The present work is a translation of the four monologue plays known as the Caturbhani (CBh.) together with a new critical edition of the text, which froms the second part of this volume. In his introduction to the text, the editor has critically examined the earlier theories on its date, and after discussing the linguistic, historical and literary data, placed it between 350 and 200 B.C.
It is, however, likely that many will feel unhappy about the name given to the present translation. For India was once considered by some great western scholar to have been a land of philosophers, and most of the partriotic Indians were proud of the alleged fact. But this is a somewhat one-sided view. That the Indians of antiquity had as much love of life as any other ancient people, will be quite clear to the readers of our literature especially the CBh. written most probably between 350 and 200 B.C. The history of the centuries that immediately preceded shows that the condition at the time was not much different. From the literature of the early Buddhism, we learn that accomplished courtezans were an indispensable part of the urban life, and the residents took pride in having a steller member of the profession in their city, The varied pictures of their gay but frivolous life, which was made more attractive by a flow of wine as well as by dance, drama and music, disappeared from our view for all time. Hence it is very .lucky that the CBh. could at last be salvaged from the bottom of the ocean of time, where it rested for quite a number of centuries. But the present work is not merely an historical document throwing light on the society of the Nanda-Maurya times ; but its literary worth is also not inconsiderable, Besides giving pleasure to the readers, it reveals the unknown history the kavya literature including drama which to the Indians should be a source of legitimate pride, But it is now necessary to say a few words about the sexual instinct of man, which furnished the principal motif of the monologue plays presented here.
Though with the progress of science in general, during the last one hundred years, man's sexual behaviour has now been accepted as a subject of public discussion, the condition was much different in the past. This was indeed behind the mid-Victorian prudishness which looked askance at the treatment of sex not only in works of art and literature, but also in books on science. For example, the text books on anatomy and physiology written in the nineteenth century ignored the question of birth and conception, and organs connected with it. Even the well-known scientific work of Havelock Ellis could not be published first in Britain. All this coloured greatly the vision of the modern. Indians who imbibed the Western Culture through English education, They were blissfully ignorant of the fact that our seers and law-givers had no such unscientific attitude towards sex. These personages frankly recognized the fulfilment of sexual desire (karma) as one of the four objects of life ( caturvarga). Hence there cannot be any question of disparaging the motif of sex in our literature, especially in the CBh., which unveils the sexual life of India more than two thousand years ago.
Being satires on the behaviour of men and women in their sexual relationship, these monologue plays when held up before contemporary people a mirror reflecting their own interesting pictures, actedas a corrective. In this way they may be said to have played the part of an auxiliary to the writers of the Dharmasastras, who provided ideals of the social life. It seems that being works of art these had been more effective than the cold sermons preached by the religious, teachers, though it is hard to deny that some persons gathered from these plays support to their materialistic tendencies. All this explains how after enjoying popularity in different degrees for more that seven centuries, the CBh. passed into oblivion to re-emerge only some years ago in a somewhat damaged condition. It may be hoped that its great value will not go unappreciated On reading it the students of Indian Culture will be able to realize that our forefathers had on the whole a very balanced outlook of life. They not only turned a serious attention to religion and philosophy, but had also a greatzest for life in all its varied aspects.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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