This year, I decided to dabble into the world of rich regional literature. Other than a brief mention of Kalidasa in history textbooks, my exposure to the vast array of Sanskrit literature was very limited. On being introduced to Shudraka’s Mricchakatika by my uncle Ravi, I was in awe of it’s simplistic writing, contemporary storyline and relatable characters.
I wonder how a play written more than 2000 years ago is relevant even today!
For those who haven’t explored this form of literature, Sanskrit isn’t just the language of scriptures(Vedas, Puranas, Shastras, Sutras). It was once the language of the people. Plenty of fictional works were written and enacted to entertain the masses. This led to creative advancements by Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti, Bhasa, Shudraka and the likes. From the rule of the last Mauryan King in the 1st century BCE to King Abhira’s rule in 3rd century AD, playwrights flourished and left their indelible mark.
Most of the stories were retellings of historical legends from Ramayana and Mahabharata. Amidst this world of overused stories and plotlines, Shudraka’s fictional story of Mricchakatika also known as The Little Clay Cart came as a breath of fresh air.
Set in Avanti(modern-day Ujjain), the story begins with the introduction of the honourable Charudatta, a poor brahmin merchant and the courtesan Vasantasena who yearns for his love. The story traverses through various themes and brings an assortment of characters to give an entertaining yet simplistic conclusion of good over evil.
The play instantly earned fame for breaking all conventional norms of a Sanskrit drama. Unlike others, the title of the play didn’t mention either the hero or the heroine (Kalidasa’s Abhijnana Shakuntalam is Shakuntala’s journey of love and despair). Instead, it was named after an inanimate object, a clay cart. Moreover, Shudraka depicted real-life characters across different classes of the society. With a simple and direct writing style, the author included elements of action, drama, humour and romance which brought out raw emotions and touched the audience heart.
While reading this, I could only imagine how sensational this play would have been!
Shudraka:
While the introduction of this play mentions Shudraka as a great King who ruled till the age of 110, others assumed that the author used a pseudonym. Historians strongly feel that Shudraka was himself King Abhira or was a Godly figure worshipped by the people of those times. Nothing is clearly recorded.
The Sanskrit Theatre:
There are many elements of the Sanskrit Theatre that I wasn’t familiar with when I started reading this play. Most of the Sanskrit plays start with a salutation to the all pervading Universe and Lord Shiva. After the prayer, the play is introduced to the audience by the Sutradhar(Director and narrator) and the crew.
Natyashastra by Bharata, written between the 3rd and 4th century A.D mentions with great detail the process of enacting a Sanskrit play on stage. There were four ways to emote on stage which included Angik(gestures and hand movements), Vachik(dialogue based acting), Satwik(enacting spiritual message) and Aharya(making use of props). They were staged in temples, forts or even on the streets.
The Sanskrit verses were deeply descriptive and lyrical in nature. Prakrit was also used to give a colloquial touch and to connect with the audience. Unlike most Greek plays, Sanskrit plays didn’t have a tragic ending.
Character Sketch:
Shudraka’s magnum opus had multiple characters and subplots. In fact, the play didn’t even have many scenes of the two protagonists and the villain. Smaller characters and their individual journeys were brought in so masterfully that in the climax all the loose ends were tied!
These are some of the most prominent characters from the play:
Charudatta:
The idealistic male protagonist comes in the form of Charudatta. Although he was a poor brahmin merchant, he only revered his honor. He always did the right thing and was extremely generous. He was loved by the townsfolk and was known for his honesty. He is very similar to Antonio from the Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare.
Vasantasena:
Shudraka brought an unconventional female protagonist in the form of Vasantasena. The audience were used to seeing a coy woman as their heroine. But Vasantasena was smart, witty and foresighted. Although rich, her social position as a courtesan didn’t bring her any respect. She wanted to escape this instability and settle down as Charudatta’s wife. At the point of conflict, she arrived just in time to save her beloved from death.
Maitreya:
Every play had a character of a simpleton jester. In this play, Charudatta’s best friend Maitreya played the role. He was a loyal friend and provided humour to the play.
Sansthanaka:
Sansthanaka is the evil villain who wanted to destroy Charudatta and Vasantasena’s relationship. He was filled with lust for Vasantasena and tried to kill her when faced with rejection. Unlike others, he spoke in a dialect of Prakrit.
Why the name Mricchakatika?
When loosely translated to English, Mricchakatika means a Little Clay Cart. There is only one scene in the entire play where this toy clay cart is actually mentioned. But the significance of it is so enormous that the drama was named after it.
When Vasantasena went to meet Charudatta’s son Rohansena, she found him brooding over the loss of a toy. On enquiring further, the little boy revealed that when his father was rich, he used to play with a toy gold cart. But after a terrific loss, the lad had to play with a clay cart. His friend shared his toy gold cart at times but it wasn’t enough. With sympathy in her eyes, Vasantasena filled the child’s cart with all her gold jewellery.
This short scene shows that Vasantasena wanted to be involved in Charudatta’s life.
Her life had provided her with all the riches, except respect!
Secondly, the clay cart alludes to the wheel of life that keeps spinning. The wheel of fortune spins and is responsible for transitioning Charudatta’s life from poverty to riches; Aryaka’s life from a prince in exile to the King; Vasanatasena’s life from a courtesan to a householder and Sansthanaka’s life from an evil villain to a prisoner.
Translated into English by Arthur Ryder in 1905, the play gained a lot of attention and appreciation by the Western audience. It was enacted at the Hearst Greek Theatre in Berkeley in 1907 and an off-Broadway production at the Theater de Lys in 1953.
There have been multiple Indian adaptations in different languages, a notable work being the Hindi movie Utsav in 1984. It was produced by Shashi Kapoor and directed by Girish Karnad.
If you are also like me, a beginner to Sanskrit literature, I would suggest starting with Mricchakatika. You can find the book here.
Prior to Natyashastra, the earliest mention of Sanskrit drama is found in Patanjali’s Mahabhasya.
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