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Vikramaditya(Redirected from Vikramāditya)
Vikramaditya (IAST: Vikramāditya) was an emperor of ancient India. He is often characterised as the ideal king, known for his generosity, courage, and patronage of scholars. Vikramaditya is featured in hundreds of traditional Indian legends, including those in Baital Pachisi and Singhasan Battisi. Many of the legends present him as a universal ruler with his capital at Ujjain (Pataliputra or Pratishthana in a few stories).
According to the popular tradition, Vikramaditya started the Vikrama Samvat era in 57 BCE after defeating the Shakas. Thus, those who believe him to be based on a distinct historical figure place him around the 1st century BCE. However, this era is mentioned as "Vikrama Samvat" only after the 9th century CE. Other scholars argue that Vikramaditya is a mythical character, as several of the legends about him are fantastic in nature.
"Vikramaditya" was a common title adopted by several Indian kings, and it is possible that the various Vikramaditya legends are embellished accounts of different kings, particularly Chandragupta II. Many of these legends, especially the Jain ones, associate him with another legendary king—Shalivahana of Pratishthana. In some, he is defeated by Shalivahana (who establishes the Shalivahana era) while in others, he is an ancestor of Shalivahana; a few legends also apply the title of Vikramaditya to the king of Pratishthana. The political rivalry between the two kings is sometimes also extended to patronage of language, with Vikramaditya supporting Sanskrit and Shalivahana supporting Prakrit.[1]
Etymology and namesEdit
Vikramaditya translates to "the Sun of Valour" (vikrama means "valour" and aditya means "sun"). He is also known as Vikrama, Bikramjit and Vikramarka (arka also means "sun"). Some legends also describe him as a liberator of India from mlechchha invaders; the invaders are identified as Shakas in most of these tales leading to the king also being known by the epithet, Shakari (IAST: Śakāri; "enemy of the Shakas").[2]
Early legendsEdit
Vikramaditya is mentioned in a couple of works dated before the Gupta period (240–550 CE). However, the parts including Vikramaditya may be later Gupta-era interpolations of these works.[3]
The earliest work to mention Vikramaditya was most likely Brihatkatha, an Indian epic written somewhere between the 1st century BCE and 3rd century CE in the now-lost Paisaci language. Its existence (and its mention of Vikramaditya) is only confirmed by its adaptations in other surviving works dated from the 6th century and later, as well as testimonials by contemporary poets. Since there is no surviving copy of this work, it is not certain if it actually contained the Vikramaditya legends; its post-Gupta period adaptations, such as Katha-Sarit-Sagara, may contain interpolations.[4]
Gaha Sattasai (or Gatha-Saptasati), a collection of poems attributed to the Satavahana king Hāla (r. 20 – 24 CE), mentions a king named Vikramaditya who gave away his wealth in charity. However, a large number of stanzas in this work are not common to its various revisions: they appear to be expansions added during the Gupta period.[5] The verse about Vikramaditya is similar to a phrase—Anekago-shatasahasra-hiranya-kotipradasya—found in the Gupta inscriptions about Samudragupta and Chandragupta II (e.g. the Pune and Riddhapur copper plate inscriptions of Chandragupta's daughter Prabhavatigupta). Thus, it is possible that this phrase might have been a later Gupta-era insertion in the work attributed to Hala.[6]
The earliest uncontested mentions of Vikramaditya appear in the 6th-century works: the biography of Vasubandhu by Paramartha (499–569 CE) and Vasavadatta by Subandhu.[5] Paramaratha quotes a Vikramaditya legend, which names the king's capital as Ayodhya. According to this legend, the king gave 300,000 gold coins to the Samkhya scholar Vindhyavasa, who had defeated Vasubandhu's Buddhist teacher Buddhamitra in a philosophical debate. Vasubandhu then wrote Paramartha Saptati, which demonstrated the deficiencies of the Samkhya philosophy. Vikramaditya was pleased with Vasubandhu's arguments, and gave him 300,000 gold coins as well. Vasubandhu later taught Buddhism to prince Baladitya, and converted the queen to Buddhism after the king's death.[7] Subandhu states that the glorious Vikramaditya was a memory of past during his time.[5]
Xuanzang (c. 602 – c. 664), in his Si-yu-ki, names Vikramaditya as the king of Shravasti. According to his account, the king ordered 500,000 gold coins to be distributed among the poor, despite his treasurer's objection. Once, he rewarded a man with 100,000 gold coins for putting him back on track during a wild boar hunt. Around same time, a Buddhist monk known as Manoratha paid 100,000 gold coins to a barber for shaving his head. The king, who was very proud of his generosity, felt embarrassed. Out of spite, Vikramaditya arranged a debate between Manoratha and 100 non-Buddhist scholars. Manoratha defeated 99 scholars, but the king and others non-Buddhists shouted him down and humiliated him at the beginning of the last debate. Before his death, Manoratha wrote to his disciple Vasubandhu about the futility of debating with biased and ignorant people. Shortly after, Vikramaditya died, Vasubandhu requested his successor Baladitya to organise another debate in order to avenge his master's humiliation. In this debate, Vasubandhu defeated 100 non-Buddhist scholars.[8][9]
Association with Vikrama SamvatEdit
After the 9th century, a calendar era beginning in 57 BCE (now called the Vikrama Samvat) began to be associated with Vikramaditya. Some legends also associate the Shaka era (beginning in 78 CE) with him. When Persian scholar Al-Biruni (c.e 973–1048) visited India, he learned that the Indians used five eras: Sri Harsha, Vikramaditya (57 BCE), Shaka (78 CE), Vallabha and Gupta. The Vikramaditya era was used in southern and western India. Al-Biruni learned the following legend about the Shaka era:[10]
- A Shaka ruler invaded north-western India and oppressed the Hindus. According to one source, he was a Shudra from the Almanṣūra city; according to another, he was a non-Hindu who came from the west. In 78 CE, the Hindu king Vikramaditya defeated him and killed him in the Karur region, located between Multan and the castle of Loni. The astronomers and other people started using this date as the beginning of a new era.
Since there was a difference of over 130 years between the Vikramaditya era and the Shaka era, Al-Biruni concluded that their founders were two different kings with the same name. The Vikramaditya era named after the first; and the Shaka era was associated with the defeat of the Shaka ruler by the second Vikramaditya.[10]
Several later legends, especially Jain legends, state that Vikramaditya established the 57 BCE era after he defeated the Shakas; in turn, he was defeated by Shalivahana, who established the 78 CE era. Both these legends are historically inaccurate. There is a difference of 135 years between the beginning of these two eras, and therefore, Vikramaditya and Shalivahana could not have lived simultaneously. The association of the era beginning in 57 BCE with Vikramaditya is not found in any source before the 9th century CE. The earlier sources call this era by various names, including Kṛṭa, the era of the Malava tribe, or simply, Samvat ("era").[11][12] Scholars such as D. C. Sircar and D. R. Bhandarkar believe that the name of the era changed to "Vikrama Samvat" during the reign of Chandragupta II, who had adopted the title Vikramaditya (see below). Several alternative theories exist as well; for example, Rudolf Hoernlé believed that it was Yashodharman who renamed the era to "Vikrama Samvat".[12] Similarly, the earliest mention of the Shaka era as Shalivahana era occurs only in the 13th century; it might have been an attempt to remove the foreign association of this era.[13]
10th– to 12th-century legendsEdit
Brihatkatha adaptationsEdit
Kshemendra's Brihatkathamanjari and Somadeva's Kathasaritsagara (11th century), both adaptations of Brihatkatha, contain multiple legends about Vikramaditya. Each legend contains several levels of fantasy stories within a story, which highlight the power of Vikramaditya.
