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At the Crossroads: Mother Goddess Cult-Sites in Ancient India

1960; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 92; Issue: 1-2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s0035869x00118714

1474-0591

D. D. Kosambi,

Indian History and Philosophy

1. The Problem. The chain of incident and action in Śūdraka's deservedly popular drama Mṛcchakaṭika commences with a peculiar ritual on a dark night. The hero Cārudatta, an impoverished but virtuous brahmin caravan merchant, has just finished his evening prayers. At the beginning of the first act, he asks his clownish brahmin friend Maitreya to help in the consummation: kṛto mayā gṛhadevatābhyo baliḥ; gaccha, tvam api catuṣpathe mātṛbhyo balim upahara . “I have completed the bali (food-)offerings to the household gods; go thou, offer (this) bali to the Mothers at the crossroads.” This simple request leads to the rescue of the heroine Vasantasenā from abduction. Here we leave the development of the plot, to investigate the ritual.