Society as depicted in the Chaturbhani (study)

by Mridusmita Bharadwaj | 2022 | 64,215 words

This page relates ‘Degraded poetry’ 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 5.6 - Degraded poetry

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[Full title: Humour and Satire in the Pādatāḍitaka (6) Degraded poetry]

Śyāmilaka, the author of the Pādatāḍitaka, emphasises on depicting the degraded quality of poetry composed at that time. He portrays an incident where he mentions that a character named Āryarakṣita sells his poems for a cup of wine in the house of śrotriyas.^[1] Śrotriya is used to denote the learned in the Veda or conversant with sacred knowledge.^[2] It seems that śrotriyas purchased the poems just in exchange for wine. So, this also reflects that it is only Āryarakṣita’s addiction to wine that he appears to the house of śrotriyas with the pieces of poetry. Moreover, the author adds that it is not only Āryarakṣita, in cities like Kāśī, Kosala, Bhagra and Niśāda also the poets sell their poems for even a cup of wine.^[3] This whole circumstance contemplates the degraded quality of poetry as well as people’s addiction to alcohol.