________________
28
Appointment with Kalidasa
Agnimitra's simple question about the girl, fearing undesirable developments. Dhariņi's young sister, a child, Vasulakşmi, gave out the name of the girl as Malavikā. The queen's silence was a tactical error, because it only served to increase the king's curiosity. The girl was sent to the queen by her low-born brother who was posted to command the fortress on the bank of Narmadā; the girl came into his hands as a refugee, and seeing her exceptional skill in dance, he had sent her to Dhāriņi. Mālavikā was living in the harem as a personal maid of the queen and was receiving dance lessons from the royal preceptor of dance, Gañadāsa, as the younger queen Irāvati was being coached by another dance master Haradatta. These things were known in the harem apartments; so, when Agnimitra spoke to his companion and jesting pilot' Gautama and expressed his keen desire to see Malavikā in person, the Viduşaka instigated a quarrel between the two dance masters as an indirect but sure remedy to fulfil the king's wishes. The dance masters were both experts in their special field and touchy; when they were challenged by each other about their respective superiority in their specialised art, the quarrel came to a head; both sought an interview with the king, as they were in royal employment and as the king is the final tribunal in matters of dispute. Agnimitra invited Dhāriņi and her learned companion Parivrājika-Paņdita Kauśıkī to hear the dispute in order to maintain an appearance of personal unconcern and indifference. Dhāriņi was clever enough to see through this manoeuvre and tried desparately to stop the quarrel by several arguments; but Gautama continued to provoke the old Ganadāsa by accusing him of lack of skill, of doing nothing to earn his salary, and comparing the two dance masters to rams and elephants who would give no peace till one of them was vanduished in a fight, which, any way, would be great fun. Unfortunately for Dhāriņi, Parivrăjikā did not exactly take her side; she suggested that the masters demonstrated their skill by the performance of their pupils, for undisputed skill in an art is not a matter of theoretical knowledge only but also of an ability to train a pupil. So, a show was finally arranged to be held immediately in the music apartment of the palace. Gañadāsa was given priority because of his age; Parivrājikā was to act as a judge; and a difficult piece, the Chalita dance, based on the fourth quartret of Śarmiştha's composition, was selected for presentation by both the contending parties. The performance of Mālavikā is shown in the second act; that of Haradatta's pupil is reported. Malavikā gave a perfect exhibition of the difficult nätya and came out the winner, Agnimitra had the pleasure of watching Mālavikā at close quarters, admire her exquisite personal beauty and her accomplished skill in dance and abhinaya. The experience resulted only in increasing his interest in the girl; he fell in love with her and pressed the Vidūşaka to arrange for a meeting with her.
The opportunity came partly by a coincidence. Dhāriņi had a favourite Asoka tree; it had not come into blossom though the season was ripe; it was necessary to fulfil the tree's dohada; normally Dhāriņi would herself have fulfilled the longing of the tree by kicking it gently with her left foot; but she sustained a fall from the
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
