Mudrarakshasa (literary study)
by Antara Chakravarty | 2015 | 58,556 words
This page relates 鈥楳inor Female characters of Mudrarakshasa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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6.5.2. Minor Female characters of 惭耻诲谤腻谤腻办峁蝉补
The 惭耻诲谤腻谤腻办峁蝉补 is a drama with a full-fledged political theme and consequently with no female character in the leading role. The female characters known to us in the play are the two door keepers, 艢o峁噊ttar膩 and 痴颈箩补测腻, and the wife of Candanad膩sa, who appears on the stage, while the 痴颈峁办补苍测腻 and the wife of 补尘腻迟测补 搁腻办峁蝉补 are referred to in the development of the plot.
艢o峁噊ttar膩 is the doorkeeper of Candragupta鈥檚 side while 痴颈箩补测腻 is of Malayeketu鈥檚. The wife of 补尘腻迟测补 搁腻办峁蝉补 is referred to as 驳峁沨补箩补苍补, the person to be at home. Thus only, the wife of Candanad膩sa is worth mentioning as an important female character.
Candanad膩sa鈥檚 wife is shown to rise to the occasion of her husband鈥檚 execution and it is seen that she finds a suitable argument in reply to each of the arguments put forth by her husband.[1] Her love for her husband has made her not only bold but also sharp-witted. Like an ideal Aryan lady of ancient India she wants to immolate herself before she is compelled to listen to an evil report about her husband.[2] For this reason she is not earning for anything, not even for her child. The woman in Candanad膩sa鈥檚 wife clearly comes out who she is full of grief and cry out of help of when their son asks what he would do after his father鈥檚 death. It is indeed by touches like these that 痴颈艣腻办丑补诲补迟迟补 has succeeded in imparting life and individuality of these characters.
Thus all the minor characters of this drama are seems to be 痴颈艣腻办丑补诲补迟迟补鈥檚 own creation. Neither in the historical accounts of Candragupta鈥檚 time nor in the traditional manuals, characters having the same name as portrayed in the dramas are found. Again it is clear that the characters of this drama are not fair spirits from the far off and unstained wonderland of fancy, nor are they abstract embodiment of perfect goodness or incredible evil. Though 痴颈艣腻办丑补诲补迟迟补 has portrayed the characters collecting from mainly political world, most of them exhibit the nature of common people having common wishes and emotions. And these kinds of merits have made the characters more enjoyable for the readers or the connoisseurs of this drama.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ibid., pp. 450-455
[2]:
bhartu艣cara峁嚹乿anugacchanty膩 膩tmanugraho bhavatviti / Ibid. p.451