Mattavilasa Prahasana - Interpretations

Interpretations

There was a strong revivalist movement of Hinduism in South India during the seventh century and King Mahendra supported this revivalism. He excavated temples in mountains, a majority of which were dedicated to Siva. It is within this atmosphere of this enlightenment when Mahendra’s play, Mattavilasa Prahasana, had its greatest effect.

It is widely held that Mahendra’s play is a satire of the degenerate sects of his day. For example, both the Kapalika and Pasupata sects must have been considered peculiar during Mahendra’s reign, and the king satirizes them in his play. The Kapalikas embodied a serious, yet suspect, religious concept: Tantrism where religious enlightenment is attained through unorthodox rituals. Some of these notorious rituals were Madya (liquor) and Maithuna (ritual intercourse). Meanwhile, these rituals are satirically echoed by Nagasena, the Buddhist monk, who wonders why Buddhism disallows liquor and women. Jainism isn’t spared from Mahendra’s satirical pen as both Devasoma and Satyasoma describe Jains as heretics.

While the play does have a satirical plot, it also provides an interesting look into the life at Kanchipuram during the seventh century. There are references to the sounds of drums, young ladies and various flower shops. The King points to the festive climate within taverns and to the corrupted courts of Kanchi where officials were sometimes bribed. There is also mention of temple towers.

Satyasoma accuses the Buddha of stealing ideas from the Vedanta and Mahabharata. This remark has a bearing on the age of the Mahabharata battle and its epic story.