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{{short description|7th-century Sanskrit writer}}
{{short description|7th-century Sanskrit writer and poet}}
{{family name hatnote|Bāṇa|lang=Sanskrit}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2014}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2014}}
{{use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{use Indian English|date=November 2016}}
{{use Indian English|date=November 2016}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Bāṇabhaṭṭa
| name               = Bāṇabhaṭṭa
| occupation = Poet, writer, author
| occupation         = Poet, writer
| works = ''[[Harshacharita]]'', ''[[Kadambari]]''
| works             = ''[[Harshacharita]]'', ''[[Kadambari]]''
| father            = Chitrabhānu
| mother            = Rājadevi
| birth_place        = Pritikuta
| children          = Bhūṣaṇabhaṭṭa (son)
| relatives          = [[Mayurbhatta|Mayūrabhaṭṭa]] (brother-in-law)
}}
}}
'''Bāṇabhaṭṭa''' ({{lang-sa|बाणभट्ट}}) was a 7th-century [[Sanskrit]] prose writer and poet of [[India]]. He was the ''Asthana Kavi'' in the court of King [[Harsha Vardhana]], who reigned c. 606–647 CE in north India first from Sthanvishvara ([[Thanesar]]), and later [[Kannauj]]. Bāna's principal works include a biography of Harsha, the ''[[Harshacharita]]'' (Deeds of Harsha),<ref>{{cite web | title = Sthanvishvara (historical region, India) |publisher= Encyclopædia Britannica | url = http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/566090/Sthanvishvara | access-date = 2014-08-09 }}</ref> and one of the world's earliest novels, ''[[Kadambari]]''. Bāṇa died before finishing the novel and it was completed by his son Bhūṣaṇabhaṭṭa. Both these works are noted texts of Sanskrit literature.<ref name="Datta1988">{{cite book|author=Amaresh Datta|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: devraj to jyoti|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zB4n3MVozbUC&pg=PA1339|year=1988|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-260-1194-0|pages=1339–}}</ref> The other works attributed to him are the ''Caṇḍikāśataka'' and a drama, the ''Pārvatīpariṇaya''. Banabhatta gets an applause as "banochhistam jagatsarvam" meaning Bana has described everything in this world and nothing is left.
'''Bāṇabhaṭṭa''' ({{langx|sa|बाणभट्ट}}) was a 7th-century [[Sanskrit]] prose writer and poet from India. He was the court poet of Emperor [[Harsha]], during his reign at [[Kanyakubja]]. Bāna's principal works include a biography of Harsha, the ''[[Harshacharita]]''<ref>{{cite web | title = Sthanvishvara (historical region, India) |publisher= Encyclopædia Britannica | url = http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/566090/Sthanvishvara | access-date = 2014-08-09 }}</ref> and the novel ''[[Kadambari]]''. Bāṇa died before finishing the novel and it was completed by his son Bhūṣaṇabhaṭṭa. Both these works are noted texts of Sanskrit literature.<ref name="Datta1988">{{cite book|author=Amaresh Datta|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: devraj to jyoti|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zB4n3MVozbUC&pg=PA1339|year=1988|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-260-1194-0|pages=1339–}}</ref> The other works attributed to him are the ''Caṇḍikāśataka'' and a drama, the ''Pārvatīpariṇaya''. Banabhatta gets an applause as "''Banochhistam Jagatsarvam''" meaning Bana has described everything in this world and nothing is left.


==Life==
==Biography==
A detailed account regarding his ancestry and early life can be reconstructed from the introductory verses attached to the ''कादम्बरी'' and the first two ''ucchāvasas'' of the ''Harṣacarita'', while the circumstances behind the composition of the ''Harṣacarita'' are described in the third ''ucchāvasa'' of the text. ''Harsacarita'' is considered as the first Indian work which may be regarded as historical biography. It gives a vivid picture of the life in the countryside.<ref>Sreedharan, E, "A Manual of Historical Research Methodology." Trivandrum, Centre for South Indian Studies, 2007, {{ISBN|978-81-905928-0-2}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=TG6PXBKwXNMC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false]</ref>
A detailed account regarding his ancestry and early life can be reconstructed from the introductory verses attached to the ''[[Kadambari]]'' and the first two ''ucchāvasas'' of the ''[[Harshacharita|Harṣacarita]]'', while the circumstances behind the composition of the ''Harṣacarita'' are described in the third ''ucchāvasa'' of the text. ''Harsacarita'' is considered as the first Indian work which may be regarded as a historical biography. It gives a vivid picture of life in the Indian countryside.<ref>Sreedharan, E, "A Manual of Historical Research Methodology." Trivandrum, Centre for South Indian Studies, 2007, {{ISBN|978-81-905928-0-2}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=TG6PXBKwXNMC]</ref>


