Shudraka
In the prologue of the play "Mrichchhakatika", the stage manager states that its poet was a wise king renowned as "Shudraka". He had performed Ashvamedha ritual to prove his superiority, and immolated himself at the age of 110 years, after crowning his son as the new king. The prologue describes him as a distinguished wise man, who had gained knowledge of the Rigveda, the Samaveda, mathematics, the Kamashastra and the art of training elephants. Two lost works titled "Shudraka-katha" (IAST: Śūdraka-kathā, "the story of Shudraka") are known from other sources. A verse attributed to the 10th century poet Rajashekhara in "Suktimuktavali" praises two writers - Ramila and Somila - for jointly composing a novel titled "Shudraka-katha". Because it is described as a novel, it was probably a work of fiction. Another "Shudraka-katha", attributed to a writer called Pancha-shikha, is known from other sources. Based on information from other sources, it appears that one "Shudraka-katha" (probably that of Ramila and Somila) narrated how Shudraka won over a woman called Vinaya-vati, with the help of his friend Bandhu-datta. The other work (probably that of Pancha-shika) was a Prakrit-language novel that featured a heroine named Harimati and an old parrot acting as her messenger. Dandin's "Avanti-Sundari" provides a summary of the various narratives about Shudraka, probably based on these novels. "Avanti-Sundari-Katha-Sara", a paraphrased version of Dandin's work, states that Shudraka was originally called Indrani-gupta. Although born a Brahmin himself, he became a warrior (Kshatriya) and acquired royal fortune. According to Rajashekhara's "Kavya-mimansa", Shudraka was reputed as a patron of literature, and presided over a literary circle. Some legends pesent Shudraka as a ruler of central India. E.g. the "Kadambari" places him in Dasharna, and the "Avanti-Sundari-Katha-Sara" calls him "Malava-raja" (the king of Malava). Bhoja's "Shringara-Prakasha" also mentions the narratives about Shudraka. Vidyapati's "Purusha-pariksha" contains a fanciful story that portrays Shudraka as an ideal lover. No historical records mention a king by the name Shudraka (which literally means "little servant"). The first four acts of "Mrichchhakatika" are virtually a copy of the corresponding acts from Bhasa's unfinished play "Charudattam". One theory is that the poet of "Mrichchhakatika" simply finished Bhasa's play out of respect, styling himself as the "little servant" of Bhasa. A fourteenth century text attributes "Mrichchhakatika" to a duo, Bhartrimentha and Vikramaditya. The "Mrichchhakatika" is set in Ujjain. It is known that an Ujjain-based poet by the name Bhartrimentha was a contemporary of Kalidasa; the legendary king Vikramaditya also lived in Ujjain. However, identifying these two as the authors of "Mrichchhakatika" is chronologically impossible. Indologist A. K. Warder notes that even the earliest sources that mention Shudraka present him as a legendary figure. Therefore, the existence of Shudraka is doubtful. Some scholars, such as Farley P. Richmond, suggest that Shudraka was simply a mythical figure, and the authorship of works attributed to him is uncertain. According to another theory, first proposed by Sten Konow, Shudraka was the pen name of a 3rd century Abhira king, possibly Shivadatta, the father of Ishvarasena). This theory is supported by the following points:
Identification
According to the prologue of "Mrichchhakatika", he was a king; according to one theory, he may have been a third century Abhira king. According to another theory, Shudraka is a mythical figure, and the authorship of plays attributed to him is uncertain.