Part 9 - Sentiments (rasa) used in a Prakaraṇa

According to Bharata, a Prakaraṇa should have either erotic (śṛṅgāra) or heroic (vīra) as the main sentiment and laughter (hāsya), furious (raudra), tranquility (śānta) and marvellous (adbhuta) as the subordinate sentiments. The Mudritakumudacandra consists of heroic (vīra) as the main sentiment and laughter (hāsya), furious (raudra), marvellous (adbhuta) and tranquility (śānta) constitute the subordinate sentiments.

Heroic (vīra) –

Energy is the determinant state of the heroic sentiment (uttamaprakṛtirutsāhātmakaḥ). The heroic sentiment shows some criteria, such as presence of mind, perseverance, diplomacy, discipline, military strength, aggressiveness, reputation of might, influence, firmness, patience, heroism, charity, contentment, judgment, pride, agitation, ferocity, indignation, remembrance and recollection.

The heroic sentiment is of three kinds, i.e.

1. gift (dānavīra),
2. duty (dharmavīra) and
3. fighting (yuddhavīra).

(cf. Nāṭyaśāstra.VI.38-39, 80).

The Mudritakumudacandra is based on duty and fight that is dharmavīra and yuddhavīra. It does not contain physical fighting but contains words conveying fighting between the two sects, in the way of the debate. The drama depicts presence of mind, discipline, aggressiveness, influence, firmness, patience, heroism, charity, containment, judgment, pride and agitation through the characters like Devasūri, Gāṅgila, Māṇikya and Kumudacandra. The whole drama is energetic. From the beginning, energy results from the verbal fighting. In the first act, the arguments between Bandī, Devasūri and Māṇikya show the real energy. Bandī is the supporter of the Digambara sect and both Devasūri and Māṇikya, are the supporters of Śvetāmbaras. Bandī blames the Śvetāmbaras as much as possible in front of Devasūri and Māṇikya. However, Devasūri and Māṇikya did not forgive him.

When Devasūri indirectly terms Kumudacandra as stupid (durmedhasā), Bandī gets angry. He started comparing Kumudacandra with Kālidāsa who is expert in all the sciences. He is the lord of speech. Here Devasūri again tells Bandī that because of ego, he is blind. He does not know that jasmine flower cannot bear water lily or lemon tree cannot bear rose-apple. It proves the firmness and patience of Devasūri. In nature, Devasūri is straightforward.

He wants to liberate women from the restrictions of the Digambaras [and it is the charity of Devasūri]:

“nagnairniruddhā taruṇījanasya yanmukti…”
  –(I.34) .

In the third act, Devasūri destroys the ferocities of the minister Gāṅgila, when he blames that Śvetāmbaras are not fit for the debate; and hence they are prohibited from the court of the king.

Devasūri replied him that he is right, that the ascetics are prohibited, but, he should remember that in the case of purity, ascetics are stronger than those who clean only outer body, because, the inner body is stronger than the outer body:

“antaraṅgabahiraṅgayorantaraṅgo vidhirbalavān”
  –(III, P.28).

In every case, Devasūri defeats Gāṅgila.

Devasūri was always strong and firm because of his confidence and talentand that took him to the climax. He never lost his confidence anywhere with anyone. He teaches Kumudacandra propriety in the manner of debate, when Kumudacandra takes objection on the word “koṭākoṭi”.

He tells Kumudacandra that how he does not remember even his own scripture, where there is a rule that the word “koṭākoṭi” gets accusative case, even being in the middle:

“antaḥ koṭākoṭisthitike sati karmaṇi”.

Devasūri defeats Kumudacandra in the debate and becomes dharmavīra and yuddhavīra.

Furious (raudra) –

Anger is the dominant state of furious sentiment:

“raudro nāma krodhasthāyibhāvātmakaḥ”.

It has some characteristics such as anger, rape, abuse, insult, untrue allegation, exorcizing, threatening, revengefulness, jealousy, presence of mind, energy, agitation, indignation, restlessness, fury, arrogance, perspiration trembling, horripilation and choking voice. The Mudritakumudacandra is full of anger, insult, jealousy, energy and fury (Nāṭyaśāstra.VI.65-67).

