Society as depicted in the Chaturbhani (study)
by Mridusmita Bharadwaj | 2022 | 64,215 words
This page relates ‘Discrimination based on skin colour’ 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 5.5 - Discrimination based on skin colour
[Full title: Humour and Satire in the Pādatāḍitaka (5) Discrimination based on skin colour]
Śyāmilaka, the satirist makes a description of a courtesan which reflects the prevalence of the discrimination based on skin colour. Colour discrimination involves treating someone inappropriately or oppressively because of skin colour complexion. In his Pādatāḍitaka, a character named Jayantaka, the Śaka prince from Surāṣṭra is attached to a courtesan named Barbarikā. Barbarikā is portrayed as a dark-skin woman. The author explains his inquisitiveness and questions that what merit has Jayantaka discovered in Barbarikā, which could be better in her than that of the other courtesans of the brothel.[1] It appears that after having all the qualities of becoming a courtesan, dark-skin are were not even considered as apt for prostitution. Moreover, to penetrate the realisation of rigorous treatment towards a dark-skin woman, Śyāmilaka adjoins that she was the veritable goddess of darkness with whiteness in the teeth and eyes only appears like a night with a very thin strip of the crescent moon.[2]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
….sarvaveśyāpattanād veśavad veśabarbayāṃ guṇavatvamavalokitam/ Pādatāḍitaka, p.216