6.5.1. Minor Male characters of Mudrārākṣasa

Most of the minor characters of Mudrārākṣasa are spies on secret missions under various disguises and royal attendants, apart from prince Malayketu Candanadāsa, a friend of Rākṣasa and Kuṭumbinī, wife of Candanadāsa. None of the minor characters are un-motived here. Each and every minor character has his or her own motive. They all have their importance in bringing forth the subject matter of the drama. Mudrārākṣasa has fall set of minor characters. Therefore, only the most important minor characters are to be analyzed in the following.

a. Malayketu:

Viśākhadatta has delineated the character of Malayketu more clearly than that of Candragupta. Malayketu appears on the stage in the fourth Act. He is the son of Parvataka, an ally king with Candragupta. This Parvataka was killed by Cāṇakya with a poison maid, but Kṣapaṇa is successful in making Malayketu believe that the murderer was Rākṣasa and not Cāṇakya. In the same way he also believes in Bhāgurāyaṇa, who misleads him. Malayketu has absolutely no judgment of his own and is very easily led away by whatever he is told by this or that person. The worse of it is that he is very easily led to distrust even his best allies, and thus, brings ruin on himself with his own hands by killing them. Thus Rākṣasa cries–“On the want of judgment betrayed by the Mlcechas!^[1]

Malayketu is brave and warlike and has a sense of pride which makes him obtain from performing the obsequies of his father until he avenges his death. This can be known from his soliloquy in act IV.^[2] Malayketu’s character is of Dhīroddhata type, i.e., a bit haughty.^[3] He thinks Rākṣasa to be an unfaithful person and abuses him with the words–“O Rākṣasa, since you caused my father to fall (killed him) along with the tears of his relations, when he, with his mind perfectly at ease at the thought that you were his friend, had trustingly entrusted all his affairs to you, you are indeed, a Rākṣasa in the full sense of the word.”^[4] Thus not only by name but also by work Malayketu thinks Rākṣasa, a Rākṣasa,i.e.,a demon.

Malayketu again thrones his anger to Rākṣasa saying–“You, a cruel man, have fixed us as the price to be paid for these of Candragupta who sells them in the hope of making a more valuable acquisition (in return).^[5]

Malayketu’s simplicity is evident from the fact that he himself goes out to see Rākṣasa when the latter is suffering from headache and also from the fact that he sends ornaments from his own person to Rākṣasa with a pressing request that he should put them on.^[6] Only he is too rash and thoughtless and hasty in his actions and conclusions which make him a bad soil for a politician like Rākṣasa.^[7]

b. Candanadāsa:

From among the other minor characters of the play Candanadāsa easily claims the highest attentions of the reader. Candanadāsa is the chief of jewelers and an inhabitant of Puṣpapura. He is a friend of Rākṣasa. Like the second heart of the later and so Rākṣasa had left his family in the house of Candanadāsa before he left the city.^[8] This confidence of Rākṣasa or Candragupta, as we see it in the play, is certainly not misplaced. Like a true friend, Candanadāsa before going to Cāṇakya makes arrangements for the removal of Rākṣasa’s family to some safer place; and again has he refused boldly to surrender the same in front of Cāṇakya even at the risk of losing not only his wealth and family but even his life.^[9] He bravely accepts the punishment from Cāṇakya saying thus–“I am prepared your honour may do what befits your (high) office.”^[10]

The real success of Cāṇakya’s plan lays in this noble trait in the character of these two friends, i.e. Rākṣasa and Candanadāsa, which Cāṇakya has rightly observed and well utilized.^[11]

The nobility of Candanadāsa is enhanced by Viśākhadatta in the last Act by putting several remarks in his mouth. But still more important is the way in which he tries to console his wife and son; and also the fact that he is happy at the idea of having to die for the cause of a friend.^[12]

His last words to his wife are “You must live and train this dear son of ours”^[13] To the son he says “Stay in country, which would be free from Cāṇakya’s (well come) presence.”^[14] And when Rākṣasa reveals his identity to the executioners and asks them to kill him (not Candanadāsa), Candanadāsa asks him, “noble one what have you donr?”^[15] Rākṣasa’s reply to this is the best tribute paid to and the one most deserved by Candanadāsa–“emulation of a bit of your excellent action.”^[16] No reader of the Mudrārākṣasa would forget this merchant friend of Rākṣasa who outdid Śibi and surpassed by his noble deeds even the course of conduct of the Buddha saints.^[17]

c. Śakaṭadāsa:

We may now turn to Śakaṭadāsa, who is not only a friend of Rākṣasa but also an employee of the same. Rākṣasa has stationed Śakaṭadāsa in Kasumapura with a large amount of money to help these secret workers. Cāṇakya has rightly accused him of aiding and instigating persons to plot against Candragupta’s life and sentenced him to be impaled.^[18]

Śakaṭadāsa has been very cleverly made to fit is Cāṇakya’s plan. A letter is got written by Śakaṭadāsa without letting him know the names of the addressor and the addresses. He is very straight forward person, and never dreams that his rescue by Siddhārthaka was not only a part of a big plan of Cāṇakya. He does not know till the end that Siddhārthaka was only a spy of Cāṇakya. Again when the ornaments come for sale he does not care to know from whom he is buying them. He is only a scribe, a Kayastha and not a politician. That explains all the part played by him in this play, i.e. the part of unconsciously lending a helping hand not to his friend and master Rākṣasa, but to his rival and enemy Cāṇakya. His friendship, however, is unquestionable and even Rākṣasa is unwilling to admit that he would act treacherously.^[19]

Of the secret emissaries and spies either mentioned or actually brought on the stage in Mudrārākṣasa, only three deserve special consideration, viz, Siddhārthaka, Bhāgurāyaṇa, and Jīvasiddhi all of whom have acquitted themselves quite excellently in the responsibility thrown on them by Cāṇakya, about which can be considered one by one.

d. Siddhārthaka:

Siddhārthaka forms a very important screw in the plan of Cāṇakya. From the time that he is directed to get the letter written by Śakaṭadāsa and rescuing him from execution ground in act I, till end of the play where he appears as a Caṇḍāla he is seen playing an important part. It is true that he is doing everything according to the instructions of his master Cāṇakya though out of fear;^[20] but we must give him due credit for the ability he has displayed in executing the orders so well. After receiving the present from Rākṣasa he has shown his intelligence by putting forth a plausible excuse to be allowed to deposit the same with Rākṣasa only and also for being admitted into his service.^[21] He has again cleverly brought the ring to Śakaṭadāsa’s notice and readily given it to Rākṣasa to win his full confidence. The part played by him in act V is simply marvelous and the various replies that he has given to Malayketu and also to Rākṣasa are a sure sign of his fertile brain and resourcefulness. He has a mixed feeling for Cāṇakya and his policy. On the one hand he is eulogizing the nīti of Cāṇakya,^[22] but on the other he is in dread for him, so much so that he is prepared to do even the worst of jobs in obedience to Cāṇakya’s orders just to avoid his wrath.

In Siddhārthaka thus we get a fine portrait of an intelligent and diligent servant’s faithfully executing the orders of his matter without questioning the goodness or otherwise of the job entrusted to him.

e. Bhāgurāyaṇa:

Bhāgurāyaṇa is another important screw in the plan of Cāṇakya, perhaps even more important than Siddhārthaka. At the end of act I it is revealed to us that Bhāgurāyaṇa has absconded,^[23] and from Cāṇakya’s remarks it can be known that he must have gone away on some mission. Thereafter, it is seen that he has won the confidence of Malayketu in full so much so that he has now become his counselor. This must have been the natural result of the fact that it is Bhāgurāyaṇa, to all appearance, that has helped Malayketu to save himself from the clutches of Cāṇakya by running away from Kasumapura.^[24] Once the confidence of Malyketu is won, Bhāgurāyaṇa goes on poisoning his ears against Rākṣasa and his other mleccha alies. Bhāgurāyaṇa is thus cleverly interpreting the request of Bhadrabhata and others to Malayketu, and again equally cleverly conducting his talk with Kṣapaṇaka and crossing Siddhārthaka when brought a captive before him for trying to run away from the camp without a pass port. He would not miss even the slightest opportunity of poisoning Malayaketu’s mind against Rākṣasa as can be seen from his remark when Rākṣasa declares that he has bestowed the ornaments on Siddhārthaka for having rescued his friend Śakaṭadāsa.^[25] Bhāgurāyaṇa is, indeed, similar with Siddhārthaka in almost every respect, though perhaps superior to him in intelligence and with his conscience still alive. That is why he is found expressing regret at the idea of having to deceive a trustful person like Malayaketu.^[26]

f. Jīvasiddhi:

