

mark created by sandal juice, his ears were adorned with blue lotus or

tamala sprouts, the trees pelted at him with their flower-pollen as if it

delivers in any one under the influence of love. The asoka shoots close to

him appeared like fondling him, as they were swayed by the breeze and it

seemed as if they were shifting their own redness (passion) to him; he was

being sprinkled by the wood-land Shri (aft) with showers of honey from the

clusters of fresh flowers as also with the scented waters for spraying just

prior to love-making; the champaka buds fell over him as it were the shots

by the flower-arrow god (Cupid). Pundarika was fading within himself like

the branches of a sandal tree with flames inside'. Kapinjala cautions his

friend about series of miseries the sensual enjoyment brings; it is like

watering a grove of poisonous creepers with an approach for a pious act; it

is like a creeper clinging to a sword thinking it to be a garland of kuvalaya

lotuses . He tried to save the life of his friend by delicate arrangements. He

picked up juicy lotus fibres, gathered wet leaves of lotuses touched with

driblets of water and amassed Kmuda, Kvalaya, and Kamala lotuses to

arrange for a bed for him in the shadow of the creeper-bower. He smashed

the malleable twigs of sandal trees (^a^s^rftd^'in^) preparing naturally

fragrant ice-cold juice, painted Pundarika's fore-head and besmeared his

body from the soles of his feet. He also alleviated the sweat with the dust of

camphor taken off from the interstices in the split barks of the camper tree

and grimed in his hand. His bark-garments were made wet with sandal juice

and he was fanned by a plantain leaf casting off a dense shower of pure

147

water. Later, the writer tells us that the body of Mahaswetha, engaged in the

penance was extremely slim like the lotus plant''.

Kadambari, a lead role in the kavya, is introduced by the composer

here, as her body was purified by the sandal-paste; she wore bark garments,

and adorned with white lotus as her ear ornament. She sent tambula

covered by the lotus leaf with wet betel-nut, muraga leaf, karpura

chandana to Chandrapida as a token of her love and treatment to the guest.

This kind of offering tambula to the loved ones is found commonly in

Sanskrit kavyas all through the literary history of India.

The composer engages in the description of Hemakuta Parvatha and

Kreeda Parvata at this juncture. Chandrapida reached Kridaparvata along

with Patraleka. On the way the dense plantain trees shining with the sun-

rays and dark green even during day time with lotuses covered by

innumerable leaves have adorned the vicinity. The beautiful jasmine

garlands have adorned the doorways of the path with the guards holding

sticks made of lotus-stalks. Massive mango and tala trees encircled the

hermitages in the area.

The writer takes us to Mahasweta's suffering because of love-

sickness through the perception of Chandrapida. She is compared to the

plantain tree shivering because of the mild breeze, blue-lotuses in wait for

the Moon, the creeper which is covered by the storm of bees. She was

resting on flower-bed, wearing lotus-stalks as her anklets, necklace, bangles

and bracelets. Later, the Sunya Vana forest around Chandika temple

contained massive trees with huge branches, with shrubs disordered by

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elephants. The temple compound had an red asoka tree, in the branch of

which thousands of red kukkuta birds lived (Kadambari Purvabhaga).

Vaisampayana, in his rebirth as Pundarika, got back his memory after

recognising the HCTT i\^t^ (the creeper Mantapa) near Achchoda lake, and as

he noticed intently the base of the trees, bushes and the creepers

(Kad.Uttarabhaga). Vaishampayana fell down on the earth because of the

curse of Mahasweta like a tree after being pierced. Before entering the

funeral pyre (sati), Kadambari appeals to her friend to take care of the

young mango plant which was reared by her as her own son; ftirther she

insisted that the lovely Malathi creeper should be wedded with the mango

plant . The kavya (Kadambari) ends with the enchanting description of

chaitra masa {yasanth rutu - the Spring Season). The arrival of southern

breeze was like the dancer for the creepers, the disoka tree smiled with red

new stems and leaves, vimana tree bent on the munjari and the bakula

affectionately. Tilaka, campaka, kadamba trees were full of buds and

flowers. (Kad. Uttarabhaga).

