Shringaraprakasha 9
English (machine translation) 9
- Language
- English
Contents
- 9.p1 — 25 parts
9.p1.1
The wise call that which is endowed with conciliation, bribery, and the like 'adornment' (bhūṣaṇa). As in the Ratnāvalī: Vasubhūti: "Queen, deservedly do you bear the title of 'Queen'." And as in the Veṇīsaṃhāra: Bhīma: "Where is that friend of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons, that wretched demon, by whom this great delusion of mind was inflicted on our elder brother?" Kṛṣṇa: "That evil-minded one was subdued by Nakula." But 're-statement' (punarvākya) is to be understood as the demonstration of an objection as previously stated. As in the Ratnāvalī: Bābhravya: "Queen, now my labor has borne fruit." And as in the Veṇīsaṃhāra: Yudhiṣṭhira: "Venerable one, were we truly deceived by the demon Cārvāka?" Kṛṣṇa: "Indeed so." The attainment of the granting of a boon is considered the 'conclusion of the dramatic poem' (kāvyasaṃhāra). As in the Ratnāvalī: Yaugandharāyaṇa: "Your Majesty, please state what further benefit I may render unto you." The King: "What could be more pleasing than this? For: / Vikramabāhu has been brought to parity with myself; this Sāgarikā, the essence upon the earth, / and so my beloved, the sole cause for attaining sovereignty over the world, has been gained; / the Queen is filled with joy at gaining a sister; the Kosalas have been conquered; / what remains, when you are present, O best of ministers, for which I might still frame a desire?" As in the Veṇīsaṃhāra: Kṛṣṇa: "Then tell me, Great King, what favor do you desire from me?" Yudhiṣṭhira: "Surely, I am unable to request anything beyond this. Let the Lord see: / Blinded by anger, the entire host of enemies has been destroyed; we five remain unscathed; / the ocean of humiliation brought upon Draupadī by my folly has been crossed; / you, the Lord, the Supreme Being, speak to me, honoring this virtuous man— / what other thing beyond this, indeed, could I beg from the gracious Lord?" And the invoking of divine power for kings and gods is called the 'benediction' (praśasti). As in the Ratnāvalī: The King: "Nevertheless, let this come to pass:"
9.p1.2
"May Indra bring forth desirable rain, making the earth rich with abundant harvest; / may the foremost of brahmins duly produce the gratification of the gods with sacrificial offerings; / and until the end of the aeon may there be the union of good people with increased happiness; / and may the slanders of malicious people, invincible and firmly glued like cement, completely subside into tranquility." And as in the Veṇīsaṃhāra: Yudhiṣṭhira: "Nevertheless, if the Lord is most pleased, then let this be: / May people live out a full human lifespan at will with unstinting minds; / may there be devotion to the Supreme Being, O Lord, free from duality; / loving his lands, a friend to the learned, discerning in merits, ever performing good deeds— / may the king govern a well-ordered realm." That which was earlier stated as the sixty-four dramatic characteristics (lakṣaṇas), / the distinct mark of a play and other compositions, is now explained in detail: / Adornment (bhūṣaṇa) and stringing of syllables (akṣarasaṅghāta); elegance (śobhā) and illustration (udāharaṇa); / cause (hetu), doubt (saṃśaya), and exemplar (dṛṣṭānta); attainment (prāpti) and intention (āśaya); / demonstration (nidarśana) and etymology (nirukta); combination (sandhi) and qualification (viśeṣaṇa); / excess of quality (guṇātipāta), hyperbole (atiśaya), equal reasoning (tulyatarka), and accumulation of words (padoccaya); / fate (diṣṭa) and instruction (upadiṣṭa); deliberation (vicāra) and inversion (viparyaya); / lapse (bhraṃśa) and conciliation (anunīti); garland (mālā), courteousness (dākṣiṇya), and reproach (garhaṇa); / presumption (arthāpatti) and common fame (prasiddhi); inquiry (pṛcchā) and resemblance (sārūpya); / wish (manoratha) and hint (leśa); entreaty (yācñā), encouragement (protsāhana), and desire (spṛhā); / remorse (paścāttāpa) and compliance (anuvṛtti); apt argument (yukti), manifestation (nirbhāsana), and forgiveness (kṣamā); / recounting of virtues (guṇānuvāda), lamentation (ākranda), deception (kapaṭa), and censure (parivādana); / proof (upapatti), necessity (kārya), prohibition (pratiṣedha), and futile effort (mṛṣodyama); / trick speech (chalokti), vocal inflection (kāku), frenzy (unmāda), mockery (parihāsa), and self-praise (vikatthana); / chance (yadṛcchā), conjunction (yoga), discordance (vaiṣamya), and undertaken enterprise (pratijñātapravṛtti); / expression of blessing (āśīrukti), fulfillment (siddhi), and pleasant speech (priyavacana): / one should designate these sixty-four dramatic characteristics in poetic works. / And among those: That which is viewed with many poetic ornaments and poetic qualities [is 'adornment']. As in the first act of the Ratnāvalī: Yaugandharāyaṇa: "Having laid aside all talk of war, possessing amorous pleasure, dwelling in the hearts of the folk, / the Lord of the Vatsas approaches like Kāma himself, eager to witness his own great festival, with his beloved Vasantaka in his company."