Jīvasiddhi’s original name is Induśarmā. He is only a Brāhmaṇa friend of Cāṇakya well versed in politics and the catuṣaṣṭyāṅga jyotiṣaśātra.^[27] All these qualification have been described by Cāṇakya himself in the first Act. He is acting under the guise of a Kṣapaṇaka as a spy of Cāṇakya even before the extermination of the Nandas. He also has carried out his responsibilities so well that even a politician like Rākṣasa is misted to look upon him as his friend. Though he is referred to in act I by Cāṇakya and in Act II by Rākṣasa, he appears on the stage at the end of the fourth Act where he has displayed his kill in the use of language and also his proficiency in the jyotiḥśāstra.^[28] He is seen all the while speaking in words with double meaning. Again, besides supplying Rākṣasa with the muhurta as required by him and trying to convince him of the advisability of catching that very muhutra, he is also suggesting to him that he should stand to gain by allying himself with Candragupta and also conveying to him a warning that his alliance with a foreigner like Malayaketu by setting aside Candragupta, after all his own man would surely lead to his destruction.^[29] The more important purpose served by him however, is that of poisoning the ears of Malayketu against Rākṣasa by declaring Parvateśvara was killed by Rākṣasa only and not by Cāṇakya. That this was meant to be heard by Malayketu is clear from his own remark while leaving the stage in act-V.^[30]

Thus it is seen that Jīvasiddhi also, in the limited scope that he has in this play, has shown a remarkable skill. But we do not hear from this Jīvasiddhi any remark expressive of a sense of wonder at or admiration for or even dissatisfaction at Cāṇakya’s policy as is heard in the speeches of other spies as mentioned earlier. This is but quite natural in the case of Jīvasiddhi who is not a servant but a fellow student of Cāṇakya.

g. Virādhagupta:

Virādhagupta is a secret emissary of Rākṣasa. In the second act he comes to the residence of Rākṣasa in the disguise of snake charmer and expresses in front of him the news and happenings of Kusumapura. He is also a good poet of Prākṛta language.^[31] By the delivery of speeches, and each and every minute collection of news report, his caliber and ability is reflected. It also shows that he is very faithful and intelligent spy of Rākṣasa, who is successful in performing his part of duty.

Unfortunately Rākṣasa could not get capable spies other than Virādhagupta and fate also may be said to be adverse to him. But Cāṇakya had, it would appear, a trained eye for men, so much so that more of his spies may be said to be a failure. The failure of Rākṣasa’s plan is partly due to some weakness of his spies such as extravagance or unwise haste displayed by Pramadaka and Daruvarma respectively;^[32] partly to the extreme vigilance and shrewdness of Cāṇakya as can be seen from the way in which he quietly made Virocaka, covered all over in garlands, enter the palace seated on the female elephant by the latter’s feudatories. Thus Virocaka is supposed as Candragupta and is killed by his own man.^[33] And also partly to accident such as the appearance of ants with particles of food in their mouth which again has been very shrewdly interpreted by Cāṇakya.^[34]

On the whole, however, the spies on either side appear to be quite well up in their business and would readily answer the description of their class given by their respective masters. Nipunaka in act I,^[35] and Virādhagupta in act II,^[36] as can be seen from their account they have given of their mission, have done their work quite excellently. But Viśākhadatta has not cared to develop their characters any further.

Conclusion:

Among the male minor characters there are two Kañcukīns from both the sides of Candragupta and Malayketu. Kañcukīn of Malayketu appears on the stage in second and fourth act. In the fourth act, the Kañcukīn of Malayketu delivers his speech in only one short paragraph and a stanza praising the leadership quality of the later.^[37] In the second act he states about his detachment to the worldly affairs giving a beautiful simile in a stanza.^[38] Afterwords in this act he is seen very humble in speech delineation and also respected by persons like Rākṣasa.^[39]

Kañcukīn of Candragupta inaugurates the third act stating about his old age and also his detachment to the worldly objects.^[40] This Kañcukī also praises his master in various stanzas. He becomes astonished looking at the condition of the house of Cāṇakya and perplexed by the simplicity of the same.^[41] At the same time his fear to Cāṇakya is shown in his statements.^[42] Over and above he is depicted as a humble and obedient servant of Candragupta who loves his master very much.

Again, there are characters like Karabhaka and Samiddhārthaka who have been portrayed only in a few old strokes. Karabhaka is very much conscious of the duty laid down by his master as he crosses a long distance from Kusumapura to Malayketu’s camp by walking.^[43] After that he conveys the news of Kusumapura, i.e. the quarrel between Cāṇakya and Candragupta and the part played by minstrel Stanakalasa to make Candragupta angry against Cāṇakya. Thus he has done his duty of narrating the happenings of Kusumapura, related to the performance of kaumudīmahotsava properly before Rākṣasa.