The reader is offered a feast of floral description in this great work,

Kadambari. Words and phrases like betel-bearer {tamhula

karankavaahinee), bamboo-stick {venu latha), lotus-like hand {kara

kamala), red-lotuses as offerings to gods, neevara grains for deer, jasmine-

oil for bathing, sandal paste application, especially for cooling effects, bed

of flowers especially bed of lotus flowers, arms without ornaments being

compared to creepers without flowers, writing on the leaf {kethane patra),

wearing chaundra^ flower in the ear, kanda mula bhojana (use of roots and

stocks as comestibles), and vast store of such expressions.

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Bana has toured extensively during his youth and therefore could see

the nature at a close distance. Forest, trees, creepers, flowers, stubs,

mountains, rivers, streams, ponds, sun-rise, moon-rise, etc. have been

described by Bana in a powerful and picturesque fashion. He seemed to

have liked the mild form of natures beauty in his floral depiction. His

devotional worship of nature, especially the vegetation makes him unique in

the galaxy of Sanksrit composers. For instance the hermitage of Jabali and

sanctuary of Mahasweta are classic examples of his description of nature's

beauty which construct a very positive image of plantation life in the mind

of the reader. Bana's descriptive power is really as marvellous as it is

varied. While he can give pompous and ornate description of the Vindhya

forest, he was also a close observer of man and nature, of hermitages and

forests as representations of human life, urge, feelings and intellect.

FLORA IN DASAKUMARACARTTA OF DANDIN

Students of Sanskrit literature are often frequented with

complications in the matter of the chronology and personal history of

Sanskrit writers which trouble the task of the earnest investigator and critic.

This is a well-known fact that not much can be reliably learned by way of

data from contemporary records, and many of our conclusions are at best

logical speculations based on bits of information collected from various

sources, such as inscriptions, quotations, or casual references in the works

of others. The chronicle of Dandin is no exception to this general rule. As

per the common understanding, he is credited with the authorship of two

high quality works,namely, Dasakumaracarita and the Kavyadarsa.

150

Dandin's was probably alive and writing somewhere between 550 AD.

and 650 AD.

As the very title expresses, Dasakumaracarita contains the stories of

ten different Kumaras, as narrated by themselves. These Kumaras were

prince Rajavahana (son of Rajahamsa, King of Magadha), Apahaaravarman

and Upaharavarman (sons of Praharavarman, King of Videha), Mitraguptha,

Manthragupta and Arthapal (grand children of Dharmapala, the Minister of

Rajahamsa), Vishrutha and Pushpodbhava (grand children of

Padmodhbhava, Minister of Rajahamsa), Pramathi and Somadattha (grand

children of Sitavarman, Minister of Rajahamsa). The king Rajahamsa and

ministers get separated from one another in the forest. Children of those

ministers return after many years and share their experiences and stories

with Rajavahana about how they got disassociated and reunited. The

complete available text of the Dasakumaracarita presents one inquisitive

notability in that it consists of three separate fragments, conceived

respectively as the Purva pitika (in five Uchchvasas or chapters), the

Dashakumaracarita proper (in eight Uchvasas.or chapters) and the Uttara

Pithika (in one Uchvasa). Dasakumaracarita has been exceedingly popular

since a long time in India both on account of its regal style and its attractive

subject-matter. Dandin is a writer of great merit and substantial literary

attainments; the lofty position accorded to Dandin by Indian scholars is

evident by the count of contemporary Subhashitas praising his works. His

command over language is exceptionally lively and majestic as illustrated in

the popular phrase ''Dandinnaha padalaalitya". As a lover of nature and

descriptive poet, he stands in the rank of Kalidasa, Bana and Bhavabhuti.

Dandin Invites his reader to spend the maximum time in the forest

151

demonstrating his keen interest in the forest life, deep knowledge about the

plant kingdom and positive attitude towards the floral life. His style is, in

general, rhythmic, easy-flowing, brilliant and idiomatic.

