CBCS Sem-1 "Mrichchhakatika": character and function of the Villain Sakara/Samsthanaka

Comment on the character and function of the Villain Sakara/Samsthanaka

No literary work is complete without a conflict between good and evil, and for this purpose Sudraka introduces the unjust king Palaka and his evil brother-in-law Sakara. According to Dasaroopaka a villain is always greedy brave but haughty, lazy natured, sinful and extremely devoted to bad action. He is filled with foolishness, deceiving nature, cruelty and he is a coward. Sakara is unique personality in the whole range of Sanskrit dramatic literature. Heis introduced to us as a co-suitor seeking Vasantasena's hand by force besides Carudatta and thus presents a good contrast to him.

At first sight his quaint appearance and mannerisms and the peculiar absurdities of his speech appeal to us as pleasing and humorous to some extent. Particularly are his ignorance in the fields of mythology and dandy like boasts coupled with a timidity peculiar to himself. Gradually however, as we get more disgusted with him, till at last we cannot but shudder at such a villainous knave. Thus we come to know of the vanity and his contempt of Carudatta for his poverty, and his pride of wealth and his connection with the king which hewould for any purpose fair or foul  misuses to bludgeon others even for their lives. Lust, meanness and envyleads him to strangle Vasantasena and put the blame of his crime on Carudatta.His absence of integrities and abjectness - all those as they come out one by one make him a repulsive figure so much so that even the humour that arises out of his speech and mannerisms becomes grim and shuddering. His humorous exchange of questions and answers in Act I for example, ispleasing enough; but that in Act VIII is far from it.

He displays the lowest level of modesty when he seeks protection from those very persons whom he has injured and insulted most. Only Carudatta would forgive him, not even Vasantasena, If Carudatta is praised and respected by all except Sakara, Sakara himself is condemned and hated by all including his own servants.