2.8. Use of Vasantatilaka metre

[Full title: The Chandas employed in Mudrārākṣasa (8). Vasantatilaka]

The definition of Vasantatilaka meter has been given by Gaṅgādāsa in his Chandomañjarī as:—

jñeyaṃvasantatilakaṃtabhajājagaugaḥ

This means that the Vasantatilaka meter is constituted with the gaṇas, viz. ta, bha, ja, ja, ga and ga. Here, there are 14 syllables in a pāda. It is been stated by Kṣemendra that this meter is best suited in case of the admixture of two rasas namely Vīra and Raudra.^[1] Our dramatist has used this meter in as many as 19 places. He has used this meter in delineating various rasas. Such as in II.6,8; V.7,16; VI.7,13 Viśākhadatta has used Vasantatilaka describing Rākṣasa and Malayaketu’s pathos. In II.17 it is used in Vīrarasa while asserting the famous nītiśloka, prārabhyate na khalu etc. Viśākhadatta has used Śṛṅgārarasa in only one place that is in III.9 and there also he has employed Vasantatilaka meter. But as said by Kṣemendra, its beauty has been enhanced a step farther when our dramatist has used this meter in exhibiting Cāṇakya’s wrath admixed with Vīra and Raudra rasa such as in act-I. 8,10, 26 and so on.

Let us scan the first speech delivered by Cāṇakya in this drama having Vīrarasa with a tint of Raudrarasa:

ta	|	bha	|	ja	|	ja	|	ga	|	ga
- - ⏑	|	- ⏑ ⏑	|	⏑ - ⏑	|	⏑ - ⏑	|	-	|	-

āsvādi|tadvīra |daśoṇi|taśoṇa|śo|bhāṃ
saṃdhyāru|ṇāmiva| kalāṃ śa|śalāñcha|na|sya|
jṛmbhāvi|dārita|mukhasya| mukhāt sphu|ra|ntīṃ
ko hartu|micchati| hareḥ pa|ribhuya| daṃṣ|ṭrāṃ||^[2]

After scanning the verse, it is found that the meter Vsantatilaka is used here, as, in every foot of this verse we got ta, bha, ja, ga and ga gaṇas .

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

vasantatilakaṃ bhāti saṅkare vīraraudrayoḥ/ Suvṛttatilaka,III.19

[2]:

Mudrārākṣasa, I.8