Bhoja’s Contribution to Technical Literature

Foreword

Dr. V. Raghavan’s sustained interest in the various fields of Indian culture is too well known to both Indian and Foreign Scholars. His unabated flair for the study of King Bhoja’s contribution to the different aspects of Sanskritic field is fully evident in his study of the Srngaraprakasa of this royal patron. Dr. Raghavan almost identified himself with this royal patron and his works. They became part and parcel of him.

This enthusiasm the scholar for King Bhoja has brought to light another aspect of Bhoja’s contribution to Indian Culture, namely, technical subject.

King Bhoja of Dhara has written two important works in the above field, the Yuktikalpataru and the Samaranganasutradhara. The contents of these two works have been lying dormant; Prof. Raghavan has made a thorough study of these two texts and this study formed the subject matter for the U.G.C. Seminar at Kerala University held on 13th - 15th January 1977.

These two texts, Yuktikalpataru and the Samaranganasutradhara have been analysed chapter wise and the contents are discussed in detail. Some noteworthy features in these texts are town planning, ship building, mechanical contrivances and painting. Though one may consider that all these are rudimentary, still the knowledge prevalent in these technical fields is amazing.

Earlier, Dr. Raghavan has brought out a brochure, Yantras and Mechanical contrivances in Ancient India (Indian Institute of World Culture, Bangalore), in which also, a few points from the Yuktikalpataru and the Samaranganasutradhara are included.

We clearly understand the knowledge of the Indians in the technical field from these two texts through the references made to “fountains” and “air- ‘ conditioning” system.

In this study, Dr. Raghavan has referred to parallel ideas or influences of such texts as Abhilasitarthaintamani of Calukya Kalyanamalla, Brhajjataka of Varaha Mihira and Vastu Sastra.

Thus the vast knowledge of King Bhoja of Dhara in the filed of Technical literature and its branches has been brought to light by Dr. Raghavan to whom Sanskrit and Bhoja were his life and breath.

Thanks to the family members of Dr. Raghavan and Dr. V. Raghavan Centre for Performing Arts, Chennai, for taking firm efforts to bring out this study in book form and make it available for researchers and students.