5. Mricchakatika—A Reassessment

Introductory Sanskrit dramaturgists list ten varieties of play, Rupaka as they call it. Of these it is the Nataka variety which has been widely pursued . The next in frequency is the Natika variety. Still next is the Prakarana variety to which the Mricchakatika belongs. Its lesser pursuit probably was due to its inordinate length. It has got to have ten Acts with varied sentiments and characters. Out of the few Prakaranas available in extant Sanskrit literature the Mrcchakatika stands out as a category in itself being the only social play of its type. Its main theme is the love affair between a courtezan and a Brahmin merchant reduced to utmost penury, thanks to his overindulgence in munificence. In between are thrown up to form its social mosaic gamblers, thieves, the gobetweens and a sustained dose of political intrigue. The Author The very start of the play is curious. It opens with a statement about its author who on reaching up to the and ten days had entered into fire: labdhva cayuh satabdam age of hundred years dasadinasahitam sudrako ' gnim pravistah, prompting the scholarly community to scurry for discovering its real author, Inaugural Address at the National Seminar on "Mrcchakatika : Reassessment in 21 st Century", The Asiatic Society, Kolkata, January 5, 2005. Chair: Prof. Biswanath Banerji, President of the Society.

Mrcchakatika-A Reassessment 135 because of the impossibility of the author, as recorded in the Prologue, speaking of his own death. Notwithstanding this impossibility in popular perception, he, Sudraka, is its author. Who he was and in which period he flourished would continue to occupy the attention of scholars as it has done over the past century or so. Poetic Flashes While the greatness of this mythical Sudraka as a playwright is beyond question, he having evolved a play out of a mosaic of conflicting situations with unflagging interest, his greatness as a poet has not met with as much notice of connoisseurs as it should have. An instance par excellence of this is his description in Act V of a rainy day with sky overcast with as many as forty different similes, fancies and metaphors, perhaps the largest number, for the description of a given phenomenon in the entire range of Sanskrit literature. The clouds of the day are compared to the hearts of separated women: viyuktavanitahrdayanukarah', they are as dark as the lordly elephants: gajendramalinaih² or the wet Tamala leaves: ardratamalapatramalinaih³ or the herd of buffaloes: mahisakulanilaih or the dark snakes: nilaih sandram ivahibhir jaladharaih or a parasol-like canopy for the world, jaladacchatrapidhanam. They rush against each other like elephants gaja ivanyonyam abhidravantah . With their thunder jump up the peacocks which appear fanning the sky with their spread out plumage: yesam ravena sahasotpatitair mayuraih kham vijyate. They envelop the moon as do the men who bring disgrace to their families, the renunciation, Samnyasa : samnyasah kuladusanair iva janair meghair vrtas candramah . The lightning in them is like a woman of low family who does not stay at one place: vidyun nicakulodgateva yuvatir naikatra santisthate¹0. It also serves as a golden torch for scouting the palaces: kancanadipikeva racita prasadasancarini !. The cloud is looked upon as king whose showers are its arrows which on account of their white colour appear bejewelled: dharapatair manimayasaraih¹? Since a king is to have a flag, it is the lightning manimayasaraihast Collection, New Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA

which serves as the same for the cloud king. The cranes are this king's white turban and the lightning the chowrie. The condition of the sky at the time the playwright describes with an unmatched chain of fancies: vidyudbhir jvalativa kham vihasativoccair balakasatair mahendrena vivalgativa dhanusa dharasarodgarina vispastasaninihsvanena rasativaghurnativanilair nilaih sandram ivahibhir jaladharair dhupayativambaramAA 14 "The sky is as if blazing owing to lightning flashes, as if laughing boisterously owing to hundreds of cranes, as if galloping about owing to Indra's rainbow discharging arrows in the form of showers, as if shouting up owing to the very distinct noise of thunder, as if reeling due to winds and as if throwing incense densely owing to the dark snake-like clouds.' Even outside of this lengthy description which in volume and innovation in going in for divining appropriate standards of comparison, almost a feat indeed, his similes and metaphors have freshness and novelty about them. His stanza limpativa tamo ngani varsativanjanam nabhahi asatpurusaseveva drstir viphalatam gatall in describing the pitch darkness clinging to (lit. besmearing) the limbs as it were and giving the appearance of the sky showering forth collyrium leading to the failure of the eyesight-and here comes the most unusual of the similes-like the service to a bad person, is well-known enough. Equally well-known are his other stanzas or prose passages like sukham hi duhkhany anubhuya sobhate ghanandhakaresv iva dipadarsanam 16, "happiness indeed shines after experience of miseries like the sight of a lamp in the midst of pitch darkness" occurring in the context of Carudatta running down his poverty which has striking parallel in Kalidasan statement yad evopanatam duhkhat sukham tad rasavattaram (Vikramorvasiya, III.21) or chidresy anartha bahulibhavanti¹7 "troubles multiply at weak points" occurring in the context of evidence after evidence going against Carudatta or ayam patah samvrta eva sobhate, 18 "this cloth looks good when folded only CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection, New Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation

Mrcchakatika-A Reassessment 137 occurring in the context of the gambler Darduraka trying to hide himself from his colleague Sabhika by covering himself with an upper garment but not able to do so for its having gone into tatters or sahase srih prativasati, 19 "fortune favours the brave " occurring in the context of Sarvilaka's rejoinder to his lady love Madanika for his having attempted a rash deed or nisayam nastacandrayam durlabho margadarsakah, 20 "in the night with no moon it is hard to get one who can show the way" occurring in the context of Sarvilaka appreciating Madanika's suggestion to return the bunch of stolen ornaments to Carudatta by posing as one of his kin, have become household words in Sanskrit. Nothing can be more creditable for the playwright than the fact that one of his stanzas alane grhyate hasti vaji valgasu grhyate! hrdaye grhyate nari yady etan nasti gamyatamir! "an elephant is held by the tying chain, a horse by the reins, a woman by the heart. If you do not have this, then just get off" has been adopted as such by Visnusarman in his Pancatantra. The playwright is expert in delineating a phenomenon in all its repercussions. See what happens to a person when he turns poor: daridryat purusasya bandhavajano vakye na santisthate susnigdha vimukhibhavanti suhrdah spharibhavanty apadahi sattvam hrasam upaiti silasasinah kantih parimlayate papam karma ca yat parair api krtam tat tasya sambhavyate 1122 "Owing to poverty a man's relatives do not stand up to or act up to his words, extremely intimate friends turn their faces away, the troubles multiply, the spirit gets low , the lustre of the moon of good character fades away, whatever sin others have committed is ascribed to him". sangam naiva ca kascid asya kurute sambhasate nadarat samprapto grham utsavesu dhaninam savajnam alokyatel durad eva mahajanasya viharaty alpacchado lajjaya manye nirdhanata prakamam aparam sastham mahapatakam 1123 ""Nobody associates with him, nor talks to him respectfully, distance from big people, feeling shyy he in scanty clothes keeps agitized by S 3 Foundation USA

the rich men look at him with disdain on occasions of festivities in their houses. Poverty is the sixth big sin'." How life-like it is! The playwright has drawn a real sketch of the kind of experience a poor man has to undergo in life. Vocabulary It would be good to take a break form here and to pass on to the vocabulary. Since the playwright has to describe people in different vocations he permits himself the use of words going well with them, the words like ganda for pledge, the gambler Sabhika asks the loser Samvahaka who expresses his inability to pay up the ten Suvarnas that he is to pay: are gandam kuru kuru 24, pratipurusa for a dummy, Sarvilaka uses the word after breaking in Carudatta's house to check whether the two men are feigning sleep or not: pratipurusam nivesayami 25, I send in the dummy; for feigning the sleep he uses the word laksyasupta 26 in contrast to really asleep for which he has the word paramarthasupta. He has the device called agneya kita 27, the fire insect which can extinguish fire with its wings. In the gamblers' scene a number of words relevant to the game of dice are used. One such is patha in the sense of turn, mama pathah mama pathah28, it is my turn, it is my turn, the gamblers quarrel among themselves about their turn. The other word is katta, the sound of the throwing of the dice: kattasabdo mano harati²9. Still other words are treta the Tray, pavara the Deuce, nardita the Ace and kata the Four: Dardurakah-tretahrtasarvasvah pavarapatanac ca sositasarirahi narditadarsitamargah katena vinipatito yamills 30 The other peculiar words are vyagharita³, fried, occurring in the speech of Sakara which shows the origin of the much used Hindi word, baghar, bhojaka, dignitary occurring in the Sakara's address aho adhikaranabhojakah 32, O the court dignitaries; vadhyapalika, the turn to kill occurring in the context of the Candalas who clamour to claim turn in Carudatta's execution: aye mamatra vadhyapalika (mama vadhyapalika)}}; dvarbhavasª CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection, New 34 USA