The first legend mentions Vikramaditya's rivalry with the king of Pratishthana. However, in this version, that king is named Narasimha, not Shalivahana and Vikramaditya's capital is Pataliputra, not Ujjain. This legend goes like this: Vikramaditya was an adversary of Narasimha. Once, he invaded Dakshinapatha and besieged Pratishthana. However, he was defeated and forced to retreat. He then entered Pratishthana in disguise, and won over a female courtesan. He lived as the lover of the courtesan for some time, before secretly returning to Pataliputra. Before returning, he left five miraculous golden statues at the courtesan's house. He had received these statues from the deity, Kubera. If any limb of these statues was broken and gifted to someone, it would grow again. Sorrowful at the sudden absence of her lover, the courtesan turned to charity and became famous for her gifts of gold. Soon, she eclipsed Narasimha in fame. Subsequently, Vikramaditya returned to the courtesan's house, where Narasimha met him and befriended him. Vikramaditya then married the courtesan and took her to Pataliputra.[14]
Book 12 (Shashankavati) contains the Vetala Panchavimshati legends, popularly known as Baital Pachisi. This collection contains 25 stories in which the king tries to capture and hold on to a vetala that tells a puzzling tale and ends it with a question for the king. Besides Kathasaritasagara, the collection exists in three other Sanskrit recensions, numerous Indian vernacular versions, several English translations (both from Sanskrit and Hindi), and more; it is the most popular of the Vikramaditya legends.[15] There are a few minor variations between the different recensions: see List of Vetala Tales. In Kshemendra, Somadeva and Śivadāsa's recensions, the king is named Trivikramasena; in Kathasaritasagara, his capital is located in Pratishthana.[16] At the end of the story, it is revealed that he was formerly Vikramaditya. The later texts, such as the Sanskrit-language Vetala-Vikramaditya-Katha and the modern vernacular versions name the king as Vikramaditya of Ujjain.[17]
Book 18 (Vishamashila) contains another legend, narrated by Naravahanadatta to an assembly of hermits in the ashram of the sage Kashyapa. According to it, Indra and other devas once informed Shiva that the previously slain asuras had been reborn on the earth in form of mlechchhas. Shiva then commanded his attendant Malyavat to take birth in Ujjain as the prince of Avanti kingdom, and slay the mlechchhas. Shiva also appeared in the dream of Avanti's king, Mahendraditya, and told him that a son would be born to his queen, Saumyadarshana. He asked the king to name the child Vikramaditya, and also told him that the prince will be known as Vishamashila because of his hostility to his enemies. Malyavat was thus born as Vikramaditya. When the prince became an adult, Mahendraditya retired to Varanasi. Vikramaditya then launched a campaign to conquer a number of kingdoms, and also subdued vetalas, rakshasas and other demons. His general Vikramashakti conquered the Dakshinapatha in the south; Madhyadesha in the central region; Surashtra in the west; and the countries to the east of Ganges. He also made the northern kingdom of Kashmira a tributary of Vikramaditya. Virasena, the king of Sinhala Kingdom gave his daughter Madanalekha to Vikramaditya in marriage. The emperor also married three other women: Gunavati, Chandravati and Madanasundari. In addition, he married Kalingasena, the princess of Kalinga.[18][19]
The Brihatkathamanjari contains similar legends with some variations. According to it, Vikramaditya's general Vikramashakti defeated a number of mlechchhas, including Kambojas, Yavanas, Hunas, Barbaras, Tusharas and Persians. In both Brihatkathamanjari and Kathasaritsagara, Malyavat is later born as Gunadhya, the author of Brihatkatha on which these books are based.[20]
Rajatarangini of Kalhana (12th century) mentions that Harsha Vikramditya of Ujjayini defeated the Shakas. It further states that Vikramaditya made his friend and poet Matrigupta the ruler of Kashmir. After Vikramaditya's death, Matrigupta abdicated the throne in favour of Pravarasena.[21]
According to D. C. Sircar, Kalhana has confused the legendary Vikramaditya with the Pushyabhuti king Harsavardhana (c. 606–47 CE); Bhavabodhini of Madhusudana (17th century) similarly mentions that Harsha, the author of Ratnavali, had his capital at Ujjain.[22]
Paramara legendsEdit
The Paramara kings, who ruled Malwa (including Ujjain) between the 9th and 13th century CE, associated themselves with Vikramaditya and other legendary kings to justify their imperial claims.[23]
Simhasana DvatrimsikaEdit
Simhasana Dvatrimsika (popularly known as Singhasan Battisi) contains 32 folk tales about the great qualities of Vikramaditya. In this collection of frame stories, the Paramara king Bhoja discovers the ancient throne of Vikramaditya after several centuries. The throne has 32 statues, who are actually apsaras that had been turned into stone due to a curse. When Bhoja tries to ascend the throne, one apsara comes to life and challenges him to ascend the throne only if he has magnanimity equal to Vikramaditya as revealed by a tale she would narrate. This leads to 32 attempts of Bhoja to ascend the throne (and 32 tales of Vikramaditya's virtue); in each case Bhoja acknowledges his inferiority. Finally, the statues let him ascend the throne when they are pleased with his humility.
The author and date of the original work is unknown. Since the story mentions Bhoja (died 1055 CE), it must have been composed after the 11th century.[24] Five primary recensions of the Sanskrit version Simhasana-dvatrimsika are dated to the 13th and 14th centuries.[25] Khulasat-ut-Tawarikh (1695 CE) by Sujan Rai claims that the work had been authored by Pandit Braj, the wazir (prime minister) of Bhoja.[26]
Vetala Panchvimshati and Simhasana Dvatrimsika are structural opposites: in the Vetala tales, Vikramaditya is the central character of the frame story, but he has no connection to the individual tales (other than that the vetala is telling them to him) — by contrast the frame story of the Throne Tales takes place long after Vikramaditya's death, but the individual tales describe his life and deeds.[27]
Bhavishya PuranaEdit
The Bhavishya Purana (parts of which have been composed in as late as the 19th century) also connects Vikramaditya to the Paramara dynasty. According to the text (184.108.40.206-7.4), the first Paramara king was Pramara, born from a fire pit at Mount Abu (thus belonging to the Agnivansha). Vikramaditya, Shalivahana and Bhoja are described as the descendants of Pramara, and thus, members of the Paramara dynasty.[23]
Amid degradation of the world due to non-Vedic faiths, Shiva sent Vikramaditya to the earth. He established a throne decorated with 32 designs for him (a reference to Simhasana Dvatrimsika). Shiva's wife Parvati created a vetala to protect him and to instruct him with riddles (a reference to Baital Pachisi legends). After hearing Vetala's stories, Vikramaditya performed the ashwamedha (horse sacrifice). The wandering of the sacrificial horse defined the boundary of Vikramaditya's empire: Indus river in the west, Badaristhana (Badrinath) in the north, Kapila in the east and Setubandha (Rameshwaram) in the south. The emperor united all the four Agnivanshi clans by marrying princesses from the three non-Paramara clans: Vira from Chauhan clan, Nija from Chalukya clan, and Bhogavati from the Parihara clan. All gods, except Chandra, celebrated his success (a reference to the Chandravanshis, rivals of Suryavanshi clans such as the Paramaras).[28]
There were 18 kingdoms in Vikramaditya's empire of Bharatavarsha (India). After a flawless reign, he ascended to heaven.[28] At the beginning of the Kali Yuga, Vikramaditya came from Kailasa, and convened an assembly of great sages from the Naimisa forest. Sages like Gorakhnath, Bhartrhari, Lomaharsana, Saunaka and others assembled and recited the Puranas and the upa-puranas.[28] A hundred years after Vikramaditya's death, the Shakas invaded India again. Shalivahana, the grandson of Vikramaditya, subjugated them and other barbarians. 500 years after his death, Bhoja similarly defeated the later invaders.[23]
Jain legendsEdit
Several works by Jain authors include legends about Vikramaditya. These include:[29]
- Prabhachandra's Prabhavaka Charita (1127 CE)
- Somaprabha's Kumara-Pala-Pratibodha (1184 CE)
- Kalakacharya-Katha (before 1279 CE)
- Merutunga's Prabandha-Chintamani (1304 CE)
