How does the situation in the play "Mrichchhakatika" challenge the 'strict categorization of occupations' based on varnas?

By portraying the hero as a Brahmana involved in commerce

The correct answer is Option 1 - By portraying the hero as a Brahmana involved in commerce

In Sanskrit texts and inscriptions, the term "vanik" was utilized to refer to merchants. While the Shastras defined trade as an occupation for Vaishyas, the situation became more intricate in certain plays and inscriptions. For example, in the play "Mrichchhakatika," authored by Shudraka in the fourth century CE, the hero Charudatta was depicted as both a Brahmana and a "sarthavaha" or merchant. Similarly, in a fifth-century inscription, two brothers were described as "kshatriya-vaniks," signifying their dual identity as merchants from the Kshatriya community who contributed to the construction of a temple.