The first Uchchvasa of Purvapithika starts with the author's tribute of

veneration to his favourite deity Vishnu, the foot of which is the long stem

of the lotus. The reputation of king Rajahamsa, the principal character of the

story, was (compared to) white like the Kunda flower, the stalk of a white

lotus, Kasa flower and Kailasa mountain. His queen Vasumathi's face had

excelled a lotus in its beauty; her lips were red like bimba flowers, her two

arms were two soft lotus stalks, slightly blown lotus buds served as her ear

ornaments, the lotus with thousand petals that formed Sun's umbrella

looked like her feet and various flowers were her other limbs. When the

king of Malwa pounded on him, king Rajavahana lodged women of the

palace in a location impregnable in the heart of the thickets of the Vindhya

forest to survive from this attack.. Thus, Dandin, through his composition,

tells his readers that the Vindhya range of forests serves as the rescuer even

of kings from the adversary as much as the provider of resources to the

community. After he lost the battle, the king and his ministers lived in that

forest with the families. Queen Vasumathi gave birth to the prince, and he

was named Rajavahana there.

At the same time sons were born to king's four ministers, one each.

These sons of the ministers - termed as 'Kumaras' by Dandin - were

by name, Pramati, Mitragupta, Mantragupta, Vishruta. One day a hermit

in the forest got a young boy (Praharavarma's son) when he went to collect

kusha grass and holy sticks, and the boy was named by the king as

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Upaharavarma. Another son of Praharavarma, also found in the forest by the

shabara woman and was given to the king; he was named Apaharavarma.

The sage Vamadeva, rescued a child on the forest-ground, later came to be

named Pushpodhbhava, who happened to be the son of Ratnodbhava, and

the grand son of Padmodhbhava, the minister of Rajahamsa. Yet another

day, a yaksa girl presented a child to queen Vasumathi, mentioning that this

child was bom to her and Kamapala. That boy is named Arthapala. A little

later, on a particular day, sage Vamadeva's pupil brings a child who was as

delicate as a flower to the king and says that it is the grand son of his

minister Sithavarma. That boy was called then as Somadatta. Rajavahana

grew up together with these nine sons of ministers in the Vindhya forest. All

these incidents happen in the grove with circumstances as they are related

flora in that forest. Descriptions related to bunches of flowers, searching

medicinal herbs for snake poison, thick shade of the tree, hiding in thicket

of creepers, lofty branch of tree, hard vata tree, etc. abound in the rich

narration of the first Uchchwasa of this kavya.

The second Uchchwasa enfolds the story of how all these ten

Kumaras got separated from each other in the Vindhya forest itself On the

suggestion of the Sage Vamadeva , Rajavahana and his nine friends set

forth for the conquest of the kingdoms. Soon after they set their feet in the

centre of the great Vindhya woods, Rajavahana leaves at mid-night for

'Dandakaranya' with Matanga, deserting his friends without informing them

while they were fast asleep. Subsequently, his entourage of nine friends

searched for him in different parts of the thick forest. When failed to detect

his whereabouts, the friends retreated, separated from one another due to

various reasons at various places with an urge to locate Rajavahana out.

153

Thus, streams of allegory and anecdotes set forth in different parts of the

said forest prior to their tryst with each other; there they share their stories

with other friends after their reunion.

Matanga offers a sacrifice with samidhas adjacent to the garden

which was filled with totally blown lotuses. As the story moves further,

Rajavahana not finding his friends there, proceeds to another garden in a

suburb of Ujjain and there he accidentally meets his companion Somadatta.

Sitting under the shade of the beautiful punnaga tree, they share their

experiences. One may surmise that Dandin, as a dweller of urban locale,

could have made his heroes to take shelter in a palace, fort or a mansion.

Instead, he makes them meet and rest under the tree and exchange words in

gardens as illustrated in this incident. The beauty of this 'kavya' is that the

entire story develops within the vast scenario of the forest, starting from the

birth of the 'Kumaras', their separation from each other and their reunion to

share the lively experiences.

The occurrences and encountering of Pushpodbhava is embodied in

the fourth Uchchvasa of the kavya, which carries certain beautiful

description of trees, sandal-paste, tambula (a role of betel-leaves), fragrant

flowers all around, and the like concerning flora. The experiences are

colourful, metaphorically symbolising the beauty and the serenity of the

greenery around the vegetation there. The unfolding of Pushpodhbhava's

endurance and indulgence are also initiated under the cool shade of a tree at

the foot of the mountain. Dandin gives his reader a very fine example of

nature devotion and love for the plant life associated with the life

experiences of his heroes.

