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Mudrarakshasa (literary study)

by Antara Chakravarty | 2015 | 58,556 words

This page relates ‘Bharati-vritti� 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.

[Full title: The entity of ṛtپ and its use in ѳܻṣa (4): īṛtپ]

Often in Sanskrit language the oral style adopted by the actors of the play is called the ī-ṛtپ

ī saṃskṛtaprāya vāgvyāpāra naṭāśraya|[1]

It is clear from this definition that oral style of the actresses i.e. women characters are not included in the ī-ṛtپ because in the Sanskrit dramas the most of the women characters uses ʰṛt language rather than the Sanskrit. The physical and mental styles are also not a part of this ṛtپ. This is applicable to cultured male characters only and here oral style is prominent. վśٳ states that the ٳ貹첹 after having pleased the audience with sweet verses relating to the subject matter of the play should announce the name of the play together with the name, the family name etc. of the dramatist and should describe very often a particular season with the help of the ī-ṛtپ.[2]

ī-ṛtپ is of four types:

  1. ʰdz,
  2. īٳī,
  3. Prahasana and
  4. Āܰ.[3]

In ѳܻṣa the use of ī-ṛtپ has been made through the Prarocnā and Āܰ.

A ʰdz is the inviting attention of the audience to the play by way of praising the plot and other connected parts of the play.[4]

Here, in this play, in this part the ʰdz ṅg of the ī-ṛtپ has been presented.�

adya tvayā 峾Գٲṭeś岹ٳٲ貹ٰܳⲹ Ჹ貹岹ṛt󲹲ܲԴ� kaverviśākhādattasya kṛtirbhinava� ܻṣa� ṭa첹� ṭa⾱ٲⲹپ,[5]

The actor has praised the dramatist as 峾Գٲṭeś岹ٳٲ貹ٰܳⲹ and Ჹ貹岹ṛt󲹲ܲԴ� signifying the origin of the dramatist of a high class. Again through the words 屹ⲹśṣa徱Բ�[6] and ٰṣeٰ貹پ[7] the 屹ⲹ and the audience have been praised. By denigrating own self as ś辱, the Բṭa has demonstrated his humility. Therefore, through this we can say that this part of the drama is a perfect example of ʰdz.

Āܰ or ʰ屹 (prologue) is that in which the Բṭ� (the main actress consort of the ūٰ) or վṣa첹 or an attendant holds a conversation with the ūٰ with interesting words which arise out of their own function and the points to the subjects matter which is to come next.

վśٳ in the line of Bharata clearly states that ʰ屹 is called Āܰ. Cf.�

Բṭ� vidūṣako ś첹 eva vā/
ٰܳṇa 󾱳ٲ� ṃl貹� yatra kuryate//
citrairvākyai� svakāryotthai� prastutākṣepībhirmitha�//
峾ܰ� tattu ñⲹ� nāmnā prastāvanāpi sā//
[8]

In ѳܻṣa at the beginning of the first act ٲ屹徱ī� ṛh� ٱ gṛhinīmāhūya gṛhajanena saha ṅgٲ첹Գܳپṣṭ峾 etc. are examples of Āܰ. In this drama the ūٰ while conversing with his actress wife depicts the real subject of the drama.

In this way it is seen that the dramatist has used almost all the ṛtپs in his ѳܻṣa. This is a Vīra - rasa dominant drama, therefore, the Sātvatī has found more application whereas the usage of Śṛṅ-rasa and śī-ṛtپ have been next to nil. Bhāratī is the function of the speech therefore its application is obvious. Again Ārbhatī has also found its place in the play ѳܻṣa, as they are connected with Raudra and Vībhatsa-rasa .

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[1]:

󾱳ٲⲹ岹貹ṇa, VI.19 and ٲśū貹첹, III.5

[2]:

󾱳ٲⲹ岹貹ṇa, VI.29

[3]:

Ibid., VI.30

[4]:

aṅgānyatronmukhīkāra� praśaṃsāta� prarocanā/ Ibid

[5]:

ѳܻṣa, p. 10

[6]:

Ibid

[7]:

Ibid., p.11

[8]:

󾱳ٲⲹ岹貹ṇa, VI.31-32

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