Essay name: Bhasa (critical and historical study)
Author: A. D. Pusalker
This book studies Bhasa, the author of thirteen plays ascribed found in the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series. These works largely adhere to the rules of traditional Indian theatrics known as Natya-Shastra.
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of the purdah system in ancient India before the system
was introduced by the Mohamedans. Whatever scholars
may say with regard to the subsequent periods, they are
at one in stating that there was no purdah
System in the
Vedic age down to the period of the epics. Both in the
R膩m膩ya峁嘺 and the Mahabharata we come across
passages that suggest at first sight that the purdah system
was current in the epic period. The R膩m膩ya峁嘺 states:
VI. 114. 28
啶掂啶じ啶ㄠ啶粪 啶� 啶曕啶氞啶涏啶班啶粪 啶� 啶啶︵啶о啶粪 啶膏啶掂く啶傕さ啶班 啷�
啶� 啶嬥い啷� 啶ㄠ 啶掂た啶掂ぞ啶灌 啶掂ぞ 啶︵ぐ啷嵿ざ啶ㄠ 啶︵啶粪啶い啷� 啶膏啶む啶班た啶 啷�
[vyasane峁 na k峁沜chre峁 na yuddhe峁 svaya峁僾are |
na 峁泃au no viv膩he v膩 dar艣ana峁� d奴峁ate striya岣� ||
] The stanza is taken to mean that the purdah system
which existed in those days was done away with on the
six specified occasions. The stanza, however, states the
exceptions to the general rule that no one was to look at
women(); thus, according to the stanza,
no sin was to be attached if one had a look at women on the
six specified occasions. Had the custom of veiling women
been generally approved and thought desirable, there
would be no propriety in specifying the exceptions. And
again we find descriptions of women going about unveiled.
As regards the Mahabharata, Mr. Vaidya has dealt in detail.
with the problem of the existence of the system in that
age and has rightly come to the conclusion that the system
was not in existence in the Mahabharata period. The
system, according to him, was borrowed by the Indians
from the Persians in the 5th or the 4th century B. C.,
and prevailed in Northern India among the K峁triyas
since that time.'
From the description of the galleries (simhapa帽jara)
to the houses from where women had a glance at the
processions and the fact that they went to religious dis-
courses etc., Prof. C. V. Joshi concludes that the system
was not found favour with in the Buddhist age.2
The general impression created by the Artha艣膩stra
is that the purdah system as such was unknown in those
days. Dr. Mookerji, however, refers to the Zenana system
or the seclusion of women in the Artha艣膩stra; the refer-
ences allude only to women who do not stir out of the
1 Upasa峁僪盲ra, pp. 228-229. 2 Aravinda, 1921, pp. 349鈥�350. The learned
Professor has written in reply to a letter that now he has changed his view as he
finds it to be based on insufficient data.
