6. An Overview of the Previous Discussion

Thus, it is observed that in all the three satirical works, Kṣemendra has satirized each and every immoral, illegal and harmful activity of the people belonging to different categories. He vividly exposes all the frailties not to expose the contemporary society but to awake the people against such evils. He has brought under virulent criticism all the people who are a threat for the well-being of the society. A realistic picture of the society is met with as Kṣemendra has entered depth to eradicate all kinds of evils which are deep-rooted everywhere in the society. It is observed that Kṣemendra is much concerned and vibrant about what is going on in the society. However, it indicates that during Kṣemendra’s time, a section of the society whether he is an administrator, a teacher,a businessman, a student, a physician, a astronomer, a singer, a religious person, a lawyer, a woman-all are immoral in both professional and personal life as if they do not understand the term ‘virtue’.Their vicious habits, anti-social activities and evil manners pollute the whole atmosphere of the society. It is observed that all people are impure from inside. In the society, everywhere hypocrisy and corruption are prevailing. People belonging to different profession are corrupting the common people. The people are not following the codes of social conduct, set for a society. The people are base, crooked, cunning and hard hearted. It is only for money that everyone is deceiving others applying different tricks. It seems that people are morally degraded. In reality, they have no moral sense from inside. How people are mean is exposed by Kṣemendra when he says that the neighbours who never offer even a piece of coal in the winter, now they can offer him cloths and other ornaments as the bureaucrat is now a high ranked officer.^[1] In the society, one can even lick the feet of a chandāla for the sake of something of less value.^[2] Just because of jealousy the wicked may get himself to be liked, but will destroy love for others with all kinds of tale-telling.^[3] On other hand, people have no respect for the elders, the god, the Brāmaṇas and nor for the women. A woman denies to obey the advice of her parents-in-law.^[4] A wife treats her husband like a slave.^[5] A son never cares for his father,^[6] another person introduces her mother as his water-carrier.^[7] A bureaucrat never hesitates to torture the brahmins,^[8] nor to disrupt the daily and special rites of gods.^[9] They have no affection for children.^[10] Again the above discussion indicates that they have no gratitude towards others. They never remember other’s benevolence.^[11] A woman never shows her gratitude to her relatives for their help.^[12] They are also lack in truthfulness,^[13] trustworthiness^[14] and sympathy.^[15] They are lack of good conduct,^[16] egoistic,^[17] immodest,^[18] shameless,^[19] and are never kind to other.

Besides these, it is observed that all the people of the society reflected in the works are severely suffering from ailments like lust, greed, arrogance, hypocrisy, wickedness etc. In the society, there is none who is not infected by these devilish values. From the religious guru to the student all the members of the society are greedy, lustrous, arrogant, wicked as well as big hypocrite. All these are deep-rooted in the hearts of the people. A man who is addicted to these vices always commences other offences and disturbs the social life and it is very well observed in the society reflected in the works of Kṣemendra.

In the society, lack of harmony is observed. There is no love and co-operation among the people. A man remains nearby his friends in prosperity but never stays in adversity.^[20] A man never contributes anything for the well-being of the society.^[21] The wicked people often makes quarrel with each other and violates peace and happiness in the society. In the Deśopadeśa, while satirizing the paṇḍita, Kṣemendra using pun indicates that the learned man does not know all compounds, but is aware of quarrel among the wicked.^[22] In the society, there is no unity because one speaks ills of others.^[23] In the society, mercilessness and cruelty of the people are noticed when it is said that the dead brahmin is dragged by rope from where he is killed.^[24] In the society, powerful one always treats the weaker one as animal.^[25] Nonviolence is an important social value but in the society an opposite scene is observed.Powerful officials often torture the common people, takes away everything what they have. They destroy the houses and the temples. Animals are also killed. They create hostile atmosphere in the society. A student also is found expert in biting people, destroying everything of the college.^[26] ‘One should not steal’ is an important social value, which guarantees the safety of everyone’s property. But, it is observed in the society, one is not safe from the thieves and robbers. Kṣemendra has referred to so many of such thieves in deferent places of his works. A thief in the guise of salesman comes to one’s house and whatever valuable they offer turns out to be no more than some pieces of glass.^[27] There are some other notorious persons who in the guise of some relatives enter someone’s house and steal everything during celebrations.^[28] There are also thieves who wearing beautiful garments steal one’s jewellery in a gathering.^[29] There are also some others who enter into the shop of deaf and dumb shopkeepers, lock him inside and steal all the valuable objects.^[30] It is surprising that not only a common man, but a bureaucrat is also habituated in the act of thieving. The bureaucrat is mentioned to rob a large sum of money from the royal treasury.^[31]

A student is also expert in this regard.^[32] Like thieving, taking bribe is also a crime, which is deep-rooted in the administrative system.^[33] A criminal also comes out from the jail by offering bribe.^[34] In the society, kidnapping,^[35] murder,^[36] and all other vices are also rampant. It is observed that an innocent woman is also not safe in the society. Innocent women and children are often tortured.^[37] A wicked even hints a woman whose husband is abroad about evil things.^[38] In the society tantra-mantra are also practiced by the wicked people to fulfil their evil motives. A prostitute uses ‘vaśīkaraṇa cūrṇa’ to attract man.^[39] The female mendicant is also well-versed in yantra mantra.^[40] There is also other wicked person who declares himself to be a yogī, gives emulates to women everywhere on the streets for securing pleasure in love making but he himself is unaware of basic knowledge of science of love.^[41] There is also roadside guru who with little initiation, takes away the money and the wives of the fools.^[42] Some one again says, ‘your hands show a big wealth line, but your husband is fickle minded’ and starts to rub soft hands of the highborn ladies.^[43] One drop of water is placed on her thumb, the girl notices the excitement of the persons, but she is unable to identify the thief because all these happens due to delusion and not for magic power.^[44] There are also other rouge who promises to return much and consumes the borrowed money from the people greedy for higher profit.^[45] ‘For the rich merchant, his daughter is like a son and she is under my control’, says another rouge and enjoys the wealth of the rich girl.^[46] ‘A young rich widow hopes for a divine lover like you’, speaks another scoundrel to a fool and loots everything what he has.^[47] The thief with some merits always appreciates his own merit and tries to influence the people with great effort veiling other’s merit.^[48] Another rouge wearing beautiful dresses announces that he is going for pilgrimage to the Gaṅgā, takes away the money of innocent people who are hoping to perform religious rites for their dead relatives.^[49]

On the other hand, it is observed that people are also addicted to some anti-social activities like gambling, drinking wine and womanizing. Not to speak of others, even women are also habituated in drinking and playing dice. Kṣemendra reveals that in the society, one may not earn anything accept his meal, but spends a lot on drinking, gambling and womanizing.^[50] It is observed that in the society, all the people like the guru, the mendicant, the official, the student even the wife of a good family are also characterless and keeps relationship with base people.

All the above mentioned information indicates the degradation of values in the society. In a society where all kinds of vices prevail and all people are deviating themselves from the ideal path and following an immoral life, cannot be said a value based society. For the well-being of the society, it is necessary to have some kind of values which may guide the manners of the members of the society. Kṣemendra realizes this truth and exposes all the prevailing vices so that one can differentiate between right and wrong. He tries to motivate all for the cultivation of values because he realises the value of ‘values’ for a civilized society and personal morality. He wants to alert the people that all the problems and sufferings are due to presence of vices and absence of moral, social and such other values. Kṣemendra tries to make the people realize that ‘the world is lonely wilderness, it has wells hidden under a mesh of leaves and twigs into which young and foolish deer can fall.’^[51] He wants to bring good time for the society and he realizes that when a person would be rich in moral values and the society would be peaceful and harmonious, he will be able to say that his objective has been fulfilled.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

śiśire yasya nāṅgāraṃ pradaduḥ prātiveśminaḥ ayācitaṃ dadustasya vastrālaṅkaraṇepsitaṃ// Narmamālā ,I.105