9.p1.3
Here, its endowedness with poetic ornaments such as punning (śleṣa), simile (upamā), and vivid presentation (pratyakṣa), and with poetic qualities such as coalescence (śleṣa), lucidity (prasāda), and tenderness (saukumārya), is to be observed. Thus, in the ones to be mentioned hereafter, the poetic qualities and poetic ornaments should also be deduced wherever applicable. And no fixed rule is established by dramatists. In the dramatic limb-subdivisions (sandhyaṅga), however, the employment of poetic qualities and ornaments is not strictly required. Where a description of diverse meaning is expressed with punning syllables, / one should know that to be the characteristic called 'stringing of syllables' (akṣarasaṅghāta). As in the seventh act of the Abhijñānaśākuntala: (Entering with a clay peacock in her hand, an ascetic woman:) "Sarvadamana, look at the beauty of the bird (śakuntalāvaṇya)!" The boy: (looking about) "Where is my mother?" Both: (laughing) "Deluded by the similarity of names, he is devoted to his mother!" The King: (to himself) "What, is Śakuntalā the name of his mother?" Where an unestablished fact is established by equating it with established facts, / that smooth and punning [device] possessing manifold meanings is called 'elegance' (śobhā). As in the first act of the Ratnāvalī: Yaugandharāyaṇa: "Bringing someone from another island, from the midst of the ocean, or even from the edge of the quarter of the sky, / Fate, having turned favorable, unites them instantly. / Otherwise, where is the reaching of a plank in the ocean by the daughter of the king of Siṃhala, sought in marriage out of faith in an ascetic's prediction, when the ship was wrecked, and where is her rescue in that condition by a merchant of Kauśāmbī returning from Siṃhala, and her bringing here through recognition of the ornament of a jeweled necklace? In every way, fortunes smile upon our master." In this context: Because of an exhibition through a sentence endowed with an equivalent meaning, / facts are established by the skillful: that is commemorated as 'illustration' (udāharaṇa).
9.p1.4
12.167 As in the Ratnāvalī, in the second act, the King and the Vidūṣaka hear the words of the starling. Then the Vidūṣaka: '(In the air) Why do you get angry without cause? Just as you drew this Kāmadeva, so I have drawn Rati.' Friend, what is this now? [Why do you get angry without cause? Just as this Kāmadeva was drawn by you, so Rati was drawn by me. Friend, what indeed is this?]
12.168 The King: 'Friend, I guess thus: having drawn her beloved out of passion, she concealed it under the pretext of Kāma; her female friend too, recognizing him, cleverly drew her right there to match.'
When a statement, through the force of its purpose, establishes a desired object and captivates the mind by concise expression, that is designated as Reason (hetu).
12.169 As in the Ratnāvalī, in the second act, the Vidūṣaka: 'I swear by my sacred thread truly if any such woman was ever seen before by us.'
12.170 Kāñcanamālā: 'Mistress, sometimes even such a worm-bitten letter [an accidental coincidence] does happen.'
12.171 Vāsavadattā: 'O simple girl, this is Vasantaka, do you not know? Why do you say all this?'
Where a statement ends with its true meaning unascertained, that, owing to the multiplicity of deliberations, is proclaimed to be Doubt (saṃśaya).
As in the Ratnāvalī, in the fourth act, Vasubhūti: '(Looking closely at Sāgarikā) This girl closely resembles the princess.'
Bābhravya: 'The very same thought is in my mind.'
... But that which establishes the sense to be stated, made as an illustration of the reason, is remembered as Exemplification (dṛṣṭānta).
9.p1.5
12.172 And as in the Veṇīsaṃhāra, in the first act, the Maidservant: 'O Yājñasenī, it is heard that five villages are being requested; why then are your braids still not tied up?'
Bhīmasena: 'Sahadeva, did you hear?'
Sahadeva: 'Noble brother, what can be said here? For she is Duryodhana's wife. Look:
For the minds of women become like their husbands from association; / for even a sweet vine, clinging to a poisonous tree, produces intoxication.'
... One should know the dramatic characteristic belonging to drama.
As in the Ratnāvalī, in the third act, in the plantain-bower, while the King observes Sāgarikā in the painting,
12.173 The Vidūṣaka: 'Friend, but why is she painted with a downcast face?'
[Hearing this, Susaṅgatā says:] 'Friend, as the noble Vasantaka surmises, so I guess the master must also be right here.'
When an unprecedented matter is conceived through resemblance and captivates the hearts of the world, that is remembered as Intended Conception (abhiprāya).
As in the Mudrā[rākṣasa] ...
'... the water lily grove. Then, with limbs numbed by the sport of bathing, I might perhaps cast off the oppression and torment of the fire of love.'
Where the recitation of well-known facts is made to dismiss dependence on another, that is called Illustration (nidarśana).
12.174 As in the Mālatīmādhava, Kāmandakī: 'O simple girl, what can the venerable lady do here? Mostly, the father and destiny have power over young girls. And as for what storytellers relate, namely, that the Kauśikī maiden Śakuntalā loved Duṣyanta, and the apsaras Urvaśī loved Purūravas, even that is almost reckless and surely not to be advised.'
9.p1.6
A statement which is uttered regarding a faultless and feasible matter to establish a previously stated sense is cited as Etymological Explanation (nirukta).
12.175 As in the Abhijñānaśākuntala, Priyaṃvadā: 'Friend Śakuntalā, stay right here for a moment. With you standing near, this kesara tree appears as though endowed with a creeper.'
Śakuntalā: 'Therefore, indeed, you are Priyaṃvadā (speaking pleasant words).'
The King: 'Though sweet, she speaks the truth:
Her lower lip has the glow of a sprout, her two arms imitate tender branches; / youth, enticing like a flower, is arrayed in her limbs.'
Where the name of many principal entities is mentioned to achieve an intended purpose, that is proclaimed as Realization (siddhi).
As in the Ratnāvalī, in the fourth act, the King: 'Where is that fire, that water, that state of this inner apartment? How is this the princess of Avanti? Here is Bābhravya, here is Vasubhūti, here is my friend. Does my mind wander in a dream, or what is this magical illusion?'
