Sambodhi 1978 Vol 07

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 70

S. Ramaratnam
Prahasana which is unfortunately lost to us. The ten new elements suggested by Singabhupala are Avalagita, Avaskanda, Vyavahära, Vipralambha, Upapatti, Bhayam, Anṛtam, Vibhränti, Gadgadavak and Pralapa.
One of them, the Avaskanda, is defined and illustrated thus:
avaskandastvanekeṣāmayogyasyaikavastunaḥ
68
sambandhäbhasakathanāt svasvayogyatvayojanā.17
yatha (Anandakoşa) prahasane
Yatiḥ saksadbhatam vadati kucayorantaram dvaitavadam Bauddhaḥ bhavo bodhakṣaṇikamahima saugate dattapädaḥ Jainah bakvormüle nayati sucitamarhatt kacidikşa
Sarve
nabhermalam prathayati phalam sarvasiddhäntasaram. atra yatibauddhajainānām gaṇikäyām svasiddhantadharma sambandhakathanena svasvapakşaparigrahayogyatvayojanat avaskandaḥ.
Views of Abhinava gupta on Prahasaras
Bhagavatas, Tapasa, Vipras and others are the main characters in a Suddha type of a Prahasana. Is it not improper to make these noble men the butt of ridicule on the stage? Abhinavagupta analyses this problem.
Bhagavatas, Tapasa and Vipras are not to be presented as regular rogues on the stage. They are not censurable by nature. It is only due to the association of the rogues that they are tempted to do acts of Aslila and thereby become the laughing stock of the audience.
"ye tu svabhāvataḥ na garhitā bhagavatṭāpasādiceṣṭāviśeṣāsteṣām
prakṛtapuruşasankrantidaurātmyoditämanyasambandhadaṣyamāṇataya
prahasaniyatim yataḥ"...18
The word 'yathayoga' in Bharata's statement has been explained by Abhinava thus "tesam samprayoge sankhyāyāḥ kramasya tu na kalcinniyama iti dariayari". There is no fixed number of Vithyangas prescribed while adopting them in the Prahasana. With regard to the number of acts in a Prahasana Abhinava says "buddham ekākam sankirṇam tu anekākam vesyādicaritasankhyabaladiti kecit...."20 some critics hold that the suddha Prahasana may have one act and a mixed many acts since it has more characters like the courtezans.
Abhinava also answers the question whether it is worthwhile to present on the stage a Prahasana which generally depicts the life of the degraded persons. He says, the Prahasanas too have their moral appeal in that they show how one should not act. If the association of the rogues can corrupt 17 R.S. Trivendram Sanskrit Series-No. L. 1916. Page 290. 18 N.S.G.O.S. II p. 447-448.
19 Ibid.
20 Ibid.