W OR K S

T HE LA TE

HORACE HAYMAN WILSONM.A.

,

MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY , O F THE ASIATIC SOCIETIES OFCALCUTTA AND PARIS

,AND OF THE ORIENTAL SOCIETY OF G ERMANY ;

FOREI G N MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL IN STITUTE OF FRANCE ;MEMBER OF THE IMPERIAL ACADEMIES OF ST . PETERSBURG H AND VIENNA

,

AND OF THE ROYAL ACADEM IES OF M U NICH AND BERLIN ;PH . D . BRESLAU ; M . D . MARBURG

,ETC . ;

AND BODEN PROFESSOR OF SANSKRIT IN THE U NIVERSITY OF OX FORD .

VOL.

LONDONTRUBNER CO .

,60 PATERNOSTER ROW.

1 87 1 .

SELECT SPECIMENS

OF THE

THEATRE OF THE HINDUS

TRANSLATED FROM

THE ORIG INAL SANSKRIT .

HORACE HAYMAN WILSON,MA

,ER S

BODEN PROFESSOR OF SANSKR IT IN THE UN IVERSITY OF OX FORD ,ETC. ETC .

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

Eighth GEhitiou.

LONDONTRCBNER a. co .

,60 PATERNOSTER ROW.

1 871 .

l'

R lN'

l El) BY RA LL AN'

I YNE AND COMPA NYED IN BUR G H AN D LO N DO N

ER R A T A .

VOL. I.

x]. line 21 , instead

lxx. 1 3 ,

15,

VOL. II.

instead of 1 43 read 1 48.

MALAT I , read MALATI.divided it int o

,read d ivided int o .

instead of NATAKA,read NATAK A .

MURAR I read MURARI

DUTAN G ADA,read DCTANG ADA .

MADHAVA, read MADHAVA .

ABHIRAMAMANI, read ABHIRAMAMANI.

of kh angas , read khangas.

Hanuman read HandmanViddh d édldbh anjikd, read Viddh a-s

’

dla.

bh anjikd.

Sdrada read Sdrade/m

Kénda, read Ké fida.

Duh s’

é sana,read Dufi éésana.

rind , read rind .

i ts,read it

’s .

Mérkandeya, read Mdrkafideya.

Ch andipdt h , read Ch afiaipdfih a.

Tillo t tamé,read Tilo t tamé .

Védh aka,Réch aka

,read Vedh aka, Rech aka.

Vasish t h a, read Vasishfh a.

H IS MOST G RACIOUS MAJESTY

G E O R G E T H E F O U R T H,

THE PATRON OF ORIENTAL L ITERATUR E

TH IS ATTEMPT

TO FAMILIAR ISE HIS BRIT ISH SUBJECTS

W ITH

THE MANNERS AND FEELIN G S

OF THE IR FELLOW~SUB JECTS IN THE EAST,

MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCR IBED

THE TRANSLATOR .

CALCUT'I‘A , l 6 th May 1 827 .

ADVERTISEMENT TO THE SECOND EDITION.

UPON th e first publication of t h e Specimens of t h e Th eatre

of th e Hindus,I stated explicitly t h e object wh ich I h ad pro

po sed t o myself in t h e translation,and explained it t o be my

ambition t o secure t o t h e H indu Th eatre a place in English

literature. It was no t my purpo se t o furnish th e student of

Sanskrit wi th a class-bo ok,and I did no t

,th erefore , attempt

t o render t h e text word fo r word o r line fo r line . At t h e same

time I expressed my belief, th at few translations of t h e same

class could pretend t o greater fidelity,as no th ing h ad been

added, little omitted

, and th e expressions of t h e original h ad

been adh ered t o as clo sely as t h e genius of t h e tw o languages,

and my own command of e ith er, would allow. To th is ch ar

acter of accuracy I can now mo re confidently lay claim, as

in preparing th e present edition for t h e press, I h ave carefu lly

compared t h e translation with t h e text, and corrected th o se

mistakes wh ich inadvertence , interruption, and .erroneous

,o r

undeciph erable manuscripts, h ad led me,as I formerly stated

I anticipated th ey wou ld lead me,t o commit. Since th e pub

licat ion ofmy translation also , t h e original Sanskrit plays h ave

been printed and publish ed in Calcutta, under t h e auth o rity of

ADVERTISEMENT .

t h e Committee o fPublic Instruction t h e edition was prepared

from my manuscripts, co llated with o th ers be longing t o th e

Sanskrit Co llege and t o different individuals,by Jaya G opala

Tarkalan’ikara

,t h e pro fessorofSanskrit literature in t h e co llege ,

and alth ough t h e work may present a few typograph ical errors

and some ques t ionable readings, it is upon t h e wh o le a h igh ly

creditable specimen of unassuming editorial erudition and

care . It is with th is printed edition th at I h ave comparedmy

translation,and some alterations h ave been rendered necessary

by fo llow ing t h e reading th ere adopted, wh en it differed from

th at of th e manuscripts wh ich I originally employed.

OX FORD,15 th December 1834 .

ADVERTISEMENT TO THE THIRD EDITION.

THE th ird Edition of t h e “ Select Specimens of t h e Th eatre

of t h e Hindus is a literal reprint,generally page for page

,of

t h e second Edition, after a careful co rrection of typograph ical

and analogous errors wh ich , in t h e latter, h ad been overlo oked.

Th e orth ograph y for t h e transliteration of Sanskrit w o rds in

Roman ch aracters is,in t h e present edition

,th e same as th at

adopted by ProfessorWilson in h is laterw ritings , and adh ered

t o,through o ut

,in t h e previo us v o lumes ofh is Wo rks .

THE PUBLISHERS.

May 1 5 , 1 87 1 .

CONT ENTS OF VOL. I.

PREFACE,TREATISE ON THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM o r THE HINDUS :1 .

8 .

Th e Au th orit ies o f t h e H indu Dramatic System

D ifferent kinds ofDramatic Entertainments ,

Dramat ic Arrangement,

2

3

4 .

5

6

7

Condu ct of t h e Plo t,Ch aracters o f t h e Drama

,

Obje cts of Dramatic R epresentatio n,

D iction,

Scenic Apparatu s,

List of Hindu Plays,

DRAMAS TRANSLATED FROM THE OR IG INAL SANSKR IT .

Th e Mri ch ch h akati o r,Th e T oy

-Cart,

Vikrama and Urvaéi'

o r,Th e Hero and t h e Nymph ,

U ttara-Rama-Ch arit ra o r, Continuation o f t h e H isto ry o fRama,

PA G E

xxii i

xxxiv

xxxvii i

PREFACE.

MANY years have e lapsed s ince th e translation of

Sakuntala,by Sir Wil l iam Jones

,announced t o th e

l iterary public of th e western world that th e H indus h ad

a national drama,th e merits of which

,i t was inferred

from those of th e specimen publ ished,m ight render it

worth y offurther investigation.

No twi thstanding th e expectation thus excited,th e

subject h as rece ived l ittle subsequent i l lus tration . Th e

translation of th e Praéod/za Cfiandrodaya, or“ R ise of

th e Moon of Intel lect,

” by th e late Dr. Taylor of Bombay,

throws more l igh t upon th e metaphysics than th e drama

of th e H indus ; and th e account given of th e Mdlati

Mad/2am in th e Asiatic Researches,by Mr. Co lebro ok e

,

was subordinate t o th e object of h is essay on Sanskrit and

Prdkr‘

z’

t pro sody,and was unl ik e ly t o fal l in t h e way of

general readers. These tw o contributions,th erefore

,t o

th e e lucidation of H indu dramat ic l iterature,have added

but l ittle t o th e no tice secured for it by th e publ ication of

Sakuntald.

Th e objects for wh ich an ancient dialect may be studied

are it s philo logy and it s l iterature,or th e arts and sciences

,

th e no tions and manners,th e history and be l ief of th e

peop le by whom it was spok en . Particular branches of

compo s ition may be preferably cultivated for th e due

understanding of each of th ese subjects,but th ere is no

one species which wil l be fo und t o embrace so many pur

po ses as th e dramatic. Th e dialogue varies from s imp leVOL. I.

X PREFACE.

t o e laborate,from th e conversation of ordinary l i fe t o t h e

high est refinements of po etical taste . Th e il lus trations are

drawn from every known product of art,as we l l as every

o bservable phenomenon of nature . Th e manners and

fee l ings of th e people are del ineated,l iving and breathing

before us,and history and rel igion furnish th e most im

portant and interesting top ics t o th e bard. Wherever,

there fore,there exists a dramatic l iterature

,it must be

pre—em inently entitled t o th e attention of th e philo sopher

as we l l as th e philo logist , of th e man of general l iterary

taste as wel l as th e pro fessional scho lar.

Independent,however

,of th e claims t o no tice which th e

H indu theatre po ssesses,upon princip les that equal ly app ly

t o th e dramatic l iterature of every nation,it may advance

pretens ions t o consideration on it s own acco unt,connected

bo th with it s peculiar merits and with th e history of th e

stage .

Ne ither of th e dramas hitherto publ ished,Salaantald or

th e Prabod/za C/zandrodaya, can be cons idered t o convey

an accurate no tion of th e H indu theatre . Each is but th e

species of its own genus . Th e latter belongs to th e

metaphysical,th e former t o th e myth o -pastoral class of

Sanskrit p lays ; but these two varieties are far from re

presenting every class and order. Th eirwide diss imi larity

might lead u s t o anticipate th e extens ive range of th e

theatre t o which th ey belong,and t o infer that where such

strik ing distinctionswere t o be found,o thers less decidedly

markedmus t prevail . Th e inference would be justified by

t h e fact,and th e H indu th eatre affords examp les of th e

drama of domestic,as we l l as of hero ic l i fe ; of original

invention as we l l as of legendary traditio n.

A t th e same time,there aremany pecul iarities be longing

t o th e H indu th eatre which it is necessary that we should

know,before we can safelyde lineate th e history , orpropose

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xii PREFACE .

co uld no t have communicated what they never po ssessed.

There is no record that theatrical entertainments were

ever natural ised amongst th e ancient Pers ians , Arabs , or

Egyp tians and th e H indus , i f they learned th e art from

o thers,can have been obl iged alone t o th e G reek s or t o

th e Chinese . A perusal of th e H indu p lays wil l show

h ow l ittle l ikely it is that they are indebted t o e ither, as ,with th e exception of a few features in common wh ich

co uld no t fai l t o o ccur, they present characteristic varieties

of conduct and construction which strongly evidence bo th

original des ign and national deve lopment .

Th e H indu theatre be longs t o th at divis ion o fdramatic

compo s ition which modern crit ics have agreed t o term

romantic,in oppos ition t o what some scho o ls have been

p leased t o cal l classical. Th is h as no t escaped th e o bserva

tion of one of th e first dramatic crit ics of any age , and

Sch lege l o bserves,

“ Th e drama of Sakuntala presents,

th ro ugh it s oriental bri ll iancy of co lo uring,so strik ing a

resemblance,upon th e who le

,t o our romantic drama

,th at

i t m igh t be suspected t h e love of Shakespeare h ad influ

enced th e translator,i f o th er oriental ists h ad no t borne

testimony t o th e fide l ity ofh is translation. Th e present

co l lection will afford amp le evidence t o th e same effect .

H indu dramatists h ave l ittle regard for th e unities of

time and place ; and i f by unity of action be meant

s ingleness of incident , they exhibit an equal disdain for

such a res triction. At th e same time,as we shal l subse

quently see,they are no t destitute of systematic and

sens ible rules,and they are as unfam il iar with th e ex

travagance of th e Chinese drama,as with th e severe

s impl icity of G recian tragedy .

There is one pecul iarity in th e H indu theatre which

remarkablydistinguishes it from that ofevery o therpeople .

Altho ugh there is l ittle reason t o doubt that th e Sansk i'

i t

PREFACE . xi i i

language was once a spoken tongue in some parts of

India, yet it do es no t seem probable that it was ever th e

vernacular language ofth e who le country , and i t certainly

ceased t o be a l iving dialect at a period ofwhich w e have

no knowledge.

Th e greater part of every p lay is written in Sanskfit .

None of th e dram atic compo s itions at present known can

boast perhaps of a very high antiquity,and several of

them are comparative ly modern ; they must , th ere fore ,have been unintell igib le t o a considerable portion of their

audiences,and never co uld have been so directly addressed

t o th e bulk of t h e population,as t o have exercised much

influence upon their passions or the ir tastes .

This circumstance,however

,is perfectly in harmony

with th e constitution of H indu society,by which th e

highest branches of l iterature,as we l l as th e highest ofi‘ices

in th e state,were reserved for th e privi leged tribes of

K sh at triyas andBrahmans. Even amongst th em,h owever

,

a smal l portion co uld have fo l lowed th e express ions of th e

actors so as t o have fe l t the ir fu ll force ; and th e plays of

th e H indus must therefore have been exceedingly deficient

in theatrical effect. In some measure,th is deficiency was

compensated by pecul iar impress ions ; and t h e popularity

ofmo st of th e stories,and th e sanctity of th e representa

tion,as we l l as of th e Sanskfit language , substituted an

adventitiou s interest for ordinary excitement. Stil l th e

appeal t o popular fee l ing must h ave been immeasurably

weakened ; and th e affectation or real ity ofscho larsh ip , as

at th e Latin p lays ofArio sto,or th e sch o lastic exhibitions

ofWestm inster,must have been a sorry substitute for

universal,instantaneous

,and irrepress ible de l igh t.

Besides be ing an entertainment appropriated t o th e

leading or learnedmembers ofso ciety , t h e dramatic enter

tainment s of th e H indus essential ly differed from th o se of

xiv PREFACE.

modern Europe in th e unfrequency of the ir representa

tion. They seem t o have been acted only on so lemn o r

publ ic o ccasions . In this respect they resembled th e

dramatic performances ofth e Athenians , which to ok place

at distant intervals,and especial ly at th e spring and

autumnal festivals of Bacchus , t h e last be ing u sual ly

preferred,as th e city was then fil led with strangers

,it s

tributaries and al l ies . According t o H indu authorities,

th e o ccasions suitable for dramatic representations are

th e l unar ho l idays,a royal coronation

,assemblages of

people at fairs and re l igio us festivals,marriages

,th e

meeting of friends,tak ing first po ssess ion of a ho use

or a town,and th e birth of a son. Th e mo st ordinary

o ccas ion,h owever

,ofa performance was , as wil l be seen,

t h e season pecul iarly sacred t o some divinity.

Amongst t h e A thenians,also

,a p iece was never per

formed a second time,at least under th e same form ; and

i t is clear that th e H indu plays are written with a view t obut one specific representation. At o ther times

,and in

o ther places , probably , successful dramas were repeated

bo th in G reece and India ; but this was a distant and

accidental,and no t

,as with u s

,an immediate and antici

pated consequence of success.

As th e p lays of th e H indus were only o ccas ional ly

enacted,w e can readily comprehend why they should be

so much longer than our dramatic writings,and why they

sh ould be so few . Th e H indu plays do no t,l ike th e

Chinese,i t is true

,afford emp loyment for t en days

,but

they sometimes extend,as w e shal l see

,t o t en acts

,and

tho se none of th e shortest,and they must have o ccup ied

at least five or six ho urs in representation. W ith respect

t o the ir number, Sir W il l iam Jones was undo ubtedly

m is info rmed, when h e was led t o suppo se that th e Indian

theatre wo uld fil l as many vo l umes as that ofany nation

PREFACE . X V

in ancient or modern Europe . Many p ieces,no doubt

,

are lost , and o thers are scarce ; but it may be doubted

whether all th e p lays that are t o be found,and those of

which mention is made by writers on th e drama,amount

t o many more than six ty . We may form a to lerably

accurate estimate of th e extent of th e H indu theatre by

th e fact,that no more than three p lays are attributed t o

each of th e great masters of th e art,Bhavabhuti and

Kal idasa ; amost beggarly account,when contrasted w ith

th e three hundred and s ixty-five comedies ofAnt iph anes ,or th e two thousand ofLope de Vega.

Although,however

, th e p lays of th e H indus must have

been less numerous than tho se of any of th e nations of

highest repute in theatrical l iterature, yet they must have

existed in some number,t o have offered th e mul tipl ied

clas ses into which they have been divided by their critics,

and which exhibit at least no want of variety. It may

also be observed,th at th e dramatic p ieces which have come

down t o us are those of th e highest order,defended by

the ir intrins ic purity from th e corro s ion of time . Tho se

of an inferior description,and which ‘

ex isted sometimes

apparently in th e vernacular dialects,may have beenmore

numerous and popular,and were more

,strictly speak ing

,

national . Traces of these are still observable in th e

dramatised stories of th e B fianrs or profess ional buffo ons ,in th e Jdtras of th e Bengal is

,and th e Rdsas of th e

western pro vinces. Th e first is th e representation of

some ludicrous adventure by two or th ree performers,

carried on in extempore dialogue,usual ly of a very

coarse k ind,and enl ivened by practical j okes no t always

very decent. Th e Jdtra is general ly t h e exhibition of

some of th e incidents in t h e youthful l ife of Kr’

ish r’

ia,

maintained also in extempore dialogue , but interspersed

with popular songs. Th e mistress of Kfish ria, Radha,

xvi PREFACE.

h is father, mo ther, and th e G op is , are th e ordinary dra

mat is p ersona , and Narada acts as buffo . Th e Rasa

partak es more of th e bal let,but it is accompanied also

with songs,whilst th e adventures of K r

’

ish iia or Rama

are represented in appropriate costume,by measured ges

t iculat ions. Th e H indus have a strong rel ish for these

divers ions,but th e dom ination under which they so long

p ined,and which was ever so s ingu larly hostile t o publ ic

enjoym ents of a refined character,rendered theatrical

representations infrequent , and induced a neglect of

dramat ic l iterature . Plays,however

,continued t o be

written and performed t o th e latest periods,especial ly in

th e west and south of India,where H indu principal ities

stil l subsisted. Performances also seem t o have been ex

h ibit ed at Benares in recent times,and we have one p iece

which was written,and poss ibly represented in Bengal ,

but a very few years ago . All th e modern compos itions,

however,are of a mytho logical and sectarial character

and are intended t o celebrate th e power of K r’

ish ri

a or of

Siva. They are also dis crim inated from o lderwritings by

t h e predom inance of narrative,and by wire-drawn com

mon-place descriptions of th e periods of t h e day or th e

season of th e year,of th e ris ing and setting of th e sun or

mo on,of t h e scorching heats of t h e summer or th e reviv

ing influence of spring. There is no attempt at incident

beyond th e original story,and many of th e subjects for

action,which th e legend affords

,are thrown into dul l

and tiresome dialogue . These de fects are , indeed, t o be

fo und o ccasional ly in several of th e earl ier p ieces,but t o

a limited extent,whilst they form th e substance of all

later compositions .

When th e art of theatrical composition h ad passed itsz enith

,and began t o exhibit symptoms ofdecay

,th e same

fate befel l it in India which it encountered in o ther coun

PREFACE. xvii

tries,and criticism usurped t h e authority of creation.

Plays gave way t o theo ries , and system-mongers to ok th e

p lace ofdramatists and po ets. Indian criticism,however

,

has been always in its infancy. It never learned t o con

nect causes and effects ; it never looked t o th e influence

exercised by imagination or passion in poetry ; it never,in short

,became e ither po etical or philosophical . Tech ni

calit ies were th e only objects within its comprehens ion,and

it de l igh ted t o e l icit dogmatical precepts from th e practiceof establ ished authors . Th e question of th e “ unities is

quite within th e Sphere of th e Indian critic,h ad th e po e ts

ever descended t o their observance . Some approach,as

observed abo ve,h as been made t o this important theme ,

but a text was wanted for its du e appreciation . In th e

absence of th is,and of lo ftier discuss ion

,th e critics of th e

H indu scho o l set thems e lves t o class i fy p lays,persons ,

and passions,until they wo ve a comp l icated web ou t of

very sp ider- l ik e materials . Th e distinctions th us multi

p l ied are curious in themse lves,and of some value for th e

record th ey afford"of th e compos itions whence they are

derived,and it h as been though t advisable

,therefore

,t o

annex a view of t h e system,assigning t o it a distinct

section,as it can have l ittle t o attract or entertain

general readers.

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THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

of t h e ballet was as much th e task of t h e auth or as t h e invention of t h e plo t.Th e attribut ion of dramatic performances t o Bh arata is no

doubt founded upon h is h aving been one of t h e earliest writers,by wh om t h e art was reduced t o a system . His Safras , o raph or

isms,are constantly cited by commentators on different plays

,

and suggest t h e do ctrines wh ich are taugh t by later au th o rsbut

,as far as h as been ascertained, t h e work ofBh arata h as no

existence in an entire sh ape,and it may be sometimes doubted

wh eth er t h e rules attributed t o h im are no t fabricated for t h eo ccasion. Th is is no t ofmu ch importance

,as th ere are scarce ly

any debatable po ints in t h e te ch nicalities of t h e drama, and t h eaph orisms

,wh eth er genuine or no t , conform t o t h e principles

generally recognised in t h e standard auth orities a sh ort no ticeof t h e principal ofwh ich will no t perh aps be th ough t misplacedin th is stage of th e inquiry.

One of t h e best and earliest existing treatises on dramaticliterature is t h e Daéa—d aka

,or description of t h e t en kinds

of th eatrical compo sition,ofwh ich t h e term d aka

,th at wh ich

h as a form,is t h e mo st appropriate designation. Th is wo rk is

exclusively devo ted t o dramatic criticism . It consists ofaTextand a G lo ss

,with examples . Th e Text is t h e compo sition of

Dh ananjaya, t h e son ofVishnu

,w h o styles Munja h is patron,

and w h o consequently wro te in t h e e leventh century,by wh ich

time , th erefore , t h e dramatic art oft h e Hindu s was complete , orrath er was in it s decline . Th e G lo ss migh t be th ough t t o beby t h e same h and as t h e text, t h e auth o r being Dh anika, th eson o fVishnu agreeing in t h e patronymic

,and differing little

in t h e name . Amongst h is illustrations,h owever, a number of

passages are cited from th e Ratndvali, a play written in t h e

beginning of t h e tw elfth century,wh ich is rath er incompatible

with t h e auth or of t h e Daéa-Rnpaka’

s h aving written in t h e

ele venth . Th ere is also ano th er difficu lty in t h e tit le of t h e

commentator,w h o calls h imself an o fficer o fa different prince

,

Mah araja S’rimadUtpala RajaMahasadh yapala, t h e ch iefu sh er,o rminister o f t h e illustrious UtpalaRaja. Wh eth er Utpala bet h e name ofa prince o r a co untry is uncertain, but in ne ith ercase can it apply t o Munja o r Bh oja. Th e date of th e G lo ssmust th erefore remain undetermined, alth ough as t h e work isbu t rarely met with

,it is no doubt of some antiquity. Ranga

OF THE H INDUS . xxi

nath,a commentato r on t h e Vikrama and Ureasi, cites a com

ment on t h e Daéa-d aka by a writer named Pari i (Patt ivirach ita Daéa Rupaka t

’

ikayam) , w h ich , if found, may tend t oth row some ligh t upon t h e h istory of th is work .

Th e Saraswati Kafit’

hdbhararia is a w ork ascribed t o Bh ojaRaja. It treats generally ofpo etical or rh etori cal compo sition

,

in five bo oks,t h e last ofw h ich compreh ends many of t h e de

tails peculiar t o dramatic writing. Th e examples qu o ted are

from a variety of po ems and plays,and th ey offer th e same

difficulty,as t o t h e accuracy of t h e attribution

, as t h e Das’

a

d aka,by including illustrations from t h e Ratndrah

’

. We

migh t expect t h e plays ofKalidasaand Bh avabhuti t o be quo ted,

and w e h ave no grounds fo r suspecting any anach ronism in th eexamples derived from t h e Mudrd-Rakshasa and Vent San

hdra bu t Bh oja must h ave re igned some years later,o r Harsh a

some years earlier, th an h as been h ith erto believed on scarcelydisputable grounds, for a compo sition of t h e one t o be cited byt h e o th er. Th ere is a commentary on th is w ork by RatneéwaraMah opadh yaya, bu t h e takes no no tice of t h e auth o r.

Th e Karya-Prakas’a is also a work on rh eto rical compo sition

in general,and is an auth ority of great repu te

,as well as t h e

preceding . It is div ided into t en sections,in different portions

ofwh ich are scattered su ch details re lating t o dramatic writingsas are common t o th em and o th er po ems

,illu strated

,as in t h e

preceding,by ext racts from t h e mo st ce lebrated po ems, wh ich ,

h owever, are never named,e ith er in th is o r in many o th er

works of t h e same class . It is ne ce ssary,th erefore

,t o be able

t o identify t h e passages from pre v iou s reading, t o derive fromth ese treatises th at information respecting Sanskrit literaryh istory wh ich th ey are capable ofaffording . Th e auth or of t h eKavya

-Prakas’a is Mammat’

a a Cashmirian,and t h e

work is prior t o th at next described,alth o ugh subsequ ent t o

t h e Ratndralz’

,and may be abou t five centuries o ld.

Th e Saltitya-Darpafia is also a wo rk of great merit and cele

brity , on po eti cal w riting, in t en sections, o fwh i ch t h e sixth ismo stly appropriated t o th eatrical tech nicalities . Th e qu o tationsfrom t h e different plays are spe cified, and all t h e principal piecesin t h e present co llection are named

,besides several ofwh ich

copies are no t pro curable . Th e date of t h e wo rk is no t known,

but it is comparatively modern, and subsequent t o t h e [ Maya

xxi i THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

Prakas’a. One manuscript ofit exists, wh ich was copied, according t o t h e date , in Saka 1426, o r A .D. 1 504 . It is t h e work ofaBengali pandit of t h e medical caste , Viswanath a-Kaviraja, t h eson ofCh andra-S

’

ekh ara, and is especially current as an au t h o

rity in Bengal. According t o universally-rece ived tradition,t h e auth or lived beyond t h e Brahmapu tra, in t h e district ofDacca.

Th e Sangila—Ratndkara, as th e name implies

,treatsmore espe

cially of singing and dancing th an of dramatic literature . Itfurnish es

,h owever, some curious no tices of th eatrical represen

tat ion and gesture . It is t h e work ofS’

arngi-Deva

,t h e son of

Sorbala,t h e son ofBhaskara, a Cashmirian pandit, wh o sough t

h is fortunes in t h e south . His grandson is patronised by aprince named Sinh ala~Deva, but of wh at time or place h edo es no t info rm u s. It is clear, h owever, th at h e wro te betw eenth e twelfth and fifteenth centuries

, as h e names Bh oja amongsth is predecessors in t h e science and a comment on h is own w orkwas written by Kallinath a, by desire of Praud

'

h a, o r Pratapa

Deva king ofVijayanagar, from A .D . 1456 t o 1 47 7 .

Amongst t h e wo rks w h ich treat generally de Arte Poetica,and wh ich are exceedingly numerous

,some of t h e principal are

,

t h e Karyddars’

a by Dandin,t h e auth or of th e Das’a-Kumara

,and

suppo sed t o be contemporary with Bh oja ; t h e KdrydlankdraVran, by Vamana-Acharya t h e Knralayananda, an enlargement of th e Chandraloka of Jayadeva, by Apyaya Diksh ita,w h o was patronised by KrishnaRaya

,sovere ign ofVijayanagar

about 1520 th e A lankara Sarraswa ofBhama th e Rasa—G an

gadhara ofJagannat h aPanditaRaja, and th eAZankdra-Kaustnbha

by Kav i Karr’

iapfiraka, a Vaishnava G o sain, wh o illustrates allh is rules by verses of h is own, relating t o t h e loves ofKrishnaand Radha, and th e pastimes of t h e deity with t h e G opis ofVrindavar

’

ia.

Besides t h e general systems,th ere are several treatises on t h e

passions and emo tions wh ich po etry is intended t o depicture orexcite, as t h e Sfingdra-Tila/ca ofRudra-Bh at

’t’a and t h e Rasa

Manjari and t h e Rasa Tarangz'

ril of Bhanu Th e lattercomprises a number of rules

,wh ich are quo ted as th o se of

Bh arata.

In addition t o t h e information derivable from th ese sources,

as t o t h e system or h istory of t h e Hindu drama,t h e oommen

OF THE HINDUS. xxi i i

taries by wh ich several of t h e plays are accompanied furnishimportant accessions t o o ur know ledge ofbo th . With respectalso t o th e latter, w e h ave in t h e Bh oja-Prabandha and Sdrng(liiara-Paddhall

,tw o satisfactory gu ides fo r t h e veri fication ofth e

writers prior t o th eirrespective dates. Of t h e Bh oja-Prabandha

I h ave given an account elsewh ere , and h ave seen no reason t o

alter t h e Opinion th ere expressed. Th e Sdrngdlzara—Paddlzatl is

a similar catalogue ofearlierwriters wri tten by S’arngdh ara, t h egrandson of Ragh ava

-Deva, th e spiritual guide of Hammira,prince ofSakambh ari, in t h e beginning of t h e fourteenth cen

tury. Th is w ork is consequ ently no t later th an t h e end of t h e

fourt eenth o r t h e beginning of t h e fifteenth century,and deter

mines with in th at limit t h e existence of t h e wri ters it names,

several ofwh om are included amongst t h e dramatic auth ors,as

w e sh all h ave h ereafter o ccasion t o no tice .

Th ese different auth orities, it migh t be th ough t, would afforda to lerably distinct and accurate View of t h e dramatic literatureof t h e Hindu s

, and will no doubt convey quite sufficient for ourpurpo se. Th e brevity and obscurity, h owever, of th e technicaldefinitions

, t h e inconceivable inaccuracy of t h e manuscripts,

and t h e little knowledge of t h e subject wh ich t h e panditsgenerally po ssess

,h ave rendered th e taste of interpreting th em

laboriou s and painful, t o an extent ofwh ich readers accustomedt o typograph ic facili ties can form no adequate conception.

2 . D IFFERENT K INDS OF DRAMATIC ENTERTAINMENTS .Th e general term for all dramatic compo sitions is d aka,

from rapa, form ,— it be ing th e ir ch ief o bj ect t o embody ch ar

act ers and feelings,and t o exh ibit t h e natural indications of

passion. A play is also defined, a Po em th at is t o be seen, ora Po em th at is t o be seen and h eard.

Dramatic writings are arranged in tw o classes,t h e d aleas

properly so termed, and t h e Upardpalcas, t h e minor o r inferio r

d akas le th eatre du second ordre,

”alth ough no t precisely

in t h e same sense . Th ere are t en species of t h e fo rmer,and

e igh teen of t h e latter class .

RUPAKAS.

1 . Th e Nat'

aka,or th e Play par excellence

,comprises all t h e

e lements ofa dramatic compo sit ion, and it s construction, th ere

THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

fo re,is fully explained in t h e original systems, before any no tice

is taken of t h e inferior varieties. Th is meth od is perh aps t h emo st logical , and obviates t h e necessity of some repetition ; butin an inquiry of t h e present description, th e first po int t o determine appears t o be ,wh at t h e dramatic amusements oft h e Hindusreally were , before w e examine th eir constituent parts.

Specimens of t h e Nat’

aka are no t wanting t o illu strate it stech nical description, and w e can th erefo re fo llow t h e originalau th o rities w ith entire confidence . It is declared t o be t h e mo stperfect kind of dramatic compo sition. Th e subject sh ouldalways be celebrated and important. According t o t h e SahltyaDarpafia, t h e story sh ould be selected from myth o logical o rh istorical reco rd alone ; but t h e Das

’

a-d aka asserts th at itmay be also fictitiou s o r mixed

,o r partly resting on tradition

,

and partly t h e creation of t h e auth or. Th e practice of t h e earlywriters seems t o h ave sanctioned th e latter rule

,and alth ough

th ey adopted th e ir plo ts from sacred po ems o r Pardrias, th eyconsidered th emselves at liberty t o vary t h e incidents as th eypleased. Modern bards h ave been more scrupu lous . Th e

restriction impo sed upon t h e se lection of th e subject is t h e same

as th at t o wh ich th e French th eatre so long submitted,from

wh o se tragic code all newly-invented topics were excluded,in

suppo sed imi tation of th e G reek th eatre,in w h ich h owe v er t h e

F lower ofAgath on, founded altogeth er upon fiction, was an early

and popu lar produ ction.

Like t h e G reek tragedy, h owever, t h e t’

alca is t o re

present worth y o r exalted personages only,and t h e h ero

must be a monarch, as Dush yanta a demigod

,as Rama ; or

a div inity, as Krishna. Th e action,o r more properly t h e

passion,sh ould be but one

,as lo v e or h ero ism . Th e plo t

sh ould be simple , t h e incidents consistent ; t h e businessSh ou ld spring direct from t h e sto ry as a plant from it s seed

,

and Sh o u ld be free from episodical and pro lix interruptions .

Th e time sh o u ld no t be pro tracted,and t h e duration of an

act,according t o t h e elder auth o rity

,sh o u ld no t exceed one

day ; but t h e Salt ilya-Darpana extends it t o a few days,o r

even t o one year. Wh en t h e action canno t be comprisedw ith in th ese limits, t h e less impo rtant events may be th rowninto narrativ e , o r may b e suppo sed t o pass betw een t h e actso r th ey may be communicated t o t h e audience by one of t h e

OF THE H INDUS . XXV

actors,wh o h o lds t h e ch aracter ofan interpreter

,and explains

t o t h e persons of t h e assembly Wh atever th ey may requ ire t oknow

,or wh at is no t conveyed t o th em by t h e representation

a rath er awkward contrivance t o supply t h e deficiencies of t h epiece

,but one th at w o u ld sometimes be usefu l t o insinuate t h e

plo t into t h e audiences o f mo re po lish ed communities. Th e

diction ofa Nat’

aka sh ou ld be perspicuo us and po lish ed. Th e

pie ce sh ould consist ofno t fewer th an five acts,and no t more

than t en.

In many of th ese ch aracteristics,t h e t

’

aka presents an

o bv io u s analogy t o t h e tragedy of t h e G reeks,wh ich was

,t h e

imitation of a so lemn and perfect actio n,of adequate impo rt

ance, to ld in pleasing language , exh ibiting t h e se veral ele

ments ofdramatic compo sition in it s different parts,represented

th ro ugh t h e instrumentality of agents,no t by narration

,and

purifying t h e affections of h uman nature by t h e influence of

pity and terror. In t h e expansion of th is definition in t h e

Po etics,

” th ere are many po ints o f affinity, and particularly int h e selection ofpersons and subjects bu t th ere are also differences

,some ofw h ich merit t o be no ticed.

With regard t o t h e Unities , w e h ave th at of action fullyrecognised

,and a simplicity of bu siness is enj o ined qu ite in

t h e Spirit of t h e G reek drama. Th e unity of place is no t

no ticed,as migh t h ave been expected from t h e probable absence

o fall scenic embe llishment._

It was impo ssible t o transport t h esubstantial deco rations of th e G recian stage from place t o place

,

and th erefo re th e scene was t h e same th rough out bu t wh ereeveryth ing was left t o t h e imagination

,one site was as easily

conce ivable as ano th er,and t h e scene migh t be fancied, one

w h ile a garden, and ano th er wh ile a palace,as well as it cou ld

be imagined t o be e ith er. Th e unity oftime is curiou sly modifi ed

, conformably t o a principle w h ich may satisfy th e mo st

fastidious and t h e time required for t h e fable elapses invariably betw een t h e acts.

”In practice th ere is generally less lati

tude th an t h e rule indicates,and t h e duration ofan act is very

commonly th at of t h e representation,or at mo st one course

of th e sun,

”t h e nigh t e lapsing in th e interval . In one piece ,

t h e Uttara-Edma-Charilra, indeed, w e h ave a mo re extensiveperiod

,and twelve years are suppo sed t o pass betw een t h e

first and second acts. Th is was t h e unavo idable consequenceVOL. I. c

THE DRAMAT IC SYSTEM

o f th e subject of th e play, and affords an analogy t o th e licenceof t h e romantic drama.

Ano th er important difference from t h e classical drama,and

from th at ofmo st countries,is t h e to tal absence of th e dist inc

tion betw een Tragedy and Comedy. Th e Hindu plays confineth emse lves neith er t o t h e “

crimes nor t o t h e absurdities of

mankind ne ith er “ t o t h e momento u s ch anges, nor ligh tervicissitudes of life ne ith er t o t h e terro rs o fdistress no r t h egaieties of pro sperity .

” In th is respe ct th ey may be classedwith much of t h e Spanish and English drama

,t o wh ich , as

Sch legel observes , th e terms Tragedy and Comedy are w h o llyinapplicable

,in t h e sense in wh ich th ey were employed by

t h e ancients .

” Th ey are invariably of a mingled w eb,and

blend “seriousness and sorro w with levity and laugh ter.

” Th eynever offer

,h ow e ver

,a calamitous conclusion

,wh ich

,as

Jo hnson remarks,was eno ugh t o constitute a Tragedy in

Sh akespeare ’s days and alth ough th ey pro po se t o excite all t h eemo tions of t h e h uman breast, terror and pity included, th eynever effect th is object by leaving a painful impressionupon t h e mind of t h e spectato r. Th e Hindus

,in fact

,h ave

no Tragedy ; a defect th at subverts th e th eory th at Tragedynecessarily preceded Comedy, because in t h e infancy of so cietyt h e stronger passions predominated, and it was no t till so cialintercourse was complicated and refined

,th at t h e fo llies and

frivo lit ies ofmankind afforded material fo r satire . Th e th eo ryis evidentlymore ingenio u s th an just, fo r a considerable advancein refinement must h ave been made befo re plays were writtenat all, and t h e days of r

zEschylus were no t th o se of t h e fi erceand fiery emo tions h e delineates. III truth

,h owever

,t h e

indiv idual and so cial o rganisation of t h e native of India isunfavourable t o t h e development of towering passion ; and

wh atever po ets o r ph ilo soph ers may h ave insinuated t o t h e

contrary, th ere is no do ubt th at t h e regions o f ph ysical equability h ave ever been

,and still are , th o se ofmoral extremes.

Th e absence oftragic catastroph e in t h e Hindu dramas is no tmerely an unconscious omission such catastroph e is pro

h ibit ed by a po siti ve ru le,and t h e death of e it h er t h e h ero o r

t h e h ero ine is ne ver t o be announced. With th at regard, indeed,fo r decorum ,

wh ich even Vo ltaire th ough t migh t be sometimesdispensed with

,it is no t allowed in any manner ensanglanter la

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xxviii THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

Sanklrria,or mixed. By t h e Ves

’

yd, o r cou rtesan,h owe ver

,w e

are no t t o understand afemale w h o h as disregarded th e o bligations of law o r t h e precepts of v irtu e

,bu t a ch aracter reared

by a state o f manners unfriendly t o t h e admission of w edded

females into so ciety, and opening it only at t h e expense o f

repu tation t o women,w h o were trained fo r asso ciation w ith

men by personal andmental acqu irement s t o wh i ch th e matronw as a stranger. Th e Ves’ed of t h e H indu s was t h e Helera of

t h e G reeks . With out t h e talents ofA spasia, o r profligacy of

Lais,t h e Vasanlasend o f t h e first piece in th is co llection is a

gent le,affectionate be ing

,w h o

,with t h e conv entions of so ciety

in h er favo ur,unites

,as t h e Helera o ften did

,accomplishments

calcu lated t o dazzle,w ith qualities of t h e h eart wh ich raise

h er abo v e t h e contempt th at,in spite of all precau tion

,falls

upon h er situation . Th e Mrlclwllhalat’

l,and Mdlall—Mddltara,

belong t o t h e class ofPralcararias .

3 . Th e Bhan’

a, acco rding t o t h e tech nical definition,is a

mono logu e in o ne act,in w h ich t h e perfo rmer narrates dra

mat ically a variety o f o ccurrences as h appening e ith er t o h imse lf o r o th ers . Love

,war

,fraud

,intrigu e

,and impo sition

,are

appropriate topics,and t h e narrato r may enliv en h is recitation

by a suppo sititiou s dialogu e w ith an imaginary interlo cuto r.

Th e language must b e po lish ed,and mu sic and singing sh ou ld

pre cede and clo se t h e perfo rmance . Th e example qu o ted is t h eLlldmadh akara

,bu t t h e only Spe cimen me t w it h is t h e Sdrada

Tilalca,o fw h ich some acco unt is given in t h e fo llow ing pages .

It is no t impo ssible th at ventrilo qu ism assisted t o giv e effect t ot h e imaginary dialogu e , as t h e art is no t unknown inIndia.

4 . Th e Vyayoga is a dramatic representation of some militarytransaction

,in w h i ch no part o f t h e interest is deriv ed from

female participation ; t h e sentiment of love is consequentlyexcluded from it , and it admits o fno comic int ermixt u re . It isrestric t ed t o o ne act

,o ne action

,and a duration o f one day , and

t h e h ere sh o u ld be a w arrio r o r demigod. Th e Sdlu'

fya-Dar

paria names t h e Sangandh ilailzararia as an example,t h e Daéa~

d alca spe cifies t h e Jdmadagnya-Jaya, t h e lat ter alluding

e ith er t o t h e defeat o fKartaviryarjuna, o r t o t h e subjugatio n oft h e mil itary tribe by t h e Brahmanical h ero Parasu -Rama

,t h e

son ofJamadagni. Th e subj e ct of t h e fo rmer w o uld seem t o

be t h e rape of a princess named Saugandh ika, only th at t h e

OF THE HINDUS .

interest springing from such an event would contravene t h eru le th at relates t o female exclusion,

and it may refer t o t h e

confi ict betweenVasish t’

h aandViSwamitra fo r t h e all-bestowingcow ! Th e Dhananjaya Vijaya belongs t o th is Class.

5 . Th e Samavaleara is t h e dramati c representation of some

myth o logical fable in th ree acts ; th e bu siness of t h e first is t oo ccupy abou t nine h o urs t h e second

,th ree and a h alf ; and t h e

th ird,an h o ur and a h alf. Th e story of t h e pie ce relates t o

gods and demons , alth ough mo rtals may be introduced. Th ereis no indiv idual h ero , o r t h e h ero es may be as many as tw elve

,

as K ri sh na and o th er divinit ies . Th e metre is th at mo stusually employed in t h e Vedas, o r t h e verses termed Usllnz

'

h and

G ayalrl. Alth o ugh lo v e may be touch ed upon ,h ero ism sh ou ld

be t h e predominant passion and t h e acts of enmitymay be ex

h ibit ed,bo th co vert and avow ed

,su ch as ironical commenda

tion and o pen defiance . Tempests,combats

,and t h e sto rming

of towns,may be represented, and all t h e pride and pomp of

war,as h orses

,e leph ants , and cars, may be introdu ced. Th e

example qu o ted, bu t w h ich no longer exists in it s dramatisedform, is t h e Samudra Malltana

,t h e Ch urning of t h e Ocean

a splendid subje ct for spe ctacle if w e ll managed. We maydo ubt t h e success of t h e Hindu mech anicians in representingt h e mo untain and t h e snake

,t h e ch urning- staff and ro pe

,o r t h e

agitations of t h e migh ty main,from w h ich sprang t h e personi

ficat ions ofh ealth and beau ty, and t h e beverage of immortalityth is was, in all probability , clumsily contrived but t h e go dsand demons were w el l dressed and better acted

,and w ith th e

patronage ofa Raja,t h e conflicts between t h e h o sts of h eaven

and h e ll fo r t h e goddess of beau ty and t h e cup of ambro sia,

w ere no do ubt go t up with no want ofnumbers o r ofSplendour.

Th is entertainmentmu st h av e been popu lar,as it was addressed

more t o t h e eye th an t h e ear. AS amere Spectacle it still exists,

and in t h e w e stern pro vinces t h e h isto ry ofRama is representedin t h e dramatic form at t h e Das

’

ahara on a vast,ifno t amagnifi

cent scale . Th e fo llowers of t h e contending ch iefs , Rama and

Ravana, amo unt sometimes t o se veral h undreds t h e battlementsofLanka

,th o ugh of less durable materials

,are of vast extent,

and t h e enco unters th at take place are more like t h e mimicevo lutions of real armies th an a dramatic exh ibition . It is

scarcely necessary t o add, th at it o ccurs in t h e o pen air, usually

X X X THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

in a spacious plain, and with a want o f order th at ruins it sdramatic effect. Th e mo st pleasing, as t h e best-condu ctedparts of t h e business

,are t h e pro cessions . Th e entry ofRama

and Site. into Benares,in t h e year 1820, formed a rich ly pictur

esque and interesting scene .

*

6 . Th eDima is a drama ofa similar bu t mo re glo omy ch aracter th an t h e last, and is limited t o t h e representation o f

terrific events,as portents

,incantations , sieges, and battles . It

compreh ends four acts . Th e h ero sh ou ld be a demon,demi

god, o r de ity. Th e example named is t h e Tripnraddha, t h e

destruction of t h e demon Tripura by S'iva, and conflagrat ion

o f t h e th ree cities o ver wh ich h e ruled, and wh ence h e derivedh is appe llat ion.

7 . Th e fhamrtga is a piece of intrigu e in four acts,in wh ich

t h e h ero is a god o r illustriou s mortal,and t h e h ero ine a god

dess . Love and mirth are t h e prevailing sent iments . Th e

h ero ine may be t h e subje ct ofwar or stratagem ,and t h e devices

of t h e h ero may end in disappo intment,bu t no t in death . Th e

example named is t h e Kasamaéekhara-Vijaya.

8 . Anita. Th is is considered by some t o be a piece in one

act,but by o th ers t o be a supplementary act

,serving as an in

t roduct ion t o a drama, o r a more fully w inding up of t h e story.

Th e path etic style sh ould predominate : t h e h ere may be a

mo rt al t h e subje ct sh o u ld be we ll known. Th e examplenamed is t h e Sarmlsh lha-Yaydli. A piece

,termed Yayali

Charllra, o ccurs‘

amongst th o se no ticed h ereafter ; bu t th at isa t

’

aka,and canno t th erefo re be h ere intended.

9 . Th e Vllh i is someth ing Similar t o t h e Bltdria it is in one

act,and may be perfo rmed by one acto r

,th o ugh t h e Das

’

a

d aka admits o f tw o . In e ith er case it is a love -sto ry carriedon in comic dialogue , consisting of equ iv o que , evasion, enigma,

qu ibble,j est , repartee , wilfu l misconstruction and misappli

cation,ironical praise , extravagant endearment , and j o co se

abuse . It is no t very different,perh aps

,in ch aracter from t h e

Fabu lce A llellance of t h e Tuscans .

10 . Th e Pralzasana is a farcical o r comic satire , and migh t beth ough t t o h ave o riginated

,like t h e o ld comedy , from t h e

In Prinsep'

s I llustrations o f Benares, part i i i . , are interesting repre

sentat ions of th is scene and one wh ich precedes it, t h e capture of Lenka.

OF THE HINDUS .

Phallic Hymn. Unlike t h e Aristoph anic comedy,h owever, it

is no t levelled at t h e many-h eaded mob,bu t in general at t h e

sanctified and privileged o rders of t h e community,asAscetics

,

Brahmans , men of rank and wealth , and princes . Th e vicessatirised in t h e tw o latter are th o se w h ich emanate from an

abuse of rich es rath er th an of power, and are th o se of low

luxury,no t tyrannic despo tism : t h e obj ects of satire in t h e

former are sensuality and h ypo crisy . It is in th e ir extremeindelicacy th at th ey resemble , alth ough perh aps th ey scarcelyequal , t h e G reek comedy ; bu t th ey h ave no t it s redeeming pro

pert ies, exuberant gaiety and brilliant imagination th ey h avesome causticity and h umour

,but th ey are deficient in t h e h igh

merits ofpo etry and wit . Th e Hdsyarriaoa, Kanlalca-Sareasra,

and Dharla-Narlalca,are existing specimens of th is class ofdra

matic representation . Acco rding t o t h e tech nical definitions ofo ur auth o rities

,th e Prahasana is a drama in one act

,intended

t o excite laugh ter. Th e story sh ouldbe fictitiou s, and t h e h eromay be anAscetic, a Brahman, a king, o r arogue . Th e dramatis

personoe are t o be compo sed o f courtiers,menials

,mendicants

,

knaves,and h arlo ts : t h e inferio r persons are t o speak low

Prakrit,or a lo cal dialect.

Th is terminates t h e first class ofdramas : th e second order is

more numerous. It will be necessary t o repeat t h e list,but it

will no t be essential t o offer any detailed enumeration, as th eytend t o confirm wh at t h e forego ing remarks w ill h ave alreadysuggested

,th at t h e Hindu w riters multiply species very gra

t uit o usly, and make distinctions wh ere no difference is discernible . In general

,also

,t h e descriptions will no t admit of

any illustration, as , except in th e two first instances,t h e pieces

cited as examples are no t known t o exist .

UPARUPAKAS.

l . Th e Nat’

llcd is of tw o kinds,bearing an affinity in subj ect

and personages, severally, t o t h e t’

aka andPralcararia in t h e

latter case it is also termed Pralcararillcd. Th e only differencefrom th ese forms is t h e length

,t h e Nalikd being restricted t o

fOur acts. Th e Ralndvall, of wh ich a translation is given, isa t

’

ika.

2 . Th e Trot’

alca may consist of five , seven,e igh t

,or nine

xxx i i THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

acts t h e business,

is partly h uman, partly celestial, as in t h eVikrama and Urvas

’

l.

3 . Th e G osh t'

h z'

is a piece in one act,w ith a dramatis p er

sonee o f nine o r t en male , and five o r six female ch aracters .

Th e subj ect is lo v e . Th e example named is th e Raivala

madam/at ,4 . Th e Sat

'

t’

aka is a marvello u s story in any number ofactsbut t h e language is t o be w h o lly Prak i'it . Th e Karpdra

-Man

jarl is an example of t h e class .

5 . Th e t’

yarasaka consists ch iefly ofdancing and singing,

and t h e subj ects are lo v e and m irth . It is in one act . Th e

Narmaoatl and Vllasaoall are cited as spe cimens .

6 . Th e Praslltana is on t h e same subj ects as t h e last, bu tt h e ch aracters are of t h e low e st des cription : t h e h ero and t h e

h ero ine are Slaves , and th e ir asso ciates o u tcasts . So ng,mu si c

,

and dancing,are it s ch ief ingredients it is in tw o acts . Th e

Srlngdra-Tilaka is an example . Th e appropriation o fa spe cifi cdrama t o a particu lar class o fpeo ple is h igh ly ch aracteristic oft h e so cial system of t h e H indu s.

7 . Th e Ullapg/a is in one act ; t h e subj ect myth o logicalt h e sentiments are lo v e

,mirth

,and path o s t h e dialogu e is in

t erspersed with songs . Th e example named is th e Deal-Maha

deva. Th is presents some analogy t o t h e satiric drama of t h e

G reeks, wh ich w as taken from myth o logy o r h ero ic po etry ,and differed ch iefly from t h e Tragedies

,wh ich it fo llow ed, in a

mo re liv e ly strain and greater bre v ity,as we l l as in t h e intro

duction of songs and dances by Silenus and t h e Satyrs .

8 . Th e Kdrya is a lo ve -story in o ne act,interspersed w it h

po etical stanz as and mu sical airs . Th e Yddavodarya is an

example .

9 . Th e Prenk/taria is in o ne act,treating o fwar and dissen

sion . Th e h ero is o f inferio r rank,as in t h e Ball Bad/ta.

10 . Th e Basaka is a comic entertainment in one act,w ith

five ch aracters . Th e h ero and h ero ine are of e le vated rankt h e latter is o f suitable merit

,t h e fo rmer a fo o l . Th e Aneka

mnrlla is a specimen .

1 1 . Th e Sanldpalca is a drama in one,th ree

,o r fo ur acts

,

t h e h ero ofwh ich is a h eretic. Th e subj ects are co ntroversy,

deceit , vio lence , and war. Th e Mdydkcipdllka is cited as an

example and po ssibly th e Prabodha-C’handradodaya, t h e meta

OF THE H INDUS. xxx ii i

ph ysical drama translated by th e late Dr. Taylo r, comes underth is species .

12 . Srlgadlta is an entertainment in o ne act,in wh ich t h e

goddess S’ri, t h e goddess of pro sperity o r fo rtune,is intro

de ced, o r is imitated by t h e h ero ine . It is partly re cited,and

partly sung. An example of it is named t h e Krlddrasdslala.

1 3 . Th e Silpalca is in fo ur acts: Th e scene is laid in a placew h ere dead bodies are burned : t h e h ero is a Brahman ,

and t h e

confidant o r Prallnayalca an o utcast. Marve ls and magic const itu t e t h e leading business of t h e piece . Th e Kanakaoall

Madhara is an example cited and t o borrow an illustrationfrom t h e dramatic literature of Europe

,w e migh t class t h e

Freyschnlz under th is h ead.

1 4. Th e Vlldslkd or Ldsikd is an entertainment in o ne act,

o fwh ich lo ve is t h e subje ct,and t h e general strain is comic o r

farcical . No example is cited .

15 . Th e Darmalllkd is a comic intrigue in fo ur acts , in eachofwh ich t h e friends of t h e h ero and h imself suc cessive ly leadt h e business . Th e specimen named is t h e Vindamall.

1 6 . Th e Pralt'aranz'

kd is h ere cons idered as a distinct classbu t

,as observed under t h e first h ead

,th is is usually considered

only a variety o f t h e Natl/ed.

1 7 . Th e Hallls‘a is an entertainment o f Singing and dancing,ch iefly in one act

,repre sented by one male and e igh t or t en

female perfo rmers. Th e example named is t h e Kellralrataka

and t h e o peratic ballets of Euro pe may affo rd some no tion o f

t h e class .

1 8 . Th e Bhanllai is a comic piece in one act . It is no t veryclearly defined

,but it seems t o be someth ing like t h e pie ce

w h ich,after undergo ing vario us migrations from Le Dep it

Amoureure ofMo liere,ended in t h e farce o fLovers

’

Quarrels— a

representation of unfounded j ealousies andmutual reproach es .

Th e Kdmadalld is t h e Specimen named.

All th ese varieties are clearly reducible t o bu t tw o , differingaccording t o th e lo ftier or low l ier to ne of t h e compo sition,

t h e

more serio u s o r comic tenor of t h e subj e ct, and t h e regu larityo r irregularity oft h e construction . We migh t also convenientlytransfer t o th em t h e definitions o f t h e European stage , and classth em under t h e h eads ofTragedy

,Comedy, Opera, Ballet , Bur

letta, Melodrama,and Farce . Th eir tech nical distribution is ,

xxx iv THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

h owever,very unimportant ; and t h e enumeration of t h e dis

t inct ions,as o riginally recognised

,is a matter of l ittle interest,

except as it conveys a satisfactory pro o f of t h e extent t o wh ichdramatic literature was once cultivated by t h e Hindu s.

From th is general Sketch of th e varieties of t h e Hindu Th eat re

,w e Sh all now pro ceed t o examine wh at in th e irno tions con

stituted a play ; under t h e h eads of it sDramatic Arrangement ;t h e Condu ct of t h e Plo t ; t h e Ch aracters of t h e Drama ; t h e

o bj ects of Dramatic Representation and t h e means by wh ichth ey were effected

, o r t h e Diction and Scenic Apparatus .

3 . DRAMATIC ARRANG EMENT.

In t h e Hindu drama every piece opens with a prelude or in

duction,in wh ich t h e audience are made acquainted with t h e

au th o r,h is w ork

,t h e actors

,and such part of t h e prior events

as it is necessary fo r t h e spectators t o know. In it s propitiationof t h e audience

,and reference t o past o ccurrences

,it is analo

go’us t o t h e pro logue ofancient andmodern times,and, as far as

spoken in ch aracter, acco rds w ith wh at h ave been termed t h e

Pro logues of Euripides, and th o se of Plau tu s. Be ing in dialogue , h owever, it is more co rrectly t h e induction of t h e o ld Co

medy,wh ich

,alth ough considered “

o u t o fdate ” by BeaumontandFle t ch er

,was no t unfrequ ent amo ngst th e ir contempo raries ,

as in Cynlhla’

s Revels,t h e Relurne from Parnassus

,and especially

t h e Malcontent ofMarslon, in w h ich t h e interlo cuto rs are t h e

actors . Th e Faust of G o eth e affo rds a Specimen of an induction in t h e present day .

I

In t h e Hindu th eatre , h ow ever, t h eactors o f t h e prelude were never mo re th an tw o

,t h e manager

and one of h is company , e ith er an actor or actress,and it dif!

fers from t h e Similar pre liminary performances of o th er peopleby leading immediate ly into t h e business of t h e drama.

Th e first part of th is introduction is termed t h e Pnrva-ranga,

and agreeably t o H indu prejudices , and t h e religio u s complexiono f t h e o ccasions on w h ich perfo rmances w ere represented, opensw ith a prayer, invoking in a benedicto ry fo rmula t h e pro t ec

tion o f some deity in favour o f t h e audience . Th is is termed

t h e Ndndl,o r th at w h ich is t h e cause o f gratification t o men

and gods. Th is benediction may consist of one,tw o

,o r th ree

stanzas . Th e elderwriters rarely exceed tw o,but th o se of later

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xxxvi THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

ano th er h and. Th e introduction of t h e Mrich chbakat’

l no ti cest h e death o f t h e individual t o w h om t h e play is ascribed. In

some places,t h e mention o f t h e au th o r is little mo re th an t h e

particu larisation o fh is name .

Th e no tice o f t h e au th o r is in general fo llowed by a complimentary appeal t o t h e fav our of t h e audience

,in a style with

w h ich w e are perfectly familiar,and t h e manager o ccasionally

gives a dramatic representation o f h imse lf and h is concerns, asin t h e Mrich ch hakat

’

l and rWadra-Rakshasa,in adialogu e betw een

h im and o ne o f h is company,e ith er an acto r o r an actress

,

w h o is termed t h e Pdrzjadrsfwika, o r asso ciate . Th e dialo guesometimes adverts t o o ccurrences prio r t o t h e sto ry of t h e

pie ce,as in t h e Uttara-Rdma—Charllra, w h ere t h e manager and

acto r are suppo sed t o b e inh abitants ofAyodh ya,and de

scribe t h e departure o f Rama’s guests , as if th ey h ad just

w itnessed it . In t h e Veril—Sanhdra, t o o , it sh o u ld appear th atth ey are inmates o f t h e Pand

’

ava camp ; and in t h e Al udra

Rdlcshasa t h e manager appears as an inh abitant ofPat’alipu t ra.

In o th er pre ludes t h e connexion is less immediate . In th at o fSrkanlald t h e actress s ings a song descripti ve oft h e h o t season,

fo r t h e amusement of t h e audience and in Malalz’

and

Madhara t h e manager and h is companion de clare t h e ch aractersth ey are t o play. In every case

,h ow ever

,t h e co nclusion ofth e

prelude,termed t h e Prasldrana, prepares t h e audience fo r t h e

entrance o f one of t h e dramatic personages,w h o appears

e ith er by simply naming h im , as in Sakuntala,wh ere t h e

manager abruptly exclaims , “ Here comes t h e king Dushyanta

,

”

o r by u ttering someth ing h e is suppo sed t o o v erh ear,and

t o w h ich h e advances t o reply, as in t h e Mrich chhakat’

z’

and

Madré -Rdlzshasa.

Th e piece , be ing th us o pened,is carried on in t h e manner

w ith wh ich t h e th eatres o fEurope are familiar, o r t h e divisionof s cenes and acts .

Th e scene may be considered t o be marked,as in t h e

French drama, by t h e entrance o f one ch aracter and t h e exi to fano th er, fo r in general t h e stage is ne v er le ft empty in t h e

co urse o f t h e act,nor do es to tal ch ange o f place o ft en o ccur.

Th e rule,h ow ever

,in th is respect

,is no t very rigidly o b

served, and contrivances h ave been reso rted t o , t o fill up t h e

seeming ch asm w h ich such an interruption as a to tal change

OF THE H INDUS. XXXVI I

of scene requires, and t o avo id th at so le cism w h ich t h e en

trance ofa ch aracter, wh o se approach is unannounced,is con

sidered.

Of th ese,tw o are personages : t h e interpreter and intro

ducer t h e Vish lcambhalca and Prares’

alca. Th ese are membersof t h e th eatrical company, apparently, wh o may be suppo sedt o sit by, and upon any interruption in t h e regu lar co urse of

t h e piece,explain t o t h e audience it s cause and o bj ect . Th e

Vishlcamblza,it IS said

,may appear at t h e beginning

,in t h e

middle , o r at t h e end of an act t h e Prares’

alca,it is said

,only

between t h e acts . Bu t th is is contradicted by t h e constantpractice

,fo r in every place t h e Prares‘aka indi cates a ch ange

of scene . Th e du ty o f t h e Praves’

alca w as pro bably of a verysimple nature

,and h e mere ly anno unced t h e ch ange of scene

and appro ach of a certain ch aracter. Th e Vishkambha h ad a

mo re diversified du ty,and besides fi lling up all t h e blanks in

t h e story,h e w as expected t o divert t h e audience by h is wit

and repartee,like t h e Arlo qu ino Int romez z o

,or t h e clowns of

t h e Eliz abeth an period of our stage . Th e clumsiness of th esesupplementary perfo rmers seems no t t o h ave e scaped t h e no ticeof t h e Hindu dramatists

,and th ey are sometimes interw o ven

with'

t h e pie ce , as in t h e Veril-Sanlzdra, w h ere a scene be

tw een tw o goblins,w h o are seeking th e ir banquet upon t h e fie ld

of battle , is considered t o be ch iefly intended t o conne ct t h ebusiness of t h e drama, and prepare t h e audience fo r t h e deathof Drona

,w h ich th ey beh o ld and describe and t h e descrip

tion o f t h e combat betw e en Lava and Ch andrak e t u,in t h e

Uttara-Edma-Charilra, by t h e tw o spirits o fair,is a similar and

still h appier substitute fo r an interpreter. Th e employment oft h e Vze hkambha andPrares

’

alca 1s indicated by a s imple namingof th em ,

and w h at e ith er IS t o do o r say is left t o t h e personwh o fills t h e ch aracter.

Th e act , o r Anka,is said t o be marked by t h e exit of all

t h e personages a definition w h i ch is equally applicable t o t h epractice of t h e French th eatre . Of t h e duration of t h e act w e

h ave already spoken ,and it w il l h ave been seen in t h e enu

merat ion of t h e different Spe cies o f th eatrical compo sitio ns ,“ th at

t h e number o f acts varies from o ne t o t en . Th e Hanuman

Nat'

aka indeed h as fourteen bu t it w ill be seen by t h e abstractaccount of th at drama, th at it is a po em rath er th an a play

,or

xxxvii i THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

at mo st a piece ofpatchwo rk,in wh ich th e fragments ofan o ld

play h ave been eked o u t by po etic narrative, and connected by

t h e interpo sition of extraneous and undramatic matters . Th e

precise division of Hindu plays into acts is a feature w h ichserves t o discriminate t h em from t h e G reek compo s itions , inwh i ch t h e div ision into acts was unknown

,t h e only distino

tions recognised be ing th o se of pro lo gu e,episode

,and exode

,

regu lated by t h e intervening songs of t h e ch o rus,t o wh ich w e

find no th ing parallel in t h e regular plays of t h e Hindus . Th e

div ision into acts appears t o h ave been an arrangement inv ented by t h e Romans

,from wh om w e can scarcely suspect t h e

Hindus t o h ave derived it .Th e first act , o r t h e Ankamaklta, corresponds t o t h e expo si

tion,pro lo gu e

,o r pro tasis of t h e ancient th eatre

,and furnish es

a clue t o t h e subj ect of t h e w h o le story . Th is is in general ablydone as, fo r instance , in t h e Madrd Rdlcshasa

,t h e wh o le bu si

ness of t h e last act o fw h ich is t h e deve lopment of contrivancesintimated in t h e first . Th e first act of Mdlati and Mad/tamis entirely devo ted t o th is object , with a m inuteness o f detailth at is rath er tedious, and reminds u s of Puff’s apo logy in t h eCritic fo r t h e language of the first scene of h is play I wasobliged t o be plain and inte lligible in t h e first scene

,because

th ere was so much matter of fact in it.Th e ensu ing acts carry o n t h e business of t h e story t o it s

final de velopment in t h e last ; and in general t h e Hindu w ritersare successfu l in maintaining t h e ch aracter of th e ir exode

,t h e

bu siness be ing rare ly completed before t h e concluding act .

Th e piece clo ses as it began ,w ith a ch aracteristic benediction or

prayer, wh ich is always repeated by t h e principal personage,

and expresses h is wish es fo r general plenty and h appiness.

4 . CONDUCT OF THE PLOT.

Th e business o f e v ery piece is termed it s Vastu ; it s substanceo r th ing , t h e pragma o r res .

It is of tw o kinds, principal and secondary, or essential andepisodical .Every bu siness invo lves five elements

,t h e t a, Vinda, Pa

t ti/at , Pia/"

earl,and Kdrya.

Th e t a,o r t h e seed, is th e circumstance from wh ich th e

OF THE H INDUS . xxx ix

business arises. Th e po licy of t h e prime minister in t h e

Ratnaoall is th e seed, or remo te cause , of t h e Raja’

s o btainingt h e princess .

Th e Vindu , wh ich l iterally means a drop , is t h e unintentionaldevelopment of some secondary incident

,wh ich furnish es a

clue t o t h e event — as wh en Ratnavali learns accidentally th atsh e h as beh eld t h e person of t h e Raja Vatsa

, sh e reco lle ctssh e was designed by h er fath er t o be h is bride , wh ich after adue co urse of interruption sh e becomes .

Patakd,a banner

,perh aps intended t o signify embellishment

,

an episode .

Pralcari, an episodical incident, or an event of limited duration and subordinate importance

,in wh ich t h e principal ch arac

ters bear no part.Kdrya, is t h e end

,or object , wh ich be ing effected, t h e wh o le

is effected, as t h e marriage ofVatsa and Ratnavali.Th e end or object of t h e business admits of five conditions

Beginning,Promo tion

,Hope ofSuccess

,Removal ofObstacles ,

Completion.

Th e series o r combinations of incidents,t h e Sandlz is

,by

wh ich an o bj ect is ultimately attained, are also five .

Th e Malena is t h e o pening o r preparato ry co urse of incidents

,by wh ich t h e train o f events t o be afterwards deve loped

is first sprung. Th us in Malati and Madliaoa,t h e h ero and

h ero ine h ave been th rown in each o th er’s way by seeming ac cident

,but in fact by t h e devices o f th e ir friends and th is lays

th e foundation of th e ir lo ve , and t h e o ccurrences of t h e play.

Th e Pratimakha is t h e metabasis , or secondary event,calcu

lated t o obstruct o r promo te t h e catastroph e , as t h e suspicionentertained by th e qu een

,Vasavadat ta

,of h er h u sband’s love

for Sagarika.

Th e G arbha is t h e covert pro secu tion ofpurpo se , giving wayin appearance t o impediments

,but in reality adh ering t o t h e

original intention.

Vimarsha is th e peripe teia, in wh i ch an effect is produced cont rary t o it s intended cause

,o r ch ange in th e course of t h e story ,

by wh ich expectation is baffled, and an unfo rese en reverse en

sues . S’

akuntala,by h ermarriage w ith Du sh yanta, h as attained

t h e summit of h er desires, wh en sh e incurs t h e displeasure of

THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

Durvasas,and is in consequence separated from t h e reco llection

o fh er lo rd. o

Th e Upasanhri ti o r Niroaharia, is t h e catastroph e, o r th at t ow h ich all tends and in wh ich all terminates .

Th is co urse assigned for t h e fable w ill be perh aps mo re inte lligible if w e apply t h e div isions t o a drama of o ur own. In

Romeo and Ju liet,t h e ball at t h e h ouse of Capu let may be

considered t h e Muklia t h e Pratimulclia is t h e interv iew withJu liet in t h e garden : t h e G arb/ta is Julie t

’

s apparent assent t ot h e marriage w it h Paris : t h e Vimarslia is t h e despair ofRomeo

,

co nsequ ent on a contrivance intended t o preserve Juliet ’s faith .

Th e catastroph e needs no e lu cidation.

Each of th ese divisions in t h e Hindu system compreh ends anumber of subdiv isions , Angas , o r members

,t o fo llow t h e de

scription o f w h ich w o u ld be t o exh au st any patience exceptHindu . It will be th erefo re suffi cient t o observe th at th eycompreh end a variety o fdramatic in cidents

,wh i ch t h e th eatre

of every nation abundantly presents,and w h ich

,in fact

,h ave

no lim its bu t imagination and dramatic effe ct . Th e Hindusenumerate s ixty-four o r tw e l v e M ukhangas , tw elve Pratimakhangas, th irteen G arblidngas, th irteen Vimarslidngas, and fourteen Niroaharidngas. We may cite one o f each as an example .

Yukti is aMult lianga : it means t h e connexion ofpurpo se andresu lt . Y ogandh arayaria h as intro duced Sagarikat o t h e qu een,

merely t o pu t h er in t h e w ay of t h e Raja,th at h e may se e and

love h er. Th e bu siness of t h e piece is founded on t h e resu lt.We migh t say th at t h e wager of Iach imo and Po sth umus

,and

t h e visit o f t h e fo rmer t o t h e cou rt ofCymbeline,was an illu s

t rat ion of th is element.Parisarpa, aPratimulcltanga, implies t h e progressive narration

o f e vents . Th e Ch amberlain re lates in t h e Vexit-Sankara, t h e

death o fBh ishma and destruction o f t h e Kauravas by Krishna,

as consequent upon t h e death o ft h e son o ft h e latter,Aniruddh a.

Th e descriptio n o f t h e successive enco unters o f Macbeth and

Banqu o with t h e K ing ofNo rway and rebellio u s Th anes,by t h e

bleeding so ldier, is an instance o f th is varie ty .

Of t h e G arbhangas, A b/iutdhara/ia, may be understo od t o signify misprision of lo ss or e v il . Th us wh en

,in t h e Veat-Sankara,

t h e me ssenger pro claims that Aswat thaman h as been slain by

OF THE H INDUS . xli

K ri shna,it is suppo sed th at t h e prince h as fallen, but it turns

o ut that th e death ofan e leph ant so named is intended. Th usJuliet first interprets th e nurse’s grief for Tybalt’s death as

o ccasioned by th e death o fRomeo .

One of t h e Vimarslicingas is Dyu ti, provoking t o combat, as

in t h e scene betw een Arjuna and Bh ima,in th e Verit Sanhdra.

Examples of th is are common enough in every drama. Th e

scene betweenDorax and Sebastian, inDon Sebastian, and th atbetween Stukely and Lew son in Th e G amester, are amongst t h emo st pow erful in t h e English language .

One of t h e members of t h e catastroph e is G raharia,referring

to a purpo se h e ld in View th rough out. Th us Bh ima reminds

Draupadi th at sh e had been forbidden by h im t o t ie up h erdish evelled h air

,as h e h ad vowed t o do it for h er

,wh en h e h ad

slain th o se w h o h ad subjected h er t o th e indignity of untyingt h e fillet wh ich h ad bound it . Th e avowal made by Zanga, int h e concluding scene of Th e Revenge, of t h e feeling by whi chh e h as been animated t o destroy Alonzo

,may be h eld t o be

illustrative of th is variety.

We sh all no t pursue th ese tech nicalities any furth er. It isclear from wh at h as been stated

,th at considerable art ifice

must h ave been employed by t h e Hindu dramatists,in t h e

construction of th e ir fable,t o auth orise such a complicated

subdivision ofit s details .

5. CHARACTERS OF THE DRAMA.

Every description ofcompo sition h as it s appropriate h ero andh ero ine

,and in th e ample range oft h e Hindu drama

,every class

of so ciety contributes it s members t o support th ese personages .

Th e h ero may be a god o r demigod,or a mort al

,in t h e h igh er

kinds o f compo sition : h e is drawn,in th e latter case , from

myth o logy,h isto ry

,o r fable

,o r is t h e creation of t h e au th o r.

As love enters large ly into t h e business of t h e Hindu th eatre ,t h e attributes oft h e h ero are definedwi th reference t o h is fitnessfor feeling and inspiring passion ,

and h e is t o be representedyoung, h andsome

,graceful , liberal , valiant, amiable , aecom

plish ed, and well-bo rn. Th e ch ief tech nical classification of

t h e Nayaka, or h ero , is into Lalita, gay , th o ugh tless, and go odh umoured Scinta

,gentle andvirtuou s; Dliiroddtta, h igh -

spirited,

VOL. I.

xl i i THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

but temperate and firm Uddtta, ardent and ambitious. Th eseare again subdivided

,so as t o make forty-e igh t species and

by considering th em as diversified by mortal,semi-divine , o r

ce lestial origin,are multiplied t o a h undred and forty-four

kinds. It mu st be rath er difficult fo r a writer t o observe ,amidst su ch a multiplicity

,t h e rule laid down fo r h is delinea

tion o f t h e manners o f h is h ero : fo r wh atever indiv idual h eadopts

,h e mu st take care t o make h im consistent w ith h imself,

and no t t o giv e h im qual ities incompatible w ith h is organisation. Th u s it is said th at it is incongruous t o ascribe liberal ityt o t h e demon Ravar’i a t o unite piety and pride in th e son of

Jamadagni ; and t o accuse t h e h igh -minded Rama of compassing t h e death of Bali by fraud. Th ese blemish es

,w h en th ey

o ccur in t h e o riginal legend,sh ould be kept ou t ofview by t h e

dramatist. Some allowance,h owever

,is made for “ lover’s

perjuries,

and a prince and h ero may compromise h is creditfo r dignity and veracity

,in concealing from a jealous bride

h is égaremens de cceur.

Equalminuteness h as been displayed in Specifying th e classesofNayikds o r h ero ines and t h e extent t o w h ich females arepartakers of scenic incident , affords an interesting picture of

t h e relations of th at sex in H indu so ciety. In t h e Nafalcas and

t’

ikds w e h av e t h e nymph s of h eaven,t h e brides ofdemigods,

t h e w iv es ofsaints,and female saints th emselves

,and t h e deified

wo ods and rivers in t h e plays ofpure fict ion,w e h ave princesses

and courtesans and in t h e pieces of intrigue,t h e different in

mate s of t h e h arem. Th e first class offemales is t h e legitimatecreation ofpo etry and myth o logy

,t h e o th ers are po rtraits from

so cial life . Th e introduction of t h e unmarried female of h ighbirth into th e ligh ter scenes of common life

,is an accession t o

wh ich ancient comedy w as a stranger. Th e unmarried girl offamily is ne ver introduced in person in th e scenes of Plautu sand Terence . In Mctlatl and Mddhara

,w e h av eMalati and h er

friend Madayant ika; and in t h e Ratndoalt , Sagarika and t h e

o th er damsels of t h e interio r of t h e palace . It may be sus

pect ed, h owever, th at t h e former pie ce presents a purer specimen ofHindu manners th an t h e latter. It seems probable th att h e princes of India learnt t h e practice of t h e rigid exclusion ofw omen in th e ir h arems from t h e Moh ammedans

,and th at pre

viously, alth ough th ey were subj ect t o many restrictions, th ey

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xliv THE DRAMAT IC SYSTEM

t icular confidant and friend, t h e Vidush aka, and th e queen of

Agnimitra and h er fo ster sister Mekh ala,indulge th emselves

in practical j okes at Charayana’

s expense .

Th e want of opportunity th us afforded t o Hindu youth t oappreciate t h e ch aracters and dispo sitions ofth o se t o wh om th eywere affianced, migh t be suppo sed t o h ave subj ected th em t o

subsequent disgust and disappo intment at h ome , and conse

quently compelled th em t o seek t h e gratification derived fromfemale so ciety e lsewh ere . Such h as been t h e reason assignedfor a similar practice amongst t h e G reeks. It may be doubted,h owever, wh eth er th is want ofprevious acquaintance was in anyway t h e cause of t h e effect ascribed t o it, fo r th e practice wasvery universal

,and disappo intment cou ld no t h ave universally

o ccurred. In all probability, it o ccurred less o ften th an it do esin European so ciety

,in wh ich so much pains are taken t o embe l

l ish talent, and in wh ich conventional go od breeding concealsdefects . Th e practice rath er o riginated in wh at was consideredt o be th e perfection of female virtue . Sh e was t h e best ofwomen ofwh om little cou ld be said, e ith er in t h e way ofgo odo rh arm sh e was educated t o see as little

,t o h ear as little

,and

inquire as l ittle as po ssible,and t h e ch ief purpo ses ofh ermarried

l ife were t o perpetuate h er race , and regulate t h e economy oft h e h ouseh old.

”Her maximum of merit consisted in t h e

assiduity with wh ich sh e nursed h er ch ildren and contro lledh er servants

,and wh ilst th u s devo ted “ t o suckle fo o ls and

ch ronicle small beer,

”sh e migh t be a very useful

,but certainly

cou ld no t be a very entertaining companion.

Th e defective education of t h e virtuous portion of t h e sex,

and th e ir consequent uninteresting ch aracter,h eld ou t an in

ducement t o t h e unprincipled members , bo th of G reek and

Hindu society, t o rear a class of females, w h o sh ou ld supplyth o se wants wh ich rendered h ome ch eerless , and Sh ould give t omen h etaera o r female friends, and asso ciates in inte llectual aswell as in animal enjoyment. A courtesan ofth is class inspiredno abh o rrence : sh e was brough t up from h er infancy t o t h e lifesh e pro fessed, wh ich sh e graced by h er accomplishments

,and

no t unfrequently dignified by h er virtues. Her disregard of

so cial restraint was no t t h e vo luntary breach o f moral, so cial ,

o r re ligious precepts it was t h e business of h er edu cation t o

minister t o pleasure, and in th e imperfect system of th e G reeks,

OF THE H INDUS. xlv

sh e committed little o r no trespass against t h e institutes of t h enational creed o r th e manners ofso ciety. Th e Hindu principleswere more rigid and no t only was want ofch astity in a femalea capital breach of so cial and re ligiou s obligations, but th e associat ion ofmen with pro fessed wantons was an equal vio lation of

decorum,and, invo lving a departure from th e purity of caste ,

was considered a virtual degradation from rank in society. In

practice,h ow ever

,greater latitude se ems t o h ave been observed ;

and in t h eMriehch hakat’

t,aBrahman

,aman o ffamilyand repute ,

incurs apparently no discredit from h is love for a co urtesan. A

still more curio us feature is,th at h is passion for such an obj ect

seems t o excite no sensation in h is family nor uneasiness in h isw ife , and t h e nurse presents h is ch ild t o h is mistress, as t o it smo th er and h is wife

,besides interch anging civilities (a little

co ldly,perh aps

,but no t compulsively) , finish es by calling h er

sister,and acquiescing th erefore in h er legal union with h er

lord. It must be acknowledged th at t h e po et h as managed h issto ry with great dexterity

,and t h e interest w ith wh ich h e h as

invested h is h ero ine prevents manners so re vo lting t o our no

tions from be ing o btrusively offensive . No art was necessary,in t h e estimation ofa Hindu writer

,t o provide hi s h ero with a.

wife o r t wo,mo re or less

,and t h e acquisition ofan additional

bride is th e o rdinary catastroph e of t h e ligh ter dramas .

Women are distingu ish ed as be ing Swaletya, Parakiyd, andSdmdnyci

— or t h e wife of an individual h imse lf, t h e wife o r

daugh ter ofano th erperson,and one w h o is independent . Each

ofth ese is distingu ish ed as Mugdltd, Praudhd, andPragalbha, or

youth ful , ado lescent , and matu re and of each of th ese,again

,

th ere are many varieties, wh ich it is needless t o specify. We

may observe,h owever

,t o t h e h onour of t h e Hindu drama, th at

t h e Paraletyd, o r sh e wh o is t h e wife of ano th er person, isnever t o be made t h e o bject ofa dramatic intrigue a prob ibit ion th at would h ave sadly co o led th e imagination and

curbed t h e w it ofDryden and Congreve .

Th e incidental ch aracters or conditions of a Nag/lied are de

clared t o be e igh t1 . Th e Swadh inapatilcd is devo ted t o h er h usband.

2 . Th e Vdsakasajja’

. is a damse l full dressed in expectation of

h er lover.

3. Th e Virahotkafit’

h itd mourns t h e absence ofh er lord.

THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

4 . Th e K/iariditd is mo rtified by det ect ing a lover’

s infideli ty .

5 . Th e Kalahdntaritd is o vercome with grief or anger at

real o r fancied neglect.6 . Th e Vipralabdliais disappo inted by h er lover

’

s failing h isappo intment .7 . Th e Prosliitabliartrilt 'd is a female wh o se h usband or lover

is in a foreign country .

8 . Th e Abh isafirilcd is a female w h o go es t o meet h er lo ver,o r sends t o seek h im .

Th e Alanlairas,t h e ornaments o r graces ofwomen

,and with

wh ich t h e Ndyikd sh o u ld be de lineated by t h e dramatic o r

po etic writer,are said t o be twenty . Many of th ese are pal

pable eno ugh : such as Sobhd, brilliancy or beau ty, and youthMddli urya, sw eetness of dispo sition ; D/iairya, steady attachment

,85 0 . Bu t th ere are some wh ich , as ch aracteristic of

t h e Hindu system,may perh aps merit specification . BMW

is a sligh t personal indication ofnatural emo tion. Hdva is it s

stronger expres sion,as ch ange ofco lour andHeld is t h e decided

manifestation o f feeling. Ltld is mimicry ofa lover’s manner,language

,dre ss

,&c . ,

for h is diversion,or th at of female com

panions . Vila’

sa is t h e expression of desire evinced in lo ok ,act

,or speech . Pich clih itti is neglect of dress and o rnaments

th rough mental agitation . Viblirama is t h e wrong applicationo fpersonal embellishments o ccasioned by h urry and anxiety.

K ilalcinch ita is mixed sensation,as t h e conflict betw een joy

and grief,tenderness and resentment. Jlfot

'

t'

clg/ita is t h e

Silent expression of returned affection. Ku t’

t’

amita is t h e

affected repulse ofa lo v er’s endearments . Vikrita is t h e suppression of t h e sentiments of t h e h eart th rough bash fulnessand Lalita is t h e conviction of triumph ant ch arms

,and t h e

sentiment ofgratified love , as expressed by elegance of attireand complacency ofdepo rtment.Th e dramatis p ersona ,

with t h e exception o f t h e h ero and

h ero ine,form t h e anga or t h e body of t h e ch aracters . Of th ese

t h e fo llow ing are distingu ish edTh e Pitliamarda is t h e friend and confidant of t h e h ero

,and

sometimes t h e h ero ofa secondary action interw o v en with t h eprincipal . Such is t h e case in t h e Jll dlati and Mddhara

,in

w h ich t h e lo v e ofMakarandaforMadayant ikapro ceeds paralle lwith th at ofMadh ava forMalati.

OF THE H INDUS . xlvi i

Ano th er person o f primary rank is th e Pratindyalca, t h ecounterpart and antagonist of th e h ero . Such is Ravana as

oppo sed t o Rama, and Duryodh ana t o Yudh ish t’h ira.

Each of th ese may h ave h is courtiers, ministers , officers,

companions , and dependants ; bu t th ere are tw o individuals,

termed Specifically t h e Vita and t h e Vidushalca,th at are pecu

liar in some degree t o t h e th eatre of t h e Hindus .

Th e ch aracter ofth e Vita is no t v ery easily understo od. It isnecessary th at h e sh ould be accomplish ed in t h e ligh ter arts

,

particu larly po etry,mu s ic

,and singing

,and h e appears indis

criminat ely as t h e companion o f a man

‘

o r woman, alth o ugh ,

in t h e latter case,t h e female is t h e courtesan. He is generally

represented on familiar and easy,and yet dependent, terms w ith

h is asso ciate,and evinces someth ing of t h e ch aracter of t h e

Parasite of t h e G reek comedy,bu t th at h e is never rendered

contemptible . It do es no t appear th at h e pro fesses t o teach t h earts h e practises

,alth o ugh it is no t imp o ssible th at such was

h is employ, and th at h e w as retained about t h e person of t h e

wealth y and dissipated,as a kind of private instru cto r as w e ll

as entertaining companion. In lexicons,t h e person indicated

by t h e Vit'a is a despicable be ing,of wh o se ch aracter no

vestiges o ccur in t h e th eatrical picture .

As Sch lege l observes,e very th eatre h as it s buffo on , and t h e

Viduslzaka plays th at part in t h e th eatre of t h e Hindu s. He is

t h e h umble companion,no t t h e servant

,ofa prince or man of

rank ; and it is a curio u s pecu liarity, th at h e is always a

Brah min. He bears mo re affinity t o Sanch o Panza, perh aps ,th an any o th er ch aracter in western fiction

,imitating h im in h is

combination of sh rewdness and simplicity, h is fondness ofgo odliving

,and h is lo ve of case . In t h e dramas o f intrigu e , h e

exh ibits some of t h e talents ofMercury, bu t w ith less activityand ingenu ity

, and o ccasionally suffers by h is interference . In

t h e Mrich ehhakat’

i h e is furth er distinguish ed by h is moralityand h is devo tion t o h is friend. Th is ch aracter is alwayslively, and sometimes almo st witty

,alth o ugh in general h is

facetio usness do es no t take a very lo fty fligh t. According t o t h etech nical definition of h is attributes

,h e is t o excite mirth by

being ridiculou s in person , age , and attire .

Th e Nayilat , or h ero ine , h as always h er companion and con

fidant e,and th e mo st appropriate personage t o fill th is capacity

THE DRAMAT IC SYSTEM

is a fo ster sister. Wh ere queens are t h e h ero ines , a favouritedamse l disch arges th is duty. Female devo tees play a leadingpart in several dramas as well as novels

,and in th at case are

usually described as of t h e Bauddh a sect . In t h e Vr'

ihat-Kathd

th ese pious ladies are usually painted in very unfavourableco lours ; but in Ma

'

latl andMadhara,t h e o ld priestess

,or rath er

ascetic,is represented as a woman of pro found learning and

sound morals,t h e instructress and friend ofmen wh o h o ld t h e

h igh est offices in t h e state , and t h e instrument selected byth em t o secure t h e h appiness of th e ir ch ildren.

Th e subordinate ch aracters of bo th sexes are derived fromevery class of so ciety and even t h e Chdridttlas find a place int h e comedies of fiction . A strange enumeration is given of

t h e male ch aracters admissible as tenants of t h e interior of

palace s,o r. Eunuch s, Mu tes , Dwarfs, Foresters, and Bar

barians . Th e attendance of females on t h e persons ofkings isano th er national peculiarity, e specially as it appears from t h e

Mudrd-Rakshasa, th at th is practice was !no t confined t o t h einner apartments ; for Ch andragupta, alth ough h e do es no t

appear in public so attended,go es th us accompanied from one

palace t o ano th er.

6 . OBJECTS OF DRAMATIC REPRESENTATION.

Th e purpo ses th at are t o be aimed at in dramatic compo sitionare described as t h e same with th o se ofpo etic fiction in generalth ey are t o convey instruction th rough t h e means of amusement and, with th is view, th ey must affect t h e minds of t h espectators w ith t h e sentiments wh ich th ey express. Th esesentiments are termed by t h e Hindu s, Rasas, tastes o rflavours ,and th ey imply bo th t h e quality as inh erent in th e compo sition

,

and t h e perception of it as recognised by t h e reader o r spectator. Th e Rasas, h ow ever, are considered usually as effects, no tcauses

,and th ey are said t o come from t h e B lidras, conditions

of t h e mind or body, wh ich are fo llowed by a correspondingexpression in th o se wh o feel , o r are suppo sed t o fee l th em

, and

a corresponding impression on th o se w h o beh o ld th em. Wh enth ese conditions are ofa permanent or perdurable description,

and produce a lasting and general impression, wh ich is no t dist urbed by th e influence of co llateral o r contrary excitements

,

OF THE H INDUS. xl ix

th ey are,in fact, th e same with t h e impressions as desire o r

love,as t h e main o bj ect of t h e action is bo th t h e condition of

t h e ch ief ch aracter, and t h e sentiment with wh ich t h e spectatoris filled. Wh en t h e conditions are incidental and transitory ,th ey contribute t o t h e general impression,

but are no t con

founded with it. Th ey may, indeed, be contrary t o it in th e iressence

,with out weakening or counteracting it as a h ero

may , for public reasons, abandon h is mistress with out fo rego ing h is love

,and may perform acts ofh orror even in furth er

ance of h is passion.

