mudra rakshasa_group 1

8/7/2019 Mudra Rakshasa_Group 1

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Mudra rakshasaGroup 1



THE NARRATIVE



• Chanakya & Nipunaka – his spies in the city

• Rakshasa‟s ring & Sakatadasa‟s letter

• Chandanadasa, and his attempt to hide Rakshasa‟s family

• Chadanandasa resistance & his arrest

ACT I

• Rakshasa plotting to overthrow Chandragupta

• Foiling of all of Rakshasa‟s plans due to Chanakya‟s

vigilance

• Sakatadasa‟s rescue & subsequent meeting with Rakshasa

• Siddharthaka‟s reward & employment by Rakshasa

ACT II

• Chanakya‟s sham quarrel with Chandragupta

• Chankya‟s estrangement with ChanakyaACT III

•Rakshasa‟s pleasure at the estrangement

• Malayaketu & Bhagurayana‟s arrival at Rakshasa‟s camp

• Bhag.‟s attempts to create a suspicion in Malayaketu‟s mind

regarding Rakshasa‟s sincerity

• Rakshasa‟s advise to lead an expedition against Pataliputra

ACT IV



• Jivasiddhi‟s attempt to poison Malayaketu‟s mind; his

success in suggesting Rakshasa employed poison-maid

against Malaya‟s father

• Siddharthaka‟s attempt to flee; an attempt to suggest that

Rakshasa was in secret communication with Chandragupta

• Rakshasa convicted of killing Mala‟s father

• Mala‟s order to kill five kings under him

ACT V

• Mala‟s failed expedition & capture by Bhagurayana

• Rakshasa‟s Pataliputra trip to save his friend ChandanadasaACT VI

• Rakshasa‟s arrival at Chandanadasa‟s execution

• Rakshasa‟s meeting with Chanakya

• Chanakya‟s offer to hand the Chief Minister‟s post to

Rakshasa

• Rakshasa‟s acceptance & all ends happily

ACT VII



THE CENTRAL THEME



• The play belongs to the imperial Gupta age.

• Maurayan Kings attempt to win over the Chief Minister of

deposed Nanda Regime

• Two masterminds, Chankya & Rakshasa are pitted against

each other

• Chanakya uses subtle, elaborate & amoral techniques

• There is absolutely no sentiment of love in the play

• The play covers a year‟s time.

• It is a historical or political drama, and represents a curious

state of public morals, in which fraud and assassination are the

simple means by which inconvenient obligations are acquitted,

and troublesome friends or open enemies removed.



RELEVANCE OF THE THEME IN

MODERN TIMES



• The Independence

Struggle

• Allying with Rogue

Nations

• Reservations

•

Triple Bottomline

• Independent India

• Protecting National

Interests

• Upliftment of the

socially downtrodden

•Profits

MEANS Ends

We contend that debate between relative importance of Means

versus Ends, is highly contextual; the reality is Grey instead of

being Black or White



COMPARISON WITH A

MYTHOLOGICAL PERSONALITY



Chanakya Krishna



• Leadership styles

– Chanakya‟s leadership style can be seen as“Telling/Directing” while Krishna‟s leadership stylecan be considered as “Participating/Supporting”

• King-Makers –

Just as Chanakya provided counsel to Chandragupta,Krishna played a pivotal role in installing Yudhishtir asa king

– Negotiated for Pandavas to have 5 villages to rule(after talks for half the kingdom failed)

• Overthrew a despot – Krishna ended the tyrannical reign of Kansa over

Mathura whereas Chanakya ended the rule of Nandaover Magadha



• Believed ‘Ends justify the means’

– Chanakya laid to rest in a single day hundred kings in order

to save the lives of thousands of soldiers and countrymen.All the hundred kings were got poisoned in a single day

– Krishna‟s questionable actions (e.g- suggesting to Bhima to

hit Duryodhan below the navel, patently illegal in mace

combat)

• Contrasting relationships with their protégés

– Krishna‟s relationship with Arjuna more affectionate than

Chanakya‟s with Chandragupta – Chanakya more secretive and rarely showed emotion

• “The biggest guru-mantra is:Never share your secrets

with anybody. It will destroy you.”



COMPARISON OF THE CHIEF

PROTAGONIST WITH A BUSINESS

LEADER



Comparison with Dhirubhai Ambani

• Founder of the "The Reliance Industries", India's largest

private sector company.



Chanakya Dhirubhai Ambani

Father‟s death inspires him Leaves Patliputra for Taxilla to

come back and get justice

Led a mini revolution against

Greek rule in India Displayed tremendous

negotiation skill in transforming

kingdoms of Paurava and

Taxilla into his side

Displayed pride when he

decided to overthrow the

Nandas rule

Inspired by father‟s lack of interest and belief

Left his job and came back to

start his own business

Tussle with Wadia – strengthened his resolve

Displayed negotiation skill by

establishing business at a

large scale in spite of the

license raj

Displayed pride in face of all

business and political

rivalries and continued to

work with passion



Chanakya & Dhirubhai Ambani

Both were visionary leaders

Both were willing to work around the system, modify it to

achieve goals

Believed in „Ends justify means‟

Worked towards creating a long lasting legacy

Both had good judgment about people

Both were king makers

Planned and executed schemes on large scale

mudra rakshasa_group 1

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