Banabhatta
Banabhatta (बाणभट्ट) was an outstanding Sanskrit writer of 7th century in India. He was the 'Asthana Kavi' meaning 'Court Poet' of King Harshvardhana. 'Harsha Charita' was the first composition of Bana and can be treated as the beginning of writing of historical poetic works in Sanskrit language. This is written in ornate poetic prose, in which Bana gives us a fragment of autobiography unparalleled in Sanskrit literature. Not only do his elaborate descriptions show accurate and close observation, but throughout his work, the personality of the author breaks through.
Life
A detailed account regarding his ancestry and early life can be reconstructed from the introductory verses attached to the Kadambari (कादम्बरी) and the first two ucchāvasas of the Harṣhacharita, while the circumstances behind the composition of the Harṣhacharita are described in the third ucchāvasa of the text. Harsacarita is considered as the first Indian Work which may be regarded as historical. It gives a graphic picture of the life in the country side.[1]
Bāna was born to Chitrabhānu and Rājadevi in the village of Pritikuta on the banks of the Hiraṇyavāhu in a Bhojaka family of Vātsyāyana gotra in the current district of Chhapra in modern-day Bihar. After the death of his father, Bāṇa led a wandering life for a period but later came back to his native village. Here, on a summer day, on receiving a letter from Krishna, a cousin of King Harsha, he met the king while he was camping near the town of Manitara. After receiving Bāna with mock signs of anger, the king showed him much favour.
Works
Bāna's principal works include a biography of Harsha, the Harshacharita (Deeds of Harsha),[2] and one of the world's earliest novels, Kadambari. Bāṇa died before finishing the novel and it was completed by his son Bhūṣaṇabhaţţa. Both these works are noted texts of Sanskrit literature.[2] The other works attributed to him are the Caṇḍikāśataka and a drama, the Pārvatīpariṇaya. Banabhatta gets an applause as " banochhistam jagatsarvam" meaning Bana has described everything in this world and nothing is left.
Harsha Charita
Harsha Charita ranks as the first historical biography in Sanskrit although it is written in a florid and fanciful style. Bana's detailed and vivid descriptions of rural India's natural environment as well as the extraordinary industry of the Indian people exudes the vitality of life at that time. However, since he received the patronage of the Emperor Harsha, his descriptions of his patron are not an unbiased appraisal and presents the Emperor's actions in an overly favorable light.
Jat History
Jat historians consider Harsha to be a Buddhist Jat. According to the historians Bhim Singh Dahiya and Thakur Deshraj Harsha’s clan was Virk, but Dilip Singh Ahlawat, Carlyle and Alexander Cunningham say that he belonged to the Bains clan of Jats. The Virk clan is linked to the Virks of Mandsaur, Central India, and Bains to the Punjab. Both Bains and Virk are clans of the Jats.
Bana holds an unrivalled position in the galaxy of India`s literary stars. He is a unique artist in the domain of Embellished Sanskrit prose. Bana`s Harshacharita is a historical romance which presents actual events of his sovereign Harsavardhana of Thanesar and Kanauj who ruled over northern India in the first half of the seventh century A.D.[3]
संक्षिप्त परिचय
बाणभट्ट 7वीं शताब्दी के संस्कृत गद्य लेखक और एक कवि थे। वे राजा हर्षवर्धन के आस्थान कवि थे। हर्षचरितम् और कादम्बरी उनके दो प्रमुख ग्रंथ हैं। हर्षचरितम्, राजा हर्षवर्धन का जीवन-चरित्र था और कादंबरी विश्व का पहला उपन्यास था। कादंबरी के पूरा होने से पहले ही बाणभट्ट जी की मृत्यु हो गई तो इस उपन्यास को पूरा करने का काम उनके बेटे भूषणभट्ट ने अपने हाथ में लिया। ये दोनों ही ग्रंथ संस्कृत साहित्य के महत्त्वपूर्ण ग्रंथों में से एक माने जाते हैं।
जन्म
बाणभट्ट का जन्म चंदरेह (सीधी जिला) मध्य प्रदेश में हुआ था। महाकवि बाणभट्ट ने गद्यरचना के क्षेत्र में वही स्थान प्राप्त किया है जो कि कालिदास ने संस्कृत काव्य क्षेत्र में प्राप्त किया था। बाणभट्ट संस्कृत साहित्य में ही एक ऐसे महाकवि हैं जिनके जीवन चरित के विषय में पर्याप्त जानकारी मिलती है।
कन्नौज और स्थान्वीश्वर के प्रसिद्ध हिन्दू सम्राट हर्षवर्धन के समसामयिक सभापण्डित होने के कारण उनका समय बिना किसी विवाद का है। 21वीं शती के आलंकारिक रुपयक से लेकर आठवीं शती के वामन ने अपने-अपने ग्रन्थों में बाणभट्ट और उनकी रचनाओं के बारे में लिखा है इसलिए अन्त: बाह्य साक्ष्यों के आधार पर बाणभट्ट का समय सप्त शती पूर्वार्ध और थोड़ा सा उत्तरार्ध सिद्ध होता है।
हर्षचरित-वर्णन के आधार पर बाणभट्ट हर्षवर्धन (606-648 ई.) के राज्य के उत्तरकाल में उनके सभाकवि माने जाते हैं, क्योंकि उन्होंने हर्षवर्धन के प्रारंभिक दिग्विजय का उल्लेख नहीं किया है।
कृतियाँ
बाणभट्ट की लेखनी से कई ग्रन्थ रत्नों का लेखन हुआ है लेकिन बाणभट्ट का महाकवित्व केवल ‘हर्षचरित’ और ‘कादम्बरी’ पर प्रधानतया आश्रित है। इन दोनों गद्य काव्यों के अलावा मुकुटताडितक, चण्डीशतक और पार्वती-परिणय भी बाणभट्ट की रचनाओं में परिगणित हैं। इनमें ‘पार्वतीपरिणय’ को ए.बी. कीथ ने बाणभट्ट की रचना न मानकर उसे वामनभट्टबाण (17 वीं शती) नामक किसी दाक्षिणात्य वत्सगोत्रीय ब्राह्मण की रचना माना है।[4]
External links
http://www.iloveindia.com/literature/sanskrit/poets/banabhatta.html
References
- ↑ Sreedharan, E, "A Manual of Historical Research Methodology." Trivandrum, Centre for South Indian Studies, 2007, ISBN 978-81-905928-0-2 [1]
- ↑ Sreedharan, E, "A Manual of Historical Research Methodology." Trivandrum, Centre for South Indian Studies, 2007, ISBN 978-81-905928-0-2 [1]
- ↑ The_Harsha_Charita_of_Bana/Introduction
- ↑ [1]
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