Mrichchakatika - A Chronicle of Its Milieu
Mrichchakatika - A Chronicle of Its Milieu
Mrichchakatika - A Chronicle of Its Milieu
Sehajdeep Kaur
19 October 2019
Question: Nowhere else in Sanskrit Drama do we find such variety, and such drawing of
characters, as in “The Little Clay Cart”. Discuss Sudraka's play as a chronicle of its milieu.
Sanskrit Drama derives its roots from the transcendental experience of oriental mind, shining
through the face of Indian philosophy, structured through myth and revealed in ancient texts. The
art in Indian thought is the height of experience, and that is perhaps why concept of ‘rasa’ (relishing
Natyasastra, composed around 2nd century B.C.E is a most comprehensive text, survived on
dramaturgy. It forms the most important source of the knowledge we have today of Indian classical
drama. Natyasastra refers to drama, as an integrated art of music, action and poetry, capable of
rendering different forms of ‘rasa’ to the audience. This integrated approach entails highly
complex set of instructions and a rigid structure which has been thoroughly described by Bharata
and beautifully delineated through the works of oriental geniuses like Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti and
Bhasa.
outstanding source, for the understanding of ancient Indian society. Albeit, there are Several
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controversies about the actual period of Sudraka, most of the scholars agree that he was an Aryaka
king in the mahajanapada (city) of Ujjayini, from third century C.E, that is during the reign of
Gupta dynasty1. Mrichchakatika is the only available manuscript of complete ‘prakarna’ (one of
the ten types of play mentioned in natyasastra) and is one of the very few prakarnas which
efficiently harnesses almost all major rasas. Now, what is remarkable about Sudraka is, that while
staying in the basic structure implied by Bharata and previous dramatists, he deviates, from most
of the norms stated in natyasastra. The characters which run his play, come from a vast array of
different layers of the society. His protagonists are not some high born rich leisure youths, but a
poor married brahmana and a courtesan. Every strand, of the then Indian milieu is woven with a
great care, through about thirty two characters in the intricate pattern of this play.
If we try to carefully comprehend the play, from the viewpoint of understanding the social milieu
it represents, we become aware of two major layers across which Sudraka’s society is designed.
The characters accentuate their roles as members of a social system, through the choices they
make. Though Vasantasena’s decision to reject the offers of money and rather seek true love in
poor yet virtuous Charudatta, is quit against the nature of her profession as a courtesan, but it
elevates her status in the society2, and becomes a mean of aesthetic gratification, her job being
transformed into artistic experience. This theme of conflict between bounds of duty, and flame of
desire , plays itself again and again throughout the text. The mansion of Vasantasena as described
in act IV, gives an awe-striking reference to the majestic lifestyle of courtesans in Ujjayini.
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The ‘Bandhulas’ or the bastard pages, in Vasantasena’s mansion, display astonishing behaviour,
“We are indeed Bandhulas that sport like the cubs of elephants, being reared in other people's
houses, fed on others' food, begotten by other men upon stranger women, enjoying others' riches
What we know from didactic and authoritative texts like manusmriti, is that they were not
contrasting details about the class of Bandhulas in society, which couldn’t have been inferred
otherwise.
Charudatta is a dhiralalit hero (one of the several types of hero's character, marked by traits like
politeness, admiration of art and ideally very good nature). He is an ultimately considerate
personality, always reflecting generosity, influencing a certain sort of idealism, which attracts
those around him. His sensitivity towards art is constantly visible throughout the play, so much so
that even after being acknowledged of thievery in the house at midnight, he gets up to admire the
artistically cut hole in the wall rather than being concerned about the material degradation that
What is worth noticing is that, albeit Charudatta belongs to the caste of brahmanas, he is
Similarly, Sarvilaka is not a common thieve either, he is a learnt brahmana turned into a thieve,
again representing an upheaval in the social order. He also seeks fulfilment through the passion
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for artistic subtleties. Rebhila also, who is actually a merchant by profession feels a natural
This desire for fulfilment at individual and social level through the aesthetic sensitivity and its
colloquial harmony with their respective professions, to form a balance between desire and duty
is a structure with which the author wishes to replace the society of Ujjaini3 torn between duality
Samvahaka , who had learnt the delicate art of shampooing, and drove pleasure from cultivating it
in house of Charudatta, turned to gambling when he had to use his art in pedestrian streets as a
"Vasantasena: It is a dainty art that you have learnt. Samvahaka: Lady, I learnt is as an art, but
( Act II)
Bereft of any pleasure, he turns to gambling and having lost his will their and being saved by
Vasantasena, the realization of ephemeral nature of physical pleasures and strokes of dejection
leads him to go in a phase of complete rejection of the physical realm of pleasure and he turns into
a mendicant.
