BANA AS A PROSE WRITER

Sanskrit Literature is unique in having world’s most ancient Prose Compositions, Banabhatta was one of India’s excellent prose writers who lived in first half of 8th century. He was given patronage by the great King Harshavardhana of Kanykubja and later Thaneswar. One day a youth from a small village walked straight into the court of Harshavardhana and was stopped by the guards. However, the King wanted to test the audacity of the young man with a bright face filled with confidence. Bana had travelled a lot and his exposure to various parts of India was very much as we find in his prose compositions. The King was highly pleased with his scholarship and made him his court poet.

Banabhatta wrote Harshacharitam, the exploits of his patron  King Harshadeva of Kanauj, who was himself a great scholar, who has written three plays in Sanskrit. His intention was to preach Buddhism through the medium of Thater. Bana was happy to become a court poet of such a cultured King, who patronized him for long.

 As  a boy, he has read the folklore enormously. Bana  borrowed his storyline from Brihatkatha and other Tales and has woven his poetical prose, unequalled till date. He was proud  to speak about his  rich and scholarly family from Preetikoota,  now a small hamlet on the banks of Shona river now in Shahabad District. He hailed from Vatsyayana’s family and was son of Rajadevi and Chitrabhanu Bhatta. It can be assumed that he belonged to Brahmana family of Shaiva faith. He lost his mother when he was an infant and was brought up by his father till 14, when he also passed away. Thus, Bana was an orphan. But as a clever story teller, he roamed about in most parts of Northern and middle India. As a good orator and a story teller,  he could travel and survive anywhere entertaining people.

At a very young age, he was court poet of Harsha and toured along with him on several occasions. The date of the poet can be fixed between 605 and 648 A.D.

STYLE OF BANA

The poet is known for exceptionally  long sentences with compound words, word painting at his best and an excellent story teller, which made him popular  even during his lifetime. Western critics of Bana bhatta have compared his works as Indian wood, as they had no idea of India’s rich heritage and culture. Weber and Winternitz have almost commented similarly  that his prose is only for Indian readers.

WORKS OF BANABHATTA

Banabhatta has written a Historical novel on Harsha,  Harshacharitam, called Akhyaayikaa and Kadambari, a Kathaa, an entertaining Story. Some believe he has written  also Chandeeshatakam, a prayer  of   one hundred  stanzas  goddess Durga. 

Whether it is Shukanasa’s advise to the prince Chandraapeeda, or Mahashveta’s lamentation on dead Pundaleeka, or description of Acchoda saras, Bana steals our hearts. In his Kadambari, which is mostly his auto biography, his long sentences and a complicated  way of narrating a story,  a wise listener can  only follow are all  unique. Hence,  later poets exclaimed Vanee Bano babhoova, Bana is Goddess of Learning reborn in human form.  A reading of Kadambari has a lasting impression on the reader of all ages. He is very vivid in description, of course without making his readers bored. He even describes how people of those days smoked, writing their names in  circles and rings of smoke!!

We can infer from the poet’s works that he is an orthodox Hindu Brahmana, open to other religions like Jainism & Buddhism and valued humanity as his priority. Bana uses his versatility in Samskrit language and Indian culture in his works in suitable proportions. He is a balanced writer, to the core in spite of his poetic fancy. He pictures Mahashveta, Kadambari and other women characters of his novels as symbols of pure & eternal love, which extends for successive births.

Rarely after Bana, we find a similar versatile Prose writers in Samskrit Language. Other poets only tried to copy or imitate him to some extent. A reading of Bana is sure to enrich the readers' vocabulary in Samskrit language and love for Nature and life. He loved life King size. He never disappoints his readers. That is a successful poet. He might be called the father of Indian Prose literature.
Some say he was a descendant of Vatsyayana, also Chanakya, who wrote Kamasutram. 

Message of Mahabharata

This is a Story from Mahabharata. It was a remote village, with dry land and with very less opportunities for Agriculture. People suffered  from poverty and they had to get out of their town for a living. In this Village, there was a Brahmana by name Kashyapa. He went to a  Gurukulam, had formal Education, but he had no land to till, no Students to teach.  He was forced to live by begging alms as he had a large family to feed and support.  Every day he set out early in the morning for begging and returned in the noon.

One noon, while he was on his begging rounds, slowly walking on a road, a rich man’s horse carriage was following him at a great speed. On some reason, the horse was distracted and the wheel of the chariot ran over the Brahmin’s left leg. He fell unconscious. Bleeding profusely, with pain and great difficulty, he crossed the road and sat on a rock. He was brooding over his misfortune. He could no longer beg. His children were very young. Cursing himself, he decided to commit suicide, as he felt he was useless to his family and  was a burden to them. Kashyapa crawled across and reached slowly to a lonely place to end his Life. Gods wanted to teach him a Lesson.

Suddenly a Jackal appeared before him and spoke to him  like a human being! In great pain, he did not realize it must be an Angel. The Jackal said, “Oh the learned one, why are you into this heinous crime? You are learned, capable of advising Fools who do such things. What are you  achieving  by ending your precious human form gifted by God? You will again be born as an animal like me or even worser.  Instead, cure your pain by Patience and resume your work and look after your Family. The Jackal gave him an option.

‘If you can’t bear this pain, you can enter into my Form and I shall take your painful one. Kashyapa readily agreed. ‘Be it so ‘, he said and with the help of Jackal, took over the animal form and the Jackal took the painful, bleeding human form.

In fact, Angel  Indra wanted to test the Brahmana’s  love for Life. Soon after the Brahmana had a moment’s joy, free from pain and walked freely in the forest. His happiness did not last long. A herd of Jackals arrived to greet the newcomer. Some of them licked his body with their foul smelling tongue, some sniffed him, others kissed him. Kashyapa was unable to live among Jackals. He felt the painful human form was better than this foul smelling animal form. Now he realized Gods might have put him to test.

Kashyapa honestly prayed God to get back his earlier form, though painful and wanted to get rid of this Jackal’s body. The Gods were pleased and he was made to take over his wounded human form. In a few months, he was fit to work. He started a new Life, worked hard, cleared all his debts, and soon became a respectable Man of the Town. 

He now  realized how precious the human form is!

This Story has a message to all ages. Make your lives happy than expecting happiness to come from somewhere. It lies within us. Explore it.  You will surely be happy.