2.13. Use of Mandākrāntā metre

[Full title: The Chandas employed in Mudrārākṣasa (13). Mandākrāntā]

The famous Mandākrāntā meter has been defined by Gaṅgādāsa as:

mandākrāntāmbudhirasanagairmobhanaugauyayugmaṃ/^[1]

In the meter, where the pādas are made of ma, bha, na, ga, ga, ya and ya gaṇas and the yatis come after the first four (ambudhi) syllables, then after six(rasa) syllables and finally after next seven (naga) syllables, that is Mandākrāntā meter. This meter has also been included in this drama but once. According to the canons of dramaturgy, this meter is best suited for Vipralambha Śṛṅgāra (as used by Kālidāsa in his Meghadūta) or in depicting Karuṇarasa. Though our dramatist has used this verse in depicting the heroic sentiment of Rākṣasa, but an in-depth observation reveals that in this verse there is a tint of Karuṇa rasa also. This is because Rākṣasa had uttered this verse when he was completely broken down by Cāṇakya’s intrigues. The statement mitrasnehādvivaśa included in the verse supports this idea more precisely. Therefore it can be said that though our dramatist has used this meter only once the mastery over the same can be felt from this only.

Let us scan the verse to examine the meter:

ma

|

bha

|

na

|

ga

|

ga

|

ya

|

ya

- - -

|

- ⏑ ⏑

|

⏑ ⏑ ⏑

|

-

|

-

|

⏑ - -

|

⏑ - -

nistriṃśo |’yaṃ║ saja |lajala |da|║vyo |masaṅkā |śamūrti-
ryuddhaśra |ddhā║pula |kita i |va|║ prā |ptasakhyaḥ| kareṇa|
sattvotka |rṣāt ║ sama |ranika|ṣe|║ dṛ |ṣṭasāraḥ |parairme
mitrasne |hā ║dviva |śamadhu|nā|║ sā|hase māṃ| niyuṅkte||^[2]

The scan leads us to the fact that the verse has got the gaṇas ma, bha, na, ga, ga, ya and ya having the pauses after the fourth, sixth and seventh syllables in every pāda. Therefore it is an instance of Mandākrāntā meter having 17 syllables in a pāda.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Chandomañjarī, II.166,p.124

[2]:

Mudrārākṣasa, VI.19