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Govardhan Panchal
Nirgrantha
he had played an invaluable role alongwith his brother Tejapāla. The Ullägha-Rāghava has a verse at the end of each of its nine acts in praise of Vastupala's many noble qualities, particularly his generosity.
The story of Rāma is presented in the form of nataka, which was performed in the Jaganmandira of Dvärikä on the sacred day of the Prabodhini-ekādasi. It was performed before an assembly of learned brāhmaṇa pandits. The sthāpaka enters after the nandi ślokas in praise of Śri Kșsna, and tells the nati that the play Ullagha-Rāghava is to be performed before the august assembly of the brähmana pandits who have gathered there from many places on the occasion of the sacred parva (festival).
The play begins with the departure of Sitä from her home in Janakapuri after her wedding with Rāma, a scene somewhat resembling the fourth act of the Sakuntala, in which Śakuntala takes leave of the aśrama-inmates, of course under different conditions and situation. The play is based on the natyaśāstric rules and must have been popular among the people because of its theme. The play was written at the request of Someśvara's son. (He seems to have written one other play also, which, however, is not available).
Another peculiarity of the Ullägha-Rāghava is that its foruth Act ends with the words
.......3A 1 474127o Agents and in the 7th Act?, two characters, Vakramukha and Kārpātika, are describing among themselves the Lanka war between Rāma-Rāvana forces :
सखे ! कियदप्यन्तर्गतं मया रामलक्ष्मणयोः स्वरूपं स्वामिनो मनोविनोदाय पत्रपट्टे .. विन्यस्तमस्ति । तद् अवलोकयतु । इति पट्टमर्पयति,
कार्याटिकः
गृहीत्वा विलोक्य च । साधु महामते ! साधु । छायानाट्यानुसारेण मनोहरमिदमालिखितं भवता ।। इति वाचयति
Here, the words 314177 and 91911 are used. Another chāyānataka, named the Dutāngada by Subhata (A.D.1242-1244), is also known. This is said to be the first chāyānātaka proper in the Sanskrit literature. It was staged in Patana during the dolotsava in the Siva temple by the order of the then king, Tribhuvanapāla. Subhata was also a protégé of Vastupāla". The Dharmabhyudaya of Meghaprabhācārya (A. D. 1217) seems to have been written for the puppet theatre as it is mentioned in one of its stagedirections. It has been called a chāyānataka!2.
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