Līlāvatī Vīthī of Rāmapāṇivāda: with the Sanskrit Commentary “Prācī” and Introduction in English

By Sugyan Kumar Mahanty

About the Author
Dr Sugyan Kumar Mahanty, working as a Senior Assistant Professor in the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Vedavyas Campus, Himachal Pradesh, has twenty years of experience in teaching postgraduate students and research other than eight years’ stint at Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan.
He has published Kavyaprakashiyasudhasagaratika-samiksa, a book on Indian poetics through Lokabhasha Prachar Samiti, Puri (Orissa) in 2001. Another book Kavyashastra, compiled by him, was published by M.P. Bhoj Open University, Bhopal in 2005. 
Dr Mahanty’s another work, a Sanskrit commentary Shubodhini along with its Hindi commentary Sangamani on Mukulabhatta’s Abhidhavrittimatrika, was published by Chowkhamba Krishnadas Akademi, Varanasi, in 2008. His Kavyatattvalokah on comparative literary criticism of the East and the West, is another important work got published by Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Tirupati, in 2010.
Natyalamkaratarangini, a book of compiled research papers on Indian poetics and dramaturgy, edited by Dr Mahanty was published by Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthanam,Vedavyas Campus, HP. There are about 100 research papers and thirty short poems to his credit, published in renowned journals. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Praciprajna, the UGC-listed refereed peer reviewed e-journal in Sanskrit: https://sites.google.com/site/praachiprajnaa.

About the Book
The Lilavati, a vithi, is the magnum opus of Ramapanivada, a versatile poet of eighteenth century ce, a resourceful and multitalented writer of almost all the genres of creative compositions, belonged to Kerala, India. The Lilavati is the best of all available specimens of vithi literature in the history of Sanskrit drama. The plot of the Lilavati Vithi is based on the love story between Virapala, the king of Kuntala, and Lilavati, the daughter of the king of Karnata.
The text of the present volume of Lilavati Vithi is carefully edited and presented with a Sanskrit commentary Praci in the light of Sanskrit dramaturgy as well as Indian rhetorics. The commentary Praci treats to critically evaluate various poetical aspects, like figures in speech and metres. The characteristics of vithi with the suitable examples from the Lilavati, the thirteen numbers of vithyangas, the type of amukha or prastavana are explored in the introduction. It also presents an account of the history of the literature of available and non-available vithi type in its introduction. 
Present edition of Lilavati Vithi along with the Sanskrit commentary Praci and an extensive introduction in English and appendices will interest scholars and students of Indology who are focused on the study of Sanskrit literature. It will benefit the readers interested in classical Sanskrit literature. It will also be a supporting tool for the researchers of the history of classical Sanskrit literature in general and vithi literature in particular. 
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: D.K. Printworld
• Release date: Jul 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9788124611395

Book preview

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Līlāvatī Vīthī

Līlāvatī Vīthī

of Rāmapāṇivāda

with the Sanskrit Commentary Prācī

and Introduction in English

by

Sugyan Kumar Mahanty

Cataloging in Publication Data — DK

[Courtesy: D.K. Agencies (P) Ltd. ]

Rāmapāṇivāda, approximately 1707–approximately 1775, author.

Līlāvatī vīthī of Rāmapāṇivāda : with the Sanskrit

commentary Prācī and introduction in English /

by Sugyan Kumar Mahanty.

pages cm

Play.

Sanskrit and English.

ISBN 9788124611395

1. Rāmapāṇivāda, approximately 1707 – approximately 1775.

Līlāvatī. 2. Sanskrit drama. I. Māhānti, Sujñānakumāra,

1968– Prācī. II. Title.

LCC PK3798.R2862L55 2019 | DDC 891.22 23

ISBN: 978-81-246-1139-5

First published in India in 2021

© Sugyan Kumar Mahanty

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior written permission of both the copyright owner, indicated above, and the publisher.

Printed and published by:

D.K. Printworld (P) Ltd.

