2025, Vol. 11, Issue 1, Part C

author(s)
Himel Karmakar

abstract
Seventeen or eighteen centuries ago there was a king in India named KAṆIṢKA. A European scholar has mentioned that his reign stretched from the Vindhya Mountains on one side to the Altai Mountains on the other. He ruled over this vast expanse of land. Many believe that he was a Buddhist or converted to Buddhism later. However, there is no doubt that Buddhism flourished during his rule. At his royal court three great personalities were present. Their names were CARAKA, MĀṬHARA, and AŚVAGHOSA. AŚVAGHOSA in particular was the royal teacher of King KAṆIṢKA. He was originally a Brahmin, the son of SUVARNĀKṢĪ and known to belong to the SĀKETA land. Among the poets, writers, and philosophers who enriched the treasury of Buddhist literature by composing works in Sanskrit, AŚVAGHOSA is one of the most prominent. He achieved fame as a great poet, singer, composer, lyricist, playwright, and religious propagator. This brilliant poet from the 1st century AD created several literary works and among them the epic SAUNDARANANDAM stands out as one of his most significant and mature compositions. The epic is based on the doctrine of PRATĪTYASAMUTPĀDA, in which the TATHĀGATA Buddha gives his brother NANDA teachings on the path to liberation. The great philosopher AŚVAGHOSA transformed this wisdom into an epic SAUNDARANANDAM embellishing it with rasa (emotions), rhythm and rhetorician. The epic written in various meters not only reflects philosophical ideas but also portrays religion and the culture of ancient India. The use of meter and rhetorician enhances the aesthetic beauty of the poetry. The precision of the meter contributes to the overall structure and elegance of the poem making the verses rhythmically rich. This is why meter holds a significant place in the characteristics of poetry. In addition to its musical beauty meter also plays a vital role in oral tradition helping to memorize and recall the text. Hence, meter is regarded as an essential element in poetry. The central theme of this paper was to explore the use of meter in SAUNDARANANDAM and evaluate AŚVAGHOSA’s contribution in this area.