Mrcchakatika-A Reassessment 139 the sense of means occurring in the context of the judge describing his duties: dvarbhave paratattvabaddhahrdayah The playwright seems to have a liking for certain words. One such is kalyavarta in the sense of trifle, bagatelle which is used seven times in the play in different contexts and with reference to different objects; in the context of quarrel between the gamblers where one of them Darduraka intending to assist the loser Samvahaka speaks of the ten suvarnas as just kalyavarta which the other gambler, Sabhika, the winner, objects, nanu dasasuvarnam kalyavartam bhanati³5; in the context of Madanika strikalyavartasya karanena ubhayam api samsaye niksiptam 36, Carudatta murdering Vasantasena for the sake of a little money, arthakalyavartasya karanat³7 and so on. 39 The word drona occurs twice in the play, first in the company of megha³8 and the other time in that of vrsti³9, the occasion being the sudden unexpected fulsome help at the last moment. Drona is explained on the authority of texts on Astronomy as the cloud that fills the crops: dronah sasyaprapurakah: avarto nirjalo meghah samvartas ca bahudakahi puskaro duskarajalo dronah sasyaprapurakahi A few more noticeable words over here. Khalikriyate the play uses in the sense of crushed, ill-treated: ayam dyutakarah sabhikena khalikriyate. 40 Samsthapana in it means consolation: samsthapana priyatama virahaturanam. The derivatives from Ndus like dusana, dusita are used in a variety of meanings far removed from each other. At one place dusana has the meaning of breaking in, burglary: paragrhadusananiscitaikaviram¹² , at another place of imputing a motive: Adhikaranikahgrahanam canilasyeva carudattasya dusanam 43. Dusita in one place means apprehensive: Carudattah-prabhavati yadi dharmo dusitasyapi me 'dya 44, at another place loosened: dusiteyam bhumih ksaraksina ¹s and at still another place contanimated, soiled and tarnished: sareneva visaktena dusitenasmi dusitah, kevalam dusitam yasah47 It will be a good idea if some younger scholars were to take the guidance of a up the linguistic appraisal of the play unged by Ss Foundation USA

senior one. It will be a rewarding study indeed, not undertaken so far. Too much has been written on topics like the date and the author of the work or its characters or the state of the society and culture depicted in it. But the study in areas like its in-depth linguistic and stylistic analysis still remains a desideratum. Word-pictures Whenever the playwright is to describe a particular event he goes on all fours to sketch it in all its decibles, be it gambling, theft or court trial or execution. He likes to make his spectators or readers to have a full view of it in all its details. How the gamblers gamble, how the loser dodges the winner, how he tries to outmanoeuver him, how he is caught and thrashed, how even though in hiding he finds the sound of the throw of the dice irresistible, how his companion out to help quarrels with the one chasing him and in the course of that throws dust in his eyes, and provides an opportunity to his friend to slip away. The entire scene is captured as such. The same is the case with the court scene. An employee cleans the court-room, arranges the seats. Enters the judge, the Adhikaranika, together with the Assessors, the Sresthin and the Kayastha. Call is given to the plaintiffs to file their suit. The case is argued, the person charged with crime is questioned, the witnesses are called for and are cross-examined, and the judgement delivered subject to its ratification by the final arbiter, the king. It is interesting to note from the words of the judge as to the kind of people he has to deal with, the people who hide truth, who when provoked would admit to crime, the people who though good otherwise would utter half truth-a situation that has remarkable similarity with the one prevailing in courts in India in the present time. That the judiciary in the time of the playwright was not free from the influence of the executive is also hinted at. The judge initially is not in a mood to hear the case of Sakara under the apprehension that it could be a complicated one and says that his case cannot be taken up. But when he ( Sakara) threatens to report against him to the king, he yields and agrees to admit the caseDelhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA CC-0. Prof. Satsa

Mricchakatika-A Reassessment 141 Coming to the theft scene, we find that it is depicted in the play step by step. It is early hours. The thief Sarvilaka makes a breach in the fencing wall of the grove of trees round the house of Carudatta and enters the middle region. He has now to break through to reach the inner quadrangle and has then to look for a place which may drown the sound of his footsteps, where the earth would be loose due to the sprinkling of water, a wide breach in the wall not noticeable to others, the brick masonry less strong with the corrosion of salt petre and with no woman around. As a good sign for him he finds the earth loose and a pile of rubbish drawn out by the mice. Since there are baked bricks in the walls, he has no option except to pull them out. His sacred thread he uses as a measuring tape for the hole to be carved out. With only one brick left a snake bites his finger. His sacred thread again comes to his rescue. He ties the finger with it to avoid the poison spreading in the body. He comes to the quadrangle but the door through which he is to pass now being old, screeches. He first thinks of sprinkling water on it to silence the screeching but finds it inadvisable for the sound it may generate if splashed. He then waits outside the door and finding two persons inside asleep first wants to make sure as to whether they are actually asleep or feigning it. He sends in a dummy first. He finds in the quadrangle only musical instruments inferring thereby that the owner of the house is poor. But he has to make sure that he is really so and has no wealth buried underground. For this he adopts the tactic of scattering magical seeds. Their not expanding convinces him that the owner is really poor. At this crucial moment the dream speech of the jester in which he requests sleeping Carudatta to take possession of the bunch of gold ornaments makes him take possession of them and decamp. The entire scene shows the playwright's intimate acquaintance with the methods, the means and the strategy of the thieves or the art of theft, if it can be called as such. Interestingly, there are patron deities for such activities like Kumara Kartikeya to whom prayers are offered before undertaking them or at the end when the mission is successful . The thieves call themselves CC-0. Prof. Satya Viat Shastri Collection, New Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA

Skandaputras, the sons of Skanda: prathamam etat skandaputranam siddhilaksanam 48. It is a matter of investigation as to how Skanda came to be associated with such nefarious activities. Further, the thief refers to certain acaryas, the authorities on the art like Kanakasakti who have recorded four types of burglary, the Sandhi-bhedas, the pulling out of the baked bricks, the cutting through of the unbaked ones, the sprinkling of those made of earth clods and chipping of those of made of wood. The other acaryas referred to are Bhaskaranandin and Yogacarya. The latter the thief claims as his teacher who has given him a magic ointment which would render him invisible to police and make him immune to attack by a weapon: namo naradaya kumarakarttikeyaya, namah kanakasaktaye brahmanya-devaya, devavrataya, namo bhaskaranandine, namo yogacaryaya yasyaham prathamah sisyahi tena ca paritustena yogarocana me dattal anaya hi samalabdham na mam draksyanti raksinahi sastram ca patitam gatre rujam notpadayisyati 19 For a thief even the symbol of Brahminhood, the sacred thread is a means for the accomplishment of his mission: yajnopavitam hi nama brahmanasya mahad upakaranadravyam, visesato 'smadvidhasya.50 The playwright's penchant for detail and drawing of word pictures is noticeable in his description of the mansion of Vasantasena with its fabulous eight quadrangles where each and every object gets a minute notice in a style reminiscent of that of Bana. That such a rich courtezan should have fallen in love with poor Carudatta (with his house with screeching doors and plaster worn off and with his son playing with a clay cart) is a contrast which the playwright only was capable of conjuring up. There is dvandva here, the dvandva between affluence and penury, between a handsome and pious but a pauper merchant and a fabulously rich courtezan. It is again a contrast that a cowherd boy takes over the reins of the kingdom by deposing the ruler and one who was waiting for the final blow on him becoming a ruler of the part of the kingdom. It is all CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection, New Sell a contrast, the dvandva,

Mrcchakatika-A Reassessment 143 which lends the Mrcchakatika a character unique in the annals of India's and perhaps the world's dramatic literature. The playwright has an uncanny insight into human psychology: How even lowly persons can exhibit noble tendencies in certain situations much against the spirit of their calling. It is the force of their heart that transforms them to attempt to turn a new leaf. Sarvilaka is so attached to Madanika that he wants to rescue her from serfdom-though in the process he has to stoop to even stealing. What is noteworthy here is the motive and not the act itself. Sarvilaka is a thief, living by theft, he turns to theft to free his lady love from the bondage of slavery, a noble deed indeed, though sought to be achieved by ignoble means, a symptom of contradictions in life, something that is a fact of it. Vasantasena is. a courtezan but much against the spirit of her calling falls in for Carudatta by the sheer pull of his qualities. His magnanimity to the point of reducing himself to penury is the magnet for her. At this point she is just a lady love and not a courtezan. Anything or any being belonging to her paramour she owns. Since Rohasena is Carudatta's son, she has to have pity on him. She takes off her ornaments to enable him to acquire a golden cart when she notices him pining for it finding it with the child of another wealthier merchant and not willing to play with a clay cart, the Mricchakatika—the incident which has provided the title to the play-which is a fine psychological study in capturing beings in their genuine moral form different from the one which they have to keep up in public. Psycho-analysis The play shows its composer a good psychologist. In most of the situations he depicts the inner conflict raging in the minds of the characters. This is so with Sarvilaka out to commit theft, with the gamblers out to play the game of dice, the mother of Vasantasena in the act of identifying the ornaments in the court, the judge trying Carudatta and the Candalas preparing to executing him. Every one of them is conscious of the lowly nature and the impropriety of the work he is doing or is called upon to and the impropriety ofollection, New Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA

do and still engaging himself or herse'f in it. This is the inner conflict, the antardvandva which the playwright has effectively portrayed. Sarvilaka, a Brahmin, is conscious of the high traditions of his family: aham hi caturvedavido 'pratigrahakasya putrah sarvilako nama brahmanahi Madanikaganikartham akaryam anutisthami... kastam evam madanikaganikarthe brahmanakulam tamasi patitam, athava atma patitah³¹ dhig astu khalu daridryam anirveditapaurusami yad etad garhitam karma nindami ca karomi ca 152 In the gamblers scene Darduraka's words, though ostensibly uttered in praise of gambling, do betray a streak of aversion for it: sarvam nastam dyutenaiva. 53 The judge trying Carudatta rues his calling in having to try a person of the qualities and calibre of Carudatta. He has to crossexamine him. That is the legal procedure. But mark the agony of his words: nanu vyavaharas tvam prcchati 54. His heart sinks when evidence mounts against him. He has to sentence a person whom he adores. He dilutes his judgement on the plea of his (Carudatta's) being a Brahmin. He awards him only exile even for the crime of murder with which he is charged and which is proved by all the evidence available. It is a different matter that the king to whom the case is referred for final adjudication alters the judgement and awards death penalty. Even the Candalas take long to carry out the execution. It is clear that in their heart of hearts they do not want to kill Carudatta. One of them gives a poignant expression to his feelings when he asks people to get away and not to have a look at a good man losing his life with the simile of the golden pitcher sinking with its rope gone asunder which could not be more telling. Their reluctance to carry out the ghastly act is also manifest in the time they take to carry it out. They talk among themselves . When one of them refers to Carudatta without an honorific, the other objects: aryacarudattam nirupapadena namna lapasi. 55 He even goes to the extent of saying that even though born in the Candala family they are not CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastic

Mricchakatika-A Reassessment 145 Candalas. Candalas are they, implicating obliquely the judiciary and the monarchy, who ill-treat a good man. It is obvious from this as to how painful it was for the executioners to carry out the execution. It is a cry of anguish on their part when they say atra rajaniyogah khalv aparadhyati 56, the order of the master is at fault, aparadhyati, here. The execution of Carudatta is an aparadha even for the executioners! It was for no reason that the sword drawn by one of them to kill Carudatta had missed the mark. Playwright's knowledge of other Disciplines The playwright had a good grasp of the various disciplines like music, the science of omens and so on. The knowledge of music is noticeable in Carudatta's appreciation of the singing of Rebhila which is described as impassioned and sweet, smooth and distinct and full of emotion as also charming and attractive and is characterized by sweet voice, harmonized notes of the lute, high pitches, mingled with different Murcchanas, even on syllables, low at the close, controlled with utmost ease and repeated twice in consonance with the Raga. Through his foolish statements even Sakara gives expression to the belief of the time to the means which could impart melodiousness to voice. There were certain herbal preparations for this like the cuming seed and orris root brightened with Hingu and the root of Vaca as well as ginger with jaggery or dishes like that of the cuckoo meat brightened with Hingu and a dash of Marica powder fried and mixed with oil and ghee which could bring it about: bhuktam maya parabhrtiyamammsam katham naham madhurasvara itin√57 The knowledge and belief in omens has evidence for it in the throbbing of the right arm, spandate daksino bhujah of Aryaka, a good omen for men, getting sword from Candanaka out to inspect the vehicle and that of the throbbing of the left eye of Carudatta, a bad omen, when he gets a call from the court, savyam me spandate caksuh 59, the other bad omens noticed by him being thecharsh notes of scrow perched on a dried up tree in the

direction of the sun and a coiled cobra blocking his path. The judge in the court being told that the king's brother-in-law has come to file a suit considers it a bad omen corroborating it with the mundane phenomenon of the eclipse at the very sunrise indicating the downfall of a great man: Adhikaranikah-katham prathamam eva rastriyasyalah karyarthi? yatha suryodaya uparago mahapurusanipatam eva kathayati 60 And that is precisely what happens. Carudatta is charged with the heinous crime of murdering Vasantasena and is sentenced to death. Acquaintance with Regional Practices While going through the play one cannot but be struck with the playwright's intimate acquaintance with certain habits associated with certain regions of the country. After the royal command consequent upon the escape of Aryaka that each and every vehicle is to be inspected, a covered carriage passing through the main road is first inspected by Captain Candanaka. Finding Aryaka therein he, out to help him, tells the other Captain Viraka that it carries Vasantasena but his demeanour and his flipflop with the word arya and arya arouse suspicion in him with the result that he wants to carry out the inspection himself to which the former objects. As for his flip-flop he has the explanation that he being a southerner is indistinct in his speech: vayam daksinatya avyaktabhasinah61. He then comes out with a lengthy list of languages and dialects he knows and is free to use any expression. With the possibility of being cornered, with Viraka still insistent, he thinks of the device of picking up quarrel in the line of the people of Karnataka: karnatakalahaprayogam karomi 62 which according to Srinivasacharya is suskakalaha, picking up a quarrel for no reason. The Kannadigas might have had this habit during the playwright's time. Quaint Ideas The playwright also seems to have strange ideas about the use of Sanskrit. Women using it he does not seem to appreciate as can be inferred from the words of the Vidusakaindation USA CC -0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastr

Mrcchakatika-A Reassessment 147 mama tavad dvabhyam eva hasyam jayate-striya samskrtam pathantya manusyena ca kakalim gayata stri tavat samskrtam pathanti dattanavanasyeva adhikam sususabdam karotil 63 "For my part two things make me laugh: a woman reading Sanskrit and a man singing Kakali. A woman reading Sanskrit aloud like a young cow having a new rope passed through her nostrils makes too much of su su sound." Special Features of the Play The special features of the Mrcchakatika which have received notice of scholars are the plethora of characters from all walks of life, high and low, noble and ignoble, polite and impolite, pious and impious and the number of Prakrits, as many as eight indicating the proficiency of the playwright in all of them. SOCIETY AND CULTURE Caste and Profession: Liberality of Approach The Mricchakatika depicts a kind of society which had certain peculiarities that distinguish it from the traditional type. Let us take up the caste system first. The hero of the play Carudatta is a Brahmin by caste and a merchant by profession with his house in the quarters of the merchants, sresthicatvara.64 He does not hold on to the traditional Brahmin profession of a priest or of a teacher. In the time of the Mricchakatika caste was no barrier to the rise of a person to a higher position even if belonging to a low caste, as is clear from the fake quarrel that Candanaka picks up with Viraka in the incident of inspecting a carriage. Both are police captains, called Senapatis in the play. While one of them is from a barber community, the other one belongs to the community of shoe-makers. Both of them run down each other on the basis of their low caste which their quarrel reveals. Sarvilaka who engages himself in burglary and boasts of his skill in breaking into the houses is a Brahmin by caste. He has no qualms in using his sacred thread, vajnopavita, the symbol of his Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA

Brahminhood as the measuring tape 65 for making a hole in the wall as also as a bandage for snake-bitten finger. His Brahminhood is awakened when the Vidusaka in the dreamspeech asks Carudatta to take possession of the bunch of gold ornaments to relieve him of the worry of its safe keeping. He first is prompted to take hold of it but desists from it saying that it is not proper to harass a nobly born person who is in similar circumstances: grhnami athava na yuktam tulyavastham kulaputrajanam pidayitum, tad gacchami.66 It is only when the Vidusaka says that he would be cursed if he were not to take possession of the bunch of ornaments in the name of the wish of the cows and the Brahmins, bho vayasya! sapito 'si gobrahmanakamyaya yady etat suvarnabhandam na grhnasi 67, that he turns to taking hold of the ornaments: anatikramaniya bhagavati gokamya brahmanakamya ca 68, the cow-wish and the Brahmin-wish are not to be transgressed. So I take this. Coming to the last Act of the play we find even the Candalas saying that they are Candalas because they are born in the Candala family. Actually the Candalas are those who punish a noble person like Carudatta. And finally, and that is the last blow on the caste system, it is a cowherd boy, gopaladaraka, who deposes the ruling king and taking over the kingdom from him shares a part of it with Brahmin Carudatta. In his escape from the prison, it is Candanaka, a cobbler by caste, who had helped him by concealing his identity at the time of the inspection of the carriage and by handing over a sword to him. The carriage having reached the house of Carudatta for which it was meant; it was supposed to be carrying Vasantasena who was heading for that but had boarded another carriage mistakenly as had Aryaka; it is the latter, Carudatta, a Brahmin, who assures him when he takes refuge with him of having no fear from him, abhayam saranagatasya.69 It is he who has fetters from his foot removed and advises him for fear of being detected to move on with the same carriage. The sum total of the discussion only leads to the point with which we had started that in the Mrechakatika people belonging CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection, New Delhi.

Mrcchakatika-A Reassessment 149 to any caste, high or low, were free to choose for themselves any profession they liked. The people of low caste were not eternally condemned to follow the vocations of their caste. And vice versa. That does not mean that the caste system did not exist or was any the less rigid. The Sudras were not allowed to recite the Vedas. The judge reprimands Sakara when he accuses him of partiality, kim paksapatena vyavaharo drsyate". The judge gets furious and says Vedarthan prakrtas tvam vadasi na ca te jihva nipatita,71 a low caste fellow, you are talking of the sense of the Vedas, yet your tongue has not fallen off. In the court the Kayastha was the Assessor along with the Sresthin but his standing in society did not elicit respect. He was compared to a snake. The court is kayasthasarpaspadam.72 As for a customary rule the Brahmins were not to be awarded capital punishment. They were avadhyas even if having committed heinous crimes like murder. The judge after hearing the case and finding Carudatta guilty of the murder of Vasantasena on the basis of the evidence available awards, quoting Manu, the punishment of banishment from the country with all possessions intact: ayam hi pataki vipro na vadhyo manur abraviti rastrad asmat tu nirvasyo vibhavair aksataih sahani 73 It is a different matter that the king did not uphold the judgement and altered it to capital punishment for which he drew from Carudatta the censure of being thoughtless: aho avimrsyakari raja palakah.74 Interestingly, a person of the high caste, a Brahmin for instance, even though engaging himself in the most lowly and despicable act of burglary was conscious of his high birth: aham hi caturvedavido 'pratigrahakasya putrah sarvilako nama.15 That was perhaps the reason that the noble streak coming from his family did not completely forsake him even there. He reassures Madanika when she gets alarmed at his speaking of committing a rash act that he does not rob a woman with ornaments like a creeper in blossominor does he take away the Shastri