Where, after stating many established, prominent things, a distinction is applied ...
As in the Abhijñānaśākuntala: 'Maintenance of the vital breaths through air is customary, [even though] in a forest with true wishing-trees; the rite of sacred ablution takes place in water yellowed with the pollen of golden lotuses; / meditation is upon jeweled stone-slabs, self-restraint in the presence of celestial women; they practice austerities amid that which other sages desire through their austerities.'
When, by means of various descriptions of qualities applied to a contrary sense, harsh matters are made sweet, that is clearly Overstepping of Qualities (guṇātipāta).
As in the Uttararāmacarita, Lava [speaking] regarding Rāma: 'Revered are they indeed, whose deeds are beyond reproach; let them be, why describe them? For they are great in the world, whose fame was unbroken even in the slaying of the woman Sundā! / Those three steps, wherever directed, taken in the battle with Khara, or the skill in subduing the son of Indra—people are well acquainted with that too!'
9.p1.7
When, after mentioning many qualities common to ordinary people, a distinction is described, that should be recognized by the wise as *atiśaya* (hyperbole / preeminence).
As in the second act of the *Ratnāvalī*, the king, having seen Sāgarikā drawn in a picture, says:
“Surely, by fashioning her face as a unique full moon,
the Creator became ill at ease from the closing of the lotus of his own seat!”
[...]
... is proclaimed as *tulyatarka* (congruent conjecture).
As in the *Uttararāmacarita*, Rāma says:
“Indeed, in this pair of children there clearly is that and that resemblance to the daughter of Janaka, discoverable by careful observation;
is it not that the face of my beloved, possessing the splendor of a fresh hundred-petaled lotus, has once again become visible to my eyes?”
When many words of identical meaning are used through multiple terms, that collection should be known as *padoccaya* (accumulation of words).
As in the first act of the *Ratnāvalī*, the king says to Vāsavadattā:
“Having a form delicate as a flower, bearing by rule a slender waist,
she shines forth standing beside me, like the bow of the fish-bannered Kāma.”
Whatever is described according to place, time, and character, whether visible or invisible, is called *diṣṭa* (instruction) or *varṇaka* (depiction).
As in the *Rāghavānanda*:
“Resting his head upon the lap of the lord of the monkey army, playfully placing his foot upon the lap of the slayer of Akṣa, resting the remainder of his body upon the hide of the golden deer,
looking out of the corner of his eye with respect at the arrow that destroys the race of demons, made ready by his younger brother, this [Rāma] sits listening intently to the words of your younger brother.”
A statement that is spoken having adopted an authoritative meaning of scripture, charming to the minds of the wise and beneficent, is proclaimed as *upadiṣṭa* (counsel).
As in the *Śākuntala*:
“Serve your elders; treat your cowives as dearest friends;
even if wronged by your husband, do not act contrary out of anger;
be most gracious toward your attendants; be not haughty in your fortunes;
thus young women attain the status of housewife; those of opposite conduct are the torment of the family.”
Possessed of multiple expedients, establishing an unperceived object by means of things corresponding to a prior intention,
9.p1.8
it is proclaimed as *vicāra* (deliberation).
As in the *Uttararāmacarita*, Lava and Candraketu, gazing at each other with affection and love, [say:]
“Is it an innate connection, or through the power of destiny an unknown one? When I look upon him, my heart directs its attention toward him.”
Where, through doubt, an alteration of deliberation, as well as of what was instructed (*diṣṭa*) and counseled (*upadiṣṭa*), occurs, that should be recognized as *viparyaya* (reversal / erroneous transformation).
As in the third act of the *Ratnāvalī*, Vāsavadattā says:
“Friend Kāñcanamālā, is it really true that Sāgarikā, having assumed my dress, will rendezvous with my husband?”
Kāñcanamālā:
“How could it be reported otherwise to the queen? Or rather, Vasantaka, seated at the door of the picture gallery, will produce certainty for you.”
(Then enters Vasantaka, veiled.)
Vasantaka:
“Just as the sound of footsteps is heard at the door of the picture gallery, so I infer that Sāgarikā has arrived.”
Kāñcanamālā:
“Queen, this is that picture gallery. So let me give a sign to Vasantaka.” Saying this, she snaps her fingers.
The Vidūṣaka (approaching, aside):
“Susaṅgatā, you have made Kāñcanamālā's dress very similar: Sāgarikā is Vāsavadattā herself!”
And as further ahead in the very same play:
The Vidūṣaka (in agitation, looking):
“Ah, friend, protect her, protect her!
This is Queen Vāsavadattā! She is killing herself by hanging!”
9.p1.9
The King (approaching in agitation):
“Friend, where is she?”
The Vidūṣaka:
“Ah, here she is!”
The King (approaching, removing the noose from her neck):
“Ah, rash woman, why is this improper deed being done?
My vital breaths are in my throat when the noose is at your throat;
therefore abandon this effort at self-interest, abandon this rashness, my beloved!”
[... through portents] and so forth in many ways,
by falling upon another person suddenly, it is called *bhraṃśa* (slip / lapsus).
And as in the second act of the *Veṇīsaṃhāra*, Duryodhana says:
“Together with his host of servants, together with his kinsmen, together with his friends, with his son, with his younger brother,
and with his army, the son of Pāṇḍu will soon slay Suyodhana in battle!”
The Chamberlain (covering his ears, in fear):
“May evil be appeased! May misfortune be averted!”
The King (reciting what was spoken by Duryodhana):
“Indeed, this was spoken reversely by His Majesty.”
The King:
“Vinayandhara, today indeed Bhānumatī departed from the bedchamber early in the morning without bidding me farewell as usual; thus my mind was distracted.”
