Society as depicted in the Chaturbhani (study)

by Mridusmita Bharadwaj | 2022 | 64,215 words

This page relates ‘Dress and Costumes in ancient India’ of the study on the Chaturbhani: a collection of four Bhanas which represents a genre of dramatic performance peculiar to the ancient Indian tradition of theater and performing arts (i.e. Natya-Shastra). More specifically, this study examines the historical, literary, cultural, and satirical aspects of ancient Indian society as reflected in these four Sanskrit plays.

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Part 4.9 - Dress and Costumes in ancient India

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[Full title: Socio-cultural Aspects of the Society as Depicted in the Caturbhāṇī (9) Dress]

Dress—as Depicted in the Padmaprābhṛtaka:

In the Padmaprābhṛtaka, the author mentions the style of costumes of the people in that contemporary society. As the Padmaprābhṛtaka mentions, women generally wore costumes like uttarīya^[1] prāvāra^[2] etc. Uttarīya and prāvāra were the basic costumes of the ancient Indian people^[3]. In the Amarakośa^[4] also, it is mentioned that uttarīya and prāvāra are the upper body garments that were generally worn by people. Śūdraka in his Mṛcchakaṭika also has made reference to prāvāra with long fringes having hundreds of tassels.^[5] Uttarīya was an upper garment^[6] worn by men and women, around the neck and flowing down from both the shoulders. This upper garment was variously termed as uttarīya, uttarāsaṅga, uparivasana etc.^[7] The Raghuvaṃśa also has the reference of wearing uttarīya embellished with gemstones.^[8] The Padmaprābhṛtaka also mentions dukūla that is white and tied in the head.^[9] Dukūla is likely to be a silk kind of cloth as the Amarakośa specifies^[10]. This cloth is white and has a soft texture. As it is made of dukūla tree’s skin, the cloth gets its name dukūla.^[11] The Raghuvaṃśa also has the references of dukūla where this material was used for both upper and lower garments^[12].

Dress—as Depicted in the Dhūrtaviṭasaṃvāda:

Ancient Indian people wore different sorts of clothing having different materials. The Dhūrtaviṭasaṃvāda makes references to various cloths dressed by both men and women. To cover the chest, women wore stanaprāvaraṇa. Prāvaraṇa simply means covering, veiling and it also denotes an upper garment, cloak, mantle.^[13] Stanaprāvaraṇa particularly indicates the special kind of cloth that is dressed to cover breasts. This kind of garment was specially made of pelavāṃśuka^[14] i.e., fine muslin. Pelava means delicate, fine, soft, tender.^[15] Aṃśuka means fine or white cloth, muslin.^[16] V.S.Apte states that aṃśuka is an upper garment, mantle also an undergarment. Various kinds of aṃśukas were worn by ancient Indian people. There was also cīnāṃśuka i.e., a silken cloth most probably imported from China.^[17] Kālidāsa also makes reference of cīnāṃśuka in his Abhijñānaśākuntala.^[18] This kind of cloth was usually silken or muslin.^[19] Hence, Īśvaradatta specifies it by calling pelavāṃśuka. The breast cloth generally worn by the women called stanaprāvaraṇa as mentioned in the bhāṇa could also be known as sitāṃśukā.^[20]

Dress—as Depicted in the Ubhayābhisārikā:

As the poet describes the city life of Kusumapura in the Ubhayābhisārikā bhāṇa, people enjoyed wearing costly dresses . Women particularly chose bright coloured attires.^[21] Pelavāṃśuka,^[22] ardhoru^[23] are some kinds of the dresses that are referred to by Vararuci in this bhāṇa. Pelavāṃśuka is a lightweight silk dress. This kind of cloth also has been found in the Dhūrtaviṭasaṃvāda bhāṇa and made an explanation on it. Ardhoru is a type of short dress ending above the knee.^[24] The Amarakośa mentions the same by the name of Ardhoruka.^[25]

Dress—as Depicted in the Pādatāḍitaka:

The Pādatāḍitaka indicates that people at that time wore veṣṭana^[26] in their heads. Veṣṭana is a headband, diadem^[27] which is an item of clothing for the head. Veṣṭana is similar to the crown^[28] which is bestowed as an honour. Elsewhere in the bhāṇa, the word veṣṭana has been used as a token of honour bestowed by a friend.^[29] The kings wore the veṣṭana embellished with a special gem named maulimaṇi. King of Niṣāda is also mentioned to be worn the diadem having maulimaṇi on it as mentioned in the Raghuvaṃśa.^[30]

In the Pādatāḍitaka, the word kañcuka is applied by the author. Kañcuka generally means a dress fitting close to the upper part of the body, jacket, armour. But in the bhāṇa, the word is used in the meaning of a cover of a palanquin. Viṣṇudāsa, the minister of the king was wandering around the streets in a white palanquin without having kañcuka in it.^[31]

The attire named uttarīya, worn by both men^[32] and women^[33] was mentioned in the Pādatāḍitaka. Śūdraka in his Padmaprābhṛtaka also makes reference to uttarīya which has been already discussed. Ardhoruka was a dress worn by both men and women. The Pādatāḍitaka mentions the dress ardhoruka that was worn by a courtesan.^[34] It is a dress reaching to the middle of the thighs.^[35] Women at the age of the Pādatāḍitaka wore hemavaikakṣyaka to tighten the chest. Vaikakṣyaka is a wrapper, mantle.^[36] In the hemavaikakṣyaka, women ornamented the vaikakṣyaka with gold.^[37]