IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...
: Śrīharṣa) was a 7th century Indian philosopher and poet. Shri Harsha's works concern
Advaita Vedanta
''Advaita Vedanta'' (; sa, अद्वैत वेदान्त, ) is a Hindu sādhanā, a path of spiritual discipline and experience, and the oldest extant tradition of the orthodox Hindu school Vedānta. The term ''Advaita'' ...
,
Nyaya
(Sanskrit: न्याय, ''nyā-yá''), literally meaning "justice", "rules", "method" or "judgment",Hindu Philosophy
Hindu philosophy encompasses the philosophies, world views and teachings of Hinduism that emerged in Ancient India which include six systems ('' shad-darśana'') – Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta.Andrew Nicholson ( ...
.
Early life
Śrīharṣa was the son of Śrīhira and Mamalladevī. His father, Śrīhira, was a poet in the court of the Gahadavala king
Vijayachandra
Vijaya-chandra (IAST: Vijayacandra, r. c. 1155-1169 CE) was an Indian king from the Gahadavala dynasty. He ruled the Antarvedi country in the Gangetic plains, which includes a major part of the present-day eastern Uttar Pradesh, including Varan ...
. His father was also a guide of common people towards god with vedas, Bhagavad Gita's thoughts etc.
His father asked Harsha at the time of his death to study well and become a pandit. He told him to use his shiksha (education) towards making life of common people divinity oriented and better. Also, he told Śrīharṣa to take thoughts of Bhagavad Gita to every one.
Śrīharṣa went to gurukul for education and studied under Guru's guidance. He mastered all scriptures and all schools of thoughts prevailing at that time. He wrote the unparalleled book (granth), खण्डन-खण्ड-खाद्य, on Advaia Vedanta. In this book, he has refuted Nyayadarshan's principles.
IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...
: ''Naiṣadhacarita'') in 1174, during the reign of the Vijayachandra's son Jayachandra. According to Rājaśekhara's '' Prabandhakośa'', upon the wide acceptance of ''Naishadha Charita'', Śrīharṣa was dignified with the title ''Narabharati''.
The ''Naishadha Charita'' contains erotic themes, but according to the 15th-century Jain scholar Nayachandra Suri, Śrīharṣa was actually a celibate, who had "conquered his sense organs" (''jitendriya'').
The ''Naishadha Charita'' was brought into Gujarat by Harihara during the reign of Vīradhavala to which Chandu Pandita in his ''Dipika'', composed in 1296, refers to as a new poem and also to the commentary of Vidyādhara. ''Naishadha Charita'' was composed earlier than ''Khaṇḍanakhaṇḍakhādya'' in which text Sriharsha alludes to the works of
Kalidasa
Kālidāsa (''fl.'' 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on the Vedas, the Rāmāyaṇa, the Mahābhārata and t ...
.
Other works
Śrīharṣa spent his later life in ascetic serenity on the banks of River Ganga. He composed several other works, none of which are now available. These include ''Vijayaprasasti'', ''Chindaprasasti'', ''Gaudorvisakulaprasasti'', ''Sahasankacarita'', ''Arnavavarnana'' and ''Amarakhandana''. His ''Khaṇḍanakhaṇḍakhādya'' is a critique of the ''Śivabhaktisiddhi'' by Udayana, the
Nyāya
(Sanskrit: न्याय, ''nyā-yá''), literally meaning "justice", "rules", "method" or "judgment",
See also
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Philosophical Reflections in the Naisadhacarita
''Naishadha Charita'', also known as Naishadhiya Charita (), is a poem in Sanskrit on the life of Nala, the king of Nishadha. Written by Sriharsha, it is considered one of the five ''mahakavyas'' (great epic poems) in the canon of Sanskrit litera ...