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diff --git a/18285.txt b/18285.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b471516 --- /dev/null +++ b/18285.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4678 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Tales from the Hindu Dramatists, by R. N. Dutta + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Tales from the Hindu Dramatists + +Author: R. N. Dutta + +Editor: J. S. Zemin + +Release Date: April 29, 2006 [EBook #18285] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TALES FROM THE HINDU DRAMATISTS *** + + + + +Produced by Justin Kerk, Janet Blenkinship and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + TALES FROM + + THE HINDU DRAMATISTS. + + BY + + R. N. DUTTA, B.A., B.L., + + _Late Officiating Head-Master, Metropolitan Institution, + Bowbazar Branch, Calcutta;_ + + AUTHOR OF "THE BOY'S RAMAYANA." + + + REVISED BY + J. S. ZEMIN, + + _Professor of English Literature, Bishop's College, and + Central College, Calcutta; + Late Principal, Doveton College, Calcutta; + Hon. Fellow and Examiner, University of Calcutta_. + + + + Calcutta. + B. BANERJEE & Co., + 26, Cornwallis Street, and 54, College Street. + + + 1912. + + [_All Rights Reserved._] Ans. 12. + + + CALCUTTA, + + PRINTED BY K.C. DATTA AT THE VICTORIA PRINTING WORKS + 203/2 CORNWALLIS STREET. + + PUBLISHED BY + B. BANERJEE & Co., + 25, Cornwallis Street, and 54, College Street. + + + To + + The Hon'ble Sir Justice + + ASHUTOSH MOOKERJEE, SARASWATI, Kt. + + C.S.I., M.A., D.L., D.S.C., F.R.A.S., F.R.S.E. + + _Vice-Chancellor of the University of + CALCUTTA._ + + THIS BOOK + + IS + + DEDICATED + + as a sincere token of the esteem and admiration of the + + AUTHOR + + for his eminent services to the cause of the + + ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. + + ++-------------------------------------------------------------------+ +| Transcriber's Note: There are some inconsistencies in spelling and| +|punctuation which have been left as the original. | ++-------------------------------------------------------------------+ + + + + +PREFACE. + + +Many educationists think that our Indian boys should be encouraged to +read the stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the two great +Epics of India and Tales from the Sanskrit Dramatists when they are +recommended to read "The Boy's Odyssey," "Legends of Greece and Rome," +"Arabian Nights' Tales" and Lamb's "Tales from Shakespeare." It was +perhaps from this view of the matter that the University of Calcutta +recommended "The Boy's Ramayana" and "Tales from the Hindu Dramatists" +for the Matriculation Examination. As no books were published in time, +the University had to issue an amended notice omitting the books from +the list. To supply the want, I have ventured to write the "Boy's +Ramayana" and this humble book. I have tried my best to narrate briefly, +in simple and idiomatic English, the stories on which the chief Sanskrit +dramas are based. I hope that the University will be pleased to +re-insert "The Boy's Ramayana" and this book in the list of books +recommended for the Matriculation Examination. + + BALARAMADHAM, } + 4, Madan Mitter's Lane, } RAMA NATH DUTT. + Calcutta } + _1911--December._ } + + + + +TALES + +FROM + +THE HINDU DRAMATISTS. + + + + +SAKUNTALA OR THE LOST RING. + + +In ancient days, there was a mighty king of the Lunar dynasty by name +Dushyanta. He was the king of Hastinapur. He once goes out a-hunting and +in the pursuit of a deer comes near the hermitage of the sage Kanwa, the +chief of the hermits, where some anchorites request him not to kill the +deer. The king feels thirsty and was seeking water when he saw certain +maidens of the hermits watering the favourite plants. One of them, an +exquisitely beautiful and bashful maiden, named Sakuntala, received him. +She was the daughter of the celestial nymph Menaka by the celebrated +sage Viswamitra and foster-child of the hermit Kanwa. She is smitten +with love at the first sight of the king, standing confused at the +change of her own feeling. The love at first sight which the king +conceives for her is of too deep a nature to be momentary. Struck by her +beauty he exclaims:-- + +"Her lip is ruddy as an opening bud; her graceful arms resemble tender +shoots; attractive as the bloom upon the tree, the glow of youth is +spread on all her limbs." + +Seizing an opportunity of addressing her, he soon feels that it is +impossible for him to return to his capital. His limbs move forward, +while his heart flies back, like a silken standard borne against the +breeze. He seeks for opportunities for seeing her. With the thought +about her haunting him by day and night, he finds no rest, and no +pleasure even in his favourite recreation--sporting. Mathavya, the +jester, friend and companion of the king, however, breaks the dull +monotony of his anxious time. The opportunity which the king seeks +offers itself. The hermits send an embassy to the king asking him to +come over to the hermitage to guard their sacrifices. As he was making +preparations for departure to the hermitage, Karavaka, a messenger from +the queen-mother, arrives asking his presence at the city of Hastinapur. + +He is at first at a loss to extricate himself from this difficulty but a +thought strikes him and he acts upon it. He sends the jester as his +substitute to the city. He is now at leisure to seek out the love-sick +Sakuntala who is drooping on account of her love for the king and is +discovered lying on a bed of flowers in an arbour. He comes to the +hermitage, overhears her conversation with her two friends, shows +himself and offers to wed her. For a second time, the lovers thus meet. +He enquires of her parentage to see if there is any obstacle to their +being united in marriage; whereupon Sakuntala asks her companion +Priyambada to satisfy the king with an account of her birth. The king +hearing the story of her birth asks the companion to get the consent of +Sakuntala to be married to him according to the form known as +_gandharva_. + +Sakuntala requests the king to wait till her foster-father Kanwa, who +had gone out on a pilgrimage, would come back and give his consent. But +the king, becoming importunate, she at last gives her consent. They are +married according to the _gandharva_ form, on the condition that the +issue of the marriage should occupy the throne of Hastinapur. She +accepts from her lord a marriage-ring as the token of recognition. + +The king then goes away, after having promised to shortly send his +ministers and army to escort her to his Capital. When Kanwa returns to +the hermitage, he becomes aware of what has transpired during his +absence by his spiritual powers, and congratulates Sakuntala on having +chosen a husband worthy of her in every respect. Next day, when +Sakuntala is deeply absorbed in thoughts about her absent lord, the +celebrated choleric sage Durvasa comes and demands the rights of +hospitality. But he is not greeted with due courtesy by Sakuntala owing +to her pre-occupied state. Upon this, the ascetic pronounces a curse +that he whose thought has led her to forget her duties towards guests, +would disown her. + +Sakuntala does not hear it, but Priyambada hears it and by entreaties +appeases the wrath of the sage, who being conciliated ordains that the +curse would cease at the sight of some ornament of recognition. + +Sakuntala becomes quick with child and in the seventh month of her +pregnancy is sent by her foster-father to Hastinapur, in the company of +her sister Gautami, and his two disciples Sarngarva and Saradwata. +Priyambada stays in the hermitage. Sakuntala takes leave of the sacred +grove in which she has been brought up, of her flowers, her gazelles and +her friends. + +The aged hermit of the grove thus expresses his feelings at the +approaching loss of Sakuntala:-- + +"My heart is touched with sadness at the thought, "Sakuntala must go +to-day"; my throat is choked with flow of tears repressed; my sight is +dimmed with pensiveness but if the grief of an old forest hermit is so +great, how keen must be the pang a father feels when freshly parted from +a cherished child!" + +Then he calls upon the trees to give her a kindly farewell. They answer +with the Kokila's melodious cry. + +Thereupon the following good wishes are uttered by voices in the air:-- + +"Thy journey be auspicious; may the breeze, gentle and soothing, fan the +cheek; may lakes, all bright with lily cups, delight thine eyes; the +sun-beam's heat be cooled by shady trees; the dust beneath thy feet be +the pollen of lotuses." + +On their way, Sakuntala and her companions bathe in the Prachi +Saraswati, when, as Fate would have it, she carelessly drops the ring of +recognition into the river, being unaware of the fact at the time. At +last they arrive at Hastinapur, and send words to the king. + +The king asks his family priest Somarata to enquire of them the cause of +their coming. Whereupon the priest meets them at the gate, knows the +objects of their coming and informs the king of it. The curse of Durvasa +does its work. The king denies Sakuntala. At the intercession of the +priest, she and her companions are brought before the king. The king +publicly repudiates her. As a last resource, Sakuntala bethinks herself +of the ring given her by her husband, but on discovering that it is +lost, abandons hope. Sarnagarva sharply remonstrates against the conduct +of the king and presses the claim of Sakuntala. + +Gentle and meek as Sakuntala is, she undauntedly gives vent to her moral +indignation against the king. The disciples go away saying that the king +would have to repent of it. + +Sakuntala falls senseless on the ground. After a while, she revives, the +priest then comes forward and asks the king to allow her to stay in his +palace till her delivery. The king consents, and when Sakuntala is +following the priest, Menaka with her irradiant form appears and taking +hold of her daughter vanishes and goes to a celestial asylum. Everyone +present there is astonished and frightened. + +After this incident, one day while the king is out on inspection, a +certain fisherman, charged with the theft of the royal signet-ring which +he professes to have found inside a fish, is dragged along by constables +before the king who, however, causes the poor accused to be set free, +rewarding him handsomely for his find. + +Recollection of his former love now returns to him. His strong and +passionate love for Sakuntala surges upon him with doubled and +redoubled-force. + +Indulging in sorrow at his repudiation of Sakuntala, the king passes +three long years; at the end of which Matali, Indra's charioteer, +appears to ask the king's aid in vanquishing the demons. He makes his +aerial voyage in Indra's car. While he is coming back from the realm of +Indra, he alights on the hermitage of Maricha. + +Here he sees a young boy tormenting a lion-whelp. Taking his hand, +without knowing him to be his own son, he exclaims:--"If now the touch +of but a stranger's child thus sends a thrill of joy through all my +limbs, what transports must be awakened in the soul of that blest father +from whose loins he sprang!" + +From the vaunting speeches of the boy, the king gathers that the boy is +a scion of the race of Puru. His heart everflows with affection for him. +A collection of circumstantial evidence points the boy to be his son. +The amulet on the boy indicates his parentage. + +But while he is in a doubtful mood as to the parentage of the refractory +boy, he meets the sage Maricha from whom he learns everything. The name +of the boy is Sarvadamana, afterwards known as Bharata, the most famous +king of the Lunar race, whose authority is said to have extended over a +great part of India, and from whom India is to this day called Bharata +or Bharatavarsa (the country or domain of Bharata.) + +Soon after, he finds and recognises Sakuntala, with whom he is at length +happily re-united. + + + + +VIKRAMORVASI OR URVASI WON BY VALOUR + +OR + +THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. + + +In the Himalaya mountains, the nymphs of heaven, on returning from an +assembly of the gods, are mourning over the loss of Urvasi, a +fellow-nymph, who has been carried off by a demon. King Pururavas enters +on his chariot, and on hearing the cause of their grief, hastens to the +rescue of the nymph. He soon returns, after having vanquished the +robber, and restores Urvasi to her heavenly companions. While carrying +the nymph back to her friends in his chariot, he is enraptured by her +beauty, falls in love with her and she with her deliverer. Urvasi being +summoned before the throne of Indra, the lovers are soon obliged to +part. When they part, Urvasi wishes to turn round once more to see the +king. + +She pretends that a straggling vine has caught her garland, and while +feigning to disengage herself, she calls one of her friends to help her. + +The friend replies:-- + +"I fear, this is no easy task. You seem entangled too fast to be set +free: but, come what may, defend upon my friendship." The eyes of the +king then meet those of Urvasi. They now part. + +The king is now at Prayag, the modern Allahabad, his residence. He walks +in the garden of his palace, accompanied by a Brahman who is his +confidential companion, and knows his love for Urvasi. The companion is +so afraid of betraying what must remain a secret to everybody at court, +and in particular to the queen, that he hides himself in a retired +temple. There a female servant of the queen discovers him, and 'as a +secret can no more rest in his breast than morning dew upon the grass,' +she soon finds out from him why the king is so changed, since his return +from the battle with the demon, and carries the tale to the queen. In +the meantime, the king is in despair, and pours out his grief. Urvasi +also is sighing for him. She suddenly descends with her friend through +the air to meet him. + +Both are at first invisible to him, and listen to his confession of +love. + +Then Urvasi writes a verse on a birch-leaf, and lets it fall near the +bower where her beloved reclines. + +Next, her friend becomes visible, and at last, Urvasi herself is +introduced to the king. After a few moments, however, both Urvasi and +her friend are called back by a messenger of the gods, and the king is +left alone with his jester. He looks for the leaf on which Urvasi had +first disclosed her love, but it is lost, carried away by the wind. But +worse than this the leaf is picked up by the queen, who comes to look +for the king in the garden. The queen severely upbraids her husband, +and, after a while, goes off in a hurry, like a river in the rainy +season. + +When Urvasi was recalled to Indra's heaven, she had to act before Indra +the part of the goddess of beauty, who selects Vishnu for her husband. +One of the names of Vishnu is Purushottama. + +Poor Urvasi, when called upon to confess on whom her heart was set, +forgetting the part she had to act, says "I love Pururavas," instead of +"I love Purushottama." + +Her teacher Bharata, the author of the play, is so much exasperated by +this mistake, that he pronounces a curse upon Urvasi. "You must lose +your divine knowledge." After the close of the performance, Indra, +observing her as she stood apart, ashamed and disconsolate, calls her +and says:-- + +"The mortal, who engrosses your thoughts, has been my friend in the days +of adversity; he has helped me in the conflict with the enemies of the +gods, and is entitled to my acknowledgements. You must, accordingly, +repair to him and remain with him till he beholds the offspring you +shall bear him." The god thus permits her to marry the mortal hero. + +After transacting public business, the king retires to the garden of the +palace as the evening approaches. A messenger arrives from the queen, +apprising his Majesty that she desires to see him on the terrace of the +pavilion. The king obeys and ascends the crystal steps while the moon is +just about to rise, and the east is tinged with red. + +As he is waiting for the queen, his desire for Urvasi is awakened again. +On a sudden, Urvasi enters on a heavenly car, accompanied by his friend. +They are invisible to the king as on the previous occasion. The moment +that Urvasi is about to withdraw her veil, the queen appears. She is +dressed in white, without any ornaments, and comes to propitiate her +husband, by taking a vow. + +Then she, calling upon the god of the moon, performs her solemn vow and +retires. + +Urvasi, who is present, though in an invisible state, during this scene +of matrimonial reconciliation, now advances behind the king and covers +his eyes with her hands. The king says:-- + +"It must be Urvasi; no other hand could shed such ecstasy through my +emaciated frame. The solar rays do not wake the night's fair blossom; +that alone expands when conscious of the moon's dear presence." + +She takes the resignation of the queen in good earnest and claims the +king as granted her by right. Her friend takes leave and she now remains +with the king as his beloved wife in the groves of a forest. + +Subsequently the lovers are wandering near Kailasa, the divine mountain, +when Urvasi, in a fit of jealousy, enters the grove of Kumara, the god +of war, which is forbidden to all females. In consequence of Bharat's +curse she is instantly metamorphosed into a creeper. The king beside +himself with grief at her loss, seeks her everywhere. The nymphs in a +chorus deplore her fate. Mournful strains are heard in the air. + +The king enters a wild forest, his features express insanity, his dress +is disordered. Clouds gather overhead. He rushes frantically after a +cloud which he mistakes for a demon that carried away his bride. + +He addresses various birds and asks them whether they have seen his +love,--the peacock, 'the bird of the dark-blue throat and eyes of +jet,'--the cuckoo, 'whom lovers deem Love's messenger,'--the swans, 'who +are sailing northward, and whose elegant gait betrays that they have +seen her,'--the chakravaka, 'a bird who, during the night, is himself +separated from his mate,'--but none responds. He apostrophises various +insects, beasts and even a mountain peak to tell him where she is. + +Neither the bees which murmur amidst the petals of the lotus, nor the +royal elephant, that reclines with his mate under the Kadamba tree, has +seen the lost one. + +At last he thinks he sees her in the mountain stream:-- + +"The rippling wave is like her frown; the row of tossing birds her +girdle; streaks of foam, her fluttering garment as she speeds along; the +current, her devious and stumbling gait. It is she turned in her wrath +into a stream." + +At last the king finds a gem of ruddy radiance. He holds it in his +hands, and embraces the vine which is now transformed into Urvasi. Thus +is she restored to her proper form, through the mighty spell of the +magical gem. The efficacious gem is placed on her forehead. The king +recovers his reason. They are thus happily re-united and return to +Allahabad. + +Several years elapse. An unlucky incident now comes to pass. A hawk +bears away the ruby of re-union. Orders are sent to shoot the bird, and, +after a short while, a forester brings the jewel and the arrow by which +the hawk was killed. An inscription on the shaft shows that its owner is +Ayus. A female ascetic enters, leading a boy with a bow in hand. + +The boy is Ayus, the son of Urvasi, whom his mother confided to the +female ascetic who generously brought him up in the forest and now; +sends him back to his mother. The king who was not aware that Urvasi +had ever borne him a son, now recognises Ayus as his son. Urvasi also +comes to embrace her boy. She now suddenly bursts into tears and tells +the king:-- + +"Indra decreed that I am to be recalled to heaven when you see our son. +This induced me to conceal from you so long the birth of the child. Now +that you have accidentally seen the child, I shall have to return to +heaven, in compliance with the decree of Indra." + +She now prepares to leave her husband after she has seen her boy +installed as associate king. So preparations are made for the +inauguration ceremony when Narada the messenger of Indra, comes to +announce that the god has compassionately revoked the decree. The nymph +is thus permitted to remain on earth for good as the hero's second wife. + +Nymphs descend from heaven with a golden vase containing the water of +the heavenly Ganges, a throne, and other paraphernalia, which they +arrange. The prince is inaugurated as Yuvaraj. All now go together to +pay their homage to the queen, who had so generously resigned her rights +in favour of Urvasi. + + + + +MALAVIKAGNIMITRA, + +OR + +AGNIMITRA AND MALAVIKA. + + +We learn a wise sentiment from the prologue. The stage-manager, +addressing the audience, says:--"All that is old is not, on that +account, worthy of praise, nor is a novelty, by reason of its newness, +to be censured. The wise do not decide what is good or bad till they +have tested merit for themselves: a foolish man trusts to another's +judgement." + +Puspamitra was the founder of the Sunga dynasty of Magadha kings, having +been the general of Vrihadratha, the last of the Maurya race, whom he +deposed and put to death: he was succeeded by his son Agnimitra who +reigned at Vidica (Bhilsa) in the second century B.C. King Agnimitra has +two queens Dharini and Iravati. Malavika belongs to the train of his +queen Dharini's attendants. The maid was sent as a present to the queen +by her brother, Virsena, governor of the Antapala or barrier-fortress on +the Nermada. + +The queen jealously keeps her out of the king's sight on account of her +great beauty. The king, however, accidentally sees the picture of +Malavika, painted by order of the queen for her _chitrasala_, or +picture-gallery. The sight of the picture inspires the king with an +ardent desire to view the original, whom he has never yet beheld. + +Hostilities are about to break out between Agnimitra and Yajnasena, king +of Viderbha (Berar). The first, on one occasion, had detained captive +the brother-in-law of the latter, and Yajnasena had retaliated by +throwing into captivity Madhavasena, the personal friend of Agnimitra, +when about to repair to Vidisa to visit that monarch. Yajnasena sends to +propose an exchange of prisoners, but Agnimitra haughtily rejects the +stipulation, and sends orders to his brother-in-law, Virasena, to lead +an army immediately against the Raja of Viderbha. This affair being +disposed of, he directs his attention to domestic interests, and employs +his Vidushaka or confidant, Gotama, to procure him the sight of +Malavika. To effect this, Gotama instigates a quarrel between the +professors, Ganadas and Haradatta, regarding their respective +pre-eminence. + +They appeal to the Raja, who, in consideration of Ganadasa's being +patronised by the queen, refers the dispute to her. She is induced to +consent reluctantly to preside at a trial of skill between the parties, +as shown in the respective proficiency of their select scholars. The +queen is assisted by a protege, a _Parivrajaka_, or female ascetic and +woman of superior learning. + +The party assembles in the chamber where the performance is to take +place, fitted up with the _Sangitarachana_, or orchestral decorations. +The king's object is attained, for Ganadasa brings forward Malavika as +the pupil on whom he stakes his credit. Malavika sings an _Upanga_ or +prelude, and then executes an air of extraordinary difficulty. +Malavika's performance is highly applauded, and, of course, captivates +the king and destroys his peace of mind; the Vidushaka detains her +until the queen, who has all along suspected the plot, commands her to +retire. The warder cries the hour of noon, on which the party breaks up, +and the queen, with more housewifery than majesty, hastens away to +expedite her royal husband's dinner. + +There stands an _asoka_ tree in the garden. The Hindus believe that this +tree, when barren, may be induced to put forth flowers by the contact of +the foot of a handsome woman. The tree in question does not blossom, and +being the favourite of Dharini, she has proposed to try the effect of +her own foot. Unluckily however, the Vidhushaka, whilst setting her +swing in motion, has tumbled her out of it and the fall has sprained her +ankle, so that she cannot perform the ceremony herself: she therefore +deputes Malavika to do it for her, who accordingly comes to the spot +attired in royal habiliments, and accompanied by her friend Vakulavali. +In the conversation that ensues, she acknowledges her passion for the +king, who with his friend Gotama has been watching behind the tree, and +overhears the declaration; he therefore makes his appearance and +addresses a civil speech, to Malavika when he is interrupted by another +pair of listeners, Iravati and her attendant. She commands Malavika's +retreat, and leaves the king, in a violent rage, to inform Dharini of +what is going forward. The King never behaves as a despot but always +with much consideration for the feelings of his spouses. + +The Vidushaka now informs the king that Malavika has been locked in the +_Sarabhandagriha_ or the store or treasure room by the queen. The room +was no enviable place, as the Vidusaka compares it to Patala, the +infernal regions. He undertakes, however, to effect her liberation; and +whilst he prepares for his scheme, the Raja pays a visit to the queen. + +Whilst the Raja is engaged in tranquil conversation with Dharini, and +the parivrajaka, the vidushaka rushes in, exclaiming he has been beaten +by a venomous snake, whilst gathering flowers to bring with him as a +present on his visit to the queen, and he exhibits his thumb bound with +his cord, and marked with the impressions made by the teeth of the +reptile. The parivrajaka, with some humour as well as good surgery, +recommends the actual cautery, or the amputation of the thumb; but the +vidushaka pretending to be in convulsions and dying, the snake-doctor is +sent for, who having had his clue refuses to come, and desires the +patient may be sent to him: the vidushaka is accordingly sent. The queen +is in great alarm, as being, however innocently, the cause of a +Brahman's death. Presently the messenger returns, stating that the only +hope is the application of the snake-stone to the bite, and requesting +the Raja to order one to be procured: the queen has one in her +finger-ring, which she instantly takes off and sends to the vidushaka. +This is his object, for the female jailor of Malavika has, as he has +ascertained, been instructed to liberate her prisoner only on being +shown the seal ring or signet of the queen, and having got this in his +possession, he immediately effects the damsel's release, after which the +ring is returned to the queen, and the Vidushaka is perfectly recovered. + +The king then being summoned away by a concerted pretext, hastens to +the Samudra pavilion, where Malavika has been conveyed with her friend +and companion, Vakulavali. This pavilion is decorated with portraits of +the king and his queens, and Malavika is found by her lover engrossed +with their contemplation. Vakulavali retires. The Vidushaka takes charge +of the door, but he no sooner sits down on the threshold than he falls +asleep. The Raja and Malavika, consequently, have scarcely time to +exchange professions of regard, when they are again disturbed by the +vigilant and jealous Iravati, who sends information of her discoveries +to Dharini, and in the meantime remains sentinel over the culprits. The +party, however, is disturbed by news, that Agnimitra's daughter has been +almost frightened to death by a monkey, and Iravati and the Raja hasten +to her assistance, leaving Malavika to the consolation derived from +hearing that the _Asoka_ tree is in blossom, an omen of the final +success of her own desires. + +The Raja, Dharini and the Parivrajaka, with Malavika and other +attendants, gather about the _Asoka_ tree, when some presents arrive +from the now submissive monarch of Viderbha, against whom the troops of +Virashena have been successful. Amongst the gifts are two female slaves, +who immediately recognize in Malavika the sister of Madhavasena, the +friend of Agnimitra, whom the armies of the latter have just extricated +from the captivity to which the Viderbha sovereign had consigned him. It +appears that when he was formerly seized by his kinsman, his minister, +Sumati, contrived to effect his own escape, along with his sister and +the young princess. That sister, Kausika, now reveals herself in the +person of the Parivrajaka, and continues the story of their flight. +Sumati joined a caravan bound to Vidisa On their way to the Vindhya +mountains, they were attacked by the foresters, who were armed with bows +and arrows, and decorated with peacock's plumes: in the affray Sumati +was slain and Malavika was lost. + +Kausika, left alone, committed her brother's body to the flames, and +then resumed her route to Vidisa, where she assumed the character of a +female ascetic The Raja observes she did wisely. Kausika soon found out +Malavika, but forebore to discover herself, confiding in the prophecy of +a sage, who had foretold that the princess, after passing through a +period of servitude, would meet with a suitable match. + +It thus finally turns out that Malavika is by birth a princess, who had +only come to be an attendant at Agnimitra's court through having fallen +into the hands of robbers. + +The king issues his orders respecting the terms to be granted to +Yajnasena, the king of Viderbha, the half of whose territory he assigns +to Madhavasena, the brother of Malavika. + +A letter arrives from the general Pushpamitra, giving an account of some +transactions that have occurred upon the southern bank of the Indus. + +On his own behalf, or that of his son, he had undertaken to celebrate an +_aswamedha_, or horse-sacrifice, for which it was essential that the +steed should have a free range for twelve months, being attended only by +a guard to secure him. This guard had been placed by Pushpamitra under +the command of Agnimitra's son, Vasumitra. Whilst following the victim +along the Indus, a party of Yavana horse attempted to carry off the +courser, but they were encountered by the young prince, and after a +sharp conflict, defeated. + +Pushpamitra concludes with inviting his son to come with his family to +complete the sacrifice. + +The queen, Dharini, overjoyed with the news of her son's success and +safety, distributes rich presents to all her train and the females of +Agnimitra's establishment, whilst to him she presents Malavika. Iravati +communicates her concurrence in this arrangement, and the Raja obtains a +bride, whom his queens accept as their sister. The difficulty of +conciliating his queens is thus removed. The king now marries Malavika +and all ends happily. + + + + +THE VIRA CHARITA OR THE MAHAVIRA CHARITA + +OR + +THE LIFE OF THE GREAT HERO. + + +Dasaratha, the king of Ayodhya (Oudh), is the father of four sons Rama, +Lakshmana, Bharata and Satrughna. Rama and Lakshmana visit Viswamitra's +hermitage. Kusadhwaja, the king of Sankasya and the brother of Janaka, +the king of Mithila, accompanied by his two nieces, Sita and Urmila, +enters the hermitage of Viswamitra on the borders of the Kausiki (Cosi), +having been invited by the sage to his sacrifice. He is met by the sage +with the two youths Rama and Lakshmana, and the young couples become +mutually enamoured. Meanwhile Ahalya--the cursed wife of Gautama--gets +cleared of her guilt through the purifying influence of Rama. + +A messenger from Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, arrives, who has +followed them from Mithila, and comes to demand Sita as a wife for his +master. + +They are further disturbed by Taraka, a female fiend, the daughter of +Suketu, wife of Sunda and mother of Maricha. Rama, by command of +Viswamitra slays her. Viswamitra is exceedingly pleased with the deed +and invokes and gives to Rama the heavenly weapons with all their +secrets of discharge and dissolution. The sage recommends Kusadhwaja to +invite the bow of Siva for Rama's present trial, and consequent +obtaining of Sita. The bow arrives, self-conveyed, being, as the weapon +of so great a deity, pregnant with intelligence. Rama snaps it asunder, +in consequence of which feat it is agreed that Sita shall be wedded to +him; Urmila her sister, to Lakshmana; and Mandavi and Srutakirti, the +daughters of Kusadhwaja, to Bharata and Satrughna respectively. The +party is again disturbed by Suvahu and Maricha, the first of whom is +killed and the second, thrown at a distance by Rama. + +The messenger of Ravana then goes away mortified to represent the matter +to the minister of Ravana. The saint and his visitors then retire into +the hermitage. + +Malyavan, the minister and maternal grandfather of Ravana and the king's +sister Surpanakha have heard the news of Rama's wedding with Sita from +Siddhasrama and discuss the consequences with some apprehension. The +minister takes the marriage as an insult to his master. + +A letter arrives from Parasurama partly requesting and partly commanding +Ravana to call off some of his imps, who are molesting the sages in +Dandakaranya. He writes from Mahendra Dwipa. + +Malyavan takes advantage of this opportunity to instigate a quarrel +between the two Ramas, anticipating that Parasurama, who is the pupil of +Siva, will be highly incensed when he hears of Rama's breaking the bow +of that divinity. The hero comes to Videha, the palace of Janaka, to +defy the insulter of his god and preceptor. He enters the interior of +the palace, the guards and attendants being afraid to stop him, and +calls upon Rama to show himself. The young hero is proud of Parasurama's +seeking him and anxious for the encounter but detained awhile by Sita's +terrors: at last the heroes meet. Parasurama alludes to his own history +how he, having overcome his fellow-pupil, Kartikeya, in a battle-axe +fight, received his axe from his preceptor, Siva, as the prize of his +prowess. + +Parasurama addresses Rama thus:-- + +"How dost thou presume to bend thy brow in frowns on me? Thou must be an +audacious boy, a scion of the vile Kshatriya race. Thy tender years and +newly wedded bride teach me a weakness I am not wont to feel. + +Throughout the world the story runs, I, Rama, and the son of Jamadgni, +struck off a mother's head with remorseless arm. This vengeful axe has +one and twenty times destroyed the Kshatriya race, not sparing in its +wrath the unborn babe hewn piecemeal in the parent womb. + +It was thus I slaked the fires of a wronged father's wrath with blood, +whose torrents, drawn unsparingly from martial veins, fed the vast +reservoir in which I love to bathe." + +Rama replies thus:-- + +"Give over thy vaunts--I hold thy cruelty a crime, not virtue." + +The combat between the two Ramas is suspended by the arrival of Janaka +and Satananda, and Rama's being summoned to attend the Kanchana Mochana, +the loosening of Sita's golden bracelet. + +Parasurama awaits Ramachandra's return. He is accosted in succession by +Vasishtha, Viswamitra, Satananda, Janaka and Dasaratha, who first +endeavour to soothe and then to terrify him; but he outbullies them all: +at last Ramachandra returns from the string-removing ceremony and is +heard calling on Parasurama, and the combat ensues. Ramachandra comes +out victorious. + +The two kings Janaka and Dasaratha congratulate each other on the +victory of Ramachandra. Parasurama is now as humble as he was before +arrogant: he calls upon the earth to hide his shame. Whilst Rama regrets +Bhargava's departure, Surpanakha, disguised as Manthara, the favourite +of Kaikeyi, Dasaratha's second wife, arrives with a letter to Rama, +requesting him to use his influence with his father to secure Kaikeyi +the two boons which Dasaratha was pledged to grant her; specifying one +to be her son Bharata's inauguration, and the other, assent to Rama's +voluntary exile. In the meantime, Dasaratha, who has determined to raise +Rama to the participation of regal dignity, communicates his intention +to his son. Rama replies by informing him of Kaikeyi's message, and is +earnest with his father to accede to her request. + +Bharata and his maternal uncle Yuddhajit arrive, and ask Dasaratha to +crown Rama and all are full of wonder and concern: however, as there is +no help for it, Dasaratha consents and orders preparations for the +ceremony. + +Lakshmana and Sita are alone to accompany Rama, on which her father +Janaka exclaims, "My child, what happiness it will be to wait upon thy +husband in the hour of trouble, permitted to partake and cheer his +wanderings!" Bharata requests permission to go with them, but Rama +refuses his assent; on which his brother begs his golden shoes of him, +promising to instal them in the kingdom, and rule thereafter as their +representative. The seniors are led out in deep despondency, and Rama +with his brother and wife set off to the woods. + +A dialogue opens between the two birds, Jatayu and Sampati, the +vulture-descendants of Kasyapa, who have seen successive creations. They +relate Rama's progress towards the south; and Sampati, the elder leaves +his brother Jatayu, with strict injunctions to assist Rama, if needed. +He then goes to the ocean to perform daily duties and Jatayu to Malaya. +Jatayu perches on the mountain and marks the hero Rama in pursuit of the +swift deer. Lakshmana directs his remote course thither. A holy seer +approaches the bower and the dame gives him meet welcome. His form +expands. + +It is he, the felon Ravana--his train crowd from the groves; he seizes +upon Sita--he mounts the car. Jatayu cries shame on his birth and +threatens to rend his limbs and revel in his gore. Jatayu is, however, +killed in the conflict. Rama raves with indignation. The brothers set +off in pursuit of the ravisher, when Sramana, a female devotee sent by +Vibhishana to Rama, calls for succour being seized by Kabandha, a +headless fiend. Rama sends Lakshmana to her rescue; he goes off to kill +the demon and returns with the dame. She gives Rama a note from +Vibhishana praying for his refuge. Rama asks Lakshmana what reply to be +sent to (his) "dear friend--lord of Lanka" and Lakshman replies that +those words are sufficient. + +(Two promises are implied--first contraction of friendship and secondly +bestowal of the Kingdom of Lanka.) + +Rama, learning from the devotee that Vibhishana is with Sugriva, +Hanuman, and other monkey chiefs at Rishyamuka, and that the monkeys +have picked up Sita's ornaments and upper garments in the forest, +determines to go to them. Kabandha then appears, to thank Rama for +killing him, being thereby liberated from a curse and restored to a +divine condition. + +They then set off to Rishyamuka, the residence of Bali, watered by the +Pampa. In the way Rama performs a miracle by kicking away the skeleton +of a giant. + +When the brothers arrive at the mountain, Bali appears like a cloud upon +its peak and, being instigated by his friend Malyavan, resolves to +oppose Rama. The heroes meet and, after exchange of civilities, go to +the conflict. + +The noise brings Vibhishana, Sugriva, and all the monkey chiefs to the +place. Bali is overthrown and mortally wounded. He recommends the +Monkeys to choose Sugriva and his own son Angada for their joint +sovereigns, and mediates an alliance between Rama and them, as well as +with Vibhishana. Rama and Sugriva pledge themselves to eternal +friendship, over the sacrificial fire in Matanga's hermitage which stood +close by. Bali then repeats his request to the monkey chiefs, as they +were attached to him, to acknowledge Sugriva and Angada as their joint +leaders, and to follow them in aid of Rama against Ravana in the ensuing +contest: he then dies. + +Malyavan laments over these miscarriages. Trijata, a Rakshasi, adds to +his despondency by news of the mischief inflicted by Hanumana, who has +burnt the town of Lanka and slain a son of Ravana. He goes off to set +guards, and gather news by means of spies. + +Ravana meditates on his love. His queen Mahodhari comes to bring him +tidings of Rama's approach, but he only laughs at her. She tells him of +the bridge made by Rama: he replies, if all the mountains of the earth +were cast into the ocean, they would not furnish footing to cross it. +His incredulity is terminated by a general alarm, and the appearance of +Prahasta, his general, to announce that Lanka is invested. Angada comes +as envoy from Rama, to command Ravana to restore Sita and prostrate +himself and his family at the feet of Lakshmana. Ravana, enraged, orders +some contumely or punishment to be inflicted upon him. He orders him to +be shaved. Angada puffs his hair out with rage. The monkey tells Ravana, +if he were not an ambassador, he would tear off his ten heads, and he +then springs away; the tumult increases, and Ravana goes forth to the +combat. Indra and Chiraratha then come to see the battle from the air. + +All the chiefs of the two parties engage in promiscuous war. The +Rakshasas have the worst, but Ravana, with his brother Kumbhakarna and +his son Meghanada, turns the tide: the monkeys fly, leaving Rama almost +unsupported. Lakshmana attacks Meghanada: Ravana quits Rama to assist +his son. + +The "serpent band" of Meghnada is dispersed by the "eagle-king-weapon" +of Lakshmana. The forces of Kumbhakarna are reduced to ashes with a +fire-weapon by Rama. Rama kills Kumbhakarna, and then goes to the aid of +Lakshmana; the whole of Rama's party are then overwhelmed with magical +weapons, hurled invisibly by Ravana upon them, and fall senseless. While +Ravana seeks to restore Kumbhakarna, Hanuman, reviving, goes to fetch +_amrita_, and tearing up the mountain that contains it, returns to the +field: his very approach restores Lakshmana, who jumps up with increased +animation, like a serpent starting from his shrivelled skin or the sun +bursting from clouds. So Raghu's youngest hope, restored by heavenly +herbs, burns with more than wonted ardour, wonders a moment what has +chanced and then, all on fire for glory, rushes to the fight. Rama also +revives, and instigated by the sages, exerts his celestial energies, by +which the daitya, Ravana, and his host speedily perish. Rama is +victorious, and Sita is recovered. + +Vibhishana is now crowned king of Lanka. Alaka, a tutelary deity, comes. +Lanka, another tutelary deity, is consoled by Alaka. + +Sita passes the fiery ordeal in triumph. The gods cheer her. + +Rama, accompainied by Sita, Lakshmana, Vibhishana and Sugriva, then +enters the aerial car Pushpaka which was once wrested from Kuvera by +Ravana, and which is now placed at the disposal of Rama by Vibhishana. +The car transports them from Ceylon all the way to Ayodhya. One or other +of the party points out the places over which they fly viz. the _Setu_ +or bridge of Rama the Malaya mountain, the Kaveri river, the hermitage +of Agastya, the Pampa river, the residence of Bali and of Jatayu, the +limits of the Dandaka forest, the Sahya or Sailadri mountains and the +boundaries of Aryavarta. + +They then rise and travel through the upper air, approaching near the +sun, and are met and eulogized by a _Kinnara_ and his bride; they then +come to the peaks of the Himalaya, and descend upon Tapavana, whence +they go towards Ayodhya, where Rama is welcomed by his brothers Bharata +and Satrughna, their mothers, Vasistha and Viswamitra. + +The four brothers embrace one another. Rama is now consecrated king by +Vasishtha and Viswamitra. + + + + +UTTAR RAMA CHARITA + +OR + +THE LATER LIFE OF RAMA. + + +Rama, when duly crowned at Ayodhya, enters upon a life of quiet +enjoyment with his wife Sita. The love of Rama and Sita, purified by +sorrow during the late exile, is most tender. + +After a stay of a few days at Ayodhya, Janaka, the father of Sita, goes +back to his country Mithila. Rama consoles his queen for her father's +absence. The sage Ashtavakra comes in and delivers a message to Rama +from his spiritual preceptors to satisfy the wishes of Sita and please +his people. Then the sage goes away. + +The family priest Vasishtha, having to leave the capital for a time to +assist at a sacrifice, utters a few words of parting advice to Rama, +thus:-- + +"Remember that a king's real glory consists in his people's welfare." + +Rama replies: "I am ready to give up everything, happiness, love, +pity--even Sita herself--if needful for my subjects' good." + +In accordance with this promise, he employs an emissary named Durmukha +to ascertain the popular opinion as to his own treatment of his +subjects. + +Lakshmana now asks Rama and Sita to come out and see their early history +drawn on the terrace of the palace. They move about and the different +parts of the picture are shown to Sita, when the eyes of Sita turn on +the 'yawn-producing' weapons. Rama asks her to salute them so that they +would attend also on her children. Sita then feels tired and lays her +head on the arm of her husband and sleeps. + +Then Durmukha, who, as an old and trusted servant, had free admission to +the inner apartments, comes and whispers to him that people condemn his +receiving back a queen, abducted by a fiend, after her long residence in +a stranger's house. In short, he is told that they still gossip and talk +scandal about her and Ravana. The scrupulously correct and +over-sensitive Rama, though convinced of his wife's fidelity after her +submission to the fiery ordeal, and though she is now likely to become a +mother, feels himself quite unable to allow the slightest cause of +offence to continue among his subjects. + +He has no other resource. People must be satisfied. He orders his dear +Sita's exile, and the messenger goes away to deliver the order to +Lakshmana to seclude her somewhere in the woods. He is torn by +contending feelings. He is overpowered with grief, withdraws his arm +from his sleeping wife and pours forth pathetic lamentation. Then he +takes up her feet and cries when the announcement of the arrival of +frightened Rishis makes him go out to send Satrughna to their succour. +The messenger Durmukha then enters and takes Sita unsuspectingly to +mount the chariot which is to lead her to exile. + +Lakshmana takes Sita to the forest and leaves her there. + +She is protected by divine agencies. Her twin sons, Kusa and Lava, are +born and entrusted to the care of the sage Valmiki, the author of the +Ramayana, who brings them up in his hermitage. The boys have no +knowledge of their royal descent. + +An incident now occurs which leads Rama to revisit the Dandaka forest, +the scene of his former exile. The child of a Brahman dies suddenly and +unaccountably. His body is laid at Rama's door. Evidently some national +sin is the cause of such a calamity, and an aerial voice informs him +that an awful crime is being perpetrated; for a Sudra, named Sambuka, is +practising religious austerities, instead of confining himself to his +proper vocation of waiting on the twice-born castes. Rama instantly +starts for the forest, discovers Sambuka in the sacrilegious act and +strikes off his head. But death by Rama's hand confers immortality on +the Sudra, who appears as a celestial spirit, and thanks his benefactor +for the glory and felicity thus obtained. + +Before returning to Ayodhya, Rama is induced to visit the hermitage of +the sage Agastya in Panchavati. Sita now reappears. She is herself +invisible to Rama through the favour of the Bhagirathi but able to +thrill with emotions by her touch. Rama is greatly distracted. + +He faints with old remembrances but revives on the touch of Sita. He +observes, "What does this mean? Heavenly balm seems poured into my +heart; a well-known touch changes my insensibility to life. Is it Sita, +or am I dreaming?" + +He vainly seeks for her possession, but at last goes away on the advice +of his companion Visanti. + +The sage Valmiki makes great preparations for receiving Vasishtha, +Janaka, Kaushalya, the mother of Rama and other eminent guests. The +pupils are delighted because the visit of the guests affords hopes of a +feast at which flesh meat is to constitute one of the dishes. + +As the boys have got a holiday in honour of the guests, they are playing +at some distance from a tree outside the hermitage. Among them, +Kaushalya notices a boy with the features of her son, who is called in +but whom the guests do not yet know to be a son of Rama. + +Soon after, the horse of the horse-sacrifice of Rama comes near and he +goes out with other boys to see the fun while the elders go to see the +host. + +The attendant soldiers cry out that Rama is the only hero of the world. +Lava--for such is the boy's name,--cannot brook such vaunts and removes +the banner. Soldiers crowd upon him and Lava draws his bow. Lakshmana's +son Chandraketu--the general of the army--arrives surprised at the +slaughter of his army and asks Lava to leave the incapable army and +fight with himself. Lava obeys the call and after some conversation in +which he ridicules the powers of Rama and infuriates his antagonist, +they go out to fight. + +The discharge and repulsion of the divine weapons occur. + +The approach of Rama puts an end to the contest. Lava's elder brother +Kusa has heard of his fight and comes to "eradicate from the world the +name of emperor." But Lava has become calm and asks his brother to pay +respects to the hero of the Ramayana. + +Rama embraces both of them and is moved with their son-like touch. He +notices in them the features of his wife He knows that his children +alone could possess the divine weapons. He recollects that his wife was +left in that part of the forest and instinctively comes to the +conclusion that they are his children. He wishes to ask about their +birth in a roundabout way, but before proceeding to the end, is asked to +see his spiritual preceptor. + +The desertion of Sita is acted by nymphs on the banks of the Ganges +before Rama and other high guests invited by Valmiki. + +Sita, from behind the stage, cries out "the beasts of prey desire [to +devour] me in the forest (left) alone and unprotected. I will throw +myself into the Bhagirathi." She enters supported by her mother +Prithivi, the Earth and Ganga, each carrying a baby in the lap. Ganga +tells her of the birth of the twins and consoles her, but Earth is +greatly distressed with the conduct of Rama. Ganga replies "who can +close the door of Fate?" + +But Earth says, "has it been proper for the good Rama? He disregarded +the hand he pressed when a boy. He disregarded me and Janaka. He +disregarded Fire (who shewed her purity). He disregarded the children +she was about to bring forth." + +But Ganga pacifies her and they agree to make over the children to +Valmiki, when they become a little old. Earth then asks her daughter to +come to the nether world, to which she agrees and with their exit closes +the play. + +At the close of the play, Rama faints. Then the real Sita enters with +Arundhuti, the wife of Rama's preceptor and touches and revives her +husband. The people are satisfied with her purity and Rama takes her +back with the children who are introduced by Valmiki. The husband and +wife are thus re-united after twelve years of grievous solitude, and +happiness is restored to the whole family. The re-union is witnessed not +only by the people of Ayodhya, but by the congregated deities of earth +and heaven. + +Rama thus describes his love for his wife:-- + +"Her presence is ambrosia to my sight; her contact, fragrant sandal; her +fond arms, twined round my neck; are a far richer clasp than costliest +gems, and in my house she reigns the guardian goddess of my fame and +fortune. Oh! I could never bear again to lose her." + + + + +MALATI AND MADHAVA OR THE STOLEN MARRIAGE. + + +There lived, in the town of Kundinapura in Berar, Devarata, a very calm +and sagacious minister to the king of Vidarbha. He had a son named +Madhava. Madhava was very beautiful and of uncommon intelligence. He +became proficient in all branches of learning, in his early age. He now +arrived at a marriageable age. The beautiful town of Padmavati in Malwa +is situated at the confluence of the two rivers Indus and Madhumati. +There lived in Padmavati, Bhurivasu, who was minister to the king of +Padmavati. He had a very beautiful unmarried daughter named Malati. The +king indicated an intention to propose a match between Malati and his +own favourite Nandan, who was both old and ugly, and whom she detested. +Bhurivasu feared to give offence to the king by refusing the match. +Devarata and Bhurivasu were fellow students. In their academical days +they pledged themselves that they should enter into matrimonial +alliance, if they happen to have children. Malati and Madhava did not +know anything about their fathers' promises. There lived in Padmavati, +Kamandaki, an old Buddhist priestess who was nurse of Malati. The +priestess knew everything about the matrimonial promise. She was a very +intelligent lady and was respected by all. The two friends concert a +plan with the priestess to throw the young people in each other's way +and to connive at a secret marriage. In pursuance of this scheme, +Madhava is sent to finish his studies at the city of Padmavati with the +ostensible object of studying Logic under the care of the priestess, who +takes great care of her pupil and endeavours her utmost to fulfil the +promise of her two friends. By her contrivance and with the aid of +Malati's foster-sister Lavangika, the young people meet and become +mutually enamoured. + +Kamandaki addresses her favourite disciple Avalokita thus:-- + +"Dear Avalokita! Oh how I wish for the marital union of Madhava, the son +of Devarata, and Malati, the daughter of Bhurivasu! Auspicious signs +forerun a happy fate. Even now my throbbing eyeball tells that +propitious destiny shall crown my schemes." + +Avalokita replies:-- + +"Oh, here is a serious cause of anxiety. How strange! You are already +burdened with the austerities of devotional exercises, Bhurivasu has +commissioned you to perform this arduous task. Though retired from the +world, you could not avoid this business." + +Kamandaki says, "Never say so. The commission is an office of love and +trust. If my friend's object is gained even at the expense of my life +and penances, I shall feel myself gratified." + +The pupil asks "why is a stolen marriage intended?" + +The priestess answers, "Nandana, a favourite of the king of Padmavati, +sues him for Malati. The king demands the maiden of her father. To evade +the anger of the king, this ingenious device has been adopted. Let the +world deem their union was the work of mutual passion only. So the king +and Nandan will be foiled. A wise man veils his projects from the +world." The pupil says, "I take Madhava to walk in the street in front +of the house of the minister Bhurivasu." + +The priestess says, + +"I have heard from Lavangika, the foster-sister of Malati, that Malati +has seen Madhava from the windows of her house. + +Her waning form faithfully betrays the lurking care she now first learns +to suffer." + +The pupil says, "I have heard that, to soothe that care, Malati has +drawn a picture of Madhava and has sent it through Lavangika to +Mandarika, her attendant." + +The priestess perceives that Malati has done so with the object that the +picture would reach Madhava as Mandarika is in love with Kalahansa, the +servant of Madhava. Avalokita again says, + +"To-day is the great festival of Madan; Malati will surely come to join +the festival, I have interested Madhava to go to the garden of Love's +god with a view that the youthful pair may meet there." + +The priestess replies, "I tender my best thanks for your kindly zeal to +aid the object of my wishes. Can you give me any tidings of Soudamini, +my former pupil?" + +Avalokita answers, "she now resides upon mount _Sriparvata_. She has now +arrived at supernatural power by religious austerities. I have learnt +the news about her from Kapala Kundala, the female pupil of a tremendous +magician Aghorghanta, a seer and a wandering mendicant, but now residing +amidst the neighbouring forest, who frequents the temple of the +dreadful goddess _Chamunda_ near the city cemetry." Avalokita remarks, +"Madhava would be highly pleased if his early friend Makaranda is united +in wedlock with Madayantika, the sister of Nandana." + +The priestess observes, "I have already engaged my disciple +Buddharakshita for the purpose. Let us go forth and having learnt how +Madhava has fared, repair to Malati. May our devices prosper!" + +Madhava thus describes to his friend Makaranda his first interview with +Malati, and acknowledges himself deeply smitten:-- + +"One day, advised by Avalokita, I went to the temple of the god of love. +I saw there a beauteous maid. I have become a victim to her glances. Her +gait was stately. Her train bespoke a princely rank. Her garb was graced +with youth's appropriate ornaments. Her form was beauty's shrine, or of +that shrine she moved as the guardian deity. Whatever Nature offers +fairest and best had surely been assembled to mould her charms. Love +omnipotent was her creator. Then I too plainly noted that the lovely +maid, revealed the signs of passion long entertained for some happy +youth. + +Her shape was as slender as the lotus stalk. Her pallid cheeks, like +unstained ivory, rivalled the beauty of the spotless moon. I scarcely +had gazed upon her, but my eyes felt new delight, as bathed with nectar. +She drew my heart at once towards her as powerfully as the magnet does +the unresisting iron. That heart, though its sudden passion may be +causeless, is fixed on her for ever, chance what may, and though my +portion be henceforth despair. The goddess Destiny decrees at pleasure +the good or ill of all created beings." + +Makranda observes, "Believe me, this cannot be without some cause. +Behold! all nature's sympathies spring not from outward form but from +inward virtue. The lotus does not bud till the sun has risen. The +moon-gem does not melt till it feels the moon." Madhava goes on with his +description thus:-- + +"When her fair train beheld me, they exchanged expressive looks and +smiles and murmured to one another as if they knew me. What firmness +could resist the honest warmth of nature's mute expressiveness? Those +looks of love, beaming with mild timidity and moist with sweet +abandonment, tore off my heart,--nay plucked it from my bosom by the +roots, all pierced with wounds. Being incredulous of my happiness, I +sought to mark her passion, without displaying my own. A stately +elephant received the princess and bore her towards the city. Whilst she +moved, she shot from her delicate lids retiring glances, tipped with +venom and ambrosia, My breast received the shafts. Words cannot paint my +agony. Vain were the lunar rays or gelid streams to cool my body's +fever, whilst my mind whirls in perpetual round and does not know rest. +Requested by Lavangika, I gave her the flowery wreath. She took it with +respect, as if it were a precious gift and all the while the eyes of +Malati were fixed on her. Bowing with reverence, she than retired." + +Makaranda remarks-- + +"Your story most plainly shows that Malati's affection is your own. The +soft cheek, whose pallid tint denoted love pre-conceived, is pale alone +for you; She must have seen you. Maidens of her rank do not allow their +eyes to rest on one to whom they have not already given their hearts. +And then, those looks that passed among her maidens plainly showed the +passion you had awakened in their mistress. + +Then comes her foster-sister's clear enigma and tells intelligibly whose +her heart is." + +Kalahansa, advancing, shows a picture and says, "This picture is the +work of hers who has stolen Madhava's heart. Mandarika gave it to me. +She had it from Lavangika, Malati painted it to amuse and relieve +distress." Makaranda says, "This lovely maid, the soft light of your +eyes, assuredly regards you bound to her in love's alliance. What should +prevent your union? Fate and love combined seem labouring to effect it. +Come, let me behold the wondrous form that works such change in you. You +have the skill. Portray her." + +Madhava, in return, delineates the likeness of Malati on the same tablet +and Makaranda writes under it the following impassioned love-stanza, + + "Whatever nature loveliness displays, + May seem to others beautiful and bright; + But since these charms have broken upon my gaze, + They form my life's sole exquisite delight." + +Being asked by Makaranda as to how and where Malati first saw Madhava, +Mandarika says, "Malati was called to the lattice by Lavangika to look +at him as he passed the palace." + +The picture is restored to Mandarika and brought back to Malati. + +The mutual passion of the lovers, encouraged by their respective +confidants, is naturally increased. + +Madhava thus addresses Makaranda, + +"It is strange, most strange! wherever I turn, the same loved charms +appear on every side. Her beauteous face gleams as brightly as the +golden bud of the young lotus. Alas! my friend, this fascination spreads +over all my senses. A feverish flame consumes my strength. My heart is +all on fire. My mind is tossed with doubt. Every faculty is absorbed in +one fond thought. + +I cease to be myself or conscious of the thing I am." + +Malati thus addresses Lavangika:-- + +"Love spreads through every vein like subtlest poison and, like fire +that brightens in the breeze, consumes this feeble frame. Resistless +fever preys on each fibre. Its fury is fatal. No one can help me. +Neither father nor mother nor Lavangika can save me. Life is distasteful +to me. + +Repeatedly recurring to the anguish of my heart, I lose all fortitude +and in my grief become capricious and unjust. Forgive me. Let the full +moon blaze in the mighty sky. Let love rage on. Death screens me from +his fury." + +In the meantime, the king makes the long-expected demand and the +minister Bhurivasu returns the following ambiguous answer:-- + +"Your Majesty may dispose of your daughter as your Majesty pleases." + +[This answer is used in a double sense:-- + +"Your minister's daughter is your own daughter and you can dispose of +her as you please," and "You can dispose of your own daughter as you +please, but not my daughter." + +The father's connivance at his daughter's stolen marriage would appear +inconsistent if the reply is not understood in its double sense.] + +The intelligence reaches the lovers. They are thrown into despair. + +Requested by Lavangika, Kamandaki thus describes Madhava in the presence +of Malati:-- + +"The sovereign of Vidarbha boasts for minister the wise and +long-experienced Devarata, who bears the burden of state and spreads +throughout the world his piety and fame. Your father knows him well. +For, in their youth, they were joined in study and trained to learning +by the same preceptor. + +In this world we rarely behold such characters as theirs. Their lofty +rank is the abode of wisdom and of piety, of valour and of virtue. Their +fame spreads white and spotless through the universe. A son has sprung +from Devarata whose opening virtues early give occasion of rejoicing to +the world. Now, in his bloom, this youth has been sent to our city to +collect ripe stores of knowledge. His name is Madhava." + +Kamandaki soliloquises thus:-- + +"Malati is tutored to our wishes and inspired with hatred of the +bridegroom Nandan. He is reminded of the examples of _Sakuntala_ and +_Vasavadatta_ that vindicate the free choice of a husband. Her +admiration of her youthful lover is now approved by his illustrious +birth and my encomium of his high descent. All this must strengthen and +confirm her passion. Now their union may be left to fate." + +By the contrivance of Kamandaki, a second interview between the lovers +takes place in the public garden of the temple of _Sankara_. Malati is +persuaded that the god _Sankara_ is to be propitiated with offerings of +flowers gathered by one's self. Whilst she is collecting her oblation +she and Madhava meet as if by accident. + +At this moment, a great tumult and terrific screams announce that a +tremendous tiger has escaped from an iron cage in the temple of Siva, +spreading destruction everywhere. Instantly, Nandana's youthful sister, +Madayantika happens to be passing, and is attacked by the tiger and is +reported to be in imminent danger. + +Madhava and Makaranda both rush to the rescue. The latter kills the +animal, and thus saves her who is then brought in a half-fainting state +into the garden. He is himself wounded. Mandayantika is thus saved by +the valour of Makaranda. The gallant youth is brought in insensible. By +the care of the women, he revives. + +On recovering, Madayantika naturally falls in love with her deliverer. + +The two couples are thus brought together. Malati affiances herself +there and then to Madhava. + +Soon afterwards, the king prepares to enforce the marriage of Malati +with Nandan. A messenger arrives to summon Madayantika to be present at +the marriage. Another messenger summons Malati herself to the king's +place. + +Madhava is mad with grief and in despair makes the extraordinary +resolution of purchasing the aid of ghosts and malignant spirits by +going to the cemetery and offering them living flesh, cut off from his +own body, as food. He accordingly bathes in the river Sindhu and goes at +night to the cemetery. The cemetery happens to be near the temple of the +awful goddess Chamunda, a form of Durga. The temple is presided over by +a sorceress named Kapalkundla and her preceptor, a terrible necromancer +Aghorghanta. They have determined on offering some beautiful maiden as +a human victim to the goddess. With this object they carry off Malati, +before her departure, while asleep on a terrace and bringing her to the +temple, are about to kill her at the shrine when her cries of distress +attract the attention of Madhava, who is, at the moment, in the cemetery +offering his flesh to the ghosts. + +He thinks he recognizes the voice of Malati. He rushes forward to her +rescue. She is discovered dressed as a victim and the magician and the +sorceress are preparing for the sacrifice. + +He encounters Aghorghanta and, after a terrific hand-to-hand fight, +kills him and rescues Malati. + +She flies to his arms. Voices are heard as of persons in search of +Malati. Madhava places her in safety. + +The sorceress vows vengeance against Madhava for slaying her preceptor +Aghorghanta. + +Malati is now restored to her friends. The preparations for Malati's +wedding with Nandana goes on. The old priestess Kamandaki, who favours +the union of Malati with her lover Madhava, contrives that, by the +king's command, the bridal dress shall be put on at the very temple +where her own ministrations are conducted. + +There she persuades Makaranda to substitute himself for the bride. He +puts on the bridal dress, is carried in procession to the house of +Nandan and goes through the form of being married to him. Nandana, being +disgusted with the masculine appearance of the pretended bride, and +offended by the rude reception given to him, vows to have no further +communication with her and consigns her to his sister's care in the +inner apartments. This enabled Makaranda to effect an interview with +Nandana's sister Madayantika, the object of his own affections. + +Makaranda then discovers himself to his mistress and persuades her to +run away with him to the place where Malati and Madhava have concealed +themselves. + +Their flight is discovered. The king's guards are sent in pursuit. A +great fight follows; but Makaranda, assisted by Madhava, defeats his +opponents. The bravery and handsome appearance of the two youths avert +the king's anger and they are allowed to join their friends unpunished. + +The friends accordingly assemble at the gate of the temple. + +But the sorceress, who has been watching an opportunity when Malati is +unprotected, takes advantage of the confusion and carries her off in a +flying car, in revenge for the death of her preceptor. The distress of +her lover and friends knows no bounds. They are reduced to despair at +this second obstacle to the marriage. They give up all hopes of +recovering her when they are happily relieved by the opportune arrival +of Soudamini, an old pupil of the priestess Kamandaki, who has acquired +extraordinary magical powers by her penances. + +She rescues Malati from the hands of the sorceress and restores her to +her despairing lover. + +The two couples are now united in happy wedlock. + + + + +HANUMAN NATAKA, OR MAHANATAKA, OR THE GREAT DRAMA. + + +In Ayodhya, there was an illustrious and powerful monarch, the subduer +of foes and the renowned ornament of the exalted house of the sun, named +Dasaratha in whose family, for the purpose of relieving the Earth of her +burden, Bhurisravas (Vishnu) deigned to incorporate his divine substance +as four blooming youths. The eldest, endowed with the qualities of +imperial worth, was Rama. + +He goes with his brother Lakshmana to the court of Mithila, to try his +strength in the bending of the bow of Siva, and thereby win Sita for his +bride. The hero triumphs. The bow is broken with a deafening sound which +brings Parasurama there. Rama wins his bride. He tries the bow of +Parasurama and shoots an arrow from it which flies to Swerga or heaven. +The Brahmin hero now acknowledges the Kshatriya hero to be his superior. +Rama is married to Sita. The sweet loves of the happy pair grows with +enjoyment. + +Various portents then indicate Rama's impending separation from his +father. The sun looks forth dimmed in radiance. Fiery torches wave along +the sky. Meteors dart headlong through midheaven. Earth shakes. The +firmament rains showers of blood. Around, the horizon thickens. In the +day, the pale stars gleam. Unseasonable eclipse darkens the noon. Day +echoes with the howls of dogs and jackals, whilst the air replies with +horrid and strange sounds, such as shall peal, when the destroying deity +proclaims in thunder the dissolution of the world. Rama is exiled. At +this, the king dies in agony. It is the result of the stern curse +denounced upon the king by the father of the ascetic whom the king, +hunting in his youthful days, had accidentally slain. + +Rama fixes his residence at Panchavati. Maricha, a Rakshasa, now appears +as a deer. The supposed animal is chased by Rama and Lakshmana at Sita's +request. + +Ravana then comes disguised to see Sita. He mutters, "pious dame! Give +me food." She heedlessly oversteps the magic ring traced by Lakshmana, +when the Rakshasa seizes her by the hand stretched in charity. She calls +in vain the sons of Raghu. Jatayu, the vulture, endeavours to rescue +her, but is slain. She encounters Hanuman, the chief Counsellor of +Sugriva, the dethroned king of the Monkeys, and begs him to carry her +ornaments, which she casts to him, to Rama. + +Having slain the deer, the prince, with his brave brother, returns to +their bower. He seeks Sita, but seeks in vain. His steps tread three +several quarters, the fourth he leaves, overcome with grief and terror, +unexplored. + +Rama prosecutes his search after Sita. He fights with Bali, the king of +the Monkeys, and triumphs over him. + +He now despatches Hanuman to Lanka, Hanuman pays a visit to Sita. + +He performs various feats at Lanka and returns to Rama whose hosts now +advance towards Lanka. + +Vibhishana, the brother of Ravana, expostulates with his royal brother, +but in vain. Consequently he deserts the king and goes over to Rama. + +The Monkeys advance further towards Lanka. + +A bridge is built over the sea. + +The troops cross over it. + +Where first the Monkey bands advance, they view a watery belt smoothly +circling round the shore: the following troops plough their way through +the thick mire with labour; the chief who leads the rear, filled with +wonder, exclaims, "Here is Ocean." + +Rama now sends Angada, the son of Bali, to persuade Ravana to relinquish +Sita peaceably. Angada has some feeling of aversion to Rama, who killed +his father, but thinks he shall best fulfil his father's wishes by +promoting the war between Ravana and Rama; he therefore goes to Ravana +and defies him in very haughty terms. + +Ravana says:-- + +"Indra, the king of the gods, weaves garlands for me; the thousand-rayed +or the Sun keeps watch at my gate; above my head Chandra or the Moon +uprears the umbrella of dominion; the wind's and the ocean's monarchs +are my slaves; and for my board the fiery godhead toils. Knowest thou +not this, and canst thou stoop to praise the son of Raghu, whose frail +mortal body is but a meal to any of my households?" + +Angada laughs and observes:--"Is this thy wisdom, Ravana? Infirm of +judgement dost thou deem of Rama thus--a mortal man? Then Ganga merely +flows a watery stream; the elephants that bear the skies, and Indra's +steed, are brutal forms; the charms of Rembha are the fleeting beauties +of earth's weak daughters, and the golden age, a term of years. Love is +a petty archer; the mighty Hanuman, in thy proud discernment, is an +ape." + +Angada, having in vain endeavoured to persuade Ravana to restore Sita, +leaves him to expect the immediate advance of the Monkey host. + +Virupaksha and Mahodara, two of Ravana's ministers utter a string of +moral and political sentences. + +Ravana is not to be persuaded, but goes to Sita to try the effect of his +personal solicitations--first endeavouring to deceive her by two +fictitious heads, made to assume the likenesses of Rama and Lakshmana. +Sita's lamentations are stopped by a heavenly monitor, who tells her +that the heads are the work of magic and they instantly disappear. +Ravana then vaunts his prowess in war and love, and approaches Sita to +embrace her. She exclaims "Forbear, forbear! proud fiend, the jetty arms +of my loved lord, or thy relentless sword, alone shall touch my neck." + +Thus repulsed, Ravana withdraws, and presently reappears as Rama, with +his own ten heads in his hands. Sita, thinking him to be what he +appears, is about to embrace him, when the secret virtue of her +character as a faithful wife detects the imposition, and reveals the +truth to her. Ravana, baffled and mortified, is compelled to relinquish +his design. Sita's apprehensions, lest she should be again beguiled, are +allayed by a voice from heaven, which announces that she will not see +the real Rama until he has beheld Mandodari kiss the dead body of her +husband Ravana. + +A female Rakhasi attempts to assassinate Rama, but is stopped and slain +by Angada. The army then advances to Lanka, and Ravana comes forth to +meet it. Kumbhakarna, his gigantic and sleepy brother, is disturbed from +his repose to combat. He is rather out of humour at first, and +recommends Ravana to give up the lady, observing: "Though the commands +of royalty pervade the world, yet sovereigns ever should remember, the +light of justice must direct their path." Ravana answers:-- + +"They who assist us with a holy text are but indifferent friends. These +arms have wrested victory from the opposing grasp of gods and demons. +Confiding in thy prowess, sure in thee to triumph over my foes, I have +relaxed their fibre, but again their nerves are braced, I need thee not; +hence to thy cell and sleep." Kumbhakarna replies:--"King, do not +grieve, but like a valiant chief, pluck from thy heart all terror of +thine enemies, and only deem of thy propitious fortunes, or who shall +foremost plunge into the fight----I will not quit thee." + +Kumbhakarna's advance terrifies Rama's troops, whom the Kshatriya hero +addresses thus: + +"Ho! chiefs and heroes, why this groundless panic, the prowess of our +enemy untried in closer conflict? Ocean's myriad fry would drain the +fountain, and before the swarm of hostile gnats the mighty lion falls." +Kumbhakarna is killed by Rama; on which Indrajit, a son of Ravana, +proceeds against the brethren. By the arrow called _Nagapasa_, +presented him by Brahma, he casts Rama and Lakshmana senseless on the +ground, and then goes to Nikumbhila mountain to obtain a magic car by +means of sacrifice. Hanumana disturbs his rites. + +Rama and Lakshmana revive, and on being sprinkled with drops of amrita +brought by Garura, the latter with a shaft decapitates Meghnada, and +tosses the head into the hands of his father Ravana. + +Ravana levels a shaft at Lakshmana, given him by Brahma, and charged +with the certain fate of one hero. Hanumana snatches it away, after it +has struck Lakshmana, before it does mischief. Ravana reproaches Brahma, +and he sends Nareda to procure the dart again and keep Hanumana out of +the way. With the fatal weapon Lakshmana is left for dead. Rama +despairs:-- + +"My soldiers shall find protection in their caves; I can die with Sita, +but thou, Vibhishana, what shall become of thee?" + +Hanuman reappears and encourages him. Ravana has a celebrated physician, +Sushena, who is brought away from Lanka in his sleep, and directs that a +drug (_Vishalya_) from the Druhima mountain must be procured before +morning, or Lakshmana will perish. This mountain is six millions of +_Yojanas_ remote, but Hanuman undertakes to bring it bodily to Lanka, +and call at Ayodhya on his way. + +He accordingly roots up the mountain, and is returning with it to Rama, +via Ayodhya, when Bharata, who is employed in guarding a sacrifice made +by Vasishtha, not knowing what to make of him, shoots Hanuman as he +approaches. He falls exclaiming on Rama and Lakshmana, which leads +Bharata to discover his mistake. Vasishtha restores the monkey who sets +off for Lanka. On Hanuman's return, the medicament is administered, and +Lakshman revives. + +An ambassador from Ravana comes and offers to give up Sita for the +battle-axe of Parasurama, but this, Rama replies, must be reserved for +Indra. On this refusal, Ravana goes forth after a brief dialogue with +his queen Mandodari, who animates his drooping courage with the true +spirit of the tribe to which she belongs. + +"Banish your sorrow, lord of Lanka, take one long and last embrace. We +meet no more. Or give command, and by your side I march fearless to +fight, for I too am a Kshatriya." The progress of Ravana through the air +appals all Nature. The winds breathe low in timid murmurs through the +rustling woods; the sun with slackened fires gleams pale abroad and the +streams, relaxing from their rapid course, slowly creep along. Ravana +defies Rama with great disdain and in derision of his modest demeanour, +asks him whether he is not overcome with shame by the recollection of +his ancestor, Anaranya, killed formerly by Ravana. + +Rama replies:-- + +"I am not ashamed my noble ancestor fell in the combat. The warrior +seeks victory or death, and death is not disgrace. It ill befits thee to +revile his fame. When vanquished, thou couldst drag out an abject life +in great Haihaya's dungeons, till thy sire begged thee to freedom, as a +matter of charity. For thee alone I blush, unworthy of my triumph." + +Ravana falls under the arrows of Rama. The heads, that once, sustained +on Siva's breast, shone with heavenly splendour, now lie beneath the +vulture's talons. Mandodari bewails the death of her husband. Sita is +recovered, but Rama is rather shy of his bride, until her purity is +established by her passing through the fiery ordeal: a test she +successfully undergoes. Rama returns with Sita and his friends to +Ayodhya, when Angada challenges them all to fight him, as it is now time +to revenge his father's death. A voice from heaven, however, tells him +to be pacified, as Bali will be born as hunter in a future age, and kill +Rama, who will then be Krishna: he is accordingly appeased. Rama is now +seated on the throne of Ayodhya. After some time, he orders the exile of +Sita. + + + + +ANERGHA RAGHAVA OR MURARI NATAKA. + + +The sage Viswamitra comes to Dasaratha, the king of Ayodhya, to request +the aid of his eldest son Rama. Each tries to outdo the other in +complimentary speeches. The sage observes:-- + +"The monarch of the day invests the dawn with delegated rays to scatter +night, and ocean sends his ministers the clouds, to shed his waters over +the widespread earth." + +The king, taking counsel with himself, and being reminded by Vamadeva, +one of his priests and preceptors, that the race of Raghu never sent +away a petitioner ungratified, sends for Rama and Lakshmana, and allows +Viswamitra to take them with him, to his hermitage, situated on the +banks of the Kausiki or Coosy river, to protect him in his rites against +the oppression of Taraka, a Rakshasi. + +The cry is heard that Taraka is abroad. Rama, after some hesitation +about killing a female, slays her. + +Viswamitra now proposes that they should visit Mithila. The two princes +are introduced to Janaka, the king of Mithila, who is urged by the sage +to let Rama try to bend the bow of Siva. Sanshkala, the messenger of +Ravana, the king of Lanka, now arrives to demand Sita in marriage