Purification 1

Melody Purification

Dr.Renish G. Abraham

Indian Classical Literature

6/09/2017

VIDUSHAKA VERSUS FOOL

CHARACTER OF VIDUSHAKA IN SANSKRIT THEATRE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE

TO MRICHCHHAKATIKA AND SHAKUNTALA

In almost all the theatres around the world, we see the jester as a minor character. Most of

the times, the jester is seen as an entertainer who belongs to the noble household. They turn

fooling into a respectable profession. While jesters were in company of the King and his

nobleman, they had little or no significance in the court life, but their presence was the cause of

brightening up the entertainment in the royal court. However they earned a place near the king or

queen and have earned an equally prestigious place in the literature of Shakespeare: Touchstone

in As You like It, Feste in Twelfth Night, and the Fool in King Lear. Similarly just like the

Shakespearean plays the Sanskrit Drama which is ranked amongst the highest in the

Natyashastra also consisted of jesters who were called Vidushaka. While G.K. Bhatt in his book

The Vidhushaka says that,

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“Dhananjay describes the Vidushaka as one among the companions of the hero, playing

the role of a jester by evoking laughter and fun. Sagaranansin says that the Vidushaka is to be

identified with the friend and companion of the kings; and is declared as their minister of humour

and has access to the inner apartments.” (Pg.107)

Kalidasa's Vidushaka are not ugly but rather funny and awkward looking. He is

represented as a bald-headed glutton with eccentric gestures. Moreover he is a constant source of

fun to the audience. He is one of the trustworthy friends of the king and the only person who

mentions the king as ‘my friend’. Just as the jester in the Shakespeare's drama the Vidushaka in

Sanskrit drama is a symbol of humour to most of the Kalidasa's plays.

“Incongruity is the source of all humour. And the essential characteristics of

Vidushaka consisted in bringing about this incongruity.” (Pg. 186)

In the book The Vidushaka in Sanskrit Drama, D.K.Garde, gives us the physical as well as

the inner self of the Vidushaka. Natyashastra said that Vidushaka is to evoke laughter by his

appearance. Therefore he is made of a dwarfish stature carrying a crooked stick which is always

carried by him. The Vidushaka is the restrained clown, the educated dunce. He has earned a place

near the king and has earned an equally prestigious place in the literature not because of his

flattery but because of his wise foolishness. He is an educated fool who is placed just below the

king and the kings do appreciate his presence in their lives. Apart from his grotesque stature he is

more of a foolish yet a wise man who hides his intelligence behind the ‘Mask of Insanity’

enjoying the power or the privilege to comment independently without getting confronted or

penalized by anyone, not even the hero. Very less noticed he is sensitive to issues that involve the

Nayaka. He is photographic negative of his master, a shadow to his king’s ideality, resonation on

a different, utterly human wave. He is in every sense a “wise fool” but a laughable counterweight
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to potentially ponderous love interest. The relationship between the Vidushaka and Nayaka gives

us a sense of competitive judgement than the modulation of mood. He is used as a counter point

to Nayaka’s prolonged frustration. The Vidushaka is very realistic and so is most appealing to

everyone. He is the only constant friend to his master in adversity and functions are primarily that

of the fool of comic antithesis. The greatness and beauty of his master is lost on the Vidushaka.

He chatters frivolously but does not challenge or change the Natyaka neither does he troubles our

respect for the Nayaka’s ethos as G.R. Kernodle in his book The Theatre in History says that

“Droll in company, comforting in sorrow, and brave in facing the foe, he gives

delight to my heart. Indeed he is my second self.” (Pg. 68)

In the play Abhijnanasakuntalam, Madhavya (Vidushaka) is many times referred as a

‘friend’ by Dushyanta. Infact he was the first person who gets to know about Dushyanta's

longing for Shakuntala. This shows that he was very close to the king and even the king enjoyed

his company. Madhavya acts as a consoler to Dushyanta when he misses Shakuntala but as a

good friend he also tries to divert the hero's mind by trying to remove everything that reminds

him of Shakuntala. He serves the king as his friend and supporter especially when Dushyanta

falls in love and later when he is separated from Shakuntala, the daughter of the Sage Kanva.

Being the first person to be told about Shakuntala `` himself and seeing the king's devotion he

suggests him to woo her before someone else does. Vidushaka is the only character that helps to

introduce the hero and is the only medium between hero and the other characters on the one hand

and between the hero and audience on the other. He introduces not only the characters but the

scenes and the situations as well. In the Abhijnanasakuntalam, Madhavya acts as a Vidushaka.

He appears to be a true friend of king Dushyanta. In the Act VI of the drama, he consoles king

Dushyanta, saying that fate is ever powerful. Sometimes vidhushka’s rumbling stomach
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interrupts Nayaka’s flight of longing. For instance vidhushaka directly compares his friend’s

romantic concerns with needs of the belly. For example Madhavya comments in the following

way on Dushyanta’s love for the hermit girl Shakuntala.

