प्रणाम!
Previous post on this topic here: Rāmacandrasūri & Raghuvilāsa
Raghuvilāsa is one of the 10 plays authored by master playwright – Rāmacandrasūri , disciple of Hemacandrasūri . Present work deals with the exploits of Śrī Rāma , from the exile in forest to bringing back Sītā from Rāvaṇa .
Though being a Jaina monk, Rāmacandrasūri , rather than reflecting Jaina values and Jaina version of the narration, has kept a centrist approach with primary goal of depicting basic human values and, at times, entertainment ( ānanda , as opined by Hemacandrasūri and sadyaḥ paranivṛtti as opined by Mammaṭa ).
Deliberate conclusions about the proficiency of Rāmacandrasūri in Prākṛta can be rather derived from works like Mallikāmakaranda , etc., as they encompass more usage of Prākṛta within. The usage of Prākṛta in this work is confined as most of the dialogues are generic. There are only 4 Prākṛta verses in this play.
First notable usage of Prākṛta occurs in the episode of Sumitrā asks the king what did Kaikeyī say that he was so broken.
Sumitrā – What did Kaikeyī tell?
Daśaratha – She has told something with which can bring disrepute to whole Raghukula .
Sumitrā – What such?
Daśaratha – She is telling this:
“जइ सच्चं सच्चरई वरेण भरहस्स तो सिरिं देहि।
सोलह वरिसाणि तहा वणवासं रामभद्दस्स॥१।९॥”
“यदि सत्यं सत्यरति र्वरेण भरताय ततः श्रियं देहि।
षोडश वर्षाणि तथा वनवासं रामभद्राय॥”
“If you truly possess devotion for truth, then by boon (you gave me), provide the state (Ayodhyā) to Bharata and sixteen years of exile in forest to Rāmabhadra.”
In another episode when Rāvaṇa goes to Sītā to convince her to be his, she says the following verse:
जम्मि विउत्ताइं पुणो जीवंताइं मिलंति मिहुणाइं।
पेम्मम्मि तम्मि छेया किं कह वि कयायरा हुंति॥४।१४॥
[यस्मिन् वियुक्तानि पुनर्जीवन्ति मिलन्ति मिथुनानि।
प्रेम्णि तस्मिन् छेकाः किं कथमपि कृतादरा भवन्ति॥]
In love, where the detached but living pairs meet, even in that, do the shrewds in anyway, possess respect?
Following verse is spoken by Trijaṭā when Rāvaṇa asks him why is his mind longing to attain Sītā even when she is very difficult to be attained?
सययं विसमं हिययं ससज्झसं संगमो विरलविरलो।
अवरो च्चिय कोइ रसो तह वि हु पच्छन्नसुरयस्स॥७।२॥
[सततं विषमं हृदयं ससाध्वसं सङ्गमो विरलविरलः।
अवर एव कोऽपि रसस्तथाऽपि खलु प्रच्छन्नसुरतस्य॥]
Misfortunate (?) heart is often fearful and the union is rarest of the rare. This is some other sentiment of hidden playfulness.
अंधाण दरिद्दाण य परव्वसाणं च वाहियाणं च।
जं चिरकालं जीअं तं खलु पावस्स माहप्पं॥८।२॥
[अन्धानां दरिद्राणां च परवशानां च व्याधितानाम्।
यत् चिरकालं जीवितं तत्खलु पापस्त माहात्म्यम्॥]
The long life lived by the blind, poor, dependent, and diseased, is the evidence of exalted position of sins.
These are all the Prākṛta verses authored by Rāmacandrasūri in Raghuvilāsa . Majority of Prākṛta passages are uttered by Sītā , followed by Trijaṭā , Kausalyā, Sumitrā Prahasta and (in disguise of wife of Rāvaṇa disguised as Virādha ).
As mentioned earlier, the number of Prākṛta dialogues in this play is too less to reach towards a conclusive statement about Rāmacandrasūri 's proficiency in Prākṛta. Following points are worth noticing
In the edition published under Singhi Jain Series, at two instances, there is use of word ‘ vatsa ’ instead of ‘ vaccha ’ in Prākṛta , which in intriguing if not a printing error.
Generally, āryā metre is employed for verses. ityalaṁ vistareṇa
Next part of this series will deal with usage of apostrophes and personifications by Rāmacandrasūri in Raghuvilāsa .
Primary Sources: