Satirical works of Kshemendra (study)
by Arpana Devi | 2017 | 60,954 words
This page relates ‘The Student (chatra)’ 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.
5.19. The Student (chātra)
Kṣemendra observes that there are some students (chātra) who are not following the rules and regulations set for a student. This is the reason that a student is also an object of mockery for Kṣemendra. He makes criticism of the undisciplined and hostile atmosphere of the academic institution of the then society. The student is involved in different nasty vices for which he is condemnable. In the Deśopadeśa, Kṣemendra exposes the unscrupulous activities and habits of the Gauḍa student.[1]
Kṣemendra compares the student (chātra) to lord Śiva in dreadfulness.[2] He observes that the student shows off his purity. He even denies food which is cooked and touched by others. Kṣemendra ridicules his purity when he says that in regard to his shown purity, even an ascetic becomes ashamed.[3] The student also observes vows, prays for two times and takes meal according to the movements of the planets.[4] But, soon his reality comes out. In reality, according to Kṣemendra, the student leads an impure life. He never maintains vows and takes meat in his meal.[5] He ridicules the student comparing with an old parrot in acquiring knowledge, because he can hardly utter the word ‘aum’.[6] But, according to Kṣemendra, in spite of his lack of knowledge, the student boasts much and starts his studies with commentary and logic of the Prābhākara school.[7] The author satirically remarks that the student walks in the street avoiding touch of others and bends to one side as if from the weight of his load of vanity.[8]
Kṣemendra observes that the student is totally disobedient. He beats his servants whenever he gets angry. But, in Kṣemendra’s view, the notorious student forgives only that servant who has a young wife.[9] Not only that, in the evening the lewd student (chātra) decorating himself with colourful dresses, passes in front of the prostitute’s house.[10] He pays a huge amount of money to have a prostitute, but alas! the prostitute also avoids him. Kṣemendra bitterly says that though for the student a river is not enough for his purificatory rites, but now he enjoys wine and food left by harlot.[11] The author exposes that the lewd student even tries to have a widow or a wife of another man. To win the confidence of woman, the cunning student introduces himself to all with his father’s name.[12] Kṣemendra observes that the student is also addicted to gambling, which is another social evil. The day before, he seems to be wealthy but in the next morning losing everything, looks like a piśāca covered with dust.[13] The student creates a hostile atmosphere in the almshouse. He keeps stick in hand and destroys everything in the almshouse. He also beats the cook. Kṣemendra expresses his anguish when he says that there is none who can stop the yakṣa-like student.[14] In the day of dvādaśī, each student should keep fast. But the student puts an end to his fast cooking himself meat and fish which is not allowed in the almshouse.[15] Kṣemendra ridicules the student (chātra) when he says that in his country the student must have been a barber, a cobbler, a fisherman or a butcher. Therefore, he does not know about sandhyā worship.[16] According to him, the student is like an ascetic of five fires (pañcatapāmuni),[17] who observes five penances in the forest of almshouse such as gambling, addiction to prostitute, association with rouges, always starving and back-stabbing.[18] Here, bitter humour for ridiculing the student’s evil doings comparing with an ascetic has been evoked by Kṣemendra. He condemns such rogue student (chātra) who is fever for the courtesan, a destroyer of the almshouse and who is not controlled by love or any incentives.[19]