154

The fifth Uchchvasa contains narration typically on the conventional

lines of the Spring season, being almost similar to that of earlier composers

such as Kalidasa. The southern breeze motions with the fragrance of the

sandal trees (harichandana). The composer imagines that the throats of

cuckoos are supposed to be made melodious because they have tasted the

tender sprouts of the mango trees . Moving with the tale, sprouts started

appearing on Makandas, Sindhuvaras, the red asokas, the kimshukas and the

tilas gradually. In that charming season, Avanthisundari proceeded to the

adorable garden to worship Kama with a multitude of fragrant materials

such as sandal-paste, flowers, turmeric powder, whole grains of rice

{akshata), in a shady place full of sand at the foot of a young mango-tree .

Rajavahana, accompanied by Pushpodhbhava, also entered the same

garden listening to the humming of the bees on the mango-tree. That mango

tree was bright with fruits, blossoms, and tender foliage grown in thick

clusters from its branches gently agitated by the Malaya breeze. Swans,

cranes, ducks and chakravakas were sporting in the beds of the indivara, the

kahlarOy the kairava and the rajiva lotuses. Rajavahana approached

Avantisundari, whose feet were out of the beauty of autumnal lotuses, pair

of beautiful thighs with the softness and grace of the plantain-trees, the arms

with the tenderness of creepers, lips excelled and exceeded the bimba fruit

in red-ness. Lovely tinge, like the sprouts of the mango-tree, was placed on

the ear as a beautifying ornament. The poet here engages in a comparison

the locks of a lady's hair, decked with many garlands of flowers of various

colours, with the plumage of peacock; a very fine example of Dandin's

sensitivity to floral nature may be illustrated here: the poet imagines that the

complexion of the beautiful peacock was forged by rubbing with camphor

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after being washed with sandai-paste mixed with flower-juice of every kind

and musk.

Owing to her separation from Rajavahana, the love-stricken

Avantisundari rolled her creeper-like structure on a bed formed of tender

leaves and flowers wetted with sandal-juice. When she started burning of

love-fever, her friends tried to cool her body and relieve her discomfort with

materials from the torment {sheetalopacharanam) such as water prepared

for her bath, mixed with sandal Qiarichandana), (It may not be out of place

here to recall that harichandana is commonly referred to by Sanskrit poets

as the most suitable appliances for the extenuation of the body and mind

tormented by love-sickness), oshira (a kind of medicinal and beautifying

plant the fragrant roots of which have cooling properties); they used

garments made of lotus-fibres, and fans of lotus-leaves to comfort her.

Balachandrika reached Rajavahana, who was also equally anguished by the

love-torment. To the composer of the kavya, Balachandrika looked like the

potent herb with folded hands, smooth and elegant like the bud of a lotus.

She offered him the camphor-mixed tambula {sakarpooram tambulam)

given by Avanthisundari, 'who is as tender as shirisha flower' (shireesha

kusuma sukumarad). Thus with the description of Spring season there, the

Purvapithika of the kavya ends with the marriage of Avanthisundari

and Rajavahana.

DASAKUMARACARITA: UTTARA PEETHIKA

Avanthisundari, whose eyes were like full-developed kandali bud

ipraodakandali), kissed her husband's lower lip which corresponded the

bud of a kadamba flower. Thus in his imagery, Dandin makes two beautiful

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flowers to meet each other Uke the two loving hearts meeting one another.

The complexion of Dhanamitra was yellowish-white like the karnikara

flower, with his hands and feet tender like the lotus .

Uchchhvasa II deals with the story of Aparavarma, who, while

wandering in the jungle in search of Anandavardhana, met an ascetic under

the shade of a young mango-tree out side the hermitage of sage Marichi.

