Mudrarakshasa (literary study)
by Antara Chakravarty | 2015 | 58,556 words
This page relates ‘Subhashitas occuring in Mudrarakshasa� 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.
6. Subhāśitas occuring in ѳܻṣa
Apart from all these literary merits, վś岹ٳٲ’s drama is decorated with a huge number of Subhāśitas that make his work great advisory and a navigator to the society. While enumerating the convenience of ṭy in the very first chapter of the ṭyśāstra, Bharata states that ṭy will relate to actions of men, good, bad and indifferent and will give courage, amusement and happiness and counsel to them all.
The drama will thus be instructive to all, through actions and states depicted in it, and through sentiments arising out of it. Cf.�
uttamādhamamadhyānā� narāṇāṃ karmasaṃśraya�/
hitopadeśajanana� dhṛtikrīḍāsukhādikṛt//[1]
Thus perhaps following the word of Bharata, վś岹ٳٲ has chosen the maxims used in our common parlance which are meant to attract the attention of the audience.
Moreover, Ѳṭa in description of his 屹ⲹᲹԲ has included a word, i.e. ⲹ[2] which indicates that it is the 屹ⲹ that can give us the most practical knowledge of the society. Therefore, by including a great number of ܲṣiٲ, վś岹ٳٲ not only has made the drama more palatable one, but it has become the mirror of the society. Let us give an estimate of the ܲṣiٲ used in the drama.
i. List of ܲṣiٲ (alphabetically) occured in the prose portion:
1. atyādara� śaṅkanīya�:
Extreme courtesy raises suspicion.
2. adhikārapada� hi 峾 nirdoṣasyāpi puruṣasya mahadāśaṅkāsthāna�:
A post of authority is indeed, a source of great fear even for an innocent man
3. anucita upacāro hṛdayasya paribhavādapi mahad duḥkhamutpādayati:
Undeserved courtesy shown to a man grieves the heart even more than an open insult.
4. Գٰṣaś ī pramatto mataṅgajārohi labdhādhikāro jitakāśī Ჹ𱹲첹� ityete trayo’pyavaśya� vināśamanubhavanti:
The snake charmer not versed in mantras and herbs, the rider of an intoxicated elephant without the knowledge of restraining it and a servant of the king who brags of success on getting into office-these three surely meet with ruin.
5. ayamaparo gaṇḍasyopari ṭa:This is indeed a fresh boil on the carbuncle.
6. aho alakṣitanipātā� puruṣāṇā� samaviṣama 岹ś 貹ṇaٲ bhavanti:
Ah! The favourable or unfavourable turns of man’s life are of unexpected advent.
7. ⲹٳ iti ī ٰ: A ⲹٳ is a matter of small concern.
What sort of enmity can grass bear to fire?
9. پ� socchāyāṇāṃ patanamanukūla� kalayati:
The condition of those risen to a high station considers a fall to be close at hand.
10. durārādhyā hi rājalakṣmīrātmavadbhirapi rājabhi�:
Goddess of wealth is hard to please even by kings with a command overself.
11. dvaivamavidvāṃsa� pramāṇayanti:
The illiterate alone believe in fate.
12. daivenopahatasya buddhiratha vā viparyasyati:
Of one struck by fate, the intellect in its entirely becomes perverse.
13. na niṣprayojanamadhikāravanta� prabhūbhirāhūyante:
Officers are not summoned by the kings without any purpose.
14. na ܰٲ� prākṛtamapi ripumavajñātu�:
It is not appropriate to neglect even an ordinary enemy.
It is not indeed that everyone knows everything.
16. nirīhāṇāmīśastṛṇamiva tiraskāraviṣaya�:
To those, whose desire is gone completely a king is an object of disregard like straw.
17. ܰṃdīṇāṃ ñ ܰṣaṇañԲܰī:
The mind of women which by nature is averse to the appreciation of the merits of men.
18. prāyo ṛtstyajanti pracalitavibhava� svāmina� sevamānā�:
Servents in attendance usually leave the master whose power is shaken.
19. 貹ٲⲹ𱹲:
What is undertaken must not be given up.
20. bhagavati kamalālaye ṛśamaguṇajñā'si:
Oh! Venerable lotus throned Godess, you are quite incapable of appreciating merits.
21. Բī damyatvātskhalati ca na ḥk� vahati ca:
Who being strong minded, has resoved to bear up, even in his prime youth the very yoke of responsibility.
22. ṇḍٲṇḍ Բṣaٰṇi ṛc:
Inquiring about the constellation after getting shaved your head.
23. yatsvayamabhiyogaduḥkhairasādhāraṇairapākṛta� tadeva ⲹ� sukhayati:
That sovereignty alone gives happiness, which is devoid of the peculiar troubles worthy of application to work.
24. ⲹ� hi 峾 rājadharmānuvṛttiparasya nṛpatermahadaprītisthānam:
Sovereignty is indeed a source of great trouble to the king intent upon observing the duties.
25. vidvāṃso’pyavikatthanā bhavanti:
The literate too are not given to boasting
26. śirasi bhayamatiū tatpratikāra�:
The danger stands over the head and the remedy is very far.
