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Overlapping of Types Possible
Now, as a rule, the Gods, as heroes, are of the Dhirodatta type; kings are of the type of Dhiralalita, commanders and ministers are of the Dhiroddhata type; and Brahmins and merchants are of the Dhirapraśānta type. This rule is of course not hard and fast. For, Rāma, although a king, is a Dhirodātta type. Whereas Mādhava in the Mālatimādhava play, though a son of a minister, is of the Dhiralalita type.
This is why Hemachandra quotes Bharata's two Kārikās (N.S. 34.18-19 C.S.S.; N.S. 24.18-19 G.O.S.) which lay down only a general rule that there may be an overlapping of types. The viveka commentary has one passage (the only passage in this chapter) which takes up the discussion of a theoretical point.
Hemachandra quotes the Nātyaśāstrā passage ( 24.18-19 G.O.S.) which means that the Gods are to be considered Dhiroddhata, the kings, Dhiralalita, the Senāpati and the ministers, Dhirodatta and Brahmins and merchants are to be thought of as Dhirapraśānta. This is the first fourfold division of the Hero.
The viveka passage (mentioned above) elaborates the idea of the Nātyaśāstrā passage first and then reproduces an argument from the Avaloka of Dhanika on D. R. 11.5 and 11.6 (Dhanika's whole passage is quoted with some variations ).
The Interchangeability or Otherwise of Types of Heroes
The passage in question raises an important point as to whether the four types of the Hero described above are (1) interchangeable or (2) fixed or not. Now, here we should remember that the question relates to the first classification of the Heroes. But it may be asked as regards the second classification of the Hero as lovers. The argument can be summarised as under :
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