The composer, with all his tender care for the plant species brings in a new

aspect of delicate aspect of flora associated with equally tender aspect of

human life here. The art of preparing perfumes and wreathing flowers

igandhapushpakalasu), considered important to a cultured girl to learn

before marriage, is mentioned here by the poet. Sage Marichi explains to the

damsel (Kamamanjari) who wanted to live in the forest at her tender young

age: 'this forest-life is surely a life {vanavasa) of suffering. Its object is

either final beatitude or the attainment of paradise'. However, she succeeded

in winning the heart of the sage by watering young plants in the holy-

shelter, plucking and collecting flowers for the worship of deities, preparing

offerings of various sorts, keeping the sandal-paste ready for use, and

arranging flowers and frankincense. In a classical way, Aparavarma's

mouth turned red like the alktaka dye, after chewing the special role of

betel-nut leaves with a bit of camphor and scented cashew '*.

The story of Upaharavarma gets unfolded in the third Uchchvasa of

Dashakumaracharita. It includes certain experiences he underwent in the

middle of the forest. In an interesting twist to the story, he offers the

garlands and perfumes to the queen. At this flash, the relationship between

Kalpasundari (lotus-like face - adharapundareeka) and her husband is

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compared to the lovely madhavi creeper and the pichumanda (bitter-«/w6a)

tree ^ . The idea mooted by the composer here is quite interesting. It is

generally believed that madhavi creeper twines itself round the mango-tree

(and at times, encircles the nipa tree), but never round such trees as the

nimba even the bark of which is considered bitter. One of the main reasons

of Kalpasundari's dislike regarding her husband, the poet states, was that

he plucked the flowers from campaka creeper that had planted and reared by

the queen as if it had been her foster child and which decorated the dancing

girl . Dandin takes us to an entourage of beautiful garden as he makes his

hero Upaharavarma to enter the garden. To the readers' delectation, crossing

beyond the row of the bakula trees, Upaharavarma passed by the campaka

avenue (champakavalf), by the row ofpatali trees (patalipatha), the gravel

path both the sides of which were decked with thickets of red asoka and

Jasmines, and then the mango-grove to arrive at the dense madhavi bower to

meet his lover Kamamanjari. The beauty and elegance of the flora

including that of trees, flowers and creepers is presented here in an

inimitable and a very refined style. The inner bower was surrounded with

the dense rows of young kurabakas with full-blown flowers, by opening a

door moulded of the branches of red asoka plants that rubbed the ground.

There was a well-spread settee of flowers and also containers of lotus-leaves

within the bower. With the beauty of bower, the reader of the kavya is also

treated here with a lovely description of the worship of the fire on new-

moon day with floral offerings of hundred samidhas of the sandal tree

{shatam chandana samidhaha), a hundred leaves of aloe tree {shatamaguru

samidhaha), a handful of camphor (karpuramusti), sesamum (thila) and

white mustard {gaurasarsapa) along with other floral objects.

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The fourth Uchchvasa occupies itself with the narration of

Arthapala. Like other stories of Dasakumaracarita, the story of Arthapaia

also begins with a tree inside the forest setting. The story unfolds as he is

sitting under the karaveera tree and chats with Pumabhadra. Below them is

the bed ofdarba grass beautifully laid down. However, this Uchchvasa does

not contain much of floral description and utilities of floral products like

other sections of the kavya, except passing references to trees, flowers,

creepers, and the like.

Contrasting this, the fifth Uchchvasa is rich with the portrayal of

floral objects. Pramathi narrates his experience in Vidhya forest in search of

Rajavahana in this segment of Dasakumaracarita. He tells the reader that

after wandering in the forest for some time, he slept on the bunk of tender

leaves beneath the tree in the incline of the Vindhya mountain, having

performed the evening's twilight rites {upasya Sandhyam). He prayed that

the deity residing in the tree under which he rested be his guardian, while

he sleeps all alone in that vast forest. He saw a damsel with lotus like eyes,

whose cheeks appeared like mango-fruits with yellowish-white complexion

by being ripe and spotted with driblets of sap dropping from the broken

stem, with blooming cheeks like the petals of a champaka bud. She was

navamallika, the daughter of Dharmaraja, who indeed resembled the

navamallika flower by her tenderness and attractiveness. Pramathi was

delighted in the companionship of navamallika like the bee does a juicy

flower of navamallika. The composer Dandin finds hardly any distinction

here between the young Temme fatale' and the beautiful navamallika

flower, both being attractive, unfettered, something to offer to the guest and

approachable. What is echoed here is that human life reflects and mirrors

159

what is out there in nature, and therefore should not be taken as something

removed from it.