Regd. Office : H-12, Bali Nagar

(Metro Station: Ramesh Nagar, New

Delhi - 110015

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नान्दी वाक्

संस्कृतदशरूपकेषु संख्यादृष्ट्या तनीयस्यपि वीथी प्रामुख्यं भजते। तत्रापि तस्या रचनानैपुण्यमेव प्रधानकारणम्। साहित्यदर्पणकारो माधवीनाम्न्या वीथ्या उल्लेखं करोति। ततः पूर्वं चन्देलनृपतेः महामात्यो वत्सराजो द्वादशशतके ख्रैस्ते कामपि वीथीं कृतवान् इत्यपि ज्ञायते। तथापि कस्मिन्नपि कालखण्डे वीथीनां प्रभुत्वं, संख्यादृष्ट्या लोकप्रियतादृष्ट्या वा नाऽक्षिलक्ष्यीक्रियते। तत्र संभाव्यकारणानां समीक्षाऽस्माभिर्विधेया तिष्ठति। दशरूपकेषु केचन भेदा मर्त्यनायकसम्बद्धाः, केचनाऽमर्त्य(देव)नायकसम्बद्धाः (समवकारादयः), केचन च मर्त्यामर्त्यनायकसम्बद्धाः परिलक्ष्यन्ते यत्र प्रामुख्यं भजते व्यायोगः। एवं सति मर्त्यनायका नाट्यभेदा एव लोकप्रियताया धुरि स्थिताः सञ्जाताः। कस्मात्? समाजस्य मर्त्यलोकत्वात् । यस्मिन् समाजे वयं निवसामः सोऽस्ति मर्त्यानाम्। नायं देवसमाजः। देवसमाजे देवचरितस्य प्रतिष्ठा कामं सर्वोपरि भवेत्। परन्तु मर्त्यलोके मर्त्यचरितस्यैव प्रतिष्ठा साधीयसी प्रतीयते। यतो हि,

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः।

स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते॥

तस्मादेव लोके नाटकप्रकरणभाणप्रहसनानां प्रतिष्ठाऽतिशयेन सञ्जाता, यतो हि तेषु मर्त्यचरितं प्रभवति स्म।

ईहामृगाङ्कवीथीसमवकारादयः पञ्च प्रायशो देवचरितवन्त आसन्। तथापि मर्त्याऽमर्त्यसंस्कृतिसङ्गमस्थलीभूते भारतीयसमाजे तेषामपि परा प्रतिष्ठा जातैव। केवलं सर्जनादृष्ट्या तेषां नाट्यभेदानामवधीरणेव परिलक्ष्यते। इयं हि लोकप्रवृत्तिः। साहित्यसर्जनायाश्चाप्यधरोत्तरत्वं भवत्येव युगविशेषाभिरुच्यनुकूलम्। यथा हि वयं सम्प्रति पश्यामः; एकङ्किरूपकाणां प्रागल्भ्यम्।

वीथीनामा नाट्यभेदोऽपि प्रारम्भत एव संकीर्णतामुपगतोऽवलोक्यते। अयमपि नाट्यभेदो वर्तते भाणवदेकाङ्क एव। अयमपि भवति मुखनिर्वहणसन्धिमात्रप्रयोज्यः। परन्तु वीथ्याः नाट्यभेदान्तरापेक्षया योऽतिशयः संलक्ष्यते तत्र हेतुः को नु भवितुमर्हतीति विपश्चित्समीक्षाविषयः।

ममायमभिप्रायो वर्तते यद् वीथ्यङ्गमाहात्म्यवशादेव वीथ्यो नाट्यभेदानन्यानतिशेते। तत्रोद्धात्यकावलगितावस्यन्दितनालिकाऽसत्प्रलापवाक्केलिप्रपञ्चमृदवाधिबलच्छलत्रिगत-व्याहारगण्डाऽभिधाना वीथीभेदा एव तां लोकप्रियताया धुरि संस्थापयन्ति। एषां वीथ्यङ्गानां लक्षणपरिज्ञानेनैव चित्तं प्रह्वीभवति। यतो हि विविधायासकष्टपीडाभिभूतस्य रङ्गस्य मनोविनोदाय पीडासंहरणाय वा यदपेक्ष्यते तत्सर्वं पुञ्जीभूतं तिष्ठत्येव वीथ्यङ्गेषु। किञ्च, तया दृष्ट्या वीथी नाटकप्रकरणभाणप्रहसनान्यतिशेत इत्यहं स्फारमनुभवामि।

