A Comparative study of dramas “Prathiññāyaugandharayana Natikawa” and “HasthikanthaManthare”

Abstract

“Prathiññāyaugandharayana” (alias Prathigngnanatikawa) can be identified as a great masterpiece of Sanskrit playwright Mahākavi Sri Bhāsa. Stories included in “Brihatkatha” of Guṇādya and “Katā Sarith Sāgaraya” of Somadewa were become the source for this play. “Hasthikantha Manthare” written by Ediriweera Sarachchandra in 1959 was based on “Pali Dhammapadattakatha (Dhammapadareviews)” & “Saddharmarathnawaliya”. The stories of King Udayana were used for aforesaid dramatic works of Bhāsa and Sarachchandra. The objective of this research is to investigate how the playwrights of two different countries used the same source for their recreations and study about the ideology given for the society by two playwrights of two different eras by based on same sourceis the significance of this research. Finding out about the kind of life experience given for the connoisseurs of two countries is the research issue. Primary and secondary sources were used as the research methodology. “Prathiññāyaugandharayana Nāikawa” and “Hasthikantha Manthare” were used as primary sources while using source materials and many reviews as secondary sources. Bhāsa tried to represent the responsibilities of ministers towards the king as well as the kingdom in creative manner and the bottom line of the story illustrates the importance of appointing ministers who do not try to accomplish their own desires.“Hasthikantha Manthare” signifies the consequences that should be faced as a result of having greediness for power. The attempts that made to provide different political interpretations based on the same source by playwrights of two countries who belong to two different eras, have been revealed through this research.