Bāna was born to Chitrabhānu and Rājadevi in the village of Pritikuta on the banks of the Hiraṇyavāhu in a [[Bhojaka]] family of [[Vātsyāyana]] [[gotra]] in the current district of [[Chhapra]] in modern-day [[Bihar]]. After the death of his father, Bāṇa led a wandering life for a period but later came back to his native village. Here, on a summer day, on receiving a letter from Krishna, a cousin of King Harsha, he met the king while he was camping near the town of Manitara. After receiving Bāna with mock signs of anger, the king showed him much favour.
Bāna was born to Chitrabhānu and [[Raja Devi Bakhsh Singh|Rājadevi]] in the village of Pritikuta in a [[Kanyakubja Brahmin]] family.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Upinder |title=History Of Ancient And Early Medieval India From The Stone Age To The 12th Century |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |page=110 |url=https://archive.org/details/history-of-ancient-and-early-medeival-india-from-the-stone-age-to-the-12th-century-pdfdrive/page/n110/mode/1up?q=Shandilya |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|author=J. Krishnamoorthy|title=Makers of Indian literature|url=https://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/pdf/Banabhatta.pdf|publisher=Sahitya Akademi}}</ref> His mother died early leaving him in the loving care of his father. His father married again and had two more sons. After the death of his father when he was 14, Bāṇa led a colourful and wandering life with his half-brothers for a period but later came back to his native village. Here, on a summer day, on receiving a letter from Krishna, a cousin of [[Harsha|Emperor Harsha]], he met the emperor while he was camping near the town of Manitara. After receiving Bāna with mock signs of anger, the emperor showed him much favor.


==Works==
==Works==
{{see|List of Sanskrit plays in English translation}}
* {{cite book|author=Bana|title=The Parvati Parinaya of Banabhatta, with Sanskrit Commentary, English Notes and Tr., by T.R. Ratnam Aiyar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vLMCMwEACAAJ|year=1898|publisher=Madras}}
* {{cite book|author=Bana|title=The Parvati Parinaya of Banabhatta, with Sanskrit Commentary, English Notes and Tr., by T.R. Ratnam Aiyar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vLMCMwEACAAJ|year=1898|publisher=Madras}}
* Bana (tr. G. Layne), ''Bāṇabhaṭṭa Kādambarī. A Classic Sanskrit Story of Magical Transformations'' (New York: Garland, 1991).  [http://n2t.net/ark:/13960/t2q61661z Scan at archive.org]
* Bana (tr. G. Layne), ''[http://n2t.net/ark:/13960/t2q61661z Bāṇabhaṭṭa Kādambarī. A Classic Sanskrit Story of Magical Transformations]'' [http://n2t.net/ark:/13960/t2q61661z (New York: Garland, 1991).]
*Harshacharita :The Harshacharita (Sanskrit: हर्षचरित, Harṣacarita) (The deeds of Harsha), is the biography of Indian emperor Harsha by Banabhatta, also known as Bana, who was a Sanskrit writer of seventh-century CE India. He was the Asthana Kavi, meaning Court Poet, of Harsha. The Harshacharita was the first composition of Bana and is considered to be the beginning of writing of historical poetic works in the Sanskrit language.
*''Harshacharita'': The ''Harshacharita'' ({{Langx|sa|हर्षचरित|Harṣacarita|The deeds of Harsha}}) is the biography of Indian emperor [[Harsha]] by Banabhatta. The ''Harshacharita'' was the first composition of Bana and is considered to be the beginning of the writing of historical poetic works in the Sanskrit language.


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
* The Harsa-Carita of Bana. Translated by [[Edward Byles Cowell|E. B. Cowell]] and [[F. W. Thomas]].  London: Royal Asiatic Society, 1897, 4-34.
* The Harsacharita of Bana. Translated by [[E. B. Cowell]] and [[F. W. Thomas]].  London: Royal Asiatic Society, 1897, 4–34.