तादृशीमेव कामपि वीथीं लीलावतीनाम्नीं प्राचीति संस्कृतव्याख्योपस्कृतां प्रस्तौति सम्मुखं डाॅ. सुज्ञानकुमारमाहान्तिमहोदयो युवसंस्कृतविद्वत्सु शेखरायमाणः। इयं हि वीथी ख्रैस्ताष्टादशशताब्द्याः ख्याततमेन केरलविदग्धेन रामपाणिवादेन प्रणीता वर्तते। अयं हि कविः प्रायेण विंशतिमितानां कृतीनां रचयिता स्वयुगकविसार्वभौमः इत्यत्र न कापि संशीतिः। यथाऽहं संभावयामि यदयं महीशूरराजामात्यस्य विंशतिप्रायग्रन्थकारस्य वेंकामात्यस्य (1734-57

ई.

) समकालीन आसीत्। वेंकामात्योऽपि कामविलासभाणं, महेन्द्रविजयडिमं, वीरराघवव्यायोगं, लक्ष्मीस्वयम्वरसमवकारं, रुक्मिणीमाधवाङ्कं, कुक्षिम्भरप्रहसनं, उर्वशीसार्वभौमेहामृगं, सीताकल्याणवीथीञ्च प्रणीतवान्। हन्त, एतावत्कर्तृत्वमण्डितोऽयं कविः घनध्वान्ते क्वचिन्निलीनस्तिष्ठति? अहमिच्छामि यदायुष्मता सुज्ञानकुमारेणायमपि कर्णाटकविमूर्धन्यः प्रकाशे समानीयेत। स एव क्षमतेऽस्मिन् कर्मणि। लीलावतीवीथीं सटीकां प्रकाश्य सुज्ञानकुमारो न केवलमात्मवैदग्ध्यं प्रमाणयत्यपि तु स्वदेशिकतामपि सार्थकीकरोति। तस्मै वितरामि स्वाशिषां संहतिमहम्।

21.07.2018

प्रो॰ अभिराजराजेन्द्रमिश्रः

पुरोवाक्

न तज्ज्ञानं न तच्छिल्पं न सा विद्या न सा कला।

न तत्कर्म न वा योगो नाट्येऽस्मिन् यन्न दृश्यते।।

अतो नाट्यवेदस्य प‍रिपूर्णता सुत‍‍रां सिद्धा। भारतीयविद्याया: चिन्तनसूत्रं नाट्येषु विलसति। अस्मादेव कारणात् वामनो वदति यद् ‘दशरूपकं श्रेय:’ इति। सर्वे‍ऽपि नाट्यप्रकारा: वस्तुनेतृरसगतवैशि‍ष्ट्यात् विशिष्टा भवन्ति। तेषु उद्धात्यकावलगितावस्यन्दितादिभिरङ्गै: सुतन्त्रिता वीथी संस्कृतलघुरूपकेषु अल्पपात्रप्रयोज्यतया अल्पतमनाट्यसामग्रीसाध्यतया च सामाजिकमनोरञ्जननाट्यप्रकारत्वेन अद्यापि प्रासङ्गिकतां बिभ‍र्ति। अ‍ष्टादशेशवीयशतके केरलभूमिमलङ्कृतवत: बहुमुखिप्रतिभामण्डितस्य कविपुङ्गवस्य रामपाणिवादस्य कृतीनां विंशतौ लीलावती इति वीथी संस्कृतरूपकसाहित्येऽनवद्यं स्थानं भजते। अभिनवपदबन्धबन्धुरार्था शुचिरसमधुरा प्रचुरविचित्रतरा चेयं लीलावती वीथी अ‍ष्टादशेशवीयशतकस्य रूपकवाङ्मये अनन्यत्वं प्रमाणयति।

