Sambodhi 1975 Vol 04

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

Page 40

N. M, kansara
"The hidden purpose of the letter of Samaraketu addressed to Malaya: sundari and handed over by Harivābapa to Gandharvakadl is disclosed wben Malayasundari suddenly finds it tied to her garment, and consequ. ently gives up the idea of cornnitting suicide again,
Dhadap la betrays his consciousness as an artist when he seeks to enhance t be path of love of Harivahapa for Tilakamaūjari, and almost challenges us to exercise our imagination as to the manner in which Harivāhana can be spade to reach the remote region of the Vidyadhras. 43
By introducing the incident of the mad elephant to be pacified by the mugical powers of Harivahana, and the elephant suddenly flying and kidnapping the prince away, at the poet catches us by surprise and leaving us bewildered and gasping as to what will now happen to the prince, he quitely passes on to Samaraketu's search operation. The suspense intensites when the poet slyly drops in the news that the elephant was, of course, recovered but the whereabouts of the prince were untracable,40 This small detail skillfully introduced here is taken up later on to lay bare how Citrama a took the form of the prince's elephant 47 at the instance of Gandharvaka, who had promised to meet the prince again 40.
The sudden arrival of Paritosa with a message from Kamalagupta adds to tbe effect of suspense especially when the former reports about the mysterious arrival of the message and equally surprising incident of carryIng away of the reply message by a parrot 50 It is noteworthy that the poet gives out the contents of the letter only after giving the full background, thus amplifying the suspense by the delaying tactics,61 This mystery is resolved only when Gandharvaka relates as to how he was transformed into # parrot and how he carried the messages,62 Tbe self-conciousness of the poet is evident in the remarks which indirectly draw our attention to the effect of the incident of the mysterious taking away of the message by a parrot) on the audience, at the same time, the solution of the riddle is wrested in the last alternative of the remarks.68 And the poet drives at kobe ingenuity as displayed in this wonderful parrot-episode.54
To beighten the suspense about the neighing of horses heard by Sama rakete, Dhanapala utilizes the former's curiosity and poses a number of alternative possibilities of gathering so many horses in a place bearby. "The poet's conscious art unfolds itself as he gives out the last alternative. 55
The conscious artist in the poet again peeps ip when Samaraketu. happens to see the Pralasti engraved in the Jaiņa temple at Mount Ekaśmiga, and recapitulating the strange experience that he underwent and the strange places that he reached, proclaims the uniqueness of the situations so far, tbus indirectly directing our attention to their excellence in the story of the TM not only that he is also conscious about the plausibility of the delineation of various incidents.67