Producing affection in both parties who have conflicting attitudes,
and achieving an objective, is to be known by the wise as *anunaya* (placation / conciliation).
As in the third act of the *Ratnāvalī*, the king, at the offense concerning Sāgarikā's affair, folding his hands before Vāsavadattā, says in placation to her:
“Beloved Queen Vāsavadattā, even though my falsehood was seen firsthand, what can I say? Yet I make this petition:
Turning pale, I remove with my head the reddishness of the lac made upon your feet, O Queen;
but if there were supreme compassion toward me, I would be able to remove [the redness] born of the eclipse of anger upon the moon of your face.”
Where multiple purposes are mentioned by the wise to achieve a desired end, that is named *mālā* (garland / series).
9.p1.10
As in the Mālatīmādhava, Makaranda, looking towards Mālatī, [says] to Kāmandakī: / "Venerable lady, that she is of praiseworthy lineage, that she brings delight to the eyes, / that she is full of enduring friendship, that she is radiant with virtues— / any one of these alone is indeed a mighty means of winning [a heart]; / what then can I say of her, who is such to you?" / When, with joyful and serene faces, unconditioned [...] of another / [...] is exemplified as courtesy (dākṣiṇya). [12.184] / As in the Ratnāvalī, in the second act: / Vāsavadattā (turning to the Vidūṣaka): "Noble sir, but from seeing this painting, a headache has arisen in me; so I shall depart." / The King (taking Vāsavadattā by the hem of her garment): / "'My beloved, be pleased,' should I say this? It does not fit where there is no anger. / 'I will not do so again,' this would be an admission of guilt. / 'I have committed no fault,' this too you will know to be false. / I do not know what is fitting to say in this [matter], O dearest one." / Vidūṣaka: "Lady, be pleased." [12.185] / Vāsavadattā: "Noble son, do not think otherwise; truly a headache has arisen in me, so I shall depart." (Exit Vāsavadattā with her retinue.) [12.186] / Vidūṣaka: "Well done, by good fortune you prosper! Vāsavadattā has passed away peacefully, like an untimely storm-cloud!" / The King: "Fool, enough with joking! Out of noble birth, the Queen's anger was concealed and not noticed by you: / Though a knitting of her brow suddenly arose, her face was brought to extreme modesty; / a smile slightly cutting towards me [was made, but] no harsh word was spoken; / her eye, chilled with inward tears, was not rolled wide through her authority; / anger was manifested by my beloved, and yet propriety was not abandoned."
9.p1.11
Where one proclaims a fault [and yet] indicates virtue by implication, / whether arising from the transcendence of virtue or from a fault, that is called reproach (garhaṇa). / As also in the Uttararāmacarita, Candraketu [says], referring to Lava who is being attacked by soldiers: / "O kings! Mounted on countless elephants, horses, and chariots, / against a single foot-soldier here, who wears armor closely tied with an upper garment of deerskin, / you who are elder in years, against one of tender age, longing to exchange blows— / by you this equal combat has been joined in battle; therefore fie on you, fie on us!" / When [...] another meaning is understood, / enriched with sweetness of expression, that is exemplified as presumption (arthāpatti). / As in the Rāghavānanda, Kumbhakarṇa says, referring to Rāvaṇa: / "This Rāma in the world has attained supreme renown by his virtues of valor; / if due to a reversal of our fortune alone, the King does not know him, / verily the Wind serves as his bard singing his praises, / with the seven musical notes vomited forth through the apertures of the giant palm trees struck in a row by a single arrow of his!" / But that which [is expressed] with sentences full of hyperbole [...] / through many things well-known in the world, is proclaimed as renown (prasiddhi). / As in the Mahāvīracarita, Rāma says, referring to Paraśurāma: / "His birth is from Jamadagni; that venerable lord, the Wielder of the Pināka, is his teacher; / as for his valor, indeed it is not within the path of words, for it is evident by his deeds; / his generosity has the unconditional gift of the earth bounded by seven oceans as its limit— / or what indeed is not transcendent in the venerable lord, the storehouse of asceticism of Brahmins and Kṣatriyas?" / Where, through sentences born of physical demeanor, towards oneself or another, / as if inquiring, one declares [...]. / As in the Mahāvīracarita, Hanūmān, having seen Sītā, says: / "Fittingly do you waste away, O scion of Raghu! O Creator, what inauspicious mark was seen by you on her limbs? / Do you still live, O ten-faced one? O Hanūmān, what is this expectation of yours regarding an enemy standing before you?" / Arising from the narration and so forth of facts seen, heard, and the like, / a similarity producing emotional agitation is known as correspondence (sārūpya).