Samiddhārthaka is perhaps one of the best friends of Siddhārthaka as can be known from the statements of the later.^[44] Samiddhārthaka appears on the stage in Act VI and VII. In the seventh Act he and Siddhārthaka make disguises of Caṇḍālas and take Candanadāsa to the execution ground. When at first, Samibdhārthaka hears about the order of Cāṇakya that they both (Samibdhārthaka and Siddhārthaka) have to become Caṇḍālas, the former burst out with anger with Cāṇakya.^[45] But it seems that the main purpose of Viśākhadatta to add the character of Samibdhathaka is to narrate to the audience, what have happened to Rākṣasa and Malayketu after fifth act.

Last but not the least the most special among the male minor characters is the son of Candanadāsa, even, like all other minor characters, is also portrayed in a few bold strokes only. He has stated only two sentences to his father in the whole drama. The first sentence would definitely make the audience burst out into tears.^[46] The second sentence shows himself worthy of a father like Candanadāsa when he tells his father that it was but their kulavarata to die in the cause of a friend.^[47] Thus, with only one sentence Viśākhadatta has portrayed a young boy having such a high ideal, which shows the merit of Viśākhadatta in characterization.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

aho vivekaśūnyatā mlecchasya! kutaḥ and the following stanza,Mudrārākṣasa VI. 8

[2]:

Ibid., IV. 5,6

[3]:

viṣṇuguptañca mauryañca samamapyāgatau tvayā/ unmūtayitumīśohaṃ trivargamiva durnayaḥ // Ibid. V. 22

[4]:

V. 7

[5]:

Ibid., V. 17

[6]:

imānyābharaṇāni kumareṇa svaśarīradavatārya preṣitāni dhārayitumarhatyāryaḥ/ Ibid., p. 117

[7]:

Ibid., VII. 14

[8]:

tṛtīyopi amātyarākṣasasya dvitīyamiva hṛdayaṃ puṣpauranivāsī maṇikāraśreṣṭhī candanadāso nāma yasya gehe kalatraṃ nyāsīkṛtya amātyarākṣaso nagarādapakrāntaḥ/ Ibid., p. 53

[9]:

arya kiṃ me bhayaṃ darśayasi/santamapi gehe amātyarākṣasasya gṛhajanaṃ na samarpayāmi kiṃ punarasantaṃ/ Ibid. p. 88

[10]:

Sajjosmi/anutiṣṭhatu āryaḥ ātmanodhikārasadṛśam /Ibid., p. 90

[11]:

(saharṣam) hanta laddha idānīṃ rākṣasaḥ/kutaḥ/ tyajatyapriyavatprāṇānyathā tasyāyamāpadi/ tathaivāsyāpadi prāṇā nūnaṃ tasyāpi na priyāḥ // Ibid., I. 24

[12]:

ārye! ayaṃ mitrakāryeṇa me vināśo na punaḥ puruṣadoṣeṇa tadalaṃ viṣādena // Ibid., p. 156

[13]:

tvayāyaṃ putrako’śrutalokasaṃvyavahāro bālonugṛhītavyaḥ//Ibid.,p.452

[14]:

putra, cāṇakyavirahite deśe vastavyaṃ //Ibid. p.453

[15]:

amātya kimidānīm /bid,. p. 457

[16]:

tvadīyasucaritaikadeśasyanukaraṇaṃ kilaitat / Ibid.

[17]:

I. 23, VI. 18, VII.5

[18]:

yoyamaparaḥ kāyasthaḥ śakaṭadāso nāma rākṣasaprayukto nityamasmaccharīramabhidrogdhu- miha prayatate sa cāpyenaṃ doṣaṃ prakhyāpya śūlamāropyatāṃ gṛhajanaścāsya bandhanāgāraṃpraveśyatāmiti. Ibid.,p. 70

[19]:

saṃvadantyakṣarāṇi/śakaṭadāsastu mitramiti ca visaṃvadantyakṣarāṇi/kiṃ nu śakaṭadāsena// Ibid., p. 133; also see the following stanzas V. 14 and V. 15.

[20]:

vayasya ko jīvaloke jīvituakāma āryacāṇakyasāyjñāptiṃ pratikūlayati/tadehi caṇḍālaveśadhāri-ṇau bhūtvā candandāsaṃ vadhyasthānaṃ nayāvaḥ // Ibid., p. 404

[21]:

amātya atra me prathamapraviṣṭasya nāsti kopi paricitaḥ yatremamamātyasya prasādaṃ nikṣipya nivṛto bhavāmi / tasmādicchāmyahametayā mudrayā mudritamamātyasyaiva bhāṇḍāgāre sthāpayituṃ / yadā me prayojanaṃ tadā grahīṣyāmi/Ibid., p.1 68 and also see, jānātyevamātyo yathā cāṇakyavaṭukasya vipriyaṃ kṛtvā nāsti punaḥ pāṭaliputre praveśa iti icchāmyahamamātyasya caraṇe eva śuśrūṣituṃ / Ibid., p. 172