27. � lāghavakāriṇīṃ kṛtadhiya� sthāne śvavṛtti� vidu�:
Rightly the learned men regard the service, which degrades a man of one whom penury plods for bread by his entreating looks and mis representation through helpfulness as a dog’s life.
ii. ܲṣiٲ found as verse form in ѳܻṣa:
1. ٲܳṛt Գٰṇi pārthive ca viṣṭabhya pādāvupatiṣṭhate śrī�/
sā strīsvabhāvādasahā bharasya tayordvayorekatara� jahāti//[3]
The Goddess of Royalty stands with her feet rigidly placed on the king and on the minister when grown too high. But through feminine nature unable to sustain her weight, she quits one of the two.
2. aprājñena ca kātareṇa ṇa� syādbhaktiyuktena ka� Prajñā vikramaśālino’pi hi bhavet ki� bhaktihīnāt phalam/
ñvikramabhaktaya� samuditā yeṣāṃ ṇ� bhūtaye te ṛt nṛpate� kalatramitare sampatsu cāpatsu ca//[4]
What is the need of such servants, who is neither wise nor energetic, though he is full of piety? Similarly, what is the use of a wise and brave servant having no devotion? Only those can bring about the prosperity of their king who are full of wisdom, dare and piety, remaining are equal to women both in calamity and thriving only to be brought up by the lord.
3. upari Բ� Բṭiٲ� ū 岹⾱ 쾱ٲ貹پٲ�/
himavati divyauṣadhaya� śīrṣe 貹� 屹ṣṭ�//[5]
Overhead is the deep thunder of clouds, the beloved is far away. What is this that has come to pass! On the ᾱⲹ grow the herbs supernatural efficacy, whereas the serpent is seated on the head.
4. ki� śeṣasya bharavyathā na vapuṣi kṣāṃ na kṣipatyeṣa yat ki� vā پ pariśramo dinapaterāste na yanniścala�/
ki� tvaṅgīkṛtamutsṛn kṛpaṇavat ślāghyo jano lajjate pratipannapastuṣu Ծ� satāmetaddhi gotravratam//[6]
Is there no pain of burden in the body of Śṣa岵 that he does not throw down the earth? Or does not feel the Sun fatigued that he does not sit down motionless? But a praiseworthy man blushes to lay aside, like a mean-hearted person, what he has once undertaken. To carry their undertaking to their end-this is indeed, the family vow of the good.
5. cīyate bāliśasyāpi satkṣetrapatitā kṛṣiī�/
na śāle� stambakāritā vapturguṇamapekṣate//[7]
Scattered seeds grow profusely in fertile soil, even being sowed by an ignorant peasant. The clustered paddy does not expect any merit in the sower.
tīkṣnādudvijate mṛdau paribhavatrāsānna saṃtiṣṭhate mūrkhāndeṣṭi na gacchati praṇayitāmatyantavidvatsvapi/
śūrebhyo’pyadhika� vibhetyupasatyekāntabhīrūnaho śrī labdhaprasareva veśavanitā duḥkhopacaryā ṛśa//[8]
From the stern, she shrinks. In the mild, she does not abide from fear of insult. Hates a fool, she cultivates no friendship to the most learned, the brave–she dreads mighty. The ever timid, she scoffs. The Goddess of wealth, Oh1 like a harlot; that has gained ascendancy is extremely hard to please.
7. parārthānuṣṭhāne rahayati ṛp� svārthaparatā parityaktasvārtho niyatamayathārth� kṣitipati�/
貹ٳśٲٳ岹ٲٲ hanta paravān parāyatta� prīte� kathamiva � vetti ܰṣa�//[9]
In serving other’s end, self-interest forsakes the king and the king who abandons personal interest, is not the lord of the earth in the real sense of the term. If other’s interest is preferable to self-interest, then, alas! The king has a master to serve, how can he know the flavor of pleasures.
8. prārabhyate na khalu vighnabhayena nīcai� Prārabhya vighnavihatā viramanti �/
vighnai� puna� punarapi pratihanyamānā� prārabdhamuttamaṇāḥ na parityajant//[10]
Mean man set on to work from fear of obstacles: Average people desist after commencing difficulties, but Men of superior merit though again and again assailed by difficulties, do not give up what is once undertaken.
9. bhūṣanādyupabhogena prabhurbhavati na �/
parairaparibhūtājñastvamiva prabhurucyate//[11]
A lord is not the lord by reason of the enjoyment of ornaments etc. Rightly is he called king who like yourself has his order not superseded by others.
10. mitrāṇi śatrutvamupānayantī mitratvamarthasya vaśācca śatrun/
īپԲⲹٲⲹṛtūṛtٲ� ᲹԳԳٲ� jīvata eva puṅsa�//[12]
Turning from considerations of interest friends turn into foes and foes into friends, diplomacy leads a person, while still living into other type of existence in which past relation is all forgotten.
11. sa ṣa� sacivasyaiva yadasatkurute ṛp�/
پ yantu pramādena gajo ٱ峦ⲹ峾//[13]
It is the fault of the minister himself if the king dishonours him. The tusker comes to be branded as a ‘rogue� through the carelessness of the driver.
12. svayamāhṛtya bhuñjā valino’pi 屹ٲ�/
gajendrāśca narendrāśca ⲹ� ī岹Գپ ḥk� //[14]
Lord of elephants and mighty kings though naturally strong yet they have to toil for their livelihood, generally drop in discomfort.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
ṭyśāstra, I.113
[4]:
I.15
[5]:
Ibid., I.22
[6]:
Ibid.,II.18
[7]:
Ibid., I.3
[8]:
III.5
[9]:
Ibid., III.4
[10]:
Ibid., II.17
[11]:
Ibid., III.23
[12]:
Ibid., V.8
[13]:
III.32
[14]:
I.16