Abstract:
The objectives of this thesis are to translate and rephrase King Śūdraka's Sanskrit play, "Mṛcchakaṭika" generally Acts 1 and 2 from the original Sanskrit language into Thai language, as well as to study and analyze the origin, structure, the aesthetic experience (Rasa) and the figure of speech (Alaṃkara) found in Act 1 and Act 2 of "Mṛcchakaṭika" The study revealed that the play Mṛcchakaṭika (The Little Clay Cart) is a ten-act Sanskrit and Prakrit play in the Prakarana genre (a play of invention), attributed to Śūdraka. Based on information from the prologue of the play itself, it is assumed that Śūdraka had existed between the 3rd to 5th centuries BC. According to the prologue of Mṛcchakaṭika, it describes him as a distinguished wise and brave king with good knowledge and poetic talent. The central story is that of a noble but impoverished young Brahmin, Cārudatta, who falls in love with a wealthy and beautiful courtesan, Vasantasenā. The study and analysis of Act 1 and 2 of the play discovered that it has both prose and verse alternately, consists of 445 dialogues and 78 verses in Sanskrit and Prakrit language according to the caste of the characters, wit, the upper-class characters use Sanskrit whilst the lower caste speak Prakrit language though some lower-class but well-educated characters could speak Sanskrit, such as Vasantasenā, the heroine. The manuscript used by the researcher for this analysis is presented in Sanskrit. While some dialogues were referred on Prakrit language too. In Acts 1 and 2, 14 types of Sanskrit prosodies are used. The prosodies used most to least in descending order are as follow 1) Arya 18 stanzas 2) Anuṣṭubh 13 stanzas 3) Vasantatilakā 10 stanzas 4) Śārdūlavikrīḍita 6 stanzas 5) Vaṃśastha 5 stanzas 6) Puṣpitāgrā 3 stanzas 7) Mālinī 3 stanzas 8) Sragdhara 3 stanzas, 9) Mālabhāriṇī 2 stanzas, 10) Indravaṃśa 1 stanza, 11) Upajāti 1 stanza, 12) Upendravajrā 1 stanza, 13) Vidyunmālā 1 stanza, and 14) Sikhariṇī 1 stanza. The main characters appeared in Acts 1 and 2 are distinguished into male and female characters viz, Male characters are 1) Cārudatta (hero, a noble but poor brahmin), 2) Maitreya or Vidūṣāka (Cārudatta's companion and a clown) 3) Śakāra or Saṅsthānaka (villain, the brother-in-law of King Pālaka of Ujjayinī), 4) Saṅvāhaka (a masseuse who turned into a gambler) and later ordained as a Buddhist monk 10) Karṇapūraka (Vasantasenā's servant who saves monk from an elephant being in must), whilst the female characters are 1) Vasantasenā (the heroine, beautiful and wealthy courtesan) 2) Madanikā (Vasantasenā's maid) 3) Radanikā (Carutatta's maid). The essence of the aesthetic experience (Rasa) of Act 1 and 2 are Karuṇā Rasa (compassion), often found in Cārudatta's lamentation of poverty followed by Raudara Rasa (anger), Bhayānaka Rasa (fear), and Sṛṅgāra Rasa (love). Beside these Rasas, other are also present but lesser. The figure of speech (Alaṃkāra) both Śabdālaṃkāra (Vocal) and Ārthalaṃkāra (Essence) found in Act 1 and Act 2, namely, Anuprāsa, Upamā, Rūpaka, Atiśyokti, Samāsokti, Utprekṣā, Tulyayogitā, Arthāntranyāsa, Samuccaya, Aparastutaprasamsa Svabhāvokti, Dīpaka and Mālopamā. And from an analysis of general data in Śūdraka's play; Mṛcchakaṭika, the researcher had classified it into 10 major topics, namely 1) the author's biography, 2) the general characteristics of the play, 3) the strategy of the play, 4) the origin of the play, 5) the summary of the play, 6) the characteristics and personalities of the characters of the play, 7) Linguistics of the play 8) Chanda (Stanzas) used in the play 9) Social and Cultural structure 10) Proverbs found in the play. From these aforementioned topics, we can figure out the overview of Act 1 and Act 2 of the play, Mṛcchakaṭika and clearly reflect the sentiments and notions of the characters of the play allowing the audiences and readers to completely recognize the values and sentiments that the author yearns to pass on