for +his master, refusing, at the same time, on his part, to submit to the +test of bending the bow. The demand is refused. Rama tries his fortune, +bends the bow and wins the lady. The family connection is extended by +the promise of Urmila, Mandavi, and Srutakirti, to Rama's brothers. +Sanshkala is highly indignant and carries the information to his +master's minister Malyavan, who is disappointed on Ravana's account. +Malyavan anticipates that Ravana will carry Sita off; and to render the +attempt less perilous, projects inveighing Rama into the forests alone, +for which he sends Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana, in the disguise of +Manthara, the attendant of Kaukeyi. + +Parasurama then appears and boasts of his destruction of the Kshatriya +race. Rama replies:--"This flag of your fame is now worn to tatters, let +us see if you can mount a new one." Rama then calls for his bow, and +Parasurama presents him with his axe. They go forth to fight. In the +end, the two Ramas turn very excellent friends. Parasurama departs. + +Dasaratha now declares his purpose of relinquishing the kingdom entirely +to his son Rama, Lakshmana announces the arrival of Manthara, and +presents a letter from Kaikeyi, the purpose of which is to urge +Dasaratha's fulfilment of his promise, and grant her as the two boons, +the Coronation of Bharata, and banishment of Rama. The old king faints. +Rama recommending his father to Janaka, departs for the forests, +accompanied by Lakshmana and Sita. On their arrival in the forests, they +are cordially received by Sugriva, the brother of Bali the king of the +monkeys. Lakshmana carries on a dialogue with Ravana, disguised as a +juggler. + +Jatayu, the king of birds, beholds Sita carried off by Ravana. He +follows the ravisher. Rama and Lakshmana both express their grief. + +Lakshmana observes:-- + +"The worse the ill that Fate inflicts on noble souls, the more their +firmness; and they arm their spirits with adamant to meet the blow." + +Rama replies:-- + +"The firmness I was born with or was reared to, and rage, that fills my +heart, restrain my sorrows; but hard is the task to fit my soul to bear +unmurmuringly a husband's shame." + +A cry of distress is now heard, and on looking out, the youths observe +Guha, the friendly forest monarch, assailed by the demon Kabandha, or a +fiend without a head. Lakshmana goes to his aid, and returns with his +friend Guha. In the act of delivering him, Lakshmana tosses away the +skeleton of Dundubhi, a giant, suspended by Bali, who, deeming this an +insult, presently appears. After a prolix interchange of civility and +defiance, Rama and Bali resolve to determine their respective supremacy +by single combat. Bali is slain. His brother Sugriva is inaugurated as +king and determines to assist Rama to recover Sita. A bridge is built +over the sea. Rama's army advance to Lanka. Kumbhakarna, a brother of +Ravana, and Meghanada, a son of Ravana, go forth to battle. Malyavan +wishes them prosperity in a phrase perfectly oracular. They are slain. +Ravana now takes the field himself. Malyavan resolves to follow him and +resign, on the sword, a life now useless to his sovereign. The king is +overthrown. Sita is recovered. + +Rama with his wife and brother, accompanied by Vibhishana, the brother +of Ravana, and Sugriva, mounts the celestial car, which was once +wrested by Ravana from his brother Kuvera, and sets out to proceed to +Ayodhya. + +On the way the travellers descry the Sumeru mountain, the Malaya +mountain, the Dandaka forest, the mountain Prasravana, the Godaveri +river, mount Malyavan, Kundinipura in the Maharashtra country, the +shrine of Bhimeswara, the city of Kanchi, Ujayin, the temple of +Mahakala, Mahishmati the capital of Chedi, the Jumna and Ganga rivers, +Varanasi, Mithila or Tirhut, and Champa near Bhagalpur. + +They then proceed westward to Prayaga, and Antarvedi or Doab, when they +again follow an easterly course and arrive at Ayodhya. + +Bharata, Satrughna, Vasishtha the priest and the people of Ayodhya await +the arrival of the party and receive them most cordially. Rama is now +crowned king. + + + + +VENI SAMVARANA OR VENI SANHARA + +OR + +"THE BINDING OF THE BRAID OF HAIR." + + +Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, is dragged by the _veni_ or braid of +hair into the public assembly by the hand of Duhsasana, one of the +Kaurava princes, a disgrace that weighs most heavily upon the Pandavas, +who contemplate most bitter revenge. + +Krishna returns to the Pandava camp from a visit to the Kaurava princes, +as a mediator between the contending chiefs. Ferocious Bhima expresses, +to his brother Sahadeva, his refusal to have any share in the +negotiations instituted by Krishna and his determination to make no +peace with the enemy until the insult offered to Draupadi is avenged. He +announces his resolution, in case the dispute be amicably adjusted, to +disclaim all connection with his own brothers, and throw off obedience +to Judhishthira. + +The price of peace is the demand of five villages or towns, +Indraprastha, Tilaprastha, Mansadam, Varanavatam, and another. Sahadeva +attempts to calm the fury of Bhima, but in vain; and Draupadi, with her +hair still dishevelled, and pining over her ignominious treatment, comes +to inflame his resentment. She complains also of a recent affront +offered by Bhanumati, the queen of Duryodhana, in an injurious comment +upon her former exposure, which serves to widen the breach. + +Krishna's embassy is unsuccessful, and he effects his return only by +employing his divine powers against the enemy. All the chiefs are +summoned by the trumpet to prepare for battle. + +Before day-break, Bhanumati repeats, to her friend and an attendant, a +dream in which she has beheld a _Nakula_ or Mungoose destroy a hundred +snakes. This is very ominous, _Nakula_ being one of the Pandavas, and +the sons of Kuru amounting to a hundred. Duryodhana overhears part of +the story, and at first imagines the hostile prince is the hero of the +vision. He is about to burst upon her, full of rage, and when he catches +the true import of the tale, he is at first disposed to be alarmed by +it, but at last wisely determines to disregard it. + +For, by Angira it is sung, the aspect of the planets, dreams and signs, +meteors and portents, are the sports of accident, and do not move the +wise. Bhanumati offers an _arghya_ of sandal and flowers to the rising +sun to avert the ill omen, and then the king appears and soothes her. + +Their dialogue is disturbed by a rising whirlwind from which they take +shelter in a neighbouring pavilion. The mother of Jayadratha, the king +of Sindhu, then appears, and apprises Duryodhana that Arjuna has vowed, +if sunset finds Jayadratha alive, he will sacrifice himself in the +flames. His wrath is especially excited by the death of his son +Abhimanyu, in which that chieftain had borne a leading part. Duryodhana +laughs at her fears and those of his wife, and despises the resentment +of the Pandavas. He observes, that this was fully provoked by the +treatment which Draupadi received by his command, when in the presence +of the court and of the Pandavas, she called out in vain for mercy. +Duryodhana then orders his war-chariot and goes forth to the battle. Up +to the period of the contest, the following chiefs have fallen, +Bhagadatta, Sindhuraja, Angadhipa, Drupada, Bhurisravas, Somadatta, and +Bahlika. + +Ghatotkacha is also slain, and Bhima is about to avenge his fall, on +which account Hirimba, the queen of the Rakshasas and mother of +Ghatotkacha, has ordered goblins to be ready to assist Bhimasena. + +Drona is seized by Dhrishtadyumna and slain. Aswatthama, the son of +Drona, appears armed and is overtaken by his father's charioteer who +tells him of the treachery by which Drona was slain, having been induced +to throw away his arms by a false report that his son Aswatthama had +perished, and been then killed at a disadvantage. Aswatthama's distress +is assuaged by his maternal uncle Kripa, who recommends him to solicit +the command of the host from Duryodhana. + +In the meantime, proud Kerna, the friend and ally of Duryodhana, fills +the mind of the Kuru chief with impressions hostile to Drona and his +son, persuading him that Drona only fought to secure Aswatthama's +elevation to royal dignity, and that he threw away his life, not out of +grief, but in despair at the disappointment of his ambitious schemes. +Kripa and Aswatthama now arrive and Duryodhana professes to condole with +Aswatthama for his father's loss. Kerna sneeringly asks him what he +purposes, to which he replies:-- + +"Whoever confident in arms is ranked amongst the adverse host--whomever +the race of proud Panchala numbers, active youth, weak age or unborn +babes, whoever beheld my father's murder, or whoever dares to cross my +path, shall fall before my vengeance. Dark is my sight with rage, and +Death himself, the world's destroyer, should not escape my fury." + +Kripa then requests Duryodhana to give the command of the army to +Aswatthama. The king excuses himself on the plea of having promised it +to Kerna, to whom he transfers his ring accordingly. A violent quarrel +ensues between Kerna and Aswatthama, and Duryodhana and Kripa have some +difficulty in preventing them from single combat. Fiery Aswatthama at +last reproaches Duryodhana with partiality, and refuses to fight for him +more. Bhima proclaims that he has at last encountered Duhsasana, the +insulter of Draupadi, and is about to sacrifice him to his vengeance. +Kerna, instigated by Aswatthama, foregoes his anger and is about to +resume his arms when a voice from heaven prevents him. He is obliged, +therefore, to remain an idle spectator of the fight, but desires Kripa +to assist the king. They go off to fight. + +Duhsasana is killed and the army of the Kauravas is put to the rout. +Duryodhana is wounded and becomes insensible. On his recovery, he hears +of Duhsasana's death and gives vent to his sorrows. + +In the conflict between Arjuna and Vrishasena, the son of Kerna, the +young prince is slain to his father's distress. Sundaraka, a follower of +Kerna, brings a leaf on which Kerna has written to Duryodhana, with an +arrow dipped in his own blood, message for aid. Duryodhana orders his +chariot, and prepares to seek the fight again, when he is prevented by +the arrival of his parents, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, who with +Sanjaya, endeavour to prevail upon Duryodhana to sue for peace, but he +refuses. + +A tumult and the entrance of the king's charioteer announce the death of +Kerna. Duryodhana, after expressing his grief, determines to go and +avenge him, and mount the car of Sanjaya, the charioteer of +Dhritarashtra, for that purpose, when Arjuna and Bhima arrive in search +of him. + +On finding the seniors there, Arjuna purposes to withdraw; but Bhima +insists on first addressing them, which they do, but in insulting terms. + +Dhritarashtra, reproaching them for this language, is told they use it +not in pride, but in requital of his having witnessed, without +interfering to prevent, the oppression and barbarous treatment the +Pandavas experienced from his sons. Duryodhana interferes and defies +Bhima, who is equally anxious for the combat; but Arjuna prevents it, +and the brothers are called off by a summons from Yudhishthira, who +orders the battle to cease for the day and the dead bodies of either +party to be burnt. Aswatthama is now disposed to be reconciled to +Duryodhana; but the prince receives his advances coldly, and he +withdraws in disgust. Dhritarashtra sends Sanjaya after him to persuade +him to overlook Duryodhana's conduct. Duryodhana mounts his car, and the +aged couple seek the tent of Salya, the king of Madra. + +Duryodhana is discovered concealed in a swamp, and compelled to fight +with Bhimasena, by whom he is slain. Yudhisthira orders public +rejoicings on the occasion. + +Charvaka, a Rakshasa disguised as a sage, then enters, requiring rest +and water. He relates that he has seen Arjuna engaged with Duryodhana, +Bhima having been previously slain by the latter, and gives his hearers +to understand that Arjuna also has fallen. Draupadi determines to mount +the funeral pile, and Yudhishthira, to put an end to himself when the +Rakshasa, satisfied with the success of his scheme, which was intended +to prevail on this couple to perish, departs. The pile is prepared, and +Yudhishthira and Draupadi are about to sacrifice themselves, when they +are disturbed by a great clamour. Supposing it to precede the approach +of Duryodhana, Yudhishthira calls for his arms, when Bhima, his club +besmeared with blood, rushes in. Draupadi runs away; he catches her by +the hair, and is seized by Yudhishthira--on which the mistake is +discovered. + +The braid of Draupadi's hair is now again bound up. Arjuna and Vasudeva +arrive, and announce that they have heard of the fraud of Charvaka. On +hearing that the mendicant is slain by Nakula, Krishna expresses great +satisfaction. + + + + +CHANDA KAUSIKA + +OR + +THE OFFENDED VISWAMITRA. + + +Maharaja Harischandra, a scion of the solar race, a powerful king, +endowed with uncommon virtues and skilled in all arts, sees a vision of +misfortune to come. Apprehending future evils for his subjects, he +confers with his priest, and acting on his advice, spends a whole night +in religious contemplation in a temple of God. Next morning the king +enters the inner apartments of his palace to greet his wife. The queen, +who is jealous on account of his absence during the night, says to him, +"Oh! I see your eyes are red for want of sleep. The sight is not +uninteresting; only, I am being consumed with the fires of agony of +mind." The king, on hearing this, smiles and says, "Oh my dear queen! do +not be angry. Be assured, you have no rival in Harischandra's +affections". + +The queen is not altogether satisfied with this assurance, for love is +suspicious. Just then, a messenger comes to request permission to bring +in a hermit who is standing at the door. The permission is granted and +the hermit enters. Addressing the King, he says, "The family priest has +sent you some holy water, which will bring you peace of mind and ward +off the evils for fear of which he made you keep up a whole night." The +king and the queen thankfully accept the water. The hermit retires. The +queen, now learning from the hermit the cause of her husband's absence +from her, and of his wakefulness all night, becomes ashamed of herself +and asks her lord's pardon for the false insinuation she had made. On +this he kisses the queen. + +Again, the king goes on a hunting expedition. Hunting is a favourite +pastime with kings. It promotes health and courage and gives immense +pleasure to all who engage in it. When the king enters a thick forest, +he finds the great sage Viswamitra deeply engaged in religious +austerities with the view of acquiring the three unattainable arts of +creation, preservation and destruction, which properly belong to Brahma, +Vishnu and Siva respectively. The gods plot to prevent this +consummation, and send a servant named Bighna. Bighna assumes the form +of a boar and appears before the king. The king discharges an arrow at +him, but in vain. The animal enters the thick forest. The king follows. +It now enters the hermitage of Viswamitra. The king addresses his +followers thus, "It is the duty of kings to get rid of carnivorous +animals from the forest of meditation and austerities. I have, on the +contrary, made a carnivorous animal enter it. How can I now retire? But +the hermits will be disturbed in their religious exercises if you all +enter. So, do you all wait here. I will proceed alone." With these +observations, the king enters the forest of meditation and is charmed +with its exquisite beauty. + +The king thinks, "Tearing off the bonds of the world is the cause of +hermits' ease and happiness. With no attachments, no desires, no +bereavements, no worldly anxieties, they are happily absorbed in divine +contemplation." The king is thinking thus when distant cries are heard, +as if females are crying out, "Maharaja Harischandra! save us! save us! +Save us from the fire-place of this mighty hermit. We three helpless +women are being burnt up." + +At this, the king is at a loss. His heart melts at the tender cries of +the women. He extinguishes the flame with his weapon dedicated to +Varuna, the god of the waters. + +The three ladies are the three arts of creation, preservation and +destruction. They, thus delivered, go away to Heaven, showering +blessings of victory on their deliverer. + +The meditations of the dreadful sage Viswamitra are thus broken off. His +eyes are red with anger. Seeing Harischandra standing before him he +cries out, "Oh wretch of a Kshattriya! I will burn you up as Siva did +the god of love." + +The king is at a loss. He trembles as a plantain tree tossed up by +tempest. He touches the feet of the sage and most piteously begs pardon +of him. + +But the sage is obdurate. He will not be appeased. He is about to +consume the offender with imprecation. + +The Raja again and again implores him thus:-- + +"My lord Kausika! Forgive me. I was touched by the piteous appeals of +the women and disturbed you for the sake of duty." + +At this, the sage becomes still more furious and says trembling, "O +Villain! speak of duty! What is your duty?" + +The king replies, + +"O god! gifts to virtuous Brahmans, protection of those afflicted with +fear, and fight with enemies are the three chief duties of Kshattriyas." + +The sage thereupon observes, + +"If compliance with duties be your aim, make some gift to me +commensurate with my merit." + +The king replies, "Oh great sage! what have I got with which to make a +due gift to you? I am prepared to give you what I have----this world +with all its wealth. Please accept it." + +Then the sage becomes calm and says, + +"Be it so. I will not burn you up. I accept your gift of a kingdom. Now +that you have made a gift, give me a fee of one thousand gold coins, +commensurate with the gift. I will not accept the gift without the fee. +But as you have made a gift of the world with all its wealth, you must +not take the fee-money out of that world. Collect the money elsewhere." + +At this, the king is in a fix. After much thought it strikes him that it +is said in the scriptures that Benares is separate from the world. So he +resolves to collect money from that holy city. + +Then the king placing the crown and the sceptre of royalty at the feet +of the sage, obtains from him one month's time to pay the fee and taking +the queen Saibya and his son Rohitasya with him, starts for Benares. The +month allowed him is drawing to a close. Not a single gold coin has been +collected--to say nothing of one thousand coins. Alms is the only way of +collection. Alms barely suffices for maintenance. On the morning of the +last day, when he is deeply anxious for the money, the sage arrives. +Seeing the latter, he almost faints. + +The sage whirls his eyes and asks, "Oh Harischandra! where is my fee? +Pay at once, or I will burn you up." He replies in piteous and trembling +tones, "The month will be completed by sunset. Please wait till sunset." + +The sage observes, "I will not listen to any more of your +prevarications. I cannot grant your request." + +The king cries and repeatedly entreats the sage to wait till sunset. + +At this the queen and his son both weep. + +After many entreaties, the sage consents. Then the king again goes out +a-begging, but in vain. Then he resolves to sell his person and goes +about hawking himself in the streets. + +No one responds to his efforts. No buyer appears. At this time, a +Brahmin with a disciple, asks whether a male or a female slave is for +sale and intimates that he requires a female slave. + +The queen wipes her eyes and replies, "Yes, a female slave is for sale +for fifty thousand gold coins. I, who am for sale as such, will obey all +orders except eating table-refuse and indulging in improper intimacy +with males." The Brahmin consents to the terms laid down, pays the +required sum into the hands of the king and takes away the queen. The +king then bewails her thus:-- + +"It were far better if a thousand thunderbolts had fallen on my head. Oh +my dear queen! Never even in a dream did I think that such a misfortune +would befall you. You mistook a poisonous tree for a sandal-tree. Oh, +how hard is my heart! It does not melt at the sight of my wife sold away +as a slave. Even iron is melted by fire. Oh Providence! I can no longer +bear up my sorrows. Oh Indra I break my head in pieces by thy +thunderbolts." + +At this lamentation of the king, all present become sorry and express +their regrets. After a little while, the sage arrives again, his body +emitting sparks of fire. Seeing him at a distance, the king begins to +tremble. + +As the sage comes up, the king bows to him and says, + +"My lord Kausika! I have procured only a half of your fee by the sale of +my wife. Accept it. I shall presently pay the remaining half by the sale +of my own person." + +The sage whirls his eyes and exclaims, "Is it a joke? Am I a fit object +for a joke? What shall I do with only half the money? Just pay down the +whole amount. See the sun is setting." + +The king replies, "O God! if this does not satisfy you, I pray you wait +a little. If a Chandal is available, I will sell my person to him and +pay your fee." The sage remarks:-- + +"Then I will stand here and wait. Collect the money without delay." + +The king then hawks himself about, "Will any one buy me with half a lakh +of gold coins, and deliver me from an ocean of sorrows." No one responds +to his offer. No buyer appears. The sun is about to set. Death stares +him in the face. Not that he fears death. Why should he fear it? He has +given away his kingdom. His queen has been sold. Life has no further +attraction for him. Death has been stripped of its terrors. But death by +the fire of a Brahmin's anger leads to everlasting hell. He sees the +vision of hell, falls down on the ground like a plantain tree blown by a +tempest, and faints. + +Virtue preserves him who practises virtue. Virtue assumes the form of a +Chandal and accompanied by an attendant, makes his appearance, with a +half-burnt bamboo on his shoulders and a chain of skeletons round his +neck. He is ready to buy the king, who now weeps bitterly, and holding +the feet of the sage, entreats him thus:-- + +"Oh lord Kausika! Do me a favour I pray you. Do not sell me to a +Chandal. Do _you_ rather buy me. I shall be your slave for ever." + +On this, the sage flies into a rage and exclaims:-- + +"Oh villain! Do not trifle with me. You have all this time been +pretending that you want buyers. As soon as a buyer appears in the +field, you feel ashamed to be sold to a Chandal! I cannot brook any more +delay. I take up water to destroy you." + +The king begs his pardon, sells himself to the Chandal and pays down the +fee to the sage, who then retires. + +The king now puts on the dress of a Chandal and is appointed with two +others to collect rags in a burning-ground. Hideous is the +burning-ground. Dogs and jackals are tearing up carcasses which lie +scattered all round. Vultures are quarrelling among themselves. These +sights unloosen the bonds that bind him to the world. The king is +trembling with fear. His two colleagues have left him. But he will not +leave his station. He must do his duty. The night deepens. The +burning-ground becomes still more hideous. To try the king's sense of +duty, Virtue once more becomes incarnate and this time appears before +the king in a horrible form. The king has never before seen such a +terrible sight, but still he will not leave his station. Not one or two +but myriads of such forms dance before him, but in vain. The king +exclaims, "No one shall be allowed to burn any corpse without depositing +rags and couches with me. I am the agent of the lord of this +burning-ground. I make this proclamation by order of my lord." + +No one responds. No voice is heard; only horrible figures are seen +playing around him. After a while, a hermit comes and says. + +"I am a hermit. I have resolved to practise some _mantras_. I have come +to know everything about you by my powers of _yoga_. You are a king and +you should protect me from the demons that disturb my meditations." + +The king most humbly submits, "My body is not my own; I have sold it to +the lord of the Chandals. How can I forsake my duty to my lord to save +you?" + +The hermit says, "come and help me if I ever suffer extreme distress." + +The king replies, "If I can ever help you without detriment to the +business of my lord, I am ready to do it." The hermit retires, and after +a short time he returns; and says, + +"By your help I am now versed in all _mantras_. I am prepared to give +you such a mantra as by its virtue you will be able at once to repair to +Heaven. You need not suffer hell by slavery to a Chandal." + +The king replies, "Many thanks for your kind offer. But how can I accept +your offer as this body belongs to a Chandal? I will not go anywhere +before death." + +The hermit says, "Then take this money and deliver your wife." + +The king thankfully declines the offer with the observation, "I have +sold my queen in my hour of need. To buy her back is not in my power." +The hermit soliloquizes, + +"Blessed is Maharaja Harischandra! What fortitude! what wisdom! what +generosity! what a sense of duty! The world has never produced a nobler +man. A tempest shakes even the mountains, but behold! this noblest +specimen of humanity is not moved by the severest of afflictions! + +It is morning. The birds are singing. The sun is up in the horizon. The +king is sitting on the banks of the Ganges. He is thinking of his fate +when he hears a female voice crying. He approaches the lady. The scene +is horrible. An unfortunate lady, the queen Saibya who had been deserted +by her husband, has come to burn her son, the support of her life. She +was serving as a slave in the house of the Brahmin who had bought her. +Her son Rohitashya, was stung by a deadly poisonous snake. No body would +help her. She has come to the burning-ground to burn the dead body of +her son. The queen weeps and faints. The king stares at the face of the +corpse for a long time and at last recognises his dead son. He too +faints. After a long time he recovers, and finds that the queen also has +recovered. He thinks of committing suicide, but the body is not his +own. He thinks of pacifying the queen by introducing himself, but his +present costume will perhaps aggravate her sorrows. The queen, looking +up to the skies, exclaims; "It is high time for me to return to the +house of my master. I forget I am a slave. My master will be angry if I +am late. My husband will incur blame if my master is angry. Let me go at +once." + +The king reflects, "If my queen is so mindful of her duties to her +master in the midst of such calamities, I must never