- Jinaprabhasuri's Vividha-Tirtha-Kalpa (1315 CE)
- Rajashekhara's Prabandha-Kosha (1348 CE)
- Devamurti's Vikrama-Charitra (1418 CE)
- Ramachandrasuri's Pancha-Danda-Chhattra-Prabandha (1433 CE)
- Subhashila's Vikrama-Charitra (1442 CE)
- various pattavalis (records of lineage of head monks)
Before the mid-12th century CE, there are very few references to Vikramaditya in Jain literature, although Ujjain features repeatedly in these works. After the reign of the Jain monarch Kumarapala (r. 1143 – 1172 CE), it became fashionable among the Jain writers to compare Kumarapala to the legendary Vikramaditya. By the end of the 13th century, legends featuring Vikramaditya as a Jain emperor started surfacing. One of the major themes in the Jain tradition is that the Jain acharya Siddhasena Divakara converted Vikramditya to Jainism. He is said to have told Vikramaditya that 1199 years after him, there would be another great king like him, i.e. Kumarapala.[30]
Originally, the Jain tradition had only 4 Simhasana-related stories and only 4 Vetala-related puzzle stories. Later, the Jain authors adopted the 32 Simhasana Dvatrimsika stories and the 25 Vetala Panchvimshati stories.[29]
The Jain author Hemachandra names Vikramaditya as one of the four learned kings; the other three being Shalivahana, Bhoja and Munja.[31] Vicarasreni of Merutunga puts his victory of Ujjain in 57 BCE. It further hints that his four successors ruled from 3–78 CE.[32]
Shalivahana-Vikramaditya rivalryEdit
The Kalakacharya-Kathanaka states that Vikramaditya's father Gardabhilla abducted the sister of Kalaka, a Jain acharya (teacher). At the insistence of Kalaka, the Shakas invaded Ujjain and made Gardabhilla their prisoner. Later, Vikramaditya arrived from Pratishthana, defeated the Shakas, and started the Vikrama Samvat era to mark his victory.[21][33] According to Alain Daniélou, the "Vikramaditya" in this legend refers to a Satavahana king.[34]
Other Jain texts contain several variations of a legend about Vikramaditya's defeat at the hands of the king of Pratishthana, who is variously named Satavahana or Shalivahana. This theme is found in Kalpa-Pradipa of Jina-Prabhasuri, Rajashekhara's Prabandha-Kosha and Salivahana-Charitra (a Marathi language work), among others. The legend goes like this: Satavahana was the child of the Nāga (serpent) chief Shesha and a Brahmin widow, who lived in the house of a potter. His name "Satavahana" was derived from the words satani (give) and vahana (means of transport), because he used to make elephants, horses and other means of transport using clay, and gift them to other children. One day, Vikramaditya perceived omens that his future killer had been born. He sent his vetala to find out the child, and the vetala traced Satavahana in Pratishthana. Vikramaditya then led an army to Pratishthana. With help of Nāga magic, Satavahana converted his clay figures of horses, elephants and soldiers into a real army. He defeated Vikramaditya, who fled to Ujjain. He then introduced his own era, and became a Jain.[35][31][36]
There are several variations of this legend:[35]
- Vikrama is killed by Satavahana's arrow during a battle
- Vikramaditya marries the daughter of Satavahana, and the couple have a son known as Vikramasena or Vikrama-charitra
- Satavahana is the son of Manorama, the wife of a bodyguard of king of Pratishthana
Tamil legendsEdit
In a medieval-era Tamil language legend, Vikramaditya has 32 marks on his body, which are a characteristic of the universal emperors. A Brahmin in need of magic quicksilver tells him that it can be obtained if the emperor offers his head to the goddess Kamakshi of Kanchipuram. Vikramaditya agrees to the sacrifice, though the goddess fulfills his wish without the sacrifice.[37]
In another Tamil legend, Vikramaditya offers to perform a variant of the navakantam rite (cutting the body in nine places) to please the gods. He offers to cut his body in eight places for the eight Bhairavas and also offers his head to the goddess. In return, he convinces the goddess to end the practice of human sacrifice.[37]
Chola Purva Patayam ("Ancient Chola Record"), a Tamil manuscript of uncertain date, contains a legend about the divine origin of the three Tamil dynasties. In this legend, Shalivahana (also known as Bhoja) is a shramana king. He defeats Vikramaditya, and starts persecuting the worshipers of Shiva and Vishnu. Shiva then creates the three Tamil kings to defeat him: Vira Cholan, Ula Cheran, and Vajranga Pandiyan. The three kings go through a number of adventures, including finding treasures and inscriptions of Hindu kings from the age of Shantanu to Vikramaditya. They ultimately defeat Shalivahana, in the year 1443 (of an uncertain calendar era, possibly from the beginning of Kali Yuga).[38]
Ayodhya legendEdit
A local legend in Ayodhya states that the city was re-discovered by Vikramaditya, after having been lost for centuries. Vikramaditya started searching for Ayodhya, and met Prayaga, the king of tirthas (Prayaga personified). Guided by Prayaga, Vikramaditya marked the place, but subsequently forgot its location. A yogi told him that he should let loose a cow and a calf: Ayodhya would be at the place where milk starts flowing from the cow's udders. Using this advice, Vikramaditya managed to re-identify the site of ancient Ayodhya.[39]
According to Hans T. Bakker, the present-day Ayodhya was originally the Saketa city mentioned in Buddhist sources. The Gupta emperor Skandagupta, who compared himself to Rama and was also known by his title Vikramaditya, moved his capital to Saketa. He renamed the city Ayodhya after the legendary city mentioned in Ramayana.[39] The Vikramaditya mentioned in Paramartha's biography of Vasubandhu (c. 4th – c. 5th century CE) is generally identified with a Gupta king, such as Skandagupta[40] or Purugupta.[9] The Gupta kings ruled from Pataliputra, but Ayodhya was within their domain. However, certain scholars, such as Ashvini Agrawal, reject this account as inaccurate.[41]
Other legendsEdit
- Ananta's heroic poem Vira-Charitra or Viracharita (12th century) states that Shalivahana (or Satavahana) defeated and killed Vikramaditya, and then ruled from Pratishthana. Later, Shalivahana's associate Shudraka allied with Vikramaditya's successors and defeated Shalivahana's descendants. This legend is full of mythological stories.[42][43]
- Śivadāsa's Śālivāhana Kātha or Shalivahana-Charitra (12th–14th century) similarly describes the rivalry between Vikramaditya and Shalivahana.[44]
- The Mādhavānala Kāmakandalā Kathā by Ānanda is a story of separated lovers who are at last reunited by Vikramaditya.[44]
- Vikramodaya is a series of verse tales in which Vikramaditya appears as a wise parrot. A similar series can by found in the Jain text Pārśvanāthacaritra.[44]
- Pañcadaṇḍachattra Prabandha ("The Story of Umbrellas Having Five Sticks"), a work of the 15th century or later, contains "stories of magic and witchcraft, full of wonderful adventures, in which Vikramāditya plays the rôle of a powerful magician".[44]
- Madhavanala-Kamakandala-Katha, a 16th-century Gujarati work by Ganapati, also contains Vikramaditya stories.[1]
Jyotirvidabharana (22.10), a treatise attributed to Kalidasa, states that nine famous scholars known as Navaratnas were at Vikramaditya's court: Amarasimha, Dhanvantari, Ghatakarapara, Kalidasa himself, Kshapanaka, Shanku, Varahamihira, Vararuchi, and Vetala Bhatta.[12]
However, Jyotirvidabharana is considered a literary forgery of a date later than Kalidasa by multiple scholars.[12] V. V. Mirashi dates the work to the 12th century, and points out that it could not have been composed by Kalidasa, because it contains grammatical faults.[21] There is no mention of such "Navaratnas" in earlier literature. D. C. Sircar calls this tradition "absolutely worthless for historical purposes".[45]
There is no historical evidence to show that these nine scholars were contemporary figures or proteges of the same king.[21][46] Vararuchi is believed to have lived around the 3rd or 4th century CE. The period of Kalidasa is debated, but most historians place him around the 5th century CE. Varahamihira is known to have lived in the 6th century CE. Dhanavantari was the author of a medical glossary (Nighantu); his period is uncertain. Amarasimha cannot be dated with certainty either, but his lexicon utilizes the works of Dhanavantari and Kalidasa; therefore, he cannot be dated to the 1st century BCE, when the legendary Vikramaditya is said to have established an era in 57 BCE. Not much is known about Shanku, Vetalabhatta, Kshapanaka and Ghatakarpara. Some Jain writers identify Siddhasena Divakara as Kshapanaka, but this claim is not accepted by historians.[47]
