Sambodhi 1977 Vol 06

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

Page 39

Historical data in the..
33
Nevertheless a poet merits contributing immensely towards a continuity of the regular stream of poetic muse, Harşa is an admirable author in so far as his two Udayana plays, inspite of their having drawn inspiration from Bhā sa and Kalidāsa and even Gunādhya, are of immense historical value and the student as well as the scholar of Ancient Indian history and culture has much to explore the oasis out of the arid descrt of the dark period of Indian History wherein the internal struggles had created a chaos and disorder of political events that jeopardised the solidarity of the country in the years to come.
In order to sift historical data out of a conglomeration of legend and chronicle, we shall have to examine the details of incidents forming the themes of the two plays which more or less are identical in spirit though at variance in depiction.
Ratnāvalı in Ratnāvali, is the princess, the daughter of the King of the Simhalas, who on the prediction of a sage was destined to become the spouse of a paramount sovereign. Yaugandharāyaṇa, the astute minister of Udayana, the King of Kaušāmbı planned to win her hand for the espousal of his master. Lost in a shipwreack she was brought to Kaušāmbi by a merchant. Yaugandharayana named her as Sagarikā and kept her in the harem of the King quite covertly without disclosing her. King's fascination for her irritated Vāsavadattā who kept her away from the sight of the King. By intrigues and counter-covins manipulated through the expert skill of Vasantaka the Vidūşaka, Udayana succeeded in wooing her after Vasubhūti, the minister of the Simhala king revealed her identity as Ratnāyalı. Yaugandharāyana appcased the anger of his master by begging excuse for what he had done.
Similarly in Priyadarsikā, the band of Priyadarsika the daughter of Drdhavarmā, the king of thc Angas had been solicited by the king of the Kalingas whose bchest was unheeded. She was however, betrothed to Udayana of Kaušāmbi. The King of Kalinga embroiled over this attacked Angas and subsequently yanguislied and captured his foe Drdhavarma. The chamberlain of Drdhavarmā took Priyadarsika to Udayana but on the way he had to keep her under care of Vindhyaketu, the forest king of the Vindhya regions, a friend and ally of Drdhavarmā. He himself went to have a holy dip in the place of Agastya. Udayana sent an army governed by Vijayasena against Vindhyaketu who was defeated and slain. Priyadarsikā was presumed to be the daughter of Vindhya-ketu and was kept with Vāsavadatta. Her name was given out as Aranyakā. Her and Vasavadatta's mothers were sisters. They were, therefore, cousins. Vāsavadattā was ignorant of this in so far as Aranyaka had concealed her identity. Udayana's love for her was got fructified by Vasantaka and Manoramā, her confident through the ruse of the enactment of Udayana-Vasavadattā legend through a drama. The Army