Th e Bharas are th erefore divided into Sthctyin or lasting, andVyabhichdrin, transitory or incidental . Th ere are also o th erdivisions

,wh ich w e sh all pro ceed t o no tice .

Th e Sthayi-Bhdoas, o r permanent conditions, are , according t o

some auth orities,e igh t according t o o th ers

,nine .

1 . Rati is desire for any o bject,arising from see ing or h ear

ing it , o r h aving it present t o t h e reco llection.

2 . B oise is laugh t er or mirth,distinct from t h e laugh ter

of scorn.

3 . Soka is sorrow at separation from a beloved object.4 . Krodha is t h e resentment of injuriou s treatment.5 . Utsaka is h igh -mindedness

,or th at feeling wh ich prompts

valour, munificence,or mercy .

6 . B/iaya is t h e fear ofrepro ach .

7 . Jugupsd is aversion o r disgu st t h e emo tion wh ichattends see ing

,touch ing, o r h earing of anyth ing offensive .

8 . Vismaya is t h e emo tion produced by see ing,touch ing

,or

h earing ofanyth ing surprising.

9 . Santa is no t always included in th is enumeration : it implies that state of mind wh ich contemplates all h uman eventsas transitory and insignificant.Befo re adverting t o t h e Vyabhh ichdri-Bhdoas, w e must no tice

t h e o th er divi sions,as th ey are essential accompaniments of

bo th th em and t h e Sthdyi-Bltdoas. Th e B hdvas are distin

guish ed as Vibhdras,Anubhavas, and Sdttwika-Bltduas .

Th e Vibharas are t h e preliminary and accompanying con

dit ions wh ich lead t o any part icular state of mind o r body,

and t h e Anubhdvas are t h e external signs wh ich indicate it sexistence.

Th e Sdttwika-Bhdras are t h e invo luntary expressions ofemo

THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

tion natural t o a living being —as Stamblia, paralysis ; Su'

eda,

perspiration ; Romdnclia, erection of t h e h air of t h e body ;Swarariltara

,ch ange of vo ice ; Vepathu , trembling ; Varriari

laira,ch ange of co lour A s

‘

ru,tears and Pralaya, immobility o r

h elplessness . Th ese, as t h e results of emo tion

,are t h e same

with t h e Anublzdras.

Th e Vyabh ichdri-Bhdi ‘as are t h e mo st numerou s and in o rder

t o gi ve a more accurate no tion of th em , as well as of th is partof t h e system , w e sh all implicitly fo llow t h e guidance of t h e

native auth orities .

1 . Nirreda,self-disparagement ; l/ iblidras , dissatisfaction with

t h e world and desire t o acqu ire h o ly knowledge Anubha’

ras,

tears,sigh s and appearance ofmental dejection.

Example . Wandering round t h e world onl y wearies t h e w ise , t h eabundance of learning engenders controversy , t h e no tice of t h e greaty ields bu t h umil iation

,and t h e lo oks th at gaz e upon t h e lo tus face lead

o nl y t o t h e pangs of parting. Nei rayaria was no t pro pitiated at Prayagaby me of l ittle w isdom. (Rasa

2 . G ldui,debility

,inability t o endure Viblidras, long sorrow ,

excess in exercise o r pleasure , h unger and th irst Anublidras,

inactivity,ch ange o f co lour

,and trembling of th e limbs .

Example. Lo ng and b itter sorrow with ering h er h eart, l ike t h e

tender bud of t h e lo tus cu t from i ts stem ,h as sh runk up h er del icate

frame,as t h e so ft leaf of t h e ketakt is sh rive l led by autumnal h eat .”

(Saraswatikanlltabkararia, from t h e Ut tara-Rdma-Clmritra. )

3 . Sanka, appreh ension of encountering wh at is no t desired,

o r doubt of o btaining wh at is w ish ed Vibliaras, ano th er person

’s aversion o r individualmiscondu ct Anubharas, trembling,

anxious lo oks and manner,concealment .

Example . Sh e Sh rinks from every gaz e , suspecting that h ersecre t is d iscovered. If sh e o bserve two o f h er companions in co n

versation, sh e th inks th ey are talking o f h er ; and i f th ey laugh , sh e

th inks h ersel f t h e obj ect of th eir m irth . (Dasa-Rup aka, from t h e

Ratndvali. )

4 . A s nad, into lerance of ano th er’

s superio rity, and attemptt o h umiliate h im ; Vibhavas, irascibility, baseness Anublniras

,

angry expression,recapitulatio n o fdefects .

Example . Th e praise o f t h e enemy of Madh u , pronounced in t h e

assembly by t h e son o f Paiidu , was insupportable t o t h e Ch ed i mon

arch , for t h e m ind of t h e arrogant canno t bro ok ano th er’s praise.

"

(Salci tya-Darp aria, from Mdglca . )

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Iii THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

Example. Wh om do you th ink of, gentle and lovely maiden, as youlean your ch eck upon your h and

,around wh ose wrists t h e lo tus fibre

tw ines it s co o l ing bracelet ? from th o se long lash es drop a stream of

pearly tears,t o weave a length ened neck lace, far more brigh t th an Hara’s

rad iant smile .

”(Das

'

a-Rupalca . )

10 . Moha,perplexity

,distraction, no t knowing wh at is t o

be done o r left undone Vibhdoas,terro r

,impetuo sity, painful

reco llection Anubhctoas,giddiness

,falling on t h e ground, in

sensibility.

Example . I know no t wh eth er th is be pain or pleasure th at I feelwh eth er I wake or sleep, wh eth er w ine or venom spread th rough my frame ;

t h y to uch h as confo unded all my facu lties, and now I sh ake w ith co ld,

and now I burn w ith inward h eat.” (Das’

a-t p alca, from th e Ut tara

Rdma-Ch aritra. )

1 1 . Smri ti, reco llection ; Vibhdvas, th e effo rt t o remember,

asso ciation of ideas ; Anubhdras, contracting or drawing upt h e eyebrows

,&c.

Example Is th is Mainaka th at stops my way th rough th e air ?

Wh ence is th is audac i ty ? Has h e forgo tten h ow h e sh rank from t h e

th underbo l t of Indra — Is i t Tark sh ya th at th us presumes, wh o ough t t oknow me

,Ravana

,t h e equal of h is lo rd — No

,i t is Jatayu — Oppressed

by years, h e comes t o court h is death .

”(Daéa-Rup alca, from t h e

Hanuman-Nalalca. )

12 . Dhriti, concentration o r repo se of th e mind, fortitude orcontent Vibhdras, knowledge , power Anubhduas

,calm en

joyment,patient suffering.

Example. We are contented h ere w i th t h e bark oftrees you are h appyin affluence : o ur satisfaction is equal , th ere is no d ifference in our con

dit ions. He alone is poo r wh ose desires are insatiable ; but wh en t h emind is sat isfied , wh o can be cal led po or, wh o can be t ermed rich(Dasa-Rupalca, from t h e Satalcas ofB harti‘ih ari . )

1 3 . Vrlt'ld, sh ame,sh rinking from praise or censure ; Viblzdras,

conscious impropriety , disgrace , defeat ; Anubhauas,casting

down t h e eyes,h anging down t h e h ead, covering th e face ,

blush ing.

Example . Th e eyes ofArjuna, suffused w i th starting t ears, are fixedin sad dej ection upon h is bow ; inflamed w i th rage , h e mourns t h e

death of Abh imanyu , slain by an unworth y enemy, bu t burns stil l more

w i th sh ame t o th ink it yet unrevenged ! ‘ Alas, alas , my son !’

are

words th at are swell ing in h is th roat, bu t no t suffered t o fi nd th e ir way .

”

(Saraswatikaiithabltararia, from t h e Writ -Sankara .)

1 4 . Ckapalatd, unsteadiness, h aste , repeatedlychanging from

or THE H INDUS. l i i i

one th ing t o ano th er ; Vibhd-vas, envy, h atred, passion, joy ;Anubhcivas, angry lo oks

,abuse

,blows, fo llowing one

’

s own

inclination.

Ex‘ample . Wh en h e h eard th at Rama h ad taken up h is bow, and

anno unced w i th de l igh t h is expectation of t h e coming contest, afterh e h ad th rown a bridge o ver t h e sea and advanced t o Lanka, t h e

many bands ofRavaria dropped th e ir sh afts, as m igh t be inferred from t h e

rattl ing of t h e brace lets, wh ich h ad been almo st burst w i th exu l tation at

t h e commencement of t h e war. (Rasa-Tam ngifi i, from t h e Hanuman

t'

aka.)

15 . Harsha, joy , mental exultation Vibhdvas, meeting witha lover or friend

,t h e birth ofa son

,&c. ;Anubhdvas, h orripila

tion,perspiration, tears, sobbing, ch ange ofvo ice .

Example . Th e matron t o wh ose arms h er lord returns in safetyfrom t h e dangers of a j ourney o ver desert lands , w ipes from h er eyest h e starting tear of j oy as sh e th inks of t h e peri ls o f t h e way. Sh e

brush es w ith h er mantle from t h e fai th ful came l’s loaded h air t h e h eavVsand

,and fi lls h is mouth w i th h andfu ls of h is favourite fodder. (Daéa

d aka. )

1 6 . fi vega, agitation o r flurry, arising from unexpected or

unpleasant events ; Vibha’

vas,t h e approach ofa friend o r enemy

,

t h e o ccurrence of natural ph enomena, and t h e proximity of

imminent danger;Anubhdvas, slipping, falling, tumbling, h aste ,inability t o move , &c.

Example . Haste, h aste,my arms ! — Q u ick l — Caparison my

st eed l— Wh ere is my swo rd ? Bring me my dagger ! Wh ere is mybow, and wh ere my mai l ? Such were t h e cries that ech o ed th rought h e mo untain caves, wh en, startled from th e ir slumbers by t h e dreamthat th o u h adst sh own th em,

t h e enemy awoke in alarm . (DaéaRapaka, from a play or p oem of t h e auth or’s own, wh ich h e h as no t

named . )

1 7 . Jadatd, lo ss of facu lty or activi ty,incapacity fo r every

kind of bu siness ; Vibhdvas, seeing,h earing

,o r enco untering

anyth ing agreeable or disagreeable in excess ; Anubhdvas,

silence,fixed lo ok

,apath etic indifference .

Example . lat d shasa . By wh om h ave th ose migh ty demons beenslain, by Tris

'

iras, K h ara, and Dush aria commanded ?2d d shasa. By t h e feroc io us warrio r Rama.

l s t d sh asa. By h im alone ?2d d ah asa. Wh o cou ld be l ieve i t th at d id no t see i t Am idst th e

din of battle,t h e numbers of o ur h o st were strewed h eadless corses o n

t h e plain, and plunging h erons burrowed in t h e h o l low of each severedneck .

THE DRAMAT IC SYSTEM

l st d ahasa. If h e be such as yo u describe , wh at can such as I

attempt (Daéa-R uipaka , from t h e Udd t ta-Rdgh ava. )

Example . Wh en t h e monkey ch iefs h eard from Hanumat , uponh is return

,th at th ey wo u ld ' be unable t o cross t h e expanded bed of t h e

o cean,th ey laugh ed at h is report ; bu t wh en th ey reach ed t h e sh ore ,

and first beh e ld t h e vast and ever-to ssing main, th ey sto o d t o gaz e uponi t l ike figures in a picture . (Rasa-Ta i 'angifi i , from t h e Hanuman

Ndzfaka . )

18 . G arba,arrogance , h o lding one

’

s se lf superior t o all men

Vibhaivas,o pinion of family

,beauty

,rank

, and strengthAnubhcivas

,disrespect

,frowns

,freedoms

, laugh ter, acts of

prow ess .

Example . Wh ilst I bear arms, wh at need of o th ers’ swords : th atwh ich canno t be accomplish ed by my falch ion must be impossible for all .”

(Saraswafé/ca7ifkdblzararZa, from t h e Mah dbhdrata . )

1 9 . Vishdda, despair of su ccess,anticipation of misfortune

Vibhdvas, failure in acquiring w ealth,fame

,o r offspring

,and

th e ir lo ss ;Anubhdvas, sigh ing, palpitation, abstraction, anxioussearch fo r friends o r patrons

,&c.

Example . Taraka,wh at is th is ? G ourds sink in th e stream,

and

stones are buoyant . Th e glory of th e migh ty monarch of t h e Raksh asas

is effaced, and t h e ch i ld o f a mortal triumph s. I h ave l ived t o see

my kinsmen slain ; t h e feebleness of age forbids t h e d isch arge of myfunctions . Wh at now is t o be done ? ” (Dafa-Rripaka, from t h e Vira

Ch aritra. )

20 . Au tsukya, impatience ; Vibhdva, expectation of a lo v er ;Anubhd'

vas,uneasiness

,lassitude

,sigh s .

Example . Th e first watch is spent in agreeable d iversions ; t h esecond, in weaving a wreath of lo tus flowers, ch amp akas, ketakas, jasmines ;t h e th ird , in adjusting t h e go lden brace let

,and ch ain

,and ear-rings

,and

z one . Bu t h ow,pretty damsel , is th e last watch of t h e day t o be passed

(Rasa-Tarangifli .)

2 1 . Nidni,drowsiness, contraction of th e mental facu lties, or

recession of th eir propert ies from t h e o rgans ofsense ; Vibhdvas,fatigu e ofbody o r mind; Anubhdvas, relaxation of t h e mu scles

,

tw inkling of t h e eyes, yawning, do sing.

Example . Stil l ech o in my h eart th o se gentle lo ve-inspiring wordsmy fawn-eyed maid breath ed t o -day , h al f ind istinct and h alf articulate ,wh en h er eyes twink led with drowsiness. (Dada-Rup aka . )

22 . Apasmdm ,po ssession, demoniac o r planetary influence

Vibhcivas, impurity , so litude, excessive fear o r grief, &c. ; Anu

o r THE H INDUS. lv

bhdvas,trembling, sigh ing

,foaming, lo lling ou t t h e tongue

,

falling on t h e ground in convu lsions.

Example. Wh en h e beh eld t h e Lord ofWaters, furiou s and foaming,cl inging t o t h e earth and tossing h igh h is m igh ty waves l ike arms

,h e

th ough t h im one possessed. (Daéa-d aka, from Mdgha).

23. Sup ta, sleep Vibhdm,sleepiness Anubhdvas, clo sing of

t h e eyes,immobility

,and h ard breath ing.

Example. As t h e eyes of t h e fo e ofMura close,and t h e breath plays

upon h is qu ivering l ip,in t h e bowers on t h e Yamuna

’

s bank , one smil ingdamsel steals away h is robe , ano th er t h e gem from h is ear, and a t h ird t h e

go lden bracelets from h is arms.

”(Rasa-Tamagini . )

24 . Vibodha, t h e unfo lding of th e facu lties , waking Vi

bhava,dissipation ofdrowsiness Anubh dvas

,rubbing t h e eyes ,

snapping t h e fingers,sh aking t h e limbs .

Example . May t h e glances of Hari preserve you ,wh en h e extends

h is dripping l imbs,designing t o qu i t h is d iscus, p il low,

and serpent co ucham idst t h e o cean

,and averts h is h al f-open ing eyes, red w ith l ong slumber,

from t h e blaz e of t h e lamps , set with gems .

”

(Saraswat llcar’

t dbh amfia,

from t h e Mudrd—d shasa. )

25 . Amarsha, impatience of oppo sition o r rivalry ; Vibhdvas,discomfit ure , disgrace Anubhc

’

tms, perspiration, redness of t h eeyes , sh aking of t h e h ead, abusive language , blows.

Example . Sh al l t h e sons of Dh ri tarash tra go unpun ish ed, and I

survive Th ey h ave set fire t o our dwel l ing , o ffered us po ison for fo o d,

assumed o ur state , se iz ed upon our wealth , and sough t our l ives,and

h ave laid vio lent h ands upon t h e robe and tresses of o ur common bride .

(Saraswatikafifhdbh arafia, from t h e Vefii—Sanhdra .)

26 . Avahitthd, disguise , attempted concealment of sentimentby personal acts ; Vibhdvas, modesty

,turpitude

,importance ;

Anubhcifvas, acting, lo oking, and speaking in a manner fo reignt o th e real obj ect.Example . Wh ilst th us t h e d ivine sage spok e , t h e beauteous Parvati ,

stand ing by h is s ide , h e ld d own h er h ead w ith sh ame, and pretended t ocount t h e leaves of t h e lo tus in h er h and .” (B aaa-mp aka, from t h e

Kumd ra-Sambhava . )

27 . Ugm tci , sternness,cruelty ; Vibhdvas, promu lgation of

fault o r crime,th eft

,evil di spo sition ; Anubhdvas, revil ing,

abu sing, beating.

Example . Is no t my unrelenting Spiri t known t o all t h e w orld ?One and twenty times d id I destroy t h e martial race , and h ewed t opieces t h e very infants in t h e womb ; nor desisted til l I h ad allayed

lvi THE DRAMAT IC SYSTEM

t h e fires of a fath er’s wrath , by ablu t ion in t h e reservo ir of blo odwh ich I had promised t o h is gh ost. (Das‘a-Rap aka, from t h e Vira

Ch ari tm .)

28 . Matt,appreh ension

,mental conclusion Vibhdva, study

of th e Sastras Anubhdvas,sh aking t h e h ead

,drawing up t h e

brows,giving instruction or advice .

Example. Assuredly sh e is fi t t o be a Kshat triya’s wife , formy mind

feels h er worth y o fmy love . Th e d ictates of t h e so u l are in all doubtfu lpo ints t h e auth ority of t h e virtuo us.

”

(Saraswatikafifhdbharafia, fromSakuntald .)

29 . Vyddh i, sickness ; Vibhdvas, vitiation of t h e h umours,

effect of h eat o r co ld, influence of t h e passions ; Anubhdvas,appropriate bodily symptoms .

Example . Her k indred are in tears, h er parents in sorrowfu l ahs tract io n, h er friends are o vercome wi th melanch o l y, h er asso ciates w i thafflict-ion : t h e h ope t o h er th at t o -day or t o -morrow h er sufferings w il lcease is despair t o o th ers , bu t sh e participates no t in t h e pain of separation from t h e world . (Daéa-d aka . )

30. Unmdda, absence of reflection o r restraint : Vibhdvas,lo ss o f a beloved o r desired obj ect

,reverse of fortune

,mo rbid

action o r po ssession ; Anubkdeas, talking incoh erently, laughing, weeping, or singing with out cause .

Example . Vi le Raksh asa, forbear wh ith er wou ldst th ou bear mybeloved A las ! i t is no demon

,bu t a cloud. It is t h e h ow of Indra,

no t t h e weapon ofa d istant fo e t h e rain-dro ps beat upon me,no t h ostile

sh afts ; and th at gleam ofgo lden rad iance is t h e l igh tning, no t my lo ve .

”

(Daéa-d aka, from Vikraana and Ureas'

i .

31 . Mamria,death Vibkdvas

,expiration

,wounds

,injuries

Anubhdvas, falling on t h e ground, immobility.

Example . Th e female fiend , pierced th rough t h e h eart by t h e resistless sh afts of t h e blo om ing Rama

,po ured th rough t h e no stri ls a torrent

of blood , and sough t t h e dwel l ing of t h e lord of l ife . (Scih itya-Darp awfa,from t h e Ragh u Varfiéa. )

32. Tfrdsa, fear with out cause ; Vibhdms, h earing frigh tful

sounds, seeing alarming objects Anubhdvas,immobility

,trem

bling,perspiration, relaxed muscles.

Example . As t h e fi sh played abo ut th e ir knees, th e nymph s of

h eaven, th e ir glances wild with terror and strik ing th e ir h ands togeth er,l ook ed upon each o th er fearfully. ” (Saraswatikarifirdbharafia, from t h e

K iraita .)

33. Vitarka, consideration, discussion ; Vibhdva, th e percep

o r THE H INDUS. lvi i

tion ofdoubtful circumstances Anubhdvas,sh aking th e h ead

,

raising t h e eyebrows, &c.

Example . Has th is been contrived by Bh arata,misled by ambition

,

o r h as t h e seeond queen effected i t th rough female levity ? Bo th th eseno tions mus t be inco rrect . Th e prince is t h e h ero ’s youngest bro th er ; t h equeen, h is parent and h is fath er

’

s w i fe. It is clear, th erefore, th at th isunh appy event is t h e work of destiny.” (Daéa-t palca .)

Th is concludes t h e list of Vyabh ichdri-Bhdvas, or incidentalconditions , according t o t h e best treatises on th is subject and

as th ey assert , t o t h e elementary ru les of Bh arata,in wh ich

th ey are enumerated. Th ey are in many cases subtilised and

subdivided in a mannerwh ich it is unnecessary h ere t o no tice .

Th e ir judicious delineation gives t o po etic and dramatic compo sition it s flavour o r taste .

Th e Rasas, it is expressly stated,are so termed, from t h e

analogy between mental and ph ys ical impressions . Th e con

cept ion of love o r h atred, as derived from a drama,is fi t ly

compared t o t h e no tion wh ich such substances as may be

sweet o r saline convey of saltness o r swe etness . Th e ideais no t pecu liar t o Hindu literature ; and t h e mo st po lish ednations ofEurope agree in t h e employment ofa term of similarliteral and metaph orical import, as taste, gusto, gout, geschmaclc.A similar application of terms is traceable in Latin and G reekand, as Addison observes

,

“ th is metaph or would h ave no t

been so general , h ad th ere no t been a confo rmity between t h emental taste and th at sensitive taste wh ich gives us a relish ofevery savour.

”

Th e Rams reside in t h e compo sition,but are made sensible

by th e ir action on t h e reader o r spectator. In t h e first case ,th ey may be identified w ith t h e permanent conditions o r

Bltdvas. It ismore usual,h owever

,t o regard th em as distinct

as t h e effects o f t h e Bhavas and no t of one nature with th em .

Th e ir du e appre ciation depends upon t h e sensitiveness of t h ecritic bu t a Spe ctator, w h o deserves t h e name

,is defined by

Bharata t o b e “one wh o is h appy wh en t h e course of t h e

drama is ch eerfu l , melanch o ly wh en it is so rrowfu l , w h o rageswh en it is furio us , and trembles wh en it is fearful,

”o r

,in a

wo rd, w h o sympath ises with wh at h e sees .

Th e Rasas are eigh t, according t o Bharata : according t oVOL. I. e

lvii i THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

some auth orities th ere are nine . Th ey are Smngdm , love ;Hasga, mirth Karufid, tenderness Raudm ,

fury ; Vtm , h ero

ism Bhaydnaka, terro r B tbhatsa,disgu st and Adbhu ta,

w onder— t h e ninth is Sdnta, o r tranquillity. Th e seriouspart of th is list is much more compreh ensive th an th e G reektragic Base s of terro r and pity ; but, as anticipated by t h eH indu critics, t h e wh o le migh t be easily extended. In replyt o th is, h ow ever, th ey say , th at all o th er impressions may beclassed under some of th ese , as paternal fondness comes undert h e h ead of tenderness

,and avarice is an obj ect ofmirth and

t h e same argument may be urged in fav our of t h e limitationsofAristo tle . Th e fewer t h e classes

,h owever

,t h e more subtle

is th e ingenu ity required t o squeeze all t h e species into th em,

and so far t h e Hindu th eory h as an advantage over t h e

G reek.

St ingdm ,or love

,is a very leading principle in th e drama of

t h e Hindus : it is no t , h owever, an indispensable ingredient,and many plays are w h o lly exempt from any trace of it. Th e

love of t h e Hindus is less sensual th an th at of t h e G reek andLatin comedy

,and less metaphysical th an th at o fFrench and

English tragedy. Th e lo o se gallantry of modern comedy isunknown t o t h e Hindus

,and th ey are equally strangers t o t h e

pro fessed ado ration of ch ivalric po etry : but th e ir passion isne ith er tame no r undignified. It is sufficiently impassioned t obe exempt from frigidity

,and it is t o o tender t o degrade t h e

obj ect of th e passion wh ilst,at t h e same time

,th e place th at

w oman h o lds in so ciety is t o o rationally defined fo r h er t oassume an influ ence fo reign t o h er nature and t h e estimationin w h ich h uman life is h eld, is t o o h umble , fo r a writer t oelevate any mo rtal t o t h e h onours ofa divinity. Th e conditionof lovers is described as th reefo ld th ey may be in po ssessionof each o th er’s affections

,and personally united th eir passion

may no t h ave been mutually communicated, and th eir unionno t h ave taken place ; and th ey may h ave been united and

subsequently separated from each o th er. Th e first is calledSambh oga, t h e second Ayoga, and t h e th ird Viprayoga or

th ese kinds are reduced t o two,and Samb/Loga expresses suc

cessful,and Vzpmlamblza unsuccessfu l lo ve . Th e causes and

consequences and modifications of th ese conditions are t h e

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

1x THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

sciousness o r aberration,and is su itably illustrated by th e

delineation o fdepression,exh au stion

,agony

,and death .

Th e Sdata Rasa is very consistently excluded from dramaticcompo sition

,alth o ugh it is allow ed a place in mo ral o r didactic

po etry . It implies perfe ct qu iescence,o r exemption from

mental excitement,and is th erefore uncongenial t o t h e drama

,

t h e obj ect of wh ich is t o paint and inspire passion. Th e

advo cates for it s exclu sion suggest a compromise , and transferit from t h e persons of t h e play t o t h e audience , wh o are th usfitted for t h e impressions t o be made upon th em . It is h igh lyproper

,it is urged

,th at th ey sh ould exh ibit t h e Sdnta Ram ,

and Sit in silent attent ion,th e ir tempers perfectly passive , and

th e ir h earts free from every external influence .

Confo rmably t o t h e geniu s ofmyth o logical classification,t h e

Rams are by some au th oritie s considered t o be personified of

vario u s h ues,and subj e ct t o t h e influence ofdifferent divinit ies,

as fo llowsblack

,subject t o Vishnu .

wh ite,

Rama.

Randm,

red,

Rudra.

red,

S’

akra.

Kam n’

d,

gray,

Varur’

ia.

Bhaycinaka, black,

Yama.

B tbhatsa,

blue,

Mahakala.

Adbhu ta, ye llow ,Brahma.

Th e arrangement appears,h owever

,t o be modern

,and l ittle

recognised.

Th e combinations of t h e Rasas w ith each o th er,th eirmodifi

cations, and t h e manner in wh ich th ey are affected by t h e intermixture of t h e different Bltdvas

,furnish t h e Hindu writers on

t h e subj ect with ample oppo rtunity t o indu lge th e ir passion fo rinfinite minutiae. It may be observed, h owever, th at th is ragefor subtile subdivision is mo st remarkable in writers ofrecentdate

,and t h e o ldest w orks

,as t h e Das

’

a-mpaka fo r instance ,are contented w ith amoderate mu ltiplication ofdefinitions . As

t o t h e dramatic writers th emselv es,th ey migh t po ssibly h ave

been influ enced in some degree by th eo retical principles,and in

t h e example o f one of t h e mo st ce lebrated, Bhavabh ztti , w e h aveh is th ree pieces severally appropriated, like M iss Baillie

’

s plays

OF THE H INDUS.

of t h e Passions, t o distinct emo tions : Mdlatt and Madhuca, t ot h e Sftngdm Rasa, o r lo ve ; t h e Vtm Charttm t o h ero ism

, o r

t h e Vtra. Rama ,and t h e Uttara—Rdma-C

’haritm t o t h e Karma

Rasa‘

,o r tenderness . We h av e no reason t o th ink

,h ow e ver

,

th at h e,o r any of t h e e lder writers

,troubled th emse l ves about

t rifles, o r knew or regarded t h e mu ltiplied laws wh ich h avebeen derived from th e ir practice . It is no t so much t o illustratet h e plays th emse lves, th at t h e fo rego ing picture of t h e systemfo unded on th em h as been sketch ed

, as t o afford a view o f t h e

th eatrical criticism of t h e Hindu s,and a no tion of th e ir mode

o f th eorising. We canno t new question th at th ey h ad a th e ory,

w h ich h as been e laborated with great diligence,if no t w ith

much success, and wh ich , alth ough it comprises many pu erilities , is no t wh o lly a stranger t o ju st principles or refined t aste .

As connected with t h e Rasas, w e may no t ice one more div is ion

,wh ich is less liable th an t h e preceding t o t h e ch arge of

unnecessary trifling it rath er affects t h e construction th an t h eobjects of t h e drama, bu t as part of t h e means by wh ich it spurpo ses are effected

,may no t be inconveniently no ticed h ere .

Acco rding t o Bh arata’s aph orisms , th ere are four Vr‘

tttz’

s,wh ich

may be rendered Styles ofDramatic Repre sentation,implying

t h e general ch aracter of t h e dialogue and incidents, and w h ichare severally appropriate t o different Rasas or passions . Th eyare termed Kausfikt, Sdttwatt , A

’

mbhat’

t,and Bhdm tt . Th e three

first are suited respectively t o t h e S’ringdm , Vtm ,and Randm

Rasas : t h e last is common t o all. Th e th ree first ch iefly concernt h e incidents and situations : t h e latter regards t h e dialogue ,and signifies merely appropriate and elegant language . Th e

disco very of a lady’s love , by h er h aving painted a picture of

h er lover, w h ich sh e vainly endeavo urs t o conceal from a friend,

is an incident in t h e Kaus’ilct , or playfu l and pleasing style . In

spiring dread of treach ery by fabricated do cuments or supposit it iou s pro o fs be longs t o t h e Scittwatt , t h e grave and seriou sstyle ; and combat

,tumu lt , magic, and natural portents , are

o ccurrences in t h e style termed A’

mbhat'

t,t h e aw fu l and ap

palling.

lxii THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

7 . DICTICN.

Th e language of t h e Hindu th eatre offers many peculiarities ,but th ey can scarce ly be fully detailed with out citing t h e ori

ginal passages , and co u ld only be duly appreciated by studentsof t h e Sanskfit language . It wi ll be sufficient fo r o ur purpo se ,th erefore, t o advert t o t h e principal ch aracteristics .

Acco rding t o t h e o riginal aph orism ofBh arata,

t h e po et ist o employ ch o ice and h armonious terms

,and an elevated and

po lish ed style , embellish ed with th e o rnaments ofrh eto ric andrh ythm.

”Th e injunction h as no t been disregarded, and in no

department ofHindu literature are th e pow ers of t h e Sanskritlanguage more lavish ly deve loped. In t h e late writers, th estyle is generally so painfu lly laboured as t o be still mo re

painfu lly read ; but in t h e o ldest and best pieces , t h e com

po sition,alt h o ugh

'

h igh ly finish ed, is no t in general ofdifficu l tappreh ension. Th e language ofKalidasa is remarkably easyso is th at o fBh avabhuti

,in t h e Uttam -Edma-C

’haritm . In h is

o th er tw o plays,and e specially in Mdlatt and Madhdva

,it is

mo re e labo rate and difficu lt . Th e Mr'

tch chhakat’

t presents few erdiffi culties th an any o f t h e wh o le series . Th e Murdri-t

’

aka

is one of t h e mo st unintelligible .

Th e ordinary business dialogue of th e Hindu dramas is fo rt h e greater part in pro se

, bu t reflections o r descriptions, andt h e po etical fligh ts o f th e au th o r, are in verse . Every one of

t h e many kinds of Sanskrit metre is employed on t h e lattero ccasion

,from t h e Anush t

’

ubh t o t h e Daridaka, or verse of

fo ur lines o f e igh t syllables each, t o th at wh ich contains any

number of syllables from tw enty- seven t o o ne h undred and

ninety-nine . Bh avabh ii t i o ccasionally indu lges in th is lastmetre Kalidasa seldom ,

if ever. His favourite form appearst o be th e A

l

a/d o r G dthd; bu t none of t h e po ets confine th emsel ves t o a part icu lar description. Th e first th irty-five stanzaso fSakmztala

’

. exh ibit e leven kinds of metre ; and in t h e scenequ o ted from Mdlatt and Maid/Lava, by Mr. Co lebro oke , in h isEssay o n Sanskrit and Prak i' it Pro so dy

,in t h e tenth vo lume o f

t h e Asiatic Research es,w e h ave t h e like number, o r e leven

varieties,fo r t h e greater part o f t h e mo st complex description.

That th is diversity of compo sition enh ances t h e difficulty of

or THE H INDUS. lx iii

understanding t h e Hindu plays may be admitted,but it like

wise adds t o th e rich ness andmelody oft h e compo sition. It isimpo ssible t o conce ive language so beautifully musical

, or so

magnificently grand, as th at of many of t h e verses of Bh avabh ii t i and Kalidasa.

Ano th er peculiarity of t h e Hindu plays is th e ir employingdifferent forms of spee ch for different ch aracters . Th is is no t

,

like t h e patots of t h e French comedies,or t h e Sco tch of Eng

lish dramas, indiv idual and o ccasional , but is general andinvariable . Th e h ero and t h e principal personages speakSansk i it , but women and t h e inferior ch aracters u se t h e variou smodifications of th at language wh ich are compreh ended undert h e term Prakrit . AS observed by Mr. Co lebro oke , in regardt o th is mixture of languages

,t h e Italian th eatre presents

instances in t h e pro se comedies of Ruz z anti ; and t h e co inci

dence is no ticed by Mr. Walker,with reference t o SirWilliam

Jones’s remarks , prefixed t o h is translation ofSakuntald. Bu t

th ese five-act farces , t h e no tion of wh ich was probably borrow ed from t h e Pcenulus of Plau tu s

,h o ld but an insignificant

place in t h e dramatic literature of Italy,and t h e employment

of t h e Venetian and Bergamask dialects by G o ldoni is o nlylike t h e use of th o se of Somersetsh ire o r Yorksh ire on t h e

English stage,except th at it is rath er more prominent and

frequ ent . In no th eatre,h owever

,h ave w e a mixture of

languages exactly analogous t o th at invariable in t h e drama

of t h e Hindu s.

Prdki z’

t,

”SirWilliamJones observes (Preface t o Sakuntala) ,

“ is little more th an t h e language oft h eBrahmans me lted down,

by a delicate articulation,t o t h e so ftness of Italian in wh ich

h e is quite correct,as far as t h e Prakrit spoken by t h e h ero ine

and principal female personages is concerned. Mr. Co lebro oke,

h ow ever, mo re correctly intimates,th at t h e term Prakr

’

it is of

a more compreh ensive nature,and is properly applicable t o all

t h e written and cu ltivated dialects ofIndia. Itmay be doubted,

h owever, if it is usually understo od in th is sense , and t h e termis applied in t h e Prakr

’

it grammars t o a variety o f fo rms ,wh ich agree only in name w ith t h e spoken dialects. Th u s t h eMdgadh t , by wh ich name may be considered th at dialect w h ichis more ordinarily understo od by Prakr

’

it,is very different

from t h e vernacular language of Magadh or Beh ar. Th e

THE DRAMAT IC SYSTEM

aurasent is by no means th e same with th e dialect ofMath uraand Vrindavan

,and t h e Maharash trt wou ld be of little avail in

communicating with th e Mah rattas , o r people of Maharash tra.

Th e o th er species enumerated are equally incapable of ident i

fi cat ion with t h e dialects t o wh ich th ey migh t be suppo sed t orefer.

According t o t h e tech nical auth orities, t h e different dialectsemployed are th ese — Th e h ero ine and principal female ch ar

act ers speak Saurasent ; attendants on royal persons speakMagadh i ; servants

,Rajpu ts , and traders

,Arddha— h alf o r

mixed Magadh i. Th e Vidashaka Speaks t h e Prach t , o r easterndialect ; rogues u se A

'

vantz'

ka,o r t h e language ofOugein and

intriguers th at of t h e Dekh an or Peninsu la. Th e dialect ofBah ltka is spoken by t h e people of t h e north

,and Da‘aaida by

t h e people of t h e Co romande l co ast. Th e indiv iduals named

Salsas and Sakaris speak dialects of th e ir own and cowh erds,

o utcasts,and fo resters

,u se th e ir respective fo rms of speech .

Ev en t h e imps of m isch ief h ave th e ir appropriate jargon , and

t h e Pis’achas o r goblins,wh en introduced on t h e s tage

,speak

a dialect ofPrakfit termed Pats’

ach t .

If th ese directions were implicitly fo llowed, a Hindu playwould be a po lyglo t th at few indiv iduals co uld h ope t o understand. In practice

,h owever

,w e h ave rarely more

.

th an threevarieties

,or Sanskrit

,and a Prakrit more o r less refined. In

po int of fact,indeed

,th ere is l ittle real difference in t h e several

varieties ofPrakfit : th ey all agree in grammatical structure ,and in t h e mo st impo rtant de v iations from Sanskrit, and onlyvary in th eir orth o epy

,t h e

“lower kinds employing t h e h arsh estletters and rudest combinations. Th e w ords are essentially th esame in all

, and all are essentially t h e same w ith Sanskrit , t h edifference affecting t h e pronunciation and spelling rath er th ant h e radical stru cture , and tending generally t o sh orten t h e

words, and substitute a so ft for a h ard,and a slurred fo r

an emph atic articu lation. Th u s lavaria,salt

,becomes loaa

mayara, a peaco ck , becomes mom ; madhaka, a kind of tree,

becomes mahwa; purusha, a man,is pariso ; éf

'

igata, a jackal ,is s

’

tala ; yaaaaaa, youth , is j ovazia ; and bhavatt becomes

h oda’

. Prak i' it is also averse t o some fo rms of conjunctconsonants

,and e ith er ch anges th em t o a simple redupli

cation or omits one of th em as nagaa, naked,becomes

o r THE H INDUS. lxv.

fiagga ; datsa, a ch ild,bach chha; and Chandra, t h e mo on, Chanda.

In t h e aspirated letters, t h e aspirate alone is usually retainedas gah tm ,

fo r gambh tra, deep ; saha, for sabha,an assembly.

Th ese will be sufficient t o ch aracterise t h e general nature of

t h e ch anges by wh ich Sanskrit becomes Prakfit,and w h ich

will sufficiently pro ve th e ir identity. At t h e same time,in

long and complicated sentences,t h e affinity is no t always so

obvi ous as it migh t b e suppo sed,and t h e o ccurrence ofPrakrit

offers a difficulty in t h e peru sal ofSanskfit plays w h ich is no treadily o vercome with out t h e aid of a commentary

,in wh ich

t h e passages are always translated into Sanskrit. Prakritadmits of mo st of t h e pro sody of Sanskrit , and a du e proportion of it is always w ritten in varied metre . It s grammaticalconstruction is marked by some peculiarities

,su ch as t h e want

o fa dual number and dative case,and t h e employment ofbu t

one conjugation. Th e lower species are especially ch aracterised by a disregard of grammatical concords , and t h e u se of a

common termination fo r everv modification ofgender,number

,

and person.

Th ere is one qu estion of some interest attach ing t o t h e con

struction of t h e Prakrit,wh ich merits afuller inqu iry th an h as

been yet given t o it,and on wh ich th is is no t t h e place t o

dilate . Do es it represent a diale ct th at was e ver Spoken ? or is

it an artificial modification of t h e Sanskrit language,devised t o

adapt t h e latter t o pecu liar branch es of literature ? Th e latterseems t o be t h e mo st likely fo r th ere w ould be no difficu lty int h e present day in writing it , alth ough it is no longer Spoken,

and h igh ly-finish ed specimens are t o be fo und in plays w h ichare modern produ ctions . Th e Vidaga

’ha-Madhaaa

,fo r instance

,

consistsmo re th an h alf ofh igh Prakrit,and it w as w ritten less

th an th ree centuries ago . On t h e o th er h and, many of t h emodifications are t o be found in t h e spoken dialects of Hindustan,

and t h e rules ofPrakfi t grammar account fo r ch angeswh ich w ith o ut such aid it is difficult t o compreh end. Th e

simplification of t h e grammatical construction ,by t h e disu se

of t h e dual number and t h e redu ced number of v erbal conjugations

,lo oks also like t h e spontaneous substitution ofpractical

t o th eo retic perfection in actual Speech,and may tempt u s t o

th ink t h e Prakfit was once a Spoken tongue . Th e subject isinteresting

,no t only in a ph ilo logical

,but in a h istorical v iew

lxv i THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

fo r t h e sacred dialects of t h e Bauddh as and t h e Jainas are

no th ing e lse th an Prak i' it , and t h e period and circumstances

o f it s transfer t o Ceylon and t o Nepaul are connected w ith t h e

rise and progress of th at religion w h ich is pro fessed by th eprincipal nations t o t h e no rth and east ofHindustan.

8 . SCENIC APPARATUS .

Th e Hindus never h ad any building appropriated t o public

entertainments ; th ey could no t , th erefo re , h ave h ad any complicat ed system of scenery o r properties . It appears from severalo f t h e dramas , th at in t h e palaces ofkings th ere was a ch amber

o r h all known as t h e Sangtta-S‘ala, t h e mu sic salo on,

in w h ichdancing and s inging were practised and sometime s exh ibitedbu t t h ere is no reference t o any separate edifice fo r su ch purpo ses ,open t o t h e public

,e ith er gratu ito usly or at a ch arge , and such

an institu tion w ould be foreign t o t h e state of so ciety in t h e

East, w h ich inmanyrespects certainly was no t advanced beyondth at of t h e Middle Ages in Europe

,wh en minstre ls andmimes

w ere universally stro llers,and perfo rmed in t h e h alls o fbaronial

castles, o r in bo o th s at fairs. In England, even,th ere appears

t o h av e been no resident company of players , o r permanentth eatre

,earlier th an t h e re ign of Eliz abeth . Companies of

acto rs in India mu st h ave b een common at an early date,and

must h ave been repu table,fo r t h e inductions o ften refer t o t h e

po ets as th e ir personal friends,and a po et of to lerable merit in

India, under t h e ancient regime,was t h e friend and asso ciate

o fsages and kings. Th e Hindu actors w ere ne ver apparentlyclassed w ith vagabo nds o r menials

, and w ere ne ver reduced t ocontemplate a badge o f serv itude as a mark of distinction .

As t o th eatrical edifices , t h e manners of th e people,and t h e

nature o f t h e climate,w ere adverse t o th e ir existence , and t h e

spacious open co urts o f t h e dwe llings ofpersons of consequencew ere equally adapted t o t h e purpo ses o f dramatic representatio n and t h e co nvenience o f t h e spectators . We sh ould ne v erfo rget, in speak ing o f t h e Hindu drama

,th at it s exh ibition

,as

h as been no t iced in t h e preface,was no t an o rdinary o ccur

rence , o r an amusement o f t h e people,bu t th at it was part o f

an o ccasional celebratio n of some so lemn o r religious festival .

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lxvii i THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

p on’

a,w ith a to ss o f t h e curtain

,th rowing up o r aside , appa

rent ly , t h e clo th suspended in t h e flat , instead o f coming onregularly from t h e w ing. It seems po ssible

,also

,th at curtains

w ere suspended transversely,so as t o divide t h e stage into dif

ferent po rtions,open equally t o t h e audience

,but screening one

se t ofactors from t h e o th er,as if t h e one were with in, and t h e

o th er w ith o u t a h o u se o r ch amber. Th e first piece in t h e fo llow ing co lle ction o ften requires some su ch arrangement ; unless ,as is by no means unlike ly

,t h e wh o le was left t o t h e imagina

tion. It w ould appear, also , by t h e same piece,th at part o f t h e

stage was raised,so as t o form a terrace o r balcony

,as it was in

Sh akespeare ’s time in England.

Th e pro perties of t h e Hindu stage were , no do ubt, as limitedas t h e scenery

,bu t seats

,th rones

,w eapons

,and cars w ith live

catt le w ere used. Th e introduction oft h e latter is frequ ent, andco u ld no t always h ave been imaginary

,be ing

,as in t h e Mi te/z

cizhakat’

t especially,indispensable t o t h e business . Wh eth er any

contrivance was h ad re co urse t o , t o represent t h e aerial ch ario tso f t h e go ds

,is rath er do ubtfu l .

Co stume was always o bserved,and various pro o fs o ccur of

t h e personages be ing dressed in ch aracter. Females w ere re

presented in general by females but it appears no t t o h ave beenuncommon fo rmen o r lads t o personate female ch aracters

,e spe

cially th o se o fa graver ch aracter, like t h e Bauddh a priestess inMalatt and Madhava.

Th ere is no want o f instruction for stage business , and w eh ave t h e “

asides and apart s as regularly indicated as in t h e

modern th eatre in Europe . Even G erman precision is no t unfrequ ently affe cted

,and t h e sentiment with wh ich t h e speaker

is t o deliver h imself particu larised. In directio ns for passingfrom o ne place t o ano th er

,much is e v idently left t o t h e imagina

tion,and t h e spe ctato r must ek e o u t t h e distance traversed by

h is o wn conceptions . Th ere is o ft en mu ch want ofdexterity inth is part o ft h e business , and a v ery little ingenu ity w o u ld h av eav o ided t h e inco ngru ities produced. Th e defect

,h o w e v er, is

common t o t h e early plays ofall th eatres,and in Sh ak e speare

w e find some v ery clumsy contrivances . Th u s,in Richard th e

Second, t h e king o rders t h e trumpets t o so und,w h ils t t h e co un

cil apparently discusses w h at is t o be do ne w ith Herefo rd and

No rfo lk and w it h ou t any furth er interventio n, Rich ard com

o r THE H INDUS. xix

mands t h e combatants , wh o as w ell as t h e king and t h e peersh ave been all t h e time on t h e stage , t o draw near and list

,

wh at w ith o ur council w e h ave done .

”

Th ese are t h e only no tices th at can be offered of t h e t h eat rical representations of t h e Hindu s, and alth ough scanty

,leave

no do ubt of th e ir general ch aracter. Th e Hindu stage, in

fact,is best illustrated by th o se labours wh ich h ave been so

successfu lly addressed t o t h e h isto ry of t h e stage in Europe,

t o w h ich,prior t o t h e S ixteenth century, it may be considered

precisely analogo us,with t h e advantages of attention t o co s

tume and female personation. We mu st no t extend th isanalo gy

,h owever

,t o t h e literary merits of t h e tw o t h eatres

,

as much of th at of t h e Hindus may compete su ccessfully wit ht h e greater number of t h e dramatic produ ctions of modern

Euro pe , and o ffers no affinity t o t h e monstrous and crudeabortions wh ich preceded t h e introduction of t h e legitimatedrama in t h e west .

lxx THE DRAMATIC SYSTEM

LIST OF HINDU PLAYS.

Mrich ch h akat'

i. Jr Karfisa-Badh a.

S’

akuntala (translated by f Pradyumna—Vijaya.

SirWilliam Jones) . f S’

ridama-Ch aritra.

Vikrama and Urva .

‘l‘ Dhurt ta-Nart taka.

f Malavikaand Agnimitra. Dhurt ta-Samagama.

Uttara-Rama-Ch aritra. f Hasyarriava.

Malati and Madh ava. Kau tuka—Sarvaswa.

f Mahavira-Ch aritra. Prabodh a—Ch androdaya

f Verif-Sambara. (translat edbyDr. Taylor) .Mudra-Raksh asa. Ramabh yudaya.

i Udat ta-Ragh ava. Kunda-Mala.

f Hanuman-Nat'

aka. Saugandh ikah arar’

ra.

Ratnavali. K u sumaéekh ara-Vijaya.

f Viddha-S'

alabh anj ika. Raivata-Madanika.

j; Bala-Ramayana. Narmavat i.

f Prach ar’

rd’

a Vilasavat i.

i; Karpii ra-Manjari. S

’

f' ingara-Tilaka.

i Jamadagnya-Jaya. De vi-Mahadeva.

i Samudra-Math ana. Yadavodaya.

j, Tripuradah a. Bali-Badh a.

f Dh ananjaya-Vijaya. Anekamurt ta.

1 Anargh a-Ragh ava. Mayakapalika.

f S’

arada-Tilaka. Krid'

arasatala.

f Yayat i—Charitra. Kanakavat i—Madhava.

i Yayat i-Vijaya. Vindumat i.

Yayat i and S’

armish t ha. K eliraivataka.

f Dutangada. Kamadat ta.

‘t M i' igankalekha. Sankalpa-Sii ryodaya.

f Vidagdh a-Madh ava. 11 SudarSana-Vijaya.

f Abh irama-Mar’

i i. 1TVasant ikaParir’

iaya.

f Madh uraniruddha. f Ch itra-Yajna.

Th o se marked are now translated,and some account is

given of th o se marked f : t h e rest h ave no t been procured.

or THE H INDUS. lxxi

Th o se marked 3; are named in t h e Das’

a-Rapaka, and th o semarked in t h e Sahitya

-Darpaiia, as examples of t h e differentkinds of dramatic compo sition. Th e th ree pieces marked 1TWere amongst t h e late Co lonel Mackenzie’s co llection

,and are

known only in th e south of India.

MRICHCHHAKATI,

THE TOY - CART.

Qt arama,

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIG INAL

SANSKRIT .

VOL. I .

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INTR ODUCT I O N .

THE drama of wh ich t h e translation is now publish ed is a

work ofgreat interest, bo th in t h e literary and national h istory

of t h e Hindus.

Alth ough no t named by t h e auth ority from wh ich w e h ave

principally drawn our general view of t h e Hindu dramatic

system, th e Daéa-Rapaka, it is unquestionably alluded t o in

th e text of th at work,and w e may th erefo re feel assured th at

th is play was written earlier th an t h e tenth century ; th ere is

every reason t o infer much earlier.

Th e introduction of th e attributes t h e com

po sition t o a king named S'IIDRAKA,and gives h im a h igh ch ar

acter bo th in arms and letters h e lived,it is said

,a h undred

years and th en burnt h imse lf,leaving h is kingdom t o h is

son.

Over wh at k ingdom S'

CDRAKA ruled is no t mentioned. Th e

writer of th e Kamandakt says it was Aoantt o r Ongoin tra

dition,especially in t h e Dckh tn, includes h im amongst t h e

universal monarch s of India,and places h im between CHAN

DRAG UPTA and VIKRAMKDITYA,with out specifying h is capital.

Th e late Col. Wilford (As. Res. vo l. ix. ) considers h im t h e same

with t h e founder of t h e A'

ndhra dynasty of Magadha kings,succeeding t o th e th rone by depo sing h is master, t h e last of

t h e Kanwa race,t o wh om h e was minister ; but th ese aver

ments are very questionable . Th e circumstances are in fact

attributed,it is said (p . t o a prince named BALIHITA,

o r S’

IPRAKA, or SINDHUKA

,or (p . 103) MAHAKARfiI— and

6 INTRODUCT ION.

t h e identification OfS’

I'

JDRAKA with eith er or all Of th ese , rests

upon ch rono logical data by no means satisfactorily establish ed.

From th ese (p . 100) it appears, th at th e first Andhra king Of

Magadha re igned 456 years earlier th an t h e last, or PULIMAT ,wh o

,it is said

,died A.D . 648 (p . consequently th e former

reigned about A.D . 192 . But it is stated,th at in a work called

t h e Kamartka-Kharida, a portion Of t h e‘

SIcanda-Pararia, it is

asserted th at in t h e year Of t h e Kali 3300— save 10— a great

king would reign (it do es no t appear wh ere) named S’

l’

IDRAKA .

Th is date in o ur era is 190 th e date of th e firstAndhra king,as mentioned above

,is 192 therefore S’I

’

IDRAK A must be th at

king : a deduction wh ich may po ssibly be co rrect,but which

depends t o o much upon th e accuracy Of a work very little

known, and upon a calculation th at yet requires t o be revised,t o be considered as decidedly invalidating t h e popular no tion,th at S'IIDRAKA preceded VIKRAMADITYA, and consequently

t h e era OfCh ristianity,by a century at least.

Th e attribution Ofa play t o a regal auth or is no t a singular

o ccurrence . Th e Ratnaealt, as will be h ereafter no ticed

,is

ascribed t o a bard Of like dignity wh eth er truly o r no t ,

wh eth er th e monarch was no t rath er t h e patron th an th e po et,

is immaterial t o t h e ch rono logy Of t h e drama as, if t h e work

OfS’

fiDRAKA’S reign,it may be considered as t h e Oldest extant

specimen of t h e Hindu drama,and a compo sition of respect

able antiquity . Th e play contains abundant internal evidenceofan ancient date .

Th e style , th ough no t meagre,is in general simple and

unart ificial,and of a day evidently preceding t h e elaborate

rich ness OfHindu writing,no t t o speak of t h e fantastic tricks

and abuses wh ich began t o disgrace Sansk i' it compo sitionapparently in t h e ninth and tenth centuries . Th is may beconsidered a safe indication in a wo rk of su ch pretence as oneattributed t o a regal bard ; and alth ough it could no t be admit t ed alone as conclusive

, ye t , as associated with th e name

and date OfS'IIDRAKA,it is a strong confirmation of th e latter,

at least , being correct .

INTRODUCT ION. 7

Ano th er circumstance in favour Oft h e antiquity ofth e dramais derived from a peculiari ty in t h e language of one of t h e

ch ief ch aracters . SAMSTHANAKA,t h e Rdja

’

s bro th er-in-law,

affects literature , with wh ich h e h as SO little conversancy, th at

h is citations Ofpo etic personages and events are as erroneous

as frequent. Now it is a remarkable circumstance th at all h is

citations are from t h e Ramayarfa andMahabharata,and th at h e

never alludes t o t h e ch ief actors in t h e Paurar’i ik legends,as

Dhraea,Daksha

,Prah lcfda

,Bali

,850 . Th ere can be no go od

reason w h y h e sh ould no t cite from a Pararia as well as from

e ith er Ofth e po ems wh ich bear a Similarly h o ly ch aracter,and it

is no t likely th at t h e auth or Of th e drama, wh o was th orough ly

familiarwith t h e po ems,Sh ould no t h ave been acquainted with

t h e Pardrfas if th ey h ad existed,or been equally in circulation

w e h ave great reason th erefo re t o suspect th at t h e Mrt’

chchha

hatc’

was written prio r t o th e compo sition Of t h e Pararfas,or at

least before t h e stories th ey contain h ad acquired by th e ir

aggregation familiar and popu lar currency.

Pe culiarities in manners contribute t o a similar conclusion,

and th e very panegyric upon S’

CDRAKA,specifying h is volune

tary cremation wh en arrived at extreme Old age , praise s h im

for an act pro scribed in th e Kali,o r present period Ofth e world.

By all current legal au th orities , except th e texts Of t h e mo st

ancient,su icide is pro h ibited everywh ere except at Prayaga,

and is th ere allowed only under certain circumstances. Th e

proh ibition may be disregarded, it is true , but such a breach Of

t h e law could no t with any decency h ave been made t h e th eme

Of public eu logium by a Brahman in t h e Sanskrit language ,and th erefore t h e event mo st probably preceded t h e law .

Th e subject Of t h e piece,t h e love Ofa respectable Brahman

fo r a courtesan,is also in favo ur Ofa period Ofsome remo teness,

alth ough it may be allowed t o mark a state of so cial demoral

isat ion, a decline from th e purity Of Hindu institutions ; at

t h e same time,it seems probable th at t h e practice ofantiqu ity,

as regarded t h e intercourse Of t h e sexes,was much mo re lax

th an it pretends t o be in modern days. Th e laws Of MANU

8 INTRODUCT ION.

recognise t h e coh abitation ofa d rafemale with a Brahman,

as an inferior kind Ofwife,o r a h andmaid. Now th is asso ci

ation is pro h ibited in t h e Kali age , and it s o ccurrence in th e

play, in wh ich VASANTASENA, wh o may be suppo sed t o be a

Scam,becomes th e wife o f CHARUDATTA

,indicates a period

anterior t o t h e law pro h ibiting t h e marriage ofa d raby a

Brahman. Th e ch o ice Of such an e vent for th e subject ofa

dramatic performance, renders it likely t h at such a proh ibition

could no t h ave been th en even contemplated.

Th e mo st unquestionable pro o f, h owever, of h igh antiquity,

is t h e accuracy with wh ich Bauddha Observances are adverted

t o,and t h e flourishing condition in wh ich t h e members Of th at

sect are represented t o exist . Th ere is no t only abso lute

toleration, but a kind of public recognit ion ; t h e ascetic wh o

renders such essential service t o t h e h ero ine be ing recom

mended or nominated by au th ority,ch ief Ofall t h e Vihdrs or

Bauddha establishments Of Ujjayin.

At wh at period could th is diffusion and pro sperity Of t h e

Bauddha faith h ave occurred, and wh en was it likely th at a

popular wo rk sh ould describe it correctly ? Many centurie s

h ave e lapsed since Hindu writers were acquainted wit h t h e

Bauddhas in th e ir genuine ch aracters. Th eir tenets are preserved in ph ilo soph ical treatises with someth ing like accuracy ,bu t any attempt t o describe th e ir persons and practi ces invariably confounds th em with t h e Jainas. Th e Mrechchhahat‘t is

as ye t t h e only work wh ere t h e Baaddhas appear undisguised .

Now w e know from th e Ch ristian writers Of t h e second cen

tury, th at in th e ir days t h e worsh ip OfBe tta or Buddha was

very prevalent in India. We h ave every reason t o believe,

th at sh ortly aft er th at time th e religion began t o decline,mo re

in consequence Of t h e rise and grow th Of t h e Jains,probably

,

th an any persecution Of t h e Baaddhas and as it is clear th at

t h e drama was written in t h e days of th e ir pro sperity,it

fo llow s th at w e canno t fairly assign it a later date than t h efirst centuries Of t h e Christian era.

From t h e considerations th us stated,w e canno t but regard

INTRODUCT ION. 9

t h e Mrzchchhakat’

t’

as a work Of considerable antiquity, and

from internal evidence may very safely attribute it t o t h e

period wh en S'

IfDRAKA t h e so vere ign reigned,wh eth er th at

be reduced t o t h e end Of t h e second century after Ch rist, orwh eth er we admit t h e traditional ch rono logy, and place h im

about a century befo re our era.

Th e revo lution in t h e government of wj aytn, wh ich fo rmsan underplo t in t h e piece

,is narrated with so little exaggera

tion,th at it is probably founded on fact. As t h e simple nar

rat ive Of a simple event,it is t h e more ent itled t o our cre

dence and it is no t at all unlikely th at t h e Brahmans, offended

by th eir sovereign PALAKA’

S public disregard Of th em,brough t

about a ch ange Of t h e government,employing a h ermit and a

cow -boy , o r young peasant, as th e ir instruments . Th is plain

story is no t improbably t h e origin Of t h e Obscure allusions

wh ich exercised t h e indust ry of Co lonel Wilford,and in

wh ich, and in t h e purport Of th e word A

’

rya, t h e name Of t h e

cowh erd in th e play,and in general acceptation a title Of

respe ct,h e th ough t h e co uld trace a reference t o th e h istory

OfCh ristianity in India — (As. R es. vol. x .,Essay on t h e Sacred

Isles Of t h e West. ) Th ere is also an A’

rya Of some renown in

t h e h istory of Cashmir, wh om t h e same learned and laboriou s,but injudicious writer

,identified with Sdltvdhana. Th e real

ch aracter of th at personage may now be mo re accurately ap

preciat ed— (Essay on th e History Of Cashmir

,A s. R es. vo l.

xv. p .

Th e place wh ich th e Mrzchchhakat’

t h o lds in th e dramatic

literature Of all nations will,h owever

,be th ough t matter Of

more interest by most readers th an it s antiquity o r h istorical

importance . Th at it is a curious and interesting picture of

national manners every one will readily admit and it is net

t h e less valuable in th is respect,th at it is free from all ex

t erior influence or adulteration. It is a portrait purely Indian.

It represents a state Of so ciety sufficiently advanced in civi lisa

tion t o be luxurious and corrupt,and is certainly very far from

Offering a flattering similitude,alth ough no t with out some

10 INTRODUCT ION.

attractive features. Th ere will probably be more variety of

Opinion on it s merits as a literary compo sition,and it s title

t o rank with t h e more po lish ed dramas of t h e West may be

called in question by competent judges. As Observed by t h e

spir ited translator ofAristoph anes, it is no longer t h e fash ion

fo r translators t o direct t h e taste Of th eir readers,and th ey

must be left t o condemn o r approve for th emselves . I sh all

th erefore refrain from any furth er Observations on th is h ead

and if, in imitation ofh igh au th ority,I venture t o subj o in my

own sentiments by way of epilogue,I shall do so as briefly

as po ssible,and with out any h Ope t o bias t h e judgment Of t h e

public.

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Th e Kayastha.— Scribe or Recorder.

Chandanaka

iCaptains of th e Town G uard.

Th e Vita— or parasite at tendant ofVasantasend .

K umbhc’

laka.— A servant of Yasantasend .

Two Chandalas - Or Publ ic Executioners.Officers Of t h e Court.

WOMEN.

Th e Wi fe of Chd/rudatta.

Vasantasena.- A courtesan In lo ve with Charudat ta, and beloved by h im

t h e Object also ofSamsthanaka’

s addresses.

Th e Mo th er of Vasantasena.

Madanilcd .— Th e attendant of Vasan tasend, beloved by Sarac

'

laka .

Radanikd — Th e servant ofOharudat ta’s h ouse .

PERSONS SPOKEN OF.

Palaka.— K ing o fwagin .

Rebh ila.- A Musician.

Th e Siddha or Seer wh o h as proph esied A’ryaka

’

s t riumph .

Passengers, A t tendants, G uards, déc.

SCENE , Uyyayin, t h e city and t h e suburbs — TIME,four days .

ACT I.

PRELU DE.

BENEDICTION

I . MAY t h at pro found meditation of S'

AMBHU’r pro tect you

(the audience) wh ich is intent on BRAHMAN , t h e absorbing end

Of every effort of abstract vision ; as h e contemplates with

th e eye Ofwisdom,spirit

,in himself

,detach ed from allmaterial

instruments ; h is senses be ing restrained by h o ly know ledge,

as h e sits ruminating with su spended breath,wh ilst h is ser

pents co il with t h e fo lds Of h is vesture round h is bendedkneesif,

It is no t said by wh om th is is u ttered, and th e Manager enters afteri t h as been spoken.

1 SAMBHU, a name ofSIVA.

I Th is bened iction al ludes t o t h e practices and no tions of t h e Patanjalamo d ification of t h e Sankh ya ph i lo so ph y, t h e Yoga, in wh ich

,by abstract

med itation, samadh i, t h e fu sion (laga) Of ind ividual w ith universal spirit, orB rahman

,is t o be effected

,even in t h e body. Spirit is said t o be detach ed

from t h e instruments, kararias, t h e th irteen pro du cts ofmatter, ormahat ,inte llect ; ah ankara, conscio usness ; and t h e e leven o rgans of sense and

action ,wh ich are enumerated amongst t h e categories of t h e Sankhya

system. Th e mode ofeffecting th is un ion is by Sitting in particu larasanas ,o r postures ; one of wh ich is s itting on t h e h ams w ith a clo th fastenedround t h e knees and back, t h e p arganka-bandh ana

, or, as h ere termed,t h e

paryanka—

gran th i , t h e bed-bind ing orbed-kno t also by suppressions ofbreath

as long as practicable , p randcarodh a; by k eeping t h e vision d irected e ith eron vacu ity o r inwardly, s

’

unyeksharia and by preventing as vigilantly aspossible t h e wanderings o f t h e senses. Th at th is form of devo tion may

boast Of considerable antiqu ity is evident from it s being described and

commended in t h e Mahabharata, and being t h e prevai ling system in t h e

Pararias, especially th ose ofa Sait -a ch aracter, in some ofwh ich t h e origin

14 THE TOY- CART.

II . May t h e neck Of Nilaharit'

ha,

* wh ich resembles a dark

cloud in h ue,and wh ich is deco rated by th e entwining arms Of

G aurt,’

ras brilliant as th e ligh tning, be ever your pro tection.

Enter MANAGER.

Enough : delay no t longer t o gratify th e curio sity of th is

assembly. Saluting,th erefore

,th is gentle audience , I apprise

th em th at we are prepared t o enact th e drama entitled t h e

Th ere was a celebrated po et wh o se gait was th at Ofan ele

ph ant,wh o se eyes resembled th o se of t h e chakora,§ wh o se

countenance was like t h e full mo on, and wh o was of stately

person and pro found veracity ch iefest Of th e Kshattriga race

and distinguish ed by t h e appellation ofS’

UDRA h e was we ll

versed in t h e Big . and Sama Vedas, in math ematical sciences ,in t h e e legant arts, and t h e management Of eleph ant sfi l By

t h e favour of Siva h e enjoyed eyes uninvaded by darkness,

of t h e Yoga is ascribed t o SIVA, wh o taugh t i t in t h e person ofSWETA,on

t h e Himalayamountains in th e beginning of t h e Kali age . A pecu l iarandlatermodification o f Yoga ascet ism is mani fest in t h e cavern temples andsculptures OfSalsette, Eleph anta, and El lora.

— See As. Res. vo l. xvii. 1 83 .

A name ofSIVA : t h e go d w ith t h e dark -blue t h reat . Th e co lour wast h e effect of t h e po ison generated at t h e ch urning of t h e o cean wh ich SIVAswal lowed .

Th e w i fe ofSIVA .

I T h e term is l iterally clay-cart , a ch ild’s cart made of baked clay orearth enware, from mrid, earth , and Sakat

'

i, a l ittle cart. It refers t o a t oy

belonging t o t h e ch i ld o fCharudat ta, wh ich , as wi l l be h ereafter seen, playsan important part in th e drama. Th e equ ivalent Toy-Cart is most fami liart o our language , and is less equ ivocal th an t h e l iteral translation. Th e

play is termed a p raharar’

ia, t h e second Species o fdrama.

Th e G reek partridge .

ll See t h e Introductio n. Th e add itional syllable ha is pleonast ic.11 Th e IIasti-siksha i t is an accompl ishment curiously characteristic Of

nationalmanners. Th e proficiency o f t h e Ind ians in th is art early attractedt h e attention ofAlexander’s successors ; and natives of Ind ia were so longexcl usively empl oyed in th is service

,th at t h e term Indian was appl ied

t o every eleph ant-driver, t o whatever co untry h e migh t belong — Sch legel,

Indisch e B iblio th c/t‘

.

THE TOY- CART. 15

and be h eld h is son seated on t h e th rone after performing t h e

exalted As’

wamedha,

* h aving attained t h e age o f a h undred

years and t en days, h e entered t h e fatal fire ]LValiant was h e

in war,and ready t o encounter with h is single arm t h e ele

ph ant o f his adversary ; yet h e was vo id Of wrath , eminent

amongst th o se skilled in t h e Vedas, and affluent in piety : a

prince was S'

UDRAKA. In th is drama, written by h im, it is

th us related.

In A eanti 3: lived a y oung Brahman Of distinguish ed

Th e emblematic sacrifice ofa h orse one of t h e most so lemn rites ofH indus in ancient times.

That t h e practice of terminating l i fe wh enever burdened with age or

infirm ity was h eld, i f no t meritoriou s, t o be justifiable, we know from t h e

au th orities wh ich declare i t t o be so no l onger. Th e Nirr’

zaga-Sindh u

,and

o th er treatises on Hindu law,enumerate su icide on account of pro tracted

l i fe amongst t h e acts proh ibited in t h e present age . Th ese works are,

h owever, comparatively mo dern and th at t h e practice of voluntary cremation was Observed long subsequ ent t o t h e beginning of t h e K ali era,

we know from classical au th ority . Th e st o ries to ld by Hero do tu s of t h e

Indians wh o pu t th e ir infirm oraged relations t o death , originated probablyin some ind istinct acco unts of th is u sage. Megast h enes asserts th at th erewas no fixed ru le on th is subj ect

,and intimates th at t h e sages of Ind ia

repreh ende d th e practice. Z armano ch agas (Sramanachdrya) burnt h imsel fat Ath ens, after t h e custom of h is country and Ca lanas (K alyana)mo unted t h e funeral p ile at Pasargadae in t h e presence of t h e astonish edG reeks, wh o were at a lo ss t o cons ider t h e act as th at of a sage or a mad

man,and were never ofa mo od t o im itate such a m o de l . Wh eth er t h e

rite was founded on po si tive prescription w e are no t aware,bu t instances

of i t are g iven in works o f t h e h igh est ch aracter and of a we igh t l ittleinferior t o th e insp ired codes . In t h e Ramayana, Sarabhanga t h e sageonly delays h is crematio n unti l h e h as seen Rama after wh ich , h avingprepared t h e fi re and Offered o blations w i th t h e customary prayers, t h ep io us and perfect Sarabh anga entered t h e flames .

— Arariya-Kanda.

Th e commentary on t h e drama states that t h e ceremony sh ou ld b e aecompanied with t h e sacrifice cal led saroaswara i t sh ou ld probably be sarcamedh a

,prayers and oblations for universal success . Th e commentator is

rath er at a loss t o explain h ow t h e au th or of t h e play announces h is owndeath

,and is d ispo sed t o ascribe i t t o h is prOph et ic foresigh t acqu ired by

astro logical computation. Th ere can be l ittle doubt , h owever, th at suchpart of th ese pro ems as relates t o t h e personal h istory of t h e auth or isu sually t h e work of ano th er band.

I Th e modern Ougein.

1 6 THE TOY-CART.

rank ,* but of exceeding povert y ; h is name was CHARUDATTA.

Of th e many excellences ofCHA'

RUDATTA,a courtesan

,VASAN

TASENA by name,became enamoured

,and th e story of th eir

loves is th e subject of king S’UDRAKA’S drama, w h ich exh ibits

t h e infamy of wickedness, t h e vi llainy of law,th e efficacy of

virtue,and t h e triumph of faith ful love .

(Walks round th e stage. )

Hey ! th e boards are desert ed z ‘r wh ere can all t h e actors

h ave vanish ed ? Ah,I understand. Empty is th e h ouse of

t h e ch ildless— empty is t h e h eart of one th at h as no friends ;it h e universe is a blank t o t h e blo ckh ead, and all is deso late t o

t h e po o r. I h ave been ch anting and reciting until my eyes

ach e,t h e pupils twinkling with h unger, like t h e seeds of t h e

lo tu s sh rivelled in t h e h o t weath er by th e rays of a scorch ing

sun.§ I will call one of my wench es , and see if th ere be anyth ing in t h e h ouse fo r breakfast. Wh at h e th ere— Here am

I ! Bu t I h ad better talk t o th em in a language th ey can

understand.II— Wh at h O— I say ! Wh at with long fasting and

loud Sh outing my limbs are sh rivelled l ike dry lo tus stalks . It

is h igh time t o take myself h ome,and see wh at is prepared

fo r my coming. Th is is my mansion— I will go in.

Th e Sdrthavdha of t h e Brahmans. In many of t h e H indu cities t h ed ifferent classes of t h e community o f every rank sti ll acknowledge certainof th e ir members as th e ir h ered itary h eadmcn or provo sts— sueh is t h e

sense ofSresh tin o r Seth t h e title in common use is Ch audri o r S irdar.

It is also t o be inferred from th is title,th at Charu dat ta, th ough a Brahman

by birth,is amerch ant by o ccupation .

Th e Sangi la-écild

,a h all or ch amber formusic, singing, and dancing.

1 Th is passage o ccurs in t h e H itcpadesa and Panch atantra,borrowed

perh aps from t h e drama. Th e latter reads hridagarhsunyam,instead of

ch irasang/am : t h e metre al lows o f e ith er,and t h e constructio n of t h e

sentence evidently requ ires t h e former.

Th e expression is,K sh udhd. mama alcsh in

'

i kh alahh aidg/etc, wh ich maybe rendered as in t h e text

,bu t canno t be translated , for t h e verb is made

from t h e no un wi th mo re regard t o t h e sound th an th e sense .

ll Or in Prakrit, wh ich is spoken always by t h e female ch aracters ; h eaccord ingly proceeds in th at d ialect th rough o u t t h e wh o le of t h e Prelude .

THE TOY-CART. 1 7

Enters.

*

Hey day l— Some new fro l ic is go ing on in th is mansion of

mine . Th e ground, like a young damse l fresh from h er to ilet,wears a tilaka f smeared ‘with t h e disco loured Water of t h e riceth at h as been bo iled in t h e iron kettle, and is perfumed with

mo st savoury smells . Verily, my h unger increaseth . Wh at,in t h e name of wonder, h ave my people fo und a treasure— o r

from t h e promptings of my appetite do I fancy everyt h ing

smacks of bo iled rice ? If th ere be no breakfast for me at

h ome,th is h unger will be th e death Of me . Y et everyt hing

puts on a new face one h ussy is grinding perfumes,ano th er

is stringing flowers i t h e meaning ofall th is must be inqu ired

into . Come h ith er one ofyo u .

Enter ACTRESS .

A ct. Here am I,sir.

Man. We lcome,welcome .

A ct. Wh at are yo ur commands

Man. Hark ye , girl , I h ave been bawling myself bo th

h oarse and h ungry : is th ere anyth ing in t h e h ouse for me

t o eat ?

A ct. Th ere is everyth ing, sir.

Man. Indeed and wh at is th ere

A ct. For example — th ere is rice,dressed or undressed

,

sugar,curds ; in sh ort

,th ere is sustenance for a century

SO may t h e gods comply w ith all your desires .

Pravi sya acalokga cha Having entered and lo ok ed round. How t h e

entrance is managed we are rath er at a loss t o conj ecture, as no ch ange ofscene was probably attempted . In t h e spacious h al l , h owever, in wh icht h e piece was acted , one part of t h e stage was in all l ike l ih o o d supposed t orepresent t h e exterior

,t h e o th er t h e interio r o f t h e dwe l l ing.

Or i iéeshaha, a mark with some co loured substance made in t h e

middle of t h e foreh ead .

i Th e use o f perfumes and garlands amongst t h e Hindus afl'

ords a

paral le l, bo th as an accompaniment t o rel igio us and convivial rites, t o t h eusages ofAth ens and Rome.

Ajj ena at tavvam rasaiariam. L iterally, th e drug th at confers immor

tal ity is t o be eaten by th e master.

VOL. 1 0 ’

18 THE TOY-CART.

Man. Hark ye , my girl , is all th is in my h ouse , or do you

j est

A ct. (Apart ) Oh , as h e do ubts, I will h ave a laugh at

h im. (A loud. ) Indeed and indeed, sir, th ere is all th at I h ave

mentioned — in t h e market.

Man. Ah , yo u h ussy ! May yo u be so disappo inted. Th e

deuce take you— you h ave h o isted me up like a ball on a

turret t op,* th at I migh t tumble down again.

A ct. Patience , sir, patience , I did but jest .

Man. Th en wh at is t h e meaning ofall th is unusual prepara

tion th is grinding Of perfumes and stringing of Ch aplets ?

Th e gro und is strewed w ith Offerings o fflowers of every dye .

A ct . We h o ld a so lemn fast t o -day . f

Man. A fast, for wh at ?

A ct. Th at w e may h ave a desirable master.

Man. In th is world, or t h e next ?

A ct. Ah , in t h e next, t o be sure .

Man. Here , gentles (to the audience) , h ere is pretty usage

th ese damsels would engage a new manager in ano th er world

at my expense in th is

T h e expression used do es no t seem t o h ave been understoo d by t h ecommentator. Th e words are

,uararit

’

la lambu o (S. uararida-lambuka) .T h e first is said t o mean a long stick ; t h e second , a co lumn of clay fastened t o one end of it

,wh ich

, wh en raised mech anically t o a given h e igh t,falls down by its own we igh t. A mach ine of th is k ind , a stick or bambo oresting on a fulcrum,

w ith a weigh t at one endand arope and bu cket at t h eo th er, is used in some parts of Ind ia for draw ing water. Or caranda is

explained a lo fty part ofa bu ilding ; lambuha, o ne part of i t, wh ich h avingbeen carried up t o be attach ed t o t h e t op of t h e varanda, as a bal l or pinnacle

, falls down by accident . Ne i th er ofth ese explanations is very satisfacto ry, and t h e o ccurrence of such terms as th ese, o f wh ich t h e importmust h ave been once fam i l iar, bu t wh ich is no w uncertain

,is a circumstance

corro bo rative o f t h e suppo sed antiqu ity o f t h e compo s i tion.

f Eve ry fast, wh en h eld as a rel igio us Observance on particu lar o ccasions,is a prelude t o a feast .

Th e Manager asks what is t h e name of th e fast, every rel igious ritebearing it s own appe l lation. T h e Actressrepl ies , it is cal led t h e Ah irubabadior Ablu

'

rupapati, wh ich impl ies t h e meaning given in t h e text.

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20 THE TOY- CART .

(The Scene9‘ is supposed to represent a street

’

on one side, and on

th e other th efirst court of Charudatta’

s house the ou tside of th e

h ouse is also seen in th e part next th e street. )

MAITREYA enters th e court with a piece of cloth in h is h and.

Truly,Maitreya

,yo ur condition is sad enough

,and well

qualified t o subject you t o be picked up in t h e street and fed

by strangers. In t h e days of Charudat ta’

s pro sperity, I was

accustomed t o stuff myself till I cou ld cat no more,on scented

di sh es,until I breath ed perfume ; and sat

'

lo lling at yonder

gateway,dyeing my fingers like a painter’s, by dabbling

amongst t h e co lo ured comfi t s,or ch ewing t h e cud at le isure

like a h igh -fed c ity bull .+ Now ,in t h e season of h is poverty,

I wander abo u t from h ouse t o h ouse , like a tame pigeo n, t o

pick up such crumbs as I can get . I am now sent by h is dear’

friend Charnavriddh a, with th is garment th at h as lain amongst

jasmine flow ers till it is qu ite scented by th em : it is for Cha

rudat ta’

s wearing,w h en h e h as finish ed h is devo tions — Oh ,

h ere h e comes,h e is presenting t h e o blation t o th e h ouseh o ld

gode tEnter CHARUDATTA and RADANIKA.

Chdr. (With a sigh . )Alas ! -h ow ch anged t h e o ffering t o t h e gods ,

We h ave already observed th at i t do es no t seem probable th at th e Hindus everknew wh at scenes were , and th at th ey substitu ted curtains for th em.

In t h e present case, t h e wh o le mach inery m igh t h ave been a curtain intersect ing th e stage at a righ t angle t o t h e flat

,one Side be ing t h e interior, t h e

o th er t h e exterior o f Charudat ta’s h ouse .

Th e H indus are accustomed at marriages and o th er ceremonials t o letlo ose a bull , wh o th enceforward rambles abou t at w il l w i th ou t an owner.

No person wo u ld presume t o appropriate a stray animal o f th is k ind,and

many th ink i t a meri t t o feed h im. In large towns, wh ere th ese bu l ls aremo st abundant , th ey are generally in go o d case, and numero us enough t obe very much in t h e way , al th o ugh th ey are rarely misch ievous . Th eyseem t o kno w th e ir privileged ch aracter

, and h aunt t h e mark et-places andsh ops w i th an air Of independence . A t Benares, t h ey are pro verbial lyabundant, and th at ci ty is famed for its ranrh , sanrh , and sirh i , orwidows,bul ls

,and land ing-places.

THE TOY -CART. 2 1‘

That swans and st ately storks,in better time

About my th resh o ld flo ck ing,bo re away ,

Now a scant tribute t o t h e insect tribe ,Falls ’midst rank grass

,by w orms t o ! be devoured.

*

(Sits down. )Mait. I will approach t h e respectable Charudat ta. Health

t o you may you prosper.

Char. Maitreya,friend of all seasons

,we lcome sit you

down.

Mait. AS you command. (Sits down. ) Th is garment, per

fumed by t h e jasmines it h as lain amongst,is sent t o you by

your friend Churnavfiddh a,t o be worn by you at t h e clo se Of

your devo tions .

Char. (Takes it and appears th ough tful. )Mail. On wh at do you meditate ?

Char. My friend

Th e h appiness th at fo llows clo se on sorrow,

Sh ows l ike a lamp th at breaks upon t h e nigh t

N0 h ouse is supposed t o be w ith ou t it s tu telary d ivinity, but th e no tionattach ed t o th is ch aracter is now very far from precise . Th e de ity wh o ist h e Object o f h ered itary and fami ly worsh ip, t h e Ku la-dera ta

,is always one

o f t h e lead ing personages Of t h e H indu myth o logy, as SIVA , VISHN’

U, o r

DURG A, bu t t h e G riha-devatararely bears any d istinct appe llation. In Ben

gal, th e domestic god is sometimes t h e s‘

alagram stone , sometimes t h e tu lasiplant ; sometimes a baske t w ith a l ittle rice in i t

,and sometimes a water

jar -t o e ith er ofwh ich a brie f adoration is daily addressed , mo st usual ly byt h e females oft h e fami ly . O ccas ional ly smal l images ofLAK SHMI’ or CHANDffu lfi l t h e o ffice,o r sh ou ld a snake appear h e is venerated as t h e guard ian of

t h e dwe ll ing. In general,h owever, in former times t h e h o useh o ld de it ies

were regarded as t h e unseen spirits of il l , t h e gh o sts and goblins wh oh overed abo u t every spo t

, and claimed some particu lar s i tes as th e ir own.

Offerings were made t o th em in t h e open air,by scattering a l ittle rice with

a sh ort formu la at t h e c lo se ofall ceremon ies t o keep th em in go od h umour.

Th u s,at t h e end Of th e daily ceremony

,t h e h o useh o lder is enjo ined by

MANU “ t o th row up h is oblation (halt ) in t h e o pen air t o all t h e gods,

t o th o se wh o walk by day and th ose wh o walk by nigh t .”— 3,90. Su ch is

t h e nature of t h e rite al luded t o in t h e drama. In th is l igh t, t h e h ouseh o ldgods correspond bet ter w ith t h e genii lacerum th an w ith t h e lares orpenates o fantiqu i ty.

22 THE TOY- CART.

But h e that falls from affluence t o poverty,May wear th e h uman semblance , but exists

A lifeless fo rm alone .

Mait. Wh at th ink you preferable th en, death or poverty?

Ch dr. Had I th e ch o ice,

Death , and no t po vert y, were my e le ction

To die is transient suffering ; - t o be po or,

Interminable ang uish .

Mail. Nay, never h eed. Th e lo ss o f your wealth,lavish ed

upon your kind friends , only enh ances your merits ; as t h e

mo on lo oks mo st lovely wh en reduced t o t h e slender fragment

th at t h e draugh ts Of t h e gods for h alf a month h ave left it .*

Char. I do no t,tru st me

,grieve for my lo st wealth

But th at t h e gu est no longer seeks t h e dwelling,Wh ence w eal th h as vanish ed, do es, I own, afflict me .

Like t h e ungratefu l bees,w h o w anton fly

Th e e leph ant’s broad front,w h en

’

t h ick congeals

Th e dried-up dewfr th ey visit me no more .

Mait . Th e sons of slaves ! yo ur g uest is ever ready t o make

a mo rning meal Of a fo rtune : h e is like t h e cow -boy , w h o ,

as if afraid of a gad-fly, drives h is h erds from place t o

place in t h e th icket,and sets th em t o feed always in fresh

pasture .

Char.

’Tis true — I th ink no t Ofmy wasted fo rtune .

As fate decrees,so rich es come and vanish .

But I lament t o find t h e love of friends

Hangs all unstrung because a man is po or.

Th e moon is supposed t o be t h e reservo ir ofamri ta o rambros ia, and t ofurnish t h e gods and manes w i th t h e supply. It is replenish ed from t h e

sun during t h e fortnigh t o ft h e increase . On t h e ful l mo on t h e gods ado reth at planet for o ne nigh t

, and from t h e first day all of th em,toge th er w i th

t h e p i tr‘is and rish is, drink one [co ld or d igit daily until t h e ambros ia is

exhausted .

”

d a-Pu rciria.

1' At certain perio ds a th ick dew exhales from t h e e leph ants’ temples .

Th e pecul iarity, th o ugh known t o Strabo , seems t o have escaped natural istst il l lately , wh en i t was no ticed by Cuvicr.

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24 THE TOY- CART.

In lowliness ofspirit and with reverence,In th ough t, and deed, and pious self-denial

G o th erefore and present t h e offering.

Mail. I will no t go , indeed send somebody e lse . With me

every part of t h e ritual is apt t o get ou t of it s place , and, as in

t h e reflection ofa mirror, t h e righ t becomes left and t h e left

righ t. At th is time of t h e e v ening, t o o , t h e royal road is

crowded with lo o se persons, with cu t -th roats,courtiers, and

courtesans amongst such a set I sh all fare like t h e unh appy

mouse,th at fell into t h e clutch es of t h e snake wh ich was lying

in ambush for t h e frog .+ I canno t go , indeed. Wh y no t go

yourse lf ? Y o u h ave no th ing t o do but t o sit h ere.

Char. Well,well— attend th en wh ilst I tell my beads .

[Th ey retire.

(Beh ind the scenes. ) Stop , Vasantasena, st op !

Euler VASANTASENA pursued by SAMSTHXNAKA, lhe K ing’

s

brolher—in—Zaw,lh e VI'fA

, i and h is own Sereanl.

Vila. Stop,Vasantasena

,stop ! Wh y , lo sing your gentle

ness in yo ur fears,do you ply th o se feet so fast, th at sh ould

be nimble only in t h e dance ? Y ou run along like t h e timid

deer from th e pursuing h unter, casting tremulo us glances

fearfully around.

Saih s. Stop,Vasantasena, stop Wh y do you th us scamper

away, stumbling at every step ? Be pacified, yo u are in no

danger. With love alone is my po or h eart inflamed ; it is

burnt t o a cinder,like a piece ofmeat upon t h e blaz ing eoals .

Ser. Stop, lady, stop ! Wh y , sister, do yo u fly ? Sh e runsalong like a pea-h en in summer with a tail in ful l feath er

,

Th is, besides its general bearing, announces t h e approach ing entranceof Vasanlasemi and h er pursuers, agreeably t o t h e ru le, th at no character ist o enter with o u t previo us intimation.

1‘ I f we are t o cons ider t h e antiqu ity o f th is play as establ ish ed, t h ispassage bears testimony t o t h e early currency ofapo logu es in Ind ia.

I Th e Vila is t h e companion and min ister of t h e pleasures o f Sa ih sthanaka . See t h e remark made on th is character in t h e introductory observations on t h e dramatic system of th e Hindus

,p . xl vi i .

THE TOY- CART. 25

w h ilst my master fo llows h er, like t h e young h ound th at

ch ases th e bird th rough t h e th icket.

Vil’

a. St op,Vasantasena, stop ! Y ou tremble like t h e

ybung plantain tree , wh ilst t h e ends of your red vesture wan

t on on t h e wind. Th e seeds of t h e red lo tus are put t o sh ame

by yo ur glowing eyes,and t h e bed of orpiment

,wh en first

penetrated by t h e axe,is rivalled by th e complexion of vour

ch eeks .

Santa Stop,Vasantasena, stop Wh y do you th u s fly from

a lik ing,a love

,a passion wh ich you inflame ? My nigh ts yo u

deprive of rest,and you avo id me by day . It is unavailing

yo u will trip and tumble into my h ands as Kanll fell into

th o se ofRdearla.

*

Vil’

a. Wh y , Vasantasena, do yo u grace my steps by leaving

traces fo r th em t o obliterate ? Like a snake from th e monarch

of t h e birds, + you glide away from me

,but vain is your fligh t.

I could out strip t h e w ind in such a ch ase,and sh all I no t ever

take so delicate a fugitive ?Saiiis. M o st w o rth y sir

,I h ave invok ed h er by t en names .