forget my duty to +my master." + +Then he approaches the queen and addresses her thus:-- + +"Who are you? You are not allowed to burn the corpse before you give up +its clothes to me, the slave of the lord of this place." She replies, + +"Please wait a little. I will take off the clothes." + +As the queen delivers the clothes into the hands of the slave, she +notices signs of royalty in his hands and is surprised that such a hand +is engaged in so low an office. + +"She looks attentively and exclaims in a wild voice, Oh my lord! Oh +Maharaja! you a slave in this burning-ground! Oh lord Kausika! are you +not yet satisfied?" The queen rushes to embrace the king. The king +starts away from her and forbids her saying, "Oh my queen! do not touch +me, I am the slave of a Chandal. Be patient." She faints again. + +The king cannot touch her as he is in the garb of a Chandal. After a +while, the queen recovers, and the king addresses her thus:-- + +"Oh my lady! Abandon lamentations. It is useless to lament. All this is +the result of work in previous lives. I will prepare a funeral pyre. +Apply the sacrament of fire to the dead body and return at once to the +house of your master." The queen is disconsolate and wants to remain +with her husband, who explains the situation thus:--"You have no right +to remain here. Do not forget that your person has been sold to the +Brahmin." + +The queen understands and sighs. + +All on a sudden, flowers are showered on their heads from Heaven, and +musical voices are heard on high proclaiming. + +"Blessed is Maharaja Harischandra; Blessed is Rani Shaibya! unrivalled +in this world is the liberality, the patience, the resolution and the +wisdom of the king. No nobler man can be found in the three worlds." + +The king and the queen stare motionless towards the Heavens. + +Now virtue assumes the form of a hermit and makes this address. + +"Victory to Maharaja Harischandra! You have astonished the world, I am +virtue incarnate. Virtue is never vain. As you have stuck to me all +along, I must reward you. I will send you to the heaven of _Brahma_, +where the greatest kings cannot enter by their truth, charity, +straightforwardness and sacrifices. You need not lament any more. Be +patient. By my blessing, your son Rohitashya will instantly regain +life". Rohitashya now starts up. + +Then the king perceives, in clear vision acquired by the blessings of +Virtue, that lord Kausika, in order to try his virtue, deprived him of +his kingdom and placed the government in the hands of his own minister. +The Chandal, who is his master, is not a real character but virtue +incarnate. + +The Brahmin and his wife, who were the master and mistress of the queen, +were not ordinary persons. The Brahmin was Siva, the god of gods, +incarnate. The Brahmani was the goddess Durga incarnate. By order of +virtue, the king and queen annoint, on the banks of the Ganges, +Rohitashya as king-associate or Yuvaraja, and return to the capital, +amidst the wild rejoicings of the subjects. + +After a short stay there, the happy couple repair to the heaven of +_Brahma_. + + + + +MADHURANIRUDDHA. + + +The secret loves of Usha, the daughter of the Asura Bana, and Aniruddha, +the grandson of Krishna, are intense. The sage Nareda apprises Krishna +and Balarama, that Indra is again in dread of the demons, and especially +of Bana, who has acquired the particular favour of Siva, and who is +therefore not to be easily subdued. The conference ends by Nareda's +going to Sonapur, the capital of the demon, to endeavour to impair the +friendship between Bana and Siva, whilst Krishna and his brother await +the result. + +The excessive arrogance of Bana, in his anxiety to match himself with +Vishnu, has offended the latter, who has accordingly departed for +Kailas, after announcing that Bana's anxiety shall be alleviated +whenever his banner falls. Parvati has also gone to Kailas, after +announcing to Usha that she will shortly behold her lover. Usha is +impatient for the boon conferred by the goddess. + +Aniruddha is violently enamoured of a damsel he has seen in his sleep, +and despairs of discovering who she is, when Nareda comes opportunely to +his aid, and informs him that she is the daughter of Bana; on which +Aniruddha determines to go to his capital, first propitiating Jwalamukhi +by penance, in order to obtain the means of entering a city surrounded +by a wall of perpetual flame. The goddess is the form of Durga, +worshipped wherever a subterraneous flame breaks forth, or wherever +jets of carburetted hydrogen gas are emitted from the soil. + +Bana's banner has fallen. His minister and wife endeavour to prevail on +him to propitiate Siva, in order to avert the evil omen, but he refuses. + +Bringi, a servant of Durga, precedes Aniruddha to prepare the goddess to +grant his request. As he proceeds in his aerial car, he notices the +countries of Orissa, Bengal, Behar, Oude or Ayodhya, Prayaga, Hastinapur +or Delhi and Kurujangal or Tahneser, whence he comes to Jwalamukhi. + +Aniruddha repairs to the shrine of the goddess round which goblins +sport, and upon the point of offering himself as a sacrifice, is +prevented by the goddess and receives from her the power of travelling +through the air. + +Usha and Chitralekha, her companion, receive a visit from Nareda, in +whose presence the latter unfolds a picture containing portraits of all +the chief characters in Swerga, Patala, and on earth, or Indra, and +other gods; Sesha, Takshaka and the Nagas, and different princes, as the +kings of Magadha, Mathura, Avanti, Madra, Mahishmati, and Viderbha, +Yudhishthira, Krishna, Baladeva, Pradyumna, and finally Aniruddha, whom +Usha recognizes as the individual seen in her dream, and of whom she is +enamoured. Nareda recommends that Chitralekha be sent to Dwaravati to +invite Aniruddha, whom he enables to fly thither, whilst he remains in +charge of Usha, whom he sends to the garden to await her lover's +arrival. + +Aniruddha and Chitralekha arrive at Sonapur and the former is united to +his mistress. + +Aniruddha is detected by Bana. An engagement ensues. Krishna, Baladeva, +and Pradyumna coming to the aid of the prince, the day is going ill with +Bana, when Kartikeya, Ganesha, and Siva and Chandi come to his succour. +Notwithstanding the presence of his allies, Bana has all his thousand +arms cut off by Krishna except four. Siva advances to the aid of his +votary, when a combat ensues between the gods which combat Brahma +descends to arrest. The gods embrace one another. Parvati and Brahma +support Bana to make his submission. + +Vishnu declares he is less sensible of the wounds inflicted by Bana, +than of the regret he feels at his presumption in contending with Siva. +The latter consoles him by telling him he only did a warrior's duty, and +that military prowess is independent of all motives of love or hatred. + +Parvati then brings Usha to the spot, and by her desire, and that of +Siva, Bana gives his daughter to Aniruddha. Siva then elevates him to +the rank of one of his attendants, under the name of Mahakala. + + + + +SRIDAMA CHARITA. + + +Poverty and Folly are sent by Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, to assail +Sridama, the early companion and fellow-student of Krishna, who has +become obnoxious to the goddess for his attachment to Saraswati; the +goddess of learning. They effect their purpose with Sridama, by +demanding the rites of hospitality, and being accordingly admitted into +his dwelling. + +Sridama is persuaded by his wife, Vasumati, who has seen a propitious +dream, to repair to Krishna, to see if his opulent friend will restore +his broken fortunes. He takes with him a handful of rice, dried and +cleaned after boiling, as a present. He arrives at the palace of +Krishna, where he is received with great respect by the host and his two +principal wives, Rukmini and Satyabhama; the former washes his feet, the +latter wipes them, and Krishna sprinkles the remaining water upon his +own head. After recalling some of the occurrences of their juvenile +days, when they were fellow-students, Krishna leads his friend into the +garden, where they remain till towards sunset; when they are summoned to +join the queens and their attendants. Krishna indulges in frolics among +his women. The buffoonery of the Vidushaka amuses the party. + +After some time spent in this manner, Sridama takes his leave, and +although dismissed with great reverence, departs as poor as he came. He +recollects this on his way back, and consoles himself with observing +that wealth intoxicates as well as wine, and that the affection of +Krishna is a thing which no one can steal from him. His disciple is not +so submissive, and reminds him that it was not to get mere civility that +he was sent on this errand by his wife. + +On arrival, they find, instead of the miserable hovel of Sridama, a +splendid and extensive town, and that Sridama is in great affliction at +the disappearance of his wife, when he is seen and solicited by a +_Kanchuli_ or chamberlain, who calls himself his servant, to enter a +stately palace. Sridama, thinking this is a jest upon his poverty, +threatens to beat him if he does not depart, but the chamberlain +perseveres, and tells him that while he was absent, Krishna had +converted his cottage into a town, named after him Sridamapur, and +supplied it with every article of use or luxury. With much reluctance +and unyielding incredulity Sridama is prevailed upon to enter the +palace, where he finds his wife. + +Krishna now comes to pay a visit to his friend. He arrives in his aerial +chariot, accompanied by Satyabhama and the Vidushaka. His bounties are +heartily acknowledged by the object on whom they have been bestowed. + + + + +KANSA BADHA + +OR + +THE DESTRUCTION OF KANSA. + + +Kansa, the king of Mathura, alarmed by a voice from heaven, that +Krishna, the son of his sister, predestined to destroy him, has escaped +the precautions taken against him, consults with his minister what he +shall do. + +The juvenile Krishna performs many exploits. He accomplishes the +destruction of the demon Kesi, one of those infernal beings who in vain +attempted to kill the divine child, instigated by their prescience of +their fate when he should reach maturity. + +Akrura, the paternal uncle of Krishna, repairs to Gokul to invite his +nephew to Mathura. Balarama and Krishna, after bowing to their foster +parents, Nanda and Yasoda and receiving their benedictions, depart for +Mathura. + +The seniors then express their grief for their loss. While the boys are +proceeding on their journey, they are overtaken by a messenger from +Radha, in consequence of which Krishna determines to spend some time at +Vrindavan. They resume their journey to Mathura. On the way, the youths +kill the royal elephant of Kansa. Then they defeat and slay Kansa's two +wrestlers Chanura and Mushtika. These occurrences are reported to Kansa. +The youths now reach his palace at Mathura and slay him. The boys are +then re-united with their mortal parents Vasudeva and Devaki. To console +Devaki for her brother's death, Krishna installs her father Ugrasena in +the sovereignty of Mathura. + + + + +YAYATI CHARITRA. + + +Sermishtha was the daughter of Vrishaperva, king of the Daityas, and +Devayani, the daughter of Sukra, regent of the planet Venus and the +spiritual preceptor of the Daitya race. Devayani having incurred the +displeasure of Sermishtha the latter threw the former into a well, where +she was found by king Yayati, the son of Nahusha. Devayani, on returning +to her father, excited his anger against Vrishaperva, who, to appease +Sukra, consented to give his daughter to Devayani as her servant, with a +thousand other female attendants. Devayani was married to Yayati. At the +time of her marriage, Sukra obtained the king's promise that he would +never associate with Sermishtha; but after some interval, the king +meeting her, fell in love with, and espoused, her privately. The +intrigue continued secret, until Yayati had two sons by Devayani and +three by Sermishtha, when it was discovered by the former, and excited +her resentment as well as that of her father. The violation of the +king's promise was punished by premature decay, as denounced upon him by +Sukra, with permission, however, to transfer his infirmities to anyone +who would acccept them. Yayati appealed to his sons; of whom the +youngest alone, Puru, consented to assume the burden. After a sufficient +period, Yayati took his decrepitude back again, and left the +sovereignty to Puru in reward of his filial piety. + +All the sons of Yayati were the founders of distinguished families. The +Pauravas were the descendants of Puru in whose line the Kaurava and the +Pandava families were comprised. + + + + +KAUTUKA SERVASWA. + + +Kalivatsala, or the darling of the age of iniquity, is the sovereign of +Dhermanasa or the destruction of virtue, and he takes as his spiritual +guide, Kukermapanchanana, the Siva of iniquity. + +Satyacharya, a pious Brahman returned from Brindavan, who is treated by +the king and his courtiers with great iniquity, holds the following +conversation with his brethren in jail. + +Satyacharya says: "How now, holy sirs, how fares it with you?" + +The Brahmans in jail reply: "We once had lands in free gifts." + +Satyacharya asks, "What then?" + +The Brahmans answer: "why, know you not the customs of the country? If +the god of wealth owned lands here that yielded but a grain of corn, the +king would send him in three days to beg alms, clad in tatters and with +a platter in his hand. The characteristics of our sovereign are fondness +for the intoxicating juice of _bhang_, esteem for the wicked, addiction +to vice, and detestation of virtue." + +Satyacharya observes: "You are right, what chance is there for the good? +The king is unwise, his associates are wicked, his chief councillor is a +knave, and his minister, a scoundrel. Yet the people are many; why is +not such misconduct resented?" + +The Brahmans reply, "The manners of the people are equally depraved; +they are valiant in oppression, skilful in falsehood, and persevering +only in contempt for the pious." + +Satyacharya asks, "How are the scribes?" + +The Brahmans answer, "They collect the revenues by any expedient, and +vigilantly inflict penalties on the wise. The Brahmans are not allowed +to keep even the dust upon their bodies; the dust accumulated on their +feet is claimed by the Kayeths. What can we say of this reign? The dumb +alone can speak the truth, the deaf hear the law, the sons of the barren +are well-behaved, the blind behold the observance of the scriptures. Our +lands have been given to drunkards, and we are detained in prison for +what our ancestors expended." + +Satyacharya observes, "I have heard enough. Better fortunes attend you." + +The general Samara Jambuka, the jackal of war, boasts that he can cleave +a roll of butter with his falchion. He trembles from top to toe at the +approach of a mosquito. + +The king orders vice to be proclaimed virtue by beat of drum. All the +Brahmans are perpetually banished. + + + + +PRACHANDA PANDAVA + +OR + +THE OFFENDED SONS OF PANDU + +OR + +BALA BHARATA. + + +Draupadi is married to the five sons of Pandu, in compliance with the +command of their mother. Yudhishthira, the eldest son of Pandu, loses +every thing including Draupadi at chess-play with Duryodhana, the eldest +of the Kauravas. Draupadi is now dragged by the hair, almost naked, into +the public assembly, an insult in revenge for which ferocious Bhima vows +to slay Duhsasana, the insulter, and drink his blood, and ultimately +fulfils his vow. The Pandava princes then depart to the forest. + + + + +PROBODHA CHANDRODAYA + +OR + +"RISE OF THE MOON OF (TRUE) KNOWLEDGE." + + +Religion and the noble king Reason, accompanied by all the Virtues +namely Faith, Volition, Opinion, Imagination, Contemplation, Devotion, +Quietude, Friendship and others, are banished, from Benares, by the evil +king Error who reigns at Benares, surrounded by his faithful adherents, +the Follies and Vices namely Self-conceit, Hypocrisy, Love, Passion, +Anger, Avarice and others. There is, however, a prophecy that Reason +will some day be re-united with Revelation; the fruit of the union will +be True Knowledge, that will destroy the reign of Error. + +The struggle for this union and its consummation are followed by the +final triumph of the good party. + + + + +NAGANANDA + +OR + +JOY OF THE SERPENTS. + + +Jimutavahana, a prince of the Vidyadharas, is a Buddhist. He marries +Malayavati, daughter of the king of the Siddhas, a votary of the goddess +Gauri, the wife of the great god Siva. When he comes to know that +Garuda, the bird celebrated in mythology, is used to eat up one snake +each day, he makes up his mind to offer himself to the bird as a victim, +and eventually succeeds in converting Garuda to the principle of +_Ahimsa_ or abstention from slaughter; but he himself is on the point of +succumbing to the wounds he has received, when, through the timely +intervention of the goddess Gouri, he recovers. + + + + +DUTANGADA + +OR + +THE MISSION OF ANGADA. + + +Angada, the son of Bali, is sent by Rama to Ravana to demand Sita. He +executes his mission in a most clever and courageous manner. He then +departs from Lanka. Ravana now goes forth to battle and is slain by +Rama. The divine hero then enters the city of Lanka in triumph. + + + + +PRADYUMNA VIJAYA. + + +A pair of geese, the _Hansa_ and _Hansi_ inspire Prabhavati, the +daughter of Vajranabha, and Pradyumna, the son of Krishna with a mutual +passion before they have beheld each other. By their contrivance, secret +nuptials are brought about. + +The sage Nareda communicates the stolen interviews of the lovers to the +father of the damsel, to whose vengeance Pradyumna is about to fall a +victim, when Krishna and Baladeva with their followers come to the +rescue. A combat ensues in which Vajranabha is defeated and slain. The +engagement is seen by two Gandherbas from their chariots in the air. + + + + +VIDAGDHA MADHAVA. + + +The loves of Krishna and Radha are intense. The two lovers often engage +in jealous squabbles. + +Chandravali, a nymph of Vrindavan, is enamoured of Krishna and thus +excites the jealousy of Radha. + +The Paurnamasi, the personified day of the full moon, interests herself +in the union of Krishna and Radha. + + + + +DHANANYAYA VIJAYA. + + +The cattle of king Virat are carried off by Karna and the Kuru princes. +Aryuna recovers them after a great battle. The different chiefs appear, +threaten one another and praise themselves. + +Indra and some of his attendants contemplate the fight from the clouds. + + + + +HASYARNAVA. + + +The king Anasayindhu, in his progress through his city, regrets to find +everything subverted: that Chandals, not Brahmans, make shoes; that +wives are chaste and husbands constant; and that respect is paid to the +respectable, not to the vile; and that Vyadhisindhu, the doctor, cures +the cholic by applying a heated needle to the palate, and perforates the +pupils of the eyes in order to restore vision. + +Sadhhinsaka, the chief of police, reports with great satisfaction that +the city is completely in the hands of thieves; the Commander-in-chief +Ranajambuka, after putting on his armour, valiantly cuts a leech in two. +Mahayatrika, the astrologer, in answer to a question of the time to take +a journey, indicates hours and positions which proclaim approaching +death. + +A dispute ensues between Viswabhanda, a Saiva mendicant, and +Kalahankura, his disciple, which they refer to the decision of +Mahanindaka, another Brahman, who asserts that he composed the _vedas_ +and visited _Swerga_, where he treated Vrihaspati and Brahma with +contempt and gave Siva a drubbing. + + + + +CHITRA YAJNA. + + +Daksha, the father of Sati or Bhavani and father-in-law of the great god +Siva, institutes a great sacrifice. + +The gods and sages assemble on the occasion, Daksha accords them a +cordial reception. He bows down to the feet of the gods, and puts the +dust from under them upon his head. He then proceeds to the place of +sacrifice, reading or reciting the usual formulae. He orders the +attendants to distribute rice to the Brahmans, for the purpose of +invoking their benedictions. They receive the rice, scatter it and +pronounce the _Swasti Vachana_, or benedictory text. He offers oblation +to fire. + +Dadhichi now comes to the sacrifice, when a dispute ensues between him +and the sacrificer, upon the impropriety of omitting to invite Siva; and +the dispute becoming rather hot, Daksha orders his guest to be turned +out. The gods partake of Dadhichi's indignation at the disrespectful +mention of Siva, and rise to depart. Daksha orders his servants to guard +the door and prevent their going forth: the gods, however, force their +way. + +The sages then also withdraw, on which Daksha goes out, exclaiming, "I +will give double presents to those who remain." Nareda goes to Kailas +with the news. He enters playing the _Vina_ and singing hymns in honour +of the great god. Nareda's communication to Siva and Bhavani is very +brief. + +Siva asks, "Now, Nareda, whence come you?" Nareda replies, "Your godship +is omniscient, you know all that has happened, but have asked me through +a wish to hear it from my lips. We were all invited to Daksha's +sacrifice. Dadhichi, finding that you were not invited, took Daksha to +task pretty sharply, and walked off, upon which I come to pay you my +respects." Having said this and prostrated himself on the ground, the +sage, with his lute hanging upon his neck, departed. + +Sati now asks leave to go and see her father. + +Siva replies, "It is quite contrary to etiquette, to go without an +invitation." She answers, "I need not stand on ceremony with my father." + +Siva observes, "How! would you impose upon me with falsehoods? Daksha is +not your father, nor is his wife your mother, you are the father of all +things, the mother of the universe. Those versed in the _Vedas_ declare +you male and female too." + +In the end, she is allowed to follow her own inclinations. + +She comes to her father, and vainly endeavours to impress him with +respect for her husband. She quits him to throw herself into the +sacrificial fire. + +Nareda then appears and tells Daksha to prepare for the consequences of +his folly. Virabhadra, Siva's attendant, then enters and plays some +antics. Shaking the earth with his tread, and filling space with his +extended arms, he rolls his eyes in wrath. Some of the gods he casts on +the ground and tramples on them; he knocks out the teeth of some with +his fists, plucks out the beards of some, and cuts off the ears, arms, +and noses of others; he smites some, and he tosses others into the +sacrificial fire. He decapitates the cause of his master's indignation, +the haughty Daksha. + + + + +MRIGANKALEKHA. + + +Mrigankalekha is the daughter of the king of Kamarupa or Assam: she is +beheld by Karpuratilaka, the king of Kalinga, whilst hunting, and the +parties are mutually enamoured. + +The obstacle to their union is the love of Sankhapala, a demon, to +oppose whose supernatural powers, Ratnachura, the minister of the king +of Kalinga, who alone is aware of the circumstance, invites to the +palace a benevolent magician, Siddhayogini, and Mrigankalekha is also +lodged in the palace as the friend of the queen Vilasavati. + +Notwithstanding these precautions, she is carried off by Sankhapala to +the temple of Kali, which is surrounded by goblins. During the Raja's +peregrinations in his love-frenzy, he passes disconsolate through a wood +in which he inquires of different animals if they have seen his +mistress. + +He now comes to the temple, rescues her, and kills Sankhapala. He is +then united to Mrigankalekha in the presence of her father and brother, +and with the consent of the queen. Before the conclusion of the marriage +rite, he kills also the brother of Sankhapala, who comes to revenge him +in the form of a wild elephant. + +The marriage is thus effected through the secret contrivance of the +minister, because the lady's husband is to become the master of the +world. + + + + +MUDRARAKSHASA + +OR + +RAKSHASA (THE MINISTER) WITH THE SIGNET + +OR + +RAKSHASA AND THE SIGNET-RING + +OR + +RAKSHASA KNOWN BY THE SIGNET-RING. + + +The city of Pataliputra or Palibothra, the capital of the Nandas, was +situated not far from the confluence of the Ganges and the Sone; and was +on the southern side of the rivers. Nanda, the last king of the Nanda +line, had for his minister the able and experienced Rakshasa. +Chandragupta also called Vrishala and Maurya is identical with +Sandrakottus represented by the Greek writers as the most powerful Raja +in India at the time of Alexander the Great's death. He was a sovereign +of dignity and strength of character and had a high respect for his +minister Chanakya, the Indian Macchiavelli, who was a crafty, +clearheaded, self-confident, intriguing and hard politician, with the +ultimate end of his ambition thoroughly well-determined and directing +all his clearheadedness and intrigue to the accomplishment of that end. +This minister, also called Vishnugupta, is famous as a writer on _Nity_ +or "rules of government and polity", and the reputed author of numerous +moral and political precepts commonly current in India. Nanda is slain +by the contrivances of this wily Brahman, who thus assists Chandragupta +to the throne, and becomes his minister. Rakshasa refuses to recognise +the usurper and endeavours to be avenged on him for the ruin of his late +master. + +After the assassination of Nanda, Servarthasiddhi is placed on the +throne by Rakshasa but he retires to a life of devotion. Saileswara or +Parvataka or Parvateswara, the king of the Mountains, at first the ally +of Chandragupta, afterwards befriended his opponents and is therefore +slain privily by Chanakya. Vairodhaka, the brother of Parvataka, is +killed by Rakshasa's emissaries by mistake for Chandragupta. + +Malayaketu, the son of Parvataka, is a prince whose confidence and +distrust are alike misplaced, who is thoughtless, suspicious, wanting in +dignity, and almost child-like, not to say childish. He leads an army +against Chandragupta but without success. He is so rash and +inconsiderate as to resolve most hastily to undertake war against five +kings at a time. + +Rakshasa is a brave soldier but a blundering and somewhat soft-natured +politician, whose faithfulnesss to his original master Nanda prompts him +to wreak vengeance on Chandragupta and Chanakya. He has ultimately to +abandon in despair his self-imposed task, the great aim of his life, +being foiled by the arts of his adversary Chanakya. The proximate motive +of the abandonment, however, is the duty of repaying favours received by +him when he was engaged in his attempts at vengeance. He accidentally +acquires a ring. + +Chanakya, whose ability and diplomatic skill are of a high order, lays +out various plottings and machinations to make Chandragupta the +paramount sovereign