I had been planning to read classical Sankrit plays for some time now, translation of course. Still I kept postponing it simply because I was not sure if the themes and language of the plays will have any resonance with me. I chose Mrichchkatika (The Little Clay Cart,) because it sounds different than other names of Sanskrit plays that sound like love stories.
Arthur William Ryder, the translator, in his notes states that the reason he liked translating this book is because it has very modern themes and is not merely a love story with ornamental prose. Although the play has poetry, running allegories and metaphors as was the style. This book has a love story and it is not central to the plot. Perhaps that is the reason this author’s work is not as known as works of other playwrights. Not much is known about the author either, he just identifies himself as King Shudraka. How did he come to write such a political play? Why did he not continue to write?
The book focuses on modern day issues like bureaucracy, role of judiciary and the idea of classes. But there are some issues which must be regular for that society but don’t work in ours, such as the protagonist proclaiming love for other woman, when he has a wife. There seems some betrayal of embarrassment when he has to confess this in public so we know even then society did not seem comfortable with the idea - but still it is a polygamous society and they seem okay with the idea of several wives, they only frown at the idea of affairs.
The play has a good pace, despite the redundancy of poetry. But this is definitely a masterpiece for its time. I will definitely have more thoughts on this once I read plays by Kalidas and I will post my thoughts here.
If you were wondering how the jokes got translated in these two different languages and actually two different cultures, For instance this easy one here:
I bathed where water runs and flows and purlsI shat within a garden, park and grove
And the thought, “ewww that is too graphic.,” did cross my mind but it's wordplay, it is spoken by a character who pronounces “s” as “sh”. I am certain thought that some jokes would be missed despite all efforts, some the translator explains in the notes, and others I get simply because I am from the culture.