I h ave called h er t h e taper lash of th at fi leh er ofbroad pieces ,Kama; t h e fi sh - eater

,t h e figurant e , t h e pug-no sed untamable

sh rew. I h ave termed h er Love’s dining-dish — t h e gulf of

t h e po or man’

s substance— t h e walking frippery— t h e h arlo t

t h e h ussy— th e baggage— t h e wanton. I h ave addressed h er

by all th ese pretty names, i and yet sh e will h ave no th ing t o

say t o me .

K unti is t h e mo th er of t h e Pdhciava princes ; Bavaria, th e giant k ingo fLanka, destroyed by Rama . Th e former is a ch aracter of t h e Mahdbha

ra ta, t h e latter of th e Ramayaiia. Th ere is no sort of connexion be tweent h e two

,and instead ofK u nli i t sh ou ld h ave been Sita, t h e w i fe o fRa

'

ma ,

wh om Ravaiia carried off. It may be h ere remarked , that th is confusion o f

persons and events is invariably repeated by San’i stha’naka, wh o th us evincesbo th h is ignorance and pretension .

G arafia, t h e bird on wh ich Vish iia rides,between wh om and th e ser.

pent race is a deadly feud,originating in a dispute between th e irrespective

parents, K adri

’

t and Vinatci , t h e w ives ofKasyapa .

”

I: To address a de ity by a number o fappel lations is t h e read iest way t o

26 THE Tor-CAR T.

Vit’a. Wh y, Vasantasena, do yo u fly us ? Th e trembling

pendants of your ears to ss agitated against yo ur ch eeks,and

make such music as th e lute t o amaster’

s to uch .

* Y ou fly like

t h e female crane th at starts away from t h e sound of th under.

Saihs. Your ornaments j ingle t o your paces as you run from

us, as Draupadir

Lfled from Rama i But I sh all h ave you

I will dart upon you like Hanumal§ upon Subhadia, th e lovely

s ister of Vi swauasul lSer. Relent, re lent

,be gracious t o th e prince’s friend

accept th e flesh and t h e fish . Wh en th ey can get fi sh and

flesh,t h e dogs prey no t upon carrion.

Vit'a. Wh at sh o uld h ave so strangely alarmed yo u ? Believe

me, yo u lo ok like t h e guardian goddess of t h e city, as round

yo ur slender waist sparkles with starlike gems th at tinkling

zone,and your countenance is pale w ith terror.

Samis. As t h e female jackal is h unted by t h e dogs, so run

-

you , and so w e fo llow : yo u run along with your prey,and

bear off from me bo th h eart and pericardium?“ e

s ecure h is go o d graces ; so says t h e commentator. As t o t h e names th emse lves

,some latitude h as been necessari ly u sed in t h e translation

,al th o ugh

an attempt h as been made t o convey some no tion of th eir purport ; t h es train is no t unl ik e th at of o ur o ld comed ies ; t h e o riginal is as fo llowsBhave .

’t ive l Esd N driaka -mas'

i-kcima kas’

ika, M ach ch haéik a,Las

’

ika,

Nis'

déai,K u lafidsekd , Avas

‘

ika,Kaniaka -manjusikd , Eéd veéabah it

,Suves

'

a

nilua Veiangaha, Vesta,Es

’

e se das’

a-ridmake mayi hale, Ajja bi mamnech chh adi.

"

Literally,such as is made by t h e touch of th e Vila (Vi tajana-nalcha

ghaliiteva e i iia), wh ich ind icates t h e particular art cul tivated by th ischaracter.

Th e wife of t h e Pahdavas and h ero ine oft h e Mahabharala.

Th e h ero o fth e Rama/ah a.

T h e monkey friend ofRama.

IITh e s ister ofKfish iia, carried offby Arjuna, as related in t h e Maha

bhdrala .

‘E Th is is probably intended for a blunder, instead o f Vasudeva. Vi s

wdvasu is th e name ofa dem igo d ofan inferior order, one oft h e G andh arbas,o r ch o risters o fIndra’

s h eaven.

b’auellhauau

’

t inc h alaa 'ni h aianli,

“ carrying off my h eart and itsenvelo pes,

”vclfh anam be ing th e Pi 'dh‘i‘il ofuesh lanam.

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28 THE TOY -CARTf

Vas. (Aparl. ) His very co urtesy appals me. It sh all be so .

(Aloud. ) Pray, sirs,w h y do yo u th us pursue me

,or wh y

address such language t o me Do you seek my j ewe ls ?

Vil a. Fie,fi e

,wh at h ave w e t o do with your ornaments ?

Wh o plucks th e blo ssoms o f t h e creeper ?

Vas. Wh at is it,th en, yo u require

Sauis. Th at I , wh o am a person of celestial nature,a mortal

Vasuclevafi obtain your affe ctions .

Vas . G et yo u gone you talk idly.

Sarh s. (Clap s h is hands and laughs. ) Wh at th ink yo u of

th at, sir ? Hear h ow th is gentle damse l regards me sh e

bids me go and rest myself,no doubt

,after my fatigu e

in running after h er ; l bu t I swear by your h ead ' and my

feet, 3: th at I h ave gone astray neith er in town nor village ,

but h ave kept clo se t o your h eels all t h e way, by t h e w h ich

I am w earied.

Vila. (Apart .) Th e blo ckh ead h emisappreh ends t h e wh o le .

(A loud ) Why , Vasantasena, yo u act quite o ut of ch aracter

t h e dwelling ofa h arlo t is t h e free resort ofyo uth a courtesan

is like a creeper th at grows by t h e ro ad- side— h er person is an

arti cle for sale,h er love a th ing th at money w ill buy, and h er

w elcome is equally bestow ed upon t h e amiable and disgusting.

Th e sage and t h e idio t, t h e Brahman and t h e o u tcast,all bath e

in t h e same stream ,and t h e crew and t h e peaco ck perch upon

t h e branch es o f t h e same creeper. Th e Brahman,t h e K sbat

t riya, t h e Vaisya, and all ofe v ery caste are ferried over in th e

same boat and l ike t h e boat, t h e creeper, and th e stream , t h e

co urtesan is equally accessible t o all.

Vas. Wh at yo u say may be just , but, be lieve me , merit

alone , no t brutal vio lence , inspires love .

Kr’

islnia .

Vasanla scna 3 exclamation was s’anlam,an interj ection ofrepugnance,

o r d isgust. Sari'

i sth rinaka assumes sh e said s’

ra’

u la,o r Prah i

‘

i t,sanla

w eary . T h e qu ibble is lost in t h e translation, bu t that is o fno very greatimportance .

3. A very affronting adj uration.

THE TOY- CART. 29

Sama Sir,sir, th e truth is, th at t h e baggage h as h ad t h e

perverseness t o fall in love with a miserable wretch,one Cha

rudat ta,wh om sh e met in t h e garden ofKdmadei’a

’

s temple h e

lives clo se by h ere on our left,so take care sh e do es no t slip

th rough o ur fingers .

Vila. (Aside)‘ Confound th e fe el, h e le ts o u t everyth ing h e

o ugh t t o conceal . In love with ‘

Charudat ta— h umph no

wonder it is tru ly said,pearls string with pearls well

,let it

be so,never mind th is simple ton . (A loud ) Wh at say you , is

t h e h ouse ofCharudat ta on o ur left ? t h e deuce it is .

Sarus. Very true , I assure yo u .

Vas. (Aside ) Indeed t h e h ouse of Charudat ta so near

Th ese wretch es h ave unintentionally befriended me,and pro

mo ted a me eting w ith my beloved.

Sams. Sir, sir, Vasantasenais no longer vi sible sh e is lo st

in t h e dark,like an ink -cake in a pile of black beans .

Vila. It is very dark , indeed ! Th e glo om ch eats my eye

sigh t of it s facu lty ; my eyes open only t o be clo sed by it ;such obscurity envelops everyth ing

,as if th e h eavens rained

lamp-black sigh t is as unavailing as t h e service ofa wo rth lessman .

Sums. I mu st search for Vasantasena.

Vila. Indeed ! (A loud ) Is th ere no t anyth ing by wh ich

you may trace h er ?

Sams. Wh at sh ould th ere be

Vila. Th e tinkling ofh er o rnaments t h e odo ur ofh er perfumes and t h e fragrance ofh er garland.

Sums. Very tru e I can h ear with my no strils t h e scent of

h er garland Spreading th rough t h e darkness,but I do no t see

t h e sound ofh er o rnaments .

*

So in t h e M idsummer’s Nigh t’s DreamB o t tom as Pyramu s

I see a vo ice : now w i l l I t o t h e ch ink,To spy an

’ I can h ear my Th isby’

s face.

And in th e same

Eye ofman h ath no t h eard, nor ear seen, &c.

30 THE TOY- CART.

Vila. (Aparl, in lh e direelion of Vas ) Very well , Vasanta

sena. Tru e , you are h idden by t h e glo om of t h e evening, like

t h e ligh tning between gath ering clo uds,bu t t h e fragrance of

yo ur Ch aplet,t h e music of your anklets, will betray you ,— do

you h ear ?

Vas. (To h erself. ) I h ear and compreh end. (Takes of h er

garland and lh e rings from h er ankles. ) If I am no t mistaken,t h e private entrance is in th is direction by carryingmy h ands

along th e wall feelsfor lh e door)— ah, it is sh ut .

Char. (With in th e courl. ) My prayer* is finish ed now

,

Maitreya, go , present t h e offering t o t h e divine mo th ers .

Mail. I tell you I will no t go .

Chdr. Alas it do es embitter poverty

Th at th en o ur friends grow deaf t o o ur desires,And lend a keener anguish t o our sorrows .

Th e po or man’

s truth is scorned t h e tender ligh t

Of each mild virtu e languish es su spicion

Stamps h im t h e perpetrator o f each crime

Th at o th ers are t h e auth ors of no man seeks

To form acquaintance w ith h im,nor exch ange

Famil iar greeting o r respectfu l courtesy .

If e’er h e find a place in rich men’

s dwellings

At so lemn festivals, t h e weal th ier guests

Survey h im with disdainful w onder and

Wh ene ’er by ch ance h e meets upon t h e road

With state and wealth,h e sneaks into a corner

,

Ash amed ofh is scant covering, till th ey pass,Rej o icing t o be o verlo oked. Belie ve me

,

He wh o incurs th e guilt ofpoverty

Adds a sixth sin t o th o se w e term mo st h einous. T

In truth,I mourn e

’

en poverty for th ee,

Literally, japa— inaud ible repetit ion of prayer.

Th e five great sins in t h e H indu code are— steal ing go ld , drink ingspiri tuo u s l iqu o rs, murder of aBrahman

,adu l tery w i th t h e w i fe o fa spiri t

ual teach er, and asso ciation with a person gu il ty o fe ith er of th ese crimes.

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32 THE TOY-CART. ‘

Vila. Very well, young lady, very pretty ; running after

h onest men’s sons

,in t h e pride o f youth

,with your h ead full

dressed with flowers yo u are caugh t in t h e fact .

Sums. Yo u are t h e yo ung girl , I believe , th at was caugh t

by t h e h air of t h e h ead : now cal l,and cry, and scream

,and

curse , and abuse Siva, Sambhu, Sankara, and féwara.

*

Bad. (In alarm. ) Bless me, gentlemen

,wh at do yo u mean ?

Vila. How now ! t h e vo ice is th at ofano th er person.

Sams. Oh , sir, your female can ch ange h er vo ice wh en sh e

will,as th e cat mews in a different key wh en sh e attempts t o

steal cream .

Vila. Such a difference can scarcely be,and ye t it is po ssible .

Y es, it may be sh e h as been taugh t t o disguise h er vo ice in t h e

way ofh er pro fession, bo th for t h e purposes of deception and

t h e articulation of th e gamut.

EnterMAITREYA.

Mail. How funnily t h e lamp burns : it go es flutter,flutter

,

in t h e evening breeze,like t h e h eart ofa goat just caugh t in a

snare . (Seeing Radanikd and th e rest . ) . Hey , Radanika

Sarhs. Ho lloa, master— a man .

Mail. Wh at is all th is — it is no t righ t no t righ t at all

alth ough Charudat ta be po o r, yet strangers are no t t o come intohi s h ouse w ith o ut leave .

Bad. See h ere Maitreya,h ere

’

s disrespect t o me .

Mail. No t yo u merely,bu t all o fus . To me as well as you .

Rad. Y o u , indeed— h ow can th at be ?

Mail. Wh y, h ave th ey been rude t o yo u ?

Bad. Rude indeed — t o be sure,rude eno ugh .

Mail. No,really.

Rad. Yes, really.

Mail. (In wrath and taking up a slick. ) Th en I will do fo rth em : th is is qu ite unbearable — every dog will bark in h isown kennel

,and wh y no t a Brahman ? With th is dry bambu

All names ofSi va.

THE TOY- CART. 33

staff,as cro oked as our fortunes

,will I batter th at h ead of

th ine,th ou abominable villain.

Vila. Patience , patience ! worth y Brahman.

*

‘

Mail. (To h im. ) Eh ! th is canno t be t h e offender. (Turns to

Samslhdnaka. ) Oh ! h ere h e is. Oh, you king

’

s bro th er-ln

law ! you abominable miscreant ! h ave yo u no decency ? Do

no t yo u know th at, no twith standing th e w orth y Charudat tabe

po or,h e is an o rnament t o Ujjayin, and h ow dare yo u th ink

of forcing yourway into h is h ou se and maltreating h is people ?

Th ere is no disgrace in an untoward fate disgrace is in mis

conduct a wo rth less man ofwealth is contemptible .

Vila. Wo rth y Brahman,pardon u s

,w e misto ok t h e person

w e intended no affront,but lo ok ing fo r a female

Mail. For h er ? (Pointing to Badanikd. )Vila. Heaven forbid l— No

,no

,for a girl h er own mistress

,

wh o h as run away . Search ing for h er,w e ligh ted upon th is

damse l, and committed an unintentional indecorum. We beg

your pardon,and submit ourselves t o wh atever you may please

t o o rdain. (G ives h is sword andfalls at Maitreya’

s feel. )Mail. Yo u are a man of sense ; arise . I knew no t your

quality wh en I addressed yo u so rough ly ; now I am aware of

it,I sh all treat you with proper po liteness.

Vila. Y o u are entitled t o o ur respect. I w ill only rise on

one condition.

Mail. Declare it.

Vil a. Th at you w ill say no th ing t o Charudat ta ofwh at h as

ch anced.

Mail. I will no t say anyth ing t o h im on t h e subje ct.

Vila. I will place your kindness, Brahman,on my h ead ;

armed with e v ery excellence, you are invincible by arms .

San’

i s. Wh at do yo u mean,my friend, by putting your

h ands togeth er and falling at th e feet o f su ch a contemptible

fellow ?

M alui-Brdhmaiia,great Brahman

,is th e term used ; it is also an ex

pression of cont empt, and is appl ied t o th o se Brahmans wh o officiat e forSli dras .

VOL. I.

34 THE TOY- CART.

Vila. I am afraid.

Sams . Of w h at ?

Vila. Of t h e eminent virtues ofCharudat ta.

San'

is. Very eminent,indeed, wh en th ey canno t affo rd h is

visitors a dinner.

Vila. Never mind th at ; h e h as become impoverish ed by

h is liberality like t h e lake in t h e summer wh ich is exh au sted

by relieving t h e th irst of t h e travellers in h is pro sperity h e

was kind t o all,and never treated any one with disrespect .

Sams. Wh o is th is slave,t h e son of a slave ? Is h e a war

rior,a h ero ? Is h e Swelakelu fi t h e son of Badha

, id ana

, § o r Indradalla ? “ Was h e bego tten on Kunti’

,by

Rama, o r is h e As’

watlhdmanfil Dharmapu lra,M e

or Jaldyu l fl“

Vila. No, you wiseacre , I w ill tell you wh o h e is : h e is

Charudat ta,t h e tree of plenty t o t h e po or

,bowed down by

it s'

abundant fruit. He is t h e ch erish er oft h e go od, t h e mirro r

o f t h e wise,a to u ch stone of piety

,an o cean o f deco rum, t h e

deer of go od t o all,o f evil t o none , a treasure of manly vir

tues,intelligent

,liberal

,and uprigh t ; in a wo rd

,h e only is

worth y of admiration in t h e plenitude of h is merits h e may

Th e bro th er ofDh i‘ i tarash lra, and parent of t h e princes wh o are t h eh eroes o f t h e Mahabharata . He was bo rn ofa fair complexion

,wh ence h is

name , Th e Pale .

”He left t h e kingdom o f ancient Del h i t o h is bro th er

,

and retired t o lead an ascetic l ife in t h e H imalayamountains,wh ere h e d ied .

Swelakct u was a sage,t h e son of Uddalaka, and is mentioned in t h e

Mahabharata.

3: Rad/id was t h e w i fe o f t h e ch ario teer ofDuryodh ana, and bred K arim

as h er son,after h e was expo sed o n t h e banks o f t h e Yamunaby h is own

mo th er.

Bavaria h as already been no ticed .

ll Indradalta is a warrio r in t h e h i ahdbharala.

“fl Abwa tthdman is t h e so n of Drona

,t h e m i l itary preceptor o f t h e

K aurava and Pctridava princes ; h e fo ugh t in favo ur ofDh i‘itarash lraTh e son o fDharma, t h e ru lero fTartarus , is t h e e lder o f t h e Pandava

princes Yudh ish lh ira.

Th is is a marvel lo u s man-bird,t h e yo unger bro th er ofSampatin and

son o f G aruda h e attempted t o rescue Sild wh en carried off by Bavaria,

and was slain by h im .

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36 THE TOY- CART.

t o t h e beggar Charudat ta. Say t o h im th us from me A com

mon wanton,h igh t Vasantasena, coveredwith go ld upon go ld,

lik e th e ch ief ofa tro op of comedians about t o act a new play,saw yo u in t h e garden of Kdmadeva

’

s* temple , and to ok a

fancy t o you . Having pu t us t o t h e trouble of using vio lence

t o secure h er, sh e fled, and h as taken refuge in your h ouse .

If yo u w ill give h er up , and put h er yo urself into my h ands

with out any lit igation, h er delivery sh all be rewarded with mymo st particular regard ; bu t if yo u will no t put h er forth ,depend upon my eternal and exterminating enmity. Considerth at a preserved pumpkin ,

a dried po th erb,fried flesh

, and

bo iled rice ’r th at h as sto od fo r a nigh t in t h e co ld weath er

,

stink wh en kept t o o long. Let h im th en no t lo se th is opper

t unity . Yo u speak we ll and distinctly yo u must, th erefore,speak my message so th at I may h ear you ,

as I sit in t h e upper

terrace ofmy h ouse , h ere adj o ining. If yo u do no t say wh at

I h ave to ld yo u , I sh all grind your h ead between my teeth ,as I wou ld a nut beneath my do or i

Th e temple ofKamadeva makes a great figure in all t h e dramas andtales of t h e H indus ofany antiqu ity. Th ere was always a garden orgro veattach ed t o i t , t o w h ich no sancti ty

,h owever

,seems t o h ave been ascribed

,

as was t o th o se o fA lbunea or Do dona : i t was rath er t h e Daph ne of t h e

H indu rel igion, th e resort of t h e young of e ith er sex at public festivals, andt h e scene ofmany love adventures alth o ugh t h e reserve

,t o wh ich Hindu

w omen were always subj ected in publ ic,rendered i t no sch o o l for t h e

Daph nici Mores inspired by t h e sh ades o f Antio ch . All traces of t h e

worsh ip o f Kamadeva h ave long since d isappeared : h is groves,indeed

,

cou ld no t possibly be frequented a moment after t h e intrusion ofMoh ammedan bru tal ity.

Allusion is made h ere t o some circumstances ofdomestic economy, onwh ich t h e H indus of t h e present day can give no information, such cookeryh aving lo ng gone ou t o ffash ion, and no Dr. K itch ener h aving arisen in Indiat o immortal ise t h e cu l inary art . Th e stalk oft h e go urd

,it is said

,is covered

w ith cow-dung t o preserve i t from insects . For t h e satisfaction of t h e

curio us t h e Prakr‘

it o f t h e original fo l lows : It is a verse in t h e Upajatimeasure—

“ K akkdlukagoch hadalit lavcrild ; Sake a s’

ukk/ie lu lide h u manse;B h at te a h emanlialalt isiddh e; Line a bclc ria h u h odi p ud i .

"

I Literally , as t h e k ernel of t h e wo od -apple below a do or.-Kabala-tala

ppabit thani kabitlhan'

i gurlarnvia, mastaan'

i dcmadamadaiss'

am.

THE TOY- CART. 3 7

Mail . I will de liver your message .

Sanis. Is t h e worth y Vit’a really gone ? (To th e servant . )Serv. He is

,sir.

‘

San’

t s. Th en,le t us fo llow h im quick.

Serv. Please t o take yo ur sword.

Sarks. No , carry it after me .

Serv. Th is is your h onour’s sword.

Sums. Ah,very well

,give it me . (Takes it by thewrong end. )

I bear it on my sh oulder,sleeping in it s pink sh eath and

t h us go I h ome as a jackal retires t o h is lair, fo llowed by t h e

yell ofall the dogs and bitch es of t h e village . [ExitMail. My go o d Radanika, say no th ing t o Charudat ta about

y our h aving been insulted in th is currish place , by th at king’

s

bro th er-in-law : h e frets already about h is affairs, and th isbu siness, I am sure

,wo u ld double h is vexatio n.

Bad. I am only Radanika,Maitreya I can h o ld my

tongue .

Mail. Nay , nay , no t so . [They retire.

Char. (Within th e h ouse , to Vasanlasend. ) Radanika, my bov

Re hasena mu st h ave enj oyed t h e breeze long enough h e w i'

.l

be ch illed by t h e evening dews take h im in,and co ver h im

with th is clo th .

Vas . (Apart . ) He mistake s me for o ne of t h e servants.

(Takes th e clo th and smells it . ) Scented with jasmine flow ers !

Ha, th en,h e is no t all a ph ilo soph er.

’r [Retires

Chair. Radanika, carry Ro h asena t o t h e inner apartments .

Vas . (Apart ) Alas ! my fortune gives me no admission t o

th em.

Char. Wh at ! No reply,Radanika?— Alas ! wh en a man h as

been unfo rtunate enough t o h ave outlived h is means,h is best

friends lo se th e ir regard,and o ld attachments ch ange into

dislike .

Literally, oft h e co lour ofth e flesh o f t h e barkless rad ish — Nivvakkalani

mulakapesi variriam.

Literally, h is you th does no t exh ibit ind ifference — An'

udas inan’

i se j or.

vanav'

i p adih cisedi.

38 THE TOY- CART.

EnterMAITREYA and RADANIKA.

Mail. Here,sir

,is Radanika.

Char. Here— th en wh o is th is ? No t know ing h er, I h ave

degraded h er by t h e touch ofmy vestment .*

Vas. (Apart. ) Degraded ; no , exalted.

Chdr. Sh e lo oks like t h e waning mo on, h alf h idden by

autumnal clouds ; fi e, fie, ano th er’

s wife ; th is is no t a meet

obj ect for my regards.

Mail. (Recognising Vasanlasend. ) A wife indeed, a pretty

wife Wh y , sir, th is is Vasantasena, a lady, wh o , h aving h ad

t h e felicity of seeing you in t h e gardens ofKdmadeva’

s temple ,h as taken it into h er h ead t o h onour you with h er affection.

Chair. (Apart ) Indeed ; is th is Vasantasena?‘

Wh at now avails it t o return h er love

In my declining fortunes let it sink

Suppressed in silence,as a coward ch ecks

Th e wrath h e dares no t utter.

Mail. I h ave a message,t o o

,from t h e king’s bro th er-in-law .

Char. Wh at ?

Mail. Th us h e says z iL “ A common wanton

,h igh t Vasan

tasena,covered with go ld upon go ld

,like t h e ch ief o fa tro op

of comedians about t o act a new play,saw yo u in t h e garden

ofKarziadeva’s temple,and to ok a fancy t o yo u . Hav ing put

u s t o t h e trouble ofvio lence t o secure h er ”

Vas. Vio lence t o secure h er ! ” Oh,I am h onoured by

such words .

Mail. “ Sh e fled,and h as taken refuge in your h ouse . If

yo u will give h er up , and put h er yourself into my h ands with

Th is instances t h e great reserve th at separated th e virtu ous part of t h esexes amo ngst t h e Hindus. To h ave tou ch ed t h e w i fe ofano th erw ith t h eh em of t h e garment was a vio latio n of h er person. In t h e Edia-Tarangi iii

t h e present o fa fi ne vest t o t h e Q ueen ofCashmir,wh ich h ad been stamped

w ith t h e seal of t h e donor,t h e K ing of Ceylon, and so far seemed t o belong

t o h im,is said t o have o ccas ioned a war between t h e princes .

‘l' Like t h e missions in Homer, t h e messages are always repeated verbalim.

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40 THE TOY- CART.

Mail. (To h im apart. ) Wh at if th ey sh ould be sto len ?

Char. Th ey will be h ere bu t a sh ort time .

Mail. Wh at sh e h as given us is o urs .

Char. I sh all send you about your business.

Vas. Wort h y sir,I couldwish t o h ave th e safeguard of th is

your friend’

s company t o return h ome .

Ch oir. Maitreya,atte nd t h e lady.

Mail. G o yourself ; you are t h e properest person ; attend

ing h er grace ful fo rm as t h e stately swan upon h is mate . I

am but a po or Brahman,and sh ould as so on be demo lish ed

by th ese libertines as a meat-offering in t h e market-place by

t h e dogs.

Char. Well, well, I will attend h er, and for furth er security

on th e road let t h e to rch es be prepared.

Mail. Wh at h o ! Vardh amana— (enter Servant) —ligh t t h e

flambeau s.

Vardh . (To h im. ) Y o u dunderh ead,h ow are th ey t o be

ligh ted with o ut o il ?Mail. (Apart to Ohdrudatta.) To say t h e t ruth s ir

,our

torch es are like h arlo ts th ey sh ine no t in po or men s h ou sesfi“

Char. Never h eed w e sh all no t need a torch .

Pale as t h e maiden’

s ch eek wh o pines with love ,Th e mo on is up

,with all it s starry train

And ligh ts t h e royal road with lamps divine,

Wh ilst th rough t h e glo om it s milk-wh ite rays descend,Like streamlets winding o ’er t h e miry plain.

(Th ey proceed. ) Th is , lady, is your dwellingfr

[Vasantasenamakes an obeisance,and evil.

Come,my friend, le t us return

Th e ori ginal contains a pun upon t h e word Sneha, wh ich means o il or

affection— t h e one h as no love, t h e o th er h as no o il.

Eith er th e space appropriated t o th e stage was more spacio us than wecan concei ve, o r th is progress t o a dwell ing evidently int endedjt o be remo temust be left in a great measure t o t h e imaginatio n. On t h e G reek staget h e ch aracters were no t unfrequently suppo sed t o be advancing from some

d istance wh i lst t h e ch orus was s inging, and in t h e Latin comedy a ch aracter

THE TOY- CART. 4 1

Th e road is so litary, save wh ere t h e watch

Performs h is wonted round th e silent nigh t

Fit season only for dish onest acts

Sh ould find u s no t abroad.

As t o th is casket, let it be your ch arge

By nigh t,by day it sh all be Vardh amana

’

s

Mail. As yo u command.

is o ften spoken of as near at h and some time before h e takes part in t h ed ialogue . On t h e Spanish stage a trans it ofa s imilar nature was performed,as in Courtesy, no t Love ;

”

wh ere t h e first part of t h e scene l ies amongstro ck s and wo ods

,and presently, w ith ou t any apparent ch ange , we find one of

t h e ch aracters sayHow h eedlessly h ave we advanced,Even t o t h e palace gates and see wh ere standLad ies in t h e balcony . ”

Horse Hispanieae .—B lackwood

’

s Magaz ine,

END OF THE FIRST ACT.

42 THE TOY- CART.

A C T II.

Scene— VASANTASENA’

S HOUSE.

*

Enter a Female Attendant.

I AM sent t o Vasantasenaw ith a message from h er mo th er,I will th erefo re enter and deliver it t o h er. Ah

,th ere sh e sits .

Sh e seems uneasy, I must approach h er.

(Vasanlasenadiscovered sealed,f Madanikd attending. )

Th e plan of th is and subsequent scenes requ ires a sim ilar arrangementas t h e first, or t h e stage t o be d ivided transverse ly by a curtain, each be ing adouble scene, o r t h e inside and o utside of th e h o use . Th ere migh t h ave no tbeen even th is ceremony

,t h e ch aracters wh ose business was o ver merely

mak ing way fo r t h e new comers, w ith o u t leaving t h e stage, o r be ing in any

formal way separated from i t . A case o fth is kind o ccurs in an o ld Engl ishplay

,M onsieur D

’

Olive,by Ch apman

,Act 3, Scene 1 , wh ere t h e Duke,

Duch ess,and train pass o ver t h e stage t o see t h e Earl of Anne’s unburied

w ife ; pause and talk , ye t tak e no no tice of t h e Earl and h is bro th er,wh o

were in previo us po ssess ion of t h e scene,and wh o remain o n i t wh en t h e

rest depart, resuming th e ir d isco urse as i f no th ing h ad o ccurred t o interrupt th em.

In th e o riginal enter seated , asanastha p ravi sali, a rath er prepo st erous stage d irection, bu t no t w i th o u t a paral le l in t h e B ritish drama. Th usin Th e P inner ofWakefield Enter a sh o emaker s itting upon t h e stage atwork .

”In

’Tis p i ty Sh e is a Wh ore, Dodsley

’

s ed ition, Enter t h e Friar inh is study, s itting in a ch air.

”In t h e same piece

,Ent er G iovanni and An

nabella lying o n a bed ;” and in Th e L over’s M elanch o ly, EnterMaleander

o n a co u ch .

” Th is so rt of d irectio n is co nstant in t h e o ld ed itions,and

leaves it t o b e inferred th at t h e ch aracters h ad no al ternative bu t t o walk inand o ccupy t h e ch air o r bed

,wh ich latter t h e property man

,as Malone

o bserves , was o rdered t o th rust upon t h e stage wh en a bed-ch amberwas t obe represented . Th e G reeks h ad s ome device fo r th is purpo se

,al th o ugh

i t do es no t appear very d istinctly wh at . Th e Encyclema,as described by

Jul ius Po ll ux, appears t o h ave been a raised platform w ith a seat, and t oh ave turned on a pivo t

,and t h e o pen s ide be ing made t o face t h e aud ience ,

d iscovered t h e ch aracter s itting, as Eurip ides in t h e Ach arnians and

Soph ocles in th e clo uds .

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44 THE TOY- CART.

Mad. Ah ! now I know— h e in wh o se h ouse you to ld me

you h ad taken refuge .

Vas. How is h e called ?

Mad. He lives near t h e Exch ange .

*

Vas. I asked yo u h is name .

Mad. His well-se lected name is Charudat ta.

Vas. Righ t , Madanika; righ t, girl, now yo u know all.

Mad. Is it so (Aside ) But , lady, it is said th at h e is very

po or.

Vas. I love h im,neverth eless. No . longer let t h e world

believe th at a courtesan is insensible t o a po or man’s merit .

Mad. Y et , lady, do t h e bees swarm in t h e mango - tree aft er

i t h as sh ed it s blo ssoms.

Vas . Th erefo re are th ey called want ons l‘

Mad. Well,if h e is t h e object of your affections

,why no t

contrive an interview

Vas . I h ave provided fo r it t h e sch eme must succeed and

alth o ugh it is no t easy t o ge t access t o h im, yet it may be

managed.

Mad. I suppo se it was with th is View th at your ornaments

were depo sited in h is h andsVas. Yo u h ave a sh rewd guess

,wench . [Th ey retire.

Scene— A Street,with an op en Temp le ; noise beh ind.

Hallo a, sirs , h alloa ! Yon gambler h as lo st t en suvarrlas, and is

running offwith ou t paying— stop h im stop h im Ah,I see

you , th ere yo u go — stop stop

Enter the SAMVAHAKA hastily i

Curse on my gambling propensities I am kicked by an ass,as it were by a sh e -ass just broke away from h er first h alter

Sellh i-chat tare padivasadi orSresh lh i-ch atwarep rativasat i. He l ives int h e street of t h e Seth s, o r principal merch ants and bank ers .

T h e o riginal is a pun on t h e word madh ukaras, h oney-mak ers o r

beggars .

A perso n employed t o knead and ch afe t h e l imbs . Th e stage d irectionfor h is entrance impl ies a curtain . He enters

,as t h e manuscripts of th is

THE TOY- CART. 45

I am picked up by a pike * like G halotkacha by t h e dart ofKarria

,

-’l'

no so oner did I see t h e master of t h e table qt intent

upon t h e writings, th an I started. Now I h ave go t away

from th em,wh ere can I conceal myself ? Th e gamester and

piece, bo th text and comment, h ave it, apataksh ep a, wh ich migh t be rendered no t pu tting aside t h e curtain, break ing th rough i t in some part

,

expressing h urry and frigh t ; in o th er plays, h owever, t h e ph rase is, more

correctly, ap atiksh epa, th rowing up t h e curtain from ap ali, a screen, andksh epa, throw ing .

Th e sense of th is passage is rath er obscure, bu t th ere can be no doubtthat puns are intended, and th at gedankt or gardabh i, meaning a sh e-ass,as we l l as earn, a dart or pike, imply someth ing e lse in th is place perh apsth ey signi fy th e implements of play, cards, or d ice . Th e commentator isevidently at a loss, but is incl ined t o consider th em t o mean co ins, wh ichis no t impossible .

1‘ Th e demon G hat'

o tkach a was k i lled by Karria, w i th a lance given h imby Indra. Th e story is to ld in t h e Mahabharata, and is translated in t h e1 3th vo lume of t h e Asiatic Research es .

I!: Th e Sabh ika is said in t h e Mi takshara t o be a person wh o pres ides ath ouses wh ere assembl ies are h e ld for purposes ofgambl ing, andwh o providest h e d ice and all o th ermaterials . Th e Agni

-Puraria, wh ich in t h e law ch apters is identically th e same w ith th e text of Yajnyavalkya , gives th e fo l lowing description of th e Sabh ika

’

s du ties and t h e laws of t h e gam ing-tableTh e Sabh ika is entitled t o five per cent . on money won at play

,wh enever

t h e sum exceeds one h undred ; i f it fal l sh ort ofth at amount,h e is t o rece ive

t en per cent. In return for t h e pro tection of t h e k ing, h e sh al l pay t o t h eroyal treasury a fixed pro portion of h is profits . It is h is business t o co l lectfrom t h e unsuccessfu l party wh atever sums th eymay h ave lost, and transferth em t o t h e w inners; and i t becomes h im t o do th is civilly

, and t o adjust t h epayment on l iberal and lenient terms . In all l icensed gaming-h o uses, wh eret h e royal du es are regularly paid, t h e k ing sh ou ld enforce t h e payment ofallsums lo st , bu t h e sh ou ld no t interfere w ith gaming-h ouses ofadifi

‘

erent class.

In all d ispu tes, th o se wh o h ave been lo okers-on are t o be w itnesses ; and i fany fou l play or false d ice b e proved against agambler, h e sh all be brandedand ban ish ed t h e kingdom . Th e k ing sh al l appo int propero ffi cers t o attendat gambling-h o uses, and secure all d ish onest ch aracters ; t h e same ru les areappl icable t o co ck -pits and o th er similarplaces, wh ere animals are set t o figh tfo r wagers.

”Th e legal sanction th u s given t o gambl ing is very d ifferent

from t h e sturdy and moral no tions expressed byManu , wh o d ire cts kings t oproh ibit such practices in th e ir dominions, and even t o punish w i th deathth o se wh o engage in th em th emse lves or induce o th ers t o do so

,— Manu

San’

i h ita, ix. 221 — 224,—bu t regu lations of e ith er tendency are manifest

ind ications of considerable progress in t h e vices of civil ised society.

46 THE TOY- CART.

t h e master are at my h eels. Here is an empty temple I will

walk backwards into it,and take my stand as it s de ity.

(Enters the temple. )

EnterMATHURA,the keeper of th e G aming-h ouse

,and th e

G ambler.

Math . Halloa, sirs ! stop h im,stop h im .

G ain. Th ough yo u h ide in h ell, or take sh e lter with Indra,

yo u sh all no t escape : Rudra h imself canno t pro tect you . Th e

keeper of t h e gaming-h ouse is your only ch ance .

Math . Wh ith er, yo u deceiver of a courteous publican, h ave

‘

yo u flown. Y o u are sh aking with fear,every limb ofyo u I

know it by yo ur irregular fo o tmarks, as your feet h ave slipped

and stumbled o ver t h e ground, blackening your family and

fame .

G ain. So far h e h as run, but h ere t h e track is lo st.Math . Hey, t h e fo o tmarks are all reversed. Th is temple

h ad no image in it. Oh,t h e vi llain

,h e h as walked backward

into it.

G uru. Let us after h im.

Math . Agreed . (Enter th e temp le, and signify in dumb sh owto each oth er th e discovery of th e Samvahaka. )G ain. Is th is image , th ink yo u , ofwo od ?Math . No i t appears t o me t o be of stone . (They shake and

p inch the Samvahaka.) Ne v er mind it, let u s sit down and play

o u t o ur game . (Th ey play. )Sam. (Wh o gradually expresses an interest in watch ing th e game. )

Th e rattling o f t h e dice are as tantalising t o a man with out

a penny, as t h e sound o fa drum t o a king with ou t a kingdom .

I sh all no t play, I know. G ambling is as bad as be ing pitch edfrom t h e t 0p ofmount Meru and ye t, like t h e G od s song, t h esound of t h e dice is really bewitch ing.

G ain. Th e th row is mine .

Math . No,no , it is mine .

Sam. (Forgetting h imselfandjump ing of thepedestal. ) No , no ,it is mine .

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48 THE TOY-CART.

Sam. And you give up half ? (To the Sabh ika. )Math . Yes

,I do .

Sam. Th en,go od morning t o yo u , gentlemen . (G oing )

Math . Halloa,no t so fast

,wh ere are you go ing ?

Sam. See h ere,my masters— one h a

'

s forgiven me one

h alf, and t h e o th er h as let me off ano th er h alf; is it no t clear

th at I am quits for th e wh o le ?

Math . Hark ye , my friend, my name is Math ura. I know

a th ing or tw o,and am no t t o be done in th is way so down

directly with t h e wh o le sum.

Sam. Wh ere am I t o ge t it ?

Math . Sell your fath er.

Sam. Wh ere is my fath er

Math . Sell your mo th er.

Sam. Wh ere is sh e ?

Math . Sell yourself.*

Sam. Well,well, be pacified, take me upon t h e h ighway.

Math . Come along. (Th ey proceed. ) Wh at h o,go od

wo rth y friends ; pray, some one buy me of th is gambler for

t en sarari as.

Passenger/r Wh at no ise is th at ?

Sam. I will be your servant,your slave . G one

, and no

reply— we ll , try again : wh o buys,wh o buys ; will no one

buy me of th is gambler fo r t en suvarrias He h as passed

and no t said a syllable ! Ah,luckless me

,ever since t h e

noble Charudat ta came t o poverty,I pro sper only in mis~

fo rtunes .

Math . Come,come— give me t h e money.

Sam. How sh ou ld I give it ? (Falls and is dragged along by

Mathura. ) Murder,murder ! h elp— pro tect me .

A cred itor is auth orised by t h e o ld H indu law t o enforce payment o fan acknowledged debt by blows, t h e detention of t h e debto r’s person

,and

compel l ing h im t o work in h is service th is treatment of t h e Sanivdhaka ,th ere fo re, h owever barbaro us, is perfectly legal .

Akas’

e is t h e stage d irection, a vo ice in t h e air bu t th is stage d ircet ion supposes a very th in company none t o act mob.

THE TOY- CART. 49

Enter DARDURAKA.

G ambling is t o t h e gamester an empire with o ut a th roneh e never anticipates defeat

,but levie s tribu te from all

,and

liberally disburses wh at h e obtains h e enj oys t h e revenu es ofa prince

,and co unts t h e opulent amongst h is servants money

,

wife , friends, all are t o be w on at t h e gaming- table,and all

is gained, all po ssessed, and all lo st at play. Let me see Tray

carried off everyth ing Deuce set my skin crawling A ce

settled t h e po int,and Doublets dish ed me completely. Ha !

Th e terms h ere used in t h e original are no t fam il iar t o t h e Hindu s o ft h e present day . Th ey are Treta, Pavara , Nardi ta

, and K ala for th eset h e commentary substitu tes Tiya, Duct , Nadi, and Para

,or Th ree, Two ,

Ace, and Fo ur. I f correct,t h e game al luded t o is ak ind ofHaz ard i t is

played upon a table o r clo th w ith fo ur compartments,cal led severally

Nadi,Dua

,Tiya, and Ch o uk or Para,

and by any number of players .

Each stakes, upon one o r o th er of t h e compartments, wh atever sum t h e

caster w il l se t h im in. Th e caster h as s ixteen cowries , wh ich h e shakes inh is h ands and th rows on t h e ground th o se th at fal l w ith t h e valve uppermo st are counted

, and accord ing as th ey correspond t o e ith er oft h e d ivis io ns,th at d ivis ion sweeps t h e table . Th e mode of co unting th em refers t o t h efavourite mode o f te l l ing offarticles in India by fo ur; and t h e numbers ofo ne

,two

, &c.,are no t only th o se numbers simply, bu t t h e same in excess

abo ve fo ur and i ts mu ltiples ; th u s Nadi o r Ace is co unted by one , five ,n ine

,o r th irteen cowries D ua or Deu ce, by two , six, t en, and fo urteen ;

Tiya’

or Tray, by th ree , seven ,e leven,

and fi fteen ; and Para, by fo ur,e igh t

,twe lve, and s ixteen . Th ere is reason t o doubt

,h owever, wh eth er

t h e commentator is correct, and t h e wo rd Nardita presents some trace oft h e word N erd— t h e game presented t o t h e Ind ians by t h e Persians in ex

ch ange fo r ch ess invented, acco rding t o Firdusi , by Bu z erj emehr bu t im

proved by h im , accord ing t o o th er trad it io ns no ticed by t h e au th or of th eB u rh ankati . Th e Arabic auth orities qu o ted by Hyde refer i t t o Sh ap ur ,o r h is son A rdesh ir

,oft h e Sasanian dynasty ; bu t , as h e observes, t h e lu ven

tio n is more usual ly ascribed t o Palamedes at t h e s iege of Troy. I t is nudoubtedly an ancient game

,and was probably fam i l iarly known t o all t h e

eastern natio ns long before t h e time of Nu sh irvan ; t h e Ind ians as wel las o th ers ; and i f th ey invented ch ess , th ey m igh t very naturally h avee laborated i t o u t of th is game , th e ir Ch oup er o r Ch aturanga, a w ord wh ichseems t o be t h e o riginal of Sh alreng o rSh atrenj , Z atrikion, Ech ecs, Scacch i ,Ch ess, and wh ich is appl icable t o t h e game as played w ith fo ur bo dies o rarm ies . Sir W i ll iam Jones was info rmed th at Ind ian ch ess was so played ;bu t th ere is no satisfacto ry pro o f of th is , and i t may be do ubted wh eth erany o th er game o f tables th an Ch oup er is traceable in Sanskri t works.

VOL. I. D

50 THE TOY- CART.

h ere ’s my acquaintance , t h e keeper of th e gaming-h ouse

,

Math ura I canno t avo id h im,so I w ill wrap myself up so as

no t t o be known . Eh ! th is vest is rath er th readbare ; it is

embellish ed with sundry h o les . It makes but a sorry covering,

and lo oks best fo lded up . (Folds up h is upp erclolh after

examining it, and puts it under h is arm. ) Never mind h im ;

w h at can h e do t o me ? I can stand with one fo o t on t h e

ground,and t h e o th er in t h e air

, as long as t h e sun is in t h e

h eavens .

Math . Come,come ; your money.

Sam. Wh ence is it t o be go t ?

Dar. Wh at is go ing on h ere

Passen. Th is gambler is getting a th rash ing from th e Sa

bh ika,and nobody will take h is part.

Dar. Indeed ! th en I mu st interfere,I see . (Approaches )

Make way h ere ; h eigh , sirs : Math ura,th at rogue , and t h e

Sarfivah aka t h e wretch,wh o se h ead is h anging below h is

h eels at sunset,w h o se back is variegated with stripes and

bru ises , and wh o se legs are daily nibbled by t h e dogs wh at

h as h e , with h is lank emaciated carcase , t o do with gambling ?

I mu st appeas e Math ura. G o od day , Math ura.

Mam. G o od day , go od day .

Dar. Wh at are you at h ere ?

Math . Th is fe llow owes me t en suvarrias.

B ar. A trifle,a t rifle .

*

Math . (Snatch ing Darduraka’s ragged cloth from h im. ) See

h ere,my mast ers h ere is a pretty fellow

,in a ragged robe ,

t o call t en suvarrias a trifle .

Dar. t y , yo u blo ckh ead, h ow o ften do I stake t en suvar

Th ere is a strik ing resemblance between t h e Pasas of t h e Hindus andPesso s of t h e G reeks , t h e latter o fwh ich Hyde identifies wi th d ice used int h e Nerdiludium. Wo dh u ll

,t h e translator of Euripides, ado pts t h e same

versio n, and th e ir au th o ri ty is pre ferable t o th at o f Pope,wh o renders

i t Ch ess, bu t makes i t o u t someth ing very d ifferent in h is no te on t h e

passage .

Literally, amorning meal , a break fast, Ii'

alyarartlam.

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52 THE TOY- CART.

between h im and Mathura, and a scufile ensues

they pause.

Math . You villain ! you son ofa slave ! you sh all suffer for

th is.

Dar. Y ou fe el ! you h ave assaulted me on t h e king’s h igh

way ; you sh all see t o -mo rrow,in court

,wh eth er you are t o

beat people in th is manner.

Math . Ah , h a ! yes , yes , I sh all see depend upon it.

Dar. How so h ow will yo u see ?

Malh . How ! wh y , so , t o be sure . (Thrusting h isfaceforward. )

[Darduraka throws a handfu l of dust into h is eyes ,

Mdlhura cries out with pain andfalls lh e Sarhva

haka recovers,and according to Darduraka

’

s gestien

lutions makes h is escap e.

Dar. Math ura is a man o f some we igh t h ere,th at ’s cer

tain I h ad better th erefo re take myself off. My friend S'

ar

vilaka to ld me th at a cunning man h as proph esied t o a cow

h erd,named Aryaka, t h at h e sh all be king

,and people like

myself are flo cking t o h im acco rdingly : my plan is t o j o in

h im with t h e rest . [Exit

Scene— VASANTASENA’S HOUSE (ou tside and inside) .

Enter th e SAMVAHAKA,wandering about.

(Interior. ) Th e do or of th is h ou se is o pen ; I will enter it.

(Enters and sees V asantasena. ) Lady, I seek pro tection .

Vas. It is o ffered you fear no th ing . Madanika,sh ut t h e

do o r. Wh at do yo u fly from ?

Sam. A credito r.

Vas. Secure t h e do o r. (To Madanika. )Sam. (To h imself. ) Sh e seems t o be as much afraid of a

creditor as myse lf ; so mu ch t h e bett er ; h e th at takes'

a

burth en su ited t o h is strength w ill no t slip by t h e way , nor

perish in t h e th icke t My situat ion is duly known h ere,it

seems.

THE TOY- CART. 53

Enter (ou tside of the House) MATHURA and the G AMBLER .

Math . (Rubbing h is eyes. ) Th e money, I say ; I will h ave

the money.

G am. Sir,w h ilst w e were struggling with Darduraka, th e

o th er rogue h as run off.

Math . Th e villain ! but I h ave flattened h is no se for h im ;

w e sh all track h im by t h e blo od.

G am. He h as entered h ere . (Stops at Vasanlasena’

s door. )Math . Th e t en suvarrlas are gone .

G am. Let u s complain t o t h e prince .

Math . In t h e meantime t h e sco undre l will come forth and

escape . No le t u s wait h ere w e sh all h ave h im yet .

Inside of the House.

Vas. (Makes signs to Madanika. )Mad. (To the Sanivahaka. ) My mistress, sir, wish es t o know

wh ence yo u are wh o yo u are wh at yo u are and wh at you

are afraid of.

Sam. I will tell you . I was born, lady , at Pat'

alipu tra I

am t h e son of a h ouseh o lder, and fo llow th e pro fession of a

Sarfiva’

h aka.

Vas. Were yo u trained t o th is effeminate o ccupation ?

Sam. I learnt t h e practice , lady, t o ge t a live lih o od.

Mad So far so go od. Pro ceed.

Sam. Wh ilst living in my fath er’s h o use , I h eard trave llers

talk of distant countries,and fe lt curiou s t o visit th em my

self. Acco rdingly , I came t o Ujjayin, wh ere I entered into t h e

service of a distinguish ed person,wh o se like for an engaging

figure and courteous spee ch never yet acknow ledged kindness

o r forgo t offence— enough said h e only values h is consequ ence

as it enables h im t o do go od and ch erish all wh o seek h is

pro tection.

Sh e calls i t a sukumara-kala, a very so ft art ; perh aps no t intend ing

t h e exact sense wh ich , in confo rmity w ith Euro pean ideas, is attach ed t oi t in t h e translation.

54 THE TOY- CART.

Mad. Wh o is th is th at so graces Ujjayin, h aving sto len t h e

go od qualities my lady loves ?

Vas. Righ t,Madanika, my h eart suggests t o me t h e same

inquiry .

Mad. Pro ceed.

Sam. Th is gentleman h aving by h is munificent bounty

Vas. Lavish ed all h is wealth .

San'

i . How sh o uld your ladysh ip know ? I h ave no t yet to ld

yo u th is .

Vas. I need no telling : wo rth and w ealth are rarely found

togeth er. Th e po o l is full t o t h e brim ,w h o se water is unfit fo r

drinking.

Ilfad Oblige u s with h is name .

Sani . To wh om is t h e appellation of th at earth ly mo on un

known,entitled t o universal eulogium ? h is h abitation is near

t h e Exch ange h is name is Charudat ta.

Vas. (Springs from h er seat . ) G irl , girl, a seat. Th is h ou se

is yours,sir pray be seated. A fan wench — qu ick o ur

worth y gu est is fatigu ed.

*

Sam(To h imself. ) Su ch respect from t h e simple utterance of

Charudat ta’

s name ! Bravo ! excellent Charudat ta ! yo u in th is

w orld live ; o th er men only breath e . (Falls at Vasantasena’

s

feet . ) Pray, lady, resume your seat .

Vas. (Sitting down. ) Wh ere is your w ealth y dun ?

Sam. He is truly w ealth y, T wh o is rich in go od acts

,

alth ough h e o wn no t perish able rich es . He w h o know s h ow

t o h onour o th ers,knows h ow h is h onour may be best de

se rv ed.

Vas. Pro ceed.

Th is migh t be th o ugh t a l ittle extravagant , bu t i t is no t w ith out aparal lel in European flattery

,and from m o tives less reputable . Lewis

X IV. h aving one day sent a fo o tman t o t h e Duk e ofMonbaz on w itha le tter

,t h e duke

,wh o h appened t o be at d inner

,made t h e fo o tman take

t h e h igh est place at h is table , and afterwards accompanied h im t o t h e

court-yard, because h e came from t h e k ing.

f Th e connexion of t h e reply w ith Vasantasena’s question turns upont h e word Dhanika

,wh ich means a rich man as we l l as a cred itor.

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56 THE TOY- CART.

Inside of th e House.

EnterMADANIKA.

Th ey h ave gone aw ay,madam

,qu ite pleased.

Vas. Now,my friend, depart, and relieve t h e anxiety of

your family.

Sam. If th ere be anyth ing,lady

,in wh ich I can be o f use

t o y ou , employ me.

Vas. Th ere is a h igh er claim upon your service you

sh ou ld still be ready t o minister t o h im by wh om you were

once employed,and on wh o se account your skill was ac

quired.

Sam. Th e lady discards me h ow sh all I requite h er kind

ness (A loud. ) Lady, as I find my pro fession only begets dis

grace,I w ill become a Bauddh a mendicant I tell yo u my

design,and beg you w ill ke ep it in your reco llection.

Vas. Nay , friend, do no th ing rash ly.

Sam. I am determined,lady. (G oing) In bidding adieu

t o gambling,t h e h ands of men are no longer armed against

me I can now h o ld up my h ead bo ldly as I go along t h e pub

lic road. (A noise beh ind th e scenes. ) Wh at is th e matternow ?

(B eh ind the scenes. ) Vasantasena’

s h unting eleph ant h as

broken lo o se .

Sarh . I mu st go and see th is furi ous beast —

yet wh y

sh ould I,as I purpo se a pious life ? [Exit

A continued clamour with ou t till KARNAPIiRAKA enters hastily.

Kar. Wh ere is my lady ?

Literal ly a Sakya-s’

ramanaka,sakhassamanaka. Th e expression is

rath erremarkable, for i t decides an important po int in t h e rel igio us h istoryof t h e Hindus. Th e Sarinanes or G ermanes o f t h e days ofA lexander h avebeen suppo sed t o be Bauddh a ascetics o nly. Mr. Co l ebro oke, h owever, h assh own th at t h e term Sramah a is no t restricted t o t h e Bauddh a sect

,bu t

is equally appl icable t o any ascetic ; and al th ough t h e probable o riginal ofSar manes and Samanceans

,and usual ly expressing a B auddha, i t do es no t

necessari ly bear th at import . T h is assertion is h ere confirmed,as t h e

au th o r th inks it'

necessary t o add Sakya t o Sramaziaka, t o imply a mend icant t h e fo l lower o fSakya M uni

, or last l iving B uddh a.

THE TOY - CART.

Mad. Yo u unmannerly fellow wh at ails you ? Canno t you

see your mistress and address h er fi t t ingly 2

KW . Lady,I salute you .

Vas. Kariiapfiraka, you seem h igh ly pleasedwith someth ing ;wh at is it

K ai". Yo u h ave lo st a great deal tod ay in no t witnessing

your h umble servant’s ach ievement.

Vas. Wh at ach ievement ?

K CW . Only h ear. Your ladysh ip’s fierce eleph ant K h ur’i

t’

amoraka* killed h is keeper and broke h is ch ain ; h e th en

sco ured off along t h e h igh road, making a terrible confusion .

Th e peo ple sh ou ted and screamed,

Carry off t h e ch ildren,

get up t h e trees,climb t h e walls

,t h e e leph ant is coming ! ”

Away went girdles and anklets and pearls and diamonds

were scattering about in all d ire ctions . Th ere h e was,

plunging about in Ujjayin, and tearing everyth ing t o pieces

with h is trunk,h is feet

,and h is tusks

,as if t h e city h ad been

a large tank fu ll of lo tus flowers . A mendicant came in h is

way ,t h e eleph ant broke h is staff

,water-

po t , and platter,

sprinkled h im with water from h is trunk,and h e ld h im up

between h is tusks ; all cried ou t,

“ Th e h o ly man will be

killed.

”

Vas. Alas ! alas !

Kai: Don’t be alarmed ; only h ear. See ing h im th us at

large,and h andling t h e h o ly man so rough ly

,I,Karriapuraka,

my lady’

s h umblest slave,determined t o rescue t h e mendicant

and punish my gentleman so I quickly snatch ed up an iron

bar,and approach ing h im side long

,+ made a desperate blow

at t h e animal .

Vas. G o on.

Th e name of t h e eleph ant K h urit'

amoralca, wh ich is given in t h e text,is said t o be a Mah ratta compo und

, s igni fying t h e breaker of t h e po st t owh ich h e is ch ained .

Vdmach alafienayu ala-lehhhaam uggh u sia, drawing a gaming-letterwi tht h e left fo o t

,is t h e l iteral expression, t h e exact sense ofwh ich is no t ex

plained by t h e commentator.

58 THE TOY- CART.

K eir. Big as h e was,like t h e peaks of Vindh ya, I brough t

h im down and saved th e saint.

Vas. Y o u h ave done well .

K ar. So everybody said, “ Well done , Kariiapuraka, well

done ! ” fo r all Ujjayin,in a panic, like a bo at ill- laden was

h eaped o n o ne spo t,and one person, w h o h ad no great matter

of dress t o boast of h imse lf,turning h is eyes upwards, and

fetch ing a deep sigh,th rew h is garment o ver me .

Vas. Do es it smell o fjasmines 2

K err. Th e smell o f t h e eleph ant’s frontal mo isture is st ill in

my no strils so I canno t te ll h ow t h e garment smells .

Vas. Is th ere any name on it ? see,see

K e r. Here are letters ; your ladysh ip will best be able t o

read

Vas. (Reads ) Charudat ta (Throws th e cloth round h er with

deligh t.)Mud. How well t h e garment becomes our mistress

,do es it

no t ?

K ar. (Sullcily) Y es , it becomes h er we ll enough .

Vas. Karriapuraka, be th is your recompense . (G iues h im an

ornament. )K ur. (Puts it to h is h ead andbows. ) Now indeed t h e garment

sets as it sh ou ld do .

Vus. Wh ere did you le av e Charudat ta’

l

Ke r. G o ing h ome,I believe

,along th is road.

Vas. (To Mndunihol. ) Qu i ck, girl , quick 5 up on th is terrace ,and w e may yet catch a glimpse of h im. [Exeunt

Th e art ofmark ing o n l inen was th ere fo re known t o t h e H indus.

END OF THE SECOND ACT.

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60 THE TOY- CART.

Like a dear friend, it ch eers th e lonely h eart,And lends new lu stre t o t h e so cial meeting.

It lu lls t h e pain th at absent lovers feel,

And adds fresh impulse t o t h e glow ofpassion .

Mait. Come,sir

,let u s get h ome .

C’hdr. In tru th , brave Rebh ila,’twas deftly sung.

Mait. Now,t o me

,th ere are tw o th ings at wh ich I canno t

ch o o se bu t laugh , a woman reading Sanskri t,and. a man sing

ing a song : t h e w oman snuflies like a young cow wh en t h e

rope is first passed th rough h er no strils ; and t h e man wh eezes

like an o ld Pandit w h o h as been repeating h is bead-ro ll till

t h e flowers of h is ch aplet are as dry as h is th roat : t o myseeming it is vastly ridi cu lous.

Chdr. Wh at,my go od friend, were you no t pleased t o -nigh t

with Rebh ila’s fine execution

Smo o th were th e tones , articulate and flowing

With graceful modu lation,sweet and pleasing,

And fraugh t w ith warm and passionate expression

So th at I o ften th ough t th e dulcet sounds

Some female,stationed covertly, must utter.

Still e ch o e s in my ears t h e so o th ing strain,And as I pace alo ng

,meth inks I h ear

Th e liquid cadence and melodio u s utterance .

Th e rin’

s sw eet no tes,now gently undulating

,

Now swelling h igh,now dying t o a clo se

Vish nu -Puraria om it th em. In one place t h e Padma-Purafia gives bu televen, omi tting t h e Kau stubh a or gem ofKrishna ; in ano th er

,t h e Ut tara

K handa, i t enumerates nine , and t h e l ist is rath er pecu l iar. It runsPo ison ; t h e G oddess of M isfo rtune ; t h e G oddess o f Wine ; Slo th ; t h eApsarasas ; t h e Eleph ant of Indra ; Lak shmi ; t h e Mo on ; t h e Tu lasiplant. Th e Mahabhdrata specifies bu t nine ; omitting t h e Cow and Tree ofPlenty and t h e beauties ofSwarga.

Th e re in in draft-cattle is passed th rough t h e cartilagino us septum of

t h e no se . Th e fash io n seems t o h ave been aEuropean one in former timesth us [ ago says of Oth ello

He w i l l as tenderly be led by t h e nose ,As asses are .

”

THE TOY- CART. 6 1

Sporting awh ile in desulto ry descant,

And still recurring t o t h e tastefu l th eme .

*

Mail. Come , my friend, t h e very dogs in t h e h igh ro ad

th rough t h e market-place are fast asleep let u s go h ome .

See,see

,th e mo on descends from h is mansion in th e skies

,

making h is way th rough t h e darkness .

Ch oir. True h ave yo u said. From h is h igh palace bow ed,

And h astening t o h is setting, scantly gleams

Th e waning mo on, amidst t h e gath ering glo omIn slender crescent

,like t h e tusk’s fine po int

,

Th at peers above t h e darkening wave,wh ere bath es

Th e fo rest e leph ant .

Mail. He re w e are at h ome . Ho lloa ! Vardh amana, arise

and Open t h e do or.

Vardh . (With in ) Hark , I h earMaitreya’

s vo ice Charudat ta

is returned I must let h im in. (Op ens the door. ) Sir,I salu te

yo u yo u also Maitreya. Here are t h e couch es ready spreadplease y ou t o repo se . (Th ey enter and sit. )Mail. Vardh amana, tell Radanika t o bring water fo r t h e

feetd ’

Char. Nay , nay , disturb no t th o se wh o are asleep .

Vardh . I w ill bring water, andMaitreya h ere can wash yourfeet .

Mail. Do you h ear, my friend, t h e son of a slave ? h e is t oh o ld t h e water

,and h e sets me

,wh o am a Brahman

,t o wash

your feet.

9" Some l iberties h ave been h ere unavo idablv taken w ith t h e text,for t h e

precise fo rce ofseveral o f t h e tech nical terms employed i t is imp oss ible t orender w ith ou t a fam il iarity w ith t h e musical th eory of t h e H indus

,t o

w h ich t h e translato r makes no pretence . I t is be l ieved,h owever

,th at t h e

deviation from th e ir general teno r is no t very excurs ive .

Wash ing t h e feet upon a person’

s return h ome h as always been t h ecommon practice of t h e o riental nations i t was equal ly t h e practice o f t h eG reeks : th u s Ph ilocleon in t h e Wasp s

Next my girl , sprigh tly nymph , brings h er napk in and lymph,

Feet and ankles are qu ick in ablu tion.

62 THE TOY-CART.

Chdr. Do you , Maitreya,h o ld th e water ; Vardh amana can

perform t h e rest .

Vardh . Come th en,worth y Maitreya

,pour o u t t h e water.

(Vardhaindna wash es Chdrudatta’

s feet,and is going. )

Chair. Nay , Vardh amana, wash t h e feet of t h e Brahman.

Mail. Never mind it is of little u se I mus t so on go

tramping over t h e ground again,like a jackass.

Vardh . Mo st wo rth y Maitreya, you are a Brahma-n

,are

you ?

lilait. To be sure I am ; like t h e b oa amongst serpents,so

am I,a Brahman amongst Brahmans .

Vardh . I cry yo u mercy : th at be ing t h e case,I will w ash

your feet. (Does so. ) Now,Maitreya, th is go ld casket

,of

w h ich I h ave h ad t h e ch arge by day , it is yo ur turn t o take

care of. (G ives it to h im,and exit . )

Mail. So it is safe th rough t h e day . Wh at ! h ave w e no

th ieves in Ujjayin, th at no one co uld h av e carried off th is

vile pilferer of my rest : pray let me carry it into t h e court

yard.

Chdr. Impo ssible,it h as been left in trust

And is no t t o b e parted with t o any

Bu t th e righ t owner;Brahman, take h eed t o it. (Lies down.

Still do I h ear t h e so o th ing strain.

Mail. Pray,sir

, is it yo ur intention t o go t o sleep ?Chdr. Assuredly.

I fee l t h e drowsy de ity invade

My fo reh ead, and descend upon my eye lids.

Sleep,l ike decay

,view less and variable

,

G row s stronger in it s triumph o’

er o ur strength .

Mail. Very true , so let u s go t o sleep . (Th ey sleep . )

Enter SARVILAKA (outside) .

Creeping along t h e ground, like a snake craw ling ou t of h is

o ld skin,I effect w ith sligh t and s trength a passage fo r my

cowering frame . (Looking up . ) Th e so vere ign of t h e skies isin h is decline ’

t is well . Nigh t,like a tender mo th er

, sh rouds

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64 THE TOY- CART.

szoastika,*o r t h e water-jar ? It must be someth ing t o astonish

t h e natives. Th e water jar lo oks best in a brick wall — th at

sh all be t h e sh ape . In o th er walls th at I h ave breach ed by

nigh t , t h e ne igh bours h ave h ad o ccasion bo th t o censure and

approve my talents . Reverence t o t h e prince Kdrttikega, t h e

gi ver of all go od reverence t o t h e god of t h e go lden spear

t o Brdhmanga, t h e celestial ch ampion of t h e celestials t h e son

of fired Reverence t o Yogachdrga, wh o se ch ief sch o lar I am,

and by wh om well pleased was t h e magic unguent i conferred

upon me,ano inted with w h ich

,no eye beh o lds no r w eapon

h arms me . Sh ame onme ! I h ave forgo tten my measuring- line,

— nevermind,my Brahmanical th readwill answ er t h e purpo se .

Th is th read is amo st usefu l appendage t o aBrahman,especially

one o fmy complexion : it serves t o measure t h e depth and

h eigh t o f walls, and t o w ith draw o rnaments from th eir po si

tion it opens a latch in a do o r as w e ll as a k ey , and is an

excellent ligature for t h e bite o fa snake . Let u s t ake measure,

and go t o wo rk so,so — (eatraeling th e bricks) — one brick alone

remains . Ha h ang it I am bitten by a snake— (ties th efinger

with the eord)—’t is w ell again

,— Imust get on. (Looks in. ) How !

a lamp aligh t t h e go lden ray streaming th ro ugh t h e opening

in t h e wall sh ow s amidst t h e exterio r darkness,like t h e yellow

streak ofpure metal on t h e to u ch stone . Th e breach is perfect ;now t o enter. § Th ere is no one . Reverence t o Karttikega.

(Enters. ) Here are tw o men asleep le t me set t h e outer do o r

A magical d iagram so cal led .

1 Th ese are all epith ets o f Kart tikeya, w h o in h is m il itary ch aracterco rresponds t o t h e G recian Mars. He seems t o h ave lost h is reputation as

t h e patron of th ieves, wh o more usually worsh ip some o f t h e forms of

Yogaro ch and. Yoga h ere is abstract devo tio n ,fo r t h e purpose of o h

taining supernatural power. Wh at t h e article is may be do ubted, butrach o namay be rendered unguent .

He talks in t h e text,h owever

,o f send ing in a depu ty first t h e term

is p rat ip u ru sh a, a pro-man o r substitute : i t is ques t ionable

,h owever

,what

is precisely meant h ere , especially as no furth er allus ion is made t o such acharacter i t is probably a sl ip of th e auth or.

THE TOY- CART. 65”

open t o get off easily if th ere sh ou ld be o ccasion ; h ow it creaks

it is stiff w ith age a little water will be of use . (Sprinkles th e

floor. ) Nay , no t so , it makes t o o much no ise pattering on t h e

ground. (Supp orts the door with h is back, and op ens it. ) So far,

so well . Now ,are th ese true sleepers o r only counterfeits ? (He

tries them. ) Th ey are sound t h e breath ing is regular and no t

flu ttered t h e eye is fast and firmly sh u t t h e body is all re

laxed t h e j o ints are lo o se , and t h e limbs pro trude beyond t h e

limi ts of t h e bed. If sh amming sleep,th ey will no t bear t h e

gleam of t h e lamp upon th e ir faces . (Passes the lamp over th eir

faces. ) All is safe . Wh at h ave w e h ere ? a drum,a tabor

,a

lute,pipes ; and h ere are bo oks . Wh y , zounds, I h ave go t into

th e h ouse ofa dancer or a po et . I to o k it fo r t h e dwe lling of

some man of consequence , o r I sh ou ld h ave let it alone . Is

th is po verty,or only t h e sh ow ofpoverty ? fear of th ieves

,o r

dread of t h e king ? Are t h e effects h id undergro und? Wh at

ever is underground is my pro perty . Let u s scatter t h e seed,

wh o se sowing leaves . no th ing undis cernible . (Throws abou t

seeds. ) Th e man is an abso lute pauper, and so I leave h im.

(G oing )Mail. (Dreaming ) Master, th ey are breaking into t h e h ouse .

I see t h e th ief. Here , h ere ! do . you take care of t h e go ld

casket.

Sar. How ! do es h e perce ive me ? do es h e mo ck me with

h is poverty ? h e dies. (Approach ing ) Haply h e dreams.

(Looking at Maitreya. ) Eh sure enough,th ere is in t h e ligh t

of th e lamp someth ing like a casket wrapped up in; a ragged

bath ing-gown th at mu st be mine . No , no it is cru e l t o ruin

a worth y man,so miserably redu ced already. I will even let

it alone .

Mail. (Dreaming ) My friend, if yo u do no t take th e casket,may yo u incur t h e guilt ofdisappo inting a cow ,

and ofdeceiv

ing a Brahman .

Sar. Th ese invocations are irresistible take it I mu st.So ftly t h e ligh t will betray me . I h ave t h e fire-flapping

insect t o put it ou t . I must cast it into t h e lamp . (Takes out th eVOL. I .

66 THE TOY- CART.

insect.) Place and time requiring,let th is insect fly. It h overs

ro und th e wick- with t h e w ind of it s wings t h e flame is

extinguish ed. Sh ame on th is to tal darkness,or rath er sh ame

on t h e darkness with wh ich I h ave obscured t h e lustre of my

race ! h ow well it suits th at S’arvilaka,a Brahman

,t h e son of

a Brahman,learned in t h e four Vedas

,and above rece iving

donations from o th ers,sh ould now be engaged in such un

wort h y courses ! And why ? Fo r th e sake ofa h arlo t,for t h e

sake ofMadanika. Ah,well ! I must even go on

,and acknow

ledge th e co urtesy of th is Brahman.

Mail. (Half-awake. ) Eh,my go od friend, h ow co ld your

h and is !

Sar. Blo ekh ead ! I h ad fo rgo tten,I h ave ch illed my h and

by t h e water I touch ed I will put it t o my side . (C’hafes h is

left hand on h is side and takes the casket with it. )Mail. (Still only half-awake) . Have yo u go t it

so . Th e civility of th is Brahman is exceeding ! I h ave it.

Mail. Now like a pedlar th at h as so ld all h is wares,I sh all

go soundly t o sleep . (Sleeps )Sar. Sleep , illustrious Brahman May yo u sleep a h undred

y ears ! Fie on th is love ! forwh o se dear sake I th us bring trouble

o n a Brahman’

s dwelling— nay, rat h er call down shame upon

myself ; and fi e and fie upon th is unmanning poverty,that

urges me t o acts wh ich I must needs condemn. Now t o

Vasant asenat o redeemmy beloved Madanikawith th is nigh t’s

bo o ty. I h ear fo o tsteps ; sh ould it b e t h e watch — wh at th en ?

sh all I stand h ere like a po st — no,let S

’

arvilaka be h is own

pro tection. Am I no t a cat in climbing,a deer in running

,

a snake in twisting, a h awk in darting upon t h e prey,a dog

in baying man, wh eth er asleep o r awake ? In assuming various

forms am I no t Mdyct h erself,and Saraswati i in t h e gift of

tongues ? A lamp in t h e nigh t, a mule in a defile, a h o rse by

land,a boat by water, a snake in mo tion

,and a ro ck in

Th e perso nification of i l lusion and unreal i ty .

i; Th e wife ofBrahma, and goddess of learning and th e arts .

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68 THE TOY- CART.

Wh at will th e po or fellow h ave t o tell h is comrades ? I h ave

broken into t h e h ou se of th e son of t h e ch ief of a co rporation,and found no th ing.

Mail. Really, I am very much concerned fo r th e luckless

rogue . Ah , h a ! th ough t h e , h ere is a fine h ou se ; now for

j ewels , fo r caskets . (Recollecting. ) By t h e by, wh ere is t h e

casket ? o h yes, I remember. Ha,h a ! my friend, you are apt

t o say of me,th at blo ckh ead Maitreya ! th at dunderh ead

Maitreya ! but it was a wise trick of mine t o give t h e casket

t o you : h ad I no t done so,th e villain would h ave walked off

with it.

Chdr. Come,come

,th is j esting is misplaced.

Mail. Jesting— no,no blo ckh ead th ough I be , I know

wh en a j oke is o u t of season.

Chdr. Wh en did yo u give t h e casket t o me ?

Mail. Wh en I called o u t t o you ,How co ld your h and is ! ”

Ch oir. It must be so . (Looking about . ) My go od friend, I

am much obliged by your kindness.

Mail. Wh y : is no t t h e casket sto len ?

t tr. It is sto len.

Mail. Th en w h at h ave yo u t o th ank me for ?

Ch oir. Th at t h e po or rogu e h as no t gone away empty

h anded.

Mail. He h as carried offwh at was left in tru st .C'hdr. How ! in trust

,alas (Fainls. )

Mail. Revive , revive , sir ! th o ugh t h e th ief h as sto len t h e

depo sit,wh y sh ou ld it so serio u sly affe ct you ?

Chdr. Alas my friend, w h o will believe it sto len ?A general o rdeal waits me . In th is wo rldCo ld poverty is do omed t o wake suspicion.

Alas till now ,my fo rtune only felt

Th e enmity of fate but now it s venom

Sh eds a foul bligh t upon my dearer fame .

Mail. I tell yo u wh at. I will maintain th at t h e casket wasne ver entru sted t o u s. Wh o gave it

,pray ? w h o to ok it ?

w h ere are your witnesses

THE TOY- CART. 69

Chair. Th ink you I can sanct ion th us a falsity ?

No,no I will beg alms

,and so obtain

Th e value of th e pledge , and quit it s owner

Bu t canno t condescend to sh ame my soul

By utterance ofa lie . [Exit

Bad. I will go and tell my mistress what h as h appened.

[Exit

Scene— Anoth er Room.

Enter the WIFE of CHARUDATTA and RADANIKA.

*

Wife. But indeed is my lo rd unh urt ? is h e safe,and h is

friend Maitreya

Rad. Bo th safe,madam, I assure yo u , but th e o rnaments

left by t h e courtesan are sto len.

Wi e. Alas,girl ! wh at say you ? My h u sband

’

s person is

unh armed th at glads me . Yet better had h is person come t o

h arm th an h is fair fame incur disparagement . Th e people of

Ujjayin w ill now b e ready t o su spect th at indigence h as im‘

pelled h im t o an unworth y act . Destiny,th ou po tent de ity

,

th ou sport est w ith t h e fortunes ofmankind, and renderest th em

as tremu lous as t h e watery drop th at quivers on th e lo tus

leaves . Th is string o f j ewels was given me in my maternal

mansion Jr it is all th at is left t o u s, and I know my h usband,

in t h e loftiness of h is spirit , will no t accept it from me . G irl,

go call t h e worth y Maitreya h ith er. [Exit

RADANIKAreturns with MAITREYA.

Mail. Health t o you ,respected lady.

Wife. I salute y ou ,sir. Oblige me by facing t h e east.

Mail. Y o u are obeyed.

Wife. I pray you accept th is .

Mail. Nay, no t so .

Th e close of t h e last scene , t h e present scene , and t h e first part of th eensu ing, o ffer a favourable picture of t h e domestic ch aracter of t h e H indu s .

Radanikah as been rath er rapid in h er communication.

One o f t h e sources of t h e w ife’s peculiar wealth o ver wh ich th e h usband h as no contro l .

70 THE TOY— CART.

Wife. I fasted on th e Ii’alnashash th t,’5 wh en, as you know,

wealth must be given t o a Brahman . My Brahman h ad been

provided e lsewh ere , and I beg th erefore th at, in h is stead,

you will accept th is string ofj ewels.

Mail. Very well ; I will go and state th e matter t o myfriend.

Wife. Th anks, Maitreya ; but take h eed, do no t put me t o

sh ame .

Scene— Th e Hall. CHARUDATTA discovered.

Chdr. Maitreya tarries long in h is distress I h Ope h e do es

no t purpo se augh t unfi t t ing.

Enter MAITREYA .

Mail. Here am I, sir, and bring you th is . (G ives the string

ofjewels. )Ch oir. Wh at is th is ?

Mail. Th e fruit borne by th e exce llence of a wife worth y

ofh er h usband.

Char. Is th is thekindness of t h e Brahman’

s wife ?

Out on it —th at I sh ould be reduced so low

As,wh en my own h as disappeared

,t o need

Assistance from a woman’

s wealth . So trueIt is

,o ur very natures are transformed

By o pulence : t h e po or man h elpless grows,

And woman wealth y acts with manly vigour.

’Tis false I am no t po or — a wife wh o se love

Outlives my fo rtune a true friend w h o sh ares

My sorrows and my joy and h onesty

Unwarped by indigence,th ese still are mine.

Maitreya,h ie th ee t o Vasantasena

,

Tell h er th e casket,h eedlessly impledged

,

Was lo st by me at play, but in it s steadI do beseech h er t o accept th ese j ewels.

A vow is probably impl ied : t h e occasion is no t at present in th eritual t h e term shash th i impl ies it was some observance h eld on t h e sixthday of th e lunar fortnigh t.

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72 THE TOY-CART .

A C T IV.

VASANTASENA’S HO USE

Enter Female Attendant.

I am sent t o th e lady Vasantasenaby h ermo th er oh,h ere

sh e is,lo oking on a picture

,and engaged in conversation w ith

Madanika.

Enter VASANTASENAas described.

Vas. Bu t , Madanika,is th is a go od likeness ofCharudat ta ?

Mad. Very go od.

Vas. How do y ou know ?

Mad. I conclude so,madam

,from t h e affectionate lo oks

wh ich yo u bestow upon it.

Vas. How,wench

,do y ou say th is in t h e language of o ur

pro fession

Ili ad. Nay , madam,sure ly even one of u s is no t incapable

of speaking truth .

Vas . Th e woman,wench

,th at admits t h e love of many

men is false t o th em all.

Ili ad. Yet , madam ,wh en t h e eyes and th ough ts are intent

bu t on one obj ect,it is very unnecessary t o inqu ire t h e cause .

Vas. Bu t tell me,girl

,do I no t seem ridicu lou s t o my

friends

Mad. Nay, no t so , madam a woman is secure of t h e sym

path y of h er companions .

Attendant advances.

A ll. Madam,your mo th er desires you t o ascend your litter

and repair t o t h e private apartments.

Vas. To meet my Charudat ta.

A ll.

THE TOY- CART. 73

Th e person, madam, wh o h as sent th e ch ario t h as

sent very co stly o rnaments.

*

Vas

A ll.

VasA ll.

Vas .

A ll.

Vas

Wh o is h e ?

Samsthanaka, t h e Raja’s bro th er-in-law .

Begone , let me no t h ear h im named.

Fo rgive me,madam I but de liver my message .

Th e message is odious.

Wh at reply am I t o convey t o your lady mo th er ?

Tell h er,if sh e wou ld no t h ave me dead

,sh e must

send me no more such messages.

A ll.

Vas.

couch

I sh all o bey.

Th e Ou tside of the House— A G arden.

Enter S'

ARVILAKA (below) .

My co urse is like th e mo on’

s,and with t h e dawn

Declines it s fading beams my deeds h ave sh amed

Th e laz y nigh t,h ave triumph ed over sleep,

And mo cked t h e baffled vigilance of t h e watch .

Y et I am scant secure,and view w ith terror

Him wh o appears t o track my rapid steps,

Or seems t o h asten w h ere I rest my fligh t.

Th us gu ilty conscience makes me fear, fo r man

Is ever frigh tened by h is own offences . T’

Tis for Madanika’s dear sake alone

I perpetrate th is vio lence,as I sh un

Th e leader and h is train,avo id th e mansion

A woman so le inh abits,o r I stand

Still as t h e do or-po st,wh ile t h e town-guard passes

,

And with a hundred tricks th u s make t h e nigh t

As full of action as t h e bu sy day .

(Wilh in.) Here , girl , take t h e picture,lay it on my

and h ere,bring me my fan.

L iterally,ornaments t o t h e value of t en th ousand suvarzias.

It migh t be rendered, Th us conscience do esmake cowards ofu s all .Tamsarvarfi t ulayati dush it o

’ntaratmaswair dosh air bh avat i h i s

'

ankit o

manushyali.

74 THE TOY- CART.

Mad. I o bey. [Exit Madanikd.

Sar. Th is is t h e dwelling ofVasantasena. Wh ere

can Madanikabe found ?

MADANIKA enters with thefan.

Sar. Ah , h ere sh e comes , as graceful as t h e bride

Of love,and so o th ing t o my burning h eart

As sandal t o th e fevered flesh . Madanika

Mad. Eh ! S’

arvilaka? h ealth t o you . Wh ence do you come ?

Sar. I will tell yo u .

Enter VASANTASENA(above) .

Vas. (Above.) Madinaka tarries long ; wh ere can sh e be ?

(Looks from th e window. ) How sh e is engaged in conversation

w ith a man h er eyes are fixed intently upon h im,and seem t o

quaff o verflowing drafts of love ; th ey appear t o understand

each o th er. He wo o s h er probably t o be h is companion w ell,

be it so never be genu ine affection thwarted. I will wait h er

leisure .

Mad. Well,S’

arvilaka,pro ceed. (He looks cau tiously round.)

Wh y do yo u th us examine t h e place ? Y o u seem alarmed.

Sar. I h ave a secret t o entrust yo u with are w e alone ?

Mad. Quite .

Vas. A se cret th en I must no t listen longer.

Sar. Te ll me , Madanika,wh at co st pro cures

Yo ur manumission ofVasantasena?

Vas. He names me t h e secre t th en regards me, and I

must be a party in it beh ind th is window I can o verh ear h im

unobserved.

Mad. My lady h as o ften declared,S’

arvilaka,th at sh e

would liberate u s all with out price if sh e were h er own mis

tress but wh ere is t h e wealth with wh ich you are t o purch ase

my freedom ?

Sar. To tell you so o th,my poverty and love

Have urged me t o an act ofvio lence .

Vas. How h as th is act transformed h is o th erwise go odly

appearance

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7 6 THE TOY- CART.

Jli ad. Avo id me,wretch ! Yet stay

,I dread t o ask . Was

no one h urt o r murdered in th at mansion ?

Sar. I touch no t one wh o trembles o r wh o sleeps.

Unh armed by me were all in th at abode .

Mad. In truth

Sar. In very truth .

Vas. Do I yet liveMad. Th is is indeed a blessing.

Sar. (With j ealous warmth . )Y ou seem t o take strange interest in th is business.’Twas love ofyo u th at urged me t o t h e act

Me,sprung o fvirtuous and ofpure descent.

Spurred by my passion, I h ave o ffered yo u

A life of credit and a faith fu l h eart

And th is is my reward— t o b e reviled,And find your cares devo ted t o ano th er.

In vain t h e lo fty tree of flowering you th

Bears go odly fru it,t h e prey ofh arlo t birds .

Wealth,manh o od

,all w e value

,are consumed

By passion’

s fierce ungovernable fire .

Ah wh at a fo o l is man,t o place h is trust

In woman o r in fo rtune,fickle bo th

As serpent-nymph s Be woman’

s love unw o o’

d,

Fo r h umble love sh e pays with scorn. Let h er

First pro ffer tenderness,and wh ilst it lasts

Be k ind, bu t leave h er as h er fondness co o ls.

’

Tis wisely said, fo r money woman weeps

And smiles at will,and ofh is confidence ,

Th e man sh e tru sts no t,craftily beguiles .

Le t th en t h e youth ofmerit and o fbirth

Beware t h e wanton’s ch arms

,th at balefu l blow

Like flow ers o n ch arnel ground th e o cean waves

Are less unsteady,and t h e varying tints

Of eve less fleeting th an a woman’

s fondness .

Wealth is h er aim as so on as man is drained

Of all h is go ods,like a squeezed co lour bag,

THE TOY- CART. 7 7

Sh e casts h im off. Brief as t h e ligh tning’s flash

Is woman’s love . Nay , sh e can lo ok devo tion

To one man wh ilst ano th er rules h er h eart,And even wh ilst sh e h o lds in fond embrace

One lover, for h is rival breath es h er sigh s .

Bu t w h y expect wh at nature h as with h eld ?

Th e lo tu s blo oms no t on t h e mountain’

s brow,

No r bears t h e mule t h e burth en of t h e h orse

Th e grain ofbarley buds no t into rice,

Nor dwells one virtue in t h e breast ofw oman.

*

Fo o l th at I was,t o let th at wretch escape

’

Tis no t t o o late,and Charudat ta dies. (G oing )

Mad. (Catch ing h old of h im. ) Y ou h ave talked a great deal of

stuff, and are angry with ou t rh yme o r reason .

Sar. How,with ou t reason ?

Mad. Th ese o rnaments are in truth t h e property of

Vasantasena.

Sar. Indeed

Mad. And were left by h er in depo sit with Charudat ta.

Sar. For wh at purpo se ?

Mad. I will tell you . Wh ispers. )

Sar. I am o vercome with sh ame . Th e friendly branch

Th at gave me sh adow wh en o ppressed with h eat,

My h eedless h and h as sh orn ofit s brigh t leaves .

Vas. I am glad th at h e repents h e h as acted with out

reflection.

Sar. Wh at is t o be done ?

Mad. Y ou are t h e best judge .

In general ising some of th ese asperities t h e au th or is made t o appearmore ofa m isogyn ist th an h e real ly is ; some of t h e aspersions are, h owever,addressed t o t h e wh o le sex , and t h e application o f t h e rest is no t w ith o utcountenance . Th e Hindu po ets very rarely d ispraise w omen; th ey almo stinvariably represent th em as amiable and affecti onate . In th is th eymigh tgive a lesson t o t h e bards o f mo re lo fty nat ions, and particu larly t o t h eG reeks, wh o bo th in tragedy and comedy pursu ed t h e fair sex w ith implacable rancour. Aristo ph anes is no t a wh it beh ind Eurip ides, alth oughh e rid icu les t h e traged ian for h is ungallant propensities.

78 THE TOY-CART.

Sar. Nay, no t so .

Nature is woman’

s teach er,and sh e learns

More sense th an man,t h e pedant

,gleans from bo oks .

Mad. I sh ou ld advise you th en, go and return th ese

ornaments t o Charudat ta.

Sar. And wh at if h e deliver me up t o justice ?

Mad. Th ere is no h eat from t h e mo on .

Sar. I h eed no t ofh is gentleness,and brave

Unsh rinkingly t h e consequ ence ofall

I dare t o do — bu t th is,th is act I blush for

And of such petty scoundrels as myself

How mu st t h e prince dispo se ? No — no ,

We must devise some o th er means .

Mad. I h ave .

Ve s. Wh at can sh e suggest ?

Mad. Y o u sh all pass yourself off as a messenger from

Charudat ta, sent t o restore th ese trinkets t o my lady.

Sar. And wh at resu lts

Mad. Y o u will be no th ief ; Charudat ta wi ll sustain no

lo ss,and my lady recover h er own property.

Sar. Th is is downrigh t robbery,carrying offmy bo o ty.

Mad. If yo u do no t relinquish it,th at will be much more

like robbery.

Vas. We ll said,Madanika you advise as a faith ful friend.

Sar. I h ave gained mu ch by asking yo ur advice .

Wh en th ere is no mo on at nigh t,

’

t is difficu lt

To get a gu ide th at may be safely fo llowed.

Mad. Stay h ere,

*w h ilst I give no tice t o my mistress .

Sar. Be it so .

Mad. (Approach es Vasantasenct . ) Lady, a Brahman attends

you from Charudat ta.

Vas. How do yo u know h is mission ?

Mad. Do I no t know my own affairs ?

In t h e original Imassirh kamadevageh e, in th is dwell ing ofKamadeva,a chamber or open porch probably

, with t h e figure of t h e Hindu Cupid .

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80 THE TOY CART.

Mad. (Weeping ) I am discarded by my mistress. (Falls at

h erfeel. )Vas. Nay , wench , rise , it is now my place t o st 0 0p t o you

go take your seat, and keep me ever in yo ur reco llection.