“(Laughing) you are like a man who gets tired of good dates and longs for sour

tamarind. All the pearls of the palace are yours and you want this girl.” (Pg. 21)

In the play Mrichchhakatika, Maitreya is happily a brilliant exception to the common run

(Vidushaka) lacks the grosser traits of a Vidushaka. His appearance is somewhat ugly. Sakara

twice calls him crow-foot-headed’ and Maitreya himself campares the shape of his head to the

knee of a young camel. Maitreya is a Brahmin and is certainly aware of the recitations of the

Vedic mantras, sacrificial performances and ritual slaughter and his talks are full of these

references. For example when he sees the dozing door keeper it remind him of a self-complacent

Vedic Brahmin. However his comments imply a dislike of the mechanical daily routine of a

Brahmanical order and a love of lazy life fed by other peoples’ food. During the days of

Charudatta,s prosperity Maitreya was fed by delicious desserts and they were so many that he

only ate a bit of every food compares them to a painter touching his bowls of paints. Maitreya is

neither a glutton nor a fool but a simple minded, whole hearted friend. Maitreya has the essential

traits of a character- eagerness for good food and other creature comforts, and blundering

devotion to his friend- are retained, to be sure, but clarified and elevated by his humour and his

readiness to follow Charudatta even in death which lifts him to a noble level. He is also very

cautious of Charudatta having mutual relationships with Vasantasena as he believed that such

connections would only bring in disaster and bad luck. Moreover he also felt that Vasantasena

was just trying to get in hand a few possessions that were owned by Charudatta. Maitreya’s only

concern was to persuade Charudatta to give up Vasantasena for good and this he does by
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entreaty, importunity and blunt criticism. G.K. Bhatt in his book Preface to Mrcchakatika gives

an example of Charudatta when he asks Maitreya to help Vasantasena in stepping down from the

car, he replies in an uncourteous way,

“Has she bound her feet in chains that she cannot alight herself?” (Pg. 107)

As a vidhushaka, Maitreya is cowardly. He has no courage to go out in the dark alone. He

must have a lamp and a company of Radhanika. As already mentioned Vidushaka is a glutton

and often compared matters with the needs of his belly. He describes wealth as ‘morning

breakfast’- unsubstantial and insufficient to stay in hunger. It goes exactly where it is wanted!

Maitreya’s hatred for harlots finds expression in his criticism of women, money and prostitution.

According to him ‘the company of such people should be shunned like flowers growing on the

cemetery ground.’ This could have also been the reason for his distrust for Vasantasena and

warning Charudatta against her bad intentions. The most important trait to be noted about him is

his love for a friend. Apart from the ugly and humorous Vidushaka, Maitreya has been portrayed

in a very different manner whereby we see a totally devoted friend who also risks his life to save

his Charudatta. Even when innocent Charudatta was charged for murder, Vidushaka is the first

one who appeals to the court. This spontaneous appeal of Maitreya is packed with concern for

justice, logical argument entreaty, moving emotion and righteous indignation dissolved in

pathos.

With context to the two plays Abhijnanasakuntalam and Mrichchhakatika the Vidushaka has

portrayed in two different forms with different roles. While he shows a common interest for a

few things just like in other plays he however contributes differently in serious times. He is a

close friend to both Dushyanta and Charudatta but is differently attributed to both. In the case of

Dushyanta’s love he is very devoted to his friend’s feelings and makes every attempt to console
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him whereas in Charudatta’s case he himself becomes an enemy of his friend’s feelings and fails

to understand his love and makes every attempt to separate the two lovers. However in both the

plays we see the Vidushaka’s common concern for what is the Nayaka’s duty. For example when

he see Dushyanta losing his track after Shakuntala he reminds the king of his duties. In

Mrichchhakatika when Charudatta plans to leave his wedded wife for Vasantasena, the

Vidushaka pleads and also tries to convince him to not to do what is wrong, In short, he is a

friend who is funny, honest, understanding, boastful yet a cautious person who is very well

versed with the rules who tries to show the foolishness of the universe through the eyes of the

foolish as Aristotle says “The world is a tragedy to those who feel and a comedy to those who

think.”
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Work sited:

Bhat, G.K. Preface to Mrcchakatika (The Little Clay-Cart). Ahmadabad: The new Order Book

Co. Jan 1953. Print

Wiley, Chris. “Fooling Around: The Court Jesters of Shakespeare” n.p.

Mehta, Naveen K. A study on minor characters in Kalidasa’s Abhijnananshakuntalm and

Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Asia Publishing House

Keith, A. Berrieddale. The Sanskrit Drama: In its Origin, Development Theory and Practice.

Motilal Banarasee Publishers. 1998. Print

Jefferds, Keith N. "Vidushaka versus Fool: A Functional Analysis. 1981. Print

Devasthali, G. V. Introduction to the Study of Mṛichchhakaṭika. Poona: Poona Oriental Book

House, 1951. Print

Ryder, Arthur W. Kalidasa: Translations of Shakuntala and Other Works. Kessinger publishing

House. 1920. Print