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Mudrarakshasa (literary study)

by Antara Chakravarty | 2015 | 58,556 words

This page relates ‘Use of Vasantatilaka metre� 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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2.8. Use of Vasantatilaka metre

[Full title: The Chandas employed in ѳܻṣa (8). Vasantatilaka]

The definition of Vasantatilaka meter has been given by Ҳṅg in his 󲹲ԻdzñᲹī :�

ñⲹṃvԳٲپ첹ṃtᲹܲ�

This means that the Vasantatilaka meter is constituted with the ṇa, viz. ta, bha, ja, ja, ga and ga. Here, there are 14 syllables in a . It is been stated by ṣeԻ that this meter is best suited in case of the admixture of two rasas namely ī and Raudra.[1] Our dramatist has used this meter in as many as 19 places. He has used this meter in delineating various rasas. Such as in II.6,8; V.7,16; VI.7,13 վś󲹻岹ٳٲ has used Vasantatilaka describing ṣa and Malayaketu’s pathos. In II.17 it is used in īrasa while asserting the famous nītiśloka, prārabhyate na khalu etc. վś󲹻岹ٳٲ has used Śṛṅ in only one place that is in III.9 and there also he has employed Vasantatilaka meter. But as said by ṣeԻ, its beauty has been enhanced a step farther when our dramatist has used this meter in exhibiting ṇaⲹ’s wrath admixed with ī and Raudra rasa such as in act-I. 8,10, 26 and so on.

Let us scan the first speech delivered by ṇaⲹ in this drama having īrasa with a tint of Raudrarasa:

ta | bha | ja | ja | ga | ga
- - � | - � � | � - � | � - � | - | -

āsvādi|tadvīra |daśoṇi|taśoṇa|śo|bhā�
ṃdܴṇām 첹� śśñ󲹴Բⲹ
ṛm屹ٲ|mukhasya| mukhāt sphu|ra|ntī�
ko hartu|micchati| 󲹰� pa|ribhuya| daṃṣ|ṭrāṃ||
[2]

After scanning the verse, it is found that the meter Vsantatilaka is used here, as, in every foot of this verse we got ta, bha, ja, ga and ga ṇa .

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Գٲپ첹� پ saṅkare vīraraudrayo�/ ܱṛtٲپ첹,III.19

[2]:

ѳܻṣa, I.8

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