Sar. Lady, may every go od attend you ! Madanika, with

grateful lo oks survey your bounteous benefactress bow your

h ead in gratitude t o h er t o wh om you ow e t h e unexpected

dignity th at waits upon th e title and th e state ofwife .

*

[They saluteVASANTASENAas she departs, andascend th e car.

(Beh ind )Wh o h ears ? wh o h ears ? th e G overnor commands. In con

sequ ence of a reported proph ecy,th at th e son of a cowh erd,

named Aryaka, sh all ascend t h e th rone,h is majesty Palaka

h as deemed it expedient t o appreh end h im,and detain h im in

confinement. Let all men th erefo re remain quietly in th eir

h ouses, and entertain no alarm .

Sar. How ! t h e king h as seiz ed my dear friend Aryaka,and I am th inking of a wife

Th is world presents tw o th ings mo st dear t o all men ;

A friend and mistress bu t t h e friend is prized

Above a h undred beauties. I must h ence,

And t ry t o liberate h im . (A ligh ts. )Mad. Stay bu t a wh ile

,my deare st lord ; consign me first

t o reputable friends, th en leave me,if it must be so .

Sar. Y o u speak my th ough ts, love . Hark ye . (To th e

servant. ) Know you t h e residence ofRebh ila,Th e ch ief of t h e musicians ?

Serv. I do , sir.

Vadh i’

isabd avagu iilhana, th e co vering of t h e title ofw ife. At th e same

time Madanikais o f course only a w ife for t h e nonce , o r rath er o fan i hferior degree an amie de maison

,o r a gentle concubine . In Ind ia th ese

left-hand marriages are common amongst bo th H indu s and Mo hammedans,

and are considered by no means d isreputable . It would be impo ssible t oco ntract any o th er with a woman of Madanika

’

s past l ife and servile cond ition , On th e gro und of d ispari ty of rank

, left-h and marriages are stil lsanctioned in G ermany, bu t th ey seem no t essentially d ifferent from th o seh ere al luded t o .

THE TOY-CART. 8 1

Sar. Convey my lady th ith er.

Serv. As you command;

Mad. I obey. Farewe ll . For my sake, be no t rash .

[Exit

Now th en t o rouse t h e friends ofAryaka,Our kindred and asso ciates— all wh o deem

Th e king h as wronged th eir will,and all w h o trust

Th e prowe ss of th e ir arms. We will redeem

Our ch ief from bonds, as by h is faith ful minister

Udayana*was rescued.

Th is seizure is unju st, it is th e deedOf a mo st cowardly and treach ero us fo eBu t w e sh all so on release h im from such grasp

,

Like t h e fair mo on from Bdhu ’

s jaw s set

Vasanlasend’s Dwelling (inside) .

Enter A Female Attendant,meeting VASANTASENA

'

.

A ll. Lady, you are fortunate,a Brahman from Charudat ta.

Vas. Th is is indeed a lucky day . Rece ive h im with all

Udayana or Vatsa is a celebrated ch aracter in Hindu fiction. He was

t h e son of Sah asrdnika and grandson of Saldnika,wh o transferred t h e

capital ofUpper Ind ia from Hastinapur t o Kau sambi. Satdnika was t h eson of Janamejaya, t h e great grandson of Arjuna. Vatsa was namedUdayana from be ing edu cated on t h e Eastern o r Udaya mountain by t h esage Jamadagni. Wh en arrived at maturity, h e was decoyed into captivityby Ch aridasena

,king of Ujjayin. He was l iberated by h is m inister Yo

gandh arctyana, and in h is escape carried off Vasavadat td , t h e daugh ter o f

h is capto r. His adventures are recorded in t h e Vdsavadat ta,a po em by

Subh andhu , and in t h e V i' ih at -Katha. Th ey h ave been translated from t h e

latter and publ ish ed in t h e Calcu t ta Q uarterly Magaz ine for June 1 824.

All t h e parties w il l become more fam il iar t o u s h ereafter, as Vatsa is t h eh ero of t h e Ratnavali , translated in t h e fo l low ing pages .

Rdh u is t h e ascend ing no de,personified as t h e h ead of t h e Drago n,

wh o is supposed, in t h e myth o logical astronomy of th e H indus, t o seiz eupon t h e mo on

,and th us o ccas io n ecl ipses . Accord ing t o t h e Mahdbharala,

Reth u was one o f t h e Asuras,or demons

, wh o at t h e ch urning of t h e o ceancrept amongst t h e gods and sto le a draugh t o f amr‘ita or ambro sia. Th e

intruder was detected by t h e Sun and Mo on,wh o po inting h im o u t t o

V ishnu , th at de ity decapitated t h e demon : h ence h is immortal ity and h isenmity t o th e planets .

VOL I.

82 THE TOY- CART.

respect ; request h im t o enter, and call t h e Ch amberlain* t o

attend h im.

A ll. As you command.

Ou tside of the House.

EnterMAITREYA and the BANDHULA.

Mail. Here ’

s h onour Th e sovere ign of t h e Bdkhasas,

d arta,travels in t h e car of Kuvera, o btained by t h e force o f

h is devo tions but I,wh o am a po or Brahman

,and no saint

,

yet I am conveyed about by love ly damsels.

A ll. Th is is t h e outer do or,sir.

Mail. A very pretty entrance,indeed. Th e thresh o ld is

very neatly co loured, we ll swept and watered ; t h e flo or is

beau t ifi ed with strings of sweet flowers t h e t op of t h e gate islo fty and gives one t h e pleasure of lo oking up t o t h e clouds ,wh ilst t h e jasmine festo on h angs tremblingly down

,as if it were

now to ssing on t h e trunk ofInd-ra’s eleph ant . 1” Over t h e do o r

way is a lo fty arch of ivory above it again wave flags dyedw ith safflow er

,th eir fringes curling in t h e wind

,like fingers

th at beckon me , come h ith er.

”On e ith er side

,t h e capitals of

t h e do or-po sts support e legant crystal flow er-po ts,in wh ich

young mango - trees are springing up . Th e do o r panels are of

go ld,stu ck

,like t h e stou t breast of a demon

,with studs of

Th e wo rd so rendered is banclh u la, an explanation ofwh ich is o fferedin th e text a l ittle furth er on.

Th is garland was t h e cause of very important events . Acco rd ing t ot h e Brahma Vaivarta-Puraha, i t was given t o Indra by a ch o leric sagenamed D urvasas

,wh o rece ived i t from aVidyadh ari : attach ing l ittle value

t o t h e gift,t h e god tossed i t t o h is e leph ant, and t h e eleph ant th rew it t o

earth . Du rvasas, h igh ly o ffended , pronounced th at Indra and all t h e th reeworlds under h is supremacy sh ou ld be deprived of th eir Sri , fortune orprosperi ty : in consequence , t h e wo rld fel l into decay, sacrifices ceased , andt h e gods were enfeebled . Everyth ing wo uld h ave perish ed , i f t h e goddessh ad no t been re covered. To re-obtain h er

,t h e gods and demons, by t h e

advice and wi th t h e aid of Vishnu , ch urned t h e o cean Such migh tymatters spring from trivial th ings."

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84 THE TOY- CART.

grease; Here we h ave a buffalo snorting indignantly, like a

Brahman of h igh caste wh om somebody h as affronted h ere

t h e ram* st ands t o h ave h is neck well rubbed, l ike a wrestler

after a match h ere th ey dress th e manes of t h e h o rses h ere

is a monkey tied as fast a th ief;+ and h ere t h e mahauls i are

plying t h e e leph ants w ith balls o frice and ghee. Pro ceed.

A ll. Thi s,sir

,is t h e th ird gateway.

(Th ey enter th e th ird Court. )Jli ail. Oh

,th is is th e public court

,whe re t h e young bucks

of Ujjayin assemble th ese are th e ir seats,I suppo se— t h e h alf

read bo ok lies on t h e gaming-table,t h e men of wh ich are

made of j ew els . Oh,yonder are some o ld h angers -on

,loung

ing about w ith many-co loured pictures in th e ir h ands, and

skilled in t h e peace and war of love . Wh at next ?

A ll. Th is is t h e entrance t o th e fourth court.

(Th ey enter th efourth Court. )Mail. Oh , h o ! th is is a very gay scene : h ere t h e drums,

wh ilst beaten by taper fingers, emit, like clo uds, a murmuring

tone ; th ere th e cymbals beating time,flash as th ey descend

like t h e unlucky stars § th at fall from h eaven . Th e flu te h ere

breath es t h e so ft h um of th e b ee,w h ilst h ere a damsel h o lds

t h e virid in h er lap, and frets it s wires with h er finger-nails ,like some wild minx th at sets h er mark o n t h e face of h er

offending :swain : some damsels are s inging, like so many bees

intoxicatedwith flowery nectar; o th ers are practising t h e grace

ful dance,and o th ers are employed in reading plays and

Rams in Ind ia are commonly trained t o figh t .

Monkeys are k ept in stables as a sort o fscape-goats apparently h encet h e Persian proverb current in H industan, Th e misfo rtune o f t h e stableo n th e h ead of t h e monkey Bilai tarilch ber seri madman — Ro ebuck ’

s

Pro verbs .

3: Eleph ant-driver ; t h e Sanskr‘i t is lli ah eiuuitra . Th e bal ls alluded t oare t h e common fo o d of t h e eleph ants .

Th e ph rase is, t h e stars th at h ave l o st th e ir virtue , ksh ir’

vap uviyd ta’

rakd .

Th e no tion is,th at t h e stars are ind ividuals raised t o th at h onour fo r a time

pro po rtioned t o t h e sum ofth e irmerits th is be ing exh austed , th ey descendt o earth

,o ften vis ibly, as in t h e case o f sh o o ting-stars.

THE TOY- CART. 85

po ems.

* Th e place is h ung with water-jars,suspended t o

catch t h e co o ling breez e . Wh at comes nextA ll. Th is is th e gate of th e fifth co urt.

(Th ey enter th efifth Court. )Mail. Ah

,h ow my mou th waters wh at a savoury scent o f

o il and asafoetida ! Th e kitch en sigh s so ftly forth it s fragrantand abundant smoke— t h e odo urs are deliciou s— th ey fi ll me

w ith rapture . Th e butch er’s boy is wash ing t h e skin of an

animal just slain,like so mu ch foul linen ; t h e co ok is sur

rounded with dish es ; t h e swe etmeats are mixing ; t h e cakesare baking. (Aparl, ) Oh th at I could meet w ith some one

t o do me a friendly turn one wh o would wash my feet, andsay, eat , sir, eat . (Aloud ) Th is is certainly Indra’

s h eaven ;t h e damsels are Ap sarasas , t h e Bandhulas are G andharbas .

Pray, wh y do th ey call yo u Bandhulas ?A ll. We inh abit t h e dw ellings of o th ers and eat t h e bread

of t h e stranger : w e are t h e offspring of parents wh om no t ie

connects : w e exercise o ur indescribable merits in gainingmen

’

s money,and w e sport th rough life as free and un

restrained as t h e cubs of t h e e leph ant.r’

li ail. Wh at do w e come t o next

A ll. Th is is t h e sixth entry.

(Th ey enter. )Mail. Th e arch ed gateway is of go ld and many-co loured

gems on a gro und of sapph ire,and lo oks like t h e b ow of

in an azure sky . Wh at is go ing forward h ere so bu sily ?

It is t h e jeweller’s co urt : skilfu l artists are examining pearls ,topaz es

,sapph ires

,emeralds

,rubies , t h e lapis—lazu li, coral ,

and o th er jew els some set rubies in go ld, some wo rk go ld

o rnaments on co loured th read,some string pearls

,some grind

t h e lapis- lazuli, some pierce sh ells

,and some ou t coral . Here

w e h ave perfumers drying t h e saffron bags , sh aking t h e mu skbags, expressing t h e sandal-juice and compounding essences.

Read ing,Neityan

’

i sasringdram.

Th e rainbow.

86 THE TOY- CART.

Wh om h ave we h ere ? fair damsels and th eir gallants,laugh ing

,

talking,ch ewingmusk and betel

,and drinking wine . Here are

t h e male and female attendants,and h ere are miserable h angers

o n— men th at neglected th e ir own famil ies and spent th eir all

upon t h e h arlo t,and are now glad t o quaff t h e drainings of

h er w ine-cup.

A ll. Th is is th e seventh court . Enter.

(Th ey enter th e seventh Court. )Mail. Th is is t h e aviary— very h andsome indeed ! Th e

doves bill and co o in comfo rt ; t h e pampered parro t croaks

like a Brahman pandit, stuffed with curds and rice,ch anting a

h ymn from t h e Vedas ; t h e Maina * ch atters as glibly as a

h ousemaid issuing h er mistress’s command t o h er fellow -ser

vants,wh ile t h e K 6il

,+ crammed with ju icy fru it,w h ines like a

w ater- carrier. Th e quails figh t t h e partridges cry ; t h e

domestic peaco ck dances abo u t de ligh ted, and fans t h e palace

w ith h is gem- emblaz oned tail,as if t o co o l it s h eated walls

t h e swansjr like balls of mo onligh t,ro ll abo u t in pairs , and

fo llow each gracefu l maid,as if t o learn t o imitate h er w alk ,

w h ilst t h e long- legged cranes § stalk abou t t h e court, likeeunuch s on guard. I declare t h e lady lives h ere amongst t h ew inged race as if sh e tenanted Indra’s garden. Well , w h ere

do yo u go now ?

A ll. Enter,sir

,t h e e igh th court.

(Th ey enter. )Iliait . Pray, w h o is th at gentleman dressed in silken

raiment,glittering with rich o rnaments

, and ro lling abou t asif h is limbs w ere o u t o fj o int ?

A ll. Th at , sir, is my lady’

s bro th er.

Mail. Humph — w h at course of pious au sterity in h is last

life made h im Vasantasena’s bro th er ? Nay , no t so fo r aft er

T h e lli aclanasdrikd , t h e talk ing Maina or Mainate,Ind ian Stare or

G rakl e (G raculay eligio sa) .1‘ Th e Ind ian cucko o (Cucu lus indieus) .I Th e rdiah amsa t h e term is also appl ied t o t h e flam ingo .

Th e sarasa, or Ind ian crane .

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88 THE TOY- CART.

constructed for t h e ligh t form o fyo uth fu l beauty t h e yellow

jasmine,t h e gracefu l malalifi t h e full-blo ssomed mallikdj

‘

th e

blue cl itoria,spontaneous sh ed th eir flowers , and strew t h e

ground with a carpet mo re lovely th an any in th e gro ves of

Indra t h e reservo ir glow s w ith t h e red lo tu s blo ssoms, like t h e

dawn with t h e fiery beams o f t h e rising sun 5 and h ere t h e

aéoha;L tree , with it s rich crimson blo ssoms

,sh ines like a

yo ung warrio r bath ed w ith t h e sanguine sh ow er of th e furious

figh t. Wh ere is your lady ?

A ll. Lo ok lower,and yo u will see h er.

M ail. (Approach ing Vasanlasena. ) Health t o you , lady.

Vas. (Rising) We lcome,Maitreya 3 take a seat .

JlIail. Pray,keep yo u yours . (Th ey sil. )

Vas. I h ope all is well with t h e son of t h e Scirlharaha. §AMail. Is all we ll with your ladysh ip ?

Vas. Undoubtedly,Maitreya ; t h e birds ofaffection gladly

nest le in t h e tree,wh ich , fruitfu l in excellence

,puts forth t h e

flowers ofmagnanimity and t h e leaves ofmerit,and rises with

t h e trunk ofmodesty from t h e ro o t ofh ono ur.

Mail. (Aparl. ) Figurative indeed. (A lond. ) Wh at else ?

Vas. Wh at brings you h ith er 231i

Mail. I will tell you z— Charudat ta presents h is respects t o

you .

Vas . With respect I receive h is commands .

Mail. He de sires me t o say , th at h e h as lo st yo ur go lden

casket 3 it w as impledged by h im at play,and t h e keeper of

Jasminum grandiflorum.

1‘ Jasminum z ambac.

I A tre e wi th red blossoms,Jo nesia asoka.

Th e h ead of h is tribe .

IITh is is a passage o fa very unusual ch aracter in Sank r’it composition,and is rath er in t h e style ofPers ian th an Ind ian writing it h as, h owever,more oft h e al legory th an is commo n t o Pers ian p oetry, in wh ich , th o ugh t h emetaph o rs fo llow one ano th er w i th o u t intermission,

th ey are independentand unconnected .

‘fl It is a singu lari ty that so farin th e scene Vasantasenaspeaks Sanskfit .

THE TOY- CART. 9

t h e tables, a servant of t h e prince,is gone

,no one know s

wh ith er.

A ll. Lady, you are in luck th e grave Charudat ta turned

gambler.

Vas. (Aparl. ) How ? th e casket h as been sto len,and h e says

it was lo st at play. Ye t even in th is I love h im.

Mail. As t h e accident canno t now be h elped,h e requ ests

,

in lieu of t h e casket, yo u will accept th is string ofdiamonds .

Vas. (Apart. ) Sh all I sh ow h im th e ornaments ? (Con

sidering. ) No,no t so .

Mail. Will you no t rece ive th is equ ivalent ?

Vas. (Smiling. ) Wh y no t , Maitreya ? (Takes andpnls it lah er

h eart .) Bu t h ow is th is ? do drops of nectar fall from t h e

mango - tree after it h as sh ed it s blo ssoms ? My go od friend,tell th at sad gambler

,Charudat ta

,th at I sh all call upon h im

in t h e evening.

Mail. (Apart ) So , so 5 sh e intends t o get mo re o u t of h im,

I suppo se . (A load. ) I sh all so info rm h im,madam . (Apart . )

I wish h e was rid of th is precious acquaintance . [Emit

Vas. Here,girl

,take t h e j ewels and attend me t o

Charudat t a.

A ll. Bu t lo ok,madam

,lo ok ! a sudden storm is gath ering.

Vas. No matter.

Let t h e clouds gath er and dark nigh t descend,And h eavy fall unintermitted sh owers

I h eed th em no t,wench

,wh en I h aste t o seek

His presence , wh o se loved image warms my h eart .

Take ch arge of th ese,and ligh tly trip along. [Emil

END OF THE FOURTH ACT .

90 THE TOY- CART.

A C T V.

CHARUDATTA’

S G ARDEN.

Enter CHARUDATTA (looking up ) .

A HEAVY storm impends t h e gath ering glo om

Deligh ts t h e peafowl* and distracts t h e swan,

Jr

No t ye t prepared fo r periodic fligh t 5And th ese deep sh ades contract with sad despondence

Th e h eart th at pines in absence . 1; Th rough t h e air,A rival Kes’ava

,t h e purple clo ud

Ro lls stately on,girt by t h e go lden ligh tning,

Th ese birds are t h e invariable accompaniments of th e rainy season, asobserved in my translatio n of t h e C loud Messenger. It is unnecessary t oc ite t h e paral le l passages

,as t h e idea recu rs o ften eno ugh in th is act

,in

wh ich all t h e commonplaces ofH indu po etry relating t o t h e Rains ” are

exh austed a few o f t h e repe titio ns h ave been purpo sely omi tted .

1‘ Rath er t h e w ild gray go o se , wh ich bird is su pposed t o m igrate annuallyt o t h e Himalayamo untains

,particu larly t o t h e Manasarovara Lake

,wh ence

i t is termed Manasaukas, t h e dwel ler of Manasa. Mr Mo orcro ft,in h is

adventurous visi t t o th is lake in 1 8 12,fo und th ese birds in vast flo cks along

t h e beach and o n t h e water; and concluded from wh at h e saw th at t h eyw ere accustomed t o frequ ent t h e lake and breed in t h e surro und ing ro cks,wh en t h e swe l l of t h e rivers ofHindustan and t h e inundation o f t h e plainsconceal th eir usual fo od .

I Th e time j ust previo us t o th e commencement of t h e rainy season is t h eperio d at wh ich Ind ian trave l lers may be expected h ome

,no t only because

t h e weath er is th en favo urable,bu t because after t h e rains h ave se t in,

t h e

roads are brok en up, and travell ing becomes d ifficu l t and unpleasant. Hencet h e H indu po ets always speak o fth is season as one at wh ich lovers

,til l th en

separated,meet again.

g A name o f Krishna, Crinilu s, al lud ing, as generally suppo sed , t o h isgracefu l tresses , bu t , accord ing t o t h e M ahabharata, from h is being an incarnation o i one of t h e h airs ofVishnu .

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92 THE TOY-CART.

e v en so much as t o offer me a draugh t ofwater— h erwealth is

po sitive ly all th rown away upon h er. It is very tru e , th ere is

no lo tu s th at h as no t a stalk 3 no trader th at is no t a ch eat 3th ere is no t a go ldsmith that is no t a th ief 3 th ere neverwas a

village meeting with ou t a quarrel 3 and th ere never w ill be a

h arlo t with out rapacity : th ese are th ings th at always go

togeth er. I sh all th erefo re dissuade my worth y friend from

h is infatuation. Ha yonder I see h im in t h e garden. Health

and pro sperity t o Charudat ta !

Char. (Comesforward. ) Welcome,my go od friend 3Maitreya,

sit down.

Mail. I am seated. (Sits )Char. Now

,my friend, your news ?

Mail. It is all o ver.

Char. How so ? do es sh e refuse t h e proffered gems ?

Mail. We h ave no such lu ck 3 sh e put h er so ft h ands t o

h er foreh ead,and t h en ' laid h o ld o f t h e necklace .

Char. Th en,w h y do you complain ?

Mail. Wh y ? reason eno ugh . We h ave made a pretty job

of it 3 t o lo se a necklace worth t h e four seas,for a th ing of

little valu e,and one w e ne ith er at e

,nor drank

,and wh ich a

th ief carried off.

Char. Y o u reason idly.

Th e pledge was h ere depo sited in trust,

And for th at trust a co stly price w as due .

Mail. I h ave ano th er cause of complaint. Sh e made signs

t o h er damsels,and th ey co vered th eir faces w ith th eir veils

and made me th e ir merriment. I beg, th erefore , th at yo u w ill

desist from such unbe com ing intercourse . A co urte san is

l ike a th o rn th at h as run into yo ur fo o t 3 yo u canno t e v en ge t

rid of it with ou t pain 3 and it is indisputably tru e , th at

wh erever a h arlo t,an e leph ant

,a scribe

,a mendi cant

,a

Th e Kayasth a or Kay th , wh o se pro fession is wri ting and accounts.

Men of th is tribe w ere u sually employed by t h e H indu princes in t h e co l

lection and reco rd o f th e ir revenues,and th e ir ch aracter fo r a spirit o f

extortion became pro verbial . Th ey appear t o h ave been particu larly ohnoxious t o t h e Brahmans .

THE TOY- CART. 98

spy , or a jackass, find admission,th ey are sure t o do mis

ch ief.Char. Enough of th is unmerited reviling.

My fallen fortunes are a sure pro tection.

Th e fiery steed bounds fleet ly o’er th e plain

Till fading breath retards h is lagging course 3So man

’

s desires first urge h is h eedless path ,Bu t so on exh au sted sh rink into h is bo som .

Believe me , friend, a female of th is o rder,

A true wealth -h unter,troubles no t t h e po o r

(Apart ) S h e , sh e , alone , bestows h er love on merit .

(A loud ) We are by w ealth abandoned,and by h er.

Mail. (Apart ) Th is love is t h e de v il h e turns up h is eyesand sigh s from th e very bo ttom of h is h eart. I see plainly myadv ice t o h im t o conqu er h is passion only serves t o confirm it .

(Aloud ) Sh e desired me t o say, sh e intends paying you a visit

th is e v ening. I su spe ct sh e is no t satisfied with t h e ne cklace,

and intends t o demand someth ingmore valuable .

Char. Well,let h er come 3 sh e sh all depart contented .

Enter KUMBHILAKA, Vasantasena’

s Servant.

I w ish every one t o take no tice,th at t h e h arder it rains

,t h e

more th orough ly do I get du cked, and t h e co lder t h e w indth at blow s down my back , t h e mo re do my limbs sh iver. A

pretty situation fo r a man ofmy talents 3 for o ne w h o can play

t h e flute with seven h o les,t h e are w ith seven strings

,can sing

like ajackass,and w h o acknowledges no musical superior

,ex

cept perh aps Tamburu * o r Narada.+ Vasant asenasends me t o

Charudat ta’s h ou se . (Aduances . ) Th ere is Charudat t a in t h e

garden, and th at dunderh ead Maitreya with h im . I must

th row o u t a signal t o h im . (Throws a clod of earth at Maitreya. )Mail. Ho llo a wh o pelts me w ith a pellet

,like a hap itlha i

tre e in an o rch ard ?

An attendant upon K uuera, and one of t h e ch ief G andh arbas o r

ch oristers of h eaven.

Th e son ofBrahma,t h e inventor o f t h e Ind ian lute .

i Th e e leph ant or wo od apple (Feronia eleph ant um) .

94 THE TOY- CART.

Ch oir. It was probably th rown down in th eir sport by t h e

pigeons th at t enant t h e t op of th e garden wall.

Mail. Wait awh ile, yo u saucy son ofa slave

, and with th is

stick I will kno ck yo u off t h e wall,like a ripe mango from t h e

tree .

Char. Sit down,sit down 3 frigh t no t t h e gentle bird, nor

ch ase h im from h is mate .

Kum. Th e blo ckh ead ! h e sees t h e pigeons and canno t see

me . I must give him ano th er salutation. (Th ro ws another clod )Jlfail. Hey , again ! (Looks up . ) 0 Kumbh ilaka ! is it yo u ?

Wait a wh ile,and I will come t o yo u . (G oes tothe door. ) Come

in 3 h ow fares it ?

Kum. I salu te you , sir.

Mail. And wh at brings yo u h ere in such fou l weath er ?

Kum. Sh e sent me .

Mail. And wh o is sh e ?

Kum. Sh e— sh e— sh e .

Mail. Sh e - sh e— sh e Wh at are you sputtering about, like

an old miser wh en th ings are dear ? Wh o — wh o — w h o ?

Kum. Ho o — h o o — h o o Wh at are yo u t o o -wh o o ing about ,like an ow l th at h as been scared from a sacrifice

Mail. Speak o u t,man

,intelligibly.

Kum. I will 3 but first I’ll give yo u someth ing t o guess.

Mail. I sh all give you a box of t h e ears,I believe .

Kum. Never mind th at . In wh ich season,pray

,do es t h e

mango blo ssom ?

M ail. In th e season of G rishma’

r t o be sure , you blo ck

h ead !

Kum. Blo ckh ead yourself it do es no such th ing.

Mail. Hey , h ow is th at ? I must ask my friend. St op a

moment. (G oes to Charudalta. ) Pray, sir, in wh ich season do es

t h e mango blo ssom ?

In th e original , K umbh ilaka says Eta sa,t o wh ich Maitreya repl ies,

ka,eta

,ka. K umbh ilaka

’s answer is, Wh at are yo u bark ing about

,l ike

t h e lover of lndra’s sacrifice (a dog) ?

1 Th e h o t season.

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96 THE TOY- CART.

Char. Y o u are welcome 3 te ll me,is Vasantasenah ere ?

Kum. Sh e is,sir.

Char. Never be gratefu l message unrewarded 3 th is for

your pains . (G ives h im h is garment. )Kum. (Bows ) I sh all info rm my mistress . [Eait

Mail. Now,I h ope you are satisfied. To come o u t in

such w eath er 3 you can h ave no do ubt wh at brings h er.

Char. I do no t feel quite confident .

Jliait. Depend upon it,I am righ t ; t h e casket was wo rth

more th an t h e necklace , and sh e comes fo r t h e difference .

Char. (Apart ) Sh e sh all be gratified. (They retire. )

(Ou tside of th e G arden. )Enter VASANTASENA

'

sp lendidly dressed, at tended by th e Vila, a

female servant,and one carrying a large umbrella.

*

A ll. Lady, upon t h e mountain’

s brow,t h e clouds

Hang dark and dro oping,as t h e ach ing h eart

Of h er wh o sorrows fo r h er absent lo rd 3Th eir th unders rouse t h e peafowl

,and t h e sky

Is agitated by th eir w ings, as fanned

By th ousand fans w ith co stly gems inch ased.

Th e ch attering frog quaffs t h e pe llucid drops

Th at cleanse h is miry jaw s . Th e peah en sh rieks

With transpo rt,and t h e Nipa fresh ly blo oms .

Th e mo on is blo tted by t h e driving scud,

As is t h e saintly ch aracter by th o se

Wh o w ear it s garb t o ve il th e ir abject lives 3And like t h e damse l w h o se fair fame is lo st

In e ver-ch anging lo v es , t h e ligh tning, tru e

To no one quarter,flits along t h e skies.

Vas. Y o u speak it w ell,my friend t o me it seems

Th e jealous nigh t, as with t h e glo om sh e wantons,

Lo oks on me as a rival bride,and dreading

I may disturb h er pleasures, stops my path

And bids me angrily my steps retrace .

We have now an emu latively po etical description of t h e rainy season.

A l

Vas.

N

Vil’a.

Vas.

Vas.

THE TOY- CART. 97

Reply with courage , ch ide h er t o submission.

Reviling is th e weakness of o ur sex,And but of small avail , —I h eed h er no t .

Let t h e clouds fall in torrents,th under roar

,

And h eaven’

s red bo lt dash fiery t o t h e ground,

Th e dauntless damsel faith fu l love inspires,Treads bo ldly on

,nor dreads t h e maddening storm.

Like an invadingprince , wh o h o lds h is courtWith in t h e city ofh is h umbled fo e

,

Y on migh ty cloud,advancing with t h e wi nd,

With store of arrowy sh ower, with th undering drums ,And blazing streamers

,march es t o assail

In h is own h eavens t h e monarch of t h e nigh t .Nay , nay , no t so 3 I rath er read it th us

Th e clouds, th at like unwieldly e leph ants

Ro ll th e ir inflated masses grumbling on,

Or wh iten with t h e migrato ry tro op

Of h o vering cranes,teach angu ish t o t h e bo som.

Th e sto rk’s sh rill cry sounds like t h e plaintiv e tabo r

To h er wh o,wh ile sh e wanders o ’er it s parchment

,

Is lo st in mu sings ofh er lo rd’s return,

And every tone th at h ails t h e rainy season,

Falls on h er h eart like brine upon a w ound.

Beh o ld,wh ere yonder ponderous cloud assumes

Th e stature of t h e e leph ant,t h e storks

Entwine a fillet fo r h is front,and waves

Th e ligh tning, like a ch ouri o’

er h is h ead.

Observe , my friend, t h e day is swallow ed up

By th ese deep sh ades, dark as t h e dripping leaf

Of t h e tamala tree,and

,like an eleph ant

Th at cowering sh uns t h e battle ’s arrowy sleet ,So sh rinks th e scattering ant -h il l from t h e sh ow er.

Th e fickle ligh tning darts su ch brilliant rays,As gleam from go lden lamps in temples h ung,Wh ilst

,like t h e consort ofan h umble lo rd,

Th e timid mo onligh t peeps amidst th e clouds.

VOL . I . G

98 THE TOY-CART.

Th ere , like a string of eleph ants,t h e clouds

In regular file , by ligh tning fillets bound,Move slowly at th eir po tent god’s commands.

Th e h eavens le t down a silver ch ain t o earth .

Th e earth,th at sh ines with buds and sh eds sweet odours,

Is pierced with sh owers,like diamond-sh afted darts

Launch ed from t h e ro lling mass ofdeepest blue ,Wh ich h eaves befo re t h e breeze and fo ams with flame 3Like o cean

’

s dark waves by t h e tempest driven ,

And to ssing h igh th eir flash ing surge t o sh ore .

*

Hailed by t h e peafowl with th eir sh rillest cries,By t h e ple ased storks edeligh t edly caressed,

And by t h e provident swans with anxio us eye

Regarded, yonder rests one th reatening cloud

Invo lving all t h e atmo sph ere in glo om .

Th e countenance of h eaven is clo se concealed,

By sh ades t h e ligh tning scant irradiates .

Th e day and nigh t confusedly intermix,

And all t h e lo tus eyes ofe ith er clo se,

Th e w o rld is lu lled t o slumber by t h e sound

Of falling waters,sh eltered by t h e clouds

Th at co untless crowd t h e ch ambers of t h e sky .

Th e stars are all extinct,as fades t h e memo ry

Of kindness in a bad man’

s h eart. Th e h eavens

Are sh orn o fall th e ir radiance , as th e wife

Her glory lo ses in h er h usband’s absence .

In so o th I th ink t h e firmament disso lves

Melted by Indra’s scorch ing bo lt it falls

In unexh austed torrents . Now t h e cloud

Ascends - now sto ops— now roars alo ud in th under

Now sh eds it s streams— now frowns with deeper glo om,

Full of fantastic ch ange , like one new raised

I h ave in th is place, and in a few o th ers,expanded t h e expression, in

o rder t o co nvey more accurately t h e idea intended by t h e simpler ph raseo logy of t h e original .

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100 THE TOY- CART.

Or like th e go ld cord on A irdval’

s’i breast,

Sh e gleams and sh ow s you w h ere your lord resides .

Vas. Is th is t h e mansion ?

Vila. It is 3 I w ill anounce your coming.

Ho th ere ! inform t h e worth y Charudat ta,A lady at h is do o r awaits 3 h er lo cks

Are drench ed with rain,h er gentle nerves are sh aken

By angry tempests , and h er delicate feet

By cumbering mire and massy anklets w eariedflL

Sh e pauses t o refresh with co o ling streams .

Char. (To Maitreya.) Hear y ou , my friend ?

Mail. As you command. (Opens th e door. )Health t o you , lady.

Vas. Sir,I salute yo u . s

ag (To the Vila. ) Here , let t h e um

brella-bearer wait upon you .

Vit’a. (Apart. ) A h int forme,I take it, t o with draw . I sh all

o bey you . [Exit

Vas. Now,go od Maitreya, wh ere is o ur gambler ?

Mail. (Apart ) G ambler indeed my friend is much h onoured

by t h e appellation. Th ere h e sits,madam

,in t h e arbour.

Vas. In t h e arbour— is it dry ?M

’

ail. Qu ite 3 th ere is no th ing t o eat o r drink in it enter,enter.

Vas. (To her Servant. ) Wh at sh all I say ?Ser. G ambler

,go od evening t o you .

Vas. Sh all I be able

Ser. Opportunity w ill give yo u courage .

Mail. Enter,lady

,enter.

Vas. (Enters, and approach ing Chdrudalta, thron‘

s flowers at

h im. ) G ambler, go od evening t o you .

Char. (Rising ) Vasantasena!

Lady,b e lieve me

,every day h as passed

Th e e leph ant ofIndra.

1 It may be scarcely necessary t o observe th at h eavy rings,usual ly o f

s i l ver se t w ith a fringe of smal l belts, are worn by Il luda lad ies u pon th e irankles.

THE TOY- CART. 10 1

Mo st h eavily, and sleepless dragged my nigh ts ,Bu t now your ch arms appear my cares are over

,

And th is glad evening terminates my sorrows .

Th en welcome,w e lcome t o my bower— be seated.

Mail. Take a seat,madam. (Th ey sil. )

Char. Maitreya, from t h e flowers th at grace h er ear

Surch arged with rain,t h e drops h ave trickled down

And bath ed h er bo som,like a yo ung prince installed

Th e partner of imperial h onours .

* Haste and bring

A vest offinest texture t o replace

Th is ch illing robe .

Fem. A ll. Stop , Maitreya,I will assist my mistress if yo u

please . (Does so. )Mail. (To Chdrudalla. ) Now , sir, sh all I inquire t h e o bj e c t

of th is vi sitation ?

Char. Do so .

Mail. And now,madam

,may I ask wh at h as brough t yo u

o ut , _

on such a vile,dark

,rainy evening ?

A ll. Lady, h ere’s a smart Brahman

Vas. Nay, an able one,so call h im .

A ll. My mistress, sir, wish ed t o be informed of th e real

valu e of t h e necklace th at yo u brough t h er.

Mail. Th ere , I said so . (To Chdrudatla. )A ll. Th e reason wh y sh e wish es t o know is th at sh e h as

pledged it at play,and t h e keeper of t h e tables

,be ing a

servant of t h e prince’s,is gone on some du ty, and is no t t o

be found.

Mail. Umph , tit fo r t at .

A ll. Until h e can b e h eard of,and t h e necklace be re

deemed,be pleased t o accept in lieu of it th is go lden casket .

(G ives h im the casket stolen by Sarvilaka. Maitreya examines

it ) You examine it very clo sely 3 one would suppo se you h ad

seen it before .

Th erefore sprink led with h o ly water.

102

illail.

THE TOY - CART.

It is very curious : t h e cunning of t h e workman

beguiles my eyes .

A ll. No,yo ur eyesigh t is defective

,it is th e very same .

ill ail. Indeed ! my wo rth y friend, h ere is t h e go ld casket

again th at was sto len from o ur h ouse .

Chair.

Mail.

Char.

Mail.

Char.

WTail.

No,no

,it is but a requ ital

Of o ur attempt t o substitute a ch ange

Of th at entrusted t o u s 3 th is is t h e truth ,Howe’er t h e casket may appear t h e same .

It is t h e same I swear it,as I am a Brahman.

I am glad of it.

Sh all I ask h ow th ey came by it ?

Wh y no t ?

(Wh isp ers th e A llendant . ) Is it so indeed ?

A ll. (Wh ispers Maitreya. ) It is indeed.

Char. Wh at is — wh y leave u s o ut ?

Mail.

Chdr.

casket

(Wh isp ers C’hdrudalla.) Th is it is indeed.

(To th e A ttendant. ) Is th is indeed, my girl , t h e go lden

A ll. It is t h e same,sir.

Char. A pleasing speech with me sh ou ld never go

With o ut fit recompense,— accept th is ring. (Looks at

h is hand finds h e has no ring ; expresses shame. )Vas. How we ll h e meri ts w ealth .

Chdr. (Apart . ) How can th at man be said t o l ive,wh o lives

A pauper, and wh o se gratitude and wrath

Are barren bo th . Th e bird wh o se wings are cl ipped

Th e leafle ss tree— t h e desiccated po o l

Th e deso late mansion,and th e to o th less snake

Are all mee t emblems of t h e h apless wretch

Wh o se festive h ours no fond asso ciates grace ,And brigh test moments yield no fruit t o o th ers .

1”ail.

fretting .

(To h im. ) Enough , eno ugh,th ere is no go od in

on u t a s a t ian on t o restore me(A l d ) B ,l dy I h ll l k y

my bath ing—gown, in wh ich t h e caske t was wrapped at t h e

time it was sto len.

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104 THE TOY- CART.

Ch it/r. Reprove it no t , fo r let t h e rain descend,Th e h eavens still lour

, and wide t h e ligh tnings launch

A h undred flames 3 th ey h ave befriended me,

And given me h er for wh om I sigh ed in vain.

Happy,thrice h appy, th ey wh o se walls ensh rine

Th e fair th ey worsh ip , and wh o se arms enfo ld

Her sh ivering beaut ies in th eir warm embrace .

Lo ok,love

,t h e bow ofllndra arch es h eaven 3

Like outspread arms,extended w ith fatigue

,

It stretch es forth ; th e yawning sky displays

It s ligh tning tongu e— it s ch in of clo uds h angs low

All w o o u s t o repo se— let u s retire t h e drops

Fall mu sical,and pattering on t h e leaves

Of t h e tall palm,or on t h e pebbly ground,

Or in t h e bro ok, emit such h armony

As sweetly wakens from t h e vo ice and lute .

END OF THE FIFTH ACT .

THE TOY- CART. 105

A C T VI.

CHA’

RUDATTA’s HOUSE

,

Inside and Ou tside as before.

Inside — Enter Female Servant .

Hey-day ! do es no t my lady mean t o rise th is morning ? I

sh all make bo ld t o call h er. Madam

Enter VASANTASENA’

.

Lo ok,madam

,it is day .

Vas. How w hy t h e mo rning dawns as darkling as if it

still w ere nigh t.

Ser. It is morning t o u s, th o ugh it may be nigh t t o you ,madam.

Vas. Wh ere is your gambler ?

Ser. Charudat ta,madam

,h aving given h is orders t o

Vardhamana,is gone t o t h e o ld flower garden Pushpakaranda.

Vas . Wh at orders gave h e ?

Ser. To get your litter ready.

Vas. Wh ith er am I t o go ?

Ser. Wh ith er Charudat t a is gone .

Vas. Very we ll, girl , I h ave scarcely yet beh eld h im 3 t o

day w ill gratify me with h is sigh t. Wh at did I find my way

into t h e inner apartments ?

Ser. No t only th at,madam

,bu t into every one’s h eart.

Vas. I fear me h is family are vexed.

Ser. Th ey will be vexed th en o nly wh en

Vas. Wh en

Ser. Wh en yo u depart .

Vas. Th en is it my place first t o be afflicted. Here ,girl

,take th is necklace t o my respected sister,* and say from

That is,to Charudat ta’s wi fe .

106 THE TOY- CART.

me,I am Charudat ta

’

s h andmaid and your slave,th en be th is

necklace again t h e ornament of th at neck t o wh ich it o f righ t

belongs.

Ser. But,lady

, Charudat ta w ill be displeased.

Vas. G o , do as I bid yo u 3 h e will no t be offended.

Ser. As you command [Exit and returns presently.

Madam,th us says t h e lady you are favoured by t h e son of

my lord3 it is no t proper forme t o accept th is necklace . Know

th at th e only ornament I value is my h usband.

Enter RADANIKKand CHARUDATTA’

S CHILD .

Rad. Come along, my ch ild,let u s ride in your cart .

Ch ild. I do no t want th is cart 3 it is only of clay— I want

o ne ofgo ld.

Rad. And wh ere are w e t o get t h e go ld, my little man ?

Wait till your fath er is rich again,and th en h e w ill buy you

one now th is will do . Come,let u s go and see Vasantasena.

Lady, I salute you .

Vas. Welcome Radanika. Wh o se ch arming boy is th is ?

alth ough so ill-attired,h is lovely face quite fascinate s me .

Rad. Th is is Roh asena, th e son ofCharudat ta.

Vas. (Stretching out h er arms. ) Come h ere , my little dear,and kiss me . (Takes h im on h er lap .) How like h is fath er

Rad. He is like h im t o o in dispo sition. Cliarudat ta do tes

o n h im.

Vas. Wh y do es h e weep ?

Rad. Th e ch ild of ou r ne igh bour h ad a go lden cart,wh ich

th is little fellow saw and wanted. I made h im th is of clay,

but h e is no t pleased with it , and is crying for t h e o th er.

Vas . Alas, alas, th is little creature is already mortified by

ano th er’s pro sperity. O fate th ou spo rt est with t h e fortunes

o f mankind, like drops of water trembling on t h e lo tu s leaf.

Don’t cry, my go od boy , and yo u sh all h ave a go ld cart .

Child. Radanika, wh o is th is ?

Vas. A h andmaid purch ased by your fath er’s merits .

Rad. Th is is your lady mo th er, ch ild.

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108 THE TOY- CART.

t h e way. Wh at says h e,wh o se carriage is it ? Sani sthanaka

’

s,

t h e king’s bro th er-in-law ; quick, quick ! clear t h e road.

(Drives on. ) Wh o sh ould th at be,th at lo oked at me so

curiously, and th en sto le off down ano th er road,like an um

lucky gambler th at runs away from t h e table—keeper ?* No

matter 3 I must get on. Ho lloa you ! ou t of t h e way th ere !

Wh at ! Come and give you a turn of t h e wh eel : it sticks ,do es it It is very likely th at t h e king’s bro th er-in- law’

s man

sh all assist you t o a tw ist of th e w h eel . Oh,it is a po or

miserable rustic,and alone t o o . We ll

,I will lend you a h and.

Th is is Charudat ta’s po stern do or. I can leav e t h e carriage

h ere in t h e meantime so,sto p th ere

,I will be with yo u .

[Exit leaving the carriage at th e door.

Ser. (Inside) I h ear t h e wh eels : th e carriage is returned,madam.

Vas. Quick, quick ! I feel strangely flurried 3— o pen t h e

do or.

Ser.

’Tis done .

Vas. G o yo u t o rest.

Ser. As you command. [Exit

Vas. (G oes forth and ascends San'

islhdnaka’

s carriage. ) Myright eye twinkles 3+ never mind, meeting Charudat ta will

prove it causeless. (Draws the curtains. )

Re-enter STHAVARAKA.

I h ave h elped h im,and now h ave a clear road. (Mounts and

proceeds. ) Wh y, t h e veh icle is h eavier th an it was,o r it

appears so t o me,because I am tiredwith h elping yonder cart.

No matter, I must pro ceed 3— come up .

(Beh ind th e scenes. )Wh o h o , th ere , guards ! lo ok t o it ; be vigilant— sleep no t

at your po sts 3 t h e cowh erd h as burst h is bonds, slain h is

gao ler,and broken from h is prison 3 h e is now in fligh t — seize

h im ! seize h im !

Th is is t o prepare t h e entrance of riryaka, wh o has j ust fled fromprison .

1‘ An unlucky omen for a woman, lucky for aman.

THE TOY- CART. 109

Sthd. Here ’s a precious uproar I h ad better get clear ofit .

[Exit with th e car.

Enter ARYAKA as infligh t .

I h ave swam th us far t o sh ore , and from th e wave

Of fell captivity, th e tyrant Palaka

Had plunged me into,once mo re h ave escaped.

Like a tame e leph ant from h is stall broke lo o se,

I drag along with me my ruptured ch ain.

S'

arvilaka,my friend, t o th ee I ow e

My freedomand my life . Condemned t o pineIn th e dark dungeon

,wh ere t h e monarch

’s fears

,

Awakened by t h e sage’s proph ecies,

Cast me t o die,dragged from my h umble h ome . (Weeps. )

Wh at crime h ave I committed, t o be sough t

Th us like a venomous snake , t o be destroyed

If su ch my destiny, as is foreto ld,In wh at consists my gu ilt ? b e fate accu sed

Fate is a power resistless,and a king

Alike demands o ur h omage . Wh o contends

With force superio r ? mine is t o submit.

Y et for my life I fly— ah w h ith er now

Sh all I find refuge ? See, yo u do or invites me

Some go od man’

s gate is open,and like me

It s with ered fortunes,for t h e bo lt is broken,

And th e broad val ve s are sh attered and decayed

It calls me kinsman ,and it proves my fri end.

VARDHAMA'

NA returning with Chdrudat ta’

s carriage (with ou t).Come up

,come up

(A'

RYAKA listening. )A carriage , and it comes th is way .

If it sh ou ld be a v illage car,no t freigh ted

With passengers uncourteous,or a veh icle

For women,but it s fair load no t re ce ived,

Or be it travelling from t h e town,and fit

Fo r decent o ccupancy— be it bu t empty

And unattended, and my fate befriends me .

1 10 THE TOY- CART .

EnterVARDHAMA'

NA with the carriage.

Wh at h o Radanika,I h ave go t t h e cush ions

, and th e car is

ready : so inform t h e lady Vasantasené ; tell h er t o ascend,

th at I may set off for Pushpakararidaka.

Ary. It is a courtesan’s,and trave lling outwards ;

’Tis fo rtunate— Imount. (Advances. )

Vard. (Listening and h earing th e ringing ofAryaka’s chain. ) I

h ear t h e sound of t h e anklets, sh e is h ear. G et up qu ick,

lady 3 get up beh ind 3 th e cattle are impatient,I must no t

leave th em.

ARYAKA ascends .

Vard. Th e sound h as ceased,and t h e carriage is h eavier

th an it was : h er ladysh ip mu st be seated,so h ere go es.

[Exit with the car.

Scene— Anoth er Street.

Enter VfRAKA, Cap tain of th e Walch , attended.

Halloa Jaya,Jayamana, Ch andanaka, Mangala

,Pushpabha

dra,and t h e rest, fo llow quick, and w e sh all catch th e villain

,

t h ough h e h as broken h is prison and t h e king’s slumbers .

Here,fall in 3 go yo u t o t h e east gate , yo u t o t h e west, yo u t o

t h e south, yo u t o t h e north : on th is pile of broken bricks

,

Ch andanaka and I will stop and lo ok about us. Wh at h o ,Ch andanaka !

Enter CHANDANAKA attended,in a bustle.

Wh at h o ! Viraka, Vi salya, Bh imangada, Dand'

akala, Dari

dasi’

i ra,quick

,qu ick ! never le t t h e king’s fortune move off

into ano th er family : away with yo u , search t h e streets,t h e

roads, t h e gardens , t h e h ouses , t h e stalls, th e markets , and le t

no suspicious corner pass unexamined 3— away ! (Ecceunl guard.)We ll

,Viraka, wh at say you ? will any one convey th is runaway

cowboy ou t o f peril ? Verily, w h o ever dares t o carry h im o ff

w h ilst Ch andanaka lives, h ad better h ave h ad at h is birth t h e

Sun in t h e e igh th mansion, t h e Mo on in t h e fourth, Venus in

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1 12 THE TOY- CART.

Ch andanakamy friend 3 t h e tw o are ill

Asso ciated in a common du ty.

One fire t h e marriage ceremony asks,

Ano th er serves t o ligh t t h e funeral pile .

*

Chan. Well,careful captain

,h igh in th e k ing’s confidence ,

do yo u th en lo ok into t h e carriage , I will lo ok t o t h e cattle .

Vir. Nay , you are in command and confidence as well as

I am 3 do you inspect it.

Chan. Wh at I see is in fact seen by you .

Vtr. No t only by me,but by t h e king h imself.

Chan. Ho lloa, you ! stop t h e car.

Airy. Unfortunately,I am discovered 3 I h ave no sword 3

Like Bh tma th en I mu st employ my h ands 3Better t o die th an be again a captive .

Y et,h o ld

,it is no t yet despair.

CHANDANAKA looks into th e car.

firy. Pro tection —I am at your mercy.

Chan. Fear no t,w h o seeks pro tection will obtain it.

firg. Fortune forsakes, tribe , family, and friendsDiscard

,and all men sco rn t h e coward slave

Wh o fears t o grant pro tection t o t h e wretch ed.

Chan. How Aryaka !

Wh ere a perpetual flame is maintained, i t l igh ts t h e fi re round wh icht h e bride and bridegro om step at t h e marriage ceremony

,and t h e funeral

p ile of e ith er; but t h e h o useh o ld fi re is preserved o nly by a particu lar sect,t h e Agnih o tras, and t h e great body of t h e people h ave no th ing ofth e k ind .

In th is case th ey d istingu ish between t h e so urces wh ence th ey obtain t h ek indl ing flame acco rd ing t o th e purposes of it s appl ication, and t h e fire oft h e marriage rite is taken from t h e h earth ofa respectable person

,o r from

a fi re ligh ted on some auspicio us o ccasion,wh ilst for t h e funeral pile any

unp olluted fire may be used . I t is only necessary t o avo id taking it fromano th er pile, or from t h e abode ofan outcast, of a man belonging t o t h etribe o f execu tioners, ofa woman wh o h as lately borne a ch ild , or o fanyperson wh o is unclean.

— Co lebrook on th e Religious Ceremonies of the

H indu s A siatic Rea,vu . 241 . No twith stand ing th ese exceptions

,i t is

t h e common practice of t h e H indus of ord inary rank in t h e wesyrn provinces t o procure fire from an ou tcast t o l igh t t h e funeral p ile .

THE TOY- CART. l 13

Like th e po or bird th at, flying from t h e h awk,

Falls in t h e fowler’s net , art th o u my prize ,*

And,luckless w retch , appliest t o me fo r aid

He is in Charudat ta’s car

,h is crime

Is none 3 Sarvilak a, t o wh om I ow e

My own life , is h is friend 3 but th en

My du ty t o t h e prince . Wh at ’s t o be done ?

E’

en be it so — I to ld h im no t t o fear 3Th e words h ave passed my lips . I must befriend h im,

Come on’t wh at will t h e succour once assured,

Must be extended, th ough t h e end be ru in.+

(Returning ) I h ave seen— Arya— Arya Vasantasena, and

sh e says righ t 3 it is indeco rous t o detain h er on t h e road w h en

sh e h as an appo intment w ith Charudat ta.

Vir. Excuse me,Ch andanaka3 I have some doubts in t h e

matter.

Chan. How so ?

Vtr. Y ou seem flurried,and it was with some indistinctne ss

you call o u t first Arya,th en corrected yourself

,and said Arya

Vasantasenaqt I h ave some strange misgivings .

Chan. Misgiv ings, indeed wh y , you know ,w e of t h e

South are no t very nice in our articulation,and are apt t o con

Ano th er instance of t h e fam i l iar use of apo logues .

1 Th e importance attach ed t o t h e du ty of afl'

ording pro tectio n t o th osewh o so l ici t it is repeatedly urged in t h e H indu writings : th u s in t h e

Hit opadesa

Wh at even are cal led h ere great gifts, su ch as donations of land , go ld ,

cattle , and fo od, are all inferior t o t h e gift of pro tection, and h e wh o affordssuccour t o t h e h elpless th at fly t o h im for aid, o btains a reward equal t othat of

‘performing t h e As

’

wamedha sacrifice, wh ich confers t h e enj oymentof every des ire.

”— H it .

Thi s feel ing seems t o h ave pervaded t h e h ero ic times bo th o f Greece andRome

, and t o h ave secured Adrastu s an asylum at t h e co urt of Croesus, andCorio lanus a refuge in t h e h al ls ofAufidius.

Th e d ifference of mascul ine and feminine terminations, fi rga and

fi ryd, t h e first be ing e ith er t h e same w i th fi rgaka, a name, or“t h e re

spectable,

”as appl ied t o a man 3 t h e second means t h e same as appl ied t o

a. woman.

VOL. I.

1 14 THE TOY-CART.

fo und sounds. Being accustomed t o speak th e dialects of a

number ofbarbarous and o th er o utcast tribes ,* it would be all

t h e same t o us,wh eth er it was Arya o r A

'

rya, masculine ,feminine

,or neuter.

Vir. Ah , well— I sh all take a lo ok myself : such are t h e

prince’s orders— h e knows h e can tru st me .

Chan. And am I no t trusted by h im

Vir. Tru e,bu t I must o bey h is orders .

Chan. (Apart ) If it is known that t h e cowh erd was seized

in Charudat ta’s carriage

,h e will be invo lved in th e punishment

.

I must give my friend h ere a specimen of Carnatic e lo quence .

(A loud ) Hark ye , Viraka, I h ave already inspected t h e car

riage 3 w h y are you t o inspect it again ? w h o t h e deuce are

you ,I sh ou ld like t o know ?

Vir. And wh o are yo u , pray ?

Chan. I ’ll tell yo u : one entitled t o your mo st pro found

respect you sh ould reco llect‘

your caste .

Vir. My caste,wh at is it th en ?

Chan. Oh,I do no t wish t o say

Vir. Say, say if yo u like , and if you don’t like it

,leave it

alone .

Th e original specifies t h e countries, and t h e l ist is no t o nly curious ini tsel f, but i t is worth y o fremark , o n acco unt of t h e ch aracter o fM lech ch ha o rbarbarou s tribes (th at is t o say, o th er th an H indu ) be ing assigned t o peo plewh o are ch iefly, i f no t wh o l ly, natives of So uth ern Ind ia. We m igh t suppo se th at th e nations o f t h e Peninsu la were no t universally Hindus at t h eperio d wh en th is play was written th ey must, h ow ever, h ave received t h erel igion, no t o nly of t h e Vedas, bu t even o f t h e P

u rarias, before t h e

Ch ristian era, as t h e name o f Cape Comari proves so called, accord ing t oArrian, from a templ e ded icated t o a goddess, o r in fact t o K umari

,a name

o fPdrvati or Uma, t h e virgin bride of Siva. Th e co untries specified areKh asa , Kh at tikh ada, Kadat th a, Avilalca ,

Karndta (Carnat ick ) , K arn'

a,

Pracararia, Andhra (Telingana) , Vida (Virat o r Berar), Ch o la (Co romandel) , Viria, B arbara, K h eralchdna ,

Ill ulch a,M adh ughata . Mo st o f th ese

we canno t identi fy ; th ey are very po ssibly d isto rted by t h e co pyists . Th e irgeneral appl ication t o t h e So u th is , h owever, no t o nly ind icated by t h efew wh ich are recognisable , bu t by Ch andanaka cal l ing h imsel f a Dakh i

nat ta or Dak sh ii’

iatya, a dweller of t h e South .

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l 16 THE TOY - CART.

(Viralca approach es it Chandanaka seiz es h im by th e hair, drags

h im back,throws h im down and kicks h im.)

Vir. (Rising ) Wh at do you mean by th is treatment ofme?

bu t I will h ave vengeance . If I h ave no t yo ur h ead severed

from your body,and yo ur limbs quartered and expo sed in th e

public place , I am no t Virakafi"

Chan. Away t o t h e palace , o r t h e court . Complain I

care no t . Wh o w ill h eed such adog as you ? (To Vardhamana. )

Quick, and if any one stops yo u , say t h e carriage h as been

inspected by Viraka and Ch andanaka. Lady Vasantasena, I

give you th is as.a passport . (G ives Argaha a sword. )

Arg. My righ t arm th robs as I receive t h e weapon.

Fo rtune is friendly t o me . I am safe .

Chan. Th e Arya w ill remember Ch andana.

I ask no t th is fo r favour,bu t in lo ve .

Arg. Fate h as th is day made Ch andana my friend.

If t h e saint’s proph ecy sh ould be fu lfilled,

I w ill remember well h ow much I ow e h im .

Chan. May every de ity Ibefriend your cau se 3

And may your enem ies before yo u fall ,Like Sambha and Nis

’

umbha by t h e wrath

Of t h e resentful goddess. § Drive on.

[Exit Vardhaindna with

A rath er unworth y mode of resenting t h e afl‘

ront , especial ly t h e profession and rank of t h e speaker be ing considered : t h e affro nt i tsel f is veryunbecoming a h ero and a general . Th e scene is a curious, and no doubtaccurate , p icture ofmanners amongst t h e Hindus .

1 A title ofrespect.

Th e o riginal specifies th e de ities invok ed , o r Siva, Vish nu, B rahma,t h e Sun and t h e Mo on.

Durga, by wh om t h e two demo ns , Sumbha and N i sumbh a,were de

stroyed , as related in t h e fi fth and fo l lowing sectio ns of t h e Ch andip ath , asection ofth e MdrkandeyaPuraiia ; also in t h e Vcimana and o th erPurahas .

Agreeably t o o ur no tion of t h e priori ty o f t h e play t o th e Purarias , th eresh o u ld be o th er au th oritv for t h e story, bu t i t h as no t been found in ' th eMahabharata .

THE TOY - CART . 1 1 7

Chan. (Looking after it) . Ha ! yonder I see my friend S’

ar

vilaka fo llows t h e carriage . We ll,may th ey pro sper. Viraka

w ill now t o t h e prince and tell h ow h e h as been h andled I

must co llect my friends and re lat ives,and fo llow h im w it h out

delay. [Exit

END OF THE SIX TH ACT .

1 18 THE TOY- CART.

ACT V II.

THE G ARDEN PUSHPAKARANISA .

Enter CHARUDATTA and MAITREYA .

How bravely t h e o ld garden lo oks .

Char.

’

Tis true 3 like wealth y merch ants are t h e treesWh o spread in clustering flow ers t h e ch o icest wares 3Amongst th em busily t h e bees are straying

To gath er tribute fo r t h e royal h ive .

Mait . Here is a fine blo ck of stone 3 sit down on it.

C/zdr. (Seated) Vardh amana tarries long.

Mail. I to ld h im t o make all po ssible h aste .

Char. Th en Why.

so tardy ? Or t h e car ro lls h eavily 3Or it h as broken down upon t h e way 3Or t h e o ld traces h ave been snapped o r lies

A tree acro ss th e ir path 3 o r h ave th ey strayed

Ano th er road,o r are t h e beasts untractable ?

Or h ave— oh,h ere h e comes.

Enter VARDHAMANA with th e Car.

Come up .

(In the car.)Fled from t h e monarch

’

s myrmidons,and cramped

By th is vile fetter round my fo o t, I ow e

My safety t o th is veh icle — wh ere,like t h e cu cko o

Nursed in a stranger nest,I find concealment.

Now,far beyond t h e city

,I am safe .

Sh all I aligh t,and seek t o gain a refuge

Th e Hindus bel ieve th at th e hail, t h e Ind ian cuck o o , dep t s it s eggsn t h e nest of t h e crow, and leaves th em th ere t o be h atch ed

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120 THE TOY-CART .

Th e duty I was born t o 3 and t o th ee

I hith er come , a suppliant for pro tection.

Chair. Art th ou th at Argaka,’

our prince ’

s fears

Dragged from h is h umble station t o a prison ?

Ary. Th e same .

Char. Fate,th at h as brough t th ee h ith er

,is t hy friend.

My life I may resign, but canno t turn

Away from one w h o su es t o me for refuge .

Vardh amana,remove th o se" fetters.

Var. (Obeys) Th e ch ains are off,sir.

A'

rg. (To Char. ) And ch ains more lasting by th is aid impo sed.

Jlfait. Th en now pray take yo urself off t o o . Come,my go od

friend,now th is gentleman is at large

,I th ink w e had better

get h ome as qu ick as w e can .

Char. Fie on t h y speech wh at need ofh aste ?

Arg. Excu se* me,Charudat ta, th at I mounted

,

Nor sough t permission first,into th is car.

Char. Y o u h ave graced me by su ch courtesy.

A’

rg. Have I your leave t o leave you ?

Char. It is yours .

Arg. I w ill descend.

Char. Nay , friend, no t 8 0 .

Yo ur steps still labour from t h e we igh ty bond

So recently remo ved : besides,t h e car

Will unsuspected bear yo u on your wayBeyond o ur boundaries— pray keep yo ur seat .

Arg. As yo u direct.

Chair. Au spicio u s be your wayTo j o in yo ur friends.

Arg. I h ope I leave one h ere .

Chdr.

’Tis one wh o h opes t o be remembered by yo u

In o th er times.

Arg. Can I fo rget myself ?

Chair. Th e gods pro tect your path .

A very civ il and nationally characteristic d ialogue ensues .

THE TOY- CART . 12 1

Arg It is t o you

I ow e my safety.

Char. No t so, you ow e it

To your brigh t fortunes .

Arg Of t h e wh ich , indeed

I h o ld yo u as t h e cau se .

Char. Bu t Palaka

Must still be h eeded 3 and around h e sends

A numerous guard, w h o may detain your steps .

Use no delay 3 but with all speed depart .

A’

rg. To meet again.

Chdr. Th e deed th at I h ave done will little please

Th e king,sh ould it be known 3 and kings beh o ld

Th e ir subjects’ actions by th e ir spies.

’Tw ere we ll

To leave th is spo t at once. Maitreya,cast

Th e fettersdeep into th is ancientwe ll . (His eges throbbing. )’Tis sad t o miss a meeting with my love

But th at such ch ance t o -day at least is h opeless

My left eye indicates 3 and w ith o ut cause

A sudden languo r creeps into my heart.

Let u s leave th is . (G oing ) Ha,an evil omen

A h eretic approach es u s . (Stop s ) Y et — h o ld

Let h im advance— w e’ll take ano th er path . [Exit

A B o uddha mend icant or Srainaiiaka. Avo id ing h im_

is in h armonyw ith t h e Brahmanical do ctrine on th is subj ect ; at t h e same time

,i t is clear

th at t h e perio d o f into lerance and persecu tion h ad no t arrived,o r h e wo u ld

no t h ave so openly made h is appearance in t h e presence ofa Brahman .

Th e Sramanaka is our o ld acquaintance t h e Samvah aka, see Act I I .

END OF THE SEVENTH ACT.

122 THE TOY- CART .

A CT VIII.

SCENE THE SAME.

the S'

RAMANAKA,or Bo uddha mendicant a wet

garment in h is hand.

S’

RAMAEAKA (sings) .

BE virtue,friends, your only store

,

And restle ss appetite restrain,

Beat meditation’s drum

,and so re

Your w atch against each sense maintain 3Th e th ief th at still in ambush lies

,

To make devo tion’

s wealth h is prize .

Cast th e five senses all away

Th at triumph o’

er t h e virtu ous will 3Th e pride of self- importance slay

,

And ignorance remo rseless kill

So sh all yo u safe t h e body guard,

And Heaven sh all be your last reward.

Wh y sh ave t h e h ead and mow t h e ch in

Wh ilst bristling fo llies ch oke t h e breast ?

Apply t h e knife t o parts with in,

And h eed no t h ow deformed t h e rest

Th e h eart ofpride and passion weed,And th en t h e man is pure indeed.

My clo th is h eavy with t h e ye t mo ist dye .

* I will enter

He h as been staining it of a dul l red,w ith t h e paste o f an o ch reo us

clay , commonly used for th is purpose by Sanngcisins, particularly now t h e

Saivas.

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124 THE TOY- CART.

Vit'

a. No t so,h e entreats yo u h umbly .

Sarhs. And wh at are yo u do ing h ere ?

Sram. I was about t o cleanse my garment in th is pond.

Sanis . Villain,was th is superlative garden given t o me

by my sister’s h usband, t h e Raja, fo r su ch a base purpo se ?

Dogs drink h ere by day , and jackals by nigh t : exalted in

rank as I am,I do no t bath e h ere

,and sh all yo u presume h ere

t o wash yo ur foul and fetid rags 3— but I sh all make sh ort w o rk

with youff

Vit’

a. In th at case I suspect h e will no t h ave long fo llow ed

t h e pro fession.

Sarr’

is. How so ?

Vit’

a. Observe : h is h ead sh ine s as if it h ad only been lately

sh aven 3 and h is garment h as been so little w orn th at th ere are

no scars’r on h is sh o u lder. Th e o ch ry dye h as no t yet fu lly

stained t h e clo th,and t h e Open w eb

, ye t fre sh and flaccid,h angs

lo o sely over h is arms .

Sram. I do no t deny it,worth y sir 3 it is true I h ave bu t

lately adopted t h e pro fession ofa beggar.

Sam'

s. And w h y so ? wh y did yo u no t become a beggar as

so on as yo u were bo rn, you scoundrel ? (B eats h im. )Sram. G lo ry t o Buddh a.

Vit’

a. Enough , eno ugh now le t h im go . (To th e Siam. )Away with yo u .

Sanis. Stop,stop I must first ask leav e .

Vit’

a. From wh om ?

Sanis. My own mind.

Vit’

a. We ll,h e is no t gone .

Sak. Th unu samunaka, t h unu .

Sra. Tumam dhar’

nie,tuman'i pu iirié .

Sale. B have , dh aii i’

ie puri iie t t i mambh ana’

di : k im ? h agge s' alaivak ck o sh tak e k ombh akale ba.

Vii . Kaiié limatah ! nanu dhanyas twan'

i, pu iiyas twam : i ti bhavantam

staut i .

7

Tumam ekkap ah dliam kalcmi ,— I shal l make you a man o fo ne blow .

1 Why th ey sh o u ld be expected is very do ubtful : t h e expressio n is

kcilasga alpatagd cha ch ivaraki‘

itali skandh e na ja’

lali [cilia/i.

THE TOY- CART. 125

Sams. My life, my h eart , my ch ick, my ch ild,sh all th is

fe llow go or stay ? Very well,my mind says

Vit’

a. Wh at ?

San'

i s. He sh all neith er go , nor stay, nor move , nor breath e— let h im fall down and be put t o death .

Sram. G lory t o Buddh a ! mercy, mercy !

Vit'a. Oh , let h im go .

Sarhs. On one condition.

Vit'a. Wh at is th at ?

San’

i s. He sh all take all t h e clay o f th is po o l ou t with out

muddying t h e water 3 o r h e sh all make a pile of clean water

and th row t h e mud aside .

Vita. Absurd Y ou migh t as well ask for skins of stone,and

meat from trees . Th is world is sadly burth ened w ith fo o ls.

[Sram gesticulates imprecations ,

Sums. Wh at do es h e mean ?

Vit'a. He blesses you .

Sams. Speak my blessings .

Sram. Be as pro sperous as you are pious .

*

San’

i s. Begone [Exit Sram.

Vita. Come , come, t o o th er th ough ts direct your mind 3Lo ok round t h e garden 3 mark th ese stately trees,Wh ich duly, by t h e king

’

s command attended,

Put fo rth abundantly th e ir fru its and flow ers,

And clasped by twining creepers,th ey resemble

Th e manly h usband and t h e tender w ife .

Sarita Th e ground is quite a picture,strew ed with many

tinted flow ers 3 t h e trees are bow ed down with blo ssoms 3 t h e

gracefu l creepers completely surmo unt even th e ir tops 3 and

t h e monkeys are sporting about like so many jack-fru it sd’

Vit’a. Here let us take o ur seat.

Sarhs. I am seated. And now,my go od friend, trust me

,

Th is is an interpo lation, as in t h e original h e re tires after repeatingh is apparent imprecation, t o wh ich no words are attach ed .

1 Th e large fru it of th e Artocarpus integrifo l ia.

126 THE TOY- CART.

I canno t h elp th inking ofVasantasena : sh e h o lds h er place

in my h eart, and rankles like t h e abu se ofa blackguard.

Vita. (Aside. ) To little purpo se are th ese th ough ts indulged

So true it is

Th e scorn ofw oman in ignoble breasts,

Bu t adds fresh fue l t o t h e sco rch ing flame .

Th e manly h eart disdain with scorn repays,

And so on subdues it s unrequ ited passion.

Sums. Wh at h our is it ? Th at fe llow Sthavaraka was

ordered t o be h ere early 3 wh at can be t h e reason h e do es no t

make h is appearance ? It is almo st no on 3 I feel h ungry, and

it is impo ssible t o th ink ofwalking at th is time of day . Th e

sun is now in mid—h eaven , and lo oks as fierce as an angry ape 3and t h e gro und is as dry and sh rive lled as G andhari lo oked

wh en h er h undred sons were slain.

Vit'a.

’

Tis tru e t h e cattle do z ing in t h e sh ade

Let fall t h e unch amped fodder front th e ir mo u th s

Th e lively ape with slow and langu id pace

Creeps t o th e po o l t o slake h is parch ing th irst

In it s now tepid waters 3 no t a creature

Is seen upon t h e public road,no r braves

One so litary passenger t h e sun .

Perh aps t h e carriage from t h e h eated track

Has turned aside , and w aits a co o ler h our.

Sarhs. Very likely, and I am left h ere t o furnish a lo dg

ment in my brains fo r t h e rays o f t h e sun. Th e birds h ave

all slunk into sh elter amongst t h e branch es,and passengers

panting and breath ing flame,are glad t o mount t h e umbrella

even in t h e sh ade . Th at fellow will no t be h ere t o -day 3 come

let u s amuse o urselves I will give yo u a song.

(He sings. )Th ere

,sir

,wh at say yo u t o th at ?

Vita. Say ? Th at yo u are verily a G andharba.

*

Sarks. How sh ould I fail being so 3 I make a practice of

A ch orister ofSwarga or Indra’

s h eaven.

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128 THE TOY- CART.

Sarhs. Th en drive in.

Sthct . Wh ich way , sir

Sui/is. Here,wh ere t h e wall is broken.

Sthd. It is impo ssible,sir : it will kill t h e beasts, smash t h e

car,and I sh all ge t my neck broken into t h e bargain .

Sarh s. Do you reco llect,sirrah

,th at I am t h e k ing’s bro th er

in-law : be t h e cattle k illed,I can buy o th ers 3 let t h e ear

smash,I can h ave ano th er made 3 and if you break your neck,

I must h ire ano th er driver.

Sthd. Th at is very true , your h onour 3 t helo ss w ill be mine 3I sh all no t be able t o replace myself.

Sarhs. I care no t 3 drive in h ere , o ver t h e broken walls .

S thd. Very well, sir, h ere go es . Break t h e car, go t o pieces

you and your driver 3 o th ers are t o be h ad, and I must repo rt

your fate t o your master. (Drives ) How,all safe ! Th ere ,

sir,t h e carriage h as come in.

Sams . Y ou see wh at a lying rogue you are,and no mis

ch ief.

Sthd. Very tru e,sir.

Sanis. Come,my friend, let u s go t o t h e car. Y ou are my

ever h onoured teach er and master, precede : I know w h at is

du e t o yo ur dignity,ascend.

Vit’

a. I comply .

Sarhs. Stop ! stop ! Did you make t h e carriage,pray ? I

am t h e owner of it,and sh all th erefore get in t h e first.

Vita. I did as yo u desired.

Sanis. Very po ssibly 3 but you erred in no t requesting me

t o precede .

Vita. Will yo ur excellency be pleased t o enter ?

Sari s. Th at is righ t . I sh all ascend. (G etting up ,returns

hastily, and lays h old of th e Vita in alarm. ) Oh dear ! I am a

lo st man 3 th ere’s a th ief or a sh e-devil in t h e carriage If a

devil,w e sh all be robbed if a th ief

,w e sh all be devoured

alive !

Vita. Fear no t ; h ow sh ould a sh e-de v il get into a bullo ck

carriage ? It was no th ing but t h e shadow of St havaraka,I

THE TOY- CART. 129

dare say, wh ich , your eyes h aving been dazzledwith th e glare ,

you saw indistinctly, and misto ok for a liv ing figure .

Sarh s. My po o r St havaraka, are you alive ?

Sthd. I rath er th ink so , your h onour.

Sanis. Th ere certainly is awoman in t h e car, — lo ok yourself.

(To the Vit’

a.)Vit

’

a. A woman ! h a, h a !

Afraid t o gaze upon t h e man ofbirth,

Wh o prides h imself on my companionsh ip,

Th ey walk with downcast eyes,like sh rinking cattle

Th at h ang th e ir h eads against t h e driving rain.

Vas . Alas, th at odious wretch , t h e Raja’

s bro th er !

Wh at will become ofme— unh appy girl

A luckless seed my coming h ith er sows

In t h e parch ed so il ofmy disastro u s fate .

Saris. Th at vile slave , no t t o h ave examined t h e carriage !

Come , master, lo ok .

Vit’

a. I am go ing.

Sums. Do jackals fly or crows run ? Do men eat w ith th eir

eyes and see with th e ir teeth So sure ly w ill I no t stay

h ere .

Vit’a. (Looking in. ) How can it be ?

Wh at brings t h e do e into t h e tiger’s den ?

Or do es t h e cygne t fly t h e distant mate,

Th ough brigh t as autumn’s mo on

, t o w ed th e crow

It is no t well 3 or h as your mo th er’s wi ll,

On gain intent,compelled yo u t o come h ith er

To earn relu ctant presents late despised ?Y ou are by nature false

,your fickle tribe

,

I to ld yo u truly , ever are preparedTo yield th e ir blandishments t o th o se th ey sco rn.

Vas. Believe it no t ofme— I was deceived,M isto ok t h e veh icle

, and th e fatal errorHas brough t me h ith er. Oh , befriend— pro tect me

Vita. I w ill befriend you 3 banish every fear.

VOL. I.

130 THE TOY-CART .

I will beguile th is blo ckh ead. (Descends )Th ere is indeed a devil in t h e car.

Sams. Indeed ! h ow h appens it sh e h as no t run off with

yo u ? If a th ief, h ow is it sh e h as no t eaten you up ?

Vita. Never mind.

Hence t o Ujjayin a line ofgroves affo rds

Unbroken sh ade 3 le t u s walk th ere ,’twere better.

Sarhs. How so ?

Vit’a.

’Twill yield us h ealth y exercise , and spare

Th e jaded cattle .

Sums. So be it. Come, Sthavaraka, fo llow us with th e car

riage— No

,st 0p 3 I go on fo o t only befo re gods and Brahmans

— I canno t walk along t h e road 3 I mu st ge t into t h e car, and

th en as I pass,t h e citiz ens will say t o each o th er

,Th ere ,

th at is h e,h is excellency t h e prince’s mo st noble bro th er

in—law .

Vit’a. (Apart. ) Wh at is t o be done ? t h e case is critical,Th e remedy no t obvious yes, th is were best .

(A loud to theprince. ) Ididbu t j est. Th ere isno female fiend.

Vasant asenah as come h ere t o meet you .

Vas. Ah me !

Sains. Am I no t , master, a fine fellow ,ano th er Vdsudeva

Vit’

a. Undoubtedly.

Sums. It is th erefore th at th is unparalle led goddess waits

upon me . I lately displeased h er ; I will now go and cast

myself at h er feet.

Vit’

a. We ll devised.

Sanis. I go . (Kneels to Vasantasend. ) Celestial Mo th er,listen t o my prayers 3 beh o ld me with th o se lo tus eyes th us

lowly at t h y feet, and mark my h ands uplifted th u s t o t h yh eavenly countenance . Forgive

,mo st gracefu l nymph

,t h e

fau lts th at lo ve h as urged me t o commit,and accept me fo r

t h y servant and t h y slave .

Vas. Aw ay ! your regard is my abh orrence . (Spurns h im

with h erfoot .)Sarhs. (Rising in great wrath . ) Wh at ! sh all th is h ead th at

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132 THE TOY-CART.

h undred tassels, or h ave any curio sity t o taste a bit ofdelicate

flesh , now is your time .

Vit’

a. Wh at mean yo u ?

Sarhs. Will yo u oblige me ?

Vit’

a. In anyth ing no t unreasonable .

Sums. Th ere is no more flavour of unreasonableness th an o f

sh e—devils in it.

Vit’

a. Well,speak on.

Sums. Put Vasantasenat o death .

Vita. (Stopping h is ears. )Murder a yo ung and unoffending female

,

Of courteo us manners and unrivalled beauty,

T h e pride ofall Ujjayin Wh ere sh all I find,

Believe yo u , a fit raft t o waft my souliSafe o

’

er t h e river o f futurity ?

Sanis. I will have one made for yo u . Come, come

,what

h ave yo u t o fear ? In th is lowly place,wh o sh all see yo u ?

Vit a. All nature— th e surrounding realms of space 3T h e genii o f th ese groves

,t h e mo on

,t h e sun

,

Th e winds,th e vau lt of h eaven, t h e firm- se t earth

,

Hell’s awfu l ru ler, and t h e consciou s soul“

Th ese all bear witness t o t h e go od o r ill

T h at men perfo rm,and th ese will see t h e de ed.

*

Sanis . T h row a clo th over h er th en,and h ide h er.

Vit’

a. Fo o l ! you are crazed.

Sums. And yo u are an o ld go od-fo r-no th ing dastardly

jackal. Very we ll, I sh all find some one else. Sthavaraka

sh all do it . Here, St havaraka, my lad, I will give you go ld

bracele ts .

Sthd Th ank your h o nour, I will wear th em.

Sams. Yo u sh all h ave a go ld seat.

Stha. I will sit upon it .

Sums. You shall h ave every dainty dish from my table .

Th is passage is in fact from Mann, with a sl igh t deviation only in th eo rder.

THE TOY- CART. 133

Sthct . I will eat it ; never fear me .

Sams. Yo u sh al l be h ead over all my slaves.

Sthd. I sh all be a very great man .

Sums. But attend t o wh at I o rder.

Sthd. Depend upon me, in everything th at may be done .

Sanis. It may be done well enough .

Sthd. Say on, sir.

Sams. K ill th is Vasantasena.

Siha. Excuse me,sir

,I brough t h er h ere .

Sums. Wh y, you villain, am I no t yo ur master ?

Sthd. Yo u are,sir ; my body is yours, but no t my inno

cence I dare no t obey yo u .

Saris. Of wh om are you , my servant,t o be afraid ?

Stha. Fu turity.

Sanis. And wh o is Mr. Futurity,pray ?

Stha. Th e requiter of o ur go od and e v il deeds.

Sams. And wh at is t h e return for go od ?Stha. Wealth and power like yo ur h ono ur’s .

Sanis. And wh at for evil ?

Sth d. Eating,as I do

,t h e bread of slavery 3 I will no t do ,

th erefore , w h at ough t no t t o be done .

Sums . Y ou will no t obey me ? (Beats h im. )Sthd. Beat me if yo u will , kill me if you w ill, I canno t do

wh at o ugh t no t t o be done . Fate h as already punish ed me

w ith servi tude fo r t h e misdeeds of a fo rmer‘ life

,and I w ill

no t incur t h e penalty ofbeing born again a slave .

Vas. Oh , sir, pro tect me . (To the Vit’

a. )Vita. Come

,come

,be pacified. (To th e prince. )

Sthavaraka is righ t 3 revo lv ing fateHas do omed h im t o a low and servile station

,

From wh ich h e wisely h opes a life ofvirtu e

Hereafter sets h im free . Do you t o o th ink,Th ough degradation wait no t clo se on crime,And many

,o bstinately fo es t o virtu e ,

Suffer no t h ere t h e punishment th ey merit,

Y et destiny no t blindly works. Th ough now

134 THE TOY- CART.

Her will gives servitude t o h im,t o you

A master’s sway 3 ye t in a future be ing,Yo ur afflu ence may h is portion be assigned,And yours

,t o do submissive ly h is bidding .

Sums. (Apart. ) Th e o ld dastard,and th is fo o l ofa slave

,are

bo th afraid of futurity 3 bu t w h at sh all I fear ? I,wh o am

t h e bro th er ofa prince , and a man of courage as well as rank ?

(To Sthdvaraka. ) Begone,slave 3 retire into t h e garden , and

wait apart.

Sthd. I obey, sir. (To Vasantasend. ) Lady,fear no t me .

[Exit

Sums. (Tigh tening h is girdle. ) Now ,Vasantasena

, die . (G oes

to seiz e h er th e Vita stop s h im. )Vit

’

a. In my presence (Throws h im down. )Sains. Ah , villain ! wo u ld you ki ll your prince ? (Paints )

Ah, yo u w h o h ave so long fed at my co st

,do you now become

my fo e ? (Rising; apart . ) Let me th ink 3 th is will do . I saw

t h e o ld sco undre l give a signal . I must get h im ou t of t h e

w ay and th en despatch h er. (A loud ) My go od friend, h ow

co u ld yo u so mistake wh at I said ? How could you suppo se

th at I,bo rn of so h igh a race

,

*sh ou ld seriously purpo se such

an unw orth y action ? I merely used t h e se menaces t o terrify

h er into compliance .

Vit’a. Bel ie ve me,sir

,it is of little import

To boast ofnoble birth,unless acco rd

Th e manners with t h e rank — ungrateful th orns

Are mo st o ffensiv e in a go odly so il .

Sarhs. Th e tru th of t h e mat ter is, th at Vasantasena is

Th e term used t o designate h is fam ily importance in th is place,and

again in t h e ninth act , isMallaka -

p ramariam. M allaka is said by t h e Commentat or t o mean a leaf used t o wrap up anyth ing, and th at t h e Saharaintends t o say samudra, t h e o cean ; bu t th is seems vcry gratu ito us. Mallaka,

as syno nymo us w i th malla ,is a very common name amongst t h e princes of

t h e Dekh in,and perh aps t h e Sahara may intend t o compare h is family t o

th e irs . It m igh t be th o ugh t no t imposs ible that t h e auth or intended t oexpress t h e Arabic term M elek

,a k ing 3 bu t h ow orwh en d id th is wo rd find

i ts way t o Ind ia ?

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136 THE TOY-CART.

To love such excellence exalts my life ,And sh eds a lustre on my h umble lo t .

And wh y sh ould I forego it Can I leave

Th e mango ’s stately stem t o twine around

Th e low and wort h less dhdk

Saris. Wh at dare you compare t h e beggar Charudat ta t o a

mango -tree , and me t o th e dhak,

*no t even a kin

'

ts’

uka Is it

th us yo u treat me and ch eri sh t h e reco llection ofCharudat ta?

Vas. How can I cease t o th ink of one wh o dwells for ever

in my h eart ?

Sums. We’

ll so on try th at, and cu t sh ort your reco llections

and yourself togeth er. Stop, you inamorata of a beggarly

Brahman.

Vas. Deligh tfu l words pro ceed, you speak my praise .

Sarh s. Let h im defend you if h e can.

Vas. Defend me I were safe if h e were h ere

Sums. Wh at ! is h e Sakra,o r t h e son of Boili— Mah endra

,

or t h e son ofRambha— Kdlanemi, o r Subhandu— Rudra or t h e

son ofDroria Jatayu— Chdriakya

— Dhundhumdra o rTri sanku t i

If h e were all th ese togeth er,h e could no t aid you . As Sita

w as slain by Chdziakya, as Draupadt by Jatayu , so art t h en by

me . (Seiz es h er. )

Th ey are bo th t h e same apparently ; bu t from t h e former growing onarid and concary so i ls i t is stunted and mean, wh ilst th e latter grows t o arespectable tree.

1' Several of th ese h ave been named before . Sakra is a name ofIndra ,

t h e k ing of t h e go ds : t h e son ofBali isAngada, a fierce monkey ch ief,one

ofRama'

s confederates. Mah endra is ano th er name of Indra. Th e son of

Rambh c’

t is a personage ofwh om no no tice h as been fo und elsewh ere,unless

i t be a mistak e for t h e son ofRadha,Karh a. Kdlanemi is aDaitya ofsome

celebrity,and one ofRavana’s attendants . Subhand hu h as no t been ident i

fied. Rudra is a name ofSiva . Th e so n o fDroxia is a celebrated h ero int h e Mahdbhdrata named Aswatthaman. Jatdyu is a fabu lous bird k illed byRavavia . Chdriakya is a statesman, t h e m inister ofCh andragup ta . Dhun

dh umara is t h e name of a k ing of O ude of t h e So lar l ine , properly cal ledK uvalayas

'

wa,but termed Dh undh umara from slaying a demon named

Dh undh u wh o annoyed t h e Saint Uttanka . Triéanku is a prince of t h esame family, e levated t o h eaven during h is l i fe by t h e sage Visurtmitra.

All th ese persons o ccur in t h e Mahabharata or Ramayana.

THE TOY- CART. 137

Vas . Oh,my dear mo th er Oh

,my loved Charudat ta !

To o sh ort and t o o imperfect are our lo ves

To o so on I perish . I will cry for succour

Wh at ! sh all Vasantasena’s vo ice be h eard

Abroad ? Oh,th at were infamy ! No more

Bu t th is. Bless,bless my Charudat ta.

Sarhs. Still do yo u repeat th at name ! Once more now .

(Seiz ing h er by th e throat. )Vas. (In a struggling tone. ) Bless my Charudat ta.

Sanis. Die,h arlo t

,die . (Strangles h er with h is hands. )

’

Tis

done,sh e is no more . Th is bundle ofvice

,th is mansion of

cruelty,h as met h er fate

,instead of h im w h om sh e came in

h er lo ve t o meet . To wh at sh all I compare t h e prowess of th is

arm ? Destroyed in t h e fulness of h er h opes,sh e h as fallen

like Sitain t h e Bharata. Deaf t o my desires, sh e perish es in

my resentment . Th e garden is empty 3 I may drag h er away

unperce ived . My fath er and my mo th er,th at Draupadt, as

we ll as my bro th ers , may regret th at th ey did no t see t h e

valiant actions of my mo th er’s son.

* Th e o ld jackal will be

h ere again presently. I w ill with draw and observe h im.

Enter th e VITA and STHAVARAKA.

Vit’

a. I h ave brough t back Sthavaraka. Wh ere is h e

Here are fo o t marks,— th ese are woman’s

Sums. (Advances ) We lcome,master : you are Well returned,

Sthavaraka.

Vita. Now render back my pledge .

Sums. Wh at was th at ?

Vit’

a. Vasantasena.

Sains. eh , sh e is gone .

Vita. Wh eth er ?

Sams. After you .

Vi ta. Sh e came no t in that direction.

Th is passage is in t h e original somewh at obscure . Seva vanch ida

bhdd ukemama p ida, m adeva, s’

d Dopp adi , je s'

é p ekkhadi riedisan'

i vavaéidaifi

put taha sulattariarh .

138 THE TOY- CART .

Saris. Whi ch way went you ?Vit

’

a. To t h e east.Saris. Ah

,th at accounts fo r it 3 sh e turned ofl t o t h e south .