9.p1.12
[12.187] As in the Veṇīsaṃhāra, when Yudhiṣṭhira, having heard from Cārvāka that Bhīma and Arjuna were slain by Duryodhana, desires to enter the funeral pyre together with Draupadī, / (behind the curtain, after a tumultuous uproar): / "Ho, ho, wanderers of the Syamantapañcaka field, crowded with yakṣas, rākṣasas, piśācas, bhūtas, and vetālas drunk on the liquor of blood, and with herons, jackals, owls, and crows, where warriors are few! Enough of fear at the sight of me! / Tell me, in what place is the daughter of Yajñasena present? / I will state her identifying mark: / She whose clothes were snatched away before Duryodhana, who was playfully slapping his thighs with his hand; / she whose crest was torn by Duḥśāsana's dragging of her hair—tell me, in what place again is that Draupadī?" / Chamberlain: "Alas, Queen born of the sacrificial altar, you are now humiliated, helpless, by the stain on the Kuru race!" / [12.188] Yudhiṣṭhira (rising in agitation): "Queen, daughter of Yajñasena, do not fear, do not fear! / Who, who is here? Bring my bow along with the quiver! / Vile wretch of a Duryodhana, come, come! / With a shower of arrows I shall take away the pride of your arms amassed by your skill with the mace! / And furthermore, O cinder of the Kuru race: / Not seeing that dear younger brother who wrestled Jarasandha, and that child who fought with the angry Hara as a Kirāta, / I am not able, being hard-hearted like you, to remain alive, / except indeed to snatch away your vital breaths with rains of arrows!" / (Then enters Bhīmasena as described.) / Bhīmasena: "Ho, ho, soldiers roaming the Syamantapañcaka field, what is this agitation? / I am no rākṣasa, nor a bhūta; / though my body is exceedingly drenched with the waters of enemy blood, / and I have crossed the deep ocean of a mighty vow, I am an irascible Kṣatriya! / Ho, ho, warrior kings remaining after being burnt by the flames of the fire of battle! Enough of this fear of yours, / on account of which you sit concealed, hidden behind slain elephants and horses! / Let you tell me in what place the princess of Pañcāla is staying!" / Chamberlain: "Queen, daughter-in-law of Pāṇḍu, arise, arise!"
9.p1.13
Draupadī: (Suddenly rising) How is it that even now I have not reached the vicinity of the pyre? [12.189] Yudhiṣṭhira: Who, who is here? Bring the bow with its quiver! How is there no servant at all? So be it. By wrestling alone, embracing the villain tightly, I shall cast him into the fire! (Thus he girds his loins.) [12.190] Chamber-attendant: Queen, daughter-in-law of Pāṇḍu, let your hair, dragged by Duḥśāsana and obstructing your eyes, be tied up now! At present the hope for retaliation has set. Go quickly to the vicinity of the pyre! Yudhiṣṭhira: Kṛṣṇā, your hair must certainly not be gathered up while that villain Duryodhana is not yet slain! [12.191] Bhīmasena: Princess of Pañcāla, while I live your braid, dishevelled by Duḥśāsana, must certainly not be tied up with your own hands! Hold on, hold on! I myself shall tie it up! (Thus he wishes to seize her hair.) Yudhiṣṭhira: (Violently embracing Bhīma,) Villain, enemy of Bhīma and Arjuna, wretched Suyodhana! Perpetrator of offenses from childhood day after day, intoxicated by the strength of your arms, killer of princely youths! Having entered this cage of my arms, you wicked one, you shall not go a step further today alive! Bhīmasena: Ah! How does the noble one, suspecting me to be Suyodhana, embrace me pitilessly out of fury? [12.192] Chamber-attendant: (Looking closely, with joy) Great king, you are mistaken! This is indeed the long-lived Bhīmasena, whose entire body and garments are reddened by Suyodhana's blood, his identity difficult to recognize. Enough of doubt now! Revealing an underlying feeling situated in the heart through an artfully double-entendre meaning, speech by way of indirect address is remembered as 'desire' (manoratha). [12.193] As in the Ratnāvalī, in the second act, Susaṅgatā: 'Friend, the one for whose sake you have come, here he stands.' Sāgarikā: (Indignantly) 'Friend, for whose sake have I come?'
9.p1.14
Susaṅgatā: 'O suspicious one, why, for the picture board's sake! So take it!' When a statement is made by clever speakers by means of an expedient device, accomplishing a similar meaning, that is proclaimed as 'allusion' (leśa). [12.194] As in the Śākuntala, the two female friends, having perceived the feeling between Śakuntalā and Duṣyanta, aside: 'Friend Śakuntalā, if father were present today—' Śakuntalā: (Angrily) 'Then what would happen?' [12.195] The two friends: 'He would satisfy this guest even with the all-in-all of his life!' [12.196] Śakuntalā: 'Friends, go away! Having something else in mind, you are whispering. I shall not listen to your talk.' Where oneself is proclaimed through the faults of others with manifold meanings, or someone else who is blameless [is spoken of], that is remembered as 'agitation' (kṣobha). As in the Ratnāvalī, in the third act, the King: (Folding his hands) 'Beloved Vāsavadattā, be gracious!' [12.197] Vāsavadattā: 'Noble lord, do not speak thus! These syllables are directed to someone else.' [12.198] Vidūṣaka: 'Lady, you are noble-minded indeed! Therefore, let this single offense of my dear friend be pardoned!' [12.199] Vāsavadattā: 'Noble Vasantaka, rather, it is I who have offended him by causing an obstacle in his first meeting!' Where, through qualities being praised that arise from diverse objects,
9.p1.15
faults are not conceived of, that is to be known as 'proclamation of qualities' (guṇakīrtanam). As in the Ratnāvalī, in the second act, the King: 'Fierce lady, even if out of wrath you cast this look away, yet, affectionate, it will not become harsh. Renouncing your haste, walk with faltering steps; this heavy hip of yours will become exceedingly weary.' A conclusion established through asked or unasked [questions] is to be known as 'exposition' (tadākhyāna), a dramatic characteristic. [12.200] As in the Uttararāmacarita, in the fourth act, Kausalyā: 'Oh! In the midst of these, who is this boy who cools our eyes with tender and charming limbs displaying the poise of Rāmacandra's youthful splendour?' [12.201] Arundhatī: (Aside, with joy and longing) 'This is indeed that secret nectar to the ears disclosed by the Bhāgīrathī. Yet we do not know which of the two long-lived boys, Kuśa and Lava, this one is.' Being dissuaded by very many [...] reasons, that which women do not carry out is proclaimed as 'indignation' (abhimāna). [12.202] As in the Ratnāvalī, in the third act, Kāñcanamālā: 'Mistress, show favor to him! If you go away, abandoning the great king who has thus fallen at your feet, remorse will surely follow.' [12.203] Vāsavadattā: 'Ah, go away, foolish girl! Whence here is a cause for favor or remorse?' Where, having declared the attainment of an acquisition either in person or by the mouth of an envoy, a maiden or the like is requested, that is designated as 'solicitation' (yācñā).
