Satirical works of Kshemendra (study)
by Arpana Devi | 2017 | 60,954 words
This page relates ‘Summary of the Mattavilasam’ part of the study on the Satirical works of Kshemendra: an 11th century poet from Kashmir, who composed three satirical works. Kshemendra himself says that in composing the satirical works his only motive is to reform the mindset of the people.—He exposes all the vices and follies prevailing in the society with the intention to reform it.
7.7. Summary of the Mattavilāsam
The Mattavilāsa (Mattavilāsam) is the earliest known work of prahasana type. The work was composed by the Pallava king Mahendravikrama in the 7th century A.D. The work was first published in 1917 in the Trivandram Sanskrit series by the Late Ganapati Shastri. According to the norms of prahasana, the work contains only one Act. The plot of the work is laid in Kāñcī.
The work begins with the drunken Kapālin Satyasoma and his wife Devasoma, who wander tavern to tavern seeking for more liquor. After a while, Satyasoma discovers that he has left his sacred scull bowl somewhere else. He suspects that the skull bowl must have been stolen either by a dog or by a Buddhist monk. Both of them begin to search the bowl. In the meantime, the Buddhist monk Nāgasena arrives in front of the Kapālin. The Kapālin starts arguments with the monk. The Kapālin once again believes that the monk’s bowl is his skull bowl. Then a Pāśupata appears and offers to settle the dispute with a hope of gaining Devasoma for himself. But they cannot settle the problem and decide to go to the court. At the moment, a madman arrives with a skull-bowl which he recovered from a stray dog. Satyasoma recovers his skull-bowl from the madman and the play ends herein.
In the play, satirical element is observed in the criticism of the fallen practices of different sects prevailing in the contemporary society. The author satirically exposes the evil aspect of religion. Buddhism, Kāpālika Saivism, Pāśupatas are satirized by the author for their deteriorating state. The play satirizes those who give their lives in the name of monkhood but are not able to leave worldly pleasure. In the play, the Kapālin believes that the Buddhist mendicant has stolen his skull bowl because it contains roasted meat. Herein, the author criticizes the life style of the Buddhists.
For the Buddhist monk, Buddha has ordained a comfortable life for them, but he cannot understand why he has not allowed alcohol and women for monks–
Now, he is in search of original text where lord Buddha has given ordinance regarding wine and women, which will help the youngsters.
For the Kapālin, lord Buddha even surpasses Kharapaṭa, the propagator of the science of theft, as he steals the ideas from the Mahābhārata and also from the texts on Vedānta—
namaḥ kharapaṭāyeti vaktavyaṃ, yena coraśāstraṃ praṇītaṃ. Athavā kharapaṭādapyasminnadhikāre Buddha evādhikaḥ. kutaḥ–vedāntebhyo gṛhītvārthān yo mahābhāratādapi / viprāṇāṃ miṣātāmeva kṛtavān kośasañcayaṃ //[1]
The Kāpālikas are also ridiculed here for their corrupt practices. For the Kapālin, madya and maithuna are the cause for the attainment of religious enlightment. The Pāśupata is also a biased rogue, who plays the role of a middleman and takes the advantage of the dispute between the Kapālin and the Buddhist monk to take vengeance of his grievance against one of the parties.
His evil intention is expressed in the following lines–
(ātmagataṃ)
yadasmābhiranuṣṭheyaṃ, gandharvaiḥ tadanuṣṭhitaṃ. eṣa durātmā,
tāṃ kṣaurikasya dāsīṃ mama dayitāṃ cīvarāntadarśitayā /
ākarṣati kākaṇyā bahuśo gāṃ grāsamuṣṭyeva //[2]
tadidānīṃ pratihastiprotsāhanena śatrupakṣaṃ dhvaṃsayāmi.
The dispute between the Buddhist monk and the Kapālin as is depicted in the play hints the enmity prevailing between the religious sects. Though, the satire of Mattavilāsa is quite bitter but not much sharp that can be designated as the best satire.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Mattavilāsa 12
[2]:
ibid., 14