possessions of a Brahmin amassed for the sake of sacrifice, nor does he carry a child from the lap of a nurse. Even in the matter of stealing he exercises his judgement as to what should be done and what not: no musnamy abalam vibhusanavatim phullam ivaham latam viprasvam na harami kancanam atho yajnartham abhyuddhrtam! dhatryutsamgagatam harami na tatha balam dhanarthi kvacit karyakaryavicarini mama matis caurye 'pi nityam sthitan76 Possibility of Redemption of the Fallen Now, the spotlight is to be shifted to another interesting aspect of the Mrcchakatika. In its time a courtezan or a prostitute had a chance to be redeemed and, once fallen, was not to remain condemned or confined to that profession for ever, the society not accepting her in the family fold. Sarvilaka steals ornaments to buy freedom for Madanika. Vasantasena marks her look as she is engaged in a talk with him and infers from that that he is the same person who wants to make her a free woman: sa jana etam icchaty abhujisyam kartum". After she is freed, she is accepted as a bride: Sarvilakah-sudrstah kriyatam esa sirasa vandyatam janahi yatra te durlabham praptam vadhusabdavagunthanam 1178 She has got the title of vadhu which is difficult to secure. As was Madanika accepted as vadhu so was Vasantasena herself: Sarvilakah-Vasantasene! paritusto raja bhavatim vadhusabdenanugrhnati,79 the king (it is Carudatta who is styled here as such since he was made the ruler of Kusavati by Aryaka on ascension to the throne by deposing Palaka) highly pleased [with you] favours you with the title of vadhu [a lawfully wedded wife]. She is offered by Sarvilaka to Carudatta with the veil on, in the style of a vadhu: vasantasenam avagunthya carudattam prati 80. Even the prostitutes and courtezans in the time of the Mrcchakatika could become vadhus the legally wedded wives!

Mrcchakatika-A Reassessment 151 Custom of Sati The custom of Sati was not only prevalent in the time of the Mricchakatika but also glorified. The moment Dhuta, the wife of Carudatta, gets the news that he is to be executed, she gets ready to commit Sati. Even the consideration of the care of her son Rohasena in the absence of both the parents losing their life does not weigh with her. She tells the child who is clinging to her skirt to leave her and not come in her way: jata! munca, ma vighnam kurusva. She wants to predecease Carudatta so that she may not have to hear the unpleasant news of his death: bibhemy aryaputrasyamangalakarnanat. She is even prepared to court the sin which as per the reproduction of the views of the sages by the Vidusaka, accrues if a Brahmin women were to mount the funeral pyre without the body of the husband on it: varam papacaranam, na punar aryaputrasyamangalakarnnam 83. The glorification of Sati comes when the release of Carudatta from execution is attributed to the determination of the chaste wife to enter into fire: aho satyah prabhavah, yato jvalanapra-. vesavyavasayenaiva priyasamagamam prapita84. Religions In the time of the Mrcchakatika the Brahmanical religion with its gods and goddesses, vows and fasts, heaven and hell and sacrificial system was prevalent. Buddhism also flourished alongside though not favourably looked upon, the sight of a Sramana at the very start of an activity being considered inauspicious. There is mention in the work of the paraphernalia of the Buddhist monks, their kasaya garments, the civaras. A Bhiksu is shown in the play to wash them and leave them on a pile of dry leaves for drying, the water dripping from them reviving Vasantasena buried by Sakara underneath. The Bhiksus addressed the commoners as buddhopasaka and buddhopasika. Their possessions, dandakundikabhajana and their Viharas all find accurate mention in the work . It seems the State did exercise some power in matters of app Beni. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA appointment of religious heads as

