India was a progressive nation during the seventh century. Great rulers like Harshavardhana ( 606 - 647 AD ), Pulikesin the Chalukya, Mahendravarma Pallava and Narasimhavarma Pallava ruled the country. The old records and compositions speak tomes about the magnificent period. The Court poet of Harsha , Banabhatta has penned the story of the great Emperor who ruled from Thaneswar in modern Haryana.
Harshacharita is rendered in Sanskrit and consists of eight ucchavas or chapters. This compostion is embedded with marvelous poetry within a historical framework. Harsha was born to Yashovati and Prabhakaravardhana under an excellent combination of planets and predictions. The author Banabhatta narrates the deeds of Harsha while also sharing details about his background and the circumstances under which he enters the royal court as a poet. The text shares that Banabhatta belonged to the Vatsyayana Gotra and that he hailed from Pritikuta near Kanauj or Kanyakubja. He was born to Chitrabhanu and Rajadevi. It also also states that he had thoroughly studied the Vedas and other texts before entering the court of Harsha. The wealth of the rich Banabhatta had increased further due to royal patronage.
The story talks about the wars between the family of Harsha and the Hunas who had invaded Northern India. It gives details pertaining to the marriage of Harsha's younger sister Rajyashri to Grihavarman who happened to be killed by his enemies. Harsha's elder brother Rajyavardhan resolves to avenge this loss, however he looses his life in the process. It is at this moment that the author puts across the political environment within the empire and the circumstances which made Harsha the most eligible person to ascend the throne. Immediately, Harsha undertakes an expedition and avenges the death of his brother in law while also getting his sister Rajyashri back from the Vindhya forests with the help of the Buddhist monk , Divakaramitra. Banabhatta describes Harsha as an incarnation of all Gods amalgamated into one. The text informs the readers details regarding the practice of Sati, though the term is not used. We get to know about Sati in the context of Harsha's mother Yashomati, who immolates herself in her husband's funeral pyre and Harsha's sister Rajyashri who is saved by him at the nick of the moment.
The text furnishes us with mixed emotions of pain and love , thanks to the author Banabhatta who throws light on the emotions of the personalities who form part of his work. The anxiety of the parents of a daughter is explained in a lucid manner. Similarly, it is mentioned as to how Harsha's heart was splintered into a thousand pieces on learning about the decline of his beloved father's health. Harshacharita informs us that Hinduism,Jainism and Buddhism prevailed at those times. The Shaiva affiliations of Harsha are exposed through his indulgence in rituals and worship. The text also refers to the great Shaiva Saint Bhairavacharya and a list of Pasupata teachers. The text also mentions many religious texts and philosophical schools like Shwetapama ( Shwetambara), Bhagavatas ( Vaishnavas ) among many others.
Banabhatta further shares details pertaining to the recitation of Vedic hymns and the reading of epics on important occasions. He talks about Vyasa and Kalidasa while also hinting about plagiarism by poets. Harshacharita throws sufficient light on how manuscripts were preserved during the ancient times. The author talks about the ink used for writing and also about the techniques used for making inscriptions. The readers can further enrich themselves by learning about the various professions and about the process of learning prevalent in the seventh century . Its heartening to know that people were interested in education and development of their skills throughout the lengths and breadths of our country. They can get amused by knowing about the various professions which include storytellers,goldsmiths,
The author talks about the extent of Harsha's Empire and through this we get to learn that his reign straddled much of Northern India. The text describes as to how arms were worshiped with sandalwood paste and the manner through which elephants were procured. There is a reference to both white and brown sugar, while also references are made to the kinds of crops that were being cultivated. The seasons and climatic conditions are described in a lovely manner. The author has ensured that every detail assimilated by him has been shared.The text talks about omens,ceremonies and superstitions. We also get to learn about the visit of the Buddhist pilgrim Xuan Zang to the court of Harsha. The Emperor's inclination towards Buddhism is also elucidated by the author. Its nice to learn through Harshacharita by Banabhatta that Emperor Harsha was a good son,brother,general and a capable humane person endowed with several other noble virtues which ushered in peace and prosperity in our country.
Harshacharita is an important text handed over to us by Banabhatta without which it would be impossible to reconstruct the times of Harsha, who happens to be one of the noblest rulers of India. We can conclude that though rulers create Empires,it is really the Writers who truly serve the land by filling the pages of history with every detail of the times. The works of eminent writers like Banabhatta, the author of Harshacharita will continue to enlighten generations about the noble past of India for posterity.