Kalidasa is the only figure whose association with Vikramaditya is mentioned in works earlier than Jyotirvidabharana. Rajasekhara's Kāvyamimāṃsa (10th century), Bhoja's Sringara Prakasa (11th century) and Kshemendra's Auchitya-Vichara-Charcha (11th century) mention that Vikramaditya sent Kalidasa as his ambassador to the Kuntala country (identified with present-day Uttara Kannada). The historicity of these legends is doubtful.[48]
Some authors believe that Vikramaditya is a purely mythical character, while some others hypothesize that he was a historical Malava king from c. 1st century BCE. Yet others believe that he is a legendary character based on a well-known historical king, variously identified as Chandragupta II, Gautamiputra Satakarni or Yashodharman.[46] The character might also be based on different kings, legends about whom gradually coalesced into the Vikramaditya tradition. According to K. Krishnamoorthy, "Vikramaditya" and "Kalidasa" were used as common nouns to describe any patron king and any court poet respectively.[49]
Malava kingEdit
According to Rajbali Pandey, Kailash Chand Jain and others, Vikramaditya was the personal name of an Ujjain-based king from the Malava tribe. The Shakas advanced from Sindh to Malwa around the first century BCE, but were defeated by this king. The "Krita" era, which later came to be known as Vikrama Samvat, marked this victory. Later, Chandragupta II adopted the title "Vikramaditya" in his imitation, after defeating the Shakas. The proponents of this theory point out that Vikramaditya is mentioned in works dated before the Gupta era, including Brihatkatha and Gatha Saptashati. Moreover, the legendary Vikramaditya cannot be based on Chandragupta II, since the Gupta capital was at Pataliputra, not Ujjain.[46] According to Raj Pruthi, the legends of this 1st century king gradually became intertwined with those of the later kings titled "Vikramaditya", including Chandragupta II.[33]
Critics of this theory point out that Gatha Saptashati shows clear signs of interpolations during Gupta era.[3] According to A. K. Warder, Brihatkathamanjari and Kathasaritsagara are "enormously inflated and deformed" recensions of the original Brihatkatha.[20] The early Jain works do not mention Vikramaditya either. The "Navaratna" tradition does not have any historical basis, and these nine scholars do not appear to be contemporary figures.[46] Moreover, the various legends about Vikramaditya, as mentioned above, are contradictory and belong to the fantasy genre. In addition, they are inconsistent with historical facts. Also, no epigraphic, numismatic or literary evidence suggests the existence of a king with the name or title "Vikramaditya" around the 1st century BCE. The Puranas contain genealogies of important Indian kings, but do not mention any Vikramaditya ruling from either Ujjain or Pataliputra before the Gupta era. There is little possibility of a historically unattested but powerful emperor ruling from Ujjain around the 1st century BCE, among the Shungas (187–78 BCE), the Kanvas (75–30 BCE), the Satavahanas (230 BCE–220 CE), the Shakas (c. 200 BCE–400 CE) and the Indo-Greeks (180 BCE–10 CE).[13][46]
Gupta kingsEdit
Multiple kings of the Gupta dynasty adopted the title "Vikramaditya" or its equivalents (such as "Parakramanka" of Samudragupta). According to D. C. Sircar and Hem Chandra Raychaudhuri, among others, the exploits of these kings contributed to the Vikramaditya legends. The distinction between these different Vikramadityas was lost over time; the legendary "Shalivahana" was similarly based on the exploits of multiple Satavahana kings.[50]
Chandragupta IIEdit
Several scholars believe that Vikramaditya is probably based on the Gupta king Chandragupta II. These include D. R. Bhandarkar, V. V. Mirashi and D. C. Sircar among others.[21][46]
Based on some coins and the Supia pillar inscription, it is believed that Chandragupta II adopted the title "Vikramaditya".[21][51] The Khambat and Sangli plates of the Rashtrakuta king Govinda IV use the epithet "Sahasanka" for Chandragupta II. The name "Sahasanka" has also been applied to the legendary Vikramaditya.[46] Alf Hiltebeitel states that Chandragupta's victory over the Shakas was transposed on upon a fictional character, who is credited with founding the Vikrama Samvat era.[23]
According to most legends, Vikramaditya had his capital at Ujjain, although some legends mention him as the king of Pataliputra. The Guptas had their capital at Pataliputra. According to D. C. Sircar, Chandragupta II may have defeated the Shaka invaders of Ujjain, and placed his son Govindagupta as a viceroy there. As a result, Ujjain might have become a second capital of the Gupta empire, and subsequently, legends about him (as Vikramaditya) might have developed.[46][52] Guttas of Guttavalal, a minor dynasty based in present-day Karnataka, claimed descent from the imperial Guptas. The Caudadanapura inscription of the Guttas alludes to the legendary Vikramaditya ruling from Ujjayni, and several Gutta royals were named "Vikramaditya". According to Vasundhara Filliozat, the Guttas have confused the legendary Vikramaditya with Chandragupta II.[53] However, D. C. Sircar sees this as further proof that the legendary Vikramaditya was based on Chandragupta II.[54]
As mentioned above, the Vikramaditya of the Ayodhya legend is identified as Skandagupta (r. 455–467 CE) by multiple scholars.[39][40] Book 18 of Kathasaritasagara describes Vikramaditya as a son of Mahendraditya of Ujjain. According to D.C. Sircar, Kumaragupta I (r. 415–455 CE) had adopted the title "Mahendraditya", and his son Skandagupta had adopted the title "Vikramaditya". Thus, this particular set of legends could be based on Skandagupta.[22]
Other rulersEdit
- Gautamiputra Satakarni
- In the Kathasaritasagara recension of the 25 Vetala stories, the king is mentioned as the ruler of Pratishthana. A. K. Warder notes that the Satavahanas were the only notable ancient dynasty that ruled from Pratishthana.[17] According to a Satavahana inscription, their king Gautamiputra Satakarni defeated the Shakas. Also, one of Gautamiputra Satakarni's epithets was "vara-varana-vikrama-charu-vikrama". However, according to D. C. Sircar, this epithet means "one whose gait is as beautiful as that of the choice elephant", and has nothing to do with the title "Vikramaditya", which means "sun of valour". Moreover, most other Vikramaditya legends mention the king's capital as Ujjain (or less commonly, Pataliputra): the Satavahanas never had their capital at these cities. Also, Vikramaditya has been presented as an adversary of the Pratishthana-based king Satavahana (or Shalivahana) in multiple legends.[55]
- Yashodharman
- Some earlier writers, such as Max Muller, believed that the Vikramaditya legends were based on the 6th-century Aulikara king Yashodharman. The Aulikaras used the Malava era (which later came to be known as Vikrama Samvat) in their inscriptions. According to Rudolf Hoernlé, the name of the Malava era was changed to Vikramaditya by Yashodharman. Hoernlé also believed that he conquered Kashmir, and is same person as the "Harsha Vikramaditya" mentioned in Kalhana's Rajatarangini.[12] Yashodharman defeated the Hunas led by Mihirakula. However, Hunas are not same as the Shakas. Moreover, Yashodharman's capital was at Dasapura (modern Mandsaur), not Ujjain. There is no other evidence that he inspired the Vikramaditya legends.[56][57]
Several stories of Vikramaditya appear in the Amar Chitra Katha comic book series.[58] Vikram Aur Betaal, which appeared on Doordarshan in the 1980s, was a television programme based on Baital Pachisi. A television adaptation of Singhasan Battisi was aired on Doordarshan in the late 1980s. In 2014, another adaptation was aired on Sony Pal.[59]
Indian Navy's aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya has been christened so in honour of Emperor Vikramaditya.[60] On 22 December 2016, a commemorative postage stamp honouring Samrat Vikramadittya was released by India Posts.[61]
See alsoEdit
- INS Vikramaditya Aircraft Carrier
- ^ a b Sircar 1969, p. 109.
- ^ Sircar 1969, p. 115.
- ^ a b Sircar 1969, pp. 113-114.
- ^ Sircar 1969, p. 113.
- ^ a b c Sircar 1969, p. 114.
- ^ Ashvini Agrawal (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 39. ISBN 978-81-208-0592-7.
