The Mudrārākshasa (मुद्राराक्षस, IAST: Mudrārākṣasa, ) is a Sanskrit-language play by Vishakhadatta that narrates the ascent of the Emperor Chandragupta Maurya ( BCE) to power in India. The play is an example of creative writing, but not entirely fictional. It is dated variously from the late 4th century to the 8th century CE.
Characters Chandragupta Maurya, one of the protagonists Chanakya, one of the protagonists Rakshasa, the main antagonist Malayketu, the son of Parvataka and one of the henchmen Parvataka, a greedy king who firstly supported Chandragupta but later changed his preference to Dhana Nanda Vairodhak Durdhara, wife of Chandragupta Maurya Bhadraketu Chandandasa Jeevsidhhi
Adaptations There is a Tamil version based on the Sanskrit play and Keshavlal Dhruv translated the original into Gujarati as Mel ni Mudrika (1889). There is a Kannada version of the play Mudramanjusha written by Kempunarayana.
The later episodes of the TV series Chanakya were based mostly on the Mudrarakshasa.
Feature film
A film in Sanskrit was made in 2006 by Dr Manish Mokshagundam, using the same plot as the play but in a modern setting.
Editions
. Second edition 1893, Fifth edition 1915. Sixth edition 1918, reprinted 1976 and by Motilal Banarsidass, 2000.
. Reprint 2004, First edition 1900
Review (In Telugu script, with Telugu introduction and commentary) Another version . Originally published as part of Three Sanskrit plays (1981, Penguin Classics).
References Citations
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