GOLDEN AGE OF SANSKRIT IN SOUTH INDIA

          After the Nayak’s period, in South India, then came the Maratha’s rule of Sahaji when Tanjore and its surroundings were buzzing with activity in many fields of learning, which activity was maintained by Sahaji’s successors as well.  For nearly a century and a quarter (1675-1800 A.D.) the politically dependent Tanjore held intellectual hegemony over South India.

          Sahaji was only twelve years old when he ascended the throne in 1684 A.D. and had a glorious rule of Tanjore for nearly twenty-eight years.  He was himself a scholar with a great achievement through the knowledge of six languages Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada.

          According to a grant-deed in Marathi, Sahaji gathered as many as forty-five scholars drawn from various parts of the country and settled them in Sahajirajapuram (the present Tiruvisanallur, Tanjore Dist.) Ramabhadra Dikshita was one among them.  Being a protégé of Sahaji, Ramabhadra Dikshita complimented by enlisting the most lovable qualities of his patron Sahaji that “the Bhoja of the eighteenth century”.  He was the author of many literary works among them, PatanjaliCaritam a Mahakavyam in 8 cantos, a minor-play named SrngaraTilakaBhana, a play titled JanakiParinayam in 7 Acts, and praise worthy technical works titled SabdaBhedaNirupanam, UnadiManiDipika and ShadDarsaniSiddhantaSangraham.  Ramabhadra Dikshita has carved for himself a place of honour among the later Sanskrit writers of South India through his multi-faceted genius.

          There is no branch of human knowledge that has not been dealt with in Sanskrit Literature.  The knowledge and culture of a highly civilised and intellectually advanced people inhabiting a vast country from 3000 B.C to about this 21^st century A.D., has been recorded in this language which is rich and well-developed to express any idea in any branch of learning in clear terms.  We can feel proud of getting birth and living in this most virtuous our own country which was appreciated by the saints-  

“Uttharam yath samudrasya Himadhreschaiva dhakshinam

Varsham thath Bharatham naama Bharathi yathra Santhathih”

The country that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountain is called Bharatham; there dwell the descendants of Bharatha.

By today Blogchatter's campaign #WriteAPageADay comes to an end. For this I have written 29 blogpost under the theme SANSKRIT IN INDIAN HISTORY, which you can read in my blog under the label #WriteAPageADay2024.