Priyamvadacaritam Of Bhikudeva (Gaekwad's Oriental Series - No. 184)

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The Priyamadacaritam is a Sanskrit prose romance, composed by Bhikudeva, (11881 AD.J) a scholar from Jhansi, Uttarapradesh. It is a modern Gadyakarya of nineteenth century, written in traditional style of Banabhatta. Though a small one, it is written in a lucid language & flowing style with captivating story element of love affair between Priyamvada the heroine and Candrahasa the hero, interspersed with dramatic conversations and woven with sentiments of Smgara, Karuna, & Adbhuta. The work is edited by Shri P.H. Joshi (Research Officer) of our Institute, who expired all of a sudden last month on 3rd September 2002, when the work was almost ready through the press and he had given print order to the text portion. We regret to note that the book incorporating the success of his efforts is being published posthumously as the Gaekwad's Oriental Series No. 184.

We are grateful to our colleagues in the Institute, Dr. S.Y. Wakankar (Deputy Director), Dr. Mrs. Sharmila Bagchi (Temp. Research Officer) and Shri Milind Joshi (Temp. Research Assistant) for their co-operation in various ways towards carly publication of this book. We are also thankful to the University Authorities for releasing the required grant for the publication of this book. We also thank Shri P. N. Shrivastava, Manager, M.S. University of Baroda Press and his co-operative staff for the quick and neat composing & printing.

M.L. Wadekar,

Officiating Director,

Oriental Institute

Vijayadasami 15/10/2002

Every human being tries to get happiness and avoid sorrows or calamities, fallen upon him. For this purpose, he also tries to find out the means and ways for getting re-creation in his day to day- stereotyped way of life, frought with miseries. Now-a-days, there are many means or resources such as Radio, Television, Dramatic Theatres, Cinema houses, but, before the inventions of these new means of amusement or entertainment, people had to depend upon the open-air-dramas, folk literature, story-books, comedies, novels etc. Mostly they used to get enjoyment by reading novels and other such story-books. Naturally, scholars of different region composed in their regional languages such works for the people of different strata so also in the Sanskrit language, which has not only been the mother of all languages but a unifying national language of India. The Sanskrit literature is very vast in all its different fields, but the Prose-writing (sadya) was considered to be the touch-stone for poets (gadyam kavīnām nikasam vadanti). The works of Banabhatta namely the Kadambari and the Harsacarita have been the good specimens of the Katha & the Akhyayika respectively. Right from Banabhatta, the tradition continues till the modern times. The Priyamvadacaritam is not a historical legend, but, an imaginery modern love story - a novel resembling earlier Katha tradition. It is a prose romance composed at Jhansi by Bhikudeva, son of Sambhudeva in the year Vikrama Samvat 1937 i.c.. 1881 A.D. The Author -

The author of the work is Bhikudeva, son of Sambhudeva. In the introductory verses (4 & 5) of the work, the author has supplied ample personal information.

माद्यो शिवजवसतिग्रम एकः प्रतीतो

डोमध्यो यस्तदधिपतया यौ प्रसिद्धौ नृमान्यौ

जातौ देवान्वयजनननारायणाङ्गात्प्रदीपा

देकज्येष्ठः शि॒वपदयुतो रामनामाऽनुजोऽन्यः ।।

विश्वनाथाभिधस्तस्य तस्यानुज्ञावशेन च ।

तयोर्मुदे मयेदं तु रच्यते काव्यमुत्तमम् ॥

From these verses, it is quite clear that Bhikudeva was a son of Sambhudeva or Sivarama and grandson of Nārāyaṇa. His uncle's name was Viśvanatha. On the order of his uncle, he composed this good piece of Kavya for the pleasure of both of them - his father and his uncle. Their Surname was Deva and they were residents of a village called Madora, a small place near Jhansi, where there is a famous temple of Ganesa.

The author has composed the benedictory verses (no.1 & 2) in such an artistic way that the initial letters of each line of the verses form the sentence, conveying the sense - Bhikudevenedam Krtam. The author was also a devotee of Rama, since in the third verse, he bows down to Ramacandra. In the last verses after colophon, the author again pays homage to Ganapati, in which first letter of each line conveys the sense- 'Bhikudeve'.

It is learnt from the correspondence done with Shri Y.S. & L.S. Newalkar, direct descendents of the Queen of Jhansi Rānī Lakṣmi Bai who are permanent residents of Jhansi about this Deva family, that still there are members - descendents of this family at Jhansi. They are Desastha brahmins. There is also a place called Madora, situated at some 20 to 25 kilometres at distance from Jhansi, where there is a famous temple of Gaṇeśa, which is mentioned by our author.