Dasarupaka (critical study)
by Anuru Ranjan Mishra | 2015 | 106,293 words
This page relates 鈥楽tatus of Women in the Mudrarakshasa鈥� of the English study of the Dasarupaka of Dhananjaya: an important work on Hindu dramaturgy (Natya-shastra) from the tenth century dealing with the ten divisions of Sanskrit drama (nata), describing their technical aspects and essential dramaturgical principals. These ten types of drama are categorised based on the plot (vastu), hero (neta) and sentiment (rasa)
Part 15 - Status of Women in the 惭耻诲谤腻谤腻办峁蝉补
In the Maurya period, the social status of women was not quite satisfactory. Women were not allowed to get out of the house. As a matter of fact, they were not allowed to go anywhere. There was no freedom for them. They were not allowed to act independently without their husband. The 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补 stipulates that women stay in-door, they never go out, so, they were called 鈥�补苍颈峁腻蝉颈苍墨苍腻尘鈥� (础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补.3/1). At that time, there was multi-marriage system. One could marry many women. The main aim of marriage was to beget children especially male offspring.
The society allowed eight kinds of marriage system, i.e.
The dowry system was allowed in the 膧蝉耻谤补 type of marriage. However, girls were allowed to choose their husbands who are experts in wrestling, fighting etc. In the 叠谤腻丑尘补, 笔谤腻箩腻辫补迟测补, 膧谤峁, Daiva marriage systems, the fathers conducted marriage of their daughters. However, in the 骋腻苍诲丑补谤惫补, 膧蝉耻谤补, 搁腻办峁蝉补 and 笔补颈艣腻肠补 systems of marriage, girls could choose their husbands with the permission of both father and mother.
The 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补 states that the marriage age should be twelve years for girls and sixteen years for boys.
(诲惫腻诲补艣补惫补谤峁Ｄ� 蝉迟谤墨 辫谤腻辫迟补惫测补惫补丑腻谤腻 bhavati, 峁岣峚艣补惫补谤峁岣� 辫耻尘腻苍
鈥摯“俪蟛古浤宀醭侔�, 3.3.1.
In this period, women however, used to work as courtesan, servantand detective. Although the 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补 does not mention about the self-immolation (蝉补迟墨诲腻丑补) system, it is quite possible that the same self-immolation was practiced as the oldest-tradition of India. The 惭耻诲谤腻谤腻办峁蝉补, it should be noted that, does not consist of many leading female character, except the wife of Candanad膩sa who enters in the seventh act. Her loyalty to her husband demonstrates that women were not given any independence in that period. The women were also used as the spies. In the fifth act, 颁腻峁嘺办测补 sends a woman detective or poison-maid (惫颈峁办补苍测腻) to kill Parvataka, the father of Malayaketu.