Mudrarakshasa (literary study)
by Antara Chakravarty | 2015 | 58,556 words
This page relates 鈥楿se of Shardulavikridita metre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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
2.14. Use of 艢膩rdulavikr墨岣峣ta metre
[Full title: The Chandas employed in 惭耻诲谤腻谤腻办峁蝉补 (14). 艢膩rdulavikr墨岣峣ta]
The definition of this meter has been given in the 颁丑补苍诲辞尘补帽箩补谤墨 as:
s奴ry膩艣vairmasaj膩stat膩岣� sagurava岣� 艣膩rdulavikr墨岣峣迟补峁�/[1]
艢膩rdulavikr墨岣峣ta is a meter where the 驳补峁嘺蝉 ma, sa, ja, sa, ta, ta and ga are found in every quarter; and the pauses occur after twelve (蝉奴谤测补) syllables and then after seven (补艣惫补) syllables of a quarter. Thus the total number of syllables in a 辫腻诲补 of this meter is 19. Our dramatist has made a good use of this meter in 惭耻诲谤腻谤腻办峁蝉补. He has included not less than 37 verses employing the 艢膩rdulavikr墨岣峣ta meter. 痴颈艣腻办丑补诲补迟迟补 has used this meter to depict 痴墨谤补 , 碍补谤耻峁嘺, 艢峁涐箙驳腻谤补 and even Vibhatsarasa. 碍峁尘别苍诲谤补 said that this meter should be used in eulogizing a king or such other person.[2] Though our dramatist has not used this meter in eulogizing any king but we have a verse in 惭耻诲谤腻谤腻办峁蝉补 wherein 颁腻峁嘺办测补 eulogizes 搁腻办峁蝉补 for his greatness.
Let us scan that very verse of act. I:
| ma | | | sa | | | ja | | | sa | | | ta | | | ta | | | ga |
| - - - | | | 鈴� 鈴� - | | | 鈴� - 鈴� | | | 鈴� 鈴� - | | | - - 鈴� | | | - - 鈴� | | | - |
ai艣vary膩 |danape|tam墨艣va|ramaya峁� 鈺� |loko鈥檙tha|ta岣� seva 触迟别鈺�
迟补峁� gaccha|ntyanu ye| vipatti|峁 puna鈺� |ste tatpra|ti峁ａ弓h膩艣a 触测腻鈺憒
bharturye | pralaye|鈥檖i 辫奴谤惫补|蝉耻办峁泃腻鈺� |sa峁単ena | 苍颈岣补峁単补触测腻鈺�
bhakty膩k膩|ryadhur膩峁億 bahanti| k峁泃ina鈺憒ste durla |bh膩stv膩d峁泑艣膩鈺憒|[3]
After scanning we have got the 驳补峁嘺蝉 ma, sa, ja, sa, ta, ta, and ga in every 辫腻诲补 and the pauses after every twelve and seven syllables in a 辫腻诲补. Therefore the meter here is 艢膩rdulavikr墨岣峣ta. The name of the meter means a tiger鈥檚 play. Just like a tiger indulges in some fierce play in a jungle, this meter plays a tiger鈥檚 play in this drama of 惭耻诲谤腻谤腻办峁蝉补.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
颁丑补苍诲辞尘补帽箩补谤墨, II.198, p. 146
[2]:
艣auryastave n峁沺膩din膩m 艣膩rdulavikri岣峣迟补峁� ma迟补峁�/ 厂耻惫峁泃迟补迟颈濒补办补, III.22
[3]:
Mudraraksasa,I.14