[2]:

caṇḍālasyāpi sāhāyye dṛṣṭvā lābhalavodgatiṃ/
caraṇau cūṣati ciraṃ kadaryaḥ kāryagauravāt// Deśopadeśa ,II.24

[3]:

vallabhatāmupayātāḥ paravāllabhyaṃ vicitrapaiśunyaiḥ/
ye nāśayanti dhūrtā mātsaryād vṛtticaurāste// Kalāvilāsa ,IX.35

[4]:

śvaśrūjanaviruddhā sā taruṇaprātiveśmikā// Narmamālā ,II.2

[5]:

Deśopadeśa ,VIII.10

[6]:

Narmamālā ,I.58

[7]:

Deśopadeśa ,V.22

[8]:

brahmahatyā na gaṇyante govadheṣu kathaiva kā/
prabhubhaktikṛtā yena mūlādunmūlyate janaḥ// Narmamālā , I.57

[9]:

devanāgamanuṣyāṇāṃ nityanaimittikacchidaḥ/
tasya kāyasthanāthasya trailokyākramaṇe punaḥ// ibid., I.28

[10]:

Deśopadeśa , III.8

[11]:

nāpekṣate paricayaṃ nopakāraṃ smaratyapi/
ibid., IV.7

[12]:

ibid., IV.29

[13]:

Kalāvilāsa , IV.39

[14]:

ibid., V.6

[15]:

Deśopadeśa , IV.5

[16]:

ibid., III.3

[17]:

Narmamālā , I.74; II.1; II.111

[18]:

Deśopadeśa , IV.16

[19]:

ibid., III.23

[20]:

vibhavāmbhoruhamadhupā duḥsahavipadanilavegavimukhā ye/
suhṛdaste sukhacaurāścaranti lakṣmīlatāhūtāḥ// Kalāvilāsa ,IX.31

[21]:

ākhyāyikānurāgī vrajati sadā puṇyapustakaṃ śrotuṃ/
daṣṭa iva kṛṣṇasarpaiḥ palāyate dānadharmebhyaḥ// ibid.,II.6
dānopabhogavirahitahiraṇyarakṣākṛtakṣaṇāḥ satataṃ// ibid.,II.19

[22]:

vidvānsādhuśabdovismṛtaliṅgo napuṃsakaprakṛtiḥ/
aviditasakalasamāso’satsu sadā dvandvameva jānāti// Deśopadeśa ,VIII.41

[23]:

ibid.,I.14

[24]:

prāyasthāne mṛtā bhaṭṭāḥ kṛṣyantāṃ gulphadāmabhiḥ// Narmamālā ,I.41

[25]:

pañcaṣā satataṃ tasya karabhā iva bhārikā// ibid., I.12

[26]:

udarābaddhavastreṇa granthijūṭena nādinā/
laguḍoddhatahastena chātreṇonmūlyate maṭhaḥ// Deśopadeśa ,VI.25

[27]:

rathyāvaṇijaḥ pāpāḥ svayametya gṛheṣu yat prayacchanti/
tatasvakarārpitamakhilaṃ bhavati paraṃ kācaśakalamapi// Kalāvilāsa ,IX.41

[28]:

puraviplavanagarodayayaĵnavivāhotsavādijanasaṅghe/
praviśanti bandhuveṣāḥ pare’pi sarvāpahārāya// ibid.,IX.46

[29]:

sajane’pi sādhuveṣā vidhṛtābharaṇāśca helayā dhūrtāḥ/
dhīrā haranti sakalaṃ dṛṣṭe hāso’nyathā lābhaḥ// ibid.,IX.60

[30]:

badhiraṃ vā mūkaṃ vā vaṇijaṃ niḥkṣipya bhāṇḍaśālāyāṃ/
dhūrto nayati tvarayā bahumūlyaṃ varṇakadravyaṃ// ibid.,IX.68

