Bana was a Shaiva. But at the same time he revered Jain and Buddhist faiths besides all the gods of Hindu, Vedic and Puranic tradition. Bana upholds Buddhism for its rationalistic approach preaching ethical values. He compliments Buddhism for promoting free thinking and ushering in higher education in India.
The genre of biography was enunciated by Bana. Harshacharita sprang out to be the first ever biography of its sort in Classical Sanskrit literature at least two thousand years old. This stands out a maiden attempt in Indian literature at historiography. Emperor Harshvardhan stood his patron-emperor. Besides, Bana’s other stilted prose, Kadambari epitomises all other prose romance in Sanskrit down the centuries. Thus Bana bedazzles entire poet fraternity of all ages.
The riparian hamlet of Pritikuta by the river Shona in Kanyakubja region, was Bana’s birthplace ruled by the Maukhari emperors. This Brahmin village was a seat of learning, people leading a virtuous life of piety. Bana had an impressive lineage and inherited an affluent family. He was disciple of the great Bharchu. Bana lost his mother at a tender age and soon thereafter he lost his father too. This jolted him to a wandering life to allay his sorrow. During his travels he maintained an elaborate retinue like a prince. Its menagerie of forty-four people included a snake-doctor, a goldsmith, a jeweler, a painter, a singer, a dancing girl and also a gambler, attendants for betel chewing besides philosophers, poets, artists, Buddhist monks and nuns and all and sundry. Bana was inquisitive to gain an invigorating view of life and nature with this cortege of medley. He gleaned upon knowledge from his wanderlust. Bana remained jaunty and led a peripatetic life nibbling at best delights in life, visiting holy places, royal courts and educational centres hobnobbing with scholars and poets. All this contributed to a holistic learning churning out an innate genius.
It so happened that some envious courtiers of King Harsha cast aspersions on Banabhatta. Bana was summoned to appear before the king. Bana was not known to Harsha then. Initially the king scoffed at him -‘great libertine’ was his snide remark. But later Bana’s eloquent speech dribbling mot juste elated King Harsha who went on to copiously reward him with herds of elephants each caparisoned with tones of gold. To recompense his patron Bana compiled the immortal Akhyayika (prose-chronicle) on Harsha.
Bana was a Shaiva. But at the same time he revered Jain and Buddhist faiths besides all the gods of Hindu, Vedic and Puranic tradition. Bana upholds Buddhism for its rationalistic approach preaching ethical values. He compliments Buddhism for promoting free thinking and ushering in higher education in India.
Bana’s literary acumen
Bana stands out in his maiden attempt to cut a dash upon both the literary forms of Romantic fiction and heroic biography. Patanjali’s Mahabhashya (2nd century BC) mentions of these genres existing even at that time but none of them are available. So the credit passes on to Bana as the progenitor of these genres.
Bana’s several works cannot be traced. Hence their impact cannot be gauzed. Besides Harshacharita and Kadambari, Bana also composed two plays. Parvatiparinaya is a dramatic version of Kalidas’s Kumarsambhava. The other play Mukutataditaka meaning ‘Crowned Head Kicked’ is lost. However, some quotations from later writers give credence to its once existence. Dandin and Bhamha are among the earliest theorists whose work bears ample imprint of Bana’s two masterpieces.
Bana doles out explicit elaboration of literature invigorating upon prose genres in both these works. “He goes sometimes out of the way to allude to literary pursuits at the courts of kings,” feels K Krishnamoorthy. Each syllable was encrusted with rhythmical units to rouse the reader with unexpected rendition. Such jeu de esprit (word play) in any language in whole world remains unprecedented. His bon mot sloshes anuprasa (alliteration) with slesa (paronomasia) and virodhabhasa (paradox), atishayokti (hyperbole), utpreksha (poetic fancy), yamaka (twinning) and metaphor and also the subtle nuances of poetic profundity. The diction in Sanskrit language exudes profound vocabulary of synonyms and homonyms entailing syntax with compounds running into several lines. And Bana juggles dexterously with this profundity of Sanskrit to remain exquisite throughout the annals of Sanskrit literature. Subandhu, a compeer of Bana who too dealt with prose-romance speaks of him as ‘punster on each and every syllable’. Each verse or sentence of Bana exemplifies a certain perfection of style bearing testimony to his stupendous repertoire of literary art. He extols epic as well as classic poets of both Sanskrit and Prakrit – Vyasa, Satvahana, Bhasa, Kalidasa, Gunadhya among others. He rummages through diverse historical traditions of ancient India as well as the traditions expounded in the epics and Puranas.
Bana was well versed in all schools of philosophy, arts and science as prevalent during that period. He wielded grammar, prosody and sexology to render and improvise his poetic sensibility. This rare mélange of disparate ideas and thoughts that were collated upon, carved a niche in the tomes of Sanskrit literature to remain exultant for thirteen centuries.
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