3.2. Use of Karuṇarasa (pathetic sentiment)

In Mudrārākṣasa, Karuṇarasa is also delineated in a touching way by the dramatist. In the very drama, Rākṣasa is a looser who lost his owner as well as the power. So, whenever he thinks about the virtues of his past owner and the past days of glories his heart cries with pathos.

Rākṣasa thinks that the fate is responsible for all these happenings and says—

“The vast family of Nandas, who like the Vṛṣṇis, had vanquished their enemies by the application of the virtues of polity and valour, have been driven to extinction by relentless Fate. I, who am keeping wakeful day and night with a mind tossed by intense anxiety, have my practicing of painting or using of diplomatic skill, done in the same way without a background or a wall to paint upon”^[1]

Again in the same act he recalls the pleasant moments with his past owner and becomes emotional and sinks into an ocean of sorrow. This is a wonderful example of Karuṇarasa—

Cf.

yatraiṣā meghanīlā carati gajaghaṭā rākṣasastatra yāyādetatpāripluvāmbhaḥ pluti turagabalaṃ vāryatāṃ rākṣasena/
pattīnāṃ rākṣaso’ntaṃ nayatu balamiti preṣayanmahyamājñā majñāsīḥ prītiyogātsthitamiva nagare rākṣasānāṃ sahasram//^[2]

In the sixth act the dramatist places some touching words full of Karuṇarasa in the mouth of Rākṣasa pierced with the diplomacy of Cāṇakya. He says—

“His Majesty loosing his grasp of the bridle cast down in drawing his bow, discharged in a wonderful way his arrows at moving marks while his horse galloped at full speed. In this grove of trees the King sat; here he talked with his feudatories; the sight of these grounds of Kusumapura, now bereaved of them, causes great pain.”^[3]

Likewise, the previous four verses and the following speeches of the aforesaid verse are nothing but the bitter outcome of the grievance of Rākṣasa.^[4]

In the fifth act also Malayaketu bursts into tears looking at the jewelries of his late father Parvataka and said—

etāni tāni tava bhūṣaṇavallabhasya gātrocitāni kulabhūṣana bhūṣaṇāni/
yaiḥ śobhito’si mukhacandrakṛtāvabhāso nakṣatravāniva śaratsamayapradoṣaḥ//^[5]

Thus, it can be seen that the source of Karuṇarasa in this drama is mainly Rākṣasa and Malayaketu.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

vṛṣṇīnāmiva nītivikramaguṇavyāpāraśāntadviṣāṃ nandānāṃ vipule kule’karuṇayā nīte niyatyā kṣayam/ cintāveśasamākulena manasā rātriṃdivaṃ jāgrataḥ saiveyaṃ mama citrakarmaracanā bhittiṃ vinā vartate // Ibid., II.4

[2]:

Ibid., II. 14

[3]:

śārṅgākarṣāvamuktapraśithilakavikāpragraheṇātra deśe devenākāri citraṃ prajavitaturagaṃ bāṇamokṣaścaleṣu/ asyāmudyānarājau sthitamiha kathitaṃ rājabhistaivinethyaṃ saṃpratyālokyamānāḥ kusumapurabhuvo bhūyasā duḥkhayanti //Ibid.,VI. 9

[4]:

Ibid., VI.5,6,7,8,10,11,12,13 and so on

[5]:

Ibid., V. 16