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G. K. Bhat
a letter of love. Damayanti has given enough indications of her mina without actually divulging anything or without committing herself. The appareat onesided meeting is interrupted by Damayanti's mother calling her away. The Vidūşaka brays like a donkey; Damayanti returns to avoid a bad omen. She then drops a letter in the hand of the Vidūsaka, promises Nala to meet the next day, and finally departs The letter is a confession of her love for Nala. But it also suggests a separation 20 The confession of mutual love completes the preparation for union. But the mixed note of union and possible separation augurs a coming turn of events. And this is overshadowed by the news that Ghoraghona and his wife have joined Nala's brother Kūbara.
The fourth act presents the scene of the svayamvara. It is really unne. cessary after the mutual avowal of love. It is probably notroduced as the only way for showing a formal union; and this is, incidentally, in keeping with the old legend, as with the declared intention of the Vidarbha King,
The scene is no doubt modelled on Kālidasa's Indumati-svayamvara. It bas no dramatic value, because any surprise or unexpected turn is already prevented by the omission of the gods' rivalry which was an important part of the old legend, by checking, for the time being at least, Citragena's plot to get Damayanti for himself, and by the fact that Damayanti bad made up her mind about Nala. The scene has therefore only a spectacular value. There is, no doubt, some good poetry in this act; and the psychological tremours of Nala through the scene are convincingly shown. But the repetition involved in the introduction of suitors, inevitable though, cannot be called dramatic, as the final outcome is known to the audience. There are also some elements in the scene that are difficult to explain. What is the point in showing that the presentation of the suitors took such a long time as to tres spass on the auspicious hour fixed for the marriage? 28 If the usher, Madhavasena, was inordinately talkative, as Damayanti feels and Bhimaratha openly alleges, why was he chosen for this work ?26 As a matter of fact, it is his duty to introduce every king properly. He is no more talkative than the minister Vasudatta in fact is, who loves to describe Damayanti's charms to her own father 127 Damayanti's own tarrying also, when she finally stands before Nala, is difficult to explain. If the dramatist was planning to create a last-minute suspense, it was useless; because the audience did never expect Damayanti to turn away from Nala. It is equally puzzling why the king, and subsequently the minister, should impose upon Damayanti and openly recommend to her and instruct her to choose Nala if this were svayanvara ?28.
The act comes to a close with the bard's announcement of the time of the day. The imagery used by him in his verse uomistakably suggests the
