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A ORITICAL STUDY
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thought got stereotyped, and as conventions they had a metallic grip on ancient Indian literature. Even the training of an Indian poet or author is of a standardised cast: the aims are settled; the themes are dictated; type-characters are supplied; and even ready-made descriptions and stylistio devices are kept at the disposal of an author in the making. Ordinary intellect got crippled, though sufficiently trained; it is only the extraordinary genius that attempted to open new literary paths somewhat deviating from the accepted standards. In isolated branches of literature, the Indian mind exhibits remarkable elevation, successful finish and consummate polish; but the lack of variety is apparent everywhere. The fact that ancient India, which could boast of the greatest master-pieces in epic poetry and certain kinds of fiction and drama, has neither a tragedy after the manner of the Greeks nor satire in Roman fashion is to be attributed to the peculiar way in which the Indian mind evolved and the Indian author was trained for his job. The Sanskrit or even Indian 'poetic theory of super-individual emotion and its complacent attitude towards life', as Dr. De remarks, 'precluded any serious cultivation of the satiric type of literature.'
Satire as a form of literature has been conspicuously absent in early Indian literature. India, however, has not been lacking in literary geniuses that were trained according to standard discipline. Every age has its follies and faults; and these geniuses, on account of their righteous indignation and as a wholesome correction, must have brandished their satirical whip against social disorders and diseases. Such satirical compositions could not have the same sanctity as that enjoyed by religious works; and it is not unlikely that many specimens have not come down to us, even if the art of satire was duly cultivated. Satire, moreover, is an indispensable stylistic quality in some forms of literature, and the elements of this quality are found scattered, here and there, in early Indian literature: in stories, in minor poems and in plays.
The Dasakumaracarita, on account of its setting, substance, characters and events, is far from possessing the stereotyped orthodox outlook : in fact, it is a remarkable contribution of a novel type in Sanskrit. It presents a lively and realistic picture of the society, some glimpses of which we get in the Mșcchakatikam. Dandin is unconventional by temperament. Though it is not his aim to give his composition the form of a satire, he has easily meted out some satirical lashes against gods who are dragged down to illustrate the disgraceful deeds of the characters (pp. 29, 44), against Brāhmaṇas who are greedy for wealth and divert themselves by cock-fighting (p. 96), against hypocritical ascetics whose passion is easily enkindled (p. 44 f.), against the Digambara Jaina monk who is made to confess the worthlessness of his mode of life (p. 47 f.), and against Buddhist nuns who are ridiculed as go-betweens. The adventurous tales of young princes have an enchanting grip on the reader's mind; and Dandin's tendency to ridicule certain aspects of the society by satire
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