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As in the Mahāvīracarita: / 'You possess a jewel of a maiden not born from a womb, and we are suitors. / Whatever jewel exists anywhere, it devolves upon us even from Indra. / And a maiden's purpose is indeed deemed to be for another; through giving her, / I shall become your kinsman, and men like Pulastya and Pulaha shall be your relations.' / When an action is surrounded by clear qualities that generate energy, relying on comparison / and well known, it is to be understood by the wise as incitement (protsāhana). / As in the Ratnāvalī, in the fourth act, Vijayavarmā says while describing the battle that had occurred earlier: / 'My Lord, he was resolute. / Coming out from the Vindhya to fight, he immediately turned to face the quarters, / blocking them like another Vindhya through the tight formation of his herd of lordly elephants; / discharging arrows with speed, his infantry crushed by the herds of elephants in rut, / Rumaṇvān, falling upon him, his fury doubled by the attainment of his desire, checked him in an instant.' / When, upon seeing, hearing, or experiencing the beauty of an object, / a desire arises, that is proclaimed as yearning (spṛhā). / As in the Uttararāmacarita, Janaka [says]: / 'Dark and glossy as a blue-lotus petal, adorned with side-locks, / sanctifying the assembly of young novices by his splendour alone as if honouring it, / who is this who, as if my child, the delight of Raghu, had become a boy again, / instantly creates when seen a nectarous unguent for the two eyes?' / When one has rashly done what ought not to be done, or indeed even when one has done what ought to be done, / that anguish of mind is called remorse (paścāttāpa). / As in the Ratnāvalī, in the third act, Vāsavadattā [says]: / 'Kāñcanamālā, coming away disregarding my noble husband who had thus fallen at my feet, I have acted very cruelly indeed!' / Attending upon another with humility coupled with an objective, / either out of affection or due to courtesy, is termed compliance (anuvṛtti).
9.p1.17
As in the Ratnāvalī, in the third act, the King [says]: / 'Friend, how will the sight of my beloved even come to be?' / The Jester: / 'Sir, why will it not be, when you have this minister whose abundance of intellect derides Bṛhaspati?' / The King: / 'Indeed, nothing is impossible.' / When a relation of objectives is accomplished through association with great persons / being mutually favourable, that is proclaimed as contrivance (yukti). / As in the Mālatīmādhava, Kāmandakī [says]: / 'So now, Devarāta, minister to the king of Vidarbha, sending his son Mādhava from Kuṇḍanapura to this Padmāvatī to study philosophy, acted very wisely: / The promise regarding the alliance between their offspring has been brought to the memory of his dear friend, / and his son, whose virtues exceed ordinary mortals, has been exhibited to inspire liking. / Moreover, through the events in the garden involving Makaranda, I perceive even the favour of divine fate, / and the arrangement involving Vakulāvalī and the picture-board stirs a certain marvelous delight.' / A speech possessed of multiple logical connections, accomplishing multiple objectives, / and joined with multiple statements, is to be understood as brilliant exposition (nirbhāsana). / As in the Mālatīmādhava, Makaranda [says]: / 'Friend Mādhava, the mutual exchange of glances among her friends was a prior sign of love even for her; / and the clever speech of the foster-sister saying, "to a certain someone, someone…"' / Kalahaṃsaka, approaching: / 'And this.' He shows the picture-board. / When one capable of retaliation restrains himself, even in the face of an offence, / on account of the propriety of the person involved, that is proclaimed as forbearance (kṣamā). / As in the Uttararāmacarita, Lava [says] to himself: / 'Such causeless affection these elders have towards me! / Yet I, foolish, have committed an offense against these very ones, / in that weapons were taken up.' (Aloud): 'Now let the revered father pardon Lava's childishness!'
9.p1.18
Rāma: / 'What offense has the child committed?' / Candraketu: / 'Hearing from the escorting cavalrymen the proclamation of father's valour, he acted heroically.' / Rāma: / 'Why, this is the ornament of the warrior class!' / That is to be understood as recital of virtues (guṇānuvāda) where, through metaphorical transference of difference / and resorting to secondary signification, the nature of a thing is stated. / As in the Śākuntala, the King [says]: / 'A flower unsmelt, a tender shoot unplucked by fingernails, / an unperforated jewel, fresh honey whose essence has not been tasted, / and the unbroken fruit, as it were, of meritorious deeds—her faultless form: / I know not whom destiny will here present as the enjoyer.' / Having set forth one's own state of mind through arguments of resemblance to another, / the utterance of intense meaning is called an outcry (ākranda). / As in the Mālatīmādhava, entering agitatedly, Buddharakṣitā [says]: / 'Save her, save her! / This dear friend of ours, Madayantikā, sister of the minister Nandana, her attendants killed and scattered by this vicious tiger, is being overpowered!' / When, having made a change of appearance, whether human or divine, / an ignorant person is deceived, that is exemplified as deception (kapaṭa). / As in the Mālatīmādhava, Kāmandakī [says]: / 'Child Makaranda, concealed in this very attire of Mālatī, proceed yourself to the marriage with Nandana.' / When, by faults spoken under another's name, having a known matter as its occasion, / it is connected with a meaning elsewhere, that is to be known as censure (parivādana). / As in the Ratnāvalī, in the third act, Vāsavadattā has exited after leaving the King who had fallen at her feet. / And the Jester speaks to the King: / 'How was favour not shown, since even now we remain with uninjured bodies?' / Then, the King, having realized, says reproachingly: / 'This misfortune has befallen us because of you!'
