Sambodhi 1978 Vol 07

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

Page 79

Plot-construction of the Kādamari
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author. But a close scrutiny of the plot would indicate that in the authors' plan of the plot no such thing existed. Of course, a reader would have liked it very much to see a minor character like Patralekhā blossomed into a major one, Patralekhā is none but Rohin the heavenly spouse of the God Moon who has come down on the earth to look after Candràpida, her lord. She is quite intimate to Candrāpīda but any relation is out of question on the earth and the author has deliberately chosen to portray this unidentifiable relation in a charming manner. Her too much intimacy with Candrāpida might have aroused a sort of jealousy. This has been borne out by the end of the story when Kadambarī seeks information about Patralekha from Chandrāpida, and accordingly she is informed. She feels a little bit ashamed of herself for harbouring jealousy against Patralekha. कादम्बरी तु तच्छ्रुत्वा रोहिण्यास्तदोदारतया स्नेहलतया महानुभावतया सपतिव्रततया पेशलann a fafenaeqTT q' afsæar a f#fafa afi TTI* /" This sentence of the Uttarabhāga pre-supposes that part of the story in the Purvabhāga in which Patralekha has displayed all these traits by her devotion to Candrāpida.
• Kādambarī's very late entrance in the story has been pointed out as a flaw in the contraction of the plot by many of the critics. But the closer scrutiny of the plot would justify the late entrance of the heroine. According to the canons of Sanskrit literature Candrāpīda of divine origin would be the hero and Kadambari by virtue of her being the spouse of the hero would be the heroine of the piece. According to the design of the plot, Pundarika and Mahāśvetā are to receive maximum attention of the author. Pundarika's falling in love with Mahāśvetā resulted in the entrance of two other characters viz. Candrāpida and Mahāśvetā. To wit Pundarika unable to bear the agonising separation from Mahāśvetā cursed the Moon. There was no initiative on the part of the Moon to get involved into any kind of love affairs. So love-affair of Candrápida and Kādambari is in a way adventious in the story and it being so it should receive less attention of the author. This fits well in the author's scheme of the plot. In the first birth, Moon did not have any love-affair. In the second only he finds his beloved in Kādambari. By this time love of Pundarika had run the whole gamut of it. Similarly when love dawns upon Kadambari for the first time Mahāśvatā by that time had already undergone the joys and sorrows of love. So from this point of view this Candrápida and Kādambari lovepair is junior and younger in respect of love to that of Puņdarika and Mahaśvetā. This admirably suits well in the entire design of the plot. The late entrance of the heroine also might be due to as Pandya Chhaganlal Harilal conjectures, "The poet must have thought that it is better to introduce the heroine at the opportune time and keep constantly before the