PRITHVIRAJA-SANYOGITA

PRITHVIRAJA-SANYOGITA

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PRITHVIRAJ-SANYOGITA: HISTORICITY OF A LOVE STORY

According to Prithvirajaraso, Sanyogita, an incarnation of heavenly nymph Rambha, was the beautiful daughter of King Jaichand of Kannauj, whose marriage through a svayamvara was planned by his father. However, she fell in love hearing the heroic deeds of the young and handsome Rai Pithaura, the national hero who had defeated all the contemporary powerful kings including the dreaded Mlechcha Gori by the age of 23 years. Prithviraja vijaya, Sarga 12, verse 74 says that her heart set on her lover as a kamalini thinking of the Sun alone, when faced by the moon and stars (the numerous rajas invited to svayamvara). She sent a message to Prithviraj to abduct her. Prithviraj, based on this message and without even seeing her, fell violently in love with her, even though he had been married more than once and had never seen her in person (Sarga 10, 2 and Sarga 12, 1-38). Sarga 12, verse 38 mentions an upasruti (a voice revealing the future) that Prithviraja would, if tried hard, secure his desired object, i.e. Tillotima who had incarnated herself on earth as a princess on the bank of Ganges and will soon unite with him. This love story is mentioned also by Abul Fazl (in Ain-i-Akbari II, pp. 305-6) and Surjancharita by Chandrasekhara in which she is named Kantimati (X, 13-128).

King Jai Chand, who had organized the svayanvara at his capital Kannauj, deliberately did not invite Prithviraja on account of his rivalry for the overlordship of India. Instead, to carry out the integrity of the festival, a statue of Prithviraj was made of gold and placed in the office of porter at the royal gates. His putting up of statue of Rai Pithaura at the gates was an old Rajput custom to humiliate one’s rivals. Dantidurga Rastrakuta, for instance, made his rivals, the Gurjar Pratiharas and some other rulers, his gate-keepers in the hiranyagarbha-mahadana at Ujjain as per Sanjan Plates of Amoghavarsha (EI, XVIII, pp 235-57).  Roused to the indignation at this news, Prithviraj, in a daring act, abducted her from the svayamvara in presence of all the princes at the court of King Jaichand. Prithviraja’s choisest hundred samantas, who had accompanied him in disguise, covered the eloping pair’s flight by engaging the forces pursuing them and fell fighting to the last for their beloved master. Govind Rae Gahlot, Narsingh Deva, Chand Pundhir, Sardul Solanki, Palhan Deo Kachwaha, and other samantas, after performing astonishing heroism, perished in this retreat in order to cover the escape of Prithviraja. There is precedence of such abductions such as the case of Rastrakuta prince Indra, who though a feudatory of the Chalukyas, succeeded in carrying off their princess Bhavanaga by force from her marriage pandal at Kaira (EI, XVIII, p. 243).

The Raja, with the bard Chand, and the two of his brothers, brought his bride successfully to Delhi amid the admiration of a wonderful world. At Ajmer, Prithviraja duly married the princess and thereafter spent most of his time in the company of the new queen (Prithviraja Raso. 64^th and 65^th samaya). 

Prithviraj Chauhan and Sanyogita’s love was characterized by loyalty, purity and trust, because of which their love story is immortalized,  as it grew strong in spite of all odds imposed by the society. No one could separate the eternal lovers, not even death. Prithviraj Raso mentions that when Sanyogita got the news of the defeat of Prithviraj at the battle, she put on her best dress and ornaments and became sati along with five thousand rajput women at the fort of Delhi (Raso, Kannauj Samay, verse 397-401).