- ^ Sircar 1969, p. 133.
- ^ Samuel Beal (1906). Si-Yu-Ki Buddhist Records of the Western World. 1. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co. pp. 107–108. ISBN 978-1-136-37657-3.
- ^ a b Sircar 1969, p. 133-134.
- ^ a b Edward C. Sachau (1910). Alberuni's India. Routledge / Trench, Trübner & Co. pp. 5–6. ISBN 978-1-136-38385-4.
- ^ Ashvini Agrawal (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. pp. 174–175. ISBN 978-81-208-0592-7.
- ^ a b c d e M. Srinivasachariar (1974). History of Classical Sanskrit Literature. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 94–111. ISBN 9788120802841.
- ^ a b Sircar 1969, p. 112.
- ^ Sircar 1969, pp. 109-110.
- ^ Rajan Chandra (1995). Śivadāsa: The Five-and-Twenty Tales of the Genie. Penguin Books. p. xvii. ISBN 978-0-14-045519-9.
- ^ Reinhold Rost, ed. (1864). Essays: Analytical, Critical and Philological by H.H. Wilson. Works. 2. Trübner. p. 153.
- ^ a b Warder 1992, pp. 124-125.
- ^ Sircar 1969, pp. 110-111.
- ^ N. M. Penzer, ed. (1924). "Book XVIII: Vishamasila". The ocean of story. IX. Translated by C. H. Tawney. Chas J. Sawyer. pp. 1–30.
- ^ a b Warder 1992, pp. 58-60.
- ^ a b c d e f Vasudev Vishnu Mirashi; Narayan Raghunath Navlekar (1969). Kalidasa: Date, Life And Works. Popular. pp. 8–29. ISBN 978-81-7154-468-4.
- ^ a b Sircar 1969, p. 111.
- ^ a b c d Alf Hiltebeitel (2009). Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics. University of Chicago Press. pp. 254–275. ISBN 9780226340555.
- ^ द्वात्रींशत्पुत्तलिका: Sinhasan Battisi
- ^ David Gordon White (2010). Sinister Yogis. University of Chicago Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-226-89515-4.
- ^ Muzaffar Alam; Sanjay Subrahmanyam (2011). Writing the Mughal World: Studies on Culture and Politics. Columbia University Press. pp. 414–419. ISBN 978-0-231-52790-3.
- ^ A. N. D. Haksar (1998). Simhāsana Dvātriṃśikā: Thirty-Two Tales of the Throne of Vikramaditya. Penguin. p. x-xiii. ISBN 978-0-140-45517-5.
- ^ a b c Alf Hiltebeitel (2009). Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics. University of Chicago Press. pp. 282–287. ISBN 9780226340555.
- ^ a b Sircar 1969, p. 116.
- ^ Sircar 1969, pp. 115-116.
- ^ a b Rao Saheb Vishvanath Narayan Mandlik (1875). "Salivahana and the Salivahana Saptasati". Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay. Asiatic Society of Bombay. X (XXIX): 127–132.
- ^ Kailash Chand Jain 1991, p. 85.
- ^ a b Raj Pruthi (2004). Jainism and Indian Civilization. Discovery. pp. 72–74. ISBN 978-81-7141-796-4.
- ^ Alain Daniélou (2003). A Brief History of India. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. pp. 135–136. ISBN 978-1-59477-794-3.
- ^ a b Sircar 1969, pp. 117-118.
- ^ Richard H. Davis (1998). Images, Miracles, and Authority in Asian Religious Traditions. Westview Press. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-8133-3463-9.
- ^ a b Alf Hiltebeitel (2009). Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics. University of Chicago Press. pp. 436–437. ISBN 9780226340555.
- ^ William Cooke Taylor (1838). Examination and Analysis of the Mackenzie Manuscripts Deposited in the Madras College Library. Asiatic Society. pp. 49–55.
- ^ a b c Sarvepalli Gopal (15 October 1993). Anatomy of a Confrontation: Ayodhya and the Rise of Communal Politics in India. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 24–25. ISBN 978-1-85649-050-4.
- ^ a b Stefan Anacker, ed. (1984). Seven Works of Vasubandhu, the Buddhist Psychological Doctor. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-81-208-0203-2.
- ^ Ashvini Agrawal (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 247. ISBN 978-81-208-0592-7.
- ^ Moriz Winternitz (1985). History of Indian Literature. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 377.
- ^ Viśvanātha Devaśarmā (1999). Shudraka. Sahitya Akademi. p. 4. ISBN 9788126006977.
- ^ a b c d Moriz Winternitz (1985) [1920], History of Indian Literature, 3, translated by Subhadra Jha, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, pp. 376–377, ISBN 978-81-208-0056-4
- ^ Sircar 1969, pp. 120-121.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Kailash Chand Jain (1972). Malwa Through the Ages, from the Earliest Times to 1305 A.D. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. pp. 156–165. ISBN 978-81-208-0824-9.
- ^ Sircar 1969, pp. 121-123.
- ^ Sircar 1969, p. 123.
- ^ K. Krishnamoorthy (1994). Eng Kalindi Charan Panigrahi. Sahitya Akademi. pp. 9–10. ISBN 978-81-7201-688-3.
- ^ Sircar 1969, p. 161.
- ^ Sircar 1969, p. 130.
- ^ Sircar 1969, pp. 130-131.
- ^ Vasundhara Filliozat (1995). The Temple of Muktēśvara at Cauḍadānapura. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts / Abhinav. p. 7. ISBN 978-81-7017-327-4.
- ^ Sircar 1969, p. 136.
- ^ Sircar 1969, pp. 128-129.
- ^ Sircar 1969, pp. 129-130.
- ^ M. D. Paradkar (1970). Malavikagnimitram: A Critical Study. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 12.
- ^ Sharada Nāyak; Mala Singh (1973). Children's Books on India: An Annotated Bibliography. Educational Resources Center. p. 78.
- ^ Priyanka Bhadani (12 September 2014). "Fantasy World". Indian Express.
- ^ http://defenceupdate.in/ins-vikramaditya-king-indian-ocean/
- ^ http://postagestamps.gov.in/NewsPage.aspx?uid=141
- Jain, Kailash Chand (1991), Lord Mahāvīra and His Times, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-0805-8
- Sircar, D. C. (1969). Ancient Malwa And The Vikramaditya Tradition. Munshiram Manoharlal. ISBN 978-8121503488.
- Warder, Anthony Kennedy (1992). "XLVI: The Vikramaditya Legend". Indian Kāvya Literature: The art of storytelling. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0615-3.
External linksEdit
- Edgerton, Franklin (1926), Vikrama's adventures : or, The thirty-two tales of the throne, Harvard University Press
- Tawney, C. H. (1880), The Katha Sarit Sagara; or Ocean of the Streams of Story, 1, Calcutta: J. W. Thomas, at the Baptist Mission Press
- Tawney, C. H. (1884), The Katha Sarit Sagara; or Ocean of the Streams of Story, 2, Calcutta: J. W. Thomas, at the Baptist Mission Press


text:
Job Applications
This is how job applications should be. I can show you that one. I can't show you the applications I received for this position, but suffice it to say most came nowhere near Guy's second version, let alone his first.
I did lament this fact to a few people, but quickly realised I should not try to 'help' applicants who don't bother (or are unable) to proof-read their applications. Doing so may get them past the first round (The Great Resume Cull), but then they'd simply fail in the interview. So it's probably better that they quit whilst ahead. Don't proof-read. Don't tailor your application to the position. Just SPAM every available position that has some tangential relevance to whatever you think the world owes you as a career. Of course, they may have more luck with an HR drone than a small business owner/operator (and budding entrepreneur), particularly when you introduce political reasons for hiring (as opposed to straight 'Can they do the job?' issues).
I did receive one e-mail from an evidently competent person (those who know me realise I am more than quick to use the word 'incompetent' on nearly anyone, so take this as something of a big deal) who termed it an "absolute classic". I was surprised, because I distinctly remember taking out the geek humour (such as, at a bare minimum, requiring applicants to provide the answer to the Ultimate Question – you know, Life, The Universe and Everything, but preferably submitting a proof to P=NP or, failing that, to the Poincaré Conjecture as an attachment) due to character restrictions. Anyway, this guy is busy (understandably – competent people are a) hard to find and b) self-motivated to succeed and hence –> busy), but I do have his CV on hand. I'll just have to remember to keep it in a separate pile to the 'wood-yu-laikto-outsorcedat?' applications. i.e. OUT of my Junk Mail box.