अ‍नितरसाधारणकाव्यसौन्दर्यसमन्विता लीलावतीवीथ्या: ‘प्राची’ इति आद्यां संस्कृतवृत्तिं विरचय्य, आंग्लभाषया निबद्धया वीथीसाहित्यस्येतिहासस‍हितया विस्तृतया भूमिकया सह प्रकाश‍यितुं समीहमानस्य ग्रन्थकारस्य सुज्ञानकुमारमाहान्तिम‍होदयस्य श्लाघ्यतमं प्रयासं नूनमहं भृशं प्रशंसामि। छन्दोऽलङ्कारनाट्यतत्त्वपद‍निर्वचनादिटिप्पणीसहितेयं ‘प्राची’ इति संस्कृतविवृति: कवे: रामपाणिवादस्य काव्यकौशलं यथोचितमनुशील्य लीलावत्या: भावगाम्भीर्यसमन्वितं काव्यसौन्दर्यं प्रामाणिकसन्दर्भोपस्थापनपूर्वकमनुगुणं प्रस्तौति।

लीलावत्या इयं प्राची न केवलं प्राच्याम् अपितु प्रतीच्यावाच्योदीच्यादिसु दिक्षु विद्वत्सु बुधजनेषु जिज्ञासुगणेषु च लभतां प्र‍तिष्ठामिति कामयमानो विरमामि विस्त‍रात्।

Prof. Narasingha Charan Panda

ICCR Chair Visiting Professor of Sanskrit, Sanskrit Studies Centre,

Faculty of Archaeology, Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Editor, International Journal of Indology & Culture,

Silpakorn University, Bangkok.

Former Visiting Professor/Fellow, Mahatma Gandhi Institute,

Moka, Mauritius.

Professor of Sanskrit, Vishveshvaranand Vishva Bandhu Institute of

Sanskrit & Indological Studies, Panjab University (Chandigarh),

Sadhu Ashram, Hoshiarpur, Punjab-146021.

Foreword

I

t

gives me immense pleasure and satisfaction in introducing to the world of Sanskrit scholars, the book entitled Līlāvatī Vīthī, written by Dr Sugyan Kumar Mahanty. In assenting to Dr Sugyan Kumar Mahanty’s request for a foreword to his Sanskrit commentary named प्राची to the Līlāvatī, a vīthī by Rāmapāṇivāda, along with an extensive introduction to Vīthī literature in English. I am closely acquainted with Dr Sugyan Kumar Mahanty and his great scholarship in the field of Sanskrit literature. In the form of a Sanskrit commentary he has also made a significant contribution to the productive literature of Sanskrit, as a creative writing like Līlāvatī Vīthī.

The Līlāvati, a vīthī, is the magnum opus of Rāmapāṇivāda, a versatile poet of eighteenth century

ce

, a resourceful and multitalented writer of almost all the genres of creative compositions, belonged to Kerala, India. The present title Līlāvatī is best of the available types of vīthī literature in the history of Sanskrit drama.

Dr Sugyan Kumar Mahanty, one of the brightest faculties of the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Deemed University, New Delhi, India, with more than twenty years of experience of postgraduate teaching as well as research activities, other than eight years service at Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, has authored a Sanskrit commentary प्राची, the very first of its kind to the Līlāvatī, along with an extensive introduction to vīthī literature in English. Dr Sugyan Kumar Mahanty has an intellectual thrust to bring out excellences in the field of education and research and to foster Sanskrit literature. In this work he has attempted to evaluate the poetic talent of Rāmapāṇivāda in the introduction to his commentary. He has also critically estimated the poetic excellences of the Līlāvatī Vīthī and analysed the dramatic canons employed in it.