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When faults that have occurred are calmed again, that should be recognized as conciliation (abhyupapatti), a dramatic characteristic. / As in the second act of the Ratnāvalī: / Vāsavadattā: “Kāñcanamālā, here is the noble lord; and here is the starling. Noble lord, what is this?” / The king (aside): “Friend, friend, what shall I say? You give her the answer yourself.” / The Jester: “Lady, hearing my words that it is difficult to paint oneself, my dear friend demonstrated this skill.” / The king: “My queen, it is just as Vasantaka says.” / Vāsavadattā: “Noble lord, and this other [woman] painted near you—is that also Vasantaka’s skill?” / The king (with an embarrassed smile): “My queen, enough of suspecting otherwise! For I just imagined some girl in my own mind and painted her; she was not seen before.” / Where, mentioning a fault, one unites it with an advantage by means of meaning, that is described here as […] action. / As in the first act of the Ratnāvalī: / Yaugandharāyaṇa: “In this enterprise meant for the prosperity of my master, when fate has thus lent a helping hand, there is no doubt of success; yet, being an independent agent, I am truly fearful of my lord.” / If someone proceeds with perverse undertakings and is restrained by those who know what should be done, that is described as prohibition (pratiṣedha). / As in the Mahāvīracarita: / Daśaratha: “Desist, O lord of men! How does your arm, belonging to a veteran archer, covered with white hairs and accustomed to giving away thousands of cows incessantly, touch an arrow against this twice-born?” / When one sets out due to delusion to accomplish a proposed purpose,
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When a futile effort is abandoned, that is to be known as 'futile exertion' (mṛṣodyama).
As in the Mahāvīracarita:
"Whoever among you here lays claim to ascetic power or weapon,
let him, unable to bear an overweening foe, bring him down with pride!
Having rid the earth of Rāma, along with the descendant of Daśaratha whose banner is the plough,
Paraśurāma, insatiable, will quell even his lineage."
Where a word is employed with a double meaning through intonation (kāku) or paronomasia (śleṣa),
in order to outwit a principal personage, that is proclaimed as 'equivocation' (chalokti).
As in the Ratnāvalī, in the second act:
Vidūṣaka: "My lady, I swear truly by my sacred thread if I have ever seen such a one before!"
Vāsavadattā: "Ah, simple girl, this is Vasantaka! Do you not know his crooked sayings? Today, from looking at this picture, a headache has come upon me. So I shall go."
And as in the Mālatīmādhava:
"The great king has authority over his own maiden daughters."
That through which the meaning stated in a sentence takes on a different sense,
by means of a distinct vocal tone, is called 'intonation' (kāku) by the wise.
And as in the Veṇīsaṃhāra:
Bhīma (referring to Sahadeva): "Those brothers of yours are to be conciliated!"
And as in the very same work:
"Having struck at our lives and our amassed wealth
by the house of lac, poison, poisoned food, and the assembly entrance,
and having pulled the garments and hair of the Pāṇḍava bride,
can the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra remain at ease while I live?"
A sarcastic remark uttered by one who considers himself virtuous
when seeing someone do something wrong is called 'upbraiding' (unmātha).
As in the Ratnāvalī, in the third act:
Kāñcanamālā: "Well done, Vasantaka, well done! You have surpassed even Minister Yaugandharāyaṇa in this deliberation over peace and war!"
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And so forth.
A non-vulgar utterance suited to the occasion,
even among elders and superiors, is called 'pleasantry' (parihāsa).
As in the Uttararāmacarita:
Rāma: "And now there is the golden likeness of Sītā, companion in the horse sacrifice. With that too, I may distract my eyes burned by tears."
Sītā: "Blessed indeed is she who is so highly regarded by my noble husband, and who, consoling my noble husband, has indeed become the bond of hope for the world of living beings!"
Tamasā (smiling and embracing her with tears of affection): "Ah, child! Thus you praise yourself!"
Sītā (with bashfulness): "I am teased by the venerable lady!"
A speech intent on self-praise on account of the excellence of one's virtues
or the glory of an heroic deed is called 'boasting' (vikatthana) here.
And as in the Veṇīsaṃhāra:
Arjuna: "Father, Mother! That son of yours upon whom was pinned all hope of victory over foes,
by whose pride the world was held in contempt like a blade of grass,
this middle Pāṇḍava, slayer of that son of Rādhā on the forefront of battle, bows to you, his parents."
Bhīma: "Having crushed all the Kauravas, drunk with the blood of Duḥśāsana,
and having broken the thighs of Suyodhana, this Bhīma bows with his head."
When a union with some desired object occurs by chance
and is unforeseen, it is called 'fortuitous meeting' (yadṛcchāyoga) by the wise.
As in the Mālatīmādhava:
Mālatī: "My lord, but how did you...?"
Mādhava (bashfully):
"Afflicted by the single-minded desire, 'May I be one whose birth is blessed by the grasping of your lotus hand,'
wandering in the cremation ground to sell human flesh,
I heard your weeping, timid one, and have come."
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Where one considers a desired object to be present to the senses
and another considers it to be beyond the senses, that is remembered as 'discrepancy' (vaiṣamya).
As in the Uttararāmacarita:
Vāsantī: "How is it that Rāmabhadra still does not breathe? Ah, dear friend, where are you? Revive the lord of your life! You burn again and again an unfortunate woman, though already burned by misfortune."
Sītā: "I wish to withdraw. But this hand of mine, through the gentle and cool touch of my noble husband, full of enduring love, which instantly lightens even my long and terrible torment, has been held fast, its activity arrested, as if bound by diamond-cement."