should be clear from Carudatta's order about Sthavaraka's appointment as chief monk of all the Viharas in the country, Carudattah-tat prthivyam sarvaviharesu kulapatir ayam kriyatam. Slavery 85 The slavery was in existence in the time of the play. The slave could be bought - Samvahaka offers himself for sale and could be made free on payment, unless the owner were to waive off payment as in the case of Madanika who was made abhujisya 86 by Vasantasena, with no payment. The State could also grant freedom from bondage. Sthavaraka Ceta was freed by Carudatta on becoming king: suvrtto 'daso bhavatu.87 Judicial System Now, a word about the judicial system. There was a regular judicial procedure with the court, the judge, the assessors and a hall which provided seating arrangements. Anybody could come and file a suit. As a matter of fact, a call was given inviting people who want their cases to be heard: kah ka iha karyarthi. The judge was appointed by the king and held office at his pleasure, as evidenced by Sakara episode where he, the judge, first declines to admit his case on the plea that the court programme is already crowded but relents when he, Sakara, threatens that he would report against him to his brother-in-law, the king, and have him replaced by another judge: yadi na drsyate tadavuttam rajanam palakam bhaginipatim vijnapya etam adhikaranikam durikrtyatranyam adhikaranikam sthapayisyami.88 It was left to the discretion of the judge to summon witnesses. The evidence accruing was committed to writing. The judge was conscious of the difficulties that lay in store for him in deciding a case. People would give garbled version of the events, they would speak half-truths and so on. He would, therefore, give full opportunity to the accused to defend himself. The confession of the accused had to be secured before the judge gave his

Mrcchakatika-A Reassessment 153 judgement. The judgement was in the nature of the recommendation to the king who was the final authority to award punishment. The king does not agree with the recommendation of the judge in the case of Carudatta. He alters it from banishment to capital punishment, which he condemns in the strongest terms, attributing it to his bad counsellors. His condemnation is based on two scores-one, he, a Brahmin, is being killed; and two, the other procedure of putting him in the ordeal of poison, water, scale and fire was not resorted to, indicating thereby that there were other means to judge a person: visasalilatulagniprarthite me vicare krakacam iha sarire viksya datavyam adyal atha ripuvacanad va brahmanam mam nihansi patasi narakamadhye putrapautraih sametahi 89 A person condemned to the gallows was taken in a procession, wearing red garments, red sandal paste marks and the garland of Karavira flowers grown in the cemetry. The occasion marked almost like a show for the people. The criminal could be killed by the sword or impaled. The execution was carried out by Candalas, the hangmen. As would appear from the above, the Mricchakatika is a good mirror to the society of its times to some aspects of which attention has been drawn here. NOTE The study is based on the Mrcchakatika, Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan, Varanasi, Delhi 1993. Time has moved on. From the 6 th or the 7 th Century A.D. it has passed into the 21 st century. But the human society has basically remained the same with its finer and baser instincts with their inevitable contradictions. It is not all roses with no thorns. It is not all good with no evil. As a matter of fact , how can one know what is good if there were no evil. How could one appreciate Krsna if there were no Kamsa? How could one appreciate Rama if there were no Ravana? CC Prof. Satya Viat Shastri Coffection, New Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA

. V. 12 2. V. 18 3. V. 2 a 4. V. 22 5. V. 27 6. V. 24 7. V. 24 8. V. 13 9. V. IV 10. ibid. 11. V. 20 12. V. 22 REFERENCES 13. V. 19 14. V. 27 banmobres 15. V. 34 16. I. 10 17. IX. 26 18. II. 10 19. IV. 5, p. 216 20. IV. 21 21. I. 50 22. I. 36 23. I. 37 24. p. 113 25. p. 177 26. p. 178 27. p. 181 28. p. 111 29. ibid 30. II. 9 31. VIII. 14 32. p. 491 33. X. 33 34. IX. 5 35. pp.124-25 36. p. 215 37. p. 490

38. X. 26 39. X. 39 40. p. 123 41. II. 3 42. III. 10 43. IX. 20 44. IV. 2 45. II. 12 46. X. 28 47. X. 27 48. p. 171 49. p. 173-4 50. p. 175 51. pp. 181-183 52. III. 19 53. II. 8 54. p. 510 55. p. 564-5 56. p. 568 57. VIII. 13-14 58. VI. 24 59. IX. 15 60. p. 484 61. p. 367 62. p. 369 63. p. 159 Mrcchakatika-A Reassessment 155 64. p. 101 65. p. 175 66. p. 180 67. ibid 68. p. 181 69. p. 385 70. p. 514 71. IX. 21 72. IX. 14 73. IX. 39 74. p. 544 75. p. 181 C 66. P Satya Vrat Shastri Collection, New Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA

. p. 213 78. IV. 7-4 79. p. 635 80. ibid. 81. p. 629 82. ibid. 83. p. 630 84. p. 633 85. p. 636 86. p. 213 87. p. 636 88. p. 485 89. p. 547 M 1-C A