The sixth Uchchvasa of Dasakumaracarita which elucidates the story

of Mitragupta, commences close to the bower of atimukta creepers, himba-

like lower lips of Kandukavathi are granted a special praise here. The

circumvent of the mountain is narrated by the author in an enchanting

fashion. The water there was with drops of he honey of blue lotuses, the

forests with tall trees were attractive by the clusters of flowers of assorted

colours. Mitragupta eat some bits of louts-stalks as sweet as nectar {kanchit

amratha svaadunbisabhangaanaasvaadhyd). There was no rain in the

country of Trigarta for twelve years. The grains were withered; medicinal

herbs were rendered futile, trees bore no fruits, roots and fruits became very

rare {kseenasaaram sasyam, oshadyo vandhyaaha, na phalavanto

vanaspathayaha, viraleebhutam kandamulaphalam) (Dash.Uch.VI). Story

of Dhumini). Dhanyaka built a hut in the midst of a forest abounding in

bulbous roots and lived with his wife and friend who was having wound all

over his body. His wounds were healed by the ingudi oil.

The seventh Uchchvasa has the narration of Manthragupta. He

wandered for some time and sat at the root, having a bed of tender and moist

leaves formed about it, of a forest-tree that was close to the public obsequial

ground, which was at some distance from the capital of the Kalingas. The

author describes the Spring season in this Uchchvas. The Spring season

torments the minds of travellers, when the thick-grown kesara flowers fade

under the descent of bees greedy of flower-juice, when tilaka, the sportive

mark on the broad forehead of forest-groves, is all in bloom, when the full-

160

blown karnikara flower forms the golden umbrella of the lovely Love-King,

when the Malaya breeze produces blossoms on the mango-trees which

attract swarms of bees, where in all creepers are taught to dance gracefully

by the breeze, cool owing to its contact with the sandal-trees on the skirts of

the Dardura mountain. . . .(King of Kalinga got a passion for sport

accompanied by all ladies of his harem).

Eighth Uchchvasa has the story of Vishruta. He rescued an old

person who fell in the well in Vindhya forest, with the help of a certain

creeper as a rope. And helped him and his grandson to refresh with the fruits

of lakucha tree and drawing water by means of a bamboo pipe. Qualities

of a person, who is suitable for state-craft, is described as "he is poisonous

tree to the enemies (of the state), but a sandal tree (that would give its

grateful shade) to those who approach him submissively" {dvishatam esha

chirabilvadhrumaha prahvanam thu chandanatharuhu - Dash. VIII).

This Chapter has dealt with the contributions of two great prose

composers in Sanskrit literature, Bana and Dandin and their contributions to

the explication of flora as an integral part of human endeavours and

enactment. Sana's compositions, in the views of the researcher, have

accomplished this task in a spectacular fashion as illustrated in the initial

part of this Chapter. Later half of the Chapter has tried to furnish an account

of the relevant portions from Dandin's world-famous monograph - a classic

travelogue - on the allegories of Dasakumaras. The Chapter submits that the

entire episode is narrated to the reader by Dandin through the means of

forest and its products in their totality. The humanness and the temporal

aspects of the vegetation are reflected through the incidents, expressions

161

and symbols used by the characters as if they are happening here-and-now,

as they unfold in the narratives of both Bana and Dandin which have been

illustrated here. The basic attempt all along the Chapter, as it is the case

with the entire Dissertation, has been to draw pertinent information

contextually to substantiate the points raised in the research objectives.

In the next Chapter, the Thesis will attempt to move on to the Drusya

Kavyas on its pursuit to understand flora in the Indian classics. In this

attempt, the researcher will try to enter into the dramas of renowned

classical playwrights, Kalidasa and Bhavabhuti. Both the dramatists become

critical to the present research endeavour not only because of their flaw-less

narration of floral wealth and the scenery around, but equally, if not more,

important are their contribution to the artistic creation of plant life as

guiding human emotions and thoughts in an integral fashion.