in India, by winning over the noble Rakshasa to his +master's cause. He tries successfully to effect a reconciliation between +his protege, and Rakshasa. With this view Rakshasa is rendered by the +contrivances of Chanakya an object of suspicion to the prince Malyaketu +with whom he has taken refuge and is consequently dismissed by him. + +In this deserted condition he learns the imminent danger of a dear +friend Chandandasa whom Chanakya is about to put to death, and in order +to effect his liberation surrenders himself to his enemies. + +They offer him, contrary to his expectations, the rank and power of +Prime Minister, and the parties are finally friends. + +The Nanda dynasty thus comes to an end and Chandragupta becomes the +founder of the Maurya dynasty. + +A curious scene in the last Act may be noticed here. A Chandala or +executioner leads a criminal to the place of execution. The latter bears +a stake (_Sula_) on his shoulder, and is followed by his wife and son +who use no expressions suggestive of tenderness but only of sacrifice--a +stern sense of duty. At the impending execution of her husband, she +neither faints nor becomes disconsolate but simply weeps and talks of +her duty. + +The executioner calls out--"Make way, make way, good people! let every +one who wishes to preserve his life, his property, or his family, avoid +transgressing against the king as he would, poison." This criminal is +Chandan Das who is put into chains with a view to force his friend +Rakshsa to yield. He gives up his life and property for the sake of his +friend Rakshasa. This conduct is described as casting into the shade the +noble acts of even the Buddhas. + + + + +VIDDHA SALABHANJIKA + +OR + +THE CARVED STATUE. + + +Vidyadhar Malla, the chief of the Karachuli race, a Rajput tribe, was +the king of Triling and Kalinga. Bhagurayana was his minister. Charayana +was his Vidushaka or confidential attendant. Chandraverma, the king of +Lata, was the maternal uncle-in-law of Vidyadhar Malla. He had no son. +To satisfy his desire for a son, he dressed his only daughter +Mrigankavali as a son to pass her off as such. People knew that the +child was a son. + +Bhagurayana had heard from the sages that "whosoever shall wed the +daughter of Chandravarma shall become the paramount sovereign." So he +told Chandravarma, "My king desires to see your son." Upon this +Chandravarma sent his child to the queen of Vidyadhara Malla to be taken +care of by her. Thus the minister contrived to bring Mrigankavali to the +palace of his king. + +One day, while the king is asleep, Mrigankavali puts a necklace on the +neck of the king, being induced by a maid-servant who had instructions +to do so by the minister. The king takes this as a wonderful dream. The +vision of a beautiful maid agitates his mind. The king thus relates to +Bidushaka the story of his fancied vision, "for the burden of the heart +is lightened by sharing it with a faithful friend." + +"A glorious halo appeared before me in my dream, bright as the moon's +resplendent disk; within the orb a beauteous maiden moved as gently +radiant as the lunar rays in autumn skies. + +Advancing near me, she inclined her head in reverence, and, as if +pouring ambrosia into my ears, pronounced in softest tones, + +'Glory to the deity of love!' Then sighing, she took up this string of +costly pearls and placed it on my neck. This awoke me, I started up and +saw my vision realised. I caught the nymph by her scarf, but she hastily +extricated herself from my hands and fled, leaving me this necklace +alone the evidence of her presence." Bidushaka asks his Majesty, "Was +not the queen with you when you dreamt? What did she do?" + +The king replies, "The queen got angry and left me." Bidushaka remarks, +"Why could not you assuage her anger?" + +The king answers, "I was absorbed in the maid of my vision." + +The Vidushaka, however, treats the whole as a dream, and reproaches the +king for his fickleness, as he had just before fallen in love with +Kuvalayamala, the princess of Kuntala, and recommends him to be content +with the queen, as "a partridge in the hand is better than a pea-hen in +the forest." + +The prince and the Vidushaka then go into the garden by the back-door, +where, over the edge of a terrace, they see some of the fair tenants of +the inner apartments amusing themselves with swinging. Amongst them the +king recognises the countenance he has seen in his dream, but the party +disappear on the advance of the king and his friend. + +The king then enters a pleasure-house or pavilion called the +_kelikailas_ or mountain of sport built for him by the minister. + +It is a beautiful palace built of crystal, and decorated with statues +and paintings. One of the paintings is thus described: + +"There is your Majesty at _pasa_ (dice) with the queen: behind you +stands one damsel with the betel box, whilst another is waving the +_chownri_ over your head: the dwarf is playing with the monkey, and the +parrot abusing the Vidushaka." The chamber also contains the portrait of +Mrigankavali, the damsel whom the prince has really seen in his supposed +dream. There is also a statue of her, whence the drama is named _Viddha +Salabhanjika_, meaning a curved statue or effigy. + +The king discovers the statue. He thinks, "Who will carve on the wall +the person I dreamed of? No one was present when I dreamt. Has anyone +carved the statue out of his fancy? A real person may exist in this +world or how can an exact figure come here?" + +He now verily believes the dream to be a reality. He then puts the +necklace of his dream on the neck of the carved statue. + +Finally the lady is herself beheld through the transparent wall of the +pavilion, but runs away on being observed. The king becomes enamoured of +her. He and his friend follow her but in vain. The bards proclaim it at +noon, and the two friends repair to the queen's apartments to perform +the midday ceremonies. + +Kuvalayamala, the object of the king's passion before encountering his +new flame, is the daughter of Chandramahasena, the king of Kuntala. She +has been sent to Vidyadhara Malla's queen, as the betrothed bride of the +supposed son of Chandraverma, who is the queen's maternal uncle. +Mekhala, the queen's foster-sister, practises a frolic on Charayana. He +is promised a new bride by the queen, and the ceremony is about to take +place when the spouse proves to be a "lubberly boy"; he is highly +indignant at the trick, and goes off threatening vengeance. + +The king having followed and pacified his companion, they go off into +the garden, where they see the damsel Mrigankavali playing with ball: +she still however flies their advance. Presently they overhear a +conversation between her and one of her companions, from which it +appears, that notwithstanding her shyness she is equally enamoured of +the king. + +Her dress is the contrivance of the minister, at whose instigation, +Mrigankavali is persuaded by Sulakshana to believe that she is to behold +the present deity of love, and is introduced by a sliding door into the +king's chamber. The consequence of the interview is to render +Mrigankavali passionately enamoured of the king. + +One day, the queen, in order to deceive Charayana, manages to celebrate +a marriage between him and a son of a maid-servant veiled as a female. +The trick is discovered. He is highly indignant. + +He now retaliates with the help of the king. He induces Sulakshana, one +of the female attendants of the queen, to ascend a _Bakula_ tree and +thence send a message in a nasal tone, as if from the sky, to Mekhala, +the foster-sister and chief attendant of the queen. + +"Thou shalt die at this spot on the full moon day of _Baisakh_." After +many entreaties, the heavenly voice prescribes a relief, "Thou art safe +if thou canst pass through the legs of a Brahmin skilled in music and +gratified with a fee." Charayana, just the kind of Brahmin required, +arrives at this juncture. The king and the queen are present. Mekhala +and the queen, both overcome with concern, entreat Charayana to be the +Brahmin that shall preserve the life of the former. He consents. As +Mekhala tries to pass between his legs, he mounts on her back and says, +"you are now caught in your turn. You deceived me once. Now marry me." +He triumphs in the humiliation he has inflicted on her. The queen now +perceives the intrigue of the king, is in her turn incensed, goes off in +a pet and resolves to take revenge. + +Chandamahasen, the king of Kuntala as a defeated prince now resides with +his daughter Kubalayamala under the protection of the victorious king. +The king sees her one day as she rises after bathing in the Narbadda. He +becomes enamoured of her and wishes to marry her. The queen gets scent +of the matter. To prevent the curse of co-wifeship, the queen now +resolves to get her husband married to the son of her maternal uncle so +that he may be ashamed into abandoning his polygamous tendency. + +The king and the Vidushaka seek the garden, where it is now moon-light. +Mrigankavali and her friend Vilakshana also come thither, and the lovers +meet: this interview is broken off by a cry that the queen is coming, +and they all separate abruptly. + +At dawn, Charayana's wife is asleep. In her sleep, however, she is very +communicative, and repeats a supposed dialogue between the queen and the +Raja, in which the former urges the latter to marry Mrigankavali, the +sister of the supposed Mrigankavarma, come on a visit, it is pretended, +to her brother--this being a plot of the queen's to cheat the king into +a sham marriage, by espousing him to one she believes to be a boy. + +The Vidushaka suspects the trick, however, and wakes his wife, who rises +and goes to the queen. The Vidushaka joins his master. The king, who is +already the husband of the princesses of Magadha, Malava, Panchala, +Avanti, Jalandhara and Kerala, is wedded to Mrigankavali. As soon as the +ceremony is gone through, a messenger from the court of Chandraverma +arrives to announce:-- + +"O queen! His Majesty Chandravarma wishes it to be known that +Mrigankavarma is not his son but his daughter. In the absence of a son +he dressed her as such to satisfy his desire for a son. Now that a son +has been born to him, it is not necessary to keep up the pretence. The +king requests you to settle a suitable marriage for her. The sages have +prophesied paramount sovereignty for her husband." + +The queen becomes stunned and soliloquises:-- + +"What is play to me, Providence ordains to be a stern fact. Man +proposes, God disposes." She now finds that she has taken herself in, +and given herself another rival wife. As the matter is past remedy, +however, she assents with a good grace. The minister is glad that his +aims are fulfilled. All are happy, Why should Kuvalayamala alone be +sorry? The queen therefore allows her lord to marry Kuvalyamala. + +To crown the king's happiness, a messenger, sent by the General of His +Majesty's forces, now arrives from the camp with the news that the +allied armies of Kernata, Simhala, Pandya, Murala, Andhra, and Konkana +have been defeated, and Virapala, king of Kuntala, the ally of +Vidyadhara Malla, reseated on a throne, from which his kinsman, +supported by those troops, had formerly expelled him. The authority of +Vidyadhara Malla as paramount sovereign is now declared to extend from +the mouths of the Ganges to the sea, and from the Narbada to the +Tamraperni in the Deccan. + + + + +RATNAVALI OR THE NECKLACE. + + +A holy seer announces to Yaugandharayana, the chief minister of Vatsa, +the king of Kausambi, that whoever shall wed Ratnavali, the fair +daughter of Vikramabahu, the king of _Sinhala_ or Ceylon and maternal +uncle of Vasavadatta, the queen of Vatsa, should become the emperor of +the world. The faithful minister, desirous of securing paramount +sovereignty for his master, sends, without his knowledge and consent, an +envoy to the court of Vikramabahu to negotiate the match. Vikramabahu +declines to inflict the curse of co-wifeship upon his daughter and +niece. The disappointed envoy returns home. + +The premier is sorry, but does not lose hope. After much deliberation, +he hits upon an ingenious device. He proclaims in Ceylon by agents that +queen Vasavadatta is dead, being burnt by chance and that the king, +though much grieved, has at last consented, at the request of friends +and relatives, to marry again. The intelligence reaches the ears of +Vikramabahu who believes it. + +The premier now sends Babhravya as envoy to the Court of Ceylon to +reopen the question of Ratnavali's marriage with Vatsa. Vikramabahu, +after consulting his queen, consents to the proposal. He has Ratnavali +decked in all ornaments including a single-stringed necklace round her +neck and sends her away on board a ship, in company with his own +ambassador Vasubhuti and Babhravya. He waits on the shore till the ship +is out of sight and then returns home sorry at parting with his +daughter. + +A terrible tempest wrecks the ship. A merchant of Kausambi finds +Ratnavali floating in mid-sea, saves her life and brings her to the +minister who thanks him heartily for the favour and offers a reward. The +merchant thus expresses his unwillingness to accept it, "Sir, under the +rule of our gracious king, the weak do not fear the strong; the rich +cannot oppress the poor; the word "robber" has become obsolete; the sick +and the orphans are being treated by the best of physicians and are free +from any want of food and clothing; children are being properly +educated; drought is never heard of; the highways are wide, clean, and +well-guarded; communications are safe. If any loyal subject can be of +any service to such a king, he does only his bare duty and should not +accept any reward." He at last accepts the reward at the repeated +requests of the minister and goes home. + +Then the minister interviews the queen, conceals the real facts and +addresses her thus:-- + +"May it please your Majesty. I have received this girl from a merchant +who told me that he had rescued her in the sea, but could not say +anything more about her and her whereabouts. From her appearance she +seems to be a respectable lady. I beseech your Majesty to take care of +her." The queen takes the girl as one of her attendants--the girl who is +destined to make her husband the lord of the world! The queen names her +Sagarika or the Ocean Maid. The princess, who has been attended by +hundreds of maidservants, is now reduced, by a strange irony of fate, +to the position of a maid-servant herself! + +The Chamberlain Babhravya and Vasubhuti by some means reach the shore +and are on their way to _Kausambi_. + +Vatsa comes forth to behold from the terrace of his palace the frolic +merriment with which his subjects celebrate the festival of _Kamadeva_, +the god of love. Wearied of tales of war, and seeking most his +reputation in his people's hearts, he issues forth attended by his +confidential companion Vasantaka, like the flower-armed deity himself, +descended to take a part in the happiness of his worshippers. The king +observes:-- + +"I scarcely can express the content I now enjoy. My kingdom is rid of +every foe; the burden of my government reposes on able shoulders; the +seasons are favourable; and my subjects, prosperous and happy. In +Vasavadatta, the daughter of Pradyota, I have a wife whom I adore, and +in Vasantaka, a friend in whom I can confide. Attended by such a friend, +at such a season, and so disposed I might fancy myself the deity of +desire, and this vernal celebration held in honour of myself. Kausambi +outvies the residence of the god of wealth. Her numerous sons are clad +in cloth of gold, decked with glittering ornaments and tossing their +heads proudly with splendid crests. + +Vasantaka says:-- + +"Observe the general joy. As if intoxicated with delight, the people +dance along the streets, sporting merrily with each other's persons and +mutually scattering the yellow-tinted fluid. On every side, the music +of the drum and the buzz of frolic crowds fill all the air. The very +atmosphere is of a yellow hue, with clouds of flowery fragrance." + +At the request of the queen, conveyed through her attendants, the king +proceeds with his friend to join her in offering homage to the image of +the flower-armed deity, which stands at the foot of the red _Asoka_ +tree. The queen enters the garden accompanied by Kanchanmala, her +principal attendant, Sagarika and other damsels. Noticing Sagarika, the +queen thinks, "What carelessness! an object I have hitherto so +cautiously concealed, thus heedlessly exposed! I must remove her hence +before the arrival of the king." She says, "How now, Sagarika, what +makes you here? where is my favourite starling, that I left to your +charge, and whom it seems you have quitted for this ceremony? Return to +your place." Sagarika withdraws to a short distance and thinks, "the +bird is safe with my friend Susangata. I should like to witness the +ceremony. I wonder if _Annaga_ is worshipped here as in my father's +mansion! I will keep myself concealed amongst the shrubs and watch them, +and for my own presentation to the deity I will go, cull a few of these +flowers." The king now joins the queen. Kanchanmala delivers the +accustomed gifts of sandal, saffron, and flowers to the queen, who +offers them to the image. The king thus eulogises the beauty of the +queen, "Whilst thus employed, my love, you resemble a graceful creeper +turning round a coral tree: your robes of the orange dye, your person +fresh from the bath. As rests your hand upon the stem of the _Asoka_, +it seems to put forth a new and lovelier shoot. The unembodied god +to-day will regret his disencumbered essence, and sigh to be material, +that he might enjoy the touch of that soft hand." + +The worship of the divinity concluded, the queen worships the king. +Sagarika views the scene, mistakes the king for the god and observes, +"What do I see? Can this be true? Does then the deity, whose effigy only +we adore in the dwelling of my father, here condescend to accept in +person the homage of his votaries? I, too, though thus remote, present +my humble offering." + +She throws down the flowers and continues:--"Glory to the flower-armed +god: may thy auspicious sight both now and hereafter prove not to have +been vouchsafed to me in vain!" + +She bows down, then rising looks again, and observes:-- + +"The sight, though oft repeated, never wearies. I must tear myself from +this, lest some one should discover me." She then withdraws a little, +hears a bard sing a ballad in praise of the king, perceives her mistake +and asks herself, "Is this Udayana, to whom my father destined me a +bride?" She becomes enamoured of the king. The king and the queen now +rise to return to the palace. + +Sagarika thinks, "They come! I must fly hence. Ah me, unhappy! no longer +to behold him, whom I could gaze upon for ever." + +The king addresses his queen thus:--"Come, love, thou puttest the night +to shame. The beauty of the moon is eclipsed by the loveliness of thy +countenance, and the lotus sinks humbled into shade; the sweet songs of +thy attendant damsels discredit the murmurs of the bees, and mortified +they hasten to hide their disgrace within the flowery blossom." The king +and the queen return to the palace. + +Sagarika enters a plantain bower with a brush and pallet in order to +paint a picture and soliloquises thus: "Be still, my foolish heart, nor +idly throb for one so high above thy hopes. Why thus anxious to behold +that form, one only view of which has inspired such painful agitation? +Ungrateful, too, as weak, to fly the breast that has been familiar to +thee through life, and seek another, and as yet but once beheld, asylum. +Alas! Why do I blame thee! the terror of _Ananga's_ shaft has rendered +thee a fugitive;--let me implore his pity. Lord of the flowery bow, +victor of demons and of gods! dost thou not blush to waste thy might +upon a weak defenceless maiden, or art thou truly without form and +sense? Ah me, I fear my death impends, and this the fatal cause." She +looks at the picture and goes on, "No one approaches; I will try and +finish the likeness I am here attempting to portray. My heart beats +high, my hand trembles, yet I must try, and whilst occasion favours me, +attempt to complete these lineaments, as the only means to retain them +in my sight." She draws the picture, raising her head beholds her friend +Susangata with a _Sarika_ or talking bird in a cage, and hides the +picture. Susangata sits down, puts her hand upon the picture and asks, +"who is this you have delineated?" + +Sagarika answers, "The deity of the festival, _Ananga_." Susangata +observes, "It is cleverly done, but there wants a figure to complete +it. Let me have it, and I will give the god his bride." She takes the +paper and draws the likeness of Sagarika. Sagarika expresses anger. Her +friend remarks, "Do not be offended without cause. I have given your +_Kamadeva_ my _Rati_, that is all. But come, away with disguise, and +confess the truth." Seeing that her friend has discovered her secret, +Sagarika is overcome with shame and entreats her to promise that no body +else shall be made acquainted with her weakness. Her friend replies, +"why should you be ashamed? Attachment to exalted worth becomes your +native excellence. But be assured I will not betray you; it is more +likely this prattling bird will repeat our conversation." The friend +brings some leaves and fibres of the lotus, and binds the former with +the latter upon Sagarika's bosom. She exclaims, "Enough, enough, my +friend, take away these leaves and fibres,--it is vain to offer relief. +I have fixed my heart where I dare not raise my hopes. I am overcome +with shame--I am enslaved by passion--my love is without return--death, +my only refuge." She faints and recovers after a short while. A noise +behind proclaims that a monkey has escaped from the stable, and, +rattling the ends of his broken chain of gold, he clatters along. Afraid +of the advent of the monkey, they both rush to hide in the shade of a +_tamala_ grove, leaving the drawing behind. The ape breaks the cage to +get at the curds and rice and lets the _Sarika_ fly. + +Vasantaka now notices that the jasmine has been covered with countless +buds, as if smiling disdainfully upon the queen's favourite _Madhavi_. +He is surprised at the most marvellous power of the venerable +Sri-Khanda-Dasa, a great sage come to court from _Sri-Parvata_, by whose +simple will the strange event has happened. He thinks of going to the +king to inform his Majesty when the king appears. He congratulates his +Majesty, on his propitious fortune. The king observes, "Inconceivable is +the virtue of drugs, and charms, and gems. Lead the way, and let these +eyes this day obtain by the sight the fruit of their formation." + +Vasantaka advances, stops to listen and turns back in alarm for he +fancies a goblin in yonder _Bakula_ tree. The goblin turns out a +starling. The courtier remarks, "she says, give the Brahman something to +eat." The king observes, "something to eat is ever the burden of the +glutton's song. Come, say truly, what does she utter. The friend listens +and repeats, "Who is this you have delineated? Do not be offended +without cause; I have given your _Kamadeva_ my _Rati_. Why should you be +ashamed? Attachment to exalted worth becomes your native excellence. +Take away these lotus leaves and fibres--it is in vain you strive to +offer me relief. I have fixed my heart where I dare not raise my +hopes;--I am overcome with shame and despair, and death is my only +refuge." The king interprets thus:--"Oh, I suppose some female has been +drawing her lover's portrait, and passing it off on her companion as the +picture of the god of love: her friend has found her out; and +ingeniously exposed her evasion, by delineating her in the character of +_Kama-deva's_ bride. The lady that is pictured is very handsome. Some +young female may be supposed to have spoken, indifferent to life, +because uncertain of her affection being returned. The delicate maid +entrusts her companion with the sorrows of her breast: the tattling +parrot or imitative starling repeats her words, and they find an +hospitable welcome in the ears of the fortunate. The companion, laughing +loudly, observes, "You may as well drop these evasive interpretations; +why not say at once, "the damsel doubts my returning her passion." Who +but yourself could have been delineated as the god of the flowery bow?". + +The friend claps his hands and laughs. His obstreperous mirth frightens +the bird away. She perches on the plantain bower. They follow her there. +Vasantaka finds a picture and shows it to the king, who gives him a +golden bracelet. Looking at it, the king dwells upon the beauties of the +damsel. + +Susangata and Sagarika hide themselves behind the plantain trees and +overhear the conversation between the king and his companion. Susangata +remarks, "You are in luck, girl; your lover is dwelling upon your +praises. The bird, as I told you, has repeated our conversation." +Sagarika thinks to herself, "What will he reply? I hang between life and +death." The king remarks farther to his companion, "My sight insatiate +rests upon her graceful limbs and slender waist. I cannot deny that she +has flatteringly delineated my likeness, nor doubt her sentiments--for +observe the traces of the tear that has fallen upon her work, like the +moist dew that starts from every pore of my frame." Sagarika says to +herself, "Heart, be of good cheer! your passion is directed to a +corresponding object." Susangata now comes forward, so as to be seen by +Vasantaka. At this the king, on the advice of his companion, covers the +picture with his mantle. Susangata says, "I am acquainted with the +secret of the picture and some other matters of which I shall apprise +her Majesty." The king takes off his bracelet and other ornaments and +offers them to her with the object of bribing her to be silent. She +replies, "Your Majesty is bountiful. You need not fear me. I was but in +jest, and do not want these jewels. The truth is, my dear friend, +Sagarika is very angry with me for drawing her picture, and I shall be +much obliged to your Majesty to intercede for me and appease her +resentment." The king springs up and exclaims, "Where is she? Lead me to +her." + +Then all advance to Sagarika. She thinks, "He is here--I tremble at his +sight. I can neither stand nor move--what shall I do?" Vasantaka, seeing +her, exclaims, "A most surprising damsel, truly; such another is not to +be found in this world. I am confident that when she was created, +_Brahma_ was astonished at his own performance." The king is struck with +her and observes, "such are my impressions. The four mouths of _Brahma_ +must at once have exclaimed in concert, bravo, bravo! when the deity +beheld these eyes more beauteous than the leaves of his own lotus; and +his head must have shaken with wonder, as he contemplated her +loveliness, the ornament of all the world." Sagarika prepares to go away +when the king addresses her thus, "You turn your eyes upon your friend +in anger, lovely maid; yet such is their native tenderness that they +cannot assume a harsh expression. Look thus, but do not leave us, for +your departure hence will alone give me pain." Susangata now advises the +king to take Sagarika by the hand and pacify her. The king approves the +advice and acts up to it. Vasantaka congratulates the king on his +unprecedented fortune. + +The king replies, "You say rightly--she is the very deity Lakshmi +herself. Her hand is the new shoot of the _Parijata_ tree, else whence +distil these dewdrops of ambrosia?" Susangata remarks, "It is not +possible, my dear friend, you can remain inexorable whilst honoured thus +with his Majesty's hand." + +Sagarika frowns on her friend and asks her to forbear. At this time, +Vasantaka, in testiness of temper, raises a false alarm by proclaiming +that the queen is approaching. The king lets go Sagarika's hand in +alarm. Sagarika and her companion go off hastily behind the _tamala_ +tree. + +After a short time, the queen approaches the king. By order of the king, +Vasantaka hides the picture quickly under his arm. The king proposes to +visit, in the company of the queen, the Jasmine budded. The queen +declines. Vasantaka takes it as an acknowledgment of defeat on her part +and cries out Huzza! He waves his hand and dances; the picture falls. +Kanchanmala, an attendant of the queen, picks up the picture and shows +it to her mistress. The queen, whose jealousy is excited by the +discovery of the picture, demands an explanation from the king. +Vasantaka volunteers to offer the explanation thus:--"I was observing, +madam, that it would be very difficult to hit my friend's likeness, on +which his Majesty was pleased to give me this specimen of his skill." +The king confirms the explanation. The queen observes, "And the female +standing near you--I suppose this is a specimen of Vasantaka's skill." +The king replies, "What should you suspect? That is a mere fancy +portrait, the original was never seen before." Vasantaka supports the +king thus, "I will swear to this, by my Brahmanical thread, that the +original was never seen before by either of us." Not satisfied with the +explanation, the queen remarks, "My lord, excuse me. Looking at the +picture has given me a slight headache. I leave you to your amusements." + +The king observes, "What can I say to you, dearest? I really am at a +loss. If I ask you to forgive me, that is unnecessary, if you are not +offended; and how can I promise to do so no more, when I have committed +no fault, although you will not believe my assertions?" The queen, +detaching herself gently and with politeness, takes leave and goes away +with her attendant. Vasantaka remarks, "Your Majesty has had a lucky +escape. The queen's anger has dispersed like summer clouds." The king +observes. "Away, blockhead, we have no occasion to rejoice; could you +not discover the queen's anger through her unsuccessful attempts to +disguise it? Her face was clouded with a passing frown. As she hung down +her head, she looked on me with an affected smile. She gave utterance to +no angry words, it is true, and the swelling eye glowed not with +rage--but a starting tear was with difficulty repressed; and although +she treated me with politeness, struggling indignation lurked in every +gesture. We must endeavour to pacify her." + +To insure the vigilance of Kanchanmala, the queen gives her some of her +own clothes and ornaments. With these it is plotted to equip Sagarika as +the queen. A stolen interview between the king and Sagarika, thus +disguised, is arranged to take place at the _Madhava_ bower about +sunset. The queen gets scent of the matter and forestalls Sagarika by +meeting the king at the appointed time and place. The king, mistaking +her for Sagarika, thus speaks his honest self! "My beloved Sagarika, thy +countenance is radiant as the moon, thy eyes are two lotus buds, thy +hand is the full blown flower, and thy arms, its graceful filaments. +Come thou, whose form is the shrine of ecstasy, come to my arms." + +The queen throws off her veil and says:--"Believe me still Sagarika, my +good lord; your heart is so fascinated by her, you fancy you behold +Sagarika in everything." The king replies, "forgive me, dearest." The +queen remarks, "Address not this to me, my lord--the epithet is +another's property." The king falls at her feet. The queen observes, +"Rise, my lord, rise! that wife must be unreasonable indeed, who, with +such evidence of her lord's affection, can presume to be offended. Be +happy, I take my leave." She now goes away. + +Sagarika, dressed as the queen, goes some way to meet the king when she +thinks of putting an end at once to her sufferings and her life and +fastens the noose round her neck with the fibres of the _Madhavi_. The +king, who is seeking for the queen in hopes to pacify her anger, +discovers Sagarika on the way and mistakes her for the queen. He rushes +to her and tears off the tendril. He soon discovers his mistake, +embraces her and observes, "When the bosom of my queen swells with +sighs, I express concern; when she is sullen, I soothe her; when her +brows are bent, and her face is distorted with anger, I fall prostrate +at her feet. These marks of respect are due to her exalted position; but +the regard that springs from vehement affection, that is yours alone." + +At this time, the queen, who has overheard the speech, comes forward and +says, "I believe you, my lord, I believe you." The king explains his +conduct thus:--"Why, then, you need not be offended. Cannot you perceive +that I have been attracted hither, and misled by the resemblance of your +dress and person? Be composed, I beg you." He falls at her feet. She +observes, "Rise, rise, let not my exalted station put you to such +unnecessary inconvenience." + +Vasantaka takes up the noose, shows it to the queen and explains his +conduct thus, "It is very true, madam, I assure you, that, deceived by +the belief that you were attempting to destroy yourself, I brought my +friend to this spot, to preserve, as I thought, your life." By order of +the queen, Kanchanmala puts the noose over his neck, beats him and +carries him off an unfortunate captive. The king thinks, "What an +unlucky business this is! What is to be done? How shall I dissipate the +rage that clouds the smiling countenance of the queen! How rescue +Sagarika from the dread of her resentment, or liberate my friend +Basantaka? I am quite bewildered with these events, and can no longer +command my ideas. I will go in, and endeavour to pacify the queen." The +queen regales Vasantaka with cakes from her own fair hands, presents him +with a dress and restores him to liberty. Susangata prays him to accept +a diamond necklace which Sagarika has left with her for presentation to +him. He declines the offer. Looking at it attentively he wonders where +she could have procured such a valuable necklace. They both go to the +king who has gone from the queen's apartments to the crystal alcove and +is lamenting thus:--"Deceitful vows, tender speeches, plausible excuses +and prostrate supplications had less effect upon the queen's anger than +her own teaks; like water upon the fire they quenched the blaze of her +indignation. I am now only anxious for Sagarika. Her form, as delicate +as the petal of the lotus, dissolving in the breath of inexperienced +passion, has found a passage through the channels by which love +penetrates, and is lodged deep in my heart. The friend to whom I could +confide my secret sorrows is the prisoner of the queen." Vasantaka now +informs the king that he has been restored to liberty. Asked about +Sagarika he hangs down his head and declares that he cannot utter such +unpleasant tidings. The king infers that Sagarika is no more and faints. +The friend says, "my friend, revive--revive! I was about to tell you, +the queen has sent her to Ougein--this I called unpleasant tidings, +Susangata told me so,--and what is more, she gave me this necklace to +bring to your Majesty." Vasantaka gives the king the necklace which he +applies to his heart to alleviate his despair. By command, the courtier +applies the ornament round the neck of the king. At this time, +Vijayavarman, the nephew of Rumanwat the general of the state, arrives +to announce:--"Glory to your Majesty! your Majesty's fortune is +propitious in the triumphs of Rumanwat. By your Majesty's auspices the +_Kosalas_ are subdued. On receiving your Majesty's commands, my uncle +soon collected a mighty army of foot, and horse, and elephants, and +marching against the king of Kosala, surrounded him in a strong position +in the Vindhya mountains. Impatient of the blockade, the _Kosala_ +monarch prepared his troops for an engagement. Issuing from the heights, +the enemy's forces came down upon us in great numbers, and the points of +the horizon were crowded with the array of mighty elephants, like +another chain of mountains: they bore down our infantry beneath their +ponderous masses: those who escaped the shock were transpierced by +innumerable arrows and the enemy flattered himself he had for once +disappointed our commander's hopes. Fires flashed from the blows of +contending heroes, helmets and heads were cloven in twain--the broken +armour and scattered weapons were carried away in torrents of blood, and +the defiance of the king of _Kosala_, in the van of his army, was heard +by our warriors; when our chief alone confronted him, and slew the +monarch on his furious elephant with countless shafts. All honour to our +gallant foe, the king of _Kosala_; for glorious is the warrior's death +when his enemies applaud his prowess. Rumanwat then appointed my elder +brother, Sanjayavarman, to govern the country of _Kosala_, and making +slow marches in consequence of the number of his wounded, returned to +the capital. He is now arrived." The king applauds his general and +commands the distribution of the treasures of his favour. + +Samvarasiddhi, a magician from Ougein, now interviews the king. The +magician, waving a bunch of peacock's feathers, observes, "Reverence to +Indra, who lends our art his name. What are your Majesty's commands? +Would you see the moon brought down upon earth, a mountain in mid air, a +fire in the ocean, or night at noon? I will produce them--Command. What +need of many words? By the force of my master's spells, I will place +before your eyes the person whom in your heart you are most anxious to +behold." + +The king not wishing to see the performance alone, summons the queen who +arrives soon. The king leads her to a seat, sits beside her and commands +the magician to display his power. + +The magician waves his plumes and exhibits most wonderful scenes. +_Brahma_ appears throned upon the lotus; _Sankara_ appears with the +crescent moon, his glittering crest; _Hari_, the destroyer of the demon +race, in whose four hands the bow, the sword, the mace and the shell are +borne, is observable. _Indra_, the king of _Swarga_, is seen mounted on +his stately elephant. Around them countless spirits dance merrily in mid +air, sporting with the lovely nymphs of heaven, whose anklets ring +responsive to the measure. The king and queen look up and rise from +their seats. At this time, a female attendant appears to announce;--"So +please your Majesty, the minister Yaugandharayana begs to inform you, +that Vikrambahu, the king of Ceylon, has sent, along with your own +messenger who returns, the councillor Vasubhuti; be pleased to receive +him as the season is auspicious. The minister will also wait upon you as +soon as he is at leisure." The queen observes, "Suspend this spectacle, +my lord. Vasubhuti is a man of elevated rank; he is also of the family +of my maternal uncle, and should not be suffered to wait; let us first +see him." The king orders the suspension of the show, the magician +retires promising to exhibit yet some sights. + +Vasubhuti, after the customary exchange of courtesies, thus relates his +story:--"In consequence of the prophesy of a seer, that whoever should +wed Ratnavali, my master's daughter, should become the emperor in the +world, your Majesty's minister solicited her for your bride; unwilling, +however, to be instrumental in the uneasiness of Vasavadatta, the king +of Simhala declined compliance with his suit. My master, understanding +at last that the queen was deceased, consented to give his daughter to +you. We were deputed to conduct her hither, when alas, our vessel was +wrecked." The envoy, overpowered by sorrows, is unable to continue the +story and weeps. The queen exclaims, "Alas, unhappy that I am! Loved +sister Ratnavali, where art thou? Near me and reply." + +The king consoles the queen thus:-- + +"The fate that causes, may remove our sorrows." + +A cry is now heard from behind that the inner apartments are on fire. +The king starts up wildly and exclaims, "Vasavadatta burnt to death! my +queen, my love!" + +The queen exclaims, "What extravagance is this--behold me at your side. +But ah! help, help, my lord. I think not of myself but poor Sagarika. +She is in bonds; my cruelty has kept her captive--and she will be lost +without some aid--haste, haste and save her!" The king flies to her +rescue, precipitates himself into the flames and takes her in his arms. +He pauses--looks around--closes his eyes, and reopens them. The flames +disappear. The palace stands unharmed. The king observes, "This must +have been a dream, or is it magic?" Vasantaka replies, "The latter, no +doubt; did not that conjuring son of a slave say, he had still something +for your Majesty to see?" + +The king says to the queen, + +"Here, madam, is Sagarika rescued in obedience to your commands." The +queen smiling replies, "I am sensible of your obedience, my lord." She +now informs all present, "Yaugandharayana presented her to me, and told +me she had been rescued from the sea: it was hence we designated her +Sagarika or the ocean Maid." The likeness--the necklace--the recovery of +the damsel from the sea--leave no doubt in the mind of Vasubhuti that +this is the daughter of the king of Simhala, Ratnavali. Vasubhuti +advances to her who looks at him. They recognize each other and both +faint. After some time they recover. As Ratnavali goes to embrace the +queen at her invitation, she stumbles. At the request of the queen who +blushes for her cruelty, the king takes the chains off Ratnavali's feet. +Yaugandharayana now explains his conduct thus, "It was formerly +announced to us by a holy seer, that the husband of the princess of +Simhala should become the emperor of the world. We therefore earnestly +applied to her father to give her hand to our sovereign; but unwilling +to be cause of uneasiness to the queen, the monarch of Simhala declined +compliance with our request: we therefore raised a report that +Vasavadatta had perished by a fire at Lavanaka, and Babhravya was +despatched with the news to the court of Simhala. Vikrambahu then +consented to our proposal and sent his daughter on board a ship +accompanied by Vasubhuti and Babhravya. The ship was wrecked. The +princess was rescued from the sea by a merchant who brought her to me. I +placed her with the queen in a very unsuitable station as I expected you +would see her in the inner apartments, and take pleasure in her sight. I +had some concern in the appearance of the magician who had conjured up a +vision of the gods and a conflagration, as no other means remained of +restoring the damsel to your presence and creating an opportunity for +Vasubhuti to see and recognise the princess." The queen now puts on +Ratnavali her own jewels, then takes her by the hand and presents her to +the king. Ratnavali bows to the queen who embraces her. The king +observes, "My cares are all rewarded. Nothing more is necessary, +Vikrambahu is my kinsman, Sagarika, the essence of the world, the source +of universal victory, is mine, and Vasavadatta rejoices to obtain a +sister. The _Kosalas_ are subdued: what other object does the world +present for which I could entertain a wish? This be alone my prayer; may +Indra with seasonable showers render the earth bountiful of grain; may +the presiding Brahmans secure the favour of the gods by acceptable +sacrifices; may the association of the pious confer delight until the +end of time, and may the appalling blasphemies of the profane be +silenced for ever." + + + + +APPENDIX. + + +THE VALUE OF DRAMA. + +The purposes for which an ancient language may be studied are its +philology and its literature, or the arts and sciences, the notions and +manners, the history and beliefs of the people by whom it was spoken. +Particular branches may be preferably cultivated for the understanding +of each of these subjects, but there is no one species which will be +found to embrace so many purposes as the dramatic. The dialogue varies +from simple to elaborate, from the conversation of ordinary life to the +highest refinements of poetical taste. The illustrations are drawn from +every known product of art, as well as every observable phenomenon of +nature. The manners and feelings of the people are delineated, living +and breathing before us, and history and religion furnish the most +important and interesting topics to the bard. Wherever, therefore, there +exists a dramatic literature, it must be pre-eminently entitled to the +attention of the philosopher as well as the philologist, of the man of +general literary tastes as well as the professional scholar. + +THE ORIGIN OF DRAMA. + +Among the various sorts of literary composition the drama holds the most +important position; for it is a picture of real life, and, as such, of +national interest. It consists of two principal species, tragedy and +comedy; the minor species are tragi-comedy, farce, burlesque and +melo-drama. Both tragedy and comedy attained their perfection in Greece +long before the Christian era. There it originated in the worship of +Bacchus. + +The English drama took its rise from the mysteries or sacred plays by +the medium of which the clergy in the Middle Ages endeavoured to impart +a knowledge of the Christian religion. + +The Sanskrit drama is said to have been invented by the sage Bharata, +who lived at a very remote period of Indian history and was the author +of a system of music. The earliest references to the acted drama are to +be found in the _Mahabhashya_, which mentions representations of the +_Kansabadha_ and the _Balibadha_, episodes in the history of Krishna. +Indian tradition describes Bharat as having caused to be acted before +the gods a play representing the _Svayamvara_ of Lakshmi. + +Tradition further makes Krishna and his cowherdesses the starting point +of the _Sangita_, a representation consisting of a mixture of song, +music, and dancing. The Gitagovinda is concerned with Krishna, and the +modern _Yatras_ generally represent scenes from the life of that deity. + +From all this it seems likely that the Hindu drama was developed in +connection with the cult of Vishnu-Krishna; and that the earliest acted +representations were, therefore, like the mysteries of the Christian +Middle Ages, a kind of religious plays, in which scenes from the legends +of the gods were enacted mainly with the aid of songs and dances +supplemented with prose dialogues improvised by the performers. These +earliest forms of Hindu dramatic literature are represented by those +hymns of the _Rig-Veda_ which contain dialogues such as those of Sarama +and the Panis, Yama and Yami, Pururava and Urvaci. + +The words for actor (_nata_) and play (_nataka_) are derived from the +verb _nat_, the Prakrit or vernacular form of the Sanskrit _nrit_, "to +dance." Hence scholars are of opinion that the Sanskrit drama has +developed out of dancing. The representations of dramas of early times +were attended with dancing and gesticulation. There were rude +performances without the contrivances of stage and scenic arrangements, +dancing and music forming a considerable part. The addition of dialogue +was the last step in the development, which was thus much the same in +India and Greece. This primitive stage is represented by the Bengal +_Yaeras_ and the Gitagovinda. These form the transition to the fully +developed Sanskrit play in which lyrics and dialogue are blended. + +Sakuntala belongs to the mytho-pastoral class of Sanskrit plays; +Probodhchandraudya, to the metaphysical. The Hindu theatre affords +examples of the drama of domestic, as well as of heroic life; of +original invention as well as of legendary tradition. + +The Hindus did not borrow their dramatic compositions from foreigners. +The nations of Europe possessed no dramatic literature before the +fourteenth or fifteenth century, at which period the Hindu drama had +passed into its decline. Mohammedan literature has ever been a stranger +to theatrical writings, and the Mussalman conquerors of India could not +have communicated what they never possessed. There is no record that +theatrical entertainments were ever naturalised amongst the ancient +Persians, Arabs, or Egyptians. With the exception of a few features in +common with the Greek and the Chinese dramas, which could not fail to +occur independently, the Hindu dramas present characteristic features in +conduct and construction which strongly evidence both original design +and national development. + +Angustus William Von Schlegel observes:-- + +"Among the Indians, the people from whom perhaps all the cultivation of +the human race has been derived, plays were known long before they could +have experienced any foreign influence." + + +THE CHARACTER OF THE HINDU DRAMA. + +Sanskrit plays are full of lyrical passages describing scenes or persons +presented to view, or containing reflections suggested by the incidents +that occur. They usually consist of four-line stanzas. The prose of the +dialogue in the plays is often very commonplace, serving only as an +introduction to the lofty sentiment of the poetry that follows. + +The Sanskrit drama is a mixed composition in which joy is mingled with +sorrow, in which the jester usually plays a prominent part, while the +hero and heroine are often in the depths of despair. But it never has a +sad ending. The emotions of terror, grief, or pity, with which the +audience are inspired, are therefore always tranquillised by the happy +termination of the story. Nor may any deeply tragic incident take place +in the course of the play; for death is never allowed to be represented +on the stage. Indeed, nothing considered indecorous, whether of a +serious or comic character, is allowed to be enacted in the sight or +hearing of the spectators, such as the utterance of a curse, +degradation, banishment, national calamity, biting, scratching, kissing, +eating, or sleeping. + +Love, according to Hindu notions, is the subject of most of their +dramas. The hero, who is generally a king, and already the husband of a +wife or wives, is suddenly smitten with the charms of a lovely woman, +sometimes a nymph, or, as in the case of Sakuntala, the daughter of a +nymph by a mortal father. The heroine is required to be equally +impressible, and the first tender glance from the hero's eye reaches her +heart. With true feminine delicacy, however, she locks the secret of her +passion in her own breast, and by her coyness and reserve keeps her +lover for a long period in the agonies of suspense. The hero, being +reduced to a proper state of desperation, is harassed by other +difficulties. Either the celestial nature of the nymph is in the way of +their union, or he doubts the legality of the match, or he fears his own +unworthiness, or he is hampered by the angry jealousy of a previous +wife. In short, doubts, obstacles and delays make great havoc of both +hero and heroine. They give way to melancholy, indulge in amorous +rhapsodies, and become very emaciated. So far the story is decidedly +dull, and its pathos, notwithstanding the occasional grandeur and beauty +of imagery, often verges on the ridiculous. But, by way of relief, an +element of life is generally introduced in the character of the +Vidushaka, or Jester, who is the constant companion of the hero; and in +the young maidens, who are confidential friends of the heroine, and soon +become possessed of her secret. By a curious regulation, the jester is +always a Brahman, and, therefore, of a caste superior to the king +himself; yet his business is to excite mirth by being ridiculous in +person, age, and attire. He is represented as grey-haired, hump-backed, +lame and hideously ugly. In fact, he is a species of buffoon, who is +allowed full liberty of speech, being himself a universal butt. His +attempts at wit, which are rarely very successful, and his allusions to +the pleasures of the table, of which he is a confessed votary, are +absurdly contrasted with the sententious solemnity of the despairing +hero, crossed in the prosecution of his love-suit. His clumsy +interference with the intrigues of his friend, only serves to augment +his difficulties, and occasions many an awkward dilemma. On the other +hand, the shrewdness of the heroine's confidantes never seem to fail +them under the most trying circumstances; while their sly jokes and +innuendos, their love of fun, their girlish sympathy with the progress +of the love-affair, their warm affection for their friend, heighten the +interest of the plot, and contribute not a little to vary its monotony. + +Indeed, if a calamitous conclusion be necessary to constitute a tragedy, +the Hindu dramas are never tragedies. They are mixed compositions, in +which joy and sorrow, happiness and misery, are woven in a mingled +web,--tragi-comic representations, in which good and evil, right and +wrong, truth and falsehood, are allowed to mingle in confusion during +the first acts of the drama. But, in the last act, harmony is always +restored, order succeeds to disorder, tranquillity to agitation; and the +mind of the spectator, no longer perplexed by the apparent ascendancy of +evil, is soothed, and purified, and made to acquiesce in the moral +lesson deducible from the plot. + +In comparison with the Greek and the modern drama, Nature occupies a +much more important place in Sanskrit plays. The characters are +surrounded by Nature, with which they are in constant communion. The +mango and other trees, creepers, lotuses, and pale-red trumpet-flowers, +gazelles, flamingoes, bright-hued parrots, and Indian cuckoos, in the +midst of which they move, are often addressed by them and form an +essential part of their lives. Hence the influence of Nature on the +minds of lovers is much dwelt on. Prominent everywhere in classical +Sanskrit poetry, these elements of Nature luxuriate most of all in the +drama. + +The dramas of Bhavabhuti except Malati-Madhava, and the whole herd of +the later dramatic authors, relate to the heroic traditions of the +Ramayana and the Mahabharata, or else to the history of Krishna; and