Love, Poverty, and Family: A Sociological Study in the Context of "Mṛcchakaṭika" and "Āṣāṛh kā Ek Din"

Abstract

"When I contemplate this research topic – A Sociological Study of Love, Poverty, and Family in the context of the plays 'Mṛcchakaṭika' and 'Āṣāḍh kā Ek Din' – I observe that Śūdraka, in his play 'Mṛcchakaṭika', attributes the cause of love to virtue (guṇa), whereas later, Mohan Rakesh, in 'Āṣāḍh kā Ek Din', attributes the cause of love to emotion (bhāvanā). Charudatta's wife is considered a sister by his beloved (Vasantasenā), who sees her as superior to herself. Conversely, later on, Kalidasa's wife (in Rakesh's play), viewing his beloved Mallikā as an object of pity (dayā kā pātra), wishes to arrange her marriage. Śūdraka considered poverty (dāridrya) to be the root of all troubles, while later, Mohan Rakesh also described poverty as something that destroys hundreds of virtues (sau-sau guṇoṃ ko naṣṭ karne vālā) in a person. Thus, the primacy of wealth (dhan kī pradhāntā) is evident in both plays. Additionally, both plays accord significant importance to family (parivār) and children (bacche). In Śūdraka's 'Mṛcchakaṭika', Vasantasenā cares for her lover Charudatta's family and child. Later, in Mohan Rakesh's 'Āṣāḍh kā Ek Din', Mallikā cares for her own family and daughter. We know that these children are our future (ye bacche hī hamāre bhaviṣya hote haiṃ)."