Ba N A

Banabhatta, also known as Bana, was a Sanskrit writer and the court poet for the seventh-century Indian emperor Harsha. He is recognized as the author of the Harshacharita, a biography of Emperor Harsha. This work is significant as it is considered the first historical biography written in the Sanskrit language, marking the beginning of historical poetic compositions in Sanskrit. Although written in an ornate and descriptive style, the Harshacharita provides vivid accounts of rural India's natural surroundings and the industriousness of its people, reflecting the life of that era.

As the emperor's court poet, Banabhatta's portrayal of Harsha is presented in a highly favorable light, indicating a lack of complete impartiality. The Harshacharita itself is structured into eight chapters and recounts the emperor's life and lineage. Notably, the text contains an early reference to 'chaturanga,' the precursor to modern chess and its related board games, describing it as a pastime learned from Ashtâpada. The work has been translated into English and Telugu, and while considered historically foundational, it has also been described as "historical fiction" with a factual basis.

The Harshacharita, penned by Banabhatta, holds the distinction of being the inaugural historical biography composed in the Sanskrit language. This pioneering work is also credited with initiating the tradition of historical poetic writing in Sanskrit. Despite its florid and imaginative narrative style, the biography offers detailed and vibrant depictions of the natural environment of rural India and the remarkable industriousness of its inhabitants. These descriptions effectively convey the vitality of life during the seventh century CE. However, given that Banabhatta served as the court poet to Emperor Harsha, his account of his patron is not entirely objective, presenting the emperor's actions in an exceptionally positive manner.

Composed in elaborate poetic prose, the Harshacharita unfolds the life story of Emperor Harsha across eight distinct chapters, known as ucchvāsas. The initial two chapters provide an account of Banabhatta's own ancestry and early life. Within the text, an early mention of 'chaturanga,' the ancestor of chess and related board games, appears. The passage suggests that under Harsha's reign, the only conflicts involved bees, and the only 'feet' being cut were those used in measurement, implying a peaceful era where learning strategies like chaturanga from Ashtâpada was a primary pursuit, contrasting with the harsh punishments of earlier times.

The surviving commentary on the Harshacharita is the Sanketa, attributed to Shankara, a scholar hailing from Kashmir. There is also a mention of a potential commentary by Ruyyaka, titled Harsacaritavartika, which has not yet been discovered. The work has been made accessible in English through translations by Edward Byles Cowell and Frederick William Thomas in 1897. Military historian Kaushik Roy characterizes the Harshacharita as 'historical fiction' but acknowledges its foundation in factual accuracy. Furthermore, M. V. Ramanachari translated the work into Telugu prose in 1929.

“Under this monarch [...], only the bees quarrelled to collect the dew; the only feet cut off were those of measurements, and only from Ashtâpada one could learn how to draw up a chaturanga, there was no cutting-off of the four limbs of condemned criminals...”