Sambodhi 1975 Vol 04

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 39

The Treatment of Suspense in Dhanapala's Tilakam anjari
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unimaginable place for worldly affairs like youthful passion; but it is the holiness of this place that comes to the succuor of the damned lovers. 28
The poet's mastery at crcating suspense is very much evident when he brings the account of Samaraketu upto a point at which the latter sces the unknown girl (Malayasundari), and he abruptly drops the account by introducing the portrait of Tilakamañjiri. The consciousness of the literary artist in Dhanapala becomes quite transparent here as he slyly alludes to the response of the audience whose interest in the frame of the narrative has so far been well-sustained.24
The presentation of the portrait of a young girl, and through it the entry of Gandharvaka, has been skillfully utilized to introduce Tilakamanjari as a male-hater (puruşa-d yeşini), and inweave the episode regarding Gandharvadatta. The poet confounds the audience by throwing in a number of joint suggestions about probable causes of Tilakamanjari's aversion to males, 25 the reason being revealed at a very late stage in the narrative. 26 The suggestion that a human prince was the destined niatch for her27 faintly betrays the possibility of Harivāhana's chance. The unspecified task 28 for wnich Gaudharvaka was directed to go to Vicitravīrya at the Savela mountain has been disclosed later on when the aeroplane of Gandbarvaka is thrown away into the Adrstapära lake by enraged Mahodara,29 The insertion of the confirmation of the identity of Gandharvadattā rouses the curiosity which is but partially satisfied only when Malayasundari is interrogated by Vicitravirya 81 and the determination of this identity is very essential in bringing about the union of Samaraketu with Malayasundari, as it attracts the assistance of the superhuman agency in the form of Patralekha and Vicitravirya,32
Io the simple casual promise of Gandharvaka to Harivahana that he will return to Ayodhyā and do a portrait of the prince, unless he is not held up on his way to Trikuța mountain, the poet shrewdly implants the seed of the incident of Mabodara's curse to Gandharvaka.The element of suspense begins to sprout when Gandharvaka does not return to Ayodliyā.34 Likewise the casual polite promise containing the adjectives "sakalarthidrunasya" and “ista phaladayakam" by which Gandharvaka qualifies Harivāhana and bis feet respectively,85 is very pregnant with dramatic irony suggestive of the panegyric verse about Harivāhana sung by Gandharvaka, 80 who is later on rid of the cursed state of a parrot at the hands of the prince, 37 The expresa sion of the natural aspiration of Gandharvaka to draw a portrait of Harivahada so as to allay Tilakaman jari's aversion to males 88 is an advance suggestion about Harivahana's being her destined lover. Likewise, the usual customary remarks of Harivāha na to departing Gandharvaka that the latter should not forget the brief acquaintance89 is related to the task of carrying messages by the parrot. 40