[22]:

V. 1 and also see VI.4

[23]:

upādhyāya hā dhik kaṣṭamapakrānto bhāgurāyaṇopi /Ibid., p. 93

[24]:

pitā te cāṇakyena ghātita iti rahasi trāsayitvā bhāgurāyaṇenāpavāhitaḥ parvatkaputro malayketuḥ / Ibid., p. 38

[25]:

idṛaśasyābharaṇaviśeṣasya viśeṣataḥ kumāreṇātmagātrādavatārya prasādīkṛtasyeyaṃ–parityāgabhumiḥ / Ibid., p. 370

[26]:

kaṣṭamevamayamasmāsu snehavānkumāro malayketuratisadhātavya ityaho duṣkaraṃ /Ibid., p.327

[27]:

asti cāsmākaṃ sahādhyāyi mitraminduśarmā nāma brāhmaṇa /sa cauśanasyāṃ daṇḍanityāṃ catuḥṣaṣṭyaṅge jyotiḥśāstre ca paraṃ prāvīṇyamupagataḥ/ Ibid., 41

[28]:

Ibid., IV. 19, 20, 21

[29]:

bhagavānkṛtāntaḥ / yenātmanaḥ pakṣamujjhitvā parapakṣaḥ pramānīkriyate/ Ibid., p. 113

[30]:

p. 315

[31]:

bhadramukha vijñāpayāmātyaṃ na kevalamahaṃ sarpopajīvī prākṛtakaviḥ khalvahaṃ / Ibid., p. 123

[32]:

aphalamaniṣṭaphalaṃ vā dāruvarmaṇaḥ prayatnamavagacchami /yadanena Buddhimohādathavā rājabhaktiprakarṣānniyogakālamapratikṣamāṇena janitaścāṇakyabaṭoścetasi balavānvikalpaḥ / Ibid. p. 139 also, cf. sa khalu murkhastaṃ yuṣmābhiratisṛṣṭaṃ mahāntamartharāśimavāpya mahatā vyayenopabhoktumārabdhavān / Ibid., p. 149

[33]:

tataḥ prathamameva prakāśite rātrau candraguptasya nandabhavanapraveśe kṛtābhiṣeke kila vairocake…. and the following stanzas stated by Virādhagupta. p. 142

[34]:

cānakyahatakena kasmāccidbhitticchidrāhītabhaktāvayavāṃ niṣkrāmayantī pipīlikā-paṅktimavalokya puruṣagarbhametadgṛhamiti gṛhītārthena dāhitaṃ tacchayanagṛhaṃ / Ibid., 149

[35]:

Ibid., pp. 49-59

[36]:

Ibid., pp. 128-175

[37]:

Ibid., IV. 7 and the presiding paragraph.

[38]:

kāmaṃ nandamiva pramathya jarayā cāṇakyanītyā yathā dharmo maurya iva krameṇa nagare nītaḥ pratiṣṭhāṃ mayi/ taṃ saṃpratyupacīyamānamanu me labdhāntaraḥ sevayā lobho rākṣasavajjayāya yatate jetuṃ na śaknoti ca // Ibid. II. 9

[39]:

ārya kumāra ivānatikramaṇīyavacano bhavānapi/tadanuṣṭhīyatāṃ kumārasyājñā/ Ibid. p. 120

[40]:

III. 1

[41]:

Ibid., III. 15

[42]:

(vilokya sabhayam) aye tadayamāryacāṇakya / tiṣṭhati …Ibid., p. 206

[43]:

rājaniyogo mahīyānko nāma gatāgatamiha karoti / asthānagamanagurvī prabhorājñā yadi na bhavati /Ibid., IV. 1

[44]:

tāvaccirasya kālasya priyavayasyaṃ samiddhārthakaṃ paśyāmi eṣa me priyavayasaḥ samiddhārthakaḥ ita evāgacchati // Ibid., p. 339

[45]:

(sakrodhaṃ) kimāryacāṇakyasa ghātakajanonyonāsti yenāvāmidṛśeṣu atinṛśaṃśesu niyogeṣu niyojayati / Ibid., p. 403

[46]:

tāta kimidānīṃ mayā tātavirahitenānuṣṭhātavyaṃ / Ibid., p. 452

[47]:

tāta kimidamapi bhaṇitavyaṃ / kuladharmaḥ khalveṣosmākam / Ibid., p. 459