Tales from the Hindu Dramatists | Page 5

happily re-united and return to Allahabad.
Several years elapse. An unlucky incident now comes to pass. A hawk
bears away the ruby of re-union. Orders are sent to shoot the bird, and,
after a short while, a forester brings the jewel and the arrow by which
the hawk was killed. An inscription on the shaft shows that its owner is
Ayus. A female ascetic enters, leading a boy with a bow in hand.
The boy is Ayus, the son of Urvasi, whom his mother confided to the
female ascetic who generously brought him up in the forest and now;
sends him back to his mother. The king who was not aware that Urvasi
had ever borne him a son, now recognises Ayus as his son. Urvasi also
comes to embrace her boy. She now suddenly bursts into tears and tells
the king:--
"Indra decreed that I am to be recalled to heaven when you see our son.
This induced me to conceal from you so long the birth of the child.
Now that you have accidentally seen the child, I shall have to return to
heaven, in compliance with the decree of Indra."
She now prepares to leave her husband after she has seen her boy
installed as associate king. So preparations are made for the
inauguration ceremony when Narada the messenger of Indra, comes to
announce that the god has compassionately revoked the decree. The
nymph is thus permitted to remain on earth for good as the hero's
second wife.
Nymphs descend from heaven with a golden vase containing the water
of the heavenly Ganges, a throne, and other paraphernalia, which they
arrange. The prince is inaugurated as Yuvaraj. All now go together to

pay their homage to the queen, who had so generously resigned her
rights in favour of Urvasi.

MALAVIKAGNIMITRA,
OR
AGNIMITRA AND MALAVIKA.
We learn a wise sentiment from the prologue. The stage-manager,
addressing the audience, says:--"All that is old is not, on that account,
worthy of praise, nor is a novelty, by reason of its newness, to be
censured. The wise do not decide what is good or bad till they have
tested merit for themselves: a foolish man trusts to another's
judgement."
Puspamitra was the founder of the Sunga dynasty of Magadha kings,
having been the general of Vrihadratha, the last of the Maurya race,
whom he deposed and put to death: he was succeeded by his son
Agnimitra who reigned at Vidica (Bhilsa) in the second century B.C.
King Agnimitra has two queens Dharini and Iravati. Malavika belongs
to the train of his queen Dharini's attendants. The maid was sent as a
present to the queen by her brother, Virsena, governor of the Antapala
or barrier-fortress on the Nermada.
The queen jealously keeps her out of the king's sight on account of her
great beauty. The king, however, accidentally sees the picture of
Malavika, painted by order of the queen for her chitrasala, or
picture-gallery. The sight of the picture inspires the king with an ardent
desire to view the original, whom he has never yet beheld.
Hostilities are about to break out between Agnimitra and Yajnasena,
king of Viderbha (Berar). The first, on one occasion, had detained
captive the brother-in-law of the latter, and Yajnasena had retaliated by
throwing into captivity Madhavasena, the personal friend of Agnimitra,
when about to repair to Vidisa to visit that monarch. Yajnasena sends
to propose an exchange of prisoners, but Agnimitra haughtily rejects

the stipulation, and sends orders to his brother-in-law, Virasena, to lead
an army immediately against the Raja of Viderbha. This affair being
disposed of, he directs his attention to domestic interests, and employs
his Vidushaka or confidant, Gotama, to procure him the sight of
Malavika. To effect this, Gotama instigates a quarrel between the
professors, Ganadas and Haradatta, regarding their respective
pre-eminence.
They appeal to the Raja, who, in consideration of Ganadasa's being
patronised by the queen, refers the dispute to her. She is induced to
consent reluctantly to preside at a trial of skill between the parties, as
shown in the respective proficiency of their select scholars. The queen
is assisted by a protegé, a Parivrajaka, or female ascetic and woman of
superior learning.
The party assembles in the chamber where the performance is to take
place, fitted up with the Sangitarachana, or orchestral decorations. The
king's object is attained, for Ganadasa brings forward Malavika as the
pupil on whom he stakes his credit. Malavika sings an Upanga or
prelude, and then executes an air of extraordinary difficulty. Malavika's
performance is highly applauded, and, of course, captivates the king
and destroys his peace of mind; the Vidushaka detains her until the
queen, who has all along suspected the plot, commands her to retire.
The warder cries the hour of noon, on which the