Chandralekha

SR No.: 001860
Original Sutra Author: Rudradas
Author: A N Upadhye
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Publication Year: 1945
Total Pages: 174
Language: Prakrit, Sanskrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari & Story
File Size: 13 MB

Page 56

INTRODUCTION
A
released all.' The king felt happy and surprised at this sudden development. The penitent queen comes along with heroine and attendants; and the king welcomes them all. She presents Sạngāramañjarī to him, and hestows on her the status of equality, that of a co-queen. He accepts her according to Gandharva marriage; he gives a gift of jewelled wristlet to Vidūşaka. Vidūşaka is going home but returns with minister Cārubhūti who greets the king as a Cakravartin and discloses the following details : Srngāra-mañjarī is the daughter of Jaţāketu, the king of Avanti; her husband would become a Cakravartin; she was being carried away by Maņimālin who had become a demon according to some curse which came to an end on the way, and she was dropped down in a hermitage; thence she was brought to the palace and kept with the queen. The queen regretfully realized that S.-mañjarī was the daughter of her brother-in-law (āvutta), and she apologised to her for the treatment so far given. The heroine thanks her in return. The king prays for an all-round welfare.
As Sattakas, shaped according to the definition of Nātikā with certain reservations, both Karpūra-mañjari and Sệngāra-mañjarī have much in common; and they inherit good many motifs, with or without minor changes, from the earlier plays' of Bhāsa, Kālidāsa, Harșa etc. In certain details Km. and Sm. have close resemblance: their titles, the names of queens, the quarrel between Jester and maid-servant, a philosophical discussion between king and Jester about love, etc. But everywhere Visveśvara handles the situations and contrivances more skilfully; as constrasted with parallel situations in Km., the quarrel in this play is devoid of bald abuses; and the author is not tempted to give a dry list of names of female guards. Visvesvara does not slavishly follow Rājasekhara's special ideas and expressions, though in a few places we are reminded of certain verses and idioms in Km. The king sees the heroine in a dream; he paints her in a picture; then her identity is ascertained : all this reminds us of the plot of Viddha-śālabhanjikā of Rājasekhara and the development of love-relation between Uşā and Aniruddha, and between Kandarpaketu and Vasavadattā. The idea of bringing the heroine as an arbitrator is well conceived and managed with dignity: thus she is proved to be a veritable śrngāra-mañjari, as her name connotes. Viśveśvara shows a good deal of poetic
1 Especially Svapnavāsavadattā, Mālavikāgnimitra, Ratnávali, Priyada
rsikā.