रामचरितम् /17
This page has not been fully proofread.
different parts of India made use of in collating the text contain the
additional verses in question, with slight changes in their arrangement. In
these verses Abhinanda mentions as his patron one Háravarṣa and Yuvarâja
of the Pâla Dynasty, about whom we know practically next to nothing, very
probably because the chronology and the succession list of the kings of the
Pála Dynasty are far from being of a definite character. A clue can, however
be obtained from at least seven verses[^1] recorded in the Râmacarita about the
character, position and the identity of king Hāravarṣa.
These verses show that the patron of Abhinanda was Hâravarṣa also known
as Yuvarâja who belonged to the Pála Dynasty. It is not at all difficult to
imagine that this Pâla Dynasty refers to the famous Pâla Dynasty of Bengal
history, even though the surname Pâla may be found occasionally in the
names of the other kings of different dynasties, such as, Mahendrapāla of the
Gurjara Pratihâra Dynasty. Sir V. A. Smith, is, however, of opinion that the
word Pâlânvaya refers to the famous Pâla Dynasty of Bengal alone[^2].
One may raise the question as to how the rulers of the Pála Dynasty of
Bengal with a definite partiality to the Buddhist creed could patronize a Hindu
poet like Abhinanda. The rulers of the Pâla Dynasty usually call themselves as
"Paramasangata" in their inscriptions[^3] and they are the accredited benefactors
of purely Buddhist monasteries such as Nalanda, Vikramâśîla and Odantapuri.
It is, therefore, an anomaly to think of a Pâla king being the patron of a
Hindu poet. The answer to this is not far to seek. The testimony of Mahá-
mahopâdhyáya Haraprasâd Sástri, the editor of the Râmacarita of Sandhyâkara
Nandin, is that the Pálas were tolerent to Hindu religion though they actually
[^1.] एते निकामरसिकस्य जयान्त पांदा: श्रीहारवर्षयुवराजमहीतलेन्दोः ।
यैर्द्वादशांर्क किरणोत्करदुर्निवारः सृष्टोऽभिनन्दकुमुदस्य महाविकासः I, VII.
पालान्वयाम्बुजवनै कविरोचनाय तस्मै नमोऽस्तु युवराजनरेश्वराय ।
कोटिप्रदानघटितोज्ज्वलकीर्तिमूर्तिः येनामरत्वपदवीं गंमितोऽभिनन्दः ॥ III, VIII, XIV, XXXVI.
नमः श्रीहारवर्षीय येन हालादनन्तरम् । स्वकोशः कविकोशानामाविर्भावाय संभृतः ॥ V, VIII,
X, XII.
2.
3.
श्यामःसितासितनिरायतपक्ष्मलाक्षः क्षामोदरः कटिनकान्तभुजान्तरालः ।
सर्वाङ्गपल्लवितयौवनलाञ्छन श्रीः श्रीहारवर्ष इव कुत्र पतिः पृथिव्याः ॥ VI.
येनाद्य रामचरित चरिताद्भुतेन स्वेनाधरीकृतमतीष महीतलेऽस्मिन् ।
तेनैव पालकुलचन्द्रमसा तदित्यमुत्थापितं जगति पश्यत चिचमेतत् ॥ X
दीपः सतां स खलु पालकुलप्रदीपः श्रीहारघर्ष इति येन कविप्रियेण ।
सद्यः प्रसादभरदत्तमहाप्रतिष्ठे निष्ठापितः पिशुनवाक्प्रसरोऽभिनन्दे ॥ XI
सुदृढविपुलगा: शत्रुटान्तकारी सततमुपचितायां सन्निविष्टो दशायाम् ।
जगदमलमुदस्त शेषदोषान्धकारं जनयति युवराज: पालवंशप्रदीपः ॥ XXVI
Vide : Early history of India, P. 413,
Vide E. I. Vol. IV. P. 249 and I. A. Vol XXI P. 258.
additional verses in question, with slight changes in their arrangement. In
these verses Abhinanda mentions as his patron one Háravarṣa and Yuvarâja
of the Pâla Dynasty, about whom we know practically next to nothing, very
probably because the chronology and the succession list of the kings of the
Pála Dynasty are far from being of a definite character. A clue can, however
be obtained from at least seven verses[^1] recorded in the Râmacarita about the
character, position and the identity of king Hāravarṣa.
These verses show that the patron of Abhinanda was Hâravarṣa also known
as Yuvarâja who belonged to the Pála Dynasty. It is not at all difficult to
imagine that this Pâla Dynasty refers to the famous Pâla Dynasty of Bengal
history, even though the surname Pâla may be found occasionally in the
names of the other kings of different dynasties, such as, Mahendrapāla of the
Gurjara Pratihâra Dynasty. Sir V. A. Smith, is, however, of opinion that the
word Pâlânvaya refers to the famous Pâla Dynasty of Bengal alone[^2].
One may raise the question as to how the rulers of the Pála Dynasty of
Bengal with a definite partiality to the Buddhist creed could patronize a Hindu
poet like Abhinanda. The rulers of the Pâla Dynasty usually call themselves as
"Paramasangata" in their inscriptions[^3] and they are the accredited benefactors
of purely Buddhist monasteries such as Nalanda, Vikramâśîla and Odantapuri.
It is, therefore, an anomaly to think of a Pâla king being the patron of a
Hindu poet. The answer to this is not far to seek. The testimony of Mahá-
mahopâdhyáya Haraprasâd Sástri, the editor of the Râmacarita of Sandhyâkara
Nandin, is that the Pálas were tolerent to Hindu religion though they actually
[^1.] एते निकामरसिकस्य जयान्त पांदा: श्रीहारवर्षयुवराजमहीतलेन्दोः ।
यैर्द्वादशांर्क किरणोत्करदुर्निवारः सृष्टोऽभिनन्दकुमुदस्य महाविकासः I, VII.
पालान्वयाम्बुजवनै कविरोचनाय तस्मै नमोऽस्तु युवराजनरेश्वराय ।
कोटिप्रदानघटितोज्ज्वलकीर्तिमूर्तिः येनामरत्वपदवीं गंमितोऽभिनन्दः ॥ III, VIII, XIV, XXXVI.
नमः श्रीहारवर्षीय येन हालादनन्तरम् । स्वकोशः कविकोशानामाविर्भावाय संभृतः ॥ V, VIII,
X, XII.
2.
3.
श्यामःसितासितनिरायतपक्ष्मलाक्षः क्षामोदरः कटिनकान्तभुजान्तरालः ।
सर्वाङ्गपल्लवितयौवनलाञ्छन श्रीः श्रीहारवर्ष इव कुत्र पतिः पृथिव्याः ॥ VI.
येनाद्य रामचरित चरिताद्भुतेन स्वेनाधरीकृतमतीष महीतलेऽस्मिन् ।
तेनैव पालकुलचन्द्रमसा तदित्यमुत्थापितं जगति पश्यत चिचमेतत् ॥ X
दीपः सतां स खलु पालकुलप्रदीपः श्रीहारघर्ष इति येन कविप्रियेण ।
सद्यः प्रसादभरदत्तमहाप्रतिष्ठे निष्ठापितः पिशुनवाक्प्रसरोऽभिनन्दे ॥ XI
सुदृढविपुलगा: शत्रुटान्तकारी सततमुपचितायां सन्निविष्टो दशायाम् ।
जगदमलमुदस्त शेषदोषान्धकारं जनयति युवराज: पालवंशप्रदीपः ॥ XXVI
Vide : Early history of India, P. 413,
Vide E. I. Vol. IV. P. 249 and I. A. Vol XXI P. 258.