Sartha first published in 1998 in Kannada have seen numerous reprints in the following years. Later, this book got translated into all the major languages of India including Sanskrit. The beauty of this book lies in its usage of the various sanskrit verses which is tactically adopted to the novel. This book translated to English under the title "Sartha - The Caravan".
Sartha which literally means trading caravan of ancient India. This book is a physical as well as a metaphysical journey that takes the protagonist of the novel; a vedic scholar Nagabhattta.
The entire story takes place somewhere around the 8th century CE. This era mainly depicts the historical, political, economic and religious conditions of India. This is also the period where Buddhism was at its peak in India, followed by other monotheistic religions.
The protagonist Nagabhatta is a well educated vedic scholar trained in famous Mimamsa under an ace guru Mandana Mishra. Nagabhatta lived in a kingdom called Taravati. King Amaruka was ruling this Taravati state. This place is a fictitious place created by the author somewhere between the Northern and Southern India. Amaruka is also happened to be a good friend of our novel's protagonist Nagabhatta.
The plot opens when King Amaruka, who insists Nagabhatta on a voyage to understand the various trade secrets of other countries and kingdoms. Nagabhatta, leaving his wife and his mother begins his epic journey along the trade routes of ancient India. Having disguised himself as a student of religious studies, he joins a Sartha group and travels along with them. He informs the Sartha headman that, he is heading to Kashi to study the advanced vedic subjects. But in reality, his intentions was to know the trade secrets and thereby helping his friend and king Amaruka.
It so happened one day during their journey that, the Sartha group leaves Nagabhatta in a town and informs him that they are heading to a different direction. The headman of the Sartha group takes Nagabhatta to a nearby Buddhist temple and arranges a stay for him by talking to a Bhikku. Here, Nagabhatta explore various intricacies of Buddhism and other stories of it. This will gradually makes Nagabhatta to foreget his mission of finding the trade secrets.
This event marks an impact on Nagabhatta's ideas about all religions. Thus, his tryst with various religious subjects, practices, cultures, and philosophies beings. This also led Nagabhatta to realize himself more deep and deeper.
Without going much deep into the novel. I will only highlight the important events of the novel, thereby maintaining the surprising stories of the novel in between. In the course of his stay at Buddhist temple and wandering the places around he encounters Buddhist Bhikku's, Yogi's, Left hand tantric experts (popularly known as Vamachara). He also meets Adi Shankaracharya, and Kumarila Bhatta. Having an emptiness throughout his life and in order to find a purpose for his life, Nagabhatta tries his hands in all of these practices. He starts to learn Yoga, at one point in the novel he becomes an Aghori by joining some Naga Sadhus. He also tries to revive his vedic studies and finally he visit the first university of the world Nalanda.
The vivid description of the Nalanda University is an awesome attempt by the author. He describes the length and breadth of this ancient university. He also emphasizes on various subjects that might have been taught at this university and the number of students that might have studied at one point of time, etc...
As the book progresses further, Nagabhatta loses his interests in finding out the trade secrets. He just wanders many cities, forests and countries. Finally, he settles down in a town where he joins a troupe that enacts the episodes from the chronicles of life of Sri Kirshna and Sri Rama. Here, he befriends Chandrika a fellow artist in the troupe and the female protagonist of the book. She was a lead female character in the troupe. She was a good singer and known to practice yoga as well. Nagabhatta took interest in her and soon their love story takes another track in the novel.
As the novel progresses towards the end, various circumstances leds Nagabhatta to witness an epic debate between his guru Mandana Mishra and Adi Shankaracharya. This debate was presided by Ubhaya Bharati, the wife of Madana Mishra. This debate was mainly based on the vedic related topics. Outlines of this debate, which leads to the defeat of Mandana Mishra at the hands of very young Adi Shankaracharya. This loss made Mandana Mishra to become a disciple of Adi Shankaracharya.
The interesting section arrives when Ubhaya Bharati, wife of Mandana Mishra, tries to save her husband from becoming a follower of Adi Shankaracharya by leaving everything. She poses various questions to Adi Shankaracharya, which leads Adi Shankaracharya to find out the details about Parakaya-Pravesha.
At the very end of this novel, Nagabhatta's troupe was performing in Mulasthana which is present Multan.
This was controlled by Arabs at that time. Arabs have disrupted the fair practice of Sartha. There is an interesting tale of Arabs trying to destroy the Mulasthana temple and Nagabhatta's troupe is trying to garner enough support from the local populace for a coup. But, these plans were failed miserably, which was severely dealt by Arabs. Arabs have detained Nagabhatta and Chandrika. Nagabhatta was severely tortured whereas, Chandrika was brutally raped. Getting released from the clutches of Arabs, Nagabhatta and Chandrika decides to runaway to a far place and finally decides to get married. This marks the end of the book.
The canvas which the author sets for his novel is very panoramic. A transition period in India where there was a lot of turmoil. There were lot of cultural clashes, Buddhists, Purva-Mimamsa, Tantric and Uttara-Mimamsa, etc... And, our protagonist's roller-coaster ride; Advent of monotheistic religions to India. The author presents before us a work of historical fiction where little damages has been done to the historical accuracy yet leaving enough room for him to build his plot very creatively.
Finally, the language used is very simple but so powerful. With many sanskrit verses used in between the story is very apt and justifiable. I find this in all works of Dr. SLB. It is certainly a treat to read him. Only his readers can experience the joy in his works and one is hard-pressed for words to describe the whole reading experience.
My Rating: 5/5
It seems to it was better that Adi shankara shud not have defeated mandana mishra because had he taken the brahma sthana we could hav avoided arabs then and there only
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