Anyway, I'm currently debating whether to:
a) start a few more blogs and separate by content (www.lifewithmediocrity.com for whinges, blog.hiveservices.com for management & keeping www.drkellam.com for personal stuff)
b) the above, with a metablog containing all posts, categories determine sub-blogs
c) keep ranting & raving here on anything that grabs my fancy 😛
d) all of the above
e) none of the above
f) some of the above
g) logically incongruent sequence of above
h) all of the above excluding the 'x of the above' questions
i) all of the above INcluding the 'x of the above' questions
[mandatory multi-guess formatting applied]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The film starts with an intro stating that this is simply another retelling of the classic Shakespeare tale, but it is very different.
In the city of Stratford, there are two huge houses on Verona Drive that are so close to one another, they seem attached. The house on the left is owned by Mr. Capulet, and it is entirely red. The other house is owned by Miss Montague and it is all blue. On the mailboxes, there are 2 signs: One with 2B on the blue side and Not 2B on the red side. When the squabbling owners drive off, the weather vanes of each house signal to the gnomes in the gardens that they can come out and play. One of the Blue gnomes flings a snail to the other side, making it plummet into a snoozing Red's mouth. Lord Redbrick, leader of the Reds, goes over and peeks in the peephole and sees Lady Bluebury, leader of the Blues, and they exchange some barbs.
Lady Bluebury's son Gnomeo and his friend, Benny, pull out a lawnmower, and it's obvious they are up to something. Lady Bluebury calls Gnomeo over. Not wanting to get in trouble, he runs over and tries to distract her, but she knows he's up to something and winks at him, telling him not to lose to the Reds.
On the other side, Lord Redbrick's daughter Juliet climbs a tree to look at the roof of a greenhouse across the street. There is a special flower growing at the top, and she thinks that if she can get it, it will make their garden beautiful and will give the Red gnomes an edge over the Blues. Lord Redbrick, calls for her, and she is startled and almost falls but lands gracefully. He still freaks out and admonishes her, but Juliet is annoyed at the insinuation that she's delicate and helpless. Juliet figures she'll prove that she's not delicate by retrieving the flower.
What Lady Bluebury was referring to earlier is revealed, as we see Gnomeo and Tybalt of the Red side going against each other in a race using lawnmowers in the alley beside the houses. The rules are, basically, don't cheat, but Tybalt, who is pretty mean, does so anyway and gets Gnomeo's lawnmower wrecked. Benny accuses Tybalt of cheating, but Tybalt just laughs and kicks him before riding off. The blue gnomes that were watching are furious, and Gnomeo launches a plan to sneak over to the Red side to sabotage Tybalt's mower. At night, Gnomeo and Benny prepare to sneak in. Gnomeo has dirt streaks and is dressed all stealthily, and Benny goes dressed as a sunflower with a can of spray paint strapped to his back. At the same time, Juliet is planning to sneak out to get the flower. Her friend, Nanette the frog, helps her find an outfit that will disguise her. They settle for a black sock that covers her entirely, with eye and arm holes.
All the gnomes are sleeping except for some guards on the Red side. Gnomeo and Benny make it through, even though Benny makes noises every time he moves because of the spray can. Gnomeo reaches the garage and sees Tybalt's lawnmower, but when he turns around, Benny has sneaked over to the well and is spraying graffiti on it. Gnomeo watches as he loses his grip on the bottle and it hits a sensor and alerts the Reds. Gnomeo and Benny make a run for it. Gnomeo uses a hose to shoot Benny to the other side, but now he himself is stuck. He manages to get hold of a pair of underpants and parachutes away.
He lands in a patch of grass and is not sure where he is. He sees a figure dart across the brick wall and is entranced, running alongside to follow her. Juliet, who is actually very agile, reaches the top of the greenhouse and is about to take the flower, when Gnomeo, who followed on the other side, reaches for it too. They don't recognize each other because they're both in disguise. She apologizes, but when she realizes that he isn't a gnome from the greenhouse garden, states that the flower is hers. They start playing catch and grab with the flower, playfully swinging from the pipes and panes. They eventually land on a small log in the middle of a pond. They both hold the flower and are about to pull in for a kiss when the log collapses and they fall into the water. Underwater, their disguises are washed away, and they see that they are enemies. Juliet freaks out and runs away, and Gnomeo tries to follow her and is almost caught by Tybalt patrolling. Juliet, still nervous, covers for Gnomeo and says that she didn't see anyone, which makes Gnomeo like her even more.
Juliet returns to her little pedestal/tower and Nanette sees that she doesn't have the flower. She figures out that Juliet has met a boy, based on the way Juliet is acting. Juliet reveals that it is a Blue and Nanette instantly reacts dramatically to the doomed nature of their relationship. Later that night, Gnomeo sneaks back to the Red side while they are still on high alert from the intrusion, and finds Juliet. She tries to get him to leave, but he wants to talk. Gnomeo accidentally steps on a switch that activates Juliet's tower, beaming out lights and blaring music. Lord Redbrick runs over to tell her to turn it down, and Gnomeo barely manages to escape with Nanette's help. After steering her father away, Juliet checks through the top of the fence to see if Gnomeo's OK. His head pops up on the other side, and he gives her the flower that she wanted. She takes it, and they are about to kiss but their heads get stuck. They agree to meet the next day at the greenhouse at 11:45.
The following morning, Miss Montague wakes to see the ruined lawnmower, and Mr. Capulet sees the graffiti on the well. Each instantly blames the other. Ms. Montague stomps inside, saying she's going to buy the best lawnmower money can buy, which makes Benny grin when he hears it. He spies on Miss Montague while she visits a lawnmower purchasing site on her computer. A popup for the Terrafirminator V.O., a lawnmower that resembles a small monster truck, makes Benny giddy, but he is disappointed when Miss Montague settles for a cutesy Kitten lawnmower instead. When Mr. Capulet disappears, Tybalt talks to his minions and they plan to take revenge by destroying the wisteria plant in the Blues' garden (the Blues' pride and joy).
It is time for Juliet and Gnomeo to get ready for their little date, jazzing themselves up in ways only a gnome can. About to step out, Juliet gets sidestepped by her father introducing her to Paris, a fast-talking nerdish gnome. She distracts him with Nanette (who finds him adorable) and slips off. Gnomeo and Juliet meet up and are excited to see each other, but unused to their freedom. They find a very old lawnmower that Gnomeo can't start up, so they try to find some gas in the old shed. They pick the lock and open the shed, realizing that someone else is in there. They are scared, but it is just a pink flamingo lawn ornament who introduces himself as Featherstone. He has been locked in there for 20 years and is very excited to be outside again and to have people to talk to. They manage to start the lawnmower, and Juliet has a great time being free and riding it. They lie in the grass until they have to go. They arrange to meet at the same time the next day.
Gnomeo returns home, smitten. His pet Shroom runs up to him, and Gnomeo realizes something is wrong. He goes to the main garden to see that the wisteria is gone. All the gnomes are sad and Lady Bluebury is crying, as Gnomeo's father had planted the wisteria before he died. She asked Gnomeo where he was, and Gnomeo says he was nowhere and begins to feel immensely guilty. The Blues are riled up, and Benny asks Gnomeo to lead the counterattack that would devastate ALL the Red gnomes. Gnomeo immediately thinks of Juliet.
Meanwhile, Paris is trying to serenade Juliet, but she isn't interested. Nanette, however, develops a crush on Paris. She looks on and sees the flat stone hippo ornament twitching, with Gnomeo's hat beneath it. Excited, she runs down. Gnomeo, who is trying to carry out the attack, props the hippo's mouth up and leaps over to aim his blaster at the Reds' prized tulips, when suddenly Juliet is in his crosshairs. She's scared, then realizes what he is aiming at and storms off. He tries to call after her but has no time and jumps back down the hippo's mouth. With her mouth free, the hippo yells out, and the Reds are alerted. At the bottom, Benny asks what happened, and Gnomeo claims that the gun jammed. After Gnomeo leaves, Benny shoots the gun and sees that it is fine.
