3. Arthaprakṛtis of Mudrārākṣasa

arthaḥ phalaṃ tasya prakṛtaya upāyāḥ phalahetava ityarthaḥ/^[1]

Arthaprakṛtis are some important elements of the plot of a Sanskrit play. These arthaprakṛtis are the very substrata of the dramatic story. In the vrtti under kārikā 64 of Sāhityadarpaṇa, Viśvanātha describes the arthaprakṛtis as the cause or means of the accomplishment of the principal object of a play. Kṛṣṇnamohan Śāstri gives the derivation of the word arthaprakṛtis as those real causes by which the purpose of a play is served or implied.^[2]

According to Bharata, Bīja, Bindu, Patākā, Prakarī and Kārya are the five elements of the arthaprakṛti, and these should be reckoned and applied in proper manner.^[3]

Viśvanātha also followed Bharata in this respect saying thus—

bījaṃ vinduḥ patākā ca prakarī kāryameva ca/
arthaprakṛtayaḥ pañca jñatvā yojyā yathāvidhi//^[4]

Bīja is the first cause of the ultimate object of a play.

Viśvanātha defines Bīja as that cause of the ultimate result which is manifested at the beginning of a play in a very small form but which gradually undergoes various developments.

Cf.—

alpamātraṃ samuddiṣṭaṃ bahudhā yadvisarpati/
phalasya prathamo heturbījaṃ tadabhidhīyate//^[5]

A Bīja is therefore called the very seed of the dramatic theme.

In Mudrārākṣasa, the main aim of Cāṇakya is to capture Rākṣasa. By engaging Rākṣasa as the minister of Candragupta, Cāṇakya tries to stable the royal fortune (rājalakṣmī) of Candragupta. This can be said as the Bīja or seed of this drama. From the very beginning of the first act starting with the entry of Cāṇakya one can experience the Bīja.

Next to Bīja comes Bindu. Bharata is of the view that a Bindu is the cause of connecting link of the purpose when they get hindered.

Cf.—

prayojanaṃ viccede yadaviccedakāraṇam/^[6]

Dhanañjaya and Viśvanātha have defined Bindu in the same manner. They defined Bindu as the cause of resuming the main purpose of the play when it is interrupted by identical topics. Cf.—

avāntarārthavicchede binduracchedakāraṇam/^[7]

Dhanika observes that a Bindu is so called as it spreads out as oil on water.^[8] Thus Bindu plays a significant and essential part in the development of the subject matter in a play.

Attainment of the seal of Rākṣasa, writing of the fake letter, the selling of the jewelry -all these things become spread afterwards in the drama like the oil drops. Therefore, these may be counted as the Bindu.

The third element of the plot of a play is Patākā. Bharata defines a Patākā as a story which is meant for others and which is helpful in respect of the development of the main theme and which is assumed like the main story.^[9]

Viśvanātha defines Patākā as,—

vyāpi prasaṅgikaṃ vṛttaṃ patāketyabhidhīyate—

[Patākā is] a story or incident which is extensive and contextual.^[10]

In the second act of Mudrārākṣasa, in the conversation between Rākṣasa and Āhituṇḍika (Virādhagupta) the Patākā is to be found.

Prakarī is the fourth element of arthapraritis as, when merely the result of such an event is presented for the purpose of another and it has no secondary juncture, it is called the Prakarī.^[11] Viśvanātha defines Prakarī as the small incident and which is contextual in character.

Cf.—

prāsaṅgikaṃ pradeśasthaṃ caritaṃ prakarī matā/^[12]

The incidents of kapaṭa-pāśa and the negation of the kaumudīmahotsava can be assumed as the Prakarī variety of arthaprakṛti.

The fifth and the last arthaprakṛti is the Kārya.

Viśvanātha states that a Kārya is that attainment of desire for which all efforts are made and the achievement of which closes the action.

Cf.—

apekṣitaṃ tu yatsādhyamārambho yannibandhanaḥ//
samāpanaṃ tu yatsidhyai tatkāryamiti saṃmataṃ/^[13]

Dhanañjaya is of the view that kārya is nothing but trivarga or three goals of human life i.e. dharma, artha and kāma. This is the fruit or the ultimate result of a play. He also states that a Kārya may be śuddha if it deals with one of the three goals as stated above and may be miśra if it is associated with one or more objects.^[14] After all, Kārya is the principal arthaprakṛti.

In the seventh act of Mudrārākṣasa, when all the intrigues of Cāṇakya show their results and Rākṣasa being captured by Cāṇakya it becomes an instance of Kārya variety of arthaprakṛti.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Abhinava bharati, Nāṭyaśāstra, XIX.20

[2]:

prakṛyate prayojanam sādhyate abhiriti prakṛtayo hetava /Lakṣmītīkā under Sāhityadarpaṇa, p.351

[3]:

Nāṭyaśāstra, XIX.21

[4]:

Sāhityadarpaṇa, VI.64-65

[5]:

Sāhityadarpaṇa, VI. 65-66

[6]:

Nāṭyaśāstra, XXI.23

[7]:

Daśarūpaka, I. 17; Sāhityadarpaṇa, VI.66

[8]:

binduḥ jale tailabinduvat prasaritvāt / Avaloka of Dhanika under Daśarūpaka I.17; Lakṣmīṭīkā under Sāhityadarpaṇa,VI.66

[9]:

Nāṭyaśāstra, XXI.24

[10]:

Sāhityadarpaṇa, VI.67

[11]:

Nāṭyaśāstra, XXI.25

[12]:

SāhityadarpaṇaVI.68

[13]:

Ibid., VI.69-70

[14]:

kāryaṃ trivargastacchuddhamekanekanubandhi ca/ Daśarūpaka, I.16