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SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
marvel in the heart of the latter who started expressing great regard and felicitations for the personality of the youth that he was- a fact which endorses the idea of 'love at first sight."
347
As did she continue marvelling in this way, the shark-bannered god (Cupid) entered her heart having taken grasp of the sentiment of love, as if spiteful, in order to present his own form.""2
The evanescent feelings of horripilation, bashfulness, hesitation etc. manifesting in her she saw that prince with a gaze beyond the ken of her own understanding. The subsequent morbid transformations of the visual complexion of the prince, his casting of wistful leers, manifestation of contortions on his body, his humour-provoking behaviour towards the chowri bearing maid, his posture to paint a picture on the canvas, his varied actions of looking at distinctive limbs of the beloved (Malayasundarī) and his final resort to send the Kaivarta as a courier to negotiate the terms of reciprocal attachment and fascination, the subsequent introduction of the prince, Malyasundari's reaction and consultations with Vasantasena, the daughter of the king of Avantiviṣaya, who narrated the account to the prince- all these go to illustrate the point of secret association (between the two lovers) forming the main substratum of the Gandharva mode. The first sight creating a sense of dazed emotion on the brains of the lovers resorting to prostrate at the feet of the beloved, personal qualms and compunction of the lover, the subsequent reaction of the beloved acknowledging the entreaties of the lover, the action of the courier, the surge of sympathy in the heart of the beloved whom seeing the lover taking to reckless endeavour of plunging into the ocean in case of disappointment from her, condescends to take to the path of self-choice (ifaf) which was not averse to the conduct of the royal-maidens,' an ideal already established by Kālidās. But this act of self-choice actuated by the sense of mutual attraction, unapproved at the outset by the parents, has been deemed as laughter-provoking in the presence of so many people, by Malayasundari." She speculates over the
1. दृष्ट्वा चोपंजातविस्मया चेतस्यकरवम् अहो, निरवधिरत्नसम्भारा भगवती भूतधात्रीति सत्यः प्रवादोऽयम् येन पृथुपार्थिवोपदेशात्सुमेरुमुख्यैः शिखरिभिः प्रयत्नदुग्धनिः शेषरत्नायाः अप्यमुष्याः दृश्यन्ते ईदृशान्यद्यापि पुरुषरत्नान्युत्पद्यमानानि येषां रूपलावण्यादिगुणगणः कुसुममार्गणस्यापि रूपगर्वमपहरति । TM Sm. ed. pp.
276-277.
2. Ibid. Sm. ed. p. 277.
3. अविरुद्धो हि राजकन्याजनस्य स्वयंवहविधि: । TM Sm. ed. p. 288.
4. गान्धर्वेण विवाहेन बयो राजर्षिकन्यकाः श्रूयन्ते परिणीतस्वाः पितृभिश्चानुमोदिताः । Abhijñāna-śākuntalam
Act III 21. M. R. Kale p. 118.
5. कथं पुनरेतावतो जनस्य मध्ये वर्तमानस्य हासकरमेतत्सारहं कर्तव्यम् TM Sm. ed. p. 288
