Sandesha Rasaka

This is a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Sandesha Rasaka" based on the provided pages, focusing on its content, significance, and scholarly presentation.

Book Title: Sandesha Rasaka (संदेश रासक) Author: Abdul Rahman (written by a Muslim poet) Editors: Shri Jinavijay Muni, Shri Harivallabh Bhayani Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay Series: Singhi Jain Series (Number 22) Publication Year: Vikram Samvat 2001 / 1945 A.D.

Overall Significance:

The Sandesha Rasaka is a unique and historically significant work for several reasons:

• First Apabhramsa Work by a Muslim Poet: It is a pioneering literary creation by a Muslim poet, Abdul Rahman, written in the Apabhramsa language, a significant precursor to modern Indo-Aryan languages.
• Bridge Between Cultures: The work showcases Abdul Rahman's assimilation of Hindu culture, literary styles, and sentiments, making it a bridge between Islamic and Hindu traditions in medieval India.
• Linguistic and Metrical Importance: The text is a rich source for studying the nuances of late Apabhramsa, its grammatical features, and a variety of metrical patterns, including those popular among bards.
• Literary Merit: Despite its linguistic and cultural significance, the Sandesha Rasaka is also appreciated for its aesthetic qualities, emotional depth, vivid descriptions of nature, and engaging narrative.

Content Summary:

The Sandesha Rasaka is a narrative poem structured in three sections (Prakramas):

First Stride (Prakrama 1): Introduction and Author's Apology (Stanzas 1-23)

• Invocation: The poem begins with invocations to the Creator and salutations to earlier poets and scholars who mastered various languages and prosody.
• Author's Humility and Purpose: Abdul Rahman introduces himself as Addahamāņa (Abdala Rahamana), son of Mirasena, a weaver from Murshidabad. He humbly acknowledges his limitations in grammar and sacred texts, expressing apprehension that his work might not be appreciated by the highly learned or understood by the illiterate, but hopes it will appeal to those of medium caliber. He uses metaphors of natural phenomena (moon vs. lamps, cuckoos vs. crows, etc.) to justify his poetic endeavor.
• Description of Sāmora City: The poet describes the glorious city of Sāmora (identified as Sambapura), detailing its fortifications, learned citizens, and vibrant cultural life, including musical performances, recitations of epics, and the presence of courtesans.
• Encounter with the Messenger: The narrative shifts to a lady from Vijayanagara, suffering intensely from separation from her husband, who is away in Stambhatirtha (Cambay). She encounters the poet who is acting as a messenger.

Second Stride (Prakrama 2): The Lady's Plea and the Messenger's Journey (Stanzas 24-129)

• The Lady's Anguish: The lady from Vijayanagara is depicted in a state of deep sorrow and physical suffering due to her husband's prolonged absence. Her beauty is described in detail, juxtaposed with her melancholic state.
• The Message: She implores the traveller (poet) to carry a message to her husband. This message comprises several verses (Gathas, Dohas, etc.) expressing her longing, her suffering from the fire of separation, her unwavering love, and her despair at his indifference. She highlights the irony that while she endures torment, his absence seems to cause him no distress.
• The Messenger's Reply: The traveller, moved by her plight, assures her he will carry the message and advises her to compose herself, as many travellers face similar suffering.
• Seasonal Descriptions: This section intersperses the narrative with vivid descriptions of seasons, particularly the harshness of summer, the overwhelming monsoon, and the charm of autumn. These seasonal changes mirror and amplify the lady's emotional state.

Third Stride (Prakrama 3): Continuation of Seasonal Descriptions and Conclusion (Stanzas 130-223)

• Summer's Torment: The poem continues with the suffering experienced during summer, the unbearable heat, the dry rivers, and the poet's own distress, intensified by the beauty of nature.
• Monsoon's Impact: The arrival of the monsoon brings relief to nature but not to the separated lover. The thunderous clouds, lightning, and incessant rain amplify her agony. The poet describes the difficulties faced by travellers during this season.
• Autumn's Melancholy: Autumn arrives, bringing pleasant natural scenes, but for the separated lady, it brings no relief, only a reminder of her husband's continued absence. She observes the joyful unions of others, contrasting it with her own loneliness.
• Winter's Chill: Winter's arrival brings cold, forcing people indoors, and further highlighting her isolation. Her attempts to cope through various means are described.
• Spring's Cruelty: Spring, meant to be a season of love and rejuvenation, becomes a source of torment for the lady, as nature's beauty only intensifies her grief and longing for her husband.
• Poet's Personal Journey and Conclusion: The narrative concludes with the poet (traveller) reflecting on the lady's message and his own journey. He sees the lady's beloved (her husband) returning unexpectedly. The poem ends with a blessing for those who recite or listen to this work, signifying the accomplishment of a purpose. The final stanza invokes victory to the eternal creator.

Scholarly Presentation and Key Features:

The edition by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, edited by Jinavijaya Muni and H. C. Bhayani, is a critical work:

• Multiple Manuscripts: The text is critically edited using three primary manuscripts (Ms. A, B, C) and further supplemented by a fourth (Ms. N). The editors meticulously record variant readings.
• Sanskrit Commentary and Avachūrikā: The original Apabhramsa text is accompanied by a Sanskrit commentary (Tippana) and an Avachūrikā (a more explanatory commentary), providing crucial linguistic and contextual insights.
• Grammatical and Metrical Analysis: Professor H. C. Bhayani provides an extensive "Critical Study" detailing the orthography, sound changes, morphology (stem formation, inflections, pronouns, numerals, verb conjugations), syntax, postpositions, indeclinables, and compounds of the Apabhramsa language as used in the Sandesha Rasaka.
• Metrical Breakdown: A detailed analysis of the various meters (Matravrittas and Varnavrittas) employed in the poem, including Dohas, Rasakas, Gathas, Paddhadis, Adillas, and others, is provided. The editors discuss conflicting traditions and offer emendations.
• Originality and Influences: The study explores parallels with other Apabhramsa and Prakrit literatures, highlighting Abdul Rahman's mastery and originality within the literary conventions of his time.
• Dating of the Work: Based on linguistic evidence, historical context (mention of cities like Multan and Cambay), and the commentary, the work is placed in the latter half of the 12th century or the first half of the 13th century A.D.
• Language Dialect: The language is identified as a vernacular-coloured Apabhramsa, showing a strong admixture of Old Western Rajasthani and influences from early Western Hindi dialects.
• Founder's Tribute: The publication is dedicated to the memory of Babu Shri Bahadur Singhji Singhi, whose patronage and vision established the Singhi Jain Series. The preface extensively details his philanthropic activities and dedication to learning.

In essence, the Sandesha Rasaka is presented not just as a poem but as a significant artifact of medieval Indian literary, linguistic, and cultural history, meticulously brought to light by dedicated scholarship.