Indian Antiquary Vol 53

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 10

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
OJANUARY, 1924
A
prowess, literary aooomplishments18 and other incomparable qualities of this sovereign have the contemporary testimony of the author in some of the verses oocurring in the work, and these attributes go to justify the names of Dharmardja and Kilavanraja, by which he was lovingly remembered by his subjeots, and to confirm the ideal picture drawn of him in the pages of the Travancore State Manual 30 It is a pity that no reference has been made to any of the stirring political events of those times, as probably the work was composed early in the King's reign.
The plot of the model drama oalled Vasulakshmi-kalyanam inserted in the Natakaprakarana or the third chapter of the book is as follows:
The king of distant Sindhu had a daughter na med Vasulakshmi and had set his heart on marrying her to the king of Travancore, Balarama-Kulaskhara, whose accomplishments were much noised abroad. But the queen, who had another bridegroom in view in the person of her nephew, the prince of Sim hala, started her daughter on voyage ostensibly with the intention of visiting a famous temple, while the proposed destination was in reality Ceylon. Providenoe, however, upset the queen's calculations and the royal barge was stranded on that part of the Travancore shore which was in the jurisdiction of the frontier-captain (antadurgapala) Vasumadraja, the brother of Ramavarman's consort, Vasumati. The shipwrooked princess was then sent by this captain to his sister at the capital, where her beauty at once captivated the pliable heart of king Ramavarman, the hero of the drama. The usual love intrigues culminate in a clandestine meeting of the lovers in the Palace garden and the jealous senior then attempts to dispose of her rival by marriage to her cousin, the Pandya king. But this scheme is frustrated by the king and his accomplioo, the inevitable Vidů. shaka, who in the disguise of the Pandya king and his friend receive the bride. In the meantime, the Sindhurája learns the whereabouts of his missing daughter through Nitisagara, the Travancore minister, and coming to Travancore with a large escort, confirms the betrothal of king Ramavarman with Vagulakshmi, which happily proved agreeable to his own inclinations.
1 बैलोक्यप्रथमानभास्करकुलक्षीराधिराकाशशी
प्रत्याक्षितिपालमौलिमणिमिनीसजिताहिर्मुः। विकान्ताकुचकुम्भचन्दनरसोन्मीलयशोमण्डला .
राज्यश्रीसमलकृतो विजयते श्रीरामवर्मा नृपः। 18 यदृच्छासलापैस्समधिगतषट्तन्यविभवे
शमस्कुर्वन् धीरान् सदसि रसभावप्रकटनः । कबन्धिन्वन् गानक्रमविवरणादनावकवरान् ।
परिष्कुर्वन्वस्विक्षितिपतिलकोऽयं विजयते ॥ The King was himself the author of the following works : Rajaanyam, Subhadrdharanam, Gandharvavijayam, Pafchaliwayamvaram, Kalyd qasaugandhikam and Balardmabharatam. __७ स एव देवी भुवनेऽजनाभः स एव देशस्तदुपाहिताधिः।
___ सानन्सपुर्येव पुरी स वश्चिक्षितीश एव क्षितिपालकोहि ॥ 30 Travancore State Manual, VOL I, pp. 407 at sog. and Travancore Archmological Series, Vol. IV, part 1. In this connection, the tribute of praise rendered him by his nephew, Sri Ramavarma Varichiyuvardja of the Asvati nakshatra (1755-87) in bis Rukmini parinayam is worth noting:
भस्ति निखिलखलहत्यनिचान्यमान शौकशल्बस्व शल्यस्येव धर्मजातवद्धचेतसः प्रचेतस इव पार्चपरिआजमग्नवाहिनीसहनस्य सहनदीवितरिवोन्मुखपनाकरहीमपाइपलवस्य वैनतेयस्येव भृशमहितापमानवतः काविकैवस्वेवाप्रतिहतशक्तेराकण्डलस्येव प्रकटितशतकोटिदामविस्मयस्य सकलपरिपन्थिमण्डलात्ववविश्रान्तचापकर्मणोऽपि सकल दिगन्तभूबमाणगुरुगणध्वने। पाधिवप्रधानस्थापि गुणमवस्व राजा श्रीपचनाभवासवसिपालकुलशेखररामपर्मणः"