In the very first act, jealousy is produced in the mind of Bandī. He praises highly the talent of Kumudacandra and blames Śvetāmbaras. According to him, Śvetāmbaras are deceitful. They should appreciate Kumudacandra in the matter of true and untrue (tattvātattva). He cannot recognize Devasūri and his talent because of his arrogance. When Devasūri terms Kumudacandra as “stupid” (durmedhas), he becomes angry and his temperament soars high. He has been blinded by ego and compares Kumudacandra with Kālidāsa because Kumudacandra is expert in all types of sciences Kumudacandra himself is the terror for the disputants. He brings false allegation that many people disrespect the philosophy of Śvetāmbaras.

In the second act, Kumudacandra’s arrogance comes out. He thinks, debating with him is like a deer fighting a lion.

He considers, other learned men are as weak as deer:

“kīdṛkkesariṇaḥ kuraṅgapṛthuke syādvikramopakramaḥ”
  –(II.18).

Even he thinks, he is as dangerous as ghost-fever (bhūtajvara) and who brings tears in the eyes of disputants. All Bhāṭas, Kāpilas and Śāṅkaras fear to approach him and if they approach, they quickly melt like the mercury (pāradavattūrṇam praṇśyannaiva dṛśyate -II.28). They can kill him from behind only.

There is no such steam of talent, which is not blocked by the elephant Kumudacandra in the kaliyuga:

“kaliyuge tādṛśī pratibhājalanirjharā bhāratīsarit yām na kaluṣayati kumudacandrakuñjaraḥ”
  –(II, P.23).

He becomes angry for even small reason. Even in the third act, minister Gāṅgila insults Devasūri and Śvetāmbara philosophy.

Gāṅgila blames that the Śvetāmbaras are less known about the purity of their body; still they want to conduct the debate in front of the king:

“śarīraśuddhiviṣaye yeṣāmaho kautukam te’pi śvetapaṭāḥ kṣitīśvarapuraḥ kāṅkṣanti jalpotsavam”
  –(III.6).

In this way, furious sentiment is applied in the second and third acts.

Laughter (hāsya) –

The dominant emotion of the comic sentiment is laughter:

“hāsyo nāma hāsasthāyibhāvātmakaḥ”.

It results from the determinants like unseemly dress or ornaments, showing disrespect, greediness, fickleness, cheating, quarrel, use of irrelevant words and mentioning different faults. The laughter sentiment is of two kinds, i.e. existing in others (parastha) and existing in one-self (ātmastha).

Again, laughter is of six types:

• (1-2) [smile meant for superior type of persons,] slight smile (smita) and smile (hasita);
• (3-4) [smile meant for middling type of persons,] gentle laughter (vihasita) and laughter of ridicule (upahasita); and
• (5-6) [smile meant for inferior type of persons, is either] vulgar laughter (apahasita) or violent laughter (atihasita).

(cf. Nāṭyaśāstra.VI.50-53).

In the Mudritakumudacandra, laughter sentiment is employed negligibily. In the second act, the conversations between Vaitālika and Kumudacandra are humorous and they create little bit of laughter. Vaitālika has used the terms such as āśāmbareśvara, kāṣṭhāmbara and kumudadoṣākara for Kumudacandra and Kumudacandra has used the terms for Vaitālika such as vaitālikāpasāda, vaitālikakulakalaṅka, bandikulāvaskara and durmukhaśekhara and they are really humourous and produce laughter. The anger, jealousy, hopes and teasing in the conversations of Kumudacandra and Vaitālika are also humourous and bring out laughter.

Even in the fifth act, the stupid talks of Kumudacandra create humour, in the case when he could not understand the question of Devasūri, after saying repeatedly, requests to write the matter on the slate:

“kaḍitre prayogaḥ likhyatām, prayogamudgṛṇāti”.

Further, out of the six types of laughter, the author has applied smita, hasita and upahasita through the characters like Devasūri, Kumudacandra, Vaitālika, Pārśvadeva, Thāhaḍa, Gāṅgila, Rājā, Utsāha and Maharṣi.

