नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

328 THE NATYASASTRA [ XVIII. 31-

Occasion for Skt. Recitation

31. In case of the self-controlled (dhīra) Heroes of the vehement (uddhata), the light-hearted (lalita), the exalted (udātta), and the calm (praśānta) types, the Recitation should be in Sanskrit.

Occasion for Pkt. Recitation

32. Heroes of all these classes are to use Prakrit when the occasion demands that.¹

33. ¹In case of even a superior preson intoxicated with the kingship (or wealth) or overwhelmed with poverty no Sanaskrit should be used.²

34. To persons in disguise¹, Jain monks², ascetics³, religious mendicants⁴ and jugglars should be assigned the Prakrit Recitation.

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31 (C. 29b-30a; B.XVII.32b-33a).
32 (C.30b-31a; B.XVII.33b-34a). ¹ As Arjuna disguised as Bṛhannalā.
33 (C.31b-32a; B.XVII.34b-35a). ¹ We follow C. text.
² No extant drama seems to furnish any illustration of this rule. B. reads one additional hemistich before this.
34 (C.32b-33a; B.XVII.36). ¹ vyājaliṅgapraviṣṭānām = persons in disguise of different kinds of professional and religious mendicants etc.. See Kauṭilya's Arthaśāstra. An example of this is Indra in the guise of a Brahmin speaking Pkt. in Karṇa. ascribed to Bhāsa. Nitti-Dolci takes this expression as an adjective of śramaṇānāṃ etc.. But it need not be construed like this. This part of the rule seems to relate to Skt. speaking characters assuming disguise. Virādhagupta (Mudrā II.) assuming the guise of a snake-charmer, is an example of such characters. And so are Yaugandharāyaṇa and Rumaṇvān in the Pratijñā, (III) ascribed to Bhāsa.
² Śramaṇa (Pkt. samaṇa). The word is to be taken to mean here a Jain monk. Cf. Jadi vattham avaṇemi samaṇao homi, Avi. (V.) ascribed to Bhāsa; śramaṇa was sometimes used also in connexion with the Buddhists. See below 36.
³ tapasvin.—It appears that the author of the NŚ. meant by this term ascetics in general. Though we find Brahmin ascetics in ancient literature, the institution of asceticism was most probably of non-Aryan origin. This seems to be justification of assigning Prakritic Recitation to all the ascetics irrespective of their sectarian affiliation.
⁴ bhikṣu.—religious mendicant in general. It should not be restricted to Buddhists alone. The alternative name of the Brahma-sūtra is the Bhikṣu-sūtra.