Rāma: "Friend, whence this raving?
That very hand, which was held formerly in the wedding rite bearing the bracelet,
which was familiar with the nectar-cool rays of the moon,
endowed with the beauty of comparison with her other hand,
resembling a delicate sprout of lavalī, has been found by me!"
(He grasps it.)
Sītā: "Alas, bewildered by the touch of my noble husband, a lapse has indeed occurred!"
Rāma: "Friend Vāsantī, with eyes closed in joy, I am overpowered by the trembling at my beloved's touch. Therefore, do you hold this!"
Vāsantī: "Alas, it is mere madness!"
(Sītā hurriedly pulls back her hand and withdraws.)
Rāma: "Alas, a misfortune!
That sprout of a hand suddenly slipped away from my numbed self,
quivering from my own trembling hand, plump and sweating like an elephant's trunk."
Tamasā (observing her with an affectionate, curious smile):
"Her limbs sweating, bristling with horripilation, and trembling from the joy of her beloved's touch,
my child has become like a kadamba branch shaken and sprinkled by the wind and fresh rain, with its buds bursting open."
Sītā: "Having lost control of myself, I have been put to shame by the venerable Tamasā. What indeed will she think? 'Here is her abandonment, and here is her clinging!'"
Rāma (looking all around): "Alas, how is she not here at all? Indeed, pitiless Vaidehī, you ought not to abandon me thus and go!"
Vāsantī: "Be pacified, my lord!"
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"Compose yourself, whose self has surpassed its bounds, solely by your own extraordinary [power]. Whence could my dear friend be here?"
12.225 Rāma: "Clearly she is not here at all. How otherwise would even Vāsantī not see her? This must indeed be a dream. But whence could sleep come to Rāma?"
"If I do not accomplish this, then I shall act in such a manner"—
such a statement as that of Uddhava and others is called Resolution.
As in the Makuṭatāpita, Bhīma:
"All the Dhārtarāṣṭras are destroyed and shaken; Duśśāsana's tasty blood has been drunk;
the vow regarding the tying of Draupadī's hair is fulfilled; only the breaking of the thighs of the Kaurava remains.
If, crushing his thighs with my mace, I do not shatter his jewel crest with my foot,
I will offer my body as an oblation into fire, whose frame is thick with braids of spreading flames that drink in their own smoke."
A definitive statement, [saying] "Thus I must act in this matter,"
arising from affection or courtesy, is designated Engagement.
As in Mālatīmādhava, Kāmandakī:
"May not that misfortune, which is to be dreaded for her or for you, befall even our enemies!
Therefore, by all means, an effort must be made by me to unite [you both], even at the cost of life."
When it is full of the sense of a benediction, arising from a wish,
or something not to be prayed for, or another [good thing], the wise know that as a Blessing.
As in Mālatīmādhava, Kāmandakī:
"May the Creator grant us good fortune for this charming rite; may the gods bring about a most delightful outcome!
May I be fulfilled through the bringing together of the children of my dear friends; may this entire endeavor bear fruit, and may auspiciousness ensue!"
Where the remaining meaning is understood in its entirety from the context alone,
without being spoken by word, that is celebrated as Accomplishment.
12.226 As in the Śākuntala, the King: "The venerable Kāśyapa is well known to be established in perpetual chastity. And this friend of yours is his daughter—how can this be?"
Anasūyā: "Let the noble one listen. There is a royal sage of great majesty, of the Kauśika gotra by name."
The King: "There is; so it is heard."
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"Then, Anasūyā: 'Know him to be the progenitor of our friend. Her father, father Kāśyapa, is [so] because of nurturing her body and other such acts when she was abandoned by him.'
The King: 'Curiosity has been aroused in me by the word "abandoned". I wish to hear from the beginning.'
Anasūyā: 'Let the noble one listen. Long ago, it is said, when that royal sage was engaged in austere asceticism, the gods, seized by some apprehension, sent an Apsaras named Menakā to cause an obstacle to his ascetic discipline.'
The King: 'This fear among the gods regarding the meditation of others does exist. What next?'
Anasūyā: 'Then, seeing her intoxicating form during the generous spring season...'—(having spoken this half, she stops in shame).
The King: 'The rest is indeed understood. In every way she is born of an Apsaras.'
That speech which causes anger at first and increases joy in the end,
endowed with a benediction, is to be known as Pleasant Speech.
12.227 As in the Ratnāvalī, in the fourth act, the Jester, setting aside the magician, says: "Ah, you son of a slave, magician! What is the use of showing these gods and Apsarases? If you have business with this satisfied [king], show Sāgarikā!" Then, immediately after this statement, the King, rising in agitation from the fire: "Are not Vasubhūti and the others surrounded by fire?"
These sixty-four ornaments of poetry, roughly speaking, have been illustrated;
they are to be suitably employed by experts to produce beauty in a composition, according to the rasas.
This quadruple set of sixty-four which has been illustrated for the nāṭaka and the nāṭikā
should be composed by the great in stories and poems without contradiction to rasa.
Having considered these twelve divisions individually of linguistic sound and meaning,
a scholar who knows the rules of linguistic sound should undertake labor in poetic composition, because of the literary conjunction;
for as long as their imperishable fame enters the mansion of heaven and earth,
so long indeed do these [scholars] inhabit the Brahma-abode, the crown ornament of the worlds.
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Thus ends the twelfth illumination, named "The Illumination of the Four Sets of Sixty-Four Components of Composition," in the Śṛṅgāraprakāśa composed by the great king of kings, the venerable Bhojadeva.
Linked texts (1)
- Śṛṅgāraprakāśa — Bhoja, Sanskrit