Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c11.s3.40

c11.s3.40

The sixth Act is entitled Lalitopalabdhi (the winning of Lalitā, who is reborn as Jāmbavatī, daughter of Jāmbavat), but it is concerned chiefly with a new version of the winning of Satyabhāmā, daughter of Satrājit, and recovery of the Syamantaka jewel. Satyabhāmā, we are told, is transformed Rādhā, who, along with the Syamantaka jewel, was given by the sun-god as a reward of devotion to Satrājit. Viśvakarman, father of the sun-god’s wife Saṃjñā, builds a Nava-vṛndāvana at Dvārakā, where Rukmiṇī-Candrāvalī is installed as the queen, and Satyabhāmā-Rādhā is left in her protection in the manner of Vāsavadattā left to the care of Padmāvatī. The idea of a token or Abhijñāna is also introduced, for Satyabhāmā would not be recognised as Rādhā until Kṛṣṇa presents her with the Syamantaka jewel recovered from Jāmbavat, along with his daughter Jāmbavatī (=Lalitā). The seventh Act (Nava-vṛndāvana-saṃgama) describes, after the familiar plot-device of the Nāṭikā, the secret meeting of Satyabhāmā-Rādhā with Kṛṣṇa, who shows her a speaking image of Rādhā constructed by Viśvakarman, but Rukmiṇī-Candrāvalī, of course, comes upon the scene and interrupts the meeting. The eighth (Nava-vṛndāvana-vihāra) and the ninth (Citra-darśana) Acts continue the love-affairs at Dvārakā in a new atmosphere. The eighth Act arranges a little comedy of errors, based upon Rukmiṇī-Candrāvalī's jealousy of Satyabhāmā-Rādhā, by the exchange of two caskets of ornaments made by Viśvakarman for the two ladies. Incidentally is related the rescue of Viśākhā, reborn as a woman ascetic, by Kṛṣṇa who brings her to Dvārakā. The ninth Act reports similar rescue of Padmā, Bhadrā and Śyāmalā, as well as of the sixteen thousand one hundred Gopīs; but its principal theme is the depiction of reminiscent love (after the manner of Bhavabhūti's Citradaṛśana scene) by Kṛṣṇa's showing to Satyabhāmā-Rādhā a series of cave-frescoes, made by Viśvakarman, bearing on the Vṛndāvana-līlā. The tenth and last Act (Pūrṇa-manoratha) describes the dénouement with an all-round happy ending. The Syamantaka jewel at last arrives, sent by Satrājit. Kṛṣṇa enters in the disguise of one of the maids sent by the king with the jewel, but the trick is discovered. This brings about Candrāvalī's recognition of Rādhā and graceful acceptance of the situation, in the approved style of similar situations of the Nāṭikā. The play ends with reunion effected with Nanda, Yaśodā and others who come to Dvārakā, which is now converted into a really new Vṛndāvana.