Despite the fact that we get to know about the strong cosmopolitan character of ancient Ujjayini
through different forms of employments (such as this rarely mentioned profession of shampooing)
and their role in the socio-political working of the state, we also come across the more
metaphysical realm of the play, where it reflects the ageless enigma of transformation of ART into
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a mere means of LIVLIHOOD and thus in this process, the losing of the shear essence of human
life- deprivation from harmony and higher pleasure, causing imbalance in life and society. It is a
ubiquitous problem which is manifested in roots of our society even today, tearing the barriers of
time, thus making Mrichchakatika a very relevant text in terms of our social predicament , no
wonder ancient Indians were so concerned about the concept of pleasure to write a whole treatise
Mrichchakatika.
Similarly character, Vita brings out a course of transformation, his internal conflict between his
duty to accompany his master, Sakara, who acts as a protégé to the King Palaka who, otherwise
remains physically absent from the play. Sakara's acts of brutality represent the falling threads of
Vita's character in a more broader sense, also reflects the nature of a common citizen of the society
who might have to accompany the powerful and rich to receive benefits and conformity, but is torn
between his desire to oppose the wrong being done or to stay and enjoy the shallow pleasures.
Moreover, Vita also acts as a jester to the comic character of villain Sakara, in a sense that he
provides a stern contrast to his insane acts, while indirectly commenting on their fallacy and
bringing into light a more foolish and comic persona of the villain.
“Be not afraid; be not afraid: All right I will deceive him. (approaching Sakara) Bastard, it is
His dilemma, is a dilemma of a common man and similarly his questions too reflect the mind-set
of the man of his contemporary society who has to live through the trenches of brutal caste
identities.
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“Why talk of one's family, since in such matters, it is a man's character that makes him what he
is? Even thorny trees grow exceedingly large on fertile field.” ( Act VIII )
Similar questions are raised in Act10, by Chandalas, who belong to one of the lowest group of the
Ujjayini’s social structure . The dialogue between Chandanaka and Viraka, two policemen who
are torn between the question of loyalty to the state or to the King, also becomes important in
understanding the socio-political turmoil which was filling the city of Ujjayini.
One of the fairly overlooked subjects in Mrichchakatika is, the complex employment of a character
from Buddhist dominion and its acclimatization in the obdurate social structure dominated by
Hindu pragmatic thought. India in 3rd century was under the reign of Gupta dynasty. After the fall
of Mauryans, which involved Hindu uprising, under the leadership of Pushyamittra Sunga 4
(General of Ashoka Maurya) against Buddhist spread, involved certain element of social
insurgency against Buddhist ideals 5 It was replaced by another brahmin dynasty in 75 B.C.E
known as Kanva dynasty, succeeded by the Guptas in 3rd century , in start of Christian era, the
period in which Mrichchakatika is assumed to be placed. This period was the period of tolerance
and budding back of Buddhism. Still the concepts of them being outsiders (“mlechchas”) and
other primordial archetypes against “Buddhist mendicants” and other deviators ( from
brahaminical canon) were embedded in collective consciousness of the society as we find in Act
VII of Mrichchakatika,
“Charudatta: ..So come, let us go. (walking about) How! Just before me I see a Buddhist
mendicant, a sight of evil omen! Let him come in by this path; while we shall depart by this other
Similarly, in Samvahaka's dialogue with Vasantasena and Charudatta in Act10, brings out various
possibilities about the complex cultural realities existing in Ujjayini in that period.
The political sub-plot very boldly incorporated the realism of streets and voices of 'subaltern' and
the marginalized6, with the revolutionary king to be, belonging from a herdsman clan group of
Ahirya class and his supporters coming from different classes of the society to get rid of the
problems they face as a part of the social structure. These social issues as reflected above, are
brilliantly woven through out the story which reach at a climax in Act X and with the revolution,
dethroning of the previous power takes place. And, must we remember that Mrichchakatika is a
prakarna, a play, whose true aesthetical beauty lies only in its enacting on the stage. The play also
contains wide variety of Prakrit dialects along with chaste Sanskrit. As Bill Rauch's observed
while the enactment of play on stage, “…costumes made it obvious that they represented several
castes. Colour, fabric texture, and jewellery, all created a visual hierarchy..7” So, when enacted on
stage, through skill and mastery of expressions, dance and songs, Mrichchakatika becomes a
powerful representation of a whole new society with different colours, dialects, socio-cultural and
political ideas.
Sudraka indeed created a revolutionary masterpiece whose greatness circumscribed the rim of
time's wheel and ideally chronicled a colourful milieu through the multiple seams of its intricate
fabric.
Notes :
1. Ruben Walter: Fighting Against Despots in Old Indian Literature, Bk.(Vol.1917- 67),
pg.114-118.
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7. The Clay Cart By Sudraka: Bill Rauch, Review by- Judith A. Sebesta , Eleanor Owicki.