Ce

ntr
als
tor
yofMr
ichc
hha
kat
ikabyS
udr
aka

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chc
hhaka
ṭik
aisate
n-ac
tSansk
ritdr
amaatt
ri
bute
dt oŚūdraka
.Themeani
ngofMṛ
ichchha
kaṭ
ikais
‘
TheLi
tt
leCl
ayCar
t’
.Mṛi
chc
hha
k a
ṭik
aisspe
ll
edl
ike
,Mr c
cha
k at
ika
,Mric
cha
kati
ka,
orMr
ichc
hhakat
ika
,

Ś
ūdrak
awa sanancie
ntplaywri
ghtg
ene
ral
lythoughttohaveliv
edsomet
imebetwee
nthese
cond
c
entur
yBCandthefi
fthcent
uryADwhomtheprologuei
dent
if
iesasaKs
hat
ri
yak
ingandade
vot
eeof
S
ivawhol
i
vedfor100yea
rs.

Cha
rac
ter
s:

Chā
ruda
tta
,–a
nimpov
eri
she
dyoungBr
ahmi
n

Va
rdha
māna
ka,
-as
erv
anti
nChā
ruda
tta
’shous
e

Ra
dani
kā-ama
idi
nChā
ruda
tta
’shous
e,

Dhut
a-Wi
feofChā
ruda
tta

Roha
sena
,-Chā
ruda
tta
’ss
on

Ma
itr
eya
,–apoorBr
ahmi
n,Chā
ruda
tta
’sf
ri
end

Va
sant
ase
nā-ac
our
tes
ani
nlov
ewi
thChā
ruda
tta

Vi
ta-ac
our
ti
eri
nse
rvi
ceofVa
sant
ase
nā

Ma
dani
kā-Va
sant
ase
nā’
sma
ids
erv
anta
ndc
onf
ida
ntMot
herofVa
sant
ase
nā

Ka
rna
pūr
akaa
ndKumbhī
l
aka
-Va
sant
ase
nā’
sse
rva
nts

S
ams
thā
nak
a,Br
othe
rtooneoft
heKi
ng’
sconc
ubi
nes

Vi
ta-ac
our
ti
eri
nse
rvi
ceofS
ams
thā
nak
a

S
thā
var
aka
-Sa
mst
hāna
ka’
sse
rva
nt

Ār
yak
a-ahe
rds
mana
ndpr
inc
eine
xil
ewhobe
come
ski
ng

S
arv
il
aka
-aBr
ahmi
nandat
hie
f,i
nlov
ewi
thMa
dani
kāMā
thur
a,

Da
rdur
aka
-ag
ambl
er,
fri
endt
oSa
rvi
l
aka

Vī
rak
aandCha
nda
nak
a-c
apt
ainsoft
hec
ivi
lgua
rd,
fri
endst
oSa
rvi
l
aka

T
hepl
ayi
sse
tint
hea
nci
entc
it
yofUj
j
ayi
nidur
ingt
her
eig
noft
heKi
ngPā
lak
a,ne
art
hee
ndoft
he
Pradyot
adynastythatmadeupt hefi
rstquar
terofthefif
thcentur
yBC. Thecentr
alst
oryist
hatofnoble
butimpover
ishedyoungBrahmin,Chārudatt
awhof al
lsinlovewithawe al
thycourt
esanornagar
vadhu,
Vasanta
senāDe s
pitethe
irmutualaff
ecti
on,however,thecoupl
e ’
sli
vesandlovearethr
eatene
dwhe na
vul
g a
rcourt
ier,
Sams t
hānaka,
beg i
nstoa g
gress
ive
lypur s
ueofVa s
antase
nā.

Ri
fewi t
hr oma nce
,c omedy,sex,i
ntri
gueandapoli
ti
cals
ubpl
otdet
a i
li
ngtheovert
hrowofthecit
y’s
despot
icrulerbyas hephe
rd,theplayi
snotabl
eamongext
antS
ansk
ritdramafori
tsf
ocusonafi
ct
ional
sc
ena r
ioratherthanonac l
ass
icalt
aleorl
egend.