==Biography==
==Biography Books==
* {{cite book|author=Sakharam Vasudeo Dixit|title=Bāṇabhaṭṭa: His Life & Literature|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.312730|year=1963|publisher=A.S. Dixit}}
* {{cite book|author=Sakharam Vasudeo Dixit|title=Bāṇabhaṭṭa: His Life & Literature|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.312730|year=1963|publisher=A.S. Dixit}}
* {{cite book|author=Neeta Sharma|title=Banabhatta: a literary study|url=https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.12206|date= 1968|publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal}}
* {{cite book|author=Neeta Sharma|title=Banabhatta: a literary study|url=https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.12206|date= 1968|publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal}}
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==External links==
==External links==
{{Sister project links}}
* {{Gutenberg author | id=40993}}
* {{Gutenberg author | id=40993}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Bāṇabhaṭṭa}}  
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Bāṇabhaṭṭa}}  
* {{cite book| title = The Harsa-carita of Bana (online text)|author=Banabhatta |others=[[Edward Byles Cowell|E. B. Cowell]], [[F. W. Thomas]] (trans.) |url = https://archive.org/stream/harsacaritaofban00banaiala#page/n7/mode/2up|publisher=London : Royal Asiatic Society|year=1897}}
* {{cite book| title = The Harsa-carita of Bana (online text)|author=Banabhatta |others=[[E. B. Cowell]], [[F. W. Thomas]] (trans.) |url = https://archive.org/stream/harsacaritaofban00banaiala#page/n7/mode/2up|publisher=London : Royal Asiatic Society|year=1897}}


{{authority control}}
{{authority control}}
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[[Category:Sanskrit writers]]
[[Category:Sanskrit writers]]
[[Category:Scholars from Bihar]]
[[Category:Scholars from Bihar]]
[[Category:History of Bihar]]
[[Category:Sanskrit poets]]
[[Category:Sanskrit poets]]
[[Category:7th-century Indian biographers]]
[[Category:7th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:7th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:Indian male novelists]]
[[Category:Indian male novelists]]
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:7th-century Indian novelists]]
[[Category:Indian male biographers]]
[[Category:Male biographers]]

Latest revision as of 07:45, 28 March 2026


Bāṇabhaṭṭa
Born
Pritikuta
OccupationPoet, writer
Works
Harshacharita, Kadambari
ChildrenBhūṣaṇabhaṭṭa (son)
Parents
  • Chitrabhānu (father)
  • Rājadevi (mother)
RelativesMayūrabhaṭṭa (brother-in-law)

Bāṇabhaṭṭa (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.) was a 7th-century Sanskrit prose writer and poet from India. He was the court poet of Emperor Harsha, during his reign at Kanyakubja. Bāna's principal works include a biography of Harsha, the Harshacharita[1] and the novel Kadambari. Bāṇa died before finishing the novel and it was completed by his son Bhūṣaṇabhaṭṭa. Both these works are noted texts of Sanskrit literature.[2] The other works attributed to him are the Caṇḍikāśataka and a drama, the Pārvatīpariṇaya. Banabhatta gets an applause as "Banochhistam Jagatsarvam" meaning Bana has described everything in this world and nothing is left.

Biography[edit | edit source]

A detailed account regarding his ancestry and early life can be reconstructed from the introductory verses attached to the Kadambari and the first two ucchāvasas of the Harṣacarita, while the circumstances behind the composition of the Harṣacarita are described in the third ucchāvasa of the text. Harsacarita is considered as the first Indian work which may be regarded as a historical biography. It gives a vivid picture of life in the Indian countryside.[3]

Bāna was born to Chitrabhānu and Rājadevi in the village of Pritikuta in a Kanyakubja Brahmin family.[4][5] His mother died early leaving him in the loving care of his father. His father married again and had two more sons. After the death of his father when he was 14, Bāṇa led a colourful and wandering life with his half-brothers for a period but later came back to his native village. Here, on a summer day, on receiving a letter from Krishna, a cousin of Emperor Harsha, he met the emperor while he was camping near the town of Manitara. After receiving Bāna with mock signs of anger, the emperor showed him much favor.

Works[edit | edit source]

  • Bana (1898). The Parvati Parinaya of Banabhatta, with Sanskrit Commentary, English Notes and Tr., by T.R. Ratnam Aiyar. Madras.
  • Bana (tr. G. Layne), Bāṇabhaṭṭa Kādambarī. A Classic Sanskrit Story of Magical Transformations (New York: Garland, 1991).
  • Harshacharita: The Harshacharita (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.) is the biography of Indian emperor Harsha by Banabhatta. The Harshacharita was the first composition of Bana and is considered to be the beginning of the writing of historical poetic works in the Sanskrit language.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "Sthanvishvara (historical region, India)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  2. Amaresh Datta (1988). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: devraj to jyoti. Sahitya Akademi. pp. 1339–. ISBN 978-81-260-1194-0.
  3. Sreedharan, E, "A Manual of Historical Research Methodology." Trivandrum, Centre for South Indian Studies, 2007, ISBN 978-81-905928-0-2 [1]
  4. Singh, Upinder. History Of Ancient And Early Medieval India From The Stone Age To The 12th Century. Penguin Books Limited. p. 110.
  5. J. Krishnamoorthy. Makers of Indian literature (PDF). Sahitya Akademi.

Biography Books[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]