Vit’a. I went south t o o .

Sanis. Th en,I suppo se

,sh e went no rth .

Vita. Wh at mean you ? I compreh end you no t . Speak ou t .

Saris. I swear by your h ead and my feet ,* th at yo u may

make yourself perfectly easy. Dismiss all alarm 3 I h ave killed

h er.

Vita. K illed h er !Sums. Wh at you do no t believe me ? Th en lo ok h ere , see

th is first pro o f ofmy prowess . (Sh ows the body. )Vit 'a. Alas

,I die ! (Faints. )

Sarhs. Hey-dey ! is it all o ver with h im ?

Sthd. Revive,sir 3 it is I wh o am t o blame my inconsider

ately bringing h er h ith er h as cau sed h er death .

Vit’

a. (Reviving ) Alas Vasantasena,

Th e stream of tenderness is now dried up,And beauty flies u s for h er native sph ere .

Adorned with every grace,of lovely aspect,

Radiant with playfu lness,alas po or wench ,

R iver ofgentle feeling,isle ofmirth ,

And friendly refuge fo r all su ch as I am 3Alas love’s rich est sto re , a mart exh austless

Of exqu isite de ligh ts,is h ere broke open .

Th is crime will amply be avenged. A deed

Done by such h ands, in such a place committed,Will bring down infamy upon t h e state,And drive our guardian goddess from our city .

Let me reflect 3 — th is villain may invo lve

Me in t h e crime— Iwill depart from h ence .

[Th eprince lays h old of h im.

Detain me no t 3I h ave already been

To o long your fo llower and friend.

A very insul ting oath .

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140 THE TOY- CART.

Vita. I am in danger h ere 3 yes, I will j o in

S’

arvilaka and Ch andana,and w ith th em seek

Th e band th at Arya h as assembled. [ExitSains. G o

,fo o l

,t o death . Well

,Sthavaraka, my lad, wh at

th ink you of th is business ?

Sthd. Th at it is mo st h orrible .

Saris. How,slave

,do you condemn me ? With all my

h eart,be it so . Here , take th ese . (G ives h im h is ornaments. ) I

make you a present of th em,th at wh en I am full dressed

, you

may be suitably equ ipped t o attend me : it is my com

mand.

Sthd. Th ese are t o o co stly,— wh at am I t o do with th em,

sir ?

Sams. Take th em,take th em

,and away with you . Con

duct t h e carriage t o t h e porch of my palace , and th ere wait

my coming.

Sthd. I o bey, sir. [Exit

Sums. My worth y preceptor h as taken h imself off in alarm .

As t o t h e slave,as so on as I return I will pu t h im in confine

ment ; so my secret is safe,and I may depart with out appre

h ension. Ho ld ! let me be sure,— is sh e dead

,o rmu st I kill h er

again ? no,sh e is safe . I will cover t h e body with my mantle .

Stop it bears my name , and will discover me . Well th ough t

of,— th e wind h as scattered about a quantity of. dry leaves 3 I

will cover h er o verwith th em . (Collects the leaves andp iles th emover Vasantasend. ) Now t o t h e court

,wh ere I will enter an

accu sation against Charudat ta of h aving murdered Vasanta

senafor h er wealth . Ingeniously devised Charudat tawill be

ruined 3 t h e virtuou s city canno t to lerate even t h e death of

an animal .* Now t o my wo rk . (G oing ) Here comes th at

rascally mendicant again, and by t h e very road I was abou t t o

take 3 h e ow es me a grudge fo r th reatening t o slit h is no se,and

sh ould h e see me h ere , h e w ill o u t of revenge come forward

and tax me with th is murder. How sh all I avo id h im ? I

can leap t h e broken wall h ere . Th us I fly,as th e monkey

Th is may imply th e wide d iffusion of Bauddha tenets.

THE TOY- CART . 141

Mahendra leaped th rough h eaven,over earth and h ell

,from

Hanumat * Peak t o Lanka. (Jumps down. )

Enter the S’

RAMANAKA or Mendicant,as before.

I h ave w ash ed my mantle , and wi ll h ang it on th ese bough s

t o dry . N0,h ere are a number ofmonkeys 3 I

’

ll spread it on

t h e ground. No,th ere is t o o much du st . Ha ! yonder t h e

w ind h as blown togeth er a pile ofdry leaves 3 th at will answer

exactly 3 I’

ll spread it upon th em. (Spreads h is wrapper over

Vasantasend and sits down. ) G lory t o Buddha ! (Repeats the

moral stanz as as above. ) Bu t enough of th is. I co vet no t t h e

o th er wo rld,until in th is I may make some return for t h e lady

Vasantasena’

s ch arity. On t h e day sh e liberated me from t h e

gamester’s clu tch es sh e made me h er slave for ever. Ho llo a !

someth ing sigh ed amidst yon leaves ! o r perh aps it was only

th eir crackling,sco rch ed by th e sun

, and mo istened by mydamp garment . Bless me

,th ey spread ou t like t h e wings o f a

bird. (One ofVasantasena’s hands app ears. ) A woman’

s h and,

as I live , w ith rich ornaments— and ano th er 3 surely I h ave

seen th at hand before . It is, it is— it is t h e h and th at once

was stretch ed forth t o save me . Wh at sh ould th is mean

(Throws of th e wrapper and leaves,and sees Vasantasend. ) It

is t h e lady Vasantasena3 t h e devo ted w orsh ipper of Buddha.

(Vasantasena expresses by signs th e want of water. ) Sh e wants

water : t h e po o l is far away ; wh at’

s t o be done ? Ha ! my w e t

garment . (App lies it to h erface and mou th andfans h er. )Vas. (Reviving ) Th anks , t h anks, my friend 3 wh o art th ou ?

Sram. Do yo u no t reco llect me,lady ? Y ou once redeemed

me w ith t en suvariias.

Vas. I remember you ; augh t e lse I h ave forgo tten. I h ave

suffered s ince .

Sram. How,lady

Vas. As my fate deserved.

Sram. Rise , lady, ri se 3 drag yourse lf t o th is tree : h ere ,

Hanumat is th e monkey 3Mah endra, th e mountain.

142 THE TOY- CART.

h o ld by th is creeper.

*

(Bends it down to h er 3 she lays hold of it

and rises.) In a neigh bouring convent dwells a h o ly sister 31rest a wh ile with h er

,lady

,and recover your spirits : gently,

lady,gently. (Th ey proceed. ) Stand aside

,go od friends, stand

aside 3make way fo r a young female and a po o r beggar. It is

my dut y t o re strain t h e h ands and mo uth,and keep th e pas

sions in subjection. Wh at sh ould such a man care fo r king

doms ? His is t h e world t o come . [Exit

To a Bauddh a ascet ic female contact is unlawfu l . His observance of

t h e pro h ibition, in spite o f h is gratitude and regard for Vasantasena,is a

curiou s and ch aracteristic de l ineation of t h e denatural iz ing tendency ofsuch institutions.

1‘ Th e expression is Edassin'

i vihale mama dhammabah inia ch istadi .

Etasmin vihare mama dh armabh agini t ish tat i . Convents for w omen are

very ch aracteristically Bauddh a institu tions : th ey d id exist in t h e Burmanempire til l of late years, and are sti l l t o be met w i th in Nepaul and T ibet .

END OF THE EIGHTH ACT.

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144 THE TOY- CART.

Enter the JUDGE,with the PRovo sr and RECORDER and others.

Crier. Hear,all men

,t h e judge’s commands.

Judge. Amidst t h e conflicting details of parties engaged in

legal controversy, it is diffi cult for t h e judge t o ascertain wh at

is really in th e ir h earts . Men accu se o th ers of secre t crimes,

and even th ough t h e ch arge be disproved,th ey acknowledge

no t th eir fault, but , blinded by passion, persevere 3 and wh ilst

th eir friends conceal th e ir errors,and th e ir fo es exaggerate

th em,th e ch aracter of t h e prince is assailed. Reproach in

deed is easy,discrimination of but rare o ccurrence

,and t h e

quality of a judge is readily t h e subject of censure . A judge

sh ould be learned, sagaciou s, elo qu ent , dispassionate, impartial 3h e sh ould pronounce judgment only after due deliberation and

inquiry 3 h e sh ould be a guardian t o t h e weak,a terror t o t h e

wicked 3 h is h eart sh ould covet no th ing,h is mind h e intent on

no th ing but equ ity and truth , and h e sh ould keep alo o f t h e

anger o f t h e king.

Provost and Bee. Th e ch aracter of your worsh ip is as

free from censure , as t h e mo on is from th e impu tation of

o bscurity .

Judge. Officers, lead t h e way t o t h e seat ofjudgment.

017. As your worsh ip commands. (Th ey sit. )Judge. Now go forth , and see wh o comes t o demand

justice .

By command ofh is h onour t h e judge,I ask

,wh o waits

t o demand ju stice ?

Sains. (Advancing ) Oh,oh ! t h e judges are seated. I

Th e Sresh th in ,t h e ch iefof t h emerch ant s

,and Kayasth a or Scribe . From

t h e way in wh ich th ey interfere, th ey seem t o sit as j o int-assessors or comm issioners w ith t h e judge . Th is is a curio us , and, as far as ye t known, aso l itary p icture of t h e practical administration ofH indu law under H indugovernment. I t is no t exactly, perh aps, accord ing t o ru le : t h e number

,

th ree ormore,is correct. Th e judge may be e ith er a Brahman, a K sbat

triya, or a Vaisya, bu t t h e assessors sh o u ld be Brahmans alo ne . Mer

ch ants , h owever, may be called in. Th e presence of t h e Kayas tha, a man

of m ixed caste, as an assessor, is no t in t h e books, al th ough t h e Scribe isenumerated amongst t h e offi cers of t h e court.

THE TOY- CART. 145

demand justice 3 I, a man ofrank,a Vdsudeva

,and bro th er-in

law of t h e Raja 3— I h ave a plaint t o enter.

0g. Have t h e go odness t o wait a moment,your excellency

wh ilst I apprize t h e Court . (Returns ) So please your w orsh ip

,t h e first plaintiff is h is Maj esty’s bro th er- in-law .

Judge. Th e Raja’s bro th er-in-law t o proffer a plaint ? An

eclipse oft h e rising sun foreruns t h e downfall o f some illustri

o us ch aracter : but th ere are o th er matters before us. Return

and tell h im h is cause canno t come on t o -day .

(Ofi cer returns to San’

i sthetnaka. )017: I am desired t o info rm yo ur h onour th at your cause

canno t be tried t o -day .

San’

vs. How ! no t t o -day ? Th en I sh all apply t o t h e K ing,my sister’s h u sband. I sh all apply t o my sister, and t o mymo th er

,and h ave th is judge dismissed, and ano th er appo inted

immediately. (G oing )017: Stay one moment

,your h onour, and I will carry your

message t o t h e Court. (G oes to the judge. ) Please yo ur w or

sh ip,h is excellency is very angry 3 and declares if yo u do no t

t ry his suit t o -day , h e will complain t o t h e royal fam ily, and

pro cure yo ur wo rsh ip’s dismissal .

Judge. Th e blo ckh ead h as it in h is power,it is true . We ll

,

call h im h ith er h is plaint sh all be h eard.

Cfi (To Sarns ) Will your excellency be pleased t o enter ;your plaint will be h eard.

Sums. Oh,o h ! first it cou ld no t be tried ; now it will be

h eard 3 very well 3 t h e judges fear me : th ey w ill do wh at I

desire . (Enters ) I am well pleased,gentlemen 3 yo u may

th erefore be so t o o , for it is in my h ands t o distribute o r

w ith h o ld satisfaction.

Judge. (Apart , ) Very like t h e language of a complainant

th is ! (A loud ) Be seated.

Sarizs Assuredly. Th is place is mine , and I sh all sit wh ere

I please . (To th e Provost. ) I will sit h ere 3 no (to th e R ecorder) ,I will sit h ere 3 no , no (pu ts h is hands on th e judge

’

s h ead,and

th en sits down by h is side) , I will even sit h ere .

VOL. I.

146 THE TOY- CART.

Judge. Your excellency h as a complaint ?

Sanis. To be sure I h ave .

Judge. Prefer it;

Sains I will,in go od time 3 but remember I am born in a

distingu ish ed family. My fath er is t h e Raja s fath er-in-law 3

t h e Raja is my fath er’

s son-in-law ; I am th e Raja’s bro th er 3and th e Raja is my sister’s h u sband.

Judge. We know all th is 3 but wh y dwell on family

h onours ? Personal excellence is more impo rtant 3 th ere are

always th orn-bush es in th e fairest forests : declare th erefore

your suit.

San'

i s. Th is it is ; but it inv o lves no fault of mine. My

noble bro th er-ih -law,in h is go od pleasure

,presented me

,for

my case and recreation,t h e best of t h e royal gardens

,t h e

ancient Pushpakarandaka. It is my practice t o v isit it daily,and see it well swept and weeded

,and kept in order 3 and

h av ing, as my wont, gone th is day th ith er, w h at sh ould I

beh o ld,but — I cou ld scarcely believe my eyes— th e dead body

ofa female

Judge. Did yo u know t h e person

Sanis Alas ! t o o well . Sh e was once our city’s greatest

pride . Her rich attire mu st h ave tempted some execrablewretch t o begu ile h er into t h e lonely garden 3 and th ere , for

t h e sake of h er j ewels,was t h e love ly Vasantasena strangled

by h is h ands, no t by me . (Stops h imself. )Judge. Wh at neglect in t h e po lice ! Yo u h eard th e plaint

,

gentlemen 3 let it be recorded,including t h e words “

no t by

me .

Rec. (Writes it. ) It is done .

Sanis. (Apart ) Vile carelessness ! My h eedlessness h asplunged me i nto peril , like a man cro ssing a narrow bridgeprecipitately, w h o tumbles into t h e stream it canno t now beh elped. (Aloud ) Well , sagacio u s administrators of justice ,

yo u make a migh ty fuss about a trifle . I was go ing t o observe,

no t by me was t h e deed beh eld. (Puts h is foot on th e record,

and wipes out th e last part. )

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1 48 THE TOY-CART.

Prov. and Rec. Speak out 3 t h e law asks th e question 3 th ere

is no impropriety in answering.

Moth . Wh y th en, gentlemen,t o say th e truth , sh e is at

t h e h ouse of a very nice gentleman — t h e son of Sagaradat ta,

grandson of t h e Provo st Vinayadat ta, wh o se own name is

C harudat ta 3 h e lives near t h e Exch ange my daugh ter is

w ith h im .

Saris. You h ear, judges 3— let th is be registered. I accuse

Charudat ta.

Prov. Charudat ta,h er friend h e canno t be criminal .

Judge. Th e cause , h owever, requires h is presence .

Prov. Certainly.

Judge. (To th e Scribe. ) Dh anadat ta, write down th at Vasan

tasena last went t o Charudat ta’s residence : th is is t h e first

s t ep . Let me consider 3 h ow can Charudat ta be summoned

h ith er ? However,t h e law must be enforced. Officer, repair

t o Charudat ta,and say t o h im ,

t h e magistrate , with all due

respect,requests t o see h im at h is perfect convenience .

(Officer goes out , and re-enters with Chdrudatta. )0173 Th is way , sir.

Chair. Th e prince well knows my rank and ch aracter,And ye t th u s calls me t o h is public court.

Haply h e may h ave h eard my car conveyed

Th e fugitive h e feared beyond h is reach,

Borne t o h is car by some unfriendly spy .

Or h aply— bu t away with fancies 3 so on

I learn t h e truth,arrived at t h e tribunal .

Of. Th is way , th is way , sir.

Char. Wh at sh ould th is mean ? h is h arsh est no te, you crow

Responsive utters t o h is fellow’

s call,

With croak repeated. Ha ! my left eye th robs 3Wh at new misfo rtunes th reaten ?

Ofi’

. Pro ceed,sir

,never fear.

Char. Facing t h e sun,on yonder bligh ted tree

,

Th e bird of evil augury is perch ed 3Ha on my path , th e black snake sleeping lies .

THE TOY-CART. 1 49

Roused from h is slumber, h e unfo lds in wrath

His spiry length , and th reatening beats t h e groundWith bulk inflated, as h e turns on me

His angry eyes, and from between h is fangs

Pro trudes h is h issing tongue . I slip , yet h ere

No plash y mire betrays my h eedless feet.

Still th robs my left eye , and my left arm trembles 3And still th at bird in fligh t sinistral cries

,

To warn me of impending ill . Ye s,death

Terrible death awaits me . Be it se

It is no t mine t o murmur against destiny,

Nor doubt th at righ teous wh ich t h e gods ordain.

Oyi Th is is t h e court, sir, enter.

Char. (Entering and looking round. )Th e pro spect is but little pleasing .

Th e court lo oks like a sea 3— it s councillors

Are deep engulph ed in th o ugh t 3 it s to ssing wavesAr e wrangling advo cates 3 it s bro od ofmonstersAre th ese wild animals— death ’s ministers

Attorneys skim like wily snakes th e surface

Spies are th e sh ell-fi sh cow ering ’midst it s w eeds,And vile info rmers

,like t h e h overing curlew

,

Hang fluttering o ’er,th en pounce upon th eir prey

Th e beach,th at sh ould be justice

,is unsafe

,

Rough,rude

,and broken by oppression’

s storms .

[As h e advances h e knocks h is h ead against the door—frame.

Mo re inauspiciou s omens th ey attend

Each step I take 3 fate multiplie s it s favours .

Th at th e translatormay no t be th o ugh t t o h ave h ad an Engl ish rath erthan an Ind ian court in h is eye , h e enumerates t h e terms of t h e o riginalfor th e d ifferent members ofwh ich it is said t o consist. Mantrins, councillors ; Dutas, t h e envoys or representatives of t h e parties ; t h e w ildanimals, death ’s m inisters, are n as and A s

’

was,eleph ants and h orses

employed t o tread o r tear condemned criminals t o death 3 t h e Charas arespies or runners ; Nanavdsakas, d isgu ised em issaries or informers ; and

Kayas thas are scribes by pro fession, wh o d isch arge t h e duties of notariesand attorneys .

150 THE TOY- CART.

Judge. Charudat ta appro ach es. Observe h im 3— th at face

and form never gave sh elter t o cause less crime . Appearance

is a test of ch aracter 3 and no t only in man,but in eleph ants ,

h orses and kine,t h e dispo sition never deviates from t h e per

feet sh ape .

*

Char. Hail t o t h e court 3 pro sperity attend

Th e delegated ministers ofjustice .

Judge. Sir, yo u are we lcome 3 officer, bring a seat.

0171 It is h ere 3 be seated, sir. (To Chdrudatta; he sits. )San

'

i s So,Mr. V

Voman-killer

, yo u are h ere : very deco rous

th is,indeed

,t o treat su ch a fellow with so much civility 3 bu t

never mind.

Judge. Wo rth y Charudat ta,allow me t o ask if any inti

macy or connexion h as e ver subsisted between you and th is

w oman’

s daugh ter ?

Char. Wh at woman ?

Judge. Th is . (Sh owing Vasantasena s mother. )Ch oir. (Rising ) Lady, I salute you .

IlIo th . Son,long may you liv e l

‘

r (Apart ) Th is is Charu

datta, th en 3 really my daugh ter h as made a go od ch o ice .

Judge. Te ll u s, Charudat ta, were yo u ever acquainted withth at courtezan ? (Chdrudatta ashamed

,h esitates. )

San’

ts . Ah ! h e pretends t o be vastly modest, or very much

alarmed 3 it is merely a pretext t o evade confessing h is vicious

courses but th at h e murdered th e woman for h er wealth,t h e

prince sh all so on make manifest.

Prov. Away with th is h esitation, Charudat ta th ere is a

ch arge against yo u .

Char. We ll,sirs

,w h at sh all I say ? Wh at if sh e were

A friend ofmine ? be youth accused,no t h abit .

Judge. Le t me beg— no evasion

,banish all reserve

,speak

t h e truth and act ingenuously : remember it is t h e law th atcalls upo n yo u .

Th is is l iteral ly t ranslated, wi th ou t any leaning t o Call or Lavater.

Jr Li teral ly, long be my l i fe : ch iran

’

z mej iva .

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152 THE TOY-CART.

your h and into flame , will it no t be burnt ? and th ink you th at

if you revile Charudat ta,t h e earth will no t open and swallow

you ? Th is is Charudat ta— h ow can such a man h ave com

mit t ed such a crime ? He h as exh austed in lavish munificence

t h e o cean ofh is disregarded wealth,and is it po ssible th at h e ,

wh o was best among th e best,and wh o h as ever sh own t h e

mo st princely liberality,sh ould h ave been guilty of a deed

mo st h atefu l t o a noble mind,for t h e sake ofplunder ?

Sains. I say again,it is no t yo ur province t o undertake h is

defence 3 yo u are t o t ry t h e cause .

Moth . I say t h e accu sation is false . Wh en in h is distress

my daugh ter intrusted a casket of j ewels t o h is care,and it

was sto len from h im,even th en h e replaced it with a necklace

of still greater value 3 and can h e now,fo r t h e sake ofwealth

,

h ave turned murderer ? Oh,never ! Alas ! would th at my

daugh ter were h ere ! (Weeps .)Judge. Inform us, Charudat ta, h ow did sh e leave yo u— on

fo o t o r in a carriage ?

Char. I did no t see h er depart, and know no t .

Enter VfRAKA in haste.

Now go I t o t h e court , t o tell th em h ow I h ave beenmaltreated

,kicked

,and abused fo r keeping a go od lo ok-ou t

after t h e runaway. Hail t o your worsh ips !

Judge. Ha h ere is Viraka,t h e captain of t h e watch : wh at

brings you h ith er, Viraka ?

Vtr. Hearme,your h ono ur. Wh ilst engaged last nigh t in

quest ofAryaka, wh o h ad broke lo o se , w e st epped a covered

carriage th e captain , Ch andanaka, lo oked into it, and I was

go ing t o do so t o o , wh en h e prevented me,pulled me back

,

and cuffed and kicked me . I beg your h onours will take

proper no tice of th is business .

Judge. We wi ll . Wh o se was t h e carriage,do you know ?

Vtr. Th e driver said it belonged t o th is gentleman, Charu

datta 3 and th at it carried Vasantasena t o meet h im in Push

pakarandaka.

THE TOY- CART. 153

Sains. You h ear, sirs

Judge. Truly th is spo tless mo on is th reatened by t h e demon

of eclipse 3 t h e limpid stream is su llied by t h e falling of t h e

banks . We will inquire into your complaint,Viraka 3 in t h e

meantime mount one of t h e messenger’s h orses at t h e gate ;

go t o Pushpakarandaka with all speed,and bring u s word

wh eth er t h e body ofa murdered woman lies th ere .

Vir. I sh all . (G oes out, and presently returns ) I h ave been

t o th e garden,and h ave ascertained th at a female body h as

been carried offby t h e beasts ofprey.

Judge. How know you it was a female ?

Vtr. By t h e remains of t h e h air, and t h e marks of th e h ands

and feet.

Judge. How diflicult it is t o discover t h e truth : th e more

one investigates,t h e greater is t h e perplexity. Th e po ints

of law are sufficiently clear h ere but t h e understanding still

labours like a cow in a quagmire .

Char. (Apart ) Wh en first t h e flower unfo lds, as flo ck th e bees

To drink t h e h oneyed dew ,so m isch iefs crowd

Th e entrance opened by man’

s falling fortune .

Judge. Come, Charudat ta, speak t h e truth .

Char. Th e wretch th at sickens at ano th er’s merits,Th e mind

,by passion blinded

,bent t o ru in

Th e obj ect ofit s malice,do no t claim

Reply,no r any h eed t o wh at th ey utter,

Wh ich from th eir very nature must be falseh o od.

Fo r me— you know me— would I pluck a flower,I draw t h e tender creeper gently t o me

,

Nor rudely rob it of it s clustering beauty.

How think yo u th en — could I w ith vio lent h ands

Tear from th eir lovely seat th o se j etty lo cks,

More glo ssy th an t h e black bee’s w ing,o r h ow

So wrong my nature , and betray my love,As with remorseless h eart t o blast in death

Th e weeping ch arms th at vainly su ed for mercy ?

Rath er an undignifi ed simi le for a judge .

154 THE TOY- CART .

Sarhs. I tell yo u , judges, yo u will be h e ld as t h e defendant’s

friends and abetto rs,if you allow h im longer t o remain seated

in your presence .

Judge. Officer,remo ve h im from h is seat. (Ofiicer obeys. )

Char. M inisters ofjustice, yet reflect . (Sits on the ground. )

Sains. (Apart ) Ha, h a ! my deeds are now safely depo sited

on ano th er’s h ead 3 I will go and sit near Charudat ta. (Does

so . ) Come, Charudat ta, lo ok at me : confess ; say h one stly ,

I killed Vasantasena.

”

Char. Vile wretch,away Alas my h umble friend,

My go od Maitreya, wh at will be t h y grief

To h ear ofmy disgrace ? and th ine , dear w ife ,Th e daugh ter ofa pure and piou s race ?

Alas ! my b oy , amidst t h y youth fu l sports

How little t h ink ’st th o u of t h y fath er’

s sh ame

Wh ere can Maitreya tarry ? I h ad sent h im

To seek Vasantasena,and resto re

Th e co stly gems h er lavish love bestow ed

Uponmy ch ild— w h ere can h e th us delay ?

Ou tside— EnterMAITREYA with Vasantasena s jewels.

I am t o return th ese trinkets t o Vasantasena3 t h e ch ild too k

th em t o h is mo th er 3 I must resto re th em,and

,on no account,

consent t o take th em back again . Ha ! Rebh ila ; h ow now

Rebh ila,wh at is t h e matter ? Y o u seem agitated, w h at h as

ch anced ? (Listening ) Hey w h at say you ,my dear friend ?

summoned t o t h e court? th is is very alarming. Le t me th ink .

I must go t o h im,and see wh at it means 3 I can go t o Vasan

t asenaaft erwards . Oh,h ere is t h e co urt. (Enters ) Salutation

t o your worsh ips wh ere is my friend ?

Judge. Th ere .

Mait. My dear friend, all h appiness

Char. Will be h ereafter.

Mait . Patience .

Char. Th at I h ave .

Mait. Bu t w hy so downcast ? w h at are yo u brough t h ere fo r l

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156 THE TOY- CART.

Char. (To Mait. ) In an ill h our th ese jewels spring t o ligh t.

Such is my fate, th eir fall will lead t o mine .

Mait. Wh y no t explain ?

Char. Th e regal eye is feeble t o discern

Th e truth amidst perplexity and do ubt.

I can but urge— I h ave no t done t h e deed

And poverty like mine must h ope t o gain

Unwilling credence 3 sh amefu l death awaits me .

Judge. Alas ! Mars is obstructed and Jupiter obscured,and

a new planet like a comet wanders in th eir o rbits.

Prov. Come h ith er,lady (to Vasantasena

’

s moth er) 3 lo ok at

th is casket ; was it your daugh ter’

s ?

Moth . It is very like,but no t t h e same .

Sains Oh, you o ld baggage ! yo ur eyes tell one story and

your tongue ano th er.

JlIoth . Away, slanderer !

Prov. Be carefu l of wh at you say : is it your daugh ter’s , or

is it no t ?

Moth . Wh y, your worsh ip , t h e skill of t h e workman

makes it difficult t o trust one’s eyes 3 but th is is no t my

daugh ter’s.

Judge. Do yo u know th ese ornaments ?

Moth . Have I no t said ? Th ey may be different , th o ugh

like : I canno t say more 3 th ey may be imitations made by

some skilful artist.

Judge. It is true . Provo st, examine th em : th ey may be

different, th ough like 3 t h e dexterity of t h e artists is no do ubt

very great,and th ey readily fabricate imitations of ornaments

th ey h ave once seen, in such a manner,th at t h e difference

sh all scarcely be discernible .

Prov. Are th ese o rnaments your property,Charudat ta ?

Char. Th ey are no t .

Prov. Wh o se th en ?

Char. Th is lady’s daugh ter’s.

Prov. How come th ey o u t of th e owner’s po ssession ?

Char. Sh e parted with th em.

THE TOY-CART.

Prov. C onsider, Charudat ta, you must speak t h e truth .

Truth alone is internal satisfaction 3 no t t o declare t h e truth

is a crime 3 t h e truth is readily to ld 3 seek no t t o conceal it by

a lie .

Char. I do no t know t h e ornaments 3 bu t th is I know, th ey

are now brough t from my h ouse .

Sanis. Y o u killed h er in my garden first,and so obtained

th em 3 th is prevarication is only t o h ide t h e truth .

Judge. Charudat ta, own t h e truth , o r it must be my pleasure

th at h eavy lash es fall upon th at de licate frame .

Choir. Sprung from a race incapable of crime,I h ave no t sh amed my sires— ifyou confound

Th e inno cent with t h e gu ilty, I must suffer.

(Apart ) If I h ave lo st indeed Vasantasena,Life is a burden t o me . (A loud ) Wh at avails it

T o proffer furth er plea ? be it acknowledged.

I h ave abandoned virtue,and deserved

Abh orrence h ere and punishment h ereafter.

Let me be called a murderer,o r wh at e lse

It pleases h im (to Sums. ) t o declare .

Sums. Sh e is killed say at once,I killed h er.

Char. Y ou h ave said.

Sanis . Yo u h ear h im h e confesses it 3 all doubt is removedby h is own wo rds let h im be punish ed. Po o r Charudat ta !

Judge. Officer, o bey t h e prince— secure t h e malefactor.

Moth . Y et , go o d gentlemen, h ear me . I am sure t h e

ch arge is false . If my dear daugh ter be slain,let h im live,

w h o is my life . Wh o are t h e parties in th is cause ? I makeno complaint , and wh y th en is h e t o be detained ? Oh ! set

h im at liberty .

San'

i s Silence, you o ld fo o l ! what h ave yo u t o do with

h im

Judge. With draw, lady. Officer,lead h er fo rth .

Moth . My son, my dear son (Is forced out . )Sums. I h ave done th e business worth y of myself

,and sh all

now depart . [Exit

158 THE TOY- CART.

Judge. Charudat ta, t h e business of pro o f it was ours t o

effect,t h e sentence rests with t h e prince . Officer

,apprize

t h e royal Palaka,th at t h e convicted cu lprit be ing a Brah

man,h e canno t according t o Manu be pu t t o death , but

h e may be banish ed t h e kingdom with h is property nu

touch ed.

017. I obey. (G oes ou t and returns. ) I h ave been, and t h e

king th u s commands. Let t h e ornaments of Vasantasenabe

suspended t o t h e neck of th e criminal 3 let h im be conducted

by h eat of drum t o t h e sou th ern cemetery,and th ere let h im

be impaled 3 th at, by t h e severity of th is punishment,men

may be in future deterred from t h e commission of such atro

cions acts.

Chdr. Unjust and inconsiderate monarch .

*

’Tis th us th at evil co uncillors impe l

Th e h eedless prince into t h e scorch ing flames

Of fierce iniquity and foul disgrace 3And countless victims perish by t h e guilt

Of treach erous ministers,w h o th us invo lve

Bo th prince and people in promi scu ous ruin

My friend Maitreya,I bequeath t o you

My h elpless fami ly 3 befriend my wife ,And be a second parent t o my ch ild.

Mait. Alas ! w h en t h e ro o t is destroyed,h ow can t h e tree

remain

Char. No t so 3 a fath er l ives beyond h is death

And in h is son survives 3’t is meet my boy

Enj oy th at friendsh ip wh ich th ou sh ow ’

dst h is sire .

Mait. Y ou h ave e ver been mo st dear t o me,mo st excellent

Charudat ta 3 I canno t ch erish life deprived ofyo u .

Char. Bring my boy t o me .

Mait. Th at sh all be done .

Po ssibly t h e po l itical events described in th is piece were no t wh o llymatter o f fiction, and Palaka, leaning t o t h e Bauddha do ctrines, and disregard ing Brahminical priv ileges, provok ed th e insurrection that is recordedin t h e drama.

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160 THE TOY- CART.

A C T X .

THE ROAD TO THE PLACE OF EX ECUTION .

Enter CHARUDATTA with two CHANDALAS as Execu tioners.

l st Chan. Ou t * of th e way , sirs ! ou t of th e way ! ro om

fo r Charudat ta. Adorned with t h e karavira + garland, and

attended by h is dexterou s executioners,h e approach es h is end

like a lamp ill-fed with o il.

Char. Sepu lch ral blo ssoms decorate my limbs,Covered with dust, and watered bymy tears ,And round me h arsh ly croak t h e carrion birds,Impatient t o enj oy th e ir promised prey.

2d Chan. Ou t o f th e way , sirs ! wh at do you stare at ? a

go od man wh o se h ead is t o b e ch opped off by t h e axe of

destiny ? a tree th at gave sh e lter t o gentle birds t o be cu t

down ? Come on,Charudat ta.

Char. Wh o can foresee t h e strange vicissitudes

Of man’

s sad de stiny — I little th ough t

Th at such a fate would ever be my po rtion,Nor cou ld h ave credited I sh ould live t o be

Dragged like a beast t o public sacrifice,

Stained w ith t h e ruddy sandal spo ts and smeared

With meal— a victim t o t h e sable goddess :Yet as I pass along, my fellow-citizens

Th e Prakn t spoken by t h e Chaiidalas is exceed ingly rude and difficu l t ;t h e commentator is o ften evidently at fau l t, and furnish es very imperfectand unsatisfactory interpretations several passages h ave been accord inglyomitted, but none ofany importance .

Sweet-scented Oleander, or rose bay. Nerium odorum .

1 Th is is an add ition of t h e commentator : t h e text impl ies that h e isequipped as a victim,

bu t does no t say t o wh at de ity.

THE TOY- CART. 16 1

Conso le me with th eir tears,and execrate

Th e cru e l sentence th at awards my death .

Unable t o preserve my l ife , th ey pray

That h eaven await me,and reward my sufferings.

l st Chan. Stand o ut of t h e w ay— wh at crowd you t o see ?

Th ere are four th ings no t t o be lo oked at Indra carriedfo rth

,t h e birth of a calf

, t h e transit o f a star,and t h e mis

fo rtune ofa go odman.

* Lo ok,bro th erAh inta 3 t h e w h o le city

is under sentence — Wh at ! do es t h e sky weep, o r t h e th underbo lt fall with out a cloud

2d Chan. No,bro th er G oh a, no t so 3 t h e sh ower falls from

yonder clo ud ofwomen 3 ye t th ough all t h e people weep, yet

such is t h e th rong,th at th eir tears canno t lay th e du st.

Char. From e v ery window lovely faces sh ed

Th e kindly drops,and bath e me w ith th eir tears .

l st Chart. Here st op strike t h e drum,and cry t h e sentence .

Hear ye , h ear ye l Th is is Charudat ta, son ofSagaradat ta,

son ofProvo st Vinayadat t a, by wh om t h e co urtez an Vasantasenah as been robbed and murdered 3 h e h as been convictedand condemned

,and w e are o rdered by king Palaka t o put

h im t o death : so will h is Majesty ever punish th o se th atcommit such crimes as bo th worlds abh or.

Th is passage is no t clear 3 t h e expression is Inde p ave’

zh iante,wh ich

seems t o imply Indrah p ravahyamanah . Th e o ldest commentary translatesi t Pravardh amana

,increasing, progressing ; and suppo ses Indra pu t for

h is h ow,t h e rainbow . It seems more pro bable

,h owever

,th at t h e ph rase

al ludes t o some observance in h onour of t h e de ity wh ich h as fallen intod isuse and is forgo tten. Such

,for example , as t h e Sakradhwaj o t thana, erec

t ion ofa flag in h onour o f Indra, wh ich , after be ing worsh ipped for some

days, is d irected t o b e remo ved privately at m idnigh t, wh en all t h e peopleare asleep . (Kalika-Puraiia .) Th e paraph ernal ia and circumstances of a

publ ic execu tion,according t o H indu fash ions

,are interestingly described

‘

h ere 3 t h e scantiness of t h e ofl‘i cial attendance sh ows th at t h e people were

as easily managed th en as at any subsequ ent perio d . Th e ch aracter oft h eexecutioner co rresp onds precise ly w ith th at o f t h e Roman Carni fex ; and,in l ike manner

,t h e place of execution is t h e publ ic cemetery, or place o f

burning t h e dead. Th e crim inal is dressed as a victim w ith very class icaldecorations.

VOL . I.

162 THE TOY-CART.

Ch oir. Dreadful reverse— t o h ear such wretch es h erald

My death , and blacken th us with lies my fame

No t so,my sires— for th em t h e frequ ent sh out

Has filled t h e sacred temple , w h ere t h e crowd

Of h o ly Brahmans t o t h e gods pro claimed

Th e co stly rite accomplish ed and sh all I ,Alas Vasantasena

,wh o h ave drunk

Th y nectared tones from lips wh o se ruby glow

Disgraced t h e coral,and displayed t h e ch arms

Of teeth more pearly th an t h e mo on’

s ch aste ligh t,Pro fane my ears with su ch envenomed draugh ts

Of infamy wh ilst yet my soul is free ?

[Pu ts h is hands to h is ears .

l st Chan. Stand apart th ere— make way !

Char. My friends avo id me as I pass, and, h iding

Th eir faces with th e ir raiment,turn away.

Wh ilst fo rtune smiles each stranger is a friend,

Bu t friends are strangers in advers ity .

l st Chart. Th e road is now to lerably clear, — bring along t h eculprit.

(Beh ind ) Fath er ! fath er !

My friend my friend !

Char. My w orth y friends, grant me th is one indulgence .

l st Chan. Wh at w ill yo u take anyth ing of u s ?

Ch oir. D isdain no t my requ est. Th ough basely born,

Y o u are no t cru el,and a gentle nature

Ranks yo u above yo ur sovereign. I implore you ,

By all your future h opes , o h once permit me

To view my son,ere I depart t o death !

l st Chan. Let h im come — Men,stand back

,and le t t h e

ch ild approach h ere,th is way.

Enter MAITREYA with ROHASENA.

Mait . Here w e h ave h im,boy , once more 3 your dear

fath er,wh o is go ing t o be murdered.

Th at is,h ow can a Brahman condescend t o accept anyth ing from a

Chandala ? Th ere is some bitterness in t h e question.

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164 THE TOY- CART.'

Roha. Wh ere do you lead my fath er, vile Chandala ?

Chan. I go t o death , my ch ild 3 t h e fatal ch aplet

Of Karavira h angs around my neck 3Th e stake upon my sh oulder rests

,

* my h eart

Is burdened with despair, as, like a victim

Dressed fo r t h e sacrifice, I meet my fate .

l st Chan. Hark ye, my boy : th ey wh o are born Chandalasare no t t h e only ones ; th ey wh o oppress t h e virtuo us are

Chanddlas t o o .

Roha. Wh y , th en, want t o kill my fath er

l st Chan. Th e king orders u s 3 it is h is fault, no t ours.

Roha. Take and kill me 3 let my fath er go .

l st Chan. My brave little fellow,long life t o you

Char. (Embracing h im. )Th is is t h e tru est w ealth 3 love equal smiles

On po or and rich 3 t h e bo som’s preciou s balm

Is no t t h e fragrant h erb,nor co stly ungu ent

But nature’s breath , affection’

s h o ly perfume .

Mait. Come now,my go od fellows , let my wo rth y friend

escape you only want a body,— mine is at your dispo sal .

Char. Forbear,fo rbear

l st Chan. Come on stand Off wh at do you th rong t o see ?

a go od man w h o h as lo st h is all and fallen into despair,like

a go ld bucket wh o se rope breaks and it tumbles into t h e

well .

2d Chan. Here stop beat t h e drum, and pro claim th e

sentence . (As before. )Chair. Th is is t h e h eaviest pang ofall 3 t o th ink

Su ch bitter fruit attends my clo sing life .

And oh wh at ang uish,love

,t o h ear t h e calumny

,

Th us no ised abroad,th at th ou wast slain by me

[Exeunt

So condemned malefactors, accord ing t o th e Roman code , h ere th eircross or gibbet t o t h e place of execution.

THE TOY- CART. 165

SCENE II. — A ROOM IN THE PALACE.

STHAVARAKA discovered above,bound

,listening to the

drum andproclamation.

How ! t h e inno cent Charudat ta t o be executed,and I in

ch ains still ! I may be h eard. Wh at h o th ere ! friends , h ear

me — it was I,sinner th at I am

,w h o dro v e Vasantasena t o

t h e royal garden. Th ere my master met u s,and finding h er

deaf t o h is wish es,with h is own h ands strangled h er. He is

t h e murderer,no t th is w o rth y man — Th ey canno t h ear me

I am t o o far o ff. Canno t L les p down — it sh all be so 3 better

any ch ance th an th at Charudat ta sh ould suffer . I can get ou t

o f th is window and spring from t h e balcony : better I perish

th an Charudat ta,and if I die , h eaven is my reward. (Jumps

down. ) I am no t h urt,and fortunately my ch ain h as snapped.

Now,wh ence comes th e cry of t h e Chand

'

alas z— h a ! yonder,I w ill overtake th em. Wh at h o th ere , stop [Exit

SCENE III.

Enter CHARUDATTA as before— to th em STHAVARAKA .

Stbd. Wh at h o , stop !

l st Chan. Wh o calls t o us t o stop ?

Sthd. Hear me 3 Charudat ta is inno cent . I to ok Vasanta

senat o t h e garden,w h ere my master strangled h er with h is

own h ands.

Char. Wh o comes rejo icing th us my latest h ours,To snatch me from t h e galling bonds offate ?

Like t h e fu ll clo ud,distent with friendly sh owers

,

Th at timely h angs t o save t h e dropping grain ?

Heard yo u t h e words — my fame again is clear.

My death I h eeded no t,I feared disgrace .

Death with o u t sh ame is we l come as t h e babe

New -born. I perish now by h ate

I ne’er pro voked 3 by ignorance and malice

I fall th e mark ofarrow s dipped in venom,

And aimed at me by infamy and guilt .

166 THE TOY- CART.

l st Chan. Hark ye , Sthavaraka, — do yo u speak t h e truth ?

Stha. I do ; and would h ave ere now proclaimed it : fo r

fear of th at I w as ch ained,and sh ut up in one of th e ro oms of

t h e palace .

Enter SAMSTHA’

NAKA (above) .

I h ave had a mo st sumptuous regale in t h e palace h ere : rice ,with acid sauce , and meat

,and fi sh

,and vegetables, and

sw eetmeats. Wh at sounds were th o se I h eard ? Th e

Chand'

ala’

s vo ice,as h arsh as a cracked be ll , and th e beat of

t h e death -drum 3 t h e beggar Charudat ta is go ing t o execution.

Th e destruction o f an enemy is a banqu et t o t h e h eart. I

h ave h eard,t o o

,th at wh o ever lo oks upon t h e death of an

adversary w ill never h av e bad eyes in h is next birth . I will

ascend t h e terrace ofmy palace and contemplate my triumph .

(Ascends. ) Wh at a crowd h as co llected t o see th e executionof th is miserable wretch If so many flo ck t o see h im

,wh at

a concourse th ere wo u ld b e t o beh o ld a great man like myself

put t o death ! He is dressed like a young steer. Th ey aretaking h im t o t h e so uth . Wh at brings th em th is way , andw h y ceases t h e no ise ? (Looks into th e chamber. ) Hey wh ereis t h e slave Sthavaraka ? He h as made h is escape — all my

sch emes will b e ruined — Imust seek h im . (Descends )Sthd. Here comes my master.

l st Chan. Out of t h e way th ere ! make ro om ! Here h e

comes,like a mad ox

,butting w ith t h e sh arp h o rn of arro

gance .

Sam. Ro om ,ro om h ere ! My boy Sthavaraka, come yo u

along with me .

Sthd. Wh at, sir ! are you no t satisfied with h aving murdered Vasantasena, th at yo u now endeavour t o compass t h e

death of t h e excellent Charudat ta ?

Sam. I,

—I,

— a vessel ofrich j ewels , I murder a w oman

Crowd. Y e s, yes, you murdered h er 3 no t Charudat ta.

Sam. W110 says so

Crowd. Th is h onest man.

Sam. Sthavaraka, my servant. (Apart ) He is t h e only

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168 THE TOY- CART.

Mait. Th ink no t,my dear friend, th at I intend t o survive

you .

Char. My go od Maitreya, th e vital spirit owes no t

Obedience t o o ur mortal will : beware

How you presume t o cast th at life away

It is no t th ine t o give o r t o abandon.

Mait. (Apart ) It may no t be righ t,but I canno t bear t o

live wh en h e is gone . I will go t o t h e Brahman’s wife , and

th en fo llow my friend. (A loud ) Well,I obey 3 th is task is

easy. (Falls at h is feet, and rising, takes th e ch ild in h is arms. )Sarhs. Ho llo a ! did I no t o rder you t o pu t th e boy t o death

along with h is fath er ? (Charudatta expresses alarm. )l st Chan. We h ave no su ch o rders from t h e Raja— a-way ,

boy , away. (Forces of Maitreya and Rohasena. ) Th is is t h e

th ird station, beat th e drum,and pro claim t h e sentence . (A s

before. )Sums (Apart ) Th e people seem t o disbel ieve t h e ch arge .

(A loud ) Wh y, Charudat ta, t h e townsmen doubt all th is 3be h onest ; say at once

,

“ I killed Vasant asena.

”

(Chdrudatta

continues silent. ) Ho Charid’

ala,th is vile sinner is dumb 3

make h im speak lay your cane acro ss h is back.

2d Chan. Speak,Charudat ta. (Strikes h im. )

Char. Strike I fear no t blows 3 in sorrow plunged,

Th ink you such lesser ills can sh ake my bo som ?

Alone I fee l t h e flame ofmen’

s reports ,Th e foul assertion th at I slew my love .

Sums. Confess, confess !

Char. My friends and fellow-citiz ens, ye know me .

Sums. Sh e is murdered.

Char. Be it so .

l st Chan. Come 3 th e execution is your duty.

2d Chan. No 3 it is yours.

l st Chan. Let u s reckon . (Th ey Now,if it be my

turn,I sh all delay it as long as I can.

Th ey wri te o r make marks o r l ines in various ways ; such is th e stagedirection, bu t wh at is intended is no t exactly known.

THE TOY- CART. 169

2d cede. Why ?

l st Chart. I will tell you my fath er, wh en about t o depart

to h eaven, said to me ,“ Son

,w h ene v er you h ave a culprit t o

execute,pro ceed deliberately 3 never do your work in a h urry 3

for,perh aps, some worth y ch aracter may purch ase t h e

criminal’s liberation 3 perh aps a son may be born t o th e Raja,and a general pardon be pro claimed 3 perh aps an eleph ant

may break lo o se and t h e prisoner escape in t h e confu sion 3 or,perh aps

,a ch ange of rulers may take place , and every one in

bondage be set at large .

”

Sarhs. (Apart. ) A ch ange ofru lers

l st Chan. Come,let u s finish o ur reckoning.

Sams. Be quick,be quick ! ge t rid of your prisoner.

(Retires )l st Chart. Worth y Charudat t a, w e bu t disch arge o ur duty 3

t h e king is culpable,no t w e

,w h o must obey h is o rders

consider— h ave you anyth ing t o say ?

Char. If virtue yet prevail, may sh e wh o dwells

Amongst t h e blest above,o r breath es on earth ,

Clear my fair fame from th e disastrous spo ts

Unfriendly fate and man’s accu sing tongu e

Have fixed upon me— wh ith er do you lead me ?

l st Chart. Beh o ld t h e place,t h e south ern cemetery

,Wh ere

criminals quickly get rid o f life . See,wh ere jackals feast

upon one-h alf of t h e mangled body,wh ilst th e o th er yet grins

gh astly on th e po inted stake

Char. Alas,my fate (Sits clown. )

Sams. I sh all no t go till I h ave seen h is death . How

sitting

l st Chan. Wh at ! are you afraid,Charudat ta fil

Char. (Rising. ) Of infamy I am,but no t ofdeath .

l st Chan. Worth y sir, in h eaven itself t h e sun and mo on are

no t free from ch ange and suffering h ow sh ou ld w e , po orweak

mortals, h ope t o escape th em in this lower world : one man

rises but t o fall, ano th er falls t o rise again 3 and t h e vesture of

t h e carcase is at one time laid aside, and at ano th er resumed

170 THE TOY- CART.

th ink of th ese th ings,and be firm . Th is is th e fourth station

pro claim t h e sentence . (Proclamation as before. )

Enter th e S’

RAMAriAKA and VASANTASENA.

Sram. Bless me,wh at sh all I do ? Th us leading Vasanta~

sena,am I acting conformably t o t h e law s ofmy order ? Lady,

w h ith er sh all I conduct yo u

Vas. To t h e h ou se ofCharudat ta, my go od friend 3His sigh t will bring me back t o life

,as t h e brigh tmo on

Revives t h e leaflets of t h e dro oping flow er.

Sram. Let u s get into t h e h igh road : h ere it is . Hey

w h at no ise is th is ?

Vas. And w h at a crowd is h ere — inquire t h e cause 3Fo r all Ujjayin is gath ered o n o ne spo t

,

And earth is off it s balance with t h e load .

*

l st Chan’. Th is is t h e last station : pro claim t h e sentence .

(Proclamation as before. ) Now , Charudat ta, forgive u s 3 allw ill

so on be over.

Chair. Th e gods are migh ty.

Sram. Lady ! lady ! th ey say h ere yo u h ave been murdered by

Charudat ta,and th ey are th erefo re go ing t o pu t h im t o death .

Vas. Unh appy wretch th at I sh o u ld be t h e cause

Of so mu ch danger t o my Charudat ta.

Qu ick lead me t o h im.

Sram. Qu ick , lady ; w o rth y servant o f Buddha,h asten t o

save Charudat ta. Ro om,go od friends 3 make w ay .

Vas. Ro om ro om (Pressing through th e crowd. )l st Chart. Remember

,w o rth y Oharudat ta, w e bu t obey t h e

king’s commands 3 t h e sin is h is,no t ours .

Chair. Enough perform your offi ce .

l st Chart. (Draws h is sword. ) Stand straigh t , your face

Th is is rath er extravagant , bu t less so th an Lucan’

s appreh ension th atNero after h is apo th eo s is migh t o ccasion a somewh at s imi lar accident

E th cris immens i partem si presseris unam,

Sent iet axis onus,l ibrati ponderi caal i

Orbe tene med ia.

”

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1 72 THE TOY- CAR T.

Can th is be sh e ? o r h as ano th er formLike h ers from h eaven descended t o my succour ?

Am I awake,o r do my senses wander

Is my Vasantasenastill alive ?

Speeds sh e from sph eres divine,in earth ly ch arms

Arrayed again,t o save t h e life sh e loved

,

Or comes some goddess in h er beauteo u s likeness ?

Vas. (Falls at h isfeet. )Y ou see h erself

,t h e gu ilty cause th at brough t

Th is sad reverse upon t h y h onoured course .

Char. (Taking h er up and looking at h er.)My love , Vasantasena, is it th ou ?

Vas. Th at ill-starred wretch .

Char. Vasant asena— can it — can it be ?

And wh y th ese starting tears — away with grief

Didst th ou no t come,and like t h e wondrous power

Th at brings back life t o it s deserted so urcefi6

Redeem triumph ant from t h e grasp ofdeath

Th is frame t o be h enceforward all th ine own ?

Such is t h e force of love omnipo tent,

Wh o calls t h e very dead t o life again !

Beh o ld,my sweet

,th ese emblems

,th at so late

Deno ted sh ame and death,sh all now pro claim

A different tale , and speak o ur nuptial joyTh is crimson vesture be t h e bridegro om’

s garb,

Th is garland be t h e bride’s deligh tful present,And th is brisk drum sh all ch ange it s mournful sounds

To ch eerful tones ofmarriage celebration.

Vas. Ingenious ever is my lord’

s device .

Char. Thy plo tted death , dear girl , was my sad do ing.

Th e Raja’s bro th er h as been long my fo e 3And in h is h ate

,wh ich future do om will punish

,

He sough t,and partly wo rked h is will

,my fall .

Vas. Fo rbear, nor utter such ill-omened words .

By h im,and h im alone

,my death was purpo sed.

Th e myth o logical drug t hat restores t h e dead t o l i fe .

THE TOY- CART. 1 7 3

Char. And wh o is th is ?

Vas. To h im I ow e my life

His seasonable aid preserved me .

Char. Wh o art th ou,friend ?

Sram. Yo ur h onour do esno t reco llect me . I was employed

as yo ur personal servant afterwards becoming connected with

gamblers,and unfortunate , I sh ould h ave been reduced t o

slavery,h ad no t th is lady redeemed me . I h ave since th en

adopted t h e life ofamendicant 3 and coming inmy wanderings

t o t h e Raja’s garden, was fortunately enabled t o assist myfo rmer benefactress .

(Beh ind ) Victory t o Vrishabhaketufi t h e despo iler o f

Daksha’

s sacrifice !Tglo ry t o t h e six—faced scatterer of armies,

t h e fo e ofKrauncha 1 Victory t o Aryaka, t h e subjugator of

h is adversaries,and triumph ant monarch of t he w ide—spread

,

mountain-bannered earth !

Enter SARVILAKA .

Th is h and h as slain t h e king,and on t h e th rone

Of Palakaascends o ur valiant ch ief,

Resistless Aryaka, in h aste ano inted.

Now t o obey h is first commands,and raise

Th e w orth y Charudat ta far above

Calamity and fear. All is ach ieved

Th e de ity wh ose emblem is a bul l— Siva.

Th e Prajap at i o r patriarch Dalesha,t h e son ofB rahma

,married h is

daugh ter Sati t o Siva,bu t d isgusted w ith t h e son-in-law

,omitted t o invite

h im t o a so lemn sacrifice at wh ich all t h e go ds and sages were assembled .Sati

,in a fi t of vexation, th rew h ersel f into t h e sacrificial flame ; and in

revenge of th is,as we l l as t h e affro nt o ffered h im

,Siva sent h is attendant

sprites , h eaded by Virabh adra t o d isturb t h e rite . Th is th ey eas ily performed ; bru ising and mu tilating t h e gods th emsel ves . Th e legend seemst o h ave been a favourite in t h e sou th of Ind iaat t h e period wh en t h e caveso f Eleph anta and Ellora were excavated , be ing elaborate ly scu lptured onth e ir walls . It is to ld in t h e Mahabharata

,om itting t h e burning of Sat i ,

wh ich seems t o be a Paura’

uiik add ition.

I Karttikega , t h e H indu Mars. K rauneh a is one of t h e confederates oft h e demon Taralca

,against wh om Kart t ikeya led th e gods and triumph ed .

1 74 THE TOY - CART.

Of valour and o f conduct destitute

Th e fo e h as fallen— t h e citizens beh o ld

We ll pleased t h e ch ange,and th us h as noble daring

Wrested an empire from it s ancient lords,

And w on a sway as abso lute on earth

As th at wh ich Indra pro udly h o lds in h eaven.

Th is is t h e spo t 3— h e mu st be near at h and

By th is assemblage of th e people . We ll begins

Th e re ign ofAryaka, if h is first cares

Reap t h e rich’

fru it ofCharudat ta’

s life .

G ive way, and let me pass 3’t is h e — h e lives

Vasantasena t o o — my monarch ’

s w ish

Is all accomplish ed. Long th is genero us Brahman

Has mo urned h is su llied brigh tness like t h e mo on

Th at labours in eclipse,bu t now h e bounds

Again t o h onour and t o h appiness,

Borne safely o ’er a bo undle ss sea of tro ublesBy firm affectio n’s bark

,and favo uring fate .

How sh all I,sinner as I am

,approach

Su ch lo fty merit 3 yet t h e h onest purpo seIs e veryw h ere a passpo rt. Charudat ta

,

Hail, mo st w o rth y sir !

[Joins h is hands and raises th em to h isforehead.

Char. Wh o th us addresses me ?

Sar. In me beh o ld

Th e plunderer,th at desperate fo rced h is way

By nigh t into yo ur mansion, and bore off

Th e pledge intrusted t o yo ur care : I come

To own my fau lt and th row me o n yo ur mercy .

Char. No t so,my friend, yo u may demand my th anks .

(Embraces h im. )4b ar. And furth er I inform yo u , th at t h e king,

Th e unj ust Palaka, h as fallen a victim,

Here in t h e place of sacrifice,t o one

Wh o h as avenged h is wrongs and th ine 3 t o Aryaka,Wh o ready h omage pays t o birth and virtue .

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176 THE TOY- CART.

Char. Ho ld, h o ld ! may I be h eard ?

Sar. Assuredly.

Sums. Mo st excellent Charudat ta,I h ave flown t o you for

refuge 3 oh , pro tect me ! spare me now,I w ill never seek your

h arm any mo re .

rldob. K ill h im,kill h im ! why sh ould such a wretch be

suffered t o live ? (Vasantasend takes the garland 017 Charudatta’

s

neck,and throws it round Samsthanaka’s. )

Sarhs . G entle daugh ter of a courtezan,h ave pity upon me

I will never kill you again, never, never

Sar. G ive your commands,sirs

,th at h e may be removed,

and h ow w e sh all dispo se of h im.

Char. Will yo u o bey in wh at I sh all enjo in?

Sar. Be sure of it.

Ch oir. In truth ?

Sar. In very tru th .

Char. Th en fo r t h e prisoner

Sar. K ill h im.

Chair. Se t h im free .

Sar. Why so ?

Chair. An h umbled foe , wh o pro strate at your feet

So licits quarter, must no t fee l your sword.

Sar. Admit t h e law ,th en give h im t o t h e dogs.

Chdr. No t so !

His punishment be mercy.

Sar. Y ou move my wonder, but shall be obeyed.

Wh at is yo ur pleasure ?

Char. Lo o se h im ,and let h im go .

Sar. He is at liberty. (Unties h im. )Sums. Huz za I am again alive .

(With out ) Alas, alas ! t h e noble wife of Charudat ta,with

h er ch ild vainly clinging t o h er raiment,seeks t o enter t h e

fatal fire , in spite of t h e entreaties of t h e weeping crowd.

Enter CHANDANAKA.

Sar. How now, Ch andanaka, wh at h as ch anced ?

Chan. Do es no t your excellency see yon crowd co llected on

THE TOY- CART. 1 7 7

t h e south of th e royal palace ? Th ere t h e wife ofCharudat ta is

about t o commit h erself t o t h e flames 3 I delayed th e deed by as

suring h er th at Charudat ta was safe 3— bu t w h o in t h e agonies

ofdespair is susceptible of conso lation or confidence

Char. Alas my love , wh at frantic th ough t is th is !

Alth ough t h y wi dowed virtues migh t disdain

Th e abj ect earth , yet , wh en t o h eaven transport ed,Wh at h appiness canst th ou enjoy , wh ilst yet

Th e h usband’s presence fails h is 'fait h ful bride . (Faints. )Sar. Out on th is fo lly ! w e sh ould fly t o save

Th e dame,and h e is senseless— all conspires

To snatch from o ur exertions th is reward .

Vas. Dear Charudat ta,rouse t h y fainting soul 3

Haste t o preserve h er 3 want no t firmness now ,

Or all is unavailing.

Char. Wh ere is sh e ?

Speak love wh ere art th ou — answer t o my call .

Chan. Th is way , th is way ! [Eaeunt

Scene— Th eWIFE of CHARUDATTA, ROHASENA h olding h er

garment, MAITREYA and RADANIKA— Th efire kindled.

Wife. Lo o se me,my ch ild o ppo se no t my desires,

I canno t live and h ear my lo rd defamed.

Roha. Ho ld ! my dear mo th er 3 th ink ofme your ch ild 3How sh all I learn t o live , deprived ofyou ?

Th e ancient commentary, t h e MS. of wh ich consu lted was datedabove two centuries ago , c ites a verse, stat ing th at from th is speech t o th atofSarvilaka , Y ou are fortunate in your friends

,

”t h e wh o le is an inter

po lat ion, t h e work ofNilakari

tha, wh o considered th at t h e auth or h ad no t

brough t h is ch aracters togeth erat t h e clo se w ith sufficient reason,and th ere

fore devised t h e next scene . Th e cau se ass igned for t h e original defectseems rath er an unacco untable one

,Th ro ugh fear o f sunrise 3

”

bu t t h e

ph rase is a pro verbial one, implying “ finish ing in a h urry . ” Th e passage isYat suryodaya

-bh ayatah'

kavino ch ita-patra-melanan’

i na kfitam

Sundara-

yuk t ibh ir arach ayad a-ch andanok t i Nilakarithas t at .

Th e style of t h e interpo lation, al th ough someth ing d ifferent from that o ft h e o riginal

,is ancient 3 and as t h e bus iness and no tions of t h e scene are

genu inely H indu , it has ' been retained in t h e translation.

VOL. 1.

1 78 THE TOY-CART.

Mait. Lady, forbear ! your purpo se is a crime — our h o ly

laws declare it sinfu l for a Brahman’s wife t o mount a separate

pile .

*

lVife. Better I sin th an h ear my h usband’

s sh ame

Remo ve my b oy 3 h e keeps me from t h e flames.

Rad. Nay, madam 3 I would rath er give h im h elp .

ridait Excuse me if yo u determine t o perish , yo u must giveme precedence 3 it is a Brahman

’

s duty t o consecrate a funeralfire .

kVife. Wh at ne ith er listen t o me ! My dear ch ild,Remain t o offer t o your h elpless parents

Th e sacred rites th ey claim from filial duty.

Alas yo u know no more a fath er’s care .

Chdr. (Comingforward and takes his Ch ild in h is arms. )His fath er still will guard h im.

Wife. His vo ice h is fo rm —it is my lord, my love

Roha. My fath er h o lds me in h is arms again Now,mo th er

,

you are h appy.

Char. (Embraces h is Wife. )My dearest love, wh at frenzy drove t hy mind

To seek destruction wh ilst th y lo rd survived ?

Wh ilst yet t h e sun rides brigh t along t h e skyTh e lo tus clo ses no t it s amorous leaves.

”f ife. True , my lo ved lord 3 but th en h is glowing kisses

G i ve h er glad consciousness h er love is present .

Mait. And do th ese eyes really see my dear friend once

mo re ? Th e wonderfu l effect of a virtuou s wife ! Her pur

po se of entering t h e fire h as reunited h er with h er lo rd.

Long life t o Charudat ta.

Char. My dear, my faith fu l friend. (Embraces h im. )Rad. Sir, I salute you . (Falls at h isfeet. )Char. R ise

,go od Radanika. (Pu ts h is hand upon h er

shoulder. )Wife. (To Vasantasend.) Welcome , h appy sister !

Th is is stil l t h e law.

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180 THE TOY - CART.

Since my fair fame again is clear, and th is

Dear girl,my w ife , and all I ch erish mo st

,

Are mine once more,I h ave no furth er su it

Th at asks fo r your indu lgence,and no w ish

Th at is no t gratified. Fate view s t h e wo rld

A scene ofmu tual and perpetual struggle,

And spo rts with life as if it were t h e wh ee l

Th at draws t h e l impid waters from t h e we ll .

For some are raised t o affluence , some depressed

In want,and some are bo rne a wh ile alo ft

,

And some h urled down t o wretch edness and w o e .

Th en let u s all th us limit o ur desires

Full~uddered be t h e kine 3 t h e so il be fertile 3May copiou s sh ow ers descend

,and balmy gales

Breath e h ealth and h appine ss on all mankind

From pain be every living creature free,

And re v erence on t h e pio us Brahman wait 3And may all monarch s

,pro sperous and j ust

,

Humble th e ir fo es and guard th e world in peace .

[Exeunt omnes.

REMARKS O N THE TOY-CART .

THE preceding Drama canno t in equity be tried by laws with

wh ich th e Auth or and h is audience were unacquainted. If,

th erefore,it exceeds t h e lim its of a play according t o o ur

approved models, w e are no t t o consider it ofdispropo rtionate

length ; if it o ccasionally arranges t h e business of t h e stage

after wh at w e conceive an awkward fash ion, w e are no t t o

pronounce it devo id altogeth er of th eatrical ingenu ity 3 and if

it delineates manners repugnant t o o ur so cial institu tions,w e

are no t t o condemn th em as

’

unnatural o r immoral . We mu st

judge t h e compo sition after t h e ru les laid down by Sch legel ,and identify o urselves

,as much as po ssible

,with t h e people

and t h e time t o wh ich it be longs.

Overlo oking, th en, th o se p eculiarities wh ich are clearly

referable t o age and country,it w ill probably be admitted,

th at t h e Toy-Cart po ssesses considerable dramatic merit .

Th e action, if it want o th er unities , h as t h e unity of interest 3and pro ceeds with a regular

,th ough diversified march t o it s

final deve lopment . Th e interest is rare ly su spended, and in

every case th e apparent interruption is, with great ingenu ity,made subservient t o t h e common design . Th e connexion of

t h e tw o plo ts is much better maintained th an in t h e play w e

usually refer t o as a h appy specimen of such a combination

t h e Spanish Friar. Th e depo sition o f Palaka is interwoven

with t h e main story so intimately, th at it co u ld no t b e

detach ed from it with o ut injury,and yet it never becomes so

prominent as t o divert attention from th at t o wh ich it is only

an appendage .

Th ere is considerable variety of ch aracter amongst t h e

182 REMARK S ON THE TOY- CART .

inferior persons of t h e Drama,and t h e tw o Captains of t h e

Watch,and t h e tw o Chaiid

'

alas,are plainly di scriminated.

Th e superio r ch aracters are less varied,but th ey are national

po rtraitures , and offer some singular combinations t h e tender

ness and devo tion of Vasantasena seem little compatible with

h er pro fession,and t h e piety and gravity of Charudat ta still

less so with h is love . Th e master—piece of t h e play, h ow ever,is San

'

i sthanaka, t h e Raja’s bro th er-in—law . A ch aracter so

u tterly contemptible h as perh aps been scarcely ever delineat ed

h is vices are egregious 3 h e is co ldly and cru elly malicious,and ye t h e is so frivo lous as scarce ly t o excite our indignation 3anger were w asted on one so despicable 3 and with out anyfeeling of compassion fo r h is fate , w e are qu ite dispo sed, wh en

h e is about t o suffer t h e merited punishment of h is crimes,t o

exclaim w ith Charudat t a,

“ Lo o se h im,and le t h im go .

” He is

an excellent example of a genu s t o o common in every age in

Asia,w h o se princes h ave been edu cated by slo th and serv ility

,

and h ave been o rdinarily taugh t t o ch erish no principle but

th at ofs elfish gratification .

Th e mu sic o f Sansk i' it compo sition mu st ever be inade

quat ely represented by any o th er tongue 3 of t h e language of

t h e play it is th erefore unnecessary t o speak . With regard t o

t h e sentiments and conceptions of t h e au th or,th ey h ave been

rendered as faith fu lly as was practicable,and it w ill po ssibly

be conceded th at th ey are wanting ne ith er in beauty no r in

truth .

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INTRODUCT IO N.

THE drama of VIKHAMA AND URVAéI'

is one of th e th reeplays attributed t o KALIDASA

,already advantageously known

t o t h e western wo rld as t h e auth or of Sakuntald Th e introduct ory observation of t h e Manager in th e prelude is o ur

evidence t o th is effect ; and it is corroborated by t h e corres

pondence of th ese tw o compo sitions,in many of th e ir ch arac

terist ic merits and defects . Th e subject of each is taken from

h ero ic myth o logy, and a royal demigod and nymph of mo re

th an h uman mould are t h e h ero and h ero ine of e ith er 3 th ere ist h e same vivacity of description and tenderness of feeling in

bo th ; t h e like del icate beauty in t h e th o ugh ts,and extreme

e legance in t h e style . It may be difficu lt t o decide t o wh icht h e palm belongs 3 bu t t h e story of t h e present play is perh apsmo re skilfully woven

,and t h e incidents rise o u t of each o th er

mo re naturally th an in S’akuntala,wh ile

,on t h e o th er h and

,

th ere is perh aps no one personage in it so interesting as t h e

h ero ine of th at drama.

Alth o ugh,h owever, th ere is no reason t o doubt th at th is

play is t h e wo rk of th e same h and as th at translated by Sir

William Jones,t h e concurrence do es no t th row any furth er

ligh t upon t h e date or h istory of t h e auth or. We can only

infer, from th e observance of t h e same ch aste style o f com

po sition,and t h e absence of any forced construction o r offen

sive conce its , th at th ey are bo th t h e production of a periodanterior t o th e reign of BHOJA

,wh en his KALIDASA, a man

of fancy and taste,could descend t o write a wh o le po em,

t h e

Nalodaya, for instance , in a strain of verbal paltering and a

succession ofj ingling sounds.

186 INTRODUCT ION.

Th e richness of t h e Prakri t in th is play, bo th in structureand in it s metrical code

,is very remarkable . A very great

portion,especially of t h e fo urth act

,is in th is language 3 and

in th at act also a considerable variety of metre is introduced 3it is clear

,th erefore

,t h at th is form of Sanskfit must h ave

been h igh ly cu ltivated long before t h e play was written,and

th is migh t lead u s t o doubt wh eth er t h e compo sition can bear

so remo te a date as t h e reign ofVIKRAMADITYA (56 B .C . ) It is

ye t rath er uncertain wh eth er t h e classical language of Hindu

literature h ad at th at time rece ived so h igh a po l ish as ap

pears in th e present drama 3 and still less,th erefo re

,cou ld t h e

descendants h ave been exqu isitely refined,if t h e parent was

comparatively rude . We can scarcely conce ive th at t h e

cultivation of Prakri t pre ceded th at of Sansk i it,wh en w e

advert t o t h e principles on wh ich t h e former seems t o b e

e vo lved from th e latter : bu t it mu st b e confessed th at t h e

relation betw een Sanskrit and Prakrit h as been h ith erto

very imperfectly investigated, and is yet far from being

understo od.

Th e myth o logical no tions of t h e au th or,as inferable from

t h e benedictory stanzas Opening all t h e th ree plays attributed

t o h im ,is rath er adverse t o a remo te antiqu ity

,as t h e w o rsh ip

ofany individual de ity as t h e Supreme Be ing,and w ith Bhakti

o r faith,appears t o b e an inno vation in H indu ritual and

th eo logy of a comparative ly modern perio d. At t h e same

time,t h e w orsh ip ofSiva undo ubtedly prevailed in t h e Dekh in

at th e commencement oft h e Ch ristian era,and VIKRAMADITYA .

t h e patron ofKALIDASA, is traditionally represented as devo ted

t o Siva and h is conso rt .

It may be th ough t some argument for t h e comparative

antiqu ity of t h e present drama, th at it tells t h e story o f

PURHRAVAS very differently from th e Furar’

i as,in several o f

w h ich it may be found. \Ve may suppo se,th erefo re

,th at t h e

play preceded th o se works 3 as , h ad it been subsequ ently com

po sed, t h e po et would e ith er spontaneou sly, o r in deference

t o sacred auth ority, h ave adh ered more clo sely t o th e Paurar’

i ik

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188 INTRODUCT ION.

accession of PURIlRAVAS t o th ese terms URVASI'

became h is

bride,and th ey dwelt togeth er in t h e fo rest o f Chaitraratha,

near Alakd,t h e capital of Kuoera

,fo r sixty-one years

,

* in

perfect h appiness and undiminish ed affection.

Th e absence of URVAéI'

was very so on felt in t h e upper

sph ere,and t h e inh abitants of Swarga fo und th eir enj oyments

stale and unpro fitable,no longer h e igh tened by t h e agreeable

manners and entertaining so ciety of th e nymph . Th e wh ole

body o fApsarasas, Siddhas, G andharbas, and o th er tenants of

Indra’s h eaven,regretted h er lo ss, and determined t o attempt

h er recovery as so on as t h e period o f h er exile , as denounced

by t h e imprecation,sh ou ld h av e expired. Wh en th is period

arrived,th ey deputed some of t h e Candharbas on t h e expe

dition,w h o underto ok t o bring abo u t t h e vio lation of t h e

terms on wh ich t h e alliance of t h e king and t h e nymph

depended. With th is intent th ey entered t h e sleeping ch am

ber of t h e monarch,and carried off one of th e rams. Th e bleat

of t h e animal woke URVASI,wh o ech o ed it s cries with h er

lamentations,and aroused t h e prince . Appreh ensive , h owever,

ofappearing before h is bride undressed, PHRI’

IRAVAS h esitated

t o pursue t h e th ief, and th us incurred t h e angry reproach e s

of h is spouse fo r h is indifference t o h er lo ss . Presently t h e

G andharbas bore away t h e second ram, and t h e grief of

URVASIwas afresh excited ; th e king’

s indignation also could

no longer be restrained, and, determined t o pursue and punish

t h e ravish ers,h e leaped naked ou t of bed

,tru sting th at t h e

darkness of nigh t wo u ld screen h im from t h e eye of h is con

sort. Th is was wh at h is enemies desired,and h e was no so oner

o ff t h e couch th an a vivid flash of ligh tning re vealed h im t o

view,and put an end t o h is union with t h e nymph ofSwarga.

URVASI immediately disappeared,accompanying t h e Can

dharbas t o t h e h alls ofINDRA.

Th is is, h owever, a mere moment in th e extravagant duration of t h e

ife ofPu rura'

vas accord ing t o t h e Furarias th ere is no t h ing of th e k indin t h e play.

INTRODUCTION. 189

Wh en PURI'

JRAVAS was conscious of h is lo ss,h is grief was

so intense th at it affected h is intellects, and h e long wanderedfrantic o ver t h e world in quest of h is bride . After many

years h ad e lapsed h e came t o a lake in Kuruksh etra,wh ere h e

found several nymph s sporting on t h e bank ; amongst th em

was URVASI. Recogni zmg h er at once,h e ran t o h er and

with wild energy implo red h er return 3 t h e nymph,h owever

,

was no longer dispo sed,even if sh e h ad been permitted

, t o

comply with h is wish es,and was deaf t o all h is entreaties 3 and

at last sh e su cceeded in convincing h im of th e unreasonable

ness of h is so licitations,and prevailed on him t o resume h is

station,and t h e du ties of a k ing

,engaging on th o se terms t o

pay h im an annual visit . PURIfRAVAS,h owever re luctantly

,

was compelled t o submit,and returned sorrowfully but com

po sed t o h is capital . His annual interviews with URVAéI'

were

punctually repeated,and t h e fru it Of th is intercourse was t h e

birth of six sons,

* A’YUS

,DHiMAT , AMAVASU , VISWAVASU ,

S'

ATAYUS,and S

'

RUTAYU S,wh o w ere t h e progenitors Of t h e

lunar race ofkings.

Th e o ccasional interviews with h is bride granted t o PURIi

RAVAS were far from satisfying h is desires,and h e still sigh ed

for t h e permanent enjoyment Of h er so ciety. Th e Candharbas

at last,pitying h is distress

,engaged t o promo te h is reunion

with t h e nymph,and sent t h e king a brazier ch arged with

fire,with wh ich th ey directed h im t o performa sacrifice in t h e

forest,t o attain t h e gratification Ofall h is wish es . Th e king

repaired t o t h e wo ods, but reflecting th at h e h ad qu itted

URVAéI'

in o rder t o celebrate th is rite,giving up t h e substance

for t h e sh adow,h e returned t o seek t h e nymph

,leaving t h e

vessel offire in t h e th icket . No t finding h is consort , h e again

directed h is steps t o t h e fo rest, but th ere t h e brazier was gone ,and on t h e spo t wh ere it h ad sto od

,a s

’

ami t and as’

watthai tree

All t h is part o f t h e story, Urvasi’s loss and recovery, and th e birth of

Ayus , are to tal ly d ifferent in th e play.’l‘ Mimosa suma. 3: Rel igious fig.

190 INTRODUCTION.

h ad sprung up . After a litt le consideration PURHRAVAS broke

a branch from e ith er tree,and carried th em back t o t h e palace ,

wh ere,reciting t h e G oiyatri and rubbing t h e sticks togeth er

,

h e generated fire w ith t h e friction th is primeval fire h e

divided into th ree portions, and with th em h e perfo rmed

various sacrifices and oblations,until h e Obtained t h e rank ofa

G andharba,and be ing elevated t o t h e regi ons ofSwarga, th ere

enjoyed t h e constant so ciety of h is beloved URVAS'

f. ‘r

Th e latter circumstances of th is legend seem t o indicate th e

introduction of fire -wo rsh ip into India by PUR l'

JRAVAS,con

sidered as a h istorical personaged; Th ere may h ave been

some o ld tradition t o th at effect,wh ence t h e Paurdnik w riters

derived th e groundwo rk of th e ir fable 3 bu t it is no t no ticed in

t h e play, ne ith er is any allu sion made t o it in t h e version of th is

story in ano th er wo rk in wh ich it is found,t h e Vrihat-Katha,

w h ich differs in many particu lars from bo th t h e play and t h e

Purdria. Th e story th ere,h owever

,is very concisely narrated

,

and t h e auth or h as clearly taken merely t h e personages and

course of t h e fable from wh at was currently known,and given

h is own co louring t o t h e incidents . It adds,th erefore

,no th ing

t o t h e h istory of t h e narrative,and may be e ith er anterio r o r

subsequ ent t o t h e fo rms in wh ich it is now presented t o

English readers. Ano th er au th o rity,h ow ever

,t h e Matsya

Puraria, tells t h e story more agreeably t o th e tenor o f t h e

drama,as fo llows

“ Wh en a year h ad e lapsed,t h e divine Tdrd bore a son o f

surpassing splendour, arrayed in celestial raiment o f a yellow

co lour,and rich ly deco rated with h eavenly gems . From h is

youth h e was versed in regal duties,and was so skilled in t h e

Th e h o l iest verse of t h e Vedas.

Th e play mak es no al lus ion t o th ese incidents, closing wi th t h e appearance of t h e e lder son, Ayus.

Th e th ree fires are t h e garh ap atya, or perpetual fi re maintained by ah o useh o lder 3 t h e ahananiya , o r co nsecrated fi re taken from t h e preced ingand prepared for rece iving oblations ; and t h e daksh indgni, fi re tak en frome ith er of t h e fo rmer and placed towards t h e south .

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192 INTRODUCTION.

e stablish ed Indra on h is th rone . wh ich t h e demon h ad en

dangered. For th is service Indra repaid t h e monarch with

h is friendsh ip,and gave h im additional power

,splendour

,and

glory.

“ Having invited t h e king t o a festival,at wh ich was repre

sented t h e celebrated story o fLakshmi’s election ofa h u sband,t h e invention of BHARATA,

INDRA commanded MENAKK,

RAMBHA,and URVAS

'

I'

t o perfo rm th eir respective parts.

URVAsf,wh o represented Lakshmi

,be ing engro ssed by ad

mi rat ion of t h e king,fo rgo t wh at sh e h ad t o enact

,and

th ereby incurred t h e h igh displeasure”

o f t h e sage,w h o sen

t enced h er t o separation from t h e prince on earth,and con

demned h er t o pine fifty-five years transfo rmed t o a vine,

until restored t o t h e regrets of PURORAVAS . URVASIh aving

made t h e king h er lord, resided wi th h im,and after t h e term

of t h e curse h ad expired bore h im e igh t sons : Ayus, Dhritdyus,A sfwdyus, Dhanoiyus, Dhritimat, Vasu , Diuijdta, and Scitdyus, allendowed with more th an h uman power.

”

Th is story is evidently th at of t h e play,alth ough related

less in detail,and wi th a few variations according t o Paurai’i ik

taste 3 but it is clear th at it is e ith er derived from a common

source with t h e narration of t h e drama,or wh ich is no t im

probable,th at it h as borrow ed from t h e latter it s general

complexion. Th e nature of t h e relation w h ich exists between

t h e fiction as it appears in t h e drama, and in t h e Purdnas, o ur

readers will be able t o appreciate for th emse lve s aft er per usal

o f t h e former.

DRAMAT I S PE R S O NE.

OF THE PRELUDE.

MANAG ER . ACTOR .

OF THE PLAY .

Purarauas.— K ing ofPr'at ish thdna .

Agas— Th e son o fPu rurauas.

Manavaka .— Th e Vidushalca and confidential compan ion of t h e K ing .

Ch itraratha .—K ing of t h e G andh arbas, th e attendants on Indra .

Narada.— Th e d ivine sage, t h e son ofBrahmci .

Ch amberlain .

A Forester.

Paila .

G (d am . lTwo d i sciples of t h e sage B h arata ,

WOMEN .

Wyat t — An Ap saras , o r nymph of Indra’

s h eaven.

Ch itralekha.— Ano th er nymph

,h er friend .

Sah ajanyci .

Rambha. Nymph s .

Menaka.

Accord ing t o t h e Kasi-K hanfi a th ere are th irty-five mil l ions of th esenymph s

,bu t only one th ousand and sixty are t h e principal . Ofth ese

,h ow

ever,no t more t h an five o r six are t h e subject o fPaurai’i ik or po etical narra

tions,or Uruas

'

i , M enaka,Rambha, T illo t tamd , and Alambusha. In th e ir

birth and denominatio n th ey offer some analogy t o t h e go ddess Ap h roditel ike h er th ey arose from t h e sea;

'

and as h er name is referred t o aphro s,

VOL. I.

A usrnarL— Th C queen of Pururavas and daugh ter of t h e k ing o f

Edit or B enares.

N ip unikd — One of h er attendants .

PERSONS SPOKEN o r.

l udra .— Th e ch ie f of all t h e inferior de ities, and sovere ign of Swarga or

Parad ise .

Kes in .— A Dai tya or T itan, an enemy of t h e gods.

B h arat a- A h o ly sage, t h e inventor of dramatic composition.

G uards — Nymph s, &c.

SCENE in t h e First Act,t h e Peaks o f t h e Himalaya ; in t h e second

and th ird , t h e palace of Pu ru rucas at Prat ish t'

hdna in t h e fo urth ,t h e fo rest o fAlcalu sh a 3 and in t h e fi fth again

, at t h e palace .

TIME,Uncertain.

foam or spray, so th at of t h e Ap sarasas is from ap water and saras

wh o moves Th e ir origin is th us related in t h e first bo ok of t h e

Ramayana

Th en from t h e agitated deep upsprungTh e legion ofApsarasas , so namedTh at t o t h e watery e lement th ey ow edTh e ir be ing. Myriads were th ey born, and all

In vesture h eavenly clad , and h eavenly gemsY e t more d iv ine th e ir native semblance, richWith all t h e gifts of grace , and youth , and beauty .A train innumerous fo l lowed yet th us fairNor G o d no r demon sough t th e ir wedded loveTh us

,Raghaua, th ey stil l remain— th e ir ch arms

Th e common treasure of t h e h ost of h eaven.

”

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196 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

Man. (Looking of th e stage. ) Ho Mdrisha,

*come h ith er.

Enter ACTOR .

A ct. Here am I,sir.

Man. Many as semblies h ave w itnessed t h e compo sitions of

former dramatic bards :T I th erefo re propo se t o exh ibit one no t

h ith erto represented, t h e drama i of Vikrama and Urvas’

i. §Desire t h e company t o b e ready t o do justice t o th eir respec

tive parts .

Act . I sh all,sir.

Man. I h av e now o nly t o request t h e audience th at th ey

w ill listen t o th is wo rk ofKdliddsaw ith attention and kindness,

in consideration ofit s subj e ct and respect fo r t h e auth or.”

A term by wh ich i t is proper t o address one o f t h e principal performers.

’l‘ Kalidasa is th erefore no t t h e o ldest dramatic writer.

I T h e Tro taka,a drama in five

,e igh t, o r n ine acts , t h e ch aracters of

wh ich are m ixed,o r h eavenly and h uman . See t h e Intro du ction ,

p . xxxi .Mr Lenz

,in h is very exce l lent ed it ion and version o f th is play

(Berl in, seems t o th ink t h e t itle , Urvasi -vikrama , Urvasiaz incessu s,w o u ld be preferable t o th at o fVikramorvasi, as t h e latter, i f no t a Dwandwacompound , is no t capable o f satisfacto ry translation , and i f a Dwandwacompo und

,is no t co nfo rmabl e t o ru le t h e latter is matter o f l i ttle

moment w ith t h e po ets ; and th at Vikramorvasi is t h e au th o r’s read ing,

appears from t h e t ext . Th e add ition o fmama, Vikramorvasi nama tro takam,

makes no d ifference,as indeed t h e commentato r sh ows

,wh o entitles h is

comment,Vikramo rvasip rakds

’

ika’

,t h e explanatio n of t h e Vikrama and

Urvas'

i. Wi th regard t o t h e meaning of Vikrama,wh ich is pro perly

“ h ero ism,i t may be observed , th at it is o ften used in a way wh ere

“ k ingo r

“ h ero”alone can be signified by i t th us Vikramddilya is as o ften cal led

s imply Vikrama as no t . Th e trad itions relating t o h im are termed t h eVikramach aritra t h e nine gems are said t o be ra tno’tni nava Vikramasya.

Th e wo rd is appl ied also attribu tive ly,as Dip akarriir i t i khyato rdidbhud

rajya-vikramali T h ere was a king named Dip akarni , t h e Vikrama of t h e

realm . H ere i t migh t be th o ugh t equ ivalent t o t h e Alexander o r t h e Caesaro f h is age , but i t co u ld no t be so employed as a syno nym of t h e H induA lexander h imsel f , no r co uld i t be so used in t h e universal ly-current (inInd ia) title o f t h e play. T h ere can be no do ubt, th erefo re, th at by a po eticl icense h ero ism is h ere pu t fo r h ero , and t h e compo und is of t h e Dwandwaclass

,in despite of t h e grammarians .

[l Th e o riginal may be so understo od,al th o ugh i t is no t qu i te clear.

Praiiayish u daksh iiiyavasad yad i vz'

i sadvastu-purush a-bah umzinat — s'

r'

iriu ta

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 197

(Beh ind th e Scenes. )Help

,h elp if in t h e m iddle sky

A friend be fo und, t o aid u s fly

Man. Wh at sounds are th ese in t h e air,th at like t h e plain

tive bleat of lambs , break in upon my spee ch ? Was it t h e

murmur of t h e b ee o r kbit’s distant song

,o r do t h e nymph s o f

h eaven as th ey pass abo ve warble th e ir ce lestial strains ? Ah,

no ! it is t h e cry of distress Th e fair creation o f t h e saint,

t h e friend of Nara,Urvas i

,h as be en carried o ff by a demon

on h er return from t h e h alls of t h e so vere ign ofKaildsa,

46and

h er sisters are invoking some friendly power t o th e ir aid.

[Exit

manobh ir avah itaili kriyam imam Kalidasasya. I t is ofl ittle consequence ,except th at in t h e sense preferred it ind icates t h e fame of t h e auth or t o beestabl ish ed wh en th is piece was written.

K uvera, t h e G od of weal th , wh o se capital Alakci is supposed t o bes ituated on mo unt Ku-vera.

198 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

A C T I.

SCENE FIRST.

PART OF THE HIMALAYA RANG E OF MOUNTAINS .

Enter in th e A ir a Tr00p ofApsarasas or Nymph s ofHeaven.

Nymphs. Help,h elp if any fri end be nigh ,

To aid t h e daugh ters of t h e sky

Enter PURITRAVAS* in a h eavenly car, driven by h is Charioteer.

Pur. Suspend your cries 3 in me beh o ld a friend,

Puri’

i ravas, returning from t h e sph ere

Of t h e wide-glancing sun command my aid,

And t ell me wh at you dread.

Rambhd. A demon’

s vi o lence.

Pur. Wh at vio lence presumes t h e fiend t o offer

IlIenakd. G reat king, it th us h as ch anced w e measured back

Our steps from an assembly of t h e gods

Pu ruravas is a k ing of h igh descent, be ing sprung by h is mo th er Ila'

from t h e sun, and h is fath er B udh a from t h e moon, be ing t h e grandson of

t h e latter and great grandso n of t h e former. His origin is ul timate lyderived from Brahma, th us :

BRAHMA.

