Part 12 - Society in the Dūtavākya

According to some scholars, Bhāsa belongs to the pre-Mauryan or at latest, to the Mauryan periodand lived before Cāṇakya, the author of the Arthaśāstra. It was Brāhmaṇical periodand the Brāhmaṇas dominated the society. Yet, the popularity of Buddhism and Jainism were not lost their spce, though they lost their dominance in the society at the time of Bhāsa.

A. D. Pusalkar (1940, Bhāsa a study, pp.319-427) states that:

“Buddhism and Jainism were disguised under the umbrella, because of the dominance of Brāhmiṇical systems or Brāhmaṇism. Brāhmins were highly respected. They were never questioned about their statement. Therefore, orthodox Brahmins dominated the social structure. Moreover, these Brāhmins were strict believers in Viṣṇu. Kriṣṇa was the incarnation of Viṣṇu. However, Kṛṣṇa was the friend of people and people used to call him “Gopālaka”, though they knew that Kṛṣṇa was Puruṣottama.

In the Dūtavākya, when chamberlain addresses Kṛṣṇa as Puruṣottama, Duryodhana gets angry and asks him, as to whether the cow-heard was his Puruṣottama?

sa gopālakastava puruṣottamaḥ, katham katham gopālaka iti
  –Dūtavākya, T. Gaṇapati Śāstrī, p.30.

Again, in the Pre-Mauryan period, Rāma was also looked upon as an incarnation of Viṣṇu. We are inclined to hold that at the period of our poet (Bhāsa), when Buddhism was in its infancy and vigorous propaganda in its favour was in full swing, there were people who denied divinity to Kṛṣṇa and lightly treated him as a mere cow-herd.”

The social behavior is reflected very clearly in the Dūtavākya. It is known from the words like āsyatām and similar words. The Dūtavākya gives the idea of the way kings were ruling the state at that time. Duryodhana, when he calls an assembly of the kings and ministers to take a discussion on an important matter, takes the meeting in a general assembly hall, instead of in a secret chamber. It indicates the choice of the king of that period. However, foreign policy was universal and there was proper courtesy to send messages through the ambassador. Here in the Dūtavākya, Kṛṣṇa is the ambassador for the Pāṇḍavas, who should get a good treat from Duryodhana but he offends Kṛṣṇa and tries to bind him.

Duryodhana says here,

“dūtasamudācāramatikrāntaḥ keśavo vadhyatām”
  –Dūtavākya, T. Gaṇapati Śāstrī, p.41.

The Dūtavākya reminds us the dignity of a king.

The king should win a state by valour, strength of arms; but not by begging,

“rājyaṃ nāma nṛpātmajaiḥ, sahṛdairjitvā ripun bhujyate, talloke na tu punardīnāya vā dīyate”
  –verse.24.

Army is the main support of the king. The king controls the state as well as wins another state by means of the army only. The various kinds of army are known from the Arthaśāstra. The main vehicles used by army are chariot, horse and elephant. Both land and water were used for the war. For water, they were dependant on boats and ferries. The various kinds of armors like shield, swords and bows were used by the armies (verse 10 and 15).

Though the administration was strong and strict, still there was no law for some matters like gambling:

dyūtādhikāramavamānamamṛṣyamāṇāḥ sattvādhikeṣu vacanīyaparākramāḥ syuḥ
  –(verse.11).

The Dūtavākya gives the idea of the dress code of the king. The kings need to put on white silk robe, shining with the royal umbrella and beautiful chowries, anointed with unguents.

Further, the body of the king should be brightened by the luster of gems on the ornaments etc. :

śyāmo yuvā sitadukūlakṛtottariyaḥ …….. parvagataḥ śaśāṅkaḥ
  –(verse.3).

The artists used to get recognition from the king. The kings praised their paintings.

In the Dūtavākya, Duryodhana praises the picture, in which Draupadī was painted as being dragged by her hairs and clothes:

“aho darśanīyo’yam citrapaṭaḥ, eṣa dusśāsano draupadīm keśahaste gṛhītavān”
  –(Dūtavākya, T. Gaṇapati Śāstrī, p.32).

Since the drama belonged to Mauryan period, the social conditions were quite suitable. The four castes lived happily and did their duties according to the laws written by Dharmaśāstras like Manusmṛti.