Mṛccha
kaṭikaal
sodepart
sfr
om tradi
ti
onsenume rat
edint heNatyaS hast
ratha ts
pec
if
ythatdramas
s
houldfocusontheli
vesofthenobil
i
tyandinst
eadincorpor at
esal argenumbe rofmi
ddl
ea ndlower
-
c
astechar
a ct
erswhospeakawiderangeofPrak
ritdi
alec
ts .Thestoryisthoughttobeder
ive
df r
oma n
ea
rli
erwor kcal
le
dChā r
udat
tainPovertybytheplaywri
g htBhā s
a ,thoughthatworksur
viv
e sonl
yin
f
ragments
.

Ofal
ltheSans
kri
tdrama
s,Mṛ c
chak
aṭi
karemai
nsoneofthemostwi
del
ycel
ebr
ate
da ndof
t-
perf
ormed
i
ntheWe s
t,i
npa r
tbecaus
eitspl
otstr
uctur
emoreclose
lyr
esembl
estha
tofWe s
terncl
ass
icst
han
ot
herHindupl
ays
.

Pl
otS
umma
ry

Chārudattaisag ener
ousma nfrom t heBrahma ncast
ewho,t hroughhisc ha
rita
blecontri
buti
onsto
unluckyfrie
ndsa ndt heg ener
alpubl icwe l
far
e,hass ever
elyimpov e
ris
hedhi msel
fa ndhisf a
mily
.
Thoughde s
erte
dbymos tofhisf r
iendsa ndemba rr
asse
dbyde ter
iorat
ingli
vingcondit
ions,hehas
ma i
ntai
ne dhisreput
ationinUjj
ayiniasa nhonestandupri
ghtma nwithar ar
eg i
ftofwi
sdoma ndma ny
i
mpor tantme nconti
nuet osee
khi scounsel.

Roha s
ena,Chār
uda ttaisenamor e
dofVa santasenā,ac ourtesanofg r
e a
twe alt
ha ndreput ati
on.Aft
era
chanceencountera tt
het empleofKāma ,s
heha sfoundt hatsheloveshimi nret
urn,thoug h,thema t
ter
i
sc ompli
catedwhe nVa sa
ntasenāfi
ndshe rs
elfpur sue
dbyS amsthānaka,aha l
f-
ma dbr other-i
n-l
awof
KingPālaka
,andhi sr e
tinue.Whe ntheme nt hre a
tenv iole
nce,Va sant
asenāflees,seekingsa f
etywit
h
Chārudatt
a.Thei
rl oveblossomsfoll
owingthec landest
ineme eti
ng,andt hecourt
e sa
ne nt r
ustshernew
l
ov erwit
hac as
ke tofjewe l
ryi
na natt
emptt oe nsureaf utureme eti
ng.

Herpla
ni st
hwar
ted,howev
er,whenathi
ef,S
arv
il
aka,e
nt e
rsChār
udat
ta’
shomeandst
eal
sthejewel
s
i
na ne l
abor
ates
chemet obuythefr
eedom ofhisl
over,Madani
kā,whoisVa
sant
ase
nā’
ss l
aveand
conf
idant
.

Thecourt
esanrec
ognizest
hej ewel
ry,butshea c
c e
ptsthepaymenta ny
waya ndfre
esMa da
nikāt
o
marr
y.Shethenatte
mpt st
oc onta
ctChā r
udattaandinf
orm hi
m ofthesit
uat
ion,butbef
oresheca
n
makecontac
thepanic
sandsendsVasantase
nāar a
repe a
rlne
ckl
acethathadbe
longedtohi
swif
e ,
agi
ft
i
ngreatexc
essoft
hev al
ueoft
hes t
olenjewelr
y.