Hence, Dr Mahanty really deserves our appreciation and congratulations for his sustained attempts to popularize Sanskrit, not only as a unique language but also as a springboard of creative literature. I do earnestly hope that with his learning and dedications, his sensibility and industry, he will be able to build a flourishing style of interpretation oriented towards the critical appreciation of the passed over literature in Sanskrit in the years to come.

I do also hope that the book will be received by the scholars of the East and the West for its great value. I pray God for his success in all his undertakings and expect many more such publications to come up from his pen.

16.06.2018

Prof. Narasingha Charan Panda

Preface

It

gives me a great pleasure to write this preface to Prof. Sugyan Kumar Mahanty’s edition of Rāmapāṇivāda’s vīthī composition Līlāvatī, with a learned Sanskrit commentary on this rare text composed by the editor himself. To begin with, the vīthī type of dramatic composition is rather rare in Sanskrit literature, compared to the more common nāṭaka, prakaraṇa, vyāyoga and prahasana. Rāmapāṇivāda’s Līlāvatī is a brilliant example of this rare type, and coming from a Kerala author, well known for his contributions to Sanskrit and Prākr̥t literature, this is a most welcome addition to the known Sanskrit dramatic literature.

Prof. Mahanty’s extensive introduction familiarizes the reader with all the ten types of Sanskrit drama as discussed in the literature of Sanskrit dramaturgy. His detailed discussion of the term vīthī and types of vīthī is most informative, especially as relatively little is known about some of these sub-types of Sanskrit drama. Prof. Mahanty provides a brief history of the vīthī literature, introducing some of the known examples of vīthī. He then introduces the reader to the author of Līlāvatī, Rāmapāṇivāda, and his Sanskrit and Prākr̥t works available to us. The introduction then proceeds to a detailed description of the form and the contents of the Līlāvatī.

Finally, I wish to congratulate Prof. Mahanty for writing an original Sanskrit commentary Prācī on Līlāvatī. Written in exquisitely classical Sanskrit style, the Līlāvatī is often not easy to understand, and Prof. Mahanty’s commentary provides beautiful explanations of this text. Besides explaining the meaning of the text, the commentary goes into the details of the specific meters used by Rāmapāṇivāda and the alaṁkāras used in the original work. It provides all the supporting definitions from works like Bharata’s Nāṭyaśāstra, Dhanañjaya’s Daśarūpaka and Viśvanātha’s Sāhityadarpaṇa. After explaining the wording of the original passages word-by-word, Prof. Mahanty then provides bhāvārtha of these passages as a help to the overall comprehension of the original. The commentary is totally successful in achieving its goals and deserves our appreciation as a distinctive new contribution to the Sanskrit commentarial literature.

I congratulate Prof. Mahanty for his excellent edition of Rāmapāṇivāda’s Līlāvatī and especially for his own commentary Prācī on this text. I look forward to many more valuable contributions from Prof. Mahanty in the future.

2 August 2018

Madhav M. Deshpande

Professor Emeritus, Sanskrit and Linguistics

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

[656 Del Oro Ct, Campbell, CA 95008, USA]

अनुशंसा

लीलावती नाम वीथी संस्कृतसाहित्ये विशिष्टा नाट्यरचनास्ति । अस्या रचयिता रामपाणिवादः केरलवास्तव्यस्य महाविदुषः सर्वतन्त्रस्वतन्त्रस्य कविशिरोमणेर्वैयाकरणवृन्दारकस्य नारायणभट्टस्य शिष्योऽस्ति । रामपाणिवादः स्वगुरोरनुरूपं विलक्षणं वैदुष्यं धारयति स्म । अतस्तदीया रचना नूनं संस्कृतसाहित्यस्य रत्नभूतास्ति ।

प्रौढवैदुष्यपूर्णायाः सुललितायाश्च लीलावत्या अध्ययनं व्याख्यासापेक्षमस्ति । अतः श्रीमान् सुज्ञानकुमारमाहान्तिमहोदयो लीलावत्याः सुगमां विशदां विद्वत्तापूर्णां च संस्कृतव्याख्यां विधाय नूनं भृशमुपकृतवान् संस्कृतसाहित्याध्ययनरसिकान्