Interpretation Of A Passage In The Bhagavadajjukiya

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided text from H. C. Bhayani's "Interpretation of a Passage in the Bhagavadajjukiya":

The article by H. C. Bhayani focuses on interpreting a specific verse (verse no. 25) from the 7th-century CE Sanskrit farce, Bhagavadajjukiya, attributed to Mahendravikramavarman. This verse describes the route taken by Yama's agent who is transporting the soul of a courtesan to Yama's land.

The core of Bhayani's analysis is the interpretation of the word "goleyim" (which he suggests is more accurately "gauleyim") in the third line of the verse:

"गङ्गामुतीर्य विन्ध्यं शुभ-सलिल-वहां नर्मदामेष सह्यं गोलेयी कृष्णवेण्णां पशुपति-भवनं सुप्रयोगां च काञ्चीम् । कावेरी ताम्रपर्णीमथ मलयगिरि सागरं लवयित्वा । वेगादुतीर्य लङ्कां पवन-सम-गतिः प्राप्तवान् धर्म-देशम् ॥"

Bhayani notes that previous interpretations by Lockwood and Bhat understood "goleyim" as modifying "Krishnavenna" and meaning "whirling." However, Bhayani disagrees with this interpretation.

Bhayani proposes that "gauleyim" is synonymous with the river Godavari. He provides the following grounds for his assertion:

1. Alternative Names of Godavari: The river Godavari is also known as Goda in later Sanskrit.
2. Prakrit Form: Its Prakrit form, Gola, has been widely used and even adopted into later Sanskrit.
3. "Golla" as a Country Name: In medieval literature, "Golla" is known as the name of a country. Bhayani suggests this is likely derived from "Golya," meaning "the country around the river Gola."
4. Linguistic Evidence:
   • The term "Golla" appears in Hemacandra's Parisistaparvan (8.194).
   • It is also found in Prakrit, specifically in Malayagiri's commentary on the Avaśyaka.
   • In the Raula-veli, a text dating to the 12th century CE, which uses a mixture of Late Apabhramśa and Early Indo-Aryan, the words "golla" (a person from the Golla country) and "gollā" (a girl from the Golia country) are present.

Based on this linguistic and historical evidence, Bhayani concludes that "gauleyim" in the verse can be understood as referring to the river of the Golya country, thus identifying it with the Godavari. This interpretation aligns with the other river names mentioned in the verse, such as Ganga, Narmada, Krishnavenna, Kaveri, and Tamraparni, which are all significant rivers traversed on a journey from north to south in India.

In essence, Bhayani's article provides a linguistic and historical argument to identify a seemingly obscure geographical reference in a classical Sanskrit play, linking it to a well-known Indian river and enriching the understanding of the route described.