The next morning when Gnomeo and Juliet meet up, they fight. Gnomeo asks her to understand, and Juliet states that this is JUST like Blues, which starts the Red vs Blue feud again. Featherstone doesn't like them fighting and tries to interject, but they both lash out at him. Hurt, he apologizes and says that he knows he talks a lot but he just likes having friends for once. He walks off. Gnomeo and Juliet feel guilty and try to call him back. They go into the shed and see a lot of clippings about a house being sold. We see a montage of what happened to Featherstone in the past: he and his love were a matched set of flamingos. They spent time in the front garden of their owners, who were a happily married couple. But soon, the human couple began fighting, culminating in them splitting up and selling the house. The wife took Featherstone's love away in a moving van, and the husband tossed Featherstone in the shed.
Gnomeo and Juliet feel even more guilty. Featherstone shows up and says that someone else's hate took his love away, and he couldn't do anything about it, but they can. Gnomeo and Juliet reconcile, and Gnomeo asks Juliet to stay here, in the greenhouse garden, with him and they can start over. Juliet agrees.
Benny, who has grown suspicious of Gnomeo, follows Gnomeo to the greenhouse garden and sees the two together. Benny yells and runs away. He crosses over to get back to the Blue side, and Gnomeo tries to stop him. Tybalt spots Benny and goes after him. Eager to spot a stray Blue after the recent intrusion, Tybalt races after Benny on his lawnmower with a shovel in his hand. He uses the shovel to slice at Benny, shearing his hat off. Benny sits down in shock, touching his severed hat. Gnomeo gets mad and runs after Tybalt, leaping onto his lawnmower and fighting him as the mower still races down the alley. Gnomeo knocks his weapon away and is about to hit him with a pipe when Tybalt asks if Gnomeo would really hurt an unarmed gnome. Gnomeo falters and Tybalt brakes to get leverage on Gnomeo. Gnomeo warns him about the wall. He laughs it off as a trick, but Gnomeo slides away from the lawn mower in time to see the mower trip against a dirt hill and Tybalt fly off and smash into the wall.
All the noise has drawn the gnome inhabitants to see what's going on. The Reds see the smashed bits of Tybalt and start advancing on Gnomeo. Lord Redbrick is shocked when Juliet hands Gnomeo a pipe so he can defend himself. Gnomeo is chased onto the street, and he is on the edge of traffic when a jogger approaches. The gnomes instantly freeze, and the jogger freaks out when she turns the corner to see a crowd of gnomes. She slowly steps away and hits Gnomeo, dropping him onto the street. He is still in his gnome state and is frozen in the middle of traffic as the other gnomes watch. A truck comes by and there is a loud sound of breaking pottery, and the gnomes are shocked to see a pile of blue chips on the ground where Gnomeo was. Juliet cries and all the gnomes return to their yards, subdued, stating that there has been too much smashing. Shroom stays behind and discovers that the bits of blue are actually a broken teapot that fell off a delivery truck. Gnomeo, who has survived, jumps from the truck's grille and lands on the street, waving happily to Shroom. However, a bulldog grabs Gnomeo in his mouth and runs away. Shroom instantly runs off to try to get help.
Lord Redbrick has Juliet glued to her pedestal, stating that he doesn't want to lose her like he lost her mother, and Juliet turns her back on her father in disgust. Benny, wanting to exact revenge for Gnomeo, is too focused to listen to Shroom's pleas. He sneaks into Ms. Montague's house when she leaves and accesses her laptop, cancelling the Kitten lawnmower purchase and buying the Terrafirmator 4.0 on 1-hour rush delivery. Shroom then enlists Featherstone's help to find Gnomeo.
Gnomeo manages to escape the dog, but then has to hold still as a a garden gnome when some kids find him. He eventually ends up in a local park, on the top of a statue of Shakespeare's head. Shakespeare tells him the ending of Romeo and Juliet, which appalls Gnomeo. He falls off the statue and is caught in the nick of time by Featherstone and Shroom, who sniffed him out. Gnomeo finds out from Shroom that Juliet's in danger, and he races home on Featherstone's back. Meanwhile, the Terrafirminator has arrived, and the Blues are ready to fight. Benny, manning the huge lawnmower, crashes it through the fence that splits the two yards up and wrecks everything on the Reds' side. He then loses control of the vehicle, and it runs through the Blues' side too until it gets stuck in a ditch. The Reds rally and race forward to fight back. Fierce tomato and blueberry catapulting and whacking from miscellaneous garden tools commences. Juliet and Nanette remain at the tower, as Juliet can't move because her feet are glued down. Gnomeo scales the fence and heads for Juliet, who is elated to see he is alive. The Terrafirminator has acquired a target fixed on Juliet and is revving the engines. Gnomeo tries to get the glue off Juliet, but he can't. By now, the lawnmower getting free and racing through the yard has gotten everyone's attention, and they see that Gnomeo is alive and with Juliet. The Terrafirminator hits a ramp and soars into the air, heading for the tower. Everyone is shocked as they see the couple struggle to get free. Juliet tells Gnomeo to go, but he won't leave her. The Terrafirminator collides with the tower, and there is a mini explosion in the garden.
When the dust and rubble clear, gnomes from both sides approach the tower to see if the couple have survived. They see an arm pop up, but it is just another gnome. Redbrick and Bluebury, in shock, walk up to the tower together. They are grief-stricken, and each tells the other they are sorry they lost a child. They then realize that all this was their fault, and state that the feud is over. Everyone begins to walk away when Gnomeo's arm pops out of the rubble. He is okay, and he pulls Juliet out too. Everyone cheers, and Juliet and Gnomeo kiss after noting that this is a better ending.
The owners come home and freak out at the devastation. Ending: both Red gnomes and Blue gnomes have a dance party together outside. Tybalt is glued back together. Featherstone gets his love back when Benny orders her off the computer. Gnomeo and Juliet get married, riding off on a purple lawnmower.
- James McAvoy as Gnomeo, the protagonist; counterpart to Romeo Montague.
- Emily Blunt as Juliet, the deuteragonist; counterpart to Juliet Capulet.
- Michael Caine as Lord Redbrick, the leader of the red gnomes and Juliet's overprotective widowed father; counterpart to Lord Capulet.
- Jason Statham as Tybalt, the main antagonist and counterpart to Tybalt.
- Maggie Smith as Lady Bluebury, the leader of the blue gnomes and Gnomeo's widowed mother; counterpart to Lady Montague.
- Patrick Stewart as a statue of William Shakespeare.
- Ashley Jensen as Nanette, a plastic garden frog and Juliet's best friend; a flamboyant water squirter who is loyal to Juliet; counterpart to Nurse.
- Matt Lucas as Benny, Gnomeo's impulsive and tall-hatted best friend; counterpart to Benvolio, though the fate of his hat being smashed by Tybalt is similar to Mercutio's.
- Stephen Merchant as Paris, a nerdy red gnome who was arranged to marry Juliet; counterpart to Count Paris.
- Ozzy Osbourne as Fawn, a garden deer. The secondary antagonist and Tybalt's best friend; counterpart to Peter.
- Jim Cummings as Featherstone, a lonely plastic flamingo with a thick Spanish accent; vaguely resembles Friar Laurence. His name is a reference to Donald Featherstone, the creator of the pink flamingo lawn ornament.
- Hulk Hogan as Terrafirminator V.O., an announcer who tells people to buy the Terrafirminator.
- Julie Walters as Miss Montague, the elderly owner of the Blue garden. Her face is shown briefly in the beginning of the film.
- Richard Wilson as Mr. Capulet, the owner of the Red garden. His face is briefly shown in the beginning of the film.
- Kelly Asbury as Red Goon Gnomes; counterparts to Gregory, Sampson, Anthony, and Potpan.
- Shroom, a silent mushroom and Gnomeo's friend; counterpart to Romeo's servant, Balthasar.
- The Bunnies, a group of small cement bunnies that act as servants for Lady Bluebury and others in the Blue Garden; counterparts to Abram and other miscellaneous servants of the Montagues.