Tranquility (śānta) –

Though not all the scholars accept tranquility as a sentiment, still it plays an important role in the drama. Particularly in the case of dhīroddātta and dhīrapraśānta types of heroes and dramas like Nāṭaka and Prakaraṇa employ this sentiment. Tranquility has the peace as the dominant state, which is the originator of the liberation. Knowledge of truth, dislike, purpose, purity, self-control, worship, meditationand universality and benevolence constitute determinants. In the tranquility sentiment, self-control is the main factor, which brings calmness to the mind (Nāṭyaśāstra.VI, p.103-4).

In the Mudritakumudacandra, Devasūri is a dhīrapraśānta type of hero. Since he is a religious teacher, he qualifies to be the dhīrapraśānta type. He achieves selfcontrol, patience, firmness, charity and purity.

In the very first act, Śobhana praises Devasūri’s character that he is auspicious like sacrificial post, he produces nectar, his fame is very uncontaminated, his hands always strive for peace, his costume is pure magic like medicine, his character is lovely, like curly hair and he is modest like gold:

“rūpam maṅgalayūpamujjvalayaśorāśeḥ……durbhagīkṛtasudhā śrīdevasūrirgirām”
  –(I.18).

From these facts, it can be imagined that Devasūri is resolute, brave and firm.

In the same act, Devasūri was calm and egoless when he argues with Bandī. He tells Māṇikya who speaks rudely and blames others that he does not know that ascetics should behave equally well with friends and enemies. When Bandī starts insulting and misbehaving with him repeatedly, Devasūri tells him that they are unable to quarrel (asamarthā eva vayam kalahakarmaṇi). Devasūri advises Bandī to stop blaming and to keep control over senses, because, firmness of the mind is the ornament of the ascetics. Again, in the third act, Devasūri’s calmness is witnessed when the minister Gāṅgila debates with him. Gāṅgila first tries to insult the philosophy of the Śvetāmbaras and then says, in the purity of body, Śvetāmbaras are inferior.

Here Devasūri replies him that the philosophy of Śvetāmbaras is not worse than that of the Digambaras and in the matter of purity, Digambaras are pure from outside only but Śvetāmbaras are pure from inside and the interior body is stronger than the outer body:

“antaraṅgabahiraṅgayorantaraṅgo vidhibalavān”.

Gāṅgila tries to hurt Devasūri in so many ways but Devasūri does not get disturbed. Gāṅgila says that Śvetāmbaras are very dirty but just to show that they are pure; they put a white piece of cloth. Here Devasūri justifies the dress-code that whatever costume ascetics love, they must wear that. However, unlike the Śvetāmbaras, the Digambaras are always dirty in mind and want to watch the navel points of women. In every answer of Devasūri, there was sweetness, calmness and firmness and never has he been perplexed.

In the fifth act, when Thāhāḍa wants to win by bribing the judge, Devasūri refused the suggestion and said that he has obtained the required talents from his teacher Municandrasūri and so there is no need to do so. It is his modesty. In this way, the tranquility sentiment is applied in the drama.

Marvellous (adbhuta) –

According to Bharata, the concluding juncture always should have the marvellous sentiment (Nāṭyaśāstra.XX.45). The dominant state of the marvellous sentiment is astonishment. It is produced by the sight of heavenly beings or events, attaining of desired objects, entering into the superior garden or temple, auditorium or seven-storied palace. It also happens through the illusory and magical acts. The marvelous sentiment is of two types, i.e. first one is produced by the heavenly sight and the other one is produced by the happiness (Nāṭyaśāstra.VI.76-77, 83).

In the Mudritakumudacandra, the marvellous (adbhuta) sentiment is applied at the end of the fifth act, when Vajrāgalā, a representative of the goddess Kāmākṣā, enters after the win of the Śvetāmbaras, to bless the king and makes everyone surprised.

She has blessed the king, as the latter wished that the court of the king would never accept defeat from the opponents:

“ilātalā ākhaṇḍala……bhaviṣyati ca sadaivedam”
  –(V, P.51).