श्लोकोऽयं मह्यं रोचते – 49

ची

चीयते बालिशस्यापि सत्क्षेत्रपतिता कृषिः।

न शालेः स्तम्बकरिता वप्तुर्गुणमपेक्षते ॥

The above sloka is from the drama ‘mudraa raksasam’ of ‘vishaakhadatta’.

The context here is:- The sUtradhAra or the stage manager enters the stage to begin the drama with the above verse.

In the above verse the author compares himself to a farmer. He says a seed will be sprouted automatically if sown in the correct field. It does not matter whether the farmer is an expert or a novice. The abundant and luxuriant growth of rice does not depend on the quality of the farmer.

Likewise, the author compares himself to an ordinary farmer and the work written by him is compared to the seeds and the stage where the drama was going to be played as the correct field due to the extinguished audience. Hence, the author concludes with complete modesty that in the midst of scholars even a normal drama becomes successful irrespective of the author.

बालिशस्यापि- though an amateur , सत्क्षेत्रपतिता- correct field, कृषिः- seed (the word कृषिः means ploughing but secondarily the word conveys seed, चीयते- grows , शालेः- of the rice, स्तम्बकरिता- abundant growth , न- does not, वप्तुर्गुणमपेक्षते- depends the quality of the sower.

MudrA rAksasam is a political drama and deals with the story of chanakya uprooting the nanda dynasty and coronating chandragupta as the king. Though the poet Vishakadhatta cannot be compared to kAlidAsa or BhAravi but many verses and dialogues are really commendable.

श्लोकोऽयं मह्यं रोचते – 8

उ
उपलशकलमेतत् भेदकं गोमयानाम्
वटुभिरुपहृतानां बर्हिषां स्तूपमेतत् ।
शरणमपि समिद्भिः शुष्यमाणाभिराभिः
विनमितपटलान्तं दृश्यते जीर्णकुड्यम् ।। (मुद्राराक्षसम् – 3 -15)

upalaśakalametat bhedakaṁ gomayā
vaṭubhirupahṛtānāṁ barhiṣāṁ stūpametat
śaraṇamapi samidbhiḥ śuṣyamāṇābhirābhiḥ
vinimitapaṭalāntaṁ dṛśyate jīrṇakuḍyam (mudrārākṣasam - 3 - 15)

The above verse is from the third act of the drama ‘mudrA rAkshasam’ written by ‘vishAkha Datta’.
The main plot of the play is: chANakya uprooted nanda dynasty and made chandragupta as the emperor.
In the above verse a servant was surprised, seeing the simple way of chAnakya’s living. He, standing in front of chAnakya’s house describes:-“Here is a piece of stone for breaking the cow-dung cakes; which is to be offered at the sacrificial fire; here is the bundle of darbha grass brought by his disciples, and the house too, with its dilapidated walls appears to have the skirts of its roof bent down by the holy sticks exposed for drying”.

It is really difficult to imagine a simple style of living for a person like chAnakya, who is almost as powerful as an emperor. The above verse stands as an example for the simple life style of our ancients. The reason could be the non-possession of anything more than is required for the basic need has made it possible for the ancients to lead a simple or a plain life style.