162

NOTES AND REFERENCES

' ani djJloii' IS^mi d^Ri I and quoted by Vaamana in his Kavyalankaara Sutravratthi on 1.3.21.

^ Refer: Kane P. V., The Harshacharita of Banabhatta, Motilai Banarsidass, Delhi, 1965, page XXII for a positive critique, -srsgrtf zfT: iH«1 JJ;-*! qt grcft •{](?!RLS I I sflciM£ift<toi gTf% «iiuiltQyw7rT2rf&ii Brahatkathamanjari and Kathasaritsagara.

^ One need not mention Harsha's famous works such as Rathnavali, Nagananda, and the like here due to their wide popularity in the literary world.

* f TRTOraoT tToTTfSoTTTrjgjTOHraf <ii.\\^o\ ctoidiiHlfS^oiifJ Jwiai... as described by the poet to

outline this reception.

5 Compare Marunnavambha . . . kadamba yashtihi sputakorakeva - Uttr. Ill, 42

* The verse carries the sentence like - "Plf?iT*Qct>Au| i-LitdJ l-i Ul'ilcl" - a hidden treasure is

clearly indicated by the change in a tree i.e. by some singular or remarkable thing about a tree.

^ Compare Marunnavambaha . . . . Uttara. III.

^ sahakaarathailena thimyat thanukhadhirakesarajaalam thena jatilaani chandanavath dhavalaani pugaphalaani.

^^JTcrrrftf^«fkTT«Rlfrr gJR5f$p?r f^^^of: II (Har.Uch.I).

'° cTTcT'^, f^^vRfTrFTotygjTf^^GfaTfiri ^c?T vjllcfljj-dW ^TblsH*, . . . ig5t^3ToTT:

y «)ld<sj d<*> I (Har.Uch.V).

" Sarva palleepaththeenaam pragraharaha.

' 3Tft<T' cjh-iv3ldPlftj5dlcjaid<W . . . . ^S'JcJr'Ufi ^Qr-ll f^t^yidcdoim) - Kad. Purvabhaga).

'•* cii-Uci I OTziTR : ft"-«J<ll H^\'\ s M : siir^rfl - (Kad. Purvabhaga).

''' 3i5i5Trr Trnraftffr tbldigci 3T?r ura^ - (Kad. Purvabhaga).

" 3i' vj|ldct)(3°>ijffl4ct><rMd-iJMQ<JH^^^f^f^ ' '-^^°'<<' l^- • • His eyes were looking like blue-lotuses (pundareeka), fingers were like the komala lotuses. (Kad. Purvabhaga).

163

" ci cH(iiJi6<»iiPi y<»-<«' 41f2i*iHdWusij|oi -( Kad. Purva Bhaaga)

'* QMciciMoi fir gf . ^dci^nic^fa Pifj^ 5ie-icimifc<Jiffl - (Kad. Purva Bhaga).

° It may be noted that the last dying wish of the heroine is not any material gratification, nor even the wish for the family members and kith, but for the welfare of the plants which have given her so much of love and companionship, a very fine illustration of the love and regard in the mind of the composer for the flora around.

' sahakara kisalayamakarandaaasvaadhana -rakthakanthanam (Das.Uch. V).

22

23

24

25

26

. . . saha nagaropanthramyodhyaane vihaarotkantayaa porasundareesama.... gandhakusuma. . . . manobhavamarchayanthee rema (Das.Uch.V. Purvapeetika).

This is yet another example of the poet's sensitivity towards plant life, likening it to human organs of heroes and lead characters (Dash. I. UCH.).

The original verse runs as the following: 'vaasathaambulaveetikaam karpoorasputikaam paarichaathakam cha ' (Dash. Uch. II.)

The original expression is - 'Madhaveeva pichumandaasleshinee yathaasau. (Dash. Uch. Ill)

. apathyanirvishesham mathsamrakshitayaha champaka lathayaaha . . .(Dash. Uch. III).