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Hail Vardhaman
Act I
[Place: Kundagram on the bank of river Gandak in the Republic of Vaishali. A garden blossoming with the fruit and flowers of spring. Time : Early morning, with the chirping of birds. Direction : Curtain rises. From the right side-screen an arrow appears to the sound of "Well done”. Another arrow appears, from the left, to the anchor of "Well done”. Thereafter enter two princes from the two sides one is Vijaya and another is Sumitra. Both are carrying bows and arrows. They are dressed as hunters, with open hair, saffron garments and sandles]
Vijaya :
Sumitra, have you watched the flight of the arrows darted from my bow ? Verily, it is a treat to score the bull's eye. My arrows are like rays of the sun that dispel the clouds in the horizon and set the birds chirping to music.
Sumitra :
But my arrows travel faster than lightning. With every target that I hit, I can see the boundaries of the enemy's kingdom shrink and storms rage in his breast.
Vijaya :
All this is alright. But recently Prince Vardhaman has banned all shooting.
Sumitra :
What, shooting a taboo to a warrior prince!
Vijaya :
So it is. Prince Vardhaman says : “Do excel in marksmanship. But thou shalt not kill.”
Sumitra :
Of what use is marksmanship, if you constantly think of killing and non-killing. Can you incite an enemy to an open combat, without raising your voice ?
Vijaya :
If you want to live in the Republic of Kundagram, you shall have to abjure all violence. Look at that
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