Chapter 7.1 - Study of the Bhasa’s Dutavakya

Dutavakya—Title: The play is named 'Dutavakya' as it deals with the advice (vakya) of Krsna to Duryodhana as an emissary (duta) of peace from the Pandavas. Plot-After reciting the mangala-sloka in praise of Upendra, the stage-manager is disturbed by a noise from behind the curtain, made by the chamberlain in proclaiming that His Majesty, Emperor Duryodhana, wanted to consult the princes in the Council Chamber with regard to the selection and appointment of the Commander-in-Chief of the Kaurava forces in the ensuing war for which all preparations were ready. Tents. were pitched, armoury, arsenal, etc., were all equipped. After the elders and the princes are assembled and have taken their proper seats, Duryodhana puts the question as to who should lead the Kauravas, and on the suggestion of Sakuni, it is decided to crown the veteran Bhisma as the Commander. Just then the chamberlain enters with

185 the news that Purusottama Narayana has arrived as an envoy from the Pandavas, at which Duryodhana warns the assembly not to pay any respect to the herdsman at the risk of a fine. He finds a way to insult Krsna by engaging himself in looking at a picture scroll portraying the indignity offered to Draupadi by snatching her hair and apparel (Draupadikesam barakarsana). The description shows the picture to be realistically and minutely painted. At the entry of Krsna in the Chamber, all the assembly rises to honour him, and Duryodhana himself being confused falls from his throne. The picturescroll is then taken away at the suggestion from Krsna. When Krsna tells Duryodhana about the message from Pandavas as to their share in the kingdom, the latter criticizes them severely, and both Krsna and Duryodhana engage in some wordy war distinguished by severe sarcasm and a desire to inflict personal insult. Duryodhana orders his brothers, Sakuni and the kings assembled, to put Krsna under arrest, but none dares obey him. So Duryodhana himself tries to bind Krsna by nooses, but on Krsna assuming cosmic forms all his efforts prove futile and impotent, and he walks away. Krsna, however, becomes too much enraged and calls Sudarsana, his chief missile, to extirpate the Kauravas. Sudarsana appears on the stage in human form, pays homage to his master, and sets out to kill Duryodhana, but remembers the great divine cause of killing a host of sinners and tyrants and thus to lighten the burden of the earth, to be served by Krsna and tells the latter Krsna about it. Krsna is pacified and asks Sudarsana to go to his abode. Meanwhile all the other missiles of Krsna, viz., Sarnga (his bow), Kaumodaki (his mace), Pancajanya, (his conchshell), and Nandaka (his sword), also appear on the stage and are told by Sudarsana to return to their respective places, as Krsna was no longer wrathful and there was no necessity for the manifestation of their valour. After their departure, Garuda appears on the stage, but returns on being told of the pacification of Krsna's anger. Sudarsana also follows Garuda. After Sudarsana has gone, Krsna also sets out to go, but is detained by the old king Dhrtarastra, who falls at his feet and thus honours the Lord. The usual epilogue brings the play to its close.

186 DEVIATIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE. Duryodhana is depicted as the real emperor in this drama, whereas Dhrtarastra was the emperor in the epic. The drama has in the assembly no one besides the Kauravas, and Bhisma and Drona are mere figureheads therein; the epic, however, speaks of many persons attending the assembly and every one has his say. The picture-scroll and the appearance of the divine weapons are invented by the poet for stage effect. Krsna and Duryodhana in the epic engage in long, monotonous dialogues, whereas their exchanges in the drama are more personal. Duryodhana is presented in the drama as a mighty warrior, a dignified emperor, thus quite in contrast to the epic where he is merely a wicked man. Type of Drama. Dr. G. Sastri states that the play is either a Vyayoga or a Vithi. Dhananjaya has defined Vyayoga as (Dasarupa, III. 60-61): khyativrtto vyayogah khyatoddhatanarasrayah || Han malanirai aan: zgfenazan: 1 astrinimittasamgramo jamadagnyajaye yatha || which indicates that the Vyayoga had a renowned plot; the hero was renowned and haughty; haughty rasas were employed and the sandhis were void of garbha and vimarsa; the fighting must not have been caused by woman. The Bhavaprakasana suggests that there may be more heroes than one. It may be noted that there is no real fight in this drama but only very feeble attempts. by Duryodhana to bind Krsna, which are utterly foiled by Vasudeva Krsna. Vithi has been defined thus (Dasarupa, III. 68-69): arat tu kaisikivrttau sandhyangangaistu bhanavat || rasah sucyastu srmgarah sprsedapi rasantaram | yukta prastavanakhyatairangairudghatayakadibhih || evam vithi vidhatavya dvyekapatraprayojita | It speaks of the suggestion of Srigara in the Vithi, whereas there is nothing of the kind in the Dv. The Rasarnava Sudhakara even speaks of a heroine for the 1 Dv, p. 31. 2 Gaekwad’s Oriental Series, No. 40, p, 248.

187 Vithi. Thus we find that the Dv does not conform to the definition of Vyayoga or Vithi; it may be classed under either of the two owing to its containing many of the characteristics of these types () as stated by Dr. Sastri in the Dv. (p. 31). Something akin to these types may have been prevalent in Bhasa's time of which we have neither any definition nor exact knowledge. We are inclined to class the Dv under a Vyayoga. Sentiments etc. Vira (the heroic) is the main sentiment, and the appearance of the divine weapons towards the close supplies with Adbhuta (the wonderful). The style is Arabhati (violent). Simple figures of speech are used of which Sahokti (6) and Rupaka (14) may be mentioned. A number of similes are to be met with. Critical remarks. There is no heroine in this play, nor any female character, nor is any Prakrit used, is "only a fragment, one act taken from some longer Mahabharata drama but the play is complete as it fulfills its purpose in the single act. It does not give the impression of being sketchy or of having something preceding and succeeding the piece. We do not think that the wickedness of Duryodhana is emphasized here; on the contrary he is shown in a favourable light as a comparison with the similar incidents in the epic will prove. Curiously enough, Mr. Meerwarth includes the Dv, along with the Dgh and the Uru under "a tragical trilogy A stanza in the Dv gives us the political philosophy and the message of Bhasa which deserves to be carved in letters of gold, a guiding principle and a beacon-light that will stand the test of time; the message of freedom to countries in bondage, stating that kingdoms are earned and enjoyed by the strength of one's own arms and not by begging: Dr. Winternitz suggests that the Dr.? 5, p. 9. 17 8 rajyam nama nrpatmajaih sahrdayairjitva ripun bhujyate talloke na tu yacyate na tu punardinaya va diyate | kanksa cennrpatitvamaptumacirat kurvantu te sahasam svairam va pravisantu santamatibhirjustam samayasramam || 1 Trivandrum Sanskrit Series, No. 50%; Cf. Mankad Types of Sanskrit drama, p. 73. 3 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 13, p. 274. 2 Bulletin of the Ramavarma Research Institute

188 Foresight in the display of valour is praised in these words: desakalavastha peti khalu sauyai nayanugaminam | (p. 18). | There are to be found many utterances having universal application in all these plays scattered everywhere. They are given in an alphabetical order towards the end of the book in an appendix. The various feats of Sudarsana remind one of Ariel in the Tempest. The divine weapons are further personified in the Bal of this group. The recourse to akasabhasita enables the staging of the whole Kaurava assembly to be performed by a single actor who does all the talking. The consultation chamber may be shown by a transverse curtain while Krsna is at the other end, or it may preferably be the inner apartment (Rangasirsa) of the stage.