[31]:

so’bravīddya rātryrdhe gṛhakṛtyamahattamaḥ/
rājarāśidhanaṃ bhūri hṛtvā yātaḥ sahānugaḥ// Narmamālā ,III.88

[32]:

cākrikaḥ śivatāṃ yātaścauraḥ karmakarairdhṛtaḥ/
gauḍo garvonnatagrīvaṣṭhakkuro’smīti bhāṣate// Deśopadeśa ,VI.36

[33]:

so’pyanekārthasandeśānākarṇyāvahitaḥ prabhoḥ/
dāpyaprasāritakaro lekhānaskhalito’likhat// Narmamālā ,I.78

[34]:

sa rāĵnā hṛtasarvasvaḥ praklinno bandhane ciraṃ/
dhanena veśyayā svasrā mocito niragāt tataḥ// ibid.,III.95

[35]:

ibid., III.103; Kalāvilāsa , IX.15

[36]:

ibid., I.57

[37]:

ibid., I.70

[38]:

dṛṣṭābhiradṛṣṭābhiḥ krūrābhiḥ kṛtakavacanamudrābhiḥ/
dhūrto muṣṇāti vadhūṃ mugdhāṃ viproṣite patyau// Kalāvilāsa ,IX.59

[39]:

vitīrṇairbhavatā nityaṃ vaśīkaraṇacūrṇakaiḥ/
asthiśeṣāḥ kṛtāste te yayā dhanikakāmukāḥ// Narmamālā ,III.55

[40]:

gṛhaṃ niyogikāntāyāḥ praviśatyatinirbharaṃ/
eṣā śramaṇikā nityaṃ kuṭṭanī vajrayoginī// ibid.,II.29

[41]:

vaśyākarṣaṇayogī pathi pathi rakṣāṃ dadāti nārīṇāṃ/
ratikāmatantramūlaṃ mūlaṃ mantraṃ na jānāti// Kalāvilāsa , IX.14

[42]:

bahavo rathyāguravo laghudīkṣāḥ svalpayogamutpādya/
vyādhā iva vardhante mugdhānāṃ draviṇadāraharāḥ// ibid.,IX.15

[43]:

hastasthā dhanarekhā vipulatarāsyā patiśca calacittaḥ/
mṛdnāti kulavadhūnāmityuktvā kamalakomalaṃ pāṇiṃ// ibid.,IX.16

[44]:

baddhe’aṅguṣṭhe salile paśyati vividhaṃ janabhramaṃ kanyā/
na prāpyate ca coro moho’sāvindrajālasya// ibid.,IX.17

[45]:

bahulābhalubdhamanasāṃ haranti ye duḥsahena lābhena/
ṛṇadhanamadhikavidagdhā viĵneyā lābhacaurāste// ibid.,IX.29

[46]:

bahutaradhanena vaṇijā putrī sā putravad gṛhītaiva/
madadhīneti kathābhiḥ kanyārthaṃ bhujyate dhūrtaiḥ// ibid.,IX.21

[47]:

vidhavā taruṇī sadhanā vāñcati divyaṃ bhavadvidhaṃ ramaṇaṃ/
dhūrto jaḍamityuktvā sarvasvaṃ tasya bhakṣayati// ibid.,IX.24

[48]:

ātmaguṇakhyātiparāḥ paraguṇamācchādya vipulayatnena/
prabhavanti paramadhūrtā guṇacaurāste vimūḍhahṛdayeṣu// ibid.,IX.34

[49]:

dhūrto vasan videśeṣuddiśya surāpagāgayāyātrāṃ/
mṛtbandhūnāmarthe draviṇaṃ gṛhṇāti mugdhebhyaḥ// ibid.,IX.66

[50]:

bhojanamātrotpattirbahuvyayo dyūtamadyaveśyābhiḥ// ibid.,IX.27

[51]:

eko’smin bhavagahane tṛṇapallavavalayajālasañchannaḥ/
kūpaḥ patanti yasmin mugdhakuraṅgā nirālambe// ibid.,I.40