The Harsacharita by Banabhatta

by Banabhatta, E.P. Cowell, P.W. Thomas, R.P. Shastri

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The Harshacharita is a monumental historical romantic fiction in â€˜akhyayikaâ€™ form written by Banabatta in eight chapters. The story in the Harshacharita is not a full biography but covers the reign of Harsha upto the recovery of his lost elder sister Rajyashri, and the royal and military activities of some years. Though some persons, happenings, events and places described here are verified by history, it must be remembered that Bana is not writing this fictional biography as a historian but as a poet or an epic bard, decorating his tale with fancy, fantasy, the marvel of romance and adventure, and with all the literary devices of a determined poet. The Harshacharita occupies an important place in Sanskrit literature because it furnishes historical and sociological details during his time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Banabhatta

Banabhatta was a powerful fiction writer in the court of Shri Harshavardhana, King of Kanauj (604-647 A.D.). He grew up in an intellectually and materially rich domestic atmosphere, imbibiihng the knowledge of all Shastras, arts and lores. Unfortunately he lost his mother Rajadevi when he was a child and his father Chitrabhanu who nurtured him carefully also passed away when Bana was fourteen years old. His contribution to Sanskrit literature is unique. The father of an ornate florid style, Bana created a new genre of prose romances by writing a historical tale, the biography of his patron king, under the title Harshacharita and Kadambari.