Mudrarakshasa (literary study)
by Antara Chakravarty | 2015 | 58,556 words
This page relates 鈥楿se of Arthantaranyasa-alamkara鈥� 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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3.25. Use of 础谤迟丑腻苍迟补谤补苍测腻蝉补-ala峁僰膩ra
[Full title: Use of 础濒补峁僰腻谤补 in 惭耻诲谤腻谤腻办峁蝉补: 础谤迟丑腻濒补峁僰腻谤补蝉, G奴岣峢膩rthapratitim奴laka (or Gu岣峢膩rthapratit墨-varga) (1). 础谤迟丑腻苍迟补谤补苍测腻蝉补]
When a general proposition is strengthened by a particular or a particular by a general one, and when effect is justified by a cause or vice versa, either under a similarity or a contrast, there is 础谤迟丑腻苍迟补谤补苍测腻蝉补, which is thus eightfold.
痴颈艣惫补苍腻迟丑补 碍补惫颈谤腻箩补 has rightly defined thus, 颁蹿.鈥�
蝉腻尘腻苍测补峁� v膩 vi艣e峁峁嘺, vi艣e峁stena v膩 yadi/
办腻谤测补峁� ca k膩ra峁噀neda峁� k膩rye峁嘺 ca samarthyate// s膩dharmye峁噀tare峁嚹乺th膩ntarany膩so鈥欋梗峁璦dh膩 迟补迟补岣�/[1]
A good number of verses are ornamented with 础谤迟丑腻苍迟补谤补苍测腻蝉补-ala峁僰膩ra in the 惭耻诲谤腻谤腻办峁蝉补. Such as, cf.鈥�
鈥淥 illegitimate woman! Are all kings on the earth died, that you have selected Candragupta, a base-born as your lord? Or the brain of a woman is naturally unstable like the lip flowers of 碍腻艣补 in appreciating the merits of man.鈥�[2]
All women in the world fail to appreciate the merits of proper person. So does 搁腻办峁蝉补 feel because his master Nanda was deserted by 尝补办峁墨 (the royal fortune). Here 搁腻办峁蝉补 states a general proposition explaining the occurrence referred to in the first two lines. Therefore, this is a good example of 础谤迟丑腻苍迟补谤补苍测腻蝉补.
Again, cf.鈥�
鈥淗ow can that 搁腻办峁蝉补, who even now serves his masters that disappeared like seeds unscratched, enter as long as he is sound in body, into an alliance with enemies. Of this much was not indeed considered by the barbarian, his mind being devoid of discrimination, did not think. Or, of one struck by fate, the intellect in its entirety becomes perverse.鈥�[3]
In this verse the first three lines speak of the thoughtlessness of Malayaketu and therefore failure to grasp things correctly. The last line is a generalization: all who are adversely struck by Fate have an understanding that makes them have a perverted view of things. The figure of speech contained in the verse therefore is s膩m膩nyena vi艣e峁sya 蝉补尘补谤迟丑补苍补峁� type of 础谤迟丑腻苍迟补谤补苍测腻蝉补.
Likewise Act I.18, 22; II.11, 18; IV.18, 22; V.2; VI.7; VII. 3, 14, 18 are nice examples of 础谤迟丑腻苍迟补谤补苍测腻蝉补-ala峁僰膩ra in 惭耻诲谤腻谤腻办峁蝉补.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
厂腻丑颈迟测补诲补谤辫补峁嘺, X.61
[2]:
[3]:
Ibid., VI.8