Great Sanskrit Plays in Modern Translation

by Purushottama Lal (Editor)

Professor Lal has provided an introduction on the history and aesthetic theory of Sanskrit drama, individual prefaces for each play, a phonetic guide to the pronunciation of the Indian names, and a selective bibliography. The wonderful world of classical Indian drama has been obscured for most readers by the stilted style of the existing 19th-century translations. Here, an Indian Sanskrit scholar, P. Lal, who is also a fine poet in his own right, has produced new versions in modern idiom which brings across the full richness and vitality of the originals. And these "transcreations" are so presented that they will "play" on our stage today. The volume Shakuntala by Kalidasa, The Toy Cart by King Shudraka, The Signet Ring of Rakshasa by Vishakadatta, The Dream of Vasavadatta by Bhasa, The Later Story of Rama by Bhavabhuti, and Ratnavali by Harsha.

Genres: Drama, Plays

416 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1957

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting collection of Sanskrit plays written from about second century BCE to eighth century CE (as I recall). Reading them all at once is not advised because they begin to blend together, and for a western reader the names are hard to keep straight. But one does get a sense of what Indian drama was like shortly after the classic Greek era (perhaps Alexander brought copies of plays to India?) and while westerners were listening to Roman drama.

The topics range from statecraft (The Signet Ring of Rakshasa by Vishakadatta) to morality (Kalidasa’s Shakuntala) to romantic melodrama (The Toy Cart) to farce (Ratnavali by Harsha). A compact but extremely useful introducation explains how these works (and two others) fit into the Sanskrit theory of drama. First, Lal asserts that the drama developed out of religious ritual. That done, he lists a few of the types of drama, of which there are ten kinds of major dramas (Rupaka) and eighteen types of minor drama (Upa-rupaka). For example, the Nataka is the most common type of major drama, with 5 to 10 acts. Four of the six plays in this work are of the Nataka type.

One learns that a drama has five stages of development (the desire to obtain something, organized effort, possibility of success, certainty of success, and finally actual attainment. Then Lal proceeds to describe interesting characteristics of Sanskrit drama that allow us to contrast it with western drama, such as

1. Since the law of Karma mechanically dispenses a kind of cosmic justice for every thought, word and deed, no occurrence in human life can be considered as really tragic--hence the entire absence of tragedy as an art form. Bharata, in fact, forbids the representation of death on the stage.
2. Sanskrit (literally, “cultivated” or “perfected”) is spoken by all Brahim and noble characters in the play, while Prakit (the vernacular) is reserved for menials and, generally, women.
3. Lyrical stanzas in strict Sanskrit meters alternate with frequent use of prose. Since it is difficult to manipulate Sanskrit meters to suit the needs of Pankrit, no woman normally expresses herself in verse.
...
7. The main sentiment or flavor tends to be either heroic or erotic.

Other key characteristics Lal outlines concern the role of the jester, unity of time and place, scenic divisions, and the role of the Stage Manager.

Then Lal talks about the theory of rasa, which he admits is difficult to explain clearly, but essential to understanding Sanskrit drama. Put even more roughly, drama unlike other arts promotes dispassionate enjoyment as opposed to emotional gushy feelings. The enjoyment comes from appreciating how the dramatist portrays the eight major sentiments: desire or affection or erotic longing, laughter or joy, anger from ill-treatment, sadness at being separated from the loved one, pride in one’s own powers, fear, aversion or loathing, and wonder. If these are balanced artfully in the play, the dramatist achieves rasa. They are the stable sentiments; there are also thirty-three unstable sentiments.

In the Hindu world-view, the chief sin being ignorance, rasa became a form of enlightenment through participation in esthetic ritual.

Lal ends the introduction with a description of the physical Sanskrit theater.

Each play is preceded by a precis, a bit of context, and information about the author (or disputed author).

[James Violand · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring. Primitive. An emphasis on deux machina. Not everything ancient needs to be preserved.

[Ashwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best play is mudrarakshasa. Followed by ratnavali. The author should have added mattavilasaprahasana in my opinion.

Mricchakattika is also commendable.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps some of the beauty of the original Sanskrit is lost in the translation to modern English. For me these stories were shallow, corny, and misogynistic (with the possible exception of "The Toy Cart"), but what can I expect from texts written over a thousand years ago? I can see the value in reading these for understanding ancient cultures and how they have influenced modern religion, but at the same time I can't say I enjoyed it.

[Carah Naseem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the plays were just alright... Kalidasa will always move and inspire me. King Shudraka's Toy Cart was also rather nice.

P. Lal's translations are also remarkable, and the collection should be rewarded especially in that respect.

[Goose · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book always ends up in my hand when i am traveling somewhere unfamiliar or when i get really lonely. i am fond of the stories and the characters.