deepavans
deepavans ek praacheen granth hai jismein shri lanka ka praacheenatam itihaas varnit hai. 'deepavans', 'dveepavansh' ka apabhransh hai jiska arth 'dweep ka itihaas' hai. aisa vishvaas kiya jaata hai ki is granth ka sankalan atthakatha tatha anya sroton se teesari-chauthi shataabdi mein kiya gaya tha. mahaavans tatha deepavans se hi shri lanka tatha Bhaarat ke praacheen itihaas ke bahut si ghatnaaon lekhaajokha milta hai. yeh keval itihaas ki drushti se hi mahatvapoorn naheen hai balki yeh bauddh tatha paali saahitya ka mahatvapoorn praacheen granth bhi hai.
parichay
nissandeh ek aitihaasik mahaakaavya ke roop mein sinhal ka "mahaavans" adhik aadrut hai, kintu rachanaakaal ki drushti se deepavans mahaavans ki apeksha praacheenatar hi naheen praacheenatam hai aur upayog ki gayi saamagri ki drushti se bhi kuchh anshon se bhinn. George turner ne kisi samay apna yeh mat prakaashit kiya tha ki "deepavans" aur "mahaavans" donon do bhinn rachanaaeain na hokar ek hi rachana ke do naam hain. unka yeh mat ayathaarth hi hai.
yadi anuraadhapur ke mahaavihaar ke "aththakatha-mahaavans" ka aur deepavans ka tulanaatmak adhyayan kiya jaae to yeh spasht ho jaata hai ki "deepavans" ke rachayita ne apne granthasanpaadan ke liye "attakathaamahaavans" se na keval yathesht saamagri hi li, balki abhivyakti ki shaili aur kaheen-kaheen vaakya ke vaakya jyon ke tyon apna liye hain. "deepavans" ka adhikaansh aisa hi hai ki jisse vah ek svatantr rachana na hokar aththakatha sadrush granth ya anya granthon ke uddharanon ka sangrah prateet hota hai. yeh ek prakaar se sinhal mein praapt saamagri ka kachchi pakki paali mein anuvaad maatr hai.
jis kaal ka aitihaasik lekhaajokha "deepavans" ne surakshit rakha hai, vah samay mahaavans ke kaal ke samaanaantar hi hai. donon granth mahaasen naresh ki mrutyu ke samay hi apne apne varnan ki "iti" karte hain. is samaanata ka ek bada kaaran yeh hai ki donon granthon ne apni mool upaadaan saamagri ka chayan ek hi sthal se kiya hai aur vah sthal hai mahaavihaar ka "aththakatha mahaavans."
mahaasen naresh ki mrutyu par hi "deepavans" tatha "mahaavans" ke samaapt hone ka ek sambhav kaaran yeh hai ki mahaavihaar ke virodhiyon ne mahaasen ki hi anumati praapt kar mahaavihaar ko vidhvans kar daala tha. poore nau varsh tak mahaavihaar mahaavihaaravaasiyon se shoonya raha.
deepavans ke rachanaakaal ko ham E. 302 se poorv naheen le ja sakte, kyonki ismein us samay tak ki ghatnaaon ka ullekh hai. doosari dhyaan dene laayak baat yeh hai ki mahaan atthakathaachaarya buddhaghosh "deepavans" se athva uske kisi ansh se avashya parichit rahe hai. fir "mahaavans" ko jin mahaasthavir ne aage badhaaya hai unhonne hamein yeh jaankaari bhi di hai ki dhaatusen naresh (E. 459-477) ne, mahaasthavir Mahendra ki moorti ke prati gaurav prakat karne ke liye jo mahotsav kiya tha, usamein "deepavans" ka paath karne k aajnyaa di thi.
in baaton par vichaar karne se ham isi parinaam par pahuainchate hain ki deepavans ki rachana chaturth shataabdi ke aarambh aur paaainchaveen shataabdi ke truteeyaansh ke pratham bhaag mein hui hogi.
jahaaain tak rachanaakaal ki baat hai "mahaavans" ka bhi nishchit rachanaakaal agyaat hi hai. kintu, "deepavans" jahaaain kaavya ki drushti se ekdam dhyaan na dene laayak lagta hai, kaheen kaheen padya bhi vidyamaan hai, vahaaain "mahaavans" ek shreshth mahaakaavya hai.
yeh baat vishesh ullekhaneeya hai ki jis prakaar Sri Lanka ke uttarakaaleen paali mahaakaviyon ne "mahaavans" ki parampara ko chaaloo rakhakar usaki katha ko adyatan bana diya, usi prakaar pandit ahunagall vimlakitti mahaanaayak sthavir ne abhi vartamaan mein hi "deepavansak kathaakaavya" ko aage badhaakar use bhi adyatan bana diya hai.