Emperor Harshavardhana Shiladitya, who ruled over the north Indian empire in the
first half of seventh century, wrote three plays and two Buddhist poems. Among
them, Ratnāvali and Nāgānanda are the two plays that became very popular.
According to the Chinese scholar and pilgrim, Hiuen Tsang, Harsha was the most kindhearted
and generous king. He was reported to be against wars as wars involved killing.
He considered killing—prānivadhakraurya—as an act of supreme cruelty. Historians
opine that during his last three years of life Harsha, like Ashoka, perhaps, realizing the
futility of wars, gave up military expeditions. One opinion is that it is during the said period
he—having made peace with himself and converted to Buddhism—might have written
the play, Nāgānanda, Joy of the Serpents, which is based on a Buddhist jātaka story
(Warder, 1984). There is also a feeling among some scholars that Jimutavahana, hero of
the play Nāgānanda, is an exact replica of Harsha himself (Varadpande, 2005).
|