I
nrecog
nit
ionofthi
s,Chā
rudatt
a’sfr
iend,Mait
rey
a,ca
utionst
heBrahmina
gai
nstf
urt
herass
oci
ati
on,
f
ear
ingtha
tVasant
asenāi
s,atworst
,schemingtot
akefr
omChā r
uda
ttathef
ewposs
essi
onshest
il
lhas
a
nd,
atbe
st,
agood-
int
ent
ione
dba
sti
onofba
dluc
kanddi
sas
ter
.

Refusi
ngtotakethi
sadvi
ce,Chārudat
tamakesVa s
anta
senāhismist
res
sa ndshee ve
nt ua
ll
yme et
shis
youngson.Duri
ngtheencounter
,theboyisdis
tre
ssedbecaus
eheha srecent
lyenjoy
edpl ayi
ngwit
ha
fr
iend’
stoycar
tofsol
idgol
da ndnolonge
rwa nt
shisowncla
yc ar
ttha
thisnursehasma deforhi
m.

Taki
ngpit yonhimi nhi ssadne ss
,Vas antasenāf i
l
lshisl
itt
leclayc
a r
twi t
hherownjewe l
ry,heapi
nghis
humblet oywi t
hamoundofg oldbe forede parti
ngtome e tChār
uda t
tainaparkoutsi
dethec i
tyfora
day’
sout ing.Thereshee nt
ersaf inec arri
age,buts oondis c
over
st hatshei
sinag harr
ybe l
ongingto
Samsthāna ka,whor e
ma i
nse nragedbyhe rpre vi
ousa f
fr
onta ndisma dl
yjea
lousoftheloveandf av
or
sheshowst oChā r
udatta.Una bletope rsuadehi shenchme ntokil
lher,Samst
hānakasendshisreti
nue
awaya ndpr oceedstos trangleVa sa
nt asenāa ndhidehe rbodybe nea t
hapileofleave
s.Sti
llseeki
ng
vengeance ,
hepr omptlyac c
use sChārudattaoft hecri
me .

ThoughtheBrahminproc
lai
mshi
sinnoc
ence,hi
spres
enc
einthepa
rka
longwi
thhiss
on’
sposs
ess
ionof
Vasant
asenā’
sjewelsimpl
ic
atet
hepov er
ty-
str
ick
enman,andheisf
oundguil
tyandconde
mne dto
deathbyKingPāl
aka.

Unbe k
nownsttoa
ll
,howeve
r,thebodyide
nti
fi
eda sVasa
nta
senā
’swasac
tual
l
yanothe
rwoman.
Vasantas
enāha
drev
ive
dandbef
rie
ndedbyaBuddhi
stmonkwhonur
sedhe
rbac
ktohe
alt
hinane
arby
vi
ll
age.

J
ustasChār
udatt
aface
se xec
uti
on,Vasa
ntase
nāappea
rsand,see
ingtheexci
tedcrowd,i
nte
rvenesi
n
t
imetosav
ehimf r
ome x
ecuti
onandhiswif
eDhut
afromthrowi
nghers
e l
font
oaf uner
alpy
re.Toge
the
r
t
hethre
edecla
rethemsel
vesafa
mily.

Reachi
ngt hec ourts,Vasantas
enātell
sthes t
oryofhe rnearde atha nd,fol
lowinghert es
timony,
Samsthāna
k aisarrest
eda ndthegoodPri
nceĀryakadeposesthewi c
kedKingPā l
aka.Hisf
ir
stact
sa sthe
newlydecl
a r
eds overei
gnistorest
oreChāruda
tta’
sfort
unea ndg i
vehima nimportantposi
ti
ona tcourt
.
Fol
lowingthisg oodwi ll
,Chā r
udat
tademons t
rat
esi nthef i
nala cthisenduri
ngv irt
uea ndc har
ity
,
appeali
ngtotheKi ngforpardononbehal
fofSamsthānakawhoi ssubsequent
lyde c
lare
dfree.

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