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G. K. Bhat
Nala through his calamity. (iv) The separated Damayanti, in the epic story, becomes aware of Nala's whereabouts by partaking the animal meat cooked by bim, The Jaina version uses the motive of Sürya-paka-vidya which Nala alone is supposed to know. It is obvious that Ramacandra uses tho Jaina version as a base for his dramatic story. He has also effected many other small changes in introducing new motives and characters to suit the drama. tic form imposed on the old legend.
The prologue, called amukha, introduces the poet and his play and strikes the main note in the story of Damayanti's desertion by Nala through a parallel occurrence in the life of the Nat. She is worried because her married daughter has been driven out of the house by the husband The Sutradara takes a philosophic view of the happeniog and feels confident that the daughter will be reuplted with her husband if she were really above blame. This conversation serves to foreshadow the denouement of the play.
The main scene of the first act introduces King Nala with bis usual palace attendants. A kāpalika has been captured. With bim is discovered a letter addressed to one king Citraseoa by some Meşamukha, and also a picture of a lovely damsel. It is recognised that the Kāpālika is a spy; though the contents of the letter remain as yet a mystery. The lady in the picture is a jewel of a woman', and she is wearing a string of pearls (muktāvalı) which is surprisingly identical with what Nala had seen in a dream the same morning. The coincidence strengthens the prophecy by the King's astrologers that the King will have a beautiful woman and great prosperity. The apparent mystery about the picture is solved by a palace maid Makarikā who belongs to Kundinapura and who is therefore in a position to identify the picture as that of Damayanti, the daughter of the Vidarbha king. Nala is very much enamoured of the Vidarbha Princess whom he had considered, from the picture, to be a devata. He is also angry with the Kapalika whom he orders to be thrown in prison.
The first act is thus intended to introduce Damayanti and create in Nala's mind an attraction for her. This is accomplished by a new, though familiar, motive of a dream and by the introduction of a picture through a captured spy. The author creates a mystery at the beginning of his story which he resolves at the end, obviously to maintain suspense in the uofolding of bis dramatic plot.
The spy episode has dropped a bint about the possible opposition to Nala's amorous intentions. This is pursued partly in the second act. Nala has sent his trusted companion Kalabamsa, along with Makarika, to the Vidarbha kingdom, armed with Nala's own picture and of Damayanti seized from the spy, in order to learn Damayanti's personal reactions. The emissaries play their part cleverly, gain access to Damayanti, and bring
