The author
Unlike many other Sanskrit works which either keeps us in the dark about the authorship or it's time period, these pesky questions about Matta-vilāsa are settled beyond doubt. The author being Pallava Mahendravarman and the time period being the early 7th century CE. Mahendravarman was one of the greatest kings hailing from the Pallava dynasty which at its peak had a vast empire in Southern India spanning Tamil Nadu, Kerala, parts of Karnataka and Andhra. Being a king, a warrior and prevailing in the times when there were a lot of conflicts to establish supremacy over Southern India, Mahendravarman seems to have the tenacity and time to put his poetic skills to use in a delightful prahasana. Mahendravarman even though a śaiva was a patron of all the other matas prevalent, like any other king adherent to the sanātana-dharma this plurality was the rule rather than the exception. Such plurality is what has led to this work and it's subsequent preservation for fourteen centuries and counting. Imagine a work ridiculing an ideology which would enjoy the support of both the ruling class and the citizens at various time periods being preserved for posterity and celebrated in any other culture.
Further details about him can be found in both the critical edition by Dr. N P Unni.
Dramatis Personae
Sūtradhāra (Stage manager) : Introduces the play, the author and sets the stage for the performance. Eager to stage the play to earn back his senior wife’s favour.
Naṭī (Stage manager’s wife) : Supports the Sūtradhāra in conducting the initial proceedings. When the proceedings start she is angry with the Sūtradhāra due to his dalliance with a younger co-wife.
Satyasoma (kāpālika) : The main character, a kāpālika - a follower of śaiva sect, indulges in wine and women abusing the tenets, stays in the Ekāmranātha temple. Loss of his begging bowl sets up the whole drama.
Devasomā (his partner) : Partner of Satyasoma, she has recently joined him, previously the partner of Babhrukalpa, has shown a tendency to switch loyalties in a bid to indulge in easy life.
Nāgasena (bauddha-bhikṣu) : Buddhist monk who in spite of having an easy life wonders why other indulgences like wine and women are forbidden.
Babhrukalpa (pāśupata) : follower of another śaiva sect, initially tries to avenge his loss by arbitrating, but finally decides to refer the matter to the court.
Unmattaka (madman) : A lunatic who has the bowl, appears to resolve the plot.
The summary of the plot
The prahasana starts with a prologue where the stage manager (Sūtradhāra) tries to convince his senior wife (Naṭī) and involve her in presenting the play. She is angry that he has taken a new wife who is young and chides him for acting in this juvenile fashion, only when he says that the august gathering present wants to see the play and will bless them, she is convinced and asks him what is the name and who is the author, once that is introduced, the main plot starts with the kāpālika Satyasoma and his partner Devasomā, both intoxicated, unsteady and in need of support, wandering in the streets of Kāñcī. He has either due to being intoxicated or devoid of any reason, forgotten his begging bowl somewhere. Conversation starts with his comment complimenting Devasomā that she has grown beautiful in no time due to her diligence in following the vrata (which includes consuming liquor). She says the whole world is revolving and she needs support, while supporting her he commits gotraskhalana incurring her wrath. He blames the liquor and vows to abstain from it. Devasomā is aghast that she is the cause of abstinence which is against the vrata and pleads not to violate it. He is happy and bestows his benediction upon Śiva who was the first to show that path. When she says Buddhists say otherwise he criticizes it's tenets and again goes for a drink to "purify" his tongue which was sullied due to discussion about Buddhism. Once they reach another tavern, he compares it with various facets of yajña, which Devasomā completes by saying that they are indeed worthy of the rudrabhāga[1]. Only when the liquor is offered do they notice that the bowl is missing. Since an offering is not to be refused, they use the horn which they have for such contingencies to accept the liquor and set out to search the bowl. Satyasoma guesses that either a dog or a Buddhist monk would have taken it since it contained roasted meat. A Buddhist monk Nāgasena is noticed by Devasomā. He is returning to his vihāra after a sumptuous meal offered by one of the merchants, praising Buddha for allowing such indulgences like good food and luxurious places to stay, he wonders why the omniscient one has forbidden wine and women. He comes to the conclusion that it is perhaps the scheming senior monks who have come up with such ridiculous rules and he vows to find the original untainted teachings of Buddha and restore his mata to its former glory and free the monks from such tyranny. Called by Satyasoma he feels that it is better to escape than being the target of the drunken antics and tries to run away, which adds fuel to the suspicion of Satyasoma who gets hold of him. Satyasoma is curious to know what is hidden inside the robes and demands for it to be revealed. A fight happens and the monk, being stronger and not intoxicated, kicks him. Devasomā joins the fight to be beaten. Already having noticed how beautiful she is, he helps her get up. Satyasoma accuses him of snatching his partner away while Nāgasena says he did it out of compassion which his faith professes. Babhrukalpa, a pāśupata enters and sees Devasomā who was his former partner being taken away from him by Satyasoma, wants to avenge it and plans to do it by being a neutral judge, but secretly supports the other party. During his arbitration, the monk is convinced to show his bowl which is of a different colour and shape, and is accused of changing it since Buddhists are known to do such things easily. Finally it is decided that the matter is to be settled in the court. Devasomā is convinced that they'll lose since the monk has a lot of money which can be used to bribe the judges. Satyasoma decides being on the side of truth there is no need to be afraid, and agrees. By then a madman arrives with the bowl which he snatched from a dog, and offers it to the pāśupata who directs him to offer it to a worthy recipient. He offers it to the kāpālika and immediately changes his mind and tries to run away. He is stopped and he agrees to give it if they show him a ‘madman’. Satyasoma convinces him that there is one hiding behind the wall and tricks him into giving the bowl. Thus the bowl returns to its rightful owner and both Satyasoma and Nagasena part on amicable terms followed by the bharatavākya.
Footnotes
[1]Everything left out in a yajña is offered
