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Studies in
even roll on the ground and wail aloud beating her bosom. In depicting the deep sorrow of the first type of woman a poet may well utter one or two verses. It is, however, a different story with the second type of woman. Rati belongs to the second category. It is therefore quite natural for a poet to depict the sorrow of a loving wife at the sudden, tragic death of her husband on the basis of his mental identification with the psycho-physical condition of such a woman. By this sympathetic identification the poet visualises mentally the memorable moments spent by Rati in the company of the beloved husband, love's quarrels and the unforgettable incidents associated with him crowding in her mind at that tragic moment, coolly contemplates over them and finally portrays them in literature. Looked at from this perspective one would not find fault with Kālidāsa for giving a full expression to what passed in the mind of the bereaved woman who has lost her all-in-al! in the world. An analysis of the Rati-vilāpa, given below, would clearly show that there is no overdoing in Rati's Lament. Kālidāsa portrays a brilliant and touchingly pathetic picture of the lament of Rati, a loving wife, for her dead husband. Towards the end of the third Canto Kālidāsa effectively describes the tragic shock received by Rati.
तीव्राभिषङ्गप्रभवेण वृत्तिं मोहन संस्तम्भयतेन्द्रियाणाम् ।
अज्ञातभर्तृव्यसना मुहूर्त कृतोपकारेव रतिर्बभूव ॥
"The bitterness of the blow cast Rati into a swoon which dulled her senses and for the moment with true kindness robbed her of awareness of the peril (that is, death) of her husband."
The fourth canto thus opens :
अथ मोहपरायणा सती विवशा कामवधूर्विबोधिता । विधिना प्रतिपादयिष्यता नववैधव्यमसह्यवेदनम् ।।'
"Then Rati (lit, the wife of Kāma) who was not mistress of herself (insensible), being overpowered by the swoon was awakened by Fate wishing to make her experience her fresh widowhood full of unberable agony."
Finding her husband reduced to ashes Rati laments piteously :
अथ सा पुनरेव विह्वला वसुधालिङ्गनधूसरस्तनी । विललाप विकीर्णमूर्धजा समदुःखामिव कुर्वती स्थलीम् ॥
"She then, again, overpowered with grief, wailed aloud with her breasts dusty owing to rolling on the ground, with her hair all dishevelled, making the whole forest-site as it were share her grief."
There is perfect simplicity of passionate longing in Rati's address to the dead Kāma :
Incidentally, the usually accepted readings in Dhvanyaloka are 'paripoşam' and 'rasasya! The editor's f. n. (on p. 440) TEET' ya a it geis erroneous.
From the context in Dhvanyāloka it would be evident that flacasya' is the correct seadirg. 6. Kumāra III. 73. 7. Kumāra IV. 1 8. Kumāra IV. 4