- Dolly Parton as Dolly Gnome, the lawnmower race announcer.
There is no counterpart for Mercutio, as stated by James MacAvoy in an interview with NBC: "Gnomeo in this is a little bit of amalgamation between Romeo and Mercutio. We don't have that Mercutio character in this. We don't have that leader of the pack, which Romeo isn't but Gnomeo is a little bit."
Gnomeo & Juliet is directed by Kelly Asbury. The original screenplay, inspired by William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, was written by John R. Smith and Rob Sprackling. Asbury, Mark Burton, Kevin Cecil, Emily Cook, Kathy Greenberg, Andy Riley, and Steve Hamilton Shaw worked on the final screenplay. Prior to the casting of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt, the roles of Gnomeo and Juliet were to be voiced by Ewan McGregor and Kate Winslet, respectively.
The film was the original idea of Sprackling and Smith, who sold the spec script to Disney through Rocket Pictures. Initially, the film was going to be produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, but was shut down by its new chief, John Lasseter, after the Pixar acquisition. Miramax Films picked up the project and guided its production until the division closed down. Australian director Adam Elliot was approached and asked to direct the film, but he rejected the offer due to the film's incompatibility with his style, as well as his lack of experience with CGI. The film later was picked up and produced by Starz Animation in Toronto. It was released under the Touchstone Pictures banner on February 11, 2011, becoming Touchstone's first animated film since 1993's The Nightmare Before Christmas and also Touchstone's first and, so far, only film to receive a G rating from the MPAA, despite some brief mild language used. The film's worldwide premiere was at Disney's El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on January 23, 2011.
The film was distributed in the United Kingdom and Canada by E1 Entertainment, and the film was released in 3D. Elton John and director Asbury presented 10 minutes of the film at the Cannes Film Festival.
Starz Animation Toronto (which also made 9) produced all of the animation for the film, including the stereoscopic version.
In addition, this film reunites veteran British actors Maggie Smith and Michael Caine, from the 1978 Neil Simon comedy California Suite, in the roles of Lady Bluebury and Lord Redbrick, respectively.
- Main article: Gnomeo & Juliet Soundtrack
Box office
Gnomeo & Juliet has earned $99,967,670 in the North America and an $94,000,000 in other countries, as of October 23, 2011, for a worldwide total of $193,967,670. Gnomeo & Juliet was ultimately a sleeper hit for Disney. On its first weekend, the film had a worldwide opening of $30,680,933. However, on its second weekend - Presidents' Day weekend - it topped the worldwide box office with $29,832,466.
Bonus Clips
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And that's all we have time for this afternoon on Brisbane Live, thanks for joining us today.
We were on storm watch for much of the day, and although nothing major happened, there has been a bit of thunder around in the last few minutes.
Have a safe trip home and we'll see you again tomorrow...hopefully not to discuss how bad the damage was from tonight's weather!
View of the #bnestorm rolling into the City from Police HQ. Right in time for peak hour! Stay safe on the roads. pic.twitter.com/yOwg0vHej7— QPS Media Unit (@QPSmedia) October 29, 2013
This comment piece from Brisbane Times' managing editor Simon Holt has received a lot of feedback today.
Simon says Queensland Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie can seize on the momentum of the bikie crackdown, and use it to consult the community about ways to clamp down on all types of crime.
What do you think?
Queensland's former state politicians racked up almost $300,000 in travel perks during the last financial year.
Retired state politicians are eligible to a Queensland Rail gold pass that gives them free long-haul travel.
Former Labor MP Darryl Briskey racked up the biggest travel bill, claiming $9,688.49 in flights and rail travel.
The "Watch and Act" warning below was issued a few minutes ago by the Department of Community Safety:
The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) is advising residents in the vicinity of Coondoo (south-east of Gympie) to enact their bushfire plans.
At 4pm on Tuesday, a large bushfire was located at Toolara Forest. The large, fast-moving fire is travelling in a southerly direction and is expected to impact the areas of Coondoo within the next two hours.
Residents in Parsons Road and Mcrae Road are advised that if their plan is to relocate or they do not have a plan then they are advised to relocate now. Leaving well ahead of a fire is the safest option for survival.
Well prepared and defended homes can offer safety during the fire and may be defendable.
Currently, more than 10 urban and rural fire crews are working to contain the blaze but firefighters may not be able to protect every affected property and residents should not expect a firefighter at their door.
Residents are advised to call Triple Zero (000) if their property comes under threat.Back to top
Well, after all that, perhaps this tweet from the Brisbane Broncos is the best storm-related tweet of the day?
@DarrenCurtis9 @ShaneDoherty_9 @9NewsBrisbane - this is our fave Storm shot - from when we beat them in the 2006 GF pic.twitter.com/GnNuvS43iS— Brisbane Broncos (@brisbanebroncos) October 29, 2013
The Weather Bureau says severe thunderstorms are no longer affecting southeast Queensland, with any immediate threat passing.
However, forecasters are continuing to monitor the situation.
A young Queensland boy has died in hospital after being attacked his grandfather's German Shepherd at the weekend.
Three-year-old Korbin Sprott passed away on Tuesday afternoon at the Townsville Hospital.
Korbin had been playing in the front yard of his grandfather's Grant Street home in Mackay when he was attacked by the dog about 6.45pm on Saturday.
The RACQ has excellent timing... as we wait on today's storm, the auto lobby has released research showing more than half (57 per cent) of all Brisbane residents have made NO preparations for the storm season.
Only 18 per cent of homeowners in the River City have checked their home, contents and insurance policies.
"Now is the time to take the necessary steps to safeguard life and property," the RACQ's Mike Sopinski said.
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Some great lightening video from our coast camera @9NewsBrisbane @9NewsAUS @cpattinson9 pic.twitter.com/LWdYNH7g5p— Nine News Gold Coast (@9NewsGoldCoast) October 29, 2013
Storm clouds approaching Toowong over Mt Cootha pic.twitter.com/c2WD5msJCZ via @Judi_09— News Talk 4BC 1116 (@NewsTalk4BC) October 29, 2013
The weather radar at BOM has gone down. This is it, people. #stormageddon has made its first move.— John Birmingham (@JohnBirmingham) October 29, 2013
1878 customers without power in Brisbane City area. Check website for updates http://t.co/lyv6SxCGty— Energex (@Energex) October 29, 2013
Here it comes...
Watching the storm roll towards Energex's Newstead HQ pic.twitter.com/TOFkKMmGD5— Energex (@Energex) October 29, 2013
The mother of Mia Quinnell has spoken to 4BC about her decision to donate her six-year-old daughter's organs after she was killed in a car accident near Toowoomba early on Sunday morning.
While heartbroken, Kylie Bauer says she wants Mia's cheekiness and spirit to live on in other people.Back to top
The Queensland Government wants to replace the Queensland Studies Authority with a new body called the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority to judge senior school achievement from July 2014.
Education Minister John Paul Langbroek has just tabled the bill into parliament, saying major changes in education since the Queensland Studies Authority made the change necessary.
"We have seen the introduction of NAPLAN testing, national school reporting, the growth of vocational education and training in schools," he said.
Further changes will come into effect soon, with the move to the national curriculum.
The bureau has just updated its storm warning for the south-east corner.
The storms are now forecast to hit Redbank Plains at 1.20pm and Beenleigh, Logan, Coomera and the northern Gold Coast by 1.50pm.
The bureau has issued a severe storm warning for south-east Queensland, including Logan, Ipswich and Brisbane.
It says severe storm cells were detected on the radar at 12.35pm near the Border Ranges National Park.
By 1.05pm the storms are due to hit Ipswich, Boonah, Greenbank, Redbank Plains and Amberley.
By 1.35pm the storms are due to hit Beaudesert, Beenleigh, Logan City, Logan Village, Woodridge and Sunnybank Hills.
Brisbane has now been included in the storm warning region.
October 29, 2013
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The worst of the storm front seems to have past to the Sth of Toowoomba, headed for Brisbane @9newsbrisbane pic.twitter.com/jPHZVC0nM6— Joel Dry (@JoelDry9) October 29, 2013
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