Mudrarakshasa (literary study)
by Antara Chakravarty | 2015 | 58,556 words
This page relates ‘Use of Virarasa (heroic sentiment)� of the English study on the Mudrarakshasa: an ancient Sanskrit dramatic play (Nataka) authored by Vishakhadatta which deals with the life of king Chandragupta. This study investigates the Mudra Rakshasa from a literary perspective, such as metrics, themes, rhetorics and other poetical elements. Chandragupta ruled the Mauryan Empire during the 4th century BCE, hence this text can also be studied as a historical textbook of ancient India.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
3.1. Use of ī (heroic sentiment)
The drama itself starts with a valourous statement of ṇaⲹ after the prologue when he says,
“Tell me who is that, while I am living, dares to attack Candragupta? Look here, who is that dares to snatch away, with force, from the mouth of the lion, whose jaws have been opened by yawning, the colour of which is red with the blood of the elephant, just tasted by him, which appears like a digit of the moon tinted red by the twilight.�[1]
The ñ屹 named Garva (pride) is very clearly exhibited herein which leads to the ٳ⾱屹 ٲ of a winner in the speech of ṇaⲹ.
There are some more examples of ī in the following�
kaulūtaścitravarmā malayanarapati� siṃhanādo ṛsṃh�
śī� ṣkṣa� ṣaٲܳ Ի� Իṣeṇa�/
meghākhya� pañcamo'smin pṛthuturagabala� pārasīkādhirajo
nāmānyeṣa� likhāmi dhruvamahamadhunā ٰܱٲ� ṣṭ//[2]
In this verse the sentiment of Rājanītivīra is very clearly delineated. Here, ṇaⲹ is the source of the ī; opponents like 侱ٰ etc. are Ālambanavibhāva; enmity of these above kings are Uddīpanavibhāva; writing the names of these opponents to drive them into a false position is the Գܲ屹 and ṇaⲹ’s saying, that even Citragupta will not be able to save these kings, reflects pride of the same, so, the Sañcāribhāva named Garva can be seen. Therefore, the ٳ⾱屹 ٲ for politics is clear herein.
Again, in the verse�
ye yātā� kimapi pradhārya hṛdaye ū� gatā eva
te ye tisṭhanti bhavantu te'pi gamane 峾� 峾ǻⲹ�/
ekā kevalameva sādhanavidhau senāśatebhyo'dhikā
nandonmūlanadṛṣṭavīryamahimā buddhistu mā gānmama//[3]
The sentiment of Rājanītivīra can be felt effortlessly. Here, the people who left ṇaⲹ are the Ālambanavibhāvas; negligence of ṇaⲹ towards them is the Uddīpanavibhāva and the boasting of ṇaⲹ saying that his intellect which by itself is more than hundred armies for accomplishment of any task is Գܲ屹; and this very sentence shows Garva as it’s ñ屹, and all these together enrich the ٳ⾱屹 called ٲ for political intrigues.
Like these, almost every speech of ṇaⲹ is furnished with the sentiment of Rājanītivīra. Here, ṇaⲹ is always seen trying to tame ṣa, who is his opponent, with his intellect, as a person catches and tames a wild elephant by some device.[4]
Perhaps, looking at this only, ٳ첹, a spy of ṇaⲹ in the sixth act confesses that the diplomacy of ṇaⲹ alone is the destroyer of the party of enemy which may be gained by means of an army.
Cf.
...pratihataparapakṣ� āryacāṇakyanīti� /[5]
But we must admit this, that apart from Rājanītivīra, the other divisions of ī are also present in this drama. In the second act when Virādhagupta, a spy of ṣa describes the past happenings in front of ṣa, the sentiment of ۳ܻī flashes in front of us in the speech of ṣa-
Cf.,
ayi mayi sthite ka� kusumapuramuparotsyati. ī첹 ī첹, ṣiī.