Besides these vicious habits and evil doings, Kṣemendra reveals another trait of the student. The student is also involved in the act of thieving. Whenever he is caught stealing something, the rouge student (chātra) proudly says, ‘I am thākkura’ i.e born of noble family.[20] Every morning the wicked student (chātra) goes to the shop seeking much but gives less money to the shopkeeper. In this state, according to Kṣemendra, he looks like Kali age.[21] As a fish swallow up other fish, so also the student deludes in a moment all the belongings of weak one.[22]
At night also the student (chātra) remains away from the almshouse. He goes to the house of someone else to attend the śrāddha ceremony. He eats too much and fails even to look at the ground, but manages to look upward only.[23] Kṣemendra expresses that even a physician also does not feel well at the sight of the ill gauḍa student. He feels as if he is holding a ferocious monkey with the arms and a snake around his neck.[24]
According to the author, the vicious and wicked student (chātra) even regularly enjoys the company of the daughter of the head of the college. Not only that, the nefarious student also keeps relationship with the wife of a potter. A servant girl is also not spared without enjoyment by him.[25] In a nutshell, the Gauḍa student (chātra) surpasses everyone in doing all kinds of evil practices. He also violates peace and harmony in the society. It can be said that he is a student in the name only. In reality, he does not possess the minimum quality of a student. Kṣemendra in bitter words expresses that the college is not a college of the wicked, not a place for hostile, but it is a horrible cave in the wooden mountain full of aged demons (rākṣasa).[26] He also informs that to other people of the contemporary society also the college is nothing but a cemetery and the student is a devil (vetāla) of that ground.[27]
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
namaśchātrāya satataṃ satre vāmārdhahāriṇe/
ugrāya viṣabhabhakṣāya śivāya niśi śūline// Deśopadeśa ,VI.1
[3]:
kṣatriṇaḥ sapavitrasya sparśahuṅkārakāriṇaḥ//
lajjante munayo’pyagre gauḍasyāparapākinaḥ// ibid.,VI.3
[4]:
grahavāreṣu bhuñjānaḥ snātakaḥ saṃśitavrataḥ/
praṇataścānnasaṃkāṅkṣī japati praharadvayaṃ// ibid.,VI.4
[5]:
māṃsaṃ saṃpṛcchati bhojye vratakhinneṣu daiśikaḥ// ibid.,VI.6
[6]:
[7]:
alipiĵno’pyahaṃkārastabdho vipratipattaye/
gauḍaḥ karoti prārambhaṃ bhāṣye tarke prabhākare// ibid.,VI.8
[8]:
[9]:
krudhaḥ karmakarān sarvān nirasya laguḍāhatān/
tameva sahate dāsaṃ taruṇī yasya gehinī// ibid.,VI.11
[10]:
ibid., VI.13
[11]:
yasyopaspṛśataḥ śauce paryāptā nābhavan nadī // sa eva bhuṅkte veśyābhirutsṛṣṭaṃ madhubhojanaṃ// ibid.,VI.19
[12]:
raṇḍāṃ paravadhūṃ vāpi yatnādanveṣṭumicchati/
piturnāmnā paricayaṃ sa karoti gṛhe gṛhe// ibid.,VI.21
[13]:
cañcatkarṇasuvarṇākaḥ sthūlatriguṇavālakī/
prabhāte dhanadākārastūrṇaṃ niryāti daiśikaḥ// sa piśāca ivābhāti dinānte dyūtanirjitaḥ/
nagno bhagnamukhaḥ pāṃsuliptasatrapastrapaḥ// ibid.,VI.23-24
[14]:
[15]:
dvādaśyāmanyavad gauḍaḥ satrachedādupoṣitaḥ/
svayaṃ pakvena kurute matsyamāṃsena pāraṇaṃ// ibid.,VI.28
[16]:
nāpitaścarmakāro vā dhīvaraḥ sauniko’pi vā/
svadeśe daiśiko nūnaṃ sandhyāpāthaṃ na vetti yat// ibid.,VI.29
[17]:
[18]:
[19]:
vaiśyāvārajvaraḥ satrasannipāto mathakṣayaḥ/
na saṅgrahairna hṛdayaiḥ sādhyatāmeti daiśikaḥ// ibid.,VI.34
[20]:
cākrikaḥ śivatāṃ yātaścauraḥ karmakarairdhṛtaḥ/
gauḍo garvonnatagrīvaṣṭhakkuro’smīti bhāṣate// ibid.,VI.36
[21]:
[22]:
matsyā matsyamivāśnanti bhāgīkṛtyāturaṃ kṣaṇāt/
chātrāśchatrakaraṇḍādipaṭaśāṭakakambalaiḥ// ibid.,VI.39
[23]:
śrāddhapakṣe maṭhacchātro bhuktvā thakkagṛhe kvacit/
na paśyatyūrdhvanayanaḥ śūlārūḍha iva kṣitiṃ// ibid.,VI.40
[24]:
[25]:
ibid.,VI.45