the +later the pieces are, the more do they resemble the so-called +'mysteries' of the middle ages. The comedies, which, together with a +few other pieces, move in the sphere of civil life, form, of course, an +exception to this. A peculiar class of dramas are the philosophical +ones, in which abstractions and systems appear as the _dramatis +personae_. One very special peculiarity of the Hindu drama is that women, +and persons of inferior rank, station, or caste are introduced as +speaking the _Prakrit_ or vulgarised Sanskrit, while the language of the +higher and more educated classes is the classical Sanskrit of the +present type. + + +THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SANSKRIT DRAMA. + +According to the code of criticism laid down in works on Sanskrit drama, +it should deal principally either with the sentiment of love, or the +heroic sentiment; the other sentiments should have a subsidiary +position. There should be four or five principal characters, and the +number of acts should vary from five to ten. + +There are several species of the drama,--ten principal, and eighteen +minor. Of these none has a tragic end. + +Every drama opens with a prologue or, to speak more correctly, an +introduction designed to prepare the way for the entrance of the +dramatis personae. The prologue commences with a prayer or benediction +(_Nandi_) invoking the national deity in favour of the audience. + +Then generally follows a dialogue between the stage-manager and one or +two of the actors, which refers to the play and its author, mentions +past events and present circumstances elucidating the plot, and +invariably ends by adroitly introducing one of the dramatic personages, +and the real performance begins. + +The play thus opened, is carried forward in scenes and acts; each scene +being marked by the entrance of one character and the exit of another. +The stage is never left vacant till the end of an act, nor does any +change of locality take place till then. The commencement of a new act +is often marked, by an introductory monologue or dialogue spoken by one +or more of the _dramatis personae_, and is called _Viskambhaka_ or +_Praveshaka_, which alludes to events supposed to have occurred in the +interval, and the audience are prepared for national plenty and +prosperity, addressed by one of the principal personages of the drama, +to the favourite deity. The development of the plot is brought about +through five divisions called the five _sandhis_. A _sandhi_ is a +combination of incidents whereby the object is attained. + + +THE MANNER OF PERFORMANCE. + +There were no special theatres in the Hindu Middle Ages, and plays seem +to have been performed in the concert-room (_Sangita-Cala_) of royal +palaces. A curtain, divided in the middle, was a necessary part of the +stage arrangement; it did not, however, separate the audience from the +stage, as in the Roman theatre, but formed the back-ground of the stage. +Behind the curtain was the tiring-room (_nepathya_), whence the actors +came on the stage. When they were intended to enter hurriedly, they +were directed to do so "with a toss of the curtain." The stage scenery +and decorations were of a very simple order, much being left to the +imagination of the spectator, as in the Shakespearian drama. Weapons, +seats, thrones, and chariots appeared on the stage; but it is highly +improbable that the latter were drawn by the living animals supposed to +be attached to them. There may have been some kind of aerial contrivance +to represent celestial chariots. + + +KALIDASA. + +Kalidasa is the author of Sakuntala, Vikramorvasi and Malavikagnimitra. +He has been designated the Indian Shakespeare. He is reputed to have +been one of the nine ornaments (or "gems") of the Court of Vikramaditya, +king of Ujayin, whose Era, called _Samvat_, begins in 56 B.C. Stories +extant about him describe him to be the veriest fool. He rose to be a +great poet through the favour of the Goddess of Learning. Those stories +embody the public opinion that except through Divine Grace or the +Inspiration of the Muse a man cannot rise to such eminence by learning +and culture alone. His native place is Kashmir or its neighbourhood. He +had no doubt suffered from the pangs of poverty and neglect and +travelled a great deal. He professed the _Saiva_ form of worship. + +His chief poems are the Raghuvansam, the Kumarasambhavam, the Meghadutam +and the Ritusanharam. It is believed that he wrote a treatise on +Astronomy and one on Sanskrit Prosody. His genius was of a versatile +nature. He was a poet, a dramatist and an astronomer. His works bespeak +the superior order of his scholarship--his acquaintance with the +important systems of philosophy, the Upanishads and the Puranas;--his +close observation of society and its intricate problems;--his delicate +appreciation of the most refined feelings, his familiarity with the +conflicting sentiments and emotions of the human heart,--and his keen +perception of and deep sympathy with the beauties of Nature. His +imagination was of a very high order and of a constructive nature. His +power of depicting all shades of character,--high and low,--from the +king to the common fisherman, is astonishing. His similes are so very +apt that they touch directly the heart and at once enlist the sympathy +of the reader. He is called the poet of the sentiment of Love as this +sentiment was his _forte_. His diction is chaste and free from +extravagance and is marked by that felicity of expression, spontaneity +and melody which have earned for him the epithet--"the favoured child of +the Muse." + + +SAKUNTALA. + +Of all Sanskrit dramas, Sakuntala has acquired the greatest celebrity. +It is not in India alone that it is known and admired. Its excellence +and beauty are acknowledged by learned men in every country of the +civilised world. It was the publication of a translation of this play by +Sir William Jones, which Max Muller thinks "may fairly be considered as +the starting point of Sanskrit Philology." "The first appearance of +this beautiful specimen of dramatic art," he continues, "created, at +the time, a sensation throughout Europe, and the most rapturous praise +was bestowed upon it by men of high authority in matters of taste." + + +THE MORAL OF THE PLAY. + +The recovery of the ring, like its loss, was a matter of pure accident +and points to the moral that the joys and sorrows of human beings depend +in most cases upon circumstances which lie beyond their control. + + +MALAVIKAGNIMITRA. + +The play was not written at a time when Buddhism was despised, and had +already been driven out of India, but when it was still regarded with +favour, and was looked up to with reverence. + + +VIKRAMORVASI. + +The root of all the stories of Pururavas and Urvasi were short +proverbial expressions, of which ancient dialects are so fond. +Thus--'Urvasi loves Pururavas,' meant 'the sun rises'; 'Urvasi sees +Pururavas naked,' meant 'the dawn is gone'; 'Urvasi finds Pururavas +again,' meant 'the sun is setting.' + +The same ideas pervade the mythological language of Greece. + + +BHAVABHUTI. + +The name of Bhavabhuti stands high in Sanskrit literature. It is perhaps +the highest in eloquence of expression and sublimity of imagination. +Throughout the whole range of Sanskrit literature--from the simple +lessons of Hitopadesha to the most elaborate polish of Naishadha--from +the terse vigour of Sankaracharjya to the studied majesty of Magha--from +the harmonious grace of Kalidasa to the ornate picturesqueness of +Kadambari, there is probably no writer who can come up to Bhavabhuti in +his wonderful command of Sanskrit language and surprising fluency and +elevation of diction. + +The introductions to the Viracharita and the Malati-Madhava tell us that +he belonged to Padmapura in Vidarva (Berar) and was the grandson of +Gopal Bhatta and son of Nilkantha and Jatukarni. He was descended from a +family of Brahmans surnamed Udambaras. + +His wonderful memory and vast erudition soon procured for him the title +of Srikantha or Minerva-throated. He soon removed to the court of +Ujjayini, where before the celebrated Mahakala all his plays were acted. + +He wrote the Viracharita, the Uttarramacharita and the Malati-Madhava. + +According to Rajatarangini, Bhavabhuti was patronized by Yasovarma, king +of Kanoja. This Yasovarma was subdued by Lalitaditya, king of Kasmira, +who acquired by his conquests a paramount supremacy over a large part of +India. + + +VIRA CHARITA. + +The play throws some light on the condition of women. The princesses of +Videha publicly go to the hermitage of Vishvamitra. Sita comes out with +her attendants to dissuade Rama from meeting Jamadagnya and makes a +public entry with him on his return to Ayodhya. The old queens come out +to meet their children. Yet it must not be supposed that Hindu women +enjoyed the same freedom of intercourse as their European sisters. As +now, there used to be separate apartments for women. As now, they were +not admitted to an equality with men. The princesses of Videha do not +carry on conversation with the princes of Ajodhya. Sita does not come +out to pay her respects to the seniors, but her salute is announced from +within. There is now more seclusion of Hindu women as the result of the +influence of past Mahammedan rule. The influence of British rule is now +promoting the cause of female liberty. + + +UTTARRAMACHARITA. + +The mutual sorrows of Rama and Sita in their state of separation are +pleasingly and tenderly expressed. The meeting of the father and his +sons may be compared advantageously with similar scenes with which the +fictions of Europe, both poetical and dramatic, abound. The true spirit +of chivalry pervades the encounter of the two young princes with their +father. Some brilliant thoughts occur, the justice and beauty of which +are not surpassed in any literature. The comparison of Chandraketu to a +lion's cub turning to brave the thunderbolt is one of these; and another +is the illustration of the effects of education upon minds possessed or +destitute of natural gifts. + +MALATI-MADHAVA. + +The marriage dress of high-born females described in the sixth act is +well worthy of our observation. It consisted of a corset of white silk +and a fine red upper garment, besides the usual lower dress, ornaments, +and a chaplet of flowers. It has received several modifications since +the days of Bhavabhuti. + +The sacrifice of good-looking girls, alluded to in the fifth act, was +common in his time and other authors allude to it. The seventh story of +Dasakumar Charita is just like it, when a prince rescues a princess from +a similar Sanyasi and afterwards marries her. + +The story of "Malati and Madhava" is one of pure invention. The manners +described are purely Hindu without any foreign admixture. The appearance +of women of rank in public, and their exemption from any personal +restraint in their own habitations, are very incompatible with the +presence of Muhammedan rulers. The licensed existence of Buddha +ascetics, their access to the great, and their employment as teachers of +science, are other peculiarities characteristic of an early date; whilst +the worship of Siva in his terrific forms, and the prevalance of the +practices of the Yoga, are indications of a similar tendency. + + +MUDRA RAKSHASA. + +It must be acknowledged, that the political code from which the +stratagems of Chanakya emanate, exhibits a morality not a whit superior +to that of the Italian school; but a remarkable, and in some respects a +redeeming principle, is the inviolable and devoted fidelity which +appears as the uniform characteristic of servants, emissaries, and +friends. + +The play is wholly of a political character, and represents a series of +Machiavellian stratagems, influencing public events of considerable +importance. + +The Mudrarakshasa is, in sundry respects, a very unique work in Sanskrit +literature. Its plot is not a pure invention, but on the other hand, it +is not derived from the usual storehouse of legends on which Sanskrit +authors have generally drawn for their materials. It has no female among +its prominent _dramatis personae_, and the business of the play, +accordingly, is diplomacy and politics, to the entire exclusion of love. +There is, in truth, but one female character, with one little child, +introduced into the play, and these are Chandanadasa's wife and son, who +come in at the beginning of the last act. But even their appearance +introduces no passages suggestive of tenderness or the purely domestic +virtues, but only of sacrifice--a stern sense of duty. + +In the minor characters we see the principle of faithfulness to one's +lord, adhered to through good report and evil report. In the more +prominent ones, the same principle still prevails, and the course of +conduct to which it leads is certainly quite Machiavellian. And all this +is brought out in a plot put together with singular skill. + +In the seventh act we have a remarkable stanza, in which the conduct of +Chandanadasa, in sacrificing his life for his friend Rakshasa, is stated +to have transcended the nobility even of the Buddhas. It seems that +this allusion to Buddhism belongs to a period long prior to the decay +and ultimate disappearance of Buddhism from India. In the time of +Hionen-Tsang--_i.e._ between 629-645 A.D.--it was, however, still far +from being decayed, though it appears to have fallen very far below the +point at which it stood in Fa-Hian's time, to have been equal in power +with Brahminism only where it was supported by powerful kings, and to +have been generally accepted as the prevailing religion of the country +only in Kashmir and the Upper Punjab, in Magadha and in Guzerat. In this +condition of things, it was still quite possible, that one not himself a +Buddhist--and Visakhadatta plainly was not one--should refer to Buddhism +in the complimentary terms we find in the passage under discussion. + +The late Mr. Justice Telang observes:--"The policy of Chanakya is not +remarkable for high morality. From the most ordinary deception and +personation, up to forgery and murder, every device is resorted to that +could be of service in the achievement of the end which Chanakya had +determined for himself. There is no lack of highly objectionable and +immoral proceedings. It must be admitted that this indicates a very low +state of public morality, and the formal works on politics which exist +certainly do not disclose anything better. With reference to the +criticisms which have been based on these facts, however, there are one +or two circumstances to be taken into account. In the first place, +although this is no excuse, it may be said to be an extenuation, that +the questionable proceedings referred to are all taken in furtherance of +what is, in itself, a very proper end. Chanakya's ambition is to make +his protege, Chandragupta firm upon his throne, and to bring back +Rakshasa to the service of the king who properly represented those old +masters of his to whom Rakshasa's loyalty still remained quite firm. If +the end could ever be regarded as justifying the means, it might be so +regarded in this case. And, secondly, it must not be forgotten, that the +games of diplomacy and politics have always been games of more or less +doubtful morality. When we hear of one great politician of modern days +declaring another to be a great statesman, because, as I believe he +expressed it, the latter lied so cleverly, we cannot say that the world +has risen to any very perceptibly higher moral plane in the times of +Metternich and Napoleon, than in those of Chanakya and Rakshasa. Nor are +suppressions of important passages in despatches for the purposes of +publication, or wars undertaken on unjustifiable and really selfish +pretexts, calculated to convince one, that even in Europe in the +nineteenth century, the transaction of political affairs has been purged +of the taint of immorality, however different, and I may even add, +comparatively innocent, may be the outward manifestations of that +taint." + + +VISAKHADATTA. + +Visakhadatta or Visakhadeva is the author of Mudrarakshasa. We learn +from the Introduction to the drama that Visakhadatta was the son of +Prithu and grandson of Vatesvaradatta--a Samanta or subordinate chief +Professor Wilson was inclined to think that Maharaja Prithu might be the +Chouhan Prince Prithu Rai of Ajmir; but he himself pointed out that the +Chouhan Prince was never called Maharaja; and that the name Nateswara +Datta would present a serious difficulty in the way of identifying the +poet's father with the Chouhan Prince Prithu Rai of Ajmir. It will also +appear that the author of the drama lived in a century which is prior to +the age of Prithu Rai of Ajmir by centuries. He was in all probability a +native of Northern India. The grandson of a tributary chief and the son +of a Maharaja he was well-skilled in state-craft and made a special +study of stratagems and crooked policies; in consequence of which the +bent of his mind was mainly directed to business and did not indulge in +sentiments. The effect of it is manifest in his poetry which is +business-like and vigorous, but lacks in sweetness, beauty and the +tender emotions. + + +YAYATI CHARITA. + +The author may possibly be Pratapa Rudra Deva, sovereign of Telingana in +the beginning of the fourteenth century. + + +DUTANGADA. + +It is said to have been written for the yatra of Kumar Pala Deva, by +order of Tribhuvana Pala Deva, by the poet Subhata. + +DHANANJAYA VIJAYA. + +It is the composition of Kanchana Acharya, the son of Narayana, a +celebrated teacher of the _yoga_, of the race of Kapi Muni. + + +MRIGANKALEKHA. + +The drama was composed by Viswanath, the son of Trimala Deva, originally +from the banks of the Godaveri, but residing at Benares, where it was +represented at the _yatra_, or festival, of Visweswara, the form under +which Siva is particularly worshipped in that city. + + +KAUTUKA SERVASWA. + +This is a Prahasana or Farce, and is especially a satire upon princes +who addict themselves to idleness and sensuality, and fail to patronize +the Brahmans. + +It was composed by a Pandit named Gopinath for representation at the +autumnal festival of the _Durga Puja_. + + +CHITRA YAJNA. + +This heterogeneous composition is the work of a Pandit of Nadiya, +Vaidyanath Vachespati Bhattacharya, and was composed for the festival of +Govinda, by desire of Iswar Chandra, the Raja of Nadiya. + + +HASYARNAVA. + +This comic play is a severe but grossly indelicate satire upon the +profligacy of Brahmans assuming the character of religious mendicants. +It satirizes also the encouragement given to vice by princes, the +inefficacy of ministers, and the ignorance of physicians and +astrologers. + +It is the work of a Pandit named Jagaddisa, and was represented at the +vernal festival; but where, or when, it is not known. + + +RATNAVALI. + +Although the personages are derived from Hindu history, they are wholly +of mortal mould, and unconnected with any mystical or mythological +legend; and the incidents are not only the pure inventions of the +dramatist, but they are of an entirely domestic nature. + +It is stated in the prelude to be the composition of the sovereign, Sri +Harsa Deva. A king of this name, and a great patron of learned men, +reigned over Kashmir; he was the reputed author of several works, being, +however, only the patron, the compositions bearing his name being +written by Dhavaka and other authors. + + +RAJA SEKHAR. + +Raja Sekhar is the author of Prachanda Pandava, Biddhasalvanjika, and +Karpura Manjari. + + +MURARI. + +Murari composed Anargha Raghava. + + +VENISANHARA. + +The author is Bhatta Narayana surnamed Mrigaraja or Simha, "the lion." +He is one of the five Brahmins who, with five Kayesthas, came from +Kanouj and settled in Bengal at the invitation of Adisura, the then king +of Bengal. + + +PROBODHA CHANDRODAYA. + +This play was composed by Krishnamisra. It is an allegorical play, the +_dramatis personae_ of which consist entirely of abstract ideas, divided +into two conflicting hosts. + + +HANUMANANATAKA. + +The play is a dramatized version of the story of Rama interspersed with +numerous purely descriptive poetic passages. It consists of fourteen +acts and on account of its great length is also called the Mahanataka, +or the great drama. + +Tradition relates that it was composed by Hanuman, the monkey general, +and inscribed on rocks; but, Valmiki, the author of the Ramayana, being +afraid lest it might throw his own poem into the shade, Hanuman allowed +him to cast his verses into the sea. Thence fragments were ultimately +picked up by a merchant, and brought to King Bhoja, who directed the +poet Damodara Misra to put them together, and fill up the lacunae; whence +the present composition originated. Whatever particle of truth there may +be in this story, the "Great Drama" seems certainly to be the production +of different hands. + +VASAVADATTA. + +Vasavadatta of Subandhu is a short romance, of which the story is this. + +Kandarpaketu, a young and valiant prince, son of Chintamani king of +Kusumapura, saw in a dream a beautiful maiden of whom he became +desperately enamoured. Impressed with the belief, that a person, such as +was seen by him in his dream, had a real existence, he resolves to +travel in search of her, and departs, attended only by his confidant +Makaranda. While reposing under a tree in a forest at the foot of the +Vindhya mountains, where they halted, Makaranda overhears two birds +conversing, and from their discourse he learns that the princess +Vasavadatta, having rejected all the suitors who had been assembled by +the king her father for her to make choice of a husband, had seen +Kandarpaketu in a dream, in which she had even dreamt his name. Her +confidante, Tamalika, sent by her in search of the prince, had arrived +at the same forest, and was discovered there by Makaranda. She delivers +to the prince a letter from the princess, and conducts him to king's +palace. He obtains from the princess the avowal of her love; and her +confidante, Kalavati, reveals to the prince the violence of her passion. + +The lovers depart together: but, passing through the forest, he loses +her, in the night. After long and unsuccessful search, in the course of +which he reaches the shore of the sea, the prince, grown desperate +through grief, resolves on death. But at the moment when he was about to +cast himself into the sea, he hears a voice from heaven, which promises +to him the recovery of his mistress, and indicates the means. After +some time, Kandarpaketu finds a marble statue, the precise resemblance +of Vasavadatta. It proves to be she; and she quits her marble form and +regains animation. She recounts the circumstances under which she was +transformed into stone. + +Having thus fortunately recovered his beloved princess, the prince +proceeds to his city, where they pass many years in uninterrupted +happiness. + + + + + * * * * * + + +OPINIONS OF EMINENT EDUCATIONISTS on "THE BOY'S RAMAYANA" + +ADOPTED BY THE HINDU SCHOOL CALCUTTA, THE KRISHNAGHUR COLLEGIATE +SCHOOL, BETHUNE COLLEGIATE SCHOOL, DUPLEX COLLEGIATE SCHOOL &c., + +_Rev. George Bruce M. A. Senior Professor of English Literature, the +Scottish churches College, Calcutta and Examiner to the University of +Calcutta for the M.A. Examinations in English writes;--_ + + I have looked over Babu Ramanath Dutt's Ramayana. The English is + simple and idiomatic. The story is given in an interesting manner. + The style & language are, I think, well-suited for Matriculation + students. + + THE SCOTTISH CHURCHES COLLEGE.} + 4 Cornwallis Square, Calcutta.} GEORGE BRUCE M. A. + _10 Sept.--1910_ } + + + * * * * * + + +_Mr. Jnan Ranjan Banerjee M. A., B. L. Vice-Principal and Professor of +English Literature, Philosophy and Law, the Metropolitan Institution, +Calcutta; University Lecturer in Philosophy and Examiner to the +University of Calcutta writes:--_ + + I have looked through the M. S. of _Boy's Ramayan_ by Ramanath + Dutta and am of opinion that it is written in a very aggreable + style. It is exactly suited to the capacity of Matriculation + students. Its chief characteristics are a very simple style and an + interesting manner of relating stories. I feel free to say, that + its study will go a long way towards familiarising boys in our + schools with simple idiomatic English. + + CALCUTTA, } J. R. BANERJEE. + } Vice-Principal, + _29th Aug.--1910_} Metropolitan Institution. + + + + * * * * * + + +_Mr. C. H. Linton. M.A., Professor of English Literature, The Central +College, Calcutta & Examiner to the University of Calcutta for the +Matriculation Examinations in English; Late Professor of English +Literature, Muir Central College, Allahabad writes:--_ + + I have looked carefully through the pages of the "Boy's Ramayan." + Mr. Dutt has written his book with commendable care making it one + eminently adapted to the needs of Matriculation students. His + language is simple clear & idiomatic and his style of narrative + bright and entertaining. I feel confident that boys would read such + a book over and over again, for the mere pleasure which its perusal + afforded them. Were I in charge of a School, I should have no + hesitation in including so delightful a work among the text books + in English. + + CALCUTTA } C. H. LINTON M. A. + } Prof. of English Literature + _Sept. 5th--1910_ } Central College. + + + * * * * * + + +_Rai Bahadur Rasamaya Mitra M. A. Head Master Hindu School, Calcutta, +the premier School of Bengal writes_ + + "The Boy's Ramayana" by Mr R. N. Dutt and Prof. Headland is a + well-written book. The style is simple and correct. I have every + reason to believe that the book is very well-suited to the capacity + of Matriculation students. + + RASAMAYA MITRA. + 6. 3. 11. Head master, Hindu School. + + + * * * * * + + +OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. + +_The Amrita Bazar Patrika in its issue of January 2, 1911 writes:--_ + + "The Boy's Ramayana"--The book is the only one we know of dealing + with the subject of Ramayana in English suitable for school boys. + It is written in simple and idiomatic English. We recommend the + Universities and school committees to adopt it as a text-book. + +_The Indian Mirror in its issue of January 17, 1911 reviews the book +thus:--_ + + A book, called "The Boy's Ramayana", would be a suitable text-book + for Entrance candidates. The language is easy and naturally flowing + and the style idiomatic and interesting. + +_The Bengalee in its issue of March 4, 1911 says:--_ + + The author has given the story of Valmiki's immortal Epic in + elegant and idiomatic English and his mode of narration is highly + interesting. We are confident that the work under notice is + pre-eminently suited to the capacity of Matriculation students of + Indian Universities. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Tales from the Hindu Dramatists, by R. N. 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