� 貹ٲ� śԲ� ṣi� 貹ⲹ�
dvāreṣu dviradai� pratidvipaghaṭābhedakṣamai� sthīyatām/
ٲⲹٱ ṛtܲⲹ� prahartumanasa� śatrorbale durbale
te niryāntu sahaikamanaso yeṣāmabhīṣṭa� ⲹś�//[6]
Again, in the fourth act when Malayaketu suggests ṣa for attacking the enemies, one can easily smell the sentiment of ۳ܻī while he says�
uttuṅgāstungakūla� srutamadasalilā� prasyandisalila�
ś峾� syāmopakaṇṭhadrumamatimukharā� kallolamukharam/
dzٲ� 屹ī岹ٳٲṭaܻܰ岹śԲܳٲ徱ٲٲṭāḥ
śṇa� sindūraśoṇ� mama gajapataya� pāsyanti śataśa�//[7]
Herein the source of ī is Malayaketu who conveys his valour to the audience in a symbolic way showing his 貹. Again he says�
“The array of my elephants, the note of whose roar is deep, will invest the city emitting, like pouring down a rain of spray mixed with the water of their rut, as a row of clouds that is pouring and whose cry is its deep roar, does encircle the Vindhya mountain�.... and so on.[8]
Here, Malayaketu being the source of ī, king of ṭaٰܳ, i.e., Candragupta is the Ālambanavibhāva; the act of murder of Malayaketu’s father is the Uddīpanavibhāva; the actions of the large herd of the elephants present in Malayaketu’s army is the Գܲ屹; the courage to destroy the enemies is the Sthāyibhāva and Malayaketu’s ṛt and Garva are the vyabhicaribhāvas. This verse is one of the finest examples of ۳ܻī here in this drama.
Moreover, the vow of ṣa in the second act, not to wear a single piece of ornament unless he can destroy the enemies surrounding the throne;[9] and the remembrance of the vow of Malayaketu in the fourth act[10] increase excitements of ī in this drama.
Again, in the sixth act ṣa is depicted as the ī when he stands forward with the sword in his hand to free Candanadāsa from ṇaⲹ’s bondage and declares�
“This sword now drives me to an act of daring, overpowered as I am through love of friend-The sword dark blue in appearance, like a water-charged-cloud and the sky, appears to be thrilling with its fondness for fight and with union secured with my hand, and the strength of which is consequence of its high temper has been seen by my enemies tested on the touch stone of battle.�[11]
On the other hand the character of Candanadāsa, a friend of ṣa is described as Բī. He doesn’t even care for his life and family while protecting the family of his bosom friend ṣa. He denies to handover the family of ṣa to ṇaⲹ and says�
...santamapi gehe amātyarākṣasasya gṛhajana� na samarpayāmi, ki� punarasantam[12]
Hearing this answer ṇaⲹ himself compares Candanadāsa to the great king Ś and appreciates him.
Cf.
sulabheṣvarthalābheṣu parasaṃvedane ᲹԲ�/
ka ida� ṣk� kuryādidānī� śibinā //[13]
ṣa too is portrayed as a Բī, because in the last act he also came to save Candanadāsa to the execution ground without caring for even his own life and principle.
ṇaⲹ was very much acquainted with this truth. Cf.
tyajatyan priyavatṇān yathā tasyāyamāpadi/
ٲٳ貹徱 ṇ� ūԲ� tasyāpi na �//[14]
In the seventh act ṣa is portrayed as ṣa屹ī also, as he suggests Candragupta to free Malayaketu from bondage and saves his life even though once Malayaketu showed disrespect towards ṣa.[15]
Thus it is seen that most of the divisions of ī is finely delineated by վś岹ٳٲ, the descriptions of which keeps on lingering in the minds of the reader from the starting till the end. But, though ī is the principal sentiment of the drama, yet, there are some other sentiments also helping the principal one for smooth running of the story. Let us examine them one by one.
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
Ibid., I.20
[3]:
Ibid., I.26
[4]:
svacchandamekacaramujjvaladānaśakti-mutsekinā madabalena bigāhamāna�/ buddhyā nigṛhya, vṛṣalasya kṛte kriyāyā-mārayaṇyaka� gajamiva praguṇikaromi // Ibid, I. 27
[5]:
Ibid., VI. 1
[6]:
Ibid., II. 13
[7]:
Ibid., IV. 16
[8]:
Ibid., IV. 17
[9]:
ѳܻṣa, II.10
[10]:
Ibid., IV. 5,6
[11]:
nistriṃśo’ya� sajalajaladavyomasankāśamūrti–ryuddhaśraddhāpulakita iva prāptasakhya� kareṇa / satvotkarṣāt samaranikaṣe dṛṣṭasāra� parairme mitrasnehādvivaśamadhunā sāhase mā� niyuṅkte // Ibid., VI. 19
[12]:
Ibid., p. 88
[13]:
Ibid., I. 23
[14]:
Ibid., I.24
[15]:
Ibid., p. 477