Dak sh a.

Ad iti -Kasyapa. Soma.

Vivaswat,t h e sun.

Vaivaswata

Budha-l la.

Puri’

i ravas.

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200 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

Th e fligh t o f Vainateya,*and must surely

O’

ertake t h e ravish er. [Exeunt

Rambha. Now,sisters

,on

,and blith e ly se ek

Th e go lden mountain’

s glittering peak 3Secure t h e king extracts th e dart

Th at rankles in each anxious h eart .

Menakd We need no t fear.

Rambha’

. Y et h ard t o quell,

Th e demon race .

Menakd. Th e bro od of h e ll

Shall fee l h is prow ess . Aid t o bring

From mo rtal realms t o Swarga’

s king

He comes,and t o h is h and is given

Command o’

er all t h e h o sts o fh eaven. [Th ey proceed.

Bambhd. Joy , sisters , joy , t h e king advance s 3High o

’

er yo n ridgy rampart dancesTh e deer-emblazoned banner. See

Th e h eavenly car ro lls on. 3 —’

t is h e .

Enter PURURAVAS in h is car slowly ; URVAS'

I’

in th e carfainting ,supported by CHITRALEKHA

’

.

Ch itral. Dear friend,re v ive .

I’ur. Fair nymph , resume your co urage .

St ill wields t h e th underer h is bo lt , and guards

Th e triple w o rld from h arm 3 t h e fe es of h eaven

Are pu t t o fligh t w h y ch erish th is alarm

Wh en it s just cause is o ’er ? Unclo se th o se lids

Th e lo tu s o pens wh en t h e nigh t retires .

Ch itral. Alas h er sigh s alone declare h er conscious .

Pur. So ft as t h e flow er, t h e timid h eart no t so on

Fo rego es it s fears . Th e scarf th at veils h er bo som

bush y tai l of t h e T ibet cow,fixed on a go ld or o rnamented sh aft, rose from

between t h e ears o ft h e h o rse l ike t h e plume of t h e war h o rse o f ch ivalryt h e banner o rbanneret, w i th t h e device o f t h e ch ief, ro se at t h e back of t h ecar ; sometimes several l i ttle triangular flags were mounted on its s ides .

G aruda,th e son o f Vinatd .

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 20 1

Hides no t it s flu t t erings , and t h e panting breast

Seems as it fe lt t h e w reath of h eavenly blo ssoms

Weigh t o o o ppressively .

Ch itral. Re v ive , my friend 3Th is w eakness ill becomes a nymph of h eaven.

Pur. Have pat ience 3 sh e reco vers,th o ugh bu t faintly.

SO gently steals t h e mo on upon t h e nigh t

Retiring tardily 3 so peeps t h e flame

Of evening fires th rough smoky wreath s 3 and

th us,

Th e G anges slow ly clears h er troubled wave,

Engulph s t h e ru in th at t h e tumbling bank

Had h urled acro ss h er agitated co urse,

And flow s a clear and stately stream again "

Ch itral. Awake , dear friend, t h e enemies ofh eaven

Are baffled in despair.

Uru. (Reviving ) By Indra’

s prow ess .

Ch itral. By prowe ss no t inferio r t o Mah endra’

s

By th is mo s t h o ly prince ,]L Puri

’

iravas .

Urv. (Looking at Pururavas th en apart. )

Wh at th anks I ow e t h e Danava

Pur. (After looking at Urvas’

i 3 th en apart. ) Wh at marve l ,Th e nymph s ce lestial blush ed w ith h umbled ch arms

,

Wh en,t o rebuke th e ir wantonness

,t h e sage

Willed th at th is wondro us beauty sh ou ld appear.

Th e creature ofa sage — it canno t be

How co u ld an aged anch oret jr grown o ld

Th e idea in t h e last fo ur l ines is somewh at expanded , t o convey more

d istinctly t o Euro pean readers w h at o ne -fo urth o f th e ir number wo u ld ato nce convey t o th o se acquainted w i th t h e subj ect o f t h e description. Th e

o riginal l ines are exceed ingly swee t and beautifu l .

1‘ He is always cal led a Rajarsh i (Rdja-Rish i o r royal saint) . In t h e

class ification o f sages th ere are th ree o rders ; t h e Rajarsh i, o r kingly sage ,such as JANAKA 3 t h e Brahmarsh i, o r Brahman sage, as VASISHTHA 3 andt h e Devarsh i , o r d iv ine sage, as NARADA .

1: Nara and Narayaria were t wo saints, t h e sons o fDh arma and Ah ini sath ey devo ted th emselves t o ascetic exercises wh ich alarmed t h e gods, and

202 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

In dull devo tion, and t o feeling dead,

Conceive such match less beauty— o h no love

Himself was h er creator,wh ilst t h e mo on

G ave h er h is radiance,and t h e flow ery spring

Taugh t h er t o madden men and gods with passion.

Urv. Wh ere are o ur friends ?

Ch itral. Th e king will lead u s t o th em.

Pur. Trust me , th ey mo urn your lo ss 3 no r is it strange

Th at th ey,your friends

,sh ould miss yo u , w h en t h e

eye

In wh o se deligh ted path yo u once h ave moved

Canno t but grieve t o lo se yo ur lovely presence .

Urv. (Apart ) Deligh tfu l w ords ! th ey fall like drops of

nectar.

No r wonder nectar from t h e mo on sh ould flow .

(Aloud ) No t less my eagerness t o see again

Th e friends I love .

Pur. Beh o ld th em th ere th ey keep

Th e ir anxious watch on Hemakut'

a’

s brow,

And mark your coming, safe from t h e demon’

s grasp,

Like t h e brigh t mo on emerging from eclipse .

Ch itral. Wh y do you gaze on me,dear friend ?

Urv. Th e same deligh t and pain my eyes imbibe as

Ch itral. Wh o se ?

Urv. My fri ends .

Indra sent Kama and Vasanta,or love and spring

, w ith t h e nymph s o f

h eaven t o inflame t h e sages w ith pass ion,and th us end th e ir penance .

Narayaria , observing t h e gambo ls oft h e party, suspected th e ir purpo se . He

invited th em t o approach , and treated th em w ith so mu ch civil ity,that th ey

th ough t th e ir obj ect was attained. Th e sage , h owever, taking up a flowerstalk , placed i t on h is th igh , wh en a beautifu l nymph appeared

, t h e

superio rity ofwh o se ch arms co vered t h e nymph s o f h eaven w i th sh ame .

Narayaria th en to ld th em t o return t o Indra, and bear h im a pro o f h eneeded no t t h e company of beauty, in t h e present h e made h im of t h e

new-born nymph,wh o accompanied t h e Ap sarasas t o Swarga, and was

cal led Urvas‘i from uru a th igh (Vamana-Purana. ) Th e Commentato r ont h e drama says, Nam and Nardyaria were Avataras, descents or incarnations ofArjuna and K i ish ria.

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204

Enter

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

CHITRARATHA,th e king of th e G andharbas

*

(attended) .

Ch itrar. Illu strious v ictor,friend of Indra

,h ail

Pur. K ing of t h e h eavenly qu iristers,re ce ive

Th e welcome ofa friend f Wh at brings yo u h ith er ?

Ch ilrar. Wh en Indra learnt from Narada t h e rape

Pur.

Of th is fair damse l by t h e Daitya, K eSin,

He bade me gath er t h e G andharba train

And h asten t o h er rescu e . I o beyed 3Bu t ere w e march ed

,news ofyo ur triumph came

And stopped o ur progress . Fo r yo ur friendly aid

I h ear yo u now o ur monarch’

s th anks , and more

His w ish t o see yo u in t h e h eavenly co urts

Yo ur w o rth h as opened t o yo ur w elcome v is it.

Th is serv ice is mo st dear t o h im . Th e nymph

IS now yo ur bo on — first given by Ndrdyaria

To grace t h e h alls o fSwarga fi now redeemed

From h ands pro fane by yo ur resistless valour.

Y o u rate t h e deed t o o h igh . No t mine t h e glo ry,But h is , t h e Th underer

’

s,from wh om derived

Th e s trengt h of th o se w h o conqu er in h is cause .

Th e very e ch o of t h e lion’

s roar

As th ro ugh t h e ro cky rifts it spreads and deepens ,Appals t h e migh ty eleph ant .

Ch ilrar.

’

Tis w ell .

Pur.

Th is mo de sty becomes your w o rth . Humility

Is ever fo und t h e o rnament of valo ur.

Excu se me t o t h e monarch . O t h er claims

Demand my distant presence 3 lead t h e nymph

Back t o th e king.

Ch ilrar. Yo u r w ill sh all be obeyed.

T h e G andh arbas are t h e male attendants and ch oristers in t h e courtso fSiva

,Indra , and K u vera .

Th e stage d irectio n h ere is,“ Th ey sh ake h ands Parasparan

'

i

h as tau spfiéatah .

”

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH . 205

Urv. (Apart to Ch itralekha. )Speak fo r me

,my dear friend ; my lips refuse

To bid adieu t o my pro t ecto r.

— Speak.

Ch itral. To th e king. )Illu strio u s sir, my friend commands me ask

Yo ur leave t o carry back w ith h er t o h eav en,

As one sh e dearly ch erish es , yo ur fame .

Pur. Farew ell — I trust ere long t o meet again .

Th e G ANDHARRAS and APSARASAS ascend URVASI'

lo iters

and pretends to be stopp ed

Uru. A moment pau se ! (T0 Ch itralekhd. ) Dear girl,th is

straggling vine

Has caugh t my garland— h e lp me t o ge t lo o se .

Ch itral. No easy task,I fear— yo u seem entangled

To o fast t o be set free : bu t come wh at may ,Depend upon my friendsh ip .

Urv. Th anks,th anks,

Be mindfu l ofyo ur promise .

[Ch itralekhd emp loyed in disengaging h er.

Pur. A th ousand th anks,dear plant

,t o wh o se kind aid

I ow e ano th er instant,and beh o ld

Bu t fo r a moment and imperfectly,

Th o se h alf-av erted ch arms .

Charioteer. Come,royal sir

,

Le t u s depart . Th e demon fo es are h urledDeep in th e o cean wave — ju st punishment

For th eir rebellion against Swarga’s king.

Now let t h e sh aft,w h o se h eadlong fo rce resembles

Th e blast of fate,sleep in it s w onted qu iver,

As cow ers t h e snake w ith in h is glo omy covert .

[Th ey mount .

Pur.

‘

Ascend t h e car.

I

rv. Ah ! me 3 ah ! w h en again

Sh all I beh o ld my brave de liverer

[Departs with Ch itralekhd and th e nymph s .

206 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

(Looking after h er. )Wh at idle dreams do es frantic lo ve suggest

Wh at arduo us tasks inspire ! Th e beauteo us nymph

Bears offmy h eart in triumph th rough t h e path

Her sire immo rtal treads so flies th e swan

Th ro ugh t h e mid air, ch arged with it s precious spo il,

Th e milky nectar of t h e lo tus stem.

[Exit in h is car.

Nardyari

a o r Vishnu , accord ing t o t h e commentator.

END OF THE FIRST ACT .

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208 THE HERO A ND THE NYMPH .

like a monkey in a picture . No w t o attack h im,th at is all I

h av e t o do . Arya * Mariavaka,I salute yo u

Men. Pro sperity attend you . (Apart ) Th e king’

s secret

is bursting forth at t h e mere sigh t of th at h u ssy Nipu r’

i ika.

(A loud ) Well,Nipu r

’

i ika,h ow is it yo u leav e yo ur mu sic

practice 1“ fo r t h e garden ?

Nip . Th e queen h as sent me t o pay yo u a visit,sir.

Mdii . And w h at may be h er Majesty’s commands

Nip . Sh e bids me say th at sh e h as ever e steemed you as h er

go od friend, and th at it is , th erefo re , w ith some surprise sh e

finds yo u u tterly indifferent t o h er present anxiety

Mdii. Wh y , w h at’s t h e matter ? Has my royal friend done

anyth ing t o displease h er ?

Nip . Oh,th at is no t t h e po int ! My m istress know s t h e

cau se o f h is melanch o ly w ell eno ugh 3 nay more,h e le t o u t t h e

secre t h imse lf,and

,in a fit of absence

,addressed t h e queen

by t h e very name Of h is new lo ve .

Mdri. (Apart ) Indeed Oh,if h is Majesty canno t keep h is

own secrets,w h y sh o u ld I be plaguedwith th em ? (Aloud )Wh y ,

w h at t h e deu ce,Nipu fi ika, did h e call t h e queen — Urvas

’

i ?

Nip . And,pray

,wh o is Urvasr?

Men. Th e nymph,t h e Apsaras. Ever since t h e king saw

h er,h e h as been o u t o f h is senses 3 h e no t only negle cts h er

grace,but annoys me and spo ils my dinner.

Nip . (Apart . ) So , so 3 I h ave settled th at matter,as I

expected. (A loud ) We ll,I

'

mus t return t o t h e qu een. Wh at

am I t o say t o h er ?

Mon. Te ll h er I am w eary o fattempting t o cure my friend,t h e king, o f th is idle fancy o f h is . Th e only remedy is t h e

sigh t ofh er lo tu s co untenance .

Nip . Y o u may depend upon me . [Exit

Th e Warder. (With ou t )All bail t o t h e monarch wh o to ils th rough t h e day ,

A term of respect .1' Sangida-vvabara for Sangi tw vydpara practice ofmusic

,s inging

,and

dancing .

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 209

To sh ed o’

er h is subj ects t h e ligh t of h is sway,

As travels unceasing t h e sun in h is sph ereTo ch ase from t h e universe darkness and fear.

Th e lord of lone splendour an instant su spendsHis course at mid-no on ere h e westward descends 3And brief are t h e moments o ur yo ung monarch know sDevo ted t o pleasure or paid t o repo se .

*

Mdii. (Listening ) Ha my royal friend h as arisen from h is

seat, and is coming h ith er 3 I will await h im.

Frequ ent o ccas ion wil l o ccur t o no tice t h e Vai talika,a sort o f po etical

warder or hard,wh o anno unces fixed periods o f t h e day, as dawn and

evening, &c.

,inmeasured l ines

,and o ccasionally pours fo rth strains arising

from any incidental o ccurrence . He h ere anno unces t h e arrival oft h e sixthh Our or watch of t h e day , abou t two o r th ree O

’clo ck,in wh ich alone h e

says t h e king can fo llow h is own incl ination . It appears,indeed

,th at t h e

royal station was by no means a s inecure . Th e Agni-Pu rana lays down

ru les for t h e apportioning of t h e regal day 3 bu t t h e same are more ful lydetai led in t h e last story o f t h e Das

’

a-K umara,upon t h e au th ority of Chet

r’

i akya, t h e celebrated m in ister ofCh andragup ta, wh o is always c ited as t h eauth o r of t h e N i

’

ti,o r Institu tes of G o vernment. From t h e Dasa -K umara

i t appears that t h e day and nigh t was each d ivided into e igh t portions, co rrespond ing acco rd ingly t o one h o ur and a h al f

,and th ey are th u s d ispo sed o f

Day— fi rst portion, t h e king be ing dressed is t o aud i t h is acco unts 3 second ,

h e is t o prono unce judgment in su its appealed t o h im ; th ird , h e is t o breakfast ; fourth , h e is t o rece ive and make presents 3 fi fth

,t o d iscuss po l itical

questions wi th h is ministers and counci l lors 3 sixth , h e is, as stated in t h edrama

,h is own master ; seventh , h e is t o review t h e troo ps ; e igh th , h e

h o lds a m il itary council . N igh t— fi rst portion,t h e king is t o rece ive t h e

reports of h is sp ies and envoys ; second,h e sups or d ines ; th ird , h e retires

t o rest after t h e perusal ofsome sacred work ; t h e fo urth and fi fth po rtions,or th ree h ours, are al lowed for sleep 3 in t h e s ixth , h e must rise and puri fyh imsel f 3 in t h e seventh , h e h o lds a private consu ltation w ith h is m inisters ,and furnish es t h e Offi cers ofgovernment w ith instructions 3 and t h e e igh this appropriated t o t h e Puroh ita or priest, t h e Brahman and rel igio us ceremonies, after wh ich t h e business of t h e day is resumed . Th e au th o r of th eplay h as conformed t o th is d istribution3 bringing Pururavas from co unci l att h e s ixth portion o f t h e day. Th e precise h o ur depends upon t h e periodof t h e year, t h e d ifferent portions be ing reck oned from sunrise. We mayinfer th at t h e po et intends th is t o be abou t two P.1ltI. , as at th e end of t h e

act h e makes t h e king describe t h e time as be ing past no on, wh en t h e h eatis mo st o ppressive ; t h e sixth watch accord ingly begins in t h e drama abou tone o

’clo ck .

VOL. I .

2 10 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

Enter PURI’

IRAVAS.

Pur. One glance sufficed 3 t h e unerring sh aft of lo veLaid bare t h e path

,and gave a ready access

To th at celestial nymph,t o seat h erself

Th roned in my h eart.Man. (To h imself. ) Ali ! th at is exactly w h at t h e po o r

daugh ter OfKa’

s’

traja complains of.

Pur. (To the Vidushaka. ) Y o u h av e kept my secret safe ?

Man. (Apart ) Th at baggage must h ave betrayedme Whye lse sh ou ld h e ask t h e question ?

Pur. (A larmed ) How , you are silent ?

Mari. Don’t be alarmed 3 t h e fact is , th at my tongue is so

accu stomed t o t h e restraint I h ave put upon it,th at I canno t

answer Off-h and e v en yo ur inquiries .

Pur.

’

Tis we ll Now th en for re creation

Wh at sh all w e do ?

Man. Pay a visit t o t h e kitch en.

Pur. With wh at intent ?

Mdii. Why, t h e very sigh t o f t h e savoury dish es in course

of preparation w ill be sufficient t o dissipate all melanch o ly

ideas .

Pur. With you it may, for wh at you covet th ere

Y o u may obtain 3 w h at my desires affect

Is h ope less Wh ere sh ou ld I th en seek diversion ?

Mdii . May I ask if t h e person of yo ur High ness was no t

beh eld by t h e lady Urvaéi ?

Pur. Wh at th en ?

Mdii. Wh y, th en, I sh ould th ink h er no t qu ite so uncomeat

able .

Pur. Th e fit compeer ofbeauty such as h ers

Must needs be more th an h uman .

Man. Wh at you say only adds t o my surprise . Wh at sig

nifies madam Urvasi’s unrivalled beauty ? Am I no t equally

w ith out a peer,in ugliness ?

Pur. Words canno t paint h er every excellence .

Hear h er,Manavaka

,described in brief.

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2 12 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

Pur. How avo id th em ?

Wh at I affect is ofno ligh t attainment

Th e very th o ugh t presumption,and now lo ve

,

Th e five -armed god,* wh o se sh aft s already pierce me

,

Call t o h is aid th ese passion-breath ing blo ssoms,

Th e mango ’s fragrant flow ers and pallid leaves ,Ligh t wafted round u s by t h e south ern breeze .

Mari . Away with despondence Be assured th at in a l ittle

time Ananga iL will be your friend

,and h elp you t o Obtain

yo ur desires .

Pur. I take your wo rds as ominous .

Man. Bu t now le t your High ness no tice t h e beauty Of th is

garden,h eralding

,as it w ere

,th e presence of t h e spring.

Pur . I mark it well . In t h e karacuha,

Beh o ld t h e painted fingers of t h e fair

Red-tinted on t h e tip and edged with ebony 3Here t h e as’oka puts fo rt h nascent buds

Just bursting into flow ers,and h ere t h e mango

Is brown with blo ssoms,on wh o se tender crests

Scant lies th e fragrant down 3 meth inks I see

Th e pride of spring on e ith er h and attended

By budding infancy and flo wering you th .

Main. Th e bower of jasmines yo nder, w ith it s slab of black

marble,is studded th ick w ith blo ssoms

,and t h e bees crowd

abou t t h em in h eaps 3 it invites your Majesty t o repo se .

[T hey enter the arbour.

Pur. As yo u please .

Mdii. Now,seated in th is sh ade

, yo u may dissipate yo ur

cares by contemplating t h e elegant plants around u s.

Pur. How sh o u ld I learn compo sure ? As my eye

Th e H indu Cupid is armed w i th a bow strung w ith bees and five

arrows,each tipped w i th a flower, and exercis ing pecul iar influence on t h e

h eart.

1' Lo ve, t h e unemb odied d‘

e ity ; h aving been once destroyed by Siva ,

burnt t o ash es by t h e fi re of h is eye, in resentment of Kama’: aimin‘g h isdarts at h im.

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH . 2 13

Rests on t h e tow ering trees,and from th e ir tops

Sees th e lith e creeper wave , I call t o mind

Th e graces th at surpass it s pendulous e legance .

Come,rouse your wi t , and friendsh ip may inspire

Some capable expedient t o secure me

Th e o bj ect Ofmy wish es.

Mdii. Well,I will turn t h e matter o ver in my mind ; bu t

you must no t disturb my cogitations by your sigh s .

Pur. (Feeling h is eyes twinkle. )Th e mo on-faced maid is far beyond my reach 3

Th en,wh y sh ould love impart such flattering tokens

Th ey teach my mind t o fe e l as if enjoyed

Th e present bliss,h ope scarce ly dares imagine .

[Th ey retire.

Enter URVASI and CHITRALEKHA’

in th e air.

Ch itral. Tell me,dear girl , yo ur purpo se wh ith er go we

Urv. Nay , tell me first,do you recall t h e promise

Y o u made me j est ingly upon t h e brow

Of Hemakut’

a,wh en your friendly h and

Detach ed my vesture from entangling th o rns ?

If it be stil l with in your reco llection,

Y o u need no t ask me w h ith er w e pro ceed.

Chitral. Y o u seek t h e mo on ofmonarch s, Pururavas.

Urv. Righ t, girl 3 th o ugh ill it argue ofmy modesty.

Ch itral. Wh om h ave yo u sent t h e envoy ofyo ur coming ?

Urv. None,but my h eart 3 th at h as long gone before me .

Ch itral. But first consider.

Urv. Love impels me 3 h ow can I delay ?

Chitral. I h av e no more t o offer.

Urv. Assist me with yo ur counse l , w h ich way best

We may pro ceed, tomeet with no impediment.

Ch itral. Th ere is no fear : t h e all-w ise pre cepto r*

Of t h e immortals h as imparted t o you

Vr’

ihaspati, t h e planet Jupiter and teach er of th e gods.

2 14 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

Th e spell th at renders yo u invincible ,And migh tier th an t h e migh tiest fo e of h eaven.

*

Urv. My h eart is confident, and yet my fears

Will sometimes bid me doubt .

Ch itral. Beh o ld wh ere meet

G angci and YamundI in t h e brigh t mirro r

Of t h e broad wav es,t h e palace of t h e king,

Th e crest-bo rne gem ofPi 'atish t’

hdna v iews

Complacently it s own refle cted glory.

Uri) . Th e scene in tru th m igh t tempt u s t o belie ve

Th e fields of h eaven were h ere in pro spe ct spread

Bu t w h ere t o find it s lo rd,t h e pitying friend

Of all t h e h elpless ch ildren ofmisfo rtune !

Ch itral. Let u s aligh t and h ide u s in th is garden,

In a former no te on th is passage some do ubt was expressed as t o i tspurpo rt, t h e text be ing read “ Abarziidam n

’

ama,simh a-bandh animvijjam ,

explained by t h e commentator,

Aparajitan’

i nama sikhabandh anirfi

vidyam ,

”t h e crest-bind ing science named t h e invincible . Th e term

ap areij itd o ccurs in “ daleuntald abaraidanama suramahau si renderedby t h e late M . Ch e z y

,Ce t amu lette d’une nature toute d ivine

,e t celebre

so us le nom de l’

invincible and h e h as pro po sed t o read t h es imilar passage in th is place

,Simh a-bandhana-vidya

,wh ich h e translates ,

“nu tal isman nommé apardyztd , capable d

’

ench ainer les lio ns .

”

Mr. Lenz ,

fo l low ing h is au th ority,reads h ere, Simdh a-bandh ani vidya, Leonum

domandorum scientia.

” I am afraid th at bo th are wrong . Sikkci is t h e

explanatio n given by t h e commentato r. Th e Prakr‘i t representative ofth isis sikd , as i t o ccurs in t h e Calcu tta ed i tio n, t h e dental be ing substituted fo rt h e palatal s ibilant, by t h e ru le in Vararuch i’s G rammar Sash o li sali

,as

died fo r nié‘d, and k fo r kh , by t h e rule Klea-

glut fh a-dha-bham h ali ; as

su ham fo r sukham so a l ittle farth er on we h ave sikd-b/iam ita-bh i tdam for

é z’

klzat-bharafia-bh ii tam. Again, t h e wo rd cou ld no t be Sin'eku, i f it wereeven intended for t h e same Sanskrit word signi fying a l ion . I t wou ld bes ih a

,t h e anuswa

’

m be ing rej ected , and t h e vowe l made long, as in sakka

sih a for scikya-sirr’

i h a,accord ing t o t h e rule

,It sin

’

i h a-j ih vayo s'

ch a, ex . fo r

sirr’

ih ah'

, siko j ihad, j ihci . Th e o nly correction needed,th erefore

,was t h e

e l is ion of t h e anuswdra read ing, instead of s ivfzh cé, silui , t h e Prak i‘

it fo rm o f

é ikh ai, as i t o ccurs in t h e comment . Taming l ions , as t h e faculty o fa super

h uman be ing, wo uld need ne ith er tal isman nor drug , and t h e binding of t h ecrest or braid o f h air is an act o fmuch more mystical impo rtance in H induestimation apparently t h e power is merely th at of becoming invisible .

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2 16 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

de lineate a portrait of t h e lady Urvasi,and recreate you r

imagination by gazing on h er picture .

Uri) . Be ofgo od ch eer, my h eart !

Pear. I fear me bo th impracticable .

HOW can I h ope t o taste repo se th at dreams

Might give me Urvasx,wh ile fierce t h e sh aft

Of Kdma * rankles in my breast ! And vain

Th e task h er blo oming graces t o po rtray ;Th e tears ofh opeless love at e very line

Wo u ld fill my eyes, and h ide h er beauties from me .

Ch itral. Yo u h ear ?Urv. I do

,—

yet scarce ly ye t confide .

Mdn. Ah we ll Imy ingenu ity extends no farth er.

w r. Co ld and relentless 3 little do es sh e kno w ,

Or knowing, little h eeds my fond despair.

Ye t canno t I reproach t h e arch er god,Alth ough , by giving t o my h ope su ch aim

,

He tortures me with barren,wild desires .

Ch itral. Wh at say yo u now ?

Ufry . I gri eve th at h e sh ould deem me

Co ld and unfeeling. I canno t now appear

Befo re I make th ese ch arges some reply

I ’

11 make a bh itiy'

et leaffr and w ill inscribe

My th ough ts on it , and cast it in h is w ay .

[Sh e writes upon lh e leaf and lets it full near th e

Viditshaka,wh o p icks it up .

Main. Ho lla ! wh at is h ere , t h e slo ugh of a snake dropped

upon me t o eat me up ?

PW . It is no snake-skin, bu t a leaf and'

somet h ing written

o n it .

Mdn. NO doubt th e lady Urvas1 , unperce ived, h as over

h eard your lamentations, and sends th is billet t o conso le yo u .

Th e Hindu Cupid .A kind o f birch , t h e leaf of wh ich is used as paper in some parts o f

Upper Ind ia, as th at of t h e palm is in t h e Peninsula.

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 2 17

Pun Hope dawns upon my passion. (Reads th e leaf. )Your guess was righ t.Alain. Oblige me

,th en

,by letting me h ear wh at is

written.

Urv. Indeed ! sir, yo u are curious .

PW (Renata)Th o u wrongst me

,lo rd

,t o th ink I do no t feel

Alike t h e pains th at o ’er t h y bo som steal .

Th e breez e th at so ftly floats th ro ugh h eavenly bow ers ,Reclined upon my couch of coral flowers

,

Sh eds no t on me it s co o l reviving breath,

Bu t blows t h e h o t and sco rch ing gale ofdeath

O’

er all my form t h e fevered venom flies,

And each brigh t bud beneath me dro o ps and dies .

Man. I h ope yo u are pleased. Yo u h ave now as mu ch

cause fo r rapture,as I sh ould consider it t o be civi lly asked t o

dinner w h en I felt h ungry.

PM . How say you cau se fo r rapture ? Th is dear leaf

Conveys indeed assurance mo st deligh tful

Ye t still I sigh t o interch ange o ur th o ugh ts,Me t face t o face

,and eye enco untering eye .

Urv. Our sentiments accord.

Par. Th e drops th at steal

Fast from my tremu lo u s fingers may efi'

ace

Th ese ch aracters traced by h er tender h and

Take yo u t h e leaf, and as a sacred trust

With care preserve it .

Met/i. Ph o o w h at matters it now 2 Since,by t h e assenting

sentiments of t h e lady Urvasi,your desire h as borne flow ers ,

w ill it no t bear fruit ?

Urv. Now,Ch itralekha

,wh ilst I summon co urage

To issu e into view,do yo u appear,

And give t h e monarch no tice ofmy purpo se .

Chitral. I sh all o bey. (B ecomes visible. ) Hail, t o t h e king !

Pun Fair damsel, you are we lcome 3 yet fo rgive me

,

Th e less,your lovely friend comes no t along

18 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

Th e sacred streams before us sh ow less stately

Until th ey flow in unison .

Ch itral. Royal sir,

Th e cloud precedes th e ligh tning.

PW . Wh ere is Urvasi ’l

Y o u are inseparable .

Ch itral. Sh e salutes t h e king,

And makes th is h er request.Pur. Say, h er command.

Ch itral. Once,by t h e enemy of t h e gods assailed

And capti ve made,yo ur valiant arm redeemed h e r.

Again in peril,sh e applies t o you ,

And claims yo ur guardian sh ie ld against a fo e

M o re fo rmidable st ill,from Madanafi

Wh om you h ave armed against h er.

P’

M‘

. Y o u tell me,gentle nymph

,your fair friend pines

With amorou

'

s passion 3 but you do no t see

Th e ardo ur th at consumes th is h eart fo r h er.

Alike o ur glow ing flame : th en qu ickly aid

Our union t o cement,as clo se combines

Iron w ith iron,i

‘

w h en each fiery bar

With equal radiance glows .

Ch itral. Appear,my friend

Th e po tent de ity w ith like relentlessness

Afflict s t h e prince,and now t o you I call

Th e h erald of h is sufferings .

Urv. Faith less friend,

Th u s t o desert me !

Ch itral. It w ill so on be seen

Wh ich merits best t h e tit le o fde serter ;Bu t now ,

be present.

Urv. (Appearing ) Triumph t o t h e king !

PM . Th e w ish is vict o ry ,

Ano th er name o fKdma or Cupid .

f Th e art ofweld ing iron was, th erefore, known t o th e Hindus .

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THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

Eager t o view th e scene th at genius fires,

Th at passion animates,and truth inspires .

Kamadeva— of t h e Ap sarasas.

Nandi,t h e h ull ofSiva— pfall quadrupeds .

H irariyaksh a and H irariyalcaéip u — of t h e Dai tyas .

Vip rach itt i— of t h e d vas.

Mahdkd la— o i th e G anas o r Siva’s attendants.

Vr‘

itra— of t h e ch ildren ofAnayu sh a, t h e w i fe of Twash tri.Rah u t h e son ofSinih ikd— Of evil portents and prod igies .

Sanioatsara- of t h e d ivisions of time,from t h e twinkling of an eye t o

t h e perio d ofan age .

Suparfi a — of birds of prey.G aruda— of t h e w inged race .

Armin - t h e bro th er of G aruc’ta, was made by Indra ru ler in t h e East .Yama, t h e son of fiditya— in t h e So u th .

Th e son of Kas’

yap a, Amburdja— in t h e West.Pingala, t h e son o fPu las tya

— in t h e North .

Having th us nominated t h e presid ing spirits, various Lokas or d istrictswere created by Swayambha, as bril l iant as t h e sun or fi re

,radiant as

l igh tning, o r ch astely beam ing as th e moon,of vario us co lo urs, mo vable at

w i ll , many h undreds o f yojanas in extent, t h e fi t abodes of t h e p ious,exemp t from sin and pain. Th ose Brahmans wh ose meri t sh ines co n

spicuous are e levate d t o th ese regio ns, th o se wh o practise piety and worsh ipdevo u tly, wh o are uprigh t and benevo lent, free from cupid ity and ch erish erso f t h e po or.Having th us d istributed h is sons, Brahma departed t o h is own dwe l l ing

Push kara. Th e de ities rambled th rough t h e d istricts, and engaged in t h ech arges respectively assigned th em,

be ing all ch erish ed byMah enolra . Th e

gods,wi th Indra at th e ir h ead , as placed by Swayambha, d isch arging th e ir

guard ian duties o btained fame and h eaven, and receiving th e ir share ofsacrifices enj oyed pro speri ty and h appiness .

Some of t h e early sectio ns of t h e Kasi-khanda of t h e Shanda-Parana, o r

from t h e 9 th t o t h e 23d,contain a description o f t h e several Lokas, t h e

cities o r sph eres of t h e d ifferent d ivinities, as th ey are traversed bySivas

'

arman on h is way from earth t o t h e region ofSIVA . He passes in th isroute t h e Lokas of t h e nymph s , of th e sun , ofIndra , Agni, Nirrita , Varmia ,Vayu , Kuvera

,of t h e G arias, o r attendants ofSiva , o fSoma , of t h e lunar

asterisms, of Budh a,Sukra, B h auma , G u ru , and Sani, or t h e planets

Mercury,Venus

,Mars , Jupiter, and Saturn, of t h e sevenRish is, ofDh ruva,

t h e Lokas,cal led Mah arloka, Janaloha, and Tap o loka, and that cal led

Satyaloka, t h e abode of B rahma, and Vaihuh t’

ha and K ailasa, or t h e

regions several ly of Vish riu and Siva . Th is d isposi tion of th e sph eres, h owever, h as evidently received a pecul iar co lo uring from t h e Pauriiiiik co smo

graph y, and t h e sectarial b ias of th e Shanda-Parana .

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 22 1

Ch itral. Hear you , my friend ? h e speedy in your parting.

Urv. I canno t speak .

Ch itral. My friend, great prince , requ estsPermission t o depart. Sh e owes obedience

To h eaven’

s h igh king, and dreads lest h er delay

Incur h is wrath .

Par. No t mine t o interrupt

Th e tasks your migh ty Lo rd assigns . Farew ell

DO no t forget me

[Uroase and Chitralehhd depart.Par. (To the Vidiishalca. ) Sh e disappears Wh at e lse de

serves my gaze ?

Man. Wh y, perh aps , th is . (Looking for th e bh iiry'

a leaf. )

(Apart ) B less me,I h ave been so fascinated myse lf by t h e

smiles of t h e lady Urvasi, th at t h e leaf w ith h er bille t upon it

h as unconscio u sly slipped o u t o fmy h ands .

Par. Y ou w ere abo ut t o speak .

Man. Y es,I was go ing t o say , do no t lo se your forti tude .

Th e nymph is firmly attach ed t o you ,and h er go ing h ence w ill

no t relax t h e attachment .

Par. Of th at I fee l assured. Th e sigh s th at h eaved

Her panting bo som as sh e h ence departed,

Exh aled h er h eart, and lodged it in my bo som,

Free t o dispo se of it,alth o ugh h er person

Be fo rced t o wait upon a master’s will . *

Man. (Apart ) I am all in a flutter lest h e sh ould ask me

fo r th at abominable leaf.

Par. Wh at sh all conso le my eyes G ive me t h e leaf.

Math . Th e leaf dear me,it is no t h ere — it was a leaf of

h eaven ,and must h ave gone aft er Urvasr

Par. Heedless blo ckh ead

Rowe is less daring, al th o ugh in t h e Rival Qu eens h emak es Alexandersay someth ing of th is kind

Alex . (To Statira. ) My fluttering h eart , t umu l tuous with its bl iss ,would leap into t h y bosom.

”

222 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

Mari. Let us search fo r it. Here , h ere !

[Th ey search for th e leaf and retire.

Enter in th e foreground, AUéfNARI'

,the QUEEN , with NIPUNIKA

and A ttendants.

Aus’

t. Yo u saw h is High ness , yo u are sure,Nipunlka,

Entering t h e arbour w ith Mariavaka.

Nip . Why sh ou ld yo ur Majesty do ubt my report ?

Aus’

i. Well,let u s seek h im th en

,and unobserved

,

Amidst th ese sh ades w e may detect t h e truth .

Bu t w h at is yon th at meets u s like a sh red

Of some rent garment,floating on t h e w ind ?

Nip . A bh ojpatra leaf — th ere seem t o be some marks like

letters upon it 3 it is caugh t by yo ur G race’s anklet. (Picks it

up . ) Will it please yo u read it

A us’

i. G lance o’er it s tenor, and if no t unfit

To meet o ur ear,peruse wh at th ere is w ritten.

Nip . It lo oks like a memorial verse . Eh,no now it

strikes me , th ey must be lines addressed by Urvasi t o t h e

king 3 th is is some care lessness,now

, of th at blo ckh ead

Mariavaka.

Aus’

i . Read, I sh all conce ive it s purpo rt .

Nip . (Reads th e lines as above. )

Au s’

i. Enough — pro ceed 3 and w ith th is evidence

We sh all confound o ur nymph -enamoured swain.

Th ey go round th e arbour, th e K ING and MANAVAKA advance.

Men. Eh ! is no t th at t h e leaf yonder on t h e mount,just

on th e edge of t h e garden ?

Pur. Breeze of t h e so u th,t h e friend of love and spring

,

Th ough from t h e flower yo u steal t h e fragrant down

To scatter perfume, ye t w h y plunder me

Of th o se dear ch aracters,h er own fair h and

,

In pro o f Ofh er affection, traced Th ou knowest,

Th e lonely lover th at in absence pines

Lives on such fond memo rials.

Mari. NO, I was mistaken ; I was dece ived by t h e tawny

h ue of t h e peacock’s tail .

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224 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

Nip . Come , madam,come !

[Th e queen repels th e king, and exit .

Mdri. Her Majesty h as gone o ff in a h urry,like a river in

t h e rains . Y o u may rise . (To th e king, who has continued

prostrate. )Far. I migh t h ave spared myse lf t h e pains.

A woman is clear-sigh ted,and mere w ords

Touch no t h er h eart. Passion mu st give th em credit .

Th e lapidary, master o fh is craft,

With co ld indifference eyes t h e spurious gem .

Man. Y o u care v ery little abou t th is,I suppo se ; t h e eye

th at is dazz led w ith ligh t canno t bear t h e lamp .

Pur. No t so .

’

Tis true th at Urvasi engro sses

My h eart , but Kasiraja’s daugh ter claims

My deference less indeed,th at h er contempt

Disdains my pro testations , and th is sco rn

Will justify requ ital .

Mdri. Well , le t u s h ave done with h er Majesty,and th ink

a little Ofa famish ed Brahman . It is h igh time t o bath e and

eat .

Pur.

’Tis past mid-day . Exh austed by t h e h eat ,Th e peaco ck plunges in t h e scanty po o l

Th at feeds t h e tall tree’s ro o t t h e drowsy bee

Sle eps in t h e h o llow ch amber of t h e lo tu s

Darkened w ith clo sing petals o n t h e brink

Of th e now tepid lake t h e w ild duck lurks

Amongst t h e sedgy sh ade 3 and e ven h ere,

Th e parro t from h is wiry bower complains

And calls for water t o allay h is th irst .

END OF THE SECOND ACT .

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 225

A C T III.

SCENE I.— THE HERMITAGE or BHARATA .

Enter G ALAVA*andPAILAVA,Ttwo ofh is disciples.

G rit. Well friend Pailava, wh at news ? Wh ilst you were

at Mahendra s palace with t h e Sage,I h ave been obliged t o

G alava was a saint of s ome no te, and is th e h ero ofa lo ng legend int h e Udyoga

-Parvan of t h e Mahabharata. He th ere appears as th e pupil ofViswd/mitra. At t h e expiration of h is studies h e importuned h is master t otel l h im wh at present h e sh ou ld mak e h im. Viswami tra

,being ou t o f

h umour, at last desired h im t o bring h im e igh t h undred h orses,each ofa

wh ite co lour,with one black ear. G dlava in h is d istress appl ied t o G aruda,

wh o was h is particu lar friend, and w ith h im repaired t o Yayati, k ing ofPratish t

'

h cina . Yaydti, be ing unable t o comply w ith t h e sage’s w ish , presented h im h is daugh ter Mddh avi

,wh om G dlava gave in marriage suc

cessively t o Hargas’

wa, king ofAyodh ya, p i t-0am , k ing ofKi el, Usinara,

k ing ofBh oja, and rece ived from each , upon th e birth ofa son by h er, twoh undred of t h e steeds h e was in quest of. Th ese h orses were originally a.th o usand in niimber. Th e saint Ifich ilca

,h aving demanded th e daugh ter o f

G adh i, sovereign of Kanyakubja, as h is w i fe,that prince , t o evade t h e

match , being afraid t o decl ine i t, requ ired t h e steeds in question as a pre

sent in return. R ich ilca obtained th em from t h e god of o cean, Varmia ,

and transferred th em t o h is fath er-in-law ,by wh ose descendants six h un

dred were so ld t o d ifferent princes,and t h e rest given away t o t h e Brahmans .

G dlava, h aving pro cured t h e h orses wh ich were in possession of th e kings ,to ok th em and t h e damsel , still by virtu e ofa bo on a virgin, and presentedth em togeth er t o Viswdmitra . Th e sage rece ived th em and bego t ason byh er

,Ash talca, t o wh om h e resigned h is h ermitage and h is stud, and retired

t o t h e wo ods : t h e place was th ence cal led Ash talcap ura. Th e lady afterth is was recondu cted by G alava t o h er fath er

,and h e , in imitation o f his

preceptor, spent t h e rest of h is days in so l i tary devo tion.

’l‘ Paila is t h e name of a Rish i,by wh om t h e flig Veda was arranged

and subd iv ided into two portions . I t is no t certain th at h e is intendedin th is place by t h e name Pailava

, alth ough no t unl ikely.VOL. I. P

226 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

stay at h ome t o lo ok after t h e h o ly fire . Were th e immortals

pleased with th e specimen of o ur master’s skill ?

Pail. How could th ey ch o o se but be pleased — th ere was

elo quence and melody for th em. Th e drama was Lakshmi’

s

ch o ice of a lord 3*t h e nymph Urvasi’ quite lo st h erself in t h e

impassioned passages.

G al. Th ere is something-

no t quite righ t implied in your

applause .

Pail. Very true , for unluckily Urvas1 stumbled in h er part .

G al. How so ?

Pail. Y ou sh al l h ear. Urvasi played Lakshmi ; Menakaw as

Vdru itt' . Th e latter says .

Lakshmi,t h e migh ty powers th at rule th e sph eres

Are all assembled : at th e ir h ead appears

Th e blo oming Kes’ava. Confess, t o wh om

Inclines your h eart ?

Her reply sh ould h ave been— To Puru-shottama ; but instead

of th at— TO Purd-raras,escaped h er lips .

G al. Th e inte llectual facu lties are but t h e slaves of destiny

Was no t t h e Sage much displeased ?

Pail. He immediately denounced a curse on h er,but sh e

found favour with Mahendra.

G al. How so ?

Pail. Th e sentence Of t h e Sage was,th at as sh e h ad for

go tt en h er part, so sh o uld sh e lo se h er divine knowledge . Bu t

w h en t h e perfo rmance was o ver,Indra observing h er

,as sh e

sto od apart,ash amed and disconso late

,called h er t o h im.

Or t h e Lakshmi-Swayarhvara. It was common in th e Hindu so cietyof former times for princesses and women of rank t o select a h usband forth emsel ves . Th e cand idates for t h e h and of t h e lady were invited t o h erfath er’s h o use , and after previo us festivit ies for some days

,were co l lected

in a h all,ro und wh ich t h e damse l passed and selected h er fu ture lord, by

th rowing a garland round h is neck t h e marriage rite was th en celebratedas usual . Th e custom is t h e subject o f much pleas ing po etic descriptionin t h e Mahabharata

,t h e Naishadha

, and o th er works. A translation of

t h e Swayanivara ofDraup adi from t h e former is publ ish ed in t h e Calcu t taQ uarterly Magaz ine for September 1825.

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228 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

skirts t h e slender karriikdra spreads it s brilliant blo ssoms . I

w ill wait him h ere .

EnterPURi’

tRAVAs and the VIDESHAKA, with female attendantscarrying torch es.

So ends th e day 3 t h e anxious cares of state

Have left no interval for private sorrow.

Bu t h ow t o pass t h e nigh t it s dreary length

Affo rds no promise ofrelief.

Chamberlain. (Advances. ) G lory t o th e king So please y ourG race

,h erMajesty expresses a wish t o be h onoured with your

presence on t h e terrace of th e pavilion ofgems,t o w itness from

it th e entrance of t h e mo on into t h e asterism Roh ir’n’.Pur. G O

,my go od friend, apprise h er Majesty

Sh e may dispo se ofu s . [Exit Chamberlain.

Wh at Object,th ink yo u , th at t h e queen, in truth ,

Propo ses by t h e vow sh e h as assumed ?

Mdii. I suppo se sh e repents of h er pettish ness,and wish es

t o be friends with you again. Th is is bu t an excuse t o bring

yo u t o h er presence,wh en sh e may efl

‘

ace th e reco llection of

th e indignity with wh ich sh e treated you .

Pur.

’Tis very likely. Prudent wives fu ll so on

Repent t h e scorn th at urged th em t o repel

An h umbled h u sband,and are glad t o seek

Some fair pretext t o w in h is love again

We will indulge h er G race . On t o t h e ch amber.

Men.

’Tis h ere . Ascend th ese steps of crystal,smo o th

sh ining as t h e waters of t h e G anges . Th e pavilion ofgems is

particularly lo ve ly wh en evening sets in. (Th ey ascend. ) Th e

mo on is just about t o rise 3 t h e east is tinged with red.

Th is migh t be supposed a copy of Moh ammedan manners , bu t i t isno t necessari ly so , h aving been t h e practice of t h e H indus before th eCh ristian era ; fo r t h e k ing

’

s person,wh en wi th in t h e palace, used t o be

attended by women,h is guards and o th er tro ops being stationed with ou t

t h e gates. Th us Strabo : Regis corpus muliercs curant, ea quoque deparent ibus emptae, qu i regem custodiunt

,ct reliquus exercitus manent

extra portas .

”IV. 15 .

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 229

Pur.

’Tis even so : illumined by th e rays

Of h is yet unseen orb, t h e even ing glo oms

On eith er h and retire,and in th e midst

Th e h orizon glows, like a fair face th at smi les

Betwixt t h e jetty curls on e ith er brow

In clust ers pendulo us . I could gaze for ever !

Men. Ho h ere h e comes,t h e king of t h e Brahmans

,

beautiful as a ball ofalmonds and sugar.

Pur. Oh , base similitude Your th o ugh ts,my friend,

Have rarely nobler prompter th an your stomach .

[Carries h is hands to h is forehead, and bows to themoon now risen.

Hail,glorious lo rd ofnigh t wh o se tempered fires

Are gleaned from so lar fountains,but t o yield

Th e virtuous fruit eternal,as th ey ligh t

Th e flame ofh o ly sacrifice,wh o se sto res

Ambro sial serve bu t t o regale t h e go ds

And th e immortal fath ers ofmankind

All hail t o th ee wh o se rising ray dispels

Th e glo oms of eve , and wh o se pale crescent crownsTh e glo rious diadem o fMahddeva.

*

Mdri. Enough,sir 3 yo ur grandfath er bids yo u , by me

interpreter,sit

,th at h e may repo se h imself.

Pur. (Makes the Vidushaka sit,and then seats h imself. )

Th e splendour o f t h e mo on is ligh t enough

R emo ve t h e torch es and command my train

Retire t o rest.

Th e first of th ese specifications refers t o t h e astronom ical facts of t h emo on

’

s deriving it s l igh t from t h e sun, and by it s po sit ions form ing t h e daysof t h e lunar month

, on wh ich particu lar ceremonies are t o be observed . In

t h e latter case it is supposed t o move in t h e M andala, t h e sph ere or orbitof t h e sun, and wh en in conjunction, as at t h e new mo on or Amavasya,

funeral obsequies are special ly t o b e celebrated . Accord ing t o myth o logicalno tions also

,t h e mo on is t h e grand receptacle and storeh ouse ofamr‘i ta or

ambrosia,wh ich i t suppl ies during t h e fortnigh t of its wane t o t h e gods

,and

on t h e last day t o t h ePitr‘

is or deified progen itors. As personified,t h emo on

is t h e fath er of B udha and grandfath er of Pururavas, as already sh own.

Th e h al f-moon, as frequ ently no ticed , is worn by Siva upon h is foreh ead.

230 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

A tt. As you command. [Withdraws with the torch-bearers.

Pur. I th ink w e may no t yet expect t h e qu een

And now w e are alone , I would impart

My th o ugh ts .

Mdri. Ou t with th em 3 th ere is no appearance of h er yet 3 and

it is we ll t o keep up your spirits with h o pe .

Pur. Y ou co unse l well . In truth , my fond desire

Becomes more fervid as enjoyment seems

Remo te,and fresh impediments obstruct

My h appiness— like an impetuous torrent,That

,ch ecked by adverse ro cks

,a wh ile de lays

It s co urse , till h igh with ch afing waters swo llen,

It rush es past with aggravated fury.

Man. Th ere is one th ing t o be said : no twith standing yo ur

anxiety h as made you someth ing th inner,it h as rath er im

proved th an impaired yo ur personal appearance. I argue from

th is th at a meeting with t h e nymph is no t very distant .

Pur. My righ t arm by it s glad pulsation so o th es

My grief, like you ,with h ope -inspiring words .

Mdrt. A Brahman’

s words, be assured, are never uttered in

vain.

Enter above in a heavenly car URVAS'

i and CHITRALEKHA

URVAsI'

in ap urple dress with pearl ornaments .

*

Uru. Now,my dear girl,

Wh at say yo u Do th ese purple robes become me

Th us trimmed with pearls

Ch itral. I canno t th ink ofwo rds

To speak my admiration— only th is,

Wo uld I were Purii ravas.

Uru. My dear friend,I fee l my strength desert me 3 bring h im quickly,Or quickly lead me t o h is royal palace .

Th e text is, Abh isarika-ves’

a,in t h e garb ofa woman wh o go es t o meet

h er lover. Th e specification o f t h e translation is fromUrvasi’s first speech ;t h e term is ntla

,wh ich means dark -blue o r black ,most ord inari ly th e former.

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232 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

‘

Th e fever ofmy h eart . Sh e,sh e aIOne,

Th e goddess I ado re,or secret converse ,

Th at ever speaks ofh er, can yield me rest.

Th ese limbs th at pressed h er side, wh en on w e drove

Th rough fields of eth er,are still warm with l ife 3

All e lse a lifeless load th at burth ens earth .

Urr. I need no more concealment. [Sh e advances hastily.

Wo e is me 3

He deigns no t t o regard me .

Chitral. In your h asteY o u h av e forgotten t o pu t off th e ve il

Th at screens you from h is sigh t .

(Behind ) Th is way , your G race .

[All listen Urvas’

i throws h erself into the arms ofCh itralekhd.

Main. Th e queen is h ere w e h ad better be mute .

Pur. Assume th e resemb lance of indifference .

Urv. Wh at sh all w e do ?

Chitral. Remain invisible.

No t long h er purpo sed stay : by h er attire

Sh e h o lds some sacred vow .

Enter th e QUEEN, with attendants bearing oj erings th e Queen is

dressed in wh ite ; flowers are h er only ornaments.

Queen. Th is union with t h e constellation yields

New brilliance t o t h e lord ofRoh irii.*

A ti. Such effect attends your G race’s encounter with h is

Majesty.

Main. (To Puriiravas. ) Sh e comes,I imagine , t o offer h er

benedictions 3 o r under th e resemblance of a so lemn vow,sh e

wish es t o obliterate t h e reco llection ofth e indignity with wh ich

sh e lately repelled your advances. Well,I th ink h er Majesty

lo oks very ch arming t o -day.

Pur. In truth sh e pleases me . Th us ch astely robed

In modest wh ite,h er clustering tresses decked

Th e moon.

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 233

With sacred flowers alone ,* h er h augh ty mi en

Exch anged for meek devo tion 3 th us array-cd

Sh e mo ves with h e igh tened ch arms.

Queen. (Advancing. ) Hail t o th e k ing !

A it. Hail t o th e king !

Pur. Madam, you are welcome . [Leads h er to a seat.

Urv. (Beh ind ) Sh e merits t o be called divine 3+ t h e bride

Of h eaven’

s great king !: boasts no t surpassing dignity .

Ch itral. Your commendations speak you fre e from envy .

Queen. My gracio us lord, I would perform a rite

Of wh ich you are th e obj ect,and must beg you

Bear with t h e inconvenience th at my presence

May fo r brief time o ccasion yo u .

Pwr. Y o u do me wrong

Your presence is a favour.

Mar. May su ch inconvenience o ften befall me as t o pro

nounce a benediction on like o ccasions.

Pur. (To th e queen. ) How call you your observance ?

Nip . (On th e queen’

s turning to her. ) Th e conciliation of

regard.§Pur.

‘Is it even so ? Y et,trust me

,it is needless

To wear th is tender form,as sligh t and delicate

As t h e lith e lo tus stem,with rude au sterity.

In me beh o ld your slave,wh om t o propitiate

Claims no t your care 3 your favour is h is h appiness .

Urv. (Smiling scornfully. ) He pays h er migh ty deference .

Ch itral. So h e sh ould

Wh en t h e h eart strays , t h e tongue is mo st pro fuse

Of bland pro fessions t o t h e sligh ted wife .

Queen. No t vain my vow,since it already wins me

My lo rd’

s complacent speech .

Or w ith t h e blossoms of th e h o l y D‘

urva grass.

1 Devi, or goddess,is one of th e t itles appropriate t o t h e stat e of queen.

I Sach i,th e wife of Indra

Pia-

ppasddaria.

234 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

Mdii. Enough said on bo th sides 3 th ese civilities require no

furth er reply.

Queen. Come,girls

,t h e offerings

,th at I may present th em

To t h e brigh t deity,wh o se rays diffuse

Intenser lustre on th ese Splendid walls .

A tt. Here are th e perfumes, madam ,h ere t h e flowers.

[G ives th em,and the queen goes through th e usual

form of presenting th e Arghya or ablation offruits

, perfumes, flowers, die.

Queen. Th ese cakes present Mariavaka,and th ese

G ive t o t h e ch amberlain.

[The attendant takes a tray of sweetmeats first to th e

Vidiishaka and then to th e Kanchukin.

Mdn. Pro sperity attend your High ness 3 may your fast

pro ve fo rtunate .

Chamberlain. Pro sperity t o t h e queen !

Queen. Now , with yo ur G race’

s leave,I pay yo u h omage .

[Presents oblations to the king, bows, and falls at his

feet, then rises.

Resplendent pair wh o o’

er t h e nigh t preside ,Lord of th e Deer-bo rne * banneret

,and th ou

His favourite,Roh ir

’

i i i — h ear and attest

Th e sacred promise th at I make my h usband.

Th e carOf t h e mo on is decorated with a smal l flag on wh ich a deer isrepresented .1: Chandra, or t h e mo on, is fabled t o h ave been married to t h e twenty .

seven daugh ters of t h e patriarch Daksh a, o r As’

mini and t h e rest, wh o are

in fact personificat ions of t h e Lunar Asterisms. His favourite amongstth em was Roh irii , t o wh om h e so wh o lly devo ted h imsel f as t o neglect t h erest. Th ey complained t o th e ir fath er, and Daksh a repeatedly interposed

,

ti ll find ing h is remonstrances vain, h e denounced a curse upon h is son-in

law,in consequence ofwh ich h e remained ch i ldless and became affected by

consumption. Th e w ives of Chandra h aving interceded on h is beh al f withth e ir fath er, Daksha mod ified an imprecation wh ich h e Co uld no t recal l

,

and prono unced th at t h e decay sh ou ld be period ical only, no t permanent,and th at it sh ou ld al ternate wi th periods of reco very. Hence t h e success ive wane and increase of th e mo on. (Padma-Puraria

,Swarga Kh arida ,

Sec. I I . ) Ro h irii in astronomy is t h e fo urth lunar mansion, containingfive stars, t h e princi pal ofwh ich is Aldebaran.

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236 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

Yo u are fairly given o ver by h er,like a sick man by h is

ph ysician.

Pur. I fear I am,by faith less Urvasi.

Would sh e were h ere 3 and th at t h e gentle music

Of h er rich anklets murmured in my ears 3

Or th at h er lo tush ands,as with ligh t step

Sh e sto le beh ind me,spread a tender veil

Before my eyes ; th at in th is sh ady bower

Sh e deigned descend spontaneous,o r drawn h ith er

With welcome vio lence by some fair fri end,

Ha t h e lovely daugh ter ofNdrdyarta

[Urvas’

i has advanced beh ind the king and covers h is

eyes with h er hands.

Vid. How knows your G race ?

Pur. It must be Urvasi,No o th er h and co uld sh o o t such ecstasy

Th rough th is emaciate frame . Th e so lar rayWakes no t th e nigh t’s fair blo ssom— th at alone

Expands wh en conscio us of t h e mo on’

s dear presence .

Urv. (Appearing ) Joy t o t h e king'

Pur. All h ail,brigh t nymph of h eaven

[Leads h er to a

Ch itral. (Advancing ) Be th e king blest

Pur. I feel I am already .

Urv. Th e queen ,my friend, h as just presented me

Th is pious prince,and th erefore I approach

His person, as t h e obj ect ofmy love .

Y ou canno t say I claimed a part in h im

Before t h e righ t was granted me.

Mdii. Wh at were you h ere e ver since sunset ?

Pur. I h ave no purpo se t o dispute t h e claim .

But let me ask , if such assent were needed,Wh o was it th at first granted you permission

To rob me ofmy h eart .

Ch itral. My friend, I know ,

Can proffer no reply— th en let th is be.

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 237

Now grant me my request ; I must depart

To minister t o Surya at t h e term

Of th e spring festival : till my re turn

Be carefu l that th is nymph h ave never cause

To mourn t h e h eaven sh e h as resigned for th ee .

Men. Heaven, indeed ! w h y sh o uld sh e ever th ink of

a place — a place wh ere th ey neith er eat,nor drink , nor

th eir eyes even for a twinkle .

*

Pur. Th e h eaven ofIndra is t h e e ternal source

Of joy ineffable it canno t be

Th e cares ofPururavas sh ould efl‘

ace

Th e memory of immortal bliss

Yet,nymph , oft h is be confident, my soul

Sh al l know no o th er sovere ign th an your friend.

Ch itral. ’Tis all I ask : be h appy

, Urvas1,And bid me now adieu !

Urv. (Embracing h er. ) Forget me no t .

Th e go ds are supposed t o be exempt from t h e momentary elevation anddepress ion of t h e upper eyel id

,t o wh ich mortals are subj ect, and t o lo ok

w i th a fi rm unintermitted gaz e . Hence a de i ty is termed Animisha and

Animesha,one wh ose eyes do no t tw inkle. Various al lusions t o th is at tri

bute o ccur in poetry. Wh en Indra visi ts sue t o encourage h er, h e assumesat h er requ est t h e mark of d ivinity— h e treads t h e air

,and suspends t h e

mo tion of t h e eyel ids (Ramayana) . Wh en Agni , Vararia, and Indra , allassume t h e form of

'

Nala at t h e marriage ofDamayanti , sh e d istingu ish esh er m ortal lo ver by th e twinkling of h is eyes, wh ilst t h e gods are stabdhalo chana, fixed

-eyed (Mahabharata,Nal0pakhydna) . And wh en t h e Aswini

K umaras practise t h e same trick upon th e bride ofChyavana, sh e recogni z esh er h usband by th is amongst o th er

- ind icat ions (Padma-Puraria) . Th e

no tion is t h e more deserving ofattention , as it is one of th ose co inc idencesw ith class ical myth o logy wh ich can scarcely be accidental . H eliodorus

says Th e gods may be known by t h e eyes lo ok ing w ith a fixed regard,

and never clos ing t h e eyel ids ;” and h e ci tes Homer in pro o f of it . An

instance from t h e I l iad wh ich h e h as no t no ticed, may be cited perhapsas an add itional confirmatio n

,and t h e marble eyes of Venus

,by wh ich

Helen knew th e goddess, and wh ich t h e commentators and translators seemt o be mu ch perplexed wi th , are probably t h e stabdha -lo ch ana

,t h e fixed eyes,

of t h e H indus, ful l , and unvei led even for an instant, l ik e t h e eyes of a

marble statue .

238 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

Ch itral. That I sh ould rath er beg ofyou , t h us blest

With Ol‘

fe t h e only obj ect of your wish es.

[Bows to th e king, and exit.

Mdii. Fate is propitious and crowns your Maj esty’s desires.

Pur.

’Tis true , I reach t h e h eigh t o fmy ambition.

Th e h augh ty canopy th at spreads it s sh ade

Of universal empire o’er t h e world 3

Th e fo o tsto o l ofdominion,set with gems

,

Torn from t h e glittering brows ofpro strate kings,

Are in my mind less glo rious th an t o lie

At Urvas’

i’

s fair feet and do h er bidding.

Urv. I h ave no t words t o speak my gratitude .

Pur. Now I beh o ld th ee th us ! h ow ch anged is all

Th e current ofmy feelings— th ese mild rays,

Co o l,vivifying

,gleam ; t h e sh afts ofMadana

Are now mo st welcomes — all th at was but late

Harsh and distasteful t o me,now appears

Deligh tfu l by your presence .

Urv. I lament,

I caused my lord t o suffer pain so long.

Pur. Nay , say no t so ! t h e joy th at fo llows grief

G ains rich er zest from agony foregone .

Th e trave l ler wh o faint pursues h is track

In t h e fierce day, alone can tell h ow swee t

Th e gratefu l sh elter o f t h e friendly tree .

Mdv’

. Th e mo on is h igh ; it were as well t o go in.

Pur. Conduct t h e way : and, dearest, may t h e h ours

With th ee be still pro longed, as w h en, with out th ee

Th ey tardy brough t t h e day.

[Exeunt into th e pavilion.

END OF THE THIRD AC I‘

.

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240 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

And lament, as togeth er th ey fly ,Th e friend th ey enco unter no more .

So , sad and melo dious awakes

Th e plaint of t h e swan o’

er th e stream,

Wh ere t h e red lo tus blo ssoms,as breaks

On th e wave , th e day’

s orient beam.

Enter CHITRALEKHA and SAHAJANYA.

Ch itral. (Looking up . )Th e swans along t h e stream th at sail

A fond companion’s lo ss bewail

With murmuring songs th ey so o th e th eir grief,

Or find from tender tears, relief.

Sah . Now ,Ch itralekha

, wh at h as ch anced t o cloud

Your countenance 3 it indicates your h eart

Is ill at ease 3 wh at causes your distress ?

Tell me,th at I may sh are and so o th e your sorrow .

Ch itral. It is no t all unknown t o you . Engaged

Amidst our band in paying wonted service

To t h e all-seeing Sun, I h ave no t sh ared

Th e vernal sports, my Urvas1 away.

Sah . Th is w e all know ,and know yo ur mutual love .

Chitral. Wh ilst dwe lling on h er memory, anxious t o learn

Some tidings ofh er, I employed my power

Of bringing absent obj ects t o my view 3And by th is art I learn wh at much alarms me .

Sah . Say on.

Ch itral. Th e king, by Urva5 1 s persuasions ,Resigned of late t h e re ins ofrule

,and sough t

With h er t h e groves of G andhamddanafi“

Th e G andhamddana mountain is one of t h e four boundarymo untainsenclo sing t h e central region of t h e world, cal led Ildvr

‘

it ta, in wh ich t h ego lden mountain o f t h e gods, or M eru

,is s ituated . Th e Purahas are

rath er at variance as t o its po sition. Accord ing t o t h e d a i t l ies on t h eWest connecting Ni la and Nish adh a

,t h e North and So u th ranges. Th e

Vishnu -Parana places i t on t h e So u th , t h e Western mountain be ing th erecalled Vip ula. I t h as, h owever, a G andhamadana t o th e West amongst

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 24 1

Sah . Amid such lovely scenes, t h e amo rous pair

Wou ld mo st enjoy each o th er’s company.

Wh at fo llowed ?

Ch itral. Wh ilst wandering pleasantly along t h e brinkOf t h e Manddkini

’

, a nymph ofair,

Wh o gambo lled on it s sandy sh o re,attracted

Th e monarch’

s momentary glance — and th is

Arou sed t h e jealou s wrath ofUrvas1 .

Sah . Ungenerous girl alth ough it proves h er love,

Yet destiny is migh tier.

Ch itral. Th u s incensed,My friend disdainfully repelled h er lo rd 3In so o th

,h er mind was darkened by t h e curse

Th e Sage erewh ile denounced 3 and troubled th us,Sh e h eedlessly forgo t th e law th at bars

All female access from t h e h atefu l groves

Of Kdrttikeya. Trespassing t h e bounds

Pro scribed, sh e suffers now t h e penalty

Of h er transgression,and t o a slender vine

Transformed,th ere pines till time sh all set h er

free .

Sah . How vain t h e h ope t o sh un t h e will of fate

Wh at o th er cau se cou ld interrupt a love

So fervent — Wh ere is now t h e king ?

Ch itral. He ro ams,

Franti c w ith sorrow,th rough t h e wo od

,in search

Of h is lo st bride,no r nigh t no r day desists

From th e sad qu est. Th ese rising clouds th at teach

Passion t o piou s sages,augur ill

h e projecting branch es or fi laments ofM eru . Th e B hagavata places it ont h e East ofM eru . Th e Mahabharata agrees w ith t h e Vayu -Puraria . Th e

Padma-Purana is at variance w ith i tsel f, and places i t in one passage on

t h e West, and in ano th er describes i t as on t h e East. Acco rd ing t o th isParana

,K uvera resides on itw ith th e Ap sarasas, G andharbas, andRakshasas .

Th e Si ta,al igh ting on it s t op, th ence descends t o t h e B hadraSwa-varsh a

,

and flows t o th e Eastern Sea.

VOL. I.

a

242 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

For h is alleviation— Imuch fear

Th ere is but little h ope ofremedy

[Repeats thefirst stanza,“ Th e swans along the stream

that sail,

”et c.

Sah . Bu t th ink you th ere is no expedient th en

To re -unite th ese lovers ?

Ch itral. Th ere is bu t one .

Th e sacred gem th at owes it s ruby glow

To t h e brigh t tint of G auri’s* sacred feet,Alone effects th e ir union .

Let u s h ope it

Th e ir delicate forms endure no t agony,

Vio lent and pro tracted,and t h e gods

Can surely never purpo se such a pair

Sh o u ld wh o lly perish — th ey wil l so on devise

Some means of th eir re lief— t o th e ir h igh powerWe leave th em — Come . Th e glorious sun revealsHis countenance 3 let u s depart and payOur wonted ado rations. (Sings )

Amidst t h e lake,wh ere t h e lo tus sh ining

,

It s flowers unfo lds t o t h e sunny beam,

Th e swan,for h er lo st companion pining

,

Swims sad and slow o’er t h e lonely stream .

[Exeunt .

ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST.

(Strains with out.) 1"

AIR .

Th e lo rd of th e eleph ant train

Now wanders afar from h is mate,

Durgd orPdrvati,t h e bride ofSiva.

1 Or in th e text t h e Praves’

aka t h e introducer— eith er a person on t h e

stage o r near i t,wh o o ccasio nal ly interposes t o let t h e aud ience know wh o

is coming wh en no ne of t h e ch aracters perfo rm that duty : t h e annunc iationis in t h e same metre as t h e first

,th e Aksh ip t ika.

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244 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

Th at brave th e gods,sh ould force h er from my arms .

Alas no more my gaze deligh ted dw ells

Upon h er loveliness— How sad th e ch ance

Fate h eaps calamities with diligent malice

On th o se wh om once misfo rtune h as assailed.

Hence h ave I lo st my love , wh en genial airs

And o versh adow ing clo uds,veiling t h e day ,

Had sh ed intenser rapture on h er presence .

Ye clouds Wh o se ceaseless torrents sh ed

New glories th rough t h e glo omy an ,

A wh ile your angry sh ow ers fo rbear,Nor burst upon th is h umbled h ead

G ive me t o find my love , and th en fu lfil

Yo ur wrath — Content,I bow me t o your will .

Away with th is h umility— t h e w ise

Call kings th e lords of time— I will assert

My power, and bid t h e seasons stay th eir course .

AIR .

Th e tree ofh eaven invites th e breeze,

And all it s countless blo ssoms glow ;Th ey dance upon t h e gale t h e bees

With sw eets inebriate,murmuring low

,

So ft music lend, and gush es strong

Th e heil’

s deep th ick warbling song.

NO,I will no t arrest t h e march of time

,

Fo r all aro und beh o ld my state apparelled

Th e clouds expand my canopy— th e ir ligh tnings

G leam as it s glittering fringe . R ich ch owries wave

Of many-co loured h ues from flowering trees .

Th e sh rieking peafowl,clamoro us in th eir joy ,

Are t h e loud h eralds ofa sovere ign’

s h onours

And th o se brigh t torrents,flash ing o ’

er th e brows

Of t h e tall mountains,are th e wealth y streams

,

Poured forth profuse from tri butary realms.

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 245

Fie on it wh at h ave I t o do with pomp

And kingly pride ? my so le sad business h ere

To th read t h e wo ods in search ofmy be loved.

AIR .

Th e monarch o f t h e wo ods

With slow desponding gait

Wanders th rough vale s and flo ods,

And ro cks and fo re st bowers,G emmed with new springing flowers,

And mo urns h eart-broken for h is absent mate .

Ah me ! w h atever I beh o ld but aggravates

My w oe . Th ese brigh t and pendu lo u s flowers,Surch arged with dew

,resemble th o se dear eyes

G listening with starting tears . How sh all I learn

Ifsh e h ave passed th is way ? Th e yie lding so il,

So ftened by sh owers, perch ance may h ave retained

Th e de licate impression o f h er feet,

And sh ow some vestige of th e ir ruby tincture. *

Wh ere in th is lone ly th icket may I h ope

To gain some tidings of h er ? Y on pro ud bird,

Perch ed on t h e ju tting crag,th at stately stands

With ne ck o utstretch ed and spreading tail,t o tell

His raptures t o t h e clouds,h aply may give

Some kind intelligence .

AIR.

Th e ro yal e leph ant,th e dread

Of all h is rival fo es,

With downcast eye and tardy tread,Th ro ugh tangled th ickets go es 5

To so litary griefa prey,

His loved companion far away.

Th e 8 0168 be ing stained w ith t h e red ju ice of t h e Mehndi.

246 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

AIR .

I will speak t o th is peaco ck— 0 11 t ell,If

,free on t h e w ing as you soar

,

In forest,or meadow

,or dell

,

Y ou h ave seen t h e lo ved nymph I deplore

Y o u will know h er,th e fairest of damsels fair,

By h er large so ft eye , and h er gracefu l air.

[Advancing to th e bird, and bo wing.

Bird of t h e dark-blue th roat and eye ofjet ,Oh tell me

,h ave you seen t h e lovely face

Ofmy fair bride , lo st in th is dreary wilderness ?

Her ch arms deserve your gaz e . How no reply ?

He answers no t,bu t beats a measure . How !

Wh at means th is merry mo od ? Oh yes , I know

Th e cau se . He now may boast h is plumage

With o ut a peer, nor sh ame t o sh ow h is glories

Before t h e floating tresses o fmy Urvas1 .

I leave h im ,no r wil l wast e a th ough t on one

Wh o feels no pity for ano th er’s wo es .

[Proceeds — Music.

Yonder, amidst th e th ick and sh ady branch es

Of t h e broad jambu , cowers t h e Mil— faint

Her flame ofpassion in t h e h o tter breath

Of no on. Sh e of t h e birds is wisest famed

I will address h er.

AIR .

Majestic as sails th e migh ty cloud

Along th e dusky air,

Th e e leph ant cometh h ith er t o sh roud

In t h e th ickets h is despair.

From h is h eart all h ope ofdeligh t is riven,And h is eyes with tears o ’erflow

,

As h e roams th e sh ades,wh ere t h e sons ofh eaven

Descend t o sport below .

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248 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

A tinkling melody.

’

Tis th e swee t ch ime

My fair one’

s anklets ech o t o h er fo o tsteps .

Th rough th e wo ods th e stately e leph ant strays,

And h is glances despair express 5On h is limbs t h e enfeebling malady preys

,

And h is steps are slow with distress 5In h is eyes t h e starting tear-drops swell

,

As h is th ough ts on h is lo st coinpanion dwell .

Alas th e gath ering of t h e clouds dece ives

Th e swan, w h o h ails rej o icingly t h e time

For periodic fligh t t o Manasa.

I h ear h is song ofgladness, no t th e sound

Of tinkling anklets. Ere ye t t h e tro op begins

It s distant march I will address t h e ch ief.

Ho Monarch Of t h e tribes th at breast t h e stream,

Forbear a Wh ile yo ur course : fo rego t h e provender

Of lo tu s stems, no t needed yet , and h ear

My suit— redeem me from despair— impart

Some tidings ofmy lo ve 5’

t is w orth ier far

To render kindly offices t o o th ers

Th an meanly labour for a se lfish go od.

Th o ugh bent o n Manasa, h e gaz es on me,

As if t o own h e h ad beh eld my lo ve .

Wh y seek t o ve il t h e truth If my be loved

Was never seen by th ee as gracefu l straying

Along t h e flowery borders of t h e lake ,Th en wh ence th is elegant gait —

’

Tis h ers— and th ou

Hast sto len it from h er, in wh o se every step

Love spo rts— t h y walk betrays th ee 5 own t h y crime,

And lead me qu ickly t o h er. (Laughs ) Nay, h e fears

Our royal power— t h e plunderer flies t h e king.

[Proceeds— Music.

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 249

Yonder I see t h e chakwa* w ith h is mate 5Of h im I will inquire .

AIR .

In groves Of tall trees with brigh t blo ssoms blo oming,And vo cal w ith many sw e et murmured t ones

,

Th e lord Oft h e h erd,wh om grief is consuming

,

Distracted,t h e lo ss ofh is mate bemoans .

AIR . After apause.

Ah no,h e replies

,I taste

,on t h e wing,

Th e j oys of t h e co o l returning spring,And as each feath er th rills w ith del igh t,I mark no t th e fair th at meet my sigh t.

Yet tell me— h ast th o u seen h er ? Know’

st th ou no t

Wh o asks t h y answer ? Th e great king ofdayAnd monarch of t h e nigh t are my pro genitors

Th e ir grandson I , and by th e ir own free ch o ice,

Th e lord ofUrvas’

i and Of t h e earth .

How — silent Th ou migh t’st measure my affli ctio n

By wh at th ou feelest 5 all th e air resounds

With t h y incessant plaints, if, but a moment,

Th y fair companion nestling h ides in sportAmongst t h e lo tu s leaves

, and flies t h y View .

Alas t o one wh om fate h as cursed like me,

Nough t is propitiou s 5 I will ask no more .

[Proceeds Music.

HOW beautifu l t h e lo tu s —it arrestsMy path and bids me gaz e o n it — th e beesMurmur amidst it s petals— l ike t h e lip

Of my belo ved it glows, w h en th at h as been

Somewh at t o o rude ly s ipped by m ine,and sw eetly

Pro tests against such vio lence — I will w o o

Th is h oney-rifler t o become my friend.

[Advances.

Th e Chakravdka or Ruddy go o se : t h e birds are supposed t o be

separated th rough t h e nigh t .

250 THE HERO .AND THE NYMPH .

AIR .

Unh eeding th e cygnet at first,

His beak in th e nectar ofpassion dips 5But fi ercer and fi ercer h is th irst

As deeper h e sips .

Say, plunderer of t h e h oneyed dew,h ast th ou

Beh eld th e nymph wh o se large and languid eye

Vo luptuous ro lls,as if it swam with wine ?

And yet meth inks ’t is idle t o inquire

Fo r h ad h e tasted h er deli ciou s breath,

He now wou ld scorn t h e lo tus . I will h ence .

[Proceeds

Beneath t h e sh ade Of yon kadarnba tree

Th e royal e leph ant reclines,and with h im

His tender mate . I will approach —

yet h o ld,From h is companion h e accepts t h e bough

Her trunk h as snapped from t h e balm-breath ing tree ,Now rich with teeming sh o o ts and ju icy fragrance .

[Adrances, th en pauses.

He crush es it I may pro ceed.

AIR .

K ing of th e forest,wh o se sports h ave fe lled

Th e stateliest trees,t h e th icket’s pride 5

Oh,say , in th ese sh ades h ast th o u beh eld,More brigh t th an t h e mo on

,my wandering bride ?

[Advancing afew paces.

Ch ief of th e migh ty h erd, say, h ast th ou seen

My love— like t h e young mo on h er delicate frame,

And with eternal youth h er beauties glow ;Her vo ice is mu sic— h er long tresses wear

Th e jasmine’s 'x' go lden h u e . Hadst th ou afar

Yuth ikd -éavala-keSi,h aving h air brown as t h e yellow jasmine, go lden

o r auburn,— a very strange idea for a Hindu . I t is said th at in t h e west

of Ind ia such h air is sometimes seen,bu t t h e prejud ice in favour of ebon

lo cks is so strong th at i t is considered amorbid affection of t h e h air, andt h e women dye and conceal i t.

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52 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

Mo unting with slender frame t h y steep ascent,Or wearied resting in t h y crowning wo ods ?

How — no reply ! remo te h e h ears me no t

I will approach h im nearer.

AIR .

From t h y crystal summits t h e glistening springs

Ru sh down t h e flowery sides,

And t h e spirit Of h eaven deligh tedly sings ,As among t hy peaks h e h ides.

Say, mountain so favoured,h ave t h e feet

Of my fair one pressed th is calm retreat ?

Now,by my h opes, h e answers h e h as seen h er

Wh ere is sh e — say . Alas again dece ived

Alone I h ear t h e ech o ofmy wo rds ,As round t h e cavern’

s h o llow month th ey ro ll

And multiplied return. Ah, Urvasi (Faints. )

[Recovers, and sits as exhausted.

Fatigue h as overcome me . I will rest

Upon t h e borders o f th is mo untain to rrent,

And gath er v igour from t h e breeze th at gleans

R efresh ing co o lness from it s gelid waves.

Wh ilst gazing on t h e stream,wh o se new swo llen waters

Y e t turbid flow,wh at strange imaginings

Po ssess my sou l and fill it with deligh t

Th e rippling wave is l ike h er arch ing brow 5Th e fluttering line of storks

,h er timid tongue

Th e foamy spray,h er w h ite lo o se-float ing vest 5

And th is meandering course t h e current tracks ,Her undulating gait 5 all th ese recall

My so on- offended love — Imust appease h er.

AIR .

Be no t relentless,dearest

,

Nor wro th with me fo r ever.

I mark wh ere th ou appearest

A fair and mountain river.

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH . 253

Like G angd proud th ou sh ow est ,From h eavenly regions springing 5

Aro und th ee,as th ou flow est

,

Th e birds th eir course are winging.

Th e timid deer confiding,

Th y flow ery borders th rong 5And bees

,th eir store providing

,

Pour forth enraptured song.

AIR .

In t h e lowering east t h e king of t h e deep

Expects h is coming bride 5His limbs are t h e clo uds th at darkly sw eep

Th e skirts of t h e h eaving tide 5And h is to ssing arm s are t h e tumbling w aves

,

Wh ere t h e gale o’er t h e h eaving billows raves .

With rapture h e dances,t h e lord of t h e main

,

And proud in h is state appears 5His steps are pursu ed by t h e monster train

,

Th e deep sea darkness rears 5And t h e curlew

,t h e swan

,and glistening sh ell

,

And t h e lo tus, t h e monarch ’s glo ry sw ell .

Th e bellowing surges h is fame resound,

And dash at t h e gates ofh eaven 5Th e sea w ith t h e sky th ey th reat t o confound

,

Bu t back w ith sh ame are driven 5Fo r now t h e young rains are armed for th eir righ t

,

And th eir prow ess arrests o ld Ocean’s migh t .*

[Approach es, and bows.

O nymph adored,wh at crime h av e I committed,

Th at th u s yo u fly from one so wh o lly yo urs,Wh o now implores yo ur pity, and with terro r

Th is and t h e preced ing verse are much expanded in t h e translation, inorder t o express th eir meaning 5 t h e first being very brief, and t h e secondbo th brief and Obscure.

254 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

Anticipates your lo ss ? Relent— return

Th is is no t Urvas’i. Sh e wou ld no t qu it me

Even for t h e Ocean K ing. Wh at ’s t o be done

Fortune crowns th o se wh o yield no t t o despair

I ’ll back t o wh ere my love first disappeared.

Yonder t h e black deer cou ch ant lies 5 Ofh im

I will inqu ire . O antelope,beh o ld

,

Th e royal eleph ant A irdvata,*

Scorch ed by t h e pangs of so litude , explores,In search of h is lo st mate

,t h e groves OfNandananL

Wh o se clo se-embowering walks are resonant

With t h e glad koil’s song, as pleased h e sips

Th e juicy nectar oft h e clu stering blo ssoms .

How h e averts h is gaz e,as h e disdained

To h ear my su it ! Ah ,no —h e anxious marks

His do e approach h im — tardily sh e comes,

Her fro lic fawn impeding h er advance .

AIR .

A nymph ofh eaven h as left h er sph ere

To make a h eavenly regi on h ere ,And treads th is sacred ground 5

Her slender waist,h er swelling h ips

,

Her languid eye , h er ruby lips ,With you th unfading crowned.

Oh tell me,th rough t h e tangled maze

,

If wandering sh e h as met th y gaze,Deer of t h e so ft black eye ,

Ere yet beneath t h e yawning brink

Of sorrow’s gulph

,immersed I sink ?

Befriend me,o r I die

[Advances.

Lo rd of t h e bounding h erds , say, h ast th ou seen

My fair, wh o se large and languid eye resembles

Th at of t h y tender mate ? He h eeds me no t,

Th e e lephant ofIndra. Th e garden o fIndra.

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256

Or,

Urvaét'

.

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

High on my diadem,and h o ld th ee ever

As dear as Is’

wara h is crescent mo on.

[Takes th e gem andproceeds, th en pauses.

Wh at means th is strange emo tion,as I gaze

Upon th is vine ? No blo ssoms deck it s bough s 5Nipped by th e falling rains

,l ike briny tears

,

Th at wash t h e ruddy fresh ness from t h e lips,

Th e buds h ave perish ed,and t h e mournful sh rub

All unadorned appears t o pine in absence 5No bees regale h er with th eir songs 5 silent

And sad,sh e lonely sh ow s t h e image

Of my repentant lo ve,w h o now laments

Her causele ss indignation . I w ill press

Th e melanch oly likeness t o my h eart .

AIR .

Vine of t h e wilderness,beh o ld

A lone h eart-broken wretch in me,

Wh o dreams in h is embrace t o fo ld

His love,as wild h e clings t o th ee.

And migh t relenting fate resto re

To th ese fond arms t h e nymph I mourn,

I ’

d bear h er h ence,and never more

To th ese forbidden h aunts return.

[G oes to embrace th e creep er, wh ich is trans

formed to Urvas’i .*

Wh at can th is mean th rough every fibre spreads

Th e conscious tou ch ofUrvasi— ye t all

I deemed h er ch arms dece ived me— let me wake

And realise t h e vision o r dispel it .’Tis no dece it—

’

Tis sh e —my best beloved. [Faints

(In tears. ) Revive , my lord.

(Reviving ) Th y lo ss, dear love , h as plunged my sinking

spirit

“enters as i t were in it s very place, ” Tatah p ravisati tats tlzdna (ca

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 257

Deep into dreariest glo om 5 but now t hy sigh t

Arrests my soul, and calls me back t o bliss .

Urv.I knew no t of your w o e , myself deprived

Of conscious be ing.

Pur. How ! Wh at mean you ? Speak

Urv. I will explain ; but let me first implore

Forgiveness, th at my causeless wrath h as wrough t

SO sad a ch ange in you .

Pur. Enough , enough 5Yo u mine once more , all else is quite forgo tten,And every th ough t is ecstasy. But come ,

Say h ow you ch eered your time,your lord away

Forme

AIR .

*

I h ave sued t o t h e starry-plumed bird,

And th e kdil of lo v e-breath ing song 5To t h e lord of t h e eleph ant h erd

,

And t h e bee as h e murmured along 5To th e swan

,and t h e loud waterfall

,

TO t h e chakwa,t h e ro ck

,and t h e ro e

In t h y search h ave I sued t o th em all,

But none of th em ligh tened my w o e .

To me,all news ofmy lamented lord

Came bu t in fond imaginings.

Pur. How th us ?

Urv. In ancient days,t h e warrior god adopted

A coenobite’s Observance 5 and for th is,Retiring t o th e wo ods th at stud t h e vale

Of G andhamddana,th en called Akalusha,

He framed th is law

Pur. Wh at law ? Pro ceed

Urv. Th e female th at sh ould rash ly pass t h e bounds

Pro scribed, and penetrate t h e forest shades,

Charchari .

VOL. I.

258

Pur.

Pur.

Uru.

Pu 5)

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

Sh ould instant metamo rph o se undergo,

And t o a twining sh rub sh ould be transformed,

Alone from such sad ch ange t o be redeemed

By t h e celestial gem,wh o se ruby glow

Is gleaned from G auri’

s fo o t. Th is law I broke .

Bew ildered by th e sage’s imprecation,I th o ugh tless plunged into t h e th i cket’s glo oms

Sh unned e ver by th e gods,and in a vine

My fo rm and faculties a wh ile were lo st.’

Tis all explained. No ordinary caus

I knew detained th ee from me th ee,wh o se fears

Bro oked no t my momentary separation,

Even in t h y dreams. Th e virtu e of th e gem,

As th ou h ast said, th is day effects our meeting.

Beh o ld it h ere

Th e ruby ofreunion

Th is h o ly gem restores me t o my nature .

[Takes it andpu ts it respectfully to h erforehead.

A moment th us let me beh o ld t h y brow,

Irradiated by th is h eavenly jewel,

Like t h e red lo tu s ere it s buds expand.

Th e king deligh ts t o flatter me 5 but now

Le t u s return t o Pratish thdna. Long

Th e city mo urns it s absent lord,and I

,

Th e cause ofh is departure,sh all incur

Th e angry censures of t h e people . Come,

How will it please yo u travel

Yonder cloud

Sh all be o ur downy car,t o waft u s swift

And ligh tly on o ur way 5 t h e ligh tnings wave

It s glittering banners, and t h e bow ofIndra

Hangs as it s over-arch ing canopy

Of variegated and resplendent h ues .

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260 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

A C T V.

THE PALACE or PURI’

IRAVAs.

Enter MANAVAKA.

AT last,th ank th e fates

,t h e king h as returned with Madam

Urvasi from t h e groves ofNandana,t h e pleasant gardens of

t h e G ods . My friend is once more attentive t o h is royal

duties and t h e cares of state 5 ye t h e seems o u t of spirits.

Wh at sh ould be t h e cau se ? Except t h e want of ch ildren,h e

h as no th ing t o grieve fo r. Th is is a bustling day . Th e king

and h is queen h ave just performed th eir royal ablutions wh ere

t h e Yamund and t h e G anges meet h e mu st be at h is to ilet by

th is time , and by j o ining h im I sh all secure a sh are of t h e

flowers and perfumes prepared for h im.

