Setubandha or Ravaṇavaho is the epic poem written in Mahāraṣtri Prākṛt [language of the people]. In this poem, Pravarasēna has explained how Rāma built the Setu [bridge] to the island of Śrilankā and his fierce battle with the King Rāvaṇa; after Rāvaṇavadha, how Rāma brings back Sīta to Ayodhyā.
This Prākṛt epic poem has 15 chapters where-in Rāma’s exploits to bring back Sīta is explained. The poet explains how Rāma built the Setu with the help of Vānarasenā and vanquishes the King of Śrī Laṅkā - Ravaṇa. Usually, works written in Prākṛt are stern and dry. However, this Prākṛt work is melodious and charming. To give an example,
bhaggarakkhasadumaṃ ṇihādasāṇaṇamaiṃdasuhasaṃcāram|
ramāṇurāamatt malmi lankaṃ vaṇatthaliṃ va vaṇagao||
[uta-bhagnarākṣasadrumāṃ nihatadaśānanamṛgendra sukhasañcārām|
rāmānurāgamatto mṛdnāmi lankāṃ vanasthalīmiva vanagajaḥ|| In Sanskrit]
Just like a wild elephant uproots even a big tree blocking its path, and kills the king lion to make the forest safe, intoxicated with Rāmabhakti I will also uproot tree-like Rākṣasa-s and kill lion-like cruel Rāvana to make lankā forest safe and secure.
vihuṇaivlaṃ va mahiṃ bhindai samaaṃ va dharaṇidharasaṃghāa|
geṇhai bhaaṃ va gaaṇaṃ muai sahāaṃ va sāaro pāāla||
[vidhunti vlāmiva mahīṃ bhinatti samayamiva dharaṇīdharasaṃghātam|
gṛhṇāti bhayamiva gaganaṃ muncati svabhāvamiva sāgaraḥ pātālam|| In Sanskrit]
The ocean shakes the earth like the longshore, breaks the mountains like its limit, adopts (reaches) the sky like fear and leaves pātāla like his nature (composure).
There is similarity of unshakability between the earth and the longshore, of unbreakability between observance of its limit and the mountains, of unacceptability between fear and the sky, and of profundity between the ocean’s nature of composure and the pātāla.
This is an example of ‘Sahopamālankāra’- simile
Setubandha is one of the most beautiful works of not only Prākṛt but entire ancient Indian literature. Its poetic perfection leads not only its erudite commentator Rāmdāsa Bhūpati but some other scholars also to attribute its authorship to Kavikulaguru Kālidāsa; though the internal and external evidences are enough to prove that it has been composed by Pravarsena II of the Vākāṭaka dynasty. Many erudite scholars of Sanskrit literature like Kṣemendra, Kulanātha, Rāmadāsa, and Śrī Kṛśṇa have written commentaries on Setubandha/ however the commentary written by Rāmadāsa- ‘Rāmasetupradīpa’ alone is available now.
The perspicuity of language, the picturesque and colourful style of descriptions, portrayal of not only external actions or gestures but also the innermost feelings of all the living beings, excellent uses of figures of speech, highest flight of poetic fancy and above all the aesthetic perfection of the epic are the features that are enough to attract astonished appreciation of aesthetes be he Acārya Daṇḍi or Bānabhatta. Centuries ago the erudite commentator Śrī Kṛśṇa’s proclamation was “The purport of Pravarsena is so profound that even sagacious ones cannot follow it, then what to talk of ignorant ones like me”.
Unfortunately this marvellous epic could not get the attention it deserves from the modem day scholars. The main reason for this lapse is the absence of any fully annotated bilingual translation of the work.
Many Sanskrit works have been translated to other languages including foreign languages. However the Prākṛt work of Pravarasēna was translated to Sanskrit, which is rare and noteworthy. It shows the worth of the work and Pravarasēna’s love for his people to write the epic in their language.