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Mudrarakshasa (literary study)

by Antara Chakravarty | 2015 | 58,556 words

This page relates ‘Use of Arthapatti-alamkara� 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.

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3.21. Use of ٳ貹ٳپ-ṃk

[Full title: Use of ṃk in ѳܻṣa: ٳṃk, Nyāyamūlaka (or Nyāyamūla-varga) (1). ٳ貹ٳپ]

Rhetoricians like ٲṇḍ, and Ѳṭa did not concider ٳ貹ٳپ as a separate ṃk. Uddyota rather included it under ԳܳԲ or پśǰپ.

But վśٳ has given ٳ貹ٳپ a separate identity by defining ٳ貹ٳپ thus�

岹ṇḍū辱첹Բٳ岵'ٳ貹ٳپṣyٱ/[1]

The meaning is this, when according to the maxim of ‘stick and the cake� a fact is concluded from another, there is ٳ貹ٳپ. To be more precise, if some cakes were placed on a stick and it is heard that a mouse has eaten the very stick which is a hard object, normally it is presumed that the soft cakes were definitely be eaten by the mouse. This is called 岹ṇḍܱ辱첹Բⲹ or the maxim of the sick and the cake. Therefore, according to the maxim on the strength of one fact that is specified, another fact comes into the mind on account of the applicability to the latter of the same circumstances which are ascertained with certainty in the former.

Now, let us find out how վś󲹻岹ٳٲ has successfully delineated this unique ṃk in the ѳܻṣa. Cf.�

侱ٰ—t king of Kuluta, the lion like king of Malaya-ṃh岹, Puskarākṣa of śī (who has destroyed all his enemies), Sindhusena of Sindhu and the fifth king Megha (with an ample cavalry force) of ī첹. I am writing five names. Let Citragupta blot out these names.�[2]

Here, the expression “Let Citragupta blot out these names� indicates Citragupta will never be able to blot the names from the note book of Yama and these above five kings will surely die.

And in the following verse, Cf.�

“Even the heart of an innocent person becomes afraid of untimely call from ṇaⲹ due to his heartlessness, what can I say of myself being a criminal.�[3] It is very much clear that even an innocent person is afraid of ṇaⲹ because of his cruelty. Therefore, from this it can be assumed that what could be the consequence of a guilty person like Candanadāsa. And this assumption comes on the basis of 岹ṇḍܱ辱Բⲹ, and therefore this verse is a great example of ٳ貹ٳپ ṃk.

Over and above act III.27, act IV.1,11 and act VII. 13 of ѳܻṣa are some good examples of ٳ貹ٳپ-ṃk.

Footnotes and references:

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[2]:

ѳܻṣa, I.20

[3]:

ṇa첹ṇeԲ 󲹲 śabdāyitasyāpi janasya/ nirdoṣasāyapi śṅk ki� punarmama jātadoṣasya// ѳܻṣa, I.21

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