(Noise beh ind. ) Th e ruby th e ruby A h awk,taking it for

a piece of flesh,h as borne away t h e ruby of reunion wh ich

h ad been taken o u t of it s red palm- leaf case , and was be ing

carried t o t h e king for h im t o wear wh ile absent from t h e

nymph .

Mae. Here ’s a pretty piece ofwo rk ! t h e jewel my friend

so h igh ly prized. HO,h ere h e comes

,no t yet attired. I will

keep alo o f.

Enter PURIIRAVAS in haste,followed by th e CHAMBERLAIN, a

HUNTER,

*and attendants.

Pur. Wh ere is th e winged th ief th at rash ly courts

His own destruction,and presumes t o vio late

Th e dwelling ofh is so vereign ?

Th e Védh aka,in some copies Rech aka

, explained a Kirata a forester.

Th e K iratas,t h e mo untaineer and savage tribes of Ind ia

,were known t o

t h e ancients as t h e Cirrh adce on t h e Coromandel coast. Th ey appear t oh ave been independent, but were tributary t o t h e H indu k ings, or perhapsonly rendered personal service .

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 261

Hunter. Yonder h e goe s, t h e go lden ch ain of th e j ewel

h anging from h is beak.

‘Pur. I see h im ! As h e rapid flies aro und

In airy rings, t h e wh irling ch ain appears

T o h em h im in a fiery circle.

Wh at ’s t o be done

Mari. (Advancing ) Punish h im,t o be sure 5 put th e culprit

t o death .

Pur. Bring me my bow .

[A female attendant goes ou t and returns with a bow

and arrows,wh ich she gives to th e king.

’T is now t o o late — h e flies

Far t o th e sou th , beyond t h e arrow’s reach .

Red as asoka flowers , t h e pre cious gem

G races t h e sky : wit h su llen fires it glows

Like angry Mars, bursting at intervals

Th ro ugh t h e th ick clouds that overh ang th e nigh t.

My go od l avga (to the Chamberlain) , give command,t h e bird

Be tracked,and fo llowed t o h is perch .

Chain. Th e king sh all be obeyed .

Mae. Now please you sit 5 th e th ief will no t be able t o

e scape yo ur po w er.

A Yavani , wh ich is rath er inexpl icable. Th e Moh ammedan princesh ad guards o fAfrican women in th e ir h arems, and t h e presence of femaleattendants in th ose of t h e Hindu so vere igns h as also been adverted t o ; butt h e term Yavana h as been appl ied by t h e later H indus t o t h e Moh am

medans ; and i t is no t l ike ly th at e ith er Pers ian or Arabian women everfound th e ir way into t h e inner apartments of H indu princes

,as personal

attendants or guards. If, as h as been supposed, Yavanas formerly impl ied

G reeks, i t is equally impossible th at G reek women sh o u ld h ave fulfi lledsuch an Offi ce , as few cou ld h ave fo und th e ir way t o Ind ia, or even t o

Bactria; and th o se wou ld h ave been, i t may be suppo sed, to o h igh ly valuedby th e ir countrym en t o h ave been suffered t o act as slaves to barbarians.

Perh aps Tartarian or Bactrian women may h e intended .

Th ere is evidently mu ch more art in t h e condu c t of t h e bus iness inth is p iece th an in t h e Toy Cart. Th e Ch amberlain wo u ld th ere h ave beensent o u t , and wou ld h ave returned immed iately, in all probabil ity, insteadofany d ialogue fi l l ing up t h e interval.

262 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

Par. (Sits ) Were i t an o rdinary gem,it s lo ss

Wo u ld move me no t ; but t o lo se th is w ould vex

me ;

To it I ow e reunion with my love .

Man. Well, th ere is th is comfort, as you h ave t h e lady,

you are no longer in need of t h e jewel .

Enter th e CHAMBERLAIN, with an arrow and th e jewel.

Cham. Victory t o your G race Th e bird,condemned by

your Majesty’s decree,h as fallen, pierced by th is sh aft 5 th e

ruby is recovered. It h as been cleansed with water ; please

yo u say t o wh om it sh all be intrusted.

Pur. HO,Forester ! replace t h e gem

Safe in it s casket .

Hunter. As your Majesty commands .

[Exit th e K irata or Forester.

Pur. Know yo u t o wh om th e sh aft belongs ?

C’ham. Th ere is a name inscribed upon it,yo ur G race

,but

my eye-sigh t canno t distinguish th e ch aracters .

Pur. Let me see th em.

[Takes th e arrow,and expresses wonder and deligh t .

Cham. With your G race’s leave I will now attend t o o th er

duties . [Exit

Mae. Wh at do es your Maj esty study so intently ?

Pur. Listen Th e arrow of t h e all-subdu ing Ayus,

Th e son ofUrvas'

i and Purfiravas .

”

Man. Joy t o your G race Fate h as crowned your wish es .

Pur. How sh ould th is be ? Bu t fo r t h e interval

Of th e Naimisha* sacrificial rite,

My Urvasi h as always been with me .

I do recall,indeed

,a transient period

,

Wh en h er so ft ch eek was paler th an t h e leaf

Th eN aimish eya sacrifice is th e great sacrifice performed at t h eNaimisha

forest by t h e assembled sages, wh ich lasted twelve years accord ing t o t h eMah abhara ta

,a th ousand accord ing t o t h e Bhagavata.

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264 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

Enter a TAPASI'

or Female Ascetic, and a Boy with a bow in his

hand.

Man. Observe h im, sir. Th at warrior lad must be t h e

owner of th e arrow 5 h e is your perfect image .

Pur. May it pro ve so ! My imperfect sigh t

Is dimmed with tears 5 my h eart is o vercome

With tenderness,and strong emo tions crowd

My agitated mind 5 on all my limbs

A sudden tremor seizes . How I long

To clasp h im t o my bo som

Cham. Here pau se , mo st reverend lady.

Pur. (Bowing ) Hail , h o ly dame

Tap . May fo rtune ever wait

Th e glorious line ofSoma ! (Apart ) Now ,meth inks,

Th e king h as inward intimation given h im

I bring h im h ere h is son. (A loud. ) Boy, pay your

h omage .

[Agus bows.

Pur. May yo ur years be many !

Agas. (Apart . ) If I dared listen t o my h eart, I sh ould

Be lieve th is were my fath er, I h is son ;For wh at affection else wou ld give a ch arm

To t h e endearments and embrace ofage

Pur. Wh at brings th ee t o o ur presence , saintly dame ?

Tap . Let t h e king h ear. Th is princely yo uth , t h e son

Of Urvasi,was fo r some cause confided

,

With out your knowledge , t o my secret care .

Th e ceremonies ofh is martial birth

Th e piou s Ch yavana h as duly ministered,Taugh t h im t h e knowledge fitted t o h is station,

And lastly trained h is growing youth t o arms

Th e original h as dhanurvidya, arch ery, wh ich is always put formil i taryscience in general . Th at arch ery , h owever, was t h e predominant branch o f

t h e art among t h e Hindus, is evident from th is u se oft h e term, and from all

descriptive accounts of h ero ic education . Rama, h is sons, t h e Pandavas,Ayus, and all o th erprinces, are represented in t h e Ramayana, Mahabharata,

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 265

But now my ch arge expires, for an act

Th is day ach ieved, unfi t s h im t o remain

An inmate of t h e peacefu l h ermitage .

Par. Wh at act ?

Tap . Wh ilst on h is mission with th e Rish i’s sons,To gath er fuel, flowers, and h o ly grass

From t h e adjacent wo ods,h e aimed a sh aft

Against a h awk, new perch ed upon a tree

With h is fresh prey, and to o k h is fe lon life .

Th is deed ofblo od excludes h im from our h aunts,

And by t h e sage’s orders I conduct h im

Again t o Urvasi. I would see th e queen.

Pur. Be seated,and meanwh ile

,Talavya,

Apprise our queen,th at w e wo uld see h er h ere .

[Exit Chamberlain.

Come h ith er,boy . As t h e mo on

’

s silver rayAffects t h e lunar gem ,

h is presence sh eds

Spontaneous joy, and th rough each fibre darts

Th e conscio u sness th at I beh o ld my son.

Tap . Obey your sire .

[The Prince advances and prostrates h imself. Puru

ravas raises and embraces h im,andplaces h im

on th efootstool of his throne.

Pur. Salu te your fath er’s friend. Boy , fear no t .

Man . Wh at sh ould h e fear ? h e h as seen babo ons enough

t h e h ermitage .

Agus. (Smiling ) Accept my h omage , sir.

Mae. Fo rtune attend you ever !

Enter URVAéi, preceded by the CHAMBERLAIN.

Cham. Th is w ay , your G race .

Urv. (SeeingAgus. ) Wh at youth is th is , wh o , in th e royal

presence,

and all po ems and plays, as making arch ery a principal part ofth eir education

,furn ish ing a remarkable analogy, in th is respect, t o t h e practice ofth e

ancient Persians and Scyth ians.

266 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

Armed with t h e bow and qu iver, h onoured sits

Upon th e go lden fo o tsto o l,wh ilst t h e king

Is fondly playing with h is tw isted tresses

Ha ! Satgavati t o o it is my son 5

His growt h o utstrips my memory.

Pur. Beh o ld your mo th er,boy : h er gaze intent

Is fixed upon yo u ,and h er h eaving bo som

Has rent it s ve iling scarf.

Tap . Haste t o embrace h er.

[Agus rises and goes to h is Mother,wh o embraces h im,

th en,after apause,

Urv. Hail , h o ly mo th er

Tap . Ever may you know

Your lord’s affe ction !Agas. Mo th er

,accept my salu tations.

Urv. (Kisses h im. ) My dear b oy ,Be long your fath er’s h appiness and pride .

(Advances ) G lory t o t h e king

Pur. To t h e matron, h onour

[Hands Urvas’

t to a seat with h im on th e throne.

Be seated all. [Th ey sit.

Tap . Th e princely youth is perfectly accomplish ed

In all t h e science th at becomes h is rank,

And is ofyears and strength t o bear t h e load

Of martial mail . Unfi t t ed t o t h e th ough ts

And duties of th e tranqu il h ermitage,

I yield h im,th erefore

,in t h e royal presence

,

Back t o h is mo th er’s arms .

Urv. And I rece ive h im

M o st willingly : fo r it is no longer meet

He sh ou ld disturb t h e qu iet ofde vo tion .

Wh en h e is sat iate with h is fath er’s sigh t

He may revisit you 5 till th en, farewell.

Pur. And bear my reverence t o t h e h o ly sage .

Agas. Will you no t take me with you , Satgavati ?

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268 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH .

Pur. Adverse fate

Is still intent t o mar my perfect joy .

Scarce h ave I known t h e ble ssing ofa son,

Wh en my fair bride is snatch ed from my embrace .

Th e tree th at langu ish ed in t h e summer’

s blaze ,Puts forth reviving

,as young rain descends

,

It s leafy sh o o ts,wh en 10 ! t h e ligh tning bursts

Fierce on it s t op and fells it t o t h e ground.

Man. I see no th ing left fo r th is bu t t o abandon t h e

th rone,assume th e coat of bark

,and betake yourse lf t o t h e

fo rests.

*

Urv. Bu t wh at remains fo r me , my task on earthFulfilled ? Once gone , t h e king will so on forget me .

Pur. Dearest, no t so . It is no gratefu l task

TO tear our memo ry from th o se w e love .

Bu t w e must b ow t o power supreme 5 do you

Obey your lord 5 for me,I will resign

My th rone t o th is our son, and with t h e deer

Will h enceforth mourn amidst th e lonely wo ods.

Agus Excu se me,sire 5 my years are all unfit

Fo r su ch a burth en 5 one so long uph eldBy such exalted merits .

Pur. Fear it no t .

Th e eleph ant cu‘

b ’l‘

so on tames t h e forest h erds 5Th e snake scarce h atch ed conco cts t h e deadly po ison 5K ings are in boyh o od monarch s

,and endowed

With powers inborn t o rule t h e race Ofman

Nature , no t age , gives fitne ss . (To th e Chamberlain. )Talavya, b id

Our ministers and priests be all prepared

Fo r th is our son’s inauguration— speed

Such appears t o h ave been a common practice w ith t h e princes of Ind ia,

wh en satiate w ith years and power, or d isgusted w ith t h e world .

Th e young gandh agaja so on subdues o th er eleph ants, is t h e expressionin t h e original . Th ey are said t o fly t h e Odourofsome particular excretion

,

wh ence t h e name of t h e animal .

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH. 269

Cham I obey.

[Exit sorrowfully, and all on th e scene express grief.

Pur. Wh at sudden splendour breaks wh ence are th ese

flash es

Of ligh tning in a cloudless skyUru.

’Tis Narada.

Pur. His braided curls are ofa go lden dye 5His sacred cord, brigh t as t h e silver mo on 5Around h is neck are strings of h eavenly pearl 5Like a ce lestial tree with glittering stem

He moves. Prepare we t o receive h im.

Urr. Here ,Th is Offering ofrespect

,gath ered in h aste ,

Present t h e sage .

[G ives the king someflowers.

NARADA descends.

Ndr. Triumph attend

Th e brave defender of th is middle sph ere

Pur. (Presenting th e ablation. ) Reverence t o t h e sage

Urr. Accept my h omage . [BowsNdr. Never be wife and h usband disunited.

Pur. (Apart.) Oh , migh t thi s be (Aloud ) Advance, my son,

and pay

Your adoration t o t h e h o ly seer.

Agas. Ayus,t h e son ofUrvasi

,presumes

TO pay yo u h omage . [Bows to Ndrada.

Ndr. May your days be many K ing,attend

Th e migh ty Indra,t o wh om all is known

,

By me th u s intimates h is h igh commands

Fo rego your purpo se ofascetic so rrow .

Th e sages,t o wh o se wisdom past and future

Are as t h e present, h ave foreto ld at h and

Ho stilities in h eaven, and t h e gods will need

Your prowess : th en relinquish no t your arms

2 70 THE HERO A ND THE NYMPH .

And Urvas1 sh all be * th rough life united

With th ee in h oly bonds .

Urv. Th ese h appy wordsExtract a barbed arrow from my bo som .

Pur. Wh atever Indra wills I sh all Obey.

Ndr.

’Tis wisely said h e will no t be unth ankful.

Th e fiery e lement su stains th e sun 5

Th e sun returns h is rays t o nourish fire .

[Looking upwards.

Rambha, appear, and bring t h e h o ly wave

Consigned by Indra t o yo ur ch arge,t o consecrate

Th e prince’s elevation t o t h e th rone,

As partner of t h e empirenL

[Bambhd and other nymph s descend with a golden vase

containing the water of the h eavenly G anges, a throne

and o th er paraph ernalia, wh ich they arrange.

Ram. All is prepared.

Ndr. Prince , t o your seat .

[Narada leads Ayus to the throne ofInauguration, takesth e golden ewerfrom Bambhd

,andp ours water on

th e h ead of th e prince.

Rambha,complete t h e rite .

[Bambhd and th e Apsarasas perform th e rest of th e

Burn. New,prince

,salute your parents and t h e sage .

[As Ayu s bows to th em respectively, th ey reply.

Ndr. Unvarying fortune wait upon t h y re ign

Pur. My son, sustain t h e h onour of your lineage .

Urv. My son,be still obedient t o th y sire .

[Ch orus of bards with ou t.

Th is is a very material variation in t h e story as to ld in t h e play and int h e Paranas t h e passage Tena na twayct sastran

’

t sannyastavyam ; iyan'

t

ch a Urvas’

i ydvaddyus tdvat sah adh armachdririi b/tavishyati.

As Yuvaraja, young king or Caesar.

I T h e stage d irections in t h e original are no t more expl ici t, and th ecomment is s i lent .

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272 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

Pur. To you I ow e

Such h onour.

Ndr. Is th ere ough t else Indra can do

To serve h is friend ?

Pur. To h o ld me in esteem

Is all I covet . Y et h aply may th is ch ance

May learning and pro sperity Oppo se

No more each o th er,as th eir w ent

,as fe es

,

But in a friendly bond togeth er twined,

Ensure t h e real welfare ofmank ind.

*

[Exeunt omnes.

A singular bu t ch aracteristic conclud ing bened iction. One copy addsa stanz adesiderative ofuniversal pro sperity, bu t it do es no t o ccur inano th er.

Itmay be h ere observed th at t h e translation h as been made from two copiesoft h e t ext and one ofth e comment, all of th em fu ll ofblunders. Th e sense

h as th ere fore o ften been made ou t conjectural ly .

REMARKS

THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

IF it was necessary t o peru se t h e preceding drama with a

liberal allowance for national peculiarities,it is equally requ i

site,in t h e present instance

,t o adapt o ur faith t o t h e national

creed,and t o recognize , for po etical and dramatic purpo ses ,

t h e creations of t h e myth o logy of t h e Hindus.

In th is respe ct, h owever, no very vio lent demand is made

upon our imagination,as w e h ave none of t h e monstro u s extra

vagancies of t h e system fo rced upon o ur credu lity. Th e inter

course of h ero es and of goddesses is t h e familiar th eme of o ur

you th fu l studies,and t h e transfo rmation of Urvas

’

i into a vine

is no t with ou t abundant parallels in t h e metamorph o ses o fOvid.

Th e personages and situations of t h e superh uman portion of

t h e drama are bo th e legant and picturesqu e 5 and t h e grouping

Of t h e nymph s upon t h e peaks of t h e Himalaya, or t h e descent

OfNarada th rough t h e fie lds of eth er,migh t be represented

w ith as mu ch beauty as facility by t h e mach inery Of t h e

th eatres ofEurope .

Th ere is also a pecu liarity in t h e myth o s of th is drama,

w h ich identifies it w ith t h e dramati c compo sitions Ofantiquity.

Triv ial as t h e incidents may appear, unimpo rtant as may b e t h e

loves of t h e h ero and t h e h ero ine,bo th persons and e vents are

subj e ct t o an aw fu l contro l,wh o se interference invest s th em

w ith a dignity superior t o th eir natural level . Fate is t h e ru ling

principle of t h e narrative 5 and t h e monarch and th e nymph,

VOL . I . S

274 THE HERO AND THE NYMPH.

and t h e sovereign of th e gods h imself,are portrayed as subject

t o t h e inscrutable and inevitable decrees ofdestiny.

Th e simplicity of th e sto ry do es no t admit Of much display

of ch aracter,but t h e timid constancy o fUrvasf is no t unh ap

pily contrasted with t h e irreso lu te h augh tiness of th e queen .

Th e po et,t o o

,h as sh own h imself no t unacquainted with t h e

springs o fh uman feelings,and h is Observations on t h e re lations

of t h e sexes in domestic life are equally sh rewd and just .

Th e ch ief ch arm of th is piece , h owever, is it s po etry. Th e

sto ry, th e situations,and th e ch aracters are all h igh ly imagina

tive,and no th ing

,if partiality for h is w o rk do es no t mislead

t h e translato r, can surpass t h e beau ty and justice of many of

t h e th o ugh ts . To select one as an example were t o disparage a

number of o th er passages , and th ey may be left t o th e critical

acumen and taste of th e reader.

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INTRODUCT ION.

THE UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA,o r continuation of t h e h istory

ofRAMA,is one of t h e th ree dramas attributed t o BHAVABHI

'

ITI,

and th e internal evidence of t h e compo sition fully co rrobo rates

t h e traditional appropriat ion. Th e style is equally vigoro us

and h armonious as th at of t h e Malati and Madhava 5 several

of t h e sentiments found in th at play re cur in th is ; and t h e

general ch aract er of t h e tw o dramas,no tw ith standing t h e

difference of t h eir subjects, Offers many analogies . We h ave

t h e same picturesqu e descript ion and natural path o s in bo th .

Th e subj ect of t h e UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA is,as t h e name

implies a continuation of t h e h ist o ry of RAMA,t h e prince Of

Ayodhya, and comprises t h e e vents th at o ccurred subsequent

t o t h e war w h ich constitu tes th e subje ct of t h e Ramayana. It

is taken from th e last or supplementary section of th at po em,

one of th e tw o principal po etical works of t h e Hindu s no t

w h o lly myth o logical , and w h ich h ave some pretensions t o be

included in t h e Epic class. It is,h owever

,more co rrectly

speaking, a continuation ofaplay by t h e same auth o r,t h e Vira

Bdma-Charitra, in w h ich th e mart ial explo its of RAMA,as

de scribed in t h e Ramayana, are dramatised. T h e date at w h ich

th e Uttara-Bdma—Charitra w as compo sed canno t be deduced,

w ith certainty,from anyth ing th at o ccurs in t h e course of th e

play . It o ffers no th ing,h owe ver

,th at is incompatible with

t h e period at w h ich t h e auth o r is said t o h ave flouri sh ed, o r

t h e eigh th century, as w ill be no ticed in t h e introduction t o

Mdlatt and Madhava. Th e style is classical,and alth ough

e laborate,is no t defo rmed by extravagant refinement. Th e

278 INTRODUCTION.

th ough ts are pure and undisgraced by conce its 5 and alt ogeth er

t h e compo sition belongs t o t h e era of go od taste in Hindu

w riting, alth o ugh in an advanced period

,and upon th e eve of

it s decline . Bu t t h e mo st decided evidence ofan early date is

furnish ed by t h e allusions t o t h e Vedas,and t o some parts of

t h e Hindu ritual wh ich are no t now familiarly kno wn,and

wh ich th ere is reason t o th ink h av e long fallen into disuse .

Th e condition of t h e Hindu religion mu st h ave been very

different,wh en th is drama was compo sed

,from any under

w h ich it h as been observable for some centuries past.

Th e story of RAMA h as been communicated t o European

readers so fu lly in t h e w ritings of Jones,Wilfo rd

,Maurice

,

Ward,and Faber

, as well as in t h e Hindu Panth eon of Mo or,

and in t h e translation of t h e tw o first bo oks of t h e Bamdyana,by t h e Rev. Messrs . Carey and Marshman

,of Serampore

,as

w ell as probably by th is time in t h e translation of t h e wh o le

po em by A . W. Sch legel,th at t h e e vents wh ich precede t h e

action of t h e fo llowing drama will be familiar t o many of

th o se w h o may peruse it. In o rder,h owever

,t o render it

intelligible t o th o se t o wh om t h e story may be unknown, a

brief recapitulation of t h e previous adventures of it s h ere mayno t be superflu ou s . Th e au th o r h imself h as no t th ough t a

preparation of th is kind unnecessary even for a Hindu audience,

as h e h as introduced,with some ingenu ity, a summary sketch

of t h e leading incidents ofRAMA’

S earlier career. A referencet o t h e no tes accompanying th at part o f t h e drama w ill more

fu lly explain t h e circumstances th ere alluded t o,and supply

some particulars of RAMA’S adventures

,no t comprised in t h e

fo llow ing brief narrative .

Th e de ities of t h e H indu Panth eon by no means enj oy nu

disturbed po ssession ofdivinity,and th ey are obliged t o corr

tend fo r th e ir own supremacy,o r for t h e pro tection of th e

w o rld,with various fo rmidable races known as A suras

,Daityas,

a avas,and Bcikshasas, or different orders o f Titanic and

gigantic beings o f superh uman strength and vitality,w h o

,

from t h e earliest periods,

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280 INTRODUCT ION .

Wh ilst yet a lad,th e services of RAMA were so licited by

t h e sage VIsWAMITRA t o repel and slay t h e fiends,by wh om

t h e religious rites of h imself and o th er piou s individuals were

interrupted. RAMA accordingly accompanied h im,destroyed

t h e Bakshasi or female fiend TARAKA,and slew o r ch ased

o th er e vi l genii from t h e residence of th e sages. On th is

o ccasionVIS'

WAMITRA transferred t o RAMA and h is descendants

th e command of th e ce lestial weapons,o r t h e power t o wie ld

t h e e lements in war.

After th ese explo its,VIsWAMITRA condu cted RAMA t oMith ila,

t h e kingdom of JANAKA, wh o se daugh ter SI'

TA,now marriage

able,was t o reward t h e prowess of t h e prince w h o sh ou ld

bend a b ow,given t o an ancestor of t h e monarch of Mithila

by t h e god S’IVA. RAMA alone succeeded in t h e attempt, and

snapped t h e bow asunder. Th e indignity th us Offered t o h is

tutelary divinity arou sed t h e wrath ofPARAS'

URAMA,a previous

incarnation ofVISHNU,still upon earth

,wh o , coming t o M ith ild

t o defyand exterminate RAMACHANDRA,was fo iled byh is junior,

and obliged t o return,h umbled and in peace

,t o th e retirement

w h ence h e h ad hastened on h earing of th e bow’

s being broken.

RAMA rece ived t h e recompense of h is vigour in t h e h and of

SiTA5 and at th e same time URMILAh er sister,and MANDAVi

and S'

RUTAKI'

RTTI,h er cousins

,were married t o t h e o th er

th ree sons ofDAsARATHA.

Wh en RAMA approach ed t o years ofmaturity , h is fath er, by

t h e adv ice of h is ministers,and acco rding t o t h e wish es of h is

people,propo sed t o asso ciate h im in t h e government as Y uva

rdja, young king, o r Caesar : a de legation of auth ority th at

seems t o h ave been constant under t h e o ld po litical system of

t h e Hindu s,and traces of wh ich h ave been preserved t o t h e

pre sent day , in t h e petty Hindu states t o t h e east of Bengal .

Domestic intrigu e , h owever, fo rced DAS'

ARATHA t o forego h is

purpo se,and t o ch ange t h e elevation ofRAMA into exile . His

second w ife,K AIKEY I

'

,instigated by t h e counsels ofa female at

tendant,insisted upon th e king’s fulfilment ofa promise wh ich

h e h ad formerly made,and wh ich

,like th e pledge of t h e gods

INTRODUCT ION. 281

ofOlympus, w as no t t o be recalled, wh atever misch ief migh t

ensue . DAS'

ARATHA,wh en formerly wo unded dangerou sly in

bat tle,was preserved by t h e cares of KAIKEY I

'

5 in acknow

ledgment ofw h i ch service h e offered h er tw o bo ons w h enever

sh e sh ou ld demand th em . Th ese sh e now claimed,— t h e installa

tion o fh er son BHARATA, and t h e banishment ofRAMA for four

teen years,and DAS

'

ARATHA was forced t o comply,alth ough

upon t h e departure ofh is son h e expired with grief. BHARATA

refused t o accept t h e succession t o t h e th rone,and h astened

after RAMA t o bring h im back t o t h e capital 5 but th at prince ,in veneration ofh is fath er’s memory, determined t o fu lfil h is in

junction ,no tw ith standing h is decease 5 and leaving BHARATA

regent during h is absence , repaired t o t h e forests of South ern

India,accompanied by h is w ife , and LAKSHMANA h is bro th er.

Conformably t o current traditions,and t h e evidence ofnames

assigned t o different places in t h e peninsu la, RAMA passedfromAyodhya t o t h e sou th -we st

,and first establish ed h imself near

t h e sources of t h e G oddvari in t h e Dandaka forest . On h is j our

ney, and during h is residence in t h e th ickets,h e encountered

and discomfi t ed various members of t h e RAKSHASA tribe, and

amongst o th ers maltreated S’l'

IRPANAHKA,t h e sister ofRAVANA

,

requ iting t h e tender sentiments with wh ich h e inspired h er

by cutting off h er no se and ears . Sh e first applied t o h er

bro th ers,KHARA and DIiSHANA

,w h o guarded th e forests w ith

numerou s bands ofRAKSHASAS,t o avenge h er 5 but wh en th ey

were slain in t h e quarre l by t h e sons ofDAS'

ARATHA,sh e carried

h er complaints t o RAVANA in Lanka,and instigated h im t o re

sent t h e injuries th at h ad been infli cted on h er person,espe

cially by inspiring h im with a passion fo r SITA. In o rder t o

effect h is purpo se RAVANA repaired t o Panchdvati,t h e resi

dence ofRAMA, with MARI'

CHA,t h e son ofTARAKA

,w h o

,trans

forming h imself into a deer,begu iled RAM A from h is co ttage in

ch ase of t h e suppo sed animal. LAKSHMANA,by desire ofSITA

,

go ing t o lo ok fo r h is bro th er,sh e was left alone

,on wh ich RAVA

NA,approach ing h er as an o ldmendicant

,th en discarded h is dis

guise,and carried h er off. On h is way h e was at first stopped by

282 INTRODUCT ION.

JA'fAYU,a myth o logical be ing

,a ch ief of t h e winged tribes ,

and a friend ofDASARATHA,w h o was speedily overcome and

left mo rtally wounded,and RAVANA effected h is retreat t o

Lankaw ith out furth er o ppo sition.

On returning t o h is co ttage and search ing for h is missing

bride, RAMA discovered t h e wounded JATAYU

,and before h e

expired,learned from h im wh o w as t h e ravish er OfSiTA, bu t no t

h is residence 5 in qu est ofw h ich , h e plunged into t h e fo rests in

t h e central part of t h e peninsu la,and by t h e advice ofa h ead

less monster,wh om h e slew

,repaired t o t h e mountain Bish

yamuka at t h e sources of t h e Pampariv er, w h ere SU G RI'

VA,t h e

monarch of th e monkeys,h eld h is court. On arriving at th is

spo t,h e found t h e monkey mo narch y distracted by intestine

divisions,and SUG RIVA deprived o f h is wife and sh orn of h is

auth ority by h is bro th er BALI . RAMA h aving formed an alliance

with SU G RI'

VA,engaged and killed BALI

,and restored t o h is

asso ciate t h e supreme so vere ignty over th e babo ons,and th e

capital Kishkindhyd. SUG RIVA,in acknowledgment of th is ser

vice,dispatch ed h is principal monkeys in all directions t o dis

co ver SiTA, in w h ich search HANUMAT w as successful . Th e

party h e accompanied,h eaded byANG ADA,

t h e son ofBALI, pro

ceeded so u th ward t o t h e sea,wh ere th ey encountered SAMPATI

t h e bro th er of JAT‘AYU,by wh om th ey were apprised of t h e

site ofLankd and t h e detention ofSITA th ere by it s t en-h eaded

king. HANUMAT underto ok t o seek h er th ere 5 and jumping

acro ss t h e arm of th e sea,Obtained access t o t h e palace wh ere

SITA was confined,and an interv iew w ith th at princess .

Having th us ascertained t h e place of h er existence,HANUMAT

,

after setting Lanka on fire,returned t o RAMA

,and conveyed

t o h im th e information w h ich h e h ad been sent o u t t o

pro cure .

On receipt o f th is intelligence,RAMA

,accompanied by

SU G RI'

VA and an innumerable h o st o f h is monkey subj ects,

advanced t o t h e po int o f t h e peninsu la Oppo site t o t h e north ernextremity of Ceylon, wh ere a passage acro ss t h e ch anne l by

w h ich th at island is separated from t h e Coromande l coast was

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284 INTRODUCT ION.

kingdom between h is sons 5 but KUsA, be ing t h e e lder,and

h aving establish ed h is capital at Ayodhyd, is regarded as t h e

continuer of t h e line o fRAGHU . Th e Kachwdha i puts affect

t o deriv e th eir descent from KUS'

A,w h ilst ano th er i put tribe ,

t h e d kuja, regard LAVA as t h e founder of th e ir race .

DRAMATIS PERSON/E.

Ramon- K ing o fAyodhya.

K uéa,

Lava,

Lakshmaria .— T h e bro th er of Rama.

Ch andraketu .— Th e son ofLakshmaria.

Valmiki.— A h o ly sage,t h e au th or of t h e Ramayana, and preceptor o f

K u sa and Lava.

Janaka .— Th e fath er o f sun

,formerly king of M ith ila

,now lead ing an

h is twin sons .

ascetic l ife .

Sambaha .— An ascetic kil led by Rama

,bu t appearing in h is spiritual

ch aracter.

As li tavakra.— An ascetic.

S aman tra .— Th e ch ario teer of Chandraketu .

Durmukha .—An emissary employed by Rama .

Saudhdtaki,

B h dridayana,

A Vidyadh ara .

— A male spirit of air.

two of Valmiki’

s pupils .

WOMEN .

Sita.—Th e w ife of Rama.

Arundhat i . A pious dame,t h e w i fe of t h e sage Vasish th a guardian

of Si t ti .

Atreyi .

— A piou s dame , t h e wi fe of t h e sage Atri .

Kansalyci . - Th e aged mo th er ofRama .

Va’

santi .

— Th e guard ian spirit of t h e forest of Janasthdna .

Tamasa.— A river goddess.

M urala. Th e same .

A Vid/tyadhari .— A female spirit of air.

CHARACTERS IN THE SCENE IN THE LA ST ACT .

G angct . — Th e goddess of t h e G anges .

Pri th ivi . — Th e goddess o f t h e earth .

Celestial spirits, guards, pupils, 850 .

THE SCENE of t h e first Act is in t h e Palace of Rama at Ayodhya of t h e

second, in t h e forest ofJanasthana along th e G odavari in t h e rest o f

t h e p iece i t l ies in t h e vicin ity of Valmiki’s h ermitage at B ithnr on t h e

G anges.

i n interval of twelve years o ccurs between t h e first Act and th e remainderof t h e play . Th e time of each Act is that of representation.

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288 UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA .

t h e th reatening meteor of th e race ofBalastya and th e drumofrej o icing sounds unweariedly by nigh t and day . Bu t wh at

sh ould th is mean ; wh y are t h e public places t o -day so silent

and unfrequented ?

Enter ACTOR.

A ct. Th e monkey ch iefsfi:

and friendly fiends,and all th e

warriors in alliance with t h e prince in th e war ofLanka,h ave

Intend ing especially t h e giant k ing ofLanka, Bavaria, and h is bro th ersdestroyed in t h e warw ith Rama. Bavaria was t h e son of t h e sage Vis’ravas

,

by Nikasha,t h e daugh ter o fSumali, a demon , wh o , observing t h e spl endour

ofKavera, a son of t h e sage by h is w i fe Iravira, d irected h is daugh ter t oprop itiate t h e sage, th at sh e also migh t h ave ch i ldren by h im. Havingsucceeded in o btaining t h e go o d graces of Vi sravas

,Nikasha h ad by h im

Bavaria, K umbhakarna, and Vibh ish ana, and a daugh ter, Surp ariakha.

Rae-aria was engendered after t h e performance of a sacrifice w ith fi re,in

consequ ence ofwh ich h e was born ofan unco uth appearance,w ith t en h eads

and twenty arms. Vis’

ravas h is fath er, was t h e son ofPu lastya, one of t h ew il l -bego tten sons ofBrahma. A lth o ugh , th erefore , a h o ly sage, h e is o ftenal luded t o as t h e progen itor of t h e Raksh asas, ofwh ich race Bavaria and

h is breth ren were su ch d istingu ish ed members (Uaura-Ramayana and

Padma Parana) . Th e B h agava ta agrees nearly w ith th em,but names

t h e mo th er of th e d shasas, Kh umbh inasi .A very d ifferent legend is given in t h e Vana-Parvan

,oft h eM ahabharata.

Pu lastya, t h e son o fB rahma, bego t Kavera, wh o , by paying great attentiont o h is grandfath er, was made by h im immortal , and appo inted t h e god of

wealth . His capital was Lanka, and t h e Raksh asas were h is guards . His

currying favour w i th B rahma incensed h is fath er, and Pu las tya assumedt h e form ofa h o ly sage , named Visravas To pro pitiate th is wrath fu l manit estation of h is fath er was Kavera’

s next object, and w ith th is view h e gaveh im th ree Rakshasis as h andmaids, Pushp o tkata, Balsa, andMalini . By t h e

first Viéravas h adKumbh akar '

lia and Rat-aria by t h e second, K h ara, and adaugh ter, Surpanakhd and by Malini, Vibh ish ana.

— We h ave a d ifferentaccount again in t h e Linga-Pu raria (ch . Pu lastya h ad by Iravila, t h edaugh ter ofTr‘iriavindu , a son named Viiravas

,wh o h ad fo urw ives D eva

varnini, t h e daugh ter of Vi‘

ih aspat i Pushp otkatd, and Bdka’

. (or Vcika) , t h e

daugh ters of t h e demon Malyavat , and N ikasha, t h e daugh ter of t h e demonSallaki . By t h e first h e h ad Ii 'u vera, o r Va isravaria ; by t h e second, Ill ah odara

,Prah as ta, Mahapars

’

u a,and K hara

,and K arrianast

,a daugh ter ; by

t h e th ird h e h ad Tris’

iras,Dasbar

’

ia,and Vidyujj ihwa, and Syamika, a

daugh ter ; and by t h e last, or Nikasha, t h e virtuo us Vibh ish aiia.

T Rama was accompanied o n h is return t o Ayodhya by Vibh ish ana, t h ebro th er and successor ofBavaria, and by t h e monkey ch iefs, Sugriva, Anga

UTTARA- RAMA -CHARITRA. 289

been dismissed t o th e ir several h omes , as h ave t h e h o ly sages ,assembled from various realms

,wh o se reception h as been

h ith erto t h e o ccasion ofperpetual festivity.

Mana. Tru e and t h e mo th ers of Bdghava,* under t h e

guidance of Vasish t h ad‘

and preceded by Arundh at ij h ave

departed t o t h e dwelling of th eir son-in-law .

Act. I am a stranger h ere, yo u know 5 inform me w h o is

th is son- in-law

Mana. Th e late king Das’

aratha§ h ad a daugh ter named

Santa, wh om h e gave t o king Lornapdda t o adopt,and wh om

Bishyasringa,“ t h e son of Vibhandaka,espou sedfi l He now

h o lds t h e ceremony of th e tw e lve years’ sacrifice , and t h e

elders h ave gone t o assist at it s celebration, leaving, with h is

da, and Hanumat , Th ey ass isted at h is coronation, and th en retu rned t oth e ir dwe ll ings in t h e B ehbin and Lankd .

OrRama. Th e term is a patronym ic, implying h is be ing a descendantofRagh u . His mo th ers are t h e widows o fh is fath erDas

’

arath a Kauéalya,

t h e mo th er o f Rdma ; Sumitrd, t h e mo th er ofLakshmaria and t h e yo ungestso n, Satrughna and K aikeyi, t h e mo th er o f t h e th ird son , B h arata.

Thefamily priest ofRama’s race, t h e son ofB rahma in one birth , andofM itra and Var-vita, or t h e sun and t h e sea

,in ano th er.

I Arundh at i is t h e w ife of Vasish t h a.

Dasaratha , t h e son of Aja and fath er of Rdma, was a d istingu ish edprince of t h e So lar dynasty . Buch anan suppo ses h im t o h ave l ived in t h efifteenth century before t h e Ch ristian era.

uEishyas‘

ri

inga,t h e deer-h o rned

,was born ofa do c, and h ad a smal l h orn

o n h is fo reh ead ; wh ence h is name .

‘ll Th ese circumstances are all narrated in t h e Ramayana at length .

Bo ok 1, sections viii . ix. x. Lomapada was king o fAnga.

Th is number ofi '

ers some analogy t o t h e vis its of t h e go ds t o Eth iopia’sblame less race 5 wh en

Twe lve days t h e powers indulged t h e genial rite .

M acrobiu s, h owever, wou ld read th is twe lve h o urs , o r t h e interval betweensun-se t and sun -rise , wh en Jo ve , as th at plane t, is below t h e h o ri z on . It istrue

,t h e o riginal leaves h im at l iberty t o propo se su ch a read ing

,as ne ith er

days no r h o urs are Specified in th is place . Th e return oft h e de i ties, h owever,is more specific.

Tw e lve days were passed, and new t h e dawning ligh tTh e go ds h ad summoned t o t h e Olympian h e igh t.

Th e same critic conceives, also , that some al lus ion may be made t o t h eVOL . I. T

290 UTTARA- RAMA - CHARITRA .

permission,t h e daugh ter ofJanaka* at th e capital . Bu t come ,

time wears 5 let u s go meet our friends at t h e palace,as was

appo inted.

Act . But tell me,in your Opinion

,h as t h e title of Most

Pure been very judiciously granted by t h e king t o h is bride ?

Mana. M ind your own affairs ; wh y talk upon improper

subjects ? Men are e v er evil dispo sed towards t h e purity of

w ords and women.

Act. Mo st maliciously tru e e specially as t h e calumnies

insinuated against Vaideh ifrin consequence of h er residence

in t h e dw elling of t h e Rakshasa,were refuted by h er passing

t h e fiery ordealf

s igns o f t h e z od iac . — (Sat . 1 . xxi i i. Somn. Scip ion. l ib . Th e numberh as very po ssibly some secre t import, astronomical or myth o logical, bo thamo ngst t h e H indus and G reeks.

Janaka was king of Mit h ila, and a man of great piety and learning .

He was t h e repu ted fath er of sun, t h e w i fe of Rama,h aving fo und h er an

infant in t h e earth,upon plough ing it for a; sacrifice.

Sita bears t h e patronymic Vaideh i as t h e daugh ter of t h e k ing of

Videh a.

After t h e reco very of Sitafrom Ravana,Rdma welcomed h er co ldly

,

and after intimating some suspicio ns unfavo urable t o h er ch asti ty , refused t orece ive h er o n wh ich Sit -ft determ ined t o comm it h ersel f t o t h e test o ffi re .

Having entered t h e fi re prepared fo r th is purpo se in t h e presence of t h e

go ds and ofDasarath a,t h e deceased fath er o f Rama, i t pro ved inno cuo us ,

andAgni , it s de i ty, resto red Rdma h is bride unh urt, and d eclared h erpurifiedby t h e o rdeal sh e h ad u ndergo ne . Das

’

arath a also bo re testimony t o Sitasvirtu e, and Rama

’

s doubts be ing th us d issipated , h e j oyfu l ly rece ived h isbride (Ut tara -Ranu iyaria. ) Acco rd ing t o t h e B rahma Vaivarta-Pm'aria

,

Sit -i h ersel f was no t carried o ff by Bavaria,h er shadow or ch hdyd be ing

substituted by Agn i fo r h er substance . It was th is semblance , also , t h at ent ered t h e fi re , in o rder t o give Agni an Oppo rtunity ofrestoring t h e o riginalt o Reima. Th e Padma-Purdna (Pc

’

rtoila K h anda) d ispenses w ith th e o rdeal ,bu t brings fo rward Agni, Vayu , Varinia, B rahma, andDas

’

arath a to swear

t o Sita’s inno cence 5 Brahma furth er co nso les Rdma by declaring it was necessary Sitd sh o u ld h ave been carried offby Bavaria , as h is rape o fa virtuouswoman was t h e only cause o fdestru ction t o wh ich h e was subject, agreeablyt o t h e curse deno unced upo n h im by Nala-K uvera , and t h e previou s bo o nconferred upon h im byBrahma. In t h e Ut tara-K h arida oft h e sameParana,

sh e enters into t h e fi re , as in t h e o th er au th orit ies.

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292 UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA.

A C T I.

SCENE I.— THE PALACE.

RAMA and SITA discovered.

Dro op no t,dear Sita5 o ur respected friends

Have parted from u s with no less reluctance

Th an w e h ave felt, but duty must be done .

To lo ftier claims must self- indu lgence yield 5And th ey wh o venerate th eir h ou seh o ld fire

Mu st bear th e task such sacred ch arge impo ses.

*

I know t h e truth of th is,my dearest lo rd 5

Bu t still t o separate from our nearest friends

And ch erish ed kindred, canno t ch o o se but grieve us .

Rama. Tru e,love

Bu t th ese,th e sorrows ofa feeling h eart

,

Are th e sad portion ofman’

s so cial lifeAnd

,fearing th em

,th e sage abandons all

,

To quell desire,in so litary wo ods .

Enter ATTENDANT .

A tt. Ramabh adra ! (Ch ecking h imself. ) MahArAja !

Bdma. (Smiling ) My worth y friend I better love t o h ear

Th e name ofRitmabh adra, from t h e mouth s

Of th o se w h o w ere my fath er’

s fo llowers . )L

Wh at is your message ?

A tt. Ash t’

hvakra waits,From Bishyasringa

’

s h ermitage .

Sitti. What sh ould delay h is entrance ?

Th e maintenance ofa perpetual fi re impl ies also t h e observance ofallt h e o ccasions on wh ich sacrifices w ith fire are offered, and all th o se du t ieswh ich a h ouseh o lder is enj o ined.

1' Th e mode h ere adopted of del ineat ing Rdma’s k indly d isposition isvery Shakespearian.

UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA. 293

Enter the A scetic ASHTAVAKRA.

A sh . Health and peace t o bo th !

Rama. Respect await yo u , venerable sir !

Be seated.

Sttd. I salute you with respect 5And h o ld me h igh ly h onoured t o receive

Th e pious kinsman ofmy sainted sister.

Rama. No cares disturb my bro th er’s h o ly peace,

Nor my respected sister’s

sac. Dwell w e ever in th e ir reco llection ?

Ash . Assuredly. Th ey are we ll. Lady,t o you

Th e sage Vasish t h a th us addresses h im .

Th y mo th er is th e all-sustaining earth 5Thy fath er is a king ofno less fame

Th an t h e primeval patri arch s 5 t h y lord

Draws h is proud lineage from t h e king ofday,

Ash tdvakra is t h e h ero of a curiou s legend in t h e Mahabharata .

Kah oda,h is fath er

,was t h e pupil of Udddlaka andmarried h is preceptor’s

daugh ter. He was so much addi cted t o study th at b e rath er neglected h isbride wh en far advanced in h er pregnancy

,and was rebuked for h is conduct

by h is son yet unborn. Th e fath er indignantly pronounced th at h e sh o u ldbe born cro ok ed

,in punishment o f h is impertinence , and h ence h is name

Ash ta,eigh t (limbs) , and Valera, curved . K ah oda went t o t h e great sacrifice

of Janaka,king ofM ith ila, soon after t h e birth ofh is son. To th at festival

came a seemingB auddh a sage , wh o , o vercoming all h is competitors in argument

,h ad th em th rown into t h e river. K ah oda venturing t o encounter h im

suffered th is fate . Wh en Ash tdvak ra was in h is twe lfth year h e first h eardof h is fath er’s m isch ance

,and t o revenge i t, set off for t h e yet unfinish ed

sacrifice, it be ing one of th ose already no ticed as of twe lve years’duration .

Al th ough yo ung in age, t h e saint was mature in w isdom,and overcame h is

fath er’s conqueror. Wh en h e ins isted on h is be ing th rown into t h e river,t h e suppo sed d ispu tant declared h imsel f t o be t h e son o fVarur

’

ia,t h e god of

th e same waters, wh o h ad commenced a similarsacrifice w ith th at of Janaka,at t h e same time

,and t o secure t h e attendance of learned B rahmans, h ad

adopted t h e exped ient o fsend ing h is son t o de feat th em in d ispu tation, andgive th em a subsequ ent ducking . T h e object be ing effected, th ey were dismissed w ith h o nour, and t h e parties separatedmu tually content. Ash tdvak ra

,

by h is fath er’s instru ctions , bath ed in t h e Samangc’

t river, and by so do ingwas rendered perfec t ly straigh t . (Mdh dbhdrata, Vana — He was

married t o t h e -daugh ter of t h e sage Vaddnya.— (a o -Dharma. )

294 UTTARA-RAMA - CHARITRA .

And h is illustrious h ouse h ave ever owned

Our spiritual guidance . Wh at alone remains ?

Th at from th ee spring an Offspring t o inh erit

Th e conj o int h onours of each glorio us race ?

Edma. I th ank th e sage . In th is imperfe ct wo rld,

Man’

s tardy speech lags aft er th ings foregone 5Bu t with t h e saints

,t h e th ough ts th eir lips express,

Precede,and presage sure

,events t o come .

Ash . Arundh at i and all t h e h o ly dames,

And S’

Anta,bid th ee well consider th is

Now th ere is h o pe ofh e irs,Wh at must be done

Must be effected speedily.

Edma. Declare it

Wh at mu st be done ?

Ash . Th is Rishyas’

ringa tells me t o impart .

Th ou,qu een

,

*art no t ungentle . Th is, my son,

Is destined t o secure t h y h appiness 5And I sh all see th ee bearing on t hy lapA smiling progeny.

Edma. So may it be !

Is th ere augh t e lse Vasish t h a’s w ish o rdains ?

A sh . Attend.

Th e h o ly sacrifice absorbs o ur care,

And yo u ,my son

,are yo ung in years and power.

Remember th erefore th at a king’s true w ealth ,His real glory

,is h is people ’s welfare .

Rama. So Maitrdvaruni T h as ever taugh t u s

And I am ready,pity

,pleasure , lo ve ,

Nay, even Sita, t o resign,content ,

If it be needful fo r t h e general go od.

Sitd. In th is my lord do es h ono ur t o h is race .

Rama. Wh o waits ? Attend upon t h e sage .

Ash . (Rises and circumambulates them. )Beh o ld t h e prince . [Exit

Or in t h e text kaih oragarbha, in reference t o h er pro tracted pregnancy .

"l“ A name ofVasish tha, t h e son ofM itra and Varnita .

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296 UTTARA-RAMA- CHARITRA.

S ttd. Wh at are th ese th at crowd

Around my lord, and seem t o h ymn h is praises ?

Laksh . Th ey are t h e h eavenly arms,th at Viswdrnitra, *

Th e h o ly sage from Kusa sprung,t h e friend

Of all mankind,Obtained from great Kris

'

dswa,T

Viswttmitra was born a prince in t h e Lunar dynasty. According t o

t h e Rdmdyaiia h e was t h e fourth from Prajap ati, bu t th e Bhagavatamak esh im t h e fi fteenth from B rahma. Th ey agree in cal l ing h im t h e son of

G adh i,wh o , accord ing t o t h e first, was t h e son of K a s

'

anabh a,and accord

ing t o t h e second,t h e son of K usdmba . Visw amitra was sovere ign of

K anoj , and engaged in war w i th t h e sage Vasish t/ra for t h e possessiono f t h e all-bestow ing cow . In th is contest

,t h e cow produced all sorts

of fo rces, particularly M lech ch has , or barbarians, by wh o se aid Vasish t’

h a

o vercome h is adversary . Th ere can be l i ttle do ubt th at th is legend is an

al legorical acco unt o f a real transaction,and th at by t h e cow we are t o

u nderstand Ind ia,o r t h e mo st valuable portion of i t

,for t h e sovere ignty of

wh ich e ith er two princes o r two tribes,t h e B rahmans andK sh at triyas , con

tended . One o i t h e parties cal l ing t o th e ir aid t h e barbarians, t h e Persians,and no t impossibly t h e G reeks

,t riumph ed by t h e ir means . Viswamitra

was born a sage,in consequence of h is mo th er partak ing of some ch armed

fo od prepared by t h e Muni Rich ika fo r h is w ife , h er daugh ter. A ftero bserving t h e superior migh t of t h e B rahmans

,h e engaged in a course of

austerities, t o rise from t h e martial o rder in wh ich h e was born t o that oft h e sacerdo tal

,and u l timately compel led B rahmat o grant h im th at eleva

tion. (Ramayar’

ta,1 . Sect . 41 - 52 , Mahabharata

,Adi -Parvan, B hagavata,

ix. 15 , &c. )

T Two sovere igns of t h e name o fIf'

r‘is

'

t tswa are traceable , one a king of

Ayodhya, t h e o th er o f Vis'

t tlt t . Th e po sition of t h e fo rmer in t h e So largenealogy stands th us in Buch anan’

s au th orit ies

Bhagavata. Hari-Van’i sa.

Nik umbh a Nik umbh a

VArh adaswa Sangh zitcts'

wa

K fistiéwa Kr‘

is'

zis’

wa

Sendj it Prasenaj it

Y uvandéwa Y uvanaswa.

Bu t t h e Vishnu -Parana go es fromNikmnbha t o Prasenaj it at once , omit t ingt h e t wo intermed iate princes .

Krisas'

wa,t h e so vereign o f Vis

’

dla,is t h e son o fSan

’

tyama and fath er ofSomadat ta

,accord ing t o t h e Bhagavata and Varirs

'

a-Lat t i. Buch anan ism istak en in supposing t h e former interpo ses a Sah adeva between h im and

Samyama. Devaja or Devaka is t h e son o fSaiftyama, w i th Kr'

isttswa or h is

bro th er. Th e mistake arises from considering saha, with , as part of t h e

UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA. 297

And gave th em t o t h e prince t o wage th e figh t

With th at malignant demon Tdrakd.

*

Edma. Pay reverence,Sita, t o t h e arms divine.

Th e ancient sages and t h e gods th emselves

By penance for a th ou sand years endured,Obtained t h e sigh t of th ese celestial arms,Radiant and h o ly, fo r t h e wars of h eaven j

‘

name . Th e text h as, Sarh yamad asi t Kris‘as'

wah'

saha-Devajali explainedby t h e comment

,Devajena or D evakena sah itah

’

.

Bu ch anan places t h e Ayodhya prince in th e e igh teenth century beforeCh rist

,and t h e so vere ign of Vis

’

aloi in t h e fourteenth ; t h e latter is, th erefore , made subsequent t o RAma, wh o is supposed by h im t o h ave flo urish edin t h e fifteenth .

Ne ith er of th ese persons, h owever, appears t o be t h e K i‘isas

'

wa of t h e

text, wh o is more probably a sage . One so named,aM uni o rDevarsh i

,is

said t o h ave married two of th e daugh ters of Daksha,Jayt t and Vijaya,

accord ing t o t h e Ramayana, bu t Arch i and Dh ish aritt in t h e Bhagavata.

He is also said t o have been a writer on dramatic representation wh ence anactor or a dancer is termed in t h e Amara-K osha

,K t is

’

dt‘win. No th ingfurth er of h im h as been ascertained .

A female fiend, t h e daugh ter of t h e Yaksha Saketa , and wi fe of t h e

Dai tya Sunda. Sh e was ch anged into t h e form o f a Raksh asi , after t h edeath ofh er h usband

,by t h e curse oft h e sage Agastya. Having devastated

t h e flourish ing d istricts ofM alaja and Karu sh a,and obstru cting t h e sacri

fices of t h e sages, Vis'

wcimitra appl ied t o Retma fo r aid,and h er destru ction

was h is first explo it . (Ramayana, 1 . Sec. 23

T Th ese weapons are ofa very unintel l igible ch aracter. Some of th emare o ccasionally w ie lded as missiles, bu t in general th ey appear t o be mystical powers exercised by t h e ind iv idual : such as th o se of paralysing an

enemy, or lo cking h is senses fast in sleep,or bringing down storm and rain

and fi re from h eaven . In t h e usual strain of t h e H indu myth o logy, th eyare suppo sed t o assume ce lestial sh apes

,endowed w ith h uman facu lties, and

in th is capacity are al luded t o in t h e text. Th e l ist ofth em,one h undred

,

is given in t h e first bo ok of t h e Ramayana, and th ere also th ey are describedas embod ied, and address Rdma

,saying, Command us, Oh , Ragh ava of

migh ty arm— Here we are, Oh , ch ief ofmen,command us 5wh at sh al l we

do‘

for th ee Th e son ofRagh u repl ied Depart all ofyou , and in time

of necess ity wh en cal led t o mind, render me assistance . Th ey th en cir

cumambulat ed Rdma, and h aving said , So be i t, rece ived h is permission t odepart, and went wh ence th ey came .

”Th e Ramdyana calls th em also t h e

sons of Krisas’

wa and t h e sons of Jaya and Vijaya, th e daugh ters of

Prajapati. (Rdmtiyana, 1 . Sec. 20, 26, and

298 UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA.

Stat . (Bowing) Receive my adoration .

Rama. Th ey will aid

Thy ch ildren.

Sita. I am grateful .

Laksh . Th ere , th e scene

Is ch anged t o Mith ila.

*

Sim. Yes,I see my lord.

Dark as t h e deep blue lo tus is h is h ue,

And strength and grace in every limb appear.

Paternal lo oks dwell wondering on h is face ,Love ly with graceful curls , wh ilst h igh disdain

Swells every feature,as with fo rce divine ,

He snaps asunder t h e ce lestial bow.

”r

Laksh . See wh ere yo ur sire and t h e h o ly son

Of G au tama, t h e priest ofJanaka, i;We lcome Vasish t h a and t h e rest w h o now

Become th e ir kin

Rama. No wonder 3 fo r t h e alliance th at united

Ray/mwith Janaka, could t o noneBe e lse th an pleasing

,and wh ere Viéwamih '

a

Himse lf was dono r and re ce iver.

Sita. A so lemn scene,wh ere gifts ofkine secure

Auspicio us destiny , and fo ur brigh t you th s

Are knit in marriage bonds with fo ur fair maids .

Th e country north of t h e G anges, between t h e G andaki and K o s i ri vers ,compreh end ing t h e modern pro vinces ofPuraniya and T irh u t . Th e re

mains o f t h e capital fo unded by Janaka, and th ence termed Janakap ur, ares til l t o be seen, accord ing to Buch anan, on t h e north ern frontier at t h e

Janickp o or of t h e maps .

1' T h is bow originally belo nge d t o Siva, wh o w ie lded i tVictoriou slyagainstt h e o th er gods at Daksha

’

s sacrifice, bu t with ou t success, against Vishflu ,o n wh ich h e gave i t t o Devarata, one o f Janaka’s ancesto rs, subsequent t owh om i t remained in t h e family . Like t h e h o w of Ulysses , i t was employedby Janaka t o ascertain th e strength o f t h e cand idates for h is daugh ter’sh and , none o fwh om were able t o bend i t but i t was brok en wi th ease byRama. (Ranzayafia, 1 . Sec. 52, 53, and

xSat ém nda, t h e son o f G au tama and Ah alya, and family priest of t h ek ing o fM it h ila.

T h e so ns o f Daéaratha were Rama, Laksfnnaria, Bh arata, and Sa

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300 UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA.

Wh en all was joy. Ah,me ! th o se days are gone.

But h ere beh o ld— see h ow t h e youth ful bride,

Fair Sita, wins maternal admiration

Her smiling countenance resplendent sh ines

With youth and loveliness h er lips disclo se

Teeth wh ite as jasmine buds 5 h er silky curls,Luxuriant sh ade h er ch eeks, and every limb

Of sligh test texture moves with natural grace ,Like mo onbeams gliding th rough t h e yielding air.

Laksh . Here is t h e wretch ed Manikara.

*

Rama. (Turning away.)Lo ok h ere

,love — see t h e groves ofSringarerafi

Wh ere from t h e monarch of t h e forest tribes

We met a friendly we lcome .

L aksh . (Apart ) He avo ids

Th e conduct of h is step-dame . iSiia. And now beh o ld assumed,

Th e braid of penance .

Laksh . Y es : t h e task severe,

Th e e lders of ou r race th e ir state depo sed,

In favour of th e ir progeny adopted,Was h ere by youth sustained and o pening life

,

Content t o languish in t h e forest’s glo om .

Th e confidential attendant ofKaikeyi , t h e seco nd wi fe ofDas‘arath a

,

by wh o se instigations th at princess o ppo sed Rama’s accession t o t h e th rone,

and insisted o n h is exile .

Si‘ingafvera was a c ity on th e north bank of t h e G anges (o rmore pro

perly a vil lage,as t h e country on both sides of t h e G anges was h ere a forest) ,

inh abited by Nishadas or wi ld tribes, ofwh om G uh a was t h e ch ief, by wh o seassistance Rama, Lakshmafia, and Si tawere ferried o ver t o t h e so uth bankof t h e G anges , a day’s march above it s j unction w ith t h e Jumna.

OfKaikcyi .

Th e Jaia, ormatted h air, assumed by Rama and Lak shmana on dis

m issing t h e royal ch ario t at t h e vil lage ofSr‘ingarera, t o ind icate th e ir entering u pon a forest or ascetic l ife — (Ram. i i .

nIt appears t o h ave been customary for t h e ancient princes oft h e H indus,wh en enfeebled by years, t o transfer th e crown t o th e successor and retiret o a h ermitage.

UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA. 301

Siia. Beh o ld— th e pure and sacred Bhayirath i.*

Rama. G oddess benign, wh o o’

er t h e race ofRag/m

Th y guardian care ext endest,I salute th ee !

Th y downward path Bliayirafli’

s prayers propell’

d,

And t h y pure waves redeem’d h is ancestry

,

Reduced t o ash es by t h e wrath ofKap ila,

As th rough th e bow els of t h e earth th ey sough t

Th e steed escaped from Sagara’s sacrifice .+

Deign,h eavenly mo th er

,t o bestow t h y car

On th is t h y daugh ter, and with emulous love,Like ch aste Arundh at i, h er days defend.

Laksh . See , Bharadwaja’

s i h ermitage , th e road

Th e G anges,so named from h aving been brough t down to earth by

t h e devo tions ofk ing Bhagiratka.

1 Sagara, purpo sing t o perform anAs’

wamedha, or sacrifice of a h orse, set ,as an essential part oft h e ceremony

,t h e h orse at l iberty, wh o was carried off

by o ne of t h e serpents of Patala . Th e king directed h is sons, by h is wi feSamati

,sixty th o usand in number, t o reco ver t h e steed . Th e ir efforts ,

th o ugh unavai l ing, were enough t o alarm t h e go ds and demo ns, and t o

ensure th e ir own des truction. After penetrating deep towards t h e subt erraneou s regions, th ey came upon t h e h orse graz ing near K ap ila, an incarnation of Vishnu as a sage, wh om t h e sons of Sagara ch al lenged as t h e th iefof t h e h orse . K apila, incensed, reduced th em all t o ash es w ith a blast fromh is nostrils . Aniéumat , t h e son ofAsamanjas, t h e son ofSayara, by h is o th erw ife

, K es’

ini , afterwards discovered t h e rel iques of h is uncles, and learnedfrom G aruda , also th e ir uncle , th at th e waters oft h e G anges were necessaryt o pro cure th em admission t o h eaven. Ne ith er Sagara nor h is su ccessors ,An

’

t éumat and Dilipa, w ere able t o effect t h e descent of G anga, th is be ingreserved for t h e so n and successor of t h e latter

,B h agirath a. Th e au sterities

of th is prince success ively pro pitiating B rahman, Uma, andM abadeva, t h e

G anges was, by th e ir power, compel led t o flow o ver t h e earth , fo l low ingB h agiratha t o th e sea, and th ence t o Patala, wh ere t h e ash es ofh is ancestorswere laved by its waters. Th e G anges was cal led B hagira th i , in h ono ur oft h e king, and t h e o cean termed Sagara, in commemoration of Sagara and

h is sons — (Rama, i .

I Th e acco unts of th is ind ividual are rath er obscure , bu t h e was aMun iand expo under of t h e Vedas. In some places h e is cal led th e son ofVi i/cas

pat i, and in t h e Harivan’

i s’

a is said t o h ave been adopted by B harata as k ingofPrat ishfitdna. In t h e Ramayana h e appears as asage res id ing at Prayaga ,or Allahabad, wh ere a temple ded icated t o h im still exists. In t h e Maha

302 UTTARA-RAMA -CHARITBA .

To Ch itrakar'a,

*and t h e sable tree

Th at sh ades Kalindi’s Tborders .

Sita. Do es my lord

Recall th e se scenes t o memory ?

Rama. Co uld it be ,Th at I sh ould ever cease t o reco llect th em ?

I see yo u now,as on my breast reclined

And in my arms sustained,th at de licate frame ,

Exh austed w ith th e long and weary way,Sinks in o

’

erpow ering slumber.

Laksh . Beh o ld Viradhaj wh o denies admission

To Vindhya’

s § th ickets .

bharata h e is described as resid ing at Haridwara, and t h e fath er ofDro zia ,

t h e mil itary preceptor of t h e Paiidava and K aurava princes . He is alsot h e parent ofArundhati, t h e w ife of Vasish th a.

A mountain no t far from th e south bank of t h e Jumna, Rama’

s firstres idence in h is exi le

,and

, accord ing t o t h e Ramayaiia, at th at time t h e seato f Valmilci

’

s h ermitage . Many temples and establ ishments o f Vaisiw’iavaascetics exist at th is spo t, now cal led Ch itrako te, and it is at d ifferent seasonsa place o f great resort.

'l' Th e Kalindi is t h e Jumna river

,t h e daugh ter ofKalinda

,a name oft h e

sun . Th e tree sh o u ld be t h e imperish able B er tree,wh ich h as long been

famed at Allah abad, and wh ich is stil l represented by aw i th ered stem in t h ecave ofPatalapu ri , under-gro und , bu t i t sh o u ld appear from t h e text th ati t grew in dayl igh t

,and t h e play probably preceded t h e co nstruction o ft h e

cavern. T h ere was, no do ubt, a very ancient and venerable fig-tree at Al lah abad

,perh aps fo r some centuries, fo r i t is al luded t o in vario us vo cabu laries

as Medini,&c. i t is also described in t h e Kciaikh aricia, and Karma-Pnraiia.

Th e first no tice , h owever, is in t h e Ramayana (B . II. Sect . 41 and

Rama,w ith h is w i fe and bro th er resting under t h e shade of i t after crossing

t h e Jumna so th at no t only was th e tree in t h e o pen air,bu t i t was o n

t h e Oppo si te side of t h e river t o th at on wh ich i t is now trad itional lyvenerated .

I A demon of fo rm idable si z e and aspect , t h e son ofKala andSatalirada,res id ing in Daridalcarariya , and enco untered by Rama on h is leaving t h eh ermitage o f A tri . Having sei z ed Sita

, and th reatened t o devour t h e

princes , h e was attacked by th em and slain by Rama — (Ramayaria, B. I I I .Sect. 7 ,

Th e V indh ya mo untains extend across Central Ind ia,and th ro w o u t

branch es beh ind Agra and Delh i to t h e north , and on t h e south t o t h e

extremi ty o f t h e Peninsula.

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304 UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA.

Rama. Th e sad events th at Janasthana witnessed

Are once mo re present h ere .

Laksh . And h ere again,

Th e anguish wh ich th e craft o fwicked fiends

And vio lence inflicted is renewed,

And t h e rude stone and adamantine ro ck

Disso lve in gentle pity,as th ey witness

Th e prince’s sorrows in t h e lonely fo rest.

Si ta. Alas th at t h e deligh t ofRagh u’

s race

For me sh ould th us h ave suffered.

Laksh . Let us avert o ur th o ugh ts

To subjects mo re auspiciou s. Here,observe

Displayed th e valour of t h e great Jat'aya,Th e ancient monarch of t h e winged tribes

,

Of days co eval with a Mann’

s reign,

From Kaéyapa descended.

’l‘ Here,extend

Th e forests of t h e w est,wh ere from t h e glo om

Th e h eadless sprit e i o ur devious path arrested.

Accord ing t o t h e comment, th is place in t h e present age is cal led Nasik,s ituated on t h e G odavari , no t far from t h e Western G hats, and a place ofpilgrimage .

Jaiayu , a bird o f d ivine nature and descent and preternatural longevity

,t h e son o fG arada, t h e son ofK asyap a. He was t h e friend o fDas

’

aratha ,

and o n one o ccasion saved h is l ife . Th at prince h aving gone t o t h e ecl iptict o rescue Roki i’t i from t h e h ands of Sani , h is carriage was consumed by aglance from t h e eye of t h e latter. Daéarath a fal ling was caugh t and sus

t ained by Jatayu on h is expanded w ings . Wh en Si ta was carried off byBavaria

,Jalayu attempted t o sto p h im

,bu t was slain by t h e Raksh asa.

1‘ Th is Kabandha o r h ead less monster is po ss ibly t h e o riginal of t h eanth ro poph agi of t h e East, and t h e “ men wh o se h eads do grow beneathth e ir sh ou lders.

” He is described as vast as a mo untain, ofa sable h ue ,w ith o u t legs ; bu t w i th arms a league lo ng , a fo rmidable mo uth in h is be l ly,and a s ingle eye of vast d imens ions in h is breast. He se i z ed wi th h is l ongarms bo th Rama and Lakshmaiia w ith an inten t ion t o devo ur th em

, bu t t h e

princes extricated th emsel ves by cu tting off h is arms. Th e mo nster th eninqu iring wh o th ey were , and be ing info rmed of th e ir names and l ineage

,

rej o iced in h is mutilation as t h e means offree ing h im from a form t o wh ichh e h ad been metamorph osed from th at o f a h andsome Danava, t h e grandson ofDanu

,one of t h e w ives of Kas

‘

yap a, in consequence of t h e impre

UTTARA- RAMA- CHARITRA. 305

Th e mountain Risliyamaka*see

,and h ere

Th e dw e lling ofMaianga.

’

r t h e dame iWh o se life ofpenance now obtained reward.

Here are t h e sources of t h e Pampa,§ wh ere

Th e grief ofRama broke beyond restraint,

And fast descending tears at intervals

Concealed from v iew t h e beau ties of t h e scene .

Here mark t h e son o f air,t h e monkey ch ief

,

Of strengt h resistless and w ide-wasting wrath .

Th e guardian of t h e world— t h e firm ally

Of Bagha’

s race— illustrious Hanumat ,

cation o faRish i named Sth iZlas‘ iras as a punishment for h is frigh tening t h eascetics by assuming h ideo us shapes . Th e effects of th e curse were produced by h is defying Indra , wh o in t h e contest struck off h is h ead and legsw ith h is th underbo l t, bu t co uld no t kill h im,

as h e h ad o btained t h e been ofl ongevity from B rahma. Th e appearance of Rama was t h e term o f h is

transformatio n,and h is bo dy be ing burnt by h is desire , h e recovered h is

original sh ape and returned t o Swarga ,previo usly d irecting Rama t o seek

t h e res idence o fSugrira . (R amayana ,I I I . 82 , 83,

Th is mo untain,and t h e scenes in it s vicini ty al luded t o

,are said t o be

known by t h e same appe llations in t h e ne igh bo urh o o d o fAnagundi , a part o ft h e Dek h in

,t h e maps o fwh ich are disgracefu l ly de fective . Th e mo untain

i tsel f was t h e res idence o f t h e depo sed m o narch o f t h e mo nkeys, Sagrina .

It comprised,of co urse

,t h e wh o l e of t h e tract abo ut t h e so urces o f t h e

Pampa bu t in t h e Ramayana , Rama passes th em befo re h e comes t o t h e

dwel l ing of t h e monkey ch ie f.On t h e ascent t o t h e mountain o ccurs t h e fo rest of Ma tanga , o r t h e

Megh ap rabh a w o od, in wh ich t h e trees never w ith er and t h e flowers neverfade . Th e saint and h is d isciples h ad lo ng d isappeared ; bu t h is h erm itageh ad remained inaccess ible t o noxio us o r inim ical be ings

,and t h e co oking

utensi ls left by h im,awai ted

,in perfect order, t h e arrival ofRama, be ing

destined fo r h is accommodation .

1: A Sarari, or female fo rester, named Sravana, wh o h ad attended onMa tanga

’

s d isciples , and wh o se ascensio n t o Swarga was t o be t h e rewardo f h er acting as gu ide t o Rama .

A river rising in t h e Rishyamaka mo untain, and flow ing into t h e

Tangabh adra,be low Anagundi .

HNo t , h owever, befo re expatiating upon th em at great length,at leas t

in t h e Ramayana, Arafiyakanda ,last section. Th e MSS . from wh ich t h e

translation wasmade d iffers h ere inmany respects from t h e Calcutta ed itio n.

VOL. I . U

306 UTTARA- RAMA - CHARITRA .

Rama. Reverence and glory t o o ur h ero friend

Here let u s pause,fo r every scene suggests

Heart -rending reco llections.

Laksh . Bu t a moment

Regard t h e deeds incredible th e h ands

Of monkey warrio rs in th e ir rage ach ieve .

Here v iew o ur triumph *— Now w e clo se t h e scened"

Siia. My dearest lo rd, th is picture h as inspired

A fo o lish fancy —may I giv e it utterance ?

Rama. Fear no t t o speak it, love .

Siid. I long once more t o wander th rough t h e sh ades 1Of t h e brown w o ods

,and plunge amidst th e wave

Of Bliagiratlii’

s co o l translu cent stream .

Rama. Lakshmar’

ia

Laksh . I understand yo u , and w ill order forth

Th e easy ro ll ing car w ith o u t delay

As su ch desires t h e learned h ave declared

Sh ou ld speedily be grat ified. §Sita. Bu t yo u will sure be w ith me

,my go od lord Cl

Rama. Crue l w h at need t o ask yo ur Rama th is ?

Come,le t u s enter th is pav ilion

,lo v e .

Sita. M o st w illingly unu sual lassitude

Creeps o ’er my frame and w o o s me t o repo se .

Rama. Recline o n me,t h y co u ch , and aro und my neck

Th row th o se dear arms,t h e love ly

,liv ing band

Of mo on-gems melting in t h e lunar ray ,As w eariness t h e pearly drops exh ales .

T h e death of Rarana and defeat of h is tro ops,w ith t h e capture of

Lanka.

1' A few exclamatory sentences are h enceforward omitted, and t h e

descriptio n of t h e picture is compressed .

I Sita’

s expo sure requ ired h er own co ncurrence , wh ich t h e desire sh eh as just intimated affo rds. It is also omino us ofwhat is t o fo l low .

Th e term do liada usually signifies t h e desire o fa pregnant woman, orlonging, t o wh ich t h e Hindus attach equal importance as d id t h e nationso fEurope .

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308 UTTARA- RAMA- CHARITRA .

Enter DURMUKHA.

*

Dar. (To h imself. ) How can I venture t o communicate

Th e idle calumnies t h e giddy people

Invent against t h e queen — No matter

Unh appy th at I am,it is my du ty .

Sita. (In h er sleep . ) Wh ere art th o u,dearest Rama ?

Rama. Sh e dreams th at I h av e left h er o r t h e view

Of o ur portrayed adventures h as disturbed

Her gentle slumbers . Ah h ow blest is h e

Wh o ever dw e lls in long confirmed affe ction,

A like in pleasure o r in pain,wh o se h eart

Repo ses tranqu illy in e very fo rtune,

And on w h o se waning, as h is budding life ,Lo ve constant waits . Oh ! h ow can fate b e w on

To grant such h appiness

Dar. Hail t o t h e king

Rama. Wh at h ast th ou t o report ?

Bar. Th e pe ople are ill pleased t h e general cryIs

,Bamabhadra disregards h is subjects .

Rama. Wh at reason h ave th ey th u s t o th ink o fme ?

Declare wh at fau lt th ey ch arge me with .

Dar.

’Tis th u s th ey talk . [W/iispers .

Rama. Sh ame on t h e v ile traducer wh o assails

Domestic h appine ss No common means

Redeem’

d Vaideh i iL from t h e fo rmer sco urge

Of fo u l calumnio u s tongues yet scandal fo ams ,

Like a mad h o und,w ith still o ’erfiow ing venom.

Wh at ’

s t o be done ? Alas Iw h at ch o ice remains ?

Th e general go od mu st be preferred. To th at

My fat h er sacrificed h is son— h is life

And I mu st do my duty. Now it ch ances

As by t h e sage Vasish t’

ha’twas foreto ld.

My no ble ancesto rs , t h e lo fty race

Th at boast t h e sun th e ir sire,h ave bequ eath ed

Th e hanclmkin,o r ch amberlain an o ld Brahman is t h e fittest person .

1' Sita.

UTTARA- RAMA - CHARITRA . 309

A spo tless repu tation t o my keeping

And h ow sh all I deserv e t h e glo rio u s ch arge

If calumny attach t o augh t th at ’

s mine ?

Daugh ter of sacrifice Fair ch ild of earth

G lory ofJanaka’

s exalted race

Th e lo ved o f sages and th eir sainted dames

Casket ofRama’s being Ch eering ligh t

Of t h e dark forest-dw e lling ! Utterer

Of tender e lo qu ence Alas w h at cau se

Has rendered destiny t h y ruth less fo e ?

All t h y go od deeds, distorted, turn t o ill

All t h y munifi cence aw ards th ee sh ame

And wh ilst th ou art abo u t t o give t h e w orld

A w orth y lord, th at w orld, ingrate , condemns

Th ee t o a widow ed, so litary h ome .

Durmukh a, go , bid Lak shmar

’

ia attend

To lead t h e queen t o exile .

How so,my lord ? must sh e

,wh o se spo tless fameQ

Th e flame h as e v idenced, in w h om th ere live

Th e h opes o fRagha’

s line,be banish ed h ence ,

To p lease a th ankless and malignant people ?

Rama. Nay , blame th em no t . No lack of love or h onour

Towards t h e royal h ouse , but adverse destiny

Instils th ese th o ugh ts . And w h o,th at witnessed no t

Th e wondrou s test ofpurity,cou ld credit

Such marve ls in a distant region w rough t ?

G o,th en

,and do o ur bidding .

Dar. Alas, po o r qu een !

Bdma. Cru el task ! I h av e be come a savage .

Th e w ife w h o se e very h our since infancy

To me h as been de v o ted,and w h om all

Belo ved by me h ave tenderly caressed,I ru th lessly and fraudu lent consign,Like a domestic bird

,t o certain death .

Wretch th at I am ! w h y sh all my to u ch impure

Po llu te th ese ch arms ? Ho ld me no t th u s— let lo o se

3 10 UTTARA- RAMA- CHARITRA .

You r tender grasp,dear Sita

,from a man

Wh om e very crime degrades . Y o u th ink yo u cling

Around t h e sandal’s fragrant trunk , and clasp

Th e balefu l po ison-tree— let go— th us— th u s.

[Detach es h imself and rises .

Wh at now is life — a barren load t h e wo rld

A dreary, arid, so litary wild.

W here can I h ope for comfo rt ? Sense was given me

Only t o make me conscious ofaffliction,

And firmly bound in an unyie lding frame .

Departed sires proph ets and sages all

Wh om I h ave loved and h onoured and all ye

Wh o h av e sh own h ono ur and regard fo r Rama

Ce lestial flame ! auspicio u s parent,Earth

To wh om amongst ye dare I raise my vo ice ?

Wh at name may I invoke , nor w rong it s sanctity ?

Will ye no t sh rink from my so licitationAs from an o utcast’s to u ch from me

,w h o ch ase

My w ife , t h e h onour ofmy h ouse , aw ay,And do om Kat

'

h oragarbha]Lt o despair,

Like a dread offering t o infernal fiends ?

[Bows down to Sita’

sfeef.

Adored Vaiach i for t h e last,last time

,

Th y lo vely feet exalt t h e h ead ofRama.

(With ou t ) Help h elp fo r t h e Brahman tribe IfRama. How now

Enter MESSENGER .

Mess. Th e assembled sages on t h e Y amuna’

s bank,

Disturbed amidst th e ir rit ual by Lava/ia, §

Th e demon,fly t o Rama for pro tection.

Th e original specifies t h e ind ividuals .

1' Sita.

Th e term is abrahmariyam. Abrahmariyam implying t h e absence o f

pro tection t o t h e Brahmans, and th e ir incurring some d istress .

Th e son o f t h e Asura Madh u,by Kumbh inasi t h e daugh ter of Visrara :

and sister ofBavaria . He inh erited from h is fath er a trident , presented bv

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3 12 UTTARA- RAMA- CHARITRA .

A C T II? “

SCENE — JANA STHANA FO REST .

EnterATREYI'

fr afemale ascetic.

I see t h e genius of th ese groves approach .

Sh e bears h er flowery tributed;

Enter VA'

SANTI’

,th e Dryad of Janasthana, with flowers,wh ich sh e presents.

Vas. Hail,h o ly dame t h y presence brings §

Deligh t t o all o ur gro ves and springs :

Th y blessing and t h y prayers be mine

Th ese fo untains and th ese bowers are th ine .

Here,in t h e tall tree’s sh ade repo se

,

Wh ere co o l t h e limpid current flow s

And feast upon t h e blameless ro o t,

Or plu ck t h e overh anging fru it,

Th e fitting fare of th o se w h o dw e ll

In silent grove,and h ermit cell

,

And consecrat e t h e calm retreat

With pio us th o ugh ts and converse sweet.

(Takes th e present . )K indhess ofh eart and gent leness of speech

,

Modest demeano ur,inno cence of th ough t

,

An interval of twe lve years h as e lapsed s ince t h e first Act .Th e w i fe o f t h e sage A tri, more usually termed Anasuya, t h e daugh ter

o fKarclama B ish i .

Sh e comes w ith an arghya, a present ind icative ofrespect t o a superior.

lt matters no t o f wh at i t consists ; and in th is case is appropriately offlowers .

Th e conversation ofmyth o l ogical p ersonages is so l ittle attractive ingeneral , that I h ave attempted t o give i t rel ief in th is drama by a l igh termeasure, at t h e expense sometimes, perhaps, of close fid el i ty .

UTTARA-RAMA- CHARITRA . 3 13

Unsu llied nature,and de vout asso ciates

,

Th ese are t h e ch arms and mystic powers ofvirtue ,And

,w i t h sincerity united, h allow

Th e gro ssness of existence .

Vas.

’Te ll me,venerable dame

,

Wh o th ou art,and w h at t h y name ?

Al

tr. Beh o ld in me t h e W ife ofA tri.*

Vas. Te ll me,partner of t h e seer

,

Wh at t h y h o ly purpo se h ere

Atr. Amidst th ese fo rests dw ells t h e great Agastya,’

r

And many o th er h o ly teach ers h ere

With h im reside from th em I come t o learn

Th e h o ly Vedas,h av ing late ly left

Th e lessons ofValmikiar

L

Vas . Y et w ise , Prach etas’

§ son,h is mind

Th e deepest, darkest, tru th s can find,

And on h im o th er sages wait,

Familiar with t h e law s o f fate ,Th e bo oks ofBrahm were th ere made clear

Wh y th en th is w eary j ourney h ere ?

A tr. I ’

ll tell th ee,spirit in Valmiki’s bower

One of t h e w ill -born sons of Brahma, and progenitor of t h e moon .

1 Agastya was t h e son ofM i tra and Vararia conj o intly, and born in a

water-jar along w ith Vasish tha. Having commanded t h e Vindhya mo un

tain t o lie pro strate til l h is return,h e repaired t o t h e So u th o f Ind ia

,t o

K o lap u r, wh ere h e co ntinued t o reside , and appears t o h ave been mainlyinstrumental in introducing t h e H indu rel igion into t h e Peninsula.

I Th e au th or of t h e Ramayana, settled at Ch i trakat'

a at t h e time of

Rama’s exi le , bu t at th is time at B i th ur.

valm iki was t h e son o f Varuna,t h e regent of t h e water, o ne ofw h o se

names is Prach e tas. Acco rd ing t o t h e Adhyatma-Ramayaria, t h e sage

,

alth o ugh a Brahman by birth,asso ciated in h is yo uth w ith foresters and

robbers. Attacking on o ne o ccasion t h e seven Rish is, th ey expostu latedw ith h im successfu lly

,and taugh t h im t h e mantra ofRama reversed

, or

Mara, Mara , in t h e inaud ible repetition ofwh ich h e remained immovablefor t h o usands o fyears , so th at w h en t h e sages returned t o t h e same spo t

,

th ey found h im stil l th ere,co nverted into a valmiha, or ant -h i ll, by t h e

nests of t h e termi tes, wh ence h is name o fValmik i .

3 14 UTTARA-RAMA -CHARITRA .

Wh at cau ses were th ere ofdelay and h indrance

To interrupt th e we igh ty task . Attend.

Borne by some de ity,tw o infant ch ildren

,

Ofmo re th an common natures,at t h e h ermitage

Arrived,and from th e ir h o ly studies w h iled

Th e gravest sages— nay , t h e v ery animals

Confessed t h e same surprising fascination .

Vas. Th e ir names

Altr. K u s'

a and Lava were t h e names assigned

By th e ir celestial guardian and in pro o f

Th ey were no t ofmere mo rtal race,th ey brough t

Along w ith th em t h e arms ofh eavenly fabric.

Th e sage rece ived th em and with care paternal

Valmiki rears th em . In th e ir earliest years,

Except t h e sacred Vedas,th ey were taugh t

All sciences,and ch ief t h e u se ofarms

But wh en th ey saw t en summers , h e invested th em ,

After t h e kingly fash ion,with t h e co rd

,

*

And placed t h e Ho ly Scriptures in th e ir h ands .

Su ch is th eir aptness,th ey h ave far excelled

Th e o ldest sch o lars,wh o se less active inte llects

To il after th em in vain. Th e mind,alike

Vigo ro u s or w eak,is capable of culture ,

Bu t still bears fru it acco rding t o it s nature .

’

Tis no t t h e teach er’s skill th at rears t h e sch o lar‘Th e sparkling gem gi v es back t h e glo riou s radiance

It drinks from o th er ligh t, but t h e du ll earth

Absorbs t h e blaz e , and yields no gleam again.

Va’

s.

’Tis justly urged, and th is compels

Thy feet t o seek our saintly cells .

Al

tr. Ano th er cau se disturbed o ur pio u s studies

A th read wo rn by t h e th re e first o rders of t h e Hindus over th e leftsh ou lder and u nder t h e righ t arm . It is imposed w ith much so lemni ty

,as

part of t h e ceremony of regeneration, w h ence t h e th ree castes are termedDw ijas , o r twice -bo rn. Th e th read of t h e mil i tary class is made offlax ,

and sh ou ld be pu t o n between t h e ages oft en and twenty -two .

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Vas.

Va

Air.

CI.

)

Vas.

Atr.

Vas.

Atr.

Va.V)

Atr.

Vas.

UTTARA-RAMA- CHARITRA.

Pro fane intrusion may be appreh ended.

Enough I now h ave rested. Friendly spirit,

Sh ow me t h e way t o great Agastya’

s dwe lling.

Th e road th ro ugh Panchauat’t leads

And h ere acro ss t h e stream pro ceeds .

Th e clear b odarari— yonder extends

Prasrauaria,wh o se h igh tops touch t h e clouds

Th is is t h e sacred forest,Janasthana

,

And th ou ,if I mistake no t

,art Vasant i.

Y ou speak my name .

Th ese scenes suggest mo st painfu l reco llections .

My po o r ch ild Janak i,

’twas h ere t h y fate

Once placed th ee , and I th ink I see th ee still,

Alth o ugh , alas t h y name is all th at ’s left

Of one w h o was so dear t o me .

How,say you Do es augh t ill attend

Th e fo rtunes ofmy dearest friend

No t evil fo rtune only— evi l fame .

Alas,alas relentless fate

,

Is th ere no limit t o t h y h ate ?

Revive,my ch ild be comforted.

Such,gentle Sita

,beauteo us queen,

Th y dest inv h ath ever been.

Ah,Rama ! bu t I w ill no t ch ide

Declare,Atreyi, Wh at beside

Befell my h opeless friend, conveyed

By Lakshmana t o forest sh ade

It is no t known.

Bu t wh ere , o h wh ere

Was th en Vasish t h a’s guardian care ?

Wh ere was Arundh at i divine,

And all t h e ch iefs ofRagh a’s line

Th e ancient que ens ? w ere all content

To mark,unmoved

,such sad e vent ?

Th e e lders of t h e race h ad all repaired

To Bishyas’

ringa’

s h ermitage— but late,

Va

Air.

Va

it

Va .

9°

CI)

Q

5”

UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA . 3 1 4

Th e twe lve years’ rite is finally effected.

Th ey qu it t h e h ermit bu t Arundh at i

Returns no t t o Ayodh yaw h ilst deprivedOfSita

, and w ith h er t h e queens agree .

’Twas,th erefo re , by Vasish tha co unselled

,th ey

Sh o u ld fo r a w h ile be tenants of th o se gro vesWh ere wise Valmiki and h is pupils dw ell .And w hat do th Rama ?He prepares

An A s’

wamedh

Wh at female sh ares

Th e so lemn rite ? I fear h im w ed

To some new qu een.

’Tis idly said ;A go lden image ofh is ch erish ed Sita

Th e sacrifice partakes .

’Tis well

He h o lds h is faith yet wh o can te ll

Men’

s h earts ? t h e purest compreh end

Such contradictions,and can blend

Th e fo rce t o bear,t h e pow er t o feel

,

Th e tender bud and tempered stee l .

Already t h e pure steed,o’er wh om t h e ch arms

By Vamadeua spoken are pronounced,

Is lo o sed t o roam at w ill h is guards attend

According t o t h e ritual . By t h e son

OfLak shmar’

ia,t h e noble Ch andrak et u

,

Arrayed in mail , and w ith brigh t w eapons armed,

From h eav enly arsenals,t h e bands are led

Scarce w ent th ey fo rth,w h en 10 a Brahman bro ugh t

His son’

s dead body t o t h e palace gate ,And called fo r su cco ur t o t h e Brahman tribe .

Reflecting,w h en unseasonable death

Afllict s h is people , th at th e monarch ’s faults

Th e so lemn sacrifice o fa h orse .

318

Vas.

Atr.

UTTARA- RAMA -CHARITRA.

Must be t h e cau se, fu ll sorely Rama grieved

Wh en t o conso le h im came a vo ice from h eaven

Commanding h im go forth and seek S’ambuka

One ofan o utcast o rigin,engaged

In pious penance h e mu st fall by Rama,And th en t h e Brahman’

s son will live again .

Th is h eard,t h e king assumed h is arms

,ascended

His car ce lestial,and h e traverses

Even now t h e realms in qu est of th is ascetic.

Speed,Rama

,speed ! t h e fo e inh ales

In th ese deep sh ades t h e h ealth fu l gales,

His o nly su stenance bu t now,

Th y coming terminates h is vow ;And t hy blest steps sh all spread around

New glo ries on th is sainted ground !

Come,friendly spirit

,h aste w e h ence ?

I lead. Th e sun ,with glow intense

,

Sh o o ts th rough t h e sky , and drives t o sh ade

Th e silent songsters of t h e glade .

Alone , amidst t h e lo ft ie st bo ugh s,Th e dove repeats h er tender vow s

Or w ild fow l cry , as pleased th ey mark ,Th e ir insect prey amid t h e bark .

By tangling branch es o v erh ead

A co o ling glo om beneath is spread,

Wh ere rest s t h e e leph ant,reclining

Against t h e ancient trunk , o r tw ining

His tu sk around t h e branch y bow er

He scatters round a leafy sh ower

Of flow ery buds , th at falling seem

An o ffering t o t h e sacred stream,

Wh o se crystal waters placid flow

Along t h e verdant sh ore be low.

[Exeunt .

Enter RAMA in h is car, with h is sword drawn.

Hand,th ou h ast done t hy du ty, and le t fall

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320 UT'

I‘

ARA-RAMA- CHARITRA .

Sam. Th is is t h e scene of th y triumph ant prowess ,Wh ere co untless demons fell beneath t hy swo rd,Hence Janasihdna’s timid denizens

Pass th e ir calm days in undisturbed devo tion .

Rama. Lies Janasthana h ere

Sam. Towards t h e sou th,

It skirts th ese th ickets,th rough wh o se spacio us bounds

Wander at will t h e monsters o f t h e w ild.

Fierce o’

er t h e mo untain stalks t h e ravenous tiger,Or lurks in glo omy caves th ro ugh t h e th ick grass

Curls t h e vast serpent,on wh o se painted back

Th e cricket ch irps, and w ith t h e drOps th at dew

Th e scales allays h is th irst . Silence pro fo und

Enwraps th e fo rest,sav e wh ere babbling springs

G ush from t h e ro ck, o r wh ere t h e ech o ing h ills

G iv e back t h e tiger’s roar,or wh ere t h e bough s

Burst into crackling flame,and wide extends

Th e blaz e t h e dragon’

s fiery breath h as kindled.

Rama. I recognise t h e scene,and all t h e past

R ises t o reco lle ction. Th ese drear sh ade s

Appalled no t Sita,w ell content t o brav e

Th e forest glo om with Rama at h er side .

Such w as h er w ondro u s lo ve,th at ch eerfu lly

Sh e trod t h e w ild. Wh at w ealth need man desire

Wh o in t h e fond companion of h is life ,Has one th at sh ares h is sorrow s

, and disperses

All anxious care w ith exqu isi t e deligh t ?

Sam. Dismiss such melanch o ly th o ugh ts . Observe

Th e peafowl’s glo rious plumage,as h e ligh ts

Beneath yon copse— beh o ld,th rough tufted grass,

Wh ere come t h e tro o ping deer,bo unding t o covert ,

No r fear t h e gaze o fman th ere co o ling fall

Th e sparkling torrents as th ey flash beneath

Th e o verh anging willows,o r t h e bough s

Or in t h e text Rakshasas,besides th e th ree principal , Kh ara ,

D zishmia,and Trii iras.

UTTARA-RAMA- CHARITRA. 321

Laden with fruit declining t o t h e stream,

And vo cal with innumerable ch oristers.

Th e sh e -bear growls along t h e flowery brink,

And from t h e incense-bearing tree,t h e e leph ant

Snaps t h e ligh t branch , and all it s gum exudes,

And breath es rich perfume th rough t h e balmy air.

I qu it th ee,lord

,t o visit

,w ith t h y leave ,

Ere I ascend t o h eaven,Agasiya

’

s ce ll .

Rama. Be t h y path propitious

[Exit S’

AMBEKA .

’Twas h ere th at long and h appily I dw elt,

Ere o th er duties,and t h e cares of empire

Disturbed my tranquil j oys. But su ch o ur lo t

Each various station h as it s proper claim .

Th e h ermit’s calm suits no t t h e rank ofking,

No r kingly state t h e peaceful h ermitage .

Scenes ofrepo se , with lavish nature graced,

Haunts undisturbed of timid birds and deer,

Streams de corated with t h ’ untrodden fringe

Of flowery blo ssoms and luxuriant creepers,I know ye well . Y on distant wavy ridge

,

Like a faint line of low -descending clouds,

Defines Prasraran’

a,wh o se lo fty crest

Was once t h e vu lture king, Jatayu’s,seat

And from w h o se sides precipito u sly falls

Th e broad G odauari . At t h e h ill fe e t,

And on t h e margin of t h e state ly wo o d,

Among dark trees,upon wh o sebranch es

,bowed

Into t h e sh ining stream beneath,t h e birds

Sang sweet and oft,o ur leafy co ttage s t o od.

And h ere is Panchauat’

i,long t h e witness

Of our contented stay,and t h e abode

Of Sita’s dearest friend, t h e fair Vasant i,Th e kindly geniu s of th ese ancient sh ades .

Alas,h ow ch anged my fortune Sad I pine

In lonely widowh o od— affliction sh eds

VOL. I.

322 UTTARA -RAMA-CHARITRA.

A deadly venom th rough my veins — despair,Like a barbed arrow sh o t into my h eart ,Th ere sticks

,and rankles in it s cureless wound.

Let me beguile t h e h our,and t ry t o lo se

Th e memory ofmy sufferings, as I gaze

Once mo re on th ese dear scenes . Yet even th ey

Are no t unch anged wh ere once t h e river flowed

A verdant bank extends and wh ere t h e trees ,Clo se wove

,denied admittance t o th e day,

An o pen ch ampaign bares it s breast t o h eaven .

Scarce could I deem t h e spo t t h e same but still

Th e migh ty landmarks tower alo ft, and round

Th e same tall mountains mingle with t h e skies.

How may I dare t o lo ok upon th ese wo ods

Alone,with out my love , with wh om my days

Were once with in th e ir confines pass’

d in peace

And h appy converse in o ur h umble dwelling

Let me no t th ink of th is.

Sam. (Returning ) All h ail t o Rama !

Th e seer Agasiya, wh en h e h eard from me

Yo ur presence in th ese wilds,th us speaks h is wish es.

Th e tender LOpamudra and t h e saints

Wh o sh are o ur h ermitage,will th ink it h appiness

If, from t h y h eavenly car aligh ting, th ou

Wilt for sh ort season visit u s . Th en come,

Ere th ou resume th y j ourney t o Ayodhya.

iama. Be it done .

Agasiya h aving seen h is ancest ors suspended by th eir h eels in a pit, wasto ld by th em th at th ey co u ld only be extricated from th e ir position by h isbegetting a son. In o rder t o obtain a wi fe for th is purpose, h e made agirlof t h e most gracefu l parts oft h e animals o ft h e fo rest

,and gave h er, wi th ou t

h is privacy , t o t h e king of Vidarbha, t o be h is daugh ter. Sh e was namedL opamudra from t h e d istinctive beauties (mudra) ofanimals, as t h e eyes ofdeer, &c. , be ing subjected t o lo ss (lopa) in h er superior charms. Wh enmar

riageable , Age siga demanded h er ofh er fath er, and, al th o ugh sorely againsth is w i l l , t h e king was obliged t o consent t o h er becoming t h e wife of t h e

sage . (Mahabharata,Vana-Parran. )

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24 UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA .

A C T I I I.

THE DANDAKA FOREST CONTINUES.

Enter TAMASA'

and MURALA,two ricer goddesses.

Tam. How now,sister

,wh ith er bent ?

Mur. By t h e h o ly matron sent,

Lopamudra, ch arge o f care

To G odauari I bear.

Th us t h e matron bids me say

Rama still th rough many a day,Th ough ex t erior calmness screen

His sorrow,deeply mourns h is queen

And h is declining form declares

Th e anguish th at h is bo som tears

For so onest sh all t h e so ft h eart perish

Th at loves a secret grief t o ch erish,

As gourds with coat of clay encased

Earliest into ripeness h aste .

Bro oding o ’er h is bo som’

s wo es,

Rama now desponding go es

Th rough t h e forest confines, wh ere

Every obj ect wakes despair.

Fond, h e lingers on each spo t,Speaking ofa h appier lo t ,Wh en deligh tedly h e strayed

With h is Sitath rough th e sh ade .

Happiness for ever flown,Now h e weeps, and weeps alone

And such sad despairing mo od,

Nursed by glo om and so litude,

’

May t o fierce distraction grow,

And t h e firmest mind o’

crth row .

UTTARA-RAMA—CHARITRA . 325

Lest such h apless ch ance befall

Th ou h is sinking sense recall .

Mo istened by t h y ge lid spray,Co o ling breezes ro und h im playBalmy with t h e lo tu s blo om ,

Sh ed t h e breez e it s so ft perfume

SO t h y friendsh ip sh all dispense

Fresh ness on each fading sense .

Tam.

’Tis kindly done but migh tier art

To -day performs it s surer part .

Mur. Wh at art

Tam. Attend ’t is no t unknown ,

Wh en Sita, h elpless and alone,

Left by Lak shmar’ia,deplored

Her h apless fate and cru e l lord

Th e sudden th ro es ofnature came

D istracting o ’er h er tender frame,

And, w ild w ith agony,sh e gave

Her beauties into G anga’s wave .

Mar.

’

Tis true and in th e moment bore

Tw o lo v ely boys,wh om t o t h e sh ore

,

Beneath t h e wave , t h e realms o f sh ade,

Th e goddess of t h e stream conveyed

And th ere w ith earth ’

s great go ddess,tended

With piou s pains, till time h ad ended

Th e first and fond maternal care

Wh en G angato ok t h e nursling pair

To wi se Valmiki’s h ermitage,

And gav e th em t o t h e assenting sage .

Now, grown in strength and sense

,appears

Each you th beyo nd h is ch ildish years ,“ To rth y h is h igh imperial line ,Th e h o ly sage and nurse divine .

Tam. And now ,t h ro ugh o u t t h e regions flies

Th e fame,t h e fierce ascetic dies

326 UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA.

In Janasthana’

s drear domain

By Bamabhadra’

s falch ion slain

And G angafrom Sarayu h ears

Th e news, and Lopamudra’s fears

For Rama and sh e h ith er speeds,

Pretending some domestic rite

Th at Sitamu st fulfil , and leads

Th e princess t o h er h usband’s sigh t.

Mur.

’Twas w isely th o ugh t . Amidst affairs

Of empire,Rama

’

s private cares

Are scattered— bu t wh ilst th us h e wends,And grief alone h is steps attends

,

He feels h is lo ss bu t wh at device

To Rama sh all h is queen entice ?

Tam.

’Tis th us contrived Th e queen offlo ods

Sends Sitat o th ese ancient wo ods

To gath er flowers,and with th em pay

Devo tion t o t h e god ofday,

From wh o se brigh t lo ins t h e glorious race

Of Baghu th eir h igh lineage trace .

And h omage,th erefore

,sh ould be done

Th is day, t o th eir great sire , t h e sun,Fo r th at t h e lucky kno t* h as to ld

Twelve years th e ir rapid course h ave ro lled

Since,from t h e daugh ter of t h e earth

,

Kusa and Lava drew th e ir birth .

G o forth,exclaimed t h e queen, my ch ild,

Nor fear t o tread t h e lonely wild

For by my power a ve iling cloud

Th y presence in th ese groves sh all sh roud

From spirits wh o o’

er t h e wo od preside,

And more from mortal eyes sh all h ide .

Th e Mangala-

granth i, l iterally rendered in t h e text. Th e expressionalludes t o t h e practice sti l l in use amongst t h e H indus , of mak ing a kno tevery year of a person’s l i fe in t h e string o r th read wh ich is wound roundt h e paper scro ll on wh ich t h e calculations of h is nativity are inscribed .

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328 UTTARA-RAMA- CHARITRA.

Of th ese familiar scenes suggests t o me

Ph rases alike familiar once— but now

Ah me — my h usband

Re-enier TAMASA.

Tam. Revive,my ch ild. [Recovering h er.

Rama. (With ou t ) Here , guider of t h e car— h ere stay o ur

course .

Sita. Wh at vo ice was th at o h , it come s o’

er my soul ,Like t h e low muttering of t h e th undercloud

,

Th at promises refre sh ing dews t o earth

And calls me back t o life

Tam. Wh at means th is rapture

Wh y su ch deligh t from inarticulate sounds,

Like t h e fond peah en at th e muttered th under ?

Si ia. So unds inarticu late , saidst th o u ?

To my enraptured ear it seemed

My dear lo st lord h ad u ttered t h e blest sounds .

Tam. It may be fo r’

t is no ised amongst mankind,Th e subjugation of t h e ascetic SadraCondu cts t h e h ero t o th is ancient fo rest.

Si ta. Th us pays h e faith f ully t h e lo fty du es

Exacted by h is station — Bu t h e comes

Do I again beh o ld h im — Y'

es,

’t is h e

His gait declares h im bu t h ow pale and th in,

Like t h e fast w aning mo on in morning skies

Oh,suppo rt me [Throws h erself into th e arms ofTamo sa.

Rama . (Rush ing G oddess ado red !

Celestial daugh ter of Videha’

s kings ! [Fallsfi tinting.

Si ta. Ah me,ill-fated ! See

,h is lo tu s eyes

Clo se at t h e sigh t o fme ! His deep distress

O’

ermast ers every sense Oh save h im sav e h im

[To Tamasa.

In t h e original , Rama is supposed t o fal l beh ind t h e scenes, and se ego es o u t t o h im ,

wh en th ey are again d isco vered , or, in t h e language o f t h etext

,Enter Rama fainted . Several speech es also , ru ino us of t h e o th erwise

go od stage effect, are om i tted .

UTTARA-RAMA ‘ CHARITRA . 329

Tam. Dismiss your terrors— you can best restore h im

Th at gentle h and can bring h im back t o life .

see. Say’st th ou

(Kneels, takes one of Rama’

s hands in one of h ers, and

app lies th e oth er to h isforehead. )’Tis so — h is spirits are reco vering.

Rama. Wh at sh ould th ismean ? t heh eavenlybalm th atw akes

Th e dead t o life is poured into my h eart

Or from t h e mo on ambro sial dews descend,

Dro p on my so u l,and rouse me t o existence .

Such is t h e power th at w e ll-known touch po ssesses

To ch ange insensibility t o life,

And ch eer t h e ch ill ofdark despair with h ope .

sue. (Withdrawing ) Oh th is is t o o much for me .

Rama. Wh y ! was it no t

My Sitath at resto red me

sue. Ah,my lord now seeks me .

Rama. I will search .

sue. (To Tamasa. ) I must no t meet

His gaze uncalled. My lord will be displeased

Th at I approach h im th u s unbid.

Tam. Fear no t

By Bhagauait’

s pow erfu l will ensh rined,Y ou walk

,unseen

,e’

en by t h e syl van deities .

Rama. Sita loved SitaE— No, sh e is no t h ere .

\Vh ere art th ou flown— o r w as it but a dream

Oft h as my fancy anxiou sly explo red

My Janak i’

s retreat,and now

,illu sively

,

It finds h er in th ese sh ades .

*

(Beh ind ) Help h elp

Or Sita’s eleph ant w ill be destroyed.

Rama. My Sita’s favo uri te Wh o dares mo lest

Th e animal sh e loved [Rises, and is going.

A few speech es th at fo llow are h ere omitted ; and several subseque ntpassages h ave been also left o u t

,as inj urious t o t h e interest o f th e scene .

330 UTTARA-RAMA-OHARITRA.

Enter VASANTI'

.

Vas. Th e pride ofRaghu in th ese h onoured groves

Hail,prince !

see. My friend Vasant i.

Rama. Do I see

My Sita’

s dearest friend

Vas. Th e same but speed

TO save t h e eleph ant. Cro ss t h e G odarari ,

Wh ere Sita’s name gives Virtue t o t h e ford,Leaving Jat’ayu

’

s mountain on t h e righ t .

Sita. Alas, Jat'

ayu

Th e fo rest is a waste deprived of th ee

Rama. How many reco llections do th ese names

Sadly recall

Vas. NO more delay quick,fo llow me

[Exeunt VASANTfand RAMA.

Sitd.

’

Te ll me,dearest Tamasa, canno t , in so o th

,

Th e wo od nymph s see me ?

Tam. Wh y sh ould you doubt ?

Th e migh t of G angafar exceeds t h e power

Of every de ity.

sue. Th en let u s fo llow

My lo rd and my dear friend. [Exeunt .

THE BANKS OF THE G oDAVAR i .

Enter RAMA and VASANTf, and afterwards SiTAand TAMASA.

Rama. G lory t o G odaoari

Vas. Now ,prince

,secure

Th e victory t o h im, wh om as a ch ild

Th y princess fondly ch erish ed.

Rama. Live and conqu er

Vas.

’Tis even th us— h e triumph s o ’er h is fo e .

Rama. Fate, Sita, h as o beyed th e e , and t h e eleph ant

,

Wh o se sportive fro lic pilfered from th ine ears ,

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332 UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA .

To make th eir h appiness complete and lasting .

*

Vas. Be seated,prince . Here in th is plantain grove

Beh o ld t h e marble wh ich in h appier days

Supported th ee and Sita. Here sh e sat,

And from h er h ands gave fodder t o t h e deer

Th at bo ldly crowded ro und th e ir gentle mistress .

Rama. I canno t bear t o lo ok upon it .

Vas. (A side. ) Oh , th at my lovely friend could now beh o ld

Th e altered state o f h er once beau teous lo rd

His manly fo rm,w h o se graces

,e ver new

,

Were once t h e gratefu l Obj e cts of h er sigh t,

Now sh runk and with ered, and by ceaseless grief

Now pale and h aggard h is once blo oming ch eeks.

(Aloud. ) Pu t forth your brigh test fru its and flowers , ye trees

Y e breezes, breath e t h e perfume of t h e lo tu s ;And ye so ft ch o risters

,pour all your vo ices

In sweet continuous song, fo r Rama comes

Once more h e visits h is erst- lo ved domains .

Rama. Here let u s rest awh ile .

Vas . Permit me ask,

How fares t h e prince , brave Lak shmana ?

Rama. (Not h earing h er, apart . )’Twas in th ese scenes

Th e gentle Maith ili deligh ted fed

Th e inno cent animals confiding round h er.

Wh ere’er I turn,sad reco llections rise

And my h ard h eart reso l ve s itself in dew .

V(is. Th e Maharaja do es no t speak ofLak shmaria.

Rama. (Apart. ) Her co ld respectful manner,and h er vo ice

With starting tears , broken and indistinct,

I compreh end ; sh e knows t h e tale : (T0 h er. ) Th e prince

Is w ell .

A few speech es of t h e d ialogue are h ere , and in some fo l low ing passages , Om itted , merely t o compress a scene wh ich

,be ing devo id o f action ,

is extended t o a d ispro portionate length in t h e o riginal , especially as t h espeech es o fsee and Tamasasometimes su spend t h e conversation OfRama

and Vdsant i th ro ugh an inco nvenient interval .

UTTARA-RAMA- CHARITRA . 333

Vas. Th en w hy th ese tears ?

Sim. Vasant i, th is is cru e l

My lord demands respect from all, and mo st

From th o se wh o love me .

Vas. How h adst th o u t h e h eart

To drive th at gentle being from th ee ? Once

Sh e was t h y love , t h y o th er, dearer life ,Ligh t of th ine eyes

,and nectar of t h y so ul

How can su ch deed be credited ofRama ?

Rama. Th e wo rld compelled it.

Vas. Wh y ?

Rama. It knew no cause .

Vas. Obdurate man, t o h eed th e world’

s reports

Alone,nor reek t h e scorn th at waits t h e crue l !

Hast th ou forgo tten Wh at disastrou s fate

Befe ll t h e fawn-eyed Sita, w h en sh e dwe lt

Before in lonely wo o ds ? Wh at th en o ccurred

May make th ee tremble for wh at since h as chanced.

Rama. Wh at h o rrible suggestions ! Y es,I see

My Sitaonce again t h e spo il of fiends .

In vain h er slender fo rm and lovely lo oks

Demand compassion vainly do th o se eyes

Ro ll wi ld with terro r, fearfu l as t h e glance

Unsteady of t h e yearling fawn, and vain

Th e tender burden th at sh e graceful bears,

To move t h e savages t o pity. Wh ere ,O wh ere , abandoned Sita, art th ou now ?

Sitci . Alas ! h e w eeps alo ud.

Tam.

’Tis better th u sTo give our sorrows way. Sufferers sh ould speak

Th e ir griefs . Th e bursting h eart th at overfloWs

In w ords obtains relief ; t h e swelling lake

Is no t imperilled,wh en it s rising waters

Find ready passage th rough th eir wonted ch annel.*

Li t .

“ By th o se wh o are in sorrow th e ir sorrows sh ou ld be utteredas t h e h eart in t h e agitation of grief is uph e ld by words. Th e sen

334 UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA.

Mark Ramabhadra— little cause h as h e‘

To th ank mankind yet , faith ful t o h is duty,He labours for th eir go od, wh o oft h ave been

Th e source of ill t o h im,th ough still affliction

Unceasing for t h y lo ss preys on h is life ,As scorch ing summers parch th e fragile flower.

He know s no pleasures, nor partakes t h e j oys

Of so cial converse,—’t is t o h im relief

Tod ay t o give a vent t o sigh s and tears .

Rama. Alas !

Affliction rends my h eart, and yet it breaks no t 5Sorrow unnerves my frame , but leaves me conscio us 5Th ough fires internal burn

,th ey no t consume me 5

And fate , th at to rtures, yet forbears my life .

Ah,people ofAyodhyaiL’ ye refused

Your qu een a h ome amongst ye , and remorseless

Drove h er t o wander in th e lone ly wilds .

Be satisfied. Th e memory of t h e virtues

I loved so long now overpowers my strength ,And I t o o

,h omeless

,me lt away in tears.

V(is. Nay, nay , my lord, be firm.

Rama. Be firm,Vasant i !

Alas t h e tw e lve long years t h e wo rld h as beenDeprived ofSita h ave t o me been no th ing.

I h ave no t liv ed th ere h as no t been a Rama.

Yet still I h ave endured— th o ugh sh arp t h e painAs if a burning brand o r venomed sting

Were lodged with in my breast— I h av e endured it.Bu t now t h e firmness ofmy h eart is broken,

t iment is famil iar t o th e dramas o f Shakespeare . Th us, in Richard th eTh ird

Eliz . Why sh o u ld calamity be ful l ofwords ?Duck . of Yo rk. Let th em have scope, th ough what th ey do impart

Help no th ing else, yet do th ey ease t h e h eart.”

And in Macbeth

G ive so rrow words ; t h e grief that does no t speakWh ispers t h e o ’erfraugh t h eart, and makes i t break .

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336 UTTARA-RAMA- CHARITRA.

Rama. Once more,ambro sia

,

Spread o’

er each limb by th at celestial h and,

Restores my parting spirit, and converts

My sorrows t o ineffable deligh t .

Joy , joy , Vasant i, th ou wilt sh are my joyVas. Wh ence is th is transport ?

Rama. Sita,sh e is found !

Vas. Wh ere

Rama. Here— befo re u s— do st th ou no t see h er ?

Vas. Wh y mo ck my sorrows ? wh y th us rend a h eart

A lready broken by my Sita’

s lo ss ?

Rama. I mo ck th ee no t 5 I could no t be dece ived.

To o we ll I know t h e tou ch of th at dear h and

Th e marriage rite first placed in mine 5 even now,

0 0 0 1 as t h e snow-drift t o my fevered palm,

And so ft as jasmine buds I grasp it — h ere

[By a sudden efibrt h e catches h old ofSttd’

s hand.

Sttd. Alas I yield. [StrugglingRama. Vasant i, it is real

Th is rapture is t o o much 5 it quite unmans me 5’

Tis no delusion 5 touch , and be convinced.

Vas. Alas ! h e rave s . [St td gets away.

Rama.’Tis gone again I feared it.

From my co ld touch t h e co o l palm sh rinks 5 my grasp ,Trembling, ill h eld t h e tremu lous prisoner

,

And it h as slipped away. Wh at no wh ere ! Speak,

Pit iless Vatdeh t /

Sild. I am righ tly called,To mark th is agony and live .

Itdma. Oh , wh ere

VVh ere art th ou , dearest ? Hear my call ! appear !

Be no t unmerciful ! o h,fly me no t !

’Tis strange 5 it must be ph antasy, or e lse

Vasant i would h ave seen h er. Do I dream ?

Do e s Rama sleep ? o r do th th e migh ty po werTh at framed t h e universe , and oft deligh ts

UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA . 337

To spread delusion,fabricate a ph antom,

To ch eat me ofmy senses ?

Stat . Nay, loved Rama,’

Tis I w h o play a ph antom ,and deceive th ee .

Rama. My friend Vasant i, th o se w h o lo ve me still ,Can gath er litt le pleasure from my presence 5Wh y sh o u ld I longer cause t h y tears t o flow ?

Forgive me 5 let me h ence .

Sita. (To Tamasa. ) Again I lo se h im .

Tam. Yield no t t o despair. Seek we t h e feet

Of Bhagaeati , t o perfe ct t h e rites,

Th at w ill fo r K usa and fo r Lava Win

Auspiciou s days t o come .

Sita. Oh,le t me lo ok

,

A little moment longer,on a form

I never,never

,may beh o ld again

Rama. I go t o finish,now ,

my A sfwamedha.

I h ave my bride .

Sita. Wh at is it th at I h ear ?

Rama. Th e image ofmy Sita,Wrough t ofpure go ld

,will grace t h e festival .

Sita. Th ou art,indeed

,t h e son ofDas

’

aratha

My past affl iction all is now effaced 5Th rice h appy sh e w h om my loved lord re veres ,Wh o glads h is h eart

,and is th e h ope ofnations .

Tam. Y o u speak yo ur own eu logium,lo ve .

Si ta. Forgive me . (Seems ashamed. )Y ou mu st despise th is w eakness .

Tam. Let u s depart.

T h us in th e Alcestis ofEurip ides, Admetu s, in o rder t o conso le h imsel ffor th e lo ss of h is Spo u se , de clares th at

By t h e h and of skil fu l artists framed ,Her image sh al l be placed upon my co uch .

Th e spirit w ith wh ich Rama h as t h e image o fSitaformed is much more

worth y o fa h ero and king . In all h is conduct,indeed

,h e is vastly superio r

t o Admetus ; and in t h e del ineation o fa situation in some respects similart h e H indu po et is equally superior t o th e G recian .

VOL. I .

338 UTTARA -RAMA-CHARITRA .

Sitd. I fo llow you .

Tam. Bu t with averted eye ,

Casting it s langu id lo oks no t t o t h e path

Th e feet sh ould tread 5 th e painful effort strives

In vain, t o overcome t h e strong attraction.

Sita. I bow me t o t h e feet ofmy dear lord,Th e source of every blessing. [Fainting

Tam. Be of courage .

Sita. Alas h ow sh ort an instant t o beh o ld

Th e brigh t mo on gleaming th rough contending clouds .

Tam. How manifo ld t h e fo rms affection takes,

And yet is one unch anged as water,seen

In bubbles,eddies

,billows

,is t h e same

Unaltered element.

Rama. (In h is car, to th e Charioteer. )Th is way direct my rapid car.

All. (Addressing mutually each oth er. )May h o ly mo th er Earth

,

Th e empress of t h e flo ods,with all t h e spirits

Of forests and of streams,t h e bard inspired

,

Th e sage Vasish t’ha,and h is pio us dame

,

Pro te ct your path,and guide yo u unto h appiness

END OF THE THIRD ACT .

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340 UTTARA-RAMA- CHARITRA .

San. Wh y e lse was th ere provided

Th e fatted calf fo r h is regale ?

Bhart. Wh y , know yo u no t,

Th e Vedasfi“ wh ich ensh rine o ur h o ly law

,

Direct t h e h ou seh o lder sh all o ffer th o se

Wh o in t h e law are skilled,t h e h onied meal

And w ith it flesh of ox ,or calf, o r goat

And t h e like treatment sh all t h e h ou seh o lder

Rece ive from Brdhmans learned in th e Vedas Jr

He quo tes t h e text Samarh so madh uparlcah’

,a rath er extraord inary

l iberty in such a place .

Some texts ofMannwo u ld seem t o au th orise th e eating ofanimal foo dat all seasons

,o bserving mere ly t h e prel im inary ceremony o f offering apor

tion of i t t o t h e go ds or manes,l ike t h e h ero es of H omer

,w i th wh om a

sacrifice is o nly t h e pre lude t o a feast. Th us,

Having bo ugh t flesh h imself , or obtained i t by aid of ano th er, h e wh oeats it

,after wo rsh ipping t h e gods o r manes , comm its no sin.

”— (Manu ,

V

He wh o eats animals wh ich may be eaten ,is no t defiled by t h e daily

practice of t h e act for animals wh ich may be eaten and th ose wh o eat th emw ere al ike created by B rahma”

(v. He adm its, also , th at animal fo odh as been u sed by ancient sages, even as nourishment , w i t h o u t regard t osacrific ial co nsecration . Deer and birds were killed by Brahmanas forsacrifice ; also for t h e nu triment o f dependants, as was formerly done byAgas tya

”

(v. H owever,Mann proh ibits t h e expend iture of l i fe for t h e

gratification of t h e appetite,and restricts t h e use o fanimal fo od t o t h e M

dh nparha sacrifice and o fferings t o t h e manes and t o t h e gods . Mann h as

declared th at animals mav be killed in o fferings t o t h e go ds in sacrifice andt h e M adh ap arlca, bu t no t on any o th er o ccasion (v. Th e Ill adh up arlca

h ere impl ies t h e respectfu l reception o fa guest, wh ich included t h e presentation o famixture ofcurds and h oney (mad/in, h oney, and p ar/ca, aspersio n) .T h is is t h e ceremo ny alluded t o in t h e text ; and, agreeably t o t h e law o f

M ann,meat was added t o t h e offerings , comformably t o t h e text Le t h im

o ffer t o aB rahmana, versed in t h e Vedas, a large ox orgoat. — (Mi talc. p .Mr Co lebro oke observes , th at It seems t o h ave been anciently t h e cu stomt o slay a cow on th is o ccasio n, and t h e guest was th erefo re cal led a gogh naer cow-killer.

”— (As . Res. vii. Flesh was also d istribu ted on public

o ccasio ns,wh en Brahmanas were assembled. Th us , on taking

po ssession of t h e splend id h al l o f aud ience co nstructed fo r h im by Maya

Danara, fedmany th ousandBrdhnzanasw ith allsorts o fviands , incl uding t h efl esh o fbears and deer. Th e great repugnance t o animal die t th at now existsamo ngst th e H indus in some provinces must h ave been of comparatively

UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA . 34 ]

San. Yo u must mistake .

Bhdn. How so

San. Admit t h e meal offlesh

Was for Vasish t’ha dress’d 5 w h y was it no tAl ike provided for t h e royal sage ?

To Janaka w ere curds and h oney given ;No flesh .

Bhazi.’

Tis true 5 for th ough t h e sages u se

T0 eat of flesh, yet Janaka fo rego es

Th e practice . Sorrow ing for h is daugh ter’s fate,

He leads an anch oret’s abstemiou s life ,And in t h e w o ods o f C

’handradwip h as spent

Long years of so litude and self-denial".

San. Wh at brings h im h ere ?

Bhdri. To see t h e sage Valmiki 5 and Kau s’

alya

Is summoned by Arundh at i t o meet

Her ancient friend Vaideha.

San. Let u s leave

Th ese elders t o th emselves,and j o in t h e youth

,

Wh o make t h e utmo st of th e ir h o liday .

Bhan. Agreed.

modern origin. We may be satisfied from t h e above, that t h e B rahmanasseldom wanted excuses for partaking o f i t, and t h e o th er castes were no tl ikely t o be more scrupu lous . In fact, t h e K shat triyasw ere especially au th orised t o u se i t

,and never h esitated t o . avai l th emselves of t h e permission .

Th us Rama, in h is peregrinations, is described by Valmiki as catch ing , killing, and co oking t h e d inner of h is spouse and h imself

Th eir th irst allayed , t h e princes ply t h e ch ase ,And a fat stag so on ' falls beneath th e ir arrows .

A fi re th ey kindle next,and dress th eir priz e ;

Th en ,o ffering t o t h e gods and manes made

,

W ith Sitath ey t h e so cial banqu et sh are .

— (Ramctyana, b . i i . sec.

Th e Mah abharata, h owever, h as-

in some places a leaning t o t h e oppo sitedo ctrine , and in t h e Dana-dh arma section

,B h ishma expatiates t o Yadh i

sh ih ira at considerable length upon t h e merit o fabstaining from animalfo od , placing ch ariness of l ife amo ngst t h e first ofvirtues

,a do ctrine adopted

apparently, o r at least more rigidly pro fessed, in order t o compete upon an

equal fo o ting with t h e Baaddhas and Jainas.

342 UTTARA-RAMA- CHARITRA .

See from t h e dw elling ofValmiki comes

Th e royal sage , and rests beneath th e tree

Th at sh ades t h e ce ll . A deep and ceaseless sorrow

Preys on h is h eart , like a destroying fire ,Th at

,l igh ted in t h e trunk of some tall tree ,

Consumes unseen it s sap . Le t u s with draw

Enter JANAKA .

My angu ish , like a sh arp-to o th ed saw, co rrodes

Incessantly my h eart. Wh ene’

er I th ink

Upon my ch ild, my sorrow s fre sh ly flow ,

Like t h e continu o u s current of a riv er.

How h ard it is , th at ne ith er age nor grief,Nor penances au stere , release my spirit

From th is consuming frame —nor dare I lo o se

Th e vital spark myself, for deepest h ell,Wh ere t h e sun never sh ines

,awaits t h e wretch

Wh o lifts h is h ands against h is own exist ence .

By reco llection every h our renew ed,

In spite of fleeting years, my griefs surv ive .

Daugh ter of sacrifice,alas my Sita,

Th at such sh o u ld be t h e sad vicissitude

Th ou sh ou ldst h ave suffered,th at it sh ames t hy sire

To weep t h y destiny as h e cou ld w ish .

My ch ild, my ch ild t o memo ry still recur

Th y infant ch arms , t h y lo tu s co untenance ,Ch equ er

’

d w ith smiles and tears,wh ere starting teeth

Like young buds sh one , and t h y sw eet ch ildish prattle

Tripping in utterance . Earth,migh ty goddess

Wh o se glo ry fire , and h o ly sages witness,

And G anga, and t h e god ofRagha’

s race,

Th e sun,w h y cru e l h ast th ou so ugh t t h e death

Of th ine own daugh ter ? Sh e t o w h om th ou gaves t ,As eloquence t o wisdom ,

birth,and ever

“ fast w orsh ipped by h er as h er guardian de ity .

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344 UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA.

Th e sacred knowledge of t h e Vedas gave .

Kan. I see in h im a royal sage , t h e friend

Of an illustrious so vereign ,and th e sire

Of h er I called my daugh ter. Ah I dream

Of o th er days and joys , th at destiny

Has now,alas

,unsparingly destroyed.

Jan. All h ail Arundh at i,t o w h om t h e earth

At twiligh t bends it s w aving h ead in h omage

Wh om t h e th ree worlds revere , and wh o enjoyest

Th e love of h im,of sages first and best,

Wh o lives t h e so urce exh au stless of pure ligh t .

Arnn. May ligh t supreme illume th ee— may t h e sun

Th at sh ines eternal h allow th ee

Jan. My friend,How fares t h e noble mo th er of t h e king ?

Kan. Alas !

Jan. Wh at ’s th is ?

Arnn. Your sigh t t o o we ll recalls

Her lord,h er ch ildren

,and t h e long past days

Of h appiness, now gone— t h e fond remembrance

O’ercomes h er strength — t h e matron’

s h eart is still

As soft and delicate as t h e tender flower.

Jan. Alas th at I sh o u ld b e t h e cause of suffering

To one I h ave no t seen so long,t h e wife

Of my still ch erish ed friend— united w ith me

In clo sest bonds— dear as my h eart, my peace ,Dear as my person ,

o r my life itself,Th e present fru it and object ofmy being,Or wh atso ever e lse were dearest t o me .

Th e salutation and reply are bo th very curio us . Th e first is a l i ttleunintel l igible , bu t bo th are precisely in t h e spiri t o f t h e G riga trt, o r sacredverse o f t h e Vedas , and ind icate a system very d ifferent from t h e commonH indu po lyth e ism. T h e text ofJanak a’

s speech is corrupt, bu t Arandha t i’sreply is

, parani jyo t is te p rahds’

a tdm,aganz twdrh p unat a derail p are ”ya

ya esh a tap a ti— May supreme l igh t enl igh ten th ee, may th is d ivine l igh t

wh o glows, puri fy th ee.

UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA . 345

And is no t th is h is w ife ? and can I giv e

Her pain,th at do es no t equally afflict

My friend — for sh e w as ever one w ith h im

In joy and sorrow . Fate is h ere alone

To blame th en let me,as I th ink ofh im .

Fo rbear t o agonise h er sinking h eart .

Kan. Wh ere art th ou , dearest Jamaki ? M eth inks

I still beh o ld t hy gracefu l limbs , as ligh t

As lunar rays,and mark t h y lo tu s face ,

Budding with playfu l smiles,and sh edding pride

And fortune on t h y marriage celebration,

As t h e deligh ted monarch called th e e ch ild,And bade th ee sit upon h is knee , and termed th ee

Th e pride ofRagha’

s lo ftiest h Ope , t h e bond

Of Janaka’s exalted h ou se,and h is .

Imperial Das'aratha, every wayWith in my h eart th y memo ry is secured.

Fath ers in so cial life bu t rarely prize

Th e ir daugh t ers,and confine th eir fond regard

To th o se w h o w ed th em 5 bu t no t th us didst th o u ,Fo r Sitaever was t o th ee a daugh ter

,

And ch erish ed as t h y ch ild 5 but th ou art gone ,And th e dear seed of our alliance bligh ted.

Fie upon life t h e w orld is now a h ell .

Kan. My ch ild,my Janaki in vain I mourn th ee 5

No r w ill my life , enfeebled by despair,Y e t bound in ch ains ofadamant

,release me .

Aran. Take comfo rt,princess 5 give yo ur tears some respite ,

Recall th e w ords yo ur piou s teach er u tteredWh o pro ph es ied at Iiishgasfr

'

inga’

s dw elling,

Th e dew s ofh appiness w o u ld yet descend,And ch eer t h e last days o fyour clo sing life .

Kan. I h ave no relish,now

,for w orldly h appiness .

Arnn. Y ou canno t doubt t h e seer’

s preph et ic sigh t.Tru st me

,wh at h e h ath said w ill surely be

Whate’er is uttered by t h e h o ly Brahman,

346 UTTARA- RAMA- CHARITRA.

Wh o 1s th e ligh t divine made manifest,

Must come t o pass— t h e blessing wh ich inv oked

Propitious Lakshmi t o t h e nuptial rite,

Was no t unmeaning,nor pronounced in vain .

[A noise beh ind.

Jan. Th e boys amidst th e ir sports .

Kan. Little suffices t o t h e j oys of youth . (Looks ou t . )Bu t wh o is yonder— strong

, and ligh t , and active

He bears t h e noble port ofRdmabhadra

Wh o sh ou ld th is be,th at h e so ch arms my sigh t ?

A run. (Apart . ) Th is mu st be one th at Bh ofigirath i named

To me in secrecy 5 wh ich sh o u ld it be ,K us

'

a or Lava — w e will ascertain.

Jan. In so o th,h e bears a strong similitude

His parted lo cks,dark as t h e lo tus leaf

,

Deno te t h e warrior tribe,and

’mongst h is fellow s

He sh ows a proud pre -eminence . It seems

Th at Rama once more h as become a boy

Wh o is th is you th th at th u s deligh ts o ur sigh t ?

Aran. Some Kshattriya lad, w h o h ere awh ile pursues

His sacred studies .

Yo u h ave righ tly judged

His birth : fo r see,on e ith er sh ou lder h angs

Th e martial “

quiver, and t h e feath ery sh aft s

Blend w ith h is curling lo cks be low h is breast ,Sligh t tinctured w ith t h e sacrificial ash es

Th e deer-skin wraps h is body : w i th t h e zone

OfMara t bound,t h e madder-tinted garb

Descending v ests h is limbs 5 t h e sacred ro sary

Begirt s h is wrist , and in one h and h e h ears

Th e p ipal staff, t h e o th er grasps t h e bow .

*

Arundh at i,wh ence comes h e ?

T h ese insignia o f t h e mi l itary student are accord ing t o Mann,w ith t h e

add i tion of t h e ash es o f t h e fue l used in sacrifice , and t h e brace le t o r rosaryof t h e seeds o f th e eloeo carpu s , wh ich are no t ind ispensable accompani

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UTTARA -RAMA- CHARITRA.

No t only in h is stature,no r in h ue

As jetty as th e sable leaves th at float

Upon t h e stream,nor in h is mellow v o ice

Deep as t h e wild duck’s cry w h en gath ering pleased

Th e fibres of t h e lo tus stalk 5 bu t mo st

His firm flesh is like Rama’s t o t h e to uch,

Hard as t h e seed-cup of t h e water- lily 5Th en in h is countenance— th ere well I seeDo st th ou no t no te it ? (To Janaka. ) Lo ok attentively

Th e features ofmy daugh ter, beauteous Sita.

Jan. I mark it well.

Kan. My h eart misgives me h ast th ou a mo th er, ch ild,Or l ives t h y fath er in t h y reco llection ?

Lava. Ne ith er.

Kan. Wh o se art th o u ?

Lara. Wise Valmiki’s .

Kan. Say on .

Lava. I know no mo re .

(Beh ind ) Warriors take h eed,

’t is Chandraketu’s o rder

,

Th at none disturb t h e h o ly h ermitage .

Arnn. Th e prince is h ere 5 h e leads t h e martial escort

Th at guards t h e consecrated steed 5 h aply

We may beh o ld h im 5 th is is fortunat e .

Kan. Th e son ofLakshmana commands— th o se sounds

Descend like drops ofnectar in my ears .

Lava. Reverend sir,w h o is th is Ch andraket u

Tam. Hast th ou e ver h eard,brav e you th ,

Of Rama and o fLakshmar’

ia ?

Lara. Th e h ero es

Of t h e Rdmdgaria

Jan. Th e same .

Lara. How,sh o u ld I no t know it ?

Jan. Th e son ofLakshmar’

ia is Ch andraketu .

Lara. Th e son o f Urmild th e grandson th u s

OfMith ild’s pious king.

Aran. He knows t h e h istory.

UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA. 349

Jan. Since you are so well skilled in th is,dear boy ,

Tell us w h at o th er offspring h ad t h e sons

Of Das’aratha ?

Lara. So mu ch of t h e tale

Is no t yet taugh t u s .

Jan. Is it no t compo sed ?

Lava. It is,bu t no t imparted 5 save a po rtion

For Bharata,t h e master of t h e drama

,

To be performed,prepared, and, by t h e Sage

Himself,transcribed for an especial purpo se .

Jan. Wh at purpo se ?

Lara. To be taugh t by Bharata

To t h e Apsarasas.

Jan. All th is excites o ur curio sity.

Lara. Our reverend master

Is mu ch engaged in th is,and h as despatch ed

His pupils w ith h is work . Along with th em,

Th eir gu ide and guard,in arms my bro th er w ent.

Kan. Hast th ou a bro th er, ch ild ?

Lava. I h ave 5 h is name is Kus’

a.

Kan. Is h e t h e elder ?

Lana. In th at h is birth h ad just t h e start ofmine .

Jan. Tw in breth ren are you th en ?

Lara. G rave sir,w e are .

Jan. Tell u s h ow far t h e tale ofRama comes .

Lara . To Lakshmana’

s return,wh en h e h ad left

Th e delicate Sitain t h e pains of travail,

Amidst t h e lonely w o ods,deserted th us

,

To still t h e foul aspersions of t h e people .

Kan. Alas,my lo vely ch ild ! th at su ch a ch ange

,

Th e cruel w ork ofdestiny,sh ou ld fall

Upon t h y tender frame — and th o u alone

Jan. Po or h elpless queen !

Disgrace , t h e forest terrors, and t h e pains

Th e nymph s and actresses o fIndra '

s paradise .

350 UTTARA-RAMA-CHARITRA .

Of ch ild-birth , all at once assail t h y life 5Th e fiends impure clo se round th eir fated prey.

No refuge in t h y fears . I canno t cease

To re co llect t h y sufferings.

Lara. Dame,w h o are th ese ? To

Arnn. Janaka and K auéalya.

Jan. Sh ame on t h e th ankless race th at wronged t h yAnd Rama’s h aste t o listen t o th e ir calumnies .

Th e cru el blow th at h as o ’erwh elmed my ch ild

Arouses all my sou l,and tempts my w rath

T o deal w ith arms,o r direr imprecations,

Destruction on my Sita’

s perse cuto rs .

Kan. Preserve u s,dame

,appease t h e royal sage .

Arnn. Such expiation still mu st be perfo rmed

By all wh om public calumny assails .

Remember Rama is t h y son h e claims

Th y love 5 t h e h elpless people , t o o , demand

A king’s compassion.

Jan. I indu lge no h ate

To e ith er ; Rama ever is my son 5

And for t h e cit izens,I call t o mind

Women and ch ildren,men infirm w ith years

,

And sacred Brahmans fo rm t h e varied th rong.

Enter PUPILS.

Th e h o rse,t h e h o rse so o ften in t h e Vedas

Read of— unseen,comes liv ing in o ur 8 1

Lara. Th e h o rse,t h e h orse - th e migh ty beast ofwar

Th e beast of sacrifice . How lo oks h e ? tell me .

Pap . With fo ur firm h o o fs h e spurns th e ground erect

He bears h is arch ing neck 5 beh ind h e lash es

His flow ing tail,and scatters w ide t h e grain.

Bu t w h ilst w e ch atter h ere h e bo unds away .

Come and beh o ld. [Lag h old ofLava.

Th e s tage d irection h ere is expressed with G erman precision . Lara

surveys th em with respectfu l and painful curio si ty .

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352 UTTARA-RAMA-OHARITRA.

G uard. Th e h orse brave yo uth s. Upon t h e banner lo ok,And listen t o t h e h erald’

s cry t h e steed

Is h is wh o triumph ed o ’er t h e t en-necked fiend,

Th e only h ero of t h e seven-fo ld w orld.

Lara. Th is is unbearable .

Pup . Th e prince is wise . Wh at is it th at h e talks of?

Lara. Is earth deserted by th e Kshattriya tribe ,Th at such proud vaunts are h azarded ?

G uard. ComparedWith o ur great prince

,wh o can be called aKshattriya

Lara. Babblers ! If th ere be such,th ey are

,and know

N0 fear. Enough 5 away with idle words .

I,e ven I

,w ill h url th at banner down

,

Th o ugh guarded by your arrow s . Hear me,friends

And fellow s ofmy spo rts,drive Off t h e h orse

With clods of turf, and le t h im scamper h ence

To gambo l w ith t h e deer.

[Th e bogs run 017.

Enter a SOLDIER .

How now,imp ofmisch ief

,wh at would you do ?

Away ; a line of ruth less tro ops advance

To punish such mad pranks . Th e prince,with bow

Prepared,bu t gazing on yon lovely forest,

Awh ile perceives you no t 5 th en h aste away,

And h ide yourselves amidst th o se clustering trees.

Th e Boys return.

(To Lara. )’Tis done , as yo u desired.

Th e so ldiers raise th e ir bows , and po int th e ir sh afts

Against you ,and t h e h ermitage is still

Remo te . Fly ; fly with t h e speed ofdeer.

[Run ofil

Lara. Let t h e sh afts fall , and t h e wide yawning bow

Expand its monstrous jaws, bristling w ith teeth

I

UTTARA-RAMA- CHARITRA . 353

Innumerous and vast,round wh ich t h e string

Laps like a tongu e , impatient t o distend

It s migh ty stomach with it s prey, and roaring

Lo ud as t h e clang of th under-clash ing clouds .

[Exeunt.

OF THE FOURTH ACT .

VOL . I .

354 UTTARA- RAMA-OHARITRA.

A C T V .

Beh ind.

HO,so ldiers h aste , o r w e are put t o sh ame !

See h ith er speeds th e prince h is ch ario teer

Urges t h e fiery steeds Sumant ra wh irls

Th e lash,and on th ey bound

,wh ilst o ’er t h e h ead

Of Ch andrak etu h is red banner floats

Lo o se t o t h e breezes .

Enter CHANDRAKETU in h is Car, driven by SUMANTRA .

Chan. Wh at marve l ’s th is , Sumant ra, wh at brave h ero

Th us from h is ceaseless-sounding bow string rains

A sh ow er Of co untless sh afts upon o ur h o st ?

Like a brigh t crest upon th e brow ofbattle

Th e warri o r sh ines,and as t h e mantling glow

Of scorn and anger kindles on h is ch eeks

He wears a more th an h uman lo v eliness .

Strange,th at a lad

,t h e son of some recluse

Or h o ly sage,sh o uld with su ch desperate valour

Singly defy a mu ltitude offe es,

As if h e was a scion ye t unknown

Of Ragha’s sto ck . With wonder I beh o ld

His fiery darts th at roar along t h e sky ,

Like some w ild e leph ant th at cries w ith anguish,

Wh en on h is front t h e cleaving falch ion falls .

Sum. Like th ine h is person 5 and h is lo fty bearing

Defies bo th gods and demons. As I gaze on h im,

I call t o memory Rama,wh en

,in you th ,

He aimed h is arrows at th e h o st impure

Th at h arassed Kusiha’s exalted son.

Chan. I feel abash ed wh en I observe h is prowess.

Unmoved h e stands,th ough round h im madly rages

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356 UTTARA-RAMA -OHARITRA .

Wh at do th e slaves,once scattered from th e field

Return t o seek t h e figh t , and bar my w ay ?

Th ough lo uder were th e ir sh outs th an o cean’

s ro ar,

Wh en o’

er t h e w re ck o fw o rlds t h e blasts o f fateDrive h is tumu ltu ou s wav es

,th e ir clamo urs yie ld

Fresh fue l t o my w rath,w h o se rising fires

M o re uncontro llable and fiercely glow,

Th an t h e dread flames deep caverned in t h e earth,

And fed with splintered ro cks .

Chan. Regard th em no t .

Est eem me as t h y friend, for I admire

Th y merits 5 and consider th o u as th ineVt’h at e

’

er t o me belongs . Th ine are th ese tro ops ,And sh ould no t mo ve t h y anger 5 be t h y prow ess

Tried by t h e t est ofm ine,and mine alone .

Lara. (Turning back. ) Th is is indeed an h onour,t o receive

Such h igh encomium fo r th is royal yo u th,

Th e bravest of t h e ch ildren of t h e sun.

Wh y measure h im with th ese ? Ye t can I bear

Th ese clamorou s menaces,th at from t h e crowd

Defy me no 5 I th u s efface m‘

y sh ame .

[Rush es ou t .

Chan. Beh o ld h im ,wh ere h e speeds with h igh disdain

He draws h is bow against t h e crowds in front ,Wh ilst o th ers press h is rear. So central gleams

Th e bow ofIndra,

’

midst divided clo uds,To ssed in dissevered masses by th e gale .

HO ! warrio rs,h ear me sh all w e th u s be sh amed

By such unequal figh t — sh all valiant men

Attack a slender yo u th — sh all plaited mail

Oppo se t h e deer-skin — and t h e rattling car,And h orse

,and eleph ant

,combine t o crush

A single fo eman,as on fo o t h e braves ye ?

Lava. (Returning) He pities me . Indeed,th is waste of time

Shall cease . With h eav enly arms I figh t,

UTTARA-RAMA CHARITRA . 357

And th ey no more impede me .

[Stands in th e attitude ofmeditation.

*

Chan. Wh at is th is ?

Th e sh o uts are stilled.

Lava. Now for a nobler fo e .

Sum. Th is is no common deed t h e youth must wie ld

Ce lestial weapons .

Chan. It is true 5 fo r see,

In fearfu l ch ange th at equal pains t h e eye ,

Alternate glo om t o flash ing ligh tning yields.

How like a painted army stands o ur h o st ,As t h e resistless ch arm subdues th eir senses 5And now along t h e sky dark vapo urs flo at

In masses,ponderous as t h e peaks of Vindhya,

And blackness gath ered from t h e depth s ofh ell 5Like mo lten brass

,red su llen flames by fi t s

G low th ro ugh t h e glo om,and loud t h e breeze awakes

,

As’tw ere th e w ind of final disso lution.

Sum. Wh ence cou ld h e gain su ch pow er ?

Chan. From wh om,

Bu t h is great master,w ise Prach etas’ son

'

um. No t h is t h e gifts progeny

By h im on Vis’

wdmitra w ere bestowed ,And h e t o Rama gav e th em .

Chan. Y e t,perch ance

,

Oth ers,w h o equally t h e ligh t Of tru th

With in th emse lves po ssess,may of th emselves

Obtain po ssession of t h e self- same p ow ers.

Sum. Eno ugh Be on yo ur guard h e comes.

Chan. and Lara. (Togeth er. )’

Tis strange

Some h idden cau se my h eart w ith rapture fills

A t sigh t of th is fair yo u th . Is it t h e h ope

Of future conv erse— is it h is lo fty w orth

Th is is a specimen oft h e use o ft h e h eavenly arms o fwh ich mention wasmade in t h e F irstAct . Th e weapo n h ere employed is t h e Jrimbhaha

, o r thatw h ich causes drowsiness ; its influence is t h e resu lt ofdhyana or med iatio n .

358 UTTARA-‘ RAMA-CHARITRA.

Is it t h e fond transmission ofregard

Felt in a former be ing— or do es some t ie

Of kindred undiscovered wake deligh t ?

Sum. From various sympath ies affection springs

In living be ings . Oft t h e world’s report,

Th e aspect of th e stars , t h e eye’

s caprice ,Engenders love ere merit w ins regard.

Th e sudden friend exacts no pledged requital 5For pure attachment is a bond sufficient

To knit tw o h earts togeth er.

(Looking at Lara,th en aside. )

Can it be

Ah no fate in t h e germ destroyed

Th e lovely plant . Th e parent stem cu t down,

Wh at flower sh all blo ssom more ?

Chan. I quit t h e car.

Sum. W h y so

Chan. To pay my h omage t o th is valiant yo u th ,And do a so ldier’s duty. To assail

At su ch advantage one w h o figh ts on fo o t

Th e god ofarms* forbids .

Sum. (Apart. ) Wh at sh all I do

Th e prince’s w ill is w o rth y of h is race,

And mu st no t be oppo sed. Y et — can I bear

To witness su ch a conflict ?

Chan. Wh at will yo u say,

Wh en men sh all ask my fath er’

s h onoured friend,If Ch andrak etu did h is duty ?

Sum. R igh t.

War is t h e Kshattriga’s duty

,and th y race

Has never sh runk from contest th en pro ceed,

And sh ew th ee worth y t h y illu strio u s sires i

Th eSastra -derata, literal ly rendered in th e text ;bu t t h eHinduPanth eo nrecognises no such personage

,except Kart tikeya h e intended . Perh aps

merely t h e au th orities o r inspired teach ers o f th e mil i tary art are intended .

"I' Several speech es of l ittle interest are h ere om itted .

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360 UTTARA-RAMA- CHARITRA.

Sum. It is more strange th at yo u so well are sk illed

In dignity and courtesy. Trust me,youth

,

Co u ld Bdmabhadra but beh o ld th ee th u s,His h eart wo u ld melt with tenderness towards th ee .

Lava. His fame h as reach ed me,and I h o no ur h im 5

And th ough I h ave presumptuou sly disturbed

Th e royal sacrifice, yet no t t h e less

I fee l deep reverence for t h e pious ch ief.

His vaunting fo llowers alone provoked me,

TO wipe away th e infamy th ey h eaped

On all t h e K shattriya tribe .

Chan. Is it so h ard

To own a sire’s pre -eminence ?

Lara. No t so

But know s t h e prince t h e du ties ofa so ldier ?

Sum. Y ou do no t know t h e migh ty Bdmachandra.

Th en speak no t of h im 5 yo u may boast,’t is true

,

Y o u mastered feeble h earts like th o se in figh t 5Bu t wh en a fe e like Jctmadagnga

* bends

Beneath your arm,th en you may vaunt yo ur prow ess .

Lara. A migh ty triumph , truly ! Is it no t granted

A Brahman’

s w eapons are h is words,and wh en

He w ields a Warrior’s arms,h is inexperience

Bears th em inert ? To conquer such a ch ampion

And su ch was Jamadagnga— is

,meth inks ,

But scanty matter fo r a h ero ’

s praise .

Chan. Eno ugh , eno ugh wh at h ero,h eavenly-born

,

Descends on earth t o h o ld in disesteem

Th e son ofBhrigu ,and w h o disregards

Th e migh t resistless th at restored se curity

To all th e universe ? ‘r

Th e son ofJamadagni, Parasurdma .

1‘ He destroyed th e K shat triya o r military race, except, i t is said in someacco unts, th o se in t h e so lar l ine . Oth er statements aver th at h e extermih ated all except some of t h e females wh o were married t o B rahmans

,and

th us co ntinued t h e warrio r tribe . As, h ow ever, many princes of bo th t h eso lar and lunardynasties are long subsequent t oParas'urama, wemust under

UTTARA-RAMA- CHARITRA. 36 1

Lara. (In an ironical tone. ) I know t h e deeds

Of Raghupati. Long may h e enj oy

His we ll- earned h onours 5 long may listening worlds

Admire t h e tale of h is h ero ic explo its .

Still,glo ry wait upon t h e overth row

Of a weak woman 5 t h e advance th at sh ow ed

No sign of fear w h en Khara fe lt h is valour 5And t h e bo ld sch eme th at conquered Indraj i t.*

Chan. Injurious youth , t h y pride indeed is vast .

L ava. Aw ay, great prince , I do no t h eed t h y frown.

Sum. Th ey burst with rage,and every limb is sh o ok

With furious passion 5 glows each sangu ine eye

Like th e red lo tu s 5 t h e disco lo ured ch eek,

And agitated brow are like t h e mo on

stand h is extermination of th e K shattriyas w ith a certain reservation . Th isis evidently necessary from t h e o rd inary tenor of t h e story , wh ich representsh im as exterm inating th em twenty-one times : a su ccession of destru ctivefeats h e cou ld scarcely h ave ach ieved , unless h e “

seven times th rice slewt h e slain .

”

Th e destruction ofTaraka,t h e d isturber of t h e sacrifices ofViswamitra

is related in t h e first bo ok ofth e Ramayana, and t h e death ofa woman is fo r

bidden t o a so ld ier. Th e backwardness ofRama,o r as i t is described in t h e

original,t h e th ree steps th at were no t in advance , do es no t so o ccur in t h e

ord inary copies of t h e Ramayana, and th e passage may h ave undergone somemod ification

,as derogatory t o t h e h ero . No th ing abo ut Rama’

s retiring th reepaces h as been me t w ith in that part of t h e Ramayana wh ich describes t h edeath o fK h ara in t h e Arafiya

-Kanda bu t it is adm itted th at Rama feltalarm upon t h e approach ofamace h urled at h im by t h e Raksh asa See ingth at weapon

,l ike t h e mace of death , approach ing , t h e prince was alarmed

,

considering th at i ts fl igh t co uld no t be equal led o r opposed by common

arrows,t h e mace of t h e dem on be ing of celestial o rigin . Th e attack upon

Indragi t , wh ich pro ved fatal t o h im,was t h e resu lt of Vibh ish ana’

s advice,

wh o was aware of a proph ecy anno unced by B rahma, th at wh o ever sh o u ldinterrupt by force ofarms a certain sacrifice commenced by th at ch ie ftain ,

wo u ld pro ve h is destroyer. Indraj z t was engaged in t h e rite , wh en, by t h erecommendatio n o f Vibh ishar

’

i a, Lakshmana and a party of Rama’s h o stwere sent t o attack t h e Raksh asas

, wh o guarded h im . Th e latter werero uted. Indraj it abandoned t h e unfinish ed ceremony t o come t o th eirrescu e, and was u ltimately slain by Lak shmana 5 t h e explo it

,th erefo re

,

added l ittle t o th e glory o fRama,as h e to ok no part in t h e confl ict

,and

as its resul t was predestined .

362 UTTARA- RAMA -OHARITRA .

Stained with strange spo ts,o r

,like th e water- lily,

Wh en o’

er it s ruffled leaves t h e black bee spreads

His flu ttering w ings .

Lara and Chan. (Together) Hence t o th e field offigh t.

[Exeunt .

END OF THE FIFTH ACT .

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364 UTTARA-RAMA-OHARITRA .

Ah,no I see t h e fiery blaze

’

Tis Ch andrak etu’s arm displays 5

Around h is car, with banneret,And spears

,and waving ch owries se t

,

Th e fatal radiance rapid dances,

And on t h e ch ieftain’

s armour glances.

Th e warri or glows wi th ye llow ligh t,Th e car is pale with ash en w h ite’Tis all in flame — tire god of fire

Puts forth h is dread resistless ire ,And crackling

,sparkling, roaring, strong,

His lambent furies curl along.

Now with t h e force of falling th under

Th ey rive t h e firmest ro cks asunder.

Th e air is parch ing,lo ve 5 beneath

My sh eltering robe more co o lly breath e ,And let u s t o a distance h aste .

F. Sp . No furth er need 5 t h e peril’

s past 5Th e scorch ing vapo ur glows no more

,

Th e clouds distil th e ir gelid store ,And pond’rons th rough t h e eth er float

,

As murky as t h e peafowl’s th roat ,Save wh ere along th e ir skirts entw ine

Th e ligh tnings,like a wavy v ine .

M . Sp . Th e sh afts of Varuna r arrest

In Lava’s h and t h e fiery pest 5Ye t still in vain 5

’

fo r now t h e wind,

From every quarter unconfined,

Comes sw e eping fo rth,as

’tw o u ld displaceTh e w o rld from off it s so lid base 5And sw ift along t h e lowering skyTh e clouds before it s fury fly

And nature sh akes,as if t h e glo om

T h e Agneya weapo n, o ne o f cel estial armo ury, o r t h e weapo n of tire .

Th e dei ty of water, w h ich e lement is wielded in t h e co nfl ict.

UTTARA-RAMA-OHARITRA. 365

Were Time’

s profound and yawning tomb,

De vouring all 5 or fated slumber

Were now preparing t o encumber

Th e movements of t h e wo rld,and clo se

Ndrdgari’

s senses in repo se,

Th at, lo st in h im,t h e th ings of earth

Sh o u ld cease aw h ile t o issu e forth .

’Twas w ise ly done,with Vagu

’

s fo rce

To stem th e torrent’

s gath ering course,

And ch ase t h e clo uds on Nature ’s breast,Wh ence first th ey sprang, again t o rest .

Sp . Bu t w h o is th is,th at from h is car

Aligh ts t o intercept t h e war,And with h is gentle spee ch contro ls

Th e fury of th ese daring sou ls ?

M . Sp .

’Tis Raghupati t h e h as slain

Th e fierce ascetic,and again

He seeks h is realm . His vo ice th ey h ear,

And cast aside t h e sw o rd and spear

Lava is calm 5 and low ly bends

Th e prince , as t h e great ch ief descends .

May fate conclude,as now begun,

Th is meeting of t h e sire and son. [Exeunt.

Enter RAMA,LAVA

,and CHANDRAKETU .

Reima. Come , Ch andrak et u , t o my breast, and co o l

With t h y embrace t h e fervour o fmy h eart .

Chan. Re ceive my h umblest h omage .

Rama. Fate , assuredly,Th at gi ves th ee power t o wield celestial arms ,

Au spiciou s smiles upon t h y co urse .

Chan. My sire,

In th is do es fortune smile,th at I h ave fo und

Th e de i ty ofw ind,t h e e lement opposed t o th at ofwater.

T h e lord , or ch ief, of t h e h o use ofRagh u — Rama.

366 UTTARA-RAMA-OHARITRA.

A friend in th is brave youth may Ragha’s lord

Beh o ld h im with t h e same complacent eye

He turns on me .

Rama. Th is is indeed a presence

Of lo ft iest promise , activ e and robust,As made a so ldier’s du ty t o fu lfil

,

To guard religion,and pro te ct mankind.

No r is th ere vigour only 5 ligh ter graces

Are th ere concentred,and apparent virtu es

,

As if each excellence t h e w o rld admires

Assumed a v isible and h uman fo rm .

Lara. (Apart ) Is th is t h e migh ty ch ief, t h e friend ofvirtue ,Th e stay and trus t Ofmen

,t h e comforter,

Th e li v ing sh ape Ofw orth — embodied excellence ?

His sigh t subdu es me — all my enmity

At once subsides— a new and strong affection

G row s in my bo som— all my pride is gone ,And sh ame o

’

ercomes me . First of t h e first is h e

As h o liest sh rines h av e oft a h o lier still .

Rama.

’

Tis strange a single glance sh o u ld so o th e my sorrow

And fill my breast w ith passionate regard

Wh at sh ould t h e. cause be ? fo r, with o ut a cause ,

How sh ou ld affection e v er be engendered ?

Wh en no exterio r mo tives can be traced,

Some secret spring mu st influence t h e h eart .

Such are t h e sympath ies th at nature prompts,

Wh en t o t h e rising sun t h e flow er expands,

And melts t h e mo on-

gem in t h e lunar ray .

as

Lara. Instruct me,prince , w h o is th is glo riou s ch ief ?

Chan. Th e elder of o ur h o u se .

Th e do ctrine ofsympath ies was once very famil iar t o t h e ph ilo soph y o fEuro pe . Th e mo onstone , sunstone, and iro nstone are th ree gems, acco rding t o t h e H indus, t h e properties of wh ich are analogous t o t h e nature o ft h e objects wh ence th ey are named . Th e latter is t h e magnet

,t h e o th er two

are fanci fu l : bu t probably t h e idea of th em is derived from some naturalsubstance .

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368 UTTARA- RAMA- OHARITRA .

Th e great Kri s’

ds’

wa taugh t * '

t o Viéwdmitra,

Th ro ugh countless centuries h is pio us pupil ;And I from h im rece iv ed t h e sacred w eapons,

Bound t o attend fo r ever on my race .

Th en tell me,Lava, by w h at po tent means,

Wh ence , and from w h om ,didst th ou obtain th ese arms ?

Lava.Of th emse lves

,uncalled

,unsough t-for, did th ey come

To me and t o my bro th er.

Rama. Thy bro th er ?

Chan. We are tw in.

Rama. Wh ere is h e ?

Kus’

a (beh ind) .

Wh at say you , Lava is engaged alone

With Ch andrak e tu’

s train ? Th en sh all t o -day

Th e pride of empire set in ignominy,

Th e tow ering crest OfKshattriya sh all b e h umbled.

Edma. Wh om h ave w e h ere ? o f deepest je t h is h ue ,And at h is vo ice each h air upon my body

Starts up erect,like flow ers th at lift th e ir h eads

Wh en h o llow murmurs te ll t h e coming sto rm.

Lara.

’

Tis e v en h e , my elder bro th er,K u sa

,

Returned from Bharata’s abode .

Rama. My son ,

Invite h im h ith er.

Lara. I o bey 5 beh o ld h im !

Enter KUsA.

Th is bow ,wh o se string emi t s such vi vid radiance

As gleams from h eavenly arms,is fit for combat

With any of t h e migh ty ch iefs th at trace

Th e ir royal lineage,th ro ugh t h e h igh descent

OfManu, Vaivaswata

,from t h e sun

,

Literal ly, “ h e declared t o Viéwamitra t h e Up anish ad containing t h eMan tra .

” It is clear, th erefo re , th at by t h e u se of th ese weapons, we aret o u nderstand t h e empl oyment o f ch arms

,and t h e command o ver t h e

e lements, w ith w h ich we are fami l iar in t h e magic ofall co untries .

UTTARA-RAMA-OHARITRA .

Al th ough ofprow ess t o pro tect t h e gods

And tame t h e fiercest of t h e fo es ofh eaven.

Edma. Wh at lo fty daring do es th is yo uth display l

Wh at brave defiance sparkles in h is eye !

He seems t o h o ld confederated w orlds

As grass t o trample on 5 h e sh akes t h e earth

With h is proud tread 5 and th ough of tender years,He sh ow s ofmountain stature . Is h e mo rtal

,

Or is it t h e spirit Ofvalour th at assumes

A mo rtal form ?

Lara. G lo ry t o yo ur arms !Ku s

’

a. Rath er t o th ine 5How now ! I h ear glad news— wh at ’s th is -war war

Lara. Restrain th is sw elling port, and h ith er come

With due h umility.

K us’

a. Wh y so ?

Lara. Th e godlike lo rd

Of Ragha’

s lineage deigns t o give you welcome .

Ku s’

a. Th e godlike h ero of o ur master’s verse ,Th e guardian of t h e universal world ?

Lara. Th e same .

Ku s’

a. How may I dare approach such majesty ?

His presence aw es Just ly h as t h e bardTh at sings h is deeds entitled h im divine .

G reat sire, t h e sch o lar ofPrach etas

,K usa

Bows th u s in veneration .

[To Rama.

Rama. R ise,my chi ld,

And yield me t h y embrace . (Embraces h im. )mo st strange

Alike from eith er of th ese youth s, t h e touch

Spreads rapture th rough my frame 5 from every

Th e dew s,affection-born

,distil , as if

A few sh ort speech es ofno importance are omitted .

VOL . I.

370 UTTARA-RAMA-OHARITRA.

External conscio u sness were manifest

And as my h eart disso lves with ecstasy ,My form in wav es ofnectar seem to float.

Lara. Please yo u ,sire

,

To rest beneath t h e sh elter of th is tree .

Th e sun is h igh,and on my fath er

’s brow

Darts fiercely.

Rama. As you w ill . (They sit under a tree. )

(Apart ) In every lo ok and act,th ese you th s display

Th e maj esty th at w ould become an empire .

Upon th e ir forms h as nature set t h e signs,

Like rays of ligh t with in a co stly gem,

Or drops ofnectar on a lovely lo tus,

That indicate such glorious destiny,As sh ould alone t o Ragha

’

s sons pertain.

Dark as th e dove’s blue neck is th e ir deep h ue 5Su ch sh o u lders h as t h emonarch of t h e h erd

Th eir dauntless lo oks are like t h e angry lion s 5And, like t h e deep-toned mu sic of th e drum

Of h o ly sacrifice , each mellow vo ice .

I see in each my own similitude 5And no t alone my likeness, but in much

Th ey wear t h e lovely semblance ofmy Sita.

Th e lo tu s countenance ofJanakiIs e v en now befo re me 5— such th o se teeth

Of pearly wh iteness 5— such t h e pouting lip,

Th e taper ear, and such t h e expressive eye ,

Alth ough ’

t is tempered with a manly fi erceness .

Th eir dw e lling in th ese gro ves,t h e very same

Wh ere Sitawas abandoned,and so like

And th en t h e h eavenly weapons,self-presented

,

Th at,as t h e sages say , would never quit

Our line with ou t due cause— my queen’

s condition,

Burth ened with promised j oys— th ese th o ugh ts distract

My h eart, and fill my soul with h Ope and terror.

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372 UTTARA -RAMA-OHARITRA.

Th at time , t h e fee ofmemory,would rob me of.

I see my Sitanow — wh en budding youth ,Expanded day by day into t h e blo om

Of woman,andwh en full-blown beauty j o ined

With ardent passion t o subdue my h eart,And animate my every th ough t w ith love .

’

Tis past,— h ow wonderfu l

[Sinks into meditation.

Lara. How lo st in th ough t h e seems ! no t even a

sigh

Steals forth , a sign of life : so silent lies

Some sacred statute in it s h o ly sh rine .

*

(Beh ind ) Th e sages of th e h ermitage— t h e queen

Of Das’aratha,and Arundh at i,

Alarmed t o h ear t h e vio lence t h e youth s

Have offered t o th e steed, are com ing h ith er 5Yet slow th eir pro gress— age retards th e ir fligh t

,

Th eir limbs are tardy th ough th e ir minds arefleet.

Edma. Wh at are Arundh at i and Janaka,

Vasish t h a, and my h onoured mo th er, h ere ?

[Rising and looking ou t .

Yes, I beh o ld t h e monarch 5 like a th underbo lt

His sigh t affects me with t h e h o ly priests

Wh o j o ined o ur h ands 5 w ith so much t o recall

Th e h opes th at all h ave perish ed 5 th u s t o meet

h im ,

And no t t o fall into a th ousand fragments

Wh at task remains fo r Rama t o perfo rm

(Beh ind) Alas ! t h e unexpect ed sigh t ofRama

O’

ercomes t h e aged king ; and now t h e qu een,

Hastening t o aid h er ancient friend, beh o lds

Her son and senseless falls.

Itdma. Revive,my sire !

My dearest mo th er o h,h ow ill deserved

Th e Calcutta ed i tion fo l lows a difi '

erent read ing h ere in some passages .

UTTARA- RAMA-OHARITRA. 373

Th is tenderness Ofall th at e ith er h ouse

Yet boasts for one so pitiless as I

Yet let me h aste t o th em .

Ifus’a and Lana. Th is way— th is.

[Exeunt rap idly.

OF THE SIX TH ACT .

374 UTTARA RAMA-OHARITRA.

A C T VII.

AN AMPHITHEATRE ON THE BANKS OF THE G ANG Es .

*

Enter LAKSHMANA.

I h ave o beyed t h e sage,and h ave arranged

A th eatre t o h o ld th is vast assemblage

Of gods,and men

,and spirits of earth , air, o cean,

Th e serpent de ities,and all t h e forms

Th at move and breath e — called h ith er by Valmiki ,On G anga’s sacred banks

,th at th ey may h ear

His inspirations,with dramatic art

,

Recited by t h e nymph s ofIndra’s h eaven.

All is prepared,and t h e assembly waits

And 10 1 t h e prince,w h o in h is palace bears

Th e h ardsh ips of t h e anch orite,approach es .

Enter RA'

MA.

Now,Lak shmar

’

ia,is th e assembly gath ered

Fo r th is perfo rmance ?

Lak. All is ready.

Rama. Be th e yo u th s,

Lava and Kusa,stationed with th e prince

,

Your son.

Late. Yo ur wish es are foreseen— th ey sit togeth er.

Th is is t h e royal seat.

A play in a play is a device famil iar t o o ur th eatre th at in Hamletneed scarcely be mentioned . Beaumont and Fletch er go furth er, and

combine fo ur plays in o ne . Th ey are no t so essential t o t h e plo t, h owever,as th is and t h e play in Hamlet

,bo th wh ich representati o ns ind icate t h e

o pinion entertained by t h e auth ors of t h e moral efficacy of such performances.

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376 UTTARA- RAMA-CHARITRA .

Enter SiTA, supported by PRITHIVI(the Earth ) and G ANGA

(the G anges) , each bearing a new-born Ch ild.

Rdma. Lak shmana, I am lo st 5 my senses stray

In sudden and bewildering glo om,— suppo rt me .

G an. Revive, Vaideh t Fate is now t h y friend.

Amidst t h e waves,in safety h ast th ou given

Tw o h opes t o Ragha’

s line .

Stat . Can th is be true ?

Are th ese my infants ? ah , my loved lord l

G an. Resume t h y fortitude 5 my ch ild,revive .

Sitd. Wh o art th ou ?

Pr'

i. ’Tis Bhdgtrath t, th e pro tecting goddess

Of yo ur lo rd’s line .

Sild. (Bowing to G angd. ) Rece ive my adoration.

G an. May t h e reward of virtue ever wait th ee

Beh o ld t hy mo th er, reverend goddess, earth .

Sita. Am I so blest ?

Pri . Let th is embrace assure th ee . [F ainting

Late. Th e queen is fondly ch erish ed by t h e de ities.

Edma. Th e ir love fo r th is,th e ir ch ild, o

’

ercomes th e ir spirits.

Th is passion of t h e soul,t h e common attribute

Of sentient be ings,is t h e kno t th at binds

Th e co rd th at h o lds t h e universe, and till

Th e end ofall perpetuates t h e race .

G an. (To Silfi . ) Dear ch ild,earth ’s progeny

,conso le t hy

parent.PM . Wh at comfo rt can I know,

be ing h er parent,Wh o se days

,first bligh ted by t h e crue l fiend,

Are now by calumny unjust assailed ?

G an.

’

Tis true 5 but subject t o t h e will o f fate ,Wh at living th ing may h Ope t o bar it s way ?

I’m. But ye t wh at plea can be devised for Rama,Wh o would no t trust t o me

, t o Janaka,To h o ly fire

,no r past

,nor fu ture knowledge ,

Sttd.

Pri.

Sttd.

m

UTTARA-RAMA-OHARITRA. 3 1 7

Nor credited th is tender h and,t h e pledge

Of faith and love,in you th t o h im consigned ?

Ah do es my h usband still remember me ?

Th y h u sband wh o is h e ?

Even h e wh om now my mo th er spoke of.

Rama. And spoke of as h e merited.

G an. Queen, refle ct . (To Prith irt. )

G an.

Pri .

Sitd.

Pi t.

Th o u art t h e stay o fall 5 and sh alt th ou sh are

Th e passions of th e

Wh at h e h as done,t h e h is race

Imperative ly willed 5 for wide and far

Th e stain upon h is name was spread — t h e test

In Lankd undergone,no t elsewh ere w itnessed,

Was little credited,and it h as been

Th e triumph of h is h igh and royal race ,To claim t h e h omage free and unreserved

Of all t h e wo rld 5 wh at , th en, remained for Rama ,In th is dilemma

,e lse th an t o pursue

Th e course th at h e h as trod ?

G oddess,I h ear

Your censures with deligh t 5 bu t strong affectionContro ls my th ough ts and language . Well I know

Th e love ofRama, and t h e grief h e feels

For le ss of th is dear ch ild 5 yet , still h e lives

Fo r t h e so le benefit of h is subj ect tribes ,Fo r wh ich

,in o th er worlds, rewards await h im.

Oh , let my mo th er take

And h ide me in h er bo som

Ch ild, forbear.

Ye t many years t h y presence sh all dispens e

De ligh t upon mankind.

And for t h e present

Th ese infants claim th y care .

A widow I .

How sh ould th is be,wh ilst yet t h y h usband lives ?

378 UTTARA-RAMA -OHARITRA .

Sttd. I sh all no t live h ow th en h ave I a lord ?

Pri. Th ink no t so ligh tly of th yself, wh o se nature ,Pure as it is

,st ill purer from communion

With u s,sh all sh ed new blessings on t h e world.

Lah . Heard yo u t h e queen ?

Rama. Let all t h e world rece ive

Th is testimony. (A no ise with ou t. ) Hark ! wh at wonders

more ?

Sild. Th e h eavens are overcast.

G an.

’Tis true 5 Observe ,Th e h eavenly arms are Visible , t h e ministers

Of Rama,from K i is’ds’wa first descended

,

To Vis’

wdmitra next,and last t o h im.

(Beh ind) G reat queen, all h ail

Beh o ld th e faith ful servants Of t h y ch ildren

As Raghupati erst t o th ee announced,His servants we

,t h e servants of t h y sons .

Sita. Oh , I am blest ! t h e weapon gods appear

In all th e ir glory .

G an. Hail ce lestial ministers,

Devo ted t o t h e race ofB aghu— still t o wo rk

Th e will ofh is descendants— h ail all h ail

Th ey disappear. Now ,daugh ter, turn th ine eye

On th ese infantine pictures of th y lo rd.

Sttd. Ah wh o sh all minister th e h o ly rites

Th e ir birth demands,th at great Vasish t

’

ha’

s care

Has ever so lemnised fo r Ragha’

s race

G an. Th is, daugh ter, ne ed no t dw ell upon t h y th ough ts .

Wh en th ey no mo re exact a mo th er’s ch arge,

We w ill convey th em t o Valmiki’s bow er.

Prachetas’son, equal in pow er and knowledge

To Angiras o r t o Vasish t’

ha,sh all

Become th e ir migh ty mast er, and perfo rm

Th e ceremonial rites th eir years require .

Edma. Th is was well th ough t.

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380 UTTARA-RAMA- OHARITRA .

Enter ARUNDHATI’

and SITA.

Arun. Wh y th us bash ful

Haste th ee,my ch ild

,and le t t h e consciousness

Of th at dear h and resto re t h y lo rd t o life .

Sild. (Touch ing Rama. ) He wakes .

Rama. (Reviving) My queen, my love

My h onoured mo th er,pure Arundh at i

With Eishyas’

ringa and t h e pious Sdnta.

All h ere — all h appy .

A run. Prince,awh ile attend 5

Th e godde ss of th y race in favour speaks.

G angd. (With ou t) Lo rd of t h e world,remember

appeal .*

Th o u h ast invoked my cares for th is t hy queen,

Th at as a mo th er I sh ould guard h er ever,

Even as would Arundh at i. Beh o ld,

I h ave obeyed t h y will 5 my debt is paid.

Arun. Again attend ; t h y mo th er earth addresses

th ee .

Pri th ivi. (With out) Lord of t h e world,remember

appeal 5Th ou h ast committed Sitd t o my ch arge ,And called upon me t o pro tect my ch ild.

I h ave o beyed t hy will 5 my debt is paid.

Rama. (Prostrating h imself. )How h ave I , sinfu l as I am, deserved

Such h eave nly favour

Arun. People OfAyodhyd,

Rece ive your queen, wh om t h e great goddesses,

G angaand Pi' it h ivi, th u s h igh ly h onour,And now by me

,Arundh at i

,presented yo u .

Th e gods th emselves h ave testified h er purity,And fire borne witness t o h er spo tless virtue .

See t h e First Act .

UTTARA-RAMA -OHARITRA . 38 1

From sacrifice sh e draw s h er birt h ,*and reigns

Wife of t h e greatest of t h e Sun’s descendants .

Recall th ese th ings,and yield h er veneration.

Late. Th ey fee l t h e matron’s censure all t h e crowd

Is bent inpro strate h omage t o t h e qu een,

Wh ilst from above,t h e guardians of t h e sph eres

,

And rulers of t h e planets, sh ed deligh ted,A sh ow er ofh eav enly flowers .

Arun. Lord of t h e world,imperial Rdmabhadra

,

In place Ofh er similitude,be Sitd

Herself th e partner of your sacred rite .

Edma. Mo st j oyfully.

Late. (To Sita. ) Lady and queen,th e sh ameless Lakshmar’ia

Is bo ld enough t o offer you h is h omage .

Sttd. May length ofdays reward su ch w orth as th ine .

Arun. Now may t h e sage lead forth t h e lovely twins ,K usa and Lava

,t o embrace th e ir parents .

Rama. Th is is joy indeed

Sttd. Wh ere are my ch ildren ?

Enter VALM iKI with KUsA and LAVA.

Val. Beh o ld your parents, ch ildren 5 t h e prince Lakshmana,And th ere your grandsire— th is yo ur fath er’s mo th er.

Sitcl. My dear fath er, t o o l

Ku éa and Lava. Dear fath er dearest mo th er

Rama. (Embracing th em. ) Th is is a recompense for all o ur

so rrow s .

Sild. Come h ith er,K u s

’

a— h ith er, Lava— come

Embrace your mo th er,now indeed restored

To life .

Kus’

a and Lava. We are mo st blest .

Sild. Lord, I salute th ee (to V dlmthi ) .

Vdl. May t h y days be many.

Sttd. My dear fath er th u s , with all I lo v e encompassed,How can I h ear so vast a w e igh t ofh appiness .

S itawas born of t h e earth at a sacrifice performed by Janaka.

UTTARA-RAMA-OHARITRA.

(A noise behind. )Vat. (Looking out. ) Th e demon Lavaria is slain, and h ere

Th e prince ofMathuraadvances.

Lak. All

Conspires t o make our h appiness complete .

Rama. I scarce can credit wh at I see— yet th us

Do es fate o ppress th e pro sperous.

Vdl. Rama,

Is th ere o ugh t e lse th at may require our aid ?

Rama. Nough t,h o ly sire

,but th is

May th at inspired strain,wh o se lines impart

Th is tale,deligh t and purify t h e h eart 5

As w ith a mo th er’s love,each grief allay

And wash , like G anga’s w ave

,o ur sins away.

And may dramatic skill and taste pro found

Po urtray th e story and th e verse expound

SO th at du e h onour ever sh all be long

To t h e great master ofpo etic song,

Al ike familiar with a loftier th eme ,

Th e sacred know ledge of th e ONE SUPREME i"

Th e po et acquainted w ith t h e B rahma-Sabda,t h e inspired and nu

created Vedas, as identifiable w i t h B rahman or t h e Supreme Being.

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REMARK S ON THE UTTARA-RAMA-OHARITRA.

Th e ch aracters of t h e drama are individualised by t h e

features just no ticed as be longing t o th o se of t h e h ero i c class,and by t h e sentiments o f piety and t h e tone of auth ority

w h ich animate t h e re ligiou s personages introduced upon t h e

scene 5 amongst w h om ,th at females bear so important a part,

may be regarded as ano th er ch aracteristic peculiarity. Th e

incidents,as already no ticed

,are no t numero us 5 but th ey are

dramatic and interesting, and upon t h e fee lings of a Hindu

mu st h av e exercised a pow erfu l influ ence . To a belief th at

vivifi es all objects, and gives t o mountains and rivers divine

forms and sentient natures,t h e representations of th is play

must h ave been awfu l and sublime . Th e mo st inferio r of t h e

personages exh ibited are t h e spirits of air,o r o f t h e forest, o r

t h e flo od,w h o mingle familiarly and affectionately with demi

gods and deified sages. Earth , t h e mo th er of all beings,and

G anga,t h e river of t h e th ree wo rlds

, are introduced in person 5and t h e final reunion of Rama w ith h is family is witnessed,no t only by t h e people of Ayodyha and t h e elders o f e ith er

race , bu t by t h e congregated de ities of earth and h eaven .

Th e language of t h e beings Of fictitious existence is e ith er

narrative o r descriptive,and in t h e fo rmer is simple , and in

t h e latter picturesque . Th at o f t h e h uman ch aracters is,as

u sual w ith o ur auth o r, rath er passionate th an po etical ; bu t

some brilliant th ough ts o ccur, th e ju stice and beauty ofwh ich

are no t surpassed in any literature . Th e comparison ofCh andraket u t o a lion’s cub turning t o brave t h e th underbo lt is one

o f th ese 5 and ano th er is t h e illu stration of th e effects of edu

cation upon minds po ssessed Or destitu te o f natural gifts. It

is needless t o specify o th er passages . Th e general tone of t h e

piece is imaginative and e